Nick Plewtong is a familiar face at the San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market. The computer science senior entertains crowds nearly every Thursday night with his electric violin, covering songs by artists ranging from Shawn Mendes to Taylor Swift.
Plewtong started playing classical violin 11 years ago. Always wanting to play in front of a public audience, Plewtong saw his chance at the Farmers’ Market.
Plewtong applied to get involved through the SLO Downtown Association and was accepted to play. He has now been playing downtown for three years.
While he originally learned classical violin, Plewtong wanted to try something new with pop and rock songs. Plewtong plays complicated songs using a loop pedal, allowing him to build layers of sound on top of each other until he achieves the background sound he wants.
As far as musical influences, Plewtong looks to contemporary violinist Lindsey Sterling.
“[Sterling] is inspiring because violin doesn’t have to be classical; you can play whatever you want,” Plewtong said.
Although tips from the audience are nice, Plewtong’s favorite part of playing downtown is the fans that come back to see him.
“I have seen a lot of people over time and a lot of them say they enjoy my music, which is the best part,” Plewtong said.