HeyJaredEverything I Don't Know (and some things I do)
Max Davidson writes about his successes and failures pursuing professional magic in New York.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 12
- Latest publication
- Sep 25, 2026
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- Jul 24, 2026
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What I learned from getting stiffed (opens the original)
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A few months ago, I did a gig in New York for $2500. Due in part to foolishness on my end, and in part to genuine fraud on my client’s end, I never got paid. I’m documenting it here because:It’s an interesting story.I’m glad it wasn’t a $10,000 (or more) mistake.It’s worth reading to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Like most fraud, it wasn’t immediately obvious. And like most fraud, I absolutely bear some of the blame. Here’s what happened: <a href="https://maxdavidsonmagic.substack.com/
I performed an hour of new material two weeks after Edinburgh Fringe. Here’s what I learned (opens the original)
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For the last few months, I faced an issue. I love doing public shows, but because public shows rely on audiences seeing you sometimes multiple times, you need to create new material. I’m lucky that I have audiences that want to come back, or bring their friends, or both. But over the past year, I noticed that my audiences in Denver and New York had simply seen me do the same material too many times. It’s not that they didn’t like it, but some of them had come 3-4 times, and I couldn’t keep doing
How much does Edinburgh Fringe cost (2026) (opens the original)
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I’ve seen two kinds of Edinburgh breakdown posts. In one, an artist sells out their run, posts all of their great reviews, and takes a well-deserved bow (Because if you sell out your fringe run, that’s a huge deal. Post all you want). I’ve also seen quite a few people tear down the fringe, complain about having the worst time, and say that they’re never coming back. When people take no accountability whatsoever, here’s a big hint: It was, at least partially, their fault. Allow me to thread the n
Edinburgh Recap pt 1 (opens the original)
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I’m currently 30,000 feet above middle America heading to a gig in Denver. Most people suggest ending fringe with a break. I would also suggest this. Instead, I’m doing three shows in three states in four days. So it goes. Gotta pay the bills somehow. The end of fringe was a whirlwind, and it legitimately feels weird to re-enter the real world. I have time to respond to emails, proactively generate business, exercise, and read a book. Basically, my life is no longer consumed by checking ticket s
Edinburgh Week 3 (opens the original)
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It’s the end of week three. As of tonight, there’s only three shows left.I thought this last year, and I stand by it again—this festival is the closest I’ll ever be to having a 9-5 job. It is literally the exact same thing every day, even on weekends. That said, last week’s flood did interrupt my schedule, giving me three consecutive off-days, something frankly unheard of here at Fringe. So, I actually did feel rested. With the festival nearly over, here are some of my final thoughts: Everything
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