Doug Clark: Street Music Week’s tally another high

A drum roll, if you please.

The fifth annual Spokane Street Music Week reached its finale Friday, and I sensed that something special had occurred.

Having concluded their downtown serenades, musicians began returning to my location near Starbucks with their red plastic collection buckets extra heavy with cash and coinage.

“This was a good day,” mused a guitar player.

And how.

Maybe it was the pleasant weather. Maybe it was an overall attitude of generosity brought on by the last day of school and the advent of another summer.

Or could it be that Spokane is finally getting in tune with this simple one-week event that scatters musicians on sidewalks during the lunch hour to raise money for Second Harvest food bank?

Whatever the case, Friday’s haul was $661.65. That’s a record for a single day by nearly $200.

That boosted this year’s total to – ta-dah! – $2,750.55.

Last year’s take, also a record, barely broke the $2,000 mark.

Our landmark figure includes another $500 donation from my amigo Dave Cebert, the president of Cue11 recording and entertainment. Cebert has been underwriting this since I hatched it as a solo tour of downtown to spice up our sad street music scene.

“Awesome,” said Jim Lyons, my Street Music Week second-in-command and one of the main reasons this thing works.

Lyons hasn’t missed a day since the second installment, when I opened up the fun to other musicians. He helps with planning, lugs gear and even tossed in a $100 donation.

This year drew more than 70 performers, up 18 players from 2006.

“It’s become part of our culture now,” said Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession. Street Music Week “is a real positive thing. It changes the atmosphere of downtown.”

I can always count on the mayor to officially endorse the event via proclamation. But he also came down to my site Friday to make a donation and say hello.

That showed class. I’ve been a fly in the mayor’s lemonade, criticizing some of his more controversial moves.

I’ve urged him to be more forceful and less lawyerly. More open, less secretive. But I’ve always considered Hession to be an upright and moral guy who cares deeply about his city.

There were plenty of street music highlights this year.

For guitarist Dennis Smith, it was receiving a $20 bill from two women. “I can’t play ‘Margaritaville’ again,” Smith said with a laugh. “It was my money song.”

For Jim Burks, a sax man, it was connecting with young people. “The children with their mothers,” he said, “they were dying to put money in the bucket.”

Mary Olson showed up each day to play her lap dulcimer. “The instrument is uncommon,” she said. That prompted more than a few pedestrians to pause and check it out.

A group from an elementary school approached Charlie Lee as he was strumming his guitar.

Lee seized the moment as a golden opportunity. He paused in his playing and gave the kids a mini-lesson on “the value of charity.”

Steve Livingston, an accomplished accordion player, was a sensation at his post near River Park Square.

“Absolutely marvelous,” he said of his experience. “The reception was exactly what I hoped for. Spokane turned out in droves and loved it.”

Bob Glaza, a bluegrass guitar player, reported a rare drive-by donation: This car came by. A hand with money extended out the window.

“I can see the 10th annual, the 15th annual, the 20th annual,” he said.

This marks the year Spokane Street Music Week grew too big to list every musician’s name. To make up for that, we gave out certificates of appreciation and hosted a free pizza and pop party at Pacific Ave. Pizza on Friday night.

About 30 participants and family members showed up for the pies and a spirited open-mike music session.

I do want to thank Spokesman-Review marketing services manager Colleen Striegel for all the great public relations help. And marketing department designer Nita Alexander did a fab job creating the street music posters, advertisements and certificates.

Sure, it’s great fun being a street musician for a week. I’ll never forget the joy of picking and singing “Hotel California” with Jim Kershner accompanying me on his banjo.

(Note: Kershner’s stage name is Grandpa Jimmy the Banjo Man. We’re available for hill-folk weddings and circumcisions.)

But the bottom line is that this is about feeding the hungry. The money collected goes to put food on the plates of people in need.

As long as we’re talking about memories, however, I did have a special one.

And no, I’m not counting the belligerent bicycle cop who wouldn’t shake my hand.

Man, if looks could Taser I’d be pot roast.

My street music crescendo came one day when a well-dressed guy tossed a $100 bill into my bucket.

I’ve had more than a few twenties come my way, but a crisp Franklin?

That was a first.

I stopped and tried to get his name. He wouldn’t bite.

He just laughed and told me to remember him as the guy “dumb enough to put $100 in your bucket.”