Here’s the itinerary from Europe.

Taxi, airplane, tram, train, bus, hike, bike, walk, train, walk, train, bus, bus, train, train, bus, hike, bus, train, train, walk, bus, train, tram, airplane, taxi, walk, car, walk, walk, bus, taxi, walk, taxi, airplane, bus, train, train, bus, bus, bus, bus, train, tram, airplane, taxi, home.

L.A. | Winterthur | Zurich | Swiss Alps | Ireland | Basel

need. more. sleep.

WHEW!

Just arrived back into Switzerland from Dublin, and I’m dead tired. Dublin was incredible… I fly back to LA tomorrow. Here’s the Weekly Magic Trick straight from the vault!

This is the Torn and Restored Card… one of the hardest sleight-of-hand effects around. The video is old, so please excuse the quality. Enjoy!

Torn & Restored Card – Joe Skilton from Joe Skilton on Vimeo.

April is one of the slowest months of the year, as far a performing is considered (tax season, and all). Still, last weekend was fairly busy. Here’s the rundown:

Friday Night: Teru Sushi
This 30-year-old sushi restaurant is a Los Angeles institution, and I perform here every Friday night from 8pm – 10pm (unless I have a booking elsewhere). That’s pretty late by “restaurant magic” standards… but this place gets an ultra-hip club crowd, and doesn’t get really busy until 9pm.

Saturday: Private Party
I entertained during the cocktail hour at a 90th birthday bash. There were over 70 people at this party in Glendora, and I wanted to entertain as many people as possible within the scheduled time. It was a blast.

Sunday: Bat Mitzvah
Thirteen is a tricky age to perform for. These teens don’t want to be treated like kids, but they sometimes insist on acting like them. ;-)

Some magicians don’t like performing for teenagers, but I’ve rarely had a problem. The secret is to immediately show them that you have serious skills/chops. Don’t stick to a script, and be “in the moment.” Do that… and they’ll give you tons of respect and will be eating out of your hand the entire event.

This Bat Mitzvah was actually a pleasure to work. The teens were on their best behavior, and the parents were excited to see some sleight-of-hand. All in all… it was a pretty great way to spend my last weekend before my vacation!

Keep a lookout every Monday for more incredible magic!

Pencil Thru Bill – Joe Skilton from Joe Skilton on Vimeo.

I’ll be in Europe next monday (I’m flying out tonight), so we’ll pull something cool out from the vault. I think you’re going to like it. :-)

Referrals go both ways…

A guy named Tim call me to do a show next week. I’d would have loved to perform at his party, but I’m in Europe.

So I referred it to another Los Angeles magician. The magician I suggested is a good friend and I know he’ll do a great job. Tim is happy because he doesn’t get a bad magician, and my friend is happy because he gets an extra gig. I’m happy because now my friend owes me one. ;-) Everybody wins.

This is a photo of me doing some coin magic at an event at Cicada restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. (boy… I look WAY too happy)

Me at Cicada Restaurant, Los Angeles

I got a referral from the Silk Sisters today. The silk sisters are an acrobatic aerialist duo who perform at large events all over the country. They’re amazing!

Many people who want to hire a magician have trouble finding a good one online. That’s where referrals come in. By sending their client to me, they’ve made their client happy (she would’ve hired a bad magician otherwise) and they’ve made me happy (I wouldn’t have known about the party otherwise).

Referrals are KEY to any professional. My auto mechanic was a referral. So was my dentist. The fact is that when a trusted friend recommends a product or service, you’re much more likely to be happy with your decision.

The second and final installment in Dick Cavett’s article about Slydini.

This is very “old school” stuff, done masterfully well. I hope you enjoy!

Keep a lookout every Monday for more INCREDIBLE MAGIC.

Joe Skilton performs the Henry Christ Aces from Joe Skilton on Vimeo.

Slydini was one of the great masters of close-up magic (aka sleight-of-hand). I know a few of his former students, but never had the pleasure of meeting the legend himself.

Read this article, Conjuring Slydini, by Dick Cavett (former talk show host) on the New York Times for a personal look back at this titan of magic. Courtesy of the New York Times.

PS. There’s also a 30-minute video of his performance in 1977!!!

Cutting the Aces

Cutting the Aces from Joe Skilton on Vimeo.