Embellished with Robert Smith-meets Dracula makeup, Jordan Jonas blends magic with the macabre.
The Albuquerque magician brings his creepy brand of psychic ability, sideshow stunts and storytelling into a haunted evening at Fusion at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.
“I’ve been doing magic for 20 years,” he said.
Turning professional 10 years ago, he launched his spooky trajectory at restaurants and flea markets, graduating to both kids’ and adult parties before venturing into theaters and clubs.
“My grandmother raised me and I would watch old movies on TCM with her – old ‘Dracula,’ ‘Frankenstein’ movies. I was always a weird kid. I liked ghost stories, UFOs, Bigfoot and the occult.”
Combing those interests made for an original performance.
The show threads card tricks, mind reading, stunts and story-telling.
“Sometimes I swallow 20-30 sewing needles attached to a thread,” Jonas said.
“I’ve had my fair share of complications in the past. I know most of the mistakes that can happen.”
His mind reading is natural, he said.
“It’s techniques most of us can access,” he added. “It comes down to practice and being intuitive. It’s communicating with people and getting a read on them.”
The show is interactive, with an emphasis on audience participation.
“I try to bounce all around the room,” Jonas said.
Visitors have occasionally “freaked out” at his performance, he said, sometimes calling him a devil.
“There are occult-y undertones,” he acknowledged.
“I collect antique, odd objects and occult items,” he said, “and incorporate them into my routines.”
Some have been used in seances, including Ouija boards and divination cards.
“I have a coffin bell,” he said. “If you got buried alive, they attached a coffin bell you could ring.
“I’ve surrounded myself with it,” he added, “so it really doesn’t bother me. I have a coffin-shaped bookcase.”
