Venue
Peace Center
Venue
After 25 years of gigs in venues all over the world, from the Village Hall to the Royal Albert Hall, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain comes to the Arts Centre for the very first time.
Bringing only their ‘bonsai guitars', and the belief that all musical genres are available for reinterpretation (as long they are played on the uke!), the Ukulele Orchestra does away with drums, piano, backing tracks, pitch shifters and electronic trickery. With a virtuosic collision of raw post-punk performance and toe-tapping oldies - from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks - the Orchestra is routinely met with standing ovations.
Modern exercise in minimal art? Or a rabble-rousing music hall/stadium rock experience? Either way, you'll never think about music in the same way.
‘Plucking brilliant.'
SUNDAY TIMES
‘The best musical entertainment in the country...worth travelling a thousand miles to hear.'
THE INDEPENDENT
I have been a fan of UOGB for many years so I jumped at my first chance to see them live and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed. Very entertaining and very family friendly show bring your grandchildren or your grandparents all will enjoy.
I didn't know exactly what to expect! Read an article about them in the paper before the show, and was pleasantly surprised! Variety of song...each member was featured in a solo of some sort....terrific vocalists and instrumentalists! Great show!
If you have seen them on YouTube, you know what to expect. Great musicianship, tongue-in-cheek humor and a fun time. They included a few gems for the Ames audience as well: an introductory Hawkeye/Cyclone joke and they finished the encore by playing "The Bells of Iowa State," a very well-appreciated touch.
We've been trying to catch up to the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain for some years and our schedule FINALLY coincided with theirs at CY Stephens in Ames (a great venue, by the way). The music was delightfully varied (classical to Lady Gaga) and lightly interspersed with humor. I especially loved that their repertoire included some really unexpected songs, fabulously creative scoring (well, it would have to be, wouldn't it?), and rock along-clap along (play along!) pieces. The entire program was witty, interesting, and musically amazing.
I had no idea what to expect. My husband and I decided to attend because we enjoy great music by great players (no matter what the genre, really) and we appreciate British humour. How could an act from Great Britain not have some laughs? The seven performers on stage were fantastic musically and hilarious. We learned a bit about different types of ukuleles, too: soprano, tenor, bass, etc - who knew? The blending of their voices and instruments was top notch and the sound was great. The variety of musical genres offered in the songs performed was refreshing and fun - and no predictable pop classics (y'know, "Stairway to Heaven" and other "guitar anthems). We experienced punk, pop, funk and fun TV theme songs with some unexpected twists. The Lady Gaga tune with George (I think it was) on vocals was a riot and their version of Tom Petty's "American Girl" was better than the original (sorry, Petty fans). The show was delightful and we plan to attend again when they come back around this way.
This was a fun show, plain and simple. As noted during the show, there were multiple generations in the audience, and there was something for everyone to enjoy. From the covering of a recent pop favorite to several theme songs from television and movies, to a song specific to the location (The Bells Of Iowa State), the group proved that there was nothing musically that couldn't be played by seven ukeleles, and usually just as well as the original visions of these numbers. Most importantly was the constant engaging with the audience, always working to find a level that everyone could relate to, and never taking themselves so seriously that they could be considered stuck up or snobbish. The history of the group mentions that you should approach any artistic endeavor with interest and enthusiasm, and this group does so with style and panache. Every song was a delight to hear, even the choices that I personally would not normally consider sitting and listening to. And the section for the audience participation was a wonder, with an unusual choice for a song, and a crowd ready to take part.
If you ever get an opportunity to see these folks, do it. I recommend spending extra for a premium seat as well. Bring a ukelele. If you don't have a ukulele, bring a friend who has one. The quality of the performance is technically excellent. The dry humor is irresistible and contagious. I don't want to make it sound too good to be true, so I'll just say it will change your life.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain had a great variety of numbers. Their comedy relief added to the occasion. Thoroughly enjoyed them. Recommend to any musician.
Very unique in arrangements and the humor was so typical British - how lucky we were to be able to see them live! Thank you CY Stephens!
Great harmony. Great humor. Great music. A totally unexpected and surprising event. More of this would be very welcomed in central Iowa. The preconcert by the Ames ukulele club was also a pleasant surprise.
