The Magic Word Podcast

Al the Only loved performing as a “40 miler” around the Detroit, Michigan, area for many decades. He entertained regularly as a restaurant magician and also as a trade show “infotainer.” He excelled in performing for numerous corporate clients, but his “real home” is where his heart is…Colon, Michigan, the Magic Capitol of the World. Al has been traveling to Colon for decades where he regularly gives tours of the magicians’ graveyard, He has even written a book about it that is updated every so often as another couple dozen magicians are interred there. A few years ago he moved to Lahaina, Hawaii, and suffered a huge loss due to the fires that devastated the town in 2023.

In this episode, Al the Only talks about performing magic in restaurants, working the trade showroom floors, entertaining corporate clients, authoring the book “The Magic Graveyard” and giving tours of the graveyard for over 40 years. He also discusses his move to Hawaii and how his home was destroyed in the 2023 fire that devastated Lahaina.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

10:30 am - 11:30 am Lecture: Greg Gleason - Never before seen Card Magic

11:00 am - 6:00 pm Dealers Room Open

Noon - 1:30 pm - LUNCH BREAK

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Lecture: Dan Sperry - Creative kid show stuff lecture.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Lecture: Losander - Art of Levitation and more.

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - LAST CHANCE IN DEALERS ROOM!

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - DINNER BREAK

7:00 pm - Wonders Theatre House Opens

7:30 pm - Champions of Illusion Gala Show at Wonders Theatre - Dan Sperry, Losander, Greg Gleason, Jafo, Charles Bach, Michael Paul (Host)

10:00 pm - Farewell Party at Wonders Theatre

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

9:00 am - Registration Opens, Wonders Theatre Box Office

9:00 am - Open Mic Magic Competition - One Trick, Five Minutes

10:00 am - 6:00 pm Dealers Room Open

10:00 am - 11:00 am - Lecture: Paul Stone - The Siegfried & Roy lecture

11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Lecture:  Karl Hein - Original and Entertaining Routines

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - LUNCH BREAK

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - Lecture:  Jafo - Transforming Magic into Memorable Experiences

3:00 pm - 4:00pm -  Lecture:  Charles Peachock - Performing Lecture

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Dealers Room Open

6:00 pm - 7:00pm - DINNER BREAK

7:00 pm - Wonders Theatre House Opens

7:30 pm - Comedy Magic Cabaret Show - James Brandon, Charles Peachock, Dave Risley, Chris Blackmore (Host)

10:00 pm - 11:00 pm - “Tales from the Road” with the stars of magic

11:00 pm - 12:30 am - After Hours in Houdini Lounge in balcony

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

2:00 pm - Registration Opens, Wonders Theatre Box Office

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Dealers Sneak Preview Show (ten minutes per dealer)

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm - Lecture: Dave Risley - Children's Entertainment

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - DINNER Served By Magic At The Beach at Wonders Theatre

7:00 pm - Wonders Theatre House Opens

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Masters of Sleight of Hand show - Jafo, Karl Hein, James Brandon, Chris Blackmore, Paul Stone (Host)

10:00 pm - 11:30 pm - After Hours in Houdini Lounge in balcony

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Subject to change

• 8:00 AM – NOON TAOM 2025 and SAM 2025 Registration Opens

• 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Dealers Room Open

• 9:30 – 10:30 AM Lecture – Laurent Piron

• 11:00 AM – NOON Lecture – Franz Harary

• 12:30 – 1:30 PM Lecture – Lance Burton

• 1:45 PM – Session # 7 – Virtual Tour of Magic Circle Headquarters in London

• 2:00 PM BUS OR SELF DRIVE TO UT ARLINGTON - Texas Hall Theater

• 3:00 PM Brad Jacobs People’s Choice Show of Winners (Special Prize) – Texas Hall on the UTA Campus

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Subject to change

• 6:00 - 8:00 AM Invisible Lodge

• 7:00 - 8:00 AM Religious Meeting/Gospel Magic

• 8:00 - 8:30 AM TAOM General Meeting

• 8:30 – 10:00 AM Combined TAOM Willard Breakfast & SAM Life Member Breakfast

• 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM TAOM 2025 and SAM 2025 Registration Opens

• 9:00 AM -7:00 PM Youth Academy

• 10:00 AM -5:00 PM Dealers Room Open

• 9:00 - 10:00 AM SESSION #5 – Choice Between; Marc DeSouza – Competing at Conventions Joel Zaritsky – Improving Your Magic Club

• 10:30 AM -11:30 AM Lecture – Eric Chein

• 12:00 – 1:30: PM Stage Magic Contest

• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Lecture – Syouma

• 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM SESSION #6 – Choice Between; Panel Discussion – Don’t Be a Jerk on the Internet – Exposure & Civility (Panel : Stan Allen, Brian South, Scott Wells and more) and Rodney James Piper – Creating a Performance Space

• 5:00 - 7:00 PM Banquet and Reception – Gustavo Raley Entertainment Transfer of Power; TAOM & SAM, Special Awards

• 7:00 PM BUS OR SELF DRIVE TO UT ARLINGTON Texas Hall Theater

• 7:30 – 8:00 PM Announce FISM & TAOM Contest Awards and Acts for People Choice

• 8:00 – 9:30 PM

  Champions of FISM GALA SHOW – Texas Hall on the UTA Campus Starring; Shawn Farquhar, Eric Chien, Laurent Piron, Artem Shchukin, and Norbert Ferre.

• 10:00 - 11:00 PM Magic Auction Live - Greg Wilson

• 10:00 – 10:30 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #6 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 10:30 – 11:00 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #7 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 11:00 – 11:30 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #8 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 11:30 PM -1:00 AM President’s Party

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Subject to change

• 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM Registration Open

• 9:00 AM -1:00 PM Youth Academy

• 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Dealers Room Open

• 9:00 - 11:00 AM Close-up Contest

• 10:00 - 11:00 AM SESSION #4: Choice between; Paul Draper – Marketing Jeff Copeland – Coins

• 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM Lecture - Artem Shchukin

• 12:45 – 1:45 PM Lecture – Shawn Farquhar

• 2:00 - 3:00 PM Stars of Tomorrow Stage Show

• 3:00 – 6:00 PM Youth Academy

• 3:30 - 4:30 PM Franz Harary Interviews Gay Blackstone

• 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Lecture – Adrian Vega

• 6:00 PM BUS OR SELF DRIVE TO UT ARLINGTON Texas Hall Theater

• 6:00 – 7:30 PM

  RED & WHITE Party with Strolling Magic at UTA Texas Hall Theater

  (Food for Purchase)

• 8:00 - 9:30 PM International GALA Stage Show – Texas Hall on the UTA Campus Starring Greg Frewin, Yu Komohara, Shimpei. Syouma, Wessy, Adrien Kill and Emcee, BJ Mallin

• 10:00 - 11:30 PM FILM: Lost In The Shuffle – Houdini Theater at the Loews Ballroom

• 10:00 – 10:30 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #4 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 10:45 – 11:15 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #5 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 11:30 PM - ??? Midnight Madness – Open Mic, hosted by Fabian Moreno

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Subject to change

• 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM Registration Open

• 9:00 AM SAM National Council Meeting

• 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Youth Academy

• NOON – 1:00 PM SESSION #1 – Choice between; Kent Cummins – Marketing Magic Live, Gustavo Raley – Creativity

• 1:30 – 2:30 PM SESSION #2 – Choice Between; SAM Youth Protection Training, Diamond Jim Tyler – Bamboozlers

• 3:00 - 4:00 PM SESSION #3 – Choice between; Fabian Moreno – The High-End Residency, Bruce Kalver – Tech Talk

• 6:00 - 7:00 PM Welcome To Texas Party – Foyer of Ballroom – Cash Bar,

• 7:00 - 7:30 PM Welcome Event – TAOM & SAM Officers, Introduction of FISM-NA Contestants. Introduce Gay Blackstone, Honoree. Andrea Baioni FISM Talk (with slide show) - Houdini Theater at Loews Ballroom

• 7:30 – 7:50 PM A Conversation with David Copperfield – Eric Hogue

• 8:00 – 9:00 PM Adrian Vega One-Man Close-Up Show # 1

• 8:00 – 8:30 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #1 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 8:00 – 11:00 PM Youth Academy

• 7:30 –11:30 PM Grand Opening of Dealers Room – Magic Texas Clue – Prizes from Dealers

• 8:45 – 9:15 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #2 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 9:00 – 10:00 PM Adrian Vega One-Man Close-Up Show #2

• 9:30 – 10:00 PM Mind2Mind Mentalism Session #3 (30 Person Limit – Must be pre-registered)

• 10:00 – 11:30 PM MAGIC COLLECTORS/HISTORY SESSION – Chip Romero on Doug Henning, Mark Jensen on Marshall Brodien

• 11:30 PM – Late Night Magic Jam

Time stamps for this episode: updates will be posted after I get some sleep

00:00:18 –

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

One of the regular attendees at the annual Abbott’s Get Together, Michael Mode (from Detroit) used to be a very busy trade show magician specializing in auto shows. Now settled with another full time job outside of magic, he maintains his roots by keeping in the loop each year at Colon, Michigan. For a while, Michael used to coordinate the Amish dinners by providing magicians to perform for their families during the Get Togethers. Back in the days of the iTouch, he and Jeff Hobson developed a joke app that sold very well and is now available as a book entitled “Best Jokes Ever.” Michael is also the creator of the two-colored napkins that magicians use for Napkin to Rose.

This week Michael Mode talks about his work with auto shows, his relationship with Michigan magicians including Franz Harary and Jeff Hobson. Michael discusses the joke app he and Jeff Hobson developed that later became an encyclopedic book. You just look for a subject then find a joke to fit that subject, either clean or mature. Michael also talks about his development of the two-colored napkins used for Napkin to Rose.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Many in our community consider themselves as “comedy magicians” but few achieve the level of David Williamson. Not only is he adept at sleight of hand (and in fact is the headmaster of Sleight School) but also he is a master of comedy as he directs children on stage to literally jump through hoops to achieve maximum laughter for all. He is the Ringmaster of “Circus 1903” and has toured with The Illusionists. Always a hit with local TV morning shows in the cities that host his shows, he makes everyone comfortable with laughing. He has authored books including the seminal “Williamson’s Wonders.” He has been recognized with top awards by the Academy of Magical Arts and The Magic Circle. This milestone episode #850 is one that I’m sure you will enjoy now and for years to come.

In this episode, David talks about his experience of traveling the world with touring companies as well as aboard cruise ships. He also discusses his passion: Sleight School. And for listeners of this podcast, David is offering the first month free to Sleight School by using the promo code: FEST when checking out at https://sleight.school

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Click on the graphic illustration above to visit the convention information site for the Yankee Gathering 2024.