Cellist Christopher Bell to visit Johnny’s in Carrboro

For Christopher Bell, it all started with a bad case of writer’s block.

Bell, who was playing guitar at the time, was told to try learning a new instrument and try writing music for that.

As soon as he learned to play the cello, Bell said his block was lifted.

“It inspired me — there was something about it that just clicked with me,” he said. “Since then, I’ve been taking it and learning everything about it.”

Bell, who will be playing songs from his newest album Fire at Johnny’s Gone Fishing in Carrboro tonight, taught himself how to play the cello and credits that to his success.

He said he watched a video of jazz cellist Erik Friedlander and thought, ‘Oh, you can just do whatever you want with this thing.’

“Watching that video gave me permission to do whatever I wanted,” Bell said.

In addition to his unique take on a classical instrument, Bell is also known for something else — his unconventional touring methods.

He has undertaken a canoe tour, a bicycle tour and, most recently, a walking tour.

“The year before I went on (the canoe) tour, I was driving around California, and it was this beautiful, sunny day in June,” he said. “I was just like, ‘I don’t want to be stuck in this car for eight hours today. I want to be outside — I love being outside.’”

Bell said he wondered if there was a way to combine his love of the outdoors with his love of playing music. Eventually he came up with the idea for these human-powered tours.

“I had no support team or anything,” he said. “It was just whatever I could carry in my canoe or on my back or on my bike, and I would just go. And if I got a flat tire or got stuck in a storm, I just had to deal with it.”

Susan Siplon, manager of Johnny’s Gone Fishing, said the best thing about the coffee house as a venue is the vibe it gives performers.

“We are a small, cozy coffee house, and I know when people play here, they feel like they are playing in a living room,” she said. “Our customers really just sit and listen to them.”

James Middleton, a longtime friend of Bell’s, said the best thing about Bell’s concerts are that they are always different.

“Every time I either start playing with him or every time I see him play, he always uses a complete set of instruments. He’s playing a completely different set of music,” he said. “And every time I see him I think it’s the best thing yet.”

Middleton said Bell’s improvisation is also a source of excitement.

“It’s like he’s asking you to follow along. It’s like pulling out new magic tricks, and he’s as surprised that it’s working as anyone else,” he said. “You can tell he kind of looks at the audience every time like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that was going to happen.’”

While he is going to play a variety of songs — some country, electro-pop, and experimental — Bell said he never wanted to stick to a specific set.

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.”

arts@dailytarheel.com