The Ginger Ninjas

In 2007, the Ginger Ninjas became the first band in the history of rock
and roll to tour by bicycle, unsupported by automobile. On a 5000 mile
odyssey from their home in Northern California to the pyramids of
southern Mexico, they promoted transportation cycling while also
exploring the frontiers of pedal-generated electricity, using their own
bikes to power a hyper-efficient sound system. The audience took turns
getting on stage to pedal the bikes to make the sound, taking crowd
participation to a new level. Originally conceived as a one-time
adventure/statement/experiment, the band became addicted, and now has
its sights set on a world tour.
"Before the Mexico tour, I honestly didn't know if what we were setting
out to do was even physically possible," says front man Kipchoge
Spencer. "A couple of months in, we realized that it wasn't just
possible, but there was something easy about the rhythm of it (despite
the grueling uphills with 200 pound bikes), and the next logical
thought was, 'let's tour the world this way.'"
The Ginger Ninjas' mobile human-power stage is the first of its kind in
history. Coupling super efficient digital amplifiers, lightweight
components, and generators attached to working bicycles (as opposed to
purpose-built stationary bikes), the system allows a band to play
off-grid anywhere, wall outlet or no, and to also carry the system to a
gig on the same bicycles (Xtracycle sport utility bicycles, a company
started by Spencer). This enables a new kind of completely
self-sufficient bicycle touring, sans automobile support. On the band's
most recent tour, the system and touring style enabled them to avoid
generating close to 60,000 pounds of CO2, or 95% of what a similar
sized band creates in a similar tour.
They call their style "mind shaking love groove folk funk roots rock
explosive international pedal powered mountain music for a pleasant
revolution."
The Ginger Ninjas and supporting act, Crystal Stafford
(indie-electro-folk), will be launching their world tour in August,
hitting the Democratic and Republican Conventions before cycling around
the East Coast and Florida through September and October, and then
leaving the country for points south, east, and west.
A feature film of the first tour is expected in 2009 from the award-winning Argentine
director Sergio Morkin, and his crew will film the current tour as well.