Time for another “hybrid” SAM Assembly 12 meeting, this Friday, October 22nd, at 7:00 p.m.

The in-person location will be at Eagle Magic in Burnsville, MN. (It’s 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) We strongly recommend you only attend in person if you’re fully vaccinated.

Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent later this week.

Our theme this month, inspired by conversations from the last meeting, is Tricks from Tarbell (or other Classics). Choose an effect from or influenced by Tarbell, or another classic or beginner’s book. Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.

And of course, there will be time for other performances, updates, and stories!

See you on Friday, either in-person or online!

Time for another “hybrid” SAM Assembly 12 meeting this Friday, September 17th, at 7:00 p.m.

The in-person location will be at Eagle Magic in Burnsville, MN. (It’s 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.)  Because of increased COVID rates, we strongly recommend you only attend in person if you’re fully vaccinated.

Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent later this week. 

Our theme this month, chosen by me from my Jar-O-Themes is: Transpositions! Choose effects where objects, people, thoughts, etc. magically change places!

See you on Friday, either in-person or online! 

We’re going to try another “hybrid” SAM Assembly 12 meeting this Friday, July 16th, at 7:00 p.m.

The in-person location will be at Eagle Magic in Burnsville, MN. (It’s 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) Bring potluck “snacks” to share.

Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent later this week. For now, we’ll use the same setup as last time as it seemed to work.

Since we didn’t talk about a theme at our last meeting, let’s do this: Think about one of the previous themes we’ve had and do something you were thinking about doing but didn’t or thought up later after the meeting. (If you need help remembering the earlier themes, look back through previous events).

See you on Friday, either in-person or online! 

Our “hybrid” June meeting will be held both in-person and online and will take place this Friday, June 18th, at 7:00 p.m.

The in-person location will be at Eagle Magic in Burnsville, MN. (It’s 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) Bring potluck “snacks” to share.

Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent later this week. We’re using some cutting-edge, experimental technology, so I apologize in advance if it doesn’t work….

Our theme this month, chosen by May attendees, is “Misdirection.” Perform an effect that uses it, demonstrate a misdirection technique, or talk about misdirection theory. Or just enjoy being misdirected!

See you on Friday, either in-person or online!

It’s that time again! May’s Virtual Assembly Meeting is happening this Friday, May 21st, at 7:00. Connection info will be sent out later this week.

Our theme this month, chosen by April attendees, is “Big Box and Dollar Store Magic!” This is magic you’ve created using stuff found at a Big Box Store or a Dollar Store.

Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others. And if you can remember which aisle you found the stuff on, that’d be great, too….

As always, there will be time for the usual updates, stories, performances, and Show and Tell.

Let me know if you have any connection questions or other agenda ideas.
–Kevin

Time once again for another Virtual Assembly. April’s meeting will be this Friday, April 16th at 7:00. Connection info will be sent out via email later this week.

Our theme this month, chosen by March attendees, is “Colorful Magic!” Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.

As always, there will be time for the usual updates, stories, performances, and Show and Tell….

Let me know if you have any connection questions or other agenda ideas.
–Kevin 

On Friday, April 9th, at 7:00 we will be treated to a lecture by none other than Geoff Williams!! Connection info will be sent out via email the week of the event.

• Geoff has won over two dozen comedy and magic awards over the course of his 30-year career. He’s performed and lectured in over 18 countries and throughout most of the US including at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA and at The Magic Circle in London, England.
• He wrote over a dozen “Top 10 Lists” for The Late Show with David Letterman.
• Geoff was voted one of the Top 4 Favorite Corporate Entertainment Companies in the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Best in the Biz” Readers’ Choice Awards.
• Currently, he’s featured on 11 magic instructional DVDs being sold by magic dealers worldwide.
• Geoff is a member of the 4F, a by-invitation-only gathering of some of the best sleight-of-hand performers on the planet, as well as a performing member of The Magic Castle.
• He specializes in both close-up, strolling sleight-of-hand entertainment as well as larger, stage shows and his performance style is “powerful sleight-of-hand illusions mixed with offbeat, family-friendly comedy.”

About the lecture…

“Get set to learn some KILLER, and surprisingly-easy-to-do, COMMERCIAL material. Something for absolutely EVERYBODY, close-up & parlour, ALL skill levels, cards, coins, rubber bands and LOTS of miscellaneous ideas & tips to improve what you already do and to make your performing life MUCH easier.

Just a few of the highlights in this 2-hour lecture:
— an incredibly easy (but shocking) bit of magic – the PERFECT OPENER for any show
— a wonderful 3-phase, 8-card NO-SLEIGHT “Oil & Water” routine that looks UNBELIEVABLE (and it’s EASY, too)
— a COMPLETELY CLEAN vanish of a half dollar or other large coin which requires no sleight-of-hand (and it’s INSTANTLY REPEATABLE)
— an astounding, impromptu, NO-SLEIGHT card trick that uses subtlety (and some verbal linguistics) to DEVASTATE your audience!
and LOTS more!

Some LEGENDS in magic (Fantasio, John Mendoza, J.K. Hartman, Michael Weber and others) have given permission for variations of some of their miracles to be included in his notes. No pipe dreams or untested, confusing disappointments to waste your time – these are POLISHED GEMS Geoff relies on for his professional stand-up and close-up gigs. Super easy to do but have a MAJOR IMPACT on lay audiences and magicians alike, Geoff GUARANTEES you’ll take away something from the lecture that you can put to use IMMEDIATELY!

Skill level required for most of the tricks: beginner to intermediate. There are NO second deals, one-handed top palms, multiple-coin classic palms or pipe dreams of ANY kind here. All effects are direct from his strolling and parlour repertoires and are no nonsense, do-able, real-world workers (that appear to be much harder than they really are)! Magicians of all skill levels will have fun playing with the moves and ideas in this lecture.

TESTIMONIALS:
“Hello I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your performance and your lecture at MagiFest… Top notch. It was the highlight of the whole convention for me.”– ERIC D.
“Thanks for putting on a great lecture for our club. Your lecture had a lot of fresh new ideas and routines! You’re a very entertaining lecturer. I had nothing but positive feed back from everyone that attended!”– WAYNE P.
“As a fellow magician that also does comedy magic, I was very excited to learn from your lecture in Tulsa and found it to be one of the most informative lectures I have attended in all my years in magic. Your sense of humor applied to magic was right-on! I hope to be able to apply your approaches to using laughter into my magic.”– CHUCK L.
“Hey Geoff, I had a few friends go to the PCAM on the cruise and said you were the hit of the convention.”– TYLER W.
“I would like to say that I am a voracious reader of magic literature, reading hundreds of titles each year, and have found more usable material in your lecture notes (for me personally) than in any single source in recent memory.”– CHRISTOPHER K.
“Got the set of notes in the mail yesterday. WOW! I’ve been in magic for many years and rarely do I get excited about lecture, but MAN, these notes are GREAT!”– TOMMY J

Note: If you haven’t been receiving meeting/lecture invites, or have connection questions, please contact Kevin Smith at kjsmith@umn.edu

It’s time for the March Virtual Assembly Meeting! Our March meeting will be this Friday, March 19th, at 7:00. Connection info will be sent out via email.

Our theme this month, chosen by February attendees, is “Bar Magic.” The kind of magic popularized by Tom Mullica, Matt Schulien, or Doc Eason for example. In general, magic that can be performed behind a bar. Or in a bar. Or, how about magic performed with a bar…of soap (or gold if you’re classy)?

Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.

As always, there will be time for the usual updates, stories, performances, and Show and Tell….

Let me know if you have any connection questions or other agenda ideas.
–Kevin

Time once again for another Virtual Assembly Meeting! Our next meeting will be Friday, February 19th, at 7:00. Connection info will be sent out via email.

Our theme this month, chosen by January attendees, is “Magic with Rings.” Note that this could be finger rings, linking rings, hula hoops–anything ring-like. Ring bologna magic, anyone?

Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others. As always, there will be time for the usual updates, stories, performances, and Show and Tell….

Let me know if you have any connection questions or other agenda ideas.
–Kevin 

Happy New Year!

Our next Virtual Assembly Meeting will be Friday, January 15th, at 7:00. Connection info will be sent out via email.

Our theme this month, chosen by December attendees, is Magic with Money.

Be prepared to demonstrate and teach if possible, and provide guidance and suggestions for others. As always, there will be time for the usual updates, stories, performances, and Show and Tell….

Let me know if you have any connection questions or other agenda ideas.
–Kevin