It rained yesturday ... it's raining today ... it's sopposed to rain all week. How am I sopposed to show a profit when it does nothing but rain?

Anyone know how they figure out the percentage chance of rain on the weather channel? They are saying there is a 40% chance or rain - I'm no weatherman, but I can look out the window and say "there's a 100% chance of rain today".

Anyways, I am working on a rain strategy for this summer ... the local mall isn't interested in letting me pass the hat, I'm considering Wal-Mart but I think their answer will be the same. Certainly other buskers must have ideas on what to do when it rains? Please share.

JoeJoe

Well, your first line of defence is to work hard when its NOT raining...seriously, as a busker you need to be making more than you need so you'll have a cushion when the rain comes..."saving for a rainy day" is no joke.

I've never done this, but a few guys I know do BARS when the weathers bad. I imagine this would be profitable. I do real well on a street that's a big bar area on weekend nights. Drunks throw a lot of money around.

Me...I just take the day off.

It's the same here. I freakin' hate rain when I want to be out.

I think 90% of weathermen are idiots and the other 15% are on hallucigenics. (Yeah, I teach math and spelling).

Bro Paul has some great thoughts on what to do when this situation happens. I haven't had the cajones to try it yet, but I think Danny has, and had a good time with it. You might talk to either of them.

Mark

I know how they predict that. "O.K. Susan it's ur turn. heres the hat" grabs a slip of paper from hat. " hey zero percent" "isn't it August" "o well"

Joe Joe,

I know your pain bro! 7 weekends in a row have been all rain here in Boston! IT IS KILLING ME!

Tomorrow I am going to put something I learned from Bro Paul's lecture notes into action. If you don't have them Joe Joe you should get them. They are a GOLD MINE for just this situation!

http://www.brotherpaulmagic.com/store.html

Get the CD with everything on it. The best 20 bucks I have ever spent!

Best,

Dan-

We had to be prepared for rain with the Renaissance Festival. The last several years I was out there, I was doing a fairly large illusion show, but there was nothing over the stage to keep the rain off us. We had lots of strategies.

One was to go into a nearby booth, and entertain people there. Some of the people who had booths got real snippy about it, even when their bosses had told them that we were to be given permission to perform. We were always careful to plug the merchandise in the booth.

But we figured out where we were welcome and where we weren't. And we also had our ways of handling snippy people. For example, we would do lines about various booths during our show. We wouldn't say anything bad about anyone, but we would send people to visit booths in other parts of the festival.

I remember Weird Al Yankovich did a "coming attractions" for a disaster movie called; "30% Chance of Rain" in which he played a bizarre weatherman running out screaming about how everyone has to get under cover because it "might" rain. (This was shot on a bright, beautiful sunny day.) Finally, after he gets everyone under cover, a kid looks at him and says; "You mean you don't even know if it's GOING to rain?" And Al looks at him in all ham actor seriousness and says; "That's right son, we don't even know!"

Seriously, 40% chance of rain and you hit that 40%. I don't see a problem. If he says it's going to be a bright beautiful sunny day and you're slogging through flood waters, then you got a problem. (Opening of "The Ritz" comes to mind.)

Danny: is that where you can go into a bar and talk them into letting you do your pitch? I just have no interest in walking into any bars, I havn't had a drink in over 10 years. They are an obnoxious bunch, I don't even desire to do comedy clubs anymore - I perfer the family entertainment route of the amusement parks. But maybe I should check it out, I'd like to hear how to pitch that - it might work at the local arcades?


Bill: I hadn't even considered what to do with my stuff if it rains once I'm setup, last year the plan was to not show up. But this year I'll be arriving early, and there will be a chance I'll get rained on - this year I'll be full time busker so I'm glad you pointed that out. I think I'm going to need a wagon or something on wheels to roll my stuff around. Maybe have a tarp, my "Disappearing JoeJoe" is cardboard and water would ruin it.


Mandrake: It's a big problem ... everyday in Myrtle Beach is a 30% chance of rain. The weathermen do more to hurt our business than the weather actually does. A hurricane could be a million miles away, and they'll be on the weather channel warning of the impending danger!

One year, the hurricane didn't even hit us - yet, there they were on TV announceing how hard Myrtle Beach had been hit. The sun was shinning, yet the beaches were empty - we didn't even get a drop of rain! If they would just report the weather accuratly, and without sensationalizing every wind gust our town would do a lot better.

I'll never forget one news cast - the weatherman was interviewing a local on the beach, the local was standing tall looking at the weatherman make an *** out of himself by acting like the wind was blowing him backwards - that he couldn't keep his balence. It was pathotic!

JoeJoe

Isn't myrtle close to james island?

I think so ... is that where the nudists all hang out? That might be another island in the area, there are a couple of them around here. I think James Island is a little south of here, closer to Charleston - not exactly sure.

JoeJoe

Art of street performing part 3....work when its not raining and don't take time off...theres enough rain in the forcast for those day soff...buy the dvd's and do what they say and you will rich, rich I say
koz

Mwah ha ha! sorry, it just seemed like the only thing missing from Koz's post was a sinister laugh

Chase

We're fortunate at Newport on the Levee in that if it rains or is bitterly cold, we can perform inside the enclosed mall part of the complex. The hats aren't as big as when working the outdoor areas, but it's an option.

Steve

Joe Joe:

I haven't had a drink in 15 years thanks to Bill and Dr. Bob so I know what you mean. This method works in bona fide restaurants as well. It is worth checking out and is applicable to a ton of venues if you think about it.

Best,

Dan-

Hey Joe Joe...

It's a quick pitch. Walk in talk with the management and then you pop the show in the lounge for max of 15 minutes, pass the hat and your out of there. I usually go next door and do it again.

The notes give you the "inside" stuff that makes it work. As Danny said the CD is the best deal, but you can get the notes in PDF for a low price on my site too.

Whit Haydn has a great bit that he used in NY on rainy days that you may want to research. It's in his Street Magic manuscript. It's a small mental bit that is one on one and can put some money in your pocket on rainy days. I plan to work this out this year. Since I'm based in Florida during the winter season there are some rain days that I need to deal with. The problem there is finding subways or bus stations.

In any case, good luck and keep your face to the sunshine and you'll never see the shadows.

Well now I guess the altitude here in Colorado Springs, CO is restricting my brain cells. The notes are called X Marks the Spot. Sorry for the slip Joe Joe.

Hey, I used to work at newport on the levi and they kicked me out for doing the kiss bit....fat hats there....you know the thing where the girl kisses your cheek and you turn and get her on the lips.....it sucked having that happen....teh little ****head boyfriend complained and because there was ONE complaint they banned me forever....lol, oh well....i'm still fat so I guess it turned out ok...screw um...corporate dicks!

koz

I don't know the situation, but I have to imagine you have a weatherman who believes he's only going to keep his job if he sensationalizes the information.

Here in Rhode Island, we have the other problem. In 1936, a hurricaine came through. The primitive weather tracking information we had at the time indicated that it would hit Rhode Island. The weather service didn't let us know. When asked why they responded; "We knew Rhode Islander's wouldn't believe us and wouldn't take any action." - I had to laugh about that until 1976 when another hurricaine was predicted to hit Rhode Island, (yes, there'd been others in between, but this is the one I remember) the weather service predicted it would hit at high tide and cause massive damage. As I was heading home, I saw a bunch of people on "First Beach," they wanted to be the first ones to see the hurricaine hit!

They got lucky, the hurricaine stalled and didn't hit Rhode Island until a few hours later, by then it had degraded to a lower level hurricaine, it had missed high tide and the fools had gotten tired and gone home.

Man it is STILL raining here! I done lost Memorial Day, and it looks like it's gonna rain for the entire next week! I may try busking at an indoor flea market if it keeps up, I done got the ok from the management ... they've even offered to make announcements. I don't like the idea myself, but since there is already a magic shop in that market it rules out selling anything.



Mandrake: I'm one of the fools who weather out the storms ... I've slept through dozens of hurricans, for Hurricane Hugo I was camped out in a tent! I plan to highlight that experience in my upcoming performance DVD, as it was the greatest moment of my life.

Hurricanes are not that dangerous, in any given storm ... you will find more people die from fleeing a storm than from actually weathering it out. I don't think an actual hurricane has hit RI since the 1800's, but if one ever does make it that far up, you might want to try the experience. There is no greater view of mother nature than being in the eye of the storm - when the rain and darkness just disappear in a matter of seconds, turning into bright blue skies with beautiful cloud formations ... and the birds, the birds fly into the center of the storm and follow it north. They chirp like crazy in the center of a well defined storm. They are indeed life changing experiences, I wouldn't trade any of them for anything, I hope a good storm passes by this summer - but hopefully not till after labor day and the tourists are all gone, I lost labor day last year to a hurricane.

JoeJoe

1.Work the theater breaks, small crowds, quick shows but you'll get a buck and the front of theatres are normally covered.
2.Work the subway trains once again quick 5min hits but you'll get the dollar.
3. Perform in a wetsuit.