This blog is a testament to the art that happens whether you're looking or not. Street performers who are out in cold, in the sun, underground, and performing on the blacktop. ConcreteBeat hunts the urban jungle, ear to ground, for the art scene that most people don't see, ignore or think is illegitimate. Everyday is a new experience, see what's really going on in NYC from the people who are breaking their backs to make it happen.
Hello everyone who's still checking out this blog or subscribing. Having just updated a post at the request of an artist, I thought some people might be coming back to see if I've started up again due a google reader alert or something. If you are, then at least you'll have this post, with my explanation of the last year, waiting for you.
So what happened?
Concretebeat was going well and I sure did love making all these videos and meeting all these artists. What happened was, first, I started to have to focus on making a little money (and I'm sure all the artists I've interviewed know exactly the feeling). So I did. I got a job as the New Media Director on the Obama campaign in NY State (now you know my political leanings) and, while that didn't pay the, it worked some 20 hours a day. And of course I loved it.
Day in and day out I managed the team that brought you the New York blog entries, online maps for phonebanks and rallies, online calling and those millions of bloody phone numbers. "But ENDED a year ago, what were you doing since then?"
"Sweet dreams and flying machines, in pieces on the ground"
Less than a month after Barack Obama won the presidential election my mother died in a plane crash. When I found out that Monday morning, I left unable to translate thoughts into writing, unable to edit video for hours at a time and unable to go out into the city and put in a smile while I enjoyed it's hidden artists. More generally, the thought of doing those things that I had done while she was alive seemed unbearable. I didn't even want to log into blogger. Besides, with my main supporter and benefactor gone, it was time for me to find a permanent job.
In between last year and now, I've gotten a new job, doing more new media. I've moved, gotten to know my dad a lot better, taken up yoga and tai chi and had a one year anniversary with my girlfriend. I've also thought very often about going back out and doing more documenting.
Having said that, it's still hard to take it back up. It's like revisiting a time when my life was completely different. I'm doing the same thing but I don't live where I used to, I don't know the same people and my number one fan, promoter and friend isn't there to help me figure out what to do.
Interview with trumpeter Jesse and bassist Debbie about their lives and the NYC jazz community
Interview with percussionist David and guitarist Luke about their lives and music
Some great traditional jazz from a band which is a split off from the Loose Marbles (also on Concretebeat). The band, known has Baby Soda, has been through some changes in the last year. Since the current lineup no longer represents who you see in these videos, I was asked to change the name of entry. But who cares, right? A rose by any other name would still sound as sweet.
Artist: Mitchell “Singing Dragon” Hughes Medium: Vocals Location: Times Square on the downtown Q platform
Singing Dragon has been singing for nearly 60 years, and he’s still at it. Now, you might think that Singing Dragon is an odd nick-name for a South Carolinian rice planter. And you might think that he got the name from the fact that he’s still singing even though he’s become ancient, but you’d be wrong on both counts. Rather, Mitchell Hughes’ name is entirely sensible and he got it from the Chinese zodiac. Born in the Year of the Dragon, Mr. Hughes explained to me that he, the Singing Dragon, happened to be born in the same year as Bruce Lee, the Little Dragon (Bruce Lee’s Chinese name is Lee Xiao Long, literally Little Dragon Lee. So yeah, asking for “Bruce Lee” in China only results in quizzical stares from all parties involved).
As suggested by his zodiac, Singing Dragon is quite strong and vibrant personality. Despite his age, Singing Dragon was constantly joking and smiling as he spoke with me and had enough energy to belt out song after song over the din of the subway. But is not to say that Singing Dragon is still young. In New York with his sister, when I asked him how long he’d been here Singing Dragon looked off across the subway platform to the tracks, as if remembering another train station far away and told me “too long.”
Originally from South Carolina, Mitchell Hughes is, as he told me, a Geechee, or rice person. Growing up on a farm Mitchell and his family planted rice when he was young. When Mitchell’s mother made him and his siblings participate in the church choir, however, Mitchell’s skills eventually took him to join a gospel group in New York. After the group broke up Mitchell joined a band – the first tune he learned was “I’m a Soul Man.” Singing such popular music left it’s mark on Mitchell who has gone on to write his own music and cites influences from Ottis Redding, to Johnny Taylor to Tyrone Davis.
Although he occasionally seems weary of the city, Singing Dragon made it clear that he does enjoy signing in public. “Why I sing in the subway? It’s a big audience” he also added “the money is fun.” However, Singing Dragon’s preferred venue is the club work he does as it affords him the chance to get dressed up in a nice suit and be a real showman.
Singing Dragon is quite proud of his ancestry and pointed out that, as his adopted name implies, he does have some Chinese blood in him dating back to the Ming dynasty in Southern China. As mentioned, he is also of Geechee ancestry and that comprises virtually ever Latin American place from which the Spanish took people to work in their South Carolinian plantations including Puerto Rico, Dominican, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Guyana.
Artist: Kappa Medium: Guitar Location: Union Square on the downtown Q platform
My friend is always telling me that the Japanese are taught English rather rigorously in school and that they all speak more than I think and Kappa has proven him right. The first Japanese musician I’ve interview who isn’t in a group with some fluent English speaker, Kappa has been in New York for only one month but had very little trouble understanding my questions and only a little more difficulty finding his answers.
Kappa is from Hiroshima and came all the way to the Big Apple to play guitar. He’s been playing for 10 years and, while he has a band back in Japan and enjoys busking there, he’s decided to try his luck overseas. Kappa has been enjoying himself in NY and enjoys sharing his music with its people. As in Hiroshima he continues to enjoy busking but is also looking to play gigs in the city.
Kappa’s style is heavily influenced by African-American music. “I love black music. For example, jazz and blues and R&B, soul…”
Kappa doesn’t know how long he’ll stay in NY but let’s hope it’s a while, his smooth R&B guitar and jazzed up covers are a great thing to run into on a boring Sunday in the subway.
Artist: Christiana Lynn Medium: Guitar, vocals Location: Union Square downtown Q platform
When Christiana told me she was going to sing a Joni Mitchell song for me I found it particularly apt. I remember, a long time ago, listening to my mother play Jodi Mitchell in the car and her melodic but continuously high voice was almost identical. Of course, Jodi is a folk rock legend and Christiana is a sign language interpreter playing in the subway after work, at least for now.
Christiana, born in Massachusetts, has lived in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and, most recently, Brooklyn, NY. Christiana came to the city because she's always been drawn to the musical theater world. However, she's also passionate about social work and thinks the city is a great place to use music as a social and communicative device. Hence the playing in the subway. For the skeptics out there, Christiana has been in the city for five years now and is as cynical as she's ever going to get.
Although she had guitar lessons when she was eleven, Christiana says she never practiced. But even so, she got into the guitar deeply because even though she's "not very good at practicing, [it's] easier to carry than a piano" (which she also plays). Christiana noted that she's still not great at practicing and picks easy songs to play, although I would never have guessed. Aside from instrumenting, Christiana also sings. How she got into that, though, is a very simple story. "My mother said I screamed until I was three and then I started singing." It's that simple.
If you're wondering what gave Christiana the initial idea to sing in the subway it's actually quite interesting. For all of you who have seen the accordion player in Union Square who sits at the back of the Q train platform and, generally, wears a large russian hat with the ear flaps, that's who convinced Christiana to play in public. She saw him playing the Godfather song one day, started singing with him and decided to strike out on a solo act thereafter. And now she takes the time to play whenever she's not occupied with her day job - communicating with the deaf as a sign language interpreter.
Christiana surely does enjoy playing in the subway. She says it teaches a person not to be afraid of how other people will react and, when people react positively, which they often do, gives a warm sense of accomplishment.
Highlights from the show including the grande finale
Some really awesome breaking
Interview with the dancers
Artists: B-Boy C Nice (Leopard suit), B-Boy Architect (dreds) and B-Boy Most (helmet) Medium: Break dance Location: Union Square station L platform
Sometimes a major subway construction project is a good thing, at least for me and my artist pals. If the Brooklyn bound side is running every 15 minutes, and the 8th avenue bound side ain’t running at all then you’ve got plenty of time and a captive audience for any performance you might want to do. In this case I think things worked out particularly well. B-Boy Architect, B-Boy C Nice and B-Boy Most had a fun, interactive show which was almost perfectly timed to the train schedule.
Architect Although I filmed twice and he was only there once, B-Boy Architect didn’t need a second run to make his skills apparent. A master of motion, Architect has refined his skills over years of practice. Growing up in the Bronxdale projects in the 70s, Architect got into dancing and art just as hip-hip was exploding around 1974-1977 and Architect embraced the movement with open arms. A dancer, skater and graffiti artist, Architect asserts: “I practice hip-hop culture.”
Architect has as strong connection to the roots of hip-hop and “in ’78-’79…when a lot of B-Boys came to the streets and started performing – which we called hittin’,” Architect came too. Breaking and performing was, for many, “a poor man’s meal ticket” and “[f]or a lot of brothers that didn’t have no money and couldn’t a lot of doors open for them, this is how they made their presence known.” Architect continues to make his presence known through his art. He says he continues to love dancing and performing because he can express himself without anyone setting boundaries and enjoys seeing peoples’ reactions. Architect actually prefers working in the street to gigs, explaining that because breakers are, by and large, poor, people who set up gigs always try to short change them. On the other hand, in the street you can work until you’ve got what you want.
C Nice The showman of the group, Queens resident B-Boy C Nice is one part comedian, one part announcer and one part outrageous dancer. Decked out in his leopard print spandex C Nice is a dancer to be reckoned with, combining breaking techniques with acrobatics, tumbling and a fair amount of contortion. Seriously, if you’re just reading this and you haven’t watched the videos yet, go watch the videos. C Nice gets his amazing abilities from yoga, which he teaches when he’s not dancing.
C Nice has been breaking for about 4 years and says that if you want to be as good as him it takes “hard work and dedication.” But he also says that “the world evolves around energy, if you don’t have energy and positive people around you, the show cannot do.” As a result C Nice is always trying to pump up the crowd and get them laughing. Also as a result, he prefers to work outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air. His main reason for coming down into the subway is because “it’s cold outside.”
Most Most has known Architect and C Nice for years but only in the past few months have all of them been breaking together regularly. You may remember that Most was in a previous dance group on Concretebeat with Float Master John. Unfortunately, John was locked up but Most refuses to allow that to keep him from dancing. “I was dancing before I’m going to keep dancing.” Most describes the break dancing community as a big family. When John got locked up, he was able to hook up with Architect and C Nice and get back to work. “I’m cool, they’re cool, we just get together, it’s nothing big…it’s just like a big family.”
Interview with The Stumblebums Artists: Jesse Wildcards (Tuba), Smidge Malone (Trumpet and vocals), Jonny Carwheels (drums and vocals) Medium: Tuba, drums, vocals Location: 2nd avenue station on the F line.
Let’s talk musical innovation and cutting edge. While we’re at it, let’s talk about the NY subway system because the two go hand in hand. As the Stumblebums Brass Band fusion of Jazz and Punk demonstrates, the openness of New York provides space for unique and new music to develop and be refined. Composed of three urbanites, I was fortunate enough to experience distinctive sound of this group.
There are two aspects of this music which really impress upon listeners. First is the use of traditional jazz and big band instruments such as the tuba and trumpet. The Stumblebums use the unmistakable and sonorous power of these instruments in an unconventional way to compliment the second defining feature if their music, the ferocity of their punk inspiration.
At the heart of the ferocity of their music is lead singer Smidge Malone. With a gravely voice you might expect from jazz singers like Louis Armstrong Smidge screams out intense lyrics over the competing tuba and drums, both of which offer no quarter. Furthermore, the visual contrast of his pin-stripe suit and tattooed face makes the contention between the power and timbre of his voice even more pronounced.
Smidge hails from Queens, NY and says he got into singing and trumpet by accident. When he was going to school in Brooklyn, he sat down in the trumpet section and he became a trumpeter. He then took up singing because “I needed compliment, I needed a backup and I didn’t have anyone to back me up so I had to back up myself…until I met these schmucks.” In any event, regardless of having backup or not, Smidge has been playing music since Jr. High School and has decided to make a career out of it. Which is what he likes most about the subways “it gets us work, you know?” Of course, he says, he’d rather play gigs since they pay more.
Jesse Wildcards also adds to the distinct sound of the Stumblebums with oft neglected sounds of the tuba. Jesse is also a native New Yorker, born in Manhattan and now living in the Bronx. Jesse picked up the tuba in Jr. High School and has stuck with it until now. Jesse is the one who helped define the band as a mixture of jazz and punk and added that one of his favorite things about developing this music is making people dance. Jesse also really enjoys playing in public for several reasons. First, of course “playin in the subway makes it possible for me to play music full time.” But on top of that, Jesse adds that the subway is a great place to rehearse because of the interaction with people. In fact, playing in the subway is where he met Smidge 7 years ago. “I prefer working on my music in the subway than working in my own apartment.”
Jonny Carwheels is the band’s drummer and brings his intense drumming and singing skills to the group’s unique dynamic. Jonny, who lays down the essential beat and tempo for the Stumblebums actually met Jesse at a gig where he was playing the accordion. After playing together in the street for a time, Jonny revealed that his main instrument was actually the drums and Jesse tried him out for the Stumblebums. Johnny has been playing drums for 12-13 years and says that the Stumblebumns are the “best music I’ve played for a while…I have a great time.”
Hi, sorry for the long delay between entries, after the holiday season the staff of Concretebeat (me) had to focus on recouping money and therefore regular work. But I’m back in the swing of things now so don’t worry. If you’re wondering how you can help keep Concretebeat sustainable, though, feel free to click on the google ads which, while pathetic, at least help pay for tape.
Also, to try to make the documentary sustainable I’m planning to role out a website which will sell the music and the art on the site as well as make it easier to book people (yes, of course the artists get paid). This'll let people support the art they like as well as keep the site up and running. I’ll let you know when that plan comes to fruition. And, of course, for those philanthropists out there, I’ll be happy to accept donations. In a lesson learned from the New York streets “a quarter, a nickel, any amount helps.”
So keep checking in for that, some of the clean tracks I’ve been hearing from the musicians is really good stuff. Below is the latest installment on the ‘Beat – Sera, a living statue. Enjoy.
Sera standing still for a long time sped up and put to music
Sera standing still for a long time in real time
New Yorkers' reactions to a living statue
Interview with Sera
Artist: Sera Medium: Living Statue Location: Union Square on the 14th St. side
Sera is most definitely a real girl she just plays a fake one at work. Sera is a living statue and in a city where the abnormal is routinely unnoticed, she seems to have a special way of unsettling otherwise stalwart denizens.
Of course, standing on her pedestal, alone, at night Sera’s ghostly act can be imposing. And perhaps with all the art around the City people actually more expect a public statue than a human standing still. Whatever excuse you prefer, people found this living statue worth noting.
Sera, who was visiting from Boston, is a self-taught mime who was forced to make the transition to living statue from fire-eater after she learned the Boston police aren’t particularly keen on that act. “If you try to eat fire in public in Boston eight policemen will show up and take you down to the station in two minutes.”
Sera is very dedicated to street performance. Originally a Middle-Eastern style dancer, Sera traded dance lessons for fire-eating lessons. She then began performing on the street to keep up her pyrotechnic skills and eventually made the switch to living statue after her legal troubles. Now being a living statue is Sera’s passion. Street performance is how she earns the majority of her money and, in the summer, she routinely turns down gigs in favor of being in public. A living statue for two years and a fire eater for four, Sera describes her career as a fixation and spends countless hours thinking about new costumes and ideas. Currently she is involved in creating a heated stand for herself and is taking fire-eating lessons in the city. However, a large part of Sera’s love for her job is that she doesn’t think of it as a job. Instead, it’s her art form and her desire to express herself and make a statement is what keeps her braving the elements and the people.
In New York for a week, Sera says that she enjoyed her stay and that although the money in Boston is better, she would prefer to be around New Yorkers any day with the exception of the Times Square Police. “Boston, much better money because it has bigger tourist traps but I would rather be around New Yorkers any day…Bostonians are mean.”
Artist: Kossan Medium: Sanshin and vocals Location: Union Square on the mezzanine above the Q
His name is Kossan, he’s from Tokyo Japan, he’s a Zen Buddhist monk and he has come to the U.S. primarily to teach Buddhism to Americans. He doesn’t have a school, temple or monastery yet but he does have a small meditation group which meets once a week in New Jersey and he gives private lessons in his apartment in Manhattan.
Kossan’s story starts in a monastery, where his father is also a Zen monk. Although not initially interested in Zen, after studying for a few years Kossan developed a taste for the philosophy. During his eighth year of study, Kossan took a trip. Exhausted from schooling and fleeing the cold February weather of the northern islands, Kossan went to Okinawa. A fan of Okinawan music since he was young, Kossan bought a traditional Okinawan instrument and taught himself to play. Not long after, on the advice of his Zen teacher, Kossan came to New York to teach Buddhism.
Kossan plays the sanshin, an instrument which, long ago, made at least one joke on Frasier entirely over my head. Using the Sanshin, Kossan plays folk and traditional music from the Southern Japanese island of Okinawa. While famous in America as Mr. Miyagi’s home in the Karate Kid and one of the birth places of Japanese martial arts, Kossan describes the modern Okinawa as Japan’s Caribbean island – “nice weather, nice, uh, you know” *makes drinking motion* “kinds of drinks and laid back people. The food is good, the girls are pretty.”
Kossan sort of fell into subway performing. As a monk, he says he makes enough money to survive but it’s still difficult to get by in a place like New York. One day, though, he was practicing in Central Park on his Sanshin when “somebody put one dollar in front of me and” *snap* “maybe this is good idea!” After that flash of inspiration, Kossan started playing on streets and in the subway and, last year, auditioned for and acquired a space with MTA’s Music Under New York.
Kossan truly enjoys playing in the subway. Although grateful for the money, his true happiness is derived from playing for people of all different sorts and from all over the world. He is pleased to have the opportunity to share his culture and music with them while he practices a skill he loves. As such, Kossan loves New York for being a place which is so open to and respectful of other cultures and says that if he returned to Japan he would probably not play in public as Tokyo is “totally different.” Althoug he prefers busking, he also makes end’s meat by occasionally playing in clubs and bars.
Kossan has a simple message for the people of New York: “I wanna make you happy, please make me happy, let’s be happy together.”
Brother Lee's interview old school Concretebeat style
Merry Christmas from Concretebeat. Enjoy the gospel stylings of Brother Lee and Gillian Bennett.
Artists: Brother Lee, Jillian Bennett Medium: Vocals, keyboard Location: West Fourth Street Station
It was one-thirty on a Sunday. Traffic in New York’s West Fourth Street station was low and, for my part, I was just getting over a cold and just wanted to get home. When I heard Brother Lee and Jillian, though, I knew I had to turn on the camera and for nearly half an hour I filmed the duo’s non-stop, freestyle gospel.
Brother Lee and Jillian are two of a kind. Both converted to Christianity in their 20s and have decided to share their experience through joyful street performance. Like street performers who make their stage wherever they are, this pair considers whichever ground on which they sing their church and bring the energy of a full choir to the subway.
A native Brooklynite, Brother Lee is a software consultant for Fortune 500 companies. An ex-Marine, the GI Bill allowed Lee to attend college where he majored in Computer Science. He then pursued an MBA in Finance but when the market collapsed he left the program to teach and ultimately ended up consulting. You might ask how a seemingly straight laced guy comes to be singing in the subway.
Brother Lee has been singing and playing the piano in churches since he was about eight. Even so, he says he wasn’t religious until he was saved by “a couple of champions” when he was in the Marines. Lee’s ensuing religious devotion convinced him to become active in his faith and, recalling the Bible’s call to “go among the hedges and highways” took his evangelical singing to the subway.
Like Brother Lee, Jillian was converted to Christianity by “a champion” but other than that she has a very different story. Jillian started off in Maine but, after playing Peter Pan in a school play, her passion for performance took her to the exclusive Walnut Hill School, an art high school in Boston.
Although the school was rigorous, with professors drawn from Harvard and the top of the performance field, Jillian excelled. But much of Jillian’s success is due to her bold spirit. On the day of her graduation rehearsal, for example, Jillian snuck out to audition for Boston Pop Idol. While everyone at the school was sitting around wondering where Jillian was, she was busy making her way on to the next day’s Boston Globe (so if Jillian looks familiar maybe she is). Although she didn’t win the contest Jillian did not give up and, with the encouragement of her peers and fans, rented a PA from a street performer and busked for money so that she could attend the 2005 American Idol auditions in Washington, D.C. Of the thousands of people who attended, Jillian was one of the rare gems who actually made it on TV and into the Washington Post (so if Jillian looks familiar, maybe she is). While Jillian did not make it to L.A. she not disheartened and, in retrospect, is thankful. After returning to Boston, Jillian was invited to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park (so if Jillian looks familiar, maybe she is) and it was on the commute to the ballpark that she was first introduced to her new faith. Now Jillian is thankful that she has found something which grounds her so that when fame does come she won’t be “so caught up in vain glory” and lose her way like celebrities such at Britney Spears.
Brother Lee and Jillian are committed to their faith and have hopes of starting their own church someday but the two are also committed music and are happy to play secular music at secular locations. But most of all they enjoy playing in the subway. Perhaps Brother Lee puts it best: “When you know the lord you know it’s not about you, it’s about people, because God made people. And God made people for us to enjoy. We are to enjoy one another…I love God first, and God says, in the word, to do like Jesus did…and touch people…and it could be about yourself to do that.”
Greg Patillo and Eric Stevenson’s performance info below video
Most days at midnight at the Broadway-Lafyette station going downtown. Tell ‘em Concretebeat sent you.
They also perform regularly at the night club The Box
Max ZT’s performance info below video
Friday December 7th Bowery Poetry Club 8-10pm 308 Bowery, Manhattan $8 cover (bowerypoetry.com) (F train to Second Ave, or 6 train to Bleecker)
This show will feature my group, NAYA: Moto Fukushima (bass)- www.motobass.com Luke Notary (percussion)- www.lukenotary.com Rich Stein (percussion) myself (dulc) and SPECIAL GUEST!** Josh Geisler (guitar, flutes)- www.joshuageisler.com
Melissa's performance info below video
Every Wednesday, 7:00-10:30pm Je'Bon, 15 St. Marks Place
Artists: Susan Cagle (vocals, electric guitar), Will Flint (bass guitar), Ainsley Powell (drums), Renzo Jimenez (techie, fro’), Travis (techie, red hair) Medium: Vocals, electric guitar, electric bass guitar, drum set Location: 42nd Street Times Square Station by the S
Artists: Susan Cagle (vocals, electric guitar), Caroline Cagle (bass guitar), Peter Barr (drums) Medium: Vocals, electric guitar, electric bass guitar, drums Location: Rockwood Music Hall, Allen St. Between Stanton and E. Houston (that’s How-ston for you tourists)
What’s going on, why are there two entries? Don’t worry, I’ve got an explanation. I initially met Susan Cagle at the first location with the first band maybe a year ago…meh, more like 8 months. This was in my early days, note all the footage of the audience, and I wasn’t sure the chaotic interview was going to work. As a result I figured I’d do a follow up. Yeah, she’s hot but I honest, I just wanted to know a little more about her. In any event that didn’t happen and I put the project on indefinite hold since I wasn’t sure Susan wanted the videos up after we lost contact.
Then, a few weeks ago I ran into Susan in the second location with the second band while they were packing up. She said she was cool with the videos and I did an interview with the new group. Of course, if I were going to have an interview I needed musical footage. Susan invited me to tape them at the Rockwood gig and the rest is history.
The First Band The way I was told the band was put together on a bet. Susan dared all the guys to take their clothes off and, since they did, she let them be in her band. You might ask where she found guys willing to do that but it’s pretty simple – in New York.
Susan herself started playing for large audiences in the subway. Around 2001, after having been into music for a long time and having been brought up in a musical family she decided to get serious, start composing and start playing in public. Once out there, she met other musicians, started her band and, eventually, got picked up by Columbia records.
Susan has had an interesting life. She traveled around the world with her family as a child and, as a result, has been mostly home schooled or self-taught. She did attended formal schooling in both Germany and Holland, though, and is fluent in German. Although Renzo mentioned she’s from Aruba she actually isn’t, a common misconception. In reality her parents were just passing through when was born – she’s actually American. Ainsley Powell, the drummer, is also from a musical family. His father is a musican and it was “kind of natural for me to start playing with all the instruments in the house.”
Like Ainsley and Susan, bassist Will Flint also finds doing the family thing. “Following the family dream,” as he puts it.
Travis, the redheaded CD pusher is also a musician but prefers to be a techie in public and just plays music for himself.
Like Travis, Renzo also plays music even though he plays techie for the band – and it’s not a family thing. Instead, Renzo said he picked up the guitar by accident. His brother, Jonathan, bought a guitar so he could hang it on his wall at college to pick up chicks but never learned to play. As a result Renzo took it upon himself to make use of the instrument. As for teching, Renzo says he found the Susan Cagle gig on Craig’s List.
Like what you hear? Check out the band's
influences - Bob Dillan, Lauren Hill, Sheryl Crow, Dave Chappelle website - www.susancagle.com
Really like what you hear? Contact streetshoot@gmail.com
The Second Band Caroline Cagle, the bassist, is Susan’s sister, so that explains that. Peter Barr met Susan at a mutual friend’s gig after having seen her playing in the subway. He ended up playing with her at Rockwood and now, as he puts it, they’re “like best friends.”
Peter himself has been playing since he was 12 and always wanted to be a musician. Peter is a street veteran and, before New York used to play in the streets in Boston, Europe and Canada whenever he had some spare time. He enjoys playing in public saying “I like playing so any place can be a nice place,” adding “it’s a really good way to get people who otherwise wouldn’t hear you if you were just doing gigs. They might not make into a pub or some place you were playing live.”
Peter's inspirations: Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Coltrane, as well as his own band composed of Jo Jo Quo, Tony Sedras, Dimitri Yushenko. He also gives prop to a lot of older music of the rock and jazz genres.
Caroline, Susan’s sister, is an ardent bassist. “It’s funny because everyone in my family has played an instrument but I just kind of wanted to play bass. I thought…it was my thing.” True to her passion Caroline, with the support of her musical family, taught her herself to play the bass at a young age and has been playing music ever since.
Caroline enjoys working with her sister is “easy” since she knows her sister’s style and they mesh well. She also cites Susan as an important musical influence. However, she says that playing with Susan in the subway is fun, it’s not easy – lugging the gear, dealing with the people, “it’s crazy”.
While born in Miami and raised in Germany Caroline says New York has always been a home and it’s a place to which she’s always come back; “it’s just not the same as anywhere else.”
Really like what you hear? Contact streetshoot@gmail.com
Artist: Donald Green Medium: Poetry Location: University Avenue right off of Washington Square Park (but I’ve also seen him right outside West Fourth Station)
A poet of the utmost urbanity, Donald Green pedals his wares on the sidewalks of the great Manhattan byways. Seated at his folding table, with large mountings of his favorite poems flanking Mr. Green is more than happy to engage passing pedestrians in manner that is anything but. In his worn jacket and rumfled shirt you would not suppose that the man before you is anything less than poetic and that his regular manner of speech would have your forget your place and believing you were in the middle of a spontaneous theatrical dialogue. Such are the ways of Donald Green.
Such are the ways of a man who, as a young boy in Harlem, living just near the former house of Langston Hughes, felt different and turned to writing as his sanctuary. Such are the ways of a man whose father was standard working class but chose to work at Columbia University’s Library by day, study writing by night and sell poetry on the street.
Mr. Green has had a truly interesting career. After studying briefly at Columbia he began publishing his work. His work has appeared in books alongside such illustrious poets as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and Donald Hall. He wrote The New York Times Millenium Poem in 2000 and was the lead off article in a New York Magazine spread on writers. Richard Rueben’s article “For a Pushcart Poet Life is Getting Verse and Verse” in 1997 was followed by articles on Patti Smith, Jim Carol, Mia Farow and more. Mr. Green also has a recorded reading with the Columbia School of Journalism on permanent archive which you can find at the school’s website.
In the midst of all this Mr. Green was persistently pursuing a career of poetry in his unique way. After saving up a few thousand dollars, Mr. Green left his job at Columbia to commit himself to writing. After quickly using up his savings, Mr. Green decided not to accept an offer to return to his previous job, but to persist while staying with his twin brother in Brooklyn who is “very traditional in his way of life”. Then, as Mr. Green tells it, recently (that is, a decade ago) he got the idea to try selling his poetry on the street in Brooklyn. “And the first person I asked bought a poem from me, and I was on my way.”
Today, Mr. Green sells collections of his poetry, some typed some hand written, in hand made anthologies on the street. He is also unafraid of the challenge to create spontaneously and will write a personalized poem upon request. However, as much as Mr. Green enjoys this life and feels it has contributed to his abilities, noting, “it’s given me a lot to write about...it has helped me a great deal with writing,” he says his time on the street is drawing to an end. Now he hopes be a more traditional writer and publish books of his poetry as well as a musical he has been working on.
Some poems by Donald Green:
Blue Joy Out of gray sky came a bright blue bird. He sat upon my window sill and for and instant - no more than a ray of sun in the whirl of time – we stared at one another
He then lifted his blue wings and gently returned to the gray
I combed my hair I brushed my teeth I dressed I then had my morning lemon and went off to work
And when the gray had gone to yellow and from yellow to a soft mellow brown, I gathered my things and rushed home.
I wanted to see if he had come again with evening time
Why?
I could not really say.
Perhaps this is what loneliness can come to
When the Friend is You - Written by Donald Green on the spur of the moment And a friend, begins in my mirror, Not Alone in one I can encounter. For if the friend is not in my mirror, how is it possible to join with someone other, Is it possible even to look with beauty consistent with, at the wonderous Earth, All that’s about us, Without ever at first To relish the self, can God be company without Yourself? What bond, connection, celebration can there honestly be without the ONE before You
Like what you see? Order a manuscript or a poem or just leave some love Streeshoot@gmail.com
Artist: Geovanni “Geo” Suquillo Medium: Guitar Location: Union Square Station on the mezzanine above the Q,N,R platforms
Geovanni Suquillo, or Geo as his fans know him, has come to New York by way of Ecuador and then Europe. As a boy in Ecuador Geo started studying guitar 13-15 years ago, went to school for it and then went to tour Europe where he played in several cities in several countries including Spain, France and Norway.
While he was abroad Geo always wanted to come to New York to “know what’s happening here.” Therefore, after studying with an important guitarist in Spain Geo packed up and came the U.S. In the end he decided he liked it so much he stayed.
Now that he’s in New York, Geo plays in the subway to support his true goal, composing music for movies. Geo is studying composition and works to create music in his own style which he characterizes as a fusion. “Fusion because it’s…my roots, my Latin culture and I pick some little harmonies from things like jazz and Spanish/Flemenco music.” Geo particularly likes instrumental works and is influenced by musicians like Yanni. He find the New Age style relaxing and likes the peace and meditative thought it invokes.
Geo says that he enjoys playing in the subway for several reasons. Not only is it fun, but most of the work he receives and the fans he has made have come from his subway work. “Sometimes you don’t make money but you have something to in the weekend…you always have some birthday party, wedding, something.” This space is like a commercial on TV he explains, maybe even better. He also notes that he’s happy to play underground as he makes more money than working in another job.
Like what you hear? Check out his influences - Yanni and, please forgive me and watch interview, I can't spell anyone else's name
Really like what you hear? Contact him streetshoot@gmail.com
The King's County Crawler's playing with some awesome solos
The King's County Crawlers playing
The King's County Crawlers
An interview with the King's County Crawlers
Artists: Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, Mikey Hart, Dave Dawda, Liz Hanley, Aurora Nealon Medium: Electric guitar (Nikhil), Acoustic Guitar (Mikey), Bass (Dave), Fiddle (Liz), Saxaphone (Aurora) Location: Washington Square Park (West side by the statue)
The Kings County Crawlers are a primarily a bluegrass band composed of people who, primarily, just got into bluegrass about 6 months ago (that’s about the time they started playing together). The band is comprised of four regulars who met at NYU and, in this case, a guest appearance by a saxophonist who is a friend but isn’t officially in the group.
Nikhil P. Yerawadekar is a Queens resident and has been in NY all his life. He’s been playing music for about as long and has decided to remain in the city for the music scene. He recently got into bluegrass and is also a big fan of traditional jazz and swing. Nikhil studied music education at NYU and is teaching but “I’m not gonna say where ‘cause I don’t wanna make the reputation bad or anything.” How modest.
Mikey Hart, the raspy lead voice of the Crawlers hails from Lack Charles, Louisiana. I caught Mikey while he was tallying up the proceeds from the day’s work and, when asked why he’s in New York he hollered out “there’s $60, someone remember” and with a grin said “the money.” Mikey grew up playing music but notes that bluegrass isn’t really a Louisiana thing, that’s really jazz and Cajun sounds. Instead, he says, “I’m appropriating bluegrass” although he reminded me that both styles of music do have the fiddle in common.
Dave Dawda is from Seattle, Washington and came to New York for music and school. Like his band members he’s been into music his whole life and has studied music at NYU. Dave is happy to be playing with his friends reminiscing that “we started this up a few months ago, it’s been fun, it’s fun to get out in the sun, you know, relaxin’.”
Liz Hanley is a Redsocks girl. Well, I don’t know that but she is from Boston, Massachusetts. She told me she studies classical violin at NYU (to which her band members all chimed in – “ooh fancy.”) and that bluegrass is “something I recently decided I like…there’s a lot of music around, you just get into it.” Liz commented that some her liking of bluegrass, though, has to do with her liking of her great band.
Aurora Nealon is all the way from California and has come to NY for music. She was in New Orleans for the past two or three years but after Katrina made her way up to New York. She likes New York but misses New Orleans lamenting that “it’s getting smaller and smaller.” While not officially a member of the Crawlers, Aurora is their friend and, when they found her playing in Washington Square Park when they arrived, invited her to play.
The King’s County Crawlers thoroughly enjoy playing outside. Nikhil explains: “[you] don’t have to deal with bad owners…a lot of the problems with clubs, like them taking the money from you, doesn’t exist because you have a direct interaction with the audience. And it’s nice to be in the out of doors.” Like what you hear? Check out some of their influences Some Influences: Carter Family, Bob Wills, Bruce Arnold, Bono, Winton
Really like what you hear? Hire ‘em streethoot@gmail.com
Artist: Tom Barlow Medium: Charcoal, oil, acrylic, pencil, sculpture Location: South East corner of Union Square
Tom Barlow is a multi-faceted fellow. Initially from upstate New York (near Buffalo) Tom is a renaissance man – or at least artist – working in a variety of media including silkscreen, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pencil, charcoal and sculpture. If you’re asking how a man becomes so skilled in so many things (and his work is quite good, especially the charcoal), Tom explains that he was always good at this sort of stuff and it just became his career. He did go to school for art, though, at University of Binghamton and the fine arts school in Buffalo.
Tom does “a kind of new realism, it’s not connected with photography, it’s all done from space with three dimensional space.” He says that he enjoys this form of art because it’s more challenging than working from a still life. The scenery is always changing, the light is changing, even your perspective is changing. Moving a few feet can completely alter a picture or inform a new idea on how to change the piece. Furthermore, Tom likes the street. “I’m used to it and I find it very stimulating, it really forces me to focus despite everything that’s going on…I find it incredibly dull to work from a photo or work in a studio all the time.”
Although not a native city-dweller Tom is quite inamorate of the place. He came down from upstate some 12 years ago for a friend’s wedding and just decided to stay. “It’s very conducive to the arts, people will pay for good art. It’s a little hard making sales upstate.” But it’s not all about the money, New York is just a great city, and Tom should know. He’s been commissioned to work in London, stayed over in Paris and outright lived in Montreal, working from life on the street in all places, of course. Of New York Tom says: “I find New York easier. There’s more elbow room, it’s bigger. Europe, everything’s tight, and small, more constrained…I noticed, after I came back from London how nice and roomy it is here, freedom.”
However, Tom isn’t uncritical of the city. He dislikes the way New York is changing – the gentrification, the abandonment and gutting of old buildings and the work being done by the newer architects. “I don’t care for it…I don’t think they’re doing a good thing.” As we were speaking, Tom pointed out that the building behind me, in fact, was being gutted and it’s decorative pillars capped to serve as a condo in a high land value area. While he feel this detracts from the character of the city he admits “it’s probably a natural process, so what can we do?” And it’s not that Tom is reminiscent for high crime and grittiness but he did say “the 80s were great.” And, with a chuckle, revised it to “yeah, good for art and crazy life…things were cheaper and a little scarier. In the subway you sometimes felt threatened. But it was beautiful in it’s own way.”
Tom is primarily known for his architecture work and, if you’re looking at the picture above, you’ll agree his Wall Street silk screen is quite taking. But he also does sketches on the subway noting that it’s “pretty intense. It’s like going to the zoo, you get to see specimens in their natural habitat.”
Like a true New Yorker Tom leaves the following message: “We’re running out of space here, stay where you are.” I can only assume he forgot to add: “I’m talking to you, tourists, learn how to swipe a metrocard.”
Influences: Fan K'uan from the Sung dynasty, Van Gogh, Hokusai, Hiroshige and other print makers, the impressionists, the renaissance, the medieval ages – you name it.
Spliced pieces of a really, really long song. Yeah, I know, the video doesn't synch up in the middle section but it's still awesome.
Founder Will Johnson talks about the idea of the band and the music.
The rest of the band talks about the music and their lives.
Medium: Bucket drums, African jembe, shaker, bass drum, African dun duns, alto sax and alto sax Artists: William Johnson (buckets), David Park (bass drum), Alla (jembe), Alissa (African dun duns), Joel (shaker), Welf Dorr (alto sax), Nick Gianni (baritone sax) Location: 42nd Street Times Square Station
William Johnson, Bronx resident, is responsible for this motley and highly talented crew of musicians. Founder of the Drumatics, he has been playing in the subways and on the streets of New York for well over 10 years. After being around for so long, Will has become an innovator has created a band which incorporates many of the cultural sounds unique to New York areas like Times Square, 34th St., Herald Square and Penn Station into a coherent art form. So, for example, you would normally see an individual instrumentalist playing by his or herself, a sax here, a drummer there. Will decided to combine them with his drums to make a whole new style of music that is uniquely American and uniquely New York. Will takes great pride in the extent to which his band’s music captures the sound of America, a well blended combination of several styles of music and types of instruments. “America has one of everybody…we actually have 15, 20 of everybody. So take all that rhythm and all of that culture and you put it in one room you have America.” So when people are on their way to and from work we like to lock them into that culture and diversity. Will himself lends an urban, industrial tone with his bucket drums while others blend in African, Carribean, jazz and funk flavors. Will’s goal is to make his and his original partners’ drum work more musical and accessible to people who are not necessarily into just the buckets or just industrial rhythm.
Will has been playing music his whole life, starting with the violin, flute and piano. In high school he began playing the drums with the original bucket drummers Larry Wright and JR. They would invite him to play with them and challenge him to improve. Now, after playing on the streets with them he’s living it up in the Subway. Of course, the Drumatics also do gigs, though, and right now have an off Broadway project called “Drumatics: American Culture Defined.”
David Parks plays the bass drum, the really big one that requires him to stand. Well, he plays a lot of other things as well but here he plays the bass. He moved to NY about three years where he met Will. He explains that when they met he happened to have his drum with him, Will mentioned he was looking for someone and “ever since I’ve been part of the group.”
David truly enjoys playing in public. “[T]o be honest with you, it gives me a chance to do what drumming is actually intended for, which is to bring communities together…Whenever you see a circle around drummers, that’s an ancient thing and, in this day and age, that I get to participate in that process, I feel that’s a big thing in my life…I dig playing the drums for the people who enjoy it.” He adds further that “this isn’t necessarily performance for us…we’re not pretending at all.”
David says that initially stardom is what brought him to New York. He picked up the drums after going to cooking school and was looking from something “a little more challenging, a little more grassroots/up-start…a little less corporate.” After playing in several different African dance companies and traveling to Africa, he found what he was looking for in the Drumatics. He likes the band so much, in fact, that he turned it into a family affair.
Alla is David’s son. Nine at the time of this interview, he has been playing for 7 years (since he was two if you’re too lazy to do the math). Alah came to join his father from Portland, OR. Alah explains that originally he came to NY with his father one summer and began playing with him on cans, noting, though, that “soon enough we got some new drums.” After returning to Portland at the end of the summer, Alah was invited back by David after he joined the Drumatics. At first Alah was a bit hesitant to play with the new band but now he’s really into it and says that he would like to be drummer when he grows up.
Alissa, the only female of the group comes all the way from Trinidad. After witnessing some amazing drumming in the Trinidadian “Best Village” competition Alissa knew she had to play. Unfortunately there are not many female drummers and she found it difficult to find a teacher. After tenaciously beating on any solid object she could find, however, she was finally accepted into a drum company. She has continued with her passion to this day and is now attending Marymount College for a degree in performing arts.
Alissa met Will and them in the subway about a year and half ago and has found the experience quite educations. Having been traditional African drumming for 5 years, Will has been trying to get her to open up and try new ways of drumming.
Joel, like Alissa, is from the Carribean. A drummer from Jamaica Joel is actually in the U.S. to study science. After school Joel plans to have a traditional career in his field but, in the meantime at least, finds drumming really fun. He’s been drumming ever since he was a baby but has only been working the shaker since he joined the Drumatics about three years ago.
Joel really likes working the Subway. “I love coming down to the subway. High energy, a lot of people…there’s different people from all over the world. It’s not a club scene, it’s a subway.”
Welf Dorr, familiar to Concretebeat veterans from his work with the Underground Horns, met Joel in the subway and, through him, started playing with the Drumatics. Welf then brought Nick Gianni, another Underground Horns member into the fold.
A lesson in Tai Chi push hands combat (see above video first if you don't know what push hands is)
A lesson in Chinese martial art combat and street applications
A Tai Chi Class with Roberto
Interview with Roberto about real fighting and being a black martial aritist
Interview with Roberto about his life
Artist: Roberto Sharpe Medium: Tai Chi, bagua, Xingyi, capoeira, judo, karate, boxing, jiu-jitsu, xuejiao and others Location: Thompson Square Park on the Lower East Side
Roberto Sharpe will kick your ass. With Tai Chi. Well, no, he won’t. But he could. “Those of us who have been around a while know that the human life is the most precious thing we have and you don’t just go around challenging people.” That being said, Roberto has been challenged many times in his life, often, he says, because people want test his slow, stately art of Tai Chi. Having suffered no permanent injuries Roberto modestly says that, in terms of showing his martial prowess, he’s done OK and notes “most people walk away from me feeling like…I’m alright.” As in, an alright guy, not merely a decent fighter. “I don’t try to hurt anyone, unless of course it’s really called for.” Of course, you can afford to be modest if you’ve been as successful in competition as Roberto has, you trophies will speak for you.
Roberto has been studying the martial arts since he was a young boy. Coming from a martial arts oriented family, he started with Judo when he was very young and continued learning throughout his life studying, most notably, karate as a teenager, Jiu-Jitsu and Tiger Claw later on and, in the latest stage capoeria, boxing and Tai Chi and its sister arts Bagua and Xingyi. But Roberto isn’t limited to just these styles, of course not, these are just the ones he comments on most readily.
Now Roberto is most committed to Tai Chi. He feels that Tai Chi’s slow, methodical style allows a person to study their own nature – the way they move, the way they react, the way they think – and make themselves a better person all around. He notes that great athletes like Tiger Woods, have themselves taped and watch their movement in slow motion to acquire deeper understanding of their action. Roberto personally advises skipping the cash outlay and just taking things slowly. As such, Tai Chi is a philosophy of combat that Roberto incorporates into all his martial arts and, in turn, allows all his martial arts to contribute to.
As a true practitioner of Asian martial arts, Roberto does the Asian thing and practices openly in the park. Just like in China, or Chinatown for that matter, where throngs of people gather in public spaces to study their martial arts, so too do Roberto and his students. In fact, it was as a function of practicing outdoors that people started requesting lessons from him. A holder of degrees from both Columbia University and New York Law Roberto never envisioned that he would be making a living teaching martial arts full time. In fact, up until a few years ago he wasn’t. After law school Roberto was a parole defense attorney. When Bloomberg came in to office, however, his hard stance towards crime left little room for Roberto’s job. Thus, Roberto made the switch to full-time instructor, a job he finds equally fulfilling. “To me, they’re all part of a similar mission which is try to help those who need the help…[Such as those] who are in prison who can’t possibly help themselves.”
Although Roberto now teaches in gyms, schools, retirement homes and other institutions, he still loves doing it in the park. “If there’s a lot of people we have a great time…if there’s one person we have a great time and if it’s just me I still have a great time.” And, if you find him in the park, he’ll teach you anything you want to know. I’ve seen him doing Tai Chi, Bagua, Capoeria, Boxing and MMA. Ultimately, though, Roberto teaches people to be comfortable with whoever they are and whichever style becomes them. A practitioner of his own form, Liberation Martial Arts, Roberto seeks generate confidence in physical ability and awareness to free the psyche of needs and insecurities, to make a person free from their troubles and individual shackles. Like many martial artists Roberto does not endorse violent action but like all martial artists, he understands that without investigating your own capacity for violence and for dealing with violent aggression, even in self-defense, you are never free of its threat. Roberto likes to talk about the holy man who, when assaulted by a street tough, loses all comport and risks killing out of confusion and out of lack of preparation for an intensely stressful scenario.
Like what you see? Take a class Thompson Square Park - Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-12, weather permitting (i.e. rain, he does it in the cold). Only $25 suggested donation for a 2 hour lesson
Really like what you see? Get in contact streetshoot@gmail.com
