Meltdown is out

Wow this is my favorite effect that I perform. I always have it with me in my car ready to go.

Take a borrowed quarter
Have it signed --- You shatter it into pieces.
The pieces are clearly visible in your hand or on the table. Using no covering you immediately make the quarter whole again and return the quarter to the spectator. It's just that simple and direct. The performer picks up the pieces and 'melts' them together right in front of every one's eyes. They see the pieces fuse back together.
This valuable video will give you step-by-clear-step the secret and handling of this most unusual trick

You will love this effect. If you are looking for an effect to perform that looks like real magic then meltdown is for you. Click here to pick yours up today.

New Store

So I have been working on getting a store up and running and I now have one. If you would like to check it out go to www.matthewhampel.com and click store. I have all of my DVDs on there and will be uploading some more of my products in the next few days. So to find out when they are put up make sure you keep coming by here to see when they are launch. Thank you.

Imagine, having a spectator select a card. The card is placed back in the deck and lost. An attempt to produce the chosen card fails, only to have it discovered in your mouth by the unsuspecting audience member!
Matthew Hampel performs and teaches this reputation making effect.
You will learn:The Classic Card to MouthExtreme Card to MouthandMatt’s own H.B. Card to Mouth

Frosted Pip

Fantasize the most baffling Card to Impossible Location and you just might get the sense of the power of Frosted Pip. The pip of a selected card appears inside of an ice cube. The pip is really inside and not on the bottom for an optical illusion. Add this to the effect that the performer melts the ice cube in a hand! This effect will be your closer for years to come!

Restaurant worker

What’s harder than getting a Restaurant gig?
Keeping it!
Restaurant worker, Matthew Hampel will not only teach you his real world tested routines, but, in an in-depth interview, with Steve Branham, he will reveal the “how to” of getting the gigs, building an entertaining routine and then keeping the gigs.
You will learn:
Sponge Balls
Waiter
The Rings
Coins
The Ropes
In addition, Matt will teach you two bonus routines
that will make you a hit at every table every time!

Sorry So Sorry

Hello everyone It has been a long time for me. I have been so busy the last few months that I have not had anytime for blogging. I hope that you have all had a great few months.

I have been working alot and performing and having a great time.I have worked the last few months on a brand new show that I am so pleased with .

I also have been shooting some brand new DVD's . I have released three and have many more coming your way.

Well I will post the video for those and let you know where and when you canget those from me for a cheap price for one week only.

9/11 Have You Forgotten?

Have you forgotten that morning?I woke up today remembering my dad waking me up and telling me what happened. For the next three hours I sat on the steps in the basement just thinking to myself O my God. So what about you? Do you remember where you were at . That was the day that for me I sat back after it was all done and said to myself that I am going to be true American.

Never forget that day and the people who lost there father,daughters, mothers and sons. And also do not forget why we have troops fighting for us in war everyday for our freedom. To me that is true magic.

May God bless you and may God bless America.

A Super night

Well what can you say about a master magician? Mike Super is a great entertainer. It is great to finally get to see someone who gets that the magic effects are just tools and we are supposed to entertain first.

I was really looking forward to seeing his show last night. I have never seen him live only on TV. I was hoping that his hole entertainment feel was not just for TV but in his show as well. Let me tell you it was. I do have to say that he is the first magician (expect for Copperfield) where I just sat back and enjoyed myself. There was a few hundred college kids there last night and they we entertained and at the same time in Ah of Mike's magic with everything from making a bowling ball appear to his voodoo effect. If you ever get the chance to get to see his show I really think you should make the time.

Mike it was great to meet you and keep up the good work.

Mike is a man who I can tell enjoys magic and life and so I will leave you with this like I always do. Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Flourishers must grow up

So I have noticed that magic is all focused on nothing but card flourishes right now. Do not get me wrong I do and like doing card flourishing but it does not pay the bills. To me there are so many kids that just because that can hold 18 packets of cards in between there fingers they think that they are just like me. I hate to tell you that YOUR WRONG.

I really do think that someone should teach on how to use the flourishes in the right way instead of standing at a table in a restaurant just showing off. PEOPLE do not care about how you are in love with the buck twins. So do flourishes but do them in the way that they should be used and that is to just dress up your card magic and that is it.

Remembering A Master Magician: Harold D. Russell

So what do you say about a great magician, friend and man? Harold D Russel was one of the best guys I have ever known. Last week while I was gone Harold passed on from here to a better place.

I love it when I hear all kinds of stories about Harold. Sometimes I feel that I have known Harold forever just because of the stories. Harold gave me one of my first big breaks in the St Louis market with close up magic. I will always thank him for that.

Harold always went out of his way to help others and was just a great guy. You can click here to hear more about one of the biggest nights in his life and what others had to say about a great man.

Harold you will be missed here but I am sure that were ever you are at you are making people laugh and amazing them all. Thanks for all of the good times and memories.

It is because of him I say Enjoy magic and Enjoy life because Harold always did that.

IBM / SAM Convention

WOW what a great long week. The IBM/SAM have not had a convention together in 35 years. This was such a cool thing to find out. Well what do I say about a long week. If you can think of someone they where most likely there and I hope you were. The very first show that I saw in my first 30 min of being there was with MAc King as the MC and then from there it was game on. I did not stop until 10 o'clock at night when I finally went to my car and got my stuff. There was so much going on that I did not want to miss anything.That night and I think only that night was an early one I went to bed around 1 in the morning.

In the next few days I will be putting more info on my blog about what happened. I have got some great pictures as well. I am just putting a few on here today.

Picture number one is me with John Racherhaumer after his lecture on Ed Marlo. He was such a nice guy and to see some of his card stuff afterwards that night was so cool.

Well on Monday I was walking around and talking with my friend Michael Finney and look who walked by . Can you saw Marshall Brodien. It was great to get to talk to him about some of the past.

Well around 12:30 Tuesday night I was walking around and saw a family friend. Bev Bergeron.

So I see this guy walking around with a rubber maide with some fur sticking out of it and I was wondering what it was.Well it was Mr Morris (from Morris costumes) showing the original Bigfoot costume and telling some stories about it for 45 min. I will post more on this later. The head in his left head and the costume i am holding is the original and the head in the center is the new head.

Well after the lecture about comedy magic David Williamson was hanging out with me and Micheal Finney. What a great guy he is. I really love to see him showing some great card stuff at 3:00 in the morning to a bunch of kids. He loves to take time for them. You go Williamson.

Well this is just the start of some great posts I will be sharing with you all. If you have any pictures or anything about the convention make sure to send it over to either me or Justin Robert Young at itricks.com

helping others

So I just got done talking with a friend and he told me that he is leaving for good.I am sad by this because he was one of the best minds in magic. The thing to me is instead of being a jerk we as magicians need to be there for our brothers and sisters in magic in times like these. So I will not say who because he asked me not to. Just when you are praying just say one of my friends and God will know who.

Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Respect for the art

As I sit here watching the show on NBC called UUMMM what do you think Celebrity Circus and I really do not know what to think. I was in the circus for 15 years and I have seen some amazing circus acts and these are not it. But this blog is not about that. I am posting because of something that has been bugging me.

No RESPECT. A few weeks ago this show had a women on it and the whole time she was all about her self and not the art. I do not think I have to say but she was booted off the first week. Last night on America Got Talent was the same thing. They showed some of the magicians that went for it and let me tell you there was this one ( I believe the first magician they showed) that really ticked me off. He came out with his shirt untucked and looked like a bum on TV. His act sucked and should never have even thought about being apart of what that show can do for people. To me he showed no respect for himself , the show or the most important his art form.

When you look at some of the best in this biz they only have respect for themselves and they put the art first and form most. So do me and all of us in this art a favor and respect the art before you go out and make us all look like a bunch a stupid dorks. Thanks

Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Why O Why does it happen?

So This post will be a short one but something I wanted to put out there. I am starting to get really upset with magicians who are backing out of being a full time magician. All I hear is how bad things are so I have to. I do not know about you but I am working more then I have in a long time.There are other magicians who have and are working more but the are just backing down. I just do not get it.

So I guess you have to think about how much work and guts does it take to make good money at this. It takes a lot. I am not going to sugar coat it . It is not easy but instead of going to get a job I am working harder then I have and it is paying off.Well I said that this was going to be short and it is.

Enjoy magic and Enjoy Life.

Stick to your guns.

So a few posts ago I told you about someone talking trash about my act. Normally I am OK with that if it is from someone who knows what they are talking about. (This person did not)

So I was watching this clip and noticed something. What I saw was someone that knew what is best for there own act and stuck to there guns about it. I want to tell all of you who have been working very hard on your act and have had some trust worthy people judge it and you have fixed it and now it looks great.That you need to stick to your guns about your act. Now do not get me wrong. I am not saying that if someone (let's say like Copperfield) comes to you and says I think you should Whatever that you do not listen to him. You should always be open for things like that.

All I am saying is if the act that you have right now is your best and you love it and so do the people then you need to have full convince in it as well. If you do not then you might be heading down the wrong road. Just thought that I would let you know that .
Enjoy Magic and Enjoy Life.

ITricks new group on facebook.

As part of itricks.com we have started a new group on facebook. Itricks.comis my cult is the brand new group. which will be focused on all things related to the Magic Week in Review podcast.

You can comment on Justin Robert Young’s wry cadence, talk with other fans of the podcast and even get a drop on who will be our special guests in the coming weeks.
Check it out.

Good bye to Branson?

So over at itricks.com they broke the bad news yesterday. Darren Romeo will be leaving Branson Mo and heading to open his show in San Fransico june 3 rd. If you never got to see his show you missed out. It was a great show. He performed some of the classic illusions but while he was singing broadway show hits. I know you are thinking but it was one of the best shows that I saw.

Well thanks for coming to branson and good luck in san fran

Listen up this monday

Hey everyone try to think really hard about who is going to be on this weeks itricks.com magic week in review podcast. DOne Well you got it Matthew Hampel. I will be on this week podcast over on itricks.com. IT will be up and running by monday. Make sure to stop by and listen up. It will be a great time.

Where does the time go?

So I just remembered that I have not written anything for a while. I know you might be asking why. Well here is the reason . I have been working. I know for some of you this might be a shock. A full time magician doing real shows and not wasting time on the Internet talking about stupid things. I have been working on my web site and my promo work and I have been performing.

This is the thing that most magicians do not get. Most of you think that just because you have bought the top number one magic trick in the world that you should now be working. To tell you the truth performing is %10 of my week . Most of it is working on promo and making calls(which non of us like but have to do to make money). I really hope that you can say that you have been doing the same thing. I think that really I have to say thank you to three people for helping me with getting focused. Number one my good friend and mentor Michael Finney. Number two again good friend Tom Kryztof and number three would be Eric Paul I have been listening to his Thursday night seminars and reading some of his stuff and it has been great for me.

Well I hope that you can start getting focused and start to make some great money. Enjoy magic and Enjoy golf . Now I am going to go golfing because I can :)

Stupid is as stupid does.

There have been some people that told me last week that being stupid does not mean your funny. First My act is not me being stupid . IT is me being me and no one else. Second I have worked very hard to put the act that I have together. I have had help from some of the best in the biz. I also think that yes sometime being stupid does work . As long as it is not totally retarded. Take Steve Martin. Most of the stuff he does he will even tell you that it is stupid but that is the point. Well that is off my chest now so enjoy the last video and the next one.

I am totally feeling this.

So I was surping a little on the net and I found this magic blog over at The Magic Vault.
I totally agree with this. I have many fights with people over nock off products on the market. But I love what they say near the end.

"Copying magic DVDs in my opinion is far worse than making a similar product based on a non-patented or non-copyrighted item."

So there you go.

Matt Talks About Getting Focused.

Getting to work.

I just wanted to let you all know that I will be posted a new video blog in the next few days. I have been putting my time toward other things. The next video blog will be all about helping you start to focus on what really needs to focused on. Stop wasting your time on the stupied forums and start working and putting your same 24 hours that I have to good work. Well come back tomorrow. I hope.

Matt talks1

Trash vs Professional

I was just talking to my father about the trash in our area. When I say trash I do not mean the trash at your house. I mean the trashy magicians screwing up this business of ours.

There are a few magicians in this area that go out for as cheap as they can and belive they look and are cheap. Because of them I know for a fact that people have turned down bringing in a magician for the next year.

I do not know about you but it makes me mad to see a trashy magician performing. I work my butt off on trying to be as pro as I can and yet others are crap. Sometimes I wish that there was a magic moffia or somthing that would take care of the trash in this biz.

Do not get me wrong I am not saying that when you first start out that you can not be a little unprofessional. We all have to learn. But these guys have been doing for a long time and one of them is like a God on the cafe. I just forgot it is thursdayWell those are my two cents. Like always enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Who really cares?

Just a quick question. Who cares really? I have seen a lot of chit chat from some of the forums and tearing people down. I really do not think anyone really cares about other people. As magicians I really feel that we are supposed to help out each other. But too many magicians beat up other magicians because they might not do the best double lift or coin vanish.

I really think that before people start to beat up on others they might want to check themselves first. just a thought.

Sex & Magic

So I have been really thinking about should I write this or not and after all my thoughts on it I am going to.

This is a issue that I have tried to talk about on a magic forum and it totally got shot down so this is my blog and I can say what I wait so I am going to. Sex sells is something that I am sick and tired of hearing. There are magic magazines now that are really focused on this thought of sex sells. Magic is not about sex but now it is because it is the cool thing to do.

I tell you this is what Sodom and Gomorrah got deleted of the face of the earth for this junk. People have asked us to sell some DVDs or magic magazines that have half naked girls in them . We have families coming into our magic shop so no we can not. I really do not think that we should stand for this trash to be a part of magic. Porn is the number one money maker in this world. That is sick to me.

I have talked to people that have put there names on these items . This is what they say. I am a christian but there is nothing wrong with it. AWAWAWWAWWAWAWAW. There is nothing wrong with it? As a christian we are not supposed to support this trash but yet they do because there is money in for them. So there you go Sex & magic is sick .Those are my two cents.

This video was just talked about by Penn of Penn & Teller on his video blog.

Books or Dvd's

So I have been reading some blogs and looking around today on the net and this is something that is really bugging me. Books are vanishing and more and more DVD's are coming out on the market. People say that DVD's are better but then why is america one of the dumbest country's there is latly? I feel it is because no one wants to stop and read a book for a half hour or so. They want to want to watch the dvd and nothing else.

Do not get me wrong dvd's are nice heck I have put one out and soon I will again. I have dvd's heck and I have learned from some of them but what I am saying is most people only do the dvd thing and nothing else. That is what is sick to me. Pick up a book and really learn and not from some guy that has never picked up a book in his life but now has a great dvd. Learn from the best and that takes time and reading a book. Like always enjoy life and enjoy magic.

Why o WHy

So this weekend I was talking to a friend of mine about magic. I thought that this phone call was going to take about 10 min or so but it ended up to be about 45 min of great talk. One of the things we talked about is being different. He told me that he has gotten turned down by the castle and some magic conventions because he is not there type of magic. But knowing him and seeing some of his stuff he is one of the greatest creator's and performers I know.

So here is my thing. Magicians are so worried about being just like this guy or that guy that they forget who they are. I have talked about this before but magicians still do not get it. I have been told that I am one of the kind and so has my friend. To me this is true because the two of us do not do the same pick a card any card trick. We strife to be different because some of the greatest magicians are the greatest because they are different. So think about your act and how you can be yourself and not like the guy down the road. So anyways enjoy magic and life.

Does it matter?

So here is my thinking. Does what you do matter or make sence? Now I want you to think about that question and go back and rewatch the teller speaks video. I will wait._______________________________________________

Ok now your back so what do you think? Does what we do really matter or even have to make sence? I think yes it has to. I once heared Michael Ammar say that when you go to pocket do not go for magic dust but for a marker or a coin or something. There should be know were in the effect that people can back track to a point and say he did this when he did that. I can not stand to see magicians use the old thing about magic dust. That to me is a way to make our spectators feel cheap and used. I never want them to feel that way. If you do this then the only thing is to say is shame on you. When I perform my close up magic my goal is to have a relationship with my spectators. You cannot do that by making them feel used and cheap.

So I gusse what I am saying is do not make a bottle of wine appear just because you can. Make sure everything in your act fits and also think about your ending. Where do you want you spectators mind to be at the end. Then work your act on how to get there with out using magic dust.

Now rewatch the video one more time and then get to work.
Enjoy magic andEnjoy life.

What are you going to do about it?

So in my last blog I talked about your choices in magic and life are what makes you. if you have not read it yet check it out. So I am ging to keep this short. But my only question is whatare you going to do about? For real what are you going to do about changing your life and those lifes around you? Our goal with magic should be to improve life around you and to help others enjoy it. So do it. I am to sick and tiered of people who just talk and do not do anything about it. So stop reading this and write downsome ways you are going to help yourself and others live a better life. Enjoy magic and life now get out of here.

What makes you?

So I have had a great week this past week. I know that most of you want to know something about magic and about being a magician but check this out, both of those are still you and you can not go and be the magician you need to be until you know who you are first. This is a big part to your growth as a magician and a person. I want you to start thinking about some choices you have to make this coming week to push your goal as maybe a full time performer up a step. I was just looking at this blog and I was reading the comments and this was part of one of them " There are choices in everything we do, but the choices we make end up making us".

You have everything you need to push your goal no matter what it might be to the next level. I am going to start pushing harder then I have. Before you make a choice think about what it will do for your life. Next time you go and waste three hours on some magic forums and chat rooms think about how that will help your life,family and yourself in the long run. Do no get me wrong going to the forums and chat rooms TO LEARN are not bad things but just to go because you have to and sitting for hours wasting away.
This is my thoughts of the week and ask you to take a step this week. Go for it and when you do remember to enjoy magic and enjoy life. God bless.