For parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends heading to the Splash 'N Boots show in Coquitlam this weekend, here's a tip: dress the kids in blue and yellow.
Those are the costume colours for Nick Adams (Splash) and Taes Leavitt (Boots), a married couple who got their start in the children's entertainment business a decade ago, toured the world and, over the past year, found mega success in Canada with: a daily spot on Treehouse TV; a Juno Award nomination; and a win - for the third year - from Sirius XM for Canadian Children's Group of the Year.
Along with Bobs and Lolo and The Wiggles, Splash 'N Boots are among the Treehouse acts who get the young ones hopping with their original catchy tunes and leave the adults in awe of their boundless energy.
"We really try to make a show that's good for parents and kids to enjoy together," Leavitt told The Tri-City News last week. "Our music is multi-generational."
Since 2003, when they performed their first concert at a library as part of a class project for Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., the pair has recorded seven albums in total - the most recent being Keeping' It Green in 2013 - and cut songs such as For the Love of Dance, Antelopes Love Cantaloupes and Potato.
Leavitt said Canada has been a rich ground for children's acts and she's honoured to follow in the steps of Fred Penner, Sharon, Lois and Bram and Charlotte Diamond, to name a few.
Last December, Penner joined Splash 'N Boots as a guest star on one of their six TV pilot episodes and, recently, the duo joined The Wiggles on stage at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto for Treehouse TV's Big Day Out.
This and next month, Splash 'N Boots will cross the country for three dates in B.C. - including a matinee at Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre on Sunday, Oct. 26 - another two in Alberta plus a pair of shows in Newfoundland for a mini tour (in the last six years, they have performed more than 1,200 concerts nationwide).
Asked what to expect at their upcoming Coquitlam show, Leavitt responded: "We want kids who ready to dance and parents to bring their cameras," Leavitt said.
Tickets at $16/$12 for Splash 'N Boots are available through the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way) box office at 604-927-6555 or online at evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
