Note: The Uncle Scam web page has a photo gallery from 1999 on
of Brattle Square perfomers and artists. The web site also has a
links page to many artists. http://www.unclescam.org/usc.html
CATAGORY
|
ARTIST
|
CONTACT
|
DESCRIPTION
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Juggling
Vaudeville
Comedy
|
Mr Qwirk & Ms
Cheevious
|
qwirkncheev@hotmail.com
thejigsaw.com
|
New Zealnd artists
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Music
Chinese Violin
|
Chinese Violin
Player
|
|
Photo: Lauren
Ingram.
|
Poetry
|
William
Barnum
|
19 Myrtle St.
Boston
MA 02114
617-720-4961
|
Street poet extrodinaire -- performs solo, with
musicians and/or troup of readers. Has performed and read
internationally.
|
Music
Drum
|
Street Bucket
Drummers
|
Chris Fournier
Ben Hiller
|
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Music
Classic Rock
Folk Protest
|
Michael
Borkson
|
http://mborkson.iuma.com
|
I started playing guitar while a
student at Boston University.I have been playing in the
subways of Boston and at peace/social justice
demonstrations. I'm into doing classic rock covers and
originals-have 4 CDs. My CDs are---"THE REVOLUTION IS
COMING," "1967," "SMASH THE STATE!!," "CLASSIC ROCK
UNPLUGGED." I also write protest songs against the U.S.
war machine, against the U.S. wars on Iraq and
Afghanistan, and against capitalist globalization. I'm
like a late 60s-early 70s rocker. My favorite bands are
the Moody Blues, the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane. I play
acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, and a little
keyboards. My favorite gig was playing my song "Whose
Streets? Our Streets !!" at a demonstration against the
United Nations Millenium Summit in front of the UN plaza
in New York City--this was in September 2000. I also
performed some George Harrison and John Lennon songs at a
vigil for them on Boston Common Dec. 8, 2001. In Feb.
2002 I performed at a concert in Cambridge, MA called
Take Back the Music doing some of the songs banned from
radio play since 9/11. In June of 2002 I played a song I
wrote called We Got To Be Free at a rally for the ACLU of
Mass. to save our civil liberties.In the fall of 2002 and
continuing through 2003 I have been singing in the
subways of Boston--- a lot of anti-war songs against US
war on the Iraqi people.
|
Storyteller
|
Brother
Blue
|
PO Box 381315
Cambridge
MA 02238-1315
617-491-8399
r_hill@radcliffe.edu
|
Brother Blue (Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill)
tells original stories, Shakespeare, and stories from
many cultures. He has performed for Harvard University,
Omega Institute, National Storytelling Festival, National
Association of Black Storytellers, First Night Boston,
Cambridge River Festival, New Age Congress in Florence,
Oral History Association. He was official storyteller for
United Nations Habitat Forum, and is official storyteller
of Cambridge and Boston. The National Storytelling
Network presented him with a Lifetime Achievement
Award.
|
Music
Flute
|
Henry T.
Cobb
|
617-623-2312
Cobra_Music@hotmail.com
|
Henry plays flute on the subway
platforms
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Juggler
Rope Walker
|
Mark
Farneth
|
6 Grafton St. #2
Dorchester, MA 02125
617-474-0551
|
Mark Farneth, affectionately known by
Harvard Square regulars as ëthe rope walker', has a
gift. And it's not being able walk nightly across the
rope he ties between (street name) and (street name),
although that is no small feat. He is a true street
performer, able to captivate audiences for hours at a
time - and the way in which he creates such an audience
is often as entertaining as the show itself, a
combination of juggling, magic tricks, and the famous
rope walking. Asking those passing by to take one step
closer to someone they don't know, assuring that it will
not hurt them, no matter what they were taught when they
were young, Mark involves his whole audience in his act.
He singles members out and pokes good natured fun at
them, therefore creating an easy going ambience that
contributes to the success of his performances.
-- Clara and Pablo Schuhmacher Photo:
Stephen Baird
|
Magic
|
Matt "Fish the Magish"
Fishman
|
617-930-3474
fishthemagish@gmail.com
www.fishthemagish.net
|
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Magic
|
Jason
Gardner
|
www.jasongardner.org
jason@jasongardner.org
|
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Visual Art
|
Gina Geraci
|
617-666-2787
gaya1111@hotmail.com
|
"I'm glad I wore my cleavage-less
shirt today," Gina jokes as she bends over a blank piece
of paper, green spray can in hand, thinking of her next
design. A little boy standing off to the side of Gina's
layout points excitedly to the bottles of paint."You mean
she draws with spray paint?" he asks his mom,
incredulously."That's so cool!" He's not the only one who
thinks so - Gina's work with spray paint graphics is
definitely ëcool', judging from the sizeable group
gathered around her tarp, admiring the skillful way in
which she manipulates the fine mist that is spray paint
into beautiful scenes depicting everything from space to
the jungle. It's no wonder, as Gina's been working with
the medium for more than eleven years, having started in
1992 while in Key West. She heard of Harvard Square
during one of her travels, and subsequently landed here
in 1996, where she has been painting ever since. But what
really makes her cool is the reason why she's set up her
paints across from the candy store every day for seven
years:"It's about the people," she says without
hesitation,"I meet so many interesting
people."
-- Clara and Pablo
Schuhmacher
|
Vaudeville
Comedy
|
Bobarino Gravittini
|
PO Box 262
Warren
RI 02885
401-338-4619
www.bobarino.com
|
Show is set to music and consists of
comedy sketches of various characters such as a Ballerina
and Cowboy. Audience participation is a key component,
especially in the dance sequence! The danger section
focuses on the "big tricks" &endash; the famous
wheelbarrow balance on the rolo-bolo atop a five foot
high table.
Photo by Haruka Horiuchi
2003
|
Music
|
Mary Lou
Lord
|
http://www.maryloulord.com/
Bookings
212-253-1489
http://www.rubricrecords.com
management@maryloulord.com
|
Boston folksinger Mary Lou Lord has
been in and out of the spotlight throughout the last
decade. Coming off a publicity hiatus due to the birth of
her daughter, Mary Lou got back to performance basics,
spending the time busking in the street after her1998
major label release "Got No Shadow". She has recently
provided the music for a Target commercial. That song,
"Speeding Motorcycle," a Daniel Johnston cover. She
tackles songs by legends like Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson
and Bruce Springsteen as well as newer "indie" oriented
artists such as Elliott Smith and the Magnetic Fields.
Mary Lou will be recording her next studio album for
Rubric later this year.
Photo: Stephen Baird
|
Magic
Balloons
|
Richard
Kwesell
|
Richard Kwesell
5259 Bancroft Hts.
Colorado Springs CO
80906
richipalliucci@hotmail.com
|
"I wanted to know if I could do it,"
Richard admits, when asked what first motivated him to
set up a chair in Harvard Square two summers ago, and
twist balloons and perform magic tricks for the children
(and adults!) who pass by. After two summers &endash;
both of which have been spent on the same corner in the
Square performing magic weekends and twisting balloons
weekdays &endash; and one winter &endash; spent exploring
the busking scene in Argentina and Brazil - ëwanting
to know if he can do it' is no longer his motivation.
Street performing, explains Richard, has changed his
life. "I could never go back &endash; I absolutely love
it."
-- Clara and Pablo
Schuhmacher
|
Music
Keyboard
|
Gerry Mack
|
401-253-5121
|
Rhythm and Blues to Soul to Motown --
Gerry Mack will sing and make his key board rock the
night a way.
Photo: Stephen Baird
|
Music
|
Danielle
Miraglia
|
www.daniellem.com
danielle@daniellem.com
|
As a full time touring
singer/songwriter, Boston area native Danielle Miraglia
has captured eclectic audiences all over the map from
music lovers in listening rooms to rowdy late night bar
crowds. Edgy, humorous original tunes like "Hot Mom" and
"Dysfunctional Home" and heart wrenching songs like
"Moment by Moment" delivered with a captivating stage
presence have landed her opening spots for the likes of
Patty Larkin and Brooks Williams, a national television
appearance, a Sunday night residency at The Burren in
Somerville, MA and a growing buzz on the music
scene.
Photo by Jodi Hilton
|
Music
Classical Guitar
|
Peter
Podobry
|
617-740-9829
podobry@aol.com
|
Late afternoons you'll find Peter, a
classical guitarist, performing for large audiences out
in front of the Au Bon Pan, where he's been playing for
over five years. Street performing is only one of the
soft-spoken musician's talents, however. Indeed, a
graduate of Berkley College of Music, this Russian
guitarist has accomplished much in his twenty-five years
with the medium: he plays regularly at variety of venues
in and around Boston, and has also recorded a number of
cds. Although he is primarily a classical musician, Peter
has explored other genres of music as well, especially
jazz and basso nova. When out in the Square, Peter says
he likes to improvise on well-known pieces, which allows
him to be original while still communicating to his large
and varied audience.
-- Clara and Pablo
Schuhmacher
|
Music
reggae, soul, hip-hop
|
Toussaint
Sankofa
|
765-868-1098
uhurmission@hotmail.com
www.memetic
|
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|
Sidewalk Art
|
Sidewalk
Sam
|
Art Street, Inc.
83 Church Street
Newton, MA, 02458
617.244.3171
sidewalk@sidewalksam.com
www.sidewalksam.com
|
TSidewalk Sam
draws pictures on sidewalks in the midst of pedestrian
traffic and delights passerbys with his friendly,
inclusive creative spirit.
Photo: Stephen Baird
|
Political Satire
Puppets
|
Uncle Scam
|
unclescam@buskers.org
unclescam.org
|
Skilled Devil's Advocate!! born
5/18/50 11:18 am Wareham, Ma. taurus
street puppetteer/ busker/political
pusher son of always working mother/preacher teacher
father/got 4 brothers (third of five ) two daughters
(S&A )/1 grand daughter/a beautiful talented family
of scammers ,especially that grand with the little scam
smile that melts all resolve and the most beautiful
companioness in the world today.
Photo: Lauren Ingram
Note: The Uncle Scam web page has a
photo gallery from 1999 on of Brattle Square perfomers
and artists. Also has a links page to many
artists.
|
Latin-American Music
|
Jorge Villalobos
Mariachi Azteca
2000
|
617-762-2001
|
Photo taken at the Dowtown Crossing MBTA Station in
September 2003. MBTA rider stopped to sing harmony with
Jorge Villalobos on Spanish language song
Photo: Stephen Baird
|
Music
Banjo
|
John
Westerfield
|
PO Box 1999
Boston, MA 02105
617-623-2618
|
John, however, does not believe in
childrens's music, which he equats with playing down to
children. He says that if kids like his music, they like
it, and don't need to be played down to. In general, they
respond very well to his music. John said that sometimes
he'll "finish playing and no one is clapping, and all of
a sudden he'll here one kid going 'Yay,' completely
uninhibited."
Joh told me one cute story of an event
at one of his recent performances. He told m that he
heard a young girl say to her father, "I gave him my
lollipop." when he checked his case latter, he felt a
lollipop in it. I'm not sure wheater he ate
it...
Excerpt from Lauren Ingram's Senior
Thesis
Photo: Lauren Ingram
|