Who Was That Man With the Wild Hair?

Washington, D.C.'s Metro riders had an unexpected – and unrecognized – treat one morning in January. In the L'Enfant Plaza Station, as thousands of government workers and contractors streamed by on their morning commute, a street musician laid down his violin case, picked up his instrument and bow, and began a serenade. He played classical music for three-quarters of an hour, collected some decent tips, then packed up and left.

What the commuters didn't know, and only one in over 1,000 recognized, was that they had a free concert from the matinee idol of violinists. A few days before he had packed them in at Boston's symphony hall to the tune of $100 and more a ticket. Soon after his incognito appearance in the Metro station, he left for a tour of European capitals. But this morning he was part of a Washington Post experiment that proved once again that we see and hear what we expect to.

Who was that man in jeans and a Washington Nationals baseball cap? And could he make it as a street musician? Read the story and find out. Watch the short videos for the sound of his music. You'll find yourself shaking your head and wondering if you, too, would have walked past the virtuoso of the subway.

Thanks to Miss Snark for the link to the article.

**Spoiler Alert: His name revealed below for those who just can't wait.**

The man with the wild hair and the $3.5 million violin was…Joshua Bell