Hippie to Hipster: A Comparison of Street Performers and the Music Industry
Posted on March 2, 2012
by djscottbarnes
After a year of working in the music industry and traveling around the world playing shows, I decided to take to the streets. I had lined up guest spots with several bands touring Europe that summer and was looking for a way to earn some money while taking as many free flights and train rides as possible.
I packed my guitar, a few spare t-shirts, some toothpaste and flew from London to Istanbul. After spending two weeks exploring Turkey (and occasionally playing a few songs at an outdoor cafe), I made my way down through Syria and Jordan to Israel where I met up with a band called The Brothers Comatose for their first tour of Europe. And that is when things started to get interesting.
Of course, the music industry has gone through a lot of changes in recent years. We have gone from the old days of the record store and CDs to downloading music onto our computers and listening to it on our iPods. There are many more musicians and bands out there than ever before. Some of them, like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, are making a living from selling their music online or selling tickets to live shows. Others, like Macklemore, are still struggling to make a living from their art.
But what if you could go back in time? What if there was still a thriving street performance scene in today’s cities? What would it look like?” This is what I decided to find out by spending some time with three different street performers in San Francisco.
The first thing that struck me was how different they were from each other. The first guy was playing guitar and singing along to his own music on an acoustic guitar. He wasn’t very good at either of these things but he obviously enjoyed doing them both.”
PHILOSOPHY:
Hippies had music and street performance as a way of life. Most musicians and performers today are just looking to make it big. They will do anything to get their name out there. The hippies were looking to have fun and spread happiness through their performances; they weren’t in it for the money.
Today we see acts like “America’s Got Talent” or “The Voice,” where people are so desperate that they will do anything to be famous, even if it means sacrificing their dignity (think of all the terrible auditions that they show!). Many of these people are so desperate that they take the judges’ criticisms personally, even though they’re supposed to be constructive. I would never want to be on a show like this-I would rather perform on my own terms and in my own way, just like the hippies did.
1. Natalia Paruz, Saw Lady
Performances: The Saw Lady plays her saw in the NYC subway system.
Awards: Guinness World Record for “longest playing musical saw.”
Website: www.sawlady.com
2. Tom Spiers, Bagpipes on the Subway
Performances: Vancouver-based Tom Spiers plays a variety of bagpipes and smallpipes in the Vancouver Skytrain system.
Awards: None as far as we know, but you can donate to his cause on his website.
Website: www.bagpipesonthesubway.ca/
3. Justin Seagull, Seattle Street Performer Sets World Record for Longest Drum Solo (video)
Performances: Justin Seagull performs in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and has received worldwide attention for his 38-hour drum solo in 2011 (to be outdone by this guy). He has performed on the street for over 25 years and was featured in the 2001 film Almost Famous (IMDB). After years of performing, he is now working with a manager to tour his show nationwide.
Awards: Guinness World Record for “longest drum solo.”
Website: www.justinseag
The world is filled with thousands of talented street performers. From singers, to musicians, to actors and dancers, there is no shortage of talent in this world. While some people choose to perform on the streets as a way of making a living or establishing a name for themselves, others simply do it just for fun.
The following post will highlight five amazing street performers who have taken the world by storm:
1.Spontaneous Street Dancing
2.Musical Genius
3.Magic
4.Acrobatics
5.Hip Hop
1. The Street Drummer
Here’s a guy who looks like he’s straight out of central casting for the role of homeless person in some movie about urban life. Some might hesitate to give him money, as they’re sure it would be spent on liquor or drugs. And yet, this man showcases an amazing talent on the drum set, and it gets rewarded with dollars by many passersby.
This is one of those situations where you can’t help but wonder if this man had his act together more, he could probably be a legitimate drummer somewhere. But it’s clear that he has no interest in doing so, as he seems perfectly content to play on street corners for free food and money.
2. The One-Man Band
The one-man band is a classic street performer that you’ll see at almost any major city with a touristy area, such as New York City’s Times Square or the French Quarter in New Orleans. These performers usually have a bunch of instruments strapped to them, ranging from harmonicas to drums to tambourines, and even other things like trash cans or pots and pans.
3. The Statue
The human statue is another common type of street performer that you’ll find in many tourist areas. What makes these acts
1. Beatboxer: A beatboxer is a person who uses their vocal cords and mouth to create sounds and rhythms used in hip-hop, rap, beatboxing and more. The most popular beatboxer is a man named Doug E. Fresh, the human beatbox.
2. Musician: Musicians have been performing on the streets from the beginning of time. There are many bands that started out as street performers such as The Beatles, Black Eyed Peas, and Mumford and Sons.
3. Living Statues: Living statues are street performers who stand motionless while people walk by and throw money in an open box or hat at their feet. Most living statues dress up as famous people such as Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon or Julius Caesar but there are some that just wear very artistic costumes such as gold paint or even a white dress with no skin color showing through the costume.
4. Mimes: Mimes are people who perform pantomime. Pantomime is basically acting out various scenes with no words while wearing white face paint and a black outfit with suspenders (this is also known as being in costume).
5. Magician: Magicians perform magic tricks for all sorts of audiences ranging from children