Blue rides his bike down Powell Street from North Beach and sets up his amplifier and microphone on a crate at the Powell-Market cable car turn-around. He places a small, plastic tip jar on a small post, takes out his harmonica and starts playing, following the rhythm with lyrics about booze, women and money.

It's only noon and the New Orleans native has been playing for an hour. He has only made about $6 and he won't make much more by the end of the day.

Blue is a busker - a performer who plays, sings or acts in public areas for money. Some busk just to make a little more money on top of their daily job income. For others, busking is their day job. During the rise of the economic recession, Blue, like many other buskers, started seeing a decrease in income. Blue went from making just over $100 per day to $40 for just playing a few hours of music.

"It's bad," he says. "It's real bad. I gotta eat."

But even through an economic crisis, not all street musicians see money as an issue or feel that they have been affected by the recession.

Guitarist and blues singer Ansar sets up his chair and starts playing. He sings some of his original tunes as well as classics like "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay."

As he sings, people drop some spare change into his guitar case. He breaks from his song for a split second, and as if on tempo, and thanks passersby for their donation. Playing since he was 11 years old, Ansar doesn't feel like the economy has affected him much.

"People always have money," he said.

Some street musicians even get gigs from people on the streets for their talent. Aaron Priskorn and Devon McClive, a trumpet and bass duet, play at in a hallway at Montgomery Street BART and Muni station during mornings when commuters are headed to work. Every once in a while they get hired to do holiday shows or private events at companies and family homes.

Finding any open spot to perform may be easy, but snagging a place where their music where it can be heard can be a challenge.

McClive says they must get there to early to get their "primo" performance spot. While there is no schedule for when buskers are at certain spots, they follow a first come, first serve agenda.

Blue says that tap dancer Edward Jackson sometimes gets overruled by "pop and lock" dancers at the cable car turn-around. 'Blue' himself has had difficulty for getting his regular spot at the turn-around from time to time and has gotten arrested twice for playing at that spot.

During his court trial a few years ago, the judge asked Blue to play for him. While Blue played for the court, his lawyer collected $20 from the court audience and the judge ruled in his favor.

Despite breaking any rules or any dangers they may face, buskers fill the streets and station hallways every day of the week. Rain or shine, live music is bound to fill the streets of downtown San Francisco.