Ultrasonic rocks

Dr. Rock – Erie Times - GoErie.com

A line from David Bowie's "Suffragette City" came to mind during the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra's opening night of "A Night at the Rock Opera" on Thursday at Erie Playhouse: "Wham bam, thank you, ma'am!"

Never mind the "opera" part of the title. This is heavy-duty, powerful rock and roll performed by a killer six-piece Boston band and 14 - yes, 14! - vocalists. All that vocal power helps the band tackle iconic songs in the rock canon - some so intricately woven and harmonically challenging that they're all but impossible for your regular rock combo to perform.

URO takes those songs and extracts the most out of them, turning in pulverizing, thunderous renditions without making your ears bleed. It is audacious, to say the least, to try pulling off fare like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the entire Side 2 of "Abbey Road." But URO not only grandly came through, it gave me goose-bumps at times because these are songs you rarely get to experience live, let alone in such thrilling fashion. And by keeping the emphasis on the music -- not the light show, not the choreography, not whiz-bang special effects -- URO makes sure it rocks out.

Part of the genius of this show - co-founded by Erie native Sal Clemente - is that all that vocal power is shared equally by men and women. Hearing girls belt Queen's "Killer Queen" (amazing) or Who songs was refreshing - especially when the guys and girls traded verses. Nearly every singer took a turn in the spotlight, demonstrating there's not a weak vocal link to be found. And Clemente took his share, too, including on "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Meanwhile, drummer Alan Ware - who started URO with Clemente - thundered on drums, even nailing Ringo's drum solo in "The End." Ware also played with a happy grin on his face the entire show, which sent a clear message: This band does this because it loves these songs and wants to present them in the biggest, boldest way possible.

URO also played a few songs from its own forthcoming rock opera, and they were rather amazing in their own way. Not surprisingly those songs were heavily Queen and Who influenced but also had - ironically - a touch of Andrew Lloyd Webber in them. Remember, it was Webber's refusal to let URO record "Jesus Christ Superstar" for a documentary that led them down the path of performing glam and classic-rock favorites.
So, thanks, Andrew, because you inadvertently unleashed a monster of a show that should please not only classic-rock fans but anyone who's loved these songs and lamented they might never get to experience them live.

I can see why some folks catch multiple shows: It's that engaging.

The look of the show is fine, with most everyone in black -- guys in leather, the girls in corsets and short skirts. And the music, thankfully, lifted off in a more rock-and-roll way than purely theatrical or toned-down fashion. I also liked how they mixed in some lesser-known songs -- like Queen's "Love of My Life" and Bowie's "Starman" -- with the more famous ones. That prevented the show from unfolding like some greatest-hits pastiche. All the song choices are dictated by how much they'd benefit from megawatt vocal power. Don't miss it.