VIDEO PREMIERE: Cello, djembe, and handpan cover of the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme song
The fifth season of the epic fantasy series “Game of Thrones” begins tonight to HBO, so Scranton musicians Steve Werner and Dan King are celebrating with their own epic cover of the show’s main theme music.
King, who plays cello in A Fire With Friends, and Werner, the drummer for Blinded Passenger, won the audience vote with an improvised jam at last week’s NEPA Scene’s Got Talent open mic and talent contest – this djembe, handpan, and cello cover took a bit more planning.
“My friend Michelle and I were hanging out a few months ago and she actually gave me the idea to try to cover it. We sat for a while and figured out the notes. She’s not a musician, but she has a good ear. We had to change the key to D minor because of the scale of the handpan,” Werner explained.
Werner is known in the area for his unique handpan performances, and it’s easy to see why in the video, which was filmed and edited by Scranton filmmaker Jamie Sutor of Parents’ Basement Productions. It was shot at JL Studios in Olyphant, where Joe Loftus and Jay Preston recorded the song.
“Joe Loftus and Jay Preston were amazing studio to work with. Jamie Sutor did the video on really short notice and did a fantastic job,” Werner added.
“Dan is a beast of a musician and makes any music I do so much better.”
For comparison, the original theme can be played below:
See Werner and King headline NEPA Scene’s Got Talent this Tuesday, April 14 at Thirst T’s Bar & Grill in Olyphant. Sign-ups are at 6:30 p.m., and the event starts at 7 p.m. More information can be be found here.
To watch “A Fine Dining Experience,” a short film by Sutor, click here.
