STATEOFTHEARTS2013
busking for fame and glory by janis hashe
"There’s always been more than a touch of flouting authority in the audacious artists who simply plop themselves down and begin playing music, dancing, juggling, swordswallowing or turning into living statues."
16 • The Pulse • AUGUST 22-28, 2013 • chattanoogapulse.com
Street performers have been getting kicked out and off of places as long as there have been places to get kicked out and off of. There’s always been more than a touch of flouting authority in the audacious artists who simply plop themselves down and begin playing music, dancing, juggling, sword-swallowing or turning into living statues.
Susan
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So it was local musician Lon Eldridge’s Facebook post about being asked to stop playing on the Walnut Street Bridge that inspired Chattanooga Presents’ Jonathan Susman, himself a member of a few local bands, to come up with a new way to legitimize the street performers’ natural inclination to ply their arts in public. “It’s not a new thing even in Chattanooga,” said Susman. “[Chattanooga Presents Director] Carla Pritchard did a trial run with it in 1992. And Dr. Clark White [aka Deacon Bluz] created what he called the ‘Tapestry’ program for performers.” According to the much-despised but highly convenient Wikipedia, “The term ‘busking’ was first noted in the English language around the middle 1860s in Great Britain. Up until the 20th century, buskers were commonly called minstrels in
the United States, Europe, and other English-speaking lands. “The word ‘busk’ comes from the Spanish root word ‘buscar.’ meaning ‘to seek’—buskers are literally seeking fame and fortune...’buscar’ in turn evolved from the Indo-European word ‘bhudh-skō’ (to win, conquer) via the Celtic word ‘boudi’ (victory).” Thank us for now being able to run the “So You Wanna Be A Busker” category on “Jeopardy.” Susman turned to River City Co. and asked for permission to place buskers on its properties in downtown Chattanooga: Center Park, Miller Plaza, the Majestic 12 and the IMAX, where, since they had permission, they would not be asked to “move along” by a kindly passing bobby. “The McKenzie Foundation matched the cost with River City,” Susman said, “and both organizations recognized the