When the Chinese men’s basketball team, led by cross-cultural phenom Yao Ming, took to the Beijing court this morning (4:45a EST) for its Olympics game against Lithuania, it did so to the galloping strains of a tune co-written by a Red Bank guitarist who sucks at hoops and likes to suck down the suds at local watering holes.

Hard to believe? Add to that the fact that this version of arena rock, titled “Rising of the Sun,” was written for a band that prominently features an erhu, the traditional two-stringed Chinese violin that’s been likened at times to a flute or a mournful human voice.

Check out today’s edition of Red Bank oRBit for our interview with Brent Ovar Bergholm on how he made the transition from heavy metal to heavy noodle.

Also in today’s oRBit: a quilting bee that features includes cosmos, mojitos and other refreshments; a Red Bank screening of the new Woody Allen film; and Rod Stewart.

By the way, the Chinese got crushed by the Lithuanians, 94-68, in the quarterfinals, setting the sun on their hopes of home-team Olympic glory.

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