Hear Tell: An Interview with Ben Sollee

Is he a bike guy who happens to be a musician, or a musician who happens to be a bike guy?

You don't have to wait until Ben Sollee shows up for his two performances at Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington next month to form your own opinion. You just have to tune in to WTOP at 103.5fm, check our web at WTOP.com, and of course, stick with me here for more.


Ben Sollee is in fact, a classically trained cellist who got the wacky idea to conduct a tour by bike. We are not talking bike touring as in, go to a pretty location, get on your speedy road bike and enjoy the wine country of California, or the Loire Valley in France. No, no, no. We are talking about a cellist who decides that he and his crew of three can bike point-to-point on their "Ditch the Van Tour" while hauling a cello, a full drum kit, enough tech gear to conduct a video documentary of the tour and merchandise. (No tour is complete without cd's and t-shirts for sale!)

Tune in to WTOP, 103.5fm to hear the stories I filed there. And check out the piece I filed for the web at WTOP.COM.

 And you can spend more time with Ben Sollee right here. He's a guy who may change your mind about everything from biking, to classical music, to hip hop.

Here's the explanation behind the "Ditch the Van Tour":



 You've heard about his bike tour, now hear what he did in WTOP's Glass Enclosed Nerve Center.
 

For you bandcamp/music geeks, let's go deep on the whole question of how music is made, and how it's blended. I mean, what happens when a classically trained cellist meets up with two DJ's to create new sounds?



Like what you heard? Ben Sollee will be at Iota in Arlington June 25th and 26th.

I wonder how many bikes will be parked outside Iota that night.

Thanks to Ben and his tour manager, Katie, who arranged his stop in WTOP's Glass Enclosed Nerve Center.