photo by Robin Toma
On stage Ivan Coyote, Sal Zori, Pebbles Willekes and Alison Gorman are known for rousing audiences from their seats with a high-energy story-driven performance that will leave you breathless. Off stage this fantastic four have a lot of interesting hobbies and strong feelings about fishing. Get to know the talented collaborators of Tomboy Survival Guide in this week’s blog. As a special feature we’ve been asking all FemFest artists about their childhood after all our theme this year is Coming of Age!
Ivan Coyote
Writer/Lead Vocals
Ivan Coyote Then
Ivan Coyote (photo by Jourdan Tymkow)
- third generation Yukoner now based in Vancouver
- author of eleven books, creator of four short films, six full-length live shows, and three albums
- will be given a Honorary Doctorate of Laws at Simon Fraser University for their writing and activism
- if Ivan wasn’t doing this they would be an electrician
- as a child they would play the saxophone and write stories and go fishing
Sal Zori
Drummer/Percussionist
Sal Zori Then
Sal Zori Now
- born in Iraq and grew up moving back and forth between the United Arab Emirates and Canada
- for a brief time was the percussionist for Aretha Franklin
- DIY-er, tennis player, videographer, barista
- playing tennis was a favourite past-time as a child
- hates karaoke
- If you could go back in time, where would you go and why? “1920’s. The music.”
Pebbles Willekes
Bass
Pebbles Willekes Then
Pebbles Willekes Now
- born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Graphic designer, WordPress nerd, avid gardener & cook of vegetarian food
- has fantasized about running a small farm
- “I spend most of my childhood outside, in the West side of Amsterdam, riding my bike, building huts in the dense butterfly bushes. Roasting potatoes over a campfire. Making up stories about how me and my best friend were stranded on an island and had to survive. Started playing music (punk rock) when I was 14, then most time was spent inside.”
- go-to karaoke song? Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
- If you could go back in time, where would you go and why? “I’d probably go back to the late 60’s, early 70’s, to see a young Bowie in concert”
Alison Gorman
Trumpet
Allison Gorman Then
Allison Gorman Now
- “ I eat a troubling amount of olives.”
- go-to Karaoke song – Runaround Sue
- “My brother used to take me fishing at the crack of dawn every weekend. I hated fishing, but liked hanging out with him. (He still thinks I like fishing).”
- “If I weren’t in music. Jeez. I had a brief, failed attempt at an air traffic control career. Packing groceries in bins, I suppose.”
- If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? “Vancouver 1990’s? I’d buy up all that real estate, yo.”
- Alison directs the band Queer As Funk [link], Vancouver’s own LGBTQ Motown, soul and funk band – they play weddings!
See Tomboy Survival Guide at FemFest 2017 one-night-only SEPT 17 at the West End Cultural Centre. Tickets on sale now.
