Cyclists to be pampered, put to work at local concerts

It seems The Ditty Bops and Paul Cebar have pretty different, if equally spiffy, ideas on how to engage Madison's many bike-loving people through their shows. In the case of The Ditty Bops' Wednesday show at the Barrymore, those who arrive on bikes get a bit of royal treatment: the Bicycle Federation Of Wisconsin has teamed up with show promoter True Endeavors to offer, of all things, free valet bike parking. Probably a smart move, since the Bops have been known to tour by bike and will probably inspire fans to travel in a similar fashion, quickly using up the neighborhood's racks and street-sign poles. People who take advantage of the service will also get a 10-percent-off coupon for a few restaurants in the area.

But Milwaukee singer-songwriter Paul Cebar's cycle-bound fans might not get to bask in such smug luxury when Cebar and his band play the Memorial Union Terrace on Friday, June 26. In fact, if you want to hear any music at all at this "green sustainability concert," someone's gonna have to perform bodily labor. The soundsystem, lights, and everything else electrical involved in the show will be powered by folks riding stationary bikes hooked up to generators, courtesy of the smartypantses at the UW-Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders. EWB's Daniel Burkhardt tells Decider that he's already got some jocks lined up to pedal during the show—there may be as many as a dozen bikes going at once—but he plans to have a sign-up sheet for anyone who wants to volunteer the day of. In an additional band-and-bike note, Portland's Blind Pilot, who play the High Noon Saloon on Tuesday, once played a cycle tour along the West coast. And in case you're wondering what it's like to bike with The Ditty Bops, it of course involves singing and good cheer: