Brian Sacawa and Erik Spangler see themselves as sound guerrillas.
The co-founders of the Contemporary Museum's off-kilter Mobtown Modern concert series don't just perform experimental music - sometimes they like to sneak up on people with it.
That's the case with Mobtown Modern's latest project, a rendition of Mauricio Kagel's Eine Brise (A Breeze), subtitled "Fleeting Action for 111 Cyclists."
No, that number's not a typo. The piece features a troupe of 111 bicyclists, who whistle, ring bells and make whooshing noises with their breath while riding to re-create the sound of a breeze. Sacawa and Spangler are organizing a performance of Eine Brise on Saturday in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, which will coincide with Artscape.
The stretch of Charles Street from Mount Royal Avenue to Lafayette Avenue will be closed for Artscape, the country's largest free arts festival. That will give the cyclists some elbow room on an otherwise crowded street. The festival also features exhibitions by hundreds of artists, performances by an eclectic array of musicians, including Cake, Dionne Warwick and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, as well as countless craft and food vendors.
But the duo aren't disclosing many specifics of the event - namely, where the cyclists will be riding - because they want it to have some shock value for unsuspecting Artscape patrons. The only certainty is that participants will gather outside the Metro Gallery at 3 p.m. From there, it's anybody's guess.
"People who don't live in the city might not be expecting it," Sacawa said. "We want it to be a bit of a surprise and have a little bit of a 'What the hell is that?' quality to it."
Outsiders to the world of experimental contemporary art and music might ask the same question of many Mobtown Modern concerts. The series began in January 2008 at the Contemporary Museum with performances centered on former President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address. Since then, Mobtown Modern has won praise from music critics, and recently moved to a new location, at the Metro Gallery in Station North.
"Contemporary music tends to be a little scary to some people," Sacawa said. "We want to make it as interactive as possible. A lot of our shows make it so people can be part of our performances."
Several months ago, one of Sacawa's friends suggested he stage the 111-cycle extravaganza, since it brings together two of Sacawa's passions: cycling and music.
