Ukulele Band Review Essay

On the night of October 13th, I had the pleasure of attending a seven-person ukulele band performance at the Eisenhower Auditorium at State College. The ukulele is basically just a smaller version of a guitar, but capable of an impressive range on four stings. It was the first time that I got an opportunity to watch such a divine performance by artists from across the Atlantic. The group showcased a unique talent by finding the hidden beauty between old tunes and new songs, which were harmoniously fused together.

When I was going for the performance, I thought that it would be a two-hour long show where the band would just be playing the ukuleles while singing along but it was much more than that. It is not surprising for one to think that one might get bored at a two-hour long orchestra, but during the whole performance I was at the edge of my seat just wanting to get up and dance. The band was very audience focused and kept everyone engaged throughout with their jokes, songs, and act. The lyrics of the songs they sang were fun and impressive. They sang compositions from different countries and across different genres; two of my favorites

But I was surprised to see how involved the audience was in this, somewhat, demeaning comedy merged with an astonishing harmony of an eight-piece act. A lot of songs were played and sung during the performance. The band members’ voices were very beautiful, and they played their ukuleles alongside with perfection. Each member of the band sang, cracked jokes, played their instrument and introduced each other in an amusing way. The songs were played on different kinds of ukuleles including soprano, tenor, bass, concert and baritone, and each ukulele had a unique sound. Some of them were soft while others had a deep sound, but it was a pleasure listening to both