The word magical comes to mind. I got off the subway on Sunday after the Phils loss, and was greeted by this. Needless to say, it cheered me up considerably. There are a number of things to note in this video. First of all, the guy dancing subtly in the background is what really makes this number pop. Secondly, I am quite confident this was not a prepared routine. I think the singer thought he would go out, sing a few Motown numbers, and make a few bucks. I don’t think he envisioned this…brilliant madness that followed. Furthermore, if anyone choreographed this, they would be considered a genius. And don’t think they just did a quick number and moved on. Oh no, they were dancing like this when I arrived, and still dancing like this when I left after about 20 minutes, with no indication of slowing down. Third, beyond all the insanity of the whole thing, I want to acknowledge something else: isn’t music just awesome? I mean, there is no question that these three men probably don’t have a lot in common, but damn if the Four Tops don’t make them all want to move. Fourth, I think if your friends ever ask you what Philadelphia is like, this video should answer all of their questions. Crazy, black, white, beautiful, soulful, hilarious, sad, sublime, and insane. And finally, a quick note to my mom: sorry you missed this. I know you would have loved to have been the 4th dancer.
Definitely not choreographed. The guy who’s singing is Anthony Riley. He has tried out for American Idol and I he was one of the guys that got arrested when there was that whole crack down on buskers in Rittenhouse Square. He has a bunch of videos up on Youtube. His version of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come is fantastic. A few years back, some Penn kids made a documentary about street performers and they submitted it to this Student Film Festival that I used to run. I think it came in 2nd place. Riley is featured in it. Here’s a link to the documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI3z6to2Sc&feature=related