Las Vegas Weekly

• Tweet
• 
• Print
• 

The Society of American Magicians is the oldest magic club in the world. Houdini popularized the SAM 100 years back, and since then, the club has thrived. It currently boasts 6,000 members, many of whom are descending on Las Vegas this week for the SAM’s 2012 convention.

Visiting magicians will be treated to top-secret lectures by close-up maestro Mathieu Bich and seasoned master Johnny Thompson. That’s my polite way of saying, You’re not welcome. No laymen allowed.

Here’s the good news: On July 25, you can come to the SAM’s Las Vegas Magic Experience show at the Smith Center. It will feature comedy magician Fielding West and floating table creator Losander. They’ll perform alongside Luna Shimada, Jason Baney, Sonny Fontana and Ayala & Tanya. So if you don’t like one of the acts, no big deal; the next magician will take the stage in minutes.

Also, one night later, you can come to the SAM’s Gala Show—I’ll be at this one—featuring Chris Kenner (David Copperfield’s producer), Korean champion Kim Hyun Joon and John Cassidy, a man who’s been crawling into balloons since before Angel Porrino first walked into Absinthe’s Spiegeltent.