I've also been to watch his live shows and I can assure you that everything he does is real.

First of all, to select participants, he threw a ring in to the crowd, in totally random places, and his throws weren't carefully directed. He then moved on, in the second half, to people writing a note and placing it inside an envelope in a bowl on stage in plain view of everyone, what he did with these was truly amazing... Awe inspiring even... He then bandaged his head up at the end of the show and got someone to check he wasn't wearing an ear piece and went on for about another fifteen minutes totally blind with the same act.

If you watch his shows, read his books and watch him on T.V. you can learn how to do a few of his tricks... I can make people pick specific cards out of a deck of cards purely by suggestion and I'm a programmer, not a magician...

If you get the chance to see him live, don't miss it!