Eugene is a prominent place for music culture, especially for live performances. While many play in bars, theaters and other venues around town, other musicians have to resort to more creative methods. When walking around downtown on a sunny day, you can’t miss the sound of acoustic guitar and the amazing voices of one of Eugene’s many buskers. Some buskers do it for the joy of music, while others do it as a necessity.
“I really enjoy playing music for people,” Ashton Buchan, local busker, said. “For a long time, I busked to make a living. I have a job now, but I still don’t make very much money, so it’s a mixture between loving playing for people and needing the money.”
Busking permits are expensive and many popular areas to busk are closed off in downtown, so buskers often have to relocate or stop playing when security guards or police come to shut it down. Because of their love for music, and sometimes the need for a living wage, this rarely stops buskers from playing, and relocation is usually their best option.
Buskers often deal with rude civilians and business owners, but many other passersby stop to enjoy the music and sometimes tip. While many business owners and workers in the area love the entertainment the streets of Eugene have to offer, some worry that customers wishing to enjoy a quiet bite to eat will turn away from downtown restaurants.
“I don’t mind it when it’s enjoyable music, when it’s screeching, I do not like it,” Heaven Clausen, B-Heavenly Cafe food truck employee, said. “I think it kind of takes from the community when people aren’t wanting it, but there have been a few times where it’s created a good crowd and people are enjoying it.”
Street performers and businesses can work together if the environment is right and mutual respect is exhibited. There are many spots in Eugene — such as Kesey Square and the Eugene Public Library — that buskers gravitate toward due to the density of popular restaurants and businesses in the area. Buskers attract both positive and negative attention from business owners and civilians, but it is apparent that if you are a talented artist playing catchy music on the street, the problems you run into will be minimal. According to Butcher, Eugene is still one of their favorite places to busk due to the general kindness and generosity of passersby.
For a city with so much culture, street performers help add to the colorful environment downtown Eugene has to offer. With the many struggles that come with busking, it is important for business owners and Eugene residents to remember that busking is done out of passion for music, talent and oftentimes a means for living. Next time you are in downtown Eugene on a nice day, make sure to stop by and admire what the musicians are adding to the atmosphere.
