Jenny Gafron was uncertain she could pull it off. Her classically trained opera voice is a long way from the hard rock scream of Led Zeppelin.
"I was raised on everything from The Beatles to 80s hair bands," said the 27-year-old Gafron, who was familiar with the British act. "But did I ever even THINK I would be singing Led Zeppelin? No."
But there is the Columbus North High School choir director delivering a powerfully howling rendition of the act’s 1970 classic "Immigrant Song" halfway through the taped, hour-long virtual American Pie 2021 concert now available on the cnhs media YouTube channel.
The 37th annual concert regularly features local students, some faculty, and a few community members crooning tunes that reflect or highlight segments of history from the 1950s onward — all with a tight, local and mostly professional band.
"I was very out of my element," Gafron said.
But seemingly very on-target with her fittingly intense presentation channeling Led Zeppelin lead vocalist Robert Plant.
The concert long known as The Magical History Tour, since it melds passionate pop-rock with sometimes searing social commentary and narration about societal change and upheaval, is back in a big way. Granted, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no usual 1,000-person live audience for the 12-song presentation.
However, coordinator and rock guitarist Jerry Mihay, a Columbus North government and U.S. history teacher, calls the instrumental and vocal performances "excellent." Ira Montgomery’s show opener with Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel" seems to bear witness to that.
The Columbus East high-schooler seems the perfect choice to channel The King. His Facebook feed includes a shot or two of the late artist. He naturally slicks back his hair like Presley, and heavens to hip-shakin’ he croons superbly with the cocky, jazzy, mumbly vocals of the late legend.
Concert founder Ed Niespodziani, a now-retired North history teacher, used to say that one of the best parts of assembling the show was watching students and others nearly morph into an alter ego when they hit the stage as something like bell-bottomed flower children to sing of everything from broken promises to broken hearts.
For example, plenty of locals probably have seen North’s Molly Hotek perform in the past with the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir, or perhaps seen her onstage with Mill Race Theatre Company. But it’s doubtful few have seen her in her American Pie persona as the soulful lead singer of The Shangri-Las on their 1965 heartbreak hit "Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand)." When Hotek emotionally grabs the mic stand and pulls it to her with both hands near the tune’s bridge, one can feel her angst.
Plus, as always with the concert, dead-on details such as her teased locks and perfect cat-eye makeup make one feel that they are knee-deep in the mid-1960s. Moreover, many will find that the only thing glittering more than her period, sassy, sarong dress are her vocals that sound more polished than the original recording.
"She’s phenomenal," said concert volunteer Karen Allen.
Other performers agree with Gafron that much of the show is stepping out of a comfort zone. North student Alex Holloway felt that, especially since his show-tune background and choir interests are far removed from the general American Pie soundtrack. He sings backup in "Southern Man" and the anger-fueled "Signs" protest anthem of 1970.
But now his ears are tuned a little differently.
"After listening to all of the music from Pie, I can say I really like more than half of the set list," Holloway said.
North student and American Pie rookie Evyana Polyak offers backup vocals on three different tunes, including the Beatles’ "Yellow Submarine" from 1966.
"I’m used to performing, but never in a setting anything like that," Polyak said, referring to herself as "a choir and musical theater kid." "So it was really fun, and I had a great time."
The production took more than 100 people to become a reality. That includes art students who made posters for the event to North media adviser Rachel McCarver’s video production students whose camera work and editing looks spot-on.
A choir of concert vocalists closes the show with Kool and the Gang’s 1980 festive fanfare "Celebration."
"I just thought that song was very appropriate to end it," Mihay said.
The show coordinator plays key guitar parts throughout the performance. He is often shown on camera, eyes closed as if he is visualizing a collection of long-haired rock gods smiling on the gathering.
Someone lightheartedly asked him if the video captures his best side.
He was thoroughly in tune with the spirit of the inquiry.
"My best side?" Mihay asked. "You mean my back?"
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About the concert” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: The virtual American Pie 2021: The Magical History Tour, mixing tidbits of history from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s with classic pop-rock tunes of the day.
Who: Local students, faculty and others.
Where: On the cnhs media YouTube.com channel.
Length: 1 hour, 12 songs.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
