Today I was walking down main street in San Jose, Costa Rica after a long day at work.
I was walking with a friend then we heard this guy playing some neat blues songs with his guitar and amp.
I stayed for a while listening some songs, as always I have my things with me I asked him if I could play some tunes with him.
After some Muddy waters, he threw me this cut "Fever" which I like a lot, I have never played it before but I remember hearing the Version by Satan and Adam and I tried to give it a shot.
Im using a Green Bullet plugged to his whatever brand amp is using a splitter cable.
Its kinda funny, since a couple of days ago I finally got the Mister Satan Apprentice audiobook and digged it deeply, and for a while (pretty much since I started playing) I wanted to venture into busking.
That was some days ago, now I'm playing with this fella regularly, and hell I'm thinking of travelling some neighbor central american countries with just harp and amp on hand lol.
Playing blues on "hot headed latino" countries ain't easy People down here only listens to cumbia and other latin and Caribbean rhythms most of the time.
Anyway that sure was fun.
Last Edited by DannyRanch on Oct 30, 2015 11:57 PM
There are several great reasons to busk. Improve chops, begin to grow a thick hide, yet reach out anyway, turn on everyone from toddlers to ancient elders, and maybe make a bit of coin as well. Not to mention play with others and be seen.
I seldom play harp by myself in public but a song here or there is cool. I have found over the years I do best with a partner, or several.
Keep up the good work. Even after all these years- 40+- I still find I have things to learn and the street is a good place to work them out! ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Well there ya go! One minute you're part of the straight world, punching the clock; the next minute you've crossed over and are a member of the Force. Or is it the Dark Side?
Busking is the philosophical opposite of virtual reality and AI. It's fully embodied life on this planet: full of risk, ripe with possibilities of reward. It's sweat, money, the Law (on occasion), and occasionally a girl or two. It's business cards with offers. Once, many years ago, I was playing on the streets near the NY PUblic Library and during break I got into conversation with a guy who ended up letting me use his apartment in Paris WHEN HE WASN'T THERE. Can you imagine that? That actually happened.
You sounded fine, BTW. That's pretty much how I sounded when I first played with Gator, a tap dancer in the Village, back in the fall of 1985.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Nov 02, 2015 4:56 AM
"Busking is the philosophical opposite of virtual reality and AI."
I gather you are trying to make a distinction between the grit & sweat of real life and the perceived artificial "risk-free" nature of a digital interaction.
There's some truth in this, but I'd disagree in terms of busking.
I spent nearly a year living as a busker on Las Ramblas in Barcelona and also busked at times in other places (Paris/London etc). I've also been a busker online for nearly 10 years in "virtual reality", with some AI as it happens;-)
In some respects it's true - mainly the elements you mention such as direct physical risk and law but in others - such as playing music, entertaining a crowd, indirect physical risk from RSI injury, and getting people to dip their hand in their pocket and tip you - there is no difference.
The communication channels and bandwidth are a little different, but it's still communication through music.
If you're not sweating while playing then you aren't really playing imo. What do I mean by that? It's an energy thing with playing music.
I still sweat exactly the same playing live online as I do offline. (when you're in the groove and flow state that is, which isn't always but it's what I aim for)
So I'd say live virtual busking philosophically is the same as live busking in meatspace.
There's pros and cons to each approach, just depends which you prefer at the time.
Busking in the privacy of your own house or apartment or rehearsal space isn't busking. It's something else. It's busking shorn of 95% of the existential risk. I don't mind if you call it something else: home concerts, or apartment serenades. But it's not busking.
If you look at definitions of busking, one very common synonym is "street performance" or "street music." The street stands at the farthest extreme, existentially speaking, from the privacy of your own home. Try sleeping on the street. It's a lot different from sleeping on the couch in your livingroom. Isn't it?
Entirely different risk levels.
I've known lots of very good musicians who were freaked out by the idea of playing on the street. How could you play with no boundaries? No....gig space. No...pay, except what people decided to toss you?
Komuso, I think that as somebody who HAS played on the street, who has busked, you bring the special skills you developed in that space to every other gig you ever play. That's a good thing.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Nov 02, 2015 7:31 PM
I'm planning on busking too when I'm in Spain next febraury. I have some tunes and I would really like to improvise some with a guitarist (hope I find one)
Not streetjelly, but there's many ways of doing it. I find it's better to get in early on new platforms rather than later. When it gets saturated like that there's so much noise it's like a street with a busker playing every 10 feet.
I call it virtual busking because that's what it is when you're putting out the hat for tips - real or virtual. The trick, which a lot of streetjelly buskers don't seem to get, is you still need to perform if you're online - either musically or entertainment wise or a combo of both. I bet of lot of them don't break a sweat.
re: Risk Sure, there's different risk levels (as I also mentioned and agree with) but that's a consequence of where and when you choose to play on the street as well.
A farmers market is completely different risk wise from 42nd street (which is the equivalent of where I lived in Barca) but it's your choice to play one over the other. Is the farmers market any less a "real" busk because it's a nice safe gig? Does the chance of getting mugged or threatened over your pitch make you play better? (Hint: No to both)
Picking the right pitch to play on is as much an art in real life as in virtual.
re: If you look at definitions of busking, one very common synonym is "street performance" or "street music."
The oldest definition would be "There have been performances in public places for gratuities in every major culture in the world, dating back to antiquity."
Times change and technology changes times. Even in the radio and TV eras there wasn't really a way to pay or tip performers directly, but that has changed with the internet.
Public places now include the virtual as well as the real. It's not a replacement for face to face, just another stop along the continuum of mediated experience.
I find that playing to a camera is nowhere near as exciting or fulfilling as out live. The response- or lack of it- tells me things I need to know immediately. There are probably pheromones floating around as people walk past or stop to listen. I think as we play directly to people we may get something of an endorphin rush going, it's part of the zone.
Believe me, it's a rush just working on stuff here at home and we have great times doing videos here and posting them, but the special right-up-front nature of live busking is unique and almost addictive. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
I have done lots of busking over the years and it is a great way to sharpen your performance skills, work out new material and meet new musicians.
My formula is to keep it loose and not be afraid to change gears if it doesnt work out-i e - blues isnt working ? move to folk our country style stuff etc.
As club gigs have dried up - more and more busking is on the menu and for an old hippie like me - the best part is not kissing any ass to get gigs etc. You just get out there and do it
