Oct. 27, 2012 – Dan Friedman, who refers to himself as “Ramblin’ Dan The One Man Band,” plays music on his “Peace Wave Generator” in the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been a street performer for over 25 years, and uses his music to express his desire for world peace. He has played in thirty countries throughout the world. Photo by Billie Weiss. Oct. 27, 2012 – A girl watches Dan Friedman, known as “Ramblin’ Dan The One Man Band,” as he plays music on his “Peace Wave Generator” in the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. “I’ve done this all over the world. People are the same everywhere, though. They are curious, you know? They think, ‘”How long can you actually do that and make a living?'” Photo by Billie Weiss. Oct. 27, 2012 – Dan Friedman, who refers to himself as “Ramblin’ Dan The One Man Band,” disassembles his “Peace Wave Generator” in the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Friedman, the elaborate instrument is comprised of items he has collected from his travels. “This music machine takes the energy of music, turns it into peace waves, and broadcasts them to all the trouble spots of the world, thereby attempting to achieve world peace through street music.” Photo by Billie Weiss. Oct. 27, 2012 – Dan Friedman, who refers to himself as “Ramblin’ Dan The One Man Band,” pushes his fifty pounds of gear after performing in the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Friedman was studying botanical sciences as a graduate student at the University of Texas, Austin before dropping out and deciding to become a full-time street performer. “I picked up some street musicians hitch hiking and started jamming with them between classes. I just never came back because we were having too much fun.” Photo by Billie Weiss. Oct. 27, 2012 – Dan Friedman, who refers to himself as “Ramblin’ Dan The One Man Band,” feeds a parking meter outside the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. “I come in early every day to get my parking spot so I don’t get a ticket. I’ve been here since nine o’clock this morning,” he said. Friedman has lived in a co-op in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the past four years, and makes his living performing on Boston Common and in Harvard Square. Photo by Billie Weiss.
I was wandering around the Public Gardens in Boston last weekend and came across the One Man Band. I’ve seen him around before, but had never taken the time to stop and watch him.
I happened to catch him at the end of his day’s work, so I stayed and chatted with him for a long time. He’s got quite an interesting story, which is played out in the captions above.
