blinder's Journal: You Can Keep Your Arena Concerts

i like my music on the street.

yesterday early afternoon solemn and i went down to the financial district (where we bumped into trmj, its always a good thing to see him) so she could meet with a recruiter, and i had an hour or so to kill (i took the day off).

i decided to make my way up to downtown crossing (for those that know boston, that's just a few blocks away). i walked up to tremont then over and back down to milk street (where benjamin franklin was born). there's a large department store there and along summer street at the intersection of washington, its more like a perpetual street-fair sort of environment. that day there was a 4-piece jazz band playing. something many of you may not know, but i love jazz. i don't talk about it much simply because i just like it and appreciate it and do not feel inclined to yap about it -- anyway... it was lead by a trombone player. now, i'm not a big fan of brass, but this guy was just amazing. his horn had a dirty, earthy quality to it, not shiney and shrill as i think most brass instruments sound.

there was an amazing drummer, playing a nice yamaha kit. he had the chops... ghost strikes, nuance, subtlety, a stunning 3 minute solo that had the entire street cheering him on. a stand-up bassist who provided the fattest, deepest groove possible and a guitarist who shadowed the trombone player note for note while tossing in his own color. this outfit, just setup in the street, was stunning. i must have watched for 30 minutes. it gave me chills. i couldn't believe my good fortune.

they finished their set, and i walked up to the band leader and thanked him. he simply said "not a problem, man."

then, this morning. central square t-station. there was a man playing just an electric bass guitar and singing. i've seen him around before, and its usually been in sub-optimal acoustic environments, but today, it was perfect.

its hard to describe his music. its all original. he has a voice like (the late) mark sandman, but smoother. his songs are meloncholoy and melodic, songs about old lost friends, missed opportunities and simple observations. the inbound trains would come in, and he'd still play, the train providing the lonely accompaniment. i was nearly in tears. just this guy, he's older, maybe in his mid 40's playing to just play and maybe make a few bucks. i'm sure he has a well paying job, maybe even in music (his gear is quite good)... but he's just there, in the t-stop, with his guitar case open hoping to collect a few bucks and sell a cd or two.

solemn and i usually support local street musicians by dropping a few bucks. he was on the inbound side (i was on the outbound). next time i see him, and have some money, i want to get a cd. i doubt it would be able to touch the mood and tone of the music in a train station, but it might be close enough.

so, all you rockers out there, hoping to score $200 tickets to see the next big thing in the arena with 20,000 other fans can keep it. i'll take my music on the street. does this make me an elitist? snob? possibly, but then if there's anything i've never been ashamed of, is my pure and deep admiration for the craft art and skill of real music.

That guy....

[Otter]

A couple of days ago, I saw the guy in Harvard Square that Solemn had mentioned a while back -- playing some Asian instrument in a way that made you want to offer him a $20 and say "Please just stop!" Ackkk! And people were giving him money!!!!

I can't say I've generally been too impressed with the Boston street musicians, though. The only one that comes to mind was a woman who did a *fantastic* acoustic cover of Thunder Road (and I don't like Springsteen much). Park Street T station, I think it was, but a b

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:That guy....

[blinder]

oh yes, *that guy*

hmph, for every nugget of goodness, there is that weird terrible screeching annoying pain in there as well. since i walk through harvard square everyday (twice, to/fro work) i hear that dreadful thing almost every day. its terrible, it can't be described. we tried describing it, in that he was trying to mash as many random "notes" into a chunk of time as possible.

no, and you are right, the vast majority of the street musicians are just crap... but there are good ones, real good ones. i mea

Teh Pipes

[Shadow Wrought]

I rarely give money to street musicians around here because they're just not that good:-( However, there was a guy who was playing Beethoven's Ninth on Bagpipes that was absoltely stunning. An amazingly good job. I only had two bucks on me, but he got them both.

Ha!

[SolemnDragon]

Try saying that when they're paying two hundred bucks to come hear US, and i'll kick you

but, yeah. the bass guy.

And that kid with the two thousand dollar guitar that he's bumming around the stations with, either the musicians are great or awful in boston, there is no in-between.

I swear

[buffer-overflowed]

getting off at Harvard Square when it's remotely nice out is like getting a preview of a "renaissance fair" 600 years from now.

I like street music, but that place creeps me out.