Apparently, he’s from Seattle but is now a semi-annoying busker in Dublin, where an Irish Times writer set out to rate the local talent:
Ben Burns
SOLO SAXOPHONE
A young hepcat from Seattle, Washington, Ben Burns sports dark shades just like his heroes the Blues Brothers. There’s a framed photo of Jake and Elwood in his sax case, serving as a talisman. Burns has been busking in Dublin for three months, and finds the crowds “very accommodating” to his solo jazz-blues stylings.
Why anyone from Seattle would idolize the Blues Brothers is beyond me, but there you go.
Let me run his name through SCMODS.
@1
I don’t know if they can afford SCMODs in Ireland any more.
He must be on a mission from God.
Hey, we all hate Illinois nazi’s.
WTF is up with your last comment? What does his Seattle roots have to do with idolizing the Blues Brothers?
It’s easy to tell you and Dan were birthed by the same woman, Chicago Fan: Snotty, pretentious, obvious, and unfunny.
@5,apparently you haven’t seen the movie?
@5, scratch my last sentence, I misread your post. Chicago Fan’s last sentence has nothing to do with anything except trying to be hip and snarky in that adorable Savage way.
This question really seems better suited for the Seattle Weekly’s blog.
I know a Ben Burns from Port Townsend that plays the saxophone… Could be him?
In fact, I just confirmed that it is him. I never knew him to be a Blue Brothers fanatic, though….
I’ve seen him, but I’m from Dublin so that’s probably not what you’re looking for.
@9 – To anyone from anywhere else, NW Washington = Seattle. I live on the East Coast & tell people I’m from Seattle because it’s easier, even though I’m originally from Bellingham.
No doubt #11. If I try to explain Port Townsend to a Macedonian, I get nothing but quizzical stares. And forget about trying to explain the concept of Washington State to any but the most educated non-English-speaking foreigners (damn you, D.C.!). Seattle is literally the only option for a smooth small-talk convo.
@9 Weird. I grew up in PT and went to school with him but didn’t recognize the name because it sounds so generic. Yep, that’s him though.
Why are you in Macedonia? I know someone who just returned from there with a PT connection.
@5 Uh, Blues Brothers idolatry tends to be localized to Chicagoans, that’s the source of my surprise. Sorry for not being funnier. Will work on it.
Royalpigeon/#13 – I’m not in Macedonia now. I just had a rather funny interaction with a person in Macedonia whilst trying to explain where I’m from. I live over in Seattle, now (going to law school at Seattle U).
I’m only assuming I know who you are, Royalpigeon, because we appear to be near the same age from a town of ~9,000… David Faber, here.
I’m guessing that Blues Brothers is an easy cultural hook for an American busking bluesey sax in Ireland. At least he chose that over Kenny G!
It’s just schtick. A little visual hook for the busking. No reason to assume he’s obsessed with the Blues Brothers.
Ah. @16 beat me to it. Refresh before commenting.
Makes as much sense as Picasso.
Blues Brothers suck.
@21, you got that right. There’s nothing I’d less rather hear. Except maybe a sax busker playing them. But then, one of the things I most vividly remember about Dublin was the plethora of truly horrible street buskers.
I remember reading a comment from James Brown many years ago where he said it really irked him when people dissed the Blues Brothers, not because he thought Belushi & Akroyd were supremely talented bluesmen, but because of how they helped introduce a lot of people to the blues and helped give a boost to his career.
The band only sucks if you also hate Booker T, the Bar-Kays, and any number of other groups those guys played with. Akroyd is weak, Belushi can’t sing, but the musicians are stellar.
@23, now tell me how that applies to someone who has, in fact, heard plenty of the originals they covered so ineptly? The fact is, the Blues Brothers were horrible, and horrible in a very particular way. They basically ruined rhythm and blues.
@4, I don’t care how good their backing band was — I revere Booker T. and the MGs — the presence of two stunningly awful, smug, creepy frontmen makes them a terrible band.
Fnarf, James Brown was just looking at them with a broader perspective.
And here’s James, in my favorite number from the movie.
We get it. The Blues Brothers are a Chicago thing.
Whatever.
If Savage’s brother doesn’t make his next slog post about Jim Cornelison he can stop calling himself Chicago Fan and just move on.
Fnarf: Next you’re going to tell us Britney Spears sucks compared to the real bubblegum pop artists.
“I revere the Jackson 5 and Boys II Men — the dumb blonde with personal problems ruins the whole genre”
Fuddy-duddy.
Shit man, I always loved that movie…
@25
Perhaps the Blues Brothers were horrible (at music), but the movie is another entity by itself.
I’d say it’s one of the better ‘musicals’ I’ve seen… The South Park movie being the best musical, ever.
Buskers as ambassadors to America are a threat to our national identity. But on the other hand, no reason we should have to suffer any more “solo jazz-blues stylings” at home. Quite the conundrum.