Music in the NYC subway

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 4:34pm

Does anyone here hate is as much as I do?

[racerchiquita76m]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 5:07pm

I feel like it's just one of those things that makes NYC NYC. It is annoying when crowds form and you can't get where you need to go quickly, I suppose.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 6:53pm

I hate it when it's loud, such as drums and electric guitars. I would prefer quieter music.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 6:59pm

It almost always IS loud.
The worst is in Penn Station with a man playing a STEEL DRUM. The uptown 3 cannot come fast enough.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 9:27pm

For the most part it annoys me (as far as the crowds forming, and drums banging...particularly when I have a headache and am heading home after a long day); but once in a while I hear some pretty good stuff. We get some entertaining folks on the Staten Island Ferry. And at least there you have the option of going to a different level or different end of the boat if you don't wish to hear it.

[Mattio98]

Posted: 2/22/04 at 11:14pm

I like the trumpet player in the Columbus Circle station who plays "My Favorite Things"

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 1:13am

I like the steel drums and the saw lady!!

[orion59]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 9:39am

I don't know about NYC but here in Boston they recently wanted to ban subway musicians after some complaints by a few cranky, trouble makers. The reasoning behind it was that communters couldn't hear the announcements being made by the MBTA...you know, the ones that sound like "Thank(static)iding the T(static)personal belongings when exiting the (loud blaring feedback) Plea(static) the (static) ith (more loud blaring feedback)"

Soem of the music is annoying but, there are some very talented people playing in subways who are pleasant to listen to. We have a wonderful folk singer who accomapnys herself on an acoustic guitar, a Peruvian band taht plays beautiful, soft pipe flute music and for a while we had an Elvis impersonator in full Viva Las Vegas costume.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 11:30am

I don't usually enjoy them ON the train. And there have been times when the message was regarding service changes. One time, I got routed to Brooklyn because I couldn't hear the announcement over loud ass music.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 11:35am

i don't think i've ever been annoyed by musicians in the subway either on the train or in the station. i think it's a wonderful facet of new york city that you don't find everywhere.

everytime i've had friends of family in from out of town, they are always impressed and enthused by the quality and quantity and diversity of the music that one finds underground.

count me as a vote for subway music.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 11:49am

I often enjoy them and would never want a law enacted to get rid of them.

BUT--it has started to get that every car on the train has some wannabe performing group whether it be homeless "gospel" singers, off key mariachis, or bad street dancing.

I guess we can attribute the Bush economy for these lovely amenities. =)

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:02pm

I don't mind it in the station. Sometimes it's good, and if you don't like it, you can at least walk away. I do have a problem with the music on the train, though, because I feel trapped. It's always much too loud for the space and you're stuck. How about when they do hip hop dancing inside the train-spinning and handstands in that tiny space, practically on top of you, LOL!

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:16pm

"i don't think i've ever been annoyed by musicians in the subway either on the train or in the station. i think it's a wonderful facet of new york city that you don't find everywhere. "

agreed 100%!

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:26pm

I can't stand it when those street dancers take up a whole city block sidewalk to show off their dancing moves...and the empty bucket. It's the same moves over and over again. It starts off with a Jackson 5 imitation and ends with jumping, flipping, and diving. Of course, they do it in Times Square during rush hour!

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:27pm

You kids must hang out in better subways than I do!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:30pm

master, i'm a denizen of the "john rocker express" and the most i ever get on that is a mariachi band on the weekends.

although the other night going downtown on the r train i was treated to a nice doo wop group working a 5 part harmony on "under the boardwalk."

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 4:40pm

"although the other night going downtown on the r train i was treated to a nice doo wop group working a 5 part harmony on "under the boardwalk."

Oh, I've seen them! And not on the R train, they must get around!

[robbiej]

Posted: 2/23/04 at 5:09pm

Last weekend, I was on the Subway with my beau and on came these zaftig four folks in Yankee jackets. I didn't think much about them until they launched into THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT. It was three men and a big ole' lady and they were FABULOUS! I rarely give money on the subway, but they were terrific, so I dug deep and gave 'em a little dough.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/24/04 at 3:10pm

I like the fact that musicians are able to find outlets to perform in such as the subway stations - its a good way to practice their craft and make a few bucks on the side - but its the guys and gals who get into the subway cars and subject you to their music for the entire ride that offend me. I just don't think its fair to be trapped in a subway car, unable to move away from it if you don't like it. Anywhere else is fine - just not in an enclosed place. That's right up there with playing your personal stereo equipment in public places (read "boom box")...now THAT should be against the law.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 2/24/04 at 3:18pm

I agree with you as far as being trapped with them.
I also don't like when people are listening to their diskman so loudly that I can hear it. The point of earphones is so that only the person wearing them can hear the music. I get so annoyed when I am on the elevator at school trapped with a bunch of ghetto people blasting ganster/rap. I should not have to listen to it if I don't want to.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/25/04 at 1:10am

Has anyone heard the guy on the 6 train sing "If I Had A Hammer"?

[MusicMan]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 8:10pm

Like we don't already have to contend with noise all around us 24/7. It's just another way of preventing people from introspection or thinking in our increasingly brain-dead culture and is as distracting, intrusive and unnecessary as the use of the toy known as the cell phone in public. It is a plague and should be verboten.

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 9:13pm

I don't mind it, as long as it's quiet and not taking up any space. In the 42nd street station, there's always a steel drum playing 'Fur Elise'. It's ok, because it's always on a track that I don't need to get to, so I really don't care if it's there or not.

After you get off the Shuttle from Grand Central, there's this one place, where there's always a dancing competition or something like that. A lot of times the dancing takes up a lot of space and you can't get by, and sometimes the music is obnoxiously loud. I can't stand it when it's there.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 2/27/04 at 9:26pm

My favorite is the silver guy with the robot noises.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/28/04 at 7:33am

One of the problems with the subway musicians is that the acustics in the tunnels just biunce the sound all over the place. Even if they are playing softly, it SEEMS loud down there.

In a related story: The steel drums that perform on Duffy square can be enjoyable when waiting on line at the TKTS Booth. My birthday is in August and I frequently celebrate by seeing a show. It has never failed that just as I'm approaching the ticket booth on that day, the band plays "Hello, Dolly!" It's a nice coincidence.