In Which I R a Busking Resource 8)
Jun. 13th, 2008 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minstrlmummrLast night I hosted two fellow buskers (and fellow Coxcomb alums) from Philly who came to Brooklyn for a photo shoot. It's always lovely when we get together because we all get "transported" to Pennsic "chust a little bit".
"Dottie" and "Lorraine" perform together as "Bag Lady / Wandering Gypsy Theatre" (example at http://www.sidetracked.biz/Site/Watch.html ) in and around Philadelphia, in addition to group and solo acting gigs. They have mostly quit their day jobs 8) They've also booked me in Phoenixville a time or two or three... They stayed overnight, which was a good thing since the shoot ran kind of late and meshed nicely with my getting off work late. I saw them rehearse a work in progress, a story about cats. Just before they started, Jamie came and sat down in front of them as if to say "TEL STORREE PLZ?" -- it was adorable. This morning after breakfast (out -- coffee shop has coffee, I don't) we all went to the Central Park entrance at Columbus Circle early (10 am IS early to a theater person) and busked until they had to meet their Megabus at Penn Station. They were both really jazzed to be working in NYC. I know exactly how they feel--I've never lost the thrill of driving/walking on this or that street for some routine activity and catching sight of the Empire State Building / WTC / Statue of Liberty, or doing a show in Grand Central Station, the place where they shot that dancing scene from "The Fisher King" (although if I were stupid enough to actually set up IN the hall where the ceiling mural is I'd be trampled by rampaging commuters 8).
They did okay tip-wise, for working just over an hour. I got a lot of smiles but not much money, which is how my above-ground experiences in NYC have gone in the past. Both of them definitely want to come back and do this again, for a longer shift. We talked about the one other busker-friendly site I know of, Washington Square Park of the maddening performer crowds. After we said goodbye I relocated my (more passive) act into a subway station nearby for a while, then came home to treat a pounding headache. (I might have worked longer had I remembered to bring food and take a bathroom break. sigh. I do really know better, honest 8)
After a nap and some dinner, I learned about the unexpected death of "Meet The Press" host Tim Russert. My memory of him is mostly surprise that someone could have such a sincerely enthusiastic smile, so often, for the potentially soul-numbing experience of immersing oneself in politics and politicians. Nice guy. Too soon.
"Dottie" and "Lorraine" perform together as "Bag Lady / Wandering Gypsy Theatre" (example at http://www.sidetracked.biz/Site/Watch.html ) in and around Philadelphia, in addition to group and solo acting gigs. They have mostly quit their day jobs 8) They've also booked me in Phoenixville a time or two or three... They stayed overnight, which was a good thing since the shoot ran kind of late and meshed nicely with my getting off work late. I saw them rehearse a work in progress, a story about cats. Just before they started, Jamie came and sat down in front of them as if to say "TEL STORREE PLZ?" -- it was adorable. This morning after breakfast (out -- coffee shop has coffee, I don't) we all went to the Central Park entrance at Columbus Circle early (10 am IS early to a theater person) and busked until they had to meet their Megabus at Penn Station. They were both really jazzed to be working in NYC. I know exactly how they feel--I've never lost the thrill of driving/walking on this or that street for some routine activity and catching sight of the Empire State Building / WTC / Statue of Liberty, or doing a show in Grand Central Station, the place where they shot that dancing scene from "The Fisher King" (although if I were stupid enough to actually set up IN the hall where the ceiling mural is I'd be trampled by rampaging commuters 8).
They did okay tip-wise, for working just over an hour. I got a lot of smiles but not much money, which is how my above-ground experiences in NYC have gone in the past. Both of them definitely want to come back and do this again, for a longer shift. We talked about the one other busker-friendly site I know of, Washington Square Park of the maddening performer crowds. After we said goodbye I relocated my (more passive) act into a subway station nearby for a while, then came home to treat a pounding headache. (I might have worked longer had I remembered to bring food and take a bathroom break. sigh. I do really know better, honest 8)
After a nap and some dinner, I learned about the unexpected death of "Meet The Press" host Tim Russert. My memory of him is mostly surprise that someone could have such a sincerely enthusiastic smile, so often, for the potentially soul-numbing experience of immersing oneself in politics and politicians. Nice guy. Too soon.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-14 04:02 am (UTC)And yeah, the Russert death is quite the shock :( I heard about it while in the airport. Just not right.
heeheehee
Date: 2008-06-14 10:04 am (UTC)Re: heeheehee
Date: 2008-06-14 02:52 pm (UTC)Hmmm, I'm wondering if I should print up some "get out of jail free" cards or something equivalent.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-14 05:00 am (UTC)Now I'm bummed to have missed the opportunity to see you all on a double bill. I bet you were fabulous...
The Double Bill
Date: 2008-06-14 10:00 am (UTC)Speaking of double bills, that reminds me I will need to discover if shalmestere and hudebnik are interested in pursuing a "garbed Christmas music with instruments and vocals" project we once discussed...any chance you'd be interested?
Re: The Double Bill
Date: 2008-06-14 10:00 am (UTC)Re: The Double Bill
Date: 2008-06-15 05:10 am (UTC)I slide a lot as far as instrumental versions of things go, and I'm not always 100% consistent, but... hmmm. Let me think about it, ok?
Re: The Double Bill
Date: 2008-06-15 10:20 am (UTC)I know when we discussed it shalmestere was talking about doing both instrumental and vocal stuff.
There are also a couple of more secular pieces which they "chimera"-ed together from surviving lyrics and tunes, with themes like "Farewell to Advent" (and the fasting --"we ate no puddings, nae no souse, but stinking fish not worth a louse") and "Make Merrie, for now is the time of X-mas". Then there's the German snow song, for the period version of "Winter Wonderland" or "Let It Snow".
In any event, this discussion gave me a valuable reminder. I kind of like the idea of building some cross-cultural accessibility into the show 8)