SANDY — Tickets to The Piano Guys' live concert at the Sandy Amphitheater July 14 sold out over the weekend, according to an amphitheater information operator.
Most people know The Piano Guys from YouTube. The group, made up of Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson, Paul Anderson, Tel Stewart and Al Van Der Beek, started making videos together about three years ago. Paul Anderson, who owned a piano store in St. George named The Piano Guys, got an idea to start a YouTube channel with videos advertising the store. He met Schmidt when Schmidt came into his store and asked if he could use a piano to practice before a concert. Anderson was impressed by the pianist's skill and they filmed a few music videos together with videographer Stewart and sound editor Van Der Beek. Then Schmidt introduced Anderson to cellist Nelson.
Their first big hit was an arrangement written by Schmidt and Nelson called "Love Story Meets Viva La Vida," a marriage of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." The video generated millions of views and inspired the formation of The Piano Guys, who have been making videos ever since.
"We started out as just a bunch of guys having fun writing music, making videos, and it just seemed to strike a chord with people all over the world and we were like, 'Whoa,'" Schmidt said in a Piano Guys promotional video on thepianoguys.com.
The Piano Guys have upcoming performances in Rexburg, Idaho July 26; Eden, Utah August 11; Lehi, Utah September 1 and Salt Lake City December 14 and 15.
More information about upcoming concerts can be found on The Piano Guys' Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/PianoGuys. Watch them in action on their YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePianoGuys.
If you go...
What: The Piano Guys Live Concert
When: July 14, 8 p.m.
Where: Sandy City Amphitheater 1245 E. 9400 South
Tickets to Piano Guys live concert sold out
In "Michael Meets Mozart," Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson and Al Van Der Beek arranged an original tune, "mashing" Michael Jackson's music with "Mozartean" techniques.
Email: jhenrie@desnews.com