A friend of mine is taking a year off from school, and I am trying to convince her to spend it as a street psychic. Before I get blasted by the skeptics, she doesn’t claim any genuine psychic abilities, or that any such things exist. She is very interested in the subject and its history, though, and is capable of quite an act. I similarly don’t genuinely claim the ability to make little balls disappear and reappear under cups, but I have a magic act nonetheless. It’s entertainment. She also hopes to get plenty of fodder for her Masters thesis in anthropology.
My question is–where would be a good place to be a street psychic? The two places I’ve been that I can think of would be New Orleans (where they set up around Jackson Square) and Key West (at the daily Sunset Celebration). Anyplace else?
Both Boulder & Denver CO have a big busker thing going on their pedestrian malls. From what I hear, you can make good $$ doing it. You do have to pay the city rent for your space (at least in Boulder) but as I have yet to see the buskers go away, I assume it’s not so much that you don’t come out ahead.
I haven’t seen psychics on the street, so maybe it’s a good thing to try. There’s contortionists, guys who make things out of balloons for kids, people who give massages, the guy who guesses your zip code, the guy who in the big dog outfit, but no psychics. I’m thinking Boulder needs a psychic. It’d go over big, especially if she could give it a new-agey, vegan, hemp free feel.
Boston’s Faneuil Hall has street performers. You must audition for a space (and perhaps pay for a license?) Hoards of people show up to try out every year, as the foot traffic is extremely large and varied.