Young Buskers

I caught this pair on Saturday. There's more kids busking this year than I can remember seeing before, though most don't do it regularly. These little girls don't look so much like buskers - they have the gravitas and dress that made their performance seem like a concert.

Jammin'

It always makes for an interesting musical evening when two of the Causeway's musicians get together for a jam. On the left above is Mather Hewison with one man band Dave Harris on the right. At one point Mather delivered Elvis Presley's version of "Donald, Where's Yer Troosers" and that should give you a hint of the eclectic musical spectrum they surveyed.

Karen Hough

Karen Hough is a veteran busker on the causeway I first photographed in 2009. I've not featured her since because she generally only appears in the evening and I usually visit the causeway in the afternoon. I was happy to sit and listen to her on the weekend because her repertoire and sound is such a refreshing change from most other buskers. The sweet and mellow tone of her French Horn really adds something to Broadway classic tunes such as South Pacific's "Bali Hai". She plays classical music as well as popular and it's always a pleasure to see and hear her.

Jammin'

I enjoy the music of individual buskers on the causeway but it's always a special treat when two or more of them get together for a little jammin'. This afternoon I was lucky to catch one man band Dave Harris performing with one of the causeway's younger performers, guitar prodigy Landen Shaw.

Musical Family

Here's a group that have been entertaining Victorians and tourists on the causeway for years, the Kennedy Family, consisting of father Caleb (center), son Cairo (left) and daughter Autumn.

Harbour Nolan

Here's a young busker who has more right to play on the Inner Harbour Causeway than most. His name is Harbour Nolan and, as you may have guessed, he was named after Victoria's Inner Harbour. He sings and accompanies himself on the ukelele, plays a foot drum and high-hat cymbal and blows a mean harp too, a true one-man-band.

Theme Park

I've mentioned before that sometimes during the summer months I get the feeling I'm living in a giant theme park when I'm in downtown Victoria. I got that feeling yesterday evening when I was enjoying the mesmerizing music-box mime of Pierre St. Pierre and one of those horse-drawn carriages trotted past.

Swan Walker

Here's a veteran causeway performer I've not featured so far this year - Swan Walker. Swan adds a distinctly Caribbean flavor to the causeway and though he plays a lot of calypso and reggae music he has a wide repertoire of other popular music as well as his own distinctive compositions. In addition to guitar he also plays a pair of steel drums. If you see him on the Causeway make sure you stop and listen - you won't regret it.

Dustin Childs

Here's a busker who's new to the causeway this year but his smooth very listenable performance indicates he's an experienced professional. I continue to be amazed at the range of talents displayed by the artists who perform on the causeway and Dustin Childs is no exception. He's a fine musician.

Mike & Joy

Most busker musicians' repertoires focus mainly on adult tastes but here's a duo that adds a good selection of kids' songs to a collection of pop classics. This is Mike and Joy. If you're on the causeway with your kids, keep an eye (and an ear) out for this pair. They sound good no matter what age you are.

The Harbour Rats

Here's a pair of brothers I've not seen before - Gabe and Mac, who are busking on the causeway this year under the name of The Harbour Rats. They have a wide repertoire that includes some high-energy bluegrass. Great stuff!

Mather Hewison

I was happy today to catch a performance by Mather Hewison, a veteran causeway performer. Mather plays vintage rock 'n roll with gusto and it's always a pleasure to listen to him. (Today was really HOT and BRIGHT - for me it was the first real summer day.)

Fish in a Birdcage

Fish in a Birdcage has been featured here in other years with other members but the one consistent member is Dusty Townsend, usually playing cello as on the right in the photo above. When I saw him earlier this week he was playing in the company of Esther-Ruth Teel, on the Celtic Harp. It's an odd combination of instruments but it works amazingly well, the deep, rumblings of the cello perfectly counterpointing the softer pluckings of the harp.

Carla Olive

Causeway musicians continue to amaze me with their talent and professionalism and singer/songwriter Carla Olive (pictured above) is no exception. We really are privileged here in Victoria to have such polished performances available to us. Carla is a new face on the causeway this year and a great addition to the roster of artists who perform on the Inner Harbour Causeway.

Blake Andison

I've been spending a bit more time down on the Causeway lately in order to catch up with all this year's buskers. Some are new and others are returning. Above is Blake Andison who has been performing on the causeway for 4 or 5 years now. Blake performs rock n' roll classics in a very polished, professional style. If you happen to catch one of his performances, stop and listen for a while. You won't be disappointed.

The Postcard

As I was leaving the causeway yesterday I thought I might as well grab a postcard view of the Inner Harbour, something I have photographed many times. It's always different. Here's what it looked like on an overcast late afternoon in May, 2017.

Pierre St. Pierre

While passing the Causeway this afternoon I was happy to see that an old favorite has returned to our city. This is Pierre St. Pierre working his mysterious magic on a young tourist. The lad is, I'm sad to say, appropriately dressed for this cold spring.

Ambassador Maggot

Another bright afternoon today so I went down to the causeway to see if any buskers had come out of hibernation. Here's the one I encountered, Ambassador Maggot, Gary Ferreira, who was grinding out some righteous rock n' roll this afternoon.

Signs of Spring - 2

Though Sunday afternoon was bleak and gray, here's another sign of spring on the Inner Harbour - the first busking musician I have seen this year. I think his fingers must have been getting pretty cold after playing for awhile. Mine were getting numb by the time I had taken out my camera and snapped this shot.

February Flashback

I find as I age I am turning into a fair weather photographer. For me, photography requires a bit of a meditative state and when it's cold I no longer have the patience to stand around and get it right. So, until it warms up a bit more we'll have a look at some photos from the past. The dramatic shot above is from February 2009. It's already starting to have some historical significance - in the center of the photo you can see a blue Telus phone booth. There used to be a couple of these on the Causeway but once everyone started to have mobiles they were removed.