The 19th Annual New England Gathering Of The Magi
Formely  known as The Inner Circle Of Bizarre Magic Gathering. 

DATE HELD: November, 11th., 12th., 13th., 2010.
At the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Resorts,
1284 Strongtown Road,
Southbury, C.T. , U.S.A.

Leslie Melville writes:-
I have now returned home following the 19th. ICBM/NEGM Gathering. My 'body clock' is re-adjusted and I am beginning to assimilate the experiences of the last weekend. It was my fifth such attendance and for me, I think it was probably the best of the five.

Well, Max Maven and Eugene Burger were there, as was Charles Pecor, Jim Magus, E. Raymond Carlyle, Ed Solomon and Bob Neale! So how could it fail?!

Personal performance highlights for me were Eugene's Spirit Slates  " all four sides miraculously receiving messages! Max's continually forcing from a borrowed deck, the Three of Spades on to an increasingly bemused spectator! Charles Pecor's classy, laconic and very amusing observational wit (he should write a book!) and Henry Holova's 'Deal or no Deal' presentation with envelopes and banknotes  " the performer getting all the high value notes and the spectator finishing up with his own one-dollar bill!

It was also great to see Ed Solomon back on form and in better health. Craig Dickson continues to be a true friend and Professor Rem amazes with his incredible dollar bill origami!

It was a delight to meet Ray Carlyle for the first time. We have corresponded on the internet but this was the first face to face meeting. At the Saturday evening Dinner, I had the pleasure of sitting alongside Jim Magus and Bob Neale and so lively and informative conversation was guaranteed!

The newly-wedded Evil Dan and Colleen exuded happiness and Mary Tomich sold
everything she brought  " again! (Watch out for news of the newly created 'Ancient and Mysterious Order of the Dung Beetle')  " more to follow!

And of course the continuing friendship of Dave Mousch and Gil Earl; Dave and Gil, apart from their participation performing in their alter-ego's Dr. Mambo and Jumbo Ju-Ju (sadly missing from this year's line-up) are part of Joe Cabral's back-up helpers. Gil in particular puts himself out to look after me! We hit it off in the first year that I attended (2006) and last year, he took me to Bridgeport to visit the Barnum Museum. This year, it was the Mark Twain House in Hartford that took our interest. That visit was supplemented by a trip to 'Wild Bill's' a warehouse full of weird and wonderful objects!

There are top class performers attending every year, Joe sees to that. Last year, Bob Fitch, Losander and Luna Shimada were among the 'names'. It is the same each year. What isn't often highlighted is the end of evening activity in the Hospitality Suite. Formal lectures and shows usually end at around 10.30 pm. EVERYONE then ascends up to a large comfortably furnished room and bar plus annex, where Joe and his merry band have provided an endless supply of FREE food and drink! All tastes are catered for and no one goes without!

And then there is the socializing. To take this year as an example, at what other convention/gathering would YOU be able to sit down and for several hours, casually chat with Max Maven, Eugene Burger and Jim Magus? Over in another corner, Harley Newman is discussing a  new idea with Ed Solomon and Charles Pecor is swapping stories with Ed Fowler (Ray Carlyle).

And who is that talking to Mary Tomich and Marlene Clarke? Oh! yes, that will be me! Evildan and Colleen are joking with Don 'Vlad' Deich; Daniel Greenwolf and Dave Birtwell are discussing the recent Halloween show in Salem.....and so it goes on, each evening from arrival day on Thursday through to and including Saturday night.

The shows, lectures and special workshops etc., it goes without saying are excellent. There are usually at least five or six dealers in attendance and so basic standard expectations are more than met. But what makes this event different is the camaraderie and lasting friendships that are created in the hospitality suite at the conclusion of each day's activities. Everyone is made welcome and no one is left out.

Joe limits the registrants to around seventy-five, so it never gets out of hand and we all get to spend time with one another. Now that the Cameron Gathering in Edinburgh is alas no more, I know of no other magical assembly that comes as close to perfection as this one.

Next year is the twentieth year, Joe promises something special! Will YOU be
there? The friendship and hospitality shown to me by everyone during the whole of my time (every time!) in the U.S. is an experience that makes me count the days until the next gathering and God willing, I'll be there in 2011!

To Joe Cabral I say, "Thanks Joe, you've done it again. You're a genius!"

*****

Ed Solomon writes:-

Every year I come back from Joe Cabral's ICBM with so many fond memories. There are always some outstanding performances and great fellowship. There are quick meals and conversations over cups of coffee, and the hospitality room is the most awesome place to meet and greet. It is an experience unlike any other convention or gathering, and having to come back to the real world is difficult, not knowing if you will be coming back next year, or if others will indeed be back.

I found myself reminiscing on the return flight and thought I would share my thoughts on the digest. While I sometimes wax satirical this is more a nostalgic bit of business. The ramblings of an old man? I think not...well, maybe. Every year I come back from Joe Cabral's ICBM with so many fond memories. There are always some outstanding performances and great fellowship. There are quick meals and conversations over cups of coffee, and the hospitality room is the most awesome place to meet and greet. It is an experience unlike any other convention or gathering, and having to come back to the real world is difficult, not knowing if you will be coming back next year, or if others will indeed be back.

Looking back on over sixty eight years of magic there many things that I want to remember and somehow can not. There are, of course, some things I don't want to remember and many I simply can't forget.

I remember the loss of fellow performers, students of the art, collectors of things magical...Their names are not important now, but they were then. Names I can't remember, but faces that I can...and do...and miss. Acts and performances, both good and bad, I remember and so do you.

There are people that got side tracked or dropped out of the magic scene for one reason or another. The pointless and petty arguments that colored the back stage world and made the headlines as well. They are just memories recalled in some scholarly book being recorded somewhere by someone else remembering and writing down the memories.

I do remember the fun it was to develop some seemingly wonderful routine and share it with the guys at the gathering...who could care less how long you worked and practiced. They were there for the fun and camaraderie for the most part. That, after all, is part of the charm and mystique of the ICBM.

Too soon, when they pass on, one of the new guys will say, "Ed who," or "Larry who?"

I don't want to remember any more, but I don't want to forget either.

Maybe someday someone will read this and say, "What or who the heck was DeNomolos?" He was just another of those old guys who thought a bit differently than most and loved a good story, but the old coot didn't do card tricks. For shame. <G>

In the Craft,
Ed Solomon

*****

Bruce Barnett writes:-
(edited to protect certain methods)

Well, it's Black Friday, and I have some time to reflect on the recent ICBM/ New England Gathering of the Magi in Southbury CT. This is my favorite convention, and it's so much fun seeing and greeting old friends, and making new friends.

I wanted to share some highlights with others, and some of my inner dialog.  I kept some notes to help me remember, and thought I'd share some of these notes with others. There will be some errors and mistakes, but I wanted to capture some of the things that stuck with me so that I can look back and recall some of the lessons. At my age, if I don't write it down, I will probably forget it. I hope others appreciate these half-baked notes and references.

I didn't number the pages in the notebook, and in some cases my notes are out of order. Forgive my errors.

The first event was the optional Eugene Burger lecture. It was a free-form lecture. People submitted questions on paper, and Eugene sorted and answered them. We learned at the feet of the master.

Eugene mentioned that Max Maven says all magic should answer 3 questions that an audience member might have:

1) Who is this performer?
2) What is he doing?
3) Why do I care?

These are very important questions we have to ask ourselves.

I've seen many performers suffer from performances that don't answer these questions very well. Some effects have some convoluted plot that defies the ability of an audience member to describe it to a friend. In my opinion, If the effect can't be described in a sentence or two, then it should be fixed or thrown out. Eugene has said (on his new DVD) that if the spectator can't describe what happened the next
day, then the plot is too complicated. In my early years, I was influenced by some of the classic bar magicians like Eddie Fechter, and I always strive to keep plots simple. If a drunk person can't understand the effect then it's not a good effect.

Eugene made another interesting point. The audience should not care more than the magician. To put it another way, if the magician doesn't care about the effect, why should the audience care?

Eugene then discussed some of the best card forces he uses, his Card Warp routine and how it evolved, also B'Wave (which is pronounced as in the single syllable Bwave) which he says is the best card trick of the decade. There were many other points discussed by Eugene and there were lots more questions asked.

And that was the first evening.

Friday, Charles Pecor gave a great lecture with several life lessons illustrated. One of the routines used a bag of the magician's Mojo that I especially liked.

E. Raymond Carlyle also gave a great lecture. Both Charles and Ray have a lot of experience, and there were some real gems in the routines. Ray's a worker, and he shares his experience with others. "Ray" discussed book tests, Add-A-No pads, Bulldog clip predictions, and the Carlyle Touch. This later techniques is the perfect way to get a free hand in a full-dark séance. It's the best.

Works in Progress. We saw routines by Jonathan Frost, Chris Walden, David Britwell,
Cyril, and Ed Solomon.

I have some more notes regarding Eugene. Eugene Burger described how he has several methods for contacting spirits.  The first uses a piece of cigarette paper and a switch. The second uses flash paper and is great for walk-a-rounds in a party. The
third uses Glorpy.  A zig-Zag paper holder is great for hold-outs. The fourth uses OTL and Glorpy, and choice of (2) crayon color. This is great for many different scenarios, from serious to funny. Another effect uses a doll that let whoever held it get a great poker hand, even when the other gets first choice.

The Evening Show was Emceed by Charles Pecor.  I loved his personality profile test. 
Leslie Melville did a hilarious story about red lips and black nails. Daniel Greenwolf did a "Russian Roulette" with broken glass under paper bags. Henry Holova did a Clippo with newspaper in the shape of a fish. Vlad had the spectator select how not to die. Eugene did a "Black Envelope" effect and Retribution. The blood dripping down was a nice finale.

Next morning, in the close-up section, we normally had Rigor and Mortis, and Daniel Greenwolf came out dressed as Adrian Deery. It was hilarious. Brian Hatcher had some funny lines about doing mentalism for children's birthday parties. I liked this. Some original comic material was used. Ed Solomon effect only used sound for magic. There's a challenge for the emulators. Henry Holova did an effect where the spectator always guessed wrong. Vlad had a selected card burn an symbolic image on his doll's arm. And then came the kicker.

The Max Maven lecture was next. Effects included Vegemental, a ruler prediction, fortune telling with cards, and a very funny prediction.

The Saturday show was great. I was not taking notes, because I was having such a great time. Eugene did some wonderful magic. I seem to recall Eugene did his Inquisition/card warp, 7 Deadly Sins, The Shakespearean torn and restored thread, and Extreme Burn. I also remember people talking about a slate routine where all four sides had writing appear on them.

The highlight of the show was Max Maven's routine. He was funny, and very entertaining. With a borrowed deck, he did some miracles.  One that had some people talking was how he knew which of two cards a spectator would pick 4 times in row.

The hospitality room was awesome. Thursday was Pizza night at the hospitality room.  Friday there was chili, bar-b-que style pulled pork which was excellent, pasta salad, cheese and crackers, and much more. We were going to go out for dinner Friday night, but frankly we were stuffed after we visited the room, that we just hung out into the wee hours.

I also wanted to mention a place we discovered for Breakfast. It was called Dotties Diner, in Woodbury. The huevos ranchero was awesome, with freshly spiced home-made beans. The specials, a fresh vegetable fritata, and deluxe omelet with home-made bread was a real treat. We did skip the home-made donuts. There were limits.

The dealers room was filled with great stuff. Mary Tomich was cleaning out her stock, and some items were 30% of list price. Jim Magus had his classic material and some one-of-a-kind and rare items. I picked up a copy of the Witches ALmanac. When I got home, I removed the spiral metal binding and replaced it with a leather cord/sewn
binding, which was more appropriate for 1933. I also picked up a great pendulum made from a human finger bone (EvilDan is very envious). Score!!

Afterthoughts - I remember the time is spent with Charles Pecor and his lovely wife Claudia. I spend some geat time chatting with Eugene. This is a place were you can talk to people who want to do more than just "stunts" with effects. As Eugene says, he wants the magic connect to someone's life.

The lectures were great, and Carlyle, Pecor, Maven, and Burger were outstanding contributors.

*****

Charles Pecor writes:-

I don't know that I can add much to Leslie and Ed's comments on this years Gathering other than to say: "Amen, brothers."

I always enjoy the ICBM Gathering, and I regret having to miss the last two years.  I alway feel that my material is appreciated at the Gathering, and I can't say that is true for every magic related group to which I belong.

I never feel that I have enough time to chat with everyone I'd like to chat with for as long as I'd like to chat, but it is so good to see you all.  I'm not going to attempt to list all the names since I might accidentally omit someone.

Joe has told me that I'm booked for next year, and I had my new PaceMaker battery checked yesterday. They tell me it has nine years to go, so Claudia and I are planning to return.   I'm already thinking about some of the things I'd like to show you.

Picard