Brandon Isaak and Keith Picot share a love for music and a creativity that has extended into being the stars of their own silent films.
The two of them are known as the Silver Screen Scoundrels — the stars of stage and screen, an endeavour that began about four years ago.
“Brandon said he had this app for his phone for making silent movies,” said Picot. “I made four that night, and it hasn’t stopped since.”
The pair will be screening some of their work — as musicians and actors — when they play the Dream Cafe Sept. 12 and 13.
Their musical collaboration developed while the two of them were with the band Twisters a couple of years ago.
“One day, we were talking about how much fun it would be to play kind of stripped down acoustic,” he said. “Twister was kind of a jump-swing-blues band, and drum and harmonica and electric bass.”
When they began working together as musicians, they also began filming on their first tour together.
“We did the majority of the Silver Screen Scoundrels on that trip,” said Picot. “We did one every day, hotel room, wherever we were, we did one on an iPod. When we got home from that trip, I couldn’t stop, and I started making them on my own. I didn’t even own a computer, just an iPod.”
Picot has since upgraded to a top-notch computer that’s used strictly for editing his work.
His film work has since led him to adding another facet to his resume, filming commercials for businesses.
“I’m making minute-and-a-half, silent movie commercials,” he said, noting he’s got three on the go and a couple of the businesses he’s been working with are wanting more.
Three of his films play at the theatre in Salt Spring Island prior to the main attraction, and it’s only brought more attention to his commercial work. He and Isaak’s musical efforts have allowed them to continue to tour with other bands, and with each other.
Individually, Isaak is a singer-songwriter and musician, who is capable of playing multiple instruments and has been nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for Blues Album of the Year for Here on Earth.
Picot is known for the hard-hitting “slap style” he brings to the stand-up bass. In 2011 he won a Maple Blues Award as Canada’s Best Bass Player.
They recently finished making an album together, titled, Here on Earth, however they also continue to work on their own projects, said Picot, who added they’ve yet to cut an album as the Silver Screen Scoundrels.
“We don’t really slug it out as the Silver Screen Scoundrels, who do certain things together, certain projects,” he said. “We went on one of these arts council tour in February, we played 28 days in Saskatchewan at these nice theatres, and then we don’t play together for another three or four months.”
Isaak recently returned from a solo tour in Europe, and when he’s not busy making filming commercials, Picot has been playing with the band Cousin Harley.
Their shows at the Dream Cafe will feature about a half dozen of their films and will be included in their musical sets.
“I wrote those to go along with these songs,” said Picot. “It’s like a music video from 1910.”
One of their films, Two Bit Gentleman, will feature Dream Cafe owner Pierre Couture. They also have a comic book which they’ll be bringing to the show.
“We still play music together, we film together and we record together, but we also still do individual stuff,” said Picot.
Tickets for both shows are $6.
For reservations and purchases, call 250-490-9012 or e-mail: admin@thedreamcafe.ca.