Most magicians are self-confessed nerds. I can’t tell you how many magic shows I’ve seen where the performer describes a loner childhood, or recounts growing up in a town where the owner of the local magic shop was the only available friend. When others were out carousing on the town, your average conjurer was upstairs in their bedroom, perfecting shuffles.

No disrespect intended; we magic fans usually have a lot in common with those who perform it for us. But The Spellbinder blows that image out of the water. His retro show, “Diary of a Black Illusionist,” is cool.

Way cool.

The Spellbinder, whose real name is Walter King Jr., is also a lot older than your typical performer at the Chicago Magic Lounge, where he has been holding down the Wednesday night spot, likely through the end of t

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