Thanks to Big Top Coop for posting this video summary of The Genie’s LiveOnBike performance, and of the gallery space at The Road To BMF benefit. Enjoy.
Lots of great shots of Rock The Bike products in action also: The Down Low Glow, the Biker Bar, Mundo Cargo Bikes (also used here to carry the camerawoman).
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In the true spirit of the Bicycle Music Festival, we pedal powered five bands, went LiveOnBike with a scratch guitarist, fed and quenched sweaty pedalers with tea, kombucha, pies hauled in by bike and a local street chef, and featured a contortionist, a unicyclist, a bootleg beer garden, and a quartet of breakdancers, putting us squarely on the Road to this year’s SF Bicycle Music Festival.
Mark Wessels serving up a delightful unicycle performance.
The Shotgun Wedding Quintet rocking after midnight.
We rolled these platforms in Donkey Kong style for a captivating Tara Quinn performance on contortion and aerial hoop. Photo: Kai
Photo: Kai
Genie Live on Bike on the Road to BMF from Adam Aufdencamp on Vimeo.
The Genie’s LiveOnBike performance. Afterwards I heard lots of great feedback on The Genie’s music, but one repeated request was to create a raised stage for our LiveOnBike performances. People in the back couldn’t see him.
Above: School kids rushed to the fence as the Genie sound checked the day before The Road To BMF.
Photo: Leif
After the LiveOnBike ride, we hauled the speakers off the Biker Bar and converted it to Pedal Power mode, sound checked Justin Ancheta, and got the party started. Above: Shotgun Wedding Quintet
Our Pedal Powered Stage gear included two Electric Mundos and the Biker Bar. We also brought out the Fender Blender Pro, hooking up the pedalers with smoothies.
For my performance I wanted to show both my passions, bike rapping and bicycle customizing, so I debuted my new tall bike, El Arbol. It’s still in progress, but the frame, drivetrain, and roots are complete after a year of hard work in the Complete Fab workshop with welder Jay Broemmel. I rode it into the room, deployed the roots, made rock signs, climbed down, and then pedal powered the lighting, which outlines the shape of the tree.
The night after, a few of us went for a 10 mile ride to the Richmond and back, deploying the roots numerous times as we wiggled through the Haight, and enjoying ample 360 visibility from the pedal powered lighting.
I wasn’t the only bicycle customizer showing off two-wheelers at the Road To BMF. Above: Jay Broemmel tightening the Dragon Bike’s clutch.
Many thanks to those who came out to enjoy this night of music, food, circus, and bike culture. Although we weren’t able to secure a liquor license because BMF’s non-profit status is still in progress with the San Francisco Parks Trust, we were able to raise hundreds for BMF.
Many thanks to Honest Tea, Bike Basket Pies, Sol Cocina, 21st Amendment Brewery, Cell Space, Big Top Cooperative, and all the performers.
Got photos, and video from the Road To BMF? Send us a link!
Late night Haunted Hay Ride on the Biker Bar, cruising down 18th from the Castro to the District, with five European tourists along for the ride.
Rockin’ Halloween colors on our way to Fair Oaks St. with a Masked Masha rolling a Mundo with the Down Low Glow. At sunset, yeow!
Whoah. Amazing weekend. So much gratitude to the crew, the people of Fair Oaks St., and the Yes Men!
Kai and Pastana showed up Saturday afternoon to help mod the Biker Bar into a Haunted Hay Ride.
Tara had texted me earlier to “try 6th and Bryant as a source for $15 hay bales.” Then on the way there I realized she was sending me to the wholesale flower market. Thanks for the tip, T! I pulled in and immediately saw a bale in a stall. One cam strap on the Mundo. Back to the house.
We reduced the hay to useful cushion sizes and cam strapped Kai’s birdcage to the Biker Bar.
Kai bringing Pooh into the mix.
We kept the dancing going for the big kids for another couple hours.
Heading to the San Francisco debut of the Yes Men’s touching and hilarious “The Yes Men Fix The World”
Adam practicing one of the building block skills for no-hands surfing.
The lucky recipients of three $4 million Survivaballs.
Escorting the Survivaballs from the Roxie to the closest Chevron.
The Yes Men used the march as an opportunity to tout the
benefits of the Survivaball. Rock The Bike supplied the mobile P/A and
later the Pedal Powered Stage for the rally.
We turned up the dance music, including an exhuberant “I Will Survive.”
After the Chevron protest, we kept the afterparty going.
The Mundo 1000 has been holding it down as our most efficient pedal power bike.
If you’ve read this far and you’re local, you’ll probably want to join our SF Cruisers email list, and come out Monday night to Dia De Los Muertos with the Rock The Bike crew.
Read MoreThe photo shows Travis from Band of Bicycles hauling a WFMU radio DJ and his guest around Brooklyn on the practice session for a LiveOnBike radio broadcast. The actual broadcast was foiled by rain.
Practice ride:
It was a big weekend.
We hit the road Saturday to Pedal Power the 350.org rally at Justin Herman Plaza.
Lauren from Greenpeace on the mic.
The Biker Bar’s swingarms were recently gusseted (the triangles). They’re much stiffer and the bar is functioning well these days, though our electric bikes have the edge in efficiency.
After the rally, we got an afterparty going.
photos: Steve Rhodes
Adam and Tara clowning around after the gig.
We packed up and cruised the Embarcadero. Above, Leif following a tight path through the crowd.
The Mundo 1000 was short a battery all weekend. so we developed ways to get it around the city.
Sunday morning in the park with Scott McDowell of Hyde Street Studios, Rock The Bike’s most experienced sound guy.
Soul Medic getting the Pedal Powered Stage jumping at West Fest.
Kai and Pam powering Oona. Kai went big, powering the show for about 50 minutes.
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