The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.
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BOBBY MOTTA DEALER DEMO AT BROWSER'S DEN OF MAGIC
Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 2013
A review by "The Magic Demon"
Even a basic dealer demo with
Bobby Motta is an event worth attending.
I'm pretty sure everyone who witnessed Bobby Motta's dealer demo of
original professional products at The Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto
on Sunday afternoon (February 3rd) all felt the same way too.
Watching Bobby demo and explain his own effects I was struck by two
thoughts. (1) Bobby Motta is a naturally laid-back, extremely funny and
charismatic performer, and (2) Bobby Motta has an incredibly inventive
mind. He is the creator of numerous out-of-the ordinary professional
effects in use by names like Penn & Teller, Criss Angel, David Blaine
and Derren Brown. Oh yes, this is the man who helps make them all look
good.
And according to Browser's Den of Magic owner Jeff Pinsky, Bobby Motta
practically grew up in the Browser's Den. Jeff has seen Bobby go from
fledgling hobbyist to world class professional mentalist in what seems
like only a scant few years.
Bobby later told me he was a bit apprehensive about doing this demo. It
was not advertised as a lecture and it was definitely not meant to be a
performance. So what was it? It was a roomful of appreciative magic
aficionados allowed the privilege of learning first hand how a top rate
mind came to create a dozen or so of his most powerful effects and the
secrets behind them - all for free. What's not to like? The fact that
the majority of us could not afford most of them did not seem to deter
Bobby from his entertaining task (although I noted at least a couple
working pros afterwards decided to enhance their routines with some of
Bobby's higher-end creations as well as a larger number of amateurs
happily buying some of his less expensive ones.)
The Demo
Bobby opened with his current much-talked-about commercially available
effect, "Blackmail". If you are into mentalism, or would like to be, you
can perform miracles with this clever utility device, inspired by but
significantly updated from a classic principle once described by
Corinda.
He followed with a presentation of "That's Alive". If I tell you it is a
revelation effect with a surprise finish that caused his audience
spectator to jump you can guess it was judged a big success by the room.
And all I will add is that his lovely assistant Amanda made a most
welcome guest appearance.
"Taste" involved a young audience member repeatedly choosing different
beverages behind Bobby's back without his knowledge and yet... Bobby
proved that he somehow knew which drinks had been selected and in what
order, again and again and again. This one just blew me away when he
performed it and blew me away again after he explained how it works.
Ingenious! (And Jeff Pinsky's favourite of the event).
Bobby then presented (but was unable to fully demonstrate) his "Lethal.
A card is chosen, the deck is thrown into the air, a knife is thrown at
a spectator wearing a protective board and the knife impales the chosen
card right onto the board! It didn't matter that he couldn't fully demo
it, the room was again delighted with its explanation - another
combination of innovative technology and applied human psychology.
"Shock Treatment" was briefly discussed - it's a classic secret of
mentalism/magic that Bobby has brought into more modern times featuring
greater portability than in past versions.
Bobby then demonstrated the use of certain exotic electronic
flimflammery that those in mentalism will already know about and the
rest of you will not get any more information about from me. Suffice it
to say that Bobby likes electronics very much.
He ended with his visually strong effect "The End" - what could be more
fitting? Unknown letter cards freely chosen by spectators are randomly
arranged in a horizontal frame and eventually turned around to reveal
they spell - guess what? Beautifully constructed props and a stunning
reminder that sometimes the greatest impact of all can be had from basic
but unsuspected methods.
Bobby added an encore of his own devising which he calls "Advil." It's
something that he says he will never reveal nor sell in which numbers
called out at random from the audience somehow turned out to be the
exact serial numbers on a audience member's previously chosen and
physically isolated five dollar bill. A jaw-dropping conclusion to a
most enjoyable afternoon with a most talented performer/inventor.
Many thanks to Bobby Motta of course and to Jeff Pinsky of the Browser's
Den for hosting yet another worthwhile special event. I assume some of
Bobby's effects can be purchased through Jeff or directly from Bobby
himself. Bobby also performs on a regular basis in Toronto and details
can be found on his website, www.bobbymotta.com.
Oh yes, I read later that there was something else going on that
afternoon elsewhere. Not that any of us attending seemed to know or care
very much. Super Bowl? What was that? Some kind of extra huge load Lota
Bowl?
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Thank you The Magic Demon
for guest posting at Canada's Magic!
