Meet San Francisco’s solely piano-playing busker, Mr. Brandy

On a windy Friday afternoon before Goodwill in Haight-Ashbury, two police officers walk slowly towards an unmarked white sprinter parked in a tow area. The sound of a piano drifts from the open doors of the van onto the sidewalk, a mix of honky-tonk, prog rock and old-school SF psychedelia. From his piano bench in the van, Mr. Brandy’s wraparound sunglasses hide his concern.

The policemen saunter past without even looking in his direction.

“That was the test,” says Brandy Collins, who goes under the stage name Mr. Brandy. “Usually they leave me alone … although what I do is pretty illegal.”

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, plays a piano in his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

You can find Mr. Brandy and his van on the sidewalk of busy San Francisco pedestrian mall on weekends and afternoons, usually along Valencia Street, in Castro or Haight-Ashbury. His Kohler & Campbell piano, salvaged from his previous life in a nearby church, is jammed behind the driver’s seat. A red satin curtain blocks the rear compartment of the van, behind which there is a decent bed and a three-burner stove.

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, is taking a break from playing the piano in the back of his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021. The rear of his van is also his living quarters.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

Mr. Brandy plays like he’s happy with the world but angry at the keys, hammering chords with an intensity that would ruffles a piano teacher’s fingers. He plays covers like David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” with such intensity that the piano strings literally crack.

“What I really want to do is play the guitar on the piano. Do you see all of these strings missing? Because I break them by playing rock ‘n’ roll guitar on the piano. Breaking bass strings is rare, I am the only person I know who breaks f — king bass strings. Now I just play around with it, ”he says, pointing to black adhesive strips on the keys that mark the broken strings.

Some of the keys on Brandy Collins’ used piano on the back of his Sprinter van are showing signs of wear and tear when parked in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

At first glance, you might think that Mr. Brandy has been following the Haight for decades. Wearing a flowing vintage shirt patterned like a 1970s lampshade and silver pants a stranger on Valencia Street gave him, he looks like he’s got stories on the Grateful Dead house to tell the street. When asked about his age, he replies: “Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway.” (He’s 61). Burning Man brought him to San Francisco via Houston a decade ago.

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, is taking a break from playing the piano in his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021. He street music and occasionally makes between $ 15 and $ 100 during a session.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

“I was like, ‘Where are all these groovy people from, man?’ I’ve never seen people like that before. I was so lost, I wanted to live like this the whole time, ”he says. “The people who still live here keep this thing alive.”

Mr. Brandy says he’s the only street musician in town, despite hearing about a guy who played in the back of a truck at Fisherman’s Wharf decades ago. Five years ago he used his van as a practice area because a rehearsal room was too expensive and then decided to open the doors to strangers.

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, plays a piano in his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

“I had made money elsewhere, but all of a sudden I was broke so I thought, ‘St, I could just stop and make a few bucks on the Haight.’ I made more than I expected and I was having more fun than I thought so I started doing street music. I’ve been doing this full-time ever since. It started on a total whim. “

The income from the gig will vary. On some evenings he makes $ 100 after three hours, on other afternoons it’s closer to $ 15, but he seems to have been borne by both encouragement and tips.

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, greets a fan after playing a song on a piano in the back of his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

“I always get the same amount of love. That is really consistent. When 100 people walk by, it’s always the same people who notice me and stop and say, “Hey, right away,” or give some kind of positive attention. I’ll get roughly the same amount of tips too, but sometimes it’s one and sometimes it’s twenties. “

That is a far cry from a living wage in the Bay Area, which leads to a frugal life. After switching between apartments and SROs, he now calls his van at home. A self-made sunroof / skylight creates a certain ambience and the much-needed ventilation (cannabis smoke accompanies many of Mr. Brandy’s appearances).

Brandy Collins, whose name is Mr. Brandy, pretends to play air guitar in his Sprinter van in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 16, 2021.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

The pandemic had a unique impact on Mr Brandy’s surgery. Masks made it harder to get in touch with passers-by in person, which hurt both his motivation and income, but he was grateful to just be able to play.

“I was the only musician I know, so I couldn’t complain. I made five dollars a day, but I buy weed and coffee, two must-have things. “

After Mr. Brandy has shown his tidy living room and swallowed a few joints, he turns back to his piano and pounds out a Hank Williams cover. Teens stop and hold up their phones and record videos. Older friends from the neighborhood say hello and throw chocolate chips into his tip glass and a few bills. At the end of the song, a dozen people have gathered to listen to Mr. Brandy belt out a country western ballad, each with a smile on their face.

A crowd of pedestrians hears Brandy Collins, whose performance name is Mr. Brandy, playing the piano in the back seat of his Sprinter van on July 16, 2021 in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco.

Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE

“Sometimes it’s difficult, but you have to understand it,” he sings and sprints across the keyboard with his fingers. “When the Lord made me he made a wanderer.”