Last week when I was in Santa Monica, CA I saw the greatest urban street performance in my lifetime. The guy didn't sing, didn't play an instrument, he didn't even dance. Actually, he just sat there and played records.This is what modern mixed-use shopping centers like, Mercato in Naples, FL, are missing. Developers have created the urban downtown look with small open spaces and residential living above commercial units. They fail to create a true urban environment because they lack day to day retail stores like grocery, haircut, gas, and cheap eats. In my opinion, these new mixed-use urban shopping centers lack one major thing; Urban Street Performers. Nothing brings a street alive like live unfiltered street performances. These people are usually raw talent and doing what they love.
Sitting in the street spinning records because you can...I like that!
i like that too! one sweet memeory i have from NYC were the two rappers we heard on the crowded subway train...they were just as good as any performer you'd hear on the radio and they were live with no music, just one rapping and one beat-boxing! love it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best street performer memories i have was in Chicago, New years eve, a couple years ago in the subway. We had just left the Umphrey's concert and there was a group of drummers jamming away in the subway station on our way home and everyone from the show was having a dance party right there on the platform, I didn't want to leave when the train came!
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