Where can sword swallowing and juggling take you?

People sometimes ask me where I've performed, and at this point, the answer is: just about everywhere. I have been doing this for more than thirty years, around seven thousand shows. A student union at lunch hour, a cruise ship theater in the middle of the Baltic, a casino stage in Reno, a water park in Orlando, a hangar bay full of sailors. I have been lucky enough to work all of those, and hundreds more I forgot to write down...

It started, the way it starts for a lot of us, on the street. In 1998 I was street performing in Edinburgh, with London and Dublin on the same trip, doing daily shows for whoever stopped, cash in the hat, no contracts, no paperwork. Then on February 20, 1999, I walked into Legoland California for the first day of a featured-act residency that ran almost three years, six shows a day, five days a week. That is where the act stopped being something I wanted to do, and became what I do.

The duo years quickly filled in the map. As Team Rootberry, Jonathan Root and I worked the college circuit hard — loading the car, driving through the night, doing the show, driving again — and took the center stage at Circus Circus in Reno between college runs, three to six shows a day. Cruise ships became a second home. Then came a decade based in Orlando, where the longer contracts were punctuated by hundreds of smaller shows, the kind that never generate more paperwork than a phone call. These days I perform solo and with Noah Royak as the Distinguished Daredevils, I host a residency at the St. Pete Micro Farm in St. Petersburg, and the list is still growing: I checked off my 85th country, Serbia, in October of 2024, and I'm still adding new dates in multiple states this year.

So here is the list, as complete as I can make it. It is built from the résumé, the tour logs, the contracts, the letters bookers sent afterward, and my own memory — a hard drive died on me back in 2008 and took a decade of paperwork with it, so where the records get fuzzy, my memory carries it, but I stand behind every name below. And one thing to know before you read it: every section of this list is partial.

Every gold loop on this map is a single trip: out from home, through the stops, and home again. Draw enough of them and that's what the road actually looks like.

Countries

I kept count as I went, in my own posts and messages — the 53rd country in 2009, the 64th a couple of years later, and number 85, Serbia, in October of 2024. Here are the ones that are written down:

Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Grand Cayman, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Bolivia, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Malaysia, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Turks and Caicos.

…and many more.

The United States

I got to start saying this back in 2009 — "Every single state in the USA":

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

South Dakota deserves its own sentence, because it is the one state with no photograph, no contract, and no receipt to prove it. On a college swing through North Dakota, we knew South Dakota was the one state we had never set foot in, so we made a point of swinging through it on purpose. I don't remember exactly how we routed it. But I know we were there.

Colleges and Universities

College shows were the backbone of the Rootberry years, and the backbone has a lot of vertebrae. The surviving duo log covers February 2004 to April 2007 all by itself, and the circuit ran years before that log starts and kept going long after, through the Distinguished Daredevils — who played Temple and Valdosta State in October of 2026, so this section is still being written. A few of these schools I played on multiple campuses; Penn State alone accounts for eight. The circuit also put us on some memorable bills: we opened for Rob Schneider at Pepperdine and for Bobby Lee at another university along the way, and shared a bill with Stevie Starr, the Regurgitator.

Abraham Baldwin College · Albany State University · Alvin Community College · Amarillo College · Augusta State University · Aurora University · Austin Peay State University · Berry College · Bossier Parish Community College · Brazosport College · Bridgewater College · Broward College · Bryant University · California State University, Sacramento · Carl Albert State College · Castleton University (now part of Vermont State University) · Central Florida Community College (now College of Central Florida) · Central Michigan University · Chowan University · Coastal Georgia College (Brunswick and Camden) · College of Lake County · College of St. Scholastica · College of Staten Island (CUNY) · Colorado State University Pueblo · Concordia University Wisconsin · Cosumnes River College · Cornell University · Darton College · Delta State University · Dickinson State University · Doane College · Duke University · Eastern Kentucky University · Eastern New Mexico University · Eckerd College · Edinboro University of Pennsylvania · Eureka College · Florida Community College at Jacksonville (Downtown, North, Open, and South campuses) · Florida International University · Florida Southern College · Florida Technical College · Franklin College · Frostburg State University · Georgia Gwinnett College · Georgia Highlands College (Cartersville and Cedartown) · Germanna Community College · Hillsborough Community College (Brandon, Dale Mabry, and Plant City) · Howard Community College · Idaho State University · Indian River State College · Iowa State University · Johnson & Wales University (Miami and Charlotte) · Kankakee Community College · Kaskaskia College · Kutztown University · Lawrence Technological University · Lee University · Lynn University · Lyon College · Manatee Community College (now State College of Florida) · Methodist University · Miami Dade College (Wolfson, Hialeah, Homestead, and North campuses) · Middle Georgia College · Mohawk Valley Community College · Morningside College · Nebraska Wesleyan University · New Mexico Junior College · New Mexico State University · Niagara County Community College · North Iowa Area Community College · Northern Arizona University · Northern Kentucky University · Northwest Missouri State University · Odessa College · Ohio State University · Ottawa University (Kansas) · Pasco-Hernando Community College (Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, North, and West) · Penn State (Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Mont Alto, Shenango, University Park, Wilkes-Barre, and York) · Pepperdine University · Pfeiffer University · Queens University of Charlotte · Quincy University · Radford University · Reed College · Roane State Community College · Roanoke College · Rollins College · Rosen College of Hospitality Management (UCF) · Rowan University · Saint Ambrose University · Saint Cloud State University · Saint Joseph's College · Salisbury University · San Diego State University · Seminole State College of Florida (Altamonte, Oviedo, and Sanford/Lake Mary) · Shenandoah University · Shepherd University · Siena College · South Georgia College · Southern Maine Community College · St. Petersburg College · Stephen F. Austin State University · Suffolk County Community College · Sul Ross State University · SUNY Cobleskill · SUNY Morrisville · Tallahassee State College · Temple University · Texas A&M International University · Texas A&M University–Commerce · Texas A&M University at Galveston · Texas A&M University–San Antonio · Tyler Junior College · UNC Asheville · UNC Charlotte · University of California, Davis · University of California, San Diego · University of California, Santa Barbara · University of Central Florida · University of the Cumberlands · University of Delaware · University of Findlay · University of Iowa (a virtual show for the UI Dance Marathon) · University of Maine · University of Memphis · University of Miami · University of New England · University of North Florida · University of Pittsburgh at Bradford · University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown · University of South Florida · University of Southern California · University of Tampa · University of Texas at Brownsville · University of Texas Permian Basin · University of Wisconsin–Platteville · Upper Iowa University · Utah Tech University · Valdosta State University · Valencia College (Osceola and Winter Park) · Vermont State University–Johnson · Volunteer State Community College · Warner Southern College (now Warner University) · Weber State University · West Texas A&M University · Western Carolina University · Western Connecticut State University · Western Kentucky University · William Paterson University · Wilkes University · Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (Rice Lake and Superior).

And two prep schools that treated us like family and earned their place here: Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and The Governor's Academy.

This is only a partial list.

Corporate Clients

Corporate work paid for a lot of the road, and the bookers' letters afterward said things I could never say about myself: "I laughed until I hurt." "An outstanding headline act." "What you do is incredibly unique." The named clients:

3M · Big Apple Circus · Boys & Girls Club · Clear Channel · Coca-Cola · Computer Science Incorporated (CSC) · Craftsman · Culligan · Dura Pharmaceuticals · ESPN · General Mills · Goodyear · Hilton · The History Channel · McDonald's (including a run for McDonald's Canada) · Michael's Foods · MTV · MWR · Pepsi · Pfizer · Philips · Qualcomm · San Diego Yacht Club · Sony · Southeast Toyota · Special Olympics · Sybase · The Collection, the Ferrari dealership in Miami · Volcom Clothing.

Volcom gets its own paragraph, because it produced one of my favorite road stories. They paid us part cash and part trade — clothing. We came home from an Alaska cruise and Jonathan discovered he had lost one of his bags somewhere along the way. The box of Volcom clothes was sitting there waiting, so he loaded his bag with it and wore Volcom, head to toe, for the entire next cruise — including shirts he had never once tried on. He was the best-dressed man on that ship and it was pure accident.

…and lots more.

Theme Parks, Resorts, Venues and Festivals

This is the section where the residencies live — the places that didn't just book the act once but kept it, night after night:

• Legoland California (Carlsbad) — featured act for almost three years, starting February 20, 1999; six shows a day, five days a week.
  

• Circus Circus, Reno — center stage, three to six shows a day, across a run that began as a month, stretched to six, and called us back for more.
  

• Wet 'n Wild Orlando — a full summer of shows, about six a day, five days a week.
  

• Pastamoré, Universal CityWalk, Orlando — at least three shows a night, three nights a week, for an entire summer.
  

• Universal Orlando, including Islands of Adventure, and Disney's BoardWalk — the Disney work I did never included Epcot, and I like being precise about that.
  

• Sea World and the San Diego Zoo.
  

• ESPN2, with the World Juggling Federation — televised juggling on a bill with Penn & Teller.
  

• A bubblegum races event — performing alongside Tony Hawk and a crowd of other famous faces.
  

• Magic Mountain.
  

• Fright Fest at Marine World, Vallejo — the full run of the event.
  

• Mandalay Bay and The Sands, Las Vegas.
  

• Daytona International Speedway — a gig on a bill with Three Doors Down; I got to hang out with their drummer in the pits, behind the scenes, which is the kind of sentence this career lets you say.
  

• Gaylord Palms Resort and Bluegreen Fountains Resort, Orlando, and the Hard Rock Casino Events Center.
  

• The Stiefel Theatre in Salina, Kansas (the executive director wrote that we "received several standing ovations"), the Smoky Hill Museum, and The City in Salina.
  

• McCurdy's Comedy Theatre in Sarasota — also home, for years, to the Black Diamond Burlesque shows I performed in.
  

• American Stage Theatre in St. Petersburg, where I built and ran the illusions for Ragtime, and the San Diego Repertory Theatre, where I swallowed swords in A Christmas Carol.
  

• Longboat Key Club.
  

• The Spookeasy Lounge in Ybor City, Tampa, playing Alistair & Lilabelle's Graveyard Cabaret a dozen times or more, and the Cannonball Cabaret, numerous times.
  

• Mary Lou's — both rooms, the West Palm Beach flagship and the Miami room at the W South Beach, late-night sets, fifteen to twenty shows all told.
  

• Ripley's Believe It or Not! — for World Sword Swallower's Day, where Dan Meyer, Ted Campbell, and I passed clubs together and set a world record for three-person club passing.
  

• Brandon Town Center and Countryside Mall, playing a juggling elf through the Christmas seasons for Simply Promotions.
  

• The British Juggling Convention and a long list of juggling festivals, Pride week events, South Beach events, art festivals, churches, and more Florida resort variety bills through Vaudeville Entertainment than I can itemize — another twenty-five or thirty shows right there.
  

• Edinburgh, Scotland, where the street performing started in 1998.
  

• And home base today: the St. Pete Micro Farm in St. Petersburg, Florida — my residency, and where our monthly Performance Lab gathers.
  

Cruise Ships and Signature Runs

For a stretch of years, ships were a second home. Our very first one was the Celebrity Mercury, as a duo, and the contracts never really stopped after that. I have sailed as a guest entertainer for seven lines — Celebrity, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Semester At Sea, and Disney — and a few of the ships I can still name:

• Celebrity: Mercury
  

• Disney: Disney Dream · Disney Magic
  

• Norwegian: Norwegian Jewel · Norwegian Pearl · Norwegian Sun
  

• Princess: Caribbean Princess · Coral Princess · Crown Princess · Dawn Princess · Diamond Princess · Emerald Princess · Golden Princess · Island Princess · Royal Princess · Ruby Princess · Star Princess · Sun Princess
  

• Royal Caribbean: Enchantment of the Seas · Freedom of the Seas · Grandeur of the Seas · Nordic Empress · Oasis of the Seas · Radiance of the Seas
  

And the runs themselves, the itineraries that stay with you: Alaska, both directions — Seattle roundtrips and the Vancouver-to-Whittier run, past Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. The Baltic, through the Kiel Canal to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, with two days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Transshipping runs through the Panama Canal and Central America — Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Aruba, a night ashore in Managua — hopping from one Princess ship to the next as the contracts chained together. South America, around Cape Horn. Hawaii. The Caribbean, over and over, in every direction it can be sailed. And the Australia transshipping run: Fremantle and Perth, Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane, with a port call at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. And the Canada–New England run — Bar Harbor, Maine, and the Canadian ports, with their giant tidal change. I count the work-trip layovers too — Dubai in the Emirates and Doha in Qatar were airport stops on the way to ships, but I was traveling for work, so on the list they go.

Military Tours

Some of the audiences I remember most wore uniforms. Eleven military tours, one USO, and ten MWR, took us overseas to entertain the people who don't get to choose where they're stationed: Cuba, Bahrain, Lebanon, Japan, Guam, Hawaii, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, and France. Germany alone was something like a dozen stops — anywhere there's a military base in Germany, we've probably played it — and the same swings took in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. We performed in the hangar bay of the USS Iwo Jima, at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, and at Guantanamo Bay, where the man in charge wrote afterward that we were welcome any time. Those crowds work harder than anybody, and handing them an hour of laughter is still one of the honors of my career.

…and many more.

The Road Goes On

That's the partial list. Behind every name on it there is a stage, a crew, a booker who took a chance, and an audience that showed up. If you were in one of those audiences, thank you; you are the reason the list exists. If we played your school, your ship, or your company event and you're not named above, the show still happened — the paperwork just didn't survive the journey.

These days the road runs through the Distinguished Daredevils, my solo shows, workshops, and the students I coach — and it is still adding lines. So let me ask you the only question that matters at the end of a list like this: where's your event, and how would you like a juggler and sword swallower plopped down in the middle of it?