A Chat with The Charming Matthew Teague | S01E14

[00:00:00] Speaker A: I'm Dr. Todd. And I'm Matthew Teague and this is Magician's Workshop. Matthew Teague is a magician known for his innovative approach to magic, blending classic sleight of hand with fresh, modern ideas. That is true. With a passion for both performing and creating magic, Matthew has developed unique effects that have gained recognition in the magic community. His work showcases a deep understanding of deception, audience management and the psychology behind great magic. Whether on the stage or behind the scenes, Matthew continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the art of illusion. So, and then the AI said, oh, wow. Yeah, so, yeah, yeah, I'll send that to you. I'm using that. Good chat. GPT. [00:00:59] Speaker B: Oh, cool. [00:01:00] Speaker A: Like, yeah, it's the kind you have to pay for. That actually does a really good job. Yeah, I'll send that, I'll send that to you. I love copy. It's fantastic. [00:01:08] Speaker B: Yeah, ChatGPT has been incredible. Dan actually did a thing the other day and I couldn't believe it was pulling stuff up. She was like, were you on Don't Blink? And I was like, yeah. She's like, I didn't know that. I was like, yeah. So it was cool that they were able to somehow find these, these little things that I had done or even bring up Magicopolis. And that was mind blowing to me because I forgot all about that. That was a job that, that was like a bar that Eric Tate was like, oh, okay, back in the day and he used to have his buddies come out and perform every once in a while and I was one of them. So it was. [00:01:37] Speaker A: Oh, that's cool. [00:01:38] Speaker B: It was cool. It kind of brought back some memories. I was like, oh, this is incredible. AI is. [00:01:42] Speaker A: It's crazy. It knows everything and it's, you know, it's really weird how small the magic community is. It's not a, it's not a big, you know, it's a very small, tight knit kind of group. [00:01:54] Speaker B: Yeah, it's, it's, it's awesome because I've finally kind of reconnected with everybody over the last, I don't know, maybe four or five years. And it's been incredible just to work on stuff and build again. I think it's really important to, to be around other magicians because you get so inspired by each other, you know, and yeah, if you can find, you know, the people, it's, it's, it's the best because, you know, it's like, yeah, you know, the whole iron, sharpening iron, you just always together, so you're pushing each other's ideas further. [00:02:31] Speaker A: What. And you're in Wisconsin, right? [00:02:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:34] Speaker A: So what's the. What's the magic scene like in Wisconsin? [00:02:38] Speaker B: It's. It's growing all the time, I think. You know, it's. Milwaukee's magic scene was always a little bit stronger just because the city was bigger. So as a kid, I used to go out there a lot. Not a kid, but as a, you know, teenager. When I first moved to Wisconsin, Milwaukee was always like, I gotta go to Milwaukee, to the Magicopolis. They had a magic shop out there and really great magicians. There was a magician named Mark Bond in Milwaukee who was just like the best magician you'd never heard of. Just an incredible bar magician. And he was my mentor for several years at this place called the Safe House in Milwaukee. And that was a really great, like, learning experience for me because Mark was like a. Just unbelievably skilled. And so to be able to work with him was great because he was kind of like a. Almost like a prodigy as a kid in Milwaukee, too. And it had always kind of practiced and worked on his stuff. And even, like, there was so many magicians that were inspired by him growing up in Milwaukee. Like. Like famous ones. Like Brett Daniels, you know, talks about him. [00:03:44] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:03:45] Speaker B: Coming out and. Yeah, it's, you know, he. Mark was. Was a huge influence to so many, and, you know, the scene misses him dearly. He passed away maybe 10 years ago, but really great magician. There's other magicians that came out of Milwaukee. Like, Ben Seidman was a childhood friend. [00:04:04] Speaker A: Oh, wow. Really? Okay. [00:04:06] Speaker B: Magician. Yeah. Just. Yeah, really great magic. Out of Milwaukee. Out of Wisconsin. I think, in general, I think Wisconsin is kind of becoming a little bit of a hot spot for magic, to be honest with you. A lot of the friends that I made out here just went on to do incredible things. Like. Like, I always lived in Nina for a while, like, when he was younger, and then he went off to college, but then, like, he would come hang out in Madison, you know, in my. Like, my early 20s and stuff, because his sister went to college here. That's like, you know, Wisconsin had a lot of cool stuff going on. [00:04:37] Speaker A: That is wild. [00:04:38] Speaker B: Yeah, the people I got to meet was unbelievable. [00:04:41] Speaker A: I mean, let's segue into that. What's your earliest memory of magic? [00:04:47] Speaker B: Like a mat. I don't know. You know, it's funny to me. Magic is, you know, like that moment when you imagine anything can happen. So there's. There's like a bit of a blur to it for me. Like, there's, like, the moment, like, with most kids, you know, where your. Your grandpa does something silly like blows his muscles up or pulls away from the ear. You know what I mean? Yeah. You know, and then, you know, you watch a magic special with the, you know, that kind of plants the seed. And then there's other moments, like. Like in Albuquerque, being a. Like a kid and, you know, maybe like, six years old and looking out my window and seeing the balloon festival. Just all these balloons in the air and thousands and thousand balloons. It's floating throughout the air. It's like, how is this possible? It must be magic. I got really into skateboarding when I was a kid, and I think it was because to me, it was like, how is the skateboard sticking to their feet? Like, it seemed like a magic trick. How are they jumping over that shopping cart? It seems unreal. Yeah. Wow. So there was always, like, these. These moments of astonishment that I was just drawn to. And then when I was 12 years old, I fell through the rabbit hole completely. Met a magician in Albuquerque named Paul Cockrell. I just talked to him today, actually. We're still really good friends. And Paul had showed me shadow coins, which was, you know, like a David Roth trick where it looks like you're just waving your hands over coins and they're jumping from corner to corner. I had no idea that sleight of hand like that, that looked like that was possible. So it just. I. I fell in love with the art entirely. And from that day, it just was, like, every day. I was always trying to learn. Um, Paul had recommended that I got Bubbles Coin Magic, so I was able to, you know, I. I didn't really read a lot at that point, so Bubbles Coin Magic was sort of like my, all right, kid, it's time to learn. You know, so just the. The passion of, like, wanting to learn magic made me, like, learn how to read and become more educated, because I wanted to become a better magician from there, you know, there wasn't a lot going on. We ended up moving to Roswell, New Mexico. And in Roswell, there just wasn't much of a magic scene at all. And so I would call Paul and ask for advice, recommendations, that kind of thing. And, you know, eventually we came to visit Madison. And around that time, I started calling magicians, like, all around Wisconsin, just, hey, I'm this kid from New Mexico. I want to learn magic. You know, how can I learn? Is there classes that you can give me? You know, things like that? I didn't have much. It wasn't Very professional about it. So most of them just kind of politely told me, you know, thanks for no thanks. Oh, wow. So, you know, years. Years. A few years after that, I found the magic club. And then, you know, I had a group of friends that, you know, I, I would talk to. And mainly though, it was like, you know, the kid, like, there would always be like somebody else at my high school that would take an interest. And then we would talk back and forth about magic, if possible and get really excited about the new trick or whatever. And then we would go, like, take trips to the mall, maybe like 13, 14 years old, get a ride to the mall and go walk around doing magic in the malls like David Blaine. Because we thought that was what. That's how you do magic. [00:08:20] Speaker A: Yeah, that's exactly how you do magic. [00:08:24] Speaker B: So, yeah. Then at like 15, I got really lucky because I got a job at TGI Fridays doing magic. Walk around. [00:08:32] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:08:33] Speaker B: So, yeah, it was like one of my first jobs. I thought I had made it, you know, and then we. We moved back to New Mexico because my mom couldn't handle the. Handle the weather. And so we were there until I was about 17 or so and moved back. I moved back to, To Madison and just started pursuing magic again. And, you know, from there it was. It was maybe on pause for about a year or so. I had gotten a job at the Marriott as a cook. I was like an omelette chef. And I didn't really know about like magic conventions or get togethers or anything like that. And I was cooking one day and one of the guys came up to me and said, hey, you know, there's like a big magic convention in the back over there. And I was like, what are you talking about? He's like, you know, big magic conference and there's no such thing. Like, I'm into this stuff. Like, what are you talking about? You know, and so because I'd gotten the job doing magic tricks, so they knew I was a magician. [00:09:33] Speaker A: Nice. [00:09:34] Speaker B: So do you. [00:09:36] Speaker A: You make omelets appear? [00:09:37] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah. No, I think I showed him a video of me throwing knives blindfolded. That was. [00:09:42] Speaker A: Oh, love it. [00:09:43] Speaker B: Hey, can I. You know, of course I could chop stuff. You know, check out the video. So. So yeah, you know, I ended up. This is probably a story I probably shouldn't tell, but whatever, it's, it's, it's fine. [00:09:58] Speaker A: At this point, definitely, you gotta tell. Yeah. [00:10:00] Speaker B: I snuck my head into this little. Into this convention and it blew my mind. I couldn't believe it, there's magic everywhere. It just was like this whole other world. And I, you know, ended up entering in the magic competition. And I found the video the other day. I couldn't believe it. You know, I'm like 19 years old, I got dreadlocks. I look, you know, like a totally different person. Come in with dreadlocks, and I enter this magic competition. I'm doing my, my muscle pass and whatever. And, you know, I thought it did okay. And so it was funny because afterwards I asked the guys, I was like, you know, how do you, how do you think I, I did. Like, this whole thing is just so surreal to me. And they were like, man, you know, we know you snuck into this place, right? I was like, oh, I, I, well, just tell me where to go pay or that. I just got so, so engulfed in the whole thing. It's my turn, you know, I love it. So, so, yeah, the next year, of course, every year after that, I made sure that I got registered first. [00:10:56] Speaker A: Do you, do you remember what the name of the conference was and if it still exists? [00:10:59] Speaker B: It was called the Houdini Club, and it's like a Wisconsin convention here. And so it's, it's still around. It's just, you know, a little bit smaller. But that year was pretty major. We had some, some great talent, and so it was super inspiring. And yeah, from, from there, I connected to a lot of the, the Milwaukee magicians and that, that Milwaukee scene. And maybe a few years after that, I got a job at a magic shop in this Weston mall in Madison and was just, you know, doing magic. It was like, kind of like college for me because I was doing magic like eight hours a day. [00:11:35] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great way to practice. [00:11:37] Speaker B: Yeah, it was really great at the time. I still, I still would get the shakes. You know, like, when you're are first going, you, you get shaky sometimes, especially even if you, if you're not taking care of yourself, sometimes you get so into show mode, you forget to, like, drink water or eat food or like, really just the basics of taking care of yourself so that you are, you know, can perform at your, your top ability. But, but yeah, so I, I'd gotten a job there, and that's where I kind of got over the shakes and got more comfortable just doing what I was doing. And yeah, that was a, that was, that was a good kind of start for a lot of stuff. Used to have a ton of fun, like taking watches and then making them appear in like, a watch. Yes. You know, kind of like A David Blank thing, because I knew the. The girl that worked at the watch kiosk place, and it was hilarious because I. I stopped getting crowds. You know, I was getting crowds for a while, and I remember one day I was like, man, I don't know what's going on. Like, now I. I can't pull a crowd. And I. And I went into the. The food court, and I overheard the security guards saying, watch out for the magician. He'll take your watch. You know, he'll steal your watch. He really will steal your watch. And then they walk away, like, okay, thanks. And I went up to the security guards, I said, you know, you got to tell them I give it back. Right? So I figured out what. What the. What was happening. Yeah. So one day I was at the magic shop, and this kid is maybe. It was like nine years old, maybe eight. He might have been a little younger. I. I feel bad thinking that I would have done this to a kid that was that young. I was. I was maybe, you know, 19 at the time. So, anyway, it's fair. [00:13:17] Speaker A: It's. It's fine. [00:13:18] Speaker B: Every time I go build a crowd, he knew that there was a drawer that we kept all the secrets. Cinematic drinks, you know, and so every time we go build a crowd, he'd go and jump into the drawer and look in there and try to figure out, you know, what was going on. And he couldn't blame him. You know, he was a kid, but he just wasn't supervised most of the time. So. So anyway, I told. I kept telling him, you know, I said, hey, you got to watch out. You got to stop doing that. You know, you keep looking in there, your eyeballs are going to fall out. Which is a Eugene Berger line, you know, that he used to say, like, don't look in the box. Your eyeballs will fall out. You know, and it was just riffing one day. And so he. The kid came back and did it again, But I was ready for him, you know, I had some fake eyeballs that fell out, and so it's. I was like, ah. So, yeah, so he never went into the drawer again, but, yeah, fantastic. But, you know, it was, you know, anyway, but the magic Shop todays were great. And then after that, I found out about the world magic seminar at the magic shop from a magician that had came to buy some things. And so I had. I had to find out what it was about. So I. I, you know, a dollar in a dream went to Vegas, supposed to go stay with a friend of mine for, like, two weeks. You know, I'm like 20 years old at the time, mind you. Supposed to go stay with a friend of mine for like, like a week and a half. He said, oh, you can come stay with me and, you know, you can go try, try your stuff at different places and see if you can get some things going. Sounded really, like, exciting. So got out there, I had enough to maybe be at a hotel for like four days. [00:14:58] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:15:00] Speaker B: And so I was at the hotel for four days and then I called my buddy and it's crickets, you know. Yeah. He just disappeared on me. And so I was like homeless in Las Vegas for a week and a half. Like a week. [00:15:18] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [00:15:19] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. So there was like a. An interesting bit of a wake up. Yeah. But at the same time, it was incredible because I met some incredible magicians and they're. The way that they were towards me just was so, like, heartwarming, you know, just to see that, you know, even though the situation that I was in, I didn't let them know or anything, but they, they were still like, you know, you speak our language, so, you know, come sit with us. And. And so, yeah, I learned so much during that convention and just in Vegas during that period of time. And I came back the next year and I got third place. [00:16:02] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:16:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, the Closer competition. And I had no clue, like, even how huge that was at the time. Like, it was a big deal. The World Magic Seminar, there was a lot of, like, movers and shakers there. So, yeah, you know, it's like when you win the award, you're like shaking Pen and Teller's hand and Lance Burton's hand. I think it was Chris angel at the time. You know, it was like, oh, wow. So it was like, it felt like, wait a second, I can. I. I think I could really do this now. You know, I think I can maybe make a. Make a shot at. At going pro. And so came back to Madison, started trying to. Trying to get shows. Trying to get shows. And eventually started bartending, which was really kind of helpful for. For developing the ability to just start conversations and try to be likable and casual conversation. Such. So after, After I got a job bartending. Well, no, actually rewind. I didn't get a job bartending at first. I went to go see Mark at the safe house, watched him do a set he destroyed. And I. I asked him if he would mentor me and he said yes. [00:17:12] Speaker A: Mark. Mark who? [00:17:13] Speaker B: Mark Bond. He was a magician in Milwaukee. [00:17:15] Speaker A: Okay. [00:17:16] Speaker B: Killer. Killer magician. Unbelievable. Closeup magician. And Stage magician, too. You know, he inspired a ton of us in, In Wisconsin, Ben Sideman, Fred Daniels, you know, like a lot of. [00:17:27] Speaker A: Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah, good, good group. [00:17:29] Speaker B: Yeah, a lot of really great magicians. And so I asked Mark if he would mentor me, and he said yes. And so he got me a job at Safe House doing bar magic. As soon as I got a job at the Safe House doing bar magic, it was like all these other places that I tried to get a job bartending at wanted me all of a sudden. And so I started bartending at the other places and doing magic there occasionally. But yeah, then it was bar magic at the Safe House for maybe two years, just developing the act. That was really great too, because those were like five hours a night of just doing magic and, you know, for different groups. And so I was able to develop like a bar set at that point. And then, then it was, then it was California. Then I had a friend that I made at the World Magic Seminar. If I'm just talking way too much, let me know. [00:18:22] Speaker A: So you might think that you're rambling, but this is exact. I'm listening and I'm. It's what I want to hear. I don't know if you know this, but you're, you're answering all the questions that I would ask without me having to ask them. So, yeah, you're, you're not, you're not actually rambling. You're basically just providing like, incredible content. You're answering all the questions that I have. Like, I was going to ask how, how, you know, how often do you have to practice to keep your skills up? You know, things like that. And you're like, okay, well, yeah, practice at a bar for five hours. That's a really good, that's a really good kind of way to do it. Why don't we, we'll answer some questions. So be, you know, there. But let's, let's get back to where you were and kind of taking you from where you were to where you are now. So you're, you're bartending, you're doing magic, you're practicing a butt ton, you're winning awards. Then you move to California. Then what happens? [00:19:18] Speaker B: Yeah, so. So I had made a friend at the World Magic Seminar who had placed first place. The year that I had my, my, that was out and about and couldn't, you know, the year that I was homeless. [00:19:31] Speaker A: Your homeless year? [00:19:32] Speaker B: Yeah, my homeless year. He was, he was super cool. And, you know, we stay friends throughout that whole period of time and, and his name is Nathan Gibson, incredible close up magician. And at the time he was like the junior, Junior Achievement Award and you know, won the World Magic Seminar and won, you know, a ton of, a ton of competitions before he was like 20 years old. He was like 19 years old. Just so talented. Anyway, Nathan was like, you gotta move to California. You got to come out here. And so, you know, I said, okay. So, so I saved up some money, moved to California. Nathan and I were roommates for, for a while a year. And so, and, and yeah, so during that period of time, which is great, all we did was was practice constantly. It was just like back. It was like a jam session that didn't stop for like a year. [00:20:25] Speaker A: That's. That sounds so cool. [00:20:28] Speaker B: It was a ton of fun. And so, so then, yeah, I mean we just had a ton of really cool experiences at the Castle. Nate had a ton of friends that were like legends of magic. So I got to meet like his mentor who was Martin Lewis. And you know, just, you know, just you get to see a lot of acts at the castle, which I think is. Oh yeah, as well because you just, you learn so much from that. I'll never forget the first time Nate and I saw Danny D. Ortiz. Like we, we stood up out of our chair, just like couldn't believe it. You know, this is so, so cool. And just. Yeah, like, so the castle was great because it taught me like what a good stage show was supposed to look like too. Because I only knew about close up. That was only really all I had been exposed to, especially because television, that was really all you saw at the time. [00:21:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:18] Speaker B: And so I started to realize I needed to work on a stage act. That was one of the things that Martin was really adamant about. He was always like, you, you have to learn how to, how to put a stage show together if you really want to become a professional. Because it's really hard to make a living as a close up magician. That was Martin's thing. We were really stubborn, hard headed about it. We kept trying to prove him wrong, but it was really difficult. [00:21:42] Speaker A: I think you might have had a point. [00:21:43] Speaker B: Yeah, you did. I mean it really is. It was so true and it still is true. It's really important to try to put together like a 45 or an hour of stand up. It changes people's perspective of you too. Like they see it as more valuable. So. [00:21:59] Speaker A: Okay. [00:22:00] Speaker B: I remember as a closest magician, they used to drive me nuts because you, you do like your best stuff. And they'd be like, do you ever Dream of, like, being on a big stage. Dang it. You know. [00:22:09] Speaker A: Dang it. I'm doing what I want, Mom. [00:22:11] Speaker B: Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. [00:22:13] Speaker A: So, yeah, I just want to see you on a big stage before I die. That's all. [00:22:17] Speaker B: Right. No, exactly. And that's how, I mean, almost everybody sees it is like, you know, that's the goal they think is the big stage. So they don't really, you know, understand it. But. But I mean, it kind of. I mean, years ago, I think a long time ago, it used to be kind of that way. Like, I think close up used to be the way to get people into the theater, you know, like, days and stuff like that. At least from what I gather from some of the older books, when I read them, it seems like that. But the old books are great too, just for, like, cool advice on how to do close up. Like, one of the things that I took from a lot of the old books was. Was called salting the room. And it's like, okay. A phrase that I think masculine and avant came up with where it's like, essentially you just leave, like, close up props around the room. You know, you just sprinkle them around the room a little bit. So when I get to the gig, it's like, you know, if I'm doing stuff, it seems like it's coming from the bar or from the table or. [00:23:12] Speaker A: Okay, you know, Nice. [00:23:14] Speaker B: So, yeah, it's hilarious to see the bartender's face when you do healed and sealed with one of their Coke cans, you know. [00:23:20] Speaker A: Oh, my God, I wouldn't be expecting that unless they. How do you keep them from using the prop before you get a chance to use it yourself? [00:23:27] Speaker B: Oh, I. Well, I switch them out, you know, okay. Doing stuff kind of live so I can grab it from them and then, you know, go into whatever. But. But yeah, I mean, that's. That's a really powerful thing because when you're, like, ahead that far ahead, it's. It's unbelievably powerful. Like, you know, even something appearing across the room or anything like that is really strong. [00:23:53] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:23:55] Speaker B: So anyway, stage show. Martin, we the cat. Okay, so the Castle. And then after the Castle, you know, my. My girlfriend got pregnant at the time, and so we. We moved back to Madison. So, you know, it was a better place to raise a child as such. So. [00:24:16] Speaker A: Agreed. Yeah, yeah, 100. [00:24:18] Speaker B: Exactly. So. So yeah, maybe a couple years after that, I'd gotten a job at a casino here called Ho Chunk. And Ho Chunk was, you know, it's like, it's a big casino out here. And it was like an amazing opportunity for me at the time because they were like willing to, to sign a contract for like the year, so. [00:24:39] Speaker A: Oh wow. [00:24:40] Speaker B: Like a purchase order, you know, it signed the contract at the beginning of the year and then you'd just be there every, every Saturday, you know, for the year. And then the second year I had gotten a gig at a steakhouse called the Capri. And so I was doing magic on Fridays at the Capri in the casino on Saturdays and doing private parties in between. And you know, a few, maybe like four years after I'd been doing the Capri, the casino asked for a few more days. And so, you know, it's just the, the, the, their, you know, they paid really well. So, so anyways, you know, at the time they paid really well. In my mind. It was a lot of money, you know, so I was like, okay, great. So we ended up doing, yeah, we ended up doing like, like two, two days a week and then to three days a week because I was doing other, other locations like Wittenberg etc. And so, yeah, for years I got to just do magic at the casinos in Wisconsin and like be able to tuck my son in at night and I didn't have to travel. It was really an incredible. [00:25:42] Speaker A: That's almost a, it's almost a dream job. You have, you have a stage show right there. [00:25:47] Speaker B: I had no idea how lucky I was, you know, and I think part of it was because I had, I wasn't in the communication with so many of the magicians anymore that I was in communication with were like blowing up, you know, it was like, it was unbelievable the stuff that they were accomplishing. But, but at the time it was like I didn't, I didn't get how cool that was. And know, it wasn't until years later I talked to friends of mine that were, you know, going through other things and they were like, no, like I was doing this and this and, and it was a struggle and that, you know, so I was like, wow. I, yeah, I was really lucky because I got to, you know, work on new material all the time too because at the casino my goal was to try to learn a new trick every week. It's not always a good plan, but it's okay. I think if you have your core already, like, if you already have your, you know, your, you know, your go to 20, 30 minutes of close up in any situation and you're 45 or whatever for stage, then I feel like it's fine to, to explore and learn and. And it constantly, you know, pushes you to find new ways of connecting ideas. And then when you find those things, it, like, brings great joy, you know? So, yeah, like, the casino was. Was really good for developing material and just. Just trying to get comfortable with. With. With really trying to not go into, like, a magic mode. Like, I had a. I had another. I had a lot of people I learned from. I was really lucky. Like, even when I was in la, there were a lot of people that would give me advice that were great. Like, one was Andrew Goldenhurst. He would give me advice sometimes, and one of the things he used to say to me was to not go into, like, magician mode, you know, and it's. It's like. It's really easy to, like. Like. Like Dana kind of explained it in her. In the podcast, too, where it's like you. You switch your personality almost. [00:27:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:37] Speaker B: Because you're kind of going into this, like, Persona of what you think it should be, right? [00:27:43] Speaker A: What you. What you. Exactly. Instead of being yourself, you're like, okay, here is. Here is the egg. [00:27:49] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. So. So it made it impossible for me to do that because I was performing. You know, it was so interchangeably that I couldn't get away with that and still come across genuine or authentic. [00:28:08] Speaker A: Yeah. Actually, that is something I do want to talk about. You seem so comfortable. You know, you've been on camera a lot. You've been on tv, You've been on Broadway. But when I see you on video, you seem very comfortable. How did you develop, like, your ability to seem so cool under pressure? [00:28:28] Speaker B: I don't. Wow. I don't even. I don't know. I feel like I'm not sometimes. Like, that's actually what I was curious. [00:28:34] Speaker A: About, that whether you are. Because you do come across as. As very, like, very even keeled. You've got a great voice. You've got great stage presence. Even on a camera, that doesn't always translate. So I was wondering if. Do you put effort into that, or is it just something that just happens? [00:28:49] Speaker B: I mean, there's. There's effort into it for sure, but I think I'm. Sometimes, you know, I think a lot of times we are our own worst critics or we're. We're very critical of our own stuff. But I definitely do work on it. Like, one of the things that I used to do was, like, record my voice. And that was something that I kind of got from Eugene Berger, because he would talk about just, like, really just analyzing your voice and the way it Sounds. And is it captivating? And are your stories. Do they. Do they come across truthful? Are they. You know, and those types of things. So. So recording. Recording my voice was helpful because in the beginning, when you start doing that, you realize you don't sound anything like you think you do, you know? [00:29:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:32] Speaker B: And so, you know, there was. There was that. That. That was helpful. And then, you know, I started to try to also record myself on camera. And that reveals a lot. At first, you avoid it, like I avoided it for a long time, but it teaches you so much. It's unbelievable. Even now, when I go back and look at footage, there's always things that I find or that I see that I would do a little differently. But a lot of it is, like, being comfortable is what is really the goal. Like, what you just said is the key. That is, I think, the way to. I think there's ways of framing things in your mind that make it more palatable for an audience. Like being comfortable versus, I think Max Maven said something like this where it's like, the goal is to not strive to be confident, but to strive to be comfortable. And. And so when you do that, like, you come across confident, but you don't come across like you're trying to. To be extra special or something, you know? And then another one that helps me a lot is when I was on Foolas, there was. There was something that Mike Close taught me that was huge. And one of the things he said to me when I was kind of nervous and in my head about getting on a show was, you have to look at it like you had carved out, like, this amazing piece of art you've been working on your entire life, and now you're presenting it to them, to your friends, your new friends. Like, why won't they like it? Why wouldn't they appreciate that? You know? And that seems like for me, that was, like, so hard for me to, like, come up with on my own. But when I was able to kind of put myself into, like, when I was able to kind of put that perspective, when I was able to see it from that perspective, it calmed my mind a lot because it's like. It's like a comedian committing to a joke or something. Like, you have to. You have to believe that they. That they are going to want to see what you're showing them. And I think that's one of the easiest pitfalls as a performer is to get into this insecurity of, like, oh, I don't. I don't think they're going to like this. I hope they like this. I hope they don't, you know, not like this because then you start to like overcompensate, talk too fast. You shuffle your feet back and forth. You don't stay centered. You know, those kinds of things. [00:32:05] Speaker A: I mean, yeah, that's definitely something. And I watch a lot of, I watch a lot of Penn and Teller. I usually watch the clips as they come out because a lot of the people I interview are on Penn and Teller. What is interesting about your act on Penn and Teller is you did seem a lot more confident than a lot of the other people. Maybe it's your, you're used to bigger crowds. Cause I know you've been on. You did Abracadabra on Broadway, right? [00:32:29] Speaker B: Abracadabra. Yeah, the Abracadabra helped a lot because Rick was part was in it. And it was different in Abracadabra because there was like an opening sequence that I was doing that wasn't mine. That was a close friend of mine routine. Alex Geyser, coin genius killer, killer magician. But so that whole opening sequence of Shadow Coins happens in my hands at first and then it goes onto the mat. In the hands is actually so much harder. You know, it's actually like, that's the part that's like hands that thick, please. Like, you know, that's the part that kind of is nerve wracking about that whole routine. You know, then it would go into the, the mat and then there's, you know, the, the vanish at the end. So I had done that in front of like a thousand seeds like maybe seven times. And, and, and you know, before that, I rehearsed it so much for that tour that I was so comfortable with that piece by the time I got on the show that I, I, you know, I literally had done that piece like in my sleep. Because when we're on tour, we were working like 18 hours a day, so it would nicely sleep like four hours and then go out and do the show and you're just like a zombie, but you, you're going through your stuff. And that's why theater and, and TV were so good for me too, because they don't really let you improv. And I was like, my whole thing was being at the bar or whatever and just making my magic conversational. And when you get on like a TV spot, you're like, yeah, I'll say some opening words and they're like, what exactly are you gonna say? Oh, geez, just some cool stuff. No, like, we need an exact and you gotta hit the lines perfectly because, come on, this is television, you know. [00:34:13] Speaker A: Wow. [00:34:14] Speaker B: So that changes things. And in the theater, too, it changes things because, you know, you. You have to know where you're going to stand. [00:34:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:21] Speaker B: Now where people are going to stand. You have to learn how to strike, spike a stage. You know, you have to learn how to, you know, work with music cues. [00:34:31] Speaker A: Where did, where did you learn that? Or did you. Did you learn it once you got the. The job? [00:34:37] Speaker B: I mean, a lot of that was. Was like, you learn by being around it, you know, I would. I would stay there and watch people as they were working on stuff, too. Like, I learned a lot from watching, you know, like, if Sperry was lighting something, like big illusion or something, I sit there and he would let me, you know, kind of watch and work on it with them. And so even if I wasn't performing an illusion, I wanted to know the. The aspects of all of the theatrical work. And so, yeah, a lot of it was just being around other magicians. Like, Jason Byrne was a great, you know, it was really great at. You know, he just kind of took me under his wing a little bit as far as, like, showing me what a lot of stagecraft is. You know, like, a lot of the stuff that he learned from. From Joni Spina and, um, just how to, you know, create angles and, you know, doing something. Like, you want to build tension and like an illusion, like. Like moving, like you're like, with more tension, almost like. Yeah, and sometimes that's really great in close up, too. Just. Just moving, like, deliberately, like, really kind of slowly and deliberate with everything. Like, sometimes you'll see magicians, like, blow on something really fast and, like, make a change. I think it's, like, better to. To kind of Copperfield it, where you, like, blow on it slowly so they know that's what you did. And. And then it changes, like. So. Yeah, I love that finesse. Like, we just mentioned Alex Geyser. He's got a finesse like that. And it's. It's sort of like stuff I read about years ago in, like, Paul Harris books and stuff, where you talk about, like, it's like moving through a jar of honey or something. [00:36:25] Speaker A: Oh, wow, that's a great way to look at it. [00:36:28] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Cause, like, right before the moment hits, you just kind of slow it down just a tiny bit and have, like, a slower sort of finesse. And then in the reveal, hits and, you know, I remember, you know, watching stuff with, you know, die Vernon talking about just the Way that you turn over a card can change the way that it affects a group of people. So he goes over the different types of ways of turning over a card, and one of them is slowly moving towards the card, pausing right before you turn it over, and then turning it over where it's slowly, like, you know, where the back is towards them. And then, you know, you slowly reveal the face. And so that actually does change the effect of a lot of magic tricks. And so I always love to watch sleight of hand artists that are really good at being deliberate. And one of Geyser's sayings, he always says, I hope he doesn't get mad at me for sharing this, but he always says, if it's not slow, it's gotta go. And I love that. [00:37:22] Speaker A: Oh, that's good. That's a great advice for all of us. I think a lot of new people, myself included, like, tend to rush through stuff, but, yeah, sometimes it's like you slow down so you can get a really good reaction and it can sink in. [00:37:37] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think it's okay to be. Have a faster pace, but I think it's. It's great if you can deliberately slow something down in order to build tension and then just let it go boom, you know, and the release, because, I don't know. For me, some of my favorite magic is the stuff that has that, like, that moment of like. Like, nah, like. Like, for real, like, this can't. It can't be like you. Then it hits. It's like the coolest feeling because I think at that point, it triggers a chemical reaction in your body or something. [00:38:13] Speaker A: Yeah, it absolutely does. I do want to ask one more thing about the coins across that you did in, I guess, every stage show. I really thought it was really unique to actually put the pad on your lap. What led you to that? Not having a table and just having it on your lap? Because it allowed us to visually see it a lot easier. But also, it. It was more. It felt more intimate the way you did it. [00:38:39] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, part of the. I have, like, a lot of different, like, endings to shadow coins. Like, one of, you know, I'd showed them a few different variations, but they really liked the on the lap version. And part of the reason why, you know, part of the reason why the lap is so helpful is because it hides the method, too. Vanish, you know, and that's, like, the reason. The reason why I can in. Because the, you know, it's. It's kind of obvious that I'm. I'm Using black art. But the cool thing is that it ends clean, and that only possible because I'm sitting down the mat. [00:39:19] Speaker A: Yeah, it's so. It's so clean. It looks so good. [00:39:23] Speaker B: Oh, thank you. But, yeah, no. So, yeah, part of what drove that was the method. And I wasn't the first person to do shadow coins on the lap. There's been other magicians that have done it before me, like, probably, like, several. Like, Chris Corn, I know is one of the guys. Jason. Jason something. I can't remember his name now. Jason Bourne, I think is his name. [00:39:47] Speaker A: Yeah, I thought you were going to say Jason Statham. Oh, you took my coins. [00:39:52] Speaker B: Say her name is the actor. Yeah. So then. And then who else? Andrew Goldenhurst did it on. On his knees. There's. There's other guys. [00:40:01] Speaker A: Wow. Okay. [00:40:02] Speaker B: That have done that before. So. Yeah, I was hoping the compliment was going to come from the vanish, you know, because that was the part that I had worked on the most. [00:40:09] Speaker A: It was really good. It was all really good. But it's. [00:40:12] Speaker B: They were going to be like, there's a black art. And I was going to be like, you want to take a look at the mat? You know, but it just. It all worked out well. [00:40:19] Speaker A: Props to the CW for putting magic on tv. [00:40:22] Speaker B: Yeah. But in the coolest way possible. I think it's great for magic. And I see, like, some of the coolest acts come from Foulas. People are creating incredible magic to do foolas. [00:40:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:35] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I think it's. It's really a special thing that's happening in magic right now just because of that. That particular show is really special. And what's really cool about it, too, is working with them is, like, amazing. Like, you know, I. I had a chance to do a few other little TV spots, like news and whatever, but it's usually very, very high pressure and, like, stressful and, you know, a lot of. You know, a lot of pressure. But they're. They're, like, unbelievable at, like, zinning you out before you go on stage, you know. [00:41:07] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:41:07] Speaker B: They would, like, get into that space because they're really good at making the actual comfortable. And I think a lot of times on television, people don't realize that as a magician, it doesn't help to, like. Like, try to freak out right before you go on stage, you know, like. [00:41:23] Speaker A: There'S gonna be a bunch of people all staring at you. [00:41:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Don't be frazzled or confused. You're not wearing those shoes, are you? You know? [00:41:29] Speaker A: Yes. It's like, oh. Oh, well, they go to you and they're like, well, that was a choice. Actually, that does lead into a question. I have, is you have a fantastic sense of style. If anyone that goes to your website can. Can see that your style is. Is. Is very good, and dare I say, you have a good amount of panache. How do you decide what you're going to wear before you perform? [00:41:57] Speaker B: I guess it depends on where I'm at and, like, what the. I think the. The audience is going to be like. It makes a difference. I do a lot of corporate work now, so a lot of my stuff is like business casual or I still wear suits. And it's interesting because a lot of corporate is not wearing suits anymore. And I can. I can't believe it because I was, you know, I was, you know, in my 20s, like before I bought my first suit. I think I bought it for the castle. [00:42:23] Speaker A: You have to wear it there. That's. That's the one place. [00:42:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. So. So it's interesting that now that's, like, the comfort for me is to, like, kind of be in a. In a. In a suit a lot of times. But as far as performing, especially corporate, because I can kind of dress down a little bit if I need to, but, you know, if it's theatrical, it's usually just whatever I would normally wear in, like, everyday life, because I feel like it's. It's better to. To be like a character, like, bring them into your world more than to, you know, try to try to blend it. Whereas, like an October party, I'm trying to blend in more like, because I'm trying to almost create that impression of we're just having a conversation, like, almost like I'm just having a conversation with somebody just randomly that's there and then the magic happens. [00:43:14] Speaker A: Oh, cool. Under undercover magician. [00:43:16] Speaker B: Yeah, they don't. They don't know I'm a magician. Usually at first it starts off kind of casual, and then it's like, oh, you know, the magician, they hired me to walk around and show everybody magic. If I even do that sometimes it's just something happens and then. What. What's what? You know, and then was he. What's going on? And then, you know, before you're like, no. Yeah, they. He's supposed to be here. He's one of the acts. And it's sometimes really fun to do it that way just because, you know, you get a different kind of audience when they see you as a peer or as a. As a guest. [00:43:50] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. Oh, that's super interesting. [00:43:53] Speaker B: Well, yeah, it's really powerful, too, because I used to. When I do strolling, always, I always used to walk around and I'd stand up and stand by the tables and stuff. And Eugene Berger gave me great advice one day, and he told me that I should sit down. And it's because it gives a different impression to the people. And at the time, I couldn't wrap my brain around that because, you know, I'm like, they're paying me hundreds of dollars. I can't sit down. You know, my perception of. Of all of, like, the value of magic was. Was. Or just like with myself, I guess, was different. But. Yeah, but, you know, you. You. You know, if you sit down with the group, you're not performing at the group anymore. [00:44:35] Speaker A: You're. [00:44:35] Speaker B: You're performing with the group, you're part of the group, and you're performing for the group that you're part of. So they're. The audience changes. Like, they're. The way they treat your shifts. It's super interesting. [00:44:46] Speaker A: Wow. I could actually see why that would be super helpful. [00:44:50] Speaker B: And I just thought of something else. Just randomly bring it. The guest aspect. Another thing I never used to do was I never used to sit with the guests or eat with the guests. But, like, if you're doing, like, a state show, they sometimes will offer you, like, hey, do you want to eat with us? And I'd be like, no, because I'd be nervous that I wasn't going to be nearly as cool as I was during the stage show, you know. [00:45:11] Speaker A: Oh, got it. [00:45:12] Speaker B: But it really is so much better if you can sit down with the guests afterwards and have dinner with them, because then you become, like, part of their group and. [00:45:22] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:45:22] Speaker B: I think of, like, booking a magician they don't like, they were much more likely to think of you because you're, like, their friend now, you know. [00:45:30] Speaker A: Oh. What would you tell a younger Matthew Teague? If, knowing what you know now, what advice would you have for a younger version of yourself? [00:45:42] Speaker B: Wow. I don't even. [00:45:46] Speaker A: I know that's a. That's a terrible, like. Oh, that's a. That could be a lot of. There's a lot of things I like to tell myself, but I wouldn't put it on record. [00:45:54] Speaker B: Yeah. I guess that is the truth. There are certain things I can't really say, but I think one of the. The biggest things is, is. Is to, like, trust yourself, you know, love yourself, you know, use, like, gratitude as a shield, you know, when you're grateful. It's just for whatever. It's, you know, it's a really powerful way to move through life and it opens up a lot of doors, I guess. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. [00:46:30] Speaker A: What is the most surprising thing that's happened to you during a live show? [00:46:35] Speaker B: Oh, I've had some really wild ones. I remember the first time I flew out for a gig. It was like, in New York. And this was a long time ago, like 12 years ago. I was terrified, you know, really nervous about it. And I made a crazy rookie mistake. I had, like, at the time, there was these things called, like, scentbird. They were like little cologne things you could order in the mail and they'd send you different colognes. [00:46:59] Speaker A: Oh, my God. I think I remember that. [00:47:01] Speaker B: Yeah, you could, like, put them in your gym bags. [00:47:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:47:04] Speaker B: And so I had one of those colognes and I put it in my bag and I flew with it and it freaking exploded. [00:47:11] Speaker A: Oh, God. [00:47:12] Speaker B: It destroyed my suit, all my thread, stuff. Like. Like all kinds of stuff. The whole. The whole suit just stunk like crazy. Like I could. Like underwear, socks. Like, like nothing. I had nothing. You know, when I landed, cards, like, everything was destroyed. I had to. Yeah, I had to go. It was the same kind of situation. I had to go buy a suit. I had to go figure it all out. And you know who saved me that day? And like, I am forever in debt to him because Oz. Oz Probing came and delivered the stuff I needed so I could do the show. It was, like, so surreal. [00:47:46] Speaker A: Wow. [00:47:47] Speaker B: And then the craziest thing is, I did the show and. And I'm thinking, okay, this is cool. Everything's going good. And. And so, you know, I'm bending spoons and forks and wine glasses, whatever. And so all of a sudden I see this manager walking around and he's looking at all the tables super distressed. Like, what? Somebody is destroying everything. We have to find this person. And I'm like, oh, my goodness. I wanted to hide underneath the table, you know, I didn't want them to know it was me, but yeah. [00:48:18] Speaker A: Oh, that's great. Oh, my gosh. That is fantastic. Talk about Oze is a very overqualified door dasher. [00:48:29] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I feel bad because now he's like, super fast. Like he's killing it. Killing it. So now it feels like I'm like, name dropping. You know who else name drops a lot is Will Smith. You know that guy? [00:48:39] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. So some people would say he really slaps these days. Oh, your best friend, Will Smith. [00:48:49] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it is crazy cool to see that. Yeah. It's, like, unbelievable. [00:48:56] Speaker A: Yeah, my. My. My. My best friend and mentor Andy Gladman told me that the other day. [00:49:03] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, Doubt. No doubt, no doubt. [00:49:07] Speaker A: That's awesome. [00:49:08] Speaker B: But, yeah, but not. You know, it's funny because I was. I didn't see him for a lot of times. Like, you know, I see him like once a. Once a year. Once. You know, after a while, it was kind of. What. [00:49:14] Speaker A: What's he getting up to? I don't. I don't see him a lot. [00:49:17] Speaker B: Well, I mean, now he's so busy doing, like, credible stuff, I. You know, I don't see him or. Or talk to him a lot anywhere either, but. But it's so cool to see. [00:49:28] Speaker A: That's awesome. [00:49:28] Speaker B: Just killing it, you know, like, happy birthday and stuff. Like, Elson's a good, good person. Like, really cool person to know and so. But yeah, he's. He's doing stuff in the NBA and, you know. [00:49:41] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:49:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:43] Speaker A: Okay. [00:49:43] Speaker B: He does the NFL, like, halftime shows and stuff. [00:49:45] Speaker A: Oh, really? That's amazing. [00:49:47] Speaker B: Forbes magazine. He's the COVID of Forbes magazine right now, actually, for, like, you know, just the shows that he's doing and they're talking about, like, what he's projecting for the year and their numbers are, like, higher than anybody. It's like he's the new. [00:50:04] Speaker A: That's unbelievable. [00:50:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:06] Speaker A: Yeah. There's. See, there's. There's. There's still money in me in doing magic, I guess. [00:50:10] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, why. You know, he's been. Oh, forever and, you know, in New York too. So. I mean, it. It makes sense because he's. He's always been just super good, like. [00:50:22] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think everybody has some. I definitely have some of his free stuff from the Penguin Magic website that I signed up for. So. Yeah, it's fantastic. [00:50:32] Speaker B: And the stuff now is like. I mean, the TV spots just kill me. And I'm just like, ah. Like, I have no clue. He fools me all the time. [00:50:40] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. It's Justin Willman, all the TV guys. It's interesting. It's tv. The way TV is all being kind of the carbonaro effect. It's like that was the beginning when I started noticing that magic was going through a little bit of a change from, like, the David Blaine, like, oh, look at this mysterious thing I'm doing to, like, these everyman kind of people that are walking around just pulling tea bags out of their eyeballs. So it's. [00:51:06] Speaker B: It's awesome. I got to Meet Blaine years ago because of a trick that I was, like, a part of creating. And it was so cool to. To, like, walk in his office and meet him, because he's like. He got up. He's like, hey, I'm David. It's like, yeah, I know. [00:51:21] Speaker A: Yeah, we know who you are, David. [00:51:24] Speaker B: So it was like the inner kids just losing it. Oh. [00:51:29] Speaker A: I mean, that's. Yeah, he was. He was. [00:51:31] Speaker B: He. [00:51:32] Speaker A: He changed magic by sheer force. [00:51:35] Speaker B: So, yeah, it was whole. His whole. Just everything about him is. He's so good at, like, that whole thing of just creating tension and release and just drawing people in and being mysterious. And I. I think, like, famous magicians. He's the only one I really know that I feel, like, really, really still personifies mystery, you know, and, like, really comes across as a mysterious person. And even when you see him and, like, when you meet him, you're like, wait a second. You're even more like this than, you know. It's like you were, like, born to be a guru or something. This is unbelievable. [00:52:09] Speaker A: Yeah. If he wanted to use his powers for evil, he would be a great cult leader. [00:52:15] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. No. We walked into the office and, like, the first thing he did was he started, like, eating raw eggs, and then he started feeding his alligator with, like. Like. Like, the alligator's, like, barely missing his fingertips. And we just couldn't stop watching him. Like, everything he did was just like, whoa. What. [00:52:29] Speaker A: What is your real thing to do? That sentence that you just said, I know that those words all meant something, but I've never heard them in that order before. [00:52:42] Speaker B: I mean, it was. It was a heck of a day, and I will forever remember it. [00:52:48] Speaker A: I mean, that's. That's wild. [00:52:50] Speaker B: Yeah, but I mean, you didn't even have to do a trick. Oh. You know, like, he really. He could just be himself and it's like this on it. [00:52:56] Speaker A: The trick is how he's still alive. [00:52:58] Speaker B: I've got some other plans in store, too. [00:53:01] Speaker A: Oh, I hope so. I'd like to see some more. I'd like to see some more Blaine stuff. [00:53:04] Speaker B: Oh, he's got a new special coming out of here too. It's. I forgot what channel it's coming on, but, yeah, it's like, I saw a clip of him, you know, covered in bees and stuff, so I think it'll be. [00:53:15] Speaker A: Wait. Yeah, I did see that was coming out. That looks. That looks awesome. [00:53:18] Speaker B: Like, it looks like another poster. It's like, yeah, sweet. [00:53:22] Speaker A: I'm like, oh, this is. I'll be I'll be. I'll watch it because I love. I love that crazy stuff. Yeah, Wear a beard of bees, why not? David Blaine, you'd be you. [00:53:31] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure, for sure. [00:53:32] Speaker A: At this point, I think he's just trolling us at this point, you know. [00:53:37] Speaker B: No, back in the day, it was funny, though, because everybody used to say, oh, you look like David Blaine. And then when I got a chance to meet him, I'd like. I'd be like, yeah, he's my cousin. And then I'd show them the picture. [00:53:48] Speaker A: That's great. [00:53:49] Speaker B: Like from another mother, you know? But it was just like a funny. [00:53:53] Speaker A: It's fantastic. I just want to thank you for coming on. You've been fantastic. And I'd like to tell the audience to remember to subscribe. Like the video hit the bell, so you never miss one of these riveting seconds. And if you're listening to this on your favorite podcast provider, make sure to follow the show and give a positive review. Thank you to the amazing Matthew Teague for joining us today. And this is Dr. Todd on behalf of the Magicians Workshop, just letting you know that magic is for everyone. So. And, oh, by the way, Matthew Teague, where can the audience find you? [00:54:27] Speaker B: Oh, I'm performing at Ho Chunk Gaming in Black River Falls. And in Wisconsin Dells. I've got a couple dates this month out there on Saturdays. I've got a ticketed show coming up April 5th at a place called the Links in Verona, Wisconsin. Right out. It's a suburb of Madison. And yeah, besides that, If I'm on YouTube and Facebook and please say hi. [00:54:56] Speaker A: Absolutely. All. All the billions of people that watch this show, we're going to be a force for good for you. [00:55:01] Speaker B: Oh, thanks. And thanks so much for having me. This has been awesome. I really. Yeah. Really? [00:55:06] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. [00:55:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Really, really cool stuff. And.