You'll Never Look at Street Performers the Same Way

New York City Travel
by Matt Hershberger Apr 19, 2014

Cities are full of people asking you for money — whether it’s salespeople, shopkeepers, restaurants, or beggars — but none are quite so enjoyable to give to as street performers.

I love street performers. They make the city way more interesting. Whether they’re doing a novelty act, or are just working musicians trying to make a buck on their off hours, street performers work for their money, and often in less-than-optimal conditions.

BUSK is a short documentary by filmmaker Ramon Nyitrai and Icarus, a nonfiction short film site, and it focuses on the day-to-day lives of five street performers as they try to make money in New York subway stations while avoiding bureaucratic cops and occasionally hostile audiences.

It’s an incredible look into a world we usually only catch a brief glimpse of as we walk by, and it’ll give you a whole new perspective on the life that street performers and buskers live.

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