Tweet
First time on the street
Okay, so I took the plunge last night.
I've played in coffee houses and as a children's performer, but never gone on the street to play (I did do some street begging undercover a couple of years ago for a newspaper article I wrote.)
Our local professional soccer team had a game. They draw about 10,000 a game. I set up about an hour before the game outside one of the main entrances. Nothing fancy - me in folky clothes, guitar, open guitar case with a couple of dollars and quarters thrown in to inspire the masses. I had a set of 8 songs to sing - I figured since it was a moving crowd, I could just keep repeating them without worrying people hearing the material again. Hello Marylou; I've Just Seen a Face; Never Ending Song of Love; I'm Gonna Live `til the Day I Die (original); Bottle of Wine; Get Up and Go; This Land is Your Land; There's a Great Big Monster Under My Bed (original).
Most people just rushed by to get their tickets or to go into the stadium. I ended up playing most of the songs twice, in some cases, three times. I also tossed in an original instrumental a couple of times to rest my voice, and for the heck of it did an original arrangement of a old spiritual "Oh Sinner Man."
I played until the game started - about an hour and ten minutes. My voice was getting tired anyway after singing pretty much continously, and going through the equivalent of 23 songs.
Take: $1.26 (Urgh) (When I did the begging article, I averaged $10 an hour. Plus a couple of apples, a banana or two, and some candy bars. MMMMM.)
Best moments: two boys asked me what song I was singing (Bottle of Wine) and if they could sing along. I said fine, and led them through the chorus once, then they ran off. Later, an attractive young woman came over, danced for a moment in front of me, smiled, said "Cool," and dropped in a dollar.
A few people watched me but didn't approach. I didn't draw a crowd to watch me perform.
It was an experiment. I probably need to find a better spot to stand. And maybe a crowd in a hurry to get into a game isn't the best audience.
Any suggestions? Advice? Wisdom? - Lee
I've played in coffee houses and as a children's performer, but never gone on the street to play (I did do some street begging undercover a couple of years ago for a newspaper article I wrote.)
Our local professional soccer team had a game. They draw about 10,000 a game. I set up about an hour before the game outside one of the main entrances. Nothing fancy - me in folky clothes, guitar, open guitar case with a couple of dollars and quarters thrown in to inspire the masses. I had a set of 8 songs to sing - I figured since it was a moving crowd, I could just keep repeating them without worrying people hearing the material again. Hello Marylou; I've Just Seen a Face; Never Ending Song of Love; I'm Gonna Live `til the Day I Die (original); Bottle of Wine; Get Up and Go; This Land is Your Land; There's a Great Big Monster Under My Bed (original).
Most people just rushed by to get their tickets or to go into the stadium. I ended up playing most of the songs twice, in some cases, three times. I also tossed in an original instrumental a couple of times to rest my voice, and for the heck of it did an original arrangement of a old spiritual "Oh Sinner Man."
I played until the game started - about an hour and ten minutes. My voice was getting tired anyway after singing pretty much continously, and going through the equivalent of 23 songs.
Take: $1.26 (Urgh) (When I did the begging article, I averaged $10 an hour. Plus a couple of apples, a banana or two, and some candy bars. MMMMM.)
Best moments: two boys asked me what song I was singing (Bottle of Wine) and if they could sing along. I said fine, and led them through the chorus once, then they ran off. Later, an attractive young woman came over, danced for a moment in front of me, smiled, said "Cool," and dropped in a dollar.
A few people watched me but didn't approach. I didn't draw a crowd to watch me perform.
It was an experiment. I probably need to find a better spot to stand. And maybe a crowd in a hurry to get into a game isn't the best audience.
Any suggestions? Advice? Wisdom? - Lee
Comment