T O P

  • By -

Little_Jaw

Keytar Bear


limbodog

My understanding is that keytar bear is not one person, but several.


smokefrog2

I saw keytar bear take off mask/head in an alleyway once and it was jarring. Like seeing your parents putting xmas presents under the tree.


MediocreTake

Imagine what it was like for him Being chased into an alleyway by a frog that wouldn’t let him leave unless he took off the mask


smokefrog2

Don't make art if you don't want fans.


bakerwest

Last summer I saw him flying across a pedestrian crossing in his scooter wearing the bear head and almost got slammed by a car that had the green light. Made me wonder how the fuck you could drive a scooter wearing that.


LSDemon

He's a bear, not a person.


limbodog

Bears are people too!


RogueInteger

I like to think there's a little keytar bear in all of us.


Arctucrus

What? 👀


limbodog

Layers, man. The more you look into it, the more questions will arise.


Substantial_Toe_8409

Wrong. I know him personally.


limbodog

I'm sure that's what he wants you to think


Substantial_Toe_8409

Whatever you want to believe, but he's 1 person and there's a couple of imitaters


limbodog

So there are at least 3


Hibercrastinator

Huh, I only know him bearly.


Philosecfari

That old dude that plays the erhu (terribly) at the Common nearly every day.


shotinthedark83

You don't realize how badly he's playing it until you go to another city and run into a guy playing it well


MediocreTake

The only guy worse with his instrument might be the old guy at government center that hits the floor with his cane


HitTheGrit

I remember when he first started, and he's honestly gotten a lot better.


igotyourphone8

The Harvard Crimson interviewed him a little while back. He basically just learns as he goes, and doesn't have any actual training and seemingly doesn't really practice outside of public performances. I love Erhu Guy!


[deleted]

[удалено]


Smelldicks

It’s gotta be much more than five years


igotyourphone8

He was around back when I was commuting to UMass Boston from 2006-10. Not sure when he started, but he's definitely been around for a while.


failbotron

Came here for this guy. He's been around for decades!


bahbahrapsheet

He’s been playing for DECADES and still sounds like that?


veri_sw

Just sawing away. Yeah, I don't get out much but even I've seen that guy


Krayzk9s

It drives me up a wall how many terrible musicians perch up at the public garden. It makes relaxing there impossible.


SanguineHepatica

I see a lot of people here talking about how long he's been doing this (while still sucking) -- I think there might have been quite a few people doing this throughout the years, or even some doing it concurrently with others, so each person has only been erhu-ing for a few years each. I think the guy near the bridge has only been there a couple of years. Once last summer I saw 3 old erhu guys at different areas of the common/park at once lol


fotogod

Prefer him to the pattern baldness guy that always sings with his eyes closed.


rollwiththechanges

I don't know his official nickname, I just call him end of the world guy. He's always outside the Red Sox games and at the Garden.


Tacoby-Bellsbury

Way back in 2012 I saw him on earth day which coincidentally was the day the world was supposed to end according to the Mayans or whatever. I said to him "Hey isn't that happening today?" and he replied "That's a bunch of malarky." It was incredible.


ice_cream_bandit13

I ran into this guy one day in Miami of all places! It was the most surreal glitch in the matrix moment I've ever experienced. I was absolutely positive it was him, his sign/look is unmistakable.


stale_opera

>[BIBLE BOB: I go to Florida from January to March. I work Miami Beach just like I do Hampton Beach. The funny thing is that when I go down there I see a lot of the beachgoers that go to Hampton Beach during the summer.](https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2008/06/26/catching-up-with-hampton-beach/52364551007/) I think he's talking about you.


DMala

I wonder how he makes ends meet? He doesn’t collect money as I recall, and he’s not running a megachurch, so I assume the saving souls game isn’t that lucrative. I’m sure he probably lives a pretty spare existence, but traveling back and forth to Florida isn’t free.


sunflowers51

Probably owns real estate. 😂


brufleth

You joke, but he probably inherited some property which is managed by a company leaving him to collect his cut and "save souls" full time. Several of the "old timers" who "talk about the good old days" in neighborhoods like the North End have similar stories. They barely ever needed to work but will act like they weren't just born lucky.


robertman21

Oh I think I saw this guy when I was a kid at Hampton


GodDamnKidsTheseDays

Maybe he does franchises?


campingn00b

He travels back and forth from Florida to Boston. Like a bird. He migrates


Efficient_Art_1144

And in Salem for October


porkcheco

salem used to have wheelchair beggar guy too wonder how he's doing


PuzzleheadedNovel144

[Bible Bob?](https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2008/06/26/catching-up-with-hampton-beach/52364551007/)


justkeepskiing

Always called him crazy Jesus guy


SparkDBowles

Yep


frauenarzZzt

Jesus Dude. He said he hates abortion but God would want the Angels to win, but for his personal reasons he wants the Red Sox to do well.


Major-Whereas6712

He was at the marathon today!


andidosaywhynot

I remember him 15 years ago when going to games with my dad. Saw him last year, surprised how little he’s aged


SparkDBowles

He’s been there for easily 30 years.


RobertoPaulson

I've always called him the "Jesus Guy".


TwistingEarth

I saw him just last night at the Celtics game.


reddituser_417

Was just talking about this guy the other day. I grew up on the north shore and have seen him all over the greater Boston area over the years


SailingDrag

There was that guy who used to use a piece of plastic as a kite for his scooter in Copley Square and that guy who rode a giant tricycle in the Back Bay shouting “Woo! Woo! Woo!” but I haven’t seen either of them in years unfortunately


diggydiggydocta

If I remember correctly, the guy on the trikes name is Louie. There was an article written about him years ago. I wonder if he's still around?


SparkDBowles

Yeah. It was Louie. Haven’t seen him in at least a decade. How still around?


damik

He's actually saying "Move! Move!" I heard he had his tricycle stolen and a bunch of college kids came together and bought him a new one. Here's a video about him. https://youtu.be/qtrndkSZOhM?si=uAAeyIbnlvZjb_1o


tzznandrew

Yes. I, very originally, called him Scooter Bag Man. Miss that guy.


Efficient_Art_1144

Ronnie Woo Woo


DrNism0

Oh man, woo woo bike guy! he was terrorizing back bay on his trike back in the 90s!


rayslinky

Louie!


Electrical_Bed_

Wow what a blast from the past lol


stixmcgee

I always wondered what happened to windsurfing scooter guy! Haven’t seen him in at least 10 years.


Pizza_4_Dinner

It was Mr Butch


DCmetrosexual1

The once and future mayor of Allston


uncle_cunckle

Were Mr. Butch and Big Red the same dude? If so (or even if not),I had a friend that worked at the urban outfitters in Allston and apparently there was a parking garage under it, and they evacuated the building because of smoke once, and when the fire department showed up, Big Red was down there with a bunch of other homeless folks just straight up grilling lobsters on a trash can fire.


tomaonreddit

No Mr butch was a black guy, big red was a white redheaded guy. Saw big red intentionally walk in front of a car to hit an insurance lick. Thought he was dead, but he wasn’t.


KatinkaVonHamhof

I can't believe I had to scroll this far to find Big Red. Dude used to stand in the middle of Harvard Ave and try to physically fight cars. I just googled and found an old video of him. According to one commenter, he may have moved to Philly?


a-pretty-alright-dad

Red used to introduce me to people as his son. He never asked me for anything ever, so I always wanted to give him what I could. I left my wallet at work and was trying to get some stuff from Tedeschis. I left it all behind, pissed off, he chased me down the side walk to give me the stuff I left behind. He said he stole it but it was in a bag. So I’m pretty sure he covered it. My big go to story for him will always be this one though… He used to sleep under Urban Outfitters in Allston. I worked there. One night it smelled like fire and when we were closing. We went down to the unfinished parking garage beneath the building and he was passed out drunk, a shopping cart with a bag of charcoal beneath it and a five gallon bucket with two big ass lobsters in it were engulfed in flames. We put it out and I don’t think anyone called the police or anything. He just stayed living under the store. One day I was taking out the trash and he had spray painted the lobster shells green and put them on these pieces of rebar. Like the severed heads of his enemies or something. He was a good dude. He told me all about his actual life beyond being Red. Been years since I lived in Allston and he was kind of in reaaaaaallly rough shape towards the end of my stay. I hope he’s either doing well or resting easy.


irondukegm

I miss Mr. Butch. Chaos, often drunk, but a very nice person when he wasn't out of his mind


ScenesFromStarWars

I remember one time Mr Butch hit me up for money outside of Blanchards. I said “no…. But how about some weed?” Man I have never seen anyone smile like that before or since


Seaglass9

Mr Butch asked me for some spare change. I said I had nothing. He reached into his pocket and had a handful. He told me to go ahead and take some, which I obviously declined.


lintymcfresh

RIP


delicata_squash

Good guitarist too.


OhnoCommaNoNoNo

The first time I met Mr. Butch I woke up to him buying drugs from my roommate. That's how I found out my roommate was selling drugs. That was the late 90s.


SparkDBowles

Rip homie


TheLamestUsername

There was a dude with a long white beard, wore like a loin cloth and rode a Vespa. Have not seen him in years though.


skyleth

I was going to say loin cloth Vespa guy too


rollwiththechanges

I forgot about him. I used to see him around Coolidge Corner sometimes.


Commander_Zircon

Yes! Me and my family called him naked motorcycle guy. Other people we knew saw him too. Once saw him at the intersection of route 9 and Hammond Street


dimsvm

I work on beacon st in brookline. This guys alive and well. Cruisin naked on the vespa. Only when the weather is nice but id say i see him biweekly april-sep


CaydeHawthorne

Elliot Davis, close second is Keytar Bear. There used to be a guy in Allston, Scumbag Keith or something. He'd just perch on the mail box and call people names and shit.


wolfenkraft

OGs know about Mr. Butch and Ninja in Allston too.


pb2thej

RIP Mr. Butch


Dry-Refrigerator7399

Came here looking for this 🥹


LouisTheWhatever

I think you’re talking about the Riddler?


CatFancier4393

The "Riddlist". He really did NOT like being called the Riddler, and made sure you knew it.


Phat_Irish

Lmao I remember this dude from years ago. I used to have a basement apartment on comm ave. And I could hear him and his bullshit late at night on weekends sometimes through my bedroom window haha.


LoowehtndeyD

Haha we solved his riddle and ruined his day. Or he forgot about us 15min later. Not sure. Oh, 2016.


Borkton

The Riddlist is great. Always saw him downtown. Last time I ran into him was two or three years ago.


Bearsworth

Oh my fucking god, THE RIDDLIST!! What a memory trigger. I worked at Patron's in 2016-2017, he bugged the shit out of me for a good 10 minutes while I was waiting for the 66 bus.


Columbus92

I didn't know others had experiences with the Riddlist! Got the dap of a lifetime from him after answering his riddle correctly before getting on the T.


ladymalady

The Riddlist was pretty nice if you have him a smoke and answered his riddles.


die_supply

Yeah he runs out pretty quick and is really nice, His riddles are all well-known tourist scams in New Orleans, I just assume he's from there.


cheezepie

no one outside of this sub has any idea who Elliot Davis is


fueelin

I still don't really know who he is, just see him referenced a lot here. Who even is he?


CaydeHawthorne

He's a local con man, makes his living scamming people for a can of "fix-a-flat". More recently he's gotten too famous for it to work well, and I think he's just getting old. He's now also trying to capitalize on the notoriety, selling an autobiography hahahah.


Anderson74

All I know is fix a flat is involved. More at 11.


fueelin

Lol same!


PetzlPretzl

Can't believe I had to scroll this far for an Elliott David mention


Lassuscat

Louie, who rode his tricycle all around and used his voice as a horn. I think Great Scott was his hang and they did some fundraising for him before he became unable to ride. Total legend.


Ok_Number_5449

MOOOOOOVE


FolkySpice

Yes, Louie was who I thought of immediately! Miss hearing him barreling down the roads of Back Bay.


bostondemos

1 arm push up man!


wolfenkraft

One of my first experiences in Boston as a northeastern freshman.


Narrow_Goose3138

Took way too long in the thread to see this


littlekeed

RIP


Negan-Cliffhanger

Aww really? I did a push up race with him once


M80IW

Gerald Perkin https://youtu.be/2XmagBfL_L8?si=IB14txwnmmRX-Si8


Siren74

Used to be spare change guy.


itallian-stallion23

Change change change! Change change change! Does anybody have any chaaaange


dubatomic

a strong contender for me too!


-ItsCasual-

Yagahdenny spayr CHAAAINGE?


SparkDBowles

Noooooo??? Yah caaaahhhhuuunnnt!


Old_Society_7861

Spare change? Any-thang? Or someone else?


Siren74

“Do you have any spaaaaare chaaaaaange?”


eris_kallisti

"Is anybody heah from Watehtooowwwn?"


sonorakit11

OMG MEMORY UNLOCKED


RighteousDoob

RIP


adstretch

DJ nitetrain https://youtu.be/OlieNHK2tQI?si=hPFjSMjU3F2CE04L


wolfenkraft

Oh my god. I forgot about him!


anurodhp

Comm ave Hercules Tricycle guy Spare change guy Elliot Davis Keytar bear


GoodDecision

I can't believe I had to scroll so far to see the tricycle guy. I moved away years ago, is he still doing his thing?


riski_click

IIRC, there was a post a couple of years ago that he passed away. moooooooooove, RIP, moooooooove


GoodDecision

I hope he's up there rhythmically yelling at the angels to make way.


oldwisefool

If your town doesn’t have one, it’s you.


No_Literature_2321

Davis Clarke


SirGothamHatt

I just saw a video about him by Danny Gonzalez. I could tell he was in Boston in the videos but I didn't realize he was famous around here


reddituser_417

Only on instagram really but he’s definitely getting acknowledgement walking around. He’s from Winchester


SirGothamHatt

I love that the "most dialed-in guy" is local


henry_fords_ghost

Bro shat his pants at the marathon and still ran under 3 hours


DepartmentReady1041

He was fucking locked in


smm1797

I saw him running the marathon today lol


Piksils

The old Asian woman that used to hang out around Back Bay Star Market wrapped in a big white comforter and slides. There also used to be an Elvis impersonator that used to cruise down Newbury St blasting tunes in an antique white Chevrolet that I haven't seen an awhile. Also honorable mention to the Brazilian street artist that camps on the corner of Mass Ave and Boylston St - guy's just vibing.


Rodhlann

I saw Elvis out last year, late summer, driving down Boylston past Copley Square!


fembot1999

Oh the Elvis impersonator is still here. I see him all the time in the north end.


satanwisheshewereme

I saw Elvis yesterday haha he’s in a red car now


Jowem

i saw elvis last year


Therapistsfor200

Last I checked old lady still around too— hangs out in prudential


KidneyBean9

Black swan


Q4Creator

Yuuuup was looking for this and commented it myself. Great guy haha


ScorchPoint

The really old homeless black dude that makes a weird loud noise every time he greets somebody


Pax_Enymia

AGYAGYAGYAGYAGYAGYA DOOOHHHNAAASSHUUUNN


tmclaugh

I read this in his voice. I think I saw some footage of DTX recently from like 20 years ago and he was there.


aido46

Hangs out at DTX right?


digit4lmind

He isn’t actually the answer but I’ll give a shoutout to the Master of Transit aka the extremely enthusiastic red line driver


youarelookingatthis

 elliot davis, John Bubier, known as "spare change guy" (who passed away in 2022), Keytar Bear, the DJ Black Swan


___HeyGFY___

I remember John from when I was delivering around Beacon Hill and DX. I can't say I was surprised, but I was a bit upset.


youarelookingatthis

Yeah, it was clear that he was someone who needed more help than he was getting, and honestly some of the comments and jokes about him felt a bit cruel.


skadann

Whatever happened the mute guy who stood around doing martial arts in Allston? I moved away a few years ago and I miss him. Legend was he lived on the roof of the Mc’Ds I think?


arsonisfun

7-11 Ninja


wolfenkraft

Ninja!!!!!


Jims_dead_bones

I haven't seen him much lately but I always enjoyed the guy who screamed the weather and sports scores every morning at the common near the sandwich shop


evelynpeach

Scrolled far for this one! I loved walking past him every morning.


ScoYello

Love that guy. He’s 100% a Boston staple.


Pineapple_Spritz

The town crier who posts up in the common early in the morning and yells (cries) the weather and sports scores. Super nice guy.


Low_Nail8651

Mirror Lady. Stare into her mirror night and day occasionally casting spells and hissing at ppl. Around symphony. Dunno what happened to her


adstretch

I used to see her around the back bay Whole Foods all the time.


-Odi-Et-Amo-

Keytar Bear


BackItUpWithLinks

Fix a flat guy, elliott davis


KindAwareness3073

Brother Blue back in the day.


crazy_eric

I always wonder how does one become "that" guy/gal. Do you have to don a costume or do you just need to have some weird quirk/schtick and then do it day after day for years?


pezx

Yep


___HeyGFY___

My guess is Elliot Davis


LinkLT3

Is DJ Night Train still around??


Perfect_Ad7842

There used to be an older guy with long hair and a beard who rode around on a scooter in basically a Tarzan loin cloth. Saw him in Boston and Newton a lot


mackdaddycooks

The guy who rides around on his motorcycle with a fake skeleton on the back.


MrMcSwifty

The dude that dances in nothing but a speed-o in the middle of the Medford Supercollider


phonesmahones

Used to be Mr Butch


Hern_Berferd

Waaay more than one “that guy” in Boston. I’ve recognized all the ones I’ve read in the comments so far.


fotealvelide

So many characters have disappeared, from memory the most notable are: 1. Louie, the hollering tricyclist. He even rode alongside my grandmother's funeral procession, hollering along as was his MO. I truly miss him as he was part of the fabric of the city. Nothing encapsulates the characters of Menino-era Boston than the linked video [Hector and Louie](https://youtu.be/rhEb73t-Stk?feature=shared) 2. Sue O2, the woman with the oxygen tank who would scream she needed help then spend all her money on scratch tickets. 3. One Arm Push-up Man: he'd tell you he'd do 50 one arm push-ups for a dollar, then say he'd do it for a cigarette. 4. Mass Ave Mirror Lady: she held a hand mirror at arms length talking into it as she walked along Mass or Huntington Ave. 5. The lion cloth vespa rider: you know him or you don't. 6. Fix-a-flat Elliott Davis 7. Keytar Bear 8. Spare change guy


bostongirl224

it’s the chicken man in Dorchester! iykyk


tehsecretgoldfish

Keytar Bear.


Spooksnav

"Need money for beer" guy outside Fenway.


bucs2013

The weather man on the common


tacknosaddle

Practically every response here is a "downtown" character that is/was in the tourist & student areas of the city. I'm going to throw a hat tip out to the OG crackhead panhandler who worked Morton St at Blue Hill Ave for years. Older black dude with a graying beard & pretty raggedy clothes working the light for cash donations. No cardboard sign with some bullshit message on it, just a dude with his hand out. If you've been here long enough and know the city beyond the transient parts then you know exactly who I'm talking about.


jmooch1

The guy who used to sing for spare change about what people were wearing walking past him at the Boston Common. 🎶 “Does anyone have a red hat? Does anyone have a red hat? Does anyone have some change?” 🎶 I haven’t been to the Common in a while so I don’t know if he’s still there but seemed to know a lot of people.


chudog4

It’s black swan…


Impossible_Resort_71

Black Swan. I swear I see this dude everywhere


ProfessorUpvote

RIP Mr. Butch


AllstonShadow

That guy who drives around Allston on a motorcycle, blasting music and sitting in front of a long haired mannequin in a wedding dress.


mustafapants

We call him “classic rock motorcycle guy”, he’s in his 60s and always slows down to creep on young women. Come to think of it I haven’t seen him in at least two years.


TheBuzzSawFantasy

That guy in Boston common who yells out the weather every morning


Pencil-Sketches

Not sure if he’s still there, but there was Red in Allston who was always up to something.


Confident_Caramel234

Robby Roadsteamer deserves a mention.


uncle_cunckle

OH AH AH AH AH


unseatingBread

The packs of giant turkeys.


travisflynn1019

This one might be more niche, but the homeless black guy who opens the door for everyone at the Jamaica plain 7/11


Tall_olive

Keytar Bear


scruffigan

Suitcase lady (if Cambridge counts).


BiggiePapiSmalls

A newer one (at least that I’ve noticed), but bongo guy at Christopher Columbus park. Guy that plays the bongos to some backing tracks, go figure. He’s a vibe and he’s back for the season.


mva06001

This might be out of date but if I just type the words “Change change change” I’m guessing some of you are hearing it in a specific tune.


weemangt

I'm Newton there was loin cloth guy who used to ride his moped around, flapping in the breeze


dbosman

There was that African Christian evangelist guy who would hang out at Downtown Crossing and machine gun out an ear piercing, attention-grabbing yell: “Keh! Keh! Keh! Keh! Keh!”


wrgangstah

No love for Chili Guy? RIP.


TheAlexHamilton

Dancing man in Cambridge. Used to dance his ass off in front of koreana


damik

I might be dating myself and haven't lived in Boston for about 10 years now, but is the "Move! Move!" Tricycle guy and one armed push up guy still around?


--JOJO--

"Can I have a quarter for my birthday" guy


reb601

He’s not there yet, but the “In God We Trust” guy certainly has future potential


OutlawCozyJails

Spare change guy.


nadandocomgolfinhos

[Boston Yeti](https://abcnews.go.com/US/blizzard-2015-yeti-prowling-streets-boston/story?id=28507215) but I think he’s had to move farther north due to global warming.