Profile by Ilysha AdelsteinM-U-M
In the United States his routine is known as the “the stripping act.” The Japanese refer to it as “one who is proud of his hairy chest.” In Germany they call it “Ein Hase im der Underhose,” translated as “The Rabbit in the Underpants.”
But no matter what he’s been called (he’s a firm believer in the “sticks and stones policy), audiences worldwide have been completely and utterly “wowed” and entertained by Eric Buss’ innovative brand of comedy magic, characterized by a far-reaching, universal appeal that few other magicians can claim.
Over the past few years, this 25-year-old sensation has become known in magic circles worldwide for his signature routine entitled “After the Gig,” for which he won the Stage Champion of the Year award at the 1995 IBM Convention, and the top prize at the 1999 “Magic Hands” conference in Germany. The concept of “After the Gig” is simple — yet something no other magician has portrayed before with such imagination and finesse. Everyone knows what magicians produce on stage, but Eric gives audiences a peek behind the scenes into the home of a magician after a hard night under the spotlight. As Eric tastefully “disrobes” (that’s what he likes to call it) down to his “I LOVE MAGIC” boxer shorts, doves and other magical props mysteriously appear in every article of his clothing. The finale of the act — you guessed it, “Ein Hase im der Underhose.”
Many magicians and laymen ask Eric what was the inspiration fo rhis entry into the magical world and the creation of his exceptional, yet slightly off-beat routine. But the story of Eric’s entry into the magic world isn’t your usual, “I’ve been infatuated with magic since I was knee high” tale. Although he bought tricks as a young child, he never really was bitten by the proverbial magic bug until a bus-boy stint at a local Pizzeria in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona. A job that, for most high-schoolers, simply is a way to earn gas and beer money, turned into the catalyst for Eric’s dream career. At the pizzeria, a fellow bus-boy named Adrian Van Vactor, was infected by the magic bug and would practice tricks during breaks. Immediately fascinated by the unusual pastime this teenager had picked up, Eric would agree to take on some of Adrian’s tables in exchange for informal magic lessons.
“All of the other bus boys thought we were a little, actually a lot, nutty, spending so much of our free time at work doing magic tricks, instead of flirting with the bosses’ daughter or stuffing our faces with pizza like they did,” says Eric. “But now we are both performing magic full-time, having turned that odd-ball high school pastime into a profession. Who knows where those other guys are now.” As if two magicians weren’t enough at one small pizzeria, it was there that Eric also met Brian Moore. Brian was another “do anything for a laugh” type of guy and Eric and Brian hit it off immediately.
Fate also influenced Eric’s career in other ways; he couldn’t have picked a better hometown than Tucson to nurture his magical talents. Although metro Tucson only has a population of 600,000, it is home to some truly fine magicians and a very large magic shop. The local magic shop, called Williams Magic, serves as both classroom and fraternity to seasoned magicians and novices alike. “It was like I had found a haven once I discovered Williams Magic,” said Eric. “Owners Emory and Nathalia Williams would let me haunt the place while in search of my next purchase. I immediately joined the local S.A.M. assembly and later the I.B.M. chapter, which met once a month. Once I realized the scope of talent I was surrounded by, I began intensely studying magic and picking the brains of anybody and everybody who would let me. The magic shop was my new hang-out, and again, while my friends were out eating burgers and shooting hoops, I was spending my time with magic geeks, half nearly twice my age, trying to absorb every piece of information I could.”
Eric formed immediate friendships with John Shryock and Allan Rasco, who both helped to mold his act and performance style. But it was Bruce Martyn who became his true mentor. Bruce, better known as “The Boston Man,” saw in Eric something he saw in himself years ago. Eric would often leave Bruce’s house with hands full of free props and a head full of advice and knowledge. It was also at that point in time that Eric and another friend interested in magic, Adam Ayer, created an act together and performed at their local church talent show and other small gigs. Eric also started on a solo dove act, but was doing a very traditional routine. Although this early dove act resulted in some well-received engagements at two local venues, the Gaslight Theater, and the local S.A.M. production of “Stars of Magic,” he quickly realized that he was not happy doing the standard stuff. Eric’s inherent comedic abilities (otherwise known as his uncanny goofiness) were recognized immediately by Bruce and the other club members, and he was strongly encouraged to continue exploring other magical avenues utilizing that comedic flare.
One night after coming home from a party, Eric did something he had done thousands of times before in his lifetime — he undressed. But on this particular night instead of doing the routine by rote as “Eric the teenager,” he thought about how the simple actions he was doing would be done by “Eric the magician” coming home after a gig. Scarves, cards, and flowers would pop out from nowhere in all types of clothing, and, well, those birds and rabbits would have to pop out from somewhere. Hence Eric’s signature act, “After the Gig,” was born.
Eric shared the idea with Bruce and some other trusted magicians, who were immediately receptive to it. After getting positive feedback from such esteemed peers, he set to work creating, practicing and polishing the routine. After spending months in his parent’s garage building the closet prop, assembling the proper accessories, and, of course, getting help from mom and dad, Eric first performed “After the Gig” at a local show that Bruce was producing. The response was tremendous, and Eric knew he had found a novel idea that he would keep practicing. After three years of performing and polishing the act around town and getting ideas from other magicians, he felt he was finally ready to perform at the national level – The IBM Annual Competition.
“Although the act was still new, I felt it was ready to be seen by a national audience. For months before the contest I practiced my bird act for hours a day in the living room, getting anybody who came by, even the mailman, to watch and critique it.”
The 1995 I.B.M. convention was in Oakland and the competition was fierce. Many full-time performing magicians were competing against Eric in the Stage Magician category. Eric was confident, but also couldn’t shake that “new kid on the block” feeling, since this was his first major magic convention.
“I just wanted to perform a smooth show, and I hoped everyone would understand the concept and follow what I was doing,” he now reminisces.
To this day, Eric still considers that performance to be one of his finest. Upon completion the room burst into a standing ovation, and right away Eric knew this could be and would be his career. “At that point I didn’t care if I won, because I knew that everyone had enjoyed the act,” he still claims to this day with a smirk. “Winning was just a bonus that night… a big bonus. After signing my first few contracts for other magic conventions and having legends like Peter Pit and Amos Levkovitch compliment me, I knew I was in.”
About a year or so before I.B.M., Eric had started college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. He chose theater as a major, for the obvious reasons of honing the theatrical and improvisational skills that would translate into his magic routines. However, some of the best career experience Eric gained in college was out of the classroom. He and his longtime friend Brian Moore shared the same intrinsic goofy sense of humor referred to earlier, and through Eric’s influence, Brian, too, became smitten with the magic bug. Together they came up with a variety of wacky comedy magic routines — a combination of Howie Mandel meets Houdini, just idiotic and asinine enough to leave their co-ed audiences in stitches.
“We performed wherever we could — dorm parties, coffee shops, bars — paid or unpaid, it didn’t matter,” says Eric. “All that mattered to us was the attention, the practice, and the occasional free beer we got out of the gig.”
“Our favorite act was our crazy adaptation of the Subtrunk,” says Moore, now enlisted in the Navy. “We always tried to make the routine just a little funnier than before. Sometimes it got out of hand and we would laugh at ourselves as we performed it. We were never quite sure if everyone thought we were as funny as we did, but we didn’t really care. At that point in time both of us weren’t very good with women anyway, so we figured we might as well have fun, even if were making fools out of ourselves.” Eric also credits his teamwork with Brian for inspiring his ability to turn everyday situations into comedy. “We would joke around and play off while also trying to outdo one another. Miraculously, one day other people (besides our friends) actually began to laugh at our antics and we knew we were starting to get good.”
The remainder of Eric’s college years were spent working on the act, practicing parlour-type magic, and appearing in a few plays. Simultaneously, he slowly eased into his professional career by performing at magic conventions and the one and only Magic Castle in Hollywood.
At the I.B.M. Convention, Eric had met Peter Pit, the late Magic Castle Entertainment Director. Not only was Eric thrilled to receive Pit’s praise at I.B.M., he was even more excited to receive his suggestions for further improvements to “After the Gig,” and his help in getting booked as a performer in the “Palace of Mystery.”
Working the Castle for the first time was an absolute thrill — a bit nerve-racking, but a thrill nonetheless,” recalled Eric.
Eric’s international career began in the fall of 1997. The young magician was one of only ten variety acts selected to compete in the first “World Artist of the Year” contest in Belgium. Although he did not win, he walked away with some very lucrative international connections, including an invitation to perform in his first international gig, a two-month contract for the Georgpalast Variete Theaters in Hannover and Essen Germany. At that time he also fully recognized the appreciation for variety arts that exists in Europe and knew he would have many avenues and venues to pursue there. He realized he would be back on the continent many times in the years to come.
After he finished college, Eric returned to his parents’ home in Tucson with the hopes of creating some new acts. The spring of 1998, was a very creative period for him and many new comedic routines came into being. Among them are “The Carrot’s Revenge,” a twisted, yet light hearted, rabbit impalement involving a vindictive carrot and an innocent bunny, and “The Lounge Singer” a zombie microphone act where Eric shows off his Elvis/Tom Jones impersonator abilities as well as his magical talents. Both have left audiences in stitches in the U.S. and overseas.
With the new material under his belt, Eric felt he had enough in his professional repertoire to make the big move to the entertainment capitol of the world — Los Angeles. For the past year and a half magic has been his sole career and income source, as he has performed both overseas and in the U.S. When not working a gig, Eric spends his free time not only polishing the bird act and his other established routines, but also creating new acts and gags. To date, he is up to about 30-40 minutes of original comedy material.
“Although I know “After the Gig” will probably always remain one of my most popular routines, I know that a lot of venues want more than just a novelty spot,” he commented. “Creating new routines will always be a common practice for me. I want to be known as a comedy magician whose style is truly one-of-a-kind.”
All of that practice and creation Eric hopes will one day lead to the fulfillment of his top goal, that of doing a one-man show. However, this comedic magician does not have your typical Vegas-type show in mind, but something rather more off-the-beaten-path.
“Ideally, my one-man show would be more like a magical play with different acts and plots that all that relate to one another, and, of course, something that culminates with a big finale,” explains Eric. “I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but it will be a mish-mash of conjuring, comedy and characters; at least that’s how it is in my head right now.” For the time being, however, Eric is greatly enjoying his world-wide performances and travels.
As you can imagine, a common question posed to Eric is: “What happens when you get old and no one wants to watch you take off your clothes anymore?” Holding true to that sticks and stones policy, Eric does not let those futuristic doomsayers concern him. Because for a comedian, the aging process just means more material. So if forty years from now he’s know as the old geezer with “Ein Hase im der Underhose” — that’s A-OK with him.
An Interview with Eric Buss
What does magic mean to me? Scrape away all the layers and it is simply that I love to watch it, and more than that, I love to perform it. My drama professor told us that I few truly were actors, we would not be able to do anything else; we would be driven toward performing. That is true of me and magic. I can’t explain it. I simply need to be on stage. When my contest act in Oakland was so well received, I knew that I was one of the lucky ones; I could make a living at what I love to do.
Do I see myself performing magic the rest of my life? Yes, but that won’t be all. My drama background has prepared me for many possibilities and my magic will give me the opportunity to do many things. I want to have my own revue show. I might very well be involved in both producing and directing shows, possibly eventually in theater and film. In fact, one of the real benefits of being involved with West Coast Wizardz Magic Camp is that I get a chance to direct the camper show in a very casual, low stress level. That expands my store of experience. I want to experience many different venues in the dramatic arts. But for now it’s magic.
Yes, I constantly analyze my act. Remember, “act” can mean many things. It can mean my “gig” act, or it can mean that plus other routines. I constantly think about new routines and acts, looking for ways to offer more to a producer or director. For example, this past November I traveled with Murry Hatfield’s illusion tour, a seven-week bus tour from east to west Canada. It was all magic and I did a 12-15 minute spot which included my bird act (the “gig” act), and a few other comedy items. A few years ago I sent Murry a video, but all I had to offer was the bird act. It wasn’t until I had expanded my repertoire that I was able to do the show. I improve my skills by watching other performers. For me live shows, television or videotapes are more valuable than books, although I do some reading. I analyze comedy magicians and comedy in general. I study timing, why there’s a joke here, a joke there, another joke and then the magic. I look for the rule of three, three segments, three times, whatever. The rule of three is a kind of standard in comedy. The laugh builds as the comedian moves through the three phases of the routine, joke upon joke upon joke — a minor laugh, then another minor laugh, then the punch line. It’s a way of conditioning the audience. The key is to recognize how these things work.
I enjoy picking apart comedians, Jay Leno, a talk show, the Simpsons. I watch how Leno leads the interview, how he slides the jokes in, how he controls the audience, conducts the interview, how he is always in control of the situation. Actually, I think the Simpsons represent some of the best comedy writing around. I’ve dissected them a lot.
As far as comedy magic is concerned, I don’t always care how something is done. I don’t even care if I am fooled as long as I am entertained, and if I am entertained I don’t worry about how something happened. I think the audience responds the same way.
My bird act works, and while I don’t want to be guilty of trying to fix something that is not broken, I plan to really dissect my act and look for ways to improve it this coming year. Part of being a professional is self-analysis.
Timing is everything. Winning the I.B.M. competition opened up all kinds of opportunities. When I moved to Los Angeles after college I already had friends there, which made the move easier, and I had the two months in Germany waiting for me. For a few weeks I did temp work in lawyers offices, real estate offices, filing and stuff, and I was just happy to be living in L.A. and earning some money. Then I did the two months in Germany. I learned a lot from doing a show full time.
Back in Los Angeles I continued to work on new material. I worked The Castle, Wizards, and a few other gigs, such as the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood. It wasn’t a prestigious gig, but it gave me some extra grocery money. I did not and do not do private parties, birthday shows, corporate work. That’s not me at this time. Then I went back to Germany to compete in the Magic Hands competition. Actually, I sort of felt that I didn’t need competition any more; I just thought that I would go and see what happened, then come back home. But I won and was offered lots more international work as a result. Was I ever wrong about the importance of competition!
I didn’t expect to win and I wasn’t driven to win. I just wanted to do my best, and it paid off.
As a result of that competition and the earlier work in Germany, I signed contracts for Japan Italy Sweden and England. Throughout the year I played all those, and those gigs will take me back to the same venues and other venues.
This year I also performed at the Palace in The Magic Castle without the bird act. Fifteen to twenty minutes without birds — just comedy magic. That gave me a chance to hone and polish some of my new routines, which I really wanted to do this year.
I do believe in giving something back. In college I became very good friends with a drama professor in college. I worked with her in the spring of 1995 teaching improv and comedy to high school kids on Indian reservations in Arizona. That was a great experience. When I won the I.B.M. this professor, who has excellent business sense, began making phone calls on my behalf, helping me to broaden my experience. One of her calls was to West Coast Wizards Magic Camp, and I found myself working at the camp. In 1998 Andy Amyx and I were placed in charge of the advanced stage class. We work well together. I have a drama background and, in addition to being well versed in all areas of magic, Andy has a great technical sense.
I teach at camp because it is fun for me, fun for all the instructors, and fun for the kids. I enjoy seeing the kids create their acts and we learn something every single minute. In my youth I went to several sports camps. While I kind of had fun, I always felt intimidated. If you didn’t make the shot the team was upset with you, if you couldn’t dribble the ball they would laugh at you. That’s not the case at West Coast Wizards camp. If you don’t know a card move there are probably ten people who are going to come over and teach you, of [sic] if you don’t have an act ten kids are going to come over and give you ideas. That’s why I go back year after year. It is one of the most nurturing kid activities that I have ever seen.
My parents were always at every show I did. They helped me build props, sewing my costume and watched me practice in the living room, and I believe that is why I have the confidence to pursue my career. It came from them. I supposed my attitude about West Coast Wizards is a result of that, too.
Certainly I have goals. The great thing is that so many of them are proving to be achievable — the Castle, touring the world with my magic. Still on the list are performing at F.I.S.M., directing and acting in films, having a revue show, doing my own one-man show, falling in love, having a family and die happy. For now, while I’m young, I want to travel everywhere, see and do everything, and do all the short term and long term gigs. Then, when I am ready, I will be able to settle down… after the gig.