Shutter On The Street

Jerry Rowan is a bit of a street performing celebrity. He’s spent time with the world famous Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey, made a tv appearance on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, and has been banned from performing at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (the ban has since been lifted).

His act delivers rapid one liners throughout his show that will make you laugh, as long as you aren’t on the wrong end of the punch line. Don’t let the quick quips fool you though, Jerry possesses a great deal of skills when it comes to juggling, riding a unicycle and balancing things on his head. The picture below is Jerry’s finale move which earned him a spot on David Letterman’s show.

I walk down the dimly lit steps into the gritty subway tunnels.  The sounds of passing trains fill the air and the air turns stale and humid.  Sliding my metro card and walking through the turnstyle, I hear a faint sound of elegance in the air.  Not knowing exactly where I’m going, I make my way through the underground labyrinth following the pleasantly pitched sounds.  As I get closer, the angelic music gets louder and I finally come upon the source of these heavenly tunes.

Natalia, The Saw Lady, plays a very unique instrument, a carpenter’s saw.  Though the teeth have been filed down and a handle placed on the end for better control of its shape, its form is unmistakable and shocking.   She bends the saw into an “S” shape and strokes a violin bow down it’s edge to produce stunning sounds.  A visit to her web page is highly recommended to hear some samples of the beautiful music she produces.

Two weeks without a post, how sad. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of material but rather a lack of available time and a friend needing help. Things seems to have settled down and I’m going to do my best to have these ready to go a few weeks in advance so that I can miss a week here or there.

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Through the air, thick with the smell of salt water and carnival foods, comes the rhythmic sounds of wooden drum sticks banging on plastic buckets. On the side of the Boardwalk in Ocean City, MD, behind a crowd of 10 or 15 people sits a young man atop a long board skateboard with a mix of plastic and metal buckets of varying sizes turned upside down. Fourteen year old Ryan Nash takes time out of his vacation to the beach to come down to the boardwalk and earn a few bucks playing the bucket drums for the town’s tourists. In an effort to earn some pocket change and money to put towards his college expenses, he spends about an hour a day creating possessive rhythmic beats that will have your foot stomping. Every year Ryan takes approximately $500 of the money he’s earned throughout the summer and deposits it to put towards his upcoming college expenses.

Ryan is in his fourth year performing on the boardwalk but has been invovled in music for much longer. He plays in a number of musical groups including the Paul Green School of Rock. He started busking when another bucket drummer on the boardwalk told him, “you can make a lot of money doing this.” Seizing an opportunity to put his talents to work for himself, Ryan applied for a permit from the city and now performs when his family comes down for vacation.

One of the most unique acts at the Inner Harbor features Brian Rudo. His act features a number of odd props including a bull whip, a flaming jump rope, a 24 inch balance ball, and not one, but two straight jackets. He describes his act as an adrenaline comedy show. Brian enjoys the unpredictability that a show with a large number of audience volunteers offers. He has to be tuned in to the audience and read their reactions to deliver the best show possible.

Evan Young has painstakingly developed his act over the last 6 years. In his early years on the west coast, Evan received a lot of criticism from seasoned street performers while developing his act. Rather than being deterred, he continued evolving his act and is now one of the regular performers in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  Every part of Evan’s show is carefully analyzed for impact and effectiveness as he constantly evolves as a performer. Evan puts a lot of effort into his show to deliver the best possible experience to the audience.  He approaches street performing very scientifically but his passion for it is obvious in his performances.

Evan’s patriotism and philanthropic side was clearly evident at this year’s Memorial Day.  Evan organized a charity fund raiser event for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a fund that supports troops that have made sacrifices for our nation.  Evan, along with Jonathan Burns and Jason Moffet, performed for most of the day on Memorial Day, in considerable heat, and donated all of the tips they received to the fund.

The stunning quality of Evan’s act is dwarfed by that of his character.

Lisa, the Unicycle Lady, demonstrates how to “handle” a unicycle. After working for a law firm for 10 years, Lisa experimented with street performing and miming on the streets of Washington, D.C. After two days, she knew that she could turn her unicycle skills into a full time gig. Her exceptional unicycle skills and unique blend of comedy creates an entertaining show.

“Ill Will” and “Ready” of the USA Break Dancers perform a table top to warm the crowd up. The move clearly demonstrates their strength, balance, and team work and was only an appetizer to their very impressive and electric performance.

Anthony “Ready” Rosa of the USA Break Dancers performs a side ways flip while keeping his cool (and his hat on)! “Ready” is one of four members of the USA Break Dancers team headed up by the manager and MC, Julio “Klown” Santiago. This foursome hails from New York City where they started their career on the streets of Times Square. The three main breakers range in age from 16 to 24 and put on a stunning show of athleticism, full body control and pure entertainment.

Evan Young, of www.globalevan.com, collects his tips after performing his finale juggling act: a bowling ball, machete, and flaming torch while balancing atop two skateboards and a cylinder. Performers at Harborplace are scheduled by the property managers, however, they are not paid for performing. Each performer earns his wages for the night based on the girth and generosity of the crowds and the show’s impact.

As MC of the 2008 Harborplace Street Performer Auditions, Michael Rosman, finds the best seat in the house…for his own show! Mounting a six foot unicycle is no easy task and Michael finds a helpful audience member to assist him.