NEW YORK — The Naked Cowboy of Times Square says he's dropping out of the race for New York mayor.Robert "Bob" Burck is a tourist attraction known for strumming his guitar in the square while wearing only briefs and a cowboy hat.

He entered the mayoral race in July with the slogan, “Nobody has done more with less.”

But now, he says he's had enough of the red tape that goes with a mayoral run.

He says the last straw came when the city's Conflicts of Interest Board fined him $250 for failing to file a required financial disclosure form.

Mr. Burck says the only way to be taken seriously is to appear in a suit and tie.

"And away he goes...skidmarks and all," said a Times Squar...

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(BUSKER CENTRAL) Most buskers are past coming of age and well into their mid-life when they begin to ponder their future. Although the oldest busker was 70+ years old, he had other sidelines such as children's and company parties to see him through. We don't want to think about it but need to ponder this same question. What will you be doing after your busking career has ended?It may seem scary now to think of such matters but just imagine how scary it would be if you hadn't made plans for your senior years. Many have continued their performances by going to the private and commercial sectors. Magicians and clowns are easily able to make this transition. But what about, for example, jugglers and musicians? Will they be able to do the same?

Fortunately, there are many new approaches to said problem...

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(GERMANY) Behold the best busker in the world...or is he? We'll let you be the judge as they say. What we have here is Schrotti, possibly the largest one-man band in the universe. Along the Rhine in Düsseldorf plays this extraordinary busker...but is he the best?Full Story & Video

(INTERNET) The leaves are turning a fantastic color of orange in direct sunlight. Along with Fall comes the cold North wind blowing down the alley and snow finding it's way into the tiniest crevice. To top it off, the holidays are coming and we're considering presents to purchase.Busker's Holiday is a new work just published by author Adam Gussow, an associate professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi. It's the kind of book you want to curl up and read on a cold winter's night as you sit and contemplate next year's show. It warms your mind as you learn it's Summer all over again.

Gussow (or as the locals call him, Mister Satan) establishes Busker's Holiday as a story of one McKay Chernoff, a Columbia University grad student with a harmonica in his pocket and a blues band in...

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(NIAGARA FALLS) Up, down, and sideways. That's how the planning for this years St. Catharines Buskerfest has gone.And now, it's going, going, gone all the way to Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls. As the organization says, "Plans to re-stage the festival in 2012 appeared to be over."

The on-again, off-again antics have some buskers wanting to barrel over Horseshoe Falls.

On Thursday, Lyndesfarne announced Buskerfest Niagara, previously known as the St. Catharines International Busker Festival, will go ahead on Queen Street Niagara Falls over Labour Day weekend.

Buskerfest Niagara 2012 will feature more than 150 performances, vendors, special performances, and record-breaking attempts for the Guinness Book of World Records.

“Busker festivals have been gaining popularity all over Canada i...

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