Udderbot

As I was playing at the Music Under New York spot at the Grand Central Station’s Shuttle, a guy named Jacob stop to listen. It turned out that he is a busker himself and he plays…a bottle with a rubber glove attached… It’s called an ‘udderbot’. He told me he just finished playing down the…

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We don’t see stuff like this in Jersey City

Traveling on the train towards my subway busking spot at the Grand Central Shuttle, I ran into Romero who was preparing to start his busking day, singing on the trains with a friend. The singers held hands and said a prayer before starting their day. Romero told me that he is not singing in the…

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It’s a Unicorn

When I got to the Music Under New York spot at the Times Square subway station Salieu Suso, the Kora player from Africa, was playing at the spot. There was a guy with a long beard sitting on the floor, leaning against the other column from the one Suso was by. As I was waiting…

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Don’t Swipe

I was away from playing in the subway for 3 weeks (on account of playing at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC). As I got to the turnstile at the subway station today, I took out my Metro Card and was about to swipe it to go into the station. An MTA worker wearing an…

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How Do You Deal?

Buskers’ conversation: Django guitar player: “I recently had an encounter with another busker at 6th Avenue and 14 street (‘L’ train platform). He’s a burly guy who plays acoustic guitar. I was in the middle of playing, and he wanted the spot. When I told him I was just getting started, he verbally attacked me…

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How Few Strings Can You Play With?

Today was a dreary & rainy cold day. When I got to the Shuttle train on its Times Square side I saw the three singers who sing on trains – Romero, Chill and Bo, standing on the platform. They were on their way to singing in the #6 train line. We got on the Shuttle…

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Woman Playing a Weird Instrument

I arrived at the Music Under New York spot at The Times Square subway station at 11:30am. There was nobody at the spot, and loud music was coming from the record store next door. I went into the store and asked a guy working in there if they could turn their music down, because I…

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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…

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Yellow Tulip Hanging on the Hook

When the train doors opened at the 59th street subway station I saw Frank playing guitar/singing/whistling on the platform. Two members of Faustino’s Group (Andean music) were at the Music Under New York spot at Union Square – one guy was playing the pan flute, the other was selling CDs. I sat down on the…

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Busker Spirit

Carrying my busking equipment up and down stairs is a workout… I was lucky – a gentleman helped me up the first set of stairs and a lady helped me up the second set of stairs going into the subway (which is actually an elevated train here) this morning. At 11:40AM there was nobody at…

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