THE BIOGRAPHY OF A VAUDEVILLIAN/BURLESQUETEER/AWARED WINNING SIDESHOW MAN
Ukulele Loki is a modern troubadour. Many have penned songs based around circus or burlesque imagery or Central European exoticism, but Aaron "Ukulele Loki" Johnson has lived it, having spent more time working with circus people than Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen combined. While in school, he spent 4 months in late 1998 juggling on the streets of Prague for Absynth money. As a ukulele-strumming burlesque MC during the earliest days of the modern burlesque revival, Loki worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including modern pin-up super star Dita Von Tease. From 2001 to 2004 he directed and ring-mastered The Crispy Family Carnival, an honest to god circus sideshow (which he also co-founded) complete with a sword-swallower, a fat lady, and a fire-breathing Midget. In 2004, he took the highest honor for sideshow performers, winning The Circus Historical Society's "Candlelight Award." Following this achievement, he resigned from The Crispy Family Carnival to produce his acclaimed, monthly vaudeville, variety, cirque, and burlesque show: "The Folderol Follies." Also In 2004, he formed his Gadabout Orchestra.
Ukulele Loki has performed with The Dresden Dolls, Devotchka, Chairlift, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Ditty Bops, The Asylum Street Spankers, The Bindlestiff Family Circus, The Lizard Man, Quintron, Dita Von Tease, The Billy Nayer Show, The Yard Dogs' Road Show, Lucent Dossier, Tokyo's Ukulele Afternoon, and many more.
Today, Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra plays music-mostly shows focusing on the songwriting and arrangements. A tortured songsmith, a charming host, and a humorist, Loki's riveting on-stage persona conjures comparisons to such disparate performers as Bing Crosby, Charlie Chaplin, David Byrne, Robert Smith, Elvis Costello, and Gordan Gano--think of Loki as a post-punk, death-rock, emo crooner/sad clown with a ukulele. And of course, given his history as a showman, an over-the-top, spectacle-laden show with performance artists is easy to come by, for the proper occasion.
It is safe to say that Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra is a wholly original experience, and a genre unto itself.
Instrumentation
Ukulele, Vocals: Aaron "Ukulele Loki" Johnson
Tuba: James Jacoby
Clarinet: Kevin Reynolds
Trombone: Sean Keenan
Drums: Davis Wimberly: drums, percussion
Glockenspiel/Melodica: Kharis Eppstein
Website: http://www.ukuleleloki.com/index.html
Check out the Podcast: http://ukuleleloki.com/Route78West/route_78_west_MP3s/route78west-6-21-2009.mp3