Greetings from the District of Columbia! This is a very exciting weekend here, of course, because it is MLK day and the Inauguration! I came down here for festivities, to visit my brother, and also sort of to busk. We've been busy with the first two activities, but Flaca and I took to the streets this afternoon. [Additionally, I needed something to do while the boys were watching football.]
Sunday, January 20, 2013:
I was planning on avoiding the whole Mall area since I didn't think I'd be allowed to play, or there would be competition, or something. Staying local, I set up for the first time in Dupont Circle, since it's not far from where my brother lives. There is a big fountain (not running in January) surrounded by benches and grass. It's a very nice place to soak up the sun, which was ample today, and there were lots of people out.
The busking was pretty slow, since most of the people in the vicinity were unchanging, but the sun felt nice and I was going to stick it out. But then a "flash mob" began. They called themselves a flash mob, but it was really a prayer circle, focusing on Native American rights. I decided to give them their space and try closer to the Mall. It would be worth it if it worked out, since 1,000,000 people were estimated to be coming into the city this weekend.
And so I hopped on the Metro, whacking people in the kneecaps with my box, as I do best, and popped out on the Mall. It was just as zooey as I expected! It was immediately clear that I couldn't set up on the Mall itself because it was dusty and windy and there was dust flying through the air. Bad for eyes, bad for lungs, really bad for accordions. So I followed the crowds, imagining a wide pedestrian road that might or might not exist in front of the White House. My crowd-following took me on the path that circles the Washington Monument (or "momuwent," as my toddler brother famously called it), and I decided to just stop there. It was level enough, away from where the fuzz might nab me, and there was certainly foot traffic.
This was by far the best of the three locations. I got off to a rough start because a crowd formed as I was setting up, but Flaca wasn't working. She was just off-kilter, facing me, and not dancing. Her arm stayed permanently out, and I couldn't figure out how to fix it under pressure. I blamed it on the merciless wind. Once the initial crowd left I noticed that she was strung up wrong, that one string was stuck, so it was easy to fix. The gusts of wind did continue to pick her up, but it was nothing irreversible. Additionally, I had to be adamant about weighing bills down with Flaca's stagelights lest the wind take them away. Folks were surprisingly disciplined about pinning down both their bills and the people's before them. I was happy when a handful of coins joined the pot to add extra weight. Such things as dried grass, leaves, and trash also blew into the box.
The playing was great. I could feel the sun, people were stopping, people were commenting, people were tipping, people were dancing. There were adorable children everywhere. People moved quickly, though, so I could play The Final Countdown as much as I wanted. The Washington Monument was behind me. I ran into a couple Clarkies. Some men in uniform (the nature unclear) came by and didn't ask me to stop. In fact, one took a photo.
The people-watching was stellar on this particular afternoon. I must say, the demographics in DC during the Inauguration are much different than you'll ever find in Northampton or, like, Scotland. People of every age, race, sex, height, etc. etc. etc. (except political party, probably) were parading by me. I've done very little real American busking!
This is as good a time as any for today's numbered list of anecdotes (from all three spots). There are very few, because I didn't write them down as they came in and I've forgotten them:
1. The first little girl who stopped was named Sophie! She was reluctant to leave, but finally went with her parents. A minute later I saw her walking back towards me, then saw her retreat again, kicking, in her father's arms. Nice to have a fan!
2. Someone walked by me and said, very matter-of-factly, "She is playing an instrument."
3. Two ladies and a little girl hung around while I unpacked the second time, and they commented on my skirt. One of the ladies declared that it's an African design. It's probably just a reprint, but the print itself is African. She gave me a name for it. Piano print is African? I'll take it!
4. I talked to some ladies about the temperature, and referred to being from somewhere North. One asked where from, and I said Massachusetts, specifying that I was from a small town in Western MA. She said that her brother lives in Massachusetts too, but in Amherst. Whoa! She said that he's a performer too, and his act didn't work in Tampa, where they're from, so he sought a more creative/liberal pocket. The brother in question's name is Norman B., and his act is called "Deviations from the Norm." Does anyone know him?
5. One little girl took a look at Flaca and asked, "Is she Michelle Obama?" Awesome. I've gotten Whoopie Goldberg and Aunt Jemima before, but never has my dark-skinned puppet been mistaken for the nation's first lady. "Yes," I responded.
I had to stop when I no longer had the airspace to myself. I had inadvertently set up across from one of the areas with big screens and speakers for the Inauguration tomorrow, and they began to test the speakers. I assume they were testing, that is, and not just intentionally drowning me out. I was definitely mad at first, but the sound coming out was indeed skipping, and since I'll be a spectator tomorrow I decided to be at peace with working out the problems. It was a shame, though, since it was going really well in that spot.
Not accepting defeat, I continued to follow the crowds, this time going towards the Lincoln Memorial. It was sufficiently mobbed, and I decided to completely reverse my initial declaration to not play right at the tourist spots. There was, however, a marching band standing on the steps, posing for photos. I didn't want to take the time setting up if they were going to play, but luckily the instrument case guarder informed me that they would be playing tomorrow. Today was just posing. So I set up for a third time.
I didn't play for a long time here, but it was really nice. It was amazing to do my thing while watching the sun set over the reflecting pool, with the majestic monument and capitol building straight ahead. Occasionally I turned around to pay my respects to Lincoln behind me. What a city.
It got dark really fast, and it got coooold. I didn't pack my full artillery of thermals, since I was going South, but I could have used at least my gloves. With the sun went the tourists as well, so it was time to go home.
Two men commented on my box on the Metro home, giving the classic answers I've come to expect:
Man 1: "That's a cool box! What's in it?"
Me: "Do you have a guess?"
Man 2: "A dog! Or a cat!"
Man 1: "Something musical."
Me: "That's right! It's an accordion."
Man 2: "I used to play the accordion!"
Man 1: "He used to play the accordion!"
Man 2: "A hundred years ago."
And now I am back, watching some young men be sad about some sports event? We've got an exciting couple days ahead of us: watching the swearing in from the Mall tomorrow, then attending the Staff Ball Tuesday night. Rumour has it that Lady Gaga will be there...I'd love the opportunity to tell her just how much money she's made me over the years. Reckon she'll call the copyright police on me? Catch you next week, after the normal Saturday Northampton busk!
No comments:
Post a Comment