Handlebars as flute

Over at Laughing Squid, guestblogger Doctor Popular posted a video he shot of accordionist and experimental musician Mark Growden playing a haunting tune on a set of handlebars. Mark Growden plays the handlebars

• [adamnvillani]

  I saw a documentary once about Cambodian refugees where one monk/flutist told of how the Khmer Rouge were going to let him live if he could play music for them, but he didn’t have a flute. So he took a bicycle and fashioned a flute out of it, and he played it, and (obviously) they let him live.

• [Wingo]

  Whoa – that is fascinating. I’m still fuzzy on how he achieves the overtones, but that is seriously cool.

• [Wally B]

  Extremely cool. Just… wow.

• [Dan]

  The original master:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P2V0_p6vE

• [otherthings]

  Aw yeah! I saw him do this live at the Odeon a couple of months ago, at the Monsters of Accordion show. Growden’s an amazing talent!

• [doktor tchock]

  darn, i was totally hoping that it would have to utilize the wind while biking to be played.

  still awesome.

• [moustache]

  Although I’ve been beaten to it twice over, I feel compelled to point out Zappa’s fantastic “Bicycle Concerto” on the Steve Allen Show. Some of the best awkward TV footage ever, not to mention a fantastically rare and early display of experimentation.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P2V0_p6vE

  Mark definitely rocks the handlebars though. Well done on his part!

• [Doctor Popular]

  This would be a great spot to see/hear more bicycle related music. My friend Meredith, from SteamPunkWorkshop, built a bicycle guitar instrument that plays while you ride. Here is her concept sketch http://www.flickr.com/photos/satiredun/298399996/
  I can’t find any audio/video though.

• [Anonymous]

  A very young Frank Zappa playing a bicycle on the Steve Allen Show…

  http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/48434/detail/

• [Ghede]

  Goddamnit. I’m beginning to regret ever hearing that song. No, not the handlebar solo. While I was watching/reading/seeing this, all I could think was “I can play my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars”

• [Brookelynn23]

  I love how he explains the traditional concepts that clearly inspire his innovative style! This is a great video.

• [sammich]

  LOL – Puts me in mind of when my kids, at Glastonbury (’95 I think), insisted on going to see the Saw Doctors, only to be disappointed thet they weren’t playing saws…

• [guvnor]

  It’s always a thrill to hear Mark Growden play when he passes through Sacramento.

  It’s a shame to hear about 12 Galaxies though… seems like the half-life of decent venues is getting shorter and shorter. (On the other hand, there’s never any shortage of sports bars with enormous flat-panel plasma screens mounted on every available surface)

• [Icky Bob]

  Nice to know we can find something to make music with after the apocalypse…

  Someone saw Mark at the Odeon a couple months ago? Strange, chicken shut that place down a few years back.

  Must mean 12 galaxies back in August. That place is shut down now too…

• [ctp]

  YAY Mark!!!

  And 12 Galaxies closed??? Sheesh, where have I been?