Wizard of Sorts: Magician Madness

Thank You All so Much

2014-11-26T19:24:00.000-06:00

Doing What One Loves

Doing what one loves for a living is one of the greatest gifts in the world and the only way I am able to do what I love is because of you. There is no performance without an audience and before I was able to have an audience, I had my family to support me. So thank you all so much for your love, support, and applause.

The Coming New Year

I've got some great things planned for my show in the new year. Some of them are still in the planning and development stage so I can't really say more about them but other stuff is really coming into focus. Over the last few months, I have crafted some amazing magic that has been fully realized. These are routines that have been purposely structured to fit sales messaging.

They are like a universal base that really interesting, funny, and educational messaging can be built upon and I'm really proud of them. Keep an eye out for videos after the new year.

Thank You All

I want to thank all again for the help, love, support, applause, and feedback through out the years.

About the Author: Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is stand up comedy magician who customizes magic for corporate events, sales meetings, and trade show booths.

Too Many Cooks...

2014-10-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Old saying goes, "Too many cooks, spoil the broth" and did I ever see that in action a few weeks ago at a corporate event I worked.

Who's in charge here? Everyone?

This was an event for a trade association's charity gala. So, in order of the folks I met that were in charge, 1. Event coordinator hired from an external firm, 2. Event coordinator for the trade association, 3. Second Event coordinator 4. "Host of the event" and 5. Board members.

I know there is much leadership needed to pull off a successful large scale event but someone needs to make sure everyone is pointed in the right direction.

One of the other acts on the bill were to escort an award recipient to the stage. In the 25 foot walk from his table to the stage these poor performers where giving about 4 different directions from the various coordinators and hosts. Luckily the performers are professionals and took all the confusion in stride and did the simple job well.

Get Pointed in the Same Direction

It's no different at your event than it should be at the office or in the board room. Everyone should know their job and where jobs overlap communication is KEY!

Sure you don't have to do hundreds of hours of meetings to plan a great event but at least make sure there is a plan of action.

Find the answers

To find a plan of action view my Corporate Party Planning Tips save yourself time, money, and stress.

About the Author: Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is stand up comedy magician available for your next corporate event.

Help Me, Help you

2014-09-16T09:53:00.003-05:00

The Setup

Last week I did a great gig, in a very expensive venue, overlooking the Chicago Loop, for two companies hosting their VIP's after a trade show. I had no idea until I arrived who was even hosting the event.

There was a caterer hiring an entertainment agent, who hired me, and no one shared any more than the absolute basic information of date, time, and location, with each other.

When I arrived at the event about 45 minutes before start time, I found the caterer who had hired my agent and I ask him, "Who is this event for?" He gave me the companies' names. What I meant was WHO are the attendees?" He did say that this was sales folks and their clients.

OK, this is important information. This means, these salespeople have invited potential or loyal customers to this event to share with them food, drink, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, why they should do or continue to do business with their company.

I thanked him and I used Google to search for the company and found out they make ink and printing presses. They are in the print industry. OK, now we are getting somewhere.

The Solution

Not to toot my own horn (but hey, this is my blog after all) I have a background in theater improvisation and comedy writing. So, I was able to adapt four magic tricks in the remaining minutes I had left to be at least about printing. I had no time to research the companies unique selling proposition, their printing presses benefits, or what specific message or product they were trying to tell people about at this year's show.

I know what you are saying, "They're just magic tricks, Edd. They are just supposed to be fun." But they can be SO MUCH MORE! I can do so much more!

I can:

customize my tricks to visually show something about your company or product
write scripts for my presentation that emphasize your product or services features and benefits.
research your competition and compare and contrast your offerings with humor and visual magic.

But I can't do any of it, if I have no information. So help me, help you, make your event GREAT!

For You

If you are thinking of hiring a presenter or entertainer for your trade show booth or hospitality suite, here is the form I give my clients: Google Form If your presenter or entertainer isn't asking these questions he is just going to do another show. Not YOUR show! Even though I'm the guy doing the tricks, it's not all about me. It's about you, your clients, and your message.

About the Author
Edd Fairman is a stand up comedy magician that performs specialized presentations of magic and comedy for corporations around the country.

The 4 Things you should be doing RIGHT NOW to save Headaches, Time and MONEY in December

2014-07-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Year End Holiday Parties!

By starting your planning now for your year end parties you will save yourself headaches, time, and money.
The 4 things you need to do RIGHT NOW:

Pick your date: The first Saturday in December is the busiest day of the year for Holiday parties. If you want to book this prime date, you need to do it right now. Also, by picking your date now and letting people know of the date, they can't claim that they found out "last minute" or "didn't know when the party was going to be." With only 3 Fridays and 3 Saturdays in December before Christmas AND ONLY 2 FRIDAYS before Hanukkah it's going to be a very busy December.
Budget: Now is the best time to find out how much you are going to have to achieve with so little! All kidding aside, the sooner you have your budget together the sooner you can start making your priorities.
Book your venue: No need to scramble at the last minute or not get the place you REALLY wanted. Also, you may be able to get the room a bit cheaper by booking early.
Book your entertainment: Just like the best venue's, the best entertainers get booked early. Booking agencies start booking entertainers for year end Holiday parties in August and the best dates are usually all taken up by the end of September.

Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a stand- up comedy magician available for corporate events. He has been performing and planning events for over 15 years. You can find out more about him at www.wizardofsorts.com.

Hosting a Graduation Party

2014-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

A Tough One

I think graduation parties are one of the hardest events to plan. The guests are a wide range of ages. If it's a high school graduation party, the guest of honor and his friends are of an age that can be particularly difficult to satisfy. And for me especially, one has to balance making the party all about the guest of honor and making it all about the other guests.

Ideas: Slideshow

One of my favorite ideas for a grad party that I have seen be very successful is a slideshow. You can play it on the home television (if you TV is networked or you can hook it up to your computer) on your desktop screen or if you have a projector, project it on the wall!

This website offers a very easy to use tool and step by step instructions on how to create your own slideshow: http://www.ezvid.com/how_to_make_a_free_graduation_video_slideshow

Digital Guestbook

If you have an iPad there is a nice free app called Digital Guestbook that allows your guests to leave messages for the guest of honor.

All Pointing in One Direction

Crossing the great digital divide can be difficult and unless you want your party to look like this:

or worse this:

You need to provide some fun focused activities for your guests:

Karaoke

You can hire a karaoke DJ or download an app or program for your tablet or computer. If you download an app and decide to do it yourself you need to have a host that is very outgoing and can keep the karaoke going.

Timeline Game

Using the slide show you made, have people guess what year each picture is from.

Entertainment

Hiring a professional entertainer can be a great idea for a Graduation party. A comedian, magician, dj, or henna tattoo artist can bring a great air of sophistication and fun to your party. I've had some clients object to what they feel is the high price of professional entertainment. But if you figure out the price per guest it really isn't that much. For most parties a professional entertainer's price is less than a movie ticket for each guest!

About the Author

Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a stand up comedy magician that specializes in magic for college and corporate events. He is based in Chicago.

Creating a New Routine: Danger, Part 3- Rehearsal

2013-01-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

As a one man show I find it hard to rehearse routines for my College and University Comedy Magic and mind reading show. I can practice all I want at home, in front of the mirror, or on video tape but finding out what the audience will like can sometimes be a guessing game.

This is where I think like a stand up comedian. When stand ups have new material they work it out. Not at the gym but at open mics if they aren't a well known comedian or by doing a drop in at another club, if they are more well known in the community. At a club like Caroline's in New York city it isn't uncommon to be there to see someone that isn't famous and a famous comedian will show up unannounced and do a few minutes to see how it plays.

For those of us who are not Louis CK or Daniel Tosh, we have to work open mics. The nice thing is, venues have realized that an open mic is free entertainment for their guests and comics drink, sometimes a lot. So now there are many open mics. In Chicago, where I live, you perform at multiple open mics every night of the week. Just because they are plentiful doesn't mean they are easy.

The Waiting

Like many things, the waiting is the hardest part. For most open mics they put up the sign up sheet anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours ahead of time. If you get there early enough to get to the top of the list you still end up waiting an hour to go on. If you don't get there early you end up way down on the list and end up waiting multiple hours. When the open mic starts at 10:00 PM you could be going on at 1:00 AM to perform for about 3 other people who are probably really drunk.

The Right Mic

No two open mics are created equal. As a magician some of the comedy only open mics aren't the most welcoming, plus the comedy only mics usually have ridiculously short set time limits. Some have a time limit as short as 3 minutes. I've found that open mics that allow music and poetry are much more welcoming. Also, some of them have set times as long as 15 minutes.

Getting it on Video

The most important part (and the thing I see the least of) is to tape your set. I have no idea how these guys expect to remember what worked really well, somewhat well, not well, etc, etc, etc ad nauseum. I know watching yourself on tape is harrowing prospect. But if you are not tough enough to watch yourself on tape then you are not tough enough to perform.

Edd Fairman is a stand up comedy magician based in Chicago that specializes in events for colleges and universities.

2012-12-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Creating a New Routine: Danger (Part 2)

Here is part 2 of the process creating a new routine for my College and University Stand up comedy magic show.

Putting it together

When you think about board games and Trivial Pursuit you don't think about danger but if the 90's taught me anything, it was to TAKE IT TO THE EXTREME!

I know Harold and Kumar was released in 2004 but this scene is all 90's all the time. I mean check out the arm band tattoo.

And just because it is the best name for a character ever, "I know, Extreme Sports Punk #1."

So how do you make a board game more extreme? Add some consequences. When someone gets a question wrong you've got to bring the pain, or the possibility of pain. But as we saw in last weeks videos, hurting your audience members is highly frowned upon.

The Surrogate

I think I'm a pretty likable guy and I think that audience members don't want me to fail. So, I think if I put myself in harm's way they are going to do the best they can to save me? Or will they?

The Rules

Four players are picked from the audience and each gets to choose an '90's icon playing piece. They can be a Grunge Rocker, a Cappuccino, a Dot Com Stock Certificate, or a Digital PDA.

A very sharp aluminum spike is hidden under a foam cup and mixed with three other empty foam cups. The cups are then numbered. Unknown to the players each playing piece is labeled on the underside with a number.

Each player is asked a '90's Trivial Pursuit question. If they get it wrong, their cup is smashed.

Will the right person get their question right? Will Edd go unharmed?

About the Author:

Edd Fairman is a stand up comedy magician that performs for college and university events. You can find out more about him by visiting http://www.wizardofsorts.com

Create a new routine: Danger

2012-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Challenge:

Create a new magic routine that adds an element of danger to the show that is funny, scary, and would fit into my College and University Comedy Magic show.

The Process:

The idea:

I've always liked the idea of a dangerous gamble. In the past I've done some side show stunts that were not magic. I've pounded a nail into my sinus cavity. I've laid on a bed of nails and I've juggled fire. They all have their draw backs. The human blockhead (pounding a nail into the sinus cavity) can be hard to see in a large auditorium. The bed of nails is impossible to put on a plane and fire is generally illegal in most theatres.

"The Trick:"

The "smash and stab" plot has been around in magic for awhile and has had it's share of notoriety. There have been a few televised versions of magicians stabbing themselves. Here are just two. The first video has another video of the magician stabbing a volunteer at minute 2:10.

My Take:

I've always felt that the weakest portion of this trick is selecting which cup or bag to smash. If the audience choose, they could feel they were put in a horrible predicament. If the magician choose which cup to smash, he could know where the spike is and avoid it. So, I needed a new selection process.

The Game:

I've always loved board games and one of my favourites is Trivial Pursuit. I happen to own the best version of Trivial Pursuit and that is Trivial Pursuit: 90's edition. It is the coolest game about the coolest of decades. And just like the 90's, I wanted to take the game TO THE EXTREME!

In my next post I'll show you how this spike and Trivial Pursuit, 90's edition become the best show you've ever seen.

About the Author:

Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a stand up comedy magician who specializes in College and University shows for Student Activities and Campus events.

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2012-11-15T18:29:00.002-06:00

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New Partners in Success

2012-04-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

It is my great pleasure to announce that the awesome folks at Wally's World of Entertainment have chosen to represent me in the College and University Market!

Wally, House, and George, at Wally's World will be happy to help you book the most cost effective show for your campus. I originally shied away from working with an agent as I thought it would cost my clients more money but with Wally's World extensive database, they can create a route that saves schools big money!

A properly planned route can bring a price down by as much as half for each school along the route.

Please contact them at
Wally's World of Entertainment,
800-476-0442,
Info@houseofwally.com

Crazy Gift Idea for that Person That has Everything

2011-12-21T16:50:00.003-06:00

Nobody needs more junk

We all have that friend of family member that has everything and you have no idea what to get them as a Holiday present. You don't want to buy them more junk that is just going to sit around. Why not get them something completely different!

Local, Small Business, Different

Why not give your friends, family, co-workers, or clients a truly unforgettable gift? A performance by Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is sure to have them talking all year long. You can get a $300 gift certificate towards a performance for only $250! You can use it for up to one year towards any performance. Click here to get yours today and I will send it as soon as I return to the computer. I'm not tech savvy enough to get it sent to you automatically but I will email you the certificate as soon as possible.

Get yours today and have plenty of time to give it as a Christmas or Hanukkah gift.

Managing your Holiday Stress

2011-12-02T07:00:00.003-06:00

In one year's time I plan/coordinate/advise on/or work at over 100 events. Here are some tips I've come up with help make your holiday party season a little less stressful.

There is no "perfect" gift. Each year I think I buy less and less gifts. I've come to the realization that my parents really don't need more "stuff." I make a trip home to PA to visit. I help out with meals. My father usually has a big project that's been waiting to be finished. I only buy gifts for my Nephews because they are young and are super into the whole gift thing. If you have a super picky person on your list don't stress because more than likely they won't appreciate what you got them anyway. So, don't waste time picking out the perfect gift. Get them a gift card to a store they like.
Avoid the rush. What gifts I do buy I get online. If you are lucky enough to have a week day off; do your shopping then. If you have to do it during the weekend, go early.
You do not have to entertain this season. There are 100's of catering companies, banquet halls, and restaurants that would love to organize and run your party for you. I don't have to remind you that it's been a rough few years for us in the entertainment industry. So you might be surprised how easy and inexpensive it is to have someone else do it.
Get some sleep. Friends tell me that they only sleep 4 or 5 hours a night and then they wonder why they are stressed. Unless you are the parent of a newborn, I don't see why you would choose to do this to yourself. I know, it doesn't seem like a choice but there has to be 1 or 2 hours you can squeeze out of something else and hit the hay.
Make some "me" time. My Mother delivers the mail in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Not only do the holidays bring the heaviest mail it also brings some of the worst weather. She has driven between 70 and 100 miles a day, 5 or 6 days a week, depending on what route she was working at the time. My Mother loves to read. So she makes sure she gets in a chapter a night of whatever book she is reading. We knew growing up (and still today) if Mom is reading, leave her alone. She won't be long and she'll be in a much better mood if you let her have her "me" time.
Get some exercise. During the Holiday season our exercise routines seem to get hung up with the decorations. If you are like me, you will spend countless hours in the car going from event to event. Luckily I have two large dogs that demand to be taking on walks. If you don't have any dogs, come walk mine, its great exercise.
Its not life and death. Unless you really under-cook some tainted meat, remember its not life or death. Relax, enjoy, have a beverage.

Edd Fairman is a stand-up comedy magician that specializes in corporate and college events. You can find out more about him at http://www.wizardofsorts.com

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

November 26, 2011

We've all head of Black Friday and some have even heard of Cyber Monday but what is Small Business Saturday? Small Business Saturday is an effort to shine some light on your local small businesses. When I heard this, I thought, "I'm the smallest business! I'm a one man show!." I also thought, "Why is an utlra mega-corp like American Express championing small businesses?" I decided to take a "wait and see" attitude on the second point.

Great Offer

In honor of Small Business Saturday, I am offering a $300 gift certificate good towards any show for only $250! Head over to my ebay listing GIFT CERTIFICATE and pick up one or two! The listing expires on November 30 at 8:00 AM Cental time. Don't miss out!

Free Campus Event Planning mini-Ecourse

2011-11-15T06:55:00.001-06:00

After years of planning events, I've decided to make put together what I know.

I have created a Free Campus Event Planning mini-Ecourse. Each week for 4 weeks you will receive an email detailing a step in the event planning process.

It's super simple to sign up just go to this sign up form

More Free Stuff

Get a free Wizard of Sorts, "Oh the Jokes hurt" t-shirt by texting "magic" to 75309

2011-09-13T11:51:00.002-05:00

Hello! I'm not Edd. I'm Tania, the new intern for Edward Fairman. And as the new intern, I have the opportunity to post a new blog for Edd.

This is my second day at the internship and needless to say, I love it! Edd and Erin are the most dynamic couple I have ever met (they can carry on a conversation together using movie lines). Edd has such a unique voice and makes such funny noises when he talks, sings and laughs. You gotta hear him talk! It's just pure entertainment. Then you have Erin, who is a self-made clothing/jewelry designer. And my golly, her work is fantastic, a must see!

Edd & Erin live together at an apartment right by Devon (a.k.a. little India). I was nervous for my first day, simply because it was my first day. But I feel very welcomed as part of their team. They are the ideal candidates for bosses. They gave me a grand tour of their place, gave me a desk with a computer, provided me free lunch, and always made sure I was comfortable. I couldn't ask for anyone better!

My position is called "artist management internship." I hope to learn about the entertainment business so I can implement it when I do become an artist manager one day.

Currently, I am trying to advertise Edd Fairman's upcoming show at Heartland Cafe (700 N. Glenwood Ave, Chicago IL 60626). He will be performing for an event called "In One Ear." It will be on November 2, 2011. Several comedians will be featured for the night. It will be an evening filled with open mic, music, comedy, and poetry!

Where? Heartland Cafe

7000 N. Glenwood Ave.

Chicago, IL 60626

773-465-8005

When? November 2, 2011

What time? 9:30pm-1:30am

How much? $3

Age? 17+

Trust me, you don't want to miss this!

Say hello to your Uncle

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's almost the Fourth of July. It's that time of year where I turn into my Uncle. That's right, it's Uncle Sam! Your favorite stilt wearing fictitious Father of our Country's Brother. The history of Uncle Sam is a bit convoluted and I'm sure you can read the wiki articles on Uncle Sam and on Dan Rice.

One story is that Uncle Sam was originated by Dan Rice who was a clown and may have been the model for the first Uncle Sam illustrations. All political jokes aside about politicians and clowns, it does explain Uncle Sam's nimbleness on stilts.

Here is a rather cool Uncle Sam I know.

So have a safe Independence Day and remember that all fireworks are illegal in Chicago and some people have to get up very early on the 4th to drive to a suburban parade.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who specializes in making you look good.

Summer Time and the living is...busy?

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

As June starts for second base the phone at the Wizard of Sorts office starts ringing off the hook. Myself and Erin, Manager of Sorts, have been fielding calls and emails from people scrambling to book me for last minute gigs.

To misquote John Van Buren, "Book early and book often." I already have several events booking in 2012! So, that brings us to the Jack 'O Lantern pictured left.

You should be planning your Halloween party now! I know, I know. Boooo! And that's not the ghostly kind of, "boo." It is more of a bad call, yell at the referee type of, "boo." I more than anyone would like to be thinking only of warm summer days spent at the lake shore and not thinking of fall weather, turning leaves and cool weather celebrations.

When I asked one of my agents how many full time magicians there are in Chicago, he said, "Good ones?" Of course. "Eight." No way there have to be way more than that. Right? Then we started listing names and I think he is right. There are very few of us. There are a few (I only know of one) good part time magicians in town but they are even rarer.

I hear what you are saying. You are saying that you can go to Google and search for "Chicago magician" and get a dozen results. But remember what he said, "Good ones." Of course that's just his opinion but he books many events so he has lots of experience.

With so few good magicians available it is imperative to plan early. My first weekend in October is already completely booked with a two day festival. I expect the rest of the month to mostly booked by the end of July and Christmas events start booking in August!

So, call now to book your:

End of Summer celebrations
Back to School Days
Awards nights
Christmas
New Years

events.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who specializes in Corporate and College events and may be available for your next event. If you call ahead.

I predict: I will be wrong.

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you not following the news, a magician has been very highly covered recently in the media. You didn't read it? Or you didn't realize he was a magician? Harold Camping the Rapture Preacher is just a bad magician. Or more accurately he is a bad mentalist.

A quick note for those not in the know: A mentalist is a magician/performer who does tricks that seem to involve mind reading, esp, predicting the future, finding lost items, divining thoughts of others, etc. A mentalist however does not solve crimes or look like Simon Baker (well not many of them).

Those of you have seen my show (You haven't seen my show? Why not? What's up with that?) know that I do a few mental magic tricks. I divine a thought of word. I miraculousness create a math equation who's sum is the spectator's thought of number. I generally do not predict the end of the world or some other giant, easy to prove event (see my post on Lying). This is one of the ways Harold Camping went wrong. The other?

When it all goes wrong:

Occasionally I have missed the math equation in my show. Once or twice I've filled in the 16 squares with numbers that should all add to the thought of number with gusto and then when I preceded to solve it, I was wrong. It happens. Magic is an art not a science. Math, of course, is a science but I'm not up there doing math. I using math to entertain. (Never thought I would say that...)

Anyway, what Camping did wrong when his prediction fizzled was, he didn't move on to the next thing. He disappeared for three days. If you get your prediction wrong you have to keep moving. Here watch Sylvia Browne renowned "psychic" and finger nail enthusiast dance around her wrong predictions here:

Man for an older lady she can move! I disagree with Roger Miller, I think you can roller skate in a Buffalo Herd.

Did that video make you a bit sad? I hope so. Harold Camping makes me said. But as a showman, a bit of a huckster, and a lover of the ridiculous, I don't want to see him go into hiding. I want him, Charlie Sheen, and Donald Trump to be on Celebrity Survivor together. Ooo the laughs they give me. I want to see Harold Camping host a new version of You Bet Your Life.

Seriously though, it is a great tradition among magicians to debunk pseudo- sciences. We know most of the methods they are using. In Camping and Sylvia Browne's cases I think the method is called wild guess. The practice of debunking was popularized by Houdini and is currently being carried on by the Amazing Randi, Penn Jillette, and others. I love to fool people. I love to make a bit of money from doing it but I hate when charlatans use magic tricks to bilk people. Several Camping followers gave away all of their money and possessions. Some gave all their money to him! And well as Creed said:

So what's the point of all this? Harold Camping makes me laugh and also makes me sad. I guess he is a really good clown.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago magician who specializes in comedy for corporate and college audiences.

Don't I know that guy?

2011-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was working a First Communion party at the Saddle and Cycle club. For those of you who don't know this is a big event in the Catholic community. When a child finished their CCD classes (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) and take part in the Eucharistic for the first time they are considered a full member of the Church.

Usually they have a rather large party after Church with a meal and entertainment. So, I was getting ready at Club and in walks a man who looks like Mayor Daley. But I can't be sure if it is him because I've never seen him in person and he looked thinner than I remember him. So, I jokingly say to a guest near by, "Boy that guy looks familiar. I think I know him." She says, "That's Maggie's Grandpa."

Now I'm thinking it must not be the Mayor or she would have said so. Eventually I meet the little girl who's party it is. At a first communion it's easy to spot the celebrate because they are usually wearing all white. I know what you are thinking at this point, "You didn't know who you were there to perform for?" Well, on these large events there can be two or three layers of agents, party planners, and coordinators. By the time the information gets to the entertainers it is often wrong or incomplete. Anyway. I say to Maggie, "Boy your Grandpa looks like the Mayor." She says, "That's because he is!"

Of course I made it seem like I was just kidding around and had a laugh.

This actually reminds me of a game a friend of mine plays called, "What's wrong on this talent sheet?" Often times it's small things. Sometimes it's big things like the address of the venue, the venue's phone number. One time I was working a gig with this entertainer and our "agent." The agent introduces us to the contact saying, "This is Jen." The contact person says, "It's Jill." For the rest of the event the "agent" kept referring to the contact as Jen. It was hilarious.

I once had an agent send me to a country club a week before an event and another send me to a wrong club with a similar name. Once when arriving at a club where I was scheduled to do walk around close-up magic I see a sign that says, "Magic Show 2:00PM." I asked the contact who was doing the magic show. Well, I was surprised to find out it was me! I somehow pulled 20 minutes of material out of the small close-up case I had with me.

Like the Boy Scouts say, "Be Prepared." But it's impossible to be prepared for every conceivable scenario. So, I figure when I am not fully prepared to cover an agent's, party planner's, or coordinator's mistake, I just get creative.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who specializes in Comedy Magic.

Kicking the Tires

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I had to say goodbye to a very important piece of equipment. Lucille, my dear old, 2003, Hyundai Accent.

As you can see she was a red headed beauty but her lack of air conditioning finally got to me and I couldn't take it any longer.

Strangely enough, I was really sad to see her go. We had been through so much tog

ether. One time she and I drove 14 hours straight from Chicago to Washington DC. We drove home in snow storm from some tiny town in Indiana ending up at one point facing the wrong way on the entrance ramp to the highway because we had spun around on the ice and snow.

But like most women her age, her worst fear has come true. She has been replaced by a younger woman.

Say, "Hello" to Bettie. Bettie is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring Edition. When I bought her, I told my Mother I had bought a small station wagon. She said that it sounded like I was turning into a suburban dad. It couldn't be any further from the truth. As soon as I heard that I went onto Cafe Press and ordered a bumper sticker that reads, "Devastation Wagon."

Much of my blog is about the adventures I have out there bringing magic to the people. So, I am sure there will be an up coming story or two featuring Bettie.

Edd Fairman is a corporate and college entertainer who travels the country performing magic shows. Much of the time he drives.

Hastings Nebraska here I come.

2011-03-21T10:39:00.006-05:00

April 7 through 9 I will be traveling to Hastings Nebraska to perform my comedy magic show for Hastings College this will be my first foray into the Corn Husker State, only the second time I have flown with my show props and equipment, and the first time I have flown with the newest TSA rules and regulations.

Forget Carry on

If you think you have had trouble going through security imagine packing a brief case with among other things a bowling ball, 8 10 inch stainless steel rings, several lengths of rope, scissors, a knife, a gigantic deck of cards, all sorts of electronics for sound, and a kiwi.

The only things from my show I can actually carry onto the plane are my regular deck of cards, a clipboard, and my sharpie markers. I have one of those new awesome stainless steel sharpies and I doubt that could even be packed in a carry on bag. I can't even carry on my kiwi! I guess they are afraid I will assault the crew with high amounts of fiber and Vitamin C.

Which reminds me of a terrible joke

I heard this joke on Prairie Home Companion, a great source for wonderful, terrible jokes. A coyote is coming down the jet way to get onto the plane with a dead raccoon in his mouth. The flight attendant says, "You can't bring that on the plane." The coyote replies, "But this is my carrion."

I'm not sure how well that joke works in print but it works well audibly. I know what you are thinking. "That's terrible." But I know you will be telling that joke sometime soon! Don't deny it. Though I don't tell jokes in my act; I do comedy. So, don't worry, I won't be telling you about dead raccoons on stage anytime soon.

I just came for the pudding

I look forward for performing for the students of Hastings College and getting to visit the Queen City of the Plains.

About the Author

Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts, is a Chicago Magician who travels the country performing for colleges and corporations.

There's a potato in your eye

2011-03-15T16:40:00.005-05:00

So you may or may not know but I am of Irish decent. James Fairman came from Ireland in 1774 and settle in Schuylkill County Pennsylvania. And you probably do know that Thursday is St. Patrick's day. Which is an Irish/American Holiday. I suppose if the term "Irish Americans" existed 230 years ago my family probably would have been called that. But it didn't and what they were called was much worse.

So, on Thursday many people will be out to celebrate what they think Irish and Irish/Americans should do; drink until stupidity. Anyone reading this who knows me, knows I enjoy a glass of whiskey just as much as the next guy but there should be limits. As Charlie Sheen has taught us, public intoxication of all forms should be avoided at risk of loosing one's livelihood.

I will be out with my friends Thursday evening celebrating at the bars of Lodge Management on Division Street. You will be able to find us at Mother's, Mother's Too, Shenanigans, Bootleggers, The Lodge, and The Hangee Uppee. We will be easy to spot as we will be on stilts and "wearing the green." Please come down and see us, raise a pint (or maybe even two) to Eire and mind your P's and Q's or I'll stick a potato in your eye.

About the Author: Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is an Irish/German/American Chicago Magician who performs for corporate and college events.

Top 7 Reasons to have a Magician at Your Next Event

2011-03-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

7. Save Money- A magician in comparison to many other forms of entertainment is actually cheaper than most. A band (because it requires many performers) can really become very expensive. Most "speakers" are way over priced because they market almost exclusively to the corporate market.

6. Universal- Magic is loved by people of all ages and social standing. Not everyone loves rock, hip hop, or polka but almost everyone loves magic.

5. Flexible Size- Either a magic show or a walk around magician can fill a stadium or fit in a living room. No only does it fit in different size venues it also fits different styles of parties, different energy levels, and even different noise levels.

4. Customizable- Most magicians, including your author, can customize their show to fit your specific message, theme, or event.

3. Less stress- An experienced magician can help you with planning suggestions, venue recommendations and more.

2. Different- Shake things up with the wonderment that a magician can provide. A DJ, band, or speaker is so blasé.

1. Memorable- Your guests will be talking for a long time about the great time they had at your event. You can make a great impression on your client. When you have someone at your event that can do the impossible, imagine what your client will think of you.

Edd Fairman is a Chicago Magician who does magic for corporate and private parties. He specializes in making you look good through an awesome show, great communication through the booking process, and logistical help.

Let the Right One In

2011-02-22T05:59:00.001-06:00

Not all parties are created the same. As a comic magician I perform for many different types of functions. Each one requires its own show. I may perform some of the same tricks in two different shows but I don't know if I've ever performed the same trick in the same way twice. Even when I was doing the run of my show at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, I never had the same show two nights in a row. Each audience, each volunteer, each room requires a different show.

So, if you hire an entertainer and they start asking you a bunch of noisy question it's not because they are trying to get fresh, it's because they are trying to do the best show for you. If they don't ask you questions about what you are looking for, run, run like the wind. Which actually doesn't run. So, run, run, like a gazelle being pursued by a cheetah.

Even two company Christmas Parties aren't the same. I have performed at Christmas Parties for an accounting firm (very nice but very quiet people), an engineering firm (very nice but very analytical people), and even a trucking firm (very nice very, but how do we say, very boisterous people). Each show had to be tailored to fit the tone of the party and the personality of the group.

If you are planning an event and hiring an entertainer, here are some questions you should ask yourself:

1. What do I want the entrainment to accomplish? Do you want to just have fun? Do you want to motivate the audience? Do you want to get a message across?

2. What is the feel of the event? Is it high energy? Low key? Elegant? Casual?

3. What are the capabilities of the venue? Can you fit what you want to do in the space allotted.

The entertainer you are hiring should ask you these questions to decide if they are the right fit for your event. If they don't, you can ask them the questions but I would be on guard. If you don't like the answers no body should have to tell you to move on.

If you have any party planning questions please feel free to email me at edd@wizardofsorts.com

About the Author: Edd Fairman is a magician for corporate events who specializes in making you look good. He lives in Chicago and travels through out the US performing.

When you are this cold...

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's hard to be funny when it's below zero. It's hard to be funny when you all you really want to do is hide under the covers until summer. Every year it happens. Every year around now I just don't feel the funny. But guess what? The audience doesn't care. So what is a comedy magician to do? LIE! Yup. LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE.

When I feel crappy and I'm just not feeling the funny, I lie to myself. I tell myself that I am feeling very funny. I say to myself that I am in a great mood. Self delusion is a powerful tool when used for good of course. When your job is to create an illusion its best to start with yourself. I also tell myself I'm six foot tall, still have a 30 inch waist, and have been to India. I'm not sure why its India but it sounds interesting. It's important to be interesting. If you find that your own life isn't interesting I recommend making stuff up. It's fun. It's creative and it will keep away Alzheimer's.

When one goes to lie to oneself about something, it is very important to be careful. Little lies: good. Big lies: not so good. Exaggerations about something that really did happen: very good. Lying about something that can be proven false: very bad. This past weekend I performed for a man named Glen Miller. So saying that I performed for Glen Miller isn't a lie. Saying it was the world famous musician is a lie. It's a very bad lie because it is very easy to prove that A)the musician Glen Miller is dead. B) he died before I was born. And C) no one would care even if it was the real Glen Miller because no one cares about jazz anymore.

So, stick to unprovable, unimportant lies. Oh and only lie to yourself. Not other people. That would be dishonest. It is only acceptable to lie to other people if you are a magician (and it vanished), politician (I did not have relations with that woman.), doctor (You've got a least six months to live), parent (Santa is watching), neighbor (Your lawn looks great), boy friend (No those jeans do not make you look fat) or anyone not wanting to get in trouble (I was just saying). Otherwise lying should be avoided at all costs. It sullies one's reputation and makes them look bad among people no one really cares about.

I am sure that most self help guru's would call it the "power of positive thinking" but they are just lying to you and themselves.

About the Author: Edd Fairman is a comedy corporate and college magician residing in Chicago who never lies (except just now) and is available for your next event.

Wizard of Sorts: Magician Madness

Thank You All so Much

Doing What One Loves

The Coming New Year

Thank You All

Too Many Cooks...

Who's in charge here? Everyone?

Get Pointed in the Same Direction

Find the answers

Help Me, Help you

The 4 Things you should be doing RIGHT NOW to save Headaches, Time and MONEY in December

Hosting a Graduation Party

Creating a New Routine: Danger, Part 3- Rehearsal

The Waiting

The Right Mic

Getting it on Video

Edd Fairman is a stand up comedy magician based in Chicago that specializes in events for colleges and universities.

Creating a New Routine: Danger (Part 2)

Putting it together

The Surrogate

The Rules

About the Author:

Create a new routine: Danger

The Challenge:

The Process:

The idea:

"The Trick:"

My Take:

The Game:

Next:

About the Author:

Facebook Feed Widget

New Partners in Success

Crazy Gift Idea for that Person That has Everything

Managing your Holiday Stress

Small Business Saturday

Free Campus Event Planning mini-Ecourse

Say hello to your Uncle

Summer Time and the living is...busy?

I predict: I will be wrong.

Don't I know that guy?

Kicking the Tires

Hastings Nebraska here I come.

There's a potato in your eye

Top 7 Reasons to have a Magician at Your Next Event

Let the Right One In

When you are this cold...