Pop's Soapbox

Where I'm going and what I'm doing....

Pop Haydn — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:23:59 +0000

I decided to share a few items about my future goals this week. Generally speaking I try to minimalize my self-promotion but I’m going to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about the exciting things that are happening in my life. I am happily entering a semi-retirement and somehow seem just as busy as ever, just doing different things!

Billy Baque in the WC Fields Bar

Pop Haydn — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:01:54 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

These photos of Pop Haydn in the WC Fields Bar at the Magic Castle in Hollywood were taken by Billy Baque. You can see more at http://blog.baquephoto.com/?p=3961

Pop Haydn is a character…

Pop Haydn — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:20:59 +0000

Pop Haydn in the WC Fields Bar at the Magic Castle by Billy Baque

The Pop Haydn character is maintained in a loose way. People in the audience know that whatever the Pop character may be, that I am not actually a thief, conman, scientific genius, or a real medicine pitchman, and they know that I am not really transported here from 1910. But they mostly assume that I am an old, eccentric gentleman from the South.

I am all those things, but not like Pop, not with the wild expressions, mannerisms and thick archaic, Old West influenced accent that Pop has…If I dropped the character’s mannerisms, voice and accent, people would be a bit shocked, and disappointed–like taking the head off Charlie McCarthy.

They play with Pop both on Facebook and Twitter, engaging him in character. They make fun, saying, “It would be just like you, you old humbug.” “Did you steal their…” “So what was Tesla like?” All the time, they know it isn’t real, and they go in and out of the play. “Did you get that show?”

This is much like Jack Benny. People felt safe engaging him in his onstage character. “You really are as thrifty as they say!” “Thank you.” To have a magic character that has handles like this for the public to use is very rare in magic.

I think young people today, especially, have much more facility at engaging in fantasy than when I was young. It may be role-playing games, steampunk and cosplay. For whatever reason, they easily move in conversation and on the internet in and out of play mode. It is this interest and ability at role-playing and make believe that I saw in younger audiences that led me into assuming this kind of character basically 24/7. It has been a big undertaking that has been a work in progress for eight years.

I find that the “handles” give the members of the audience a way to interact in the performances that is more spirited and playful. The audience becomes fellow actors in an improv play led by Pop.

They seem willing to engage my character in a pretend mode in a way that I never saw before with my other characters. It may be that Pop is just such an Archtype character, instantly recognized as the pitchman, conman, huckster, marketer, liar, politician that he is–he is Elmer Gantry, Citizen Cain, Soapy Smith, Professor Marvel and all of Madison Ave at once, revealed as the medicine show huckster/opportunist he really is. The costume and manner of speaking is recognized by people in countries all over the world.

The great thing is, that the internet gives us ways to create and enlarge our off-stage characters in ways never before available to us. I can “play” with people online in character, and create images and video that help construct the character in people’s minds, so that when they “see” the character on stage, his backstory and images from other sources builds anticipation, and colors and enlarges their appreciation of the show.

That at least, is my intent.

Pop Haydn’s Magic Carpet

Pop Haydn — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:10:48 +0000

Coleridge said that some people tend to reject “the fantastic” out of hand, and that to engage them in a story about magic, fairies, goblins, etc., which they would otherwise dismiss as “foolishness” and “childishness,” one had to create a character that was believable and interesting enough that they would want to know what happens to him/her, and will “suspend disbelief in the impossible” for a time in order to follow the adventures of the character. They essentially leave reality in their minds and “run off to join the circus” of the fantasy.

I think that the magical character can do this as well. The magician creates a fantasy character that is engaging enough and safe enough for people to let down their defenses and be led into a series of fantastic and unbelievable events. They feel safe, knowing they have played this sort of game with others and with actors before. But when they return from their adventures, they have little bits of evidence and proof that everything really had happened the way they remembered it–a flower from the future, ZuZu’s petals.

The key is that the magic character has to spend actual real time with real people. So a character that is interesting and magical in fiction, might not work as well with a live audience.

People may not want 20 minutes of face time with Voldemort, while they might love to spend such time with Harry Potter. The sort of people who would want to share a beer with Indiana Jones, might find twenty minutes of conversation with Sherlock Holmes unbearable. The sort of person for whom twenty minutes with Holmes wouldn’t be enough, might find talking to a tormented, vigilante like Batman off-putting.

We need to design a character that is attractive and interesting for people to spend close time with, and that appeals to the type of audience we want to engage. I loved Tom Baker’s Dr. Who, because he winked at the audience like a magician, cuing them that he knew the whole thing was silly, too. The super-serious Whos were not as much fun. The multi-layered reality is more sophisticated and more interactive.

I am bored with the performance of magic that makes it as real and believable as possible, even if the claim must be reduced.

I want magic that is unbelievable, fantastic! Stuff that appeals to the nine year old spirit of discovery and adventure. Something with tongue planted firmly in cheek, but leaving a lasting memory of the impossible that feels like it was real.

I don’t want to be a magician that studies his “art” for years and years, I want a magic wand I can zap things with, and that if you had it, you could zap things, too.

Constitutional Amendment prohibiting anybody learning anything

Pop Haydn — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:35:06 +0000

“Why don’t they pass a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting anybody learning anything? And if it works as good as the Prohibition one did, in 5 years we would have the smartest race of people on Earth.”

- Will Rogers, 4 January 1925

More good advice from Will Rogers:

1. Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3.. There are two theories to arguing with a woman… Neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.

8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

10. If you’re riding’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.

11. Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back.

12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

Boomtown!

Pop Haydn — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:34:15 +0000

Boomtown! Steampunk Saloon May 24-27

Pop Haydn — Sat, 04 May 2013 16:29:54 +0000

Green Wave Presents
Steampunk Saloon and Opulent Temple’s

BOOMTOWN.
An arts, education, and musical camp out

Memorial Day Weekend 2013
May 24,25,26,27
20 minutes north of LA
near Vasquez Rocks

$99 tickets available through Kickstarter until May 5th

$150-$200 tickets available via beTIcketing after May 5th.

Presale Link:

http://tinyurl.com/bm5dp7s

BOOMTOWN is an 1880s themed three-day arts, eco-education, and vintage perfomer event in Aqua Dulce, on a private 230 acre meadow, surrounded by hills.

The campout will host science lectures, sustainable living displays and classes, a narrated lunar eclipse viewing, handmade clothing creators, and vintage performers, including magicians and vaudeville acts.

Various attractions during the weekend:

THE STEAMPUNK SALOON
An 1880s Tent. Inside is a 70-year-old bar tender, dressed in steampunk clothes. He serves root beer and lemonade. To the left is the cabinet of curiosities – glittery treasures from all parts of the world. A saber tooth tiger skull, maps to forgotten lands, writing desks, quill pens, brass telescopes.

Pop Hayden from The Magic Castle
will do a historical magic show

New Fangled Opry- Vaudville variety Show

L’unkle’s Boink – A dieselpunk Clown Troupe

Music will include a very special daytime workshop,
followed by a nighttime performance by

The Crystal Method (DJ performance)

Vapor- With his magical illuminated Kinestescope art

Le Sirenes- performance troupe

And many other acoustic and performance acts.

GREEN WAVE GROTTO
This area will be a 20′ dome next to the Museum of Extraordinary Wonder. The Green Grotto will feature displays of tower gardens, recycling techniques, composting techniques, books on urban gardening, apartment gardening, and many displays. Lecturers will speak of communal village gardens, modern ecological events, sustainable living Q & As, and outreach programs that Green Wave promotes and supports around the globe.

OPULENT TEMPLE
The Opulent Temple creates a playground for connection with the Eternal through music. This stage features a Jules Verne inspired metal pod with small fire effects that serves as the stage for musicians. There will also be other forms of light art and metal sculpture to enjoy.

At the center of the Opulent Temple, community experience is the concept of a “Master Class”. World class musicians who remember their early roots are invited to perform.

These musicians have writen their own music and will give lectures during the day on modern computer composition techniques. At night, they will entertain the dancers with their music. Select people from the daytime lectures will be invited up into the music capsule to watch the performers work their midi controllers and laptops.

MAKERS MARKET – This area features handcrafted 1880s apparel, jewelry, top hats, women’s ballroom gowns, and period props. Every vendor hand makes their own wares. This area creates a community of grass roots vendors. By bringing all of these small buisness creators together and placing them in a marketplace at a festival that features 1880s style fashion, we will be supporting their beautiful art.

The Performers for the Steampunk Saloon:

The Crystal Method (DJ set)
David Starfire
Desert Dwellers (solo set)
Alex Zelenka
Auditory Canvas
DJ Wolfie
DivaDanielle
Patricio
Treavor Moontribe

2-Headed Monster-Little Giants
Mark Zabala-Mike Insane-Tropo
Pop Hayden Magic Show-Loomer-Shakti Bliss
The Invisibles-Matt Cole-Fleetwood Smack
Hawk-Jaques the Ripper-BassMechanic
Kat Perry-Jokton-BK Willy-dj Sandbag-Will Levine
Our perfomers for the Opulent Temple:

DJ Dan
DJ Rap

And the residents:
Syd Gris-Tek Freaks – Dutch -Vinkalmann-
-Drew Drop-Dulce Vita-DJ Icon- Brian Peek
Billy Seal-Billy Casazza- Brian Williams
-Mike Butler- Eliki-The Quadrobe – Kimba

and more guests tba.

After years of small gatherings, we have a vision to bring all of these similar groups together and let the steampunk musicians mix with the astronomers, the rocket scientists, and the eco-awareness educators.

We are very excited to bring our steampunk community together. We feel deeply in our hearts that this event will fulfill a greater purpose than just a weekend campout. This weekend will serve to educate, to illuminate, to include people with diverse ideas, and to see the spark of new possibilites for the earth, for fashion, and for music light up in the eyes of our attendees.

Weblinks

http://www.steampunksaloon.com
http://www.opulenttemple.org
http://www.treespacestudio.com

Billy Baque in Los Angeles

Pop Haydn — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:56:40 +0000

Billy Baque in Los Angeles

Pop Haydn presents Tesla Girl

Pop Haydn — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:55:33 +0000

Pop Haydn explains Magnetized Water

Pop Haydn — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:49:06 +0000