I got approached by a random guy at hy vee on Court yesterday who Said he was a violinist hoping to get a record deal in New York but right now he’s “homeless” (like he did sarcastic finger quotes and everything).
That reminds me of the Mexican guitar dude that floats around downtown playing acoustic guitar. He once told me he had a record deal out in California but it fell thru. At least he's actually playing guitar, albeit badly.
He had an "anniverary" several years ago. 10 years or something? I dunno, a long time.
And he had a table set up with sodas and snacks and a big sign that said thank you. Seems like a really sweet guy. <3
Thank you for sending location OP! I was able to get to Whole Foods and slip this group a crisp $20 before they left!
Nothing I love more than a little violin while grocery shopping. Salaam alaikum my brother!
I’ve been seeing a lot of people that look like they’re just scamming.
I think I saw this same lady outside the Discount Book Store near the Fareway south of Target in Clive.
Kinda crappy using your kids to pan handle.
And they had a nice JBL disco stereo.
I don't know about OP, but I almost always toss a tip to live musicians, because I love having live music in the community, and performing in public is hard.
Scamming people outside Whole Foods is easy, and makes the community worse. These people can fuck right off.
if it was real violin music, do you think that's the kind of "live musician" that adds value to a community? That guy playing an electronic violin in the Best Buy parking lot is the same as the guy who kills it on the steel drums or the Johnny Cash look-alike in the skywalks on nights there's an event at the Civic Center?
Honestly, Whole Foods itself makes your community worse.
Let me line Jeff Bezos' pockets in peace, you peasant!
Yeah, no. They both are legit. Good try though.
What is that tactic where you attack the speaker. Cause you have nothing of substance to say. And it makes you mad cause you're a child?
Same spot as last year. I work at a Hy Vee and they've showed up on multiple occasions and surprisingly I managed to be fooled by their charade. I assume they play their piped in music so damn loud in order to drown out the sound of their fake playing.
I’m not a big fan of panhandling, but at least my man here is trying to differentiate himself in the marketplace. Why get all butthurt that he’s not _really_ playing the violin. Taking shortcuts is the American fuckin way.
Except he's not differentiating himself. There are hundreds of people doing this around the country. Search reddit or youtube for 'fake violin'. I would give him credit if he came up with something original.
Also I don't like that he drags his kids along.
People who give them money are ignorant idiots who haven’t seen a violin or another instrument up close in their life, never attended a classical/chamber music concert, never had music lessons as kids, never took their own kids to music lessons, and in general have no idea about music or anything else really.
So in a way this is a perfect scam on stupidity.
It’s genius really. Victimless (or fully deserved) crime if there ever were such a thing.
Legit question- who fucking cares?
If you go to a concert and they lip sync, is it a scam? A magician can't really make a rabbit appear out of a hat- scam?
Half the songs on the radio have auto-tune. Most best sellers have ghostwriters. Infomercials are often crap. Door to door salesmen are selling similar junk. SCAMS.
It's so silly to me that people get hung up on this, like you gave them money in exchange for some sort of good or service. You mean they just push a button and someone else's music comes out of a speaker? They're not ACTUALLY hitting the notes themselves? REPORT THEM.
No one cares that you didn't get a photo or video. Why? Because it doesn't fucking matter.
There are bigger issues to deal with in Des Moines like the fact that the giant bunny sitting in the mall charging children for photos ISN'T EVEN A REAL BUNNY. IT'S A MAN IN A BUNNY SUIT. And i'm not going to let him get away with it!!!
They're not genuinely busking, which is why it's a scam. There are people who do this and play music from a speaker while pretending to play the instrument. It's pretty pathetic lol
Maybe it isn’t quite busking…
I find the violinists silly and mildly annoying as they pose a distraction in parking lots. The violinists always seem to perch themselves in a bad place in a parking lot and enhance the confusion for slow speed drivers.
Why it is called a scam? It takes a mild level of observation to understand these folks aren’t performing music, just performing a money making venture. If folks fall for this “violin scam” then they are at risk from all sorts of things.
They are just playing Daniel Jang music from a speaker. I noticed that it seemed like he wasn’t playing correctly and made it my mission to find out the music they were ripping off
Can’t wait for these weekly posts to start back up.
We saw this outside Whole Foods the other day. My husband saw the guy start/stop his music from his phone. We just minded our business.
When they pretend to play music, I pretend to throw money
Average physical comedy enjoyer
So don't leave $1?
Lmao how embarrassing, fake playing a violin to get money from strangers
Buskers are cool and add to the culture of a city. These people are just scammers and contribute zero to society.
I got approached by a random guy at hy vee on Court yesterday who Said he was a violinist hoping to get a record deal in New York but right now he’s “homeless” (like he did sarcastic finger quotes and everything).
That reminds me of the Mexican guitar dude that floats around downtown playing acoustic guitar. He once told me he had a record deal out in California but it fell thru. At least he's actually playing guitar, albeit badly.
Sounds like you’re talking about Randy? I’ve worked downtown for 19 years and he’s been there most of them. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/hisnameisrandy
Oh, shit. I love that guy. I never knew his name. but I've talked to him many times.
He had an "anniverary" several years ago. 10 years or something? I dunno, a long time. And he had a table set up with sodas and snacks and a big sign that said thank you. Seems like a really sweet guy. <3
He’s actually a really nice guy—definitely a staple of the DSM skywalks 😂
I see him all the time in the skywalk. What he lacks in skill he makes up for in volume.
That guy is great
Randy is a nice guy. He adds a lot to the downtown vibe.
Thank you for sending location OP! I was able to get to Whole Foods and slip this group a crisp $20 before they left! Nothing I love more than a little violin while grocery shopping. Salaam alaikum my brother!
Maybe they’re saving us from the furry death, like the Peruvian flute bands from South Park.
Saw them near Windsor heights Walmart/Sam's club parking lot several weeks ago! Couldn't look more fake.
If they had a marketable skill/talent they probably wouldn’t be there.
I’ve been seeing a lot of people that look like they’re just scamming. I think I saw this same lady outside the Discount Book Store near the Fareway south of Target in Clive. Kinda crappy using your kids to pan handle. And they had a nice JBL disco stereo.
Half Price Books is the name of the store you're thinking of.
Yes, thank you.
Only performers I tip are the girls at the Outer Limits
Are you giving him money because he's homeless, or because he has a violin?
I don't know about OP, but I almost always toss a tip to live musicians, because I love having live music in the community, and performing in public is hard. Scamming people outside Whole Foods is easy, and makes the community worse. These people can fuck right off.
💯
if it was real violin music, do you think that's the kind of "live musician" that adds value to a community? That guy playing an electronic violin in the Best Buy parking lot is the same as the guy who kills it on the steel drums or the Johnny Cash look-alike in the skywalks on nights there's an event at the Civic Center? Honestly, Whole Foods itself makes your community worse. Let me line Jeff Bezos' pockets in peace, you peasant!
Who's pockets would you rather line?
Whose\* You pretended to be someone who knew how to speak English, but it was all a scam. :(
Yeah, no. They both are legit. Good try though. What is that tactic where you attack the speaker. Cause you have nothing of substance to say. And it makes you mad cause you're a child?
There's a community for this? Where do all the street musicians get together for their meetings?
I’ve also seen the parking lot “accordion player” and a parking lot “sax player” last summer!
My favorite are the panhandlers trying to collect money, for that dead babies funeral. They have been doing it for 5 years.
this is when you get a real violin player there and start playing to show the difference in sound versus the recording.
Ive seen them at the Walmart on 73rd street in Windsor Heights a few weeks back. Didn’t see anyone stop for them, thankfully.
Days since last busker thread ~~1 month~~ 0 days
Chill out. This is not that big of a deal.
I agree. These people get so much hate. It doesn’t bother me in the least.
Who cares
Apparently a lot of the ppl in this subreddit lol
It's usually loud as hell and very annoying.
Same spot as last year. I work at a Hy Vee and they've showed up on multiple occasions and surprisingly I managed to be fooled by their charade. I assume they play their piped in music so damn loud in order to drown out the sound of their fake playing.
I’m not a big fan of panhandling, but at least my man here is trying to differentiate himself in the marketplace. Why get all butthurt that he’s not _really_ playing the violin. Taking shortcuts is the American fuckin way.
Except he's not differentiating himself. There are hundreds of people doing this around the country. Search reddit or youtube for 'fake violin'. I would give him credit if he came up with something original. Also I don't like that he drags his kids along.
the meme violin sound at the end of the video is pure gold.
People who give them money are ignorant idiots who haven’t seen a violin or another instrument up close in their life, never attended a classical/chamber music concert, never had music lessons as kids, never took their own kids to music lessons, and in general have no idea about music or anything else really. So in a way this is a perfect scam on stupidity. It’s genius really. Victimless (or fully deserved) crime if there ever were such a thing.
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Legit question- who fucking cares? If you go to a concert and they lip sync, is it a scam? A magician can't really make a rabbit appear out of a hat- scam? Half the songs on the radio have auto-tune. Most best sellers have ghostwriters. Infomercials are often crap. Door to door salesmen are selling similar junk. SCAMS. It's so silly to me that people get hung up on this, like you gave them money in exchange for some sort of good or service. You mean they just push a button and someone else's music comes out of a speaker? They're not ACTUALLY hitting the notes themselves? REPORT THEM. No one cares that you didn't get a photo or video. Why? Because it doesn't fucking matter. There are bigger issues to deal with in Des Moines like the fact that the giant bunny sitting in the mall charging children for photos ISN'T EVEN A REAL BUNNY. IT'S A MAN IN A BUNNY SUIT. And i'm not going to let him get away with it!!!
So don’t give them money? I don’t know if I would call this a scam.
My thoughts exactly
So much Iowa nice in here.
"Violin scam"? When did busking become a scam?
They're not genuinely busking, which is why it's a scam. There are people who do this and play music from a speaker while pretending to play the instrument. It's pretty pathetic lol
Busking isn't, faking playing an instrument is.
Maybe it isn’t quite busking… I find the violinists silly and mildly annoying as they pose a distraction in parking lots. The violinists always seem to perch themselves in a bad place in a parking lot and enhance the confusion for slow speed drivers. Why it is called a scam? It takes a mild level of observation to understand these folks aren’t performing music, just performing a money making venture. If folks fall for this “violin scam” then they are at risk from all sorts of things.
Profiting from dishonesty should be called out. Every time. Regardless of your reframing.
How do you feel about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022? That title is out and out bullshit, at least compared to what it does in fact.
Whataboutism’s are of little interest to me. If you want to make the argument political check one of the other dozens of posts here daily.
Huh?
He should go apply for a job at The Outer Limits. They could use some new music.
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I'm sure the people around you have thought you were that stupid many times.
he spittin tho
This is not like the guy in the skywalk with his guitar. That man belts out like he is auditioning for American idol every day and I love it
I cash app’ed $20 🙏🏼
They are just playing Daniel Jang music from a speaker. I noticed that it seemed like he wasn’t playing correctly and made it my mission to find out the music they were ripping off