The Buskers Blog

For Sale: Moreschi 120 Bass Accordion

An attractive mid-size Moreschi accordion with nice-sounding reeds in full working condition. I just had some work done on it.  Full 120 bass w/ two sets of reeds, 41 key right hand w/ two sets of reeds (L/M) & three settings. At only 16 lbs, it is nice and light, and the case is also in very good condition. Asking $385.  I wish my first accordion had been this nice!

Welcome to Our New Home Page!

Dear Fan,

In our ongoing efforts to serve you better, we have provided our site with a Customized Name Feature. As of today, at the top of the homepage you will see our new  band name personalized to yourt tastes, which our Hyderabadi computer geeks have determined by producing complex algorhythms gleaned from the never-ending trail of "likes" you have left in your Facebook wake.

Are we the same band?  Absolutely--whether we now appear in your browser as The Buskies, Los Busqueros, Büsker Du, BZKR, Buzzkill, The Buzzards, Brewskies, or The Busters (we get called that one by mistake so often; why not formalize it? It's our fault: the image of the little English Bull Terrier with the ruffed collar from Buster Brown shoes is our mascot. Oh, shit, now they'll sue us for copyright infringement), we will play the same old stuff.  But we can make more money at it now.  By providing more personal information about you to our advertising sponsors, they can target you better in the future!   

Thank You!

The Buttsters 

EIN, W-9 Forms... This Must Be Why Buskers Just Busk

Some musicians I know have MBAs and what-not, but most of us are pretty hopeless at finances, and that would include making a living.   For years this band has gone through (legal) hoops to avoid having any one member of the band pay any other more than $600, to try to avoid having to deal with the dread W-9 employee tax forms;  but from 2011 on, you play a lot of gigs wid me and the Buskers, you gonna have to cough up your social security number.   I now have an EIN, baby--(that's an Employer Identification Number to you). 

My hand was forced on this because I just sold a couple of instruments overseas.  If the value is over a certain amount, I learned (eventually) that the U.S. government requires you to have an EIN number, as well as the mysterious ITN and a few other pain in the ass forms.   I won't bore you with all of it, but I should warn you that though the  people at my local Fedex office (in Concord, NH) are very nice, they haven't been taught squat about international shipping or what paperwork you need, which held the shipment up for many days while I scrambled and my buyer worried.   

I didn't know this at first.  They took my $758 and the two packages, wrapped them in FRAGILE! tape and... bon voyage.  I went away on holiday and when I checked my email  I found out the packages never left New Hampshire.  So I drove home and stopped by Fedex again -- a Friday in August and the aircon in the office had died hours before (of course).  It was at least 85 degrees in there and no one could help me.  Finally they handed me a phone to talk to an actual international shipping Fedex person who saw me through all the mystifying jargon and forms, got me in touch with customs and the IRS, and basically held my hand until those packages were on their way to Europe, for which I'm very grateful.  

A few days later I got my EIN number in the mail.  Oh, I'm a big shot now. 

 

 

 

 

Gear Talk: Paul's Latest Whatsit

Paul showed off this latest little gotta-have-it gadget at a recent gig.  It joins the ranks of overpriced and uneccesary ax-cessories like The Infamous Wedge  [see  Gear Talk: Wedgies And Keesters 4/6/10]. What a gear hound (says the not-at-all-embarrassed owner of three great accordions).  Beautifully constructed, hunh?  The epoxy was applied with real finesse.  Uh, what is it? 

What KZ & Paul are Doing This Weekend...

                                             Acoustic Music Camp

   http://www.fiddleheadscamp.com/index.html

(*Not Just for Fiddlers!)

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Sept 9-11, 2011

Camp Methodios, Contoocook, NH

  

Coaches this year are:  organizers Kathy Sommer & Ellen Carlson,  Seth Austen,

Susie Burke, Paul Hubert, Steve Roy, David Surrette & special guest Bruce Molsky. 

 

Odd Tip Busking

Made great tips last night.  Then as we were packing up some kids came by and put a partially eaten salami in the case for a tip offering.  And asked to be photographed with us and the salami.  That's just weird.   No matter that I'm a vegetarian and that my bandmate didn't trust them enough to take it home. ("I know kids that age!"  he said as he dropped it into the trash barrel.  Me: "Why did you accept it then?" "They were going to throw it away anyway."  True; how much of a 14" salami can three boys eat in a summer evening?)   I told them it was the weirdest tip ever and asked them to send us the pic for the website and one of the boys said, " That doesn't feel safe."  (!) So--no pic.  I'll include one from last week, same spot, with big Mike Alberici.  IRS: note the tips in lower left corner.