The Dog Days of November

November is usually a very quiet month as people tend to hoard their entertainment dollars for the holiday parties in December but this year was an exception. I criss-crossed four states this month doing shows for corporate groups, colleges, night clubs, health care organizations and a charity fund-raiser or two.

The month began with some walk-around magic for a very noble cause, the CUREChief Foundation. Anyone who has been touched by cancer or knows someone who has (and that would be just about everyone) should really check out their site. It's hard to explain what they do but I believe you'll be touched by what you read.

I also got the chance to work with Jay Rodrigues again this month. I opened a show for him at a country club and we both received standing ovations from a truly great (and apparently very discerning) audience. Though I've seen his act a bunch of times (as he's had to sit through mine, also), he still makes me laugh out loud. Check out this video clip (but be warned that this is not safe for work or for those with delicate sensibilities!):

Also in November, Sandy and I had the chance to see John Fogerty. He was appearing at the Mohegan Sun Casino Arena and the show was amazing - particularly from third row seats! A tireless performer (in his 60's, no less!), he was on tour promoting his new CD, Revival. He performed most of the new album in addition to busting out most of his CCR repertoire. Great music that brought back dozens of wonderful memories. It also didn't hurt that I managed to walk away from the Blackjack tables with a hundred bucks more than I started with. All in all, not a bad night.

I probably should explain the screwy title for this post. The month ended with us adding a new member to the family. Ollie is a four-year old Brittany Spaniel that we adopted from a rescue agency in Tennessee and so far he's been a perfect gentleman. He's not too sure about me yet but has bonded with Sandy to the extent that she can't go anywhere in the house without Ollie being right behind her. We had been thinking about getting a dog for quite a while but quickly decided against going the pet store/puppy route. Plus, there are so many great dogs like Ollie out there just waiting to be adopted. He's only been with us for a few days now but I'm quite sure we made the right choice. Ollie's a keeper!

Two more days and I'll begin my descent into Christmas Party madness. If I survive, we'll talk again next month.

October Musings...

October began with an appearance at the Harwinton Fair. It's one of the last country fairs on the Connecticut agricultural fair calendar every year and it's been a favorite venue of mine for quite a few years now.

I also managed to squeeze in a few corporate shows this month. I did two afternoon shows for the employees at Stanley Tools at their world headquarters in New Britain. I also had the chance to work for Insurity at a very posh event held at the Mohegan Sun casino.

The balance of the month, particularly for the last week or so, featured both stand-up shows and walk-around magic for Halloween parties for both family groups and adults. Almost every one of them was a blast except for one family show at a very upscale country club in Westchester, New York. The adults were under the misconception that the entertainers (there were several other performers there besides me) were there to babysit for the children, freeing them to swap the latest gossip in the back of the room. This created a noise level that made it just about impossible to perform. (At one point, even the children turned around and asked the adults to keep it down!) This isn't the first time I've run across this particular phenomenon and I know, in trading war stories with other entertainers, that it happens fairly often. This level of rudeness always leaves me puzzled but, of course, I was raised indoors.

Sandy and I got another chance to see Loreena McKennitt as she extended her tour through New England. We managed to score second row seats and it was quite a difference experiencing the show that close in a smaller venue than much farther back in the cavernous Radio City Music Hall. Check this out:

I also got the chance to watch the guy in front of me do some research on his iPhone during intermission regarding the various odd instruments in use. It was such a cool gizmo that I ended up picking one up several days later. I know this puts me dangerously at risk of shopping at the Gap or frequenting the local Starbucks but I'm just going to have to chance it.

On to November...

September's Gone

Fall is rapidly becoming more evident in these parts and as we have annually for the last five years at this time of year, we bid a fond farewell to the amusement park today for another season. I am happy to report that Sandy and I went out on a high note this year with four standing-room-only shows, a marked contrast to last year's final day which was totally rained out. We're looking forward to taking the family show to the Harwinton Fair this coming weekend with two shows each day at 1 and 4 PM.

September was busy for me with a number of private shows, including one for Verizon in the heart of Boston's financial district and another at Eastern Connecticut State University. It wasn't all work, however, as Sandy and I got a chance to get into New York City and spend some time with Louis Falanga, the president of L&L Publishing (he publishes my books) and also Joshua Jay, one of the finest young magicians working today (Louis produces Josh's instructional DVDs). We were able to take in an exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History that Sandy's been dying to see and also, thanks to Louis' ticket procurement skills, we were able to get 5th row orchestra seats to see Wicked literally five minutes before curtain. It was truly a great day.

Speaking of difficult tickets, thanks to our good friend, Jim Spinnato, we were able to attend an invitation-only concert at one of the local casinos to see Heart last week. The Wilson sisters were in fine form with Ann featuring a number of songs from Hope & Glory, her excellent new solo album. Speaking of new albums, I'm really looking forward to Bruce Springsteen's new one, releasing on Tuesday. It's going to be great if its first single, "Radio Nowhere," is any indication of the quality of the rest of the tracks.

By the way, the new album's title? Magic, of course!

Summer's Over...

August was a blur as Sandy and I found ourselves performing at two country fairs, an RV campground, possibly the largest backyard barbeque I've ever seen (there were hundreds in attendance at a private residence!) and, most strangely, in the middle of an indoor baseball field. I also had the opportunity to perform some close-up magic for the returning students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Sandy and I returned to the stage at Quassy Amusement Park by the middle of the month and we'll be continuing there with four shows a day every Saturday and Sunday through the end of September. Following that, we're looking forward to going back to the Harwinton Fair during the first weekend in October where I've performed for fourteen years!

We did manage a couple of getaways here and there, including a day trip along the Connecticut and Rhode Island shoreline and another oldies concert, this one featuring Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult (more cowbell!!) and Edgar Winter. And, if that concert didn't make me feel like an old fart, my oldest daughter turned 21 this month, officially confirming the fact.

However, as the great entertainer, Maurice Chevalier, was quoted as saying, "Aging isn't that bad if you consider the alternatives."

July Round-Up

This month began very inauspiciously when a raccoon that was roughly the size of a Sherman tank decided to play Frogger while I was driving home from a late-night show. It ran right out in front of my vehicle and by the time I saw the furry mutant in my headlights, it was way past too late. I felt bad at first but much less so when, the next morning, I discovered over $800.00 worth of damage to whatever plastic material passes for a front end these days. When the insurance adjuster asked me if anyone was hurt in the incident, I was compelled to mention that the raccoon had probably seen better days.

Luckily, the rest of the month was much better as I managed to perform an array of shows in backyards, city parks, and even one or two engagements that were actually indoors. One of the notable shows was one Sandy and I did for the city of White Plains, NY as part of their Sounds of Summer program. We performed at Battle Hill Park, which has the distinction of being the place where the Battle of White Plains was fought during the American Revolution. It was a cozy little park located right in the middle of a quiet neighborhood and the show was attended by area families out to enjoy a balmy summer evening together. It was quite enjoyabe to perform for them.

My youngest daughter, Heather, turned 18 last week and we had a party for her at the Señor Pancho's location in Prospect. Attended by lots of family and friends, it was a good opportunity to just kick back and celebrate another milestone. I also got the chance to spend some time with my older daughter, Rebecca, who's out on her own now and is about to reach a milestone herself as she turns 21 in August.

By contrast, I felt younger as Sandy and I attended a concert, also last week, called Hippiefest. The bill featured a plethora of oldies acts including The Zombies, The Turtles, Mountain, Felix Cavaliere (of The Rascals fame), and others. However, the audience featured more bald spots than a corn field that's been visited by aliens. It was a great show, however, particularly if you remember buying music on black, circular, plastic things.

In August, we're looking forward to performing at the Montville Fair this upcoming weekend and the Wolcott Fair later in the month. In the meantime, I'm keeping a sharp eye out for suicidal wildlife.

Breezing Through The Windy City

I had a ridiculous schedule for the last full weekend of June which had Sandy and I criss-crossing Connecticut and Massachusetts before winding up my final grad party performance in the wee hours of last Sunday morning. This gave us just enough time to pack for a lecture in Chicago on Monday night.

We flew into O'Hare with only about two hours to spare before the lecture for the Conjuror's Corner Magic Club which meets in the suburb of Roselle. It was a very enthusiastic and warm group and Sandy and I felt very welcome. We went out for a bite with a bunch of the local magicians after the lecture (great food!) and the following day, before flying back, we were treated to a tour of the city courtesy of Ozzie Maldonado, who is a Chicago police officer in addition to being a very serious and focused student of magic. We had a great time, particularly when Ozzie took us over to meet Tim Felix at Midwest Magic, one of the largest magic shops in the country (that's Ozzie and I at the shop.) It was too short a trip but we certainly made a lot of new friends.

I'm looking forward to some down time in July, starting with a Stevie Nicks concert tomorrow night (I know, I know...I'm old.) She's currently on tour to support her new Crystal Visions compilation and Sandy and I are looking forward to the show.

Here, There & Everywhere

Things continue to be busy, busy, busy.

While I have no pretensions of ever working Radio City Music Hall, I can at least now say that I've performed across the street. Last week, I journeyed into the Big Apple to perform for executives from Ernst & Young at a very tony midtown restaurant. It was a great group and we all had quite a bit of fun. Getting in and out of Manhattan can be a trick in itself but the trip was relatively painless once you get used to dodging the tourists who all seem to be looking up at the buildings rather than where they're going.

I also performed for Quinnipiac University's freshman orientation on two consecutive Saturday nights these past couple of weeks. This is the third year I've been a part of this event and the kids are always a ball to work for. The university provides entertainment and activities for the incoming class while they're getting the lay of the land. This is presumably to cut down on the number of freshman walking around with a dazed look in their eyes - probably the same look I had the first day I attended Boston University sometime back during the late Triassic Period.

I'm off to do a comedy club show in Massachusetts with Jay Rodrigues in a few hours...and then my schedule starts to get really nuts. June is certainly a hectic month every year but eventually the craziness comes to an end - unlike The Sopranos...