Masato Moja is a hard performer to describe. He is a magician, but that’s not where his real magic comes from. He is a clown, but there isn’t much of a classical clown in him. Close to being a mime, but then again he speaks. Harpo Marx on Xanax? Whatever definitions he may or may not fit, he is through and through a unique entertainer. He knows the trick of how to catch one’s eye, and once he does it is very hard to look away.

From simple magic tricks where half the fun is the way he deliberately ‘accidentally’ shows you what the gimmick is, to legitimately impressive feats like swallowing balloons and regurgitating signed playing cards, it is the little touches that make him special. They are quirks that are hard to put into words, but fortunately his facial expressions alone are worth a thousand of them.

He and the other Daidogei crew have been been bringing their street-performer skills to the festival all weekend, and Masato Moja’s routine behind the White Stage at the old Gypsy Avalon grounds were a festival goer’s last chance to catch a little bit of what he has to offer. If you missed him this year, be sure not to the next. The sense of childlike wonder and childish humor inside of you will thank me.