Violinist Joshua Bell brings his Stradivarius to UNLV

As rock stars go, he's a classical gas. ... Well, not a rock star rock star. But as a violin virtuoso, the dude's The Boss.

Joshua Bell drives a Porsche, makes those beautiful-people lists, gets gigs on "The Tonight Show," cut solos on the Oscar-nominated "Defiance" soundtrack, even was a movie body double opposite a nude Greta Scacchi. Oh, and the way he bows the fiddle -- specifically, a 1713 Stradivarius -- it smokes. They might want to keep the fire extinguishers on standby when he performs tonight at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Here, he fields questions during a conference call with reporters:

Question: Is it true you played an instrument of sorts before the violin?

Answer: I would pluck notes by opening dresser drawers and stretching rubber bands so I'd get different pitches. That was a clue for my mom to get me the instrument.

Q: How does your crossover presence in pop culture go over in the classical world?

A: It's important for classical music to stay in the realm of popular culture. I'd be sad if it became so much its own little club that the common person couldn't know anything about it. I had opportunities to do things like "The Tonight Show" or "Sesame Street." I'm sure some people think an attempt to reach a large audience is selling out. I've learned not to worry about it. You can go crazy going on violinist.com and reading what people say about you.

Q: A Washington Post columnist won a Pulitzer Prize for a story in which he put you, in disguise, to work as a street musician. Only seven people stopped to listen over 45 minutes, and you collected $32.17 from 27 people. Was that demoralizing?

A: This article has been following me around for two years, people forwarding it by e-mail, so excuse me if I don't sound entirely enthusiastic. He wanted to write about appreciation of music and the context of art. It was an interesting experience, not something I'd want to do again. I was not surprised most people did not listen. Music needs an audience that's captive, using their imagination while they're listening. It's not something you can throw out at people while they're rushing to work. I wasn't appalled.

Q: You're a big video game player. Was that helpful in trying to learn your instrument?

A: I would sometimes go right through the front door of the music store and straight out the back door and rush to the video game arcade, and sometimes I'd get a tap on my shoulder from my mother. I would tell her it improves my hand-eye coordination and I feel fresh when I stop playing video games to play music. And it kept me as just a normal kid. There are so many children who are talented and are swallowed up by the music world and the pressures of their parents and their managers. My love of music might have burned out early on if I hadn't had other interests.

Q: Your parents were a psychologist and a therapist. Was your behavior always being analyzed?

A: It's true, a lot of kids of psychologists are pretty messed up. My dad was a sex researcher at the Kinsey Institute. He'd bring his work home to the dinner table, which was kind of unusual. I didn't want to talk about sex with my parents any more than other kids do. But I grew up in a warm family that talks. A lot. Probably too much. Everything was talked about, nothing was kept under the table, which is better in the end.

Q: So, as a body double in the movie, "The Red Violin," substituting your violin movements for an actor playing in the movie, you were near a naked Greta Scacchi, huh?

A: They were semilove scenes, hilarious because she's seducing him and he's playing his violin. I was brought in mainly to play the music, but also as a consultant. I put on the wig and his clothes so they could get shots without seeing my face. The actor would be holding the violin under his chin and I would be reaching around from underneath with my left hand, playing.

Q: Do you have superstitious rituals before you perform?

A: I wad paper napkins and throw them into a wastebasket and turn it to the most impossible position to score and I tell myself I'm not going onstage before I get it in. And if I do, I'll play a good concert.

Presumably, everyone will enjoy tonight's concert, except the backstage janitor.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.