Can you juggle a toilet seat, a shoe, and a chainsaw ?
Sure, but not all at the same time.  Actually, I’ve never tried, but I do believe that, with practice, I can do anything to which I set my mind.  On a side note though, I do think chainsaws are for hacks or lumberjacks and I’m not trying to be either.

How long have you been juggling?
I learned how to juggle when I was 11 and have been going now for 21 years.  Which, of course, make me 26 years old.

You are also a musician, how has that been going?
It has been going well as I’ve really been getting into a sort of flamenco-type style with my guitar-playing.  A few years ago I stopped playing out as a musician, which took the pressure off of it and now I just play for my own enjoyment and get together with friends for jam sessions.  I’m much happier this way.

If you had to choose between music and juggling, which would you choose?
Rough call.  See, I believe they come from the same place as each takes practice, dedication, passion and rhythm.  Really, I feel that my type of juggling is a sort of visual music so it is hard to separate the two.  However, due to the unsaturated nature of the art, it is much easier to pay the bills as a juggler than as a musician.  Honestly, how many guitar players do you know?  And how many jugglers?

How did you hear of the Burning River Roller Girls?
I think I saw articles and adverts, but then I was introduced to Angel N. Shadows who, at the time, was just joining the league (thought she no longer rolls with it).  She had told some friends of mine about  Black and Blue Friday the day after Thanksgiving a few years ago.  We all went down and had a blast, though I remember thinking that they could use some sort of entertainment for half-time and whatnot.  So, I contacted the BRRG and after quite some time of details not working out, finally got brought in by the awesome Miss Lea Maxwell to rock the show on the 20th.

What made you decide to start jugging professionally?
I had been juggling for many years before I even considered the possibility of making money at it, just because I love doing it so much.  Eventually, I got good enough that people started offering to pay me to come to their events and do my thing.  That put the seed in my head and it only grew from there.  So now, I make a living by traveling around, doing what I love and making people smile.  Granted, there are a lot of ups, downs, humiliations, privileges and hard work involved, but now that I’m here I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I firmly believe in finding a way to get paid to do what you love.  More people need to smile at their jobs.  Many more.

Where has juggling taken you so far?
From coast to coast in this beautiful country and more.  I’ve worked a few cruise ships that have taken me to Hawaii and the East and West Caribbean Islands.  I love island life and beaches.

Name three bands that have inspired you the most in your life?
Oooh, that’s a good one.  I’m gonna go with Tool, Ani DiFranco and Shpongle.  Anyone who wants to hear the whole story as to why can buy me a beer and hang out some night–too much to type.  Music is my primary passion.

How many objects can you juggle at once?
I can do 6 balls pretty solidly, though I’ve been working a bit on 7 and my personal record is 54 catches.  I generally only perform up to 5 balls, though, because I believe in presenting clean, polished material on stage.  Besides, it’s not how many balls you got, it’s what you do with them matters. 

What do you enjoy juggling the most?
I really enjoy working with fire as I’m a bit of a pyro and it is always a crowd pleaser, but my absolute favorite is to put on some good music and juggle just 3 balls.  The simplicity of the 3-ball pattern allows for so much creativity and expression that it is my favorite place to hang out.

What is the hardest to juggle?
Girlfriends–ha ha, just kidding.
Mentally, anything that some jerk from the audience would yell out in the middle of a show–chainsaw, bowling balls, apple (while eating it)–because somebody saw it on TV once, was convinced that it is really difficult and believes it to be the mark of a truly skilled juggler.  It is hard to do that stuff because I see it as a form of selling out.  It has always been my goal to provide as original a show as possible.
Physically, I cut the tip of my thumb off once with a machete and cracked myself with the bullwhip countless times, so those are both intimidating.  Whips hurt more then people think.

How has your juggling style evolved?
Another good question.  I guess that early on I was influenced by extremely movement-oriented jugglers like Michael Menes and Michael Moschen, who do routines to music so the juggling becomes more of a dance performance.  Later on, I became fascinated with comedy performers and started developing the talking and patter portions of my act.  Today, my show is a combination of the two.

What is your next juggling feat?
I’m working on putting together a line of 20 fire performers to put on a massive fire show for an event on the Detroit-Superior bridge at the end of September.  It is going to be awesome and if you spin fire poi or staff or juggle, you should contact me as I need people of all levels (even beginners).  Stay tuned to my website for further details:
http://www.AaronBonk.com/

What can the fans of BRRG expect to see on June 20th when you begin?
Danger and Delight.  The rest is a surprise…but no fire–outlawed by the venue.

Are you excited to see the Roller Derby bouts?
Oh heck yeah!  I always love watching the girls do their thing.  They are some fierce females with serious skill and you know I can’t help but love that combination.  I only hope my performance can measure up to the standard of awesomeness they set.

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