Lou Reed rides a folder!

Laurie Anderson with her Explorer's Club certificate of appreciation, while hubby Lou Reed looks windswept and interesting.

The Explorer's Club is busting out of its extreme snowshoe and crampon mold.

Traditionally an oak-clad clubhouse hung with the accoutrements of distinguished adventure (dug out canoes, sleds and snowshoes worn by Someone Pretty Durn Extreme) it's where scholarly thrillseekers rub ice picks under the watchful eye of one giant, stuffed, gnashing polar bear. Last night's event, however, was a surprising detour from summit-talk and diving bell banter: a discourse between famous avante-garde composer Laurie Anderson and experimental muso and "philosopher-naturalist" David Rothenburg. And what's this ... DJ Snoopy slated for an upcoming talk on the calendar? Rock on Hillary!

The association between the artists and the Explorer's Club is not as tenuous as might think: both artists have been exploring the aural frontier for their entire careers, including recording whalesongs and birdsongs (Rothenburg) and in Laurie's case, inventing a tecchy "talking stick", and creating a concert especially for dogs ("thousands of dogs") on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. She's also the very first artist in residence for NASA - you can't beat that for creds.

I confess (like the capacity audience probably wouldn't) that I went along on the nostalgia of her seminal album, "Big Science." Since my copy is locked away in some dusty box downunder, I was hoping she'd have a few on hand to sell and autograph - admittedly a puerile notion. She's done so many things since then, she must at times feel the frustration of Christo and the late Jean-Claude who seem inextricably associated to wrapping things when they've made a s-load of "unpackaged goods" since.

The audience consisted of the usual, "distinguished" Explorer's crowd plus a number of electronic music students, eager to pick up some static from the two "gurus of gauss".

Lou Reed rides a folding bike - a Brompton from bfold.com

I was a little disappointed that aside from some recorded whale noises bookending the 1 hour talk, there was no music or examples to listen to, as I have yet to acquaint myself with Rothenburg's work. When I pedaled around the globe giving talks as a "crayolacam" filmmaker I made sure to play some film - in fact, it got me off the hook: the more I played, the more I could get away with saying less. I believe that in the spirit of "the more you say, the less people hear," this is a good thing.

In the restroom line for the one women's loo, I asked other women why they came, and the phrase "Big Science" were uttered all around - even by Rothenburg's mother.

As I was unfolding my Bike Friday tikit to leave, someone mentioned that Anderson's hubby Lou Reed was up there. LOU REED?!!? I re-folded my bike and raced back upstairs. Yup, there he was, was sitting off to one side as his wife was thronged by adoring Explorers.

Lou Reed rides a folding bike. He bought it from a good friend of mine, David Lam, who owns the tiny, below-the-stoop East Village folding bike shop, www.bfold.com. Ah, what an icebreaker riding a folder is - way better than "Hey man, Walk on the Wild side was WICKED."

Reed revealed that he bought a Brompton, initially the one with titanium bits and two speeds, but opted later for the regular 6 speed model. (Lam says he actually had the fancy ti one upgraded to add gears).

"You need the speeds 'round here," he said gruffly. He noted my Bike Friday tikit.

"That a competitor?"

"They're for different things," I said diplomatically. "I rode across Cuba on a Bike Friday."

On noting from my card that I teach yoga, he said "I want to introduce you to someone," and summoned his wife over from the throng. For no other reason than it's an article I've been repeating to as many people as I can, I started telling him about the 82-year young woman I read about in Yoga Journal who started doing yoga at 65 because she "looked around at her friends and said, I have two choices: do yoga or become a decrepit little old lady..."

Anderson graciously extracted herself and I committed the crime I said I'd never do - I started blubbering about Big Science.

"Ah, geez, that was so long ago," said the diminutive La Laurie, shrugging her shoulders.

I slipped away before they registered my presence further and sped south into the balmy early spring Manhattan night on my folding bike.

Thanks so much to the patient young Explorer who obliged by taking our photos!

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