La Vie Boheme

Yesterday, I woke up at ten and got dressed. I went into the living room, surprised to find Kriss awake on the couch. We talked for a bit about my nervousness and how I should be fine. I sighed and steeled my resolve, grabbing my guitar and walking out the door. I grabbed a day pass and hop on the L train downtown.

I get off and find a plaza outside of a mall. I look around nervously. I see people in conversations, on their cell phones, etc, and I don't want to be intrusive. I set up in corner of the plaza that borders the sidewalk and open up my case. Nervously, I start playing Purple Rain. I haven't experienced anything quite as uncomfortable as I did at that moment. A guy gave me a flier about unemployment. A woman looked at me awkwardly and gave me a quarter. After two more songs, I packed up and left.

I walk up and down Michigan Ave looking for a place to play. I probably wasted a hundred opportunities for my fear of the awkwardness of opening up a guitar case and playing in the middle of a pedestrian crowd. After walking around for an hour or so, I get back on the Subway, even more intimidated. I get off at State and Lake and go to a bench. I open my case and strum the first few chords of Fake Plastic Trees. There are two people on the bench next to me. A few people's eyes glance to me, but quickly look away. Two bars in, the lyrics come in. Inside, I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

I'm not sure how to describe what happened, but as I started singing at full volume, it all changed. No longer did I feel like some intruding nuisance. I became some sort of traveling poet--a true troubadour. When the train came in, a man crossed the station and dropped in a dollar and a pamphlet with the address to his church. The next crowd that came in dropped in a few more dollars, then another crowd and a few more, then I was asked to leave.

And that became my day--playing in a subway, getting some tips, and being asked to leave, getting back on the subway and going to another station and repeating the process. And it's so punk rock. And I love it.