Spectators dance as Andrew Hsu plays piano in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu began street performing in Athens during his sophomore year at the University of Georgia.
When Andrew Hsu made the spontaneous decision to play his keyboard in downtown Athens to take a break from finals, he had no idea that he would soon become of Athens' most recognizable faces.
Andrew Hsu adjusts his microphone in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu began street performing in Athens during his sophomore year at the University of Georgia.
Andrew Hsu practices the piano in his apartment in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Hsu tries to learn one new song every week.
Better known as the “TikTok Piano Guy” or “The Piano Man,” Hsu has more than six hundred thousand followers across TikTok and Instagram and is now an Athens icon. He started filming himself street performing on TikTok early on, and when a video of a woman knocking his piano over went viral, Hsu became a social media star
Andrew Hsu talks to his TikTok livestream on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Athens, Georgia. Hsu livestreams all of his street performances on TikTok.
Andrew Hsu practices the piano in his apartment in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Hsu began playing the piano when his parents forced him to take lessons as a child.
The first time he played downtown, Hsu made about one hundred dollars. But it was more than money that kept bringing him back
A sign sits out next to Andrew Hsu for spectators to donate while he performs in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu also has a bucket to collect cash donations that sits at his feet.
“Obviously like the money’s fine,” Hsu said. “But it’s also like the performance high, and like getting to sing with people, and like connecting with people, getting to know people. That’s also like a huge part of it.
Andrew Hsu sings with a spectator while street performing in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu often hands his microphone to people in the crowd to sing along with him.
Andrew Hsu and a man sing together in front of Hsu's TikTok live in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, April 4, 2025. Hsu livestreams all of his performances on TikTok.
Andrew Hsu shakes someone's hand on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Athens, Georgia. One of Hsu's favorite things about street performing is the personal interactions with people.
Andrew Hsu hugs someone who tipped him while he was street performing in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu says that he has met lots of interesting people through street performing.
When he started, Hsu said that he was just one of two street performers who played regularly. Since then, he has seen more and more people performing in downtown Athens. Now there is a saxophone player, a band, and other performers that like to come out.
A woman sings while Andrew Hsu plays the piano in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Andrew Hsu sometimes collaborates with other musicians when street performing.
Hadley Short, Lolo McCreary, Kaelie Masaschi, Kate Lattner and Carly Anderson watch Andrew Hsu play the piano in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Friday, April 11, 2025. Hsu typically performs television themes or popular songs, such as "Pink Pony Club".
Hsu knows some of them by name and thinks that his journey and internet fame may have helped contribute to that growth
Clint Bussey and his band perform in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Street performer Andrew Hsu knows Bussey and other street performers that regularly perform in downtown Athens.
A spectator drops money into Andrew Hsu's donation bucket in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Hsu made $100 on the first night he started street performing in Athens.
“I feel like I’ve definitely like, inspired, I’ll say one person—at least one person to street perform, which is really my goal,” Hsu said. “They’ve definitely been popping up."
Spectators sings and film themselves listening to Andrew Hsu's street performance in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Hsu often hands his microphone to someone watching to sing along with him.
Andrew Hsu sets up his street music equipment on Friday, April 11, 2025. Hsu always performs in front of Archer Paper Goods.
According to Hsu, Athens is a great place for street performance. The downtown area is dense with bars and foot traffic, which gives performers steady crowds and high energy. Compared to other cities that he has tried to perform in, like Austin, Hsu says Athens is still the best.
A crowd forms around Andrew Hsu as he plays the piano in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Hsu always performs in front of Archer Paper Goods.
Andrew Hsu plays the piano as people walk by in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Friday, April 11, 2025. Hsu always performs in the doorway of Archer Paper Goods.
A group of girls sing along as Andrew Hsu plays the piano in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Hsu tries to perform particular songs for particular groups, such as playing "Pink Pony Club" for groups of girls.
Hsu now considers street performing to be an important part of Athen’s famous music scene. Even if he decides to get a different job one day, he can still see himself coming back to the doorway of Archer Paper Goods every once in a while to perform for passersby.
