Newport Folk Festival in the US includes stage powered by bicycles

Folk artiste Madi Diaz, right, performs at the Newport Folk Festival's bike stage, powered in part by festivalgoers on stationary bicycles on July 22. Photo: AP

The Newport Folk Festival, known for creating electrifying musical moments - the most famous being Bob Dylan's decision to plug in his guitar in 1965 - last weekend had a small outer stage that was powered in part by festival-goers on stationary bicycles.

The Bike Stage is the brainchild of the band Illiterate Light, an environmentally conscious indie rock duo from Virginia, who has partnered with a company called Rock the Bike to create a pedal-powered sound system, which they have already been using at small club shows.