MW: Where did you end up traveling with the show?

MF: We started with a tour of smaller clubs in the US to get the show going solid, then we went to Canada, Australia, the States again, Scotland, back to the States and then the Nine Inch Nails tour.

 

We were always the headliner except for the Nails tour in the states. That was pretty much the only rock and roll gig besides Lollapalooza in '92 that the Jim Rose Show ever did. I was surprised how well the juggling was accepted at the Nine Inch Nails shows because there was an opening band before us, then we went on and then Nine Inch Nails came on.

 

I think, though, Jim has a strong name with that demographic of people. They love him. As soon as they saw our banner, before we were even on stage, they were screaming for us. And I also think they enjoyed having a variety show with two bands instead of three bands. I mean, too much rock and roll is too much.

 

We went back to Europe for 4-1/2 months after the Nails tour, and I called it quits in Switzerland in August 1995 after being with them for about two years. We did some rock and roll festivals in Denmark and Scandinavia, but most of the shows were in rock clubs that might seat up to 1,500 people.

 

MW: Any dirt on the Nine Inch Nails Dude?

MF: Trent Reznor? Yeah, I did a trick a day for him while I was on the road with him.

 

MW: "Summon the juggler!"

MF: No, he was very cool about it. If I just happened to be walking by he'd just say "Okay, what's the trick for today?" And I would say "I've got a good one for you today. I'll meet you at catering. " And we'd meet and while he's eating or whatever I'd bring in the bowling ball and do the Dan Bennett kick to the face or coin to eye, head rolls with the lead ball, all kind of silly things, magic tricks. He really enjoyed it! He was a very modest super star. A lot of them that I met are pretty modest.

 

MW: Who are some of those you've met out on the road?

MF: The guys from Pearl Jam, Alice 'n Chains, the guys from Marilyn Manson, the guys and gal from GWAR, Biohazard, Pavement, Nine Inch Nails... That's pretty much it for me. Jim knew many more because the circus was really in the rock and roll circle. We had a lot of rock and roll people coming to the show. The Chili Peppers have always been a big fan of the show.

 

MW: Which performers on the show did you get to know best? And if you had to trade places with any of them, who would it be?

MF: They were very good friends, but I guess I was closest to Ufto and the second rubber man, Jeff Brennan. If I had to trade places with one of them... I wouldn't want to! I guess I would like to learn to swallow swords and Enigma tried to teach me some of that, but it's difficult. I just don't want to get pierced or fully tattooed or put my face in glass or twist my arm back. I want to juggle!

 

MW: That cast of characters must have attracted a strange clientele. What was life like backstage after the show?

MF: We did have a lot of strange people and strange parties. There were lots of girls who followed the show, and at times people who would show similar bizarre skills. It was a roller coaster rock and roll ride, and kind of debauched at times. Depending on my mood, I'd kick back in the corner and read a book, or I'd be partying with everyone else.

 

A lot of fans would have Jim Rose tattoos on their bodies. I signed several people's arms and then they got the signature tattooed into their skin.

 

MW: Good Lord! Are you kidding me?

MF: No kidding. It happened in Scotland.

 

MW: Have you found that your association with Jim Rose has helped your career in the brief time since then?

MF: I don't think it created either a positive or a negative. When I went to Europe there were people who had heard about me, I guess through the IJA. That surprised me, but I was a pretty anonymous part of the show, really. The highlights, the people everyone remembers, are Jim, Enigma and Ufto. I guess overall it bulked up my resume, gave me a chance to see Europe and made me a more jaded entertainer!

 

MW: How do you think it made you more jaded?

MF: Getting out with this freak show, sort of an Eastern "fakir" spectacle, opened my eyes to other things that are out there. When I left Lazer Vaudeville I wanted to get away from family shows and get more cutting edge. With the Jim Rose Circus I got a chance to cut loose, and that was good. Now I'm much more comfortable and at ease in my appearances, whereas I used to get real nervous.

 

MW: What do you see for the future of Jim Rose?

MF: I think the side show thing is dying out now. It was intriguing for a few years but now there are a lot of different people out there doing it. In fact you see a guy laying on a bed of nails during a infomercial on TV to sell an abdominal thing. Breaking three cinder blocks on his stomach on a infomercial. .. it's just become common and I think it's not the attraction it once was.

 

MW: Do you see any connection between Renegade Shows at festivals and the Jim Rose Circus Side Show?

MF: No, but I think the Renegade Shows are the best shows in the world. They're the most fun to see and the most fun to perform at. I've never had so much fun as at Renegade Shows.

 

I'll tell you why I think the Renegade Shows are so great. Because it's at the juggling convention and your audience is your peers. Juggler's are a good audience, they really are. They're appreciative and they'll laugh at all the right spots, they pay attention.

 

MW: So what are you working on now that you're 26, getting old fast and back in the real world?

MF: I'm happy to be in one spot back in Chicago. But the transition is rough, getting people here knowing I'm back in town. Jobs are thin.

 

But I've had a chance to practice almost every day at least an hour, working on the tricks that I've wanted for years that I haven't been able to do. I'm working on a technical juggling routine with three clubs. I did a three ball routine with Carter and can do it in my sleep until I'm 60. I'm going to work on more comedy stuff, and still stress the dangerous juggling stuff. Besides that, I might start my first job ever besides juggling and go into graphic design part time. I went to school in photography and now I've been working with Photoshop on the computer. I may be scanning and retouching photos for a friend of mine using that. But I'll always be doing shows, it's in my blood.

 

MW: I must say, one of the things I'm most impressed with you lately is how well you perform on the radio, which is, of course, the old juggler's joke.

MF: Yes, I've not only juggled on the radio, but I've thrown knives on radio! Some friends of mine do a radio show here in Chicago on the Loop, Wendy Schneider and Bill Leff. They asked me to come down and talk about the Jim Rose Circus Show before we came to town. I went down there and pulled out a scorpion on them and did some other crazy things. I did a fire breathing, and I threw a knife to pop a balloon that an intern held in her mouth. They tell me she was shaking till 4:30 in the morning and I was on at 1:30!