Guitarist Robert Prasley plays softly into the setting sun. The boardwalk’s inlet amusement park serves as his backdrop and the gentle sea breeze as his accompaniment. Roberts playing is soft and smooth, a perfect compliment to the laid back atmosphere provided by the scenery and weather.
The boardwalk of Ocean City, MD is home to many musicians who play to entertain the roving crowds of tourists. The boardwalk is 2.5 miles in length so it offers plenty of space for street performers. On this day alone, I met five performers, all of which were very friendly and entertaining.
Roy plays a steel resonator guitar which has a great sound, especially when complimented with Roy’s raspy voice. He was a little leery of me and putting a camera in his face but we talked for a while after I was done shooting and he’s a really nice guy. He’s been playing the guitar since the 70’s and has been on the boardwalk for the last ten years.
This week I decided to invite my friend Steph to guest blog. She is another talented photog that I know and she comes along with me on most of my adventures. I asked her to give her impression of the performer for this week’s post (because I was too busy drowning myself in Sam Adam’s Summer Ale but also because she’s a very talented photographer and writer).
Koga Rite plays the Saxophone
This young man was by far the most inspiring street performer we found in Boston during this week Shawn and I have been here. We stumbled upon this musician in the Old State House subway station on our way back to the hotel.
When we first entered the station the faint sound of a saxophone was luring us further on. Unfortunately, a train was pulling into the station and it was our ride home. With just a glance, we decided we would stay to hear more and Shawn would take a few photos. After the train passed, Koga Rite announced that he would be playing a few traditional Zimbabwean songs on an unfamiliar instrument called an mbira. The sound was incredible and was made even more pleasant sounding when Koga began singing along. After gathering a small crowd of folks who skipped trains to stay and listen to him, he sang his rendition of Sade’s “By Your Side” with musical accompaniment. Koga is a very talented musician and I only wish we had had more time to to talk with him.
Of course, it was most interesting when an older gentlemen who was asking everyone he saw for money for food, sat down a little further down the bench and lit up a cigarette. Voicing through the mic that we all want a little clean air Koga eventually asked the man to stop smoking. As we were finally boarding the train, the man walked over to Koga and I heard “If I give you like $7 will you leave?” And as the train was pulling out of the station, I saw Koga reach into his case and fish out a few bucks to give to the smoking man.
For street performers, bad weather can be detrimental to their income when they depend on large crowds to earn their living. If a street performer has not prepared for the lulls in the business they could be in trouble if the weather turns south for several days and their hats are smaller than normal. For this reason, many of the most popular pitches for street performers are places with moderate climates.
Additionally, performers who rely on amplifiers and music face additional danger to their electronics in wet weather. They are forced to use natural voice projection to attract people and keep their attention. If you’ve ever cheered for a sports team, you can understand how demanding yelling with your voice for several hours can be. Now think if your paycheck was dependent on your ability to keep that up for 3 hours or more.
Rain spoils Evan Young's shows for the day.
A version of this photo has also been submitted to JPG Magazine. Please click the link and vote for it if you like it.
I’m off to Boston next week (8/1-??) for a few days and I’ll be looking for street performers to photograph and interview. If you know of someone, or an area where you’ve seen a really good performer, please send me an email at shawn [@] shutteronthestreet [dot] com.
Jerry Rowan is a bit of a street performing celebrity. He’s spent time with the world famous Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey, made a tv appearance on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, and has been banned from performing at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (the ban has since been lifted).
His act delivers rapid one liners throughout his show that will make you laugh, as long as you aren’t on the wrong end of the punch line. Don’t let the quick quips fool you though, Jerry possesses a great deal of skills when it comes to juggling, riding a unicycle and balancing things on his head. The picture below is Jerry’s finale move which earned him a spot on David Letterman’s show.
I walk down the dimly lit steps into the gritty subway tunnels. The sounds of passing trains fill the air and the air turns stale and humid. Sliding my metro card and walking through the turnstyle, I hear a faint sound of elegance in the air. Not knowing exactly where I’m going, I make my way through the underground labyrinth following the pleasantly pitched sounds. As I get closer, the angelic music gets louder and I finally come upon the source of these heavenly tunes.
Natalia, The Saw Lady, plays a very unique instrument, a carpenter’s saw. Though the teeth have been filed down and a handle placed on the end for better control of its shape, its form is unmistakable and shocking. She bends the saw into an “S” shape and strokes a violin bow down it’s edge to produce stunning sounds. A visit to her web page is highly recommended to hear some samples of the beautiful music she produces.
Two weeks without a post, how sad. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of material but rather a lack of available time and a friend needing help. Things seems to have settled down and I’m going to do my best to have these ready to go a few weeks in advance so that I can miss a week here or there.
Ryan is in his fourth year performing on the boardwalk but has been invovled in music for much longer. He plays in a number of musical groups including the Paul Green School of Rock. He started busking when another bucket drummer on the boardwalk told him, “you can make a lot of money doing this.” Seizing an opportunity to put his talents to work for himself, Ryan applied for a permit from the city and now performs when his family comes down for vacation.
One of the most unique acts at the Inner Harbor features Brian Rudo. His act features a number of odd props including a bull whip, a flaming jump rope, a 24 inch balance ball, and not one, but two straight jackets. He describes his act as an adrenaline comedy show. Brian enjoys the unpredictability that a show with a large number of audience volunteers offers. He has to be tuned in to the audience and read their reactions to deliver the best show possible.
Evan Young has painstakingly developed his act over the last 6 years. In his early years on the west coast, Evan received a lot of criticism from seasoned street performers while developing his act. Rather than being deterred, he continued evolving his act and is now one of the regular performers in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Every part of Evan’s show is carefully analyzed for impact and effectiveness as he constantly evolves as a performer. Evan puts a lot of effort into his show to deliver the best possible experience to the audience. He approaches street performing very scientifically but his passion for it is obvious in his performances.
Evan’s patriotism and philanthropic side was clearly evident at this year’s Memorial Day. Evan organized a charity fund raiser event for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a fund that supports troops that have made sacrifices for our nation. Evan, along with Jonathan Burns and Jason Moffet, performed for most of the day on Memorial Day, in considerable heat, and donated all of the tips they received to the fund.
The stunning quality of Evan’s act is dwarfed by that of his character.
