Photo via Puncture Kit

We’ve heard lots about musicians traveling the greener path – from using biodiesel to purchasing carbon offsets to encouraging fans to carpool.

So what’s unique about David Osborne’s project “Puncture Kit?”

Well, his bike not only serves as his method of transport to gigs, but it also doubles as his drum set.

As David explains: “Puncture Kit was brought to life after sitting in London’s Green Park with my new bicycle not long after arriving from Australia in June 2008… no car, no drums, and a need to create beats. With my bike turned upside down, a sketchbook, and no desire to be carrying a drum kit around on buses and trains, I designed my bike as my transport and drum kit.”

He doesn’t exactly use the bike as an instrument – that was never the intention. Rather, he bolts drums, cymbals, and other percussive elements to the bike frame.

Watch David in action below. The jam starts around the 1:00 mark.

As if this innovative bike/instrument hybrid wasn’t eco-friendly enough, he sources his parts from thrift shops. Old drums, bowls, and children’s toys comprise most of the drum set.

David started out busking the streets of London. Although he remains a busker, he’s branched out into the festival circuit, including making appearances at Glastonbury, Brighton, and Edinburgh.

He’s currently touring Malawi, Africa. On bike of course!

via Eco Snobbery Sucks

Image via Pedaling Against Poverty

Although this year’s merrymaking has now officially come to a close, I wanted to bid farewell to Bonnaroo 2009 with an interesting story about one musician’s 330 mile journey to the festival…on a bike…with cello and 60 lbs of equipment in tow.

His name is Ben Sollee, and in an effort to reduce his carbon footprint as a musician, he took to the road not in a CO2-emitting van or tour bus, but on an Xtracycle extended-frame bike. An Xtracycle is a bike with a trunk of sorts, allowing riders to haul groceries, luggage, or cellos, apparently.

Ben, who hails from Lexington, Kentucky, embarked on a week-long trek to Bonnaroo in his neighboring state of Tennessee, stopping to perform shows along the way. Ben also promoted Oxfam America’s good work on poverty, hunger, and social justice issues at each gig. Talk about a sustainable tour.

You can read all about it on his blog (complete with videos), Pedaling Against Poverty, and in this informative interview with Jeff Biggers at the Huffington Post.

And the music? I downloaded Ben’s latest album, Learning to Bend, to have a listen for myself. Wow. Although classically trained, he applies some unconventional techniques to this old-school instrument, giving it a folksy, bluesy edge I didn’t know it had. And he’s got a soaring, soulful voice to boot. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering Mr. Sollee was named one of National Public Radio’s “Top 10 Unknown Artists of the Year” in 2007.

And this isn’t just a one-time thing. Ben is recording a new album, set to be released in fall 2009, that will raise awareness about the environmental dangers of mountaintop removal strip mining, a cause Ben has helped out with in the past. He’s still touring beyond Bonnaroo, so check to see if he’s performing near you – and pedal to the show on your own bike to show your support!