On Saturday June 13, classical four-piece The Piano Guys are coming to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith for a special one-off performance.
The Piano Guys started life as an internet phenomenon, four Utah dads making classical/rock 'n' roll cross-over music and amassing over 500m views on their Youtube channel filled with self-made quirky videos.
Pianist Jon Schmidt said: "Some of our music is certainly 'classical cross-over', but much of it is classical music put to a drumbeat. The way we write originals, film score arrangements and pop covers is to use the thread from all kinds of music, especially the golden thread of classical music and we weave them together into a tapestry that if you look closely you can see each of the threads and their contribution, but stand back and you see the threads as a collective piece of art that blends together.
"We're not sure if there is a specific category that fits around our music. We would love our music to transcend genre lines - to transcend all lines; race, religion, gender, generation."
This UK tour will start on June 9 and finish at the Eventim Apollo on June 13, and will span from Edinburgh to Nottingham to London.
"We choose many of our concert songs based on their popularity on Youtube," Jon added. "Essentially our audience chooses our setlist.
"Hopefully fans will be able to relax and enjoy the music. We've been told by other fans that our concerts are even better than the videos; they laugh and some even cry. We will be performing music chosen from our most popular videos as well as a few unreleased tunes, comedy bits and surprises."
The Piano Guys have released four studio albums and have just returned from sell-out performances in London and Manchester in 2014. Their albums include: The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys 2, A Family Christmas and Wonders.
"We have a goal of filming at all seven wonders of the world," Jon said. "In terms of tangible things that we are working on for our fans we have just recorded a live album at Carnegie Hall, which will be released in the summer and we are working on a live concert for TV that will be filmed in August at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. Next year we will release a new studio album and we are booked with tours around the world into 2016.
"We want our music to serve as a positive influence in the world, even if it's as simple as brightening someone's day or pulling someone out of discouragement, or uniting the interests of a father and daughter, or even introducing people to classical music and how profound and amazing it can be to appreciate and enjoy."
Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QH - 0844 249 1000
For more information about The Piano Guys, head to their official website.
