More Buskers Please......

I was looking around the posts in the magic cafe,( https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/index.php) and someone posted an article about a city in Massachusetts that is looking for MORE BUSKERS!


https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/22/cambridge-wants-more-street-performers-they-eliminating-permit-fee/miPukrLQfrvrwQNtAKlcON/story.html

In a nutshell, the city is eliminating the fees and restructuring the permits to encourage an increase in street performers recognizing that much of the character and ambience of a tourist city can be improved by buskers and other colorful cultural enhancements.  Obviously Magical Street Performers will be a part of this.....I hope.

As I've discussed in previous blog posts, I investigate the busking situation everywhere I travel. We take many driving trips during the year. Some for business and some for vacation. Before each trip I spend time online and on the phone with the local chamber of commerce of our destination finding out the rules in that city on street performing. Some places require permits, some don't, some have clear laws against it. If there is a chance to perform we schedule that into our time away. Usually the family goes off shopping or to some other attraction and I look for a pitch. For me....It's heaven.

You see NY has over the years become a very difficult busker market. Often the police or park police will ask you to move along, " you can't do that here", "You need a permit for that".....all of which is untrue, they just don't know the law and like to flex their authority. Silly Police...go to NYC.gov and read your own laws!
 I fell in love with Street performing when I was in College at NYU and lived in the dorm around Washington Square Park. This was 1987-89. The golden age of busking was before this but things were still very active in and around the park on a daily basis. I highly recommend the book, "Drawing a Circle In The Square" by Sally Harrison-Pepper for a perfect accurate description of the busker scene in NY.

I watched performers for hours between classes, and studied technique, crowd management, etc. My favorite performers were a magician named  Chappy Brazil and a Juggler Uni cyclist named Joey-Joey. Over time I got to know Chappy and was honestly in awe of him. His grand finale was stealing a spectator's watch off their wrist while holding their arms during a sponge ball trick. Then as a thank you for helping him he offered them the gift of their watch.
His cigarette and card manipulations were quite impressive.
Just imagine this street act today? Smoking and stealing an audience members watch on the street, they'd have a fit and call the cops! They'd come after you and the video would be online in seconds!
I started performing north of Washington Square Park at Union Square Park at the entrance of the farmers market. I never thought I was qualified to work Washington Square so I stayed away. I performed three days a week for a year and a half on that pitch, and never had any negative interaction with police. I was never asked to move on, or stop the show, in fact they often stayed to enjoy my show!
I followed Chappy's career and watched it grow. I even hired him to perform at a College Club show I produced. We tragically lost Chappy after a fatal motorcycle accident. I was told he was heading towards a taping for a video teaching watch steals. I have always missed watching him work he was a talented innovative magician. Recently in an issue of VANISH magazine someone ran an article remembering Chappy. It was great to see and I wrote a note to the editor thanking them for its publication ensuring we won't forget this young talent lost much too soon.

I would love to see buskers thrive in NY and get the respect we deserve for bringing art and culture to the city and adding to its character not only for the tourists but for the native NYers as well; at the Seaport, in the Parks, all over the City and in all 5 Boroughs.
And when you're walking down the street and you hear live music or see a live performer, thanks them and applaud then drop some money in their hat!
Be Well and Keep 'em clean