The Metal Corner with Joseph Rake and Confetti Eddie.
This month, my interviewee is the artistic and inimitable Confetti Eddie! Eddie has long been a member of the Dallas Magic Club in good standing. Through a mutual acquaintance I found out that he not only likes heavy metal music, but he’s interested in possibly sharing the stage with local metal bands. I personally look forward to shows that include both magic and metal! Now, on to the interview.
TMM: Tell me about your heavy metal background please.
CE: Me and my friends would go see local bands play in our neighborhood. I was into bands like Metallica and Slayer and always looked for heavy bands like that to see live. I still like most of the old heavy metal and thrash bands I grew up with. I also like newer bands like Ghost and Bullet for my Valentine. Recently saw Morta Death, and Suzy Moon. Morta Death was Heavy. Suzy Moon had the right energy with a great live set.
TMM: You mentioned to me that you did punk rock magic shows in the past. Can you elaborate?
CE: In the 90's I was a bartender at a punk rock club The Bar of Soap. I would perform magic while bartending. I also played bass guitar. I would add magic pyro effects to my bass rig and shoot fireballs at live shows. Most recently I was part of an art show that all of a sudden turned into a punk jam out front when a couple of the artists broke out drums and a bass. I was inspired so I started performing magic inside the gallery. After the event we decided we should try that again. We had the gallery for a month so we planned a couple more receptions. I opened the outdoor music part of the gallery show with magic then later I performed a straightjacket escape in the crowd while the band played.
TMM: What are some of your thoughts on how magic and heavy metal could best enhance each other?
CE: Metal and magic have a thread that connects them, examples can be found on heavy metal album cover art, some of the fantasy illustrations are very much in the magic realm. I think some of the more bizarre magic and fast paced danger style acts including side show would work great for the live music scene. I would use the same lighting and video system that the bands use for their rock shows only I would dial in the gear for magic instead. With a little careful planning a good magic set could add to the music that will follow. I think the key is to add mystery suspense and keep the energy up.
TMM: Last time I remember you joining a DMC meeting as a guest speaker it was to discuss how best to do magic over the internet, i.e. Zoom. Would you like to give any updates on any progress toward that front or experiences you've had in that area?
CE: Keep it simple. Now that we seem to be moving past the pandemic, I have been focusing more on live in person shows. During the pandemic I hosted many virtual magic shows. I also created a virtual magic show that followed the storyline of the Disney plus television show The Mandalorian. I made two episodes that followed the events from season one and two. It turned out that the Mandalorian season three was not going to be released for several years and without source material I decided to shelve my virtual show. I didn't follow up with any other virtual shows, instead I started focusing on the magic I would soon be performing live.
TMM: You are one of the few magicians in the DFW area who had a regular public show. Do you have thoughts on the differences in the challenges between trying to maintain regular work as a public-show magician vs. as a private-gig magician?
CE: I am more comfortable performing on stage where I can have everything ready for the audience. I am not very comfortable going to someone's house to perform. On the rare occasion I will perform at a corporate event as long as everything seems to be in place. I am a very organized performer and I like things to go smoothly. When I go out to a bar or restaurant chances are I have a piece of magic with me and if the vibe is right I will share it with people that are around me. Sometimes I get booked to perform at a restaurant and I like to bring my card table so I have a station to perform from.
Confetti Eddie is once again doing public shows at least once a month. To learn more, connect with him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/confetti.eddiemagic.
See you in future articles!
Yours in magic,
Joseph Rake
“The Metal Magician”
