“A concert in Canton on September 28 pairs two unlikely genres—indie-folk and classical,” writes Amanda Rabinowitz on Thursday (9/19) at radio station WKSU (Kent, OH). “This is the fourth time Kent-based band The Speedbumps will perform with the Canton Symphony Orchestra…. Canton Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Michelle Mullaly says she reached out to The Speedbumps singer and guitarist Erik Urycki after seeing the band perform in 2011. The next year, she paired them with the full orchestra for a concert that drew nearly 1,000 people at the Palace Theater…. Members of The Speedbumps wore suits and all 45 orchestra members wore jeans and their favorite concert t-shirts…. The band and orchestra performed together again in 2015 and 2017, drawing larger audiences each time…. Mullaly said the collaboration was a big risk that paid off. ‘We realized that we can take other risks and that our niche is really with our local artists and so that’s what we decided to really push.’ … In addition to bringing The Speedbumps back for three more shows, the symphony has launched its Divergent Sounds series [featuring] local artists of all genres, from hip-hop and rock to country and gypsy jazz.”
Posted September 20, 2019
