By Will Saunders

Kate Armstrong is a student at the University of Oregon and works as the bike coordinator at the UO Outdoor Program. This is her first year as head volunteer for the Bike Music Fest and is very excited about the result of the hard work of everyone who put together the festival.

Will Saunders: Why are you excited about Bike Music Fest?

Kate Armstrong: I have always been enthusiastic about alternative transportation via bikes, which is why I am so excited about the festival. It allows everyone to celebrate biking not only as transportation but also as a form of entertainment. This festival gives us the chance to power the things we care about, like music.

WS: What do you look forward to the most at this year’s Bike Music Fest?

KA: A special event that is exclusive to this festival is something known as the “live-on bike performance”. It involves one artist with a miniature stage set up on the back of a bike trailer who plays his music through speakers, still being powered by bicycles, while hundreds of people follow and travel across downtown Eugene. This year, DJ bPollen was the artist who had the opportunity to play a set on the back of a bike trailer. It’s the best because people are jamming and biking simultaneously. After pedaling through town, the entire mass of bikers and artists converges at the base of Skinner’s Butte where another stage is set up for the next artist.

WS: How is Bike Music Fest different from any other music festival?

KA: It requires people to be actively involved. This does not mean that everyone must be dancing and singing like at other music festivals. But, it does means that participants must hop on a bike and pedal to create and maintain energy that powers the show. This brings a connection to the show that you do not normally get. When you are on the bike pedaling and generating power, it creates a sense of being a part of the band. If you don’t pedal, the band won’t have sound to amplify the speakers. You are the show; we are all a part of the show together. It creates a strong community-based event unlike any other music festival.

WS: Can you explain how the pedal power works and how people get involved? 

KA: The event is completely pedal powered, meaning the only thing powering the show is the bikes that are rigged up to a generator to create energy for the speakers, microphones, lights, and anything else requiring electricity. The bikes have special generators inside the hubs, which are then connected to an external generator that stores the energy and powers the stage. It is a fun way to be involved in the event and also have the chance to make a difference by creating green energy.