Project Description
.
.
.
THE PIANO GUYS
@ Sydney Opera House
4th March, 2023
(Live Review)
Review by – Amelia Torresan
.
.
Masters of musical mixology, The Piano Guys, performed their classical spectacular last night for a sold out show at the Sydney Opera House. The group, composed of performers pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson alongside videographer Paul Anderson, and music producer Al van der Beek are known web-wide for their innovative classical renditions of popular songs as well as their breathtaking performance videos on Youtube where they take their craft to ‘new heights’ while giving the listener a new appreciation for classical music.
The show began with a classic Marvel movie intro with the faces of Jon and Steven superimposed onto the faces of the superheroes as they performed the recognisable Marvel opening theme. The acoustics of the Sydney Opera House curated the perfect surround sound for the show from the get-go that allowed the audience to be enveloped in the music in a way that listening through your phone or laptop couldn’t come close to. This Marvel intro flowed perfectly into ‘He’s a Pirate’ by Klaus Badelt from Pirates of the Caribbean and back again. Talk about starting the night off with a bang!
.
.
Jon and Steven then went straight into playing their version of ‘Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay, turning the popular song into a delicate yet passionate piece as they took turns handling the melody. Once the song was over, the duo had a short break to interact with the audience to see who had been at a show before, acting surprised that people had come back to see them again and thanking the first-timers for giving them a chance. It was refreshing to see humour incorporated into the show as it really showed the personality of these two dorky dads as they jokingly teased each other. The first original composition of the night ‘All of Me’ by Jon Schmidt had a gorgeous, light melody on piano accompanied by slap percussion on the cello body and frets as well as a kick drum (played by Steven alongside the cello). Jon explained his thought process behind the song, including how it started by just slamming his forearm on the black keys of a piano.
The duo kept the crowd entertained in a short break with Jon playing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ upside down on the piano while Steven admitted that his kids only thought he was cool because he was playing in the country ‘Bluey’ is set in. Steven then introduced the audience to the 3 cellos he brought along with him to Australia, which included a 100 year old Italian cello called ‘Marcello,’ from his collection of 39 cellos acquired over the 30 years since he joined The Piano Guys. To demonstrate his electric cello and the possibilities that it opened, he performed a version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” using the electric cello and a loop pedal which was super funky and interesting to listen to. Jon and Steven then proceeded to play ‘With or Without You’ by U2 together using the aforementioned loop pedal to create a myriad of musical layers that couldn’t be achieved by just a regular cello.
After a discussion about the origins of The Piano Guys, Jon and Steven performed one of their popular arrangements, a breathtaking combination of Hans Zimmer’s ‘Oogway Ascends’ from the movie Kung Fu Panda and Chopin’s ‘Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C minor’ titled ‘Kung Fu Piano: cello ascends’ that is sure to give any listener goosebumps. A projector screen behind them played their youtube video alongside the duo, showcasing that the original performance was set on one of the 7 Wonders of the World: the Great Wall of China. The audience didn’t even get a break to process the beautifully ethereal arrangement that they just heard, Jon and Steven went straight into a rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N Roses almost completely changed the tone of the song to something so intimate and meaningful it was almost like a lullaby.
.
.
The way that The Piano Guys have this incredible ability to change these well-known songs into something new and exciting while also maintaining the beauty of the originals is so great to see and listen to, it’s no surprise that they dominate the internet piano/cello cover scene. Taking Fur Elise and turning it into almost a rock song is genius, making it sound like it was destined for an electric guitar in the first place.
It was then time for a cello solo by Steven, and after teasing us with a sample of ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC on cello, he then proceeded to play Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude but his own composition that was made for 7 cellos (or 1 cello and a loop pedal on stage). To finish off the first half, Jon returned to the stage and the duo performed their African-inspired rendition of Coldplay’s ‘Paradise.’
Returning from a short interlude, pianist Jon Schmidt performed an original song that he composed when he was 17 titled ‘Waterfall’ which sounded so uplifting it could be the theme music for a mythical superhero. Keeping the kids entertained once again, Jon challenged Steven to create sound effects using his cello including seagulls cawing, a European ambulance, and a motorbike speeding past, all of which were dead ringers for the original sounds. The seagull sounds were then incorporated in the next original piece ‘North King’ composed by Jon and inspired by the ocean. The music reminded me of a song that would be in a Studio Ghibli film accompanying a young adventurer on his journey of the sea.
.
.
It was then time for one of my personal favourite pieces by The Piano Guys, the ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen and Vivaldi’s Winter from his Four Seasons mashup. Hearing this live compared to through a pair of headphones was on another level, the music flows through your entire being until the point that you get lost in the enchanting melodies and each stroke of the cello. It made me just stop and think ‘oh man, I really love music.’ Following on with the ethereal mood, the duo proceeded to play a mashup of ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from The Mission and the church hymn ‘Oh Great.’ The piece surely touched the soul of everyone in the audience as we watched the accompanying Youtube video that was filmed at the Iguazú Falls in Argentina, where The Piano Guys team experienced their own little miracle.
Bringing the cheerful mood back was a fun and innovative performance combining the 1700’s and the 1970’s with a Bach versus the Jackson 5 mashup titled ‘I want you Bach’ featuring a harpsichord and talkbox. It was then time for wedding season with ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ aka the song that gets played at almost every wedding ceremony and their ‘most romantic song:’ their cover of Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years,’ despite Steven’s disdain for Pachelbel’s Canon and it’s repetitive 8-note cello part (which he playfully expressed on stage by pretending to fall asleep out of boredom).
.
.
Closing out the show, Jon and Steven dedicated the last song, a classical mashup of ‘Fight Song’ by Rachel Platten with ‘Amazing Grace’ to the extraordinary ordinary people that surround each and every one of us in our daily lives. This song truly gave me goosebumps and I could see on the shoulders of the people in front of me that it had the same effect on them too. The arrangements that The Piano Guys have given me an appreciation for pop songs that I didn’t have before as I felt all the passion and emotion as they played. This was topped off as four bagpipe players performed ‘Amazing Grace’ simultaneously as the duo played ‘Fight of the Song.’
Their encore was a tribute to their first ever uploaded arrangement on Youtube: a Taylor Swift and Coldplay mashup of the songs ‘Viva la Vida’ and ‘Love Story.’ It was the perfect way to end the night on such a wholesome song. If you ever have the chance to see The Piano Guys live I would highly recommend it. Their passion for their craft is truly evident as they perform and it’ll make you want to pick up an instrument too, it was truly magical.
.
.
THE PIANO GUYS
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2023
Tour Dates
Tuesday 28 February – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Thursday 2 March – Canberra Theatre Centre
Saturday 4 March – Sydney Opera House
Sunday 5 March – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Wednesday 8 March – Riverside Theatre, Perth
Friday 10 March – Plenary, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Tickets on sale
NOW at www.tegdainty.com.
.
.
Follow THE PIANO GUYS
Website – Facebook – Instagram – YouTube
.
.
About TEG DAINTY
TEG DAINTY produces and promotes shows across Australia and New Zealand, the United States, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia and South Africa. Paul Dainty, President and CEO of TEG DAINTY, was awarded an AM in the Queen’s Birthday 2017 Honours list for his significant service to the entertainment industry as a producer and promoter of national concert tours, theatre and events. Paul Dainty is recognised by the highly acclaimed SportBusiness International Magazine as one of the world’s 20 most influential promoters and recently ranked by Billboard as the 5th largest promoter in the world. Paul Dainty’s tours have included Guns N’ Roses, Katy Perry, Michael Bublé, Bon Jovi, Eminem, Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, George Michael, U2, Prince, Yusuf (Cat Stevens), Neil Diamond, Tony Bennett, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Hugh Jackman, Oprah Winfrey and many more. Sports entertainment tours have included World Wrestling Entertainment and Crusty Demons. Theatrical Productions have included Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Hairspray the Musical, Singin’ in the Rain, Hugh Jackman’s Broadway to Oz and Dame Edna tours in Australia, New Zealand, United States and United Kingdom. In 2019, TEGD co-produced Hugh Jackman’s The Man. The Music. The Show throughout the world and co-presented Disney’s Aladdin and The Phantom of the Opera in Asia.
.
.
Press Release 23rd January 2023 (below) HERE
THE PIANO GUYS
Australian Tour
2023
.
.
AMNPLIFY – DB
CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE NEWS
