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“musicians or bass players”???perfect!
and then there's this: how many of us log into TB every day pretending to be musicians or bass players?
Huh?
You mean like George Strait?
Is the busker auditioning for Berklee or just some dude trying to entertain passers by? If it’s the former you have reason to question the legitimacy of the performance. If the latter, is it a good show or no? If NO, don’t put money in his bucket.
Ever see Diamond Rio? Marty Roe might be a great musician. But usually his hands just hug the guitar, occasionally it’s a bass. Idle hands…
Pro tip, the metal guy at Times Square is not a real robot.
You mean like George Strait?
Is the busker auditioning for Berklee or just some dude trying to entertain passers by? If it’s the former you have reason to question the legitimacy of the performance. If the latter, is it a good show or no? If NO, don’t put money in his bucket.
Ever see Diamond Rio? Marty Roe might be a great musician. But usually his hands just hug the guitar, occasionally it’s a bass. Idle hands…
Pro tip, the metal guy at Times Square is not a real robot.
Our country and world are full of people making TONS of money pretending to do something impressive. Not going to weigh in with a list of people and "professions". Don't want to offend any of you.
Saw this guy (or someone like him) in a parking lot recently. Was NOT playing the violin. Although I normally toss a dollar in the busker's bucket, I didn't in this case. I felt....deceived? Anyway, he didn't get my dollar.
Lots of people don't carry cash anymore. How do we pay buskers?
Lots of people don't carry cash anymore. How do we pay buskers?
When I know I’m going to be around buskers, I carry single $ bills.
I truly enjoy most street buskers/performances.
We have a guy that fakes it on accordion around here. I figure he needs some help so I give him money.
Also, I’ve played the violin since I was knee high to a grasshopper. We have a legit violinist busker around here with the same setup. He gets more money.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
...and yet the big stars make millions off doing exactly the same thing
I saw a nationally touring band do this at a music festival last summer.
Hear! Hear!
That said, if you give ANY money to ANYONE in a parking lot holding a sing, you aren't very bright.
Just like the violinist who challenged the fake players, try offering to actually help one of those sign holders on the side of the road or in a parking lot. Offer to take them into a restaurant and buy them food. Offer to help them find a shelter, a job, an organization that is set up to help them in multiple ways, etc. You will get turned down every single time.
When my daughters were 7 and 9, I had to teach them this lesson. They would get upset with Mrs.Fingers and with me because we would drive by these "poor people". So I took them with me when I offered anything other than cash. We even bought lunch for one of them and I let my daughters give it to him. Then we pulled out of the parking lot and sat across the street. About 5 minutes later he took one swallow of the drink and then threw everything we had bought in the trash.
People who really, REALLY need help don't turn to strangers in a parking lot. Period.
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They've found something to do that is a step above standing at the corner and asking for cash. It may not be everyone's definition of "work," but they are working. I don't begrudge anyone the right to figure out how to earn a dollar, even if they don't have a useful skill.
Do I think it's silly? Maybe. But if they're pulling it off and feeding the kids, I'm not going to be the one to judge whether it's right or wrong.
I've seen it here in the Salt Lake City area. All of a sudden everywhere all across town, multiple people, all "playing" violin all of a sudden, even multiple people in the same parking lot.
At least some of them were easily recognizable as regularly-seen folks who previously would drive around town in their van with their kids and come up to people in parking lots. They don't seem to be part of the local unsheltered communities, but I'm not an expert there.
At least some of them were easily recognizable as regularly-seen folks who previously would drive around town in their van with their kids and come up to people in parking lots. They don't seem to be part of the local unsheltered communities, but I'm not an expert there.
There are a lot of homeless people with Venmo accounts on their signs. Pretty clever.
more scammers busted!
get a rope!
get a rope!
I went to Target the other day and there was a young family in the parking lot. The man was playing Christmas carols on an accordion- all in a minor key. Jingle bells played this way is interesting. Anyway, they looked pretty cold and miserable (could account for the key change) so everyone in our group gave them a little something.
That story ran two years ago on KETK. And it appears that it is still happening here in Tyler. They just ran an update on the story on December 8, 2021.
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It is the first I've heard of it here. I guess I find it interesting because it seems like such a niche thing to get in to. It is not like electric violins are available everywhere, plus you need a speaker and all that.
I wonder how long you have to be out there to recoup the startup costs. Spitballing I'd say between $300 to $400 to get the set up.
The only problem with that premise is that before any such superbowl appearence or the like, said superstars, as long as they weren’t manufactred boy/girl band units, learned the instruments, put in the work, paid the dues, gained the popularity, performed live all the way from dives to arenas, and if they are called on to appear in such a TV gig, the decision to lip synch/mime is made by the producers of the event, for logistical, technical reasons, and the performance is brief. As far as the little guy in the street, it’s only democratic if that person recorded the backing tracks/sequenced themselves, or if they’re using generics, they put in some sort of actual live performance effort, either instrumental or vocal. Why do ‘superstar’ DJs with zero musicsl skills make insane money standing in front of thousands of people by merely playing records(regardless of technology used)that all sound alike? At best, all they are, are editors.
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