Vanish Magic Magazine Dangerfest SPECIAL EDITION | Page 5

D angerfest is now six years old. “It is modeled after the ground-breaking Brokenfeather Paloozah,” says Brandon Danger Dillon, producer-impresario of Dangerfest. (See sidebar.) Dangerfest was held on the spacious grounds of Pierceton Indiana’s Bait & Tackle bordering a scenic lake. Attendees camped out, stayed in local hotels and did what was necessary to be on the range at 8am to get “dialed in.” Some hard-core people showed up from Canada and France, a week early unable to contain their enthusiasm. The name “Dangerfest” conjures incendiary images of fire, skulls, knives and tomahawks…what could Dangerfest be about? For those with short attention spans—dig this. I have been performing magic all over the world for 45-years. I’ve had some gigantic gigs, and some gigs for a very few people. I’ve entertained Barbara and Frank Sinatra privately and I have entertained 100-people each on chemo-drips. This is not about me or my resume. It is about the next statement. “Dangerfest is the hippest gig I have ever played because it is the coolest event currently sending shockwaves of good feeling through the zeitgeist.” OK — uncurious mind, stop reading. The rest of yahs? You are in for a moment of enlightenment. Biblical enlightenment? No. More like—an advantage to living in the 21st century is not only knowing what will happen, but being able to make that thing you know about, happen. In the land of high-tech, the man who floated the very first loan (in 1982) of 250-million dollars to a fledgling company called APPLE, was very far ahead of the curve because he could see the potential. My friend who convinced his superiors to make that investment is now the President of his company and he makes twelve million dollars a year. That’s right, $250,000 a week. Could you live on that? Now, Dangerfest and making twelve mil a year are N O T synonymous, but the talent involved is. Talent? What is talent? Really, do you know? Is it doing something well? Or is it the ability to expand something known and take it to “another level”? In 2017, I asked the knife-throwing community to give me their reaction to the first time they stuck a knife by knowing how. Of thirty-three reactions received in six hours [representing twelve countries; and fifteen states in the US], over half responded with words describing awe, beauty and sheer wonder. Patrick Brewster of Flying Steel remarked, “It was as if I were a caveman discovering fire.” “DANGERFEST IS THE HIPPEST GIG I HAVE EVER PLAYED BECAUSE IT IS THE COOLEST EVENT CURRENTLY SENDING SHOCKWAVES OF GOOD FEELING THROUGH THE ZEITGEIST.” Well, to offer an extrapolation of my point, consider this. Anyone can pick up a kitchen knife and throw it at a door. Most who do, will not stick the knife into the door. Then there are people who can, I kid you not, hit anything. Just like the Sundance Kid—anything. (Floyd Fugatt wowed the entries at Blade Aces in Las Vegas in 2018. Yes, he could throw accurately. But more importantly, Mr. Fugatt is actually sight impaired. Legally blind. He has served the US honorably as a member of the US Army Rangers.) I saw a man throw a tomahawk 104-feet and nail his target as if he was standing a mere six-feet away. So what does deadly accuracy have to do with magic you might be asking? Magicians think: when you go into your pocket to retrieve a coin surreptitiously for your one ahead coin routine, you KNOW what you are doing and that you will succeed. You’ve done it a thousand times; 1001 should go as planned. SPECIAL | 2020 5