Sound CheckToronto commuters treated to ukulele flash mob courtesy of Project Ukulele Gangsterism
At times, your morning commute can seem somewhat dreary. However, thanks to this ukulele flash mob playing a tuned called "Have an Awesome Day," a few Toronto subway riders may have had a happier start to their day.
The flash mob was initiated by Project Ukulele Gangsterism (PUG), which was founded by Adil Dhalla and “inspired by the Emersonian idea that while some pursue happiness, others create it.”
According to PUG’s Facebook page, “This project is for the creators -- but is also for the collaborators, the courageous and the nonconformists -- who share the belief that our lives are made richer when we engage with strangers and take the time to meaningfully connect with people who cross our paths in everyday life.”
With song lyrics like, “Have an awesome day Mr. TTC man/Have an awesome day, we're your biggest fan/Have an awesome day pretty lady/Have an awesome day will you call me maybe,” it’s hard to be grumpy while listening to PUG perform their tune. (Are they giving a shout out to Carly Rae Jepsen?)
It seems like TTC passengers enjoyed the ukulele takeover, as evidenced by comments left on this YouTube clip.
“I heard you guys at Spadina station this morning,” one rider wrote. “I was on the train so couldn't get the full song but it was GREAT! Thanks for the happy bit of sunshine in my morning commute :)”
Wrote another: “Thank you for putting a smile on my face! You made my day on Wednesday :)”
CityNews Toronto reports that Dhalla was able to fund PUG by applying for $1,000 from the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) and became the first person to receive CSI’s Awesome grant.
If you’d like to learn how to become a Ukulele Gangster, check out PUG’s tutorial:
