Cello Fury

Artist Information

Biography

Cello Fury is a rarity in the music world: three classically trained cellists and a rock drummer performing high-energy original music in venues ranging from concert halls to rock clubs. Appealing to a wide audience across age groups and musical interests sets Cello Fury apart from your average rock band. Continually developing their own unique style of cello rock music, cellists Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers along with drummer Dave Throckmorton unleash vitality and rhythmic drive in their music and dare to venture past classical expectations. The band's collective experiences have allowed them to perform on radio and television, in intimate club settings, and for audiences as large as 67,000 throughout 12 states and abroad. Cello Fury's self-titled album of original music was released in 2011 along with a trilogy of music videos (view them on the band's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/cellofury).  Concert information and more can be found at www.cellofury.com.

The band entertained a crowd of 60,000 during the half time show at Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers/Baltimore Ravens football game in December of 2009, receiving rave reviews from perhaps their most eclectic audience to date. Cello Fury was featured on the cover of the indie music publication, Vents Magazine, in April 2011, was featured on the cover of the Pittsburgh City Paper's "City Guide" in July 2010, and was chosen as one of Skope Magazine's "Artists to Watch" in February 2011. Collaborating as multi-disciplinary artists, Cello Fury's original music is featured in two full-length ballets with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, "Heart" and "108 Minutes", with a third work premiering in February 2012. Cello Fury premiered the opera "La Bisbetica Domata" by Efrain Amaya in Italy in August 2010, which featured the ensemble on stage and in costume as solo instrumentalists. The band also performed solo concerts throughout Italy during the trip. Working alongside nationally renowned Baroque flutist Steven Schultz, Cello Fury premiered and recorded a new work written especially for their ensemble and composed by Pittsburgh-based composer Nancy Galbraith in November 2009. This piece, entitled “Other Sun”, features electric Baroque flute, electro-acoustic cellos, harpsichord, piano and percussion and is featured on Galbraith's CD, also called “Other Sun”. Most recently, Cello Fury collaborated with Bricolage Productions for their “Midnight Radio” show as featured musical guests, and performed three sold-out shows at the Byham Theater on New Year's Eve.

In addition to an active performance and touring schedule, the band focuses on inspiring young musicians and giving back to the community. Cello Fury is on the roster for the "Gateway to the Arts" educational outreach program, performing for thousands of young people throughout western Pennsylvania each year, and recently joined "Young Audiences of Rochester" in upstate New York. Every summer, Cello Fury leads a rock strings camp for aspiring musicians. This past summer, Cello Fury worked with hundreds of students through the Pittsburgh Public School's “Summer Dreamers” camp.

Email the band! info@cellofury.com

More information about the band may be found by visiting the following websites:
Main Website: www.cellofury.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cellofury
YouTube Video Channel: www.youtube.com/cellofury
Online Press Kit: www.sonicbids.com/cellofury
MySpace Page: www.myspace.com/cellofury
Twitter Account: www.twitter.com/cellofury

Cello Fury's band members have performed together at venues including the 31st Street Pub (Pittsburgh, PA)*American Eagle Headquarters (Pittsburgh, PA)*Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA)*Alumni Concert Hall (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA)*Artist Image Resources (Pittsburgh PA)*Backstage Bar (Pittsburgh, PA)*Barrington Coffeehouse (Barrington, NJ)*Bean & Leaf (New London, CT)*Bodiography Dance (Pittsburgh, PA)*Branded Saloon (Brooklyn, NY)*The Brick (Kansas City, MO)*Byham Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA)*Cafe degli Artisti (Citta della Pieve, Italy)*CAPA School for the Performing Arts (Pittsburgh, PA)*Carnegie Music Hall (Pittsburgh, PA)*Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main (Pittsburgh, PA)*Chatham Univerisity (Pittsburgh, PA)*Children’s Museum (Pittsburgh, PA)*Clarion University (Clarion, PA)*Club Café (Pittsburgh, PA)*Club Diesel (Pittsburgh, PA)*Community Arts Center (Elkins, WV)*Crawford Center (Emlenton, PA)*Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)*Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club (Kansas City, MO)*David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Pittsburgh, PA)*Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA)*Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)*Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" (Mill Run, PA)*The Fire (Philadelphia, PA)*Fox Chapel Country Club (Pittsburgh, PA)*First Night (Pittsburgh, PA)*Frontier Cafe (Brunswick, ME)*Garfield Artworks (Pittsburgh, PA)*GA/GI Festival (Pittsburgh, PA)Grier School Gala (Tyrone, PA)*Grove City College (Grove City, PA)*Hard Rock Cafe (Pittsburgh, PA)*Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, PA)*Heinz Hall (Pittsburgh, PA)*Ingenuity Festival (Cleveland, OH)*KDKA television and radio (Pittsburgh, PA)*Kelly-Strayhorn Theater (Pittsburgh, PA)*Kenan Center (Lockport, NY)*Kresge Recital Hall (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA)*Labyrinth Press Co. (Jamestown, NY)*Laurel Mountain Concert Series (Kingwood, WV)*Llywelyn's Pub (Overland Park, KS)* LeMont Restaurant (Pittsburgh, PA)*Light-Up Night (Pittsburgh, PA)*The Mattress Factory (Pittsburgh, PA)*Mayfair (Allentown, PA)*Messiah College (Grantham, PA)*Millcreek Tavern (Philadelphia, PA)*MoJo's (Jamestown, NY)*Morgan Arts Council (Berkeley Springs, WV)*Mr. Small’s Theatre (Millvale, PA)*Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA)*Nemacolin Woodlands (Farmington, PA)*Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH)*O’Reilly Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA)*Peabody’s Down Under (Cleveland, OH)*Penn State University Beaver (Beaver, PA)*Penn State University, Erie (Erie, PA)*Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference (Pittsburgh, PA)*Pittsburgh Opera (Pittsburgh, PA)*Pittsburgh Public Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA)*Pittsburgh Symphony Gala (Pittsburgh, PA)*Pittsburgh Zoo (Pittsburgh, PA)*The Priory (Pittsburgh, PA)*The Purple Fiddle (Thomas, WV)*Radio Radio (Indianapolis, IN)*Record Bar (Kansas City, MO)*Rehoboth Beach Bandstand (Rehoboth Beach, DE)*The Riot Room (Kansas City, MO)*Saddle Ridge (Pittsburgh PA)*Shadow Lounge (Pittsburgh, PA)*Sidewalk Cafe (New York, NY)*The Smiling Moose (Pittsburgh, PA)*Somerfest (Somerset, PA)*SPACE Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA)*Third St. Art Gallery (Carnegie, PA)*Three Rivers Arts Festival (Pittsburgh, PA)*Three Rivers Regatta (Pittsburgh, PA)*Town Tavern (Pittsburgh, PA)*Unity Music Festival (Warfordsburg, PA)*University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)*Vintage Vinyl (St. Louis, MO)*Winchester Music Hall (Cleveland, OH)*Windsor Hall (Cumberland, MD)*WQED Television and Radio Studios (Pittsburgh, PA)

Instrumentation

Nicole Myers - Cello
Ben Muñoz - Cello
Simon Cummings - Cello
Dave Throckmorton - Drums

Discography

Cello Fury, a self-titled album of original music, was released on February 23, 2011. The album is available on iTunes, DigStation, and CD Baby.

Links

• Facebook
• Cello Fury Website
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Cello Fury's YouTube channel

Audio

• INFINITY RISES
  Listen  
• AGAINST ALL ODDS
  Listen  
• ANARCHY
  Listen  
• PINS AND NEEDLES
  Listen  
• DAYBREAK
  Listen  
• MIDDLE GROUND
  Listen  
• SILENCED
  Listen  
• ODYSSEY
  Listen  
• DOWN THE ROAD
  Listen  
• SHOCKWAVE
  Listen  

Video

Against All Odds

Infinity Rises

Photo Gallery

Press

• Cello Fury -- Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  Cello Fury - Cello Fury 2011, Cello Fury Cello Fury is an eclectic collective from Pittsburgh, P...Cello Fury - Cello Fury
  2011, Cello Fury
  
  Cello Fury is an eclectic collective from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Comprised of three cellos and a drummer, Cello Fury creates original progressive rock music with classical leanings. Originally a four-cello quarter called Cellofourte, Cello Fury has continued to grow with cellists Simon Cummings, Ben Munoz and Nicole Myers creating some of their most vibrant work to date for their debut album, Cello Fury.
  
  Cello Fury opens with "Infinity Rises" with dueling cellos throwing off counter melodies and using stereo effects to maximize headphone listening. The composition is well constructed and is carried by an impulsive rhythm that sweeps you up and takes you along for the ride. Cello Fury achieves a modern rock sound that has metal in its lineage, while achieving a level of technical perfection that is surprising. "Against All Odds" features dual, lyric leads. Pretty, stark melody lines dance over a somewhat driven rock arrangement, and make for an appealing sound. "Anarchy" starts off in stoic fashion, but breaks out into a vibrant rocker with dark undertones.
  
  "Pins And Needles" shows off Cello Fury's sense of fun in a composition that is more about artistic interpretation than anything else. "Daybreak" segues back into the edgy, vibrant modern rock feel that pervades much of the album, while "Middle Ground" aptly splits between lyric melody lines and a driving arrangement. Cello Fury creates a gorgeous, baroque essence with the fluid lines of "Silenced". The group captures the beauty within sorrow in a magical moment that sparks with the pure anima of creation. "Odyssey" is a bit more mundane, but is a solid composition based on a pop/rock progression that fills up your ears. "Down The Road" is languorous and lovely, a classical-themed composition that is lyric and pure in its sound. Cello Fury wraps up with "Shockwave", a big, vibrant closer that is frenetic in its energy.
  
  Cello Fury invests themselves in a heavy rock sound, woven through cello strings and prog rock and classical arrangements on their self-titled debut album. Treading on musical earth shared with bands such as Break of Reality, Primitivity and The 440 Alliance, Cello Fury create compelling rock and roll with three cellos that laces together the webs of heavy metal, progressive rock and baroque styles. Cello Fury is an intriguing debut.
  

• Fury is Coming (magazine cover and interview) [+ Show ]
  

  Where does the name Cello Fury come from? We chose our name because it is an accurate representat...Where does the name Cello Fury come from?
  
  We chose our name because it is an accurate representation of our sound. Since our band does not have your typical guitar/bass/vocals/drums instrumentation, we didn’t want to come up with an ambiguous phrase to represent our sound, but rather a name that gives a direct connotation to what we bring to the table.
  
  How did Cello Fury begin? Did Apocalyptica influence your band?
  
  We started playing together while in college studying the cello as a classical instrument. Apocalyptica certainly influenced us. We are big fans, and they are the forerunners of cello rock. As much as we are inspired by them, we also strive to achieve our own unique sound, so that people can say, “that sounds like Cello Fury”. In the same way that bands with the same instrumentation can sound vastly different from each other, not all bands that feature the cello have to sound the same. It's really cool how typically “classical” instruments can morph into other musical genres and change people's view of what the instrument can do.
  
  Who are your music influences?
  
  Simon: Some of my biggest influences are actually not other rock bands, but rather film score composers. Three of my favorites are Hans Zimmer, James Newton-Howard and Thomas Newman. The overall sound of our music is almost more cinematic as opposed to straight verse-chorus-bridge pop music, and I think a lot of that comes from our love of film scores, and the great composers working in that field now.
  
  Ben: I am really influenced by the melodic command of composers like Dvorak and Borodin, while my rock aspects come from metal bands like Deftones and Tool.
  
  What are the methods you use in composing your music?
  
  Simon and Ben are the composers in the band. Our classical and rock backgrounds fuel our creative process. Since we all grew up reading and learning music from traditional classical scores, the writing process begins there. Once the music is laid out in the same way a classical symphony or a string quartet is written, we learn the music and bring it to life as a rock band would. We've also started to use more improvisation when we perform.
  
  What has been the funniest moment you guys have been or took part?
  
  While on tour in Italy this summer, we struggled to communicate with the audience, since none of us speak Italian. Ben, who is a fluent Spanish speaker, was elected as the best possible candidate to talk to the crowds. He actually invented a language we now refer to as “Spatalian”. We definitely got some laughs, but I think they appreciated our attempts speak their language.
  
  Situation question: Some evil cello players are controlling the minds of everyone in the world. What would you guys do?
  
  We would fight back with our rocking music!
  
  Do you have a tour lined up?
  
  We are currently planning our summer tour right now, in additional to the educational outreach projects we lead for kids.
  
  Do you guys feel you are moving in the right direction?
  
  We absolutely feel we are moving in the right direction. We're following our passion and sharing that journey with others. Producing our new album was a labor of love, and it is our goal now to share it with as many people as we can.

• Cello Fury: Albums You Should Hear [+ Show ]
  

  I was at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last Friday for their Hot Jam when I discovered Cello Fury. I w...I was at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last Friday for their Hot Jam when I discovered Cello Fury. I wasn’t in the room when they started to play, but their infectious sound quickly drew my attention away from the molten glass being shaped into a vase (no mean feat, I can assure you). Being a classically trained violinist I first thought that the cellos being played were electric since the sound was so smooth; there was no change of tonal quality in the higher registers and very little auditory evidence of bow changes or string changes.
  
  Turns out this smoothness is due in small part to the minimal electric attachments to the cellos (for musical balance with the drum kit), but mostly to the impressive skill of the musicians. Through this combination of slight electronic modification and skill Cello Fury has obtained the smooth singing quality of a higher pitched instrument (think a violin or viola) mixed with the inherent solid depth of tone that cellos possess, to create a sound that simultaneously soars through the upper atmosphere and roots deep into your bones. This juxtaposition between depth and movement is really lovely both in person and on the CD.
  
  But more importantly, Cello Fury is not your grandmother’s quartet. There is not a single Vivaldi, Mozart, or Beethoven lick to be had, and they are unlikely to be playing at a pretentious outdoor country wedding whose guest list comprises only those who make 7 figures a year. Not because their music is not worth the five figure appearance fee undoubtedly paid to those sorts of musicians, but because their music demands attention. It is not music which will flit unconsciously in the background whilst guests sip on champagne and nibble hor d’oeuvres. It won’t sit peacefully and allow someone else the glory and spoils of attention. The music reaches deep into the souls of the audience and compels either movement or enraptured attention; demanding and pushing with each note and phrase.
  
  As a live show, the group is impressive. They have such fun when they play and this rapport is clearly communicated with the audience. They are also just as good (if not better) in person as on their CD. Some bands disappoint live, but I’m happy to report that Cello Fury is not one of them. In fact, I enjoyed their live show slightly better than the CD because they are true entertainers. Their passion for music comes through with every body movement that they do onstage, and some of that is necessarily lost on CD tracks which aren’t accompanied by visual representation. I was simultaneously impressed and amused by the headbanging; impressed because not a note was out of place amongst the gyrations of the skull, and amused because, well, there are three cellists headbanging to their music. You don’t see that every day. (Imagine if the cello section of your favorite philharmonic started headbanging like Megadeth without missing a beat. Somewhat comical)
  
  This sort of musical style is a bit more popular currently in Europe, with Escala (an entirely electric string quartet) becoming finalists in Britain’s Got Talent. However they mainly do “covers” (tough to really say covers since the music was all originally classical and the composers have been dead for ages) whereas Cello Fury writes their own music. Another skilled band is Bond who claims to be the “original electric string quartet”; their style is a bit more pop/dance, similar to Escala.
  
  This disc is a great classy alternative to the Billboard 100 hits to play at adventurous parties to get people moving on the dance floor. Even slightly less energetic events would undoubtedly benefit from an infusion of Fury.
  
  The Good: Sometimes mixtures of styles lead to mediocre outputs. Cello Fury’s melding of rock and classical takes the best of both worlds and outputs something even better.
  
  The Bad: Tough to say. The CD is all done in a very specific style although tempo and mood vary quite a bit, to the point where I personally find large differences in songs. However it does take more than one cursory listen to extract those quirks, so this CD isn’t for those who listen once and then never come back.
  
  The Verdict: Live or on CD, this is a group worth listening to.

• Pittsburgh's Cello Fury unleashes their new album [+ Show ]
  

  Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of co...Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of conventional rock; blending new instruments and genres into the folds of what has now become a melting pot of musical influences. One of the most recent additions to this myriad of rock facets is the cello. In Pittsburgh, the talented dexterous styling of Cello Fury leads the forefront for this novel adaptation.
  
  During their formative years, Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers studied classical cello together at Carnegie Mellon University. Much to the chagrin of their instructors, they decided to take the road less traveled with the bowed instrument and mingle their formal education with their affection for rock music.
  
  Soon after, Cummings and Muñoz began constructing original compositions wherein the classical beauty of the cello was imbued with the perceptible dynamism of progressive rock. For the last two years, they have collaborated with drummer David Throckmorton to produce the emotive sounds of Cello Fury and on Feb. 23 they released their new, eponymous album.
  
  The alchemy of an ensemble that can effortlessly meld two contrary genres of music together, can only be truly appreciated if it is able to reach an eclectic audience. Fortunately, Cello Fury has been able to do just that in the last two years by performing for small audiences of 50 in an intimate space like Club Café on the South Side to a crowd of over 60,000 at Heinz Field.
  
  “The cello has a way of being accepted in many different settings. Depending on the size of the venue, there can be a different connection to the audience and level of intimacy. We try to bridge the gap between classical audiences and rock show crowds by playing in varied places,” said Nicole.
  
  Their latest work is a 10-track album of engrossing melodies coupled with climatic explosions, which startle the senses and illuminate the broad spectrum of emotions cultivated by the brute force of rock and the ethereal elegance of classical music. The third track, “Anarchy,” begins with a melancholy quality that weighs on the listener’s earnest vulnerabilities before shifting into an abrupt labyrinth of complex rhythms and thunderous percussion. For each listener, the internalized melodic experience is unique, which is exactly what Cello Fury hopes to accomplish.
  
  “We want our audience to have an experience in sound, and leave the show relating to the music on a deeper level. The music would ideally speak for itself, and the fact that it is being performed with three cellos and drums would be only a part of our musical identity,” said Nicole.
  
  The searing power of Cello Fury’s music must be experienced live - where the indescribable movement in air is as tangible as the fervent sway of each of the cellists’ trademark long locks as their fingers dance among the four strings. On March 18 the band will be performing at The Red Ring on Forbes Avenue at 7 p.m. For further information on Cello Fury visit their website at www.cellofury.com or on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cellofury.
  
  Continue reading on Examiner.com: Pittsburgh's Cello Fury unleashes their new album - Pittsburgh Indie Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/indie-music-in-pittsburgh/pittsburgh-s-cello-fury-unleashes-their-new-album#ixzz1EzWObvwL

• Album Spotlight: Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  By: Cassandra Quinn -ThePittsburghScene.com Published Friday 25th of February 2011, 07:02 AM Cello...By: Cassandra Quinn -ThePittsburghScene.com
  Published Friday 25th of February 2011, 07:02 AM
  Cello Fury released their self-titled album on February 23rd - reaching audiences from the Byham to Heinz Field and every small bar in-between with their brand of rock/classical music.
  Since the early 40s, musicians have been tirelessly working to distort the precious boundaries of conventional rock; blending new instruments and genres into the folds of what has now become a melting pot of musical influences. One of the most recent additions to this myriad of rock facets is the cello. In Pittsburgh, the talented dexterous styling of Cello Fury leads the forefront for this novel adaptation.
  
  During their formative years, Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers studied classical cello together at Carnegie Mellon University. Much to the chagrin of their instructors, they decided to take the road less traveled with the bowed instrument and mingle their formal education with their affection for rock music.
  
  Soon after, Cummings and Muñoz began constructing original compositions wherein the classical beauty of the cello was imbued with the perceptible dynamism of progressive rock. For the last two years, they have collaborated with drummer David Throckmorton to produce the emotive sounds of Cello Fury and on Feb. 23 they released their new, eponymous album.
  
  The alchemy of an ensemble that can effortlessly meld two contrary genres of music can only be truly appreciated if it is able to reach an eclectic audience. Fortunately, Cello Fury has been able to do just that in the last two years by performing for a small audience of 50 in an intimate space like Club Café in the South Side to a crowd of 60,000 at Heinz Field.
  
  “The cello has a way of being accepted in many different settings. Depending on the size of the venue, there can be a different connection to the audience and level of intimacy. We try to bridge the gap between classical audiences and rock show crowds by playing in varied places,” said Nicole.
  
  Their latest work is a 10-track album of engrossing melodies coupled with climatic explosions, which startle the senses and illuminate the broad spectrum of emotions cultivated by the brute force of rock and the ethereal elegance of classical music. The third track, “Anarchy,” begins with a melancholy quality that weighs on the listener’s earnest vulnerabilities before shifting into an abrupt labyrinth of complex rhythms and thunderous percussion. For each listener, the internalized melodic experience is unique, which is exactly what Cello Fury hopes to accomplish.
  
  “We want our audience to have an experience in sound, and leave the show relating to the music on a deeper level. The music would ideally speak for itself, and the fact that it is being performed with three cellos and drums would be only a part of our musical identity,” said Nicole.
  
  The searing power of Cello Fury’s music must be experienced live - where the indescribable movement in air is as tangible as the fervent sway of each of the cellists’ trademark long locks as their fingers dance among the four strings. On March 18 the band will be performing at The Red Ring on Forbes Avenue at 7 p.m.
  
  For further information on Cello Fury visit their website at www.cellofury.com or on their Facebook page at facebook.com/cellofury
  
  You can find more from Cassandra Quinn at the Pittsburgh Indie Music Examiner

• Skope Magazine's "Artists to Watch", February 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Cello Fury www.sonicbids.com/cellofury Skope: How did you react when you knew you are now A2W sele...Cello Fury
  www.sonicbids.com/cellofury
  Skope: How did you react when you knew you are now A2W selected on Skope?
  Cello Fury: We were thrilled! Thanks, Skope, for the opportunity.
  Skope: What are two goals that you want to accomplish musically in 2011?
  Cello Fury: We want to continue to collaborate with other artists, both in the rock world and across artistic disciplines. We feel that it’s not only really interesting on a musical level, but it showcases a different side of each group to the audience. Collaboration is so essential in the music world today. A second goal would be to tour much more outside of our home area of Pittsburgh, PA. Once we release our new self-titled album on February 23, we can’t wait hit the road and bring our music to more people!
  Skope: If you had to choose one thing that your band must improve on what would that be and how will you do it?
  Cello Fury: We’d love to bring more theatrical elements to our shows to really give our audience a unique experience. Some ways to achieve this could be to add more multimedia (lights, visual/audio effects), as well as by performing our songs differently, not sounding identical to the album. This really creates excitement for an audience, when they hear songs they recognize, but with a twist.
  Skope: What are two other non-mainstream musicians or bands that you are listening to these days & respect?
  Cello Fury: The Brooklyn-based band, Pearl & The Beard, is just fabulous. They are a folk/americana trio that features the cello prominently in their music, along with amazing vocals and a myriad of other instruments. Flannigan’s Right Hook is another great band. They’re from Kansas City, MO and play Celtic rock with guitar, violin, mandolin, drums and vocals.
  Skope: How has playing music offered more fulfillment in your life?
  Cello Fury: Music is our life. When we’re not performing music, we’re teaching it, composing new pieces, or rehearsing together. We’ve been playing the cello since we were little kids in elementary school, and it has remained a vital part of our lives. One of the most rewarding things is working with young kids, introducing them to classical/rock crossover music and encouraging them to take up an instrument. It can be life changing for them!
  Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
  Cello Fury: We’ve got a big production at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on February 18 & 19, a collaboration with a local dance company that features a score written and performed live by our band. It’s awesome to see our music brought to life with dance. You can check us out at www.cellofury.com, www.facebook.com/cellofury, and www.sonicbids.com/cellofury.

• 108 Minutes [+ Show ]
  

  "...Cello Fury, three classically-trained cellists and a rock drummer, features energetic original m..."...Cello Fury, three classically-trained cellists and a rock drummer, features energetic original music complementing the dancers. The driving rhythms and intricate harmonies of the four musicians perched on a scaffold at the back of the stage create, literally, a wall of sound behind the dancers. The collaboration between Bodiography and Cello Fury is perfect in its strangeness: both choreography and music break down barriers of genre, creating an art that is wholly new...Through brilliant choreography and original music, the dialogue between dance and medicine seems surprisingly natural and unforced as if the parallel between these widely different disciplines were, like a new continent, simply waiting to be discovered."

• Cover of the City Paper Magazine's 2010 City Guide [+ Show ]
  

  Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Try Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com): This charismatic ...Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Try Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com): This charismatic quartet--perhaps you noticed them on the cover of this guide?--is equally at home in bars and chamber-music settings, adn equally adept at classical and classic rock. ~City Paper Magazine, City Guide 2010, page 36

• Cello Fury [+ Show ]
  

  In the nearly 18 months since the City Paper's Andy Mulkerin declared that Cellofourte "aren't rock,...In the nearly 18 months since the City Paper's Andy Mulkerin declared that Cellofourte "aren't rock," the band has taken decisive steps to prove otherwise. They traded one of four cellos for a drum kit, re-branded themselves Cello Fury, and penned a collection of new tunes that rival Slayer for shredding and Eugene Friesen for technique.
  
  Cellos can do everything a guitar can do, but a little better because they have a bigger range and no frets. When cellos are put into the capable hands of three classically-trained musicians who have innate knack for headbanging and a highly-practiced gift for mid-song cello twirls, the authenticity of the rock no longer remains a question. Remember, too, that "real" rockers lust for cello. Recall the line from Weezer's "El Scorcho?" Oh the redhead said you shred the cello / And I'm jell-o, baby. 'Nuff said.
  
  One of the neat things about a trio of cellos is that the three of them together can sound like one cello or six cellos. The group makes full use of this phenomenon in their arrangements. Some songs begin with all three playing thick, chunky power chords in that sandpapery tone only a bowed instrument can produce. Others begin with the slapping of strings or pizzicato plucking or a host of other textures unavailable to traditional rock bands. When their songs demand a standard-sounding arrangement, one cello plays a bass line, another plays synth-like hooks, and another plays blazing guitar chords. None of the songs have vocals, so the melody can be whatever they want it to be, seamlessly handed off from one musician to the next.
  
  All the Cello Fury songs are short and engaging. With so much wide open space for their compositions, they resist traditional verse-chorus song structures in favor of symphonic developments. But the sense of rocking is never lost. False endings, super fast strumming, feedback, and good old chugging riffs lurk around every turn.
  
  The Baroque inspirations for metal and other rock styles have been well chronicled over the years, but rarely explored completely. Cello Fury dares to venture past scales and arpeggios to the more cerebral territories of experimentation and counterpoint. Syncopated backbeats from drummer Dave Throckmorton accent the occasionally-bizarre time signatures so the crowd can always nod along, even if they aren't paying attention to the overlapping rhythms and ongoing shifts through parallel keys.
  
  Cello Fury prefers sweeping, cosmic tones aptly described by song titles like "Fall Celestial" and "Infinity Rises." They describe their new track, "Self-destruction" as a "metal waltz" and imbue it with the explosive gusto such an epithet demands. In return, Cello Fury demands that it be taken seriously as a rock act and not as novelty or something that merely approaches or simulates rock music. What they deliver is as pure and dirty and novel as any fan of rock 'n' roll could hope for.

• Young Pittsburghers to watch in 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  This could be a breakout year for Cellofourte. The rock/classical all-cello quartet is becoming a kn...This could be a breakout year for Cellofourte. The rock/classical all-cello quartet is becoming a known quantity in town, but 2009 will see a systematic unveiling of the four classically trained cellists turned pop musicians: twenty-somethings Nicole Myers, Simon Cummings, Ben Munoz and Tate Olsen.
  
  Cellofourte has been putting in its dues at small clubs, private parties, gala events and outdoor shows for a few years now, and it is paying off locally, but Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour has put Cellofourte on its roster, taking the Carnegie Mellon- and Duquesne-trained cellists across the state.
  
  "This is also a nice bit of accreditation for us, as some of the other performers on the roster include the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Time for Three, Chatham Baroque -- you get the picture," says Cellofourte's Olsen. "Being placed in the company of these great artists is truly awesome."
  
  Likewise, Gateway to the Arts has chosen the group to be one of its roster artists this year, performing in schools throughout Allegheny County. "We had been doing a good number of school shows on our own, but GTA has the infrastructure and connections in place to really help our music reach so many more students than would have been possible on our own," says Olsen.
  
  Suffice it to say that the coming year is crucial to the long-term success of Cellofourte. PennPAT can really launch a group -- witness Imani Winds -- so that big national break may be not too far off.
  
  -- Andrew Druckenbrod,
  Post-Gazette classical music critic
  
  Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09007/939980-42.stm#ixzz1EEFElf11

Setlist

A typical Cello Fury set includes mostly original compositions. Show length can vary from 45 minutes to two hours (divided into two sets with a brief intermission between each set). Cello Fury tailors its sets to each specific event, depending on audience size and preference.

Cello Fury's original compositions include the following:

Beat the Clock
Eclipse
Revolution
Combustion
Turmoil
Trogdor
The Depths
Pins and Needles
The Fury
Odyssey
Behind the Veil
Self-Destruction
Going
Against All Odds
The Pain of the Fallen
Shockwave
Nightfall
Misery
Sacrifice
Daybreak
Down the Road
Anarchy
Stars Descending
Ebb and Flow
Ultimatum
Turmoil
Middle Ground
First Pulse
Infinity Rises
Silenced
Repression
Tundra

Basic Requirements

Calendar