Recap of Stage Competition

Great Job by our Stage competitors — Alan Leeds, Fantastic Fred, Alex Wu, John Jones, Perry Yan, and David Martinez — last Wednesday night at IBM Ring 216's last meeting of the year.

• John Jones won the Peoples Choice Award and came in 3rd place
• Perry Yan came in 2nd Place
• Alex Wu won First Place

Our Secretary John Jones will email a summary of the evening acts to our google group in the near future and send in photos to the IBM Linking Ring Magazine.

Upcoming Events: Stage Competition, Lecture, and Magic Show & Dinner

Join us for the following upcoming events:

December 11, 2013: IBM Ring 216 Annual Parlor/Stage Competition
We have a full slate of competitors signed up for the standard division. In addition to the standard division, we will also have our Masters Division as well. So if you have won first place in one of the competition events in previous years, then you qualify for the master's division and can sign up for this event. If you have any questions, please feel free to email calvin.tong@ring216.org.

Bring your friends or family with you to enjoy an evening of great magic. The more people we have, the better the magic.

Read the competition rules here.

January 8, 2014: Magic Lecture from Pop Haydn
Save the date for a lecture from the great magician Pop Haydn. More details to come. The cost will be $15 for Ring 216 members / $25 for non-members.

January 11, 2014: IBM Ring 216 Dinner and Magic Show + Awards Ceremony

Click to enlarge

Next meeting: Woody Aragon Lecture

Save the dates for a lecture and hands-on workshop from the great Spanish magician Woody Aragon:

Lecture: November 13, 2013, at 7:15 p.m. (regular meeting night) @ Yu Ai Kai Community Center

Cost: $15 for Ring 216 members / $25 for non-members

Workshop: November 11, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. in Mountain View
Cost: $75 per person (6 person minimum)
Sign-ups: Please email raahuls@gmail.com

About the Lecture

• 2+ hours about card magic, including a little show at the beginning that will be completely explained, including the spelling routine Woody used to win the International Magic Convention in 2011.
• Theory about structure of tricks and shows.
• Very bad English (he says that he learned it in Lennart Green’s videos) 
• 5 routines and innovative moves and principles. 
• And, most of them, very easy to follow, to understand and to do!

Quotes about the Lecture

"Just finished watching Woody Aragon's lecture. Bravo! Great performance and material." – Ray Kosby

"I caught this lecture... it was definitely one of the best ones I have been to so far (speaking as someone who has attended lectures for decades). It was nice for those of us who attended to enjoy such an intimate setting with a wonderful close-up performer like Woody." – James Marshall

"Just incredible! Wow! Best lecture I've been to in awhile." – Jeff Eline

About Woody

Named by many as one of the greatest card magicians of the new generation, Woody Aragón has worked in the best specialized magic theatres and festivals around the world, has appeared in TV in USA and Spain, he's a North American FISM champion winner of the main awards about close up magic, a wonderful creator and teacher that rocks when he lecture for his colleagues, and a great performer that makes any event extraordinary. Learn more about Woody at his website.

Recap of Close-Up Competition

We had a exciting time on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at Ring 216's Close-Up Competition. There were 7 competitors in the standard event (Fantastic Fred, Fred Rasmussen, John Jones, Alan Leeds, David Martinez, Rafael, Jabbar Luo) and 3 competitors in the Master's event ( Dan Chan, David Gerard, Cal) in the Masters event. 13+ laypeople (friends and family) attended as well. Many thanks to all those who participated and helped out.

As for the standard competition results:

• Winner: Alan Leeds
• Second place: John Jones
• Third place: David Martinez
• People's Choice: John Jones

As for the Masters Competition winner, the award will be announced at our Annual Banquet in January 2014.

Congrats and thanks to everyone for participating in this event.

Ring 216 Officer Nominations

On November 13th IBM Ring 216 will hold its yearly election of officers. The following Ring 216 members are nominated for offices in 2014:

• Calvin Tong –President
• Craig Ousterling- Vice President
• John Jones – Secretary
• Will Chandler – Treasurer
• David Martinez - Webmaster
• Doug Eakin – Sergeant at Arms

Other Ring 216 members who are interested in running for an office should contact a member of the nominating committee. If you are qualified you will be added to the ballot.

This is an opportunity for Ring members to get involved with leadership of the club. As an officer you will have a vote in the clubs direction, provide a valuable service, expand your social network, meet new magicians and have fun.

Nominating Committee:

• Fred Rasmussen (Chair of Nominating Committee) – fredemail@comcast.net
• Cal Tong - calvinloutong@yahoo.com
• Doug Eakin - d_eakin@yahoo.com

Please respond quickly so we can put out a final list of Nominees by November 1st.

Upcoming Event: Ring 216 Close-Up Competition

Join us on Wednesday, October 9, 2013, for the IBM Ring 216 Annual Close-Up Magic Competition.

If you are interested in competing, please send an email to Cal Tong (calvin.tong@ring216.org). In addition to the standard division, we will also have our Masters Division if there are enough competitors. So if you have won first place in one of the competition events in previous years, then you qualify for the master's division and can sign up for this event!

Bring your friends or family with you to enjoy an evening of great magic. The more people we have, the better the magic.

Read the competition rules for a general sense of how the evening will go. We will adjust the room layout depending on the number of guests and competitors.

Sept. 26: Lecture from Rafael Benatar

Professional Magic Lecture by Rafael Benatar
Thursday, September 26 (off-meeting night)
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Yu Ai Kai Center, 588 North First Street, San Jose, CA
Member Price: $15 / Non-member Price: $25

About the Lecture
Rafael’s lecture will include commercial and practical items from his working repertoire, including card magic for the stage as well as for the table, coin magic, and his latest update on his well-known cups and balls, with new insight on this classic. His explanations will be full of practical advice that can help raise the level of all the magic you do, such as scripting, management, and handling of volunteers.

About Rafael
Rafael Benatar was born in Venezuela and currently lives in Spain. He is one of the most active members of the prestigious Escuela Mágica de Madrid and one of the few magicians that performs regularly in all three rooms of the Magic Castle.

Rafael Benatar is a recipient of the Linking Ring Parade of the Year award from the IBM. His DVDs received rave reviews from all major magic magazines.

He has lectured extensively, in five languages, for magicians of many countries and this year was nominated by the Academy of Magical Arts for the Lecturer of the Year Award.

Magic Workshop with Rafael Benatar
Saturday, September 28
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Price: $50/Person (member or non-member), Minimum 6 attendees

To sign up for the workshop, email Raahul Srinivasan: raahuls@gmail.com

About the Workshop

Learn it, but learn it well! A card workshop with Rafael Benatar

In this hands-on workshop, Rafael Benatar will teach, with personalized attention, the finer points of some of his best card routines and original sleights, and his approach to card magic. His teachings will include advice on routining, on how to develop an appealing presentation, and systems to get the most out of your practice time. The workshop will be customized to suit the wishes of the attendants and the subjects covered will help you raise your magic to the next level.

Coming up: Lecture and Open Performance

Coming this week: IBM Ring 216’s September Lecture by… Alan Sands (son of the great George Sands, AKA the Rope King).

Join us for Alan’s rope magic lecture: Wednesday, September 11, 2013, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

FREE to all IBM Ring 216 members

Yu-Ai Kai Community Center, 588 North 4th Street, San Jose, CA

Lecture to be followed by open performance

Walk-Around Competition Winners...

With over 20 folks at the Ring 216 club meeting this past Wednesday (not bad considering it conflicted with Magic Live!), we had a wonderful walk around competition.

4 competitors (Patrick Reed, Vikram Singh, David Martinez, and John Jones) amazed the audience with their strolling magical routines. While Raahul and I tabulated the ballots, magicians performed for the laypeople who attended the event. For the first time at Ring 216 (that I know of), the competition resulted in 2 first place winners.

Congrats to David Martinez and John Jones for their first place awards!

Cal Tong
President
IBM Ring 216

August meeting: Walk-Around Magic Competition

Join us on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, for the IBM Ring 216 Annual Walk-Around Magic Competition.

If you are interested in competing, please send an email to Cal Tong (calvin.tong@ring216.org). In addition to the standard division, we will also have our Masters Division if there are enough competitors. So if you have won first place in one of the competition events in previous years, then you qualify for the master's division and can sign up for this event!

Bring your friends or family with you to enjoy an evening of great magic. The more people we have, the better the magic.

Read the competition rules.

Upcoming Meeting: Mystery Bag Magic

This month, at our regular meeting on Wednesday, July 10, we have something special planned for all of you! That's right, back by popular demand, our:

"Mystery Bag Magic Spectacular!"

If you missed this last year, you owe it to yourself to be there for the fun this year. And if you were there last year, you will remember what a blast it was! Our Treasurer, Will Chandler, is putting together bags containing magic apparatus, comedy props, and a few surprises. Like last year, we will divide up into teams, and each team will receive a "Mystery Bag of Magic". Then each team will prepare a "mini-magic show" for the club members using the props in the bag. And after we've had some time to prepare and rehearse, we will perform for each other. There won't be any pressure - this isn't a competition. It's just an opportunity to enjoy the creativity and magical skill of your fellow IBM members, and to showcase your own.

Last year the level of performances was outstanding. Many of us did things we didn't think we could do, and all of us enjoyed watching our friends display their magic. If you love magic as a performing art, as I'm sure we all do, you won't want to miss this opportunity to have fun with "Mystery Bag Magic".

Our meeting begins at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, July 10, at the Yu Ai Kai center in downtown San Jose. We meet on the third floor.

Coming June 12: Magic Auction and Flea Market

Got magic stuff you want to get rid of? Is there anything you have your eye on? Join us at our next meeting on June 12 to shop the collections of your fellow magicians — and/or sell the stuff you don't use anymore.

Tables are available now. You must contact Ring 216 treasurer Will Chandler (will_chandler@comcast.net) to reserves your table today. The cost for members is $15 for a large table, $10 for a small table; non-members pay $20 and $15.

View a layout of the tables

If you're interested in the auction, just show up. Anybody can sell at auction. The club takes a 10% fee for auction sales, but no fee for table sales.

The fun kicks off at 7:00 p.m. with the flea market, and the auction will start about an hour later. Bring your friends and your stuff — and your cash.

Want more details about the auction? Read our FAQ.

IBM Ring 216 Presents a Magic Lecture by Chris “Scandal” Randall

When: May 8th, 2013, 7:30pm

Where: 558 North 4th  Street, SJ, CA 95112

How much: $15 – Club Members/ $25 – Non-Members

Contact: Cal Tong (president@ring216.org)

About the lecture:
Direct from Las Vegas Chris "Scandal" Randall will be covering his original approach to street magic including his critically acclaimed bill in lemon routine, The Inception, as well as Ashes, Chris' visual approach to the ace assembly.

Do you want to work restaurants? Chris is a seasoned veteran of the restaurant magic scene and will be sharing his hard-earned secrets of the trade in this rare lecture appearance.

About Chris:
Chris Randall was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, the entertainment capital of the world.  His impressive upbringing lead him to be one of the top sleight of hand artists in the world today. He spent his childhood on the back stages of the Las Vegas Strip, developing a love of this craft from the masters of Las Vegas entertainment. While most kids were playing sports and video games, Chris was learning about Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and the History of the legends of Las Vegas entertainment.  As a teen he attended the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts, majoring in Theater, Dance, and Technical Theatre.  He studied during the day, but at night he became the house magician of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, or was hired for private parties or corporate events on the Strip.  After graduation he began traveling the world with his unique brand of magic, introducing Las Vegas History with cutting edge magic technique.

Over the next 15 years Chris brought his magic to the world.  He toured Lebanon, Egypt, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Athens, Cypress, and across the United States appearing in review shows, on cruise ships, and television.  He is also the creator of over 50 magic effects which have been published in Magic Magazine, MUM, the Penumbra, and released on the DVDs; Sweet, Live at the Magic Castle, Sugar High, and Magic at the Bar.  Chris presents many lectures across the globe and has been featured at the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood.  He has also acted as a consultant to top magicians and shows including The World’s Greatest Magic show in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Illusion in Tokyo, Japan, The Art and Illusion Magic Festival in Athens, Greece, and The Masters of Illusion television series on the My Network.   Chris’s creative and original sleight of hand magic has gained him the reputation as one of magic’s rising stars.

A Message from Cal Tong, President, Ring 216

Magi's,

I want to thank everyone for attending last nights event, "Celebrating the Magical Life of Mysterious Stan, Jr."

I was touched by the large number of Stan's family members who attended "The Tribute."  Similarly, I believe Stan's loved ones were also touched by our dedicated night to Mysterious Stan Jr.

This was the first IBM Ring 216 Broken Wand ceremony and I was honored to play a part in this important service.  It is my hope that our organization continues this tradition with the compassion that it deserves.

A big thank you to broken wand manufacturer Craig Ousterling and all of you who helped set up, tear down, and bring food/drinks (you know who you are).

A special thanks to our nine OUTSTANDING entertainers for the magical performances: Doug Eakin, John Jones, Ken King, Alan Leeds, Byron Walker, Fred Rasmussen, Patrick Reed, Scott Emo, and Will Chandler.    I took over 100 pictures last night and will be posting the highlights soon.

Niki came on stage (as the representative for Mysterious Stan's family) to accept our small gift, "a framed picture of the flyer for the event with Ring216 member signatures." Niki spoke of Stan from the perspective of their family and thanked us for the tribute and celebration. Out of the entire evening, it was Niki's speech that touched me the most.

Thank you again.

Cal Tong
President
IBM Ring 216
San Jose, CA

Upcoming Meeting: April 10, 2013

Please join IBM Ring 216’s Tribute & Celebration For the Magical the Life Of “Mysterious Stan” (Stan Jacobson) on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 7:30 PM

Evening includes:
- Broken Wand Ceremony
- Refreshments
- Open Performances dedicated to Mysterious Stan — any kind of magic, including performances with escapes, suspense, drama and danger (just the way Stan would like it!)

March 13: Professional Lecture by Doug Brewer

Professional Lecture by Doug Brewer
When: March 13, 2013
Time: 7:30PM
Cost: $15 for paid club members/ $25 for non-members
Where: 558 North 4rth St., San Jose, CA, 95112
Contact: Cal Tong, President IBM Ring 216, (president@ring216.org)

Doug Brewer's performs with a fantastic blend of comedy and magic! Doug has won many awards and accolades in the magic arena, including winning the 1996 Pacific Coast Association of Magicians Close-up Championships, as well as the Society of American Magicians National Close-up Championships in 1998 in New Orleans. He's also a regular performer at Hollywood's World Famous Magic Castle. Doug promises a lecture night of laughs and amazement . . . and no cheesy tricks.

Doug performs regularly at the Red Spade Theater and at the O'Bistro Cafe in San Diego. His well known publications include books such as the Unexpected Visitor, High Impact Card Magic, and Coinbox Killers. His DVD releases on card, coin, and money magic include Half and Half Vol 1 and 2, Red Light, The Unexpected Visitor Vol 1 and 2, and the Bill Vanish Perfected.

Next meeting: Open Performance Night

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, we'll have an Open Performance Night. Feedback will be provided to performers upon request. Sign up with your President (Cal) via email.

Paid up Club members will enjoy complimentary Wine, Cheese and Crackers, Vegi's, and Spirits.  We welcome all donations.

Recap of January 9 Meeting

The first meeting of the year was fantastic, and it was the first non-Magic Trick Lecture our club has hosted in quite some time. Andrew Goldenhersh performed a magnificent routine at the end of the lecture, and it was the best threaded needle routine many of us have ever seen.

Our Feb13th meeting next month will be an open performance night with sessioning. More to come.

Our March 13th meeting will be a very cool lecture by Doug Brewer. More information to come!