That's a great story--especially the part where Steven reveals the occupational hazard of being unable to go pee for fear of losing his busking spot! Haha...

When I first moved to Toronto I had no money or job so I dressed up as the Emperor from Star Wars (somehow I have always managed to have a space costume on hand...) to panhandle--I prefer to think of it as performance art--shooting sparks at people with lighters concealed in my robe sleeves and displaying a small sign that read: "out of work and an empire to pay off..."

I had set up in front of the Much Music studio on Queen St. Would you believe they sent me away? But not before videotaping me first...!

"Once" was a great film, wasn't it?

Jason Ball
http://www.myspace.com/hopefulmonstermusic