(LONDON) The humble street performer is no longer a victim of a cashless society. A new digital method called a contactless payment terminal can accept a tip to the busker with the wave of a card.In a test of the new method, patrons were seen waving their credit/debit cards in front of the reader. The project was launched last weekend by the Busk in London organization as a trial. A few performers were seen testing the new transactional device.

Charlotte Campbell, a full-time street performer who was part of the trial, told BBC News that the new tech "had a significant impact on contributions." Said Campbell, "More people than ever tap-to-donate whilst I sing, and often, when one person does, another follows."

The reader needs to be attached to a smartphone or tablet. It is then...

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(SHANGHAI) The magazine That's Shanghai has published a detailed account of a Laowai busker's adventures entitled "Streetside Serenade". Over the past few years, China has relaxed it's laws against any crowd forming in public.As Benjamin Lipschitz reveals, "I soon discovered the true beauty of sidewalks: all cities had them! I traveled to Shandong, Shaanxi, Fujian, Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan. I got more ambitious. I went to the United States and eventually to Mexico where I lived for a year and a half. Everywhere I went, I found that by seeking sustenance in the streets with my music, I could learn more about a place and its culture than by visiting tourist sites."

And that's just the beginning of a fascinating account of a true world-class...

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(NYC) You won't believe this but the following is just one single week recapping some of the strangest subway behavior in NYC. It is also the first in a new NBC 4 weekly series documenting happenings in the New York City subway. It promises to be quite an interesting serial publication."We start the first week noting that 5.6 million people ride the subway each day which makes it not only a hot spot for talent scouting and people watching, but also a snow-globe of sorts for some of the strangest behavior in the city".

Busker #1 is a cigarette smoking man underneath a train (don't ask). Then he jumps up and performs balancing and dare-devil stunts in-between cars. With cigarette in hand, he finishes by tap-dancing across the platform and away from the encroaching NYPD. The busker...

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(SAN DIEGO) There's a lot of buzz about this year's Spring Busker Festival in San Diego, California. This year, the festival is celebrating it's 12th season featuring buskers from coast to coast.Recognized for their unusual acts, buskers and street performers will display their unicycles, pogo sticks, juggling, aerial ballet, dance, sword swallowing, jump ropes, contortion, stunts, comedy, fire breathing, and yet even more.

The exceptional event includes a special wet and wild “Buskers After Dark” performance Saturday evening featuring a DJ, food and beer specials, and busker acts best suited for those over 18.

Enjoy a day on the coast with those bloody buskers!
All busker festivals are free but cash tips are always appreciated.
Be sure to bring a few extra bills.


For more info
be sure to check out
the lin...

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(TEXAS) Austin is using a bankroll of $150,000 in private funds from site developer Trammel Crow to create a Busking Pilot Program in the new Green Water development in the Seaholm District downtown.“Busking is a hugely overlooked art form. From it, you can gain exposure, a surprisingly diverse fan base, other paid performance opportunities, paid practice time in front of a live audience, and perhaps make enough to live on. Many benefits can be gained from an underrated thing such as street performance if you really work at it. It is definitely something that every artist should take advantage of especially where it is open for anyone and everyone.”

The music office plans to pay musicians to perform at the development each weekend for a full year. They are currently accepting applications from street mus...

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