Where do YOU want to perform?

I went out to a stand-up comedy club last night to see a very dirty comedian. Every other word was a swear word (of varying filth degrees), but the crowd was rolling. I started to think of why he put an act like this together and where it could play...

A few days previous I was visiting a local magic shop. When I entered, a customer at the counter had a long list of products one of his friends recommended. When I asked him what sort of audience he wanted to have and where he would perform, he explained he just liked doing a few party tricks for his adult friends.

When the owner and I made several suggestions to him of small pocket tricks and books he would find useful, he insisted on getting a rather large drawer box and a set of multiplying balls. Basically, he went against our well-reasoned (and requested!) advice to buy items that would NOT be easily carried in the pocket and that would NOT be good to play in a bar or party.

When you go about choosing what effects to learn from thousands that are out there, what do you take into consideration?

Personally, I want my act to pack flat/play big, have room for improvisation, jokes, clean comedy, and be visual enough to play to a large crowd. I like to be able to walk into a stage/parlor gig with a single briefcase and nothing else. Stringent though my requirements are, I think I've done well sticking to it.

Are you looking to entertain friends and family at a party? What about your friends at school and on the playground? A quick trick over lunch in the breakroom? What about your first professional gig at a children's party or a restaurant?

For those starting out in magic, my advice is to be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. Like bodybuilding, you have to lift lighter weights before you can lift heavier ones. Make sure to seek out the advice of a local magician, be it at the shop or your local club. They can steer you to what's best for you, and when you're ready to move on to more advanced things, they can help you there, too.