East Village Opera Company leaves students wanting more
East Village Opera Company played at Ellen Eccles Theater Monday and Tuesday nights to grateful crowds. The band from New York City hit up Logan as their third stop on a tour that will include several college towns.
The group’s styling appeals to more than just music majors and opera followers. They take opera music and “stomp all over it and turn it into songs,” said their keyboarder Peter Kiesewalter. Their revitalized opera jams have foundations in rock, pop, funk, contemporary ballads, and more.
The first song performed was “The Ride,” which is exactly how it felt. The tempo and genre changed so much within the song that it seemed the audience didn’t really know what to make of them.
“I think they were in shock,” said lead singer AnnMarie Milazzo. “They were prepared to hear opera. By the third song they were like, ‘Oh, okay.’ It was a progression.”
The band progressively dispelled the supposed identity crisis and garnered audience confidence with a well-organized set of music and tailored performance. They played the classics prosperously and characterized diverse songs successfully. The music’s ebb and flow made the crowd open up and warm up. They also played a rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” with which the audience duly complied.
Another notable moment was the duet of the violin and the electric guitar. After a standing ovation the band played a three-song encore.
“The show was amazing. The chemistry between the two leads and the band was extraordinary. I loved how they were able to take opera and make it enjoyable and modern. It changed the way I thought about opera,” said Leavitt Wells, freshman in broadcast journalism.
The members of EVOC were eager to make and meet Logan fans. Lead singer Tyley Ross and violinist Pauline Kim visited campus Monday morning. Ross said he loved meeting the young people.
“I was enthused to meet them because they were enthused to meet me,” he said.
The band was also accessible after the shows. Many people bought CDs and got them signed. People were impressed by how down-to-earth the band was, after having displayed masterful stage presence.
The band is compiling video from the tour and will use the best audience in their film.
“This has been our best group by far. The band loved the energy that came from the audience. They just loved it,” said Bill Burke, camera man.
Milazzo said the band felt the energy, too.
“We had a blast. It was great to see people into the music,” she said.
For more about East Village Opera Company, visit www.eastvillageoperacompany.com.
–april.larsen@aggiemail.usu.edu