The life of a subway musician can be a complicated one with permits required to play, a rush hour audience and limited pay. Yet, dozens make the daily trek to their coveted spots to perform against the backdrop of passing trains.
There are only three spots in the entire CTA train system where permitted performers can play which keeps buskers on the move.
For years, Zac Lowing has been recording Chicago’s underground concert hall and posting videos on YouTube as the “Underbelly Orchestra.”
“I first started coming down on the train … and I started seeing the performers in the subways and they’re amazing,” he said. “I’ve recorded over 100 different performers.”
He’s post more than 600 videos of Chicago’s underground musicians on his YouTube channel.
Featured in this story:
Zac Lowing’s YouTube Channel
Binta Kai’s Instagram
WGN’s Erin McElroy has more on a symphony of diverse style and sound that reverberates in these tunnels as powerfully as the ornate concert halls that lie above.
