The Unholy Three at the Steve Allen Theater!

OK...maybe I do feel a little bad...a little guilty. While my associates were preparing for the epic battle that is the "Elan Vital" waltz scene shoot day, I was at the Steve Allen Theater, watching the Unholy Three. For those who don't know, the Unholy Three is a magic/comedy extravaganza reminiscent of the pre-Hollywood, pre-radio, pre-television Vaudeville days. Plus, it features influential alternative rock musicians who are also magicians - one of whom is "Elan Vital" actor Rob Zabrecky (also ex-Possum Dixon frontman!).

The opening act was Michael Rayner. Phenomenal! Please watch his grand finale:



And then the Unholy Three did their tandem, three-man tag team magic act. They are all natural entertainers, and their performance was charismatic, bizarre, and HI-larious! I only wish that I hadn't seen movies like The Prestige or the episodes of Lost that explain how various cons work. I'm not saying that magicians are con artists - I have way too much respect for those who know how to do sleight of hand. Well, I guess I'm saying that I also respect pickpockets, too. Anyhow...just with this basic knowledge of how to trick an audience, how to make them believe that you're doing something awesome when you're actually doing something awesome in a whole different kind of way (which in and of itself is badass)...I couldn't view the tricks with a "How does he do it? How do they do it? Uncanny and immutable" mentality.

So instead, I watched the show in terms of how they sell their tricks to the audience...how they performed sleight of hand X or mentalism Y...how they entertained...how they controlled the crowd! And believe me, Zabrecky's faith in the audience with broken glass segment (which I have my suspicions on how he does it...I ain't sayin' it!) - THE WAY HE SOLD THE ROUTINE TO THE AUDIENCE - was utterly fantastic! So much better than your average pop magician making big things disappear. The same praise goes to David Lovering (the Pixies' drummer, hello? NO PIXIES = NO NIRVANA...how you like them apples?) and Fitzgerald (buy his book!).

When the Unholy Three returns, I hope to be there too!



Alright!
Ryan DeRamos