TGIF: A Magical Memory (Patreon)

Hello and happy Friday, patrons! How is everyone doing this week? I hope you're well or semi-well, and if you're not so well, I hope you know that's okay too! 

I write this post from Palm Springs as Elliott and I just drove down for the night to see the sweet n spicy magic duo, Penn & Teller. Sensible tickets to the mature magic act that's been sweeping the slight-of-hand scene since the 70s? Why yes we are leaning into living our best retiree Friday night fantasies! But, honestly, I love magic. It's silly and funny and poetic and confusing and dorky and beautiful all at once. And I have a feeling the people watching will be as spellbinding as the show itself. 

One of the first ticketed shows I ever went to was David Copperfield with my family in Atlantic City. I think I was in 5th or 6th grade and for his finale he made a motorcycle disappear onstage and it BLEW MY MIND. I also remember that I got to order shirley temples and drink them in the fancy glassware like I was one of the adults with their boozy goblets of fun juice. It all seemed so sophisticated to me at the time. The choice to disappear a motorcycle seemed so radical and so cool. David Copperfield, with his dark hair and dark eyes, dressed in all black exuded this 'alternative bad boy' attitude that everyone seemed hypnotized by. (In hindsight he probably looked like he was doing Danny Zuko cosplay, but hey, I was 11). I don't remember him doing campy schticks or goofy misdirects, I remember him being cool. At least I noticed he definitely made the adult women in the audience (i.e. my step mom) feel some type of way. The vibe of the show was edgy not corny, I remember he didn't talk much, but there was moody instrumental music that felt like we were sitting inside of an indie movie soundtrack. And then he brought this motorcycle on stage. Are you kidding me?? Captian Cool is bringing out a bad boy bike?? C'mon! If that's not enough, he suspended it high into the air on a rig as he stood next to it. What the hell!? At this point I'm sure you could practically hear the insatiable murmurs of the horny middle aged moms in the audience barely able to behold such an insanely sexy sight. THEN, he covered the motorcycle with a sheet and in a flash HE AND THE BIKE disappeared. I practically puked my third Shirly T all over myself! But before I could even register this act of savagery, an unmistakable VROOM VROOM shook the room AND THERE WAS OL COP ON THE HOG IN A BOX CENTER STAGE. Ugh, I lost my whole damn 11 year old mind! Thankfully, I was so consumed with my own shock and awe I had no time to register the PURE CARNAGE that spectacle must have done to the middle aged women in the building. It was, and still is, an incredibly silly cherished memory. So I can't wait for what's in store tonight! Maybe I'll even let myself dabble in some sweet Shirley Ts for old times sake tonight! I won't. That amount of sugar would keep my 37 year old brain awake til Monday. 

Also, for those of you unfamiliar with David Copperfield, here's a picture of him from 1996 (around the time I would have seen him in AC). 

I mean, C'MOOOOOON. The women in that audience didn't stand a chaaaaaaance! Hahahahaha. Sorry, I can't stop laughing at how wonderfully cringe this is. I mean, the guy dated Claudia Schiffer for 5 years! He's got (a very specific) game! He also made the Statue of Liberty disappear on live TV. Why? BECAUSE HE'S A BADASS, DUH. lololol. I attached some other images to help round out your picture of his badassery. 

Oh man I did not expect to go on a David Copperfield kick this Friday afternoon but here we are! 

The rest of this weekend will be spent attempting to enjoy the Super Bowl in hopes that those Eagles Flyyyy. Go birds! Will you be watching? If they win my dad may actually cry again, and if they lose, my little brother is gonna have quite a chaotic time in his new place in Philly. Either way, I will be experiencing my highs and lows from the safe coziness of my own couch. Anyone doing anything fun for the game? Oh, and the Rihanna of it all! I can't wait for that! 

Speaking of performances, I gotta go get ready for tonight's magical escapade! Apologies for the slightly shorter post, I got carried away indulging in a walk down ridiculous memory lane. I hope y'all have good weekends! Let me know what you get up to! Thanks, as always, for being here! 💚G