Straight No Chaser Brings Christmas Cheer to a Sold-Out Crowd

Earlier in the week, I wrote a review of the December 9, 2011 Straight No Chaser show at the Wiltern for the Neon Tommy. Article here or read below.

On Friday night, the ten-man a cappella sensation, Straight No Chaser, entertained a sold-out crowd at the Wiltern Theatre with their eclectic mix of songs, which includes hits from throughout the decades as well as Christmas carols, both old and new. Though this is the third time the group has performed at the Wiltern, and this year’s show featured more theatrics, props, and multimedia than ever before.

Following a short, entertaining video describing the group’s history and rise to fame (reminiscent of the Star Wars films' opening sequences), Straight No Chaser came out to cheers and loud applause, opening up the show with an upbeat arrangement of the Temptations’ “Get Ready.”

They then followed up with a 50's medley, which included doo-wop classics and tunes by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Though only half of them initially stepped out on stage, the other five returned in the middle of the song to try and regain the spotlight; what ensued was a vocal battle between rock and roll and doo-wop on the group’s elaborate setup of risers, until soloist Jerome Collins broke in with a resounding chorus of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” and encouraging the audience to clap and sing along.

The group then went on to an audience favorite, their cover of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” which is mashed up with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and was followed by a steamy version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”

Their next song, Weezer’s “Buddy Holly,” was both charming and fun, and each member of the group sported thick black horn-rimmed glasses in homage to the rock and roll legend. Though it seemed a little rushed, soloist and music director Walter Chase said that the group likes to vary the tempo of the songs from time to time in order to keep things interesting for the group and the audience.

Following “Buddy Holly” was a slower, haunting version of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” The song seemed to get off to a pitchy start, but the harmonies locked as it progressed and the audience was drawn into the song.

Straight No Chaser then seamlessly segued into their holiday set, singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick,” complete with hilarious and unexpected antics.

They then closed out the first half of the show with an animated Straight No Chaser original song, written by Walter Chase, called “The Christmas Can-Can,” which pokes fun at the commercialization of Christmas, as it seems to come earlier and earlier every year. The song features the members of the group doing a kick line and, as they often joke, it also features their award-winning choreography (which has won no awards).

After a brief intermission, the group brought the audience back into the holiday mood with their stunning arrangement of “Carol of the Bells,” which was followed by a medley of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

In what was clearly one of the night’s highlights, basses Charlie Mechling and Randy Stine captivated the audience’s imagination as they, along with tenor Jerome Collins, took center stage during ”You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” hitting notes so low that the audience’s seats rumbled.

The group’s next song, “¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?,” was fun and energetic and both showcased more of their dance moves and gave the nicknames of each group member.

Straight No Chaser transitioned out of their holiday set with a medley of songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, which showcased the group’s high tenors. Soloist Tyler Trepp’s high notes soared, showing off his impressive vocal range, prompting fellow tenor Ryan Ahlwardt to comment, “Because nothing says ‘Walk Like a Man’ than singing higher than any man ever should” before introducing the next song, a moving and emotional cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You.”

Straight No Chaser then closed out the night by introducing themselves, then singing a medley of current hits, including Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and “Paparazzi.”

But the sold-out audience hadn’t had enough. The group came out for three encores; first, they sang another fan-favorite, their popular mashup “Billie Jean/Poison.”

For their second encore, Straight No Chaser performed the song that got them signed to a record deal, their version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” which was fun, fresh, and filled with new surprises even though they have performed this song for more than three years.

Their final encore of the night was an off-mic version of “O Holy Night,” led by Jerome Collins on the solo. Though it was undoubtedly easier to hear the group’s third encore in some places more than others, the audience was completely still as these ten powerful voices filled the theatre without the help of any electronic equipment, and it became clear that Straight No Chaser is not just a performing group, but they are also ten talented musicians with passion and raw talent.

As a whole, the show was more than just a concert; it was a production. With an elaborate setup of risers, incredible lighting design which added to the changing mood and atmosphere of each song, and witty banter between songs, Straight No Chaser showed that they are more than just a bunch of choir geeks; they are true performers who are making a cappella cool again.

Straight No Chaser has just released a new EP, “Six Pack, Vol. 2,” which features many of the songs from their fall tour show. They will also be performing in Fresno on New Year’s Eve and in Anaheim in March.

Reach reporter Shaina Eng here. Follow Shaina on Twitter.

AcaPolitics

I had first heard about this novel from Sarah Twilley, aca-aficionado. I probably heard about it but just hadn't had the time to really sit down and read it in its early stages when it was published on the blog, and so it stayed forever bookmarked on my browser. Of course, when I found out that an actual hard copy of the novel was going to be released, I knew that I had to get my hands on a copy. But, as fate would have it, I would have the opportunity to read the novel and review it, getting my hands on a copy days before the release date.

Of course, school decided to get in the way between me and my aca-indulgence, but I was able to read through the bulk of the novel on the release date. I just couldn't put the book down; it was THAT good.

Before you keep reading, yes, this review is my own personal review, and not something that will be published either on the Neon Tommy or on SNC Quarter Notes, though I will be sure to post those links as soon as they're up. And now back to the review.

Having been a spectator of the aca-world for about four years, I had always been entranced by the performance aspect of a cappella groups, as most are. I focused mainly on the art of a cappella music and performance, but never had I heard about anything that goes on behind the scenes. Even now, as I am a member of a co-ed Christian a cappella group at the University of Southern California (Overflow), the particular circumstances described in the novel have not actually resembled my experiences at all, so this opened up a whole new side of the a cappella world that I didn't even know existed.

The novel follows the a cappella scene at a fictional Midwestern university, Brighton University, the six a cappella groups of Brighton, and several of the singers in these different groups during the span of one year. In particular, we follow the two co-ed groups, the Harmoniums and the Chorderoys, the pursuits of their respective presidents, Dani and Taylor, and a few fresh-faced first years, auditioning for the various groups. And though there seemed to be a lot of characters and sub-plots to have to follow throughout the course of the novel, art imitates life--just as in real life, we get to know each and every character's backstory, and the reader soon finds out that living the aca-lifestyle is anything but simple.

It seems that the central plot surrounds the Harmoniums and the Chorderoys as they fight for survival; you see, at the beginning of the year, it's revealed Brighton's Student Government plans to cease funding for one of the school's six groups, which basically means dissolving a group. The president the Harmoniums, Dani, and the president of the Chorderoys, Taylor, figure that since the two groups are so similar, they're the two that are the most at risk. (Of course, there are other reasons, but you need to read to book to learn about those!) The book then shows the various tactics that the two groups employ to ensure that they will come out on top.

Within this plot, we follow Ben, brand-new to Brighton, and his pursuits in the acaverse. In fact, we meet a whole slew of fresh-faced aca-newbies: Akash, Caroline, Nicole, and Renee. We follow them through the initial stages of a cappella discovery, auditions, initiation, and integration. Right from the start, a romantic subplot emerges; Ben is attracted to Caroline, and they seem to have everything in common. Too bad Caroline has a boyfriend...

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave me some interesting insights into the world and politics behind "real" collegiate a cappella (or maybe a different a cappella scene), and it's definitely something that aca-nerds and aca-virgins alike will enjoy. Though there seemed to be a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep track of, that's the nature of an a cappella group (since most a cappella groups, especially co-ed ones, are rather large in size). However, I did feel that some of the more minor characters were not developed adequately; they fall right between the category of being developed too much and not being developed enough. Take, for example, Akash. Not wanting to be pegged as a Brighton "legacy" student (all the buildings on Brighton's campus seem to be named after his rather wealthy grandfather and his uncle was a founding member of one of the all-male groups, the Gobfellas), Akash decides to hide this aspect of his heritage. But after Akash makes this decision, we hear nothing more about it. Did the other members of the group he joined (which I shall not divulge) find out? There were just some details that seemed to fall by the wayside, which contributed to some iffy character development.

But, of course, I thought that this was a great aca-novel and an all-around fun read. Character development aside, I enjoyed the plot and took delight in a few unexpected twists and developments, and I also found the renaming of certain a cappella organizations and events entertaining ("MASA" for CASA and "WCA" for ICCA). If you ever want to take a peek into the workings of a collegiate a cappella group, or even if you're looking for a fun read, I'd definitely check this book out.

AcaPolitics is available on Amazon and is written by Stephen Harrison.