Busking in the park

 SATURDAY MORNING IN Washington Park, Travis Hoffman and I are playing at the District's Farmer's Market. Vendors are lined up along Hamphire Street on the north end of the park. We are "busking," a polite way of saying we are playing for tips.

As musicians we tend to get waylaid by our gear and sound and the latest toys. This gets thrown out the window when you busk because all you have is your guitar, a park bench and a tip jar. It's entertainment in it's purest form and freeing in many ways. We just have to sit there and play. No cables, no volume levels, no inner ear monitors to monitor, nothing.

Just. Play.

Travis is a great guy to jam with, and this kind of setting is right up our alley. I'm trying to think of songs to do in the park, like "Saturday In The Park" by Chicago or "Down On The Corner" by CCR. With Travis you never know what we might pull out to play, but that's not the point because we are just part of the whole vibe, not the focal point of anything.

I'm also doing the Farmer's Market with Allison Hutson in two weeks, which will be great for the both of us as we have several big shows lined up toward the end of August and September. Before that, Allison and I are playing Aug. 17 at the Pour Haus courtyard just a couple of blocks up the street from Washington Park.

It's supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow morning and Brianna Rivera, executive director of The District, says this year's Farmer's Market has been huge. I went a few weeks ago to catch the awesome Katie Smith and buy homegrown catnip from Fawn Berry, and there were people everywhere. There were interesting vendors and and it reminded me of the Fifth and Maine days when we used to saunter down there before opening on a Saturday morning.

Travis and I will be sitting on a park bench in the middle of it all, strumming and humming from 10 a.m. to noon. If you are out and about, come say hello and enjoy a beautiful morning in Washington Park!