It was a cold, cold night in the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island on March 14, 2026. It was also the night the FEMMES OF ROCK returned to the Stadium Theatre for a night of fiery Rock and Roll dispensed through the most unexpected instruments in the string family.
For those not in the know, FEMMES OF ROCK are a 4-piece (sometimes 3-piece) electric violin (and cello) ensemble that plays popular Rock music from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. I know some of you are thinking it must be an orchestral interpretation of the songs I know and love. It’s not! FEMMES OF ROCK redefine what can be done with the violin, and how it can give the iconic guitar a run for its money.
FEMMES OF ROCK performed as a 3-piece in Woonsocket. 5-string electric violinist and front woman Nina DiGregorio was flanked by fellow 5-string electric violinist Christina Rose and cellist Sarah Chaffee. The ladies were backed up by their trusted band, drummer Jeff Tortora, bassist Michael Kelly, and guitarist Richard Belgard.
The night kicked off with an AC/DC medley dominated by electric stringed instruments. While I was expecting instrumental versions of “Highway To Hell”, “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), and the rest, it ended up being a mix of things. Depending on the arrangements, there was a combination of vocals, instrumentals, and stringed instruments playing the vocal melodies. This went on throughout the night.
It was crazy watching Nina, Christina, and Sarah trade verses on their violins and cellos, without singing a note. When they came together to sing, they were in great harmony. The FEMMES OF ROCK made RUSH proud with the medley they put together. I’m not the biggest RUSH fan, but I recognized a couple of tunes.
The troupe was joined on stage by their lead technician and producer Brody Dolyniuk for their take on LED ZEPPELIN classics. If you had closed your eyes, you’d swear a young Robert Plant was on stage. Dolyniuk was powerful in his delivery and hit the high notes with ease. Nina and the ladies emulated the original riffs and solos almost to a tee.
As the night progressed, the FEMMES OF ROCK delivered hit after hit from acts like the EAGLES, GUNS N’ ROSES, MOTLEY CRUE, THE WHO, DROPKICK MURPHYS, ZZ TOP, PETER FRAMPTON, BON JOVI, and more. I am still in awe of how well these songs were transcribed through two violins and a cello.
As great as Nina, Christina, and Sarah were, you couldn’t ignore the talents of their backing band. RUSH is no easy band to play on the drums. Jeff Tortora even came out from behind the kit, in a disguise, to sing “Shipping Up to Boston”. Why he was in a costume is his story to tell. While guitarist Richard Belgard was mainly there for rhythm, he laid down some killer solos when needed.
Speaking of amazing solos, Nina DiGregorio re-created Eddie Van Halen’s famous guitar solo “Eruption” on her fretted electric violin. Somehow, some way, she found a method to finger-tap the strings on her violin, in the same manner Eddie did on his iconic guitar. Belgard and Nina were in a friendly battle for string shredding supremacy.
As night started to draw to a conclusion, the FEMMES OF ROCK pulled out all the stops for their final two songs. Vocalist Brody Dolyniuk returned to the stage for a rousing cover of BLACK SABBATH’s “War Pigs”. The night ended with the song “everyone” requests at any concert ever played…LYNYRD SKYNYRD’s “Free Bird”.
This was the extra long version of “Free Bird” and it set the crowd into a frenzy. The band gave it their all and the ladies played their violins (and cello) with ferocity and precision. They even took the finale into the crowd. When all was said and done, the audience was spent and showed their appreciation with thunderous applause.
While I’ve tried my best to describe a night with the FEMMES OF ROCK, the only true way to experience them is in person. It was truly a night of classic Rock and Roll, unlike any other you’ve experienced.
Check out our interview with Nina DiGregorio
RockIsGeorge.com 
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