Ottawa Super Ex!

Hey everyone!
I am back in Toronto for the time being. The summer ended on a great high note with an awesome time at the Ottawa SuperEx. A great team of people working, wonderful crowds and a real steady gig! Met some wonderful and colourful new people, and reconnected with old friends. I even spent some time working the street in the Byward Market, which is one of my favourite pitches in the country. I love Ottawans and am always looking forward to going back whenever I can.

After the Ex, I took a self-imposed holiday away from the internet and it felt so great! I actually got out and had an AMAZING Labour Day weekend busking at Harbourfront in Toronto, and got a chance to see some friends who will be leaving shortly, going back to various countries or cities to hunker down for the winter.

This upcoming weekend I will be working the Taste of the Kingsway street closure. The season is ending and while there are the bittersweet emotions attached, I feel contented for having a busy and full summer behind me. Now it's time to hunker down myself and work on new and exciting projects for the next upcoming year!

Saint John, St. John's...

Hi folks!

I just got back from my tour out East; Saint John's Buskers on the Boardwalk, and St. John's Buskerfest in Newfoundland. I ate a lot of seafood, smelled the salty sea air and had some amazing adventures that included jumping across the top of the cars of an old timey train. Scratch one more thing off the list of things to do before I die. Nope, the yard dogs weren't chasing me, but there'll be time for that I reckon!

Had a wonderful time performing in some great fests, met some wonderful people, got some great press and gave some AMAZING shows. Thanks to everyone who came out to the fests in New Brunswick and Newfoundland, you guys were amazing and totally rocked!

I'm going to invest in a better computer so I can keep a log of my adventures on the road; since I drove up to both gigs, a lot of fun was had. The Cowguys wrote a great blog entry regarding our trip home from New Brunswick, if'n you wanna read it...

Newfoundland was wonderful. I drove up with Chalkmaster Dave and we had a grand old time taking the ferry across the Atlantic Ocean and spending 20 hrs in a car together. I'm pleased to announce that not only did we make it through the trip without any problems, but we actually enjoyed each other's company and worked well even under pressure! Way to go us!!
We even had some time along the way to take pictures and goof around.

I get so much inspiration on the road and have been writing things down and am looking forward to a productive winter of new stuff up and coming once I get finished with my summer touring season. Not that I want it to hurry up, I'm enjoying every minute of it!! :D

Alright, well, I should get going. Next adventure is in Ottawa, for the Super Ex! It should be an awesomely grand ol' time!

I leave you now with a shot from on the road: hitchin' a ride on the train to get to the NFLD ferry...

Muskoka SummerFest, Windsor International Buskerfest, fest fest fest...

Well, I left Toronto last week and haven't been back much since, and don't expect to be home much in the near future, it seems! This is the part where the tourin' starts.

Last weekend I was in beautiful sunny Muskoka for the annual Muskoka Summerfest, an awesome festival in the heart of Bracebridge right on lake Muskoka. The crowds were great, the atmosphere was fantastic and overall a really fun time.

This weekend I'm off to the Windsor International Buskerfest, which is sure to be a real fun time. I'm looking forward to seeing some awesome folks again and meeting some new people. I will definitely be updated this journal between now and the fest to let you all know how it goes!

Currently, I'm at home cutting together a demo-reel! I'm amazed I've been working this long without one! I've gotten some footage together and will be shooting some more in the near future, but as it stands, I want something up ASAP and the footage I have currently is really good. It's coming along nicely, although, it's pretty obvious why I don't work in film full-time; editing takes me forever because I have zero interest in sitting at a computer for hours on end. I'd much rather be entertaining crowds. Ha ha.

Next week I'll be road trippin' with the Cow Guys to New Brunswick! I love out East! I can't wait to eat more oysters!

Canada Day

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great Canada Day. I sure did!
This year, I was lucky enough to have the day off from gigs to check out the busking on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. I'd never been to Ottawa for our national holiday and found it to be an amazing experience. The crowds were friendly, amazingly patriotic and very enthusiastic. I gave some wonderful performances and the audiences really loved my act!

Something to look forward to in August when I will be back for the Super Ex!

This weekend I'm in Toronto, working at the Harbourfront pitch. Next weekend is the Muskoka Summerfest! It is sure to be a blast. Looking forward to performing with Errheads again. They are brilliant.

Dundas Buskerfest, Lunacy Cabaret, Update!

Hi everyone!

June has been a crazy month and it's not even over yet!

From the 5-7th, I was lucky enough to participate in the Dundas, ONT Buskerfest! The lineup this year was incredible with old legends and rising stars alike. The shows rocked at this truly world-class festival! I had a great time: met some wonderful people, got to see other wonderful people I hadn't seen in a while and totally gave wicked shows. That was definitely an amazing experience, one of the best fests I've done to date!

Last weekend, I participated in the last Lunacy Cabaret of the season at the Centre of Gravity in Toronto. I performed a surreal cabaret variety piece and it went awesomely! Thanks to everyone who came out to support.

This weekend, I'm in Ottawa for North America's largest Dragon Boat race. It is sure to be a wonderful weekend.

Sierra Leone Update

Well, I haven't posted about the upcoming gig in Sierra Leone for a while now because it's been off the ground/grounded/off the ground/grounded so many times.

Our scheduled attempt for June has been foiled again due to funding issues from the Government. Accountable Development Works has made my contribution top priority and there has to be a trip to Sierra Leone this year (once funding goes through) so we will be going as soon as my personal schedule will allow.

So, from our meeting this morning, I'm on standby for July, but it looks like we will most likely be leaving later. I've been thinking of returning to Arizona this year for a month to train and spend some time working with Flam Chen, and Malaysia for a couple of months to shoot a film, so with this trip being postponed yet again I may have to re-organize my whole schedule.

Plus, there's a whole other person(al issue) that I'd love to be in Toronto for, to dedicate time to...!

...Oh, Africa! Even before I get there, it's quite an adventure just to get off the ground!

Meh. Such is life. "The best laid plans of mice and men go oft aglay." Everything cast to the winds. Such is the life of a perpetual traveler, right?

Dan Cole's Awake Wake

Please come out tonight to 1300 Gerrard St. E (the Centre of Gravity) to celebrate the life of Dan Cole. For those who don't know him, Dan is a comedian, motivational speaker, juggler and a damn fine friend. He will be departing from this world soon and tonight's show, a mix of variety, circus, comedy, is to help raise the funds for his funeral costs. Come out to laugh, cry, share stories and say goodbye to a remarkable person.

$20 at the door. Doors at 7pm.
Hope to see you there!