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High Country Magician ‘Jay Spry the Magic Guy’ Begins Fall Season Magic Shows at Bella’s, Bistro Roca and Cobo

By Emma Speckman

Oct. 2, 2014. On a typical weekend night, diners in the High Country can be treated to a “Spry the Magic Guy” magic trick show during the roughly seven to 12 minute wait time between the arrival of their appetizer and their main course.

His acts include card reading and mind tricks designed to entertain and amaze waiting customers.

“Normally every single table I go to I have a set that I do,” Spry said, “How long it lasts depends…part of my job is just to entertain people to kill time.”

Beginning in the middle of this month, Spry will perform at Cobo in Boone Thursday nights, Bella’s in Banner Elk Friday and Saturday nights, and Bistro Roca in Blowing Rock Saturdays and Sundays during their brunch rush. He has worked with Bella’s and Bistro Roca in the past, but Cobo is a new addition to his lineup.

“Cobo is the only one I hit college kids,” Spry said, a change he said he is excited about.

“Bistro Roca at brunch is normally a family of four, a family of six,” he said. “But I would never claim myself as a children’s entertainer. In my perfect world I would work cocktail parties and weddings.”

Aside from providing pleasant distraction to diners in the few minutes between ordering their food and receiving it, Spry also functions as a promoter for the restaurants in the High Country where he performs, attracting new customers to the restaurants.

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Spry will perform this fall at Bella’s in Banner Elk, Bistro Roca in Blowing Rock and Coco in Boone

Jay Spry grew up in Thailand, where he picked up practicing magic tricks through family.

“Back home in Thailand my friend’s brother was a personal musician and I kind of fell in love with the tricks,” Spry said.

Spry attended college in Florida, where he stopped practicing and performing for awhile, instead focusing on a bar tending job and finishing school, but he eventually returned to the craft he loved.

Magic, he mused, improves lives and makes people forget about their problems and focus instead on something momentarily fascinating.

“I make people smile,” Spry said.