The Open Stage Adventure

Tag: busking

Would you like a tune with that turnip? – Busking at the Farmers’ Market

March 9, 2014 / / 1 Comment

Everyone who reads this blog knows I love live music and I’m lucky to live where I can get lots of it. Another thing I love about my community is that I can get local produce almost right through the year. Even when the snow is blowing and we are longing for spring there are tables full of good things to eat at our farmers’ market: apples, honey, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, maple syrup, eggs, potatoes, onions as well as baked goods, sweet and savory.

IMG_6785I brought these two loves together this month when my trio sang at the Elora Farmers’ Market. We saw how the music made people smile when they walked in – some even sang along. And we sang for the vendors, giving them something a little different to accompany their Saturday morning routine.

Markets & musicians – a great combo.

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Supercrawl – James Street North, Hamilton, Ontario

September 16, 2012 / / 0 Comments

This weekend (September 14-15), Hamilton transformed a long stretch of James Street North into a concert and street party venue. For a day and a half the street was closed to cars to allow thousands of music and art lovers to enjoy Supercrawl. The festival hosted dozens of musical acts on four stages and filled the neighbourhood with drama, dance and visual arts installations and performances. Organized busking stages collected money for Warchild, the charity Supercrawl chose to sponsor at this year’s event.

Highlights for me: Terra Lightfoot, The Born Ruffians, and Owen Pallett.

  

Also the creative and thought provoking installations here and there throughout the venue.

 

Part of the street entertainment was “unofficial” busking. One unfortunate result of buskers setting up too close to each other was that their sound competed and it was hard to enjoy either one.  I liked this unscheduled and impromptu part of the festival but some better location planning or even a friendly agreement to take turns playing sets would have solved that minor irritation.

The breathtaking Circus Orange

To Supercrawl organizers, volunteers, artists and performers – congratulations for reclaiming some street space (even temporarily) for art and music.

Busking in Vieux Lyon

June 19, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Yet another way to take music into public spaces: Busking! I have no first hand experience to share but here is a great blog post about busking in Lyon, France:  http://www.weareallonfire.com/?p=290

Do you have a busking story to tell? Or maybe you have a prime busking spot you’d like to share the location of? If you have a street musician gig coming up post it here.

My Mission:

The goal of this website is:

1) to explore open musical spaces (jams, open stages, song circles) and what draws us to them; and

2) to promote and celebrate these events and venues where people come together to share music.

I would like to forge and strengthen connections between the various musical communities and promote grassroots folk music.

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