An Elevator Has Two Sets of Doors

When I was busking at the 14th street subway station, a teenager named Art rubbed my musical saw with his hand three times and said: “can I have three wishes?” He then went on to say: “I wish you’d play that song I like”. As I’ve seen him before many times I knew he meant…

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R.I.P Rue McClanahan

As I was dragging my busking gear up the stairs to the subway station, a guy left his shopping cart by the bottom of the stairs and offered to help me carry my stuff up the stairs. He wasn’t even heading to the subway – he volunteered to go out of his way just to…

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If I Murder My Wife, Can I Marry You?

Climbing the stairs up to the subway station with my heavy busking gear, I noticed a guy wearing an MTA shirt who was also walking up the stairs. “Excuse me…” I said to him. MTA guy: “I’m sorry, I can’t help you (motioning to my busking cart) – MTA rules – we can’t touch anything”.…

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Weren’t you here two hours ago?

Busking at the Staten Island ferry terminals is always an anticipated opportunity, because it doesn’t happen very often. A guy told me that the last time he heard a musical saw being played was 50 years ago, in Panama, when he was 12 years old: his godfather played the musical saw in a band. The…

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Largest Gypsy Gathering in the World

As I was setting my busking gear up at the Music Under New York spot at the Union Square subway station, Jinn, the lady who busks around the world singing and playing a keyboard hooked up to a laptop computer, was looking for a spot to busk. She asked me for recommendations of good busking…

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You Can Hear Their Screams

Today I had a permit to busk at the 14th street subway station. A couple from Australia bought my CD. They said they heard the musical saw in Australia and that they are going to start a fan club for me there 🙂 A lady said: “It sounds like Heaven”. Saw Lady: “Thank you” Lady:…

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The Day is Better

On my way to my Music Under New York busking spot at the Grand Central Station’s Shuttle, I passed by Scout, the rhythm and blues/pop/jazz singer who goes by the name Eunique. He was busking at Times Square. A lady, upon giving me a donation, said: “What can I say – the day is better!”…

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You See Me Here All the Time

A nice couple helped me bring my busking gear up the stairs at the subway station. Turns out he is a bass player and she is my friend on MySpace! As I was setting up at the 59th street subway station, a Norteno musician was waiting for the train, practicing his guitar quietly on the…

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Mostly New Yorkers

I was suffering from lower back pain for the first time ever. Somehow a bone moved out of place in my pelvis and I had to skip two busking permits on account of being in too much pain. Normally I drag my busking gear up and down staircases in the subway, but today, due to…

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Snakes Don’t Like Vibrations

There were a lot of people waiting for the Staten Island ferry on the Manhattan side. A policeman with a dog checked out my busking gear. “Are you playing at this side today?” the cop asked me. “No”, I answered, “on the other side”. I was happy that he recognized me. I boarded the boat…

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