We found the cans, buckets in alleys … the garbage cans in the back of stores.

I like rap. I don’t really like any bands.

There was a crowd one time that stayed a couple of minutes and danced. A guy one time came and played with us. He was pretty good. One guy came by with a banjo.

Sometimes people come over and say, “Can you drum a little lower?” One time one guy broke the [store] window and they thought it was us and they made us apologize, but it wasn’t us.

[If people get mad] they just tell us to move … like now.

Police officer Joseph Majorher pulls up in his patrol car.

Officer Majorher: You have to find another spot.

I don’t have a problem with them until somebody complains. Carytown is generally pretty tolerant. They’re pretty good kids.

The boys cross to the other side of the street.

Gibson: I pretty much just want to make money. I save it. I buy clothes. Christmas, we shop all on Carytown. I buy presents for my mom. We went to the Compleat Gourmet and bought some cookies. At a VCU game somebody put a $20 in there. That was pretty good.

A car passes by.

Car passenger: Go home! Stop making noise.

A woman walks by and throws a dollar into the bucket.

Woman: That sounds great.

Gibson: One time someone tried to steal money from out of the bucket. Caleb caught him. He’s the fastest one in the group, so he’s the chaser.

— Interviewed by Carrie Nieman, Photographed by Stephen Salpukas.