A magician's life

Wes Iseli's TV Interview on What's going on

2012-02-28T14:31:00.002-05:00

This was our second time being interviewed there. We had a great time! In this interview you will see close up magic, baby bunny magic, and our Doll house illusion at the end. I hope you enjoy.

Howard Stern on AGT

2012-02-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

I was excited to hear that Howard Stern was going on Americas Got Talent when I heard that he was hoping for a magician to take the top prize. I can't wait to see what happens, hopefully someone great steps foreword.

Wes Iseli's Impossible Bottles

2012-01-12T13:37:00.002-05:00

Definition: An impossible bottle is a type of mechanical puzzle. It is a bottle that has an object inside it that does not appear to fit through the mouth of the bottle. The glass cannot be cut or blown around the objects.

My newest endeavor in the field of creativity and art is Impossible Bottles. I enjoy crafting and making things with my hands (I think I get this from my mom, I grew up seeing her painting, knitting, and creating projects all the time). These bottles are a nightmare! While making them I am consumed with feelings of being overwhelmed and just wanting to quit, but once I am done the feeling of accomplishment is well worth it. Each bottle is painstakingly made by hand with hours and hours of work in each one. The pictures below are magic themed with an entire deck of cards sealed inside.

These bottles are now for sale only at wesiseli.com

Wes Iseli's 1 of a kind production item

2012-01-12T12:44:00.002-05:00

Wes Iseli's 1 of a kind production item is a production trick with a surprise ending. I have been tossing around ideas for this effect for several months and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy and remember to subscribe, I post a new video each month. Check us out online at www.wesiseli.com

New Years Eve 2011

2012-01-09T14:33:00.005-05:00

This New Year's Eve has been on my mind for several months. 12/31/11 was the due date of our little girl Lana. The only bad thing about that was I had a contract to perform an illusion show for a country club that night; New Year's Eve is always a great payday for entertainers. Lana came early on Dec 28th and I was able to bring Natalie & Lana to the show. We did not do the illusions I had planned, but instead I did a 100 foot rope tie escape and a new mind reading routine which uses 5 adult volunteers from the audience. Both of those tricks "pack small and play big" which was nice since Natalie could not help like we both thought she would be able to. Natalie did assist me during the show but did so for the most part from a comfy chair behind me. Lana was out in the audience being watched by friends of ours we met in birthing classes. The show went great and at the end of the show I got to bring Natalie & Lana out onstage and introduce her and as a family wish everyone a very happy new year. Afterwards we went to our friends home and brought in the New Year while drinking sparkling cider and watching the ball drop on TV.

Lana Elizabeth Iseli has been produced

2012-01-03T11:17:00.003-05:00

On December 28th at 1:14 am Natalie "Produced" our beautiful baby we named Lana Elizabeth Iseli. She weighed in at 7lbs 14oz. Mom and Baby are doing great! Natalie even worked a New Years Eve illusion show just 4 days after giving birth "The Show Must Go On". I am so proud of her and we are so blessed to have so many friends reaching out to congratulating us, bringing gifts/meals, & visiting. Lana will be raised in a magic family & I already am working on a levitation for her. More to come so stay tuned...

Wes Iseli's Miniature Magic

2011-12-14T14:28:00.004-05:00

This video was filmed in my Magic room in my home, I use that room to read about magic and practice close up. This month I decided to go small, very small. I have several videos online of me doing amazing large illusions but this month I shrink a deck of cards into oblivion. I hope you enjoy the video and remember to comment and subscribe. Also check out my website at www.wesiseli.com

24 hour magic show year 5

2011-12-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

This year Natalie & I chose to do our 24 hour magic show closer to home since Natalie was eight months pregnant. I did it in front of Walmart in Ruckersville, Virginia doing 72 magic shows in 24 hours to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. The temperature has been much worse in the past, but this year I don't think it dropped below 50 degrees, however it did rain off & on the entire time. Natalie & I set up around 9 am on Nov 15th starting the event at 10am and by 4 pm our tent was leaking so badly we had to go into Walmart and buy a new tent. Not only were we getting wet but so was everything else. The turn out was good considering the rain and I had several friends & family members come out to visit, watch magic, and support the cause. Natalie & I only live about a mile away from this Walmart so Natalie was able go home during the event for hours at a time and take naps. We even had the local paper come out and take pictures and interview me. This event is hard and around the 20 hour mark the gravity of the situation hits; I get very tired and sore from standing. But this is also the time that Walmart starts picking up business wise with people shopping before heading off to work, so I get a little boost just by seeing more foot traffic and interacting with them. Our sponsor this year was Ericson's Eatery & Pub a new restaurant that opened the week of my event.

Wes Iseli's Karate Coin

2011-11-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

This is a close up routine I perform a lot especially for magicians because this routine is way different from what they are used to seeing. I hope you enjoy it and remember to check out my other videos and subscribe. As always for more info check out my website at www.wesiseli.com

Wes Iseli's 24 hour magic show for charity, Year 5

2011-11-09T13:24:00.001-05:00

Wes Iseli’s 24 hour magic show for charity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 4, 2011 --
Wes Iseli Magician & Illusionist will be performing 24 hours of magic again this year to help raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. This will be his 5th year doing this and he says "It is my way of giving back at Christmas". The event runs 24 hours straight and Wes promises to do 72 shows in 24 hours, it all starts on Nov 15th at 10:00 am. This year the event will be held in front of Walmart in Ruckersville, Va and it is looking like it is going to be his biggest year yet. Wes said "Now with social media all the rage I should be able to get huge numbers of my friends and fans to all come out and enjoy a free show and hopefully make a small donation for a great cause." This years 24 hour magic show is also made possible by Ericson's Eatery & Pub a new restaurant opening in Ruckersville.

Please come out and enjoy the show while supporting a great cause at the same time.

For more info on Wes Iseli check out his website at www.wesiseli.com

Our 2011 Halloween

2011-11-07T14:59:00.004-05:00

Natalie & I love Halloween, we always do it up big. We have a party, try to be creative with our costumes, make tons of food, carve pumpkins and watch tons of scary movies all month long. This year Halloween fell on a Monday so the Friday, Saturday and Sunday were crazy busy with shows.With all the baby stuff going on, (decorating her room, painting, buying furniture, Dr. Visits and birthing classes) we felt as though we were behind in decorating for Halloween and getting ready for the party. We invited somewhere around 30 people to our house for a costume party, some couldn't make it due to bad weather and the snow & ice that was accumulating outside during the party. The snow did not amount to anything here, but in near by counties we heard that some folks got 2-3 inches. Even with the ice & snow and freezing temperatures we still had a great time. Our costumes this year were inspired by baby Lana, so we decided I would be an alien who got an Earthling pregnant and the baby was coming on Halloween but through her belly.
Below are a few photos of Natalie & I and our Jack o lanterns from Halloween 2011.

Kirkwood's 65 years of Magic Gala Show

2011-11-01T15:21:00.017-04:00

On October 22nd Natalie & I performed for Bobby "Kirkwood" Spencer's 65 years in magic gala magic show. Bobby has been performing magic for 65 years and says this is his last big hoorah in show business. We were honored to have been asked to be the headliner illusionists on the bill. We performed 2 shows that day in the historic Victory Hall theater in Scottsville, Va. The showtimes were 3:00 & 8:00 pm and they said they were super excited with the turn out. The matinee was sold out and the 8:00 pm still had a few seats left but they said for that venue in such a small town this was the biggest turn out they had had in years. There were several other entertainers on the bill but they were all part time guys or people who only do shows once in a great while. Since most of the guys on the bill are not used to doing shows that often everyone was asked to arrive around 12:00 pm to get set up. Natalie & I were only doing 15 minutes and we were set up in 10 minutes and hung out till show time. The shows went smooth and everyone seemed to have a great time. By the time everyone was packed up after the last show it was close to midnight and the man of the evening was super worn out after at least a 14 hour work day. He said he was going to sleep the whole next day. I called him a few days later on the way to a show and he said he was doing great and just finished filming a TV commercial for a local political candidate. He may be done with magic shows, but I think show business is in his veins...

Congradulations to Kirkwood the Magician for 65 years in Magic!

Pictures: Above Bobby & myself pre-show
Below Bobby performing his act from 1949
Natalie's silk & dove act
Bottom 3 pictures show us performing the Cube Zag illusion

Our visit to Salem Massachusetts

2011-10-13T15:58:00.003-04:00

Natalie & I just got back from Salem, Massachusetts. While there we took in about everything they offered to us about how and why the witch trials happened. We went to the witch museum, the jail/dungeon, the cemetery, and story tellers who all have a different take on the witch trials. Some say it was a way to make profit off of the victims by acquiring their land and property, while others say it was a way to get rid of the other rival churches in town who were not puritan in their teaching. The main story told over and over was that it was all because of a couple of girls who were bored and enjoyed stories from their slave cook about voodoo, tea leaf reading and more. The girls started role playing that people put spells on them and that they were attacking them in their dreams and more. The whole town got caught up in the hoopla and it has been a black mark on the history of Salem. The whole thing was so crazy that people were being accused of being a witch without any evidence or apparent reason and they were brought to court and put on trial. The reasons for accusing someone of being a witch could be a birthmark, scratch or flea bite (which would have been known in those days as being proof of a Devil’s Mark), someone accusing you of sending them into fits, and/or possessing ointments, cruds dolls, or other tools of the trade. The main consensus of how everything was put to a halt was that the girls were invited to another town to see if they could spot any witches there. The girls pointed out the mayor’s wife and said she had an evil spirit surrounding her, the mayor then put his foot down. He demanded real evidence before accusing someone of being a witch. This is still demanded in today's courts.

Lesson learned: It is not for us to judge anyone and you need to learn from the past or you’re doomed to repeat it...

Wes Iseli's Magic in Salem Cemetery

2011-10-11T22:20:00.003-04:00

This video was filmed in Salem's oldest cemetery. There are twenty benches in the memorial, one for each of the victims actively put to death (not counting those who died in prison).

In this video a nail turns over in my hand again and again as if being moved by a ghost. Was it a ghost? Was I using witchcraft? Was it just a cool trick? You be the judge...

Wes Iseli's Christian Illusion

2011-09-19T23:52:00.001-04:00

This video was filmed in front of our church; Chestnut Grove Baptist in Earlysville, Virginia. This video was made to explain what Gospel Magic is all about. If you liked this video please send it to your friends and family and remember to subscribe. For more info on Wes Iseli please check out wesiseli.com

Another Day Another Adventure

2011-09-19T14:19:00.003-04:00

The other day Natalie & I had to perform at yet another school show in Maryland and had to leave home at 3:00 am to get the show and be set up & ready to go by 8:30 am, not that Maryland is that many hours away but DC traffic is horrible especially in the am. This show was used as a reward for only 150 out of 480 students of the school. Only 6 kids from each class were chosen to attend, taking into consideration behavior and homework completion. The show went great and afterward they were already in talks about having us come back in the spring to perform our large illusion show.

By 10:00 am we were all packed up and the picture above was taken of me and by bunny Lucky. Natalie & I then walked to the van and loaded everything in and went to start the van up; nothing happened, the only thing we heard was “CLICK”. My radio worked and the lights were on so I figured it was my starter. I felt pretty helpless as we were broke down in another state. I called my personal mechanic and told him what was going on and he told me I may be able to start it if I hit the starter with a hammer. I was in trouble I didn’t even know what a starter looked like. I had to Google “Picture of Starter” to see what to hit. Natalie tried to turn the car on while I laid on the ground hitting it, but nothing happened. I hit & hit and nothing, then I laid the metal across 2 wires running into the starter and I got a big spark and it sounded like it was trying to do something. I yelled to Natalie I was going to try something and I laid the metal across the wires while she tried to start it and a huge shower of sparks shot all over and the van started right up. I then had to drive it back to my mechanic in Virginia and dropped if off around 3:30 in the afternoon without ever turning the motor off.

I know magic and I am clueless when it comes to car repair, but my name is lettered all over the side of my van and it is super embarrassing if or when it breaks down. Thank God for Google on cell phones...

A challenging show to book

2011-09-08T17:12:00.008-04:00

Some shows are harder to book than others. This summer we met a principal at our show while we were performing at Massanutten Resort. He loved our show and asked if we were interested in performing for his school in Maryland. He called toward the end of July and booked his show and said "I am sending over some information for you to fill out, once that is completed and signed we will sign your contract and everything will be set". Well the form he sent over locked up and we could not fill anything out and when we went to download it a second time it was deleted. So we called and they said they would fax everything over, which they did. There were questions on this form like do you have a business license, do you have insurance and such. Once we filled out their questionnaire, we faxed it back. The school board office called and said we need a copy of your insurance policy and we told them we are not allowed to give out that number unless there is a claim. Because of that we were at a stand still for nearly 2 weeks. They then called us and said they need 1 million dollars of additional coverage added to our policy before stepping on school grounds. We called the insurance company and did everything to get this done but they waited so long to call us and tell us that, that at the date of the show we were not able to perform due to red tape and waiting for insurance information to come through. It came through at lunchtime the day we were supposed to do the show. The principal called us back and said we got all the paper work approved and you guys are in, can you come next week on Tuesday morning. So we rescheduled for that day, but with the earthquake school was canceled since they had no power. The show was then booked for the following week and it went great. The kids and faculty all loved the show and they even invited us back to perform for them again in the spring, but this time they want our large illusion show. With all the headaches and re-bookings and playing phone tag for weeks this show was a rollercoaster from beginning to end, but everything worked out in the end.

P.S. This morning we got another school show in the area booked because of them recommending us to their colleagues...

Our Upcoming public show schedule

2011-09-05T22:03:00.002-04:00

We perform lots of shows each & every month but not all are open to the public.

For the month of September we have lots of shows on the books; company picnics, school shows, resorts, and birthday parties but no public shows.

Check back next month for upcoming public shows...

Wes Iseli's Billiard Ball Routine

2011-08-30T00:14:00.003-04:00

This month I decided to show you my billiard ball routine. In magic the billiard balls are a staple, they have a rich history and they are sought after by magic collectors. I own several sets of billiard balls but this set is my favorite.
The billiard balls is a purely sleight of hand effect, it takes lots of practice to get it just right.
We filmed this video at Shenandoah Crossing Resort after our illusion show was over and everyone left, because during the show Natalie is up to her hijacks as she plays the violin behind me and we did not think it would translate to video because it would be out of context.
I hope you enjoy the video

Performing at Adventure Camp

2011-08-22T01:14:00.005-04:00

Adventure camp is a 4 day camp held each summer for children and teens with lost limbs. Natalie & I were hired to perform for this camp, but we did not know much going in. As soon as we started the show everyone got into it and had a blast. I had a great time, these kids held nothing back and I was surprised how they all got a round (with ease). We had such a great time that after the event I sat on the floor with everyone and performed some close up magic for about a half hour. This camp is a wonderful place for these kids to go and be with people who are also missing limbs and share and bond together. These folks may be missing limbs but they are not letting that hold them back. The camp also has activities that normal camps have like swimming, fishing, rock climbing, a ropes course, and they also do lots of hiking and exploring in the many acres they have surrounding the camp. Kids from all over the country come here each and every year.
Below are some pictures from our show at Adventure Camp...

Our newest employee disappeared...

2011-08-09T23:12:00.002-04:00

Last month I wrote about our newest employee we hired to come on the road with us to help load and unload the large illusion shows and help in the office booking shows.
When we hired her we decided that she should come with us to every show for the first 2 weeks so she would know what we do for different types of shows.
Well after 11 days of traveling with us and working mostly 12—14 hour days due to traveling, she quit.
There were no hard feelings, she just said she couldn’t keep up with us and even though we warned her as to how busy we were it was a lot harder than she realized. So for now it is just Natalie & I again doing it all ourselves. We have talked it over and we may try again to hire someone after the crazy summer schedule is over, because it was also hard on us training someone while on the road everyday.

Wes Iseli's 30 Second Mail Bag Escape

2011-07-18T00:40:00.001-04:00

This video was shot at Shenandoah Crossing Resort in July 2011. This effect came about because Natalie is 16 weeks pregnant and will still be growing during our 14 week contract and this is an effect she can do the whole time. I hope you enjoy it!

We are growing & expanding!

2011-07-08T17:37:00.004-04:00

This week Natalie & I hired a new employee; her name is Danielle Powdrell. Danielle's job title is personal assistant/ office manager / roadie. Since Natalie is expecting Danielle is picking up her slack with the loading and the unloading of the illusions for the illusion shows. Since we are on the road so much Danielle will be able to book shows while we are performing. She will also be our personal assistant (PA) helping us run errands and odds and ends since our schedule is so crazy.

We are super excited, Danielle has great ideas on improving an already great company. After week one she has already showed us she has what is takes as a roadie and as a (PA) and has even dabbled a little with the office side of the business. Her first week was packed with small shows, illusion shows and even a 3 hour drive to Va Beach and back home for a school show. We plan on bringing her along to everything for two weeks so she can see all aspects of our business before turning her loose in the office and only bringing her to our big illusion shows.

Natalie has told me a few times this week she is happy Danielle working for us, it will help take a little of the load off of our back especially during our crazy busy summer schedule.

Our 2011 busy season

2011-06-24T22:21:00.006-04:00

As I am writing this I am wore out, tired, and exhausted. We are only beginning our crazy busy season. Since 2003, June through August has been our busiest time of year. During those months we perform at company picnics, county fairs, at local resorts, and much more. This week we had 16 shows and today we were on the road for 10 hours for two 45 minute shows.

The pictures here are of Natalie sleeping in the car between gigs and of me visiting with my friend Ron after using his restroom while on the road.

Chesapeake Magic Lecture Testimonial

2011-06-06T23:26:00.002-04:00

Subject: Wes Iseli Lecture Review

As is my custom I am reporting and reviewing another lecture.

The lecture was given by Wes Iseli. Wes built his shows around his own principles and developed how he wanted to do business as a magician. That may seem like an odd statement, but once you see his lecture you will understand. His lecture is all about building yourself as a magician and how to do the business end of your magic.

Let me clarify, you haven't seen anyone give this type of hard hitting, talk about every phase of building a magic business and growing your business so you really make money!

Wes tells you everything, no punches pulled and nothing about the magic business is taboo, it's all out there. Over my years I have seen all kinds of books and courses with all kinds of advice and systems that offer you "pie in the sky" success, that is only if you do everything this person says, exactly the way they say. After reading just about all of them you discover that the system just doesn't come off as reality. How did all these people develop the same basic system and develop and sell e-books, tape sets with eight to ten page 'come-ons' to sell you this expensive system , book or document. And then what? You read it, maybe give it a try and/or put the stuff on a shelf and never go back to it.

Wes said more in his two hour lecture that made complete sense than any of these systems, e-books or documents ever told me. He talks from the heart and tells you what he did and how he does it. He leaves nothing out and takes questions as he goes along. He gives full and understandable answers to every question. He talks about what to charge for each thing he does and tells you exactly what he charges and why. All this is backed up with solid reasoning and examples of how he does it. His lecture notes are full of those things we all have thought we purchased to help us in business...only to find out what we bought didn't show us those answers. Wes gives you all the answers of how he did it and he even tells you the prices he charges and why he charges those prices. I have been in the biz for nearly forty years and this is the first time I have seen someone tell you the truth about actual money!!!

He has the clearest most thought out method of booking restaurants that I have ever seen. All the steps and the reasons why you do them and how you do them. A couple of guys asked some pointed questions about this and they had disagreements with his method but as you take in what Wes says about the process and the way he backs it up with super solid reasoning and facts the questioners suddenly had more realistic questions and they shifted from kind of show off questions to real info gathering as they saw the truth hit them.

There was noting left out and there were no frills or uber motivational hype to get you fired up under false pretenses... this was the real world and how you work with the realities of booking restaurants. His material is sure fire and right on target, you could see physical reactions when he described the steps to getting your booking, what you do, say and what you use as handouts and contracts and after showing what you do and have to offer, you ask for the gig. If the manager says he needs to think about it, Wes tells you what to say to him and how you end your interview and walk out. You then go the restaurant next door or across the street. He also tells you why you do what he suggests and all the reasons why.

I never, ever heard this much sense and solid reasoning in a magic lecture before...and this was only the first half of the lecture. Information like this is valuable, it's incredibly valuable. If you want to get your head on straight and build your business and have fun doing it, get your group to book this lecture! Wes is not a tall guy but in my estimation he stands a lot taller in his directness and reasoning than most of the lecturers I have seen bar none.

Jack Shea

Our Upcoming public show schedule for June & July 2011

2011-06-01T20:43:00.002-04:00

We perform lots of shows each & every month but not all are open to the public.

Here is a list of upcoming public shows for the month of June & July:

June 4th - Relay for life - Monticello High School Located in Charlottesville - Showtime 5:30

June 18th - Lynchburg Public Library - Showtime 1:00 pm

June 21st - Orange Co Library located at Locust Grove Elementary School -
Showtime 3:00 pm

June 22nd - Orange Co Library located at Gordon Barbor Elementary School -
Showtime 1:00 pm

June 22nd - Orange Co Library Located at Orange Elementary School - Showtime 3:15 pm

June 24th - Samuels Public Library - Showtime 2:00 pm

July 2nd - Bryce Resort Located in Basye - Showtimes 10:00am & 2:00 pm

July 6th - Madison County Library - Showtime 11:00am

July 12th - Madison County Fair - Showtime 8:00pm

July 13th - Fluvanna County Public Library - Showtime 11:00am

July 16th - Madison County Fair - Showtime 5:30pm

July 19th - Meherrin Regional Library - Located in Emporia Va- Showtime 10:30am

July 22nd - Orange County Library - Showtimes 3:30pm and 6:00pm

July 23rd - Orange County Fair - Showtimes 11:30am, 2:00pm & 8:00pm

July 24th - Orange County Fair - Showtime 11:00am

July 27th - Petersburg Public Library - Showtime 10:00am

// NEWS FLASH // NEWS FLASH //

2011-05-09T00:51:00.005-04:00

Natalie & I have been together for five years and are quickly approaching our 3rd wedding anniversary. We are proud to announce that we are expecting our first child at the end of this year. We broke the news to our moms on Mothers Day this year and both our moms had tears of joy in their eyes.
We are so excited!

Magic Lecture in Chesapeake Va

2011-04-30T09:17:00.010-04:00

Natalie & I were asked to come down on April 28th to Chesapeake Va to perform our magic lecture for the Society of American Magicians, Assembly 146. We arrived around 5:30 and the group took Natalie & myself out to dinner, which was so nice, and then we went over to the Hyatt hotel and set up for the lecture. The magic lecture I performed teaches some of my secrets in magic; not only tricks but office secrets. The office secrets was the first half then we took a short break and came back for the magic portion. After the lecture Natalie & I hung out & talked with several of the magicians for over an hour. Natalie & I sold magic at the lecture and I even autographed several copies of my lecture notes for those who wanted it. We had a great time and the members of the club really had great things to say about the lecture. The next morning I got this testimonial from Al Albers who is a member of that club. He said, "Had a superb time at last night's lecture. You did a fantastic job; lots of pertinent information, but what stands out is your honesty and willingness to share what you've learned."

Here are a few pictures from the lecture

Wes Iseli's Doll House Rehearsal

2011-04-12T07:19:00.006-04:00

Back in the fall Natalie & I were interviewed by the folks at Virginia Living Television in Culpeper. After the interview Natalie & I performed an illusion; this video shows the rehearsal of that Illusion. This footage was filmed with our camera that was mounted in the back of the room. This was done as rehearsal to show the camera man the how we stage the illusion. I hope you enjoy!

Rodney Dangerfield has nothing on me...

2011-03-28T12:44:00.003-04:00

Rodney Dangerfield's classic joke was how he never got any respect; well sometimes in my life I feel the same way. I have been a full time professional magician for 15 years now, I have traveled all over the East Coast and even ventured a time or two to the Midwest. Natalie & I have performed for CEO's of corporations, resorts, the British Embassy, and in auditoriums and theaters all over. People still ask me if I am still doing magic as if it is a hobby and I should have grown up by now and gotten a real job. Some people think I only do kids birthday parties and I get compliments like "my kids love you". That is great, don't get me wrong but I am more than that. My ego doesn't stand a chance to get big with comments like this always swirling.

A few weeks ago Natalie got a call from a customer who wanted us to perform a show for their family reunion. The lady on the phone went on and on about how excited she was on having us and that her family was also excited since they had just recently saw us at a show. We performed that show this past Saturday and I felt great on the way to the show knowing that these people were so excited to see us. When we got to the show the parking lot was packed and there was nowhere for us to park and unload. So I called and asked for the contact person. The person who answered asked "who is calling?" I said "Wes Iseli Magician" then she said "Who?" and I said "Wes Iseli Magician" then she said "Um, we don't need an electrician" and she hung up the phone. I had to get out of the car and walk up into the event location and wander around until I found the contact and ask where to park to unload.

On the way back to the car I shook my head thinking "I can't get no respect."

Wes Iseli's Baby Bunny Magic

2011-03-22T10:52:00.021-04:00

A while back I filmed a video introducing my newest baby bunnies while at the same time using them in magic tricks. This is my only video where the magic is not the focus but the bunnies are. I will put up a real cups and balls video one day, during this video I was just messing around. I hope you enjoy!

Magic as a full time job pt 2

2011-03-15T13:53:00.007-04:00

Natalie & I do several types of shows, from small family shows to company picnics all the way up to our full evening Vegas style Illusion show. I thought this month I would fill you in on what it takes to put on the average show. One hour prior to leaving our home on a show day I will go get the show animals out of the outside
building and put them in their travel cages, which usually entails 2 doves and 2 bunnies. Then we check the show contract to see if the customer ordered any extras, such as levitation, kid magician, magic from our web page etc. Our van is already loaded with the main parts of our show, but most extras we need to pack for each
show separately. If it is a large show our big sound system will also need to be loaded. Then we put on our show clothes and get ready to go. We then load the van and plug in the address into the navigation. Since we spend so much time in our van we try to make it as comfortable as possible. We have a Sirius radio, a cooler, a
DVD player, and a couch to nap on while the other drives. It is very common to spend way more time on the road traveling to a show than it takes to set up, perform and pack up the show. Attached are a pictures from back stage at our illusion show.

Magic as a full time job part one

2011-02-10T16:12:00.002-05:00

I was talking with a magician friend of mine the other day and we were discussing what it takes to put on a show and how much of it is never seen. I thought I would take a minute and let you in on what is never seen on stage. During the week if we do not have any shows we work in the office booking shows, finalizing contracts, contacting new clients, returning phone calls / emails, and working on new marketing campaigns. Natalie is in her office upstairs and I am in my office downstairs. She does all of the contracts and the taking of the deposits and I focus on getting new contacts ready to book and I work on the marketing. After work I feed the show animals which are in an outside building; as of now we have 7 doves, 14 ducks and 17 bunnies. Then we work out. After my work out is when I like to research magic and/or practice. Natalie will start dinner or read for a couple of hours, then we eat and watch some TV or a movie, then head to bed. That is a typical day in the office. What people do not realize is that shows do not just appear out of nowhere, you have to market yourself and you can not wait for the phone to ring, if you are doing that you will surely starve. I have been in business since 1996 and each year we are growing by leaps and bounds, but none of this would happen if we just sat on our hands. I have magicians ask me what my secret to success is all the time and the truth is that we treat each and every show like it is a high dollar gig. Each show is appreciated and we do our best to make each and every show memorable for the client.
We will continue this story next month and we will discuss what goes into getting ready for each and every show.
Stay tuned for part 2...

Free Magic Tricks

2011-02-02T08:34:00.004-05:00

Magic is universal, it crosses all language barriers. Magic is as popular today as ever. People are interested in magic and do want to learn, but in this era of immediate gratification the internet and information out there is a total mess. The masked magician show aired in 1997 on fox. His pitch was that he was going to reveal magic secrets, he will also provide scantly clad assistants to dance around. He did reveal some secrets in magic and he even made up some of his own secrets to reveal. My favorite is when he levitated his assistant with a fork lift and the voice over guy said this is the only way it can be done. I personally know about 15 different levitations and none of those methods use a fork lift. Youtube nowadays is also another land mine of people not knowing magic trying to reveal secrets. There is 1000 or more masked magicians on youtube giving false information without the dancing girls or production value. It is the same today as it was in 1997; if the person is such a great magician they would be performing magic and not revealing secrets. Plus knowing the secret is such a small part of the over all performance. It is just like I tell my magic students, "knowing how to make a guitar make sound does not mean you can play the guitar."

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2011-01-03T12:29:00.005-05:00

Things are crazy around here, with the start of a new year you always want to put things into prospective but that is hard when you have 20 different projects all vying for your attention. In 2010 we added several items to our website that are made in house such as: The magical life of Jordan book, Miracles of the Bible kit, Trick of the month club, & more. Besides lining up gigs and all the office work that goes along with that I also put up a new video on youtube.com each month and a newsletter each month that has magic & entertainment news in it as well as our journal from the road filled with pictures and more. 2010 was our busiest year so far & we also broke our own record performing 23 shows in 1 week this summer. This year is looking great already and I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the future. Stay tuned I promise it will be fun and exciting.

Pt 2 My interview on Va Living TV Dec 2010

2010-12-24T14:41:00.001-05:00

Here is part 2: This video also includes our finale sword basket illusion.

Pt 1 Va Living TV Interview Dec 2010

2010-12-24T14:40:00.002-05:00

This video was filmed at Va Living TV station in Charlottesville Va. This is my 3rd time performing for this company.Although due to scheduling we did not have much time and I was fighting a cold, (that's why I sound a little funny) we still had a blast.

I would love to thank Lana, John, and last but not least Adam. You guys are Awesome!

Wes Iseli's Van Illusion

2010-11-29T13:44:00.003-05:00

This Video was shot in October 2010. I wanted to do another illusion like my motorcycle production and this is what I came up with. This was filmed in one straight camera shot and I used no camera editing tricks of any kind. In the video I say goodbye to Natalie and I drive off. After my van clears the screen the camera turns around and I am holding the camera. I hope you enjoy.

Our new baby bunnies

2010-11-23T16:35:00.005-05:00

It was the last week of October when I got the phone call, someone got a bunny for their child and everyone grew tired of it. “So Mr. Magician, would you like our bunny?” I get this phone call at least once a year. I have not purchased a bunny from a breeder or a store in a very long time. Anyway, back to the story. This person was giving away a male and a female bunny and they had been kept in separate cages. When we went to pick up the bunnies we were told that the child had let the bunnies “play together” a few weeks before and they just wanted to warn us. We get the bunnies home and put them in separate cages and made them comfortable. The next day as I went to feed she had pulled out most of her hair from her belly to make a nest. I grabbed all the
fur and the mom and put her in our special cage we have for mom’s complete with a nesting box. The next day she gave birth to 8 baby bunnies. We got 10 for the price of 2….

Check out my facebook page to see more pictures of the babies...

Our 24 hour show is behind us

2010-11-19T11:02:00.007-05:00

This year's 24 hour show was a big success. We made more money this year than in the years past. This year we got to Walmart in Staunton around 9:30 am on Nov 17th to start unloading. We had to put up the tent, my performance table, our donation table that included a TV that played our commercial over and over for the whole 24 hours, and another table that held a coffee pot and other misc things we may need for comfort. We just barely made it, but we were ready to go at 10:00 am. About 2 weeks prior to the event I started putting out word about the event and that includes writing a press release and contacting local newspapers, TV stations, and local radio. My sponsor, The Downtown Hotdog Company also put the word out about us being there and the owner said he knows it was mentioned on at least a couple of radio stations. We wanted to integrate our sponsor into our event so they brought a banner that said The Downtown Hotdog Company and the Harry the Hotdog sculpture. The sculpture also made things interesting because people kept asking us how much for a hotdog or if we served coffee, which Natalie & I figured actually helped us because it brought people over and then we told them we were raising money for the Children's Miracle Network and I was doing magic for 24 hours and that the Downtown Hotdog Company was our sponsor. They then watched some magic and donated the money they had pulled out for a hotdog anyway.
It is hard doing magic in the cold for 24 hours. Besides lack of sleep, my hands get very stiff from the cold. I had some family come by and I had a magic friend come by to hang out for a while which really helps time go by more quickly. I even had a couple of college girls come by around 3:00 pm and they were so impressed that they got on the phone calling and texting all their friends to come by and see the magician who would be there all night. They even came back around 1:00 am with a gallon of steaming hot chocolate for Natalie & myself which was really nice of them. They left around 2:00 am and things slowed down significantly, no more big groups just 1 or 2 people at a time. This year's event was a big success and I want to thank everyone who came out, not only for the donations but for the support, it really did mean a lot to us.

Our 4th annual 24 hour magic show

2010-11-03T14:22:00.005-04:00

Each year I perform 24 hours of magic to raise money for the Children's miracle Network. Starting on November 17th at 10:00 am - November 18th at 10:00 am I will be performing 72 shows in 24 hours. The event will take place in front of Walmart in Staunton Virginia and all the proceeds will go directly to charity. I will perform 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off for the entire 24 hours. This year marks our 4th year of doing this and we are hoping for our biggest turn out yet. We are proudly sponsored by The Downtown Hotdog Company of Charlottesville. They helped make this year's event possible. Please come out and see some magic and help support a great cause. For more info on this event feel free to give us a call toll free at 1 877 987 4201. Hope to see you then!

My book is now finished!

2010-10-28T13:18:00.006-04:00

I started writing a book in 2007 called The Magical Life of Jordan. After lots of edits, and many roadblocks the book is now finished.

This is a story of a boy named Jordan, who is the son of one of today's top illusionists. Jordan had picked up a lot of secrets of magic and finds that this information isn't just for stage; it can also be used on a daily basis.
Jordan gets to test out his theory when he is sent to a boarding school called Wellington Academy. On his first day at his new school he overhears that $3,000.00 was stolen from the drama department and he hopes to solve this mystery using only the tricks of the trade and a lot of magical knowledge.

This book also comes with a DVD that will teach you some of the magic tricks that Jordan performed in the book.

Plus a bonus effect: You will receive the secrets and kit of necessary props to make household items levitate such as dollar bills, finger rings, and playing cards.

This combo package DVD & book are now available for only $20.00

To order call us toll free at 877 987 4201 or order from our website at www.wesiseli.com

Filling magic webpage orders

2010-10-11T13:40:00.004-04:00

We are working hard at making our webpage better. We are adding a lot of new inventory and adding a shopping cart for customer convenience. Although we are doing great now we can always do better if you have any suggestions please let us know. Don't forget to stop by the www.wesiseli.com to see whats new.

Wes Iseli Says "We're hiring!"

2010-10-03T18:29:00.004-04:00

We are looking for individuals who are wanting to make extra money working from home while working as many or as little hours when and where they choose. Wes Iseli will personally train each individual over the phone and you will also receive a package in the mail that will give you everything you need to get started. This is a laid back position; if you work you will get paid, if you don't we will not give you a hard time. To get started in possibly making an extra $1000.00 or more each month call us anytime toll free at 1 877 987 4201. This could be the job you have been waiting for, don't hesitate call today!

Wes Iseli's Magic montage in Myrtle Beach video

2010-09-25T21:20:00.003-04:00

Natalie & I took a week off from the office to head down to Myrtle beach. We visited a few resorts down there and met with the activities directors and talked about doing our illusion show for them. We were encouraged by our contact at Blue green resorts to drop off our demo video and meet with them. We had a blast! We had meetings in the mornings and the rest of the day we were on vacation. We enjoyed the beach, went shopping and even went on a dinner cruise. While we were there we also filmed a video of me doing magic at the beach. These videos were filmed just minutes apart but several blocks from each other.

Work & play in Myrtle Beach

2010-09-18T23:52:00.002-04:00

Wes Iseli's back on track

2010-09-08T20:16:00.004-04:00

2010-08-16T22:10:00.004-04:00

Our Blog Contest

This is my weekly blog called A Magician's Life. This blog is all about life on the road as a full time magician. I put up pictures from shows, from the road and also behind the scenes.

I know I have a lot of readers of my blog, but not many followers. This contest will hopefully change that.

If you sign up to follow my blog you will be entered to win a magic package that includes an autographed poster of Natalie & myself, 2 different trick decks of cards, a magic DVD teaching card tricks, a haunted dollar bill, outlaw poker, professor’s nightmare, and the genie knows card trick.

The total value of this package is around $45.00.

Remember to sign up to follow my weekly blog and 1 lucky person will be chosen on August 31st, 2010 to win the free magic package.

Sign up today at
wesiseli.blogspot.com

23 Shows in One Week / A NEW RECORD!

2010-08-01T23:15:00.005-04:00

Natalie & I performed 23 shows this week and that is a new record for us, breaking our old record of 21 shows in 1 week. We performed at Massanutten resort, Shenandoah crossing resort, school shows, library shows, a company picnic and more. We performed illusion shows, our smaller family shows, and even taught magic classes. We worked hard and we even got to work in dinner dates with Natalie's parents while performing in Roanoke and her aunts & cousins while performing in Richmond. As of now we have 55 shows on the books for next month, but after last week that sounds like a piece of cake.

The show must go on pt 2

2010-07-25T22:22:00.004-04:00

This summer has been our busiest yet and this past week was no exception. This week started out like any other this summer; we performed our illusion show at Shenandoah Crossing and we taught magic classes at Massanutten and several other shows, but this week at Massanutten after performing thousands of shows over the years I did something that I have never done before. Let me set up the scenario; Massanutten has a temporary stage they use in the summer for the entertainment they bring in like myself and bands and a comedian but this stage has no back stage or curtains just a raised platform. So during our illusion show if I "need" something off stage I have to go through the audience and upstairs to a loft then come back on stage the same way. We constructed this year's illusion show so that I would need to leave the stage at various times during the show so Natalie could do magic behind my back. We have even gone as far as roping off the area where I need to run so I don't run into anyone in the audience during these trips. The show this Thursday at Massanutten was great with a huge crowd and standing room only. About 30 minutes into the show it is time for me to exit the stage and I go running through the audience and upstairs. When it is time for me to return I come running back, well I did not know that while I was gone a kid knocked over a whole bottled water onto my path and I came barreling down the isle and at the last moment as I went to make the jump onto the stage clearing the stairs I planted my left foot into the puddle and went down hard onto the stairs, only my ribs broke my fall, my legs were under the stage and I laid on the stairs for a few moments trying to figure out what just happened because I have done this hundreds of times before. After a few seconds I got up and continued my lines in the show like nothing happened. My adrenaline was pumping and I hurt but I had to pretend like everything was ok. After the show as my adrenaline wore off pain truly set in. I did not have time to go to the doctor that night because we had another show to do. Natalie & I debated going to the emergency room that night but we decided to wait it out to see how I felt in the morning. The morning was terrible, we still had no time for a doctor because we had several shows to do that day. Natalie stepped up and did all the heavy lifting and helped me by feeding me Advil around the clock and every spare moment we had she would plug in the heating pad and put icy hot on my back. I never went to the doctor, we just guessed I bruised my ribs and pulled some muscles in my back. I am still really sore and I am using a heating pad while I am writing this blog entry but I have 23 shows next week, I have not missed a show yet, and I don't plan on sore muscles or sore bones stopping me anytime soon. The show must go on!

Teaching magic classes

2010-07-18T23:41:00.008-04:00

Natalie & I teach private magic lessons all year long to a couple of continual students, but in the summer we teach magic classes to anyone who is willing to sign up. In our private magic lessons we build skills upon what we learn in each class, but in the summer we only have one day to teach the students some magic they will ever forget and will be able to do. We teach 2 magic classes during the summer; an adult magic class and a kids magic class. Both have easy and baffling magic that can be done with minimal practice. This summer we are teaching classes at Shenandoah Crossing Resort and Massanutten Resort weekly and we are also teaching magic classes sporadically at libraries, schools, & community centers. If you are interested in becoming a student of magic you can either sign up for The Trick of the Month Club or call us toll free at 1 877 987 4201 and we will see what we can arrange.

Our Busiest Summer Ever!

2010-07-11T17:44:00.004-04:00

This is our busiest summer ever. We have 77 shows in the month of July alone. We had 14 shows this week & we put 200 - 500 miles on our van everyday this week. On most days we leave before the sun comes up and we get back home after dark. Our work van is equipped with a cooler for soda and snacks, a couch we take turns napping on while the other drives, and a Sirius satellite radio for entertainment on those long trips.
This Friday we had a school show in Va beach in the morning and a company picnic in Charlottesville that evening. Here are a couple of pictures of Natalie napping in the passenger seat and awake and smiling as we came out of the tunnel and saw the ocean.
She loves the beach and is so excited about our vacation plans. In September we plan on spending a week at Myrtle Beach and renting a beach house with a friend for a few days in Va beach. We just have to make it through our busiest summer first.

The show must go on!

2010-07-02T20:42:00.003-04:00

Being an entertainer is a ton of fun; I get paid to travel all over and perform at resorts, hotels, private parties and theaters all over the East Coast. We love performing. The sound of applause is much sweeter when it is for you than someone else. We love signing autographs and meeting people after the shows. Natalie & I also really enjoy being able to do what we love together, I think it makes us, as a couple, so much stronger. But there is a side to show business that makes you wish you had sick days built up somewhere. In 2003 I lost my father on a Friday evening and I had 4 shows the following Saturday. I had to do the traveling, the loading and unloading of equipment, and worst of all perform with a smile on my face. It was hard. We have had to work 37 hours straight traveling from one gig to the next all without the audience or the people who hired us knowing how tired we were. I have had to perform sick, or what just recently happened, I went in for a dentist appointment and they decided my wisdom teeth needed to come out. They extracted 2 last Friday at lunchtime and I had a show booked for 10:00 am the next morning and more shows scheduled everyday for the rest of the week. My jaw was sore and I lived off of Mac & Cheese. The hardest part is the fact that my show has so much dialog and I have to try to project my voice, all the while cringing in pain; but as they say the show must go on! Even though it sounds crazy, I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it helps to separate the professionals from the wannabes. THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Wes Iseli & The Team Fox Foundation

2010-06-23T13:40:00.006-04:00

My father was diagnosed with Parkinson's when I was 7 years old and he fought hard with the disease until his death in 2003. My dad was my best friend and losing him was, and still is, hard. I recently became affiliated with Team Fox as a way to help them find a cure so the other 5 million people who suffer from this disease can get back to a normal life. Through magic I may be able to shine a light on this disease that I feel is not in the forefront because it disables and does not kill. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful organization and I know dad is cheering me on also. Here is my new commercial I shot for my dad and Team Fox.

Wes Iseli's Magic at After Prom Party pt 2

2010-06-19T23:39:00.005-04:00

This month's video is the second video filmed at an after prom party I recently worked. This is the torn & restored card trick I mostly use, although I do sometimes perform other versions; this one gets great reactions.

We try to film a new trick or illusion each month and put it up on youtube.com. To see past videos just search wes iseli.

I hope you enjoy this video and remember to check out wesiseli.com

To see this video "Wes Iseli's Magic at After Prom Party pt 2" cut and paste this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAnzPoFO2uE

Performing magic for libraries

2010-06-11T23:46:00.005-04:00

Libraries all over hire us to perform magic and help promote their summer reading programs. We work libraries all over Virginia, from Alexandria to Norfolk. We really enjoy these shows because it is a real change of pace for us. Some libraries use us as a reward for the children who have completed their reading quota and some libraries use us to help advertise the program itself to boost the numbers of children who sign up. Some libraries have us perform at schools, parks and recs, or even at the libraries themselves. We are also scheduled at several libraries this summer to teach our magic classes to anyone who wants to attend. These shows and classes are open to the public and are absolutely free.

Don't forget to click the 'follow' button above to receive our weekly blogs and also check out our website at wesiseli.com

Wes Iseli's Close up magic at after prom party

2010-06-02T14:47:00.005-04:00

This month's video I wanted to perform a quick close up effect in front of a live audience. This was filmed at an after prom party around 3:00 am. I really enjoy performing this effect because it can be done as a straight magic trick or as a gambling demonstration.
We try to film a new trick or illusion each month and put it up on youtube.com. To see past videos just search wes iseli.

I hope you enjoy this video and remember to check out wesiseli.com

To see this video "Wes Iseli's Close up Magic at After Prom Party" cut and paste this link into your address bar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q56t_EmGkrI

Gearing up for our busiest season ever!

2010-05-28T19:44:00.006-04:00

June - August just may well be our busiest summer yet. With 169 shows on the books for only those 3 months we will be very busy. Summers have always been our busiest season with so much going on all at once like company picnics, family reunions, county fairs and of course the resorts. This year we will be working 2 resorts both twice a week. We will be teaching magic classes and then on another day performing a 45 minute show with an illusion or two at each resort. We really enjoy performing all over and Natalie & I are so thankful to be able to do what we love and to be able to do it together. After 14 years of performing full time I am used to it and Natalie has also become accustomed to the schedule as well. The schedule can be very tough; it is common on those summer days to be on the road for 16 hours at a time then doing it all again the next day. The performing is the easy part, it is the loading and unloading of the equipment and the set up and take down and the driving time that is hard. That is show business! I couldn't think of a better way to earn a dollar. To see one of our shows this summer check out our public show schedule at wesiseli.com they are posted in our newsletters.

Miracles of the Bible illusion kit

2010-05-18T19:48:00.005-04:00

This week's blog is about a new project I just finished; it is an Illusion kit called Miracles of the Bible. It is the first of its kind and the reviews and advanced sales have been great. Check out the description below.

Imagine going up in front of your Sunday school class and telling a story of a miracle being performed in the bible then being able to illustrate that with a modern day illusion. Recreating the events from the past and making it more than just a story and then end by saying this is only an illusion and only God can perform miracles. This lesson will soon not be forgotten.

This is what I wanted to create with this Illusion kit. Five stories of miracles from the bible and recreating them using illusion to make them more memorable and to have a more lasting impression.

This is my way of making the learning of bible stories fun and entertaining instead of droil and possibly boring as in the way I have heard stories in the past read in a monotone, sleep inducing voice.

Each kit is hand made and comes complete with bible stories, picture illustrations, and the necessary props to help accomplish the illusions.

In this kit you will learn 5 stories and illusions that include: water to wine (non alcoholic version), loaves & fishes, sweetened the waters, parting the sea, stick to serpent.

To order your copy email us at wesiseli@gmail.com or call us toll free at 1 877 987 4201 anytime.

Don't forget to check out wesiseli.com for additional magic for sale and more.

Wes Iseli's slow motion dove production

2010-05-11T14:42:00.004-04:00

In this month's video I decided to do a little animal magic. We use doves and rabbits in 99% of all the shows we do and even on occasions use ducks. This month I decided to perform my new dove production and do it as slow as possible for effect. We filmed this video on stage just before our illusion show for Nelson County High school. We are really proud of this effect because I can perform it anywhere and I am able to hand out the cloth for examination and show that there is nothing hidden in my jacket before producing the dove. We try to film a new trick or illusion each month and put it up on youtube.com. To see past videos just search wes iseli.

To see this video "Wes Iseli's slow motion dove production" cut and paste this link into your address bar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO1SvAqATkM

Rockingham Memorial Hospital Volunteer luncheon

2010-05-03T14:52:00.004-04:00

Natalie & I were hired to perform at a volunteer luncheon at Bravo's Italian Restaurant in Harrisonburg Virginia last week. The event was for the volunteer committee at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. The restaurant had a little stage in the banquet room and the show could not have gone better. The volunteers I used had a great time on stage and that made my job so easy all I had to do was play off of them. I picked the boss out of the audience completely on accident to help me with my comedy cards across routine and everyone loved it. The group had so much fun that at certain points during the show several people were laughing so hard they were crying. Once the show was over I tried to turn the show back over to the committee chair person but before she got the microphone they all gave us a standing ovation. This show was a blast and we also had a great time. We received tons of great comments after as a lot of people came up to us asking for business cards and wanting to tell us how much they enjoyed the show. This show had it all; magic, doves & rabbits, lots of comedy, retro magic words were used like Shazam, and even an appearance from James Brown (Inside joke).This is a show we will remember for a long time.

Don't for get to check out our website at wesiseli.com

Nelson County Magic & Illusion show

2010-04-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

On April 22nd Natalie & I performed our Magic & Illusion Show at Nelson County High school. The event was a fundraiser for the band department. The director also wanted Natalie & I to get to the location early to help with the in school promotions. We got to the school and performed close up magic in the cafeteria for both the middle school and high school lunches. I was performing close up magic and talking up that night's show telling them this is just small stuff, wait until tonight. They even had several band students walking around selling tickets. The kids loved it, I was at times completely surrounded with spectators and the director said more people bought tickets during those lunches than the whole month they were on sale. That night Natalie & I went on stage and the show went great. The audience was great, the director doubled as my light and sound guy and he did a great job. I had some family come to the show which made the night even more special. Everyone said they had a blast and couldn't wait to come back to see us next year. Thanks so much Nelson we had a lot of fun!

Ekko Title Grand Opening

2010-04-19T11:18:00.000-04:00

Natalie recently accompanied me to a show in Northern Virginia where the company Ekko Title was opening a new location. I was asked to perform walk around close up magic only. We got to the location around 15 minutes early, I set up a table to perform at, and I was introduced to everyone at Ekko Title. Their main clients were realtors. They had a band, lots of food, and an open bar for the event. I did walk around for the party going from room to room performing until it got so busy it was hard to fit down the hallways. That is when I went to my table and entertained there for the rest of the time near the front door. It worked out a lot better; I could work for bigger groups and people knew where I was, they did not have to look for me. They had a tent which attached to the building over the front doors and stretched out into the parking lot, that is where I was. Natalie & I had a blast, the event was a success, and even the guys from the band came out and were very funny with their reactions to the magic, they were blown away.

Don't forget to check us out online at wesiseli.com

Wes Iseli's card spinning and card throwing video

2010-04-13T12:44:00.000-04:00

In this month's video I wanted to do something a little different. I choose to demonstrate some card spinning and card throwing. Card throwing and spinning have been around for years. Howard Thurston, a magician & illusionist in the early 1900's, was known for sending a playing card out into the balcony onto an audience member's lap.
Playing cards have been thrown so hard that they travel over a 100 yards and at close range they can puncture the skin of a water melon. Natalie & I took our video camera to a local park and attempted to film this demonstration. Due to high winds it was impossible, so we went to a local library and got permission to film the video in their conference room. That explains why you can hear babies faintly crying in the background in the video.

To check out this video cut and paste this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oftuIPbrZxk

To all my other videos log onto youtube.com and search wes iseli

Magic & Illusion dinner & wine tasting show

2010-04-13T11:18:00.000-04:00

On Saturday April 10th Natalie & I performed at Hazel River Restaurant in Culpeper. The restaurant had prepared a 4 course dinner and went in with a local winery, Rappahannock Cellars, to complete the meal. On the menu was Crab Cakes, House Smoked Salmon, Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and a Vegetable Medley, then for dessert they served a Magical Volcano/Baked Alaska. I performed close up walk around magic during the first 3 courses then during dessert Natalie & I performed our dove opening routine and then performed an illusion surrounded as the finale. Everyone had a really great time and the customers were asking when this was going to happen again so they could bring back their friends. By the time we packed up, the restaurant had already started talking about doing this again in the fall. They said next time the dinner & show would be held in the larger hall next door to accommodate more illusions and more people.

Wes Iseli's Walking through a wall illusion

2010-03-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

On March 10, 2010 Natalie & I filmed this illusion at a local park. This is an idea I have been toying with for some time now and I had made it tough on myself with the criteria I wanted this illusion to meet. It had to be easily portable, it had to be light weight, I wanted to make it from scratch, and last but not least I did not want any angle issues that you may have with other versions of this trick. Well the finished product of this illusion met all those demands and it worked so well we were even able to perform it outside. You can even hear kids screaming in the background playing. We try to film a new trick or illusion each month and put it up on youtube.com. To see past videos just search wes iseli.

To see this video "Wes Iseli's walking through a wall illusion" cut and paste this link into your address bar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOklI4f7G84

Fredericksburg Moose Lodge Illusion show

2010-03-22T12:48:00.000-04:00

On March 21st Natalie & I performed our Magic & Illusion show at the Moose Lodge in Fredericksburg Va at 2:00pm. This show was only offered to the members of the Moose lodge. We got to the location at 10:00 am and started to unload the van and trailer. Since this stage was smaller than what we were used to we needed to figure out all the logistics for the staging of the show. The doors opened at 1:00 pm and since there was no front curtain Natalie & I hung out in our dressing room, which was a storage closet. The show went great and everyone had such a great time that even before we started packing up people had already started talking about when they could bring us back. As of now they are looking into a date for early October. Natalie & I had a great time and we could tell the audience really enjoyed themselves. Thanks again for everything, we will see you guys again in the fall.

Picture above is of all the volunteers who lent a hand making this event a success.

A backstage look at our show

2010-03-16T17:30:00.000-04:00

I know as a kid I always wondered what was going on behind the curtain before the show started and I remember watching the feet walk back and forth within that 1 inch gap between the curtain and the stage. This month I thought it would be fun to show you some pictures from the road. They are all backstage from the endless waiting between set up and performance time to the application of the stage makeup; I wanted to give you a true behind the scenes look at our show.

Halifax County Magic & Illusion Show 2010

2010-03-08T13:43:00.001-05:00

Natalie & I performed our Magic & Illusion Show for Halifax County High School for the 4th straight year in a row on March 5th. We had our 1st show at 2:15 in the afternoon for the all the kids in the high school to attend if they were on the good behavior list. Since this event was a fundraiser the school charged each kid a couple of bucks to see this 1 hour teaser show. Since they had over 850 kids at the teaser show everything they made the night of the show was profit. This group of high school students really had a great time. When we performed the illusions they all gasped and applauded, but when I performed my comedy cards across with 2 teachers everyone ended up laughing out loud and having a great time. That night at 7:30 pm we performed our full 90 minute show for the rest of the town who brought their families. This event was used as a fundraiser for the athletic department for the school and they all said they were pleased with the amount of money they were able to raise from our show. After 4 straight years working for this group of people they seem like family. Thanks again for everything guys and we hope to see you again next year.

The picture above is of all the coaches and the athletic director after the show.

The Hayley Kudro benefit show

2010-03-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

On February 27th Natalie & I performed on a bill with several other magicians to help raise money for an adorable little girl named Hayley Kudro. The local ring chapter 320 of IBM, otherwise known as The International Brotherhood of Magicians, decided to put on this charity show to help with her rising medical bills. The show ended up being close to 2 hours including the intermission and everyone seemed to have a really good time. There were 6 magicians on stage; Brian Bence, Jim Oberg, Jordan Berneking, Dennis Phillips, and Mark Trimpe. Natalie & myself closed the show with my comedy cards across, Natalie’s silk and dove routine, and an illusion, then we produced doves, turned a dove into a bunny, and produced a duck. The show was emceed by Eddie Tobey.
We even had a couple of close up magicians walking through the crowd before the show; they included George Buckley, Jim Champion, and David Clauss.
We had magicians doing card tricks, floating objects, spinning plates, pulling ropes through people, balloon animals, making drawings come to life, and much more. This was the first time our club has done something like this and I feel like there will now be more projects in the future.
The group raised over $2000.00 for Hayley and they said more money is still coming in. She really was a beautiful little girl and she took a liking to me and Natalie wanting to hold a dove and pet the bunny. After we packed up she wanted a hug from each of us then she wanted to help Natalie take care of the animals.
Please help this beautiful little girl out if you can by visiting caringbridge.org and visit the hayley kudro website.

William Monroe High School Recap

2010-02-22T16:04:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I performed our Magic & Illusion Show for William Monroe High School on February 20th. This was the 3rd year in a row for us performing there. It is always a lot of fun working “at home” because we know at least 75% of everyone in the audience. It was so nice to see a lot of our friends and family in the audience. The number of people in attendance was down from previous years but with all of the snow we have had lately and a lot of missed school they had a hard time getting the word out. The event was a fundraiser and the proceeds went to Ruckersville Elementary School. Even with all the obstacles they went through the show went off without a hitch and best of all they were please with the profit they ended up with. Thanks to everyone who came out we had a lot of fun.

I also wanted to thank my friend Dennis Phillips for taking these pictures & more at our show.

Magic shows for the scouts

2010-02-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I perform at all types of shows and this weekend was no exception. Saturday night we performed for a boy scout group in Waynesboro, Va. There were around 75 scouts in attendance. This was a big event for them; they had a buffet style dinner for everyone and all the moms & dads were also at the meeting. It was a big turn out because the scouts were receiving badges and patches for a job well done. The church the show was held in had a stage and the kids were so super excited as we arrived that the scout leader had to calm them down a little. The show was around 1 hour long and the kids were great. The adults and kids kept coming up to us afterwards telling us how wonderful the show was. It was one of those shows where everything was perfect, including the audience. We have performed at a lot of scout meetings over the years and we even sometimes teach our magic class before or after the show. If you know someone who is in the scouts and they also enjoy magic let them know there is a merit badge for magic. There is also a book on magic written for the boy scouts of america called Cub Scout Magic. I know about this because another club purchased a copy for me as a gift for performing at their club.

Wes Iseli's Trick of the month program

2010-02-07T21:20:00.001-05:00

We now have our trick of the month club up for sale on wesiseli.com

The Trick of the Month includes:

12 monthly email Video Lessons
-Wes will teach you card tricks, coin tricks,
tricks you can make and more.....
A free trick Deck of Cards
A DVD Promo of the Magic & Illusion Show
A Membership Card that will get you discounts on other Magic from WESISELI.COM

Only $25.00 for one year

Escape Magic

2010-01-28T20:07:00.000-05:00

One of the very first books I ever read on magic was about Houdini. I fell in love with escape magic early on in life, although mom was not very keen on her 9 year old playing with ropes and handcuffs. Dad on the other hand was the one who would tie me up when I asked. It would sometimes take him 25 minutes to tie me up with 100 feet of rope and I would hop into the bathroom and escape in as little time as 2 minutes; he got tired of this game way before I did. The hard part about escapes, especially as a kid, is getting someone to tie you up(you can't tie yourself up)and a lot of practice is what is needed. Now I am able to play not only with rope but chains, antique handcuffs, regulation police handcuffs, thumbcuffs, neck restraints, straight jackets and more. Now, it is not hard to get volunteers to tie me up at each & every illusion show because they can't wait to see if I can get out. To see me escape from a straight jacket suspended upside down 4 stories above the ground check out youtube.com and search Wes Iseli.

Church Shows / Gospel Magic

2010-01-22T21:10:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I are both Christians and as a magician I have run into people who think magic is evil. I have studied magic since I was seven years old and I have never seen anything done that could not be duplicated by either a magician or man. What we do on stage is entertainment, not evil. As a member of an organization called The Fellowship of Christian Magicians I have promised to use my gift as an entertainer and magician to spread the word whenever I can. We actually have gospel themed magic we can perform during church events with themes that involve "Everyone is the same in God's eyes," "If you choose the love of money over God you end up with nothing" & more. Natalie & I perform at churches all over entertaining and educating. We have performed during church services & Sunday school and at open houses, pot luck dinners, Easter celebrations, Harvest & other holiday parties, first communion parties, baptism parties, & much, much more. Remember us the next time your church is looking for a new fun way to get the word out.

Virginia Living TV Appearance, Take 2

2010-01-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I were asked to perform our magic at the Virginia Living Television studio in Culpeper yesterday. This is our second time being interviewed by Virginia Living Television. This time we were asked to bring an illusion, some close up magic, and they also informed us that we would have another interview portion. We got to the location around 7:00 pm and got the illusion put together and waited around about 15 minutes while they finished up taping another segment. Then we were introduced to the staff and Natalie & I taped the Illusion first. It seemed out of context when you do it in an event like this because the set up for the illusion is missing, but it turned out great. Then we filmed the interview portion which was supposed to last only 12 minutes but it went on for 30 minutes, I think because every one was having so much fun. They told us they like to do one straight take but with 30 minutes of footage I assume it will end up being 2 segments. Afterward, everyone on the crew was very complimentary of us and they told us how much they enjoyed us and wanted us back soon. We talked about working on the road and magic for a while longer, then we packed up our sound system and the illusion and headed home. We left the studio around 10:00 pm. Natalie & I both had a great time.

Starting off 2010

2010-01-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

This new year is starting off great! We have so many wonderful things in store for 2010. Natalie & I are definitely getting our names out because for the first time in my career I have as of today 107 shows already booked throughout the new year, which is an amazing head start. Natalie & I are now working on a new illusion show and I'm figuring out the logistics and a location for an underwater escape to be performed sometime this year. One thing I can promise you is that 2010 will have a lot of surprises, twists, and turns along the way.

December video (Thimble Magic)

2009-12-28T13:46:00.001-05:00

This is going to be a once a month feature on my blog. I will film a piece of magic and put it out on the internet and only here will you find the behind the scene story of the video.

This month I performed a thimble routine. This video was very spur of the moment. I have only been working with thimbles off and on for a little over a year and as I was playing with them while watching Christmas movies with Natalie while we were snowed in. After the movie, right before midnight, I found a piece of music that I thought was short and sweet for the thimble routine and I played with the routine for only about 10 minutes before asking Natalie to film it.

I think it turned out very well considering I only had a 1 minute song and 10 Minutes of practice.

I hope you enjoy!

Wes

Snowed in, December 2009

2009-12-21T18:09:00.000-05:00

December is a very busy time of year for us with Christmas & holiday parties running the gambit; from huge extravagant events with caterers and ice sculptures to having a veggie plate and someone who drew the short straw to play Santa. We have lots of bookings not only with companies but also family reunions, lodges, and other organizations. Needless to say the weekends are our busiest times. Living in Central Virginia snow usually is not a factor until after Christmas. This year starting on Friday December 18th around 3pm - Saturday December 19th at 8pm we received a little over 2 feet of snow. Natalie & I were snowed in, we had 4 bookings for this weekend and all were rescheduled. Natalie & I just hung out watching Christmas movies, playing video games, and baking & eating cookies. We both shoveled so much snow it hurt to sit down or stand up. We finally were able to dig out on Monday afternoon once the roads were scraped, which was great timing because we were running out of groceries.

Giving back at Christmas

2009-12-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I are so busy this time of year with company parties, family reunions, schools shows, private shows and more. In our spare time we get into the holiday spirit by doing our part to give back. This year we performed our 24 hour magic show to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network the day before Thanksgiving. We perform a free magic show for the Ronald McDonald house in Charlottesville each & every year. We purchase toys for the toys for tots program and we even pick a child from the angel tree program.

During the year we visit children's hospitals and nursing homes while we are on the road but we really step it up at Christmas time. The pictures above are of me performing at the University of Virginia Hospital children's ward for their Backstage Virginia television show that is broadcasted through the hospital and is taped in front of a live audience. We know we are truly blessed to be able to do what we love for a living. Even though our schedule is sometimes hectic, we know we are so lucky to be full time performers.

With the holiday season in full swing it can get very hectic. We all need to take time out to remember the reason for the season!

#1 Entertainer 2009

2009-12-07T12:57:00.001-05:00

Albemarle Magazine has put out its first ever awards issue and polled their readers on a bunch of different categories; favorite restaurants, parks and so on. We are proud to announce that Wes Iseli Magician won 1st place as the #1 entertainer in central Virginia for 2009. We were very surprised to win this award especially since we thought you had to advertise with them to get an award. We figure that definitely makes it more special since we earned it and did not buy it. Thanks to everyone who voted for us!

Wes Iseli's Magic & Illusion show

2009-12-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

Natalie & I have been doing our Magic & Illusion shows for a while now with great response & re bookings at 99% of all the locations we have performed it at so far. We have been selling them as a fundraising Magic & Illusion show in which the school hires us to perform. We get a set amount of money and the school or charity makes everything else. We make pretty good money with these shows, but getting a new school to book can be like pulling teeth sometimes, they have been burned before by other entertainers. So Natalie & I have decided to still do those shows but we are now also working for ourselves. We will rent high school auditoriums and we will team up with a charity and give a percent of the profits to them; this way we will not have to wait on approval from any commitees. This is now a big risk for us, as we are coming into towns with no connections and trying to fill up 700 or 1500 seat auditoriums. We know we have a great product and with a little hard work this will be a success. Look for us in a town near you in 2010.

Our 3rd annual 24 hour magic show

2009-11-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

Starting on November 24th at 10:00 am I will be performing 72 shows in 24 hours to raise money for the children's miracle network.The event will take place infront of Walmart in Staunton Virginia and all the proceeds will go directly to charity. I will perform 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off for the entire 24 hours. This is our 3rd year doing this and we are hoping for better weather this year than last, with temperatures in the overnight hours around 12 & 14 degrees. This whole thing is just my way of doing something extra special at Christmas time to give back.

If you are in the area please stop by and give to a great cause while enjoying the show.