New appearances of DonB!

While looking for some items on the internet, I randomly came across a photo of me, and then proceeded to Google Search for myself.  I found myself in places I never knew I existed.  Here are a few:

On a website, and a featured performer on their "Magician" Homepage:

On an athletic website, a photo of my plate-spinning routine (used with permission):

On my stilts during the National Anthem at the 19th Annual Twin Cities Polo Classic:

Radio Station 104.5 FM from a 2011 show in Ohio:

Muskegon Entertainment:

Eating at Ruby Tuesday's:

Magician Norm Barnhart's Entertainer's Blog:

Where have YOU been lately?

And that's it for now.  I guess I've really gotten around.

DonB!

Fun Photo from Sens de Vie tour

While performing in Ada, Oklahoma, EverLife went out to sing, but Sarah's microphone fell off the stand.  I went out to fix it, but found that the threads had broken off inside of the boom.  In order for the girls to sing their song, I chose to sit quietly on the floor and hold Sarah's microphone.

Even though one song doesn't seem too long, holding that old-fashioned microphone, along with the boom, made my arm start to shake near the end of the song.

I thought it was fun, and thought you may enjoy the photo.

Photo by Zuri Louis

"Sens de Vie" Tour is done for this year

Well, another year of touring with the "Sens de Vie" show has come to an end.  We covered a good portion of the country, and finished up fairly close to home. At least for me.

We traveled to Panama City, Florida, where we actually has enough time to throw a Frisbee around on the beach for a couple of hours.  Here is the crew from that day:

Front: David, Amber, Don

Back: Adam, Zuri, Sarah, Bex, Beth, Julia, Katie, Harris

While waiting in Nashville for 4 days, we had some time to go geocaching, and my favorite cache location was this statue of guitar legend, Chet Atkins. The tiny geocache was hidden up, under Chet's bronze jacket.  Wish I could have met the real Chet.

While in Georgia, I had the great opportunity to meet up with a friend, Luke Davis, and his Mom, Laura.  I met Luke at the TNT Clown Conference a few years agao, and have kept in touch via the phone.  I was glad that they made the trip over to see the show, and so that Luke could see how my clowning and slapstick are still developing after all these years.

Our show in Ada, Oklahoma, took place in a newly renovated place, the McSwain Theatre.  The Chickasaw Nation purchased the theatre, and spent untold amounts of time and money to renovate it back to it's historical condition when it was new in the early 1900's.  The woodwork, the stage, the velour; it was all incredibly redone.  I think it was the classiest place I've performed in a long time. And the crew there was amazing. Servants at heart, wanting to make everyone look and sound the best that we could.  And, I was happy to see my name scrolling across the marquee outside.  

As Navin Johnson would say, "Look, I'm somebody!!!"

On the last 4 day leg of the tour, all of the driving was to happen at night.  To avoid the need for any of us to do the driving, we travelled on a really nice tour bus, pulling all of the equipment in the trailer.

In Eldora, Iowa, we parked below a large wind turbine, and I thought it would make a nice picture.

As great as the tour was, it ended on somewhat of a sadder note.  First, I found out that a good friend, who had a very progressive form of cancer, had passed away on that Sunday.  As for the rest of the tour group, they were warned of the massive flooding in the Nashville area, where they live.  Here are two pictures, the first is of us resting in the park about 2 weeks ago.  The second one is that same park, completely under about 4 feet of water.

Please pray for the family of the cancer patient friend of mine, as well as the folks from Nashville that have been hit so hard by the rain and storms.

DonB!

It's Such Great Frosting

James 4:14

Last week, at Camp Lebanon in Minnesota, I did two shows, both of which were very high energy, and the audience is what I would call a "perfect" one. Kids and adults, all laughing REALLY hard. Feeding off of the frenzy, I used my absolute best improvisational skills to add lines here and there, try out funny moves, etc. Both shows were "perfect" shows for me.

Right after the 2nd show, while packing my sound equipment up in the sound booth, the 2 guys up there asked me the question I get quite often: "We were trying to figure it out: Do you mind us asking how old you are?"

I said I would tell them, but only if they tell me how old they THINK I am, along with any interesting reasons why they came up with that guess.

He answered simply, "By watching you and listening to you, you've had so many amazing experiences already in your life, it forces me to guess that you must be at least 50. Maybe even 55?"

I loved his reasoning, and told him that I was 44.

Later when I thought about it, I realized that he was indeed correct.

My time spent with circus travels, 3 years at Disneyland, 2 years of school tour performing that took Deb & I through 42 of the United States, and working cruise ships alongside many HUGE names in the music industry. I've flown on a flying trapeze, walked a tight wire 30 feet off the ground and rode my unicycle in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. I became a Christian in 1985 and have shared the Gospel in at least 5000 shows since then. I've been to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, Ukraine, India, England, Germany and Amsterdam.

I actually have more friends OUTSIDE of Minnesota than I do INSIDE my home state. And the "inside" group is pretty big.

All of this before my 40th birthday!

I remember commenting to my wife, when I was about 40, that I felt that I had done so much in my life already, that if I were to die tomorrow, I could do so very happy. Very "complete" and very fulfilled. I remember also saying that "everything from here on out is really just frosting on the cake."

Well I have to admit, the frosting is really, really good. Here are some things I've done since turning 40:

More cruise ships, huge music festivals, multiple tours with other performers, including the "Sens de Vie" Shows twice and the L.O.L. tour with my 2 buddies, Randy & Ben Christensen. I've spoken and performed at national conferences, as well as taught on Wednesday nights to the 1st-4th graders at my home church.

I have taught myself how to use PhotoShop and InDesign (two HUGE computer programs). I continue to add new routines to my shows. I still read at least 30-60 minutes every day from books in my library (origami boxes, circus history, magic history, magic tricks and routines, Christian topics, the Bible, promotional materials, graphic arts, old movies).

I've watched our 2 kids grow up way too fast (something I wish WOULD slow down). Point: Our little curly-haired Deanna, goes to test for her driver's license on Monday. Wait a minute: little kids are not supposed to drive!!!

I remember, as I was growing up, always looking for that one experience that would make my life "complete,", or convince me that I had "made it". I realize now that it was ALL of those little details that have made my life complete. Not just one of those things. All of them together.

It's pretty incredible that the "cake" that made up the first 40 years of my life was so amazing, but I have to say, the frosting is even better. I get to enjoy it for the next 40+ years, and I can only imagine what is still in store. What will I have with my frosting?

Something to think about: What are you doing? Where are you at? Are you still mixing ingredients? Are you enjoying the cake? Are you savoring the great frosting?

Because it really is GREAT FROSTING!

DonB!

Matthew 6: 19-21

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New Sens de Vie video is Online

After selling out the entire tour in the Fall of 2009, we are doing it again in 2010: We are touring with the "Sens de Vie" show across the United States.

The new video has been posted, and you can see it HERE.

Enjoy the video, and then entertain the idea of having "Sens de Vie" perform in YOUR CITY.

DonB!