And with fall comes....

So summer is finally over, and what a wild ride it’s been! I truly want to thank everyone I had the privilege to work with over the summer and to everyone who came out to see any of my shows. You’ve helped make this the most intense summer of my life; this is one I will never forget! Between cutting my teeth as a busker, inventing a new poi trick (which made the cover of the Sudbury Star!)and doing more shows in 3 months than I did all of 2010 this has really been an absolutely massive season.

If you haven’t caught it yet I recommend checking out the video that I posted from the time I spent in Sudbury for Summerfest 2011. You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrdyunJwpi0

Sudbury Summerfest is a great festival that I’ve been performing at the past two years and I look to be set to return in 2012 as well. I had a fantastic time there on and off the stage and am already excited for when I get return. I have been working with a number of photographers over the summer as well and have some great new images to share which you can see at the top of this post for now, and I will be adding more to the gallery some time next week.

The summer may be over but I definitely don’t have much time to relax! Tomorrow I’m flying back to my home town of Halifax where I may end up doing a few street shows if the timing and the weather cooperates. I would love to show my old stomping ground all the things I’ve learned since I moved. When I return I’ll be performing at Bymark at the Toronto Dominion Center next week on Wednesday September 21st at 7:00PM so if you’re wondering when the next time you will be able to catch me, it’s this Wednesday!

As always I stay active on Twitter and Facebook so follow or add me there through the links at the bottom left of my webpage and get in touch with me. If you saw one of my shows and liked it, or you thought it sucked, either way I’d love to hear from you. I hope you all had a great summer too and I look forward to setting my face on fire for you again soon.

Sudbury Summerfest 2011

Wow, Summer. I am hitting the streets!

It happens every year, and yet it keeps taking me by surprise. The weather is outstanding, the mood and atmosphere is fantastic and wow am I ever busy! This is easily the hardest I’ve ever worked in a summer, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I did a great gig in Kingston for the Skeleton Park Music Festival where I got to perform along side The Soul Jazz Orchestra! They are a great band, and that’s a big compliment from me because usually I don’t enjoy live music. I punctuated the last half of their set with my full range of tricks and props to give the festival a very energetic ending. Together we got a lot of people on their feet!

I spent Canada Day this year heating up Dunlop Street in downtown Barrie doing some shows leading up to the fireworks. This year I am expanding to doing more busking and busker style shows and the response has been really fantastic! You seem to like me more when I’m talking more than when I’m setting my face on fire! Barrie was a wonderful crowd, I hope I get to go back there soon. People were super friendly and I met some really fun people after each of my shows.

Last weekend I was part of a team of buskers who kicked off the first ever Celebrate the Streets festival in Huntsville. The evening was also the first iteration of Nuit Blanche north, a late night outdoor art exhibit experience based on the popular Nuit Blanche that Scotiabank puts on once a year in Toronto. It was an honour and tremendously exciting to be a part of this event. I’m still energized from the experience and can’t wait to do more street shows!

This weekend I’m performing in Oakville Friday night and Saturday at 3pm I will be at Pacific Mall!

Nearly summer

So if you're reading this from Drakeshow.com you might notice a few changes. This weekend I added a page on my safety policy, a list of some venues and events I've performed at in the past and a description of the circus skills that I use in my show. So now if you didn't already you'll have a better idea of what the drakeshow is all about. What do you think of the changes? Drop me a line on the contact page, I'd love to hear from you, seriously!

So the free show thing didn't really work out. That's ok, I'll just stick to setting my face on fire instead of trying to do this social media marketing thing. :) speaking of setting my face on fire, may has been a very busy month!  I've had a crazy amount of shows, one day I had 5 in 3 cities! Whew! My face was warm that night! 

I also took 2 trips to the states for training and skill sharing retreats with some other artists. I love events like this because if gives me a chance to really focus on the fire art on it's own away from client demands or budget restrictions and I can come up with new material that ends up being s part if my stage and street shows that I can then share with all of you.

Thanks for reading! I don't know why but I find I'm far better at updating twitter and Facebook than I am the news blog. If you ever want to check out what I'm up to and you've already read my last blog post then head over to with of those with the icon links on the bottom right of the site.

Stay hot.

Free Show? Your free show!! THREE FREE SHOWS!!!

I've been practicing and training a lot this winter and it's going great. I'm learning new tricks, I'm in the best shape of my life; everything is going according plan. Except that the off season is really making me miss my friends. I haven't been doing that many shows since the weather is too cold and nasty for anyone to want to stand around and watch a show. But that's changing soon, and I want to see as many people as I can once spring finally comes! So I'm giving YOU (maybe) a free show! I'll perform wherever you want, it's your show!

So here's the deal. Like my Facebook page, and if there are 1000 likes on my page by my birthday, May 2nd, 2011, then three of you will win the free show. It's a gift for both of us! If you already like my page then you are automatically entered, but I encourage you to invite people to like the page too so this thing can actually happen.

Do it here!



Restrictions:

• Winner must provide safe and suitable venue.
• The show is a 10 minute technical performance with fire poi, staff, fleshing, fire eating and fire breathing if the venue is safe for all flame effects.
• The performance is free but if the venue is not reachable by TTC then the winner must pay for travel expenses.
• All persons who currently like http://facebook.com/DrakeShow are automatically entered into the contest.
• Performance can only be redeemed within Canada.
• Show cannot conflict with a previously booked performance.
• Show must be redeemed within the calendar year of 2011.

Wow, I kind of suck at the internet don't I? ;)

So much has been and still is happening, but this won't be a long post because no one reads those. I'll just tell you a little bit about what I've been up to and leave the rest for later updates. Thought definitely if you want to be in the know add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I can drop quick updates from my phone while I'm traveling or waiting for show times that are easier for me to write and for you to read in a hurry.

I've been training with Nick Woolsey of PlayPoi fame and over the past 4 months my spinning has gotten several orders of magnitude better. I have a new torch poi routine that I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoy performing. I have been quite busy with shows as well, and I have been posting about most of them on Facebook and Twitter.

Things are quieting down for the winter, but my training has never been so intense. I'm keeping super busy and have quite a few new acts and surprises to show you in the near future. FOr now though I'll just leave you with a photo from a recent performance in Napanee.

Talk soon.

This Summer Rocks

Upcoming shows:

September 11th: Harvest Moonacy, Midlothian Ridge
September 24th: CLH Parade of Lights, Midland
September 25th: Cool Haus, Toronto
October 9: A Glitch In The System, The Great Hall, Toronto

Wow so I haven’t updated since Wildfire. A lot has happened in the last 2 months. First off I have a promo video! Check it out on the video page! A longer one will be coming sometime in the fall but, it’s my face on fire, on the internet and what’s not to like about that?

I had some fantastic shows lately too. I did a duo act with Angelina Del Fuego for Woodlands Graduation that was by far the longest show I’ve been a part of and maybe received the warmest reception of any act I’ve been a part of as well. It was one of the first examples of a less technical and more personal style of show that I’ve been creating and the crowd was excellent, supportive and very encouraging so expect to see more of this style of act in the future.

For the last 2 years I’ve been working on making LED spinning toys that would be bright and interesting enough to watch that I would choose them instead of fire even if fire was allowed in the venue. I’ve completed a set of LED poi and a contact staff that accomplish this goal as well.



It is because of these toys I’ve been asked to be part of a robot themed show during a Vibesquad and Mochipet party on October 9th! I will be performing with 4 others in crazy costumes and I’m really looking forward to it. If you can’t make it to the party I’ll post pictures of the spectacle here, but I think that you’ll want to be at the party.

Oh Wildfire. You’ve done it again.

It’s taken me so long to post a blog about wildfire because I truly, honestly, do not know what to say besides “Awesome, awesome, awesome…” over and over again.

The workshops that I taught went pretty well I think. The classes I took were exactly what I was hoping to learn. The community was very strong. I was thrilled to be one of the teachers of the performance class on the last night, and grateful for the people who came up to me afterward with kind words and appreciation. Conditions were almost impossible but the audience and I made it into a fun act anyway. The community was the best part, as it always is. The awesome mix good friends who are like family and the exciting and interesting new ones. There were people I didn’t get to spend enough time with, but if I don’t catch up with you when I’m traveling around then I’ll see you in the fall.

Back in Toronto I hit the ground running. I have been hard at work redesigning the new site (check it out!), working on new collaborations as well as doing photo and video shoots. Get ready internet, you’re going to get a whole lot more of me in the coming weeks.

-T

Rokbar Hamilton May 23

I’m performing Sunday night this weekend at Rokbar in Hamilton! Come celebrate the long weekend with me! I’ll see you there!

Upcoming: New Video and Show

Hello internet. I wanted to let you know that I will be shooting a promo video and performing at a fundraiser on May 7th for Circus Alchemy. The event information is on Facebook. It is going to be a wild night full of amazing performances from the charming and talented Circus Alchemy roster. The piece I'm performing is a brand new duet act. Don't you dare tell me there's something you'd rather be doing on a Friday night!



I am also going to begin shooting for a person promo video starting in May. A finished cut should be ready by late May or early June. Keep your eyes open for this, I'm going to be demoing some new props that have been added to my arsenal since coming to Toronto. You're really going to like what I've been up to in secret all this time. See you on the 7th!

Hello internet-land. I hope things have been as awesome for you as they have been for me. I have been absolutely loving the beautiful weather lately! Obviously I’m a huge fan of light and heat; Toronto has been supplying tons of both! Combined with daylight savings time the world has really come alive. I know I’m not the only one feeling it either because the parties and crowds lately have been overwhelmingly positive and energetic. Lots of happy people out there!

The big news for the moment is that the illScarlett video Milkshakes and Razorblades featuring Kardinall Offishall and a small cameo by myself has been released! I’ve added it to the video section of my website so check it out here. Super cool video and it was such a fun shoot. I still feel sorry for the actors who were in the background getting shot with water guns in the middle of January. They looked COLD.

I have been busy the past few weeks performing at Circa and On the Rox. I have also been working hard creating some new equipment and innovating the technology side of the art. I’ll be vague until it is finished, but expect some seriously BRIGHT things in the future.

Upcoming news is that I have a few private shows this weekend and I’ve been invited back to Lunacy Cabaret to perform on Saturday March 27th. Mark this date in your calendar boys and girls because it’s going to be one hell of a show. This date marks the 5th anniversary of Lunacy cabaret and will be the 50th show. They haven’t told me many of the details but I can say that it will be a celebration not to be missed. Lunacy is held at Center of Gravity at 1300 Gerrard St. E, near Greenwood in Toronto. All the info is available on the facebook event here.

Here we go 2010

A lot has been going on since my last update. In November I performed in Lunacy Cabaret at Centre of Gravity. Lunacy Cabaret is a benefit show in support of Circus Without Borders. The show was a lot of fun, I made new friends, and reconnected with some others I had not seen in a while and set off the firm alarm halfway through my set. Here is a picture from that show, taken by Paul Fegan.




Hopefully I will have video to share with you soon. The holiday season treated me very as I hope it treated you too. I used the downtime to focus on choreography and building some new props. I did a couple quick sets at winter solstice festival where I tried out a new type of edible torch poi. I'm excited about these toys as they open a new world of hybrid spinning, fleshing, and eating routines.

On New Years Eve I was back at Centre of Gravity doing site animation for their Wig Out! party and last week I was fire breathing for a new illScarlett and Kardinall Offishall video for the song "Milkshakes and Razorblades". It was a really fun time for me but it was outdoors in January and I feel bad for the others who had to pretend they weren't freezing. Especially the people who were having a water gun fight.

I'm working on a few other things too but I can't tell you too much about those yet. Just know that some very interesting things will be coming later this year. The "off season" is being put to very good use and I can't wait to show you what I'm coming up with! For now I'll just leave you with this.

And home, and again

Oh Wildfire. So much love. I wouldn’t even be in the firearts if it wasn’t for you, and every time I go back you have so much more to give. Thank you, thank you, thank you.



This passed weekend was incredibly fun, educational, inspirational and growth filled. For all the inspiration I had at Burning Man, multiply that by about 50 and that’s what I came home with this time. My notebook is getting pretty full with the things I want to show all of you. I’ve been trying to come up with something special and innovative to bring back to Wildfire in the Spring in the form of a performance. It’s a pretty intimidating place to put on a show; in front of 300+ fellow performers who then question and criticize you for 10 minutes afterwards. But I feel like the ideas I have now will be something worth sharing with my Fire Family. I have never been so excited for my future shows!

Home, again

The Boston Burning Truck was an excellent project and I’m happy to have been a part of it. We got everyone’s stuff delivered and returned mostly trouble free and the packing and unloading really didn’t even take that long all things considered. Great work!

Burning Man was…intense. It has taken me a while to be able to be able to write about my experience, clearly. They say that you can’t explain what Burning Man is, it’s something you have to experience for yourself. I disagree, but to be fair nearly everything I heard about Burning Man turned out to be different from my interpretation. So I will likely misrepresent the event as well, but I’m going to try.



The art was truly inspiring. There was quite a lot of very large scale freedom of expression the likes of which are nowhere close to anything I have encountered before. The climate was a very new one for me and the desert is definitely a hot place. However because I spent a few hours in Phoenix during a layover on my way to the Reno airport, it didn’t seem as crazy and oppressively hot as people were making it out to be. Phoenix is hotter by a long, long way. It also wasn’t as cold at night as I was led to believe. That’s when I realized that the Burning Man Survival Guide was written by people who live in and around California, not Canadians. My understanding of the word cold is quite a bit different and I was hilariously over packed with blankets, thermal blankets, winter clothing and such. It was as if I had packed for a Nunavut camping trip.

Overall the experience was a good one and I am very grateful to have been able to take part. It gave me a fresh perspective on the world and lifted the glass ceiling on the way I was thinking about my own art. Boiled down, I came home with a ton of great show ideas and you are going to love what comes next!

Next weekend I’m going back to Wildfire to teach the Fire Eating and Contact Fire classes there. I’m also traveling with a bunch of people from the Toronto scene which is extra exciting. The New England fire family has given a lot since I started down this road and I’m thrilled to be able to give some skills and awesome people back to the people that kicked it off for me in the first place. See you on the field!

Having the time of my life

Wow there’s been a lot going on. First off the music video that I did with Three Star Seed has been released! You can see I'm On Fire on youtube but I also embedded it into the video page here on drakeshow.com. Check it out and see me, Clint, and One Arm Bob representing the side show arts with the boys from Three Star Seed! Comment on this blog or on the video itself and let me know what you think.

Two weeks ago I was filmed for a couple scenes in Happy Town which is a new TV series premiering on ABC in the Fall. I’m not sure where my scenes are in the story but I was on set during filming for the first 3 episodes. I’ll post again here when I know the air dates but for now I’m still excited that I’m going to be on TV, however briefly. Woo!

I was also asked to be part of a Pfizer web commercial which was filmed last week. It will be featured on the Pfizer.com website and other places, but I’m not sure where else at the moment. Again I’ll post here when it’s available for viewing. Like I said it’s been busy!

Last but definitely not least, I spent a few nights visiting my fire family in Boston and volunteering with the Boston Burning Truck. The BBT is a great project where a bunch of volunteers get together and send their collective gear on 53’ shipping containers to Black Rock City in Nevada for Burning Man. This is relevant to me because, I’m going to Burning Man! This will be my first time at the event and also my first time going so far west. I don’t know what will be in store for me there, but I’m as excited and prepared as I can possibly be. Next entry I’ll tell you how it went.

Take care!

Wildfire and Pride

I'm performing tonight for Toronto Pride on the Yonge and Wellesley stage at 8pm! I'm performing again on the Church and Wellesley stage tomorrow at 7pm. Come out and cheer me on!

Last weekend was the Wildfire Retreat and it was the best one yet! I learned a lot and even got to help teach a couple of the classes. Thank you to all the organizers for creating such an amazing and special event for fire performers. I miss you already! I can't wait to put the things I learned to use tonight!

This is a weak entry considering how much is going on but I need to get into costume of off to rehearsal for tonight. I will give a more cohesive entry after this weekend.

Music Video and Live Show

Yesterday I was filmed for Three Star Seed's new music video I'm On Fire. It was a fantastic experience. I think for my first professional video it was a pretty big success. Everyone seemed really happy with my performance and I had a wonderful time. Video really is significantly different from a live show, and not understanding that difference I made a few mistakes. Like instead of holding back and saving my skin for 49 more takes, I thought "OOOOH NEW CROWD!" and went balls to the wall for the first 2 takes, burning up my mouth and arms. So today I'm in kind of rough shape and I'm hoping my lip heals before my show this Saturday. However the adrenaline high from doing a fire eating show for 2 hours was unbelievable! The biggest high of my life for sure.

The band and crew were really awesome too. I was seriously impressed with both how well organized the scenes were done and at how quickly things took place. No one seemed particularly stressed out or panicked either which was the most amazing part. I don't think I've ever experienced that on a film set before! I made some seriously cool friends yesterday, and I'm really glad I was able to take part. I'll post a link to the video here when it gets released.

This Saturday I'm performing at The Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District of Toronto. I'm doing a couple intro and intermission sets between 7 and 9pm. It's exciting times in Drake-land!

Toronto Bound

It has been a crazy and busy time. I've been on the road a lot with trips to Boston, New York, New Jersey, Montreal and Toronto. Toronto especially. It is my favorite place in the world and I was recently presented with an opportunity to relocate there permanently. So here I am! I leave for Boston again in a couple days, but when I get back I'm back for good. Well, for a couple weeks until I head back to the States for the Wildfire Retreat. It's exciting times!

Gallery Finally!

There's finally a picture gallery up for your enjoyment. I have a few photoshoots planned over the next couple weeks so weather pending the results of those will be coming over the next couple weeks as well.

Friends & Minor Updates

I've updated the site with just a minor facelift, moved to a new server and fixed some DNS issues the site was having. Now the site should load faster and much more reliably. I've also added links to some of my friends! Check these kids out, they're super awesome.