If you think the cello is an instrument used only to play classical music, the Portland Cello Project is about to change your mind.
When this genre-bending collective takes the stage at the Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A in Turners Falls, on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., you’ll hear some classical music, but you’ll also be treated to the music of alternative rock darlings Radiohead and the improvised jazz sounds of John Coltrane. The group has also been known to cover the music of Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Pantera and Beck. Nothing is off limits for the Portland Cello Project.
The collective formed in 2006 when a bunch of well-established classically trained cellists, all living in Portland, Ore., casually got together to drink some beers and play some music. They were having a good time and got to thinking it would be fun to play Bach and Beethoven in bars.
So they did, and during one of the gigs they tossed in a cover of “Toxic” by Brittany Spears. The crowds loved it and their spirited sense of experimentation grew from there. Before they knew it, the Portland Cello Project had taken off.
“It definitely took on a life of its own,” said Douglas Jenkins, musical director of the Portland Cello Project, who has been with the group since its first rehearsal and public performance. “There were no predictions. It happened and it caught on, and we’ve just been going wherever the wind blows with it.”
From the start, the Portland Cello Project had a clear mission statement that remains true to this day: to play cello music in places you wouldn’t normally hear cello music, and to perform and record music that you wouldn’t normally hear on the cello. The members are committed to building bridges across all musical communities by bringing a diverse assortment of musical collaborators on stage with them.
For the show at the Shea, collaborators will be drummer Tyron Hendrix, who has played with Prince and Stevie Wonder; trumpet player Farnell Newton (Aretha Franklin, Bootsy Collins); and vocalist Patti King, a member of the Portland-based band The Shins.
The Portland Cello Project’s first tour in 2008 found the collective opening for metal guitarist Buckethead. Since then the group has toured heavily, playing music everywhere from dingy bars to beautiful theaters.
“In the early days it was crazy, as we’d be playing at 1 a.m. in these rock clubs,” said Jenkins, who also recalled playing in such unique locations as on a loading dock behind City Winery in New York City that had people dancing in the street, and a women’s prison in Alaska. The group continues to do a couple of tours a year during which they only play in clubs.
Some stops feature the band playing the Radiohead album “OK Computer” in its entirety, while others like the Shea show are being billed as “Radiohead, Coltrane and Bach.”
“It’s different every night and the promoter decides what fits best with their community,” Jenkins said. “The show in Turners Falls is going to be one with a lot of variety.”
The music of Radiohead is a favorite of the cellists as they find the complex music both challenging and fun to play. The group, who has recorded eight albums, even devoted an LP to the British group called “Homage to Radiohead.”
With more than 1,000 songs in the Portland Cello Collective’s repertoire, Jenkins said there aren’t any artists the group wants to cover but hasn’t.
“If there was, we’d do it!” Jenkins added, noting that the group is moving in a challenging, new direction.
“What’s really exciting, and you’ll see us do this in Turners Falls, is that we are going to play part of our set totally memorized,” he said. “Our drummer, Tyrone Hendrix, and our trumpet player, Farnell Newton, have brought so much inspiration to us in terms of what to do to get off the page, and to not be reading the music, but also to put on the right show.”
Hendrix learned a lot about putting on a great show from his time working with Prince, and he has brought this experience to the project.
“We’ve been focusing on tightening up our show performance wise, and to get really connected — to not just be reading music all the time,” Jenkins said. “It’s about breaking down barriers, not just between us but with the audience as well. We won’t have music stands on stage for part of the show, and by next year hopefully all the shows will be performed this way.”
The group’s members rotate in and out, and lineups of guest musicians vary for each show. The Shea show will feature five cellists and three guest musicians.
“This is really my favorite ensemble to bring to the East Coast, and listeners can expect a fun, varied show,” Jenkins said.
Advance tickets are $18 and are available at signaturesoundspresents.com or by calling 413-341-3317. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Founded by sisters Cathy and Kristen Henderson, the all-female band Antigone Rising has always lived by the motto “play better than the boys and make sure the fans feel part of the family.” It is a philosophy that has kept the band going since 1998 despite personnel changes, record company hassles and the challenge of a record industry that continues to discriminate against women.
Antigone Rising has always had a strong local following and is performing at the Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St. in Northampton, on Friday night at 7 p.m.
In addition to writing catchy songs, the band is committed to its nonprofit Girls Rising, an educational program in which the band uses conversation, music and its own example to encourage young women to follow their dreams and pursue non-traditional career paths.
Antigone Rising always makes sure to put its belief in Girls Rising into action by recruiting a band featuring young women to open its shows. For Friday’s show, the band is welcoming ZoKi, a talented all-female alternative folk-rock trio based in Amherst. The group’s members are adept singers and songwriters, as well as versatile instrumentalists. ZoKi has played at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield and recently opened for the NRBQ at The Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vt.
Advance tickets are $15 and are available at iheg.com, by phone at 413-586-8686 or at the Northampton Box Office, 76 Main St. in Northampton. Tickets are $18 at the door. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com.