this is a post for my city folk dedicated to the best musicians you've seen doing their thing on the street for your change.

in NY there's nothing worse (better?) than spending way too much money on a mediocre show, only to be blown away by the guy playing sax on the platform when you're waiting for your train home.

at any rate, in the 8 or so years ive lived here, there are 2 acts that have really blown me away....

1 - SCOTTISH OCTOPUS currently playing several evenings a week in union square (sunday evenings for sure is when i always see them....GO!) - a drummer and a dude on bagpipes. thats IT. shades of the title track off "do you want more" - fanTAStic.
i read that these two guys met in person for the first time at a planned meet just to do one of these union square jams, and this is the sound that came out.
anyway, these guys CAKE OUT. sooo much loot in that drum case. and they just play for HOURS AND HOURS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM23r4iRjW0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfqg9fbK5VM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu2j_bNWdw8


2 - this old blind dude that walks down the train singing. havent seen him i a long while - hope he's still kicking. hes got a super gravely voice, like an angle that gargles with razor blades. but he just slowly walks down the train, clacking his stick on the poles to find his way, and his voice just SLAYS me. he'll sing amazing grace...then he'll switch it up to "if you want my body, and you think im sexy" - hilarious. and when he feels the cash go in his cup, in the middle of his songs, he'll just stop say "oh, god bless you" in the sweetest most sincere way. love this dude. I always fantasized that if i was a music exec and i was on the train when he came by, i would grab him, get him off the streets immediately, put him in a studio, and see what came out.