Gypsy Joe

When I first met Joe, years ago, he came up to me in a dapper, but very conservative, suit and tie. He looked like he just came out of a board room. He had just watched my show and told me, that, this is what he wanted to with his life. Having heard this from enumerable and convincing young men, I sloughed it off and went on with my life.

But every day he was out there.

He didn't know much about magic, at all, but he wanted it. So me and Kris Bentz gave him a Svengali Deck, a Silk Vanish, and a half dollar, and left him alone for months. He was on his own, because at the time we were swamped with our careers, around the world. I still feel bad for not giving him all the time and opportunities we gave the other students.

A couple of years went by and we had heard about Joe's exploits and we would check on him from time to time. One day, Daniel Devenport stumbled up him and spent time with him and that launched Joe, that time with Daniel launched Joe big.

Daniel is a master and knows how to make masters. After teaching Joe the state of mind, of a Magician, Joe began doing magic.

Magic that nobody was doing. Mind blowing creative stuff.

You see, Joe started out with nothing. 

So he couldn't be influenced by all the clones and hacks out there who would try and "teach him" the canned formula, that was really designed to make the magic sales industry more money, and not designed to make the artist a great artist. You can't package artistic inclination. So he dodged that bullet, and created an original show, with original material.

His latest claim to fame, is working the medians and cement islands at streetlight intersections, and working in front of grocery stores and box store's doorways. He works them, as they come in and out, from the store parking lot. No one "taught him" that doing this wouldn't work. So he did it. For lack of a "proper spot." He did it. Because in his life, at that point, he didn't have any choice. 

One day, I went down to meet him, for lunch in a local suburb. I was broke, so I told him, I couldn't pick up the tab for both of us. He told me no problem and asked if he could work for a couple of minutes. I laughed and said, where? 

(In the U.S. suburbs, there is high car traffic and almost no foot traffic.)

He walked out to the island in the intersection and began doing silent visual effects, for the cars, and to my great disbelief, I watched him get handed tips from moving cars. In a short time, he made about a hundred bucks, and told me, lunch was on him! 

So...

For the next few weeks, I went out and watched him. 

Newspaper reporters would come out every once in awhile, and interview him, and take pictures of him on the cement islands. I read some of their articles, about him, and it was impressive, they loved him, and knew a good story when they saw one. 

The cops didn't love him so much, but got to know him and would look the other way, so he could work, or told him where they wanted him instead. 

Joe didn't have to go to a "Busker Training Workshops" or watch and memorize some one's act from a DVD, in fact the reason Joe is such a success is because he didn't. He just went out and made it work and created magic with imagination, reason, and experimentation. 

Instead of a Magic DVD.

Yep, he just used his brain, unlike so many in the magic community. 

Yes, granted, we did teach him some very few basic moves and very few techniques, but not routines or patter. We tried to teach him STATE OF MIND, instead. So he took what he had, and made magic effects, and routines, and put them into an order, to make a show that worked. He can work anywhere; doorway acts, half circle shows, full circle shows, grocery store fronts, intersections, indoors, outdoors, and whatever!

Gypsy Joe is a real magician.

He also incorporated other performance art forms, into his act, that he picked up on the way.

And he IS the street. 

And this write up does him no justice to show his variety, sorry. 

He belongs to those, we sometimes see hanging out on street corners, "Spanging" and "Flying a Sign" for spare change. They look like grungy Peasants, from fairy-tales past, but with a modern, dangerous, punk, hippy, gypsy, look to them. 

Unlike the rest of us magicians. 

He's not "famous with magicians." Most magicians, don't even really know who he is. But the gutter punks all over america do. And his audiences of middle class families all over america do, and the people and festivals that hire him.

They do. 

And they all love him. 

And I love him. 

Because Joe has the Royal Touch. He can interact with the Corporate world or in the diciest of situations in shadey neighborhoods. He can work at Burning Man (a bohemian festival in the desert) or at a corporate company picnic. Needless to say he would prefer not to work at a corporate company picnic, ha. 

Joe to me, is what every american sidewalk performer, should strive to be.

He's Authentic.

A final thought, to whom it may concern: 

Gypsy Joe attracts the masters and veterans of the streets, with his work. A good example of this is "Sleeveless The Magician," who saw him and took him under his wing and taught him quite a bit. 

This is notable, because "Sleeveless" is a bit of a recluse when it comes to other magicians, so it says a lot for Joe, that Sleeveless would feel, that it would do our art-form good, to give Joe a helping hand up. 

you can check out Sleeveless Here.

And a note to Joe: 

Thanks for being such a good and loyal friend. I am so proud of you and your work. I am proud of being associated with sidewalk performing, because of you and your work. You make us all look better, than we really are. God Bless you Gypsy Joe. 

We're all grateful for your life's work.

DANIEL DEVENPORT

I've seen Daniel Devenport do any size show.

one on one, doorway acts, trickle, half circle shows, giant stage circle shows with hundreds watching.

Daniel -IS- street theater.

I met Daniel a number of years ago out in Frisco.

He was workin the sidewalk on the Warf.

A student of mine had discovered him before me and told me that, he didn't like Daniel's "style."

So when I was going up to see Daniel's show, I had a preconceived idea about him.

Then I watched him.

And as I watched him. 

I turned to my student and told him to pay attention, because this was the epitome of a sidewalk performer.

A few days later, that same student had gotten into some trouble with a large group of buskers and thugs. 

They had weapons and wanted trouble.

There was just me, an escape artist, and that student, against a bunch of them.

Daniel barely knew us, but he jumped in on our side anyway.

Because that's who Daniel is.

Don't expect this from too many street magicians, just the few real ones.

Another thing Daniel is...

He is a master.

He's a fanatic with his work, a perfectionist, a natural born entertainer, and a respected magic teacher.

A survivor who grew up on the streets, so he's a loyal friend who takes care of those around him and can handle himself in most situations.

I have had the privilege of working with him around the country. 

You know where you stand with Daniel, no games.

All the masters in our country know who he is.

In fact he's good friends with Tom Frank, Sonny Holliday, Doug Conn, Eric Evans, Eric Cash, Chris Carne, and the list goes on.

He is my vision of a sidewalk magician from the day. 

He dresses spot on, he's got the gift of gab, and the chops to back it up. 

Fast hands, and fast talkin.

If your watchin him, you're watchin a piece of our history, and our tradition, on the sidewalk. 

So it figures that his students are also the most creative mind blowing performers out there.

These guys aren't actors playing the part of magicians, they are magicians!

So if you're walkin by and you see this guy Daniel Devenport, 

stop what you're doing and watch him, 

because this is a once in a lifetime thing, believe me.

And a note to Daniel,

You've worked hard, your whole life on our art form, and it shows, you've brought our art, to levels many of us never thought possible.

We've all been watching and we're blown away at what you've done.

Thank You.

I'm telling you, because you know as a street magician it's tough getting acknowledgment  from any of our peers.

Thanks for your life's work, 

Your Pal Jimmy. 

Daniel, Doug Conn, and Me on the west bank of New Orleans on Mardis Gras years ago.

And here's a video of him just goofin around in L.A.