Dueling saxophones underground
March 31, 2013 7:29 PM   Subscribe

 
This got a huge grin outta me.
posted by whitneyarner at 7:34 PM on March 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


I'm the last person to say something like this, but +1 New York
posted by phaedon at 7:37 PM on March 31, 2013


Fantastic. That's exactly why I live here. (And the fact that a friend of mine posted a picture of the Easter Bunny in a vest and jeans on the G train today.)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:42 PM on March 31, 2013


That was great! I'm still laughing!

If anyone comes in here and tells me that was staged, I will hunt you down and pummel you with a woodwind instrument!
posted by HuronBob at 7:48 PM on March 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


Meh. That sort of thing happens all the time where I live.
That was staged!

[I♡NY2]
posted by de at 7:50 PM on March 31, 2013


damn you!
posted by HuronBob at 7:53 PM on March 31, 2013 [1 favorite]




If it was staged, they would have shot it in GOD-DAMNED LANDSCAPE!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:16 PM on March 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Sax in the city.
posted by nickyskye at 8:29 PM on March 31, 2013


Fear were right.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:30 PM on March 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Sax and the city in landscape?
Been there, done that!
posted by de at 8:30 PM on March 31, 2013


0:54 quintessential guy on the subway who could not give less of a shit, because New York
posted by windbox at 8:37 PM on March 31, 2013


New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones!

Seriously though, the thought of being trapped in a subway car with not one but two saxophones rustles my jimmies. The saxophone is not a pleasant instrument to have blowing right in your face even if you actually like saxophones. And few people these days seem to actually like saxophones, at least as a solo instrument or for solo busking.

There's some guy I see around Seattle and he's honestly pretty good and he knows some jazz. But he's still at his most pleasant when he's like 50-100 feet away across the street and it's foggy out or something. I often see him right in front of Caffe Vita on Pike or in the acoustically perfect echo chamber of the Pacific Place mall entrance. Both places are high traffic, crowded and close quarters.

I've sardonically asked him a few times how he was doing on tips and he doesn't seem to get it that people probably don't like having a saxophone blasting right in their faces. I've seen people pay him money to stop playing, or just plain old yelling at him to stop or move on.
posted by loquacious at 8:46 PM on March 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


I was hoping it was going to be this saxophone guy.
posted by subbes at 11:29 PM on March 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I almost wish there was a subway here.

And that I had musical talent.

And a couple of saxophones.
posted by Samizdata at 12:01 AM on April 1, 2013


If it was staged, they would have shot it in GOD-DAMNED LANDSCAPE!

Yeah, so with the prevalence of cell phone videos, if this gonna be a thing now?

Do people who post vertical videos realize how odd it looks, and then realize they should shoot the rest of their phone videos in landscape?
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 3:09 AM on April 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


You know what would be smarter? If YouTube started automatically recognizing videos shot portrait style and adjusted their player for them so they don't play back postage-stamp sized.

I mean, they're not going away, so why not embrace the new paradigm. Someday, someone should shoot a whole movie portrait style just because.

Enjoyed the video though.
posted by fungible at 5:05 AM on April 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


Fear were right.

Dammit. I was going to make that joke.

Hey, Fear's on Spotify. BBL!
posted by DigDoug at 5:54 AM on April 1, 2013


Why is this so hilarious to me? I play sax too, but just looking at the excitement and sense of urgency on the guy's face as he rushes to get his sax put together and join in just really tickles my giggle bone.
posted by ferdinandcc at 6:04 AM on April 1, 2013 [8 favorites]


ferdinandcc: That was exactly what got me too. The look in his eye of "Oh My God, I have been waiting my whole life for this moment and didn't even know it."
posted by 256 at 6:12 AM on April 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


On vertical video, previously
posted by Gronk at 9:35 AM on April 1, 2013


DEAR SMART PHONE USERS,

FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD....TURN YOUR PHONES SIDEWAYS!?!?!

SINCERELY,

EVERY VIDEO EVER.
posted by Fizz at 9:50 AM on April 1, 2013


I like saxophones and I like vertical videos. Perhaps I should move to New York. (On vertical videos, do you people get mad at photographers when they shoot portrait instead of landscape? Why must it be horizontal? Says who? I'm with Fungible on this one.)
posted by Outlawyr at 10:32 AM on April 1, 2013


Apparently, there is a Part Deux to this sax battle, also fun. Filmed from the other side of the competition. And not vertically challenged, either.
posted by nickyskye at 10:40 AM on April 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yakety!
posted by Flashman at 12:04 PM on April 1, 2013


Man, that was fun, especially the enthusiasm of the train in part 2! Thanks!
posted by onlyconnect at 12:34 PM on April 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


I love that the tuning test used by the challenger is the first few bars of the "Spiderman" theme.
posted by hmo at 2:12 PM on April 1, 2013


(On vertical videos, do you people get mad at photographers when they shoot portrait instead of landscape?

If I wanted a photo for a frame that could only be displayed horizontally... Yes.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 2:36 PM on April 1, 2013


I have misread "sax battle" the exact same way like seven different times today.
posted by threeants at 3:30 PM on April 1, 2013


Sox and Yanks both suck...
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 4:08 PM on April 1, 2013


I don't know why they're calling this a "battle". It's a collaboration.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:42 PM on April 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


I have misread "sax battle" the exact same way like seven different times today.
posted by threeants at 3:30 PM on 4/1
[+] [!]


"Sex Battle on the NYC Subway" sounds like a Tim Kreider cartoon.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 6:48 PM on April 1, 2013


Fabulous.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:24 PM on April 1, 2013


One of the players is named Zach Mayer.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:28 PM on April 1, 2013


« Older Blocky   |   The Darwin-Hooker Letters Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments