arts // no. & theotherpress.ca On the street: Busking in Vancouver > Bringing music to the concrete jungle Katie Czenczek Staff Writer ou've probably heard them while walking down Granville Street. In Vancouver—as in any big city that allows it—busking is everywhere. We decided to talk to a few of Vancouver’s very own buskers and ask them a some questions about how they ended up entertaining the city. Tom Coley, a vocalist and guitarist who's often found busking at SkyTrain stations, took the time for an interview with the Other Press. “I saw somebody busk when I was a kid. They looked like they were having so much fun and I knew that I was going to do the same thing,” he said. “This was early on, I was probably six or seven. When I first started busking, people like Guy Laliberté, who created Cirque du Soleil, would be on St. Paul Cathedral in Montreal, juggling before he was anybody. I mean, it was a community. I loved it. We all helped each other in every single way, even when we were doing all of our own things.” Coley, whose performance style he described as “in your face,” also highlighted some of the things he wished pedestrians knew about the lifestyle. “By being a busker, youre bringing music to everyday people who don’t normally have a chance to listen. I think that it’s very important for our society to have music in these hallways, and in these concrete structures. There’s too much machine-like tension, without any music or measure, to quote Gord Downie. We remedy that.” Jak Drum—a busker who’s been performing for 10 years now—is a chef who busts out the djembe in his spare time. “T lived in Vancouver for a long time, so I always saw buskers on the street. One day, I thought to myself, next year I’m going to get me a drum,” he said. “Then I started playing at the Art Gallery and all the sudden—this was during a really tough breakup—all the stress melted off of me like butter in the hot sun.” We asked Drum what his favourite thing about busking is, and he said that it sure as hell beats practicing alone. “Well, I can go to the studio and practice, or I can go practice in the street and get immediate feedback. Faster than Rotten Tomatoes.” Drum also shared one of his favourite moments while busking in Vancouver. “I was performing outside of The Bay when a pregnant woman approached me,” he said. “The first thing I thought was, ‘I am not the father.’ Then, in tears, she tells me that her baby hasn't kicked in six months until she walked by my drumming.” Babe Coal, a vocalist and guitarist who could give Adele arun for her money, said to the Other Press that busking is a way for her to do what she loves. “T like the freedom. I like the people. When I’m out here every day I get to meet people of all sorts and it’s just a really nice lifestyle—to come out and share that with people and have them respond, tell you how much they like it, and how much it affects their lives.” We also asked her about some of the challenges she faces while performing in public spaces. “My partner, Mitch, and I have been fighting for freedom of expression in the courts due to bylaws and enforcement. That’s the biggest challenge, standing up for your rights when government disobeys the law.” Coal also elaborated on why this should matter to other Canadians. “When you're on the street I guess you get a different viewpoint from other people. It’s really opened my eyes to seeing what Canada’s really like, versus what we think it’s like. You grow in school and we're told that Canada’s a free country and a place where people can seek refuge. We're taught many things that make us think highly of the country. Then, when you're out Photo by Analyn Cuarto on the street, you start to experience things that make you question what Canada’s really about,” she said. “What we're taught is what we could be, but I think that it’s important that people realize that we have to keep standing up for our rights, so we don’t lose them. I think that with street performers and other people who are on the street, we can be the first targets for things like that. Hopefully, from being out here, we’re showing people that it’s a beautiful part of expression.” How to penetrate the seemingly steel exterior of the Vancouver arts community > Quit complaining, and go enjoy some culture Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager f life were a drinking game where we took a shot every time someone complained about Vancouver being unfriendly or standoffish, we'd all be cry-singing to “Mr. Brightside” before nine o'clock. It’s a tired cliché, to the point where it’s almost cliché to complain about it being clichéd. Yes, some folks in this city have a stick up their ass the size of a telephone pole, but it’s the same deal with any city you go to. There aren’t a ton of places where you can move to and find every corner of the city throwing its arms wide open for a warm embrace; you have to put the legwork in yourself. Take the Lower Mainland’s arts community, for example. On the exterior, you probably think about the Granville Strip as the hub of activity, but if you squint and look a little closer, there’s a wonderful world of artists existing on the fringes of Vancouver. Underground venues, hilarious comedy shows, DIY gallery openings, punk shows held under bridges—they’re all there, and they're all relatively affordable. You just have to know where to look. Here are some habits you can adopt to further dive into the lesser-known parts of Vancouver's arts community. Check (something other than the Georgia Straight) for upcoming events/happenings There are a lot of folks out there who, collectively, spend a decent chunk of time collecting and compiling event information so you don't have to. Piggyback off their hard work and jump to the source to find all the great things happening right here in your backyard. You've likely browsed the Current Events listing in the Georgia Straight, but cast that culture net wider— local publications like Discorder and BeatRoute publish monthly calendars for concerts, while LiveVan.com and Bored in Vancouver are just a few websites that boast expansive event listings. Like/follow local venues and organizations on social media I get it, your wounds from the Cambridge Analytica scandal are still searing, and you've either deactivated F-book completely or you're on the verge of doing so. I personally will never delete Facebook because it’s how I stay in- the-loop on so many different events around the city. For DIY venues where real-life advertising lies beyond their operating budgets, social media is the primary means of promoting events. New algorithms also mean that events from pages are less likely to be seen unless you follow the page—or unless they’re paid advertisements. Most venues or organizations will have some kind of social media page, so give them a follow to get regular updates delivered straight to your feed. Actually go out to events A few years ago, I was interviewing the director of a volunteer-run music festival, and she told me, “You get what you put into any community that youre a part of.” This nugget of advice has stuck with me because of how important it is. The more you attend events, the more community members you'll slowly start to meet, the more pals you'll make, the more you'll hear about stuff happening in Vancouver, the Photo by Analyn Cuarto more these events will pop up in your newsfeed. Conquer that dumb voice in your head that’s telling you to avoid social events, and just frickin’ show up. Acquainting yourself with a new community is never an easy endeavour, but you have to start somewhere. Pick up a monthly publication, tap “Follow” or “Like” a few times, head out to some events, and start to explore the incredible fun arts community that’s been right in front of you this entire time. ..Or you can be one of those people who just complains about Vancouver and talks about moving to Montreal/ Toronto/wherever. It’s up to you.