THE ROCK ORCHESTRA BY CANDLELIGHT – THE PALACE THEATER
By Kat Gullage
THE ROCK ORCHESTRA BY CANDLELIGHT PERFORMS AT WATERBURY PALACE THEATER
I was looking forward to seeing this ensemble perform a fusion of rock and metal with classical symphony, especially at this lavishly appointed theater.
As we exited the parking garage we were greeted by an usher welcoming us to the venue, giving directions to the entrance and box office, and answering any questions. Classy. A quick walk through for bag check and wand search led to a ticket taker who offered directions to our seats. As we entered the auditorium, I felt like we had time traveled. There is architectural splendor at every turn, reminiscent of the era in which it was created. Construction began in 1920 and cost a million dollars! I could imagine the highfalutin high society folk of that time period taking in a show.
The building was restored in 2002 and reopened in 2004, to the tune of thirty million dollars. I was in awe of the structural wonder, however the size of the seats were also made to fit people from the early twentieth century. An attendant guided us to ours. I had an end one so I didn’t have to compact myself into the tight knit row. The seated only venue offers upper and lower orchestra, upper and lower mezzanine, and fancy private loge boxes on each side.
The theater bells sounded, announcing five minutes until showtime. A booming voice came over the PA and promised us a performance that would “transcend the best genres, classical and rock”. The stage was surrounded by soft flickering LED candles, flanked on each side by a tower of skulls with a ginormous animated skull in the center.
The orchestra opened with Antonio Vivaldi’s “Storm”, introducing us to their musicianship. The ensemble consisted of two electrified violins, a viola, and percussion on the left, two upright basses, then four horns and a drum kit on the right. The performers sported rhinestone embellished domino masks, some cloaked in dark renaissance faire type costumes while others were clad in black with skeleton graphics.
They put the “Rock” portion into play with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, which more than half of the crowd knew, followed by Papa Roach’s “Last Resort”, this was recognized by less. At this point, musical director and violinist Ivana Cetkovic was the show stealer. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses had half the audience clapping and we watched talented saxophonist
Kory Riker switch out his horn for a flute. Vocalist Erin Fox appeared, clad in crimson with an elaborate headdress, and addressed the crowd, “Good Evening Waterbury! I’m Erin Fox and this is the Rock Orchestra! We’re gonna take it nice and slow on this next one.” Aerosmith’s “Dream On” was the first song played with accompanying vocals and Erin’s voice was just sublime, quite the set of pipes on her.
Instrumentals returned with Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills”, which I personally grooved to followed by an astonishing version on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, that produced a full round of applause. I encourage everyone to hear this track performed by an orchestra once in their life. Erin returned to flex her skills for “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence, and she was joined by male vocalist Sky Murphy. I can appreciate anyone sharing the stage with Erin, but Sky is not on the same level as her. The singers exited, as there were no vocals for System Of A Down’s “Toxicity” which translated well.
There was a fifteen minute intermission, so I touched base with our kick ass photographer Holly Roy Photography. There was no pit, therefore no photo pit and she was instructed to not block the aisles or people’s views. Holly had to cirque du soleil around empty seats to grab shots. I checked my phone pics and they were mostly blurry. Also the lighting, which added drama to the set, did not bode well for taking photos. Our girl had to work it!
The second set opened with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Für Elise” followed by “Welcome To The Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance. Kory was back on the flute and acted as conductor of both the ensemble and the audience. Steve Smith’s simultaneous trombone playing and funky dance were the highlight. Erin reappeared, “Thank you Waterbury! We’re feeling the love! This song almost never happened, but then went on to become one of the top ballads of all time.” Enter Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”. Even though Sky joined in on the vocals, I preferred this version over the original.
Instrumentals resumed with a blast from the past. “Tainted Love”, originally by Gloria Jones in 1964, but better known for the Soft Cell cover in 1981. Who knew the song needed horns and strings? It was a very fun rendition. Another Guns N’ Roses hit was on deck with “Welcome To The Jungle”. Hard to bop around in the theater’s tight quarters but the fans were more aroused. Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” had Sky only on vocals. The song suited him and he executed it well.
System of a Down’s “Chop Suey” was awesome, the band conveys to the classical genre better than expected. Who knew? Erin comes back again, “If you know this song, sing along! It’s not a rock show without your voices too!” She belts out a fabulous rendition of The Cranberries “Zombie”. The fans reacted as if they had been waiting the whole night for this song, she got them all to wave their arms back and forth.
The set ends with a Rage Against The Machine cover of “Killing In The Name Of”. Erin and Sky joined the full orchestra and the crowd finally got on their feet. Something about everyone yelling “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” in a fancy theater setting was a trip. A prompt encore was served up with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”.
The combination of the orchestral performance blended with rock and metal music in an ethereal setting made for an entertaining evening. Sure, I liked some songs better than others but that is based on personal preference. I would recommend seeing The Rock Orchestra, and you have your chance as they have dates well into 2025.
Thank you faithful readers and rockers!
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