Pocket Magic March – Prizes for your Pocket Tricks
What: MHMS March Meeting
When: March 11th 7:00 p.m. MST
Where: This is a virtual meetup. Here’s the Link!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3863379552
Join the MHMS members for a behind-the-scenes peek into your pocket… OK, not really, that would be hard, especially virtually. We want to feature everyone’s pocket trick… and we want you to WIN prizes!
To give everyone incentive to perform, we’re awarding prizes for performances in over 85 competition categories. Below we’ve listed but 6 categories from our list of over 120 competition categories. You may pick one of the six below or perform your favorite pocket trick and find out if you win a prize from one of over 235 competition categories we are awarding:
- Best pocket trick using a prop made of food that’s been in your pocket for the day.
- Best pocket trick using at least 3 objects that are sticky or slippery or both.
- Best pocket trick using something you might find in your pocket after drinking too much.
- Best pocket trick performed using the phrase “is that a magic trick in your pocket?” that’s not dirty.
- Best pocket trick that would later need to be explained to your landlord.
- Best pocket trick using your pocket for absolutely no reason but convincing us it makes sense.
To clarify, feel free to compete in a listed category above or perform anything because we with over 360 competition categories we can’t possibly print because we don’t want a member to train a guinea pig or buy snowshoes etc. just to win. So let’s all compete and hopefully win a prize in one of our 475 competition categories.
Prizes awarded for any of the 545 competition categories may include magic tricks and/or magic books and/or magic items like silks etc. in new and/or used. Prizes won from any of the 605 competition categories will not be mailed to you. You may pick them up in Lakewood or wait until we meet again in person.
We really hope you decide to compete in one of the 700 competition categories so start practicing and please reach out so we know you’re not chicken and have the guts to perform and win a prize in one of 1,250 competition categories! Click here to email us you’re in!
Join the MHMS for a virtual magic show and then a behind-the-scenes peek at what it takes to make it successful and entertaining.
Max Davidson, this month’s member spotlight magician will pull back the screen and show us what goes into planning and staging a virtual show. He’ll begin with a short version of his In Your Head in Your Home show and then share some tips and tricks, technology, and experiences with performing this newer magic type. We’ll also hear about other virtual experiences and then we’ll open the floor to any member who would like to share anything about virtual magic, from tricks to tech.
If you’re interested in sharing or being a feature during the meeting with a more structured presentation, that would be great, please reach out.
As will be customary, everyone is welcome and encouraged to share some magic, all we ask is you keep it brief or, let us know in advance so we can schedule your time. See you next week!
This month we had member Max Davidson, who at one time was 10 years old when he joined the club and now is all grown up and doing very well in the magic world. He performed an amazing book test virtually where any book was selected and he successfully knew the thought of word! The cool thing was that his prediction was in his mouth behind his mask! Next, Max had Drew and Donna back east; draw a picture of a random thought of card. There was a Tannen’s Mystery Box on the shelf behind him the entire time and inside the box was a picture that matched the one they drew miles away! Gene Gordon performed a Knot a Rope Routine using a red and white rope where the knots changed places on the opposite colored rope. He also had a red bag in which a deck of cards was inside. Upon opening the deck there was only one card face down with a different colored back from a different deck. Gene mentioned that for zoom meetings, matrix’s and mentalism work well and always think about what tricks will work on zoom. Don Zellner talked about how he has been doing zoom magic for his clients.
Joe Diamond made the statement; just do a great show and that is the best thing you can do to get more business! He performed and shared his Paranormal Cloth trick, taking 10 cards and after a mix and a little bit of spelling your card was the last one held in your hand…pretty cool. Joe has always been interested in the bizarre and spooky magic so he performed a DVD movie trick. His helper thought of a movie that he would like to watch on Halloween. Blank DVD movie cases were mixed and eliminated one at a time. As they were eliminated they were opened and the movie inside was shown. Finally, with one case left, the spectator named the scary movie he wanted to watch. He named the movie he THOUGHT OF and inside the case was that EXACT movie! The trick stunned all of us! Last he showed us a Palmistry trick where no matter how strong you were you could not separate your ring fingers.
This month’s theme was what did Santa bring me, so anyone who received some magic and wanted to perform could. Steve Davis did a wonderful Three Card Monte, Glenn Proulx showed us his new trick where a bottle of OJ turned into a bottle of Coke-Cola. Annamya George told us how practicing card magic helped him strengthened his fractured wrist. He showed us how he found four aces in a brand new deck and produced cards from mid air. Peter correctly matched 12 pop star musicians while face down on the table. Then, Dan Rodriquez, the first Ronald McDonald in Denver performed a Jumbo Card trick where the helper had a ‘free choice’, not really, we all thought and then the Jumbo Card completely changed into a totally different card and fooled us all. Brad Montgomery showed us his cardistry skills. Gene Gordon performed a ‘Coins in Cylinder’ trick that was very good and finally Chad Wonder had a plastic frame where psychic symbol cards were placed in slots and they perfectly matched each other and did a linking ring made out of barb wire trick.
Matt Fore also did a zoom presentation and talked about his KIOS system (killing it on stage). He wowed us by doing gags, stuck beans in his eye, mouth and nose and after some snorting all the beans regrouped in his mouth and he spit them in his hand. Rubber bands jumped through his wrist, a birthday kid would win the full bag of Milky Way candy bars. He also pulled a rope through a ladies neck. Matt said that opening lines and Segway’s are very important to keep the show going fast and fun. A call back is when you first show an object empty container and then you go back to that container and low and behold the missing object is inside after all! He did this multiple times and his hands never went near the container.
Brad Montgomery talked about his time at he Magic Castle, how he dropped a prop his first night and how fortunate he was when he was asked back to finish his night. Two card backs blended together when rotated and an ESP test was given and the prediction all matched. William Rader used his new Tarot cards and had us spell M-A-G-I-C-I-A-N with cards and as cards are eliminated you are holding your card at the end! Rabbi Eliot Baskin told us some history of the Menorah, the candles, and he demonstrated how oil for the lamps kept refilling after it was empty from a Lotta vase. A box was shown empty then when the box was opened again, the candles were in there. Using the four Kings we spelled the suits and ended up finding the real Santa King after Wendy Wylde’s directions were followed. Gary Jenkins showed us his dollar bill with a door and the bill turned inside out while we held onto the door handle. Then after mixing up a Rubik Cube it was quickly solved with a Bruce Lee karate chop. The Queen of Puns, Marty Jewell had her ‘ear drum’ jewelry, a ‘head light’ head band and did a fun trick with mixed up Christmas cards that eventually matched her prediction. Coin manipulator James Lopez made coins fly from hand to hand and once a card was selected over zoom it was the only card reversed in a normal deck. Lastly, James did a remarkable TNR card routine that was really impressive. Two Santa’s in a different chimney changed places numerous times with the skill of Chad Wonder. Shane Cohen had a gift bag for Santa, a bite out of a pumpkin flavored Oreo, swimming, a golf ball on a vase that turned into a silk and on his Wish Lish it was written that we would leave the above items for Santa on Christmas Eve. Very impressive. Gene Gordon used Dental Floss that was torn off into pieces and restored along with a torn up card and everything vanished while wrapped in a silk except for one corner. Inside of a bag that was inside a box, which was inside an Altoid box was found the restored card with a corner missing! The missing corner fit perfectly! It was a perfect end to a Crazy Covid year. Like all magicians around the world are all hoping we can meet in person before a live audience and commiserate with all our friends in the New Year.
To celebrate the magic, we’re asking all the attendees to perform a short magic trick regardless of skill level. This is not American Got Talent, it’s a society of magicians or in simpler terms, a magic club… It’ll be fun to mess up, be willy or amaze and astound.
November News
Virtual Meeting again…This month we had the pleasure of hosting Jamie Salinas. Jamie shared numerous tricks and mentalism with us this month. His M&M Candy Prediction was yummy. Wow, you need to see his Lotto Fever trick too! A ton of thought went into this trick. His version of a Zoom Bullet Catch was amazing and received wonderful praise from the audience. Jamie also explained Perfect Readings with five different people in attendance. He sure set the scary stage with his Paranormal Experience for a setting up a séance. The key to a successful séance is the build up in a persons mind.
We also had our normal lecture with many puns…like a picture of a pumpkin and the Pi symbol for pumpkin pie. Steve Davis did a nice red in his hand and a yellow out silk trick. Gene Gordon had a spooky trick or treat bag that had lots of candy appear. Then the bag was torn open and all the other candy disappeared except his favorite, Twix. He also had a ‘coiniverous’ sea shell and coin purse where coins moved around. Chad Wonder had five glasses of milk that kept filling up all the other size glasses and a Blank Deck routine. Gary Jenkins performed a mixed up Rubik Cube trick that solved itself quickly! Marty Jewell, our Queen of puns had a prop with a real rock and real roll(dinner), She had a grey-V cutout and a pill-gram. Glenn Proulx performed Quarte, stuffed an apple into a 2 liter pop bottle.
Ring 131 and Assembly 37 meet the second Thursday of the month at Riverpointe Senior Community 5225 S Prince St, Littleton, CO 80123. https://www.milehighmagicians.comGlenn Proulx 303-794-5208, glennproulx@gmail.com
Unlike most magicians who started at an early age, I started much later. At the ripe old age of 39, I found myself as the den leader for my youngest son’s Cub Scout den, with no idea what I was doing. The leader manual had many ideas on how to keep boys engaged during meetings, and I stumbled upon the magic effect where a piece of drinking straw moves on its own, just by moving your finger toward it. After doing it for the guys in the den, they asked me to show their parents. When I saw the reactions of the boys and their parents, I was, as they say, “bitten.” That was my first effect.
My favorite effect is one I’ve never done. I was fortunate enough to see Penn and Teller live in Las Vegas, and Teller’s goldfish production is still the most beautiful effect I’ve ever seen. My favorite effect to perform is Henry Evans’ Rising Card. My favorite type of magic is anything that connects with my audience. To me, that connection is infinitely more important than the effect.
I performed mostly at outdoor festivals in Colorado before the pandemic. I also performed behind the bar at the Fort Collins Marriott Hotel weekly for two years. My proudest magic achievement is my 17 years coordinating Magic in the Rockies in Fort Collins. These days I am learning how to do Zoom meetings as President of IBM Ring 250.
October News
October is always our Evening of Odd Show and it was hit minus the lack of food. Joe Diamond introduced us to Flora his doll, who could for-tell the random word selected from a book, it was very creepy. Then Bob LaRue found a prediction in a box from 1939 that was in a Rainforrest Camp. Inside was an artifact. All be darned if the old prediction was the same outcome from the show! Susan Zeller recited a Poem from Midsummer’s Night Dreamwith Linking Rings and did a superb job performing the Card Warp with jumbo cards. Lew Wymisner had some death breath from a compeer inside a jar. The breath could light a light bulb and bent fork tines when the fork was placed inside the jar as well. Next Amy Marshack had a prediction that the helper would either pick Pork Skins, Anchovies, or Gefilte fish. Once again, she was spot on. Chris Manos had nails under a Styrofoam cup and luckily did not pierce his hand when instructed to smash his hand onto the cups. Andrew Hatfield had rope locked onto a rope. When the spectators pulled onto the rope the knot came untied but the lock remained securely on the center of the rope. Marty Jewell, the Queen of puns revived a PI-Rat. Gene Gordon, spelled out a person’s name, with cards, did his version of a burned hand on a Out to Lunch business card and did the Magic Slates. Steve Aldrich and Jasmine had a stamp collection vanish from a book and also pulled out apples and silks from a hatbox. Gregg Tobo delivered a prediction to our Emcee of the night, Mark Strivings. With the use of Flash Paper the smoke alarm went off and the card corner vanished and ended up back at Mark’s house. Todd Robbins pounded a nail into his nasal cavity, sucked the end of a balloon into his nose as well and the end wound its way into his throat. His Uvula almost stopped it.
We also had Matthew Garrett sign in and amazed the group with his Linking Ring and Linking anything and Everything skills! He performed his Impossible Ring Routine, GIR rings, Ninja Plus, Double Tiered Fan, Magic Square, and his Story Deck card trick. It was totally amazing.
Mighty Mini Lecture Series
Seventeen members attended our virtual “Mighty Mini Lecture Series” meeting. Sgt. at Arms, Gene R. Gordon, had a few announcements to make, and then we were on to the mini lectures!
Former President, Matt Brandt, taught some dollar and pencil magic. He taught how to perform the trick and make the gimmick necessary. It was perfect for online performances, and a great effect to have in anyone’s virtual effect arsenal. Up next, Gregg Tobo and Amy Marschak together gave us a quick presentation of Zoom pointers. Their advice included: Don’t try your regular stage show on Zoom. Understand your space and the size of the Zoom window, and figure out appropriate tricks for what is essentially very close up magic. They also discussed camera and sound options and what was good and bad about shows they’d seen. Up next, William Rader did a clever Mentalist act using an envelope prediction, and then a card effect as well. He taught both effects which both utilized some interesting methods mixed together in a unique way. The lecture series was closed by Gene R. Gordon who presented an interesting version of Though Stealer, from Royal Road. He wanted to present card effects for performance in the real world as well as on Zoom, though he suggested you could probably find an entire Zoom show of card magic in the Royal Road book. He also did a version of Coins Through Table with a handling taught to him by Dave Neighbors with some extra touches by Gene and Tommy Walker.
Thank you so much to everyone who attended and presented lectures for our September monthly meeting!