Press Release: Uptown Music Collective kicks off performance season with a tribute to Rush Who: The Uptown Music Collective (a 501 (c) 3 Non‐Profit School of Music) What: Permanent Waves: The Music of Rush Where: The Community Arts Center (220 West Fourth St. Williamsport, Pa 17701) When: November 18th & 19th, 2016 at 7:30pm Tickets: $15.00 in advance & $20.00 at the door. Available at Alabaster Coffee, K&S Music, the Community Arts Center Box Office, Buttorff’s Hardware, Service 1st Federal Credit Union, Rupert's Specialty Meats, and the Uptown Music Collective Contact: Jared Mondell ([email protected], 570‐329‐0888, uptownmusic.org) Release: On Friday and Saturday, November 18th and 19th, the Uptown Music Collective will kick off its 2016‐2017 performance season with its presentation of Permanent Waves: The Music of Rush. The two‐night performance will feature students from the schools Special Performance Group 1, who range in age from 11 to 18, performing songs from every era of the iconic rock band Rush’s long career. Including hit songs like Tom Sawyer, Spirit of the Radio, Closer to the Heart and Limelight, performed alongside classic Rush album tracks like the 2112 Overture, Freewill, YYZ, Working Man, and more. The show will take place at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport and will include one of the largest professional stage, sound, and light shows in Collective history. This show is sponsored in part by State Farm Agent, Kellen Moore. Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee; guitarist and backing vocalist Alex Lifeson; and drummer, percussionist, and lyricist Neil Peart. Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. The band's musical style has changed several times over the years, starting as a blues‐inspired hard rock trio, later moving into progressive rock, and including a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. In the early 1990s, Rush returned to a guitar‐driven hard rock sound, which has continued to the present day. According to the RIAA, Rush ranks 80th with sales of 25 million units in the US. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units as of 2004. The group has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and 3 multi‐platinum albums. “The music of Rush has really resonated with this year’s students, and they are very excited to present this performance”, said Dave Brumbaugh, Uptown’s Executive Director. “The students chose Rush as the fall shows theme over several possibilities, they were into the challenge of the complex time signatures and the musical interplay, not to mention the great songs, and powerful energy.” said Dave. “Great music, no matter the style or time period is always appealing and exciting to our students, which must mean we are doing something right. Everyone needs to come out and witness this performance, it’s going showcase our students at their best.” Permanent Waves: The Music of Rush will feature Collective students who have been diligently preparing for this event for over two months. Along with the live music, there will be a professional grade light and sound show organized by the students themselves. As with all Uptown Music Collective performances, the students are not only the performers, but also direct the show. There is also a group of younger students, called “Tech Monkeys” who will serve as stage technicians and spot light operators. The cast for the show is drawn from the Uptown Music Collective’s much heralded Special Performance Group 1. The students have set a goal to get 1500 people see the show over its two night run. This show is being produced by UMC Alumni, AJ Robbins and Kira Crissinger. It is directed by Uptown Music Collective students Tate Berkey (Danville Area H.S.), Patrick Newman (Loyalsock Township H.S.) and UMC Alumni, Jaron Williams (Pennsylvania College of Technology) along with a leadership committee that includes UMC students Alexis Carnevale (WAHS), Cade Palmatier (Jersey Shore H.S.), David Chubirka (Montoursville Area H.S), David Montis (St, John Neumann), Maya Caringi (WAHS), Enso Tran (WAHS), Isabella Cole (Loyalsock Township H.S.), Izzy Brumbaugh (WAMS), Keely Krause (Hughesville Area H.S.), Mitchell Gartner (WAHS), and Shayne Williams (WAHS).
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Media sponsors include Lamar Advertising, NorthCentralPa.com, The Graphic Hive, 99.3 FM WZXR, and all of Backyard Broadcasting. Tickets for the performance are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 on performance nights. Advance tickets are available at the Community Arts Center Box Office, Alabaster Coffee, K&S Music, Buttorff’s Hardware, Service 1st Federal Credit Union, Rupert's Specialty Meats, and the Uptown Music Collective. For the complete list of ticket vendors, sponsors, and other details about the show visit uptownmusic.org or call 570‐329‐0888. Also, check out Collective’s official facebook page, as well as other Collective social media outlets for teasers, previews, behind the scenes info and more from the performance.