SteelSlider
07-11-2001, 02:30 AM
I went to Olympia today and did a bit of Busking.
Back in the early 80s I was in New Orleans, doing some solo shows on a club circuit. When those were finished I was to begin another series in Florida, opening for someone.
My last stop in New Orleans was a 7-11 at about 4 in the morning. As I came out I was jumped by six guys, they took everything from me. Even my shoes. I was left with my pickup, jeans and a tank top. I did have about ninety bucks stashed in the truck, up under the dash. I hoped to get to Pensacola on that ninety but I hadn't even gotten outta Louisiana when the truck konked out. To get the truck fixed would take up most of my cash, so I decided to buy a cheap guitar and earn some quick cash in Slydell Louisiana.
When the sun came up I walked into town and bought a $18 dollar Kay guitar in a pawn shop. I walked a few blocks from the pawn shop and lay the guitar case down on the sidewalk and begin paying. I played from about ten in the morning to well after dark and made enough money on that sidewalk to get the parts and enough gas to get me to Florida.
That was my first experience at Busking. Where ya sorta beg for money, with something in return to the kind people beside a hardluck story. I was in an all black neighborhood and was kinda concerned as what they'd think about some long haired white boy beggin' in they're run down neighborhood.
The first thirty minutes were the hardest, then people began clapping and dancing, singing and shouting. I was playing old blues for them. One little girl about five had a candy bar and took a bite of it and dropped the rest of it in my case. I got canned food and over forty dollars from the kind people in the poor neighborhood.
I did it one other time in Seattle for he heck of it, and it was fun there too.
Today I did it again in Olympia and it was fun. In Olympia, as in Seattle, I didn't have my case open on the ground, but both times I ended up with a little over twenty dollars. I don't need the money now. As a blues missonary I feel obliged to spread the sound. hee, hee.
Busking is fun and you can do your own songs for people. I don't know if I'll do it again, but I might.
Somethings to watch for, is city ordinecnces against it, and blocking passage into shops and the sidewalk. Today a few other guys joined in and it turned to confusion, but I didn't care, I wasn't scrounging for cash this time. I simply moved to the bus stop and played for another two hours solo.
Back in the early 80s I was in New Orleans, doing some solo shows on a club circuit. When those were finished I was to begin another series in Florida, opening for someone.
My last stop in New Orleans was a 7-11 at about 4 in the morning. As I came out I was jumped by six guys, they took everything from me. Even my shoes. I was left with my pickup, jeans and a tank top. I did have about ninety bucks stashed in the truck, up under the dash. I hoped to get to Pensacola on that ninety but I hadn't even gotten outta Louisiana when the truck konked out. To get the truck fixed would take up most of my cash, so I decided to buy a cheap guitar and earn some quick cash in Slydell Louisiana.
When the sun came up I walked into town and bought a $18 dollar Kay guitar in a pawn shop. I walked a few blocks from the pawn shop and lay the guitar case down on the sidewalk and begin paying. I played from about ten in the morning to well after dark and made enough money on that sidewalk to get the parts and enough gas to get me to Florida.
That was my first experience at Busking. Where ya sorta beg for money, with something in return to the kind people beside a hardluck story. I was in an all black neighborhood and was kinda concerned as what they'd think about some long haired white boy beggin' in they're run down neighborhood.
The first thirty minutes were the hardest, then people began clapping and dancing, singing and shouting. I was playing old blues for them. One little girl about five had a candy bar and took a bite of it and dropped the rest of it in my case. I got canned food and over forty dollars from the kind people in the poor neighborhood.
I did it one other time in Seattle for he heck of it, and it was fun there too.
Today I did it again in Olympia and it was fun. In Olympia, as in Seattle, I didn't have my case open on the ground, but both times I ended up with a little over twenty dollars. I don't need the money now. As a blues missonary I feel obliged to spread the sound. hee, hee.
Busking is fun and you can do your own songs for people. I don't know if I'll do it again, but I might.
Somethings to watch for, is city ordinecnces against it, and blocking passage into shops and the sidewalk. Today a few other guys joined in and it turned to confusion, but I didn't care, I wasn't scrounging for cash this time. I simply moved to the bus stop and played for another two hours solo.