"Wow! You rock!"
That's what Phil said to me today, hearing me for the first time as he bounded up the stairs at Pape Station. Phil is a beaming, athletic black man who has been playing in the subways for many years. I heard him here just the other day, playing an enthusiastic version of "Daydream Believer". (Or was it "Last Train to Clarksville"?)
He had hoped to play at Pape today but I got there first.
"Keep playing!" he encouraged me, saying he wanted to listen for awhile before moving on to another station.
The man at the Gateway Newstand didn't hear this conversation. He was pleased to see Phil and asked him when he was going to start.
Phil discreetly shook his head and nodded in my direction. The Gateway man looked disappointed.
Now, we all have our audiences. Phil, it seems, is part of mine. But the Gateway man is part of Phil's.
Not wanting to stand in between a performer and his fan, I decided to go somewhere else.
There's enough room in the underground for everybody.
(4 songs, $3.50)
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