Isaac's One Harp Band hit the streets of PHX again! This First Friday was also Good Friday, so it was a big crowd out, and a great time was had by all... It was also lucritive! In two hours I made enough for a nice new harp... or enough to take my wife out to a nice dinner for two (I'm smart, I will do the latter!). I had my little camera with me, and towards the end of the night, I managed to set it up and capture a little of the action!
This first clip features a new harpboxing song on a Modern Pentatonic harmonica. I've got the camera too close to the amp for the first half of the video, so the sound is a little off.. I move it away halfway through, so the second half sounds better....
This second clip features me playing an "endless shuffle" groove-thing on a low harp that always gets some bills put in the tips jar! (and I think I managed to video a few of those dollars being put in there on this one!)
And finally, this last clip features me playing a slow vampy blues on a Bb harp. This one is also always a crowd-pleaser, and I get some bucks in the bucket right off the bat! ;)
I had a ton of fun, and, as I really haven't had much time to play lately, this was one of the best "paid practice" sessions I've had in a long time! I have to say, though, that I woke up this morning and my arms and shoulders were sore as hell from cupping that mic! I'm outta practice for sure! :) ---------- == I S A A C ==
Touche easyreeder! But if you fast forward to about 1:35 in the first clip, I pick up the camera to get a better shot of the crowd while I am playing, and you can see my face for a few seconds! So it IS me! ;) ---------- == I S A A C ==
Thanks X! I appreciate it! FYI, I still think about that time you, me, and jawbone played out on Queen street and that sweet amp you had in the trunk wired up to your car battery! Fun times! ---------- == I S A A C ==
Nice work Isaac, i always enjoy your busking video's it always makes me want to get my arse out there and play, If only i had the bottle!, and by the way i'd recognize that knee anywhere lol!!!
Isaac, great videos, I enjoyed it! Your technique is superb. Sometime I also want to go out on the streets and play, but I'm not ready yet. May I ask you how many songs you played in this 2 hour set? I'd like to get a feeling how many songs I'd have to prepare to fill 2 hours (approximately).
Great work Isaac. Nice to see what other buskers are doing. You other guys, including HarpKeyAl -- just get out there. You won't regret it. The more you play, the reaider you will be. The people want to see you busking, no, they NEED to see you busking, They may just not know it yet...It is your duty tor educate them!
Thanks guys! I had no idea my knee was such an icon, but I'm totally flattered that y'all think it is! ;)
@HarpKeyAl: In this context, with super super high foot traffic, and no one really stopping to listen for more than one song, I turn to 4 "clutch" songs that I play. The videos above are 3 of them, and the fourth is another harpboxing thing I do on a Natural Minor harp. These are the songs that I've found are really catchy, and can pull a passerby's ear enough to make them toss some bills in the hat. What I do is play one or two of those "clutch" songs in a row, until I get tired of 'em, and then I throw in something different just to spice it up for me... Usually this will be one of my looping songs... I find that looping songs aren't really effective in this context because you really need the audience to watch you "build" the loop for them to "get it". Otherwise, it just seems like you are playing to a backing track, which doesn't seem to get as much change in the hat...
@tooka: A guy walked by carrying a 4 foot statue of a Great White shark that was made out of old tin cans... It was one of the coolest things I'd seen in a LONG time! ;)
@all: GET OUT ON THE STREET AND JUST DO IT!!!!!! ---------- == I S A A C ==
Nice job, Isaac! Every time I hear you play these days, I start wondering how I can finagle a looper machine past my wife--I've already spent this lifetime's allowance on music equipment.
Your remembrance of jamming with jbone and xharp reminded me of the jam/lesson you and I got at Chris' house--that was some good times there.
The weather is turning decent here--time to dust off my busking stuff and get practiced up. . . ----------
@BronzeWailer & isaac: You're probably right with your suggestion of getting out on the streets and play. I envy you for this freedom. In Vienna this is unfortunately not as easy as it is in some cities in the U.S.
I wonder, on the video end, if anyone has come up with a little powered swivel that could pan and maybe use some software to lock on faces for a few seconds. It would make the video part more exciting. Or you could wear a helmet cam!
@oldwailer: Yeah, those were some fun times! I still remember that night... especially yaking all over Chris's bathroom! Damn stomach flu! But still a great memory...
@HarpKeyAl: Yeah, I suppose you're right... Even here in the states, though, there are some places that are especially friendly for buskers. I happen to live in one of those places, so I suppose I'm quite lucky that way!
@nacoran: Yeah, finding a place to put the camera was kind of a problem-- made more difficult because I was operating it with one hand, and holding the harp and mic with the other! These are the things you don't think about when out busking alone! In the end I decided to put it down in my harp case to show the feet passing by and any tips being put in the case! ;)
Actually, I'd really like to get one of those handy "flip cam" type cameras... you could just put it in your chest pocket, and you could basically "see what I see"... That would be very cool... I probably should also buy a little gorilla tripod or something, anyway, so I can set the camera up with a better angle... ---------- == I S A A C ==
Hey Isaac, yes sir, good times that was. That Peavey bought the farm and I had to rid myself of it. I have yet to replace it but now that you mention it I feel a gas attack coming on. I'd like to find a 20watt single 10" speaker tube amp without spending a ton on it. Now I get to scour flea markets and pawn shops. Ah.... This'll be fun. Our Blowin' the Queen event was the last time I had fun playing. I just can't seem to find any joy in it right now so this'll be a good diversion X ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
Sorry to hear about the amp! Also sorry to hear that playing hasn't been much fun as of late! Maybe a little GAS-attack is exactly what you need to knock you outta that rut! Hope you find a gem in them pawn shops! ---------- == I S A A C ==
In the spirit of DIY, maybe you could mount a webcam or something to your microphone. I keep thinking of the helmet cams they use in sports these days, or one of those flexible colonoscopy cams!
Of course, you've got to be careful with something that records whatever you are looking at. It can get you in trouble with spouses. :)
@nacoran: Lol! I didn't think about that last thing! I definitely want to be staying out of trouble in that department... At the end of one of those clips, you can hear a girl's voice going "woooo!", and my wife was like "who was THAT?" ;)
Plus, I move so damn much when I play, if the camera was attached to the mic all you'd see would be a swirling blur! :)
