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Frustrated by the indifference of the music industry and the stacks of homemade CDs gathering dust in their closets, brothers Heth and Jed Weinstein made the radical decision to bring their music directly to the masses. They began playing on street corners, in subway stations, and wherever else they could connect with a live audience. To their surprise, far from this being the terminal stop of a dead-end career, busking turned out to be just the beginning as crowds of stressed-out commuters gathered around, cheering them on, subscribing to their mailing lists, and actually buying some of those stockpiled CDs—40,000 and counting.
In Buskers, Heth and Jed recount their turbulent, drug- and crime-filled adolescence in the nowhere-land of Livingston, New Jersey, their valiant attempts to achieve rock ’n’ roll success through traditional channels, and their unexpected path to circumventing the outmoded music industry. They divulge fascinating details about the technical and legal aspects of street performance, New York busking culture, and the lives of their fellow troubadours.
A world of possibilities opens up when the brothers take it to the streets, proving the value of their music to themselves and anyone who’ll listen. Read their story, and your commute will never be the same.
Introduction In the Shadows xi
1 Background Check 1
2 Daddy's Weed 13
3 Our First Taste or New york 25
4 The Great Escape 41
5 Dead-End Jobs and Confused Guitarists 55
6 Communication Breakdown 75
7 Paid to Practice 87
8 Urban Frankenstein 93
9 Subway Series 117
10 Breakin' 2: Electric Boogoloo 125
11 The year Of No Sleep 133
12 Cosmic Intake Valve 143
13 Fat of the Land 155
14 Future Memory 169
Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2012
Best music memoir I've read all year, (I'm listening to one of their CDs as I write this review) the way I know it's great is that while reading the book I actually laughed out loud several times (got a lot of stares). Honestly I didn't know what to think when I found this gem but not only is it written in a very cool style it's also riveting. Brothers Heth and Jed Weinstein have really rocked a great book.
READ THIS BOOK!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JemmaH
Posted January 11, 2012
Wow! What a ride this book was. I've been a fan of these guys ever since seeing them perform outside F.A.O. Schwartz on my first visit to NYC. Fell in love with their music and their book Buskers was equally awesome! There story is fascinating and told in a very down-to-earth manner. Kudos to the brother's Weinstein.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 12, 2011
I am going to pre-order right now! Can't wait to read it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Frustrated by the indifference of the music industry and the stacks of homemade CDs gathering dust in their closets, brothers Heth and Jed Weinstein made the radical decision to bring their music directly to the masses. They began playing on street corners, in subway stations, and wherever else they could connect with a live audience. To their surprise, far from this being the terminal stop of a dead-end career, busking turned out to be just the beginning as crowds of stressed-out commuters gathered around, ...