When I think of busker, I think street musicians.
“When
I think of buskers” says Eric Epstein “I think of jugglers”
Epstein
has been coordinating some very interesting performers as part of
the Longest Day Street Festival.
“I’ve
got the guy (Aaron Gregg) who juggles with a flaming bucket on his
head”
Through
a submission process, using contacts he has and by contacting performers
through “ the great street performers network that is on the
Internet”, Epstein was able to assemble a program of street
performers that Whitehorse has never seen.
Mason
Davis puts himself through a toilet seat.
“We’ve
got a guy who does a straight jacket type escape after being wrapped
up with Saran Wrap from neck to ankle”
I asked
about musicians, my idea of busking, Epstein explained street musicians
aren’t what were needed for the street festival, “We’ve
got local musicians that play on the street.”
“I’m
bringing eleven performers, ten acts in all” Epstein said, ”Six
out of the ten are from Montréal” because there is such
a circus tradition there, whether its training at circus school or
circus exposure”.
Peter
Snow does a razor blade trick wherein he swallows eleven razor blades,
then brings them up on a string. “There is a certain carney
fascination where half the people want to look away and half the people
want to watch.”
“These
people have particular talent ranging from carneys to circus.”
The other place they come from is the old vaudeville, variety tradition”
Eric Girard creates a ladder of swords and climbs them, Spike McGuire
spins plates and Kenneth Lightfoot does number divination, card throwing
and pick pocketing.
Snow
also does the classic Chinese Ring Illusion, Epstein explains, “traditional
magic that people may have seen on TV or (younger folk) may never
have seen it at all”
“I
looked outside of Whitehorse” Epstein pointed out, “Other
than a few local groups there are none that have these particular
skills, or at least they are not coming out in public with them. And
they are still trying to work out how not to cut themselves on the
razor blades.”
People
who do it, do it for a long time” adds Epstein, ”Also
you can’t just juggle and that’s it, you have to do something
beyond that; everybody has a hook.
“I’ve
got Mr. Bunk, who has a lap dancing marionette”
The irresistible
Carlotta, the lap-dancing Marionette is suitable for all ages.
“They
all have skills of one level or another, but in the end what defines
the best street performers is the rapport with the audience.”
There
is a pretty good level of generosity up here performers have found.
“The hat is a big part of it and they all make a pitch for the
hat at the end of the show.” “Anybody that is good should
be able to raise a little money”
Performers
are paid a per diem and meals are supplied through local businesses.