Opening for Leon Redbone

As loyal readers know, I am a semi-retired professional magician. I live in rural upstate New York, where there’s not a lot of work for magicians, except at birthday parties, weddings, etc. I’d rather eat a raw frog than perform at functions like that, so I don’t get a lot of gigs up here.

So I was happily surprised yesterday, around 2 pm, when Ken, the owner of the Night Eagle Cafe in Binghamton, NY, called me out of the blue, and asked if I would perform that evening as an opening act for Leon Redbone.

Would I open for Leon Redbone? Is 2 a prime number?

It seems that Redbone doesn’t like other musical acts opening for him, and that Ken hadn’t known this until the day of the show. I’d done an open mic at the Night Eagle years ago, and he kindly remembered me.

I was psyched. I have been a fan of Leon Redbone and his eccentric style of jazz/blues/pop/early-twentieth-century music. Here’s a taste:

I dusted off my traveling magic case, restocked a few props, did a quick rehearsal to get the “rust” off, got out a fresh pair of jeans and a sports-coat, and packed the car.

Then I called my wife and told her the news, and she came right home after work, changed clothes, and off we went.

Without time for dinner, we got to the Night Eagle, and prepped and hung around till I went started warming up the crowd with close-up magic at the tables before actually opening onstage.

The Night Eagle Cafe in Binghamton, NY is a great venue, recently moved from Oxford, NY. Ken Millett is the owner and driving force behind the place. If you are anywhere near the southern tier of New York state, check out Larry Coryell with Bombay Jazz at the Night Eagle on Sat., Jan. 26th., 8:00pm. (Admission is $35.)

Audiences at the Night Eagle are great. As you might imagine, a Leon Redbone audience is right up my alley. By the time I’d finished warming up the crowd for the stage part of the act (I’d been my own warm up, in effect) we were all ready for a good time.

I got to do a half-hour of absurd comedy-magic, and if the crowd had anywhere near as much fun as I did (and I think they did), we all had a ball.

There was an intermission, and then “The Man” and his two able accompanists came out. There was a lot of trouble with the microphone (real or imagined – it was hard to tell) and the evening suffered from it, but the music, singing and amazing whistling talents of Leon Redbone satisfied the audience. The place was packed all evening.

My wife got to take some pictures. One of them was backstage of Leon and me.

It was an exciting evening for me, and just one more of the recent experiences that are conspiring to bring me out of semi-retirement. I love magic and performing, and the people you meet when you travel and edify and enlighten with magic.

That’s the news from Central New York,

Hotcha!

Yours truly,

Brian Foley (a.k.a. Professor Homunculus)