- 10 months ago
He's a magic man, mama
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Ladies and gentlemen, John Dornbaugh is joining us. Good day, John.
00:08Rockstar, thanks for having me.
00:10No problem, man. Anytime, bud.
00:13Dude, how long since you've been and performed Magic Live?
00:18Has there been a pause on that?
00:19We know you haven't been in the area performing in a little while.
00:23Yeah, it's been about a year, a year and a half, right?
00:26So we're just getting up and going and excited to do so.
00:29I have to ask you, because I mentioned this to Casey.
00:32I watched the series Hacks with Gene Smart, which I thought was very funny.
00:37You appear in that, correct? That's you as the magician in one scene, correct?
00:41Yeah, you know, it was one of those things where HBO called and they're like, hey, HBO Max.
00:45And the director's like, hey, we need a magician. Gene Smart's this comedian.
00:49And will you play yourself? And I was like, wait a minute.
00:52So what you're telling me is you want me to be on an HBO Max, HBO show as myself?
00:57Yeah, yeah, I think I can make that up.
00:59Right, right. No, it was a cool scene because there was a big party and she's at this palatial estate.
01:04And Caitlin Olsen was there as well.
01:06But you had to be shooting that during COVID restrictions and stuff like that, right?
01:11I mean, the party seemed packed, but I'm sure they took extra precautions.
01:16Oh, yeah. I mean, look, it's the insurance companies, right?
01:19So a ton of precaution. You know, it's funny because it's like six seconds, right?
01:23It was like five days. You know what I mean? But it's like you get six seconds.
01:25What was really cool is when I used to play for the Bills, Chris McDonald, who's an actor and a ton of stuff.
01:30I love his stuff. He was Shooter McGavin.
01:32Yeah, he's great.
01:33He's from upstate New York, so he would go to a lot of games.
01:36So him and I would hang out like way back in the day.
01:39And so when I sat next to him, I was like, hey, hey, Chris.
01:41He's like, hey, what's going on? I'm Chris.
01:42I'm like, dude, Dornboss, Longsnapper Bills.
01:44He's like, oh, my God.
01:48We got to hang out for a few days, and he's such a nice guy.
01:51He seems like a great dude.
01:52Well, your beard is more pronounced right now, so maybe that was part of it, too.
01:56Well, it's called children.
01:58The grays are coming in.
01:59How many kids do you have now?
02:03Yeah, one.
02:04Actually, I said child.
02:06But a split personality.
02:08Yeah.
02:08But my wife takes care of me, too, so she has children.
02:11Yeah, she's got two.
02:12Hey, John, when you're putting together your actor show, and I even see, you know, you've performed for us many times here in the studio,
02:21but I've never gone to your actual live show.
02:24What's it like?
02:24Because there's various types of magicians.
02:27There are people who put on a big, you know, lots of pyrotechnics and effects,
02:32and there's people, the ones that I find more impressive are the ones who are mainly doing sleight of hand and really blowing you away with their storytelling and all the stuff that goes along with that.
02:40What's your style?
02:42Well, perfect intro, because lucky for you, I'm a storyteller, sleight of hand, and we do some big stuff.
02:48So I'm really proud of the show.
02:50It's my life story.
02:51And so it's the ups and downs that I've had through life, the magic that I found along the way that got me out of it.
02:55It's inspiring.
02:56It's motivating.
02:57Look, we do some mind-blowing magic, obviously, because that's what I love to do.
03:00But I promise you it's not like this gratuitous magic show where you just dance around and want to be David Copperfield.
03:06I love that.
03:07I just don't want to be that.
03:08But it's funny, because the first, you know, I grew up with, like, Blackstone, the magician, and all these, you know, and Houdini, obviously, and all this stuff.
03:16And there was that sort of presentation.
03:19The presentation where there was a narrative that would start to move in, where there was a story told through the magic, started to happen, I guess.
03:28Maybe it was Doug Henning, one of the first, who kind of did, like, a connected narrative with the magic.
03:34Is that correct, John?
03:36Yeah.
03:37Yeah.
03:38And, you know, Lance Burton did an interview way back when, and it was basically, like, the hardest part about magic is to get people to care.
03:44If I do a dove routine, why do people care?
03:47And my style has always just gone towards telling personal experience and life stories that obviously – well, so when you tell a personal story, people connect to it, people relate to it, and then people start thinking about things in their life that are similar, right?
03:59And so it's a way to trigger, and then all of a sudden you do magic, and it breaks down this barrier, this wall, and people become vulnerable, like kids.
04:06And so now what you say, to me, is ten times more impactful.
04:09Look, I'm a big fan of your show.
04:10I'm a big fan of rock and roll.
04:11I wanted to be a rock star.
04:12I can't sing.
04:13I can't dance.
04:13I can't play an instrument.
04:14Right, right, yeah.
04:15Just check that out, Bill Box.
04:17But cards and magic became my instrument, and now the ballad or the jam can be whatever it is you say around it.
04:23That's awesome.
04:23John, did you happen to see a special on Hulu called In and of Itself with a guy named Derek Delguadio?
04:29First of all, huge fan of Delguadio.
04:32I'm like the only magician that has not seen this yet.
04:35I have no excuse.
04:36I've been wanting to see this.
04:37I heard it's phenomenal.
04:38It's just really super unique, and that's what I think is really cool about, you know, taking what you do and putting a unique spin on it.
04:47And he very much tells the story of his life as well during that show.
04:51I'm going to tell you right now, I'm going to make a promise to the Preston and Steve show.
04:55I will be watching it tonight.
04:58Okay, all right.
04:59Nice.
04:59But it's similar in your life story, which has so many – I mean, if you were to just get up and do a TED Talk about your life, that alone would be interesting.
05:09You have such rich fodder to draw upon for the magic.
05:14But as you start to develop a show and change it and alter it and add illusions and tricks or whatever you like to refer to them as, where do you get the opportunity to go do that?
05:25Do you have a warehouse or do you have – not that you're like David Copperfield making planes disappear or whatever, but do you have an actual lab or something that you go to where you work on this stuff?
05:34Yeah, yeah.
05:36I have a lab.
05:38It's my house at Oak Brook Circle.
05:40That's it.
05:40It's a little – and that little garage over there on the side that we don't quite use that we don't know what to do with the lawnmower, so we shove it in there.
05:47And it's that simple.
05:48You just go in and – a room in your house and –
05:52Yeah, you know what?
05:52I got a great creative team.
05:54And so, you know, Blake Voight, Danny Garcia.
05:56Danny Garcia is the guy behind David Blaine.
05:58He's been playing all his TV stuff for years and years.
06:00Well, that's good.
06:01We're really good friends.
06:02Yeah, we're good friends, but what these people are really good at is when us three get in a room and we jam, it's like songwriting, right?
06:08Some people just gel, and it's important to know one another's style.
06:11And so they kind of get my style, and we just create stuff, which is fun.
06:15You know, it's funny because so many musicians and magicians – and the words sound very similar, by the way – but, you know, you'll take a chord progression and turn it a little bit and make it something new.
06:26And I get that impression as being the same with magicians.
06:30Okay, there's this old-style trick.
06:32We're going to turn it, do this, put this narrative behind it, and make it something new.
06:36Is that a large part of what you do?
06:39Yeah, I mean, it's like music.
06:40There's like five chords.
06:42Am I right?
06:42Yeah.
06:42I should know that.
06:43Six chords.
06:45Well, magic, there's five things you can do, and I should probably know these five.
06:49You can disappear.
06:50You can reappear.
06:51You can change.
06:52And there's like two other things you can do.
06:54Right.
06:54So it's taking a spin on that.
06:58You're getting a little too intricate for us.
07:01Let me ask you that.
07:02I was expecting manipulation.
07:05Some of these other –
07:06You change.
07:07You disappear.
07:08You come back.
07:09And then there's three other things.
07:10So there have been some – in the magic world, there have been some constants, obviously.
07:16But there has been new variables over the years in technology and stuff.
07:21And over the last year, with being able to do things via Zoom and virtually, has that presented itself?
07:29Any new opportunities for you?
07:31Yeah.
07:32So in the Zoom world, which is – hello, here we are.
07:35So I did a lot of like keynotes.
07:37Believe it or not, the virtual keynote speaking market was out of this world, right?
07:41And so I would be able to – I'd be able to do tricks through Zoom, which is kind of cool.
07:45I created a few things.
07:46Now, it's a completely different medium.
07:48It's a completely different way of doing things, right?
07:49Now you're isolated in this little frame here.
07:51So, you know, it was a fun, challenging time.
07:56Do you get cold?
07:56I mean, obviously, I know when I was doing stand-up comedy, I used to do corporate gigs fairly often.
08:02Is that still out there, A, you know, substantially with so many people working from home and, you know,
08:09all that change because of what we just went through, is that still a rich area for you as a magician to work in?
08:16The Zoom market?
08:18The corporate, you know, corporate events and things of that nature.
08:20Is that a big moneymaker for you without getting – I don't need a dollar amount.
08:26Yeah, baby.
08:26Throw me the money!
08:29But not so much as a magician.
08:31Like I said, I get hired out as a speaker and I get to do whatever magic I want within that.
08:36I got you.
08:36One of the best advice I ever got was my rookie year.
08:38And this guy, Kevin Elko, he's a speaker.
08:41And I was in the weight room.
08:42He's like, hey, I'll give you a couple hundred bucks to go talk to these bankers.
08:45I was like, I'm in.
08:46And he goes, you know that stupid little pencil trick you do?
08:48I'm like, yeah.
08:49He's like, they'll eat it up.
08:50Tell your story after you went to college.
08:52So I was like, okay.
08:53And then afterwards, he literally pulled me aside and he goes, listen, kid.
08:56I was 23.
08:57He goes, listen, kid.
08:57I'm going to give you some advice.
08:58Look, the magic's cute.
08:59I get it.
09:00You need to be a speaker and you'll thank me for it.
09:03And so I've been a speaker ever since.
09:05And obviously the cap that companies are willing to spend on a magician is quite a bit smaller than a speaker.
09:11All right.
09:12True, true.
09:13Hey, hey, you can call me whatever you want.
09:18Just a reminder, John's going to be at Borgata Music Box on Friday, two shows, by the way.
09:23John, so what is, what role does football play in your life now?
09:26Just a observer or anything else?
09:28You know, I have some friends call me here and there and they'll have a, you know, because a lot of the guys I played with now are coaching either high school, college or whatever.
09:37And they'll have a snapper or a specialist.
09:39They'll say, hey, man, can you work with this kid?
09:40Can you give me some advice?
09:41And we can do it over Zoom.
09:43We can do it live.
09:43And so I'm just kind of like the guy that just kind of goes in, helps out.
09:47Believe it or not, there's been some coaches that have left the Eagles and gone onto other teams.
09:50And they're like, hey, we'd love to bring you in here.
09:52And just kind of help build a culture of an organization, which for me, I think that was a bigger compliment than help me with X's and O's.
09:59I think that was kind of a role I had with the Eagles for a long, long time.
10:02And that was, you know, establish a culture, get it, get a sense of community and family within a locker room, care about one another.
10:08And then you don't have to be the greatest of athletes to win.
10:11I have a very objective question to ask you, John.
10:15Who, which fans are crazier, Bills fans or Eagles fans?
10:19Because Bills fans over the last few years have really upped their game in the level of craziness that they bring.
10:25The Bills mafia, as I think now kind of rivals the insanity that Eagles fans bring every week.
10:32I'll say this.
10:33I mean, anybody that's out there in minus 20 degree weather with no shirt on, run around in the parking lot.
10:38I mean, it's crazy.
10:39You know what I mean?
10:40It's a different level of crazy.
10:42For those that have never been to Buffalo, wow.
10:45It was like the greatest thing that ever happened to me to get picked up by the Bills.
10:48And then it was like the greatest thing that ever happened to me to get released by the Bills.
10:51Because that place was hard.
10:54I mean, it was like.
10:57Now, look, you're talking about a kid who came from Southern California.
11:00So, like, I had seen snow, but I had never seen snow.
11:03Yeah.
11:04That is snow.
11:05You know.
11:06And now, keep in mind, I kind of hacked my way into college, right?
11:09I sent somebody else's film.
11:10So, when I got into the NFL, I was still trying to figure out how to snap.
11:13And so, to go to Buffalo and try and play in that weather and be as special.
11:16Look, I played with Drew Bledsoe.
11:17That guy had one of the strongest arms I've ever seen.
11:19I remember there was games that he couldn't even throw a 10-yard out because the wind was so bad.
11:23Yeah.
11:23And then the coach was ticked off at me that I couldn't snap.
11:26Drew can't throw it 10 yards.
11:28You want me to look between my legs?
11:30Yeah.
11:30Right, right, right.
11:31John, I went to the Eagles-Bills game.
11:33Oh, God.
11:34It had to have been two years ago.
11:35And the wind was crazy.
11:37We couldn't even kick extra points at this point.
11:40You know, the wind was so bad.
11:41They kept going for two-point conversions.
11:43Oh, my God.
11:43That's savage.
11:43But I will say, I thought the fans were great.
11:47I didn't get there early enough to, like, really, like, hang out in the tailgate area or whatever.
11:51But, you know, I bought tickets that were close enough in the end zone.
11:56So, I just wanted to get in on either A, get on TV, which I did, or B, catch a football either via kickoff or whatever.
12:03And a football landed two seats away from me.
12:06So, I know.
12:07I was so, so close.
12:08But I had a great time.
12:10And they had great hot dogs in the stadium.
12:14There you go.
12:14Yeah.
12:15Well, I mean, think about this.
12:17Philadelphia has, like, you know, restaurants.
12:20Like, you know, Zama loves sushi.
12:22Come on, Redstone.
12:23Hello.
12:23Still here.
12:24Oh, there's a lot.
12:26Forever.
12:26Oh, yes.
12:27And Buffalo has, you know.
12:31Hey, let me ask you, do you have Wetzel's Pretzels there by any chance?
12:37Oh, I don't know.
12:38Casey's a big fan.
12:39I think he's got good wings.
12:40Yeah.
12:41But Buffalo was great, man.
12:44But, like I said, what a hard place to play, man.
12:46Hard place.
12:47Wow.
12:48Nice.
12:48Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore.
12:50How about that, man?
12:51Yeah.
12:51You got your own backstage and all that.
12:54Everything.
12:54Exactly.
12:55What is your rider like?
12:56Is there anything super unique in a John Dorenbos rider when you show up at the Borgata?
13:01Uh, Michelob.
13:03So, this is funny.
13:04So, I was never, I didn't really drink alcohol a whole lot.
13:07Right.
13:07And I never drank beer.
13:08I didn't like beer.
13:09Right.
13:09I didn't like beer.
13:10So, my wife's like, oh, this is cool.
13:12So, when you stop working out and stop playing football, now you're going to drink beer.
13:15Right.
13:16Okay.
13:16Good timing.
13:17So, I got my, I got nothing crazy.
13:19I just got my Michelob Gold Ultras carb-conscious beer.
13:23Carb-conscious beer.
13:24Crazy.
13:25Crazy.
13:26That's it.
13:27And do you have, uh, all right.
13:29So, do you have an exclusive partnership with a playing card?
13:33Do you know what I mean?
13:35So, I, I use bicycles now.
13:37This is crazy.
13:38The president of a United States playing card company, huge fan, very nice guy.
13:41But this company, zero advertising, zero endorsements for anybody.
13:45They just don't need it.
13:46They don't do it.
13:46They're just the best.
13:47They're like the Louisville sluggers.
13:48Yeah.
13:48Yeah.
13:49Yeah.
13:49I mean, it's like, why?
13:51Yeah.
13:51Well, that's a good point.
13:54And is that the choice for most magicians?
13:57Bicycle?
13:57For me, yeah.
13:58Yeah.
13:58Apparently, I like the, uh, I like the air cushion finish, apparently.
14:02Just, just get it done for me.
14:03Air cushion finish.
14:04Air cushion finish.
14:05Yeah, absolutely.
14:06So, I keep these guys everywhere.
14:07But bicycle, you know, bicycle is the most consistent.
14:10And, like, now you're going to, now you're going to get me going.
14:13But, like, to be able just to kind of do things, like, that looked really good.
14:16Yeah.
14:16Zoom right there.
14:17But, you know, they just feel good.
14:19They just look good, right?
14:20And so, they just, they fan nice.
14:22Like, come on.
14:22Are you kidding me?
14:23Watch this.
14:24Hey, for those at home, I'm just, oh, come on.
14:26Oh, that's impressive.
14:27That's an impressive fan.
14:28Hey, John, can you do the one where you, uh, where you're just holding the deck in your
14:31hand flat and you just flip that top card up in the air and over?
14:36You know what I'm talking about?
14:37Oh, and he's coughing along.
14:39I'm just, I'm blown away by that stuff.
14:41It's just.
14:41I'm going to, well, this, this comes out of the center.
14:43Oh, man.
14:45Wow.
14:46Wow.
14:46Man.
14:47And he catches it.
14:48Here's, here's something here.
14:49Uh, a little, a little zoom something for you.
14:51It's going to be hard pressing.
14:52You're the, you're the guy in the camera here.
14:53So, I'm just going to use you.
14:54Uh, just say stop.
14:56And stop right there.
14:58Yep.
14:58Okay.
14:59Uh, I'm going to just, I'm going to out jog that.
15:01Okay.
15:02I mean, it's kind of hard here on zoom, but, uh, here we go.
15:05Can you see that or no?
15:06Yep.
15:06I got it.
15:07Uh, what do you see?
15:08I see the 10 of diamonds.
15:10Ooh.
15:10Perfect.
15:11Uh, do you have a cell phone, uh, a wallet, a pad of paper, uh, cell phone and a pad of
15:19paper and a wall.
15:20Good.
15:21Good.
15:21Okay.
15:22Do you have all, do you have all three?
15:23Yeah, I do.
15:24Yeah.
15:24Okay.
15:25Get them.
15:25We're a major market show.
15:28Yeah.
15:28Okay.
15:28So put your, your wallet on your hand first.
15:31Okay.
15:32Dear God.
15:32Okay.
15:33Yeah.
15:34And then your phone on top of that.
15:36Okay.
15:38Pat of paper on top of that.
15:39Yeah.
15:39And then your hand on top of that.
15:42Okay.
15:43Oh, this is going to be sick.
15:45Uh, one more time.
15:46What do you see?
15:4610 of diamonds, 10 of diamonds.
15:49Yeah.
15:49Here we go.
15:50Hopefully this will work.
15:50I don't know, but watch if we take the 10 through zoom, it's gone.
15:55We can get it to van and ish.
15:56Okay.
15:57Uh, Preston, lift your hand up.
15:59No, no, no, no, no, no.
16:01Okay.
16:02Lift the paper.
16:02Oh, I'm sorry.
16:03Nothing under the paper.
16:04Yep.
16:04Yeah.
16:04Yeah.
16:05Put it down.
16:05Lift the phone up.
16:06Okay.
16:08Yeah.
16:08And now put that down.
16:09Okay.
16:10And now just lift your wallet straight up.
16:13Okay.
16:13Is there something on your hand?
16:15Uh, you would have flipped that if you were right there.
16:17Yes.
16:17Oh, hold on.
16:20Hold on.
16:21Hold on.
16:24Hold on.
16:24Okay.
16:25You know what?
16:25It might have not got through.
16:26Can you pick your wallet up again?
16:27Yeah.
16:28Can you open it?
16:31Yes.
16:32Is there something inside?
16:33Go ahead and look, kind of look through there.
16:34Is there something in the, in the, are you serious?
16:37Shut up.
16:38No way.
16:38Shut up.
16:38No way.
16:39No way.
16:39No way.
16:40No way.
16:40No way.
16:40No way.
16:41No way.
16:42Stop it.
16:45There's a 10 of diamonds impressive wallet.
16:47I mean, that's as, that's as, that's as, that's as good as I can get through Zoom.
16:50Who, which one of you a-holes took my wallet and put this in here?
16:55That's insane.
16:56Oh my God.
16:58Ladies and gentlemen.
16:59Yes.
16:59The 10 of diamonds.
17:03You're the devil.
17:04Yeah.
17:04It goes, or God, a Friday night.
17:06I will be there.
17:07Yes.
17:07And honestly, that room is, that room is perfect for magic, by the way.
17:12It's going to be awesome.
17:13Why couldn't you do that with like a hundred dollar bill?
17:15I thought it was going to, like, if I had a $10 bill or something like that, that he
17:21would.
17:22That's awesome.
17:23Screw you, man.
17:24I mean, and I mean that lovingly.
17:25That's insane, dude.
17:26You're crazy.
17:27All right, John, we love you, pal.
17:30It's good to talk to you and have a great time in AC.
17:33Yeah.
17:33And if you guys want to give away tickets, give them away.
17:35Let me know.
17:36All right.
17:36That'd be awesome.
17:37Yeah.
17:37Thank you so much.
17:38John freaking.
17:39Now you're trying to figure out what the hell I have.
17:45I had nothing to do with that.
17:47That's freaking me out, man.
17:48Yeah.
17:49Because I thought he was just going to make it.
17:51I thought he was just going to say that it was a joke, which it was, and it was funny.
17:56And then it's in your wallet.
17:57This was in my wallet.
17:59I didn't do that.
18:00Sure you didn't.
18:01One of you guys did it.
18:02No.
18:03One of you guys did it.
18:04No.
18:04One of you guys did it.
18:05No.
18:06I mean.
18:06That's magic, man.
18:08Wow.
18:08Don't, don't, if you go, if you upgrade to the premium package on Zoom, it comes with
18:11magic.
18:12Is that what it comes with?
18:14That's F'd up.
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