There’s only so much fire-breathing, put-a-fifty-in-the-hat comedy routines, contortion and strange gyrating that I can take before I have to call it a day at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival, which is why, every year at some point I flock to the musical acts like a moth to the less-annoying flame. Sometimes, things you never knew you might like turn out to be the highlight of the day. This year Australian band Brother might be the one to beat—fusing vocals, guitar, bagpipes, percussion and a fucking didgeridoo in a meld of energetic world music that might make you brain dissolve. They will fight it out for top musical spot with The Latchiko’s—the originators of “gyp-hop” who bust out spoken word, violin and harmonica to Gaelic beats, TRIBU, a group that boasts instruments from the Andino region and of course, Silver Elvis. There can be only one! (Not really, buskers are like Pokémon. Gotta catch them all.)
July 31-Aug 5, 12pm-10pm
Halifax Waterfront, by donation,
buskers.ca
This article appears in Jul 25-31, 2013.