"Opium was stuffed into the chicken's head and then a whole basketful of the things could be carted about Chinatown without drawing much attention."
There is less live animal sales in Chinatown today compared to a few years back, but I suspect that those in the know (native speakers) can still find the unusual stuff. Cash is king.
Via: TYWKIWDBI and TIME Inc. photographic archives
I was on my way to get some smokes, when the band set up. They were under The Language of Birds ( previous post ) at the corner of Broadway and Columbus. Members seemed to pop in from all directions.They stepped into the restaurant, took a few seconds to tune their instrument, snagged some chairs from the maître d and jumped right into the tune. No fuss, no muss, no sheet music, no grandstanding, just straight to business. I've seen them in various versions, sometimes with brass and saxophones, sometimes with violin and viola, once with four erhus on the front line, always seemingly out of nowhere. They play for about an hour, one member stands up, says thank-you in English and Cantonese, chairs are returned, then zip they're gone.
Now in reality, I suspect that things are set up before-hand and I'm sure the band rehearses somewhere and has the same organizational problems as any other large group. I'm equally as sure that those inside the Chinese music scene know them and know where to expect a recital. However as a neighborhood guy, I'm content with the romantic notion of a mystery band. A tad bit of old China, with a few European instruments for good measure, then off they go.
