Calgary: WowFest

Updated on Sat. Jan 26 to add info from MetroNews.ca

Calgary's first ever Magic Festival, WowFest, will be happening on Saturday February 23rd, 2013!  The day includes a Family Fun Magic Show, a concert of Close-Up Wonders and a Stage Magic Gala.

From MetroNews.ca:

WowFest is the brainchild of Calgary magician Ryan Pilling, who said he’s been wanting to create such an event since 2007 when he hosted a conference for magicians.

Pilling, a magician for 15 years, was able to get the concept off the ground after receiving a grant from Calgary 2012, allowing him to invite nearly a dozen performers.

“It’s going to be one day full of magic,” he said, adding most of the magicians are from the Calgary area, although one performer is flying in from Texas and another hails from Japan.
Read more.

Read more about WowFest and buy tickets!


To show your support for WowFest:

• If you live in or near Calgary, be sure to buy tickets and attend the shows!
• If you haven't already, go and "like" the WowFest Facebook page and then go to the WowFest website to subscribe to the project's newsletter.
• Consider being a programme sponsor.
• Donate via IndieGoGo (Ryan's offering up a wonderful assortment of magical goodies in exchange for your financial support!)

Toronto: Bobby Motta's Head Games

From Bobby Motta's website:

Bobby Motta, the man the New York Times calls “one of the top mentalists on the planet,” is set to stun Toronto with a darkly devised, edge-of-your-seat mind reading performance that will leave you gobsmacked. His new show Head Games rides the twists and turns of the human psyche like a roller-coaster off the rails, and makes you question whether what youʼre seeing and hearing is real or only imagined.

Read more and buy tickets.

When & Where:

Jan        25   Dave & Buster’s (Vaughan)
Jan        30    Annex Live (Toronto)
Feb         1   Dave & Buster’s (Vaughan)
Feb         8   Dave & Buster’s (Vaughan)
Feb        13    Annex Live (Toronto)
Feb        15  Dave & Buster’s (Vaughan)
Feb        22  Dave & Buster’s (Vaughan)
Feb        27    Annex Live (Toronto)

Kickstart An Honest Liar

Updated February 1st to let you know that the project has passed its funding goal!

Almost one year ago, we posted about the production of the documentary An Honest Liar: The Amazing Randi Story.  Earlier this month, iTricks posted that there is now a Kickstarter project to raise funds to finish the film.

Watch Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom's message:




For more information and donate, visit the Kickstarter project for An Honest Liar: The Amazing Randi Story.

Ajax: Alex Kazam opening for Dave Curran

From Alex Kazam's Twitter feed:

Alex Kazam will be opening for Dave Curran - A Real Dirty Hypnotist, Canada's Bad Boy of Hypnosis, this Friday,... fb.me/1ikgDJIYw
— Alex Kazam (@wittymagic) January 23, 2013

Review: Anthony Lindan lecture

From The Browser's Den blog:

Successful corporate events magician Anthony Lindan was once on the road preparing for a client's show when he found that he was missing a key effect in his act. He immediately put in an emergency call to The Browser's Den of Magic and Jeff Pinsky got the trick out to him pronto. "That's why it's important to support brick and mortar magic shops like The Browser's Den" said Anthony during the opening of his recent well-received lecture.

Read more.

Gregory Bracco's Magical Journeys

From the Canadian Association of Magicians:

My name is Gregory Bracco and I am a CAM member living in South Korea. After putting my name on the volunteer list to help CAM I was asked if I could write a series of articles or postings on the website. Of course, I jumped at the chance because I thought it would be a great way for me to give a little back to the magic community that has, over the years, brought so much joy and excitement into my life.

Read more.

Ball Vase: Do you see who I see?

Watch on YouTube, "The Most Inspirational Video on the Internet" (or more accurately titled by the folks at iTricks as "Highlight Reel of Kids, Adults, Professionals & Amateurs Performing the Same Dang Plastic Ball Vase Trick") and let me know if you recognize anybody at the 50 second mark:




Interestingly, the Browser's Den footage above looks like it was specifically edited to remove reference to the The Den's website after being taken from this Ball Vase video (about 7 sec in) from the Browser's YouTube channel:




[via: iTricks]