I've decided to share some of the videos I have of dad's performances - most of them are almost 20 years old or more. He would sometimes book blocks of shows - particularly around Christmas time - go on tour, and I would accompany him and film his performances. It was a time of intense focus for him. He was constantly reviewing the footage, tweaking his show, refining his material, and gathering clips for marketing videos. I'll be sharing some of those videos in the future as well.
Dad could get pretty irate when he heard about other performers stealing his bits, so we never shared this footage while he was alive. At the time, protecting his material mattered a great deal to him. Now, though, I suppose things are different.
I've been told I could probably package this footage and sell it as a learning tool for performers. Maybe that's true, but honestly, I'd rather as many folks as possible have the opportunity to see it. If someone can watch these old performances and learn something about timing, structure, stage presence, audience interaction, or simply the craft of putting together a show, then that's something Dad would continue to give to the art he loved so much.
Anything anyone can glean from these videos is another little piece of John Riggs that gets to live on. And for me, that's worth sharing.
Enjoy and do as you will!
John Riggs performs in Huntingburg, Indiana - May 2007
John Riggs performs in Terre Haute, Indiana - December 2007
This performance contains a strong "hit" during the Q&A portion which dad mentioned in numerous interviews, including the Lee Earle Syzygy interview on YouTube that has been making the rounds lately. This hit comes around the 45:40 mark with an audience member named Scott. Dad blurts out "Miami? Uganda?" to which a bewildered Scott responds "How is that possible?? How is that possible??" Scott had written on his card that he was looking for a new place to live on advice of his doctor - that is all. It turns out he was indeed looking for places to live in Miami and, incredibly, also Uganda. This is one of those flashes of insight dad often spoke about that would just come to him sometimes seemingly out of nowhere.
John Riggs performs in Paris, Indiana - December 2007
I debated even uploading this one, but I think there is some value here. This was an extremely challenging show for dad. It was scheduled way too late at night and after the crowd had eaten and just wanted to go home, and the planner had booked his two hour mindreading and hypnosis show. Adding to the shit-sundae was another event in the same building which was excessively loud, making any hypnotic induction very challenging. But wait! There's more! The electrical system in the building was also on the fritz which caused dad's sound system - including the music needed for his hypnosis routine - to malfunction. This is a good example of dad persevering through a number of very challenging conditions that would crush a great many other performers.
