Mystery Arts Podcast

My guest this episode is Neil Tobin! I recently had the pleasure of watching Neil's performance as Erik Van Hanussen in his one man play 'Palace Of The Occult'. Listeners of the show will know that I've often mused about how to elevate the mystery arts into the realm of true theater, well, Neil has been working on this exact problem for quite a lot longer than I have, and he's been remarkably successful. I really enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too! You can check out Neil's products here: https://www.penguinmagic.com/magician/neil-tobin

Chris Rawlins was kind enough to spend some time with me for this episode. Chris impressed me at last years Mindvention with his memory act, which stood out because it was so different from everything else. We talk a bit about his show, as well as how he got his start and all the usual stuff. Check out Chris's products here: http://c-r-products.yolasite.com

I have a lovely chat with Paul Voodini. If you are familiar with Paul, you know he's fairly unique in the mentalism world. We hear how he got his start, how he approaches performing, and what he's up to these days. Please check out his work at Penguin or most other places that magic is sold. https://www.penguinmagic.com/magician/paul-voodini

Friend of the show Maarten Willemse is back to share some incredible advice on how to get more and better gigs (once the lockdown is over). Maarten is always a pleasure to talk with, and this stuff is really gold. You can see his website here: https://maartenwillemse.nl/

Sorry for the delay guys - recording has been a challenge with everybody home. Here's a lovely chat with friend of the pod Iain Dunford. Iain shares some really excellent ideas including a very useful and different handling for the venerable invisible deck and an incredible m****** method to use with routines like Sneak Thief. I totally forgot to even mention it in the show, but you can find Iain's books here: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/uncle90 Cheers!

This week is a deep discussion about the intersection of mentalism and the metaphysical with Mystic Alexandre. Alexandre tells us why performing for the metaphysical community is not like the magic community thinks it is, why discaimers are bad, and many other interesting (and possibly controversial) subjects. Check out Alexandre's work at Lybrary: https://www.lybrary.com/search.php?keywords=Mystic+Alexandre

Mind=Blown. After being really impressed with his show and lecture at Mindvention, I was really looking forward to getting a chance to talk with Jared Kopf. He did not disappoint and this is definitely one of my favorite episodes yet. It's... more of an mystical journey than an interview, so buckle up. Jared's Site: https://www.jaredkopf.com/ Come see my show on March 7th if you're in the Sacramento area: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4517741 Support on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/mysteryarts

Curtis Waltermire (AKA Curtis the Mentalist) shares some wisdom from his several decades as a professional performer. Curtis talks about how to successfully think about doing Comedy Mentalism, and he shares some really great tips that can help you improve your show and increase your bookings. Curtis has a new video project for mentalists and magicians called Esoterica, and you can check it out here: https://curtisthementalist.com/esoterica/

I had a lovely chat with veteran performer Paul Draper. Paul is a man of many talents, having studied such diverse fields as musical theater, anthropology, and political rhetoric. Of course he's also a mentalist, which is mostly what we talked about. Hack lines magicians use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c2GH1Ot8SQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNdVQXHwrRQ My Sac show ExperiMENTALISTS tickets - https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4517741

Figured this was a good opportunity to get caught up on reviews. I give you my honest and unvarnished opinions about the following products: Viper 2 wallet Fragment by Michael Murray UPS by Roddy McGhie and Dee Christopher Breathe Mint by Zee and Sansmind Telemos by Cervier

I'm back from a slightly longer than anticipated winter break with a fascinating interview with Aaron Alexander. Aaron is not really a mentalist or magician, but I think calling him a mystery artist would be fair. Even after talking to him for an hour, I'm still not quite sure how to describe his work, other than to echo his own description that it's about trying to help others experience real magic. The conversation is really fascinating and definitely covers some new ground for the podcast. I found it it really thought provoking and I think you will too. You can check out Aaron's work here: https://peinventory.wordpress.com/

This week I chat with Eric Samuels. Eric is a full time performer as well as a creator of products for the mystery arts community. You may have recently seen him on Penn and Teller's Fool Us. Eric is a very smart and funny guy and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed the conversation! You can see Eric's products here: https://mentalismtools.com/ (Password is shared in the interview, near the end) For more content and good karma, become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/mysteryarts

This week I speak to long time professional mentalist Jan Forster. We have a nice relaxed chat and learn about his journey from a youngster with an interest in magic, to an award winning manipulator, to the acclaimed mentalist that he is now. Jan's Penguin lectures and downloads: https://www.penguinmagic.com/magician/jan-forster His site (in German): janforster.de Also - Mystery Arts Podcast now has a Patreon page! Subscribe now and get instant access to exclusive bonus content. The first Patreon exclusive bonus episode is live now. https://www.patreon.com/mysteryarts

Mentalism legend Lee Earle joins me for a wide ranging conversation. We learn about his history and his transition (via Seance) from a 'magicomedian' to the mentalism mastermind that we all know him as. We get some great business tips, insight into the creative process, and much more. He's as fiery and opinionated as ever, and I'm sure you'll enjoy listening!

The 2019 Mindvention episode! Whether you weren't able to make it and want the cliff notes, or you did go and just want to pretend you're still there, here is my Mindvention wrap-up. This episode is just me blabbing solo, so if you're a new listener, make sure to check out my past episodes featuring interviews with interesting people. All music in this episode is written and produced by myself.

After braving blackouts, fires, nearby evacuations, and just a little procrastination, I'm happy to be back with a great new episode. This week I talk to Maarten Willemse, one of the top corporate entertainers in The Netherlands! Maarten is a great guy and has a really unique success story. If you are a Magic Cafe reader, you might already be familiar with him– but here on the podcast, he's finally 'Unmasked'. You can see his website here: https://maartenwillemse.nl/

Scott Creasey is my guest this week! Scott is a long time professional performer as well as a gifted creator and author. Scott has a sterling reputation in the mystery arts community as someone who releases extremely solid material, and I've been a fan of his work for years. We hear his origin story, some stories from the mystery arts trenches, his transition from magic to mentalism, and much more. Scott also gives a sneak peek into some exciting upcoming releases. You can check out Scott's work at his website: https://www.mentalmagicism.com/

This week I chat with Matt Pulsar, a Psychic Entertainer and international man of mystery. Matt shares his history and we get into some of the more slippery slope stuff where mentalism meets psychic work. Some of Matt Pulsar's work can be found here: https://www.stevensmagic.com/?s=Matt+Pulsar&post_type=product No review this week since the pod was running late and I still haven't finished Drew Backenstoss' book. The mid-interview music break is a guest artist this episode. Thanks to fellow magi Jason Smith and his project 'Night's Bright Colors'. The song is called 'The Art Of Misdirection' and you can learn more about Jason here: https://www.nightsbrightcolors.com/

A fun and freewheeling conversation with Drew Backenstoss. Drew is a talented performer and creator and an all around great guy. We covered a lot of ground yet somehow only got through about half of my planned interview questions... That's how much I enjoyed the chat, I know you will too. In the review section, I cover the somewhat controversial 'The Surprise' by Think Nguyen. You can check out Drew's Excellent book 'Architect Of The Mind' here: http://www.mindofandrews.com/aotm.html

Another entry in the mentalism history series, this one is about the one and only Robert Nelson. Bob in a lot of ways represents a bridge from the spiritualists I spoke about in episode 2 and modern mentalism. In the review segment, I talk about Scott Creasey's "Hanussen's Demise". https://www.mentalmagicism.com/store/p26/hanussens-demise.html

I had the pleasure of interviewing veteran performer David Thiel. We learn his origin story, his views on mentalism, magic, and performing as a business. Included is some great advice for those considering going pro and some tips for getting more work if you already are working professionally. In the review section, I talk about David Thiel's book 'Windows Into the Soul -- Unlocking The Secrets of Body Language' and 'Black Door' by Riccardo Berdini. David's materials can be purchased at: MagicPendulums.com

Well, due to an unfortunate technical issue, the interview I recorded for this week's episode was lost. But rather than leave you without a podcast, I recorded a late night episode about a subject I find really interesting--unsolved and/or legendary effects in magic and mentalism. I cover 51 Faces North, The Berglas Effect, and 2 others. In the review section, I talk about 'The Open Prediction Project' By Thomas Baxter, 'False Anchors 4' by Ryan Schlutz, and 'Unveil' by Manos Kartsakis. Links to things I mention in the podcast: Lu Chen ACAAN in front of David Berglas: https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjgzNzQ5NTgw.html Jeremy Weiss ACAAN thread: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=416361&forum=15&261 A Dianoetic Rage thread: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=650974&forum=15

This week I talked to Sean Waters. Sean is a great guy and a very talented creator. We cover his background and history in the mystery arts, his creative process, logical disconnects and layering methods, the subtle stuff behind 'disclaimers', and much more. In the review section, I talk about 'Pure' by Adrian Fowell, a brand new CAAN effect. You can check out Sean's excellent work at: https://www.experience-architecture.com/ You can find 'Pure' at: https://qmagi.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fpure-caan

A very thought provoking conversation with Iain Dunford. Always defying labels, suffice to say he's a creator and a performer and just an all around interesting guy. We talk about his origin story, his approach to performing, and his unique approach to readings. In the review section, I talk about John Carey's Bankwave, David Roth's Fugitive Coin, and Christopher Rawlins' Classified Drawing Duplication. Make sure to check out Iain's work on Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=448755

This episode features a wide ranging and fascinating interview with magician, mentalist, and storyteller Christopher Taylor. We cover a lot of ground, including storytelling, martial arts, the creative process, electronics in mentalism, and much more. In the review segment, I talk about Secret Tannery/Gerard Kearney's Peek Wallet, and Half Track 2 by Christopher Taylor. Please check out Christopher's products at his website: http://taylorimagineering.com/

Matt takes a deep dive into the world of 19th century Spiritualism and the fraudulent mediums that originated many of the techniques and presentations that we see in modern day mentalism. Reviews of 'Invisible Writer' by Esteban Manazza and 'Mirage Envelopes' by Richard Osterlind.

Matt introduces himself and the podcast, discusses the difference between magic and mentalism, and reviews 'Phasma' by Phedon Bilek and 'Avalanche' by Paul Harris presents. MysteryArtsPodcast.com Music by Beat Apothecary https://soundcloud.com/beatapothecary