BUSKERFEST 2010

By Keenan Macinnes, Contributor

    August 28th was Buskerfest, the annual festival honoring the style of street performance known as busking. Local Long Beach bands are invited to play on multiple stages, while their fans threw wooden nickels into their open guitar cases. This year, the winning band with the most nickels wins 5 days in a Long Beach recording studio.
     First up on the Hammersmith stage along a closed off Linden Ave was local alums Boris Smile, bringing their familiar sound of orchestrated indie pop and feel-good attitude. Frontman Wesley Chung took the opportunity to present a slew of new songs, increasing anticipation for their next release. They ended their set with an audience participation song, dispersing percussion instruments among the crowd.
     Following Boris Smile was another Long Beach resident Korey Dane. With his recently acquired backing band, he soothed the crowd with his mellow folk and heartfelt lyrics. After his particular performance, the “nickels” were piled high, filling his guitar case to the brim.
     If you didn’t care for the first two bands mentioned, there were plenty of other bands spilling their guts out on the other stages, as well as an odd gathering of various other street performers, such as magicians and demented escape artists. For all of you hipsters out there that chose to ride your bikes, there was a bike valet that would keep your two-wheeled baby safe. Those of legal age could have a brew at the beer garden to keep them company as they explored the streets. The local restaurants and businesses cashed in on the event by offering more nickels to add to the 5 free nickels given at the entrance.
     Master of Ceremonies Derrick Brown, a Writebloody poet, took to the main stage, introducing Jay Buchanan, the replacement for the supposedly gonorrhea-ridden Pawn Shop Kings. In starving musician fashion, he spun songs of sorrow and heartbreak on a variety of instruments from mandolin to zither. Next on the main stage was Westminster natives Crystal Antlers, bringing quite a show of experimental noise rock. While their music was invigorating, most of the entertainment was generated by their drum-humping percussionist Damian Edwards.
     After announcing Korey Dane as the winning band of Buskerfest (congratulations, Korey), Delta Spirit took the stage to close out the event. Clearly the best choice as a headliner, was Delta Spirit. They played an hour set filled with songs of war, of passed relatives, of girls and all out quality northern soul. Singer Matt Vasquez took to dedicating every song to something or someone, putting his heart into every word he crooned. The entire downtown of Long Beach reverberated with the sweet sound of Delta Spirit and their fans.
     Buskerfest proved the stability and homegrown talent of local performers. If you missed it this summer, mark your calendars for next year’s Summer and Music events and support your local arts.