Jaunted

Music Travel

Crickets Taking Over

October 5, 2007 at 11:00 AM | 0 Comments

A Swedish insect fanatic is taking Shanghai by storm with his elaborate concerts featuring hundreds of crickets. While the bugs chirp and hum, Lars Frederikkson and his bandmates play traditional Chinese music, harmonizing with the critters. Concerts at the city's science and technology museum draw crowds, though Frederikkson admits that, in the end, he's just conducting a band of crickets:

I don't have any high pretensions for this. I just want people to be peaceful, enjoy it and think about what a terrible fate it would be for mankind not to have crickets.

On the other side of the globe, artist Mike Dory is bringing his version of crickets to New York City. A sort of audio graffiti, the disguised devices (like the one above) let out chirps, beeps and half-songs as people walk by. Get too close, and the sounds stop. Dory says he's just trying to bring some fun and serendipity back to the urban street-scape, and we're all for that.

Related Stories:
· Cricket Concert: Bugs Play Backup in China [NPR]
· Sounds of Concrete Crickets Fill NYC [NPR]
· Shanghai Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· New York Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Mike Dory]