New Orleans Street Busking...

Or the "mom I am using my music degree blog post." 
Here's a nice little jug band I saw in the French Quarter. They were all filthy, looking like they had slept in the swamp with noses that glowed red from huffing the intoxicant of choice but they played well. 

Think I almost had an art shot here if I could crop out the no parking sandwich sign. Then it would look like this little combo was on the streets of a European city.

 




Here's a homemade instrument and this guy was playing some blues on it. It's a washboard with a cymbal to tap for percussion. It's electric. After making this picture I zoomed it up close to check how it was made and the washboard has the guts of a small battery powered practice amp with digital effects called the Roland Micro cube. I could just make out it's logo. I could make one of these. I have most of the parts laying around except the micro cube. 

I saw many more musicians with the center of the scene seeming to be on Royal Street. Lots of girls with ukes on street corners dressed in 1940s vintage dresses. The uke is popular, even I am playing one. I'd like to try my hand at busking sometime but I can't fit in a 1940s dress. People were so skinny back then. 

I tossed a few bucks in these folks tip jars before I made their picture. I believe in paying for music. I don't pay for music from the Rolling Stones or the Eagles and it's not because I think they shouldn't get paid. I just ignore them like I do other greedy large corporations that tell me they have services I need. I always toss a few bucks to the little guy or buy his cd to help him out. Don't you think we should?