Music Is Alive in Tompkins Square Park

Weather permitting, the best live music is no longer in the now-shuttered theaters and nightclubs but in public spaces including parks and subway stations. Many of the bands have changeable personnel and erratic performance schedules, but when they do play they summon a magnetic pull that stops passersby on the move. For the most part, audiences are observing a moderation of social distancing.

Tompkins Square Park has emerged among the focal points, attracting busking musicians regularly. Here is your guide to the regular performers in Tompkins Square Park.

The Eric Paulin Band

1. The Eric Paulin Band

Drummer Eric Paulin is a native of New York City who started playing drums in 1964 and jazz in 1974. Usually a quartet but at times as large as a septet, the Eric Paulin Band is the granddaddy of the bands in Tompkins Square Park, celebrating its 10th anniversary there this month. Averaging about five nights per week, the Eric Paulin Band performs its interpretations of jazz standards largely from the 1960s.

Pinc Louds

2. Pinc Louds

With musicians from Puerto Rico, Chile and Israel who bonded in Bushwick, newcomers Pinc Louds draws the biggest crowds. Led by Claudi Love's falsetto croons and kalimba playing, the indie-rock band draws on pop, jazz and Latin music but is unmistakably unique in its alternative performance. Pinc Louds tends to perform mostly on Saturdays from early afternoon until sunset.

Proud Yuma

3. Proud Yuma

Founded by New Yorker Daniel Odria, Proud Yuma is a collective of young musicians that plays salsa. New to Tompkins Square Park, the band is drawing audiences that are tapping their toes and swaying their hips. It will not be long before they get some Caribbean dancing going on. For the past week, some variation of the band has been playing in the park almost nightly.

 East Village Social Distancing All-Stars

4. East Village Social Distancing All-Stars

While not performing as regularly as the previously mentioned bands, the East Village Social Distancing All-Stars will draw attention when it lands in the park. Led by Smidge Malone on trumpet and vocals, with additional musicians on banjo, percussion and various brass instruments depending on the occasion and the musicians' availabilities, the band can get a little bit wild and gritty, punking a Louis Armstrong number, for instance.

Magic Forest

5. Magic Forest

Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Richards and flautist Max Isaacson, and augmented by percussionist Ron Bongo and an occasional second guitarist, Magic Forest is not yet drawing crowds. Richards says the band is rehearsing more than performing, yet the whimsical folk-style original songs and covers impress the passing listeners. Magic Forest can be heard most Sundays from about noon to 3 p.m.