The Cellar Image of the Day

xoxoxoBruce Saturday Nov 7 02:27 AM

Nov 7, 2009: Rock Concert

Did you know the first rock concert was held right here in Pennsylvania?

Quote:

In 1890, J.J. Ott gave a remarkable concert for the Buckwampum historical society. What made the concert remarkable wasn't the music being played but the instrument Ott was playing. The instrument was made of stones that made "clear, bell-like tones" when struck by a hammer. You might say it was the first rock concert.

Granted, they're not real pretty like Bryce Canyon ,or something, but they are sonorous. :p

Quote:

Ott procured the musical rocks from a nearby boulder field in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania. Known today as Ringing Rocks Park, the rock field occupies 7 acres of an otherwise wooded area, and is over 10 feet deep with boulders.

It would be a great place to film, Chain-Gang: The Musical.

But why do these particular rocks ring so nicely?

Quote:

Only about a third of the rocks ring, and for a long time why the rocks rang at all was unclear. However, in 1965 a group of scientists crushed, broke, and sliced the rocks. After performing numerous tests, they found that while all the rocks do in fact ring, they often do so at tones lower than the human ear can perceive. Interactions between these low tones create any audible sounds. However, the exact mechanism by which they ring still remains elusive, and it may have to with the freeze-thaw cycle that helped created the boulder field in the first place.

So rigorous, peer reviewed, scientific examination, has come up with.... Damifino.

link

SPUCK Saturday Nov 7 05:59 AM

And now they're all gone because:

Quote:

group of scientists crushed, broke, and sliced the rocks.

Griff Saturday Nov 7 06:42 AM

Been there done that. I forgot all about it though. We should have sent our British travelers there.

ZenGum Saturday Nov 7 07:34 AM

Didn't I read about them in Rolling Stone?

darkwing duck Saturday Nov 7 09:21 AM

Music with rocks in!

wolf Saturday Nov 7 12:25 PM

It has a ghost sighting, too.

Gravdigr Saturday Nov 7 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

...the rock field occupies 7 acres of an otherwise wooded area, and is over 10 feet deep with boulders.

Looks like a nice place to die from snake bite.

Elspode Saturday Nov 7 06:06 PM

Kind of reminds me of this....

xoxoxoBruce Sunday Nov 8 01:04 AM

That's a great organ, I was surprised how clear the tones are. I expected it to sound kind of muddy and echo-y

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