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As much as I love busking down in the subway, I hardly feel as authentic and entitled as some of the other guys who play down there.

Phil, Norm & Joe are some great guys who play down there seemingly at all hours. Indeed, someone saw fit to give them their rightful place on the YouTube stage.

You guys are awesome. But lord, find a new band name.

Finally got back down to the Monroe Street subway station on my lunch hour to play some tunes and make a little cash… and after three songs was brusquely forced to stop playing by a CTA employee. The only stations allowing performers — even those with their $10 performers’ permit — are Jackson and Washington.

I’ve heard this spiel before. The Washington stop is closed and has been for ages. Jackson is always taken, and even if it weren’t, I think there’s some kind of unspoken rule that only black rappers under the age of 18 are allowed to perform there anyway.

It’s a classically idiotic restriction. The rule was probably written years ago with sufficient reason, but now that one of the designated stations is closed and meanwhile the neighboring Lake station has been renovated, the rule clearly needs to be updated. And I can’t imagine these restrictions are security-based: for instance, Jackson has several huge stairways interrupting the platform, allowing no safe place for people to gather and no easy means for authorities to patrol.

Grrrr…

Okay, so Super-MIL delivered on her promise of saving a copy of the printed version of my recent appearance in the Sun-Times. And whoa! In addition to the sizable photo next to the article and an inset photo on the front page of the paper, the Arts section featured… well, me. As in, the entire broadsheet. Am I blushing?

Talk about a slow news week…

On Sunday the Chicago Sun-Times did a piece about buskers on the red line. Apparently I was not only listed amongst the regular performers, but my photo was featured prominently several times in the issue. I still haven’t seen it in print, but worry not: Super-MIL has my back. She sent the gallant FIL to the newsstand to pick up more copies of the rag than posterity could ever demand.

I chatted with the photographer, John Kim — a very cool guy — and he sent me some of his best shots. Sadly, proprietary mumbo-jumbo prohibits me from posting any of those shots on my website. But I’ve taken the liberty of linking to the shot included in the online version. Glad they picked the one peeking through the trash… How metaphorical.

I have to say, I’m flattered to be included with the likes of Ron, Joe & Norm. Those guys are awesome. It’s worth riding the red line someday just to see them do Sam Cooke.

A close friend of mine is planning a hasty and spontaneous move to Seattle. I don’t think he’s even spent more than a sum total of 3 days there. But he’s in need of a change, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say Seattle doesn’t often seem like the panacea for many of life’s urban woes. So I wished him well and encouraged him to start drinking more coffee.

But now it turns out I should probably contemplate a move, as well: Seattle has started paying its buskers. Color me envious.