Brooklyn performer goes from street performances to Madison Square Garden

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A performer from Brooklyn is going from the streets of his home borough to the big stage of Madison Square Garden. Greg Banks has known he was born to be a rock star since the very beginning. "The way I show up is very important," said Banks. "It isn't all-defining but it plays a big role. I think the way we show up kind of takes the wall down." Banks is originally from New Orleans and says that around 7 or 8 years old is when he knew he wanted to be a performer, he joined his church choir and local marching band, but says the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina helped solidify his dream. "I lost the life that I knew," said Banks. "In that moment I had a choice to make... so I started focusing on music with the perspective of writing songs." Banks went on to release his first mixtape at 17. He went to college for three years before setting out to NYC on his 23rd birthday to follow his dream. He began performing on street corners and subway platforms before his viral moment came. A man named Jason Kowas joined Greg Banks by singing during one of Banks' performances and the video blew up online. Banks now has over 25,000 followers on Instagram and four NYC residencies where he performs weekly. "