Galactic Empire at the Redstone Room at Common Chord -- October 28.
Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 p.m.
The Redstone Room at Common Chord, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
On October 28, the walls of the Redstone Room at Common Chord will be shaking with interstellar excitement at the arrival of Galactic Empire, who will bring to the Davenport venue their singular yet thrillingly familiar takes on unforgettable Star Wars compositions by five-time Academy Award winner John Williams.
As stated at AllMusic.com: “Galactic Empire is a quartet of prog-metal musicians who came up with a novel idea for a group: turn the music of the Star Wars universe into vehicles for metallic shredding, then perform dressed as Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Stormtroopers, and other Sith lords. Guitarists Josh Willis, C.J. Masciantonio, Chris Kelly, drummer Grant McFarland, and bassist Carson Slovak – Willis and Masciantonio both played in Unparalleled Height; Slovak and McFarland were in Century – unveiled their Galactic Empire act via YouTube in December 2015, debuting with a version of the Star Wars 'Main Theme,' which was followed in the spring of 2016 by their take on 'The Imperial March.' By May, the group had started a crowd-funding campaign to record an album and tour, hitting their targets in the middle of summer. Rise Records signed the band and their eponymous debut arrived in February 2017. The following year saw the release of the aptly named Episode II, which focused on the Star Wars sequels.”
In the group's own biography: “By reinterpreting classic selections from legendary composer John Williams' iconic scores from the Star Wars saga into guitar-driven heavy metal, Galactic Empire has created a musical juggernaut feared in many systems. Comprised of some of the most infamous and feared villains in the galaxy – lead guitarist Dark Vader, drummer Boba Sett, guitarists Red Guard and Shadow Ranger, and bassist Bass Commander – Galactic Empire's commitment to their mission is unparalleled. From a foreboding rendition of ‘The Imperial March’ to the sweeping guitars of ‘Duel of the Fates,' the band’s faithful translations of Williams' classic scores has created a new 'force' where fandom and music overlap."
John Williams has been nominated for 54 Academy Awards, currently holding the record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person, and he is the second-most-nominated person in Academy Awards history behind Walt Disney, cited for 59. Williams is the only person to be nominated for an Academy Award in seven consecutive decades (the 1960s through the 2020s), and also the oldest person, at age 91, ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. Forty-eight of Williams's Oscar nominations are for Best Original Score and five are for Best Original Song. He won four Oscars for Best Original Score (for Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. and Schindler's List) and one for Best Adaptation and Original Song Score (for Fiddler on the Roof).
Galactic Empire brings their tour to Davenport's Redstone Room on October 28, admission to the 6:30 p.m. concert event is $20-25, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 and visiting CommonChordQC.org.
