“Classic Rock” takes on a whole new meaning when the cello-powered combo Break of Reality hits the stage at the Freight. With Patrick Laird, Laura Metcalf, and Ben Capps on cello, and Ivan Trevino on percussion, all classically trained at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, the band brings classical technique and rock and roll energy to make boundary-breaking music, be it an original composition, a song by Tool or Radiohead, or a J. S. Bach arrangement. “At first, we were a heavy metal cello band,” Ivan says. “We had amps, we were loud and played rock covers or original rock tunes. Slowly, our classical side crept into what we were doing for a more all-encompassing sound. We’re still rockin’, but with more nuance.”

Since forming in 2004, the band has released four albums, including their latest, Ten, as well as a new single, “Akpen Birge,” recorded with a special guest the band met while touring Kazakhstan, singer and composer Galymzhan Moldanazar. Akpen Birge means “be on the better side” in Kazakh, and the song shows the band’s best side, with driving energy, churning cello riffs, and haunting vocals. The band’s music has been featured on Dateline NBC and an Emmy-winning segment of PBS’s America’s Investigative Reports, their cover of the theme from Game of Thrones has drawn over 2.5 million YouTube views, and Pandora radio has given them millions of plays a year. “Everything we’ve done, we’ve learned by doing,” Ivan says, and whatever they’re doing, it’s sounding better and better. Check out classic rock like you’ve never heard it before!

visit the Break of Reality website