Flashback tour recreates classic rock experience

A younger generation will have the chance to experience some of classic rock’s greatest hits live if Rick Bowen has his way. Mystical Orchestra, a rock symphony in the same vein as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has unveiled plans for the Flashback: The Classic Rock Experience Tour. The trek, created by Bowen, will feature symphonic versions of the rock songs that defined the 1960s and ’70s.The 50-date experience begins tomorrow, August 27, in Mobile, AL, and continues through November 16 in Miami, FL.

“The intention is to present the music like it’s never been presented before,” Bowen said in a statement on the tour’s official Web site. “I wanted to do it even better than done originally.”

Each night’s performance will last nearly three hours and consist of two sets. The first set covers classic rock anthems and hits, such as “Smoke on the Water” by Purple Haze, and Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” The band will also perform multiple songs by classic rock heavy-hitters The Doors, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

The second set of the show is dedicated entirely to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, two of the classic rock era’s iconic bands. Mystical Orchestra will perform some of the most recognizable hits, including Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and — of course — Zeppelin’s epic “Stairway to Heaven.”

Bowen noted in the statement, “If we do our job right, this re-creation will be a night to remember, a concert event and experience for multiple generations, as we tour the nation.”

Mystical Orchestra features a 14-person band of musicians and singers, as well as an 11-piece orchestra. In addition to the musical experience, enhanced by two large screens and a 225,000-watt surround sound system, each night will feature a laser light show and pyrotechnics. Billboard.com placed the staging price of the production at almost $5.5 million. Bowen stated the average ticket price would be less than $40.

A second leg of the tour is in the works for February 2009.

Flashback: The Classic Rock Experience itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)