BY MARK WEBER
Lacombe Express
Treehouse TV’s Splash’N Boots of The Big Yellow Boot are including Red Deer on their fall tour.
They perform at the Memorial Centre Sept. 22th. Splash ‘N Boots features the talented duo of Nick Adams and Taes Leavitt.
The three-time Juno nominees are hitting the road with their brand new live show ‘The Big Yellow Boot Tour’, performing in more than 30 Canadian cities along the way.
They’re latest CD, Songs from the Boot, was released in 2015.
For the first time ever, Splash’N Boots will also be bringing their Big Yellow Boot friends on tour with them - Charlie, Keys and Jumping Jack Granny as well.
In addition, one dollar of each ticket sale of The Big Yellow Boot Tour will go towards Splash’N Boots 4 Kids- A Foundation dedicated to bringing musical opportunities to Canadian children and families in need.
“It started as a university project,” explains Adams during a recent chat of the duo’s beginnings. “Our assignment was to create a children’s play. So instead of doing a play, we actually wrote some songs.”
These tunes promptly resonated strongly with audiences that originally heard them. “So from that, we said, ‘Oh, let’s make a CD’. We did it on a shoestring budget, and we then started doing birthdays and performing at libraries - that kind of thing. We got paid $50 here and there, and thought that was the coolest thing,” he added with a laugh.
“We loved it so much, and couldn’t believe that people were paying us to hear our songs.”
But it eventually came to be a full time gig and the gifted duo has never looked back. “Every year, we look at each and say, ‘Are we still Splash ‘N Boots because we still can’t believe this is happening’,” added a clearly delighted Adams. ”We don’t take it for granted for a second.”
Their first disc was released back in the early 2000s. And its been a constant churning out of fresh, bright and fun materials since.
“When we aren’t touring, we are constantly writing and recording,” he said. “We’ve just started a new album right now, so there will probably be a new one in the fall.”
As to the name of the duo, they had first thought of ‘Nick and Taes’. But with the unusual spelling of Taes, they opted for something big and bold. “It was just the idea of kids, and it being rainy, and puddles and how good it all sounds together,” he chuckles. “We just liked the name and it stuck.”
Meanwhile, the pair appears daily in more than 8.3 million homes across the country on their hit TV show, The Big Yellow Boot. “Love and happiness are such huge components of Splash ‘N Boots - and it’s the shared feelings that happen during our show, too.”
Building a positive self-esteem and sense of positivity in general are also persistent themes as well as the melodies move along. As to the concerts, Adams said the duo pours everything they have into the shows - and are indeed mindful of every moment in terms of making them as fun as possible.
Often, they don’t even go into a show with a set list - a given show will go according to a particular crowd.
“We read the crowd, and between the two of us we engage them on a really heightened level,” he said.
And having done many shows in Canada’s north, they are excited about how ‘Splash’N Boots 4 Kids’ (focusing on its four core values - love, happiness, inclusion and connection) can help create sustainable, long-term musical programming, as well as hands on opportunities for kids to build confidence, get creative and have fun.
“We’re so excited to be taking this brand new show across Canada and, in doing so, help bring more music to families in northern communities,” says Leavitt. “We believe strongly in the power of music to inspire and bring people together, and feel that concerts and musical programming should be accessible to everyone.”
Splash’N Boots encourage families to come to The Big Yellow Boot Tour wearing their best yellow and blue outfits, and get ready to sing and dance and have a hilarious and unforgettable time with their families.
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