It has to be love…
The attention span and focus of their audience is minimal. Most passersby are looking for lunch.Or the next ferry to Alcatraz. Street performers, or buskers, must relish the act of performing enough to ignore being ignored. Exposing a bit of soul-felt art in hopes of an answering smile, a bit of applause and hopefully, a dollar bill or two… This is not for the faint of heart or those desiring a steady income.
Street performance is encouraged along San Francisco’s Wharf waterfront. 
The Fisherman’s Wharf Street Performer Program regulates twelve designated performance locations in the public access Port area in recognition of the cultural contribution of such open air shows. Miming, street dancing, instrumental performances and even operatic arias are but a few of the offerings one might wander past on a trek along the Embarcadero. The eclectic and energetic ambiance fits San Francisco -with her fluctuating temperatures, inclined streets and varied cultural pockets, very well.
Updated from February 1, 2010.
There are numerous hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf, such as the stylish Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf and the Argonaut Hotel, both within a couple blocks of all the action.
I guess the street performers truly treasure those who watch and get absorbed by a show. I’ve wacthed them in Sydney on the harbourfront at Circular Quay and nearly all walk straight past busy with their day’s activities.
Now there’s a thought. I could tell my tales at some harbour, and maybe earn some cash, then again it’s too cold here so I will stick to blogging even though it does not pay. LOL
Great stuff from you again, always interesting, and well worth coming back for.
I love buskers on the whole and will stop for those with obvious talent but they do need to be thick skinned and convinced of their own worth.
It looks a good place for buskers to be.
Buskers are such free spirits. I love watching them perform. We have a commons area here in Ithaca, and in the summer there are jugglers and musicians everywhere. It’s like a perpetual circus. I think they’d rather just do their thing and be ignored than have to slave in some office or behind a counter.
Mark H: Tourists are definitely more appreciative -and have more time to linger than the locals. It’s good to remember that not all great performances require a ticket purchase!
Donald: What you need is a cozy indoor venue. You relate your sea tales so well -it would be fun to listen to them!
Suzanne: True words. Positive feedback and payment are optional and had better not be one’s own measuring stick.
Graham: The Wharf area attracts a lot of the tourist crowd who are more inclined to listen and watch. I find it interesting that the city encourages the performers to be there. The buskers definitely add to the energy.
NothingProfound: The joy of creative expression is hard to beat! And when you add in the element of being outdoors (in the summer, NOT the winter!), street performance could be an attractive calling for those not requiring significant incomes.