The Amazing Randi Day at Browser's Den!.

May 12, 2014

Hi There Denizens,

Hope that you are ALL well.

What a wonderful surprise we had last Saturday at Browser's Den.

At about noon none other than The Amazing Randi entered the shop!!! He walked in with his entourage including the president of the Randi Foundation.

Randi was wearing black cape and stylish fedora and sporting a walking cane with a silver skull at it's top.

There were about ten magicians at the shop whose mouths dropped open very wide...I think that I could have pulled out a 50 foot mouth coil from their mouths they were so wide.

I pointed out to Randi that we had a framed poster of him hanging on the wall above the table that magicians hang around and chat. Randi sat down in the chair directly below his poster.

 He encouraged others to sit down and join him at the table.

For the next hour or so Randi performed some impromptu tricks with cards, paper balls, etc.
And he asked others to show him a trick or too.

In short he was so friendly and engaging to all. When he was told he has to leave for other appointments he stayed long enough to take photos and sign autographs with everyone.

I wish I had been given some advance notice. We would have sent out an eflyer to let more people know.

Until Next Time,

Jeff

Jay Sankey & Card Collector's Day

March 3, 2014

Dear Magic Friends,

Since most of us are talking as much about the weather as we are about our latest sleight of hand moves I am pleased to report that I will make a prediction.
As popular is mentalism these days it was never of much interest to me for most of my formative years studying magic.  Though I do appreciate it more now than then...I still enjoy scarves changing colour and canes changes to candles, linking rings and coins and cups and balls, etc.etc.

That being said, I have decided that I will make a prediction regarding our weather. The cold will disappear by the time I write my next Blog! 

Three weeks ago we hosted a wonderful lecture at our shop by Jay Sankey. I believe that over my 18 plus years running Browser's Den that this is the fourth time we have had a formal lecture by Jay at the shop.

As has always been the case we get a good turnout for Jay. About 62 people attended the lecture; for which we are very thankful.

All in attendance were treated to the usual Sankey wonderful magic.
I noticed that Jay really engaged the crowd when he discussed some magic theory. He made some thought provoking commnets for certain.
One statement he made was that he believed that the origin of the magician in black cape, top hat and moustache was in response to most magicians hiding. Hiding their true shy personality in many cases.  He thought of it as a failure that this has become an iconic figure of magicians.
Jay believes that we magicians must stop hiding behind our costumes and get to the core of magic and our relationships with the audience. Beginning by hiding our true self he believes is a poor starting point.

Jay did a wonderful array of magic.
My favorite was his routine with a borrowed ring and straw.
I know that does not sound like much...but boy oh boy did it look like real magic!!! He fooled me too!

Yesterday, March 2nd we had Tom and Judy Dawson and their Card Collectors Club have a meeting at Browsers' Den.
What a fun, fun time it was for all in attendance.
The Dawsons spoke a bit about the history of playing cards and how to maintain their condition.
What a pleasant couple they are to spend an afternoon with.
Many customers and some of the members of their collectors club brought decks of cards to show, trade and sell to one another.

Also in attendance was Mr. Lee Asher. Lee asked me to host this about three weeks ago. I would have liked a bit more time to promote the event but I am still pleased that about 30 showed. I do thank Lee for the opportunity.

Last Friday night, February 28th, I and John Pellatt (A long time customer of Browser's) drove up to see Bobby Motta perform at Dave & Buster's.
I had never been to Dave & Busters'. John I had enough time to have a quick bit at the restaurant located within the facility.
I was pleasantly surprised that the food was very good and plentiful; not what I expected.

The show was very well attended. I saw about twenty or so customers of Browser's Den in attendance for Bobby's show.

Bill Abbott was the opener. Bill did about 30 minutes of fun and entertaining  Mental Magic. 
I have always thought that one of Bill's great assets is his interaction with audience members. That quality of this really shined through Friday night.
Let's face it, the roles could have been reversed in that Bobby would be opening for Bill. It is a credit to Bobby that he has someone like Bill who is so strong open for him!!
Bill really warmed up the audience well for Bobby.

After Bills' performance there was a two minute break.
Then Bobby came out and did about 1 hour and 45 minutes of VERY STRONG mindreading/mentalism.
I encourage everyone out there to take in Bobby's show.
I am one hundred percent certain that those laymen in the audience (about 100 or so laymen) walked out of that theatre wondering if what they saw that night from Bobby was real or not.
And heck...is that not the goal of all magicians/mentalists? That is, for the audience to wonder if what they saw was real or not?

And to top it off not only is Bobby's material super strong...But he has the most important ingredient as far as I am concerned for any performer...THE AUDIENCE LIKES BOBBY MOTTA within 2 minutes of him appearing on stage.  And folks as the old saying goes...that is half the battle.

Until Next Time,
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic
Serving Magicians Since 1975
Tel 416-783-7022
www.browsersden.com

Rob Power Lecture

January 13, 2014

Hi There Dear Magic Friends of Browser's Den!!

Jeff here.  It has been far too long since my last entry.
Not certain that anyone is actually reading these but should there be a few...sorry for the long wait in between my Blog posts.

We started off 2014 with a real big bang with the Rob Power lecture yesterday at the shop.
I was so pleased by the wonderful turnout! Rob is not someone who is well known amongst hobbyists. Most professionals who do not put out products for the magic industry are never really well known unless they make it big.

During Mr. Power's lecture he showed why he has been so busy the past 30 years performing. His talents touch upon many areas of entertainment.
During the lecture attendees were given a treat of a magic buffet and instruction that included: Manipulation, Sleight of Hand, Miser's Dream, Puppetry, Comedy, Fire-Eating, Close-Up Magic and even some crazy fun balloon creations.

But aside from the magic, Rob truly shared so many tidbits of priceless information. Well if not priceless, at least information that takes in many cases 30 years of experience to truly discover...Discover the old fashioned way...through trial and error and hard work.

And if you do not mind me adding...Heck, most lectures we host are ten or fifteen bucks...the price of a movie. I honestly feel and have always felt that if someone gets one or two pieces of information or tricks that they learn then the lecture is a real bargain.
How many movies do people attend that are the same old recipes? Lectures are a bargain.
Okay enough about that mini-rant.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience! Rob brought his guitar and played a short song to drive home a magic point! He went well beyond the call of duty.  He did so because he loves his chosen art of communication and is willing to share.

My favorite part of his lecture was his production of a jumbo coin at the end of his Miser's Dream. I have read a lot about that trick as it is one of my favorites. But maybe I missed this somewhere.... Rob stole the Jumbo Coin in a standard manner but hid it in his hand by placing the pail on top of it. So the hand that is holding the pail is the same hand that is holding the jumbo coin...perfectly covered from all angles. Simple right? And that is why it is so beautiful. Again I am sure it is written up somewhere but not in all the routines that I have read about the effect.

Wishing you all the best for 2014.
And don't forget...JAY SANKEY LECTURE at Browser's Den on Sunday, February 9. Please visit the homepage of our website for full details.

Magical Hugs,
Jeff

BOBBY MOTTA LECTURE-GUEST BLOGGER WRITE-UP

BOBBY MOTTA LECTURE @ Browser's Den of Magic

September 22nd, 2013 (4-6pm)

Guest Review by "Boychick" Pan
 Attending the Bobby Motta lecture at the Browser's Den of Magic this past Sunday, September 22nd (approx. 4pm to 6pm) was like attending a party with a packed room full of friends all gathered together to share some wonderful secrets presented by a charismatic powerhouse of a performer, Mr. Bobby Motta.

Such is his energy and enthusiasm and natural ability to entertain that the two hours flashed by in an instant. Trying to recapture Bobby's performance in print is no easy task - it is so relaxed and he is so genuinely funny that it would be easy to mistake it all for an impromptu session. But that it looks so effortless and natural is because of the years of hard work and dedication to his art that Bobby has undertaken. He admits to close to 3000 professional performances in his 13 year pro career. It shows. Interestingly, he actually started out as a hobbyist at the Den (at its old location on Eglinton).

As Jeff Pinsky, gracious host for the event explained, Bobby's transformation from casual hobbyist into one of Canada's most innovative, creative and sought-after professionals is nothing less than "an amazing journey". Fortunate were we who caught his lecture - unbelievably his very first ever - which included such luminaries in the crowded room as Jay Sankey.

Bobby is what they call a performer's performer. Even if things are going wrong you would never know, or even care because he has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. For not only is he genuinely funny but he is immensely likable. If an audience likes you, then my friend, you have discovered the true secret of a successful career whether it be in  magic or anything else. If Bobby could sell that secret he could retire a rich, young, and still likable guy!


The Lecture

The lecture consisted of a performance and explanation of (I counted) nine effects out of his attractively packaged lecture notes. (Other mentalism goodies were also on sale at discounted rates.) Everybody came away with something really good. Fans of magic got a fantastic show. Mentalists came away with some killer effects. Card guys and gals got some innovative routines. Comedy aficionados got a lot of laughs. At $10 for admission it was a bargain for everyone.

Bobby began with a demonstration of the variations possible with his commercially available effect, "Blackmail" (a fiendishly clever update of an old principle discussed in Corinda). To discuss it at length would be to reveal its secret, so I won't. I will just say if you want to read minds, get "Blackmail". You won't be disappointed. Jeff stocks it at The Den.

Along with the comedy and the awesome mentalism, Bobby shared some of his philosophy of performance. (And personally I would've liked to have heard even more.) He made a point of explaining that every move he makes has a purpose and that it is important to plot and reason out all your moves. Quite rightly, he concludes, audiences will catch you out on any funny or unmotivated moves.

His next effect was a mind reading number utilizing business cards. Again, to say much more than that would fall into exposure but I will say I think this one effect alone was worth the cost of the lecture and/or the cost of the lecture notes. With it, you can mind-read anywhere without any preplanning or elaborate props.

There followed a number of well done effects that had most folk scratching their heads in amazement. My notes are a bit hard to read at this point as I was probably laughing so much at Bobby's stage antics. I will briefly note his astonishing "Zoom" illusion - which he sells commercially - during which his head seemed to expand like an inflated balloon. No kidding! Very bizarre and very visually effective indeed.

Bobby also had a number of pet card routines which I know the card fans in the room really appreciated. If you buy his lecture notes whenever you get the chance all will be revealed.


Concluding Thoughts

The combination of comedy and believable straight-on mentalism is a rare one (at least IMHO). I often feel one doesn't quite go with the other with most performers. With Bobby the two mesh perfectly. He is totally believable as an intense practitioner of the psychic arts. But he is also so  funny that even when you know exactly what he's doing or how, you just don't care. You just get carried along with his onstage joy of living in the moment.

I especially liked it when he pointed out that "most people never actually see magic in real life" and so you may well be their first live magic performance. You want to make sure, emphasized Bobby, that when you do any effect, even if you are only a hobbyist, that you have practiced it to perfection. "Do them really well, do them beautifully, blow people away with whatever magic you do." A man of his word, Bobby's first lecture blew everyone away and created a memorable afternoon that excited and inspired all who attended.

Thank you Bobby Motta for such an enjoyable, enlightening afternoon.

And thank you Jeff Pinsky for hosting yet another excellent special event at the Den.

Cups & Balls & The Journey

September 16, 2013

Cups & Balls and The Journey?

A customer of ours who is a professional magician and quite a wonderful performer for layman has had an ongoing (friendly) debate from time to time over the past 25 years with me.

He believes that with an effect such as the Cups & Balls that what the magician does leading up to the final Large Climax of Balls/Lemons/etc is not important.

I completely disagree with his opinion on this point. I do agree with him that a Cups & Balls routine may be too long. But it is only too long if the magician does not perform it in an entertaining and engaging fashion.

To be clear, I do agree that the week or two after the performance or perhaps even the next day the only thing that the audience may remember is the ending of the large objects from the cups. But that does not mean that the journey is not important.

There is a lot of magic that takes place on the journey to the ending of the Cups & Balls. And that magic is and should be very powerful to the audience even if perhaps the climax is even more powerful but that does not negate its significance.

For me it is analogous to a movie or a novel a play.  That is, if the movie or novel or play is boring then one is likely not to sit through to the end or finish.
Many times people do not finish the novel they are reading. Or they walk out of a play at the intermission not to return because part one of the play was not interesting to them.
Well, the same is for the Cups & Balls or for that matter almost all multi-phase magic tricks.

In fact I argue that all parts of a magic trick are important though the ending is of vital importance.

Until Next Time,
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic Shop
Toronto, Canada
Telephone 416-783-7022
Serving Magicians Since 1975
www.browsersden.com

Justin Flom Lecture &...

August 26, 2013

Dear Browser's Den of Magic Friends,

I hope that all is well.

Yesterday at Browser's Den we had a good lecture given by Justin Flom of the United States.
Those in attendance were treated to quite a varying selection of effects. Magic that you could perform for any age audience and some more intended for adults.

Justin also talked quite a bit about his experiences performing on television.
It may seem odd for those who did not take in the lecture but my favorite effect that he performed was a playing card version of Jacob's Ladder.

I was very pleased to see so many younger people (12 and under) in attendance. 
And I was pleased too to see regulars such as: John Talbot, Bobby Motta, Gary Wiseman, John McLachlan, Gordon Precious, Cam Dix, Mark Chan, James Alan, John Boisseaneault.

As an added bonus some of the magicians who will be taking part at Mike & Jen Segals 'Sorcerer Safari' were in attendance including FISM Champion Shawn Farquhar.

All in all a fun afternoon.

And now for a short commercial message. Coming in September at 'Browser's Den'"

BOBBY MOTTA, MENTALISM LECTURE: Sunday, September 22 (See Homepage of Site for Details)
JAY SCOTT BERRY MAGIC LECTURE: Sunday, September 29 (See Homepage of Site for Details)

Magical Hugs,
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic
Serving Magicians Since 1975
Toronto, Canada
Tel 416-783-7022
www.browsersden.com

At the Shop This Weekend

July 29, 2013

Hi There,

I hope that you are all well.

This was an interesting weekend at Browser's Den in that usually Saturdays are busier than Sundays. But not this past weekend.

It was also nice to see some guys hanging out at the Table for the afternoon such as: Jay Davis, Louie, Mark Chan, Lawrence, Christian, Jahah & Heather.

Boy Louie sure showed some great card work. He does excellent seconds and centres! I have been told that my second deal is pretty good. But I cannot do centres and I have never liked my bottom deals.

Also great to see on Sunday my former co-worker John Cardella at the shop. He looked great and picked-up from us some new magic goodies.

Also this past week we had visits at Browser's Den from: Magic Mike Segal, Greg Frewin, Lee Asher, Dr. Mark Horowitz (Lee's dad), Laurent.

By the way we are open this long weekend coming up.
Saturday, Aug 3rd, 10am until 6pm (Magic Club is on this day too 2:30 to 5:00pm)
Sunday, Aug. 4th,  12 noon until 5pm
Monday, Aug 5th, 11am until 5pm

Until Next Time,
Jeff