The Official Blog of Bobs & LoLo

We really had the best of intentions to blog sooner than this - truly. The last few weeks have flown by in a blur of festival craziness that we affectionately refer to as the Tour Time Warp. Do you ever have those moments where you have no idea what the date is and when you get a chance to look at a calendar you’re honestly surprised to learn that it is actually at least a week later than you thought?? We are sitting here now in a state of shock over the fact that it is June 18th today!?

Calendar shock aside, the weeks really are flying by, but it does seem that every moment these days is filled with lots of exciting opportunities and celebrations. Whether it’s a great show, fabulous fan mail, a CD sale or just another beautiful sunny day, we’ve been having some amazing moments during our crazy musical adventures this spring. Here’s a little recap on the latest fun…

We last wrote about our adventures in the Okanagan (love you Ogopogo!). That trip was followed by a brief stint at home where we joined in on the fun at the Surrey Children’s Festival. This event is still in it’s toddler years on the Canadian children’s fest circuit (< 5 years old), but don’t let that lower your expectations - these folks really know how to run an AMAZING festival! Our thanks and kudos to the wonderful crew, volunteers, students and families that made our 2009 experience such a great one. We were also thrilled to perform on the Leap Frog Stage to sold out crowds…yippee!

The next chapter in our story took us from Surrey to Saskatoon for our debut performances in Saskatchewan! We absolutely fell in love with Saskatoon and the Northern Saskatchewan Children’s Festival! We knew from the moment we arrived at the airport that this was going to be a fun trip. It’s always a good sign when the person (a stranger no less!) responsible for picking you up at the airport greets you with a great big hug! That first gesture of welcome truly set the tone for our entire trip as we quickly realized that we were not just sharing in a much-loved community event, but we were being welcomed into a festival family. This festival will stand out for many reasons, but one of the best things was the 800+ volunteers that commit their time each and every year to making it a superb experience for the kids. We also really felt honoured to be in the talent line-up, particularly given that we were in the company of Canadian legends like Connie Kaldor, up & coming superstars like Splash n’ Boots and inspiring & energetic international talent like Masabo!

The Saskatchewan children’s Festival takes place in picturesque Kiwanis Park on the riverbank.

We left Saskatoon four days and seven shows after our first airport hug with many new friends and heaps of happy memories! Shauna - please have us back!

Backstage with husband & wife duo, Splash n’ Boots. The funny thing is that we (B&L) kind of feel married sometimes too…

The final stop in our Tour Time Warp was the Bowen Island Children’s Country Fair. We actually flew into Vancouver from Saskatoon on the Saturday evening and went straight to the ferry for Bowen Island the next morning. It was a perfect westcoast home-coming celebration as we performed with our full band in the ocean breeze on the event’s outdoor stage. Perfect!

Thanks to all the families that joined us for a day on the island! While the annual event has come and gone this season, we did want to share the promo video that event coordinator, Cam Hayduk, put together. It remains one of our favourite marketing videos to date…be sure to watch out for next year’s festivities!

The pie contest alone was worth the trip to the island - delish!

As we wrap up this blog, we are in the process of getting ready for some Canada Day fun (two shows - Coquitlam & Kitsilano), which will immediately be followed by the CALGARY STAMPEDE! We’ll be heading to Alberta for 35 shows over 10 days…no that isn’t a typo…with a minimum of 3 shows and sometimes 4 or even (gulp!) 5 shows per day. If you’re going to be in the Calgary neighbourhood for the Stampede (Jul 3-12), please join us for some singing & dancing…hoedown style :) Visit us at the Buckaroos Stage, and check out the Calgary Stampede website for more info!

Hope to see you soon!

Bobs & Lolo

P.S. Congratulations to Chuckles, our keyboard player, and his wife Lucy on their new beautiful baby boy! We love you, Samuel!

Although we had quite a few shows during the month of April, we still managed to squeeze in some sun, sand and surf during our downtime. A huge highlight included a surf lesson on beautiful Cox Bay just outside of Tofino, BC. Playing in the waves was a great way to wrap up our shows on the west coast and celebrate Bobs’ birthday! Special thanks to our hosts at EcoEverything, Weigh West Marina, Wickaninnish Community School and the 1431 Beach Resort for helping make our trip extra special.

A big thank you to Surf Sister for a wonderful day in the water!

We’re now in the process of gearing up for an action packed spring and summer. We hope you can join us for some musical adventures! Below is a list of some of our stops over the upcoming month:

Kerrisdale Community Centre: May 18

Last minute long weekend fun for everyone! Join us on Monday at 1pm for a fun-filled dance fest at the Kerrisdale Community Centre. Check out our new set!  Jump into the kiddie mosh pit! Join in on the crafty stations with sea star popsicle stick puppets and paper plate sea turtles! Super fun-times for the whole family this Victoria Day!
 

Okanagan International Children’s Festival: May 21 – 23

We’re excited about our debut shows in the beautiful lakeside town of Penticton! Next week we will be heading to the interior of BC for the Okanagan International Children’s Festival.  We are honoured to be sharing the same stage as legendary Canadian children’s entertainer Fred Penner as well as a host of other mega-talented performance groups!

Surrey International Children’s Festival: May 28 – 30

We can’t wait to “hop” onto the Leap Frog Stage at the 2009 Surrey International Children’s Festival! Our full band is performing with us, and we guarantee that the amazing musicians lending us their talents for the three-day festivities will have the place rockin’ before the two of us even hit the stage! Be sure to check out the Saturday Family Special – two shows for the price of one!
 

Saskatchewan International Children’s Festival: June 3 – 6

We’re delighted to be a part of the 2009 Saskatchewan International Children’s Festival. We have heard fantastic reviews about this event from both families and other children’s performers, including local superstar Marnie Grey. This will be our first time performing in Saskatoon – we can’t wait! If you’re in the area, please join us for some musical adventures at the Kinder Garden and Knox United Church.

Bowen Island Children’s Festival – June 7

Located in one of our favourite spots, the Bowen Island Children’s Festival is sure to be a highlight of our 2009 event schedule! Just a skip, jump and a hop from the shores of West Vancouver, the island is a perfect day trip destination for families. Join us and our band for all the festival fun…more info coming soon!

We’d love to see you at one of our upcoming shows! Please check out our online event calendar for further details.

Bobs & Lolo