I didn’t even know that existed, but let me tell you-it is impressive.įor only $15 we got two hours of quality entertainment. It was definitely interesting to see classic rock songs translated into a ukulele performance! They even included a song with virtuosic whistling. However, they also covered more surprising genres, with songs like “Pinball Wizard” and “Psycho Killer.” One of the players undid his ponytail and released his long mane, head banging to the one of the rock songs (see leftmost person in above picture). They started out with a generic island-y tune, as is expected with the instrument. Throughout the night, they performed many classic songs, infused with a ukulele twist. From a small ukulele only several inches long, to a bass ukulele the size of a guitar, they were able to produce a harmonious blend of sound. Each person had a different size instrument, building layers of tones. Combining all eight ukuleles created a delightful euphony that filled the entire auditorium. The eight-person group has performed for thirty years now, and their experience shows. The main reason why I was so excited? It just looked pretty darn cool. I don’t have any strong connection to playing the ukulele I’ve dabbled in it, but never really got hooked. Now, I’m not entirely sure why, but I was inappropriately excited for this performance. When exploring the 2015/2016 schedule brochure for Eisenhower Auditorium, one show in particular caught my eye: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. REM: Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People, Pop Song 89, Driver 8, Pretty Persuasion.As a freshman, you are constantly bombarded with brochures and lists of events trying to get you involved. Punk Pop: Paramore, Blink 182, Green Day, Sum 41, Panic! at the Disco. Manchester: Stone Roses – Waterfall, Happy Mondays – Loose Fit, Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart, Chemical Brothers – Galvanize, The Fall – Right Place, Wrong Time Jack White: White Stripes – Hardest Button to Button and Icky Thump, Raconteurs – Salute Your Solution, Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother, Tom Jones – Evil. Hip Hop Part 3: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, MC Hammer, Nas, Warren G, Das Racist. Hip Hop Part 2: Kanye West, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Killer Mike, Jay-Z, Eminem Hip Hop Part 2: Jay Z and Kanye West – Ni**as in Paris, Dr Dre – Still DRE, Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On, Usher – Yeah, Panjabi MC – Beware. Grunge:Soundgarden Spoonman, Nirvana – Heart Shaped Box, Pearl Jam – Alive, Temple of the Dog – Hunger Strike, Alice in Chains – Them Bones. And don’t request the rest of the song! Five Riffs SeriesĪcoustic Riffs/Intros: Mumford and Sons, Nick Drake, Jose Gonzalez, Tracey Chapman, Black Crowes.īlack Keys: 10am Automatic, Act Nice and Gentle, Tighten Up, Your Touch, Modern Times.įunk: The Meters – Cissy Strut and Funky Miracle, Stevie Wonder – Superstition, Funkadelic – Hit It and Quit It, Rick James – Super Freak. Because of that, the riffs aren’t always arranged in the original key but the key that suits the ukulele best. It’s to throw them in to your playing for a bit of light relief and audience recognition (like the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain on Orange Blossom), to provoke the ‘I didn’t think you could play that on the ukulele’ or just for shits and gigs. The idea with these riffs isn’t to play the whole song or that the suit the ukulele particularly well. Over the years I’ve tabbed up a load of these. They’re always fun to play and provoke smiles. And, to be frank, are sometimes wholly unsuited to it. One of my favourite things to do on a ukulele is blast out a riff that everyone knows but no one has ever heard on the ukulele.
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