Playing in the Subway

My friend Anuj and I played for three hours in the Davis Square subway stop last night. Neither of us realized that we had been playing for so long until we looked at the time as we were leaving. You know that you’ve been having fun when three hours comes and goes and you don’t even notice.

I had forgotten the simple pleasure of having a guitarist who knows their stuff play along. I had forgotten how great it feels to not mess up one ending. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to hear the music and the songs change as someone else adds something to them.

I wore a witches hat and we put a plastic pumpkin out for people to drop money in because I love halloween and I wish that I had an excuse to dress up every day. We didn’t make a lot of cash ($8 /each for 3 hours of music is kindof to be sneezed at), but we had a metric boatload of fun.

I love playing in the subway. I love getting into the groove of a song and seeing people appreciate it. I even love it when people don’t notice the music and I get to be the soundtrack for their lives at that moment.

Last night people that I didn’t know took our picture. A train conductor gave me the thumbs up as his train left the station. A woman came up to me and said that she hopes to see me in the subway again. Someone walked all the way up to the station’s guard booth to get change so that they could buy my cd. Someone else waited for a later train so that they could stay and here the music a little longer.

On a good night, playing in the subway can be transcendent. My voice is on. People are listening. People dance along to the music. I make a few people smile. I make a few bucks for my efforts.

On a bad night, it can be difficult. People ignore you or, even worse, make nasty comments. The station is empty, dark and lonely. I barely make enough money to cover the cost of getting into the subway. The station feels up, but I still feel like I’m just singing to myself.

Even on a bad night, I still love doing it. Maybe it’s because I’m an egotist and love the sound of my own voice or maybe it’s because I can go home with the knowledge that I added a humanizing element to somebody’s commute. Maybe one person smiles at me when they walk into the station. Whatever the reasons, I never leave the subway feeling like it was a waste of my time to drag all of my gear down there and sing my heart out for a couple of hours.

I’ve had a few bad nights, but they’ve mostly been good.

Last night was a good night to sing in the subway.