Music on the Square and a Buzz in the Air

Rodney Alexander lays down the jazz, Market Square, Knoxville

The music was a little different on Market Square on a recent evening. I followed the sounds from Union Avenue nearly to Wall Avenue before I found the trio cranking out the tunes. What I found was Rodney Alexander who I've mentioned in a previous post playing his saxophone, laying down his cool jazz licks. Joining him was a conga player and a bass player with an amplified electric bass. I enjoyed what they were doing, but I had mixed feelings.

A saxophone is a loud instrument. It's enough to send other buskers packing up, which is exactly what I saw Bill doing in front of Cafe Four. This was compounded by the electrification which is now possible all over the square thanks to the new electrical outlets which were installed this past spring. I've heard one other band as I've walked through the square that utilized the amplification and I had doubts about the idea from the beginning.



Rodney Alexander and the No Name Band (he told me to say that)



It's nice to hear music on the square. Usually the volume generated allows for moving into the vibrations if you like or out of range, if you prefer. It's easy to drift from one busker to another and listen a little to each as you go - and, of course, drop a dollar or two along the way.

But what if more players, singers and bands utilize the amplification possibilities provided? What about boom boxes such as the ones already being used by the hula hoop contingent? Will all this volume add to or detract from the ambiance? Rodney is good, but what if the amplified musicians are simply not-ready-for-prime-time, but think they are?

Rodney Alexander, Band and Naked Christmas Tree on Market Square, Knoxville

Meet Ernie Henderson

A new busker has been spotted downtown in the last few weeks. He plays a mean guitar and he walks around with a very strange - and versatile contraption and generally wears a hood or toboggan. He said a local policeman had pronounced it street-legal. Sometimes he can be seen pulling it around like a cart, loaded with his guitar and who-knows-what-else. It also serves as a chair for him to use while he plays, has a head light and is double-locked. He will be happy to tell you about the various contributions his friends have made to his unique device. The head-covering is because he has a very unusual
metabolism. He prefers his weather in the 90s.

Pictured here playing in support of a drug-free Knoxville, he sometimes plays in local praise services and is a pleasure to talk to. You might have caught him on the strip on game day.

Ernie, who lives in Chattanooga, traveled with a friend, who is a city planner, earlier this year to Nashville and to Knoxville. He proclaimed Nashville "too fake" and he loved Knoxville the instant he hit town. It was then he decided to spend some time here with his instrument when he got the chance. He plans to stay until the end of September when he'll return home. Listen to him bang on that guitar if you get a chance. He's really worth the effort. And welcome him to town.

Game Day in Knoxville

Rocky and his owner - who said, "Make it clear he's a Vol!" I would have guessed, wouldn't you?

First Friday certainly had a buzz, but Saturday dawned with excitement of it's own. Since moving downtown, I had experienced game days toward the end of last football season, but this was my first experience with opening day. Downtown was covered in orange, as you might expect.

Grandad in Orange - Strollers and dogs ruled the day.

Dogs, strollers and cuties in orange, Knoxville.

Some residents downtown dread football season because it changes the neighborhood into something less pleasant - to their way of thinking. Others, the ones who drink Big Orange Kool-aid, are electric with excitement. There is no better place to live if you are a Volunteer. Yet another downtown group simply yawns and tries to go about their business, accepting the inevitable hordes, while keeping up Saturday routines of breakfast at Pete's or meeting friends for an afternoon libation at Preservation Pub or Downtown Grill.

Crafts-people demonstrated their wares, Market Square, Knoxville

Buskers busked, Market Square, Knoxville

For me, the biggest disappointment of the day was realizing that a number of farmers don't come into town for the Farmer's Market on game day, though the usual local crafts folks seemed to be present in about the same numbers as a regular Saturday. This resulted in an unfortunate and much reduced selection of fresh vegetables. Not everyone came for the game or the market. Chess in the park, which is a regular Saturday event, sponsored by Chess in the Park Knoxville proceeded as usual.

Local man contemplates his next move, while the family who brings the game sits in the background.

Cute chess fans watch a game beside the "Trinity" sculpture.

Fans watch the game on the big screen at Shono's in the City, Market Square, Knoxville.

Otherwise, it was fun to see everybody in town for the big day. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Not Everyone present was a Vol. This lady requested her face not be shown!

Urban Baby says, "Oh no - I was supposed to wear my colors?!?"

Knoxville Busking Militarized! Martial Law Declared pending Bill and Jake vs. City of Knoxville Outcome!

As I walked through Market Square on my way to the recycle center, I passed these guys and did a double take. They didn't look like any buskers I'd seen there before. The group played a polka and sang about the virtues of beer. This seemed a little edgy to me, given that we are very serious about our open container laws when we want to be and we are keeping an eye on buskers in particular. I asked them why they were here and one of them coyly responded, "Because we were told to be." As I continued to look throughout the square, I realized all buskers not in a military uniform had been removed (or re-clothed?).

Bill and Jake, pictured above, were no where to be found. Days later I went to court to find that their case had been moved to a later date. Very suspicious. Where are Bill and Jake and what have you done with them?

As I walked toward the stage on Market Square I realized just how determined the military has become to thwart this little busking problem before it can infest the city with any sort of cultural illusions: The entire stage was full of military men and women (Army, from Nashville) and one extremely pregnant woman in red. They even had a soundboard manned by the military. A female military type sang a song extolling the virtues of keeping God, who I thought was free to go where she wanted, in America.

To confuse those of us who might suspect these weren't our usual buskers, they added a guitar player in sunglasses, just so we couldn't be certain which of our buskers might have donned the camo and gone electric.

Apparently even the military can't be trusted to busk within bounds in Knoxville, so the KPD kept a watchful eye on the whole event.

Not to be outdone, but continuing the trend, a few days later I found a smaller military contingent from another branch of the military working the same portion of the square. The musical style seemed similar to the first bunch. I miss our old folk music. Bill, where have you gone? Whereforth art thou, Jake?

All We Are is Busk in the Wind

There's been quite a stir lately about busking in the city. While most cities of significant size have crossed this bridge long ago, this is just one more example of Knoxville being an old city that is just regaining its footing as something more than the abandoned hub of the suburbs. I'll have more to say about the saga of Bill Page after his next court date, but suffice to say for now, that buskers add greatly to the city experience and the idea of harassing them is antithetical to everything contained in our aspirations for downtown. The idea that some law enforcement officers and some of the commenters on local sites seem to hold that they are the same thing as panhandlers is simply not true.

In the spirit of what may be known as the Great Busking Debate of Summer 2010, I'll introduce you to one I met tonight. His name is Antoine and, as you can see from the pictures below, he plays trumpet. He plays it very well. Not apparently interested in popular tunes, he was playing jazz riffs that took me back to childhood and the street musicians in New Orleans. I had him pegged for a New Orleans transplant. Of course, I was wrong. He's from Atlanta from which he moved last fall with his wife and only child. She's an accountant whose job has fallen through, so if you are in need of an accountant, ask the guy on Market Square blowing the steamy jazz. I asked if they would stay in Knoxville and he told me, "What ever the Lord wants." Nice guy. Very nice music. Say "hello" when you see him.

Enjoy the pictures, and remember, you can click them to make them larger.