Michael Jackson is a pop icon. His music has been around for roughly 50 years, and his music continues to hit chords today. This weekend, his music will come to life on stage as the Lansing Symphony Orchestra teams up with Jeans N' Classics to produce a unique sound of two genres meshing.
LSO will share the stage with lead singer Gavin Hope, three female backup vocalists and a four-piece band.
"It sounds so cool, and it is such a buzz to hear material that everyone knows," said Peter Brannan, founder, lead guitarist and arranger for Jeans N' Classics. "It is a terrific sonic experience. It takes those songs to places where people don't generally expect."
The set will include music from Michael Jackson's early years with the Jackson 5, and then span to his more recent hits.
Jeans N' Classics has been around for nearly 20 years, and is comprised of 30 people who play shows with orchestras around the world. It started when Brannan, who is a rocker, wanted to join the two worlds to create a unique auditory sensation, and expose listeners to different genres they may not expect.
"If you are a fan of the orchestra, you are going to hear them do something they may not usually do," Brannan said. "To hear it with the orchestra, to hear those sounds: strings playing in a certain way, the horn section, woodwind and percussion...
"The whole idea is we wanted people to appreciate what the sound is going to be. Acquaint themselves with the idea for an orchestra for a whole bunch of reasons. Aesthetically it is a joyous sound, and I love it. I want to perform music that involves that sound."
Over the years, Brannan said that the shows have brought a variety of people, as well as introduced some musicians to a different style of playing.
"It is a proper rock band, and a proper line-up of very cool singers. Then add it up with the orchestra," said Brannan. "If anyone thinks this is going to be elevator music...they will be quite wrong. It is a really nice, big musical experience and great songs that have been a part of everybody's life now for 50 years."
Thriller! Music of Michael Jackson is being performed at 8 p.m. April 16 at the Wharton Center. Visit the Lansing Symphony Orchestrafor more information.
