I have a few homed friends who are drunk by noon.

Hey, I know who you're talking about - and I'm proud to be considered a friend!

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

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Originally posted by alaskafiddler

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

Another day, another story. When busking yesterday a homeless man gave me a 30 cent tip.. and that turned out to be the only tip of the day. Later I was chatting with a Different homeless man who I had just met.. When we parted ways I gave him my $1 seed money bill as a token of our new friendship... I said, "I'll see you tomorrow morning in the SHalom Breakfast Kitchen where I'll be making coffee." Well today the guy came in ..and told me that he gave the $1 to a 'brother'.......What goes around, comes around.

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Probably don't bring up "Whiskey Before Breakfast"

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NO, that didn't come up but I have one homeless friend who is usually drunk by noon!!! Does that count?

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I just mentioned, where I busk downtown, and has small park homeless like to hang out. For many of them substance abuse is part of the issue, esp if from villages where alcohol is big issue. They are actually trying to get on road to recovery; so (as I was advised) be sensitive to that, best to avoid any reference that even in bit of tongue/cheek jest... might celebrate or seem to make socially acceptable.

Not to suggest problem for all.

'sort of' a busking story.. Harry Hare takes a lot of beatings... I remember the first year, his body was attached to a wooden base with an angle iron.. the constant, slight, vibration of his bow movement actually Broke that angle iron.. If I hadn't seen it I'd not have believed it..'death by a thousand bow strokes.'!!
Anyway, while it is now way to cold to do any busking alz I can do is prepare for the 2026 busking season.. Harry had new clothes. In the past I made his hands from two part , 5 minute, epoxy putty but this year I'm using a clay that get baked to harden. The good thing about that is I can take my time making the hands and not have that '5 minute' pressure. I'm READY..!!! now, if this 12 inches of snow would just go away!!!!

It FINALLY hit 50 degrees F today so I went busking.. Stayed one hour, made $30 and my feet FROZE..Tomorrow I'll go again..with extra socks..
Anywayz.. for the past two months I only fiddled on Tuesday nights at the usual jam at Larry's, but my busking fiddle just stayed in it's case. On the street, when I opened the case...out came this old old, musty smell. Yikes.. That can't be good for the fiddle... Do you ever catch that smell when a fiddle case hasn't been opened for a long time?

Being a busker has residuals.. That is, it is too cold to busk today so I just went downtown for a beer.. On the way I bumped into Tom Roznowski, the man with the radio show who did an article about me as a busker..chatted a little, then stopped into Clash Gallery and got a heads up on a life size portrait that Jennifer is painting.. Saw unhoused friend Douglas and got to hear his story about getting hit by a car and getting 30 stitches.. Made it to the bar where the bartender knew my name and I met a neighbor and Contra dance friend at the bar....None of this would have happened if I hadn't spent ten years on the street .. Like I always say, " Another day on the street, another story.' I never feel more part of the community than I do when I'm on Kirkwood Avenus..

i used to totally lose the feeling in my LH thumb on cold days, I think that that's because i never used it much. Does that happen to you?

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

i used to totally lose the feeling in my LH thumb on cold days, I think that that's because i never used it much. Does that happen to you?

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When I'm busking near 50 degrees I wear gloves that have the tips cut out.!!!  to keep warm...

50 deg F ? that's positively balmy

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

50 deg F ? that's positively balmy

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British footballers play in shorts and short sleeve kits in colder weather than that! And in the rain! Suck it up, Lee 

But they don't have to have the fine motor control to move their fingers like a fiddler, so I guess you don't have to suck it up, buttercup  

I've been out there at the park jam in a woolly hat and many layers! I had a hand-warming egg in my jacket pocket, and I would stick my hand in there when not playing. Those hand-warming eggs are nifty! Put one in your pocket, it makes your pocket toasty-warm and then you can stick your hand in between tunes. :-D

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

50 deg F ? that's positively balmy

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British footballers play in shorts and short sleeve kits in colder weather than that! And in the rain! Suck it up, Lee 

 

But they don't have to have the fine motor control to move their fingers like a fiddler, so I guess you don't have to suck it up, buttercup  

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My FEET got cold..

50F can seem relatively quite balmy.
Many times up here, busking, or just playing outside at festival or party; temps are often in low 50s which seem just fine for me; but temp can drop to upper 40s (or lower).

Radiant heat works well, make huge difference.; as air temp is unimportant. If can play in the sunshine (just direct your feet to the "Sunny Side of the Street"), or just around a campfire/fire pit; (due to increased fire season danger we often use fake, propane fire pit. Of course wind can play a big part; even slight breeze, so often strategy is just get out of wind.

Yep, fingerless gloves can help a little, if not too thick. Beer cozies are useful (in some situations). Keeping feet warm helps; as well top of head, so wearing a wrm hat makes difference.  Also movement, not just fingers but overall body moving for circulation (esp dancing). I try to remind myself of movement when busking, move body, stand, walk a little.

I noticed my old photos I posted and that they are probably all around 50 or lower. As Iditarod is coming up, I remember had an old photo from restart party in Knik, temps maybe in 20's F. (that said, I think that McKinley Fest photo, while warmer maybe got to 50F, felt one of the coldest festivals, due to elevation and wind.)

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Originally posted by alaskafiddler

50F can seem relatively quite balmy.
Many times up here, busking, or just playing outside at festival or party; temps are often in low 50s which seem just fine for me; but temp can drop to upper 40s (or lower).

Radiant heat works well, make huge difference.; as air temp is unimportant. If can play in the sunshine (just direct your feet to the "Sunny Side of the Street"), or just around a campfire/fire pit; (due to increased fire season danger we often use fake, propane fire pit. Of course wind can play a big part; even slight breeze, so often strategy is just get out of wind.

Yep, fingerless gloves can help a little, if not too thick. Beer cozies are useful (in some situations). Keeping feet warm helps; as well top of head, so wearing a wrm hat makes difference.  Also movement, not just fingers but overall body moving for circulation (esp dancing). I try to remind myself of movement when busking, move body, stand, walk a little.

I noticed my old photos I posted and that they are probably all around 50 or lower. As Iditarod is coming up, I remember had an old photo from restart party in Knik, temps maybe in 20's F. (that said, I think that McKinley Fest photo, while warmer maybe got to 50F, felt one of the coldest festivals, due to elevation and wind.)

 

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You guys from colder 'climes' are tough!!

I feel like I was just busking online with a friend who reminded me of the fact that I always rejected carnaval but I love it when this special day is brought with some good old french touch. My good old friend that I never met in real life had just posted an awesome video on his YouTube channel and I just tried to fit the silly rhymey lyrics that came up in my head with the spirit of the day and the tune. At first glance spontaneously, but I spent quite some time optimalizing the rhymey text I dropped in his channel as a way of a fiddley response. Time now to zoom out for me and to go to bed. I'll be drinking a little cocktail made of pisang and blue curacao here. Just a small one, because someone one day explained to me about substances: if you are really really good you only need a very small amount of the substance you want to consume. If I have to follow this advice that currently means nothing more than LESS coffee and MORE tap water for me. I'll just do as my grandmother did, starting from tomorrow: make the coffee very very very weak with lots of water!

The weather here acted very surprisingly yersterday: we had a sunny early spring time feeling during the morning and in the afternoon and then in the evening we got ice cold snow! So last late night I went out ofcourse, with my dog Ziva, and we had some serious snow fun! And it's good we took our chance because next morning ( Some special Tuesday for those who actively celebrate carnaval here) most of the snow tapestry had melted!!

I have some fingerless gloves myself hehe but it's related to hold the nylon dog leash I use on cold winter days. Or nights. Kind of a lone wolf here.

Some call me genius some think I'm crazy or assume I'm paranoid but that doesn't matter.

It feels good to finally use my brains instead of objecting and protesting to harsh reality.

Too bad I had to become this old before I realized this!!!

One last sip from this cocktail I'm currently drinking and then I shall continue to take good care of my body.

Then the mental health issues will be even better under control.

Solutions we need. Really intelligent and good solutions so that people can become more educated. I cannot fix the world or stop all nature from disappearing on my own, but I can try to fix my own circle of connections here in my hometown and it started when I was able to reduce the noise on the communication in my own family.

After all we're all human and have a great natural desire for peace when connected to nature.

And now I'm going to listen to that beautiful piece of dulcimer art again that was dropped today on this forum.
Sleep well <3

Just wet the lips, says the pirates!
Lez Bon-ton Roul'e!
Happy Mardi-gras!
Anja and all the other Pirates!

Farmer rum + fiddle = bad fiddle playing, usually.

My good friend Lee, it's time to go busking the streets for real. Yesterday I went to the local music store in our closest city over here. The guy in the shop kind of treated me as if I were some kind of newbie, while I had only asked to reposition the bridge on my oldest fiddle. He was constantly trying to interfere after I had seen he had been able to reposition the bridge exactly as it should have been repositioned. He was offering me lots of retuning suggestions, but his focus was on the materials : the strings, the tuning pegs, the bridge, the soundpost. Same time some sort of pianist I immediately liked (he was good and funny!) walked through the shop and some were trying to jam on me while I was taking out a bow and trying to test the newly positioned bridge. But you know , damn kids - all alike- : they wil outsmart you, something that will always leave them puzzled :-)

My first idea to play the local anthem of that city and the anthem of the province on the stairs that lead to the first floor of this local music shop did not work. It was a good fail though. I told the bridge repositioner, who was desperately trying to help : believe me, this fiddle has an own will! So I was able to ignore his material knowledge and do my own idea nevertheless, and the fiddle led me to the answer I have been looking for for so long and that answer was very clear: it wants to be in dead man's tuning with my own preference of always # on the tuning device.

I think Lee, that in the shop at that same moment, they were kind of surprised with my short demonstration of how a fiddle can have an own will and I saw they kind of regretted it that they didn't have a singing bow in D# or A# because the day before I had brought in my luthier's fiddle for a new D string, and to cover up the incident with the fragance oil.
I left the shop with the words that one day I want to hear that one specific tune I had been playing being moonbounced back to me....leaving them I guess kind of riddled.

Now it is time to go back, a first busking attempt, and I don't think I am allowed to do this during the night, so I will need to find strategic positioning on a bright and sunny day. My preference would be to play this when the whole streets are lit by the moon, but can't do that, right? Sometimes there are some strange rules I do tend to stick to.
I'll start small, maybe take my fiddle with me, visit a few local pubs, see if anyone will try to conversate with me or trying to pick up the vibes. I am pretty sure there must be a gateway to the heavenly spirit of the Hammons tune and all of the others I meanwhile kind of ahum 'master'. (I don't see it like that!)
Anyhow and anyway, I renewed that license, yes I did, but for the charm of everything I'll just slowly , very lightly, get back to it. And maybe Lee, maybe one day my fiddle dream will become truth. I picked the most beautiful call I could have ever chosen and it refers to an old pirate's name. I have no intentions to reveal that call, I'll just use it wise and be very very careful with everything I say and do from now on.

Take good care of Harry, I'll be following your steps. The old fiddle has chosen it's own path...and the newest one I'll just force into the folkey-dancey stuf hehe, it can have a lot, it comes from excellent quality of Chinese wood.

PS: the bridge repositioning was for free. I really wonder how they will do on the cover up of the newest fiddle. I bet they will do an awesome job, as always, they are more than amazing - so is my own luthier- but you know, he's kind of far away.

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

My good friend Lee, it's time to go busking the streets for real. Yesterday I went to the local music store in our closest city over here. The guy in the shop kind of treated me as if I were some kind of newbie, while I had only asked to reposition the bridge on my oldest fiddle. He was constantly trying to interfere after I had seen he had been able to reposition the bridge exactly as it should have been repositioned. He was offering me lots of retuning suggestions, but his focus was on the materials : the strings, the tuning pegs, the bridge, the soundpost. Same time some sort of pianist I immediately liked (he was good and funny!) walked through the shop and some were trying to jam on me while I was taking out a bow and trying to test the newly positioned bridge. But you know , damn kids - all alike- : they wil outsmart you, something that will always leave them puzzled :-)

My first idea to play the local anthem of that city and the anthem of the province on the stairs that lead to the first floor of this local music shop did not work. It was a good fail though. I told the bridge repositioner, who was desperately trying to help : believe me, this fiddle has an own will! So I was able to ignore his material knowledge and do my own idea nevertheless, and the fiddle led me to the answer I have been looking for for so long and that answer was very clear: it wants to be in dead man's tuning with my own preference of always # on the tuning device.

I think Lee, that in the shop at that same moment, they were kind of surprised with my short demonstration of how a fiddle can have an own will and I saw they kind of regretted it that they didn't have a singing bow in D# or A# because the day before I had brought in my luthier's fiddle for a new D string, and to cover up the incident with the fragance oil.
I left the shop with the words that one day I want to hear that one specific tune I had been playing being moonbounced back to me....leaving them I guess kind of riddled.

Now it is time to go back, a first busking attempt, and I don't think I am allowed to do this during the night, so I will need to find strategic positioning on a bright and sunny day. My preference would be to play this when the whole streets are lit by the moon, but can't do that, right? Sometimes there are some strange rules I do tend to stick to.
I'll start small, maybe take my fiddle with me, visit a few local pubs, see if anyone will try to conversate with me or trying to pick up the vibes. I am pretty sure there must be a gateway to the heavenly spirit of the Hammons tune and all of the others I meanwhile kind of ahum 'master'. (I don't see it like that!)
Anyhow and anyway, I renewed that license, yes I did, but for the charm of everything I'll just slowly , very lightly, get back to it. And maybe Lee, maybe one day my fiddle dream will become truth. I picked the most beautiful call I could have ever chosen and it refers to an old pirate's name. I have no intentions to reveal that call, I'll just use it wise and be very very careful with everything I say and do from now on.

Take good care of Harry, I'll be following your steps. The old fiddle has chosen it's own path...and the newest one I'll just force into the folkey-dancey stuf hehe, it can have a lot, it comes from excellent quality of Chinese wood.

PS: the bridge repositioning was for free. I really wonder how they will do on the cover up of the newest fiddle. I bet they will do an awesome job, as always, they are more than amazing - so is my own luthier- but you know, he's kind of far away.

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Nice comment but I don't know what you mean by the term 'call"...!

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

My good friend Lee, it's time to go busking the streets for real. Yesterday I went to the local music store in our closest city over here. The guy in the shop kind of treated me as if I were some kind of newbie, while I had only asked to reposition the bridge on my oldest fiddle. He was constantly trying to interfere after I had seen he had been able to reposition the bridge exactly as it should have been repositioned. He was offering me lots of retuning suggestions, but his focus was on the materials : the strings, the tuning pegs, the bridge, the soundpost. Same time some sort of pianist I immediately liked (he was good and funny!) walked through the shop and some were trying to jam on me while I was taking out a bow and trying to test the newly positioned bridge. But you know , damn kids - all alike- : they wil outsmart you, something that will always leave them puzzled :-)

My first idea to play the local anthem of that city and the anthem of the province on the stairs that lead to the first floor of this local music shop did not work. It was a good fail though. I told the bridge repositioner, who was desperately trying to help : believe me, this fiddle has an own will! So I was able to ignore his material knowledge and do my own idea nevertheless, and the fiddle led me to the answer I have been looking for for so long and that answer was very clear: it wants to be in dead man's tuning with my own preference of always # on the tuning device.

I think Lee, that in the shop at that same moment, they were kind of surprised with my short demonstration of how a fiddle can have an own will and I saw they kind of regretted it that they didn't have a singing bow in D# or A# because the day before I had brought in my luthier's fiddle for a new D string, and to cover up the incident with the fragance oil.
I left the shop with the words that one day I want to hear that one specific tune I had been playing being moonbounced back to me....leaving them I guess kind of riddled.

Now it is time to go back, a first busking attempt, and I don't think I am allowed to do this during the night, so I will need to find strategic positioning on a bright and sunny day. My preference would be to play this when the whole streets are lit by the moon, but can't do that, right? Sometimes there are some strange rules I do tend to stick to.
I'll start small, maybe take my fiddle with me, visit a few local pubs, see if anyone will try to conversate with me or trying to pick up the vibes. I am pretty sure there must be a gateway to the heavenly spirit of the Hammons tune and all of the others I meanwhile kind of ahum 'master'. (I don't see it like that!)
Anyhow and anyway, I renewed that license, yes I did, but for the charm of everything I'll just slowly , very lightly, get back to it. And maybe Lee, maybe one day my fiddle dream will become truth. I picked the most beautiful call I could have ever chosen and it refers to an old pirate's name. I have no intentions to reveal that call, I'll just use it wise and be very very careful with everything I say and do from now on.

Take good care of Harry, I'll be following your steps. The old fiddle has chosen it's own path...and the newest one I'll just force into the folkey-dancey stuf hehe, it can have a lot, it comes from excellent quality of Chinese wood.

PS: the bridge repositioning was for free. I really wonder how they will do on the cover up of the newest fiddle. I bet they will do an awesome job, as always, they are more than amazing - so is my own luthier- but you know, he's kind of far away.

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Nice comment but I don't know what you mean by the term 'call"...!

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OH! I forgot the sign ;-)

Tried something new this year; as bummed didn't get around to have a St. Patty's day gig lined up. Popped by play few tunes at the Senior Housing/Center visit old friend who no longer can get out to play.

Then thought about busking, bright sunny day, but alas it's still winter... 

So I got some notion of Pub/Bar busking.   Just grabbed fiddle, showed up unannounced took chance.

It was awesome, worked out great, one of my best days busking ever... financially and engagement, singing, dancing and smiles. Definitely going to keep that in mind next year. Wonder how would work other than St. Pats?

Have fun busking, Anja! I also love the idea of playing under the full moon (maybe in summertime) but then there are those pesky early-bird people who are asleep by 9pm…

I kinda wanna take my fiddle out into the woods this spring, sit by a stream…(before the mosquitos come out! It’s a short window of time … LOL) The stream running by, has gotta beat my garage for ambience.

geo, that sounds like fun, and I’m sure you made your friend’s day!

Geo , I used to do that with my bro on St Pats in NYC. Hit an Irish bar, play 3 tunes, pass the hat and move on. Cleaned up!! And had more drinks then was good for us.
Ahhh - youth!

Yep way more Pints of Guinness and shots of Jamison offered than I could nor should consume. As wll as Corned Beef, Cabbage and Soda Bread... (hard pass on mutton stew). i thought about how Pipers do that 3 tunes, and move on; decided to stay much longer. Besides the classic jigs and reels... of course did the obligatory "Danny Boy" "Red is the Rose" "Molly Malone" "Whiskey in the Jar" stuff as well; Galway Girl and a couple of Pogues, Van Morrison and U2 songs just for fun. Even slipped in a fiddle version of Pink Pony Club, see if anyone was paying attention. Good Last Nights Fun (well 2 nights ago).

LOL, pipers pay their mortgages off on St Pats! One pipe band I know hires a bus for 24 hours and makes God knows how many stops in NYC in the one day.