At some point in a late night Main Street drunken stupor, everyone has seen him strumming his acoustic guitar. Harmonica out, fingers exposed to the brutal Buffalo winds through his fingerless gloves 25-year-old Massachusetts native Ben Joe continues to grace Buffalonians with his passion for music weekend after weekend.
Joe frequently plays songs by request, but there's more than meets the eye when it comes to this street performer.
The musician explained to The Spectrum that he'd been playing the guitar for about five years and continues to strengthen his skills.
Joe's set list preferences for a late night street performance vary over a lengthy list that includes Bob Dylan songs like "Hurricane," "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Other favorites are Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," Sublime's "Badfish," as well as songs by Grateful Dead, The Band and Bob Marley.
Ben Joe pointed out that the very first song he ever learned was actually "No Woman, No Cry," a Bob Marley classic. He also finds creative outlets in a variety of different instruments such as the piano, keyboard, hand drums, flute and even the saxophone.
Though he has a list of favorites, Main Street bar patrons are always requesting songs by a grab bag of artists such as Biggie Smalls, Beyonc?(c), Led Zeppelin and Incubus.
Regardless of the genre, Joe believes that any music is good music. While he may not be able to play everything, he says students should never stop listening to what they like.
The melody maker attributes his knowledge of music to many different people in his life, including his girlfriend. Two of his greatest influences growing up, however, were his parents. Joe's father is a folk musician and his mother is a piano teacher. Both parents shaped Joe's desire to pursue music.
Ben Joe says that his desire to play is driven by the work of Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Nirvana, Kriss Kross and MC Hammer.
Joe also noted that Jerry Garcia was "a big influence on everything" for him.
Although he plays for fun, the musician is always hopeful he'll make a little cash. He normally takes in between $30 to $60 on weekends and $20 to $30 on weeknights.
"It's an odd job," Joe says, "but I make a living off of it and it helps pay for child support."
Joe supplements his nightly stints with other odd jobs such as writing for an online blogging company, cleaning houses and bars and occasionally doing construction work.
It can be below freezing on most winter nights in Buffalo, but Joe's tenacity demonstrates his passion for the music and his interest in finding listeners. Although he loves and enjoys playing outside, he's confessed that even he can't stand the cold all the time. On especially cold nights, Joe can be found at the Staples of Allentown, located on the corner of Allen and Wadsworth Streets. Joe says it's good for those bitter cold nights when he can really "feel the wind through his fingers." He has recently started playing gigs with a band called City of Stars.
One thing Joe doesn't have time to worry about is the Buffalo Police.
"Sometimes cops will show up randomly and ask me what's up and I usually tell them I'm playing music and they ask what kind of music and I say 'Bob Dylan'."
He explains that sometimes the cops are cool, but occasionally they ask him to move. Joe says he generally doesn't have a problem with this, but notes, technically, everyone has the right to freedom of speech.
Joe hopes to continue playing his guitar on the streets of Buffalo for now, but aspires to eventually play in parks, playgrounds and in schools for children. That way, he says, he'll also be able to spend more time with his son, for whom he continuously expresses his love.
All in all, Ben Joe's philosophy is to "have fun, I guess." And that's just what he's doing for now - having fun and making music.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
