If you haven’t noticed, cello rock quartet Cello Fury is hot right now…sometimes quite literally. While we all have experienced the weather extremes recently, this June has been a flurry of activity for them, from the release of their video for “Infinity Rises” which got 1000+ YouTube views in its first week, to performances in a variety of venues locally. We had an opportunity to catch up with them at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on a very humid Thursday afternoon.
“Extreme heat is always difficult to deal with,” said cellist and spokeswoman Nicole Myers. “The cellos do not react very well. When it is 92 degrees at a lunch time show like at the Arts Festival, the cello strings drop in pitch as it gets hotter. Re-tuning is a constant battle!”
Over 150 people were in attendance. See more images.
“Physically, it's more demanding for us to perform under those circumstances, but performing outdoors shows are always worth it,” Myers continued. “The crowd was great!”
Cello Fury excels at meeting demands. In the three years that the unique rock and classical music fusion group has been rostered with Gateway, they have performed nearly sixty programs in schools throughout Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette, Somerset, Mercer, and Cambria counties – making them one of the most popular performing artists we work with. Constantly evolving, each year they have returned with an updated playlist and a re-tuned program – keeping it fresh for themselves and the K-12 students they reach.
They kick-started this month with a performance of HEART: Function Version Emotion, a collaboration with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, dedicated to patients with pulmonary hypertension and advanced heart disease and benefiting Family House's Family Assistance Fund. In addition to two shows at the arts festival in Katz Plaza, Cello Fury also made an appearance on the Saturday Light Brigade and will be closing out the month with a 5-day Rock Camp at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh.
Continuing their commitment to “inspiring young musicians and giving back to the community,” Cello Fury will round out the summer with Cello Fury’s Rockin' Strings Camp, at Phillips K-5 as part of Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Dreamers Academy. They are one of five individual and artistic teams of artists who are participating in Summer Dreamers as representatives of Gateway to the Arts.
Cello Fury released a self-titled album this past February and celebrated the release with a show at the Rex Theater on Pittsburgh’s South Side on April 22.
Check out their new video by T. Larkin Productions and be sure to follow them on Facebook or CelloFury.com to stay updated on additional happenings, including the upcoming release of two more videos.
Information about Cello Fury's programs available to schools can be found at gatewaytothearts.org.