I went to a Magic show yesterday! First one ever.
On a frosty evening we straggled into the city, to Älvsjömässan, and arrived in a glittery mirror-masoned casino-like foyer - all meant to mimic good ol' Las Vegas. A thick smoke curled along the floor of the long corridor we passed in our way there, and whisked away as we stepped through. The hall was quiet, but beyond the entrance a live rockabilly band played and people gathered around small card tables and bar disks waiting for the show to begin. Mostly family's with little kids.
The show itself was split up in two 45 minute sessions, of which the first featured such a variety of Artists as Aaron Crow, Sonambul, Gerald le Guilloux and Jean Garin - the second act featured Jidenna, accompanied by a wide variety of beautiful ladies.
Aaron Crow started the show with a little somber swap up of sword-containing jugs, then came the others with screens, doves and fire, mind reading and last but not least - complex trapdoor apparatuses, mirrors, and lots of dance!
It took a few minutes to get hooked, but for the first half the artists keep surpassing each other, until Crow once again ended the show with a lethal yet very entertaining dance - wielding diverse weaponry and chopping up stuff held by selected members of the audience whilst in a blindfold/face full of tinfoil. He had humor too.
In the latter half of the show I was surprised to hear Jidenna speak with a heavy French accent. If you didn't know him before: would you picture him as French? He's the one to the right above. Not that I have anything against France, but it was not the voice I'd linked to the image at all.
Overall it was a flashy and fantastic performance, and even if you know what tricks they use their mastery is impressive! Slight of hand and repetition. Impeccable. No one missed a thing, even if the show itself stalled a few minutes due to 'technical difficulties'.
Robert Bronett hosted the event, and presented the artists, and was the only name I recognized on the roster - though I'm glad I've been aquatinted with the rest of them now! If you haven't been to a magic show either and don't think it's all that much to see, think again. It's all about the performance and effect, and I'm really growing to appreciate the artform.
Time to keep an eye out for potential equally greatly discounted tickets to some show with Joe Labero! Or Dynamo. Would love to compare the artists I just witnessed to the ones I know. Wonder how they flow.
