MINNEAPOLIS — On a lovely sunny day at Minnehaha Falls Regional Park, two musicians could be found cranking out tunes ranging from blues to country to rockabilly to zydeco, just beyond the roar of the falls.
The artist who calls himself "Memo Lago" picked up his harmonica to accompany "The Tin Man" on accordion to such tunes as "Jambalaya" and "That's Alright, Mama," as the occasional park visitor dropped a dollar bill into the kitty.
Although it's free to listen to the music, playing it no longer is.
For the first time ever, the Minneapolis Parks Board is requiring busker permits for artists of all varieties that perform for money in the 10 most popular destinations in the city park system, including the Falls, the Stone Arch Bridge and Lake Harriet.
Memo Lago said he's fine with the idea of artists registering, but he thinks that the $40 annual fee for a busker permit is out of tune.
"If you just want to sit down and play your instrument and your hat happens to be sitting next to you open, and someone throws money in, there should be no charge for that. No question," Memo Lago remarked.
"I think the government needs to make money off of it for some reason. But you can control them without taking their money. Just make them register so people know who they are. Why charge them?"
The Minneapolis Park Board staff said this is an effort to bring a greater variety of artists into the parks, and to guard against buskers all congregating in the same spot.
"The $40 fee and permit application are meant to help staff and performers create a viable busker program for artists to showcase their skills. The fee helps to be sure that performers are invested in the program, and understand the rules and etiquette associated with busking in Minneapolis Parks."
While street musicians come to mind when you hear the word "busker," the term encompasses many kinds of artists who perform in public spaces for cash, including musicians, mimes, hula hoop dancers and others. The Park Board staff say they'll work with artists who lack the means to pay $40 all at once.
Thus far, 39 artists have received busker permits, including The Tin Man.
"We've got a number," he said, as he checked his wallet. "It's a five-digit number."
The Tin Man performs professionally in a pop duo with his wife, but he welcomes the chance to play in parks to hone his accordion skills and pick up some spare change.
"My wife and I play pop music and country music. I play Irish songs and zydeco songs here in the parks," he explained.
"I'm learning my instrument. I'm working on my chops. A family will go by and I go into a children's song. After they pass by, I go back and work on my song that I'm working on here."
The Tin Man says he wants to follow the rules, but he worries that people who are homeless, lack Internet access or travel here from other states might be tripped up by the rules.
"Some random guy from Oklahoma comes up here, wants to play his guitar, he might get harassed. He doesn't know the rules around here. It could really go against the free flow of arts and culture."
The Minneapolis annual fee of $40 covers unlimited performances at 10 locations, which is fairly minimal compared to some cities that require a fee for each performance and limit artists to two locations. Some cities actually required buskers to audition in order to get a permit to perform in public places.
The Minneapolis busker permits cover May through October, every day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.