I.B.M. Ring 9

Ring Reports

January 2008

See photos from this meeting

No. 9, Atlanta, Georgia - Georgia Magic Club
3rd Monday, 7:00 PM, Funny Farm Comedy Club, Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA

DEBBIE LEIFER, President (Debbie@MagicDebbie.com)
LYNN FOX, Vice President (lynnfox@bellsouth.net)
GUY PHILLIPS, Secretary (guyphilips@bellsouth.net)
Ring 9 Web Site: www.GaMagicClub.com

Our January 2008 meeting began with an exciting "buzz" in the room focused on lots of positive conversation about the prior week's Ring 9 / Assembly 30 holiday banquet and the really unique Parlour Magic in the Round show that featured Dan Garrett, Joe M. Turner, Charles Pecor, Keith Rainey, and MC Debbie Leifer. The show, produced by Rick Hinze, received rave reviews from club members as well as their families and friends who wholeheartedly enjoyed an evening of good food, friendship, and magic.

The opening segment of our meeting was a Mini-Lecture by HOWIE MARMER titled "How To Leave a Load In Their Pants". Howie shared his methods of "loading" everything from playing cards, to predictions, to his own business cards into unknowing spectator's pants and jacket pockets in anticipation of a later surprise/shock/revelation during his performances.

Our business meeting was in the capable hands of Vice President LYNN FOX, who guided us through updates on club business, and a well-deserved acknowledgement of all the Ring 9 members and spouses who worked so hard on planning and executing our banquet dinner, decorations, and show. KEITH RAINEY was announced as winner of "Lecturer of the Year" for his outstanding 2007 mini-lecture on coins, and EVAN REYNOLDS was announced as winner of the "2007 Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year" award. The meeting wrapped up with an update from Ken Scott, chairperson of our August 21 - 23 SEAM Convention, and the exciting announcement that he recently secured Max Maven to present a limited-attendance special workshop.

Our January theme, "Renewing The Old & Trying The New" had obviously inspired many members to perform. JOE M. TURNER amused us with a very funny card routine called "Vegas Visit", a contemporary and very commercial reworking of Six Card Repeat developed by Joshua Jay.

ROB SPEER rarely performs at our meetings, claiming he is intimidated by all the great magicians in our club. However, tonight he revealed that was all just a story, because he very ably performed a new card trick in which he accurately named the card chosen by Evan Reynolds. Next, ARAGORN asked Kathy Hoffman to select a playing card and then surprised everyone when he backed up and pointed a plastic bow and arrow in her direction. Once loaded with flash paper and lit, the arrow revealed her chosen card.

PAUL SPONAUGLE, in his always humorous and humble style, explained he has chosen a new occupation - entering (and winning!) the "World Poker Tour" competition. However, much to Paul's dismay, he quickly discovered that he CAN'T play poker! The plot thickened when we learned that what Paul meant was that he's not ALLOWED to play poker because he always wins! Despite giving an audience volunteer every chance in the world to win by allowing them to choose all of their cards from a FACE UP pile, Paul won EVERY hand!

Continuing his consistently humorous twist on each monthly theme, KEN SCOTT performed a VERY OLD trick (a plastic Adam's coin slide!). Of course, in Ken's hands this old classic was updated with an amazing coin vanish and it's ultimate reappearance. He then asked an audience member to push the coin through a DRAWING of a hole on the side of a paper bag! We heard the coin go through the side of the bag and drop into something (?)… it was quite magical. From the paper bag Ken pulled out a VERY NEW wooden coin box, and lo-and-behold, locked inside was the very same coin!

KEITH RAINEY performed a new effect from a magic magazine titled "Call Girl". After a card was selected, playing a modern game of "telephone", more than a dozen audience members whispered the name of the card from one person to the next after being instructed to deliberately change the name of the card as the message was communicated. Finally arriving on the opposite side of the room, the whispered message was announced out loud by the final person to receive it. Amazingly, they accurately named the chosen card.

Our new Secretary/Treasurer GUY PHILLIPS proceeded to torture poor little "Rocky" the Racoon in a wooden Mini-Zig-Zag. A funny routine by a charming performer. RON GLADSTONE displayed a bag of marbles, all were clear with the exception of one black marble. Several people reached into the bag and withdrew a random marble inside their closed fist. Ron correctly gleaned which person had the single black marble.

New member MERRITT AMBROSE excited all the magic collectors in the room with a rare antique coin ladder! Several coins magically penetrated the solid glass top and musically clinked down the ladder. For a huge surprise finale, one coin traveled in reverse - UP the ladder! This was a beautiful vintage prop and a real treat to watch in action.

While the votes for best theme performer were tallied, CHRISTOPHE FOUQUET entertained us with a card trick. Winner of the Coveted Royal Blue Pen Award for January 2008 was Ron Gladstone.

As always, we encourage everyone passing through or visiting Atlanta to join us on the Third Monday of any month for a fun evening of amazing magic, clever performances, an informative mini-lecture by one of our outstanding members, and a chance to rub elbows with Metro Atlanta's magic community.

Debbie Leifer, Ring Scribe