(ARIZONA) You wouldn't think Arizona would have come this far - but Downtown Phoenix, Inc. thinks the time is right. Lo and behold, there's music and performing where there once was none. It seems the desert southwest has caught the busker bug.

From flea markets to sporting events to outdoor malls, there are buskers plying their trade and free to now express themselves artistically. The times - they are a changin'.

And why not? Making a more vibrant community can only enhance revenue for the cities thru increased sales in shops and restaurants.

The atmosphere is rhythmically changing into something we can all appreciate when we try. Add a dash of interviews and you've got a nice recipe for explaining Busker Nation.

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With bits and pieces from Bob Dylan, the Old Crow Medicine Show has gathered a following in the contemporary musical landscape. A repertoire of songs ended up in a street-corner string band with frontman Ketch Secor leading the way. From a Dylan snippet, the song "Wagon Wheel" attracted the attention of Coldplay and an album was to follow.

Bob Dylan was to lend another lyrical scrap to their next noticable song "Sweet Amarillo" which enabled "the Crows" to officially join the Nashville scene in the hallowed Grand Ole Opry. They also received accolades from the Americana Music Awards as "Trailblazers".

The album "Remedy" topped the iTunes Country Albums chart with an old-time string band template. With "Remedy", the Old Crow Medicine Show has established...

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(BOULDER, COLORADO) If your're a musical busker or even if you're not, take a listen to a variety of songs made especially for the busking and performing arts.The songs are created specifically by Busker Films and can be heard in video documentaries found over at the famed Busker Alley website. The productions are symbolic of the quality and style found in "The Alley".

The songs showcase different attitudes towards the street-performing arts. Hated by some and loved by others, the songs portrays the busker moving town to town doing their shows and entertaining the masses en route to...who knows where?

"Busker Alley: The Movie" features the song "Road 2 Freedom". Other original compositions including high-energy performance music and even a rap are featured on the website.

Check the links...

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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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(VANCOUVER) Once a bustling tourist mecca, Vancouver is rapidly gaining a reputation as the "No-Fun-Allowed" city.Granville Island has recently revamped their busking regulations with a dizzying array of almost impossible requirements.

Included is having to pass not one but two auditions by a non-qualified jury, a doubling of license fees, arbitrarily banning popular performers, and for good measure, an unbelievable 15 pages of rules.

And they're just getting warmed up. Forget fire and circle shows. Even with insurance, these are out. Want to change a line or joke? It's not allowed once the license agreement is signed. It's the most preposterous, cockeyed, idiotic conception Busker Central News has ever reported.

License fees were doubled because they "hadn't been raised in 5 years."...

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