By Nathan Duke
Astoria's Luke Ryan sings during an audition for the MSG show "NYC Sound Tracks," which chronicles musicians who play in the subway around the city.
Three Astoria musicians who are literally part of the city's underground music scene will compete against 13 others for a chance to be crowned the city's top subway musician in a new television series on entertainment and sports network MSG.
Astoria's Matt Nichols, Luke Ryan and Natalia "Saw Lady" Paruz are all taking part in "NYC Sound Tracks," which airs at 8 p.m. Sundays on MSG, in the hopes of being voted the best musician in the city's subways by viewers.
The eight-episode series debuted July 13 and will air its final show Sept. 14.
The contestants said they hoped the show would draw attention to their music, which they have largely been performing in subway stations and on trains across the five boroughs.
"It hasn't led to anything yet, but hopefully it will," said Nichols, who lives near Hoyt Avenue in Astoria and has played his guitar at a variety of city subway stops, including Long Island City's Queens Plaza, Jackson Heights' Roosevelt Avenue and Manhattan's Union Square.
"[The show] put me on a 100-foot-high billboard at Madison Square Garden, which was kind of strange. But I'm hoping to use it to my advantage," he said. "I'm thinking I'll start seeking out managers and publicists, who may take me more seriously if they see a big billboard of me."
Nichols, 28, plays an esoteric form of guitar-playing called "fingering," in which he plucks the instrument with his fingers rather than strumming it and incorporates percussive techniques, such as tapping the guitar.
Ryan, 57, who lives on 23rd Street in Astoria, said he has been playing guitar and singing in city subways for 30 years and earns his living through street performance and renting out his apartment as a music studio. He said he was surprised that the show's producers contacted him through his MySpace page and asked him to participate.
"I was amazed when I got a call from the producer," he said. "You're constantly at an audition when you're playing in the subway. Every once in a while, something really exciting like this will happen."
Paruz, an Astoria resident who plays the saw as an instrument, was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
The show's winner, who will be chosen by viewers at www.msg.com, will play as an opening act at a future Madison Square Garden concert.
The first three episodes followed the show's camera crew through the city's subway system and displayed the musicians' lifestyles. The show's Aug. 10 and Aug. 17 episodes will feature performances by 16 contestants, who will compete for the title.
The show's semi-finals will air Aug. 24, while the finals will run Sept. 7. A final performance will air Sept. 14.
Both Nichols and Ryan said they hoped to fare well in the show's final episodes. They said the nation's recent economic downturn has made earning money through subway performance more difficult.
"It seems like it's been getting harder and harder to make a living in the subway," Ryan said. "But nobody does this for the money. They do it because they want to live free. Performing is so energizing, so fulfilling."
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
