Classic Albums Live provides performances that many of us never get to see — famous albums performed “note-for-note, cut-for-cut” exactly the way they were played by the original artists. The 11-piece band painstakingly recreates the albums live and performs them exactly the way they would be heard on record — to the point that the band members won’t even speak to the audience until they’ve performed the album in full.
The group has performed albums such as “Purple Rain” and “The Dark Side of the Moon,” and on Friday night, it took on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
From the title track to “A Day in the Life,” the album was recreated in full — right down to the mediocre vocals featured on the original.
What was of note, however, was the lengths to which the band went to recreate some of the album’s sounds. Despite having 11 members, Classic Albums Live did not feature a sitar, but through the use of violins, cello and guitars, they recreated the sounds for some of the more trippy, experimental tracks.
While the authentic performances of the first half were appreciated (especially by the audience members singing along), it was the second half of the show that offered the best entertainment.
After intermission, the band was able to introduce themselves, explain who they are and what they do and they were able to break from “Sgt. Pepper” and play other hits from The Beatles with the option of pouring their own musical passion into it (as opposed to the Fab Four’s). They also were able to let their guard down, letting their true vocal and instrumental talents to shine at full capacity.
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The set kicked off with some of the more classic hits such as “Come Together,” “Lady Madonna” and “Hey Bulldog,” but eventually moved into some of The Beatles’ second wave songs like “I Am the Walrus.”
After explaining that the band doesn’t play encores, but that they had one more song to sing, the audience begged for more. The band caved, and after “Hey Jude,” the show finished with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The finale featured a Slash-like guitar solo, leaving the audience on their feet.
