101. Street Performers

Summary

Episode 101: Street Performers
Release Date: August 4, 2025
Host: Zachary Crockett
Producer: Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

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Introduction to Brett Dallas

In the latest episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, journalist Zachary Crockett delves into the vibrant world of street performance through the lens of Brett Dallas, a seasoned musician who has been captivating audiences on the streets of Denver for over 16 years.

Brett Dallas [01:05]: "When I moved to Denver from Atlanta Back in 2009, I was in a bad spot and my mental health just got to a position where I needed to do something expressive."

Brett's journey began during a challenging period in his life when he sought solace and expression through music. This initial foray under a tree in Boulder Creek Path transformed into a professional street performing career known today by his stage name, Brett Dallas.

Brett Dallas [02:03]: "At least that's my stage name. I mean, the IRS knows me as a different entity after that day."

The Rig of a Street Performer

Brett equips himself with a sophisticated setup that includes a guitar, a loop pedal, and two portable amplifiers powered by a power bank. The total value of his gear approximates $4,000, underscoring the investment required to pursue street performing professionally.

Brett Dallas [03:24]: "I'm a loop performer and so if you know what a loop pedal is, it's a pedal that you play through and then you press a button and it records what you're playing. And you use that as the foundation for a melody for a song that you can then sing over."

Despite the hefty equipment costs, Brett's setup is ingeniously portable, folding neatly into a hand cart with his guitar case slung over his back.

Brett Dallas [03:51]: "My entire rig folds up into a hand cart and my guitar case on my back."

Types of Street Performances

Crockett outlines the various forms street performances can take, ranging from circle shows with choreographed acts to quick performances at stoplights. Brett primarily engages in "walk-by" acts, where he remains stationed in one spot for extended periods, relying on passersby for tips.

Zachary Crockett [04:10]: "Many street performers call the location where they set up a pitch or a stoop."

Choosing the Right Location

Location selection is pivotal for a street performer’s success. Brett emphasizes the importance of acoustics and the type of foot traffic in the chosen spot. Initially targeting high-traffic areas, he realized that slower-moving crowds, such as those near bodies of water like lakes and riversides, yield better engagement and tipping opportunities.

Brett Dallas [04:37]: "What I look for in a stoop, number one is going to be acoustics."

Zachary Crockett [04:53]: "The further Dallas sound carries, the more potential tippers he reaches."

Furthermore, Brett identifies that people who are leisurely strolling or enjoying leisure activities are more likely to stop and appreciate his music compared to hurried commuters.

Brett Dallas [05:12]: "People who are ambling or walking slower, maybe eating ice cream, looking around, enjoying the day. That is the crowd I'm after."

Regulatory Challenges

Street performers often navigate a complex landscape of regulations. While courts typically uphold the right to perform in public under the First Amendment, cities impose restrictions on noise levels, performance types, and sometimes require permits. Brett shares his experiences with these regulations in Denver and Las Vegas.

Brett Dallas [06:51]: "There's no fee, but you have to get registered. They, you know, they have a copy of your license. They know generally what your rig looks like."

Regulatory enforcement can sometimes be abrupt and challenging, leading to sudden disruptions in performances.

Brett Dallas [06:51]: "I'll have to leave."

Competition and Community

Aside from regulatory hurdles, Brett contends with competition from other performers vying for the same space. While performing harmoniously is common, conflicts can arise, especially when larger groups or more dominant performers encroach on his space.

Brett Dallas [07:37]: "We've got a five piece brass band on this street corner. They decided to point my direction and there's this standoff."

Safety and Security

Safety is a concern on the streets, as Brett recounts a disturbing incident involving vandalism and potential theft, which led him to avoid certain locations thereafter.

Brett Dallas [08:03]: "There is this explosion about 20 inches from my left foot... I didn't go back and play in that alley anymore."

Earnings and Financial Viability

One of the core discussions revolves around the economic realities of street performing. Brett estimates that about 3-5% of passersby leave tips. Although this may seem modest, consistent performances can accumulate substantial earnings.

Brett Dallas [14:09]: "I'd probably say maybe 3%, maybe 5."

During optimal conditions, such as high foot traffic and good weather, Brett can earn up to $100 an hour, with peak instances reaching over $1,000 within a few hours.

Brett Dallas [14:26]: "If I'm setting up in a decent spot and the weather is good and I have a decent amount of ear share, so I would say $100 an hour is not unreasonable."

Nevertheless, income remains highly variable. Factors such as weather, economic downturns, or global events like pandemics can drastically affect earnings, making supplemental income essential for sustainability.

Brett Dallas [15:03]: "About eight or nine years ago, I started doing freelance copywriting. I also have some dividend investments. I kind of wad it all up at the end of the month and pay my bills."

Supplemental Income and Diverse Revenue Streams

While some street performers thrive solely on tips, many, including Brett, diversify their income through freelance work, investments, or booked gigs at bars and events. The ability to adapt and incorporate multiple revenue streams enhances financial stability.

Zachary Crockett [15:52]: "Most of them had some kind of supplemental income, whether it was playing booked gigs or moonlighting as a delivery driver."

Maximizing Tips in a Digital Economy

Adapting to a cashless economy, Brett transitioned from relying solely on physical currency to utilizing digital tipping methods. By displaying a Venmo QR code, he facilitates easier and more secure transactions, reducing the risks associated with large amounts of cash.

Brett Dallas [11:57]: "I have a sign that says tip me with a Venmo QR code. I would say the majority of the tips I get are electronic these days."

Additionally, Brett shares insights into the psychology of tippers, noting that tourists and parents with young children are particularly generous.

Brett Dallas [13:30]: "People who are vacationing are generally the best tippers. Also, I've also noticed that parents of small children love to use their kids as a proxy to tip the musician."

The Human Element and Fulfillment

Beyond financial considerations, Brett emphasizes the intrinsic rewards of street performing. The ability to bring unexpected joy and inspire others to engage with music underscores his commitment to the craft.

Brett Dallas [17:22]: "I'm not doing this for any kind of commercial success. I'm not doing this for any real result aside from bringing people music."

Brett aspires to create meaningful connections and inspire passersby to explore their own creative passions, highlighting the broader societal value of street performers.

Conclusion

Zachary Crockett's exploration into the life of Brett Dallas offers a comprehensive understanding of the economics behind street performing. From the strategic selection of performance locations and navigating regulatory landscapes to adapting to a digital economy and balancing supplemental income, the episode sheds light on both the challenges and rewards of this profession. Brett’s dedication showcases how street performers not only sustain themselves financially but also enrich public spaces with their artistry and passion.

Zachary Crockett [18:08]: "For the economics of everyday things. I'm Zachary Crockett."

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Notable Quotes:

• Brett Dallas [03:24]: "I'm a loop performer... you can sing over."
• Zachary Crockett [04:53]: "The further Dallas sound carries, the more potential tippers he reaches."
• Brett Dallas [14:26]: "My earnings can rival those of a good desk job."

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Produced by: Zachary Crockett, Sarah Lilly
Mixed by: Greg Rippon
Special Thanks: Daniel Moritz Rapson, David Steensma, David Heaton, Bush, Chris Walker

For more episodes and to suggest topics, email us at [e-mail].

Transcript

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[Brett Dallas]

When I moved to Denver from Atlanta Back in 2009, I was in a bad spot and my mental health just got to a position where I needed to do something expressive. So I took my guitar and I went down to the Boulder Creek path in Boulder and I sat under this tree. I closed my eyes and I just sat there and plucked on this instrument for like an hour. And then I opened my eyes and there's just cache ones and fives. I think there was a 10 in there. It totaled something like 40 or 50 bucks in an hour and thought to myself, wait a minute, if I actually put some energy into it, this could be legitimate.

[Zachary Crockett]

That's Brett Dallas.

[Brett Dallas]

At least that's my stage name. I mean, the IRS knows me as a different entity after that day.

[Zachary Crockett]

In 2009, Dallas became a professional street performer. He has spent the past 16 years playing his guitar in alleyways, plazas and parks in Denver and on occasion in other cities around the country.

[Brett Dallas]

I feel compelled to bring music to places where people do not expect music to be.

[Zachary Crockett]

Performing on the street isn't for the faint of heart. You need to contend with hecklers, security guards and other performers jockeying for the same spot. And there's no promise that the time and effort will pay the bills. For the Freakonomics radio Network, this is the economics of everyday things. I'm Zachary Crockett. Today, street performers walk through a touristy area in any big city on a busy afternoon, and you'll likely encounter at least one street performer. There are dancers, fortune tellers, balloon artists, living statues, and painters. But the Most common sights are are musicians like Brett Dallas.

[Brett Dallas]

I'm a loop performer and so if you know what a loop pedal is, it's a pedal that you play through and then you press a button and it records what you're playing. And you use that as the foundation for a melody for a song that you can then sing over.

[Zachary Crockett]

He has a guitar, a loop pedal, and 2amps which are powered by a portable power bank. Altogether, he says, it's around $4,000 worth of gear.

[Brett Dallas]

My entire rig folds up into a hand cart and my guitar case on my back.

[Zachary Crockett]

There are a few different types of street performances. You have circle shows where a performer gathers a crowd and stands in the middle. Those tend to be some kind of choreographed show with a beginning, middle and end, like a magic act. You've got stoplight performances where jugglers and mimes perform quick shows at the crosswalk, at red lights. Then there are walk by acts like Dallas', where a performer stays in one spot for a few hours at a time and hopes to get tips from passersby. Many street performers call the location where they set up a pitch or a stoop.

[Brett Dallas]

What I look for in a stoop, number one is gonna be acoustics. So a lot of times I'll look for amphitheater style or corridor style stoops that allow me to really maximize the emission of the sound I'm making.

[Zachary Crockett]

That's not just an artistic preference. The further Dallas sound carries, the more potential tippers he reaches. When Dallas first started performing, he thought the best locations were the places with the most foot traffic. But he found out over time that it's more about the type of people who are in the crowd.

[Brett Dallas]

People walking around in business suits at a quick pace on their way from one place to the next. It's just not as captive of an audience, right? People who are ambling or walking slower, maybe eating ice cream, looking around, enjoying the day. That is the crowd I'm after.

[Zachary Crockett]

Like many street performers, Dallas has about a dozen go to spots around Denver.

[Brett Dallas]

I find that bodies of water are really, really good. So lakes, places where there are boardwalks next to the shoreline, riversides. Ugh. People just love that.

[Zachary Crockett]

Over the past century, many cities have attempted to ban or heavily regulate street performance. And in most cases, the courts have ruled that putting on a show in public is protected by the first amendment. But cities still have limitations on things like decibel levels and the type of performance that's allowed. And some require permits for certain hotspots. Las Vegas has set up a registration Process. They need it in order to manage the abundance of musicians, dancers and celebrity impersonators off the main strip.

[Brett Dallas]

I have played in Las Vegas. They have circles painted onto the strip. You can't leave that circle. It's a very structured, rigid process.

[Zachary Crockett]

Dallas has experienced a dose of this in Denver, where permits are now required for some popular locations. That includes the 16th Street Mall, a big outdoor shopping center in Denver's business district.

[Brett Dallas]

There's no fee, but you have to get registered. They, you know, they have a copy of your license. They know generally what your rig looks like. And so if you start breaking rules, they will pull your permit and you won't get to play. And that is the bane of my existence is, you know, a security guard or a police officer coming over saying, hey, look, you can't play here. I'm sorry, but you're violating the noise ordinance. And they'll make some reference to a code or some statute, and then that'll be it. I'll have to leave.

[Zachary Crockett]

Police officers and security guards aren't the only thing to contend with. Sometimes it's other performers who set up too close for comfort.

[Brett Dallas]

We've got a five piece brass band on this street corner. They decided to point my direction and there's this standoff. One of the guys came over and he was like, look, man, there's seven of us and one of you. I don't know what you think you're going to do with that guitar. And it got contentious.

[Zachary Crockett]

There's even the occasional spat with people who live in residential buildings near places where Dallas is permitted to play.

[Brett Dallas]

I was playing in one of the alleys on the 16th Street Mall, and out of nowhere, there is this explosion about 20 inches from my left foot. And I looked over and there was this stainless steel thermos of boiling water that was there destroyed, right next to where I was standing. Needless to say, I didn't go back and play in that alley anymore.

[Zachary Crockett]

On the street, there are good days and bad days. Sometimes people give Dallas a standing ovation. Other times he pours his heart out to an empty sidewalk.

[Brett Dallas]

I will show up sometimes, have a great expectation. It's a great day, awesome mood, and I play some of the best music I've ever made and no one cares. I'm lumped into a category of people that some might describe as panhandling or, you know, begging. I'm an eyesore or an ear sore to people.

[Zachary Crockett]

So after putting up with all of this, how much can a street performer expect to earn from a hard day's? Work that's coming up.

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[Brett Dallas]

On.

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[Zachary Crockett]

In his years of playing music on the street, Brett Dallas has learned that optimizing a performance for economic gain isn't just about the location. In an increasingly cashless economy, even the mechanism he uses to collect money makes a difference.

[Brett Dallas]

I've experimented with this a lot. I used to think that the most obvious place to put money was a folded open guitar case. But what I do now is I have a sign that says tip me with a Venmo QR code. I would say the majority of the tips I get are electronic these days.

[Zachary Crockett]

Going Digital is partly a safety precaution because having a case full of bills can pose a risk.

[Brett Dallas]

I was well into a Saturday afternoon set. I probably got 20 or 30 bills sitting in the tip case. These young men, they just stepped briskly up to my case. They swooped down with both arms and they grabbed almost every last bill and they turned around and they just took off. I learned a lesson in that experience, and that was, don't let the pot grow too large.

[Zachary Crockett]

Dallas has developed something of a sixth sense for the type of person who will leave a tip.

[Brett Dallas]

People who are vacationing are generally the best tippers. Also, I've also noticed that for some reason, parents of small children love to use their kids as a proxy to tip the musician. Toddlers will stop and listen. They'll be like, mom, look, guitarist, listen to the music, and they'll bop around. And then mom is fishing in her wallet for a couple of bills, and she reaches down and she hands the bills to the kids and says, okay, go put it in this case.

[Zachary Crockett]

In Dallas's experience, there isn't necessarily a correlation between how engaged someone is and whether or not they're going to open their wallet. Some people will linger for 30 minutes and leave without tipping. Others will briskly walk by and leave a few bucks. The sweet spot seems to be people who are semi interested.

[Brett Dallas]

The ones that stop and listen for maybe two or three minutes, those seem to be the most prolific tippers. Here, take this $5. Take this $10. That's my gratitude. I'm on my way.

[Zachary Crockett]

If you had to throw out an estimate, what percentage of people who do pass by on a daily basis would you say actually tip?

[Brett Dallas]

I'd probably say maybe 3%, maybe 5.

[Zachary Crockett]

That might sound small, but it can add up. Dallas typically plays for around three hours at any given time, and he says his earnings can rival those of a good desk job.

[Brett Dallas]

If I'm setting up in a decent spot and the weather is good and I have a decent amount of ear share, so I would say $100 an hour is not unreasonable. My record is. When I played Pike Place Market in Seattle, hundreds if not thousands of people were coming and going. I made well over $1,000 in about two and a half.

[Zachary Crockett]

But the income of a street performer can be highly variable. For every thousand dollar day, there are some $20 days. A spate of bad weather or say a global pandemic can leave a performer out to dry. At various times over the past 16 years, street performing has been Dallas main source of income. Sometimes he'll Supplement that with paid gigs at bars or events. But as he's grown older, he's taken on other types of work to make ends meet.

[Brett Dallas]

About eight or nine years ago, I started doing freelance copywriting. I also have some dividend investments. I kind of wad it all up at the end of the month and pay my bills. I don't think I could survive on this 100% alone.

[Zachary Crockett]

We talked to other street performers for this episode in expensive cities like San Francisco and New York. Like Brett Dallas, Most of them had some kind of supplemental income, whether it was playing booked gigs or moonlighting as a delivery driver. But a select few are able to pay the bills with street performing alone. Dallas says this is more common with performers who do circle shows routines where someone gathers a big crowd and gets a payoff at the end.

[Brett Dallas]

There's a gentleman who does flame type juggling. This guy will sit on top of a unicycle and juggle like flaming chainsaws. And he's an outstanding performer. And he's also very good at commercializing his performances. And he'll spend five minutes reinforcing to the crowd why it's so important that they tip as generously as they can.

[Zachary Crockett]

That little plea at the end of a performance is called a hat speech, and some performers have mastered it.

[Brett Dallas]

He was easily making hundreds of dollars at the end of a 30 minute set with maybe a crowd of about 100 people. So if you do the math on that, let's say he does three or four performances in an afternoon, and he does that twice or three times a week. I mean, it's a good living if you can do it like that.

[Zachary Crockett]

For Brett Dallas, though, the money is only a small part of the craft.

[Brett Dallas]

I'm not doing this for any kind of commercial success. I'm not doing this for any real result aside from bringing people music. And I have found that going into a place where there are not four walls, where there is complete freedom, where there is no expectation of beautiful music being played, that is where I belong. I want to reach people who are not expecting music, who are having maybe a bad day. It goes beyond making money. In a perfect world, I would inspire people to go out and make music on their own. Do what I'm doing. Bring your passion to the streets. People need it, you know.

[Zachary Crockett]

For the economics of everyday things. I'm Zachary Crockett. This episode was produced by me and Sarah Lilly and mixed by Greg Rippon. We had help from Daniel Moritz Rapson and thanks to listeners, David Steensma, David Heaton. Bush and Chris Walker for suggesting this topic. If you have an idea for an episode, feel free to email us@everyday thingsreconomics.com Our inbox is always open. All right until next week. You get a lot of free birds.

[Brett Dallas]

That's a whole nother.

[Zachary Crockett]

The Freakonomics Radio Network the Hidden side of Everything Stitcher.

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