Magician's Vantage Point of Center City Philadelphia

I love Center City Philadelphia! It’s not only because Philadelphia was once the country’s largest city or capital. I’m extremely fond of Old City. The Liberty Bell carries meaning that is especially relevant to a working magician's career path. But I love Center City because of what’s magical here now, not just its history.

Jesse Dameron standing in front of Independence Hall in Old City, Philadelphia.

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The Parallel Between the Liberty Bell and a Magician: It's a Story of Resilience that Changes the Magician

The Liberty Bell didn't work perfectly the first time it was rung. It cracked, so local craftsmen melted it down and recast it, then recast it again until they were satisfied with its sound. It took persistence and resilience. A professional magician’s act goes through a similar trial-and-error process. I test, refine, and polish my material in front of live audiences, keeping what works and cutting what doesn't, until the routine consistently lands.

The original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, photographed by Jesse Dameron.

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Predicting Which Philadelphia Landmark a Guest Will Choose

One of my favorite ways to bring Philadelphia into a performance is a prediction with my Philadelphia-themed deck, where every card is a hand-drawn landmark or historic building.

It starts with an envelope. I set it down in front of the group and keep my hands off it. A guest then chooses a card. It could be City Hall, the Liberty Bell, or Reading Terminal Market, and the choice is theirs. When the guest opens the envelope, my prediction names the landmark they chose.

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Jesse Dameron's deck of landmark playing cards, showing hand-drawn cards of the LOVE statue, William Penn, the Barnes Foundation, City Hall, the Liberty Bell, One Liberty Place, Reading Terminal Market, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Masonic Temple. — Every card in this deck is a Philadelphia landmark. I predict a guest's choice before they make it. Please note that an artst drew them, not me. I do tricks with them.

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Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse has an event room inside of a bank vault.

As a magician for private parties in Philadelphia, I was booked for a holiday party at DelFrisco’s Steakhouse. The event room was called “The Vault.” This ballroom was literally inside of a bank vault! Performing a magic show inside a bank vault was surreal, and even as a diner, eating in a giant bank vault would be a unique experience.

Jesse Dameron performing magic for First Trust Portfolios at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Center City Philadelphia. The event room is called "The Vault" and was literally a bank vault. — Performing inside "The Vault" at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse on Chestnut Street

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Stepping Into the Loews Philadelphia Hotel Elevator Feels Like Stepping Into a Movie

Loews Philadelphia Hotel feels like a magic portal when you change floors.

When Bancroft had a gala on the top two event floors, I noticed that the floors were visually different. Actually, it was like that for many regular floors that don’t have event rooms. The elevator looked like an advanced computer, and there were completely different-looking lounges on different floors. It felt like arriving somewhere new every time the elevator door opened. There is something magical about pushing a button and watching a different world appear.

LOVE Park has Lovely Parking!

Most people think of the LOVE Statue when they think of LOVE Park in Philadelphia, but don’t overlook the parking garage. As someone who often drives a minivan with show supplies, the parking garage is a blessing. The lanes are wide, and the capacity is way bigger than the old garages.

Magician Jesse Dameron presses the elevator button inside of Love Park Garage — Me entering the elevator of Love Park Garage.

The Magic of Center City West

In the photo below, you can see me standing in front of City Hall. I am standing on the west side of City Hall, facing west, and this subtle detail has deeper meaning.

Magician Jesse Dameron standing on the west side of City Hall in Center City Philadelphia — Philadelphia Magician Jesse Dameron standing on the west side of the City Hall, facing west.

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I am on the side of City Hall where the largest skyscrapers cluster. These massive buildings were built by humans. Their labor and the architects’ minds created these impressive, gigantic structures.

I don’t feel awe looking at mountains in the wilderness. Mountains don’t protect you from the freezing cold in winter or the heat waves in summer. Buildings do, and skyscrapers are the ultimate form of building. To me, skyscrapers like One Liberty Place are real magic.

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Tall buildings in Center City Philadelphia, including One Liberty Place. — One Liberty Place is the skyscraper shown in the center of this photo.

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Street Performance Artists are Normal in Center City

When I need to test new material as a magician, Avenue of the Arts is perfect spot. It is just part of Center City's acceptable culture to have entertainers on the streets. It's not necessarily impossible to do elsewhere, but it's far more comfortable and expected in Center City than a town or suburb. I regularly see entertainers on South Broad Street and Market Street (usually on the immediate West side of City Hall). I liked that stretch of South Broad enough to put a photo of it on a novelty license plate and bolt it to the front of my car.

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A novelty license plate on magician Jesse Dameron's car showing South Broad Street at night with Philadelphia City Hall lit up in the distance. — My novelty front license plate: South Broad Street at night, looking toward City Hall. It's on the minivan that hauls my show supplies through Center City.

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My car isn't the only thing showing my love for Center City. My keys have two Liberty Bells and a Philadelphia lanyard, which might be a sign I got a little carried away.

A set of car keys with two Liberty Bell keychains, one copper and one silver, and a colorful lanyard printed with "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania" and a city skyline. — My keys, with two Liberty Bell keychains and a Philadelphia lanyard.