Benjamin Bandito Canvas Print

I busk for most of my living. I've busked for most of my life. I have never encountered a man who has physically tried to move me away from a store that I was performing beautiful classical music for public benefit when people were watching me play. I was getting donations too. Generous donations. It all started in 2018. I was teaching at my ex's place because I was holed up at a house for men who were having trouble with the law. I had threatened a man who had ripped me off. He had duped me into doing a Kickstarter campaign to fund the Swindlefish "Unlucky" album. I told him I didn't want to hassle my friends for money. I had saved 10 grand playing in the BART stations, and I could pay for the album without the embarrassing task of hassling my
Facebook friends for their hard earned money. It was a worse thing than being on welfare for your psyche. I was already diagnosed, and considered by medical professionals to be "Gravely Disabled". I never felt like I was, but eve...

Benjamin Barnes, aka Bencasso Barnesquiat (a comical play on the names of famous artists) is a musician and artist based in San Francisco, CA. He received his Bachelor's and Master's of Music Degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with renowned teachers such as Sherry Kloss, Marlon Carlson, Izzy Tinkleman, Paul Hersh, Zaven Melikian, and Don Ehrlich. In addition to his classical training, Ben also studied electric violin, jazz performance, and composition with David Balakrishnan of the Turtle Island String Quartet. As a musician, Ben has played and recorded with a variety of artists including Les Claypool, Mr. Bungle, Dead Prez, The Coup, Carla Kihlstedt, Eric McFadden, George Clinton and P-Funk, Jason...