Crazy few days! The show in Portland, ME, was fun - super-enthusiastic crowd. Great to be there, and to see Joel and Donna. Joel opened the live portion of the show as the tall half of Dos Eckies, along with Kris Eckhardt, rocking the house with Johnny B Goode (he could play the ukulele like ringing a bell, don't you know.) James wove his usual magic and the strum-along was, well, so ukulele.
Next day, we got a peek into Joel's shop, Earnest Instruments, where he is concocting uke mayhem with his usual skill and wit, then, peddle down to the border and a cute little place by the seaside in New Brunswick.
The next morning, we set out early for Halifax to get 
James home in time for 
the annual fundraiser at the Maitland Primary School. The show was a sold-out barnraiser. We played Truro the next night, a hometown crowd for James and Anne Davison, who enriched our roadshow for these three Nova Scotia shows. We got a great taste of Nova Scotia hospitality and send thanks to everyone who hosted us, folks like Myles and Martin of the exquisite Morton House Inn, Liverpool, NS.
From Liverpool, we mosied up the coast through Lunenburg and Mohone Bay, on our way to Halifax. After the rolicking Company House show, we got one last night in Truro, then left our fine companion, James, back in the Nova Scotia wilderness, hit the road hard and made it all the way to Ontario before nightfall. We learned that the roads are excellent in New Brunswich, forrest fire-smog is eerie and teenage moose are just not that bright. Now, we're back, catching up, making plans and getting ready to launch our online store!
Boston today, and another fine event, this time at at The Magic Room Gallery, a venue usually reserved for rock bands. The Tubes are coming shortly, the Mothers of Invention were there recently, you get the idea. Every screening is different, and this one was made special, in part, by the presence and fine strumming of our new friend Greg Hawkes of the Cars (dang I loved that band back in high school) and his partner in music, Tim Mann. Greg brought his wife and son for the film and then played a little set with James afterward. A goofy good time was had by all concerned. Thanks Greg and Tim! And, in conclusion, can I take a moment to say what a great pleasure it is to be traveling with James Hill. Many thanks to him too, for being an all-round good guy with an excellent sense of humour, and for helping to make this roadshow surprising, delightful and exciting. Thanks, James!
What a time at the American Film Institute in Washington DC! This is the premier documentary screening house in the USA, a national institution promoting excellence in film, and they showed ours, preceeded, as they all are, by a clip of all the finest directors saying that the AFI is the best place in the world to screen a film. What was maybe even more fun was the jam afterward. Dozens of uke fans brought their ukes, as they usually do to our screenings, but the jam spilled out into the lobby for an hour-long strum-along, until the cleaners moved us all toward the door, ending one of the most entertaining and exciting evenings of this tour. Nice also to see my old buddy Brian as well as my good friend Naomi's parents, Judith and Leon.
Back on the road again! We played the New York Ukefest and met loads of fine people, including Greg Hawkes from the Cars, one of the most favourite bands of my misspent youth. Super-special thanks are due to my good buddy Naomi for her very, very fine hospitality. We really couldn't have done this without her. From New York City, we headed up to Woodstock for a reprise screening to benefit the film program at Onteora High School and the Killian Mansfield Foundation, which promotes alternative therapies for sick kids. All the lovely people we met when we premiered six months ago were there, and we met many more who were equally delightful, notably Anne-Marie Johansson and Chet Karwatowski who run the Ashokan Dreams Bed and Breakfast. Check THIS place out!
So we're getting ready for bed last night in our favourite Seattle motel when we hear a bullhorn right outside the bathroom window opening out on the alley behind: "step OUT of the vehicle and put your hands on the top of the CAR!" Tony looks out of to the alley and there are half a dozen police cars, lights a-flashing, and a Merc parked in the middle. VERY dramatic. I was extremely curious, so I checked the police reports this morning and found this: Seattle 911. Looks like our favourite low-end Seattle motel is just a little more marginal than we thought!
Weeeeeee're back in Seattle again, da dum duh da da duh dum... Well, one thing I know now that I didn't know before is that the North West does SPECTACULAR flowers in the spring- azaleas, rhododendrons, crabapples... on and on, fantastic colours. It makes hours of driving considerabley more pleasant, I'll tell you. That and puzzling products for sale at dodgy truck stops; products such as "Unisex Synthetic Urine: warms easily to body temperature"! Wha?! And 25 bucks a box too! But I digress. Since Victoria, we've been through Washington State down to Oregon, where we got some pronunciation lessons which I will pass on to you: "Eugene, Oregon" is pronounced Eu-GENE ORigun, and the Willamette Valley, in which it is located, is WilLAHmet. Rather goes against the grain for a Canadian, but when in Rome... Anyway, diction aside, you can't fault them on hospitality. Most especial thanks are due to Marcia and David in Eugene, and Margaret in Salem, as well as Janet and Ron and SUSA. In Eugene, we screened at the David Minor Theater, a little gem with a KILLER sound system. 
Brook Adams and the Swinging Marmalukies rocked the party across the street later, then Brook alone jazzed the sold-out crowd in Salem. Folks in Eugene warned us "don't expect too much from Salem, they're very conservative." 
However... When we arrived an HOUR early, there were already ukers jamming in the lobby and their ranks only swelled as the hour passed until it was standing room only. Thank you Origun!!!
Following the US leg, we landed in the tiny community of Bowen Island where they've got the welcoming thing right down. I can't thank Sylvain and family enough for their kindness and hospitality. They threw us a big party, showed us around their beautiful island and generally gave us an awesomely good time. Bowen Island is where it's at!
On the road again! After a week and a bit back home, we're hitting the West Coast again, beginning with two nights in Victoria, BC. Larsen's Music shop (to whom, many, many thanks) has declared this Ukulele Week in Victoria and MIGHTY UKE was part of it.
We spent two days on the hospitality of Larsens and screened at the Cinecinta at the University of Victoria which, I am glad and charmed to say, is covered with bunnies. I don't know why, but there are bunnies as far as the eye can see, grazing and hopping and doing the things bunnies do best. Beautiful campus!
So, we did three screenings at The Cinecenta, and then got up Friday morning at 5:00 (as the daybegins, silently closing the bedroom door...) caught the 7:00 ferry and the drove six hours to Portland, OR, where we are now. We had a great screening last night at the Film Center in the art gallery. Loved the crowd. Thanks Portland!
The final leg of this part of our tour was a fitting conclusion. We screened at the Honolulu Academy of the Arts, and many of the performers from the movie came: Kimo Hussey, Jarrett Kahookele, Leimomi Mookini, Chris Salvador, Daniel Nakashima and Byron Yasui. Great to see you all! The 
crowd was wonderfully enthusiastic, applauding after every performance, just as if the performers were there, which, in many cases, the actually WERE. Special thanks to Gina Caruso for her support, and we'll be back there for a WEEK in July! I can't wait.
Next stop on the Roadshow is, well, here in Toronto. MIGHTY UKE will screen at the Royal on April 9th at 8:00 PM, followed by a performance by James Hill and his partner, cellist extraordinaire, Anne Davison. This is something you've likely never seen before, sublime uke- and cello-playing of original classical music by the composers!
Then, it's off again to the West coast for screenings in Victoria, Bowen Island, Portland, Langley and more!
Hey, and thanks for coming to my blog.
We've spent the last week flitting about, and finally managed to spend a few days in one place, on lovely, peaceful Molokai.
The Molokai screening was held in an open-air venue near the ocean, with crickets, birds and whales and loads of aloha.
After a few days of R and R and music on Molokai with our friends, Stephen, Caroly and Ruby, we regretfully hopped a tiny 9-seater propeller plane. Many, many thanks to all the folks on Molokai for their hospitality! Dan and Carol, Kim and Richard, and all the aunties and uncles who shared kanikapila with us. I didn't wantit to end.
But, now we're back on O'ahu for our screening at the Academy of Fine Arts, but first, we get a couple of days with my brother in Waikiki, and Burritos from the International Market.
The venues on the Big Island were on opposite sides, so we crossed that island three times by three different routes. Fantastic views every time! The middle way crosses lava flows that still look liquid and, possibly, openly hostile to life. I'm calling this one "Still Life with Goat Skulls," I mean, really, there is still some life!
The road across the top of the island goes along the coast and then through cowboy country.The coastline is some of the most dramatic I've ever seen, rough and rocky as only volcanic coast can get.
Do not park your boat here!
Crazy couple of days- we left San Francisco two days ago and flew to Hilo then, yesterday, which was Tony's birthday, drove across the Big Island to Kona for the screening tonight. The local weekly chose us as "Pick of the Week". Thanks, folks! The drive along the edge of the caldera of Kiluea yesterday was unreal, literally- lava fields as far as the eye can see, sometimes with, like, one tree per acre. Peculiar. The vog (volcanic fog) makes the sunsets spectacularly orange, but it sure looks strange.
The place we stayed in Hilo, The Dolphin Inn, was on a 
river and had a fantastic garden.
I did NOT know that bananas were so sexy in the wild!
We stopped in at the theatres in Hilo and Kainaliu only to find that they are unspoiled beautiful deco buildings with lots of wood and original detail. I love these places, they're like a combo of theatre, museum, library and time capsule. Thank
s for not turning them into googolplexes.
The screenings last week went extremely well- The Museum of Making music show was completely full and people started showing up hours early to jam together. Mike DaSilva's was full beyond full. Glad no fire-marshals came! And what a crowd! True ukers all, and as receptive as we could hope for. Off to the Islands tomorrow!
We're back at Kassy and David's for a day off before we head up to Grass Valley and then back to Mike DaSilva's in Berkeley. It was great to see Bill Tapia come out to the Carlsbad show. Great to see everyone. People started arriving two hours early with their ukes!
This is our last day with James Hill on this leg of the tour. The show in Carlsbad, CA at the Museum of Making Music has been sold out for weeks and will be a fitting sendoff for James, who gets to go home for a short spell, before he flies up to Labrador. Yesterday we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping in Big Sur for the view and San Luis Obispo for a fine meal at the Cornerview, and then some much-needed sleep. Met with our distributor in LA, who is slightly shocked and very pleased with the tour so far. Started planning the East Coast leg of the Roadshow.
Tonight; Carlsbad CA...sold out show at the Museum of Making Music with Bill Tapia in attendance!
But first, we will be sitting in a bar in SOCAL this afternoon, cheering Team Canada for the gold.
Tomorrow we say goodbye to James for now, but hope to see him soon for the Eastern leg of the tour. Great traveling with you, James!
If Hawaii is the Mecca of the ukulele, Santa Cruz is the Medina. This was proven beyond any doubt at this screening: over 500 people showed up, many in top hat and tails or gowns and feathers for this "Ukulele Formal" event. Amazing is really the only way to describe it. These people know how to throw a party! It was like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, full of cheers and applause and tears of joy. We got a two minute standing ovation. It doesn’t get any better than this
We just finished three shows in a row in the Bay Area- At the first show in San Francisco, we arrived from Portland an hour before the show and were met at the Balboa Theater by Dan Scanlan and Joan Buffington, who brought sound gear all the way from Grass Valley, saving us mucho time and money. Great to see them and their families.
The Bay Area gives very good marquis! 250 people packed into The Balboa Theater for a night of ukulele mayhem. Audiences are loving the film. We are getting tons of requests for more screenings in CA. I guess we'll have to come back.
The next night, in San Rafael, the audience was much more a movie than a ukulele crowd, our first real cross-over event, and they were just as enthusiastic as the uke crowds. The sound was lush and the theatre, immaculate Deco with a spiral staircase. A class act. Special thanks are due to my cousin Kassy and her partner, David, who housed us and helped in all kinds of ways.
Attended the Gorge Ukefest in Hood River. What a drive from Portland! Right along the Columbia River, all waterfalls and mossy rock, and big, big rocks.
Lovely ukefest- kids running to class with ukes and jamming in corners, and music everywhere. The fabulous Friday night show included James Hill and Victoria Vox (whose rendition of Billy Jean on uke and mouth-trumpet rocked the house), Moe Dixon (whole lot of Saturday night left in HIM!), and the Langley Ukulele Ensemble. Very enthusiastic and appreciative crowds and we got to meet up with the a few of the players who appear in the film, Lil' Rev, Victoria, the Langley folks.... 
Early Sunday morning, we picked up James Hill on the top of a mountain outside Hood River, OR, for a week of performances together from Seattle to San Diego. We drove 4 hours to Seattle where we screened at the tiny turn of the century JewelBox Theater. It used to be a private screening room for MGM. About 50 people packed into the room for MIGHTY UKE and James Hill. James’ parents came down from Langley. The audience were cheering their favourite players in the film and James rocked the house (no surprise). Had an awesome meal with the Hills and the fabulous Del Ray, and then packed up for the 2 hour journey to our motel on the way to Portland, OR, where we caught a flight the next morning to San Francisco.
Spent Valentine's Day with my honey driving the I90 to Seattle- 5 mountain passes, ears a-popping. Got a fishburger at Zips in Ritzville, stopped again at Atticus in Spokane (yum) and arrived at the Marco Polo Motel at dusk. Loving the neighbourhoods in Seattle: Fremont, Queen Anne... beautiful city. And they have flowers. In February. Met the folks at the Rendezvous Theater, where we'll be screening February 21st. Quite a unique little space and our first screening with food and beer! KUOW interviewed us and will cover the event at the Rendezvous. Let's show them what a joyful noise sounds like!
Our low budget hotel was in an unexpectedly fine neighbourhood, Fremont, with endearingly odd landmarks, like a giant statue of Lenin and a genuine Soviet-era rocket. Yes, it's a troll under the bridge, and that IS a Volkswagen under his hand.
The Denver UkeFest: Spectacular night for all concerned- James Hill and Anne Davison, The Boulder Acoustic Society... the list goes on. We screened Friday night at the Starz Film Center and then went over to the Wynkoop Brewery for a crazy uke jam. James had half that bar singing Gospel tunes! The Denver Post featured the uke and our film on the front page of their entertainment section and Colorado Public Radio did a feature on the Ukefest. We woke up the next day to find our 11 year old nephew, Nolan, doing his best imitation of James Hill, chopsticks in hand, banging away on his grandmother's uke.
Elisabeth P, via Flickr: "I loved your film. Before watching, I knew nothing about the uke. After watching, I was so inspired that I bought my own ukulele and attended the UkeFest. Thank you!" And thank you, Elisabeth for the above photo of us at the Starz Film Center.
And special thanks to my cousin Suze and her family for putting us up and putting up with us. We got a chance to explore the area and soak in some hotsprings. Ahhh. All that before boarding a flight to Portland and the long drive to the Docfest in Missoula, Montana. Many new sights: first Combine Harvester Demolition Derby, first tumbleweed, first round farm, first Free Beef with Tires... Beautiful mountains and the Columbia River! What a sight. Special appreciation to the Atticus Cafe in Spokane for the excellent coffee and directions. Loved Missoula- the downtown is full of lovely old deco buildings, including the Wilma Theater, where MIGHTY UKE screened. If you're ever there, I recommend the El Cazador for lunch and The Silk Road for dinner. As to Spokane, we knew nothing, but found not only good food, but also good humour:
What a great way to launch the Roadshow. Hometown crowd, James Hill, Andrea Koziol and Melanie Doane performing. For us (the filmmakers, Tony and Margaret) it was a magical evening. A sold out show, great press in Toronto’s papers and radio, and a chance for our families and friends to see what we have been up to for the last couple of years. Members of the Corktown Ukulele Jam were out in full force, armed with ukes, ready to strum along with James. I couldn't have hoped for a better evening.
We can only dream that this will be the shape of things to come.
Time to pack up for six weeks on the road. 
“Saw the premiere of "The Mighty Uke" film this evening: absolutely awesome in every respect. We hated for it to end!"
"It's unpredictable, delightful, surprising, enchanting, soothing and none of us wanted it to end. When/if it comes to your town, SEE THIS MOVIE."
Woodstock! MIGHTY UKE screened at the Bearsville Theater. Not a full house, but a house full of enthusiasm.
Many thanks to Jim and Liz Beloff, Melvern Taylor, Jon Braman, Stephen and Sophie Traub, Naomi Major, Nancy Fox, Barbara Mansfield, and our many kind hosts, among others, Joni and Rob of the infamous Logstock. The concert following the screening, a benefit for the Killian Mansfield Foundation, raised cash and awareness for alternative therapies for sick kids. A moving event that was still completely entertaining. Woodstock knows how to do a film festival.
Woodstock is home to many local heroes, including Todd Rundgren, whose recording studio became something of a pilgrimage for our inimitable sound guy, Stephen Traub.
Tony and Stephen uke out in Woodstock Town Square