If you're one of the 150 or so people that made it to the Bike Bash at Rock Harbor Village, cyclists all over the city thank you. Yesterday gave a bunch of people a taste of the city's only permanent outdoor music venue (that is actually used). The line-up of music acts was very impressive starting at 2pm with Adam Zadok and ending at 7pm with the Mom and Dad Parade. Other than Soundlab, I haven't seen so much techno-fusion in my life. And thanks to Brian Wantuch the sound went off without a hitch.
We're already planning the next bash, which will take place on Saturday July 19th. The plan is to host these bike-friendly bashes every couple of weeks in order to give local bands an outdoor venue to call 'home'. At one point on Saturday there were people riding bikes around while a Frisbee flew through the air over the heads of people who were playing shuffleboard. There was a beer cage serving up cold Flying Bison beer and a veggie (and regular) burger cage where visitors could come and grab a bite to eat.
Throughout the day bikes came and went and music-lovers got their fix of some really creative and powerful sounds. Some of the instruments on the stage were totally new to me - all of the bands played pro-bono for a good cause. In two weeks there will be a cover charge of a couple bucks so that all of the artists can go home with gas money in their pockets. If you have not had a chance to stop by Rock Harbor yet, you don't know what you're missing. Two weeks ago we had a handful of people. Yesterday we saw 150 showing. In two weeks we're shooting for a solid 300. This venue is bike-able, drive-able, walk-able and kayak-able. Each week we're going to introduce more things to eat, drink, and do... hopefully we'll see you on Saturday July 19th - stay tuned for details.
Thanks to Blue Bike (bike parking was sweet), Sugar City, Bernice of the Mom and Dad Parade, James and his Ice Creamcycle, Brian Wantuch's Wasteland Music, and all of the music acts that contributed to the bash.
The following is a quote from the movie Conan the Barbarian (for all of the workers at Atlas Steel who are helping to build this unusual music venue... out of steel:
*Conan's Father: "Fire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky. But Crom is your god, Crom and he lives in the earth. Once, giants lived in the Earth, Conan. And in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered. And the Earth shook. Fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters, but in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. We who found it are just men. Not gods. Not giants. Just men. The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan. You must learn its discipline. For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts... [points to sword] this you can trust."