The Sub-Dude and the Banjo

Blue Grass Tunes at Civic Center Station

The incessant hum of BART and commuter chatter echoes throughout Civic Center Station. People go to and fro, mechanically going about their daily lives. Blue grass music can be heard nearby. It’s a breath of fresh air in an otherwise drab setting. 

Who’s playing? It’s none other than Stanley the Sub-Dude. 

“Oh, I’ve been playing down here maybe about the last six years? But I started playing in San Francisco in 1972… in Union Square. That was before the artists were moved to the Embarcadero. That was years ago,” bellows Stanley. He melodically bends and stretches the last syllable of every sentence.

Stanley’s playing the banjo, but he also mentions a fiddle in his bag. Upbeat and ready to conquer the world, Stanley masterfully strums away with a sincere smile. It seems nothing could damper his spirits. 

“It’s a good morning instrument,” utters Stanley referring to his banjo. He pats it like an old friend.

He plays an assortment of instruments, such as the mandolin, autoharp, six-string guitar, and a twelve-string guitar. “I’m workin’ on getting as much instruments as I can get a hold of,” he declares confidently. 

A woman tosses change inside Stanley’s banjo case. He nods graciously and continues to perform as he taps his foot to the beat of his own tune.  

“I used to go all over and play all day, but now I only play a few days a week… and, uh, just for a few hours in the mornings – except for, you know, house parties and barbeques… things like that.” 

He reminisces about what once was, as well as his long-standing history in San Francisco.

“I’ve been playing in BART stations for the last ten or fifteen years, and I thought Sub-Dude might be a good name,” he ruminates with a chuckle. He plucks at his banjo strings, and the smile melts from his face. The music stops. 

“Actually, I thought of it, and I was gonna use it, and I heard there’s another band down in New Orleans that was called the Sub-Dudes… so, that kinda… I thought, nah, can’t do that!”

(Photos by Anthony Sutherlin)