Spring Break
From Almond Joy to Carmen Sandiego
Rockapella brings variety to a cappella
John Bailey
Issue date: 11/10/08 Section: Focus
The heat was turned up substantially when bass George Baldi stole the show with a rendition of The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." Judging from the audience reaction, Baldi grabbed the strongest moments of the night - from his rumbling "creamy dark chocolate" in the "Almond Joy" jingle to an adorable story about his voice coach.
Rockapella shone at other times, too, with a strong performance by tenor John Brown in "Stand By Me," a frenetic vocal percussion solo from Thatcher and, of course, a raucously received "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
Not every moment was golden, unfortunately. While Rockapella's singing shone, the night dragged noticeably during their between-song banter, with a few misfired jokes.
"I hear the guys around Storrs like to wear Speedos at the beach - what's up with that?" and long-winded stories that outlasted the crowd's energy.
And, though the performance was usually spot-on, there were a few holes. Leonard flubbed a few phrase endings, turning some notes into awkward yelps, and the group's dancing occasionally felt barely controlled: they all looked good individually, but not necessarily together.
Missteps aside, Rockapella's performance was entertaining - and to some, it was even more: "It's because of them that I love a cappella," said Aggrey Ambenge, a 5th-semester economics major. "I like to see them live and performing. It brings tears to your eyes - it's beautiful and majestic."
The group performed a second show on Saturday night.
Rockapella shone at other times, too, with a strong performance by tenor John Brown in "Stand By Me," a frenetic vocal percussion solo from Thatcher and, of course, a raucously received "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
Not every moment was golden, unfortunately. While Rockapella's singing shone, the night dragged noticeably during their between-song banter, with a few misfired jokes.
"I hear the guys around Storrs like to wear Speedos at the beach - what's up with that?" and long-winded stories that outlasted the crowd's energy.
And, though the performance was usually spot-on, there were a few holes. Leonard flubbed a few phrase endings, turning some notes into awkward yelps, and the group's dancing occasionally felt barely controlled: they all looked good individually, but not necessarily together.
Missteps aside, Rockapella's performance was entertaining - and to some, it was even more: "It's because of them that I love a cappella," said Aggrey Ambenge, a 5th-semester economics major. "I like to see them live and performing. It brings tears to your eyes - it's beautiful and majestic."
The group performed a second show on Saturday night.
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