best places to busk

[misterfact]

Auto exits at Walmarts! Best to play on the driver's side making l. turns at a stoplight. At noon and until 5pm you'll find up to 15 cars lined up to make that l. turn. Amplify yourself, but not enough to disturb the neighborhood. I've had 8 cars in a row open their windows and hand me those green papers as they drive by.


In front of big food stores! Especially during rush hours-12noon to 5pm. I find that if you perform on a raised grassy area in front of the food store and adjacent mall PARKING LOT- they tend to leave you alone because the stores don't have control over the parking lot. In any case- you can always politely leave if someone in authority asks you to.



more to come under heading, "Best Places to Busk"

[iluv2juggle]

What sort of things do you do there? How do you quickly showcase your skills in the 10 seconds or so they are watching? And how do you convey that you like tips?

Sounds like a good idea though.

[Tyler]

That's interesting...seems to me though, you might end up taking the kind of flak that guys who wash windows have to deal with.

[misterfact]

I play the violin. I am lightly amplified so that at least 6 or 7 cars waiting in line for the traffic light to turn green-can hear me playing for at least 20 seconds. I play on either the driver's side (making left turn) or passenger side (making a right turn)-depending on the amount of cars waiting in either lane.

My violin case sits on the ground-open and about 10 feet from me (between me and the cars waiting in line). If the tips don't go flying out an open car window into or near the case- the driver or passenger hands it to me through the open window as they drive by. They slow down a little, but never enough to really impede or aggravate any drivers behind, who wish to make the light.

I've never had anyone from Walmart ask me to leave-as long as they like my playing and I don't impede traffic.

Seems to me a juggler would make more tips flying into a hat or case- since your hands are busy performing.

Exits at Home Depot, Lowes, and big food stores work well also as long as drivers have to wait in line to exit

Mike

[martin_ronda]

This reminds me of my traffic lights juggling time, back in Brazil, it was a quick performance and it only work out until the time that the drivers weren't too drunk (before 22:00).

It's pretty popular down there, it's fun but it has some limitations, one day you have to get out and face a audience that stop because you made them stop and they are interested on you. Well that's the way I think, but most of them stay on the traffic light forever, doing the same routine and in the same one....

There you get and example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o6WifReDbI and this guy does it in a good way!

[seagull]

I'm thinking it might be good to have a small bucket or open pouch attached to your belt in front of you for tips. That way you don't have to stop playing, just lean in. If the bucket said something like "tips for a starving artist" people would pick up on it.

[GlassHarper]

tip buckets

Hey, Sea... A tip bucket attached to your belt sounds, at first, to be a good idea; in reality most people don't want to get THAT close to a street performer!

There's only one way to find out, though -- try it!

[gav]

Originally posted by seagull
I'm thinking it might be good to have a small bucket or open pouch attached to your belt in front of you for tips. That way you don't have to stop playing, just lean in. If the bucket said something like "tips for a starving artist" people would pick up on it.

If you're going to have a sign that says 'tips for a starving artist' you better start calling yourself a beggar.

[Doctor Eric]

Every time I start performing in a Home Depot parking lot, someone comes by, picks me up, takes me to their house and makes me do yard work. The sandwiches are nice.

[michaelmarkley]

violin

misterfact
I play violin at flea markets ,,outdoor festivals over 30 years full time, for living ,, sell cd's,, now I am also doing a telecaster guitar ,with it..I travel on road full time for years live in RV ,, no other income,,no home ever, midwest south ,,its good to give them cd you get a nice chunk of change,,,,do three CD'S for 20.. use violin pickup with taxi,,and stomp box delay,,did all styles of music,,fiddletunes ,,gypsy.. now gospel,,,,, I do a delta fingerpicking slapping style on telecaster..

I met a man named mike at south haven michigan antique show four of five years ago,, he was real good violin and traveler, played on street.lived in van...

Im in florida now.. you go to show's antique,, art.,, auctions,, where bigger amounts of people gather ,, its makes better money.sometimes streets are skimpy and parking lots dont get enough people in front of you... the streets are getting harder to busk,,key west is nuts ,, new orleans is gone,,, ashville is real slooow,, we did it this summer,, st augustine is slooow,,
I work alot of festivals,, my friend Ford,, does festivals,guitar slide , hits the gate area..so he dont pay a space fee,,,,also with violin slower
music hooks them,,better than fast,,,make them cry,,haha..
you need anything write me,,,,

michmark