Category: M-U-M Reports

Elections were held for Assembly 12 officers. The current officers — Adam Moore, President; Steven Peer, Vice President; Dave Taylor, Secretary/Treasurer — were voted in for a second term. The National Council ballot was subsequently reviewed, and Tom O’Lenick was selected as a delegate to the National Council Meeting.

Bruce Jensen is doing well according to Larry and Jennifer Kahlow who had just come from visiting him. Dave reported on his recent trip to Des Moines, IA for Magic Maynia where he saw Fielding West, Justin Alan, and Steve Daly. Larry attended Magic Collectors Weekend in Chicago where Minneapolis-based Tad Ware gave a presentation on Nicola showing never-before-seen photos of the sinking ship that was carrying Nicola’s show.

Jack Nordin gave a mini-lecture on magic tables focusing on P&L flanges, casters, and dragons. Aaron Timmerman performed Extreme Burn by Richard Sanders while telling how he ended up doing this trick in a Vegas casino. Donn French was on next with his trained fleas. Darnay then shared an impromptu card prediction with a borrowed deck that he uses in social situations. Adam performed Art Emerson’s Color Monte which reminded Larry of the time Art sat next to him at a convention, poured a glass of what turned out to be Vodka from a Mr. Clean bottle, and offered it to Larry. Dave performed Card Warp. Dwight Exe threaded Jennifer’s ring on a rubber band and caused it to move uphill. Tom wrapped things up by showing the program from the Tenth Annual Conference on Magic History (held in Los Angeles in November 2007) on Dr. Hooker’s “Impossibilities and Rising Cards.”

Jack Nordin performed his Classic “puzzle” Chinese sticks.  William “Darney” VonStocken showed us the shrinking sandwich sign, a snake fakir trick and a magic square.

Jerry Martin introduced us (by bio) to the magician-mathematician Percy Darconis and described a long-distance card trick where a mailed deck is shuffled by the recipient and a card selected.  Mailed back, the magician calls the spectator with the name of the selected card.

Dave Taylor entertained us with a four-ace production from Card College.  Bruce performed Oscar Munoz’s version of reversing aces  (un-gimmicked, impromptu).

Kenny, with Don McLean’s American Pie playing, performed an illusion where, just as the “music died”, so did a music CD disappear from a wooden frame.   We were also entertained with the bill-to-matchbook classic.

President Adam Moore, also with musical accompaniment, performed a routine from the November 2008 issue of M-U-M inspired by Robert Service’s poem, “The Shooting of Dan McGrew.”

Remember, starting September 18, 2009, Assembly 12 will meet at Eagle Magic in Burnsville, MN — 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13 and CR 11, the southeast corner; look for the Remax sign.

-Steven Peer

Reminder:  Twin Cities Assembly 12 begins meeting at the new location of Eagle Magic Shop, Burnsville starting Sep, ’09 (same day/date).

The past presidents of Assembly 12 representing 27 years of leadership joined us for a special evening where the leadership performed for the members.

William VonStocken (72-73,93-95) opened with a version of “cut here” as a newspaper prediction. 

Jack Nordin (74-75, 76-77), in tux, presented Gospel stories using the juggling ball transposition and Chinese rice bowls.

Jerry Martin (86-88; 99-2001) opened with comic juggling. A humorous rendition of the 3 rope trick including a shoelace conundrum.

Bruce Colton (88-90) entertained us with a three card illustration of the classic story of the wool sweater, a party, and an emaciated Mexican Chihuahua.  Bruce closed with a dual, any card at any number routine.

Mike Arazi (95-99) performed a great poker routine.

Current president Adam Moore performed the teach-a-(teach-a)-trick version of the vanishing silk (& egg). 

Jim Kostick (04-05) had us laughing with his giant (hula hoop) linking rings. 

Dave Taylor (05-07) complete with stripping music, performed the classic Hank Moorehouse straightjacket routine. 

Theme: Magic I saw/learned from Television

The assembly moved that we accept the gracious offer of Larry Kahlow to host the meetings at Eagle Magic.  It was decided that (with Larry’s final approval) we would start meeting there in September, after the three-month summer hiatus.

Adam and his lovely wife (and capable assistant) Lisa performed a wonderful version of metamorphosis.  Don French used two chairs and a rope to illustrate a story about a one-semaphore town in the 1940s.

Jack Nordin (left) demonstrated his latest moves in the now-infamous rope routine.

Darnay “took us home” (literally) with video of a complete performance from his home-theater during a SAM Assembly-12 meeting in the mid 1980s.  In that Halloween-themed performance, Darnay performed death defying illusions and a levitation with (then teen-age) Suzanne.

Justin Alan was our featured guest.

Prior to Justin’s lecture, we applauded the success of the November meeting held at Eagle Magic.  We voted against having meeting-locations rotate between member-homes.

The obituary that Darnay had graciously prepared for Jerry Johnson was read aloud.

It was agreed that the March meeting will feature and acknowledge past presidents of SAM Assembly-12. 

Then it was time for Justin.  In addition to a delightful sampling of his routine, Justin also shared some of his observations and rules on restaurant magic.  We saw a here, then there signed-card routine, a card-to-wallet using his preferred “Real Man’s” brand wallet, and a vanishing tissue sucker routine using a roll of toilet paper (one-ply).  We also were entertained with a teathered-folded card illusion and the “Instant M.C.” routine.  Justin closed with a tic tac toe prediction.  Thank you Justin.

Minneapolis, MN  This month’s meeting took place at the new location of the oldest, continuously-operating magic store in the U.S.A. — Eagle Magic.

Owner Larry Kahlow shared with the members some of the rich history of the store since it’s inception in 1899 including visits by Houdini and Thurston.  On this night he performed two knots-on/off rope trick.  Jack Nordin followed with a different kind of rope trick; that of a cowboy, swinging and twirling a lasso.  Darnay shared a bent-nail puzzle similar to one that fascinated him as a small boy.  Aaron Timmerman  flashed all of us with a wad of bills that changed from ones to hundreds.  Geoff Williams entertained with Hart’s Link and Adam Moore performed a thumb-cuff escape and vanish.  Bob Miller closed with an entire routine he has been developing that included versions of Feeling Flushed, Shuffleboard, and a BAM method of tracking five cards.  Thank you Larry for opening your doors to us.

In area magic news, Geoff Williams reported that he saw Litchfield, Minn. native Dan Sperry perform locally with about 300 people in attendance. Dan performed a very limited engagement here between the close of World’s Greatest Magic and starting in V, The Ultimate Variety Show in Las Vegas.

There were 30-40 people at last month’s event honoring Bruce Jensen. Will Earley did an excellent job as the lead organizer and spoke poignantly about Bruce’s influence in Will’s life and magic. Tom Olenick presented an excellent commemorative video with well-wishes from a prestigious group of magicians who Larry Kahlow helped contact.

Jerry Johnson’s cancer has recurred in multiple locations. He started chemo several weeks ago, had a stroke on Saturday, and is back in the hospital.

President Adam Moore shared a message from I.B.M. Ring 19 President Rick Andresen inviting all Assembly 12 members to attend the Ring 19 meeting on October 13th.

Geoff Williams will be at John Luka’s Motor City Close-Up Convention in November and at Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic in April. He will also be shooting a new single-trick DVD on Jack Elmsley’s LA Wowee Zowee Card Prediction Miracle.

As you know, or could probably guess from the preceding paragraph, Geoff is a great magician and a great teacher. We have all learned something from him either formally through his lectures and videos or informally after an Assembly meeting. So, in honor of Geoff, we asked everyone to perform “Something You Learned from Geoff Williams.”

Darnay began with Knot So Tuff, Larry Kalow demonstrated a Vanishing and Appearing Knot, Bruce Kilber shared Talking Jokers. Secretary/Treasurer Dave Taylor “stumbled through” Coincidence, and Adam showed Geoff’s set up for linking rubber bands. Then it was Geoff’s turn.

He started with Miracle Coin Vanish. Next was Arnold Schwarzenquarter by Scott Franz (based on Dizzy Dial). Geoff then performed and taught Card in Pocket which he introduced as a way to build confidence palming cards. He followed this with a routine Scott Franz created in response to spectators who showed him the 21 Card Trick. It’s the same effect — except the cards are face down. Geoff closed with Paul Harris’ Solid Deception.