(USA) It's that time of year again when a young man's thoughts turn to busking. It's all about sun, people, and shade as we take a look at some of the hottest performing venues the United States has to offer.An article in USA Today features David Michael, a former street musician and author of Busker: Tales of a Renegade Harpist. The article mentions Michael's insight into the wide world of busking. Waxing philosophical, he elaborates about the different venues some buskers take that, were it not for street-performing, the talent would go to waste. Crowd gathering is also discussed.

Some cities are obvious. New York, Boston, and San Francisco are considered the centerpieces of American culture. Yet, we find some surprising "off-the-beaten-path" pitches that, normally, one wouldn't think there...

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(HOLLYWOOD) The film "The Giant Mechanical Man" tells of a human statue street-performer (Topher Grace) who falls in love with female zoo worker (Jenna Fischer). Each of them resists pressure from friends and family not to get together. A romantic comedy, it's yet again another love story featuring the performers. A tried and true story-line, it dates back to the silent cinema era with "The Blue Angel".


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(MASSACHUSETTS) The Daily Hampshire Gazette has jumped into the performing arts community circle reporting on four individual buskers on a recent summer's day.'The sounds of the street: A day in the life of four downtown buskers' features a fiddler, a singer-songwriter, a tap dancer, and a percussionist all with different stories and motives while performing on the street.

For some performers, busking is just a fleeting moment in their career. But for others, it’s an important stop on the road to fame. Some make it, some don't. Some persist, some give up. There are all sorts of rhyme and reasons for busking. It may surprise the reader to learn about these performers.

“Some wonderful musicians got their chops by performing for street audiences, and there’s lot of merit in putting yourself out there...

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(THE NETHERLANDS) An article at TheCityAtEyeLevel.com in the Netherlands has published an article portraying busking as a viable means of rejuvenating city streets. Some city's methodology include Glasgow, Melbourne, and Singapore."Busking is at risk of being licensed out of existence, with permit systems, auditions, fees, written application processes, equipment bans, scheduling and branding making the spontaneous, surprising art in public spaces a thing of the past."

The article goes on to discuss street performing policy, proposed permit systems, and a starters guide to encouraging busking in your city.

Many buskers prefer to be self-regulated but there are always a few who abuse this type of system. This can lead to public disputes where there is strong disagreement.

For more info,...

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(SOUTH AFRICA) His name is Gregory da Silva - a comedian artist, storyteller, dancer and live street perfomer from Benin West Africa. Also known locally as the "Eggman", he's a hard-boiled character known for wearing a World-Record 624 eggs on his hat.

Gaining fame in Cape Town, it now seems that the Eggman may have been traumatized after a robbery in Italy left him injured. Although you've got to break a few eggs to make an omlett, that's not what the Eggman had in mind.

But where is the Eggman today? He has seemed to have vanished after his trip to Milano vowing never to return to Cape Town, the city that sponsored him.

It now appears the Eggman has been met with "foul" play. If you have seen the Eggman, please report immediately. His bacon is getting cold....

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