Hot dog vendor entertains patrons with acoustic guitar

Kurt Esposito/ Summer Editor STRUMMING: Eugene Vivo, a senior in the School of Management, plays his guitar in Academy Park last Thursday. He plays his guitar and sings while he works at the Purdue Memorial Union's hot dog cart. For related coverage see page 3.

By Kurt Esposito
Summer Editor

Eugene Vivo stands at his hot dog cart, strumming his guitar. He goes into the first few lines of 'Semi-Charmed Life' by Third Eye Blind, but just as a woman passes by he stops. "Would you like a hot dog?," he asks.

She stops and buys a hot dog.

"I'm so sweet. I sell hot dogs while I'm singing," he jokingly boasts.

Vivo, a senior in the School of Management, began bringing his acoustic guitar to work partly because he became bored while working at the Memorial Union cart located in the middle of Academy Park.

"It's just fun," he said. "From 11 (a.m.) to 1:30 (p.m.) there is nothing else to do."

Kurt Esposito/ Summer Editor BLISTERING: Eugene Vivo, a senior in the School of Management, plays "Blister in the Sun," by the Violent Femmes, Thursday in Academy Park.

He plays for people as they pass by his cart, always making eye contact and smiling — even while in the middle of singing a verse — and he will always stop if someone requests a hot dog. He knows a multitude of songs ranging from "Blister in the Sun" to "Hotel California," as well as two of his own songs: "Far From Here" and "Gotta," which was inspired by his girlfriend.

If anyone makes a request he will play it or, if he does not know it, learn it to play at a later date.

He said he tries to play songs that everyone will recognize, and he never plays the same song twice during the day.

Since he began playing last week, sales at the cart have increased from 20-30 hot dogs a day to 50. He said more students being on campus for the second Summer Session and Day on Campus probably are the cause, but he likes to think that his singing has something to do with it.

Cathy Beccard, who was on campus Monday with her son Ben for his Day on Campus, said the singing did play some part in her decision to buy a hot dog from the cart. "I think it's kind of fun having him singing, and he doesn't even mind stopping in the middle (of a song) to sell a hot dog," she said.

Vivo began playing the guitar eight years ago and has played in Academy Park before. During his sophomore year at Purdue, he began playing impromptu acoustic sets with two of his friends in many Purdue locations including the park, Oasis Café and the Bean Cellar.

Many people like to sit outside in the grassy areas of the park and watch Vivo perform. Brandon Dusick, a graduate student in the School of Science, said he sits outside to be in the sun, but does not mind the music. "It’s good entertainment while you're out," he said.

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