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ChineseMusician Surge
Playin’ away those transit blues. (Image provided by openended via Flickr.)
Much like Bush’s troop surge, Metro musicians are in surge mode all over the red line’s stations and just like the troops they’re betting on anyone caring at all. But will there be enough of them to really make an impact on our future red line excursions?
For about two months now I’ve been noticing a more prominent amount of musicians traversing LA’s underground. These musicians are not to be mistaken with the regulars like the short old guy with a guitar, army hat, and a penchant for playing a third of any Beatles song or fifth of Bob Dylan’s, though who can blame him, Like A Rolling Stone is eight minutes long and Americans’ attention spans are just about a fifth of that. No, I’m talking about sax players belting out Christmas tunes like I’m navigating concourses in O’Hare airport. Violins like I’m on the L train platform at 1am in NY. And of course the guitars that are starting to jam out to the acoustic reflections of concrete walls and broken down escalators.
In a way I’ve always equated great cities with their frequency of transit musicians. When I first started riding Metro four years ago they were non-existent and as such I balked at the idea of calling the system world class. It sounds stupid but if you want to play with the big bois in the transit world the musicians must be represented because if the musicians don’t think they can pull even a tiny profit down there in the tunnels then what chance does the system or city have?
But with the breaking of new ground along Exposition and finishing the tunnel on the East side extension the sound of “Desolation Row” is subsiding and “I Want You” is beginning to bounce off the walls of Hollywood, Downtown, and all station’s between. So when you see one of these noble performers give them a nod and smile, and money if you’re the charitable type, for who knows how long it’ll be before Metro say its illegal to perform “on Metro rail” with their brand new, and still all-together useless, flat screen TVs. Once again sending these staples of public transit into obscurity.
Discussion
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Great post!
I haven’t seen one of them yet, but I always help out musicians.
This is an attribute of getting a “real” transit system that everyone can get behind.
Up with busking, down with faregates!
Having lived down the street from Berkeley, no, not THAT Berkeley, the real Berkeley in Boston I can tell you that street music is likely one of the greatest free bennies of urban living. The MBTA is also enlightened as to this aspect. Damn, Boston has gate. must not be a real system.
I believe it’s spelled “Berklee”. Hate to be a stickler Rob, but it does help to make the distinction between that and Cal.
As a musician myself, I think Metro’s Art for Rail Transit program be expanded to include registered musicians to play in the system. They would pay an annual fee and apply to play at certain stations at certain times and abide by various guidelines, etc. They would also be able to keep their tips, etc.
A lot of the musicians LOVE the reverb in the stations.
I myself would jump at a chance to do live electronic music at one of the Downtown stations during rush hour. The sounds of people walking by, the escalators and the PA announcements make their own rhythms and add an interesting dimension to the music.
That’s an interesting idea and def might be worth further looking into. However, I don’t really see the point of a musician signing up for that because once he’s a registered participant he’d probably be subject to tax on his wages. Sounds absurd but its pretty much our birth right to have to give the govt every bit of our earnings. Even if its on a small scale I could see them liable. Hell, waiters and waitresses have to report their tips for tax purposes and once these musicians are on some list they’ll probably be getting an info packet in the mail from metro (mail that costs about the same to create as the musicians fees in the first place) telling them how to pay their taxes.
I think what’s best is just go down and play, elson. U might not be able to take over the PA system but I’m sure your brand of music would still vibe fluid with the sounds of the underground.
Tyke - The point of a musician signing up means that the Sheriff’s dept can’t shut you down since you’re legitimately set up to perform there.
I love “buskers” as they are called in the London tube. Some of the musicians in the New York Subway were amazing. I saw classical Chinese instruments, harpists, all kinds of amazing vocalists.
It add culture and character to our street life in a city that desperately needs street life (or below-the-street life as it were).
i see what your saying, elson and if that’s all it was for–as in, all the performer had to do was fill out some online forms and get a “metro performers” card in the mail to show the cop when he asks–then def a good idea. as it stands i was unaware, though not surprised, that cops were in the practice of kicking out the musicians.
I’ve yet to see anyone playing inside a station - can’t wait though!
This is the metro complaint I always forget to complain about.
Anyone have 8 five-gallon buckets and want to start a drum line?