April 2004 - John
Anderson and the Canucks
Originally from Derry, John Anderson has opened for acts such as Van Morrison,
Dusty Springfield, Chubby Checker, Manfred Mann, Chris Barber Jazz Band and
Acker Bilk Band. (picture top left)
| Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 John and Karen Anderson entertain the crowd as they make their way down the midway at the Mercer County Fair on Monday. The husband and wife duo entertain as the Travel 'N Riverboat Show by offering music, singing, magic and other types of fun while strolling the fairgrounds. CELINA - Sailing down the midway - between funnel cake and corn dog stands - is an unexpected 6-foot-long riverboat on wheels with two colorful captains.  John and Karen Anderson are entertaining young and old at the Mercer County Fair this week with their Travel 'N Riverboat Show. "This is sort of a PA system on wheels," said John Anderson, with a charming accent from his native Ireland. The Andersons, entertainers from the Port Huron, Mich., area, are making their debut at the fair. They will be strolling the fairgrounds today and Wednesday. The husband and wife team began performing together nine years ago. "I wouldn't call this work," John said laughing. "Technically, we're retired." John is a professional musician and singer; Karen operates the handcrafted, wooden boat and its sound system, performs magic and makes balloon animals. Between songs, they interact with their audience and the many vendors at the fair. "We do more of an improv thing; we become part of the fair," John said. "The boat creates an atmosphere that really works for us." John plays guitar, trombone, trumpet ... "everything but the saxophone," his wife quickly noted. In his earlier years, comfortably dives into nearly any type of music. While performing in front of the Celina VFW food stand on Monday afternoon, John eases into a Willie Nelson favorite, "Always On My Mind." Minutes later his audience is grinning as he leads them into one of his personal favorites, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." It's usually the Dixieland music that really gets everyone's attention, particularly the children, said Karen, who worked for 15 years in the child entertainment industry. "It's like a kid magnet," she added. The couple soon make their way to the Unity Grange where a dozen or so patrons have found shade and a bite to eat. As John begins a mellow rendition of "King of the Road," finger-snapping becomes contagious. Cooks and servers are lured outside by the commotion and quickly join in the chorus. The Andersons' schedule keeps them on the road most months of the year. After their final show Wednesday, they will load up their RV and set their GPS for the next destination on their calendar - a wine festival in Indiana. They begin their travelin' season by May each year and return in October. They perform at fairs, trade shows, jazz and blues festivals - just about any kind of event where lively music and crowd interaction is warranted. The duo spends a few weeks in Florida during the frigid months of January and February before their entertainment schedule kicks in. What's the best part of their gig? The lifestyle they've grown to love, they agreed. "We were just talking about that this morning as we sat outside eating breakfast in this lovely weather," John said. "What could be better?" |
