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BuskerFest Toronto 2010
It's been 11 years, and Scotiabank's BuskerFest is still stealing the show among Toronto's most exciting summer festivals. The three-day event in support of Epilepsy Toronto kicked off yesterday in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood. Entry is free, but visitors may make donations at the festival gates to support over 40 000 with epilepsy in Toronto, so the fun and spectacle is all for a good cause.
I've always been fascinated by our city's public performers, so I felt a bit like a kid in a candy store when I went to capture some of this year's festivities -- with over 100 featured acts from around the world, there really was something new and enticing at every turn.
The first show I watched was by Aidan Orange, a Toronto-based contortionist who recently appeared in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. His act included squeezing himself through a flaming tennis racket ("I have a lot of experience getting through small spaces. Been doing that since I was born.") and most memorably, balancing a lawnmower on his face as audience members threw lettuce into the blades.
"Busking is what I love to do," said Aidan, who graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in astrophysics and mathematics. "I love bringing joy spontaneously, on the street."
Next, I watched Victor Rubilar, a four-time Guinness World Record breaker from Argentina. He demonstrated his commitment to our entertainment by flaunting some tastefully bronzed skin before launching into his five-soccer-ball juggling act.
The impressively mustachioed Stunt Double Circus showed off their acrobatic skills balancing on pogo sticks...
...balance beams...
...and their own bodies, but only after warning the younger and more impressionable members of the audience. "Kids, don't try this...without a mustache."
A unicycle world champion meets an acrobatic clown in Witty Look, a wacky duo from Japan featuring colourful characters Daiki and Cheeky. They took spoon bending (and, well, everything else) to new levels of over-the-top absurdity.
Living statue Kate Mior of Toronto entertained through seamless movement, mime technique, and by standing very, very still. Her calm, controlled installation was especially intriguing given the hustle and bustle on Front St.
My favourite busker by far was That Man, an unforgettable wordless interactive performance by the multi-talented Grant Goldie of Belfast, Northern Ireland. How can a person say so much without saying a word? His show is simply too varied to summarize and too good to spoil, but if you make your way down to BuskerFest in the next couple of days, I implore you to do yourself and your friends a favour. See That Man if you can!
BuskerFest continues today from noon to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Jarvis and Scott Sts. on Front St.
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Awesome pictures Jen!
That sounds like a good time! Maybe I'll go next year
The acrobatic black guys were pretty funny. A lot of black jokes, white jokes, gay jokes. It's all fun.
Great idea, but more raised stages are really needed
I have to say this year was the least enjoyable for my family and we've been going almost since the beginning. It's not a lack of good acts at all, and you can even get a beer and some decent street food, but it was so damned crowded on Saturday one could barely move (thanks also to the couple of establishments that blocked the entire sidewalk with temporary patio space).
Brad's point about raised stages is a great one too, but really they simply need more space altogether. The crowd is a sign that it's a popular and desirable event, but we saw less and consequently paid less in total to buskers than we had in past year - we simply couldn't see as many. In fact, it seemed to me that the buskers we did see were emphasizing the donations more than before - is that just the economy or were crowds too cranky to cough up this year?
Still, some great acts if you have the patience to stake out a spot well in advance for what you want to see, and you don't mind sharing sweat with everyone. We'll probably go back, maybe earlier in the day, or maybe just with revised expectations.
Oh yea, and these are definitely some great shots! Grant Goldie was awesome on the raised stage in the park early Saturday evening.
buskerfest was pretty cool this year, many contortionists and the like, hmm... check out this link, you can vote up ur fav performances, add pics or vids, comment pros/cons and share it too!
http://www.sunrank.com/rank/buskerfest#comm
Aiden Orange is in the top spot!