I'm here in Vegas until Thurs. Not going to busk because I'm here with the wife, but I did run into three buskers. (Not counting the characters who pose for pictures with you)

One was a guitar player strumming tunelessly on a pedistrian bridge.

One was an accordian player with a thick Austrian accent.

And Matthew the Magician! Matthew says he knows OF the Café and ghosts here often but never got a membership to post with. Everybody say; "Hi Matthew!"

Matthew did a simple single ball and cup routine and showed me a color changing card back routine. I, after giving him a buck, showed him an oil and water trick from Mark Wilson. His "mentor," an older guy, came over. I guess he wanted to make certain Matthew wasn't being hasseled.

I asked about cops and both of them said they had no problems with the cops. It was the MGM Grand that they were performing in front of!

They'd made it clear that neither of them were allowed in the building. Not the casino, not the hotel, nothing. They weren't allowed to gamble, eat or even use the men's room. The older guy said he contacted the ACLU and they were persuing (sp) possible action.

I've have put posts on here about the ACLU and busking. I encourage anyone who has any sort of problem to be on the road to contacting them. The first amendment applies to us too!
It sounds like a fun time in LV. Thanks for posting.

Hello, and Hi Matthew! I'll be out there in front of the water fountains at Cesar's from 7-11pm. If you want to see a super beginner at busking.. come by

Ah, but they're not having any trouble "busking," it's using the building's facilities while they're out there that they're having trouble with!

Part of the busking life is gaining knowledge of the facilities you can and can't use around your pitch. Toilets/bathrooms both public and in private businesses, locating water fountains, food sources [desperados dumpster diving?!], locating clocks visible from your pitch, trees to stand under out of sun or rain shower, places out of the wind... Talking to, and watching, fellow buskers is one way to gain this information.
It seems private companies can make their own decisions and terms of entry, or lack of it, to their facilities.

Google "Stadium Pal" and you'll see how I take care of the bathroom situation.

I've noticed that there don't seem to be any water fountains (of the drinking variety) anywhere on the Strip.

There are people with coolers offering water for $1, which isn't bad.

Even if there were public drinking fountains on the strip I'm not too sure I would take a sip from them...

There are no drinking fountains because it is in the casinos best interest to get you into them to get a drink. All restaurants and bars in Vegas are by law required to give you water cups for free though due to the heat.

As far as the ACLU goes unfortunately the ACLU doesn't have an attourney to fight for buskers anymore. They have stated that they want to shift their attention away from performers and onto other things.

There are several private organizations that have been created to fight for performers though.

As for not being allowed in
to the MGM,
Casinos are considered a privet club so they can make their own rules and exclude anyone that they want. That is why they can make card counters leave if needed ban them from entering even though card counting is not illegal.

Out side the Casinos on the strip, this is not private.

You are right but I said that due to his not being allowed into the MGM. I do have to add however that some walk area's do belong to some casino's If I am not mistaken the Venetian has some that are. That is why the porn slappers are at one end of it and then again at the intersection. I could be wrong and if I am please let me know.

They're not stopping him from being outside the Casino. Matthew and his mentor were still there when I left on Thursday. It's INSIDE the Casino, utilizing the facilities (bathroom and food/drink) that they're not allowing them to use.

"porn slappers" - Eight years in NYC and I never heard that term before!

On a quick side note, during Magic Live I was told to avoid the $1 water vendors on the strip. Rumor (urban legend?) has it that they bottle it themselves and they aren't sealed. Not sure if it is true, it I stuck with the $3 water.

Sidenote 2: Most bottled water starts out from the tap and is merely filtered with a nice pretty label added depicting some exotic source. Only $1.99

I have nothing against filtered tap water. Tastes just fine to me. It's the idea of UNFILTERED water being put into these bottles and resold that would worry me.

I DID buy a couple of bottles and they were sealed.