896: Obie's 4F 2025 Close-Up Convention - Days One and Two Report

Wednesday April 23

1:00pm: Registration
1:00pm: 4F Shop Open
5:00pm: Dealers’ Room Opens (closed during events)
7:30pm: 1st Show: Opening Gala (MC - Jay Scott Berry)
11:00pm: Hospitality Suite Opens
12:00am: Dealers’ Room Closes

Thursday April 24

10:00am: Registration Open (closed during events)
10:00am: Dealers’ Room & 4F Shop Open (closed during events)
10:30am: Lecture #1 - Horrett Wu
1:30pm: 2nd Show: Magical Moments (MC - Will Fern)
3:30pm: ED Talks #1 (MC’s - Christian and Katalina)
7:30pm: 3rd Show: Friends Old & New (MC - Michael Dardant)
9:30pm: Lecture #2 - Eric DeCamps
11:00pm: Hospitality Suite Opens
12:00am: Dealers’ Room Closes

Time Stamps: These will be posted after I have gotten some sleep.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Happy birthday for our Friend of the Magic Word, “Fancy” Nancy Anderson. Originally from Lima, Peru, she now resides in the Chicago area where she lives and performs. She is a self-proclaimed BIG fan of magic and is often seen enjoying live shows at the Chicago Magic Lounge and the Rhapsody Theatre. Her actual birthday was this past week, April 21st. So, mark your calendar for next year so you don’t forget to wish her a happy birthday.

844: Joe Devlin - Matador In The Arena

Known as the “Matador of Magic,” Joe Devlin has lived what, for most, would be several lifetimes full of magic. He has performed around the world aboard cruise ships for 37 years; he has created and performed unique, original illusions; he was one of the performers in NYC at the Magic Townhouse and Mostly Magic; he had long term engagements in Atlantic City and in the Bahamas; his wedding was the subject of a one-hour “reality” show; he appeared on “All My Children” daytime network television; he has been a consultant tor Criss Angel’s show “Magic of the Stars” and others, and; he was a featured performer on Criss Angel’s “Amysitika” show in Las Vegas.

In this week’s episode, Joe talks about his amazing history of performing, creating and consulting magic over the years. His fast-paced style and on-stage choreography reminds one of the moves of a flamenco dancer and also of a Spanish bullfighter in the arena. This week he chats about a lot of what he has accomplished over the past 40+ years including a bit about taking care of the Houdini Memorial in New York. He had two touring illusion shows, but since the death of his wife/assistant, he has focused on singular performances and consulting.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

817: Blackpool Magic Convention 2024 - Day One Report

Friday 16th February 2024

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dealers’ Hall Open

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Paul Romhany Lecture (Spanish Hall) and Richard Griffin Lecture (Arena)

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. International Close-up Show (Foyer Hall)

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. John “Chunkie” Russell Lecture (Derham Lounge)

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Ann DeGuzman Lecture (Arena) and Ben Hart Lecture (Spanish Hall)

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Cameron Francis Lecture (Foyer Hall)

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Mat O’Neill Parlour Show (Derham Lounge)

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Christian Grace Lecture (Arena) and Tom Wright Lecture (Spanish Hall)

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Marvin Berglas Lecture (Foyer Hall) and Dave Allen Lecture (Derham Lounge)

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Adrian Quillien Lecture (Spanish Hall)

6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Gala Show (Opera House)

6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Mike Caveney and Friends Show (Circle Hall)

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Shoot Ogawa Show (Arena)

8:45 p.m. - 10:15 p.m. Gala Show (Opera House)

8:45 p.m. - 9:45 p.m. Mike Caveney and Friends Show (Circle Hall)

9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Shoot Ogawa Show (Arena)

11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Harrison Greenbaum Show (Arena and limited to audiences of 18+)

11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Whose Lie Is It Anyway? (Old Victoria Bar)

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:18 - we are off from the Dallas Ft. Worth airport to ride our magic carpet “across the pond” to merry old England for the Blackpool Magic Convention 2024. Join us for the trip!!

00:03:32 - Our first stop before Blackpool is a visit to The Magic Circle (TMC) where John Bannon was the featured lecturer on Monday, 12 February. Our first chat is with Ian Rowland, a mentalist and motivational speaker to the corporate market. He is also a master of “kirigami” which is the art of cutting cards and folding. It is beautiful artwork.

00:12:21 - Faye Presto is working on a new close-up cover for the table at TMC. She also tells us about the proper way to put a bottle through the table.

00:20:27 - Marvyn Berglas, President of TMC, tells us what he’s doing as the new President and plans for improvements in the building.

00:28:06 - From Sweden, Johan Stahal, is a FISM competitor winner of Sweden’s Got Talent, and is attending this BMC for his eighth time.

00:30:05 - Pat Fallon, from Ireland, and Scott catch up as long time friends and Pat tells us a little about touring and magic clubs in Ireland.

00:35:35 - David Regal, from the U.S., is an artiste at BMC who doubles with his lecture and close-up performance. He was walking around with R. Paul Wilson, from Scotland, who is a regular attendee at BMC.

00:39:47 - Brendan Rodriquez, from the U.K., has a video blog (vlog) and is shooting video in, at and around the BMC for broadcast.

00:44:00 - Empressario and big event producer, Paul Stone, is from Liverpool and talks a bit about his “Beatles Tour” around town that he privately gave to Mac King, Mike Caveney, Tina Lennart, and a few others before the BMC began.

00:49:17 - Tracy Bradshaw, a worker at the BMC registration booth, tells us what the VIP registrants get that is different from regular registrations.

00:53:15 - David Plant is a member of the Blackpool Magic Club who sponsors BMC. He gives us a “convention by the numbers” and a quick overview/history of BMC.

01:00:33 - Anders Boulanger, from Winnipeg, Canada, is taking a quick break between working trade shows to come here for his first BMC and tells us how overwhelming it is.

01:06:41 - Keith McCabe, from Ireland, has been coming to the BMC for over 20 years and talks about some of the few magic clubs and magicians and types of magic performed in the Republic of Ireland. We are joined by Harrison Greenbaum, who is another of the performers/lecturers at the BMC.

01:11:04 - Mumdo Marsouki, a podcast listener from Saudi Arabia, tells us about the kind of magic performed in his country.

01:15:28 - Sune Narud, from Norway and a podcast listener, tells us why he and his friends attend the BMC each year.