Name: Jonah Watchman (aka The Jonah Kit)
Age: 34
City: Oakland
Position: Street musician, band leader
J.:
You play guitar and sing at a few BART stations in downtown San Francisco, so commuters may already know you without really knowing you. How long have you been performing on the street?
The Jonah Kit: I’ve been doing it full time for two years, four to five days a week. The 16th and Mission BART station is my favorite station to play at, but part of that has to do with the fact that I grew up a couple of blocks from there.
What was it like to grow up in such an iconic neighborhood?
It’s hard to talk about it without talking about how much it’s changed. I really loved growing up in the neighborhood. There was a mix of different communities: struggling artists, a lot of immigrant families and community organizations. There was also a lot of prostitution on my street, Capp Street.
Have you always been interested in music?
Since I was kid, like 6 or 7, guitar and singing was always my main thing. I actually first learned to play music from a street musician. He had put an ad up on a telephone pole that he was teaching guitar lessons, and my dad contacted him.
What’s the origin of the name you perform under, The Jonah Kit?
I got that name from a book I had in my room when I was growing up, a science-fiction book by Ian Watson. I liked the sound of it, but I’m embarrassed to say that I still haven’t actually read that book.
When you’re not playing in BART stations, you’re performing with your band, also called The Jonah Kit. Are the musical styles very different?
When I play in the BART stations, that’s all covers. I’m playing for people rushing places, or tired after a workday. It’s going to be easier to catch their ear if it’s something they might recognize. So I try to sing in a more pretty way, mostly American folk music with a couple of pop songs thrown in. But my own music is more like folk with a punk spirit, so I sometimes sing ugly when I’m doing my own music. With my band I’ve released one album, “American Songbag,” and I’m online at www.facebook.com/thejonahkit.
Is the busking primarily about promoting your name and music? Or do you make good money?
I do it for a living. I’m not raking it in, but I pay my bills. There are times when I’ve made $3 in an hour, and there are times when I’ve made $130 in an hour — because someone gave me a $100 bill.
A sign propped in your guitar case reads: “No one turned away for lack of funds.” Does the humor encourage people to contribute? Or is it mostly there to amuse you?
It’s a mix of both. At first, I didn’t have any signs. Then I very briefly had a sign that said, “If you can’t spare a buck, how’s about ten dimes?” But I decided I didn’t want a sign specifically asking for money.
What kinds of interactions do you have with passers-by?
Kids are the best when busking. A few months ago at Powell, a group of girls came by. One girl was especially into it, and when the song ended, she took $5 out of her own little purse and tipped me and told me how beautiful the music was, and that it made her want to learn guitar. Then all her friends gave me dollars, too. Regarding negative interactions, people have heckled me by saying disrespectful things or mimicking my voice, or by flicking pennies into my case. None of this discourages me in the least. It’s just a waste of their energy!
Most of what I hear you play in the station are covers of artists like Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen. Are there other, lesser-known Jewish musicians you think should get more attention?
Phil Ochs. He’s a really big influence on me. He and Bob Dylan were part of the same New York folk scene. Dylan and Phil Ochs were the big topical protest songwriters, and there was lots of talk of who was the king of that scene.
What is your Jewish background?
Both my parents are Jewish. My dad is the first generation born in America. His family came from Poland and Ukraine, fleeing the Nazis. One thing that I do think about often is how lucky I am that I wasn’t born a couple of generations ago. If I’d been alive in Poland [during the war], I wouldn’t have had any choices. But since I do have the choice, I am happy to choose the life that I want.
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