L-Train Platform Performance (the first one)

I played my first subway platform last night. I’ve been in NYC for almost 5 years now, and it’s been something that I’ve always wanted to do. I planted myself at the Bedford L-train stop right in front of the guard booth next to one of only two exits. The booth has a chair and security monitors and it is a fork in the road for the mob of people as they make their way out of the hot muggy station. I strapped my 6 string on and stood with in front of the booth. There’s not quite enough room for me to face the crowd as they anxiously follow each other towards the exit, so I have to rotate my acoustic to my right hip during big train dumps. It’s almost as if the sharp end of my capo is splitting the horde in two as they flood towards me. When train moves in and out of the station it completely drowns out the sound of my guitar. It’s almost as if someone is pressing my mute button. I strum and strum watching the working classes from behind my shaded glasses. Almost everyone look at my face for a single perfectly rounded second before looking away. One after another, as if they planned it. Even if someone was interested in what I was doing, they couldn’t stop without getting trampled by human traffic. I am almost an unnecessary obstacle, but due to the guard shack, they tolerate additional navigation.

I am certainly not the first to perform here. I scouted this location the week prior and listened to a guy blowing on a saxophone. He had more luck getting a tone over the sound of the train. I thought Monday at 8pm would be a great for a novice platform performer because the city workers would have already finished their commute and the station would be relatively quiet. I was wrong. I played until 10:10p and only then did the flow begin to taper. I was also concerned of the officer occupying the guard shack. The NYPD guy present during the sax solo was tolerant. I left my apartment at 7pm and I prepared an Absolute greyhound in a 12 oz Tropicana grapefruit juice bottle. I thought it would help. Yesterday kicked off out 2nd heat wave this season, so I brought a bottle of water as well. Today is supposed to get in the 100’s. Another reason to go later in the evening. Fortunately, last night the NYPD only popped in and out of their little shack twice for about 3 minutes each. Tonight I will see if I can attach an augiealexander.com logo to the top of the guard shack ( above my head ). I may go earlier and try to show the working class Williamsburg folks that I’ve taken over their station. They may not be able to hear my guitar, but with my web site posted, they will certainly know why I am there.

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot. My voice feels great! What a great exercise. And I also think I made $2.60, but I can’t be certain because I don’t know what I started with.