Classic Albums Live is a concert series based in Toronto, Ontario, in which musicians perform a classic rock album in its entirety. The series was founded in 2003 by Craig Martin, a musician who had previously produced a series of boutique cabaret shows as well as composed music for television and film.
The musicians go to great lengths to faithfully recreate every sound on the original album. They have performed with orchestras, sitarists, choirs and schools. The shows are treated like recitals with the album being performed in its entirety followed by a 'greatest hits' set of the featured artist.
Albums that have been performed include Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin IV, Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Supertramp's Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America, the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Eagles' Hotel California, Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Wall and Animals, Queen's A Night at the Opera, and the Beatles albums Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (AKA the "White Album"), and Abbey Road.
In recent years, the series has presented concerts in a variety of cities, including Orlando, Florida, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Akron, La Mirada, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Lakeland, Coral Springs, New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Houston, Uncasville, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Rochester, New York. On December 17, 2006, Classic Albums Live performed the entire 213-song Beatles song catalogue in one 13-hour concert at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto.
A different lineup performs each album. There is a group of core musicians who are frequently part of the performances, including Nick Hildyard, Rob Phillips, Lindsay Clark, Leslea Keurvorst, Troy Feener, Clifton David, Dom Polito and Marty Morin. Occasionally, more famous Canadian musicians are brought in as well, including Mia Sheard, Kim Bingham, Nicholas Walsh, and ex-members of Moist. In some venues, they will bring in local musicians to fill needed spots. For example, on June 16, 2006, the group performed the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando; they brought in the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to fill in on the orchestral parts.
When performing in Toronto, they usually play at Massey Hall. The producer of Classic Albums Live has created a musical called Gig which will run in 2016.
List of albums performed: