I'm starting this blog much too late, but it's better late than never. In the three and a half years that I've been a professional full-time street performer, I've had some delightfully weird experiences and met some colorful characters along the way. I'll be writing a lot of stories about my past in the future, but for today I'd like to focus on my present. We've all been told by people older and wiser than ourselves to live in the moment. Being a street performer has allowed me to do this more than at any other point in my life. So where am I? Right now.
Well, I'm in New Orleans. More specifically, I'm sitting on a white couch at a coffee shop in the Marigny neighborhood called the Orange Couch. The wifi password here is rickjames. I usually order ice cream, and I've been indulging in the peppermint bark flavor this holiday season. Sitting next to me is my friend, a magician named Dartagnan. He is a man of grand stature, sleekly dressed in light grey slacks, black shirt, dark grey blazer, and a light grey top hat to go with his black and silver hair and grizzled beard. We've been talking a lot lately about how our performance has evolved, our goals and aspirations, and the places we want to travel to. He prefers to work at night, on a corner of Jackson Square at Decatur Street. He does time travel magic that warps the very fabric of reality.
These days, I'm commonly out performing at night as well. I like a spot in Jackson Square right in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. There's a streetlamp at the entrance to Pere Antoine alley, which runs along a side of the cathedral, and I love to stand under its glow and howl up at the moon. During the day, Jackson Square is bustling with activity. There's always at least one brass band blaring. Tarot card readers line the perimeter. There is often a queue of magicians taking turns with large circle shows. Tourists meander about, checking out some of the performers, often with drinks in hand.
At night the scene is much different. Some of the tarot card readers are still out, but their tables are flickering with candle flames. Ghost and vampire tours meet along the gates of Jackson Square Park, which is about fifty feet away from where I'm lurking. I fit right in. It's one of my favorite places in the world to perform, and I connect with people while shrouded in ethereal mystery. I'm a phantom werewolf, only fiddling for a fleeting moment before vanishing into the midnight mist.