From high-flying acrobatic feats, to masterful juggling displays, Rockabilly Joe’s arsenal of exuberant showmanship is filled with the kind of antics us regular Joes would only dream to do.

Named Joey Albert, the acrobatic one-man-show based out of Ottawa is very excited for the opportunity to showcase his skills in Shawville for the very first time.

After hearing positive reviews of the carnival from a friend, known as Tex Rexman the Comedy Cowboy, who performed at last year’s fair, Albert felt intrigued by the possibility of making an appearance of his own.

“He recommended I do it,” he said. “I didn’t know about it before.”

For Albert, the most exciting aspect about performing at the fair is the opportunity to discover a place he has yet to step foot in, meeting loads of new people and putting on juggling workshops for the kids. “It’s just the unknown,” he said. “I’ve never performed in Shawville before. So, that’s a fun thing. I’ll be doing some workshops too. Sometimes there’s kids that pick it up and fall in love with it right away. That’s always nice.”

Typically, Albert spends the month of September putting on shows in schools around the country. But in the last two years, he’s performed at fairs more frequently than ever and noted that he’s really enjoyed his experiences so far.

“It’s an environment I’ve never really explored,” he said. “This last couple years I’ve been trying to push the school dates back to a little bit late and take advantage of the fairs.”

Although his solo act ages around six years, Albert coined the named Rockabilly Joe around three years ago to forge an original identity for his one-man circus.

As buskers started being weeded-out of music festivals, around five years ago, the popularity of stage acts with quirky schticks were slowly becoming in demand.

“On the street, you can have a character but you can’t really have a story,” he said. “Because a lot of times people walk into your show half way through … you can’t have a story where they would be lost. So, a character works because that way you can just pop in and get what he’s about.”

With an appreciation for 1950s fashion and music, the simplicity of the concept and not to mention having the Elvis slicked-back hairdo down pat, the persona was pretty much meant to be, Albert explained.

“I was trying to find a niche character,” he added. “Something that nobody else was doing and my hair, I kind of slick it back already and one of my friends was like ‘’you should just do like a Greaser thing. You already have the hair.’”

“I like rockabilly,” he continued. “I like old style rock music. So, I just kind of went with that and dove into that character afterwards. I went with what I got.”

Originally from Timmins Ont., Albert started his entertainment career as a busker in the streets of Ottawa around 15 years ago, after moving there to pursue his dream of performing.

So far, he’s performed at a number of notable events around the world, including Just for Laughs in Montreal, the Calgary Stampede and at Australia Day in Sydney.

Albert spends a good portion of his shows interacting with spectators and does throw in a little improvisation throughout his shows, adding to the live element of each performance.

He believes it’s the best way of keeping himself and the crowd engaged throughout a show, which makes up for a higher-quality performance.

“I like to justify the training I do,” he said. “So, I like to put in new tricks and stuff. I don’t want to be in auto-pilot when I do my show. There are these moments where I do need to focus and I need to be present because there is a little danger at stake,”

A constantly evolving product, with new, more intricate combinations of tricks being continually implemented to his routine, Rockabilly Joe’s show is always full of surprises.

“My show switches up every couple of years or else I get bored,” he said. “Some people can just do the same show for 15-20 years, for their whole lives really and their show doesn’t change line for line – it’s insane.”

And since no audience is the same, each show is very different, Albert explained. Requiring a considerable level of mental and physical dexterity and concentration, each show is accurately choreographed.

“It’s like when you go see a stand-up comedian,” he said. “They look like they’re making it up on the spot. But they’ve been working at that 10 minutes for months and years. The goal is basically to make it look like everything is on the fly, spontaneous.”

Whatever Rockabilly Joe’s show has in store for Labour Day weekend, just be prepared for a performance the likes that you won’t forget anytime soon.

“They’re going to get some unique tricks, that’s for sure,” he said. “They’re going to get tricks that they’ve probably never seen before or might not again. They’re going to see some dangerous stuff and hopefully laugh while they’re doing it. I’ll try my best to make it funny.”

Making several appearances throughout the weekend, folks will be able to see Rockabilly Joe’s show of acrobatic feats on repeat as he performs on Friday at 6:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in the children’s area.

Plus, kids will be able to participate in a juggling workshop put on by Rockabilly Joe himself on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the main stage area.

Get ready for high-flying acrobatic tricks and mind-blowing feats as Rockabilly Joe brings his talents to the fair. Pictured, Rockabilly Joe pulls off a front flip over five youngsters at a festival in Namur, Belgium.

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