Sneezing, Coughing, Runny Nose

I had severe spring allergy this morning as I was heading into the subway to play. Sneezing, coughing, running nose – the works.
I saw Frank playing guitar/singing/whistling on the 59th street platform.

Glen Roth, who comes all the way from CT to play in the subway, was playing guitar at the Music Under New York spot at Union Square.

As soon as I started to play my spring allergy symptoms disappeared. No sneezing, coughing or running nose. The healing power of music 🙂

A guy who used to work as a talent booker for a TV show I once did came to tell me that he can now be seen in a new movie titled “My Father’s Will”. He told me he doesn’t work for that TV show anymore. He now sings in a band of 5 singers and 5 musicians.

An MTA employee who works at Times Square said to me: ‘When are you coming to play by us at Times Square? ‘
Saw Lady: ‘I have a permit for Times Square on Monday’
MTA guy: ‘No – Mondays we are off. Please come and play not on a Monday. We miss you’

Romero, who sings on the trains, told me that he got a ‘No’ letter from Music Under New York, meaning, he didn’t pass the audition by tape and wasn’t invited to the live audition. “It will be OK” he said, “Next year I’ll try again”.

The teenager girl who’s name is Natalia introduced me to her friend Rina. She always stops to say ‘hi’ because we share the same name. She told me she plays the violin. I noticed she had a new hairdo.

An older lady told me that I should go to Winfield, Kansas. She said she used to play guitar and sing there in a festival a long time ago and there was a musical saw player there.

Joe, the homeless man with a steel arm, arrived and sat on the bench, as usual.
GrayWolf’s father in law, who is homeless and plays the keyboard, also arrived and sat on the other end of the bench. GrayWolf’s Father-in-law was wearing a lot of bracelets & rings. He told me a Cherokee woman gave it to him, upstairs. He said she had a lot of those. He told me he has a new keyboard and amp. He then pulled out a cell phone and took my picture.

Saw Joke of the Day:
A guy said to me: “I want to see you play a chain saw”.

As I was packing up a guy asked me about getting a permit to perform in the subway. “I never see any actors in the subway. Do they only give permits to musicians? I always see musicians in the subway. Is the permit not for actors?”
It turns out he plays piano while telling jokes. His name is Christiaan Oranje and he is from Amsterdam. For 15 years he busked a lot in Amsterdam, at the Paris Metro, as well as all over Europe. He has a show at the Green Room these days, but he wants to busk in the subway, too.

As soon as I stopped playing my allergy returned… sneezing, coughing, runny nose. The works.