Free Pile Circus opened at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art for Chris Jordan’s Exhibit: ” Running the Numbers” on January 15th.
Chris Jordan’s Exhibit “Running the Numbers” often shows how much Americans waste in the United States. Jordan’s artwork encourages people to practice environmentally friendly behavior. The Jordan Schnitzer followed this message and the opening of “Running the Numbers” was an environmentally friendly event. The J-Shnitz showed this by using compostable cups, using stationary bicycles to power the amps in the lobby, and even booked a band that was environmentally friendly because their instruments are made entirely from found materials.
The band was Free Pile Circus, a three-piece band mixed with an amateur circus act. The creators of Free Pile Circus are father and daughter who use instruments and props, which were found for free, mostly from “free piles.” This show was their first official booking.
The band Free Pile circus constists of Sam "The Mule" McLarty (left) who plays percussion on a drum made from a tree that termites had hollowed out that he found in Missouri along with a thrown out water cooler jug. Nalua "Peeko" Manaois (center) plays percussion on whatever found instruments they have and performs amateur circus acts with her father. Nalua's father Kris "Cirk" Manaois plays on a found drum and plays the bass he made of a garbage can, a thrown away bass string and half an old walker for a handle.
The act consistited of Kris “Cirk” Manaois playing bass. Manaois’ 7-year old daughter Nalua “Peeko” Manaois joined with the band not only playing whatever percussion instrument she felt like, but also performing circus acts that included balancing herself one-footed on her father’s shoulder and catching juggling balls that he launched off his foot while still on his shoulder.
Nalua "Peeko" Manaois balances one footed on her father, Kris Manaois, as part of her act with the group "Free Pile Circus." Both have no formal training, but Kris Manaois is trying to get his daughter into school for performing these kind of tricks.
The other member of Free Pile Circus was Sam “The Mule” McLarty who played percussion on an empty plastic water cooler and used a more formally constructed hand drum that was not found from a free pile, but found from a downed tree that termites hollowed out and was cut to form into a drum. McLarty said he has played drums for 20 years.
Manois said he studied traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian instruments ever since he was a child. He added that he is a “free pile junkie and somewhat of a pack-rat,” which led to the creation of Free Pile Circus.
Kris "Cirk" Manaois (hat and suspenders) fools the audience by appearing to start the same trick that Nalua "Peeko" Manaois did when she balanced on her father's shoulders. This never happened--much to the relief of 7-year old Nalua.
