The Street Performer’s Life

I met Shawn Thomas on State Street Tuesday afternoon while he was playing “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” a song he learned after the election. “That’s a song by Robert Zimmerman, Nobel Prize winner,” he said, referring to Bob Dylan’s birth name.

Growing up in Los Angeles with music in his bones, Thomas could have pursued a high-profile career, he said, but he found the harshness of the industry off-putting. Now his passion is pursuing happiness. For him, right now, that means performing on the street in Santa Barbara. But let’s start from the beginning.

Years ago, Thomas quit his job as a cook/dishwasher in Oregon and wanted to hit the road. He read philosophy for a while and traveled throughout the state. Then found his true calling — performing with his guitar and singing along with it. He started off in Seaside, Oregon, and played guitar on the street. He told me the people were generous. He made “lots of money,” he said. But eventually he wanted to move on.