Weekly Round-Up
by SCOTT WELLS
December 1, 2008

Howdy friends.  The end is indeed near. Some may think I am talking about the economy but instead I am talking about the end of 2008. As we draw near to 2009 it is time for our final push to do more shows, buy more magic books and tricks, and to spread magic throughout the land. Many magicians find this month to be the busiest month of the year with holiday parties albeit a bit off from previous years due to the economy.  But keep positive and do the best you can. Don't let your audience settle for less even if you settled for less pay. Give them the best show you can. This week starts the beginning of this column going to a blog. Also this week David Solomon is in town and will present a workshop at H&R Magic Books; we talk about the Houston group helping the Austin magic club with their holiday banquet; H.A.O.M. and the S.A.M. Assembly #19 will meet tonight and will feature a mini-lecture by professional comedian David Trevas; Jerry Gray is recovering from a broken arm; plus who's working where. (Read More...)

This column is being converted this week to a blog which should make the search for previous articles go much smoother. Much credit should go to the unheralded efforts of Kirk DeWeese and his IS team at Micro Com Specialists who designed and manage this web portal.

The Houston area magicians host an annual banquet each February when we install officers, present awards and enjoy some great magic. We usually feature a visiting magician as our special guest performer during the stage show with the rest of the close-up and stage performers being pulled from our large pool of local talent. This event has been organized by Trixie Bond and Dick Olson over the past several years. Our banquet has grown by leaps and bounds each year requiring us to move to a larger venue to accommodate the 400+ attendees. This year Trixie and Dick will be trying something different.

We will send several local magicians to Austin on Monday December 15th to perform at their annual holiday banquet and they will reciprocate by sending their performers to Houston to entertain us next February. Houston will send Richard Hatch, Trixie Bond and Rick Hebert to perform close-up magic. The stage show will feature Scott Wells as the emcee, Phil Kampf, John Star and T.A.O.M. winner, Rachel Dunn. Houston and Austin are about 175 miles apart which equates to a drive of less than three hours. This talent exchange should be fun and exciting for all of us and should help prove that indeed we are a true brotherhood.

And speaking of the H.A.O.M. and S.A.M. Assembly #19, those combined groups will meet tonight, Monday December 1st at the IATSE Meeting Hall. Vice President Scott Hollingsworth always arranges a great mini-lecture before the formal business meeting. Be sure to be there at 7:30 to hear David Trevas who was a working professional stand-up comedian.  He is now an engineer, but that is another story.  Davis is going to offer tips for creating comedy for magicians.  These tips are based on his experience touring comedy circuits for several years throughout the country. David is an excellent speaker and a funny guy. I am really looking forward to hear what he has to say.

Following the regular business meetings of both organizations, the members perform for each other. This week Scott and Kathy Wells plan to give a short demonstration of their new mind reading act during the performance time. Since the Magic Island remains closed, this is the next best place to work out material before a "live" audience. We recommend that all magicians should take advantage of the opportunity to perform at their club meetings as often as they can. For more information and directions to the meeting, please visit www.HoustonMagic.com and follow the link to S.A.M. Assembly #19 and H.A.O.M. in the frame to the left of the website.

Our lively octogenarian magician, Jerry Gray attended the I.B.M. Ring #29 meeting last Monday night and we were surprised to see that he was wearing a sling. No, it was not an effect for a trick, but he announced that he broke it in eight places! Bill Palmer immediately exclaimed, "Then stay out of those places."  The doctors told Jerry that he should not try to use his arm for the next several weeks. He suffers from cancer as well but he keeps on going and performing. What a guy! We all wish Jerry a speedy recovery for his plethora of ailments.

Famed card magician David Solomon will be lecturing this Sunday, December 7th at H & R Magic Books, starting at 1:00. This workshop will be $25. You can register by calling (281-540-7229) or e-mailing us (richard@magicbookshop.com). Let us know if you’ll be coming so we can provide enough of the usual refreshments (sodas, chips, etc.). For those of you not familiar with Dave, here’s his bio:

David Solomon is one of the most prolific thinkers in card magic today. From his earliest days at the table with his friend and mentor, Ed Marlo, to the more recent days of his Saturday Chicago Sessions with Simon Aronson and John Bannon, David has been a consistent source of card magic discussion, planning, creation and performance.

David’s new book, The Wisdom of Solomon has over 50 effects, succinctly written by David Solomon and Jeff Siegfried. There are over 200 photos to clearly illustrate all sleights, layouts, and procedures. At the beginning of each effect, the reader is treated to David’s personal reflections in the section aptly titled, “Solomon’s Mind.”

The magical legacy of David is found not only in his published books (Sessions, 1982; Solomon’s Mind, 1997; and The Wisdom of Solomon, 2007), but has also been published in almost all major magic periodicals, including, Marlo’s Magazine,  the Hierophant, the Kabbalah, Magic Magazine, Genii Magazine, the Linking Ring, MUM, the New Tops, and more!

David has also created and produced some of today’s finest commercial card effects including, Pencil Thru Card, Technicolor Oil and Water, Surprise Rising Card, Technicolor Assembly, Color Collision, Hocus Poker, Printing on Demand, and Technicolor Thunder. Two acclaimed DVDs are also credited to David: Solomon’s Mind, and Ed Marlo: It’s All in The Cards.

A much sought after lecturer, David continues to tour throughout the United States and Europe, which has resulted in his card magic being performed by magicians around the world. The Wisdom of Solomon continues his tradition of excellence, and provides a collection of effects for the intermediate to expert magician. All routines are based on cleverly used sleights, as well as hidden subtleties. There are performance pieces with great entertainment value, as well as magician foolers for the boys. This will be an excellent addition for anyone with a passion for the pasteboards!

Shane Wilson will perform magic "on the grill" this week at Tokyohana's Grill and Sushi Bar at 3239 Southwest Freeway (I-45) on Thursday night on December 4th from 7:00 to 9:00 then again on Saturday December 6th from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eric Falconer continues as the house magician two nights a week at Sakekawa, a sushi restaurant in the Woodlands, a northern suburb of Houston. Eric will be performing tableside and "grill" side each Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 then again on Saturdays from 6:30 to 8:30.  You can call Sakekawa for reservations at 281-419-5988.

As we consider the economy and booking more shows, let me remind you of an important quote to live by from a famous bar magician, Doc Eason, "GTFM (Get The Freakin' Money)."