The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra
Biography
Performance Arrangements: Electric 4-piece, Acoustic 4-piece, Acoustic Trio
Zach Nichols
Newgrass Art-Rock
"Groups like The Galactic Cowboy
Orchestra need to be heard, to understand just how high the bar for contemporary instrumental music really is in 2011." - John Ziegler, Duluth New Tribune
"Musically inventive and sonically charged, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra transported the audience to a new artistic plane. What energy! What joy! What a terrific show!" - Steve Schmidt, General Manager, City of Rochester Music Department/Riverside Concerts, Rochester, MN
Fusing together jazz, classical, bluegrass, southern rock, Indian ragas, plus their own original stylings — The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra (GCO) plays with fire, precision and commitment.
The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra is a quartet of highly skilled musicians whose myriad of influences and experience blends
bluegrass, art‐rock, jazz, funk and country into a spine tingling composite played with impeccable precision.
Combining virtuoso musicianship with adventurous writing and an ear for the unexpected, this quartet of fiddle, guitar, bass and drums will awaken the senses with both their instrumental prowess and a presentation of intergalactic panoramas (Hubble Telescope Imagery) that completes the multi‐media extravaganza.
Bluegrass, art‐rock, jazz, funk and country are intertwined with precision and nuance into a stunning blend that leaves listeners searching for superlatives. With bows and picks, and the propulsive energy of the Challenger space shuttle, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra is rocketing into the future.
Combining virtuoso musicianship with adventurous writing and an ear for the unexpected, this quartet of fiddle, guitar, bass and drums will awaken the senses with both their instrumental prowess and a presentation of intergalactic panoramas (Hubble Telescope Imagery) that completes the multi‐media extravaganza.
Bluegrass, art‐rock, jazz, funk and country are intertwined with precision and nuance into a stunning blend that leaves listeners searching for superlatives. With bows and picks, and the propulsive energy of the Challenger space shuttle, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra is rocketing into the future.
 Still of the Hubble Telescope Imagery
|
An Aural and Visual Feast that is a Genre‐Bending Phenonmenon!
The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra (GCO) puts on a multi‐faceted show
including original music, short‐films and backscreen graphics featuring
animated Hubble Telescope Imagery.
The ensemble performs in front of the Hubble Telescope
Imagery throughout the entire performance, and uses the
1‐3 minute short‐films as intros to their original
compositions. They also use short 30‐60 second film‐intros
featuring clips from fan‐favorite comedies including
Spaceballs and The Three Amigos.
The audience is in for a night of serious musicianship combined with intense original compositions, fun recognizable cover songs, gorgeous, awe‐inspiring backscreen graphics and hilarious intro/short‐films. You’re not gonna forget this show! |
"I would heartily endorse the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra for
any venue… Great music, wonderful musicians, a pleasure
to work with... They are expert musicians who also love what they do, and it shows in their performance." - Roger Wm. Anderson, Chairperson, Richard G. Hardy Performing Arts Committee, Cambridge, MN.
The Players:
Dan Neale – Guitar – Dan Neale is one of the Twin Cities’ most adored pickers. He has played with Bo Diddley and has performed as a guest artist and a fill‐in for Pat Donohue on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” He also performed with Chuck Leavell (keyboard player, The Rolling Stones), Hutch Hutchinson (bass player, Bonnie Raitt) and Kenny Arnoff (drummer, John Mellencamp) in the 50th Anniversary Buddy Holly Tribute, backing such greats as Graham Nash and Wanda Jackson.
Lisi Wright – Fiddle – Lisi started fiddling in 2005. Lisi’s background spans the genres of classical, country, bluegrass and rock. She was a member of the MN All State Orchestra in 2002 & 2003 and a member of the Macalester Orchestra (Macalester College).
John Wright – Bass – John is celebrating his 12th year with the Celtic/American folk/folk‐rock band Lehto & Wright. Wright’s background spans many different musical styles including blues, fusion, pop, Latin and rock.
Mark O'Day – Drums/Percussion – Mark is a graduate of the Musicians Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California, where he studied with Joe Porcaro (Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard) Ralph Humphrey (Frank Zappa, Barbra Streisand, Rita Coolidge) and Dave Beyer (Melissa Etheridge, Joan Osborne, Gregg Allman, Michael McDonald). Mark is endorsed by Paiste Cymbals.
Workshops & Demonstrations
Jazz/Country GuitarJazz/Country Fiddle
Jazz/Progressive Bass
Jazz/Progressive Drumming
Galactic Cowboy Orchestra's website
