The East Coast Magic Show!

The East Coast Magic Show was a great little project I worked on with some friends.

They called it the “East Coast Illusionists”, but I didn’t really like that title.  I think “East Coast Magic Show” sounds better.

It was myself, and Cape Breton entertainers Paul Nauss, Carmen Giorno, Stephanie MacPhee, and Kirk MacNeil.

Carmen did parlour magic:  He made cards rise out of a deck, coins vanished and appeared, and finally a rose appeared.

Paul Nauss did some stage illusions where his assistant floated, disappeared and was impaled with stuff.

Kirk MacNeil did mind reading.

Stephanie MacPhee did fire eating and manipulation.

And myself, well, I did a few stunts and juggled chainsaws.  I also balanced a lawnmower on my chin https://chainsawjuggling.com/balancing-lawn-mower-chin

The show took place at the Membertou Trade And Convention Centre and had a full house.

This was actually the second version of the show.

This was actually the second version of the show. The first show was last October and was myself and kirk MacNeil.  We decided to invite Carmen to do a small piece in the show to round it out a bit.

We had so much fun we decided to do it again.  This time we added the other 2 acts to appeal to an even broader range of audiences.

People seemed to really enjoy the show.  There were a few technical problems with some of the other acts, but overall things went smoothly.  I think this show offered some great learning experiences for the other acts that don’t get as much stage time as I do.

Sadly, time will probably not allow for this to become a regular show I take part in.  I’m simply too busy with my other commitments to devote time to this show.  But it was a lot of fun, and great to work with this great bunch.

Here’s a video with some highlights of the evening:

The best tip for successful corporate entertainment!

I do a lot of corporate shows.  A lot!!!  And there are things that you can do to ensure the client gets the best results possible.

Of course hiring the right entertainment is a good start.  I wrote an article on how to do that already here.

But once the proper entertainment is hired, the job is still far from finished.

There are many things that can be done to make the event a success,  but here is the absolute biggest thing that can help, based on my thousands of shows.

Drumroll,  here it is:

If you have a major door prize, or a thank you from the CEO, owner, or anyone else,  save it until directly before the entertainment.  I mean have absolutely no break between this last bit of business and the entertainment.  Zero break.  Absolutely no pause.

The reason for this is, once people leave their chairs they quite often simply won’t go back.

I hear it all the time, “Oh our group will not do that, they will stay seated”.  “Our group will not go far!”.  These comments are usually followed at the end of the night with, “You were correct”,  or, “We should have listened to you.”

Here is an example from just a few months ago.  I told them to have no break and they swore it wouldn’t happen.  Here is the room before they took the break:

And here is the room after their quick break that “everyone will be in their seats” from:

As you can see they just got up and left.  This has nothing to do with who you hire for entertainment.  It’s just that a lot of these people have had a long day and they stand up and get sidetracked.

Often it can take me half the show to get the audience back where they need to be.

The bar can be a huge problem.  The people go to the bar and get a drink.  But then it’s gone so they get back in the long lineup.  Sometimes people just go to their rooms where the drinks are cheaper.

Regardless, this situation can be avoided overtime if you simply have no break between supper and entertainment.  And if you do take a break, make sure you have a door prize, long term service award, or speech to get everyones attention.

I promise you, it will make your event better, and give you the best value for your entertainment dollar!

Here’s some tips for hiring Corporate Entertainment!

The process of hiring an entertainer for your function can be intimidating. These tips will help you complete the task successfully.

Of course you can just go to Dr. Google and search for entertainment, but these days anyone can make a website.  This article and the ones that follow are about how to find the good entertainers that have the knowledge and experience to make your event a success!

The most important point to keep in mind is that the success of your entertainment will relate directly to the quality and experience of your entertainer.  As well as the match of the entertainer to your audience.

Using the following tips will help you systematically secure quality entertainment that will be a successful match for your audience.

1. Determine the Needs of your Audience

Entertainment can add a lot to your event. It can help your guests to relax and enjoy themselves. In addition, providing entertainment can help you make your message and objectives of the event be heard. Consider if there is a goal or message for the event that you want your guests to take home. Or perhaps the function is to show appreciation for exceptional performance and increased profits? Is it to discuss the state of your industry or focus on specific objectives for the coming quarter?

Determine if your needs are to purely entertain your audience or to support a message.

A good entertainer will be able to customize their materials to fit with the message you want your guests to take home.

2. Maximize Your Time and Determine Your Budget and Date

Your budget for entertainment for your event is going to depend on your overall budget for the event.  Know how much (at least approximately) you can allow for entertainment and know the date of the event before gathering information.

This will save you a great deal of time from having to review and consider entertainers that are out of your budget, entertainers that are way below your budget (i.e. lesser quality) and entertainers that are already booked up.

Ian Stewart Makes Events Unforgettable!

More tips in the next post!

Of course, to make your event unforgettable, wouldn’t the chainsaw juggler with corporate clean comedy be a great idea???  www.chainsawjuggling.com

When learning to solve a 5X5 Rubik’s Cube a Parody Solve is perhaps the most difficult part.

I’ve been solving cubes in my shows for a while now,  and I constantly learn new things with the cubes just to keep me sharp with the cube.  When I was given a 5X5 cube it took a while to learn.  This was the stage I got stuck at!

I’m mostly posting this here because I know I’ll forget it and will be able to reference it here later.  If you don’t use this on a regular basis you’ll easily forget it.

In a 5X5 cube you first solve the centres, then the edges.  The edges are the 3 pieces that are in the middle of each edge.  You want them to be the same.  Here’s a pic of the edges the way you want them to look

You can see in the top a completed green and white edge, and a completed green and orange edge.  This is how you want it to look!

However, when solving the edges it’s common that the last 2 edges you try and solve will have a “parody”.  a parody in this case is 2 pieces that are in the wrong place and need to be switched.  Here is a pic of the 2 that need switching

As you can see from my great artistic ability this method is to switch these 2 pieces and thus complete the last two edges.

Here’s how it’s done!

Here’s how it’s done!  the formula is lw, u2, lw, u2, f2, lw, f2, rw, u2, rw’, u2, lw2.

Thankfully I took the time to upload a video of this taking place.  Again,  this isn’t fancy,  just a memo so i can remember how it’s done.

It may be confusing,  but that’s how it goes!  Master this and you’ll have the hardest part of the 5X5 solve complete!

A website i found very useful for the solving of the 5X5 centers is https://protofusion.org/idiots_guide_to_rubiks_cube/oldsite/5x5x5.html

I refer to it regularly when I forget what I’m doing.

Finally, after over 2 years of constant work, Ian Stewart has Rubik’s Cube Juggling in the show!

Here are Ian’s thoughts:

I have always loved Rubik’s Cubes!  I can solve a 2X2, a 3X3, 5X5 and am working with the 7X7.  I still can’t solve the 7X7 without reviewing my notes, but it’s coming!

I was initially inspired to learn Rubik’s cube tricks from watching videos of the world champions, doing it at incredible speed, often even doing it from memory without even looking!  Here is a link to some info on these incredible folks:  https://www.rubiks.com/speed-cubing/speed-cubing/

For several years I have done various tricks in the show with Rubik’s Cubes, but the goal was always to juggle 3 cubes while solving them.

After playing with a few magic “gimmicks” that fool the crowd into thinking there is skill, over time I’ve moved to no gimmicks, just showing off skill.

In the most recent version of the trick before the current one is where I have a cube mixed by a volunteer, and then solve it with one hand behind my back.  It’s a great stunt,  but what I’ve developed is better IMO.

The new trick is here!

The new trick is here, and it’s more than solving a cube.

This picture is from the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax Nova Scotia.  It was taken as I finished the latest version of the cube trick.

I now have 3 cubes mixed by a volunteer, I mix the cubes and make them match each other in mixed conditions, juggle them, and solve them.

This trick offers a nice change of pace to the show.  Most people have played with a Rubik’s cube and know how hard they are to solve.  It also shows that the crazy chainsaw juggler has some brains lol.

Diversity is key when performing to keep things fresh, and this routine delivers something audiences haven’t seen before that makes their minds go crazy at the impossibility!

One last thing, I’ve said this is the newest version of the Rubik’s Cube trick in my show, but it’s probably not the final version!

The James River Church invited me to perform as part of their Stronger Mens Conference last April.

I hadn’t thought much about it lately,  but I just came across a picture of me onstage, and then looked down and realized I was wearing a t-shirt from the event.

This picture was of me doing one chainsaw and 2 balls.  As you can see it was a large crowd.  i believe around 17,000 people!

The event was unlike anything I’d seen before.  The primary purpose of the event as to support the churches ideas and support the men of the church.  That’s right, the 17,000 people was all men!  The church has another event for women that I understand is equally impressive.

They had famous cars parked in the building that were really cool.  They had basketball trick shots, loud music played live, and even navy seals shooting guns from the roof.

The special guests were also amazing.  They had 2 NFL players, and Matt Huges from UFC did a talk.  It was interesting to me to hear a UFC fighter talking about his connection to God.

Woodsmen Show at Church!

In the first evening they had a woodsmen show to close the evening.  I was brought in to do the chainsaw juggling in the middle of the competition so the athletes could get a rest.  They had the top Stihl Lumberjacks compete in 4 events.  I could only watch the axe throwing as I was backstage most of the time,  but it was awesome!

In years past the church has hosted Monster Trucks, American Ninja Warrier, and even boxing (or as I call it, fisting).

I did drop a saw at this event,  you can read about that in another article I wrote a while back:  https://chainsawjuggling.com/chainsaw-juggling-accident/

I’ve never seen a church event like it!  Check out their great event at https://strongermen.org.

PS The event also had “Try not to laugh” with “dad jokes” that I particularly enjoyed.

I recently did a few shows where I did the old balancing a lawnmower on the chin routine.

I’m not sure who was first to do this trick,  but I do know of several people that have done it.  As you can imagine having that much weight on the chin, with the vibrating of the engine, can be quite difficult!

The trick involves having an electric lawnmower started and balanced on the chin, then someone throws something into the spinning blades while the mower is balanced.  I used to use lettuce, but in more recent years I’ve preferred to use a confetti bag.  I’ve also seen toilet paper used.

There is just something awesome about seeing a running lawnmower balanced on someones chin.

Here is a video of me doing the trick at the 2017 Hub City Tattoo Expo.  Link to their site at https://www.hubcitytattooexpo.com

Why an electric lawnmower?

When asked why use an electric mower the answer is actually quite simple.  Gas mowers don’t have a fuel pump, at least in my experience.  The gas is fed to the engine by gravity.  The gas tank is simply higher than the engine so the fuel runs down into it.

However, as you can see from the video, when the mower is balanced it is upside down.  This would cause the fuel to run out of the tank as the tank caps have air lock holes, and the mower engine would stop running because it would be deprived of gas.

These are things a juggler only learns through trial and error.

It’s fun to bring these older tricks back into the show from time to time.  I’m thinking I’ll bring the sword ladder out of retirement soon.  Perhaps for the outdoor show in March.  My post about the outdoor show can be found at https://chainsawjuggling.com/atlantic-outdoor-show/

Like most things in the cold, it sucks juggling chainsaws in the cold.

Typically my shows are indoors, or at least in nice weather.  But once I was asked to do a promo for a news station in very cold weather!

It was to promote the Sports And RV Show in Halifax.  http://www.sportsandrvshow.com

Here is a link to an article where i talk about the show:  https://chainsawjuggling.com/atlantic-outdoor-show/

I was there to break a Guinness World Record and a news company asked me to visit to promote the event.  I took my gas saws, instead of the electric I generally use indoors.  When I got there they asked me to do it outside, in minus 27 degrees!!!

Juggling Chainsaws in cold weather hurts!!!

I did the segment, and thankfully the saws started.  i wasn’t sure if they would in that cold.  I think the chainsaw weren’t even spinning as the saws were so cold.

I remember my fingers wouldn’t work.  i tried wearing gloves, but I can’t feel the saws well enough, and the grip isn’t there, no matter what kind of gloves I use.

I have the video.  As you can see watching it, the high of the day was minus 7,  and this was done very early in the day when it was much colder.

I remember my nose was running so i tried not to look right into the camera.  And as soon as the bit was over i ran inside where they had coffee for me.  Too bad i don’t drink coffee lol.

Here’s the video:

I doubt I’ll ever be asked to do it in this kind of cold again!  If it were a show it would have been cancelled,  and if I’m ever asked to do news in this kind of cold again I’ll bring the electric saws.

But a great story, and a great crew of people to work with!

thanks Global News!

https://globalnews.ca

I wrote a short article about Chainsaw Juggling Accidents, and here is part two with more chainsaw juggling accidents!

The previous article on chainsaw juggling accidents can be found at https://chainsawjuggling.com/chainsaw-juggling-accident/ .

When it comes to juggling injuries I have several,  but most are not from chainsaws.  Oddly my worst juggling injury came from juggling 3 clubs.  One somehow hit me in the eye.  It really, really hurt for a few days.  It was also kinda black and puffy.  I probably should have gone to the doctor.

I’ve burned myself a few times with torches.  In the days I had long hair (yes this happened,  I had hair…) I burned the hair off several times while juggling.  It really stunk!

And now,  another chainsaw juggling accident story!

So I’ve never cut my skin on the blade of a saw,  but once I did hit the wrong end.  Luckily, somehow my finger hit the bar and not the chain.  I cou

ld have easily lost a finger!

So what have I cut,  honestly, once I cut my pants.  That’s right,  I cut through my pants but managed not to hit my leg.

I was performing in the auditions round of Canada’s Got Talent in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  And there, onstage infant of a sold out crowd, celebrity judges and tv cameras everywhere I dropped a chainsaw that was held between my legs and cut the inside of my pants.  A long tear.

The producer of the show said my performance was the funniest performance on the show, but for some reason they never aired my segment.  I got 3 yes’s and no x’s.  The show lasted only one season because of low ratings, so I’m kinda glad I wasn’t shown as part of the sinking ship.  But it makes a great story!

Here is an article about Canada’s Got Talent,  I sadly never got to see it as it was on a channel I didn’t get.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada’s_Got_Talent  

And here is an article about Canada’s Got Talent where they actually mention my pants cutting:  https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2012/03/02/canadas_got_talent_and_variety_were_promised.html

A week doesn’t go by that I’m not asked if I’ve had a Chainsaw Juggling Accident.

The answer, so far, is that I’ve not had a serious one.

I’ve had close calls, I’ve had accidents,  but so far none that hurt me badly.

Most commonly my chainsaw juggling accidents have been limited to hands having been ripped from the weight of the chainsaws, even when I catch them correctly.  I’ve hurt my back from the extreme weight, Dropped one on my foot (not the blade but still hurt).  I’ve dropped them many times,  which of course is technically an accident.

There are many videos on Youtube that are titled “Chainsaw Juggling accident” that contain no such thing,  obviously attempting to get views by a sensational title.

I do know that one female chainsaw juggler named Elena Kirschbaum had a broken bone in her wrist caused by the chainsaw weight.  She was juggling them properly but they just weigh so much she was injured.  Here’s an article that talks a bit about this http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/papillon-sees-female-chainsaw-juggler-come-back-home-to-canberra-20160922-grm69g.html

I know of a couple of people who have had a chainsaw juggling accident when the chains break and cause injury.  In both cases I know of it’s been people that have grinded the teeth off and as a result the chain was weak.  For this reason, I never dull my chains.  Well,  also,  I like to be able to show people my saws and pass them for inspection.  i also feel the trick looks far better if you cut a few things with the saws first.

And now,  for my chainsaw juggling accident close call story!

This past April I was performing at the James River Church Stronger Mens Conference, and I dropped one of the saws.  I was wearing brand new shoes,  their first show.  BRAND NEW!  17,000 people in attendance!  I dropped a saw and cut the end right off my shoe.  It was just the tip,  so no injury,  but it was a close call!  I then went back and completed the trick successfully.

I don’t have a pic or video of the shoe cut,  but here is a pic of me onstage doing one saw just before it happened!

I’ve got a lot more to say about this topic,  look for part 2 coming soon!