Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Prologue: Jeremy and I first met in the early 90s after I had moved out to Vancouver from Ottawa… Likely down on Granville Island where we were both lining up to do Street Shows on the local Busking Pitch. Turned out that we lived in very close proximity to each other, both juggled, both rode unicycles, are more or less the same age-ish… Over the years we worked many of the same gigs and we both eventually ended up marrying beautiful women from Japan. Jeremy ended up moving to Japan, I ended up staying in Vancouver. Last October we both end up performing in Nanjing, China at two completely different events so I swing by and took some photos… The one here comes from that chance meeting.

Stats:

Name: Jeremy Eaton
Birthday: November 15, 1968
Place of Birth: Manhattan, NY, USA
Started Performing/Working in the Industry: 1989-ish
Discipline: Verbal contortionist/juggler
Website: http://www.airjair.com
Video Link: http://www.airjair.com/jp/vid/vid.htm
Venues Worked: Restaurants, Stage, Hotels, Casinos, Cruise Ships, Private Parties, Corporate Shows, Trade Shows, Magic Conventions

Hot 10 Questions:

1. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream and why? • I used to like tigers tail, which was licorice and orange, but as I got older I began to think that was only for ascetic reasons. Now I like anything that combines, carmel, chocolate, coffee, and maple sugar tastes.
2. Name one movie that would make it to your Top 10 all-time great films • Here’s all ten! Plus one more for extra credit!
   1. Star Wars – Once my aunt blasphemed and suggested that, “Not everyone thought Star Wars was the greatest movie ever made.” I regarded her at that moment as someone in need of treatment.
   2. Casablanca – Great dialogue and a reminder to us all, that in order to be the truly cool, you have to walk away at the end. Without the love interest or loads of money.
   3. Shawshank Redemption – Sometimes you have to wade through a lot of crap to get from prisoner to king. Great storyline, and inspiration for the harshest of situations.
   4. Diva – This one has everything. Great cinematography, action, a great plot, and fabulous soundtrack. Excruciatingly beautiful at times. Everyone lives in a renovated warehouse. ‘Nuff said.
   5. Cinema Paradiso – This is in strong competition for my all time favourite. Heart warming and melancholic.
   6. Animal House – At the impressionable age of 12 my parents took me to see it. 4 TIMES!! During the 2000 election, George W Bush quoted Bluto: “It’s not over until we decide it is!” Laura was amused.
   7. LOTR Series – I saw the fellowship of the ring in New Zealand where it was filmed. It was great to leave the theater and then embark on a drive through middle earth. The Two Towers is also my all time favourite book.
   8. The Wanderers – Greatest sleeper film of all time. Saw it as a teen, so I may not like it as much as I did then. Read a lot of S.E Hinton (The Outsiders) at the time.
   9. Children of Heaven – Probably other movies I liked better, but this is a heartwarming/wrenching story about poor kids in Iran. Watch it and count your blessings.
   10. Zoolander – This wouldn’t be on my top ten, except for that “freak gasoline accident”.
   11. Matrix, T2, 2001 – A three way tie for all my all time favourite sci-fi movies.

3. What was your favorite toy from childhood? • Big Trak. It was a futuristic tank that you could program to move around and fire a laser (blue neon light). After 48 hours of continuous use, IT broke. I STILL want to play with one.
4. Who were your biggest inspirations when you got started? • Too numerous to mention them all. Certainly, all the Vancouver performers, Rick Lewis, Bill Ferguson, Alex Elixer, and some checkered guy. Some New York performers, and Tom Morrison, for without whose help, I would have starved to death.
5. From the world of animation what one character do you most identify with or see yourself in? • The green guy in Mask. On a good day, Bugs Bunny. On a bad day, Goofy.
6. Name something that scares you. • Missing props.
7. Apart from the entertainment industry, name one other job you’ve had. • I once worked as a door to door canvasser for Greenpeace.
8. What’s something you haven’t done yet that you’d like to try? • Riding in a helicopter.
9. What’s your least favourite thing about being a performer? • In a word, luggage. Either that, or missing props.
   
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? • “Welcome, which super powers would you like?”

The Nugget:

Pick one nugget of wisdom you’ve picked up from your career in Show Business to share with the World.

People all over the world are generally good, and generally try to do the best they can. This job just wouldn’t be possible if that weren’t true. No matter how much the audience sucks, never let on that you think that. God help you if you actually tell them that.

–Jeremy Eaton

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