So I had to go into the CBD the other week to sort something out with the bus company (minor issue, easily fixed and the staff are great ). While I was there I also decided to have a look inside some of the stores and around the mall.
Quick background: the mall I'm referring to is basically a street that has been closed off to cars and vehicular transport. I tend to refer to it as an open air mall. Despite this, there are 2-3 streets that cross THROUGH the mall, although the mall acts as a dead end on either side.
Awesome Buskers:
So in the open-air mall, there are a number of buskers. The only rule with them is that they're required to move every so often. The ONLY exception to this is the occasional stunt performer/magic show that has to be set up at the intersection for safety reasons. You tend to get an eclectic mix of buskers including the following:
-The biker flautist. Basically picture a burly guy, unkempt beard, leather vest, black shirt, leather pants, big black boots.....and he's carrying a flute. He plays into a microphone. He will play just about ANYTHING....at one point I heard him doing a Mariah Carey song. He's GOOD though, I try and tip him every time I'm there.
-The limbo dancer. This guy usually manages to draw a crowd. His act usually ends up with him putting the limbo bar down to about maybe 5cm off the ground (or thereabouts) and squeezing himself under the pole. Everyone loves it. (I don't usually get close enough to tip him)
-A group of kids from a school in the Adelaide Hills Region have these instruments that are made from recycled materials, including pipes. They play them with rubber thongs (these ones are specially made though) and will occasionally make appearances in the mall. The sound is interesting....
-One guy the other day was singing....he wasn't too bad. Except that he was also playing a ukulele. horribly.
-And the act that led me to post this: the saxophone quartet. I suspect that these were students from the Adelaide Uni School of Music due to the instrument configurations, but these guys were awesome. Due to the time of year, we have a number of buskers performing Christmas carols (-.-) along with a number that don't. Usually the carolers are children playing their violin. The saxophone quartet however, were different. We had a soprano sax (as in the bendy type, not the straight type), an alto sax, a tenor sax and a baritone sax. The song? Mario Bros theme. I only wish I had money to tip them! (and it was a full-on four-part arrangement, with the baritone doing the "doo doo doo" part underneath)
Ride those pigs!
There is a set of sculptures located in the mall known commonly as the Bronze pigs. They consist of two on the ground, one up against a nearby bin and I can't remember what the fourth one does. A number of somewhat drunk people tend to "ride" the piggy up against the bins (if you get my drift) but I spotted a little kid yesterday climbing one of the pigs on the ground. His mum took a photo
Spelling fail:
I was making my way through Myers (department store) towards Lincraft (art/craft store) and my eye was drawn to one of the signs that crops up in the cosmetics department. I can't remember what the sign had on it exactly, but what I DO remember was that it had "Where" instead of "We're" or "Were".
No Script:
So I'm in Lincraft (which has had a refit and is now half the size it originally was ) looking at the Hama bead displays (Perler for you folks in the US) and pricing out what I needed to start with. Then there's a voice over the PA announcing all the specials. Doesn't sound SO bad except that she clearly was NOT running from a script and every second word was "um"
Quick background: the mall I'm referring to is basically a street that has been closed off to cars and vehicular transport. I tend to refer to it as an open air mall. Despite this, there are 2-3 streets that cross THROUGH the mall, although the mall acts as a dead end on either side.
Awesome Buskers:
So in the open-air mall, there are a number of buskers. The only rule with them is that they're required to move every so often. The ONLY exception to this is the occasional stunt performer/magic show that has to be set up at the intersection for safety reasons. You tend to get an eclectic mix of buskers including the following:
-The biker flautist. Basically picture a burly guy, unkempt beard, leather vest, black shirt, leather pants, big black boots.....and he's carrying a flute. He plays into a microphone. He will play just about ANYTHING....at one point I heard him doing a Mariah Carey song. He's GOOD though, I try and tip him every time I'm there.
-The limbo dancer. This guy usually manages to draw a crowd. His act usually ends up with him putting the limbo bar down to about maybe 5cm off the ground (or thereabouts) and squeezing himself under the pole. Everyone loves it. (I don't usually get close enough to tip him)
-A group of kids from a school in the Adelaide Hills Region have these instruments that are made from recycled materials, including pipes. They play them with rubber thongs (these ones are specially made though) and will occasionally make appearances in the mall. The sound is interesting....
-One guy the other day was singing....he wasn't too bad. Except that he was also playing a ukulele. horribly.
-And the act that led me to post this: the saxophone quartet. I suspect that these were students from the Adelaide Uni School of Music due to the instrument configurations, but these guys were awesome. Due to the time of year, we have a number of buskers performing Christmas carols (-.-) along with a number that don't. Usually the carolers are children playing their violin. The saxophone quartet however, were different. We had a soprano sax (as in the bendy type, not the straight type), an alto sax, a tenor sax and a baritone sax. The song? Mario Bros theme. I only wish I had money to tip them! (and it was a full-on four-part arrangement, with the baritone doing the "doo doo doo" part underneath)
Ride those pigs!
There is a set of sculptures located in the mall known commonly as the Bronze pigs. They consist of two on the ground, one up against a nearby bin and I can't remember what the fourth one does. A number of somewhat drunk people tend to "ride" the piggy up against the bins (if you get my drift) but I spotted a little kid yesterday climbing one of the pigs on the ground. His mum took a photo
Spelling fail:
I was making my way through Myers (department store) towards Lincraft (art/craft store) and my eye was drawn to one of the signs that crops up in the cosmetics department. I can't remember what the sign had on it exactly, but what I DO remember was that it had "Where" instead of "We're" or "Were".
No Script:
So I'm in Lincraft (which has had a refit and is now half the size it originally was ) looking at the Hama bead displays (Perler for you folks in the US) and pricing out what I needed to start with. Then there's a voice over the PA announcing all the specials. Doesn't sound SO bad except that she clearly was NOT running from a script and every second word was "um"
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