Buskers Festival - Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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The Newburyport Buskers Festival 2008
Sunday, August 31 and Monday, Sept. 1
11:00am - 5:00pm

Visit downtown Newburyport and be entertained
by musicians, clowns, jugglers, magicians and
performers of all stripes!

Though busking was first practiced in medieval Europe, the American busking tradition can be traced to the many traveling circuses that once criss-crossed the nation. In their "off-hours," circus performers would supplement their meager wages by entertaining the townsfolk in public squares and plazas, juggling, clowning, and sword-swallowing for tips. Buskers are now deeply rooted in our urban culture...from the street corner to the subway platform, buskers continue to delight and amuse townsfolk the world over.

The Newburyport Buskers Festival is one of the only Buskers Festivals in the United States. Other great festivals are located in Canada, and international festivals in Italy, Singapore and New Zealand.

Some of the most famous groups and superstars started their careers as buskers. Examples include Joan Baez, Roni Benise, The Blue Man Group, Pierce Brosnan, Jimmy Buffett, George Burns, Cirque du Soleil, Eric Clapton, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Bob Hope, Steve Martin, Penn & Teller, Gerry Rafferty, Carlos Santana, Simon and Garfunkel, Stomp, and Robin Williams. Many other buskers have also found fame and fortune.

Performers at this year's festival include:
(more to come!)

Alazazam Australia's most flexible export, brings you a 100% high energy show that'll leave you needing years of therapy. Audiences in the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, NZ and Australia have already been left breathless by his incredibly bendable body, cheeky comedy and never before seen stunts. www.thehumanknot.com
	Irina the Facepainter Legendary facepainter Irina will also be in town. www.face-painter.com
Luckybob Luckybob grew up as a shy boy in picturesque Cape Cod until one day he met a group of jugglers and magicians. Suddenly, his mind and eyes were opened to things he once thought were unimaginable. As a teenager he began juggling and performing magic and juggling tricks for his high school peers. At 18 he became a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians and a charter member of The Cape Cod Mystics, a local magic club. www.luckyshow.net
	Glen Singer Glenn Singer specializes in visual comedy using hilarious optical illusions, a dry delivery, and a warm conversational style. His spoof of a circus equestrian act will have your audience laughing again every time they think about it. Appeals to all ages, all around the world. Guaranteed to delight. Touring at major International Festivals, Corporate Functions, and in Theatres, Schools, and Universities on six continents since 1983. www.horseguy.com
Rob The Balloon Guy Comedy, magic, juggling, stiltwalking, and puppetry... all done with balloons! Rob is a balloon artist and entertainer unlike anyone you've ever seen before. http://www.robtheballoonguy.com/
	Tupahn Tupahn is a dynamic performer with a stage presence that reflects his native tropical sensuality. His music is engaging and intense. He has a unique “finger picking” guitar technique, unparalleled “falsetto” singing style and broad range of musical influences combined in a kind of alchemy to produce something wholly new and original. Tupahn plays the melody, the bass and the chords of a song simultaneously. www.tupahn.net
The Yo Yo People Who would have thought you could make an entire show out of yo-yos? This husband and wife duo bring back that nostalgic toy, reminding you of old favorite tricks such as Walk the Dog and Rock the Baby, then amazing you with new and bizarre tricks, such as Boingy-Boingy and Iron Whip. Yo-yos attached to bouncy balls, yo-yos with 10-foot strings, and multiple yo-yos looping while hula hooping and unicycling are just some of their finely tuned feats. Consummate skill and deft timing to swingin' music coupled with high energy and sarcastic humor make the Yo-Yo People a favorite for every age. www.yoyoshow.com

Images from the 2007 Festival

The Yo Yo People share a special moment at the Market Square Stage.	Audience members and Buskers hula hoop to kick off the Labor Day festivities!
Rob Torres brought his unique brand of comedy to the delight of thousands.	Magic Brian successfully escapes from the Straightjacket of Death in record time!
Rob Torres enlists the help of children in the audience.	Thousands of locals and visitors enjoyed performances throughout the weekend in downtown Newburyport.
Cap'n Arrr shared stories of his pirate life to the delight of children in Market Square.	Eric Royer entertained with his one-man band which includes a special guitar machine.

2007 Performers

Rob Torres a physical comedian that mostly does cruise ships but he is in NYC that week before can come up! He is said to be better than some Cirque du Soleil shows. http://www.funeeestuff.com

	MagicBrian from NYC and he has been on all those VH1 shows and his show is incredible and funny. http://www.magicbrian.com

Won Israel recognized internationally for his visual performance style. He is a protégé of legendary Pantomime Artist Marcel Marceau and he has traveled and toured the world performing his brand of vaudeville-style comedy entertainment for audiences of all ages and cultures! http://www.wonisrael.com

	John and Rebecca Higby The YoYo People perform in Newburyport regularly. Their website is www.yoyopeople.com

Irina the Facepainter Legendary facepainter Irina will also be in town. Her website is www.face-painter.com

2006 performers included:

LURK
Alakazam
The Jim Show
Sam & Ryan

Images from the 2005 Festival

Alakazam gets a little help from the audience on Inn Street.	Dave Buchanan balances upside-down while juggling knives with the assistance of 2 volunteers
Peter Panic juggles torches while riding a unicycle around Market Square.	Alakazam does contortionist push-ups on Inn Street
Rebecca, one-half of the Yo Yo People hulas 12 hoops to the delight of hundreds on the Inn Street Stage.	Lurk watches the Market Square show with the rest of the crowd.
Elena Robidoux delights crowds with her juggling prowess	Furry Eggs plays his "glass harmonica" on Inn Street. He plays a wide variety of songs on ordinary wine glasses.
John, the Yo Yo Guy closes the show with the help of a volunteer.

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Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry
38R Merrimac Street, Newburyport MA 01950
Phone: 978-462-6680 Fax: 978-465-4145
info@newburyportchamber.org