If you need help organizing that bachelor party, let me know. I’ve thrown a few in my day, and can offer some tips and tricks.

My most recent was for Rod Stewart, who proved to be a terrific sport even after he saw what I had planned for him. It didn’t hurt that he was paid handsomely for an hour’s work, but the truth is that he seemed to have as much fun as anyone there.

For the occasion, Rod performed a couple of numbers with a bunch of buskers–street performers–whom I had gathered from around New York City. They were great fun to work with and are among the best at what they do.

Included in our group were two virtuoso violinists–one classically trained and one self-taught–who go by the names of Vadim Kolpakov and Eric Grinstein; an amazing tap dancer named Dario Natarelli; an astonishing performer named Michael Karas who juggles balls, rings, diabolos (Chinese yo-yos), clubs, bouncing balls–anything; a talented opera singer named Krysty Swann; a stunning acrobat named Robert Austin; and a clown named Roberto Andrade who is also an amazing stilt walker

I am the best man for a friend’s wedding, and my task was to plan a bachelor party for him and his friends. I did some research online, and almost everything I found was about going out of town, or to a strip club. That wasn’t what he wanted at all: he wanted something in town, something fun, and where he could remember every moment of it. So I came up with a plan, and it was awesome!

Here’s how you can organize an awesome bachelor party.

The first thing to do is gather everyone that’s coming to the party together in one place. It’s okay if they don’t know each other, but they should have things in common with the groom. At first they might feel awkward meeting each other before the party, but once you’ve explained what you’re doing they’ll understand.

Planning a bachelor party becomes much easier when everyone knows each others’ names.

So my friend is getting married and I have volunteered to help organize his bachelor party. I have never done this before so I thought I would share what I have learned in case it may be helpful to anyone else.

The first thing that needs to be decided is when the party should take place. There are two main schools of thought on this. One is to hold the party a few weeks before the wedding, the other is to do it the night before (or the weekend before). Both have their pros and cons. A few weeks out allows more time for planning and preparation, but if someone gets sick or has an emergency they can still make it. The night before has a fun sense of urgency, but if something comes up at the last minute you are stuck. Ultimately you will want to discuss this with your groom, but we went with a few weeks out because it was easier for everyone’s schedule.

It was winter and freezing cold, but I made my way to the subway station at 8th Street, in the East Village. It wasn’t yet 10 a.m., and I was in search of Rod Stewart, who had spent the last few weeks busking in the area.

With a guitar case open at his feet, Rod Stewart played “Maggie May” while passersby dropped crumpled dollar bills into his case. I looked around and saw women staring at him longingly and men giving him fist pumps of approval.

I approached him cautiously and introduced myself. He was wearing a fedora with a feather in it and large black sunglasses that covered half his face. He wore a leather jacket over his T-shirt, jeans, and boots.

“Hi,” he said as he took off his sunglasses and greeted me with a smile. “How can I help you?”

“I heard you’re an event planner,” I said nervously.

“Yes, I am,” he said warmly. “What kind of event are you planning?”

“A bachelor party,” I replied as I fumbled with my loose change in my pocket. “My best friend is getting married.”

He nodded knowingly and said, “That’s right!

It was a lovely sunny day and I was riding on the top deck of a number 78 bus. The bus had almost reached its destination when I heard the faint sound of someone playing an accordion.

After straining my ears to identify the tune, I suddenly realized that it was a popular folk song called “The Wild Rover”, which is well-known in Ireland, North America and even Russia.

Looking down, I spotted a young man standing on the pavement outside a small pub called The Coach and Horses. He was playing the accordion very loudly and enthusiastically, but there were no passers-by to hear him – only me, sitting with my face pressed against the window of the bus.

As the bus came to a halt at the next traffic lights, I opened the window and leaned out to get a better look at him. He was wearing faded blue jeans and an old jacket that had once been black but was now almost grey. A long scarf hung loosely around his neck, trailing in the wind as he played. His dark hair was long and curly and he wore thick glasses over his bright blue eyes.

Suddenly he noticed me watching him from above. He stopped playing for a moment and looked up at me with a broad smile that showed off his perfect

The busker is a man with an accordion. He is singing a song I do not recognize. The words are in English, but the melody is not familiar.

The busker finishes his song. We applaud. But he does not start another song. Instead he says, almost apologetically: “Excuse me, I’m a professional musician.”

He explains that he has suffered from stage fright all his life, and that this was the first time he had ever played in public. He was not an amateur; he just had never done it before. “So . . . what did you think?”

We tell him we liked it and he thanks us for our honesty and goes to play somewhere else.

I wonder what other things are like that? What other things could you with a little practice be good at? What else could you do if you weren’t afraid of failing?