‘BPO Plays Pink Floyd’ Ends Well After Disappointing Start
It was a rocky start for the Hard Rock at the Falls Concert Saturday night in the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls. A poor audio mix contributed to the failings of the first half of the “BPO Plays Pink Floyd” performance.
In fact, the concert’s title was even a bit deceiving. The music, most likely geared more toward rock fans than BPO enthusiasts, was less about the internationally renowned orchestra playing Pink Floyd than about playing other rock classics. Actually, the first half did not even feature much Pink Floyd music at all, leaving audience members restless and frustrated.
A bass-heavy Jeans ’N Classics rendered the famous flute solo in Jethro Tull’s “Living in the Past” almost inaudible — and that was certainly not flutist Betsy Reeds’ fault. No one should be expected to play the flute, of all instruments, above a fully loaded and electrically amplified rock band without a little help. Jeans ’N Classics— a band based in London, Ont., that touts an understanding of symphony orchestra culture — rose to the forefront of the first half and let the strings fade into the background.
On the other hand, Supertramp’s “Crime of the Century,” featuring Sal Andolina on the saxophone, seemed fairly orchestrated, and they toned down the bass for the first few Pink Floyd numbers — including “Wish You Were Here” and “Just Another Brick in the Wall” — letting the string color melt into the texture.
The second half of the performance favored both symphonic and rock mind-sets. The orchestra and band performed the entire “Dark Side of the Moon” album in a way that gave credence to the classical influences on the record. Sometimes the act of taking a rock album and transforming it into a classical medley—or vice versa — is risky, but in this case it seemed to work quite well.
The concert opened with trio Holka Kertzie Wynne, followed by Scott Celani, a Buffalo singer-songwriter whose melodic pop songs have earned him performances across the U. S. and Canada, as well as shared stages with groups like the Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Eat World, Eddie Money, Our Lady Peace and Vertical Horizon. Celani is involved in a campaign — featured on an MSNBC special — named for his song “Make It Up to You,” which benefits the wildlife affected by the BP oil spill. Proceeds from any purchases of the work on iTunes go directly to the National Wildlife Foundation.
Celani performed a number of his works from different albums as well as covers from other bands. Although the covers didn’t deviate much from the originals, he also did not add anything distinctive to them, making his renditions relatively flat and straight-forward. On the other hand, the covers, like The Police’s “Message in a Bottle” and Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run,” were catchy and memorable, unlike some of his original singles. Most of those had simple lyrics and melodies that did not manage to hook listeners. In a live setting, Celani’s high notes were also a bit strident and cutting.
While the night was unexpectedly beautiful, the performance was unexpectedly disappointing for some. What could have been an exciting concept was merely a rock concert with some orchestral coloring. But at least the musicians kicked it up a notch during the second half and finally played the music audience members were waiting for. Source