Entertainer | Red leather booth

Category: Entertainer
- Put a ring on it: Leon Hearth
  
  Posted at 12:34 pm by Red leather booth, on September 3, 2015
  Leon Hearth as his wrestling alter ego Lenny Lilac. Photo: Skullmaster Photography
  
  Leon Hearth is a man of solid stature and a whole lot of confidence. It takes some serious confidence for a big man to don floral tights, a cape and a colourful singlet and climb into a wrestling ring. This is where Leon plays the role of wrestling villain Lenny Lilac.
  
  Leon is a performer in Kitchener’s Pure Wrestling Association (PWA), where he not only plays the role of wrestler, but also a wrestling stage manager and a storyline developer (known in wrestling terminology as the booker).
  
  Leon delights in talking about wrestling. “Essentially wrestling is a theatrical competition between a good guy and a bad guy in a ring. The good guy is better at wrestling and the bad guy has to break the rules in order to win,” he says. The ongoing storyline, which is orchestrated by the booker in a classic soap opera fashion, typically ends with the hero conquering the bad guy. Leon is always the bad guy.
  
  Leon getting the crowd riled up. Photo by Skullmaster Photography.
  
  As a young man, Leon Hearth worked at the Hart Brothers School of Wrestling in Kitchener, where he did everything from selling advertising to announcing the matches to letting wrestlers practice their moves on him in the ring. “This was a dream job for me,” said Leon. “I grew up devoutly watching wrestling on TV and with this job I got to learn all about the behind-the-scenes mechanics and politics of wrestling.”
  
  Fast forward to 2010, when Leon opened the now defunct Planet Leisure, a games store in Kitchener. Through the store, he met the owner of PWA, Mike Becherer and became involved in the organization, first by selling some stock from the store at matches and then by becoming a wrestling manager. That’s the loud-mouthed guy who represents a wrestler at the ringside, speaking for him and furthering the storyline of the character. Leon was quick to develop a persona as a crook and a cheat, breaking the rules and inciting vitriol from the fans.
  
  Leon putting the beats on his opponent.
  
  “Over time, I ended up becoming the focus of the match and began to purposefully cheat behind the referees back,” he says. “And the audience loved it.” So he became a regular character and a storyline was developed around him. But the audience wasn’t satisfied by him on the sidelines. “They wanted to see me wrestle and get beat up in the ring,” he laughs.
  
  In 2011, he gave the fans what they wanted. He took to the ring as a wrestler for the first time. He says his black hair, giant 70s-style side burns, Elvis sunglasses and penchant for outrageous clothing, encourages the crowd to boo at him as he steps into the room. “My outlandish costumes are created to get a reaction from the crowd: laughing, crying or yelling,” he says. “It’s all part of my bad-guy persona.”
  
  Leon taking a hit at an outdoor festival. Photo by Skullmaster Photography.
  
  The theatrics aside, there are real injuries that happen in the ring. He has suffered broken fingers, concussions, sprains and deep, deep bruises that last for weeks. While Leon was not formally trained as a wrestler and admits that most of his competitors are better wrestlers than him, his love of the sport and passion for dramatic storytelling can’t keep him away from the ring.
  
  Leon wants people to know that today’s wrestling isn’t like the raunchy 90s-style wrestling you likely saw on TV with the WWF. It’s physical, athletic and at the PWA events, there is a cross section of styles: Mexican Lucha, Japanese style as well as full-on brawling, which is Leon’s style.
  
  You can catch Leon/Lenny Lilac in action on September 19 at the Alpine Club. Or keep up with him on Instagram and Twitter.
  
  P.S. Leon’s favourite topic of conversation: politics.
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  Posted in Art forms, Entertainer, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Wrestling | 1 Comment | Tagged Lenny Lilac, Pure Wrestling Association, Wrestling villian
- Singing from the heart: Richard Garvey
  
  Posted at 8:00 am by Red leather booth, on April 1, 2015
  Musician Rich Garvey
  
  Kitchener’s Richard Garvey is a man about town. The upbeat, acoustic folk singer has been a staple in the Kitchener music scene for several years, often heard at The Boathouse and Pyrus Café. He was even voted as the Best Local Musician by the Cord Community last year.
  
  While he has been happily playing guitar since he was young, performing doesn’t come naturally to him. “I am a quiet person and most of the time I don’t say much,” says Rich. “But people tell me I am a different person on stage.”
  
  Performing is also a time when Rich gets a charge from having a command of a room. “To get people to sing together and to experience something meaningful is a powerful thing,” he says. “My hope is that the art I create inspires people to think about their lives and experiences and ideally inspires them to some kind of action.”
  
  Rich says his complicated family history has influenced the person he has become and the music he writes. “My musician friends and I try to tackle some tougher emotional issues, looking inside ourselves to express our experiences in song,” he says. “Sometimes those songs can be fun and upbeat, really getting the crowd going, covering topics such as love, nature, struggle, friendship, community and travel.”
  
  In a world of free downloads, how hard is it to get people to buy your albums or songs? Rich says he is always delighted by how many people buy his work. “Music is about a relationship people have with you and your music,” he says. “If someone is streaming my music and that gets them to connect to my work, that’s great as often those people come to my shows, buy my albums and share it with friends.”
  
  Vote for Rich’s song Abigail on CBC Searchlight competition
  
  It can be hard for musicians to self-promote but in today’s market, Rich says this is the way to gather momentum, supporters and funding to continue your projects. And you can help. Mark your calendars for June 7, the date of Rich’s next album release, Where Fools Gather, or more importantly, visit his crowdfunding site to make sure Rich can make his latest musical dream happen. Then you get to be part of that musical community building Rich is so proud of.
  
  You can also take a moment to vote for Rich’s song Abigail on the CBC Music Searchlight competition.
  
  Beyond the stage, Rich also works as a music promoter, booking bands at the Boathouse and Pyrus. “I think the trust they place in me echoes the work I’ve been doing to network and build community through music.”
  
  P.S. Rich’s favoruite topic of conversation: Dreaming about his next bicycle tour.
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  Posted in Community building, Downtown Kitchener, Entertainer, Music, Singer, Singing, Waterloo Region | 0 Comments | Tagged Cafe Pyrus, Cord Community, Folk, Rich Garvey, song writing, The Boathouse
- I spy a nearly naked man
  
  Posted at 10:07 pm by Red leather booth, on June 5, 2014
  Artist Johannes Zits ripping his clothes
  
  What a delightful surprise to be walking across the University of Waterloo campus today and stumble upon a nearly naked man attached by strings to a silver air stream trailer.
  
  The man, Johannes Zits, is a Toronto performance artist who started off wearing clothes but cut them off his body in strips, weaving the pieces into a long train.
  
  I found Johannes close to the end of his two-day performance: pants gone, jacket gone, shirt almost gone with underwear, hat, socks and shoes remaining, happily weaving his clothes on a handmade loom. At least 15 feet of woven clothes trailed behind him like a long scarf.
  
  Artist Johannes Zits weaving the clothes he was wearing on his handmade loom
  
  The University of Waterloo Art Gallery brought Johannes to campus as part of their CAFKA event, This could be the place.
  
  And it was awesome and odd and silly and fun. On most days I don’t really “get” performance art but I applaud someone who takes their idea and turns it into a public display of creativity. This was good. And I found it while at work, walking across campus between meetings. #artwin
  
  You can watch this very amateurish video I made talking to the artist and getting close up with his art.
  
  In case you are wondering about the “why” – Johannes’ work is a comment on materialism, fashion, identity and pride.
  
  You can see his finished woven product at UWAG starting Saturday, and join the This could be the place symposium.
  
  Thanks UWAG and CAFKA for bringing art to my day.
  
  What CAFKA art have you seen so far?
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  Posted in Art, Art forms, Art Gallery, Entertainer, Installation art | 4 Comments | Tagged CAFKA, UWAG
- Musician and poet provocateur: Janice Lee
  
  Posted at 7:00 am by Red leather booth, on January 14, 2014
  Spoken word artist Janice Lee in action – Photo: Mat McCarthy
  
  Busy gal Janice Lee, is a musician and poet, who has many other identities as a spoken word artist, the artistic director of KW Poetry Slam (KWPS), a community activist and a local arts promoter.
  
  You may have seen Janice on local stages (or stages across the country), competing in poetry slam battles, introducing and encouraging others to share their poems with a crowd or performing with her band, The Free Radicals.
  
  Janice Lee – Photo: Stefan Chirila
  
  Her biggest performance happened last month, when she recorded and released her first album, Drown the Earth. “It took a long time to get the right people and the funding together, but it was well worth the wait,” she said. “I wanted to create the best record I could.” And she’s extremely proud of the work, which was recorded at Kitchener’s Sound Distillery Recording Studio. She also just released her first video from the album, I Lost My Darlin’, where Cafe Pyrus and Victoria Park make big cameos.
  
  “As a folk artist, I want to share stories that capture and convey the struggles that are happening today: injustice stemming from capitalism, colonialism and oppression,” said Janice. “We first need to talk about these things to inspire action, so we can build stronger, healthier communities, based in love.”
  
  Her social justice philosophy merges into her other pursuits, as the concept of a poetry slam is to create a less elitist reception to poetry, where anyone can share their work without harsh judgement. With her work at the KWPS, Janice is helping create a local community around spoken word, poetry and storytelling. “We encourage new artists to share, be supportive of each other and foster a larger appreciation for poetry,” says Janice. “To see a serious revival of the oral storytelling tradition, especially in younger generations, is very hopeful.”
  
  Life in Waterloo Region has been good for Janice. She has been awarded for her artistry, winning the 2013 Cord Community Arts Mover and Shaker Award and the 2012 Arts Awards Waterloo Region Leading Edge Award. “There are a lot of KW artists who act as mentors and organizers, because when art flourishes, we can engage more people across disciplines,” she says. “This has inspired me to help out in the arts community, especially supporting artists who are just starting out.”
  
  Musician Janice Lee – Photo: Stefan Chirila
  
  You can see Janice in action at the next KW Poetry Slam on February 1, or on February 9, attend her workshop as part of Flirting with Arts or be part of the big fun at the Jazz Room later that evening. But where you will find her at her best is while she is singing. Check her website for upcoming appearances.
  
  P.S. Janice’s favourite topic of conversation: Helping people understand that to have multiculturalism, you need to talk about, understand and promote anti-racism.
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  Posted in Community, Community building, Downtown Kitchener, Entertainer, Music, Poetry, Spoken word | 1 Comment | Tagged Janice Lee, KW Poetry Slam
- Painting the trickiest canvas – the human body: Alannah Mason
  
  Posted at 7:15 am by Red leather booth, on May 3, 2013
  A sample of Alannah Mason’s body painting
  
  For some artists, paper, fabric, wood or even a wall serves as the backdrop for their creativity. But for Kitchener artist and entertainer Alannah Mason, those platforms simply aren’t enough. Alannah likes to use the human body as a canvas.
  
  A model wearing Captain America body paint, by Alannah Mason
  
  Body art or body canvassing, goes well beyond the realm of dayglow, night club body paint, although there is room for that too. Alannah is often hired to transform mere humans into walking, talking objet d’arts. Models use Alannah’s talents to add some dazzle to their portfolios and her work is requested to elevate fashion shows, parties, parades and special events. In fact, at fashion shows, Alannah says people have asked her models where they got their dresses, only to be shocked to learn the dress was painted on. At these moments, she briefly considers a career shift to fashion design.
  
  Alannah is more than an artist content with working behind the scenes. She is also an entertainer and her artistic skills often are part of the entertainment at an event. She creates body tattoos and caricatures, adds clowning and dance performances and becomes a human statue to create a dynamic and interactive event. “Of all that I do, I love to entertain the most,” says Alannah. “It’s so rewarding to create a wow factor with my costumes and art.”
  
  Taurus the Matador body paint, part of a zodiac series
  
  Recently, after a chance confluence of events, Alannah found her own wow factor: as a makeup assistant for Cirque du Soleil while in Toronto. “I was in complete disbelief when I was offered the gig,” she said. “I turned three stilt walkers into insects with body paint, created fire masks on the fire dancers and created a mask for Baldini the Magician,” she says. It was a phenomenal experience and a great piece for her portfolio.
  
  Alannah at work in her studio
  
  A bit of a renaissance woman, Alannah offers a range of artistic and entertainment elements. If you are looking to amp up your next party or want a unique piece for your wall (or body), contact Alannah.
  
  P.S. Alannah’s favorite topic of conversation: art.
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  Posted in Art, Dance, Entertainer, Kitchener, Painting, Waterloo Region | 2 Comments | Tagged body art, body canvassing, Cirque du Soleil, entertainment
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