Lapis Lazuli
A busker of 10 to 15 non-consecutive years who is desperately trying to get on American Idol.
Highlight Bits & Quotes
13Dreams are Someone Else's Memories
Copper Mountain Batton shares a profound philosophy he learned in Reno: that dreams are actually just memories belonging to other people from the past.
"Dreams are simply memories that somebody else had."
"I was actually having the memory of a man who lived in the 40s."
"Rosie's baking eggs. EVERYBODY HURRY UP."
"It's like one layer of lasagna except just the pasta part."
The Bus Boys Collective Roll-Call
The panel of buskers introduces themselves as a collective known as 'The Bus Boys' or 'The Jesters of Ocean Avenue,' describing their nomadic RV lifestyle and spiritual connection to the record label of God.
"We're all a part of the same record label and I'd say the label is God."
"Some people lightly call it cult."
"We just call ourselves the bus boys."
The Art of the Spontaneous Busk-Cover
The group demonstrates the improvisational nature of busking by performing a chaotic, off-key cover of Katy Perry's 'Hot N Cold' and White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' inspired by military dog tags.
"I want to know if you can see the drum in the wide."
"You can see dog tags and all of a sudden you're remembering the most famous song maybe in the history of the world."
Lapis Lazuli's American Idol Ambitions
The group calls out Lapis for his transparent attempts to get discovered by reality singing competitions, noting his preference for horizontal filming and 'hometown package' lighting.
"You keep saying this will be we should get some footage for my package."
"I am trying to constantly be discovered cuz what else is there to busking?"
Rosie's Spoken-Word Character Assassinations
Rosie demonstrates her 'spoken song' technique where she improvises rhythmic, unsettling narrations about random passersby, including a PA in stage blacks and a photographer.
"Hey there, man. Looking at your stage blacks."
"Your glasses, they're a memory. A memory that lasts forever."
Simon Cowell: The Bus-Judge
The panel discusses Simon Cowell's alleged history as a 'bus-judging' busker in London and plays a low-quality 'Blackberry Pearl' clip of him insulting a man's walking style.
"Simon Cowell was a busker. Was he busking notes? Bus judging."
"It's a bad walk. Well, fuck you, man."
The TikTokification of Busking
Lapis Lazuli explains how busking has evolved into the online space through NPC roleplaying on TikTok, where performers act like video game characters for donations.
"The modernday busk is the NPC roleplaying online."
"Don't donate. Don't donate. It'll pop."
The Accidental Busker Collab
Lazareth and Lapis attempt to play together but realize they are 'specifically not a band.' They discuss the concept of 'bleed' when two buskers are too close together.
"We busk all the time together but far away."
"You don't want on accident collabs. You only want purposeful collabs."
The Funny Tip and Baby Shark
The group discusses techniques for asking for tips, leading to a chaotic rendition of 'Baby Shark' intended to capture the attention of passing toddlers.
"Toddlers are Satan's little minions."
"If your pockets feel heavy, I'll take care of that."
Original Tracks and the Ryan EP
Rosie performs a 'Gothic' original poem from her EP 'Ryan' about her ex-boyfriend leaving her because he was always at the beach.
"He's at the beach. I'm gone."
"It says I'm leaving tonight because you don't have any money."
The Ballad of Salad Boy
Rosie performs a soulful, one-note song dedicated to her crush: a man who works at Sweetgreen on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, whom she affectionately calls 'Salad Boy'.
"Solid boy. Solid boy, come get your wife."
"I don't sing from the heart. I sing from the lower stomach."
The Busker Jam and the Salary Man
The group enters a manic 'jam session' state, celebrating the joy of busking while contrasting their free lifestyle against the suit-wearing 'Salary Man' who breathes only air conditioning.
"It just feels so good to jam with you guys."
"The salary man must never go to the streets. No, it's illegal for the salary man to be on the streets."
The Mayor's Daughter Pulls Rank
A security guard attempts to shut down the performance for lack of a license, but immediately relents when Lazareth reveals her father is former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.
"My dad is Eric Garcetti."
"Then you guys play as much as you fucking want."