Stringed instruments have always been part of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils unique style, but later this year they will expand that sound through a one-night musical collaboration with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
On Sept. 10, some 50 members of the symphony will join the country rock band to share a selection of songs from the Daredevils’ repertoire.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 25. They may be purchased at HammonsHall.com, by phone at 417-836-7678, or in-person at the Hammons Hall box office.
“Part of the excitement of this collaboration is pairing these two groups together to create something we’ve never done before,” says Kyle Wiley-Pickett, conductor and music director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, in a news release. “I am looking forward to hearing our players with the iconic Daredevils — it is certainly something audiences won’t want to miss.”
The concert falls in the Daredevils’ 50th year, which also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.
“It's a great honor for our band to kick off the 30th Anniversary of Hammons Hall,” says John Dillon, a founding member of the Daredevils, in the release. “We have been a fortunate group of individuals who have been able to share our music all over the world for 50 years. We are thrilled to share the stage with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, which will highlight the songs in a completely different light.”
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The Symphony collaboration is only one of several stops scheduled to celebrate the group’s anniversary year. Others for the Daredevils (minus the symphony) include Eureka Springs, Columbia, Branson, Kansas City, as well as at Silver Dollar City and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.To see the schedule, click here.
The Daredevils began in Springfield in 1971, and went by several different names prior to settling on Cosmic Corncob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils. For most of its existence, though, the group has simply been known as the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
In 1973, the group struck a recording deal with A&M Records, which produced the group’s self-titled debut album. Known affectionately as the “quilt” album based on the design of its cover, it included “If You Wanna Get to Heaven,” their first hit song. According to the group’s website, it also earned the Daredevils a ranking in the 100 Top Pop Album Artists that year — one of many works that solidified the group’s iconic status in the hearts of Ozarkers.
For more information about the Daredevils, visit the group’s website.
