The bands in this out-of-town bill had a similar strum in their rock sound.
Photography by Timothy Reidy.
RECAP: Abdullah Ibrahim / Sandhi Trio @ The Egg (Swyer Theatre), 11/17/2024
Recap by Bob Donald.
The legendary jazz pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim came to the Egg‘s Swyer Theatre in Albany, NY this past Sunday as part of the Egg’s “Resonance Series”. His trio, with Cleave Guyton (alto flute, piccolo, and clarinet) and Noah Jackson (cello and bass), offered a meditative and elegiac performance that ruminated on the whole of his seven-decade career.
Ibrahim’s set opened with a lilting and bluesy bass and flute duo take on Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” with a tempo, and gutsy, bravura flute soloing that emphasized the sunny side of fond memories, rather than the melancholic approach often taken to this classic ballad.
Next came John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” with the bass/woodwind duo once again stating the theme and running a couple of choruses alone, before pausing for the first of the evening’s many solo piano interludes.
Ibrahim didn’t so much “solo” (in the usual jazz sense of improvising over a set of chord changes) as pose a set of musical questions on the song at hand, and each tune’s relation to his own history as an artist, and the history of jazz. By inserting, repeating, and connecting themes and melodies in a wide range of stylistic settings, he illuminated a deeply personal and insightful musical viewpoint, almost as if creating some sort of ever-morphing sonic diorama.
Here the pattern was set for the rest of the evening, with the bass/flute duo offering extended, virtuosic passages, both composed and improvised, before turning the flow back to the solo piano. Ibrahim returned repeatedly to a single, simple theme (evoking to my ear his anti-apartheid anthem “Mannenberg”), which he expanded, twisted, deconstructed, and reharmonized, shining fresh sonic light into unexpected nooks and crannies.
His playing was mostly understated, sliding effortlessly through genres and techniques from stride to bebop to Cape Jazz to post-modern classical. All the while making it sound completely natural and unforced. He judiciously deployed bursts of volume in forceful, jagged chord clusters, providing a turbulent counterpoint that put the more ruminative passages into stark relief.
All in all, it was a real privilege to see and hear this lion of jazz – one to check off the bucket-list.
The evening opened with a set from the Sandhi Trio, presenting world-jazz of the highest order. Featuring Yacouba Sissoko on kora, and Arun Ramamurthy on violin, they performed both original compositions, and traditional songs from diverse backgrounds.
Their first tune, composed by Sissoko, was in the distinct Malian style of Ali Farka Toure or Salif Keita (among many others). Both the violin and kora were featured on extended improvisations over a joyfully infectious, loping groove maintained by the group’s percussionist. After the kora set the rhythm, Ramamurthy’s South Asian-style violin slithered around a wonderfully sly solo that wove in and out of all the “in-between” notes that are mostly forbidden in Western musical notation. Sissoko’s following kora improvisation was breathtakingly virtuosic, with a speed and complexity made all the more impressive by the kora technique of plucking its unfretted strings using only two thumbs. High point of the evening for me.
An ancient traditional raga – an appeal to the Hindu deity Krishna – was next on the agenda. The violin took center stage in this slower, less frenetic composition, laying out a reasonable yet pitiable entreaty that no god could fail to respond to. Sissoko displayed his considerable range, somehow blending the kora seamlessly into the long, sustained notes of the violin, despite the complete absence of sustain available from the plucked strings of the kora.
Their last number featured their percussionist, who this reviewer regretfully failed to identify. He set up a driving rhythm on a thin, Tuareg-style metal tambourine, then deployed chops from tapping to thumb rolls as he was given room to unleash an expressive solo.
Kudos to the Egg and their Resonance Series for combining such seemingly disparate genres into a thought-provoking cross-cultural musical evening. The series concludes Sunday, December 8, 2024 with Veena and Devesh Chandra presenting an interactive Raga workshop
“Indie Acoustic Night” @ Mojo’s Cafe, 11/10/2024
Nick Granelle presented an Acoustic Evening at Mojo’s featuring Turnover Mule and Nate Goyette.
Photography by Timothy Reidy.
“Rock for North Carolina” @ Hangar on the Hudson, 11/10/2024
A benefit show with Big Frank and the Bargain Bingers, along with Blackcat Elliot and Hot Cousin.
Photography by Timothy Reidy.
Show Detective – Weekend Shows – 11/22 – 11/24
Show Detective.
Friday, November 22nd
CARBONARO: LIES ON STAGE, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 7:30pm
From his hit television series “The Carbonaro Effect” on truTV, America’s favorite Trickster is thrilling audiences across the country with CARBONARO: LIES ON STAGE, conjuring up a concoction of unbelievable magic, hysterical offbeat shenanigans, and wonder for all ages. We’d say you have to see it to believe it, but you won’t believe a thing when you’re in the presence of Michael Carbonaro!
Dorado Schmitt and Sons: Django Festival All Stars, SPAC, Saratoga Springs, 7pm
Heralded by The New York Times for their “buoyant rhythm, blinding technique, (and) solid entertainment,” The Django Festival All Stars bring the hot jazz music from the 1920s and ‘30s to today. Their unique, high-energy performances combine known standards, while adding their own interpretations, arrangements, and original compositions. The Django Festival Allstars, have grown into a brilliantly cohesive group of star musicians who’ve taken America by storm.
Ekoh – Drag Me From Hell Tour, Empire Underground, Albany, 8pm
The Hawthornes, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm
The Hawthornes play classic and contemporary music through the decades.
Guthrie Bell Productions presents The E-Block w/s/g The Alec Lewis Group, Lark Hall, Albany, 8pm-11pm
The E-Block is a 4-piece indie R&B band based in Upstate New York, blending the acoustic warmth of singer-songwriter music with an ice-cold rhythm section informed by modern R&B. With a deep bag of influences and free-flowing style, The E-Block has earned a reputation as a unique live act in the Capital Region scene.
King Bully, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs
Lucy Kaplansky, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 8pm-10pm
Lucy Kaplansky is an acclaimed singer-songwriter of rare talent, “a truly gifted performer with a bag full of enchanting songs” (The New Yorker) and “the troubadour laureate of modern city folk” (The Boston Globe). She has released eight critically acclaimed albums, two of which were awarded Best Pop Album of the year by the Association for Independent Music. But where she shines brightest is on the live stage. Maybe it’s her background as a clinical psychologist, because there’s nobody who helps us unwind, let our guard down, and open our hearts like Lucy Kaplansky.
B3nson Family Funsgiving, Hangar on the Hudson, Troy, 8pm-10:59pm
The B3nson Family Funsgiving feat. Geoff Gordan, The Hoborchestra, Dan Carr & the Cure for Asthma, Rover
Hellseeker Goth Night, No Fun, Troy, 8pm-11pm
From “Bar People.”
11/22 5:00 PM Lost In Americana- S&S farm Brewery
11/22 5:30 PM Rob Aronstein- Wishing Well
11/22 6:00 PM Art N Shawna- Artisanal Brew Works
11/22 6:00 PM Ben Zoleski- Spa City Tap & Barrel
11/22 6:00 PM Christine Spero- Panza’s Saratoga
11/22 6:00 PM Dan Dekalb- 677 Prime
11/22 6:00 PM Duo with Carla Metz & Larry Acunto- Carsons Woodside Tavern
11/22 6:00 PM Garland Nelson- Prime at Saratoga National
11/22 6:00 PM Margo Macero- Saratoga Winery
11/22 6:00 PM Matt Cosgrove- Thirsty Owl
11/22 6:00 PM Nick Horace- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park
11/22 6:00 PM Russ Kennedy- The Scarlet Knife
11/22 6:00 PM Sheri Nolan & Peter Von Allmen & Bill Alberts- Inn at Saratoga
11/22 6:00 PM Steve Candlen / David Solazzo Trio / All-Star Quintet- Alias Coffee Fest.
11/22 6:00 PM Thom Powers- Powers Pub
11/22 6:00 PM Trivia Night- Crossroads America Grille
11/22 6:30 PM Art & Shawna- Artisanal Brew Works
11/22 6:30 PM Chuck Ayers- Ancient Order Of Hibernians Albany
11/22 6:30 PM Kev & Pete- Peddlers Bar & Bistro
11/22 6:30 PM Rich Ortiz- Diamond Club at Embassy Suites
11/22 6:30 PM Wingers- Other One Brewery
11/22 7:00 PM Hot Club Saratoga & Dorado Schmitt& Sons- Spa Little Theater
11/22 7:00 PM Jeff Walton- Principessa Elena
11/22 7:00 PM Lifeline- Kraverie
11/22 7:00 PM Madame Z- Bunker Saratoga
11/22 7:00 PM Tiny Planet- Quarters
11/22 7:30 PM BYWATER CALL- Parting Glass
11/22 8:00 PM DJ Vision- Misfit
11/22 8:00 PM Lucy Laplansky- Caffe Lena
11/22 8:00 PM Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes- Nine Maple
11/22 8:00 PM Ryan Clark- Caffe Lena
11/22 8:00 PM Tame The Rooster- Unihog
11/22 8:00 PM The Hawthornes- Rustic Barn Pub
11/22 8:00 PM The Refrigerators- Wicked Eatery
11/22 9:00 PM DJ Tomb- Night Owl
11/22 9:00 PM Electric Rodeo- Vapor
11/22 9:00 PM The Schmooze- Centre St. Pub
11/22 9:30 PM Gordon Street- Spa City Tap & Barrel
Saturday, November 23rd
Renaissance Quartet, Troy Music Bank Savings Hall, Troy, 4pm
Signed exclusively to Decca Classics in 2020 at the age of 24, American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light.
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Linda, Albany, 8pm-10pm
New York’s Slambovian Circus of Dreams has been coloring ‘outside the lines’ of the Americana genre with their fantastic stories and performances since forming 20 years ago in the Hudson Valley of New York. Their Woodstock-tinged psychedelia has a hint of southern rock, celtic and British folk combined with solid songwriting – a slice of Americana pie that is irresistable!
Brian Regan (EARLY SHOW), The Egg, Albany, 5:30pm; 8pm
Brian Regan has distinguished himself as one of the premier comedians in the country. The perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, Brian fills theaters nationwide with fervent fans that span generations.
Brian made history with his stand-up special, Brian Regan: Live From Radio City Music Hall, as the first live broadcast of a stand-up special in Comedy Central’s history. Brian has performed at The Leicester Square Theatre in London and he is a regular at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He performed at Carnegie Hall following years of performances in New York City’s finest theaters including Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, The Beacon Theater and Radio City Music Hall. Brian’s tour has included visits to Denver’s legendary 8600-seat Red Rocks Amphitheater and the 15,000-seat Huntsman Center Arena in Salt Lake City.
Fool Me Once – Michael Mills Magic, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady
Join us for an unforgettable night as we take a trip down the rabbit hole of deception.
In “Fool Me Once: A Magic Show” magician Michael Mills takes you on a playful tour of contemporary trickery. From sleight of hand to optical illusion and beyond – even flirting with the dark arts of psychological manipulation.
Laugh, gasp, and marvel. By the end, you’ll be questioning not just what you’ve seen, but how you see.
Are you ready to have your mind blown?
The Singing Anchors’ Reunion Holiday Show, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs
Together again, ready to spread joy—meet The Singing Anchors! Since 2009, Jerry Gretzinger, Benita Zahn, and Jessica Layton have been captivating audiences across the Capital Region with their music and charisma. As acclaimed news anchors, these talented performers have turned viewers’ attention onto their musical journey, creating unforgettable experiences for their fans.
Now, they are thrilled to announce the return of The Singing Anchors, reuniting for a special performance: The Singing Anchors Reunion Holiday Show! Join us as they celebrate their musical journey together, bringing joy and cheer to audiences once again.
Thanksgiving Food Drive, Empire Underground, Albany, 7pm
Free Event! Family Open House w/ Andy The Music Man and Activities for Kids, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 10am-12pm
Bring the kids to celebrate Cohoes Music Hall’s 150th Anniversary with a morning of children’s music and other fun activities for kids! Throughout its 150-year history, so many young people in our community have had some of their earliest performing arts experiences at Cohoes Music Hall, and we’re kicking off our day of celebrations with a celebration of arts for youth! This free event will feature Capital Region favorite ANDY THE MUSIC MAN with a selection of children’s music, as well as face-painting, balloon animals and more! Join us!
London Assurance & A Toast to the Hall -CMH 150th Anniversary, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 4pm
Guests will be treated to a complimentary flute of champagne as they enter the Hall for this special event celebrating the venue’s storied history. From it’s earliest days of vaudeville entertainment, to today’s modern presentations, the Music Hall has been a destination for culture and entertainment in Cohoes and the greater Capital Region. LONDON ASSURANCE was not only the first play to appear on the Hall stage, but also the first production to play the venue on it’s reopening following a 1970’s era restoration. Creative License co-founder Aaron Holbritter has adapted the play for modern audiences, while retaining the classic, farcical stylings of original authors Dion Boucicault and John Brougham.
Get Zep performing Song Remains the Same – CMH 150th Anniversary, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 8pm-10:30pm
Get Zep! is an upstate supergroup consisting of the members of power trio Super 400, along with vocalist Sean Matthew Whiteford. The group performs the songs of Led Zeppelin, widely regarded as some of the most powerful music in Rock and Roll history. Since their first show in the summer of 2022, Get Zep! has performed to feverish crowds across the Northeast.
Four Sticks, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm
Experience the raw live sound of Led Zeppelin’s early hits with Four Sticks.
Happy Hour with JB aka Dirty Moses at The Eleven (Talib Kweli Preshow), Lark Hall, Albany, 6pm-8pm
An accomplished MC, writer and performer from Harlem, New York, with over 20 years of experience, capitivates audiences with a dynamic stage presence and lyrical prowess.
Talib Kweli with special guests Skyzoo & Landon Wordswell, Lark Hall, Albany, 8pm-11:30pm
The Brooklyn-based MC earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years.
“I’m a touring artist. I’m an artist that’s internationally known. I’m not just a local artist at this point in my career. I’m cognizant of the fact that what I do is beyond where it started. I’m trying to reach the apex of where I am now, but without turning my back on or dismissing what I’ve done before.”
Annie & The Hedonists, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 8pm-10pm
Annie & the Hedonists transport us back to an age when heartache, boozing, and all sorts of romantic mayhem amounted to one big stylish adventure. From the gospel-rock of Sister Rosetta Tharpe to the irresistible swing of Fats Waller, the torchy, honey voice of Annie Rosen takes center stage, with super-tight, expert backing provided by husband Jonny Rosen on guitar, Peter Davis on clarinet, tenor guitar, piano, and vocals, Don Young on bass and vocals and Jerry Marotta on percussion/drums.
Swordpaw Rock the Pantry Fundraiser, Hangar on the Hudson, Troy, 7pm-10pm
Swordpaw Annual Rock the Pantry Fundraiser benefiting the Oakwood Community Center
Featuring Doc Horton and the Jay Street Band, The AM’s, Pony in the Pancake, Great Mutations, Nathan Meltz and the House of Tomorrow, Blood Blood Blood, and Architrave.
$20 donation for entry. We are also collecting non-parishable food donations.
Gozer / Mama Doom / Shortwave Radioband, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm
From “Bar People.”
11/23 2:00 PM Darlingside- Caffe Lena
11/23 5:00 PM K&O Duo- Artisanal Brew Works
11/23 5:00 PM Upstate Buskers- S&S farm Brewery
11/23 5:30 PM Jerry Porreca & Jimmy Adinolfi- Buonasera Restaurant
11/23 6:00 PM Chris Carey- The Scarlet Knife
11/23 6:00 PM Country Converts- Galley Bar & Grill
11/23 6:00 PM Eric Kufs- Thirsty Owl
11/23 6:00 PM Franklin Micare- 677 Prime
11/23 6:00 PM Jeff Walton- Powers Pub
11/23 6:00 PM Juniper & Steve Zucchini- Inn at Saratoga
11/23 6:00 PM Luke Pavlus- Spa City Tap & Barrel
11/23 6:00 PM Meagan Houde- Carsons Woodside Tavern
11/23 6:00 PM Rafa Picon- Prime at Saratoga National
11/23 6:00 PM Steve Candlen- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park
11/23 6:00 PM Trevor Wheelock- Panza’s Saratoga
11/23 6:00 PM Trevor Wheelock- Panza’s Saratoga
11/23 6:30 PM Chris Dollard- Diamond Club at Embassy Suites
11/23 6:30 PM NRG- The View at Brookhaven Golf Course
11/23 7:00 PM On Tap Duo- Kraverie
11/23 7:00 PM The Lug Nuts- Cherry Plain Square #17
11/23 7:00 PM Who Knows Band- Bunker Saratoga
11/23 8:00 PM Annie & The Hedonists- Caffe Lena
11/23 8:00 PM DJ Alex- Misfit
11/23 8:00 PM Four Sticks- Rustic Barn Pub
11/23 8:00 PM Get Zep- Cohoes Music Hall
11/23 8:00 PM Jason Emmond Quartet- Nine Maple
11/23 8:00 PM Talib Kweli wsg Skyzoo & Landon Wordswell- Lark Hall
11/23 8:00 PM Union Depot- Parting Glass
11/23 8:30 PM Skeeter Creek- Frog Alley Brewing
11/23 9:00 PM DJ Intell Haysfield & DJ Jonesy- Night Owl
11/23 9:00 PM- GravityVapor
11/23 9:00 PM Ill Funk Ensemble- Centre St. Pub
11/23 9:30 PM Tailspin- Spa City Tap & Barrel.*
Sunday, November 24th
Rocky Mountain High Experience: A John Denver Christmas, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 3pm
Rocky Mountain High Experience®, A John Denver Christmas starring Rick Schuler, is an intimate experience that will take you back to the ’70s when John Denver’s music permeated the radio airways. Rick’s enchanting holiday show features all your favorite Denver hits including “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” and “Take Me Home Country Roads,” just to name a few. Schuler weaves in John’s heartwarming inspirational carols and holiday classics from his memorable TV specials and Christmas albums including “Aspenglow,” “Away In A Manger,” “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and many more festive standards.
Momentum Series: Jazzmeia Horn, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 4pm-6pm; 7pm-9pm
“Horn is among the most exciting young vocalists in jazz, with a proud traditionalism that keeps her tightly linked to the sound of classic figures like Nancy Wilson and Betty Carter, but a vivacity of spirit and conviction that places her firmly in the present.”– The New York Times
From “Bar People.”
11/24 10:30 AM Steve Candlen- The Scarlet Knife
11/24 3:00 PM Triple Trouble Wsg TBD- Artisanal Brew Works
11/24 3:00 PM Wamm Jam .. Ladies Open Mic- The Gallery at 344 2nd Ave Troy N.Y
11/24 4:00 PM Jazzmeia Horn- Caffe Lena
11/24 5:30 PM Jerry Porreca & Jimmy Adinolfi- Buonasera Restaurant
11/24 5:30 PM Rob Aronstein- Wishing Well
11/24 5:30 PM Sinatra & Friends- Panza’s Saratoga
11/24 7:00 PM Jazzmeia Horn- Caffe Lena
Michael Carbonaro Interview By: Rob Smittix
Interview: Michael Carbonaro
By: Rob Smittix
RRX: You may know him from his many TV and Movie roles and appearances but you definitely know him from The Carbonaro Effect; Michael Carbonaro will be performing his “Lies on Stage” show this Friday at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and I couldn’t be more excited to have Michael on the line with me right now. I’ve been excited since I saw the announcement of this show and I said to myself, I’ve gotta get talk to you. So here we are, I’m gonna try my best not to be too much of a fanboy but I am a fan!
MC: Thank you.
RRX: When I watched your show, there were a couple of things I took from it. I mean, it wasn’t just magic but it was comedy at the same time. It’s something that made you laugh and wonder. So, what can we expect from a live show when we are seeing you right in front of us?
MC: You get that exact same kind of energy that you’re talking about. The feeling of a good time, comedy and magic all mixed together. One of my favorite things about the TV show is having an unsuspecting person playing along with me and with my live show… I would say almost every single effect in the show or every piece that I do involves an audience volunteer. I either come out into the house or I’m bringing people up on stage, both kids and adults for different experiments and magic effects. This way it has that improvised fun playful energy. I don’t know exactly which way it’s going to go and they don’t know exactly which way it’s going to go. It’s obviously scripted for me but it’s different each and every night with the different energy that each new person brings to it.
RRX: I’m so happy that you said that you get the audience involved. My wife was begging me not to ask you but I told her I’m gonna ask if you can saw her in half.
(Both Laugh)
MC: It’s funny, this show actually has a part in the finale where I bring two people up from the audience and make them disappear right there on stage. So I guess if you’re looking to get rid of anybody in particular, bring them on down!
RRX: (Laughs) Yeah, for real! Now, you’ve been doing magic since you were a kid, is that right?
MC: That’s right, yeah, I did my first show when I was 13 years old and I was actually dressed as a clown. I was doing birthday parties and I quickly lost the clown outfit and put on a tuxedo, like a magician. Man, just growing up, every single weekend I was doing shows. I got a big following from word of mouth. I grew up in Long Island, New York and I ended up putting myself through NYU with the money I was making doing birthday parties, communions and christenings. They were always family events, which is interesting because when I ended up having a TV show… let me try and explain this. It’s not a kids’ show, you know? It’s a show for everyone and I think that came out of my learning the ropes of an entertainer who was always in front of an audience that had a full spectrum of people. You had little kids, young couples, adults, grandma and grandpa. Everyone in the room together and it was how I curated a fun event for everyone to enjoy. And that just kind of stuck.
RRX: Oh, absolutely. My son and I always got together around the TV and watched the show together. Most of the time, I talk to musicians but I love when I have the chance to talk with different types entertainers. I never ask musicians this because it’s like the forbidden question; I never ask who their influences are but I think it’s a little different for a magician. I imagine you probably had your favorite magicians growing up, somebody that you kind of envy.
MC: Oh for sure! My real way into magic was through special effects. Honestly, the first thing I thought for sure was that I was going to grow up and be like a monster maker. I love horror movies, Halloween and monsters and there’s a magic that goes along with special effects. You know? Special effects are kind of like the magic behind the scenes of movies. I used to go to this local magic shop to buy special effects supplies. I sort of found my way over to the other side of the store and started picking up some magic tricks.
Of course as far as my influences… Copperfield was on TV every year with a special and I loved him. I found that magic was a way to do special effects live in a sense and I developed this love of making people laugh and having a fun time together, which you don’t really get out of being a makeup artist. That’s more like being in the basement alone, working on your monster mask but with magic, you’re out in front of people, creating a relationship and getting to see their reactions. I really molded my stage persona off of what I was watching Copperfield do, who was a real master of ceremonies. He held a whole show together while joking with people and using audience participation. Then he’d do these serious magic illusions and he wove in and out of different styles of magic all in one special. That was fun for everyone and that just did it for me.
RRX: You’re about my age, so I know you were a kid when his specials were on. Did you ever try to figure it out? Or did you ever think that you knew how he did a certain trick?
MC: I was studying magic at the time, so a lot of it I really did start to learn. From going to magic conventions, magic camp as a kid and reading books on illusions. I would see how he was using different methods to make things happen. Sometimes he would fool me, other times I thought… I know what’s going on here. But for me and it’s still true to this day… when I watch magic I really try and kind of… I don’t want to say put the blinders on but I like to just ride the experience and not sit back and try calculate what’s happening. I love being fooled, which is so fun.
Magic is one of those things similar to musicians, they have different notes that they play to put together to make something new. Magic has different methods that you apply in different ways to make your own effect happen. You can be fooled with it even if you know it, you kind of lose track. The beauty of magic is it guides you in one way and then it’s too late to go backwards and figure out what happened before you were paying attention to that part. It’s a wonderful wild web of lies that sort of stack a magic effect together when it’s done right. It’s wonderful to get fooled by it.
RRX: Yeah, I was pretty proud when I was a kid after figuring out a trick for myself. Copperfield would have you do that thing where you touch the screen and you play along at home. I actually figured that one out. It was just math!
MC: Oh geez, yeah.
RRX: But then I see you and some other big magicians do tricks that just don’t even seem humanly possible. And then I wonder… did you tap into that part of the brain that psychics tap into? Do you really have a special power?
MC: Well, I mean, in a way… sort of, it’s hard to say and it might even scare people to think about it. I would say it’s the same way with storytelling, when you can get somebody lost in the story, you can also get somebody lost in a reality.
RRX: Right. That always boggled my mind. There’s some tricks out there that seem like they could be real magick, like with a (k).
MC: Oh wow. That was kind of the point of the Carbonaro Effect, to try and get people to maybe accept that there was magic happening right in front of them in real life.
RRX: With the TV show, there’s gotta be some standout episodes or tricks that you did or maybe it was just the way that the person reacted. Any favorites that come to mind?
MC: Man, there’s so many that I’m proud of. Gosh, sometimes I would sit in the writing room with some really tight magician friends of mine who helped me come up with these tricks. We had 125 episodes, so there were so many effects to come up with. In the beginning when I was doing it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, I would come up with all of the stuff myself. But once it turned into having to do so many episodes and just banging them out… we had to get great minds together to come up with the tricks. And so for me, there’s just so many moments of being proud.
Could we actually get somebody to believe this and then watch it happen? Could we get somebody to believe in a mermaid? And then the answer was yes! Could we get somebody to believe that a person turned into a cat? And the answer is yes. Could we get somebody to believe that we accidentally shot somebody back in time? And the answer is yes! It was just amazing to watch those things happen.
RRX: I’m thinking you would probably be an amazing poker player. I imagine most people wouldn’t want to play against a magician. Is there anything to that? Or are there other hobbies that you are into?
MC: That’s really interesting. It’s still special effects for me. I still sculpt, make prosthetics, monster makeup, a lot of art and drawing. But I’m actually not a great card player. I don’t play any poker or any games like that. It’s funny, you wouldn’t wanna play with me because I’m terrible not because I do magic.
RRX: (Laughs) I would definitely think the opposite. At least what you would have going for you is the poker face.
MC: Right. No, it’s true.
RRX: Cool. I’m very excited to be seeing you live this Friday night.
MC: That’s right, Friday night! The audience will leave delighted and truly questioning if magic is really possible!
RRX: Yeah, I can’t wait. I’ll try to see if I can push my wife up onto the stage for a disappearing act but she’s a little hesitant.
(Both Laugh)
MC: Rob, thank you so much for doing this for us.
RRX: I appreciate your time.
Michael Carbonaro: Lies on Stage
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Friday, November 22nd 7:30pm
For Tickets Visit: troymusichall.org
“Troy Glow” (Part 2), Nov. 9-10, 2024
I returned to Troy Glow on the last Saturday of the show. Connor Armbruster played at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. I also got to make some light works of my own on River Street with some light hoopers. Also, there are a few end-of-the-show photos from Sunday.
Photography by Timothy Reidy.
Week Forty-Seven: Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week “Like You, Anymore”
Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week Airs EVERY WEDNESDAY at 6pm Eastern on RadioRadioX.com
This is Jesse Sample. We all have an inner dialogue. We reflect upon our situation, we make decisions, we daydream, and we talk to ourselves. We can guess what peoples’ inner worlds are like, but we can never truly know. We do our best to communicate extremely subjective things and, in the end, we take a leap of faith.
What we choose to let out into the universe is up to us. We can frame our expressions and try to send the world a relatable image. It seems that the day-to-day people that we encounter appreciate a degree of normalcy. But internally, we are far from normal. Where is the balance?
That is something we all face. Nobody knows the answer for you. What is better? To wear your heart on your sleeve and to be all out there or to go play chess in your head and only express when its necessary. Both approaches have their upsides and downsides.
Thanks to all of you listening to RadioRadioX. This is the Freak of the Week, “Like You, Anymore.”
Anthony’s Diploma – The Weird Side of the Internet
Anthony’s Diploma – The Weird Side of the Internet – by Liam Sweeny.
Anthony Simeone is my hero. And with all heroes, you have the elements of a tragedy, or a comedy. In the tragedy they live a life of marble and polished gold, irradiating in perfection, very high above the casual reader but there’s just one detail, just one five centimeter strip on their heel by which a poison can pierce the twenty-four carat casing. But then there is the comedy.
When people think of comedy they think of laughter, but it’s traditions are far older. We don’t laugh at excellence or perfection, but at their opposites. We see the hero in a lowly state, with perhaps a single redeeming quality that propels them into their denouement.
I may be a comic figure, because I say a lot of words for a man like Anthony Simeone instead of just telling you about him.
Anthony Simeone is a 98 year-old man who has hit his personal apex not too long ago, with the receipt of his high school diploma.
Yes, Anthony was a comedic figure, sans the jokes. At 16, he dropped out of high school to take care of his family, only to enlist in World War Two. So maybe his lowly status bore an indomitable spirit. And that spirit would take him through the Battle of the Bulge and back home, where he did get his GED.
Maybe it could be wondered why Anthony didn’t go the full bore when he got home to get his high school diploma. Or maybe upon seeing the horror and emergency of Hitler’s last stand, the Axis’ last stand in the European theatre, Anthony couldn’t find comfort in spitballs and the prom queen.
No, I believe Anthony had a family, took care of them by working hard for decade after decade.
So finally Anthony received that which fate tore from him, and that is the example of dramatic comedy. Way to go, Anthony!