Bucky's New Album Gets an Amazing Review

This is our amazingly talented musician friend who wrote the music for The Blues Circus.  Buckman Coe is so good, it is an honor for us to perform with him.  But don't just take it from me, check out what the Georgia Straight had to say about him:

By Mike Usinger, June 30, 2011

Buckman Coe has vowed to remain barefoot until he can get a pair of JJ Casuals, the shoes that look like feet.

Buckman Coe

By the Mountain’s Feet (Independent)

Clearly not a man content to have just a single iron in the fire, Buckman Coe keeps plenty busy when he’s not on-stage or in the studio. In addition to being one of those artists who make genre-jumping seem effortless, he’s also, according to his Facebook page, a certified yogi, eco-psychologist, and poet.

If this were 1973, back when singer-songwriters ruled the earth, Coe wouldn’t have much time for side pursuits—with a couple of breaks and a bit of AM radio airplay, he’d be busy cashing gold-record royalty cheques and house-hunting in Laurel Canyon. If that sounds hyperbolic, it shouldn’t, because By the Mountain’s Feet, his second full-length, is really that good. Working with a supporting cast that includes Vancouver music-scene vets Brian Minato on bass, Steve Dawson on pedal steel, and Paul Rigby on guitars, Coe dabbles in everything from down-home Americana to sun-sweetened folk to soul-drenched blues.

Aside from the fact that the dude sounds completely thrilled and blessed to be alive, what stands out are the gorgeous little touches—like the calypso-tinted guitars in the lite-and-breezy “Not So Farfetched” and the molasses-dipped harmonies in the wonderful country comedown “Plot Thick It Grows”.

Because this isn’t 1973, Coe isn’t going to find a ready-made, built-in audience for By the Mountain’s Feet, which sounds like it was professionally recorded at the Record Plant three decades ago instead of in rainy old Vancouver in the 2010s. That’s a shame, because if you enjoy the laid-back likes of Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, odds are good that you’re going to love this unrelentingly positive, completely accomplished triumph.

Buy this man's album!  It has been on rotating on my lap top for a solid 3 days now!

Performing at Vic Busker Festival

Come check us out, both sides of the coin, here at the Victoria International Buskers Festival July 15-24.  We are going to make you laugh and mesmerize you!  We truly look forward to it.

Madskillz Festival Was off the Hook!

If you did not make it to Madskillz, you missed out.  The gala show was jam packed from beginning to end with incredible talent.  Phenomenal.  For some reason, there was a communication breakdown with filming it and we are unsure of who took footage (if any).

So, if you have some footage of the show, please send it to us asap so we can edit it and get it up for you to look at.

Cheers,
Jake and Chris

Cirque du Soleil audition July 16th

Well, it is official.  I am off to TO for a clown audition with Cirque du Soleil.  I am excited, scared, delighted and flabbergasted.  I consider it an honor just to be invited.  Perhaps in the near future, you will see me on a Cirque stage.

Wish me luck,
JAKE

Jake West at the Metro Theatre

Thank you very much to Holly for giving me opportunities in the Metro Theatre in Victoria, BC.  The Metro is pretty much done for the summer, so we will see you in September!

Madskillz Starts Friday, June 24

Both Chris and I will be performing and teaching workshops.  See you there!

Review of The Blues Circus

This review comes from Guttersnipe and was written by Carrie Swiggum:
http://www.guttersnipenews.com/features/homepage-features/in-the-house-festival/

Four shows in one day can be tiring, but it was worth it to make it to the weekend grand finale. Blues Circus, a blend of theatre, talent show and blues music made for an impressive performance. The story started with a history lesson about the transcontinental railroad and Chinese involvement. Then our beloved but dumb-witted protagonist hopped a train, not knowing that it was a circus train. Without a marketable skill, he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for 10 years as a star performer in the circus.

The narrative was well-written, compelling, funny and witty; the acting of professional quality; and the circus acts, which included juggling, hula hooping, Chinese yo-yo and gymnastics, wowed the audience.

Without giving away the story, it even came with a moral at the end: “If our myth shines any truth tonight, it is that our greatest struggles are only with ourselves.”

Jake West's Physical Comedy

Well, after many years of working on these acts, I have finally had a moment to edit a little clip together.  I would be absolutely delighted to perform at your next event and make you bust out in laughter.  Continue to expect exceptional comedic work from me.  It is my passion in life.  I feel a great sense of accomplishment from making an entire audience erupt in uncontrollable laughter.  It is what I have been doing since I was in grade school.

Traditional Japanese Cuisine and Circus!

Finally, after a long stretch of being incredibly busy, we have a moment to put up a few new posts to keep you updated.  Yoko's Plate Catering has been doing very good.  Recently, we have been doing Japanese cuisine workshops that have been very well received.

Imagine having an old style traditional Japanese cuisine workshop at your next event!  From experience, our guests have had an absolute blast working with Yoko making super healthy, delicious Japanese food from exotic Kyushu.  Not only that, but Yoko is also a calligraphy teacher and we have met with the same success doing these workshops at events.  People love to try their hand at writing Chinese and Japanese characters.  It is an amazing art form that everyone can get involved with.  And once guests realize how difficult it is, they are even more awed by Yoko's skills when she expertly hands them their name in Chinese characters.  This is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Further imagine having all of this at your event, and after dinner circus entertainment.  Wow.  Honestly, I have never heard of such a combination.  If you really want to impress your next clients or guests, give us a call immediately.

Check out Yoko's blog for mouth watering dishes:
http://yokosplate.blogspot.com/

The Blues Circus Bar Scene

Enjoy the hilarious bar scene from The Blues Circus.  All of the jokes worked so well, the audience ate it up.  It was a pleasure to perform.

JUNE 9TH: BLUES CIRCUS