Get ready to rock as we gear up for an electrifying Fall 2023 season together! We're thrilled to kick things off with a bang and have an array of exhilarating shows lined up just for you. All the show details are available below for your convenience.
THE ZOO
Mondays 5:00-7:00 pm
Calling all Zoologists, Wilderness Explorers, and Musicians! Join us as we take a sonic journey through the Animal Kingdom in our show appropriately titled “The Zoo”. Students will have a fun time learning an eclectic set of songs and bands that feature animals in the titles. This show will offer challenges for everyone of all skill levels, and will feature songs from genres ranging from Funk to Pop to Metal. Join this show to have a WILD time
QUEEN
Tuesdays 6:00-8:00 pm
Queen formed in London, England, in 1970, a time when heavy Rock and Roll was reaching mainstream audiences and record companies were looking everywhere for the “Next Big Thing”. . The band achieved global success in no small part due to the charisma and supernatural talent of lead singer/keyboard player Freddie Mercury. The band also featured Brian May (guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass) - all virtuosos on their respective instruments. Queen is known as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time who also pushed artistic boundaries, a unique and enviable combination in the music industry. Their first album, the self-titled Queen, was released in July 1973, and was well-received by critics, including king-maker Rolling Stone, who would eventually rank “Keep Yourself Alive” as the 31st greatest “Guitar Song” of all-time. Following several more albums, Queen began work in 1975 on what would be their pièce de résistance, A Night At The Opera. The album brought together all of the band’s interests and influences and incorporated a wide range of musical styles, from hard rock to theatrical ballads. The album’s centerpiece was the audacious and operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, one of Rock’s most celebrated masterpieces and Queen’s first Number One hit. Queen continued their dominance of the airwaves in the '80s with The Game, which produced the chart-topping songs “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Despite Mercury’s untimely death in 1991, Queen remains one of Rock’s most influential and enduring acts. Queen is a fantastic show for all students and will provide endless educational opportunities and steep challenges for every experience level.
NEW WAVE
Wednesdays 5:00-7:00 pm
The New Wave genre incorporates a variety of different sounds and styles that were prevalent at the end of the 1970s and expanded until the end of the 1980s. New Wave began as an extension of Punk Rock, which changed the music scene starting in 1976 in the US and the UK. American power-pop groups like The Cars and The Knack were New Wave, while the Disco-inspired hits of Blondie, and the Reggae-influenced rock of the Police fell under the same umbrella. Gloomy goth rockers like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees and dance-oriented synth pop artists like Gary Numan and Eurythmics are all considered New Wave bands as well. One unifying factor shared by most, but not all, of the New Wave artists was an increasing use of electronic instrumentation, specifically the synthesizer. Many '80s New Wave artists, Soft Cell and Eurythmics among them, used the synthesizer as the foundation of their sound, while others like The Cars and The Police integrated the synth seamlessly into their punchy guitar pop. By the end of the 1980s, New Wave as a genre had splintered and the term became increasingly meaningless. The spirit of New Wave would live on in Indie Rock and College Rock, soon to become known as Alternative. The legacy of New Wave is still felt today as rock artists continue to experiment with synth textures and embody the quirky and offbeat image that made the New Wave era such a vibrant and influential time.
Best of the 2010’s
Wednesdays 7:00-9:00 pm
School of Rock pays tribute to the past decade of Rock and Roll! The 2010s proved that rock and roll is alive and well, with diverse artists such as Adele, Imagine Dragons, Tame Impala, H.E.R., and St. Vincent all rising to prominence in the music world. These current artists combine modern production techniques with retro-sounding riffs and song structures, resulting in today's chart topping hits. While the music itself has generally evolved somewhat from decades past - less guitar solos, more keyboards, and more influence from Hip Hop and R&B - the spirit of Rock and Roll remains as vital as ever. This show will be a stylistically diverse recap of the best music from the decade, featuring modern takes on Punk (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), Blues (Gary Clark Jr., Black Keys), Pop (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), Rock and Roll (Foo Fighters, The Dead Weather), and more! A great show for students of any instrument and experience level.
Yacht Rock
Thursdays 6:00-8:00 pm
Easy Listening. Dad Rock. The West Coast Sound. Whatever nomenclature you choose, Yacht Rock music has survived the test of time and has made an explosive, full-steam-ahead resurgence in today’s popular music. Mostly emerging from the late 70s to early 80s, Yacht Rock’s mellow moods and relaxing vibes overshadow the sublime musicianship and songwriting skills of artists like Steely Dan, Toto, Hall and Oates, The Doobie Brothers, Carole King, and many more. Steeped in jazz, R&B, and dense harmony theory, these songs feature collaborations between some of the best studio musicians in history. These enduring songs will surprise and challenge even the most advanced SoR student. There are multi-layered vocal harmonies for singers, jazz-inspired guitar parts and solos, legendary grooves for bassists and drummers, and intricate keyboard parts utilizing what were, at the time, innovative electric pianos and synthesizers. This is one of the most challenging shows in the School of Rock curriculum!
No Doubt: Tragic Kingdom
Fridays 6:00-8:00 pm
No Doubt was an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. No Doubt's musical style has been characterized as ska punk, reggae fusion, punk rock, pop punk, new wave, alternative rock and pop rock. The band's debut album blended the ska punk, alternative rock and new wave genres. Tragic Kingdom is their third studio album released on October 10, 1995, by Trauma Records and Interscope Records. We will be doing Tragic Kingdom in its entirety in this show as well as a few bonus songs! This show will be a fun challenge for all instruments.
BIG 4
Saturdays 12:00-2:00 pm
The name ‘Big Four’ refers to the four most important and revolutionary bands of the thrash metal subgenre: Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer. Influenced by the metal music that was coming out of the UK in the late 70s and early 80s, these four bands arrived on the metal scene in the United States in the mid 80s. All four bands quickly rose to fame as they continued to push the boundaries of metal music by writing music that was heavier, faster, and more aggressive than anything that had come before. With careers spanning over four decades, the collective discography of the Big Four is considered to be some of the most influential music in all of metal, with countless bands around the world citing them as major influences. If you’re looking for a bit of a challenge, and you like heavy and aggressive music that you can bang your head to like a lunatic, then this is the show for you!
The Rolling Stones
Saturdays 3:00-5:00 pm
Dubbed `The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World’, The Rolling Stones have remained relevant and rocking for nearly 60 years. Though their songs are rooted in the Blues that inspired them to pursue music, throughout their legendary career they have incorporated everything into their sound from Rock to Country to Blues to Punk to Disco. For an education in pocket, groove, stage presence, and tasteful lead playing, there are few equals to a Stones show. Keith Richards' guitar wizardry will serve as a masterclass for guitarists looking to expand their rhythmic prowess. Drummers will not only be tested on their ability to play for the song, but they will also have opportunities to explore percussion usage like bongos, congas, and shakers. Studying Mick Jagger’s stage moves and the creative vocal arrangements within the Rolling Stones catalog is an excellent learning experience for vocal students of all ages and skill levels. Keys players will enjoy learning from Ian Stewart, Jack Nitzsche, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, and Ian McLagan - all legendary players who recorded and performed with the Stones. From standing tall on the front lines of the British Invasion to selling out stadiums in more recent times, The Rolling Stones are truly one of the most impactful and important Rock n’ Roll bands of all time, and they will continue to inspire future generations for years to come.
Call the school today at (631)476-7625, email us at portjefferson@schoolofrock.com, or fill out the form below to get signed up TODAY!