Hooray for the the Port Townsend Main Street Program! Live music downtown is back!
“Buskers on the Block” music series will bring musicians to play instruments and sing on PT’s streets. The series is part of PT Main Street’s “Love Where You Live Campaign.” The music started April 3 with reed instrument musician Jonathan Doyle and will continue through May, depending on weather. Locations will vary between Tyler Plaza, Haller Fountain area and Uptown. Main Street staff will be on hand with cloth masks for those who want them.
The lead photo was taken April 8 of Buck Ellard, a local favorite with an international following. During recent months, his live shows with Rodger “Crash” Bigelow at Mariner’s Cafe in Sequim have been live-streamed and draw viewers from Ireland, Australia and British Columbia. Buck is one of the best, if not the finest male vocalist on the Peninsula. He knows a thousand country songs. He will be back May 15.
April 10 saw “Fun with Key City Players.
Other musicians are scheduled to play as follows:
April 15 Christian Powers will perform an acoustic set of his originals—with elements of psych rock, modern indie and 60s-70s pop, accompanied by a bandmate.
April 17 Christian Powers will perform an acoustic set of his originals—with elements of psych rock, modern indie and 60s-70s pop, accompanied by a bandmate.
April 22 Flugelhorn Phil plays a variety of blues, jazz and soft rock songs (flugelhornphil.com)
April 24 Jack Dwyer is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and teacher based in the Pacific Northwest. Featuring classic and traditional American repertoire as well as original music.
April 29 Jonathan Doyle is saxophonist, clarinetist, jug blower, bass saxophonist, composer, and arranger.
Before Buskers on the Block, a group of musicians, including the author, had been meeting on the Wings Plaza at Tyler and Water every Saturday for the past month to share music. Those gatherings were part of the Freedom Protests against lockdowns.
Here’s video in a Facebook post of April 8’s live music: Facebook post by PT Main Street Program
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.
It is great to see music on the streets. My years at Pike Place were full of street music. Baby Gramps, Spoon Man who was on Johnny Carson and several who’s sound resembled nails on chalkboard. All were part of the family there. I still hear Mr Bojangles in my sleep.
They had no Main Street and seemed to do fine without one.
Don’t want to rain on your parade Jim, but Main Street has become a quasi City agency, depended on for slanted polls that don’t ask key questions. Mauro uses it for the “Open Streets Initiative” that closes streets and possibly now removes parking at Adams and Water. Over a month after first asking for clarification of the process there is no response from City Council. Or Mauro. Or Main Street. But we have someone now to administrate music. Street music. Music from the heart and soul that now apparently also needs a middle man.
Both Main Street and Chamber have been part of the perfect storm of complicity as parking was defunded, deconstructed, and allowed residents, employees, and some merchants to take badly needed parking during key times. Main Street damages, and does not help me. I only want basic access not to be cut off. I ask little or nothing of others, especially Government.
Seems you Jim, like others here in town having a special interest met, forget or don’t deal with larger damaging issues. Absolutely, credit where due. And criticism when people and organizations forget the basics and cause damage that becomes “normal’.
I just did a dance to assure the sun comes up tomorrow. I will also make sure it sets each evening. I am Executive Director of the Sun. See what a good job I do. Similarly, Main Street believes it helps my business by not pushing back when business access has been damaged for years. Main Street is part of it with its silence. That is job security for its Director of around 25 years.
Johnny Hahn used to bring his piano and play at Pike Place and Virginia. I think anyone who wants to play on the street could figure it out, or organize themselves without depending on an organization that actually would work against them, and family and friends if they were visiting town and needed parking on a tight day. Parking, and parking education for merchants and employees, along with giving handouts outlining parking options should be taking Mari’s time at Main Street. But no one can admit parking in PT is broken or they would have to examine root causes and enablers. For many that would be themselves.
Its is interesting to see you Jim, are made happy with so little. Its always the big picture, and every corner of it.
Reflecting the negative is not negative. Play on. You got yours.
And thanks for the other important work you do. Don’t lose perspective.
Celebrate whatever sunshine there is. Plus, I really like Buck Ellard. When I grow up I want to sing with him. This program, I hope, is helping to lift the cloud and get people out of their psychosis and depression.
And the band plays on. You are playing here Jim. I’m working 7 days a week. My sense of any changes being possible is to assign responsibility to individuals, and the organizations they front. With Main Street in particular, I knew well a past volunteer president. She would complain about the brainlessness and smile in their faces. It is how it is here. Mari at Main Street 25 years on the job. She knows how to keep it.
Knowingly or not you highlight yummy frosting on the sh** cake. I know, its complicated. What we see in others we need to recognize in ourselves. So many in PT Government and some organizations need to wear a SOLD sign.
Looking forward to your next story of how Main Street is used for the “Open Streets Initiative” by the not qualified as advertised City Manager Mauo. It is not a voted on initiative and closes streets.
By the way, the story is Nero fiddled while Rome Burned. I hear he didn’t have a buskers permit. But they had music.
Other than that, thanks for the time you put in. Some follow ups are due the FWPDA, as those who need to be investigated say an in house investigation would cost too much. They know they can get by with it. The State does not want to highlight its failures. Not enough frosting for that sh** cake. Not needed. People are not following the too complicated plot line.
And the Band Plays On
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