Street musicians keep the beat
Jim West is the William Hung of tambourine players.
Like the famed “American Idol” reject, Spokane’s mayor couldn’t locate the beat with a magnifying glass and a Sonar screen.
Of course, that’s the beauty of playing music on the sidewalk. Showing up and sincerity are just as important as artistry.
So give West credit for being a genuine sport. On the northwest corner of Main and Wall one day last week, the mayor took an active, albeit rhythmically challenged, role in Spokane Street Music Week.
The mayor thunked and clanked randomly, while I strummed and belted out a spirited version of my original “Spokane Song.”
Which West had never heard.
The look of creeping astonishment that washed over West’s face was priceless as his brain began to register lyrics such as:
“Ain’t life great? Livin’ in Spokane!
Where the weather’s fine, and the sun is shining.
And another smelly biker just opened up a new meth lab.”
After we finished I braced myself. Would West retract the Street Music Week proclamation he gave me at the last City Council meeting?
Lucky me. Hizzoner has a sense of humor.
Plus the song is satirically true, conceded the mayor with a chuckle.
Not long after West left, a somewhat officious cop appeared to “investigate” an alleged noise complaint. Whether this had something to do with the magic of the mayor’s tambourine playing or my singing is unanswered.
After a brief conversation, this bulldog in blue went away to (hopefully) focus his law-enforcement acumen on more pressing matters like sidewalk spitting, jaywalking and donut munching.
And so my festival of street music continued with nobody getting maced.
As reported in earlier columns, I put out the call to area musicians, asking them to come help me perform every day last week during the noon hour. Asphalt artists of all shapes, sizes and instrumentation responded. They agreed to show their talent at various locations and solicit donations for Spokane’s Second Harvest Food Bank.
And now the news we’ve all been waiting for:
My solo effort last year collected $503.71 for the food bank.
This year’s take: $1,361.61.
I can’t thank enough those musical heroes who gave their time and skills to make Spokane Street Music Week an overwhelming success:
Charlie Schmidt and his daughter, Sydney. Jeff Peterson. John Coyle. Dave McRae. Ernie Vollmer. Tamara McCorquodale. Craig “Buck Daddie” Heberling. Ajahn. H. Marc Bateman. Michelle Greer. Todd Schoenberger. Accordion Joe Jenkins. Chris Moyer. Kendall Feeney. Andrea “Ruby Devine” Flanigan. Jim Faddis. Richard Doble.
Special props go to Jim Lyons, who played his guitar and sang all five days. Wanting to serenade the folks outside the downtown bus plaza, Lyons obtained a special permit from the Spokane Transit Authority allowing him to do so.
The bus terminal isn’t the most lucrative spot for collections. Go figure.
But in Lyons’ eyes, the humble bus crowd was more appreciative than many of the swells he encountered at more affluent locales.
The farthest travel award goes to the “Two Old Brass Guys,” who drove up from the Moscow/Pullman area.
Wally Friel, 73, is a retired Whitman County Superior Court judge. He plays trombone. Ed Robison, 83, is a retired land developer. He plays tuba.
The duo was an energetic crowd pleaser on the sidewalk near Starbucks. “We both know every song written before 1930,” bragged Friel. “And we don’t need music.”
My apologies if I missed naming anyone. I’ll blame it on the pressures of being a daily street musician.
There are so many details to worry about: Tuning the guitar. Lugging the gear. Remembering to plug the parking meter … .
Only one day did I neglect that last item. I swore under my breath when I saw the flapping piece of paper pinned by one of my windshield wipers. To my joy, however, it was a white courtesy parking ticket granting me an additional hour of parkage.
Life can be great, livin’ in Spokane. Sometimes.
Lastly, I want to thank the many people who dug into their pockets and gave to the cause.
Even the ones who contributed in, well, unorthodox ways. Along with coins and bills, we received a well-used guitar pick, a car wash token and a foreign coin (from the Philippines, I think).
The mayor flipped an Expo ‘74 coin into my guitar case. He made up for it, however, with some real loot.
Once again, thanks to VU Music for underwriting the event with a $300 donation. And love to the good folks at Tully’s Coffee and Homestead Birkenstocks for letting me use their corner as a street music staging ground.
I’m looking forward to a bigger and better event 12 months from now.
That should give West enough time for tambourine lessons.