School of Rock Music Students Draw 900 Fans to Back-to-Back Weekend Concerts

September 20, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Entertainment News
ST. PAUL, MN —- Who would think that 8-17 year olds could attract a crowd that many adult rock bands would envy? But that's just what happened the first two weekends in September as students from the Paul Green School of Rock Music
averaged more than 200 people at each of their four concerts.

From Back in Black to Thunderstruck, the students wowed three generations of rock fans in their Tribute to AC/DC at Station 4 on September 7 and 8. Though many people arrived late following
work on Friday night for the early start time of 5:30, midway into
the first set the floor was packed and singing along to Hells Bells. Other favorites from these pioneers of heavy metals such as For Those About to Rock and Highway to Hell were also exceptionally well received. But nothing prepared the crowd for Nate Beck's theatrical closing with his rendition of Big Balls…or his
dedication to his grandfather who was in attendance.

"We couldn't believe the crowds at Station 4," said School of Rock Branch Manager, Kristen Beckman "but the crowds at O'Garas were even bigger when another group of students performed Freedom Rock." Freedom Rock featured songs from the '60s and '70s with the
requisite flower-power, peace signs and anti-war messages as a backdrop. Almost 250 people packed The Garage for each concert, September 15 and 16. The students set the stage for the night's
entertainment with You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet.Stage smoke engulfed the performers while Minna Bue's soulful
vocals engulfed the audience during Somebody to Love and Killian Miller owned the crowd with Flirtin with Disaster. The crowd chanted along to War, the political anthem of the 1970's that rose to number one, sold more than three million copies and earned a Grammy Award nomination.

Though the academic school year has just begun, this concert was the culmination of the Summer Season for School of Rock so the entire cast of 20+ students filled the stage for the appropriate closing song, Alice Cooper's School's Out For Summer.

"I am so proud of these students," said Music Director Jenny Case. "There's no doubt in my mind that several of the students at School of Rock will become local, regional and national rock
stars. They are THAT GOOD!"

As music critic and web editor, Greg Rotta, wrote, "To say the students impress with their range of talent does not do them justice. At a typical School of Rock performance, you will see
students rotating instruments and vocals from the very beginning to
the very end. Students trade off between sets, moving from drums to
guitars to keyboards.A high level of versatility is on display, and they make it look as easy as breathing.

To the uninitiated, the school could seem like a group of kids just goofing around with instruments, but it is so much more. One can not get the full realization of that without checking out one of their shows and seeing for oneself. They made a fan out of me."

If you missed this season's concerts, mark your calendar for January '08 when the students will perform three concerts; Led Zeppelin, Best of the 90s and The Beatles.

To learn more, visit
www.schoolofrock.com/stpaul or call Kristen Beckman, Branch Manager,
at 651.492.6436.