Orchestral music meets modern folk in Plastic Acid Orchestra collaboration
The Plastic Acid Orchestra performs with Maria in the Shower
February 25th at the Vogue Theatre
Doors at 7pm
Tickets $20 in advance. $30 at the door.
Advance tickets available at Highlife, Redcat, www.plasticacid.com, and www.voguetheatre.com
http://www.youtube.com/plasticacid
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Orchestral music meets rock and roots next month when Vancouver’s Vaudeville-inspired indie folk band Maria in the Shower teams up with the 45-piece Plastic Acid Orchestra, a genre-defying Vancouver outfit that bridges the worlds of classical music and rock n’ roll — and showcases fresh young Canadian composers in the process.
The show will weave songs from “the Shower” into a program of Plastic Acid repertoire that includes pieces by Shostakovich and Soundgarden and local composers such as Martin Reisle — who is also a member of Maria in the Shower. In addition, there will be plenty of Plastic Acid originals. The ensemble marries the beauty and accessibility of classical music with the drama of rock opera and the jagged edges of experimental pop. Gripping melodies and stirring chord progressions are layered with hurried violin, furious strings, ominous bass and cello, and staccato string-plucking that sounds like music made on icicles or cave stalactites. One piece features a percussion section made to sound like a rail yard.
Plastic Acid debuted in 2006 and made its presence known early on with a concert poster depicting a pierced Beethoven wearing a spiky collar. Since then, the orchestra has played several concerts in large club venues to audiences that cheer and shriek as if at a rock concert. No polite, restrained applause here. The Vogue show marks Plastic Acid’s theatre debut.
The orchestra was founded by Bryan Deans, music director of the Kabok Strings Chamber group and performer with the West Coast Symphony – and a long-haired Led Zeppelin lovin’ rocker-at-heart who spends his workday as the music director at a local school. He hoped to bring classical music beyond its traditional audience, showcase boundary-pushing new composers, and work with established contemporary rock and pop artists. He also wanted to mentor young musicians and give them an opportunity to take their training beyond traditional orchestras.
Deans himself earned his music degree at the University of Victoria in 2005. He has a minor in conducting and plays cello and oboe. He previously served as assistant conductor of the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conductor for the West Coast Symphony. Throughout his career he has premiered many new compositions, working closely with composers such as Reisle. Some of the innovative compositions created by Reisle for this next concert use orchestra players in unorthodox ways.
Deans’ rocking out with Plastic Acid is sure to scandalize classical music purists, but anyone looking for an exciting and original new musical experience should check out his orchestra. This rare and unique debut concert event at the Vogue Theatre is not to be missed.