The Piano Guys brought the house down in the Luhrs Center Tuesday night with their nearly three-hour show, leaving the audience in awe.
The Utah-based group features Jon Schmidt on piano and Steven Sharp Nelson on cello. Both share a love for classical music, especially Bach, which is evident in their live performances.
The Piano Guys started as a gimmick to sell pianos before their touring career.
“We still haven’t sold a piano,” Sharp Nelson said as the audience enjoyed a laugh. “Cello sales are up.” The beginning of their touring career was an accident in disguise.
Not only did The Piano Guys entertain the audience with their sound, but they also shared some funny personal stories about their lives, especially when Sharp Nelson mentioned that he filmed at a beautiful waterfall in a national park to create quality visual content for their music.
There, he was stopped by the park ranger who made a deal with him to film; as Sharp Nelson told this story, the audience burst into laughter.
To turn the comedic dial up a notch, Schmidt decided to remove his shoes and play his piano with his feet, captivating the audience.
Later in the first set, the guys created their own rendition of the classic rock song “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, adding their own classical twist.
Another entertaining part of the show was when Sharp Nelson mimicked different sound effects with his cello, which included the sounds of an ambulance, a racecar and more.
The duo also played their own classical spin on hit songs like Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” and Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” With the combination of different musical styles past and present, The Piano Guys put on an entertaining show for all.
Schmidt and Sharp Nelson will continue touring the United States this year, including a few stops in their home state of Utah before capping it off in mid-November.
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