Busker Ball VII on July 24th

Theo Eastwind

If you've visited an urban center and appreciated the unique talents of the street performers you encountered there, then you are already familiar with busking, a term used to describe the practice of performing in public for gratuities.  New York City is home to some of the best street performers around.  Described by The Village Voice as "New York's Own," Theo Eastwind has been a street musician since arriving in NYC from Vienna, Austria in 1995 with nothing more than an old guitar on his back.  He heard a man singing a cappella while walking through the subway and an idea took shape.  The future "King of the Buskers" was born.

Since then, Theo has become a strong advocate for performers working in the subway.  In an effort to give back to the community while showcasing some of New York's finest street musicians, Theo organized what is now a quarterly event called the Busker Ball.  On July 24th, National Busker Day, Theo will be among the performers for Busker Ball VII, which takes place at Spike Hill in Brooklyn Hill.  The talented line up also includes Ken Ruan, Emore Saylavee, "NYC Subway Girl" Cathy Grier, Gabriel Royal and Mr. Reed, some of whom will be performing at the Busker Ball for the first time.  The doors open at 7PM. The suggested donation is a mere $10 for what will surely be an evening of great entertainment and celebration!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Theo, Ken Ruan, Emore Saylavee, Cathy Grier and Mr. Reed on The Knix Mix.  To hear the Knix Mix interview in its entirety, check out this link!

Live Knix Mix Interview

For more information on Busker Ball VII, how to  and the artists who will be performing, please check out the websites below!
NYC Busker Ball

NYC Busker Ball on Facebook

Cathy Grier (photo credit Amel Chen)