Classical Blast will dish a unique hybrid of musical styles at its “Dark Side of the Yule” concert at Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso.
Set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, the holiday show features the group’s fusion of rocked-up favorites and Christmas sounds.
“All of our music is kind of a combination of classical music and classic rock,” said Dave Kelly, Classical Blast drummer and vocalist.
One of the pieces planned for the Valparaiso show fuses the material of a legendary composer with the heavy metal of a noteworthy rock band.
Kelly noted that “we’re going to mix up” the regal “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” with “Enter Sandman.”
The result, said Kelly, is intriguing: “Tchaikovsky meets Metallica.”
Also scheduled for Dec. 10 is a mix of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” with “Silent Night,” a timeless Christmas hymn.
“We just thought that those went together,” said Kelly, a resident of Darien, Ill. “People are used to our mash-ups. We kept on picking these dark songs that kind of work together.”
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Kelly cited an example, noting “Coventry Carol” was mixed with “The Great Gig in the Sky.”
The centuries-old English carol was found to nicely complement the 1973 track by Pink Floyd from their iconic album “The Dark Side of the Moon.”
The inventiveness of “Coventry Carol/Great Gig in the Sky” leads off Classical Blast’s album “Dark Side of the Yule” (2016).
Employing a chamber music slant that utilizes stringed instruments, Classical Blast “blurs musical lines,” according to its website.
Kelly said he believes “Fairytale” will be one of his band’s selections at Chicago Street Theatre.
“It’s kind of got a edgy tone,” Kelly related.
Classical Blast’s “Dark Side of the Yule” show spins out music from its album of the same name.
The recording features “Twinkle,” a track that has roots which would be familiar to many.
“It’s basically ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star;’ I arranged it into a whole different mood,” said Classical Blast member Bill Syniar, noting the famous rhyme received fresh lyrics.
Syniar resides in Oak Park, Ill., which the band essentially calls home.
He plays five-string electric bass.
Jimmy Chaos is Classical Blast’s violinist, while Javier Martin Lopez handles acoustic guitar and lead vocals.
Kelly indicated that keyboardist/vocalist Dina Bach is scheduled to join Classical Blast at the Valparaiso concert as a guest artist.
Featuring the talents of classically trained musicians, Classical Blast states that it is “dedicated to bringing the classical arts to mainstream rock and pop music.”
Syniar has experience in the world of high-profile rock ‘n’ roll.
He played bass for Survivor, known for the chart-topping “Eye of the Tiger” (1982) and a pair of Top 10 hits from 1985, “High On You” and “Burning Heart.”
Syniar hooked up with Survivor after those chart successes.
He toured with the band in America and Europe, while his musicianship was displayed on Survivor’s 1988 album “Too Hot to Sleep” and on “Greatest Hits” fare.
Born in Romania, Classical Blast cellist Petar Kecenovici has his own notable career, having performed with Cheap Trick, Andrea Bocelli and Sting.
Publicity material states that the band has opened concerts for big-name acts such as Joan Jett, Michael McDonald and Eric Burdon, who gained fame in the Animals, a British band.
Syniar and Kecenovici also have teamed up to play for a different type of audience, as they regularly bring their talents to cancer patients at Chicago-area hospitals.
Lauding the gracious nature of the patients he encounters, Syniar said those hospital visits, and the interaction with his audience there, fueled the inspiration for a song he wrote called “Beautiful.” The heartfelt piece is scheduled to be included at Classical Blast’s night of music in Valparaiso.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Classical Blast
Where: Chicago Street Theatre, 154 W. Chicago St., Valparaiso
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When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10
Tickets: $20; youths under 18 $10
Information: 219-464-1636, www.ChicagoStreet.org