Spring Break
From Almond Joy to Carmen Sandiego
Rockapella brings variety to a cappella
John Bailey
Issue date: 11/10/08 Section: Focus
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Leonard then led the vocal group in a mock "Preparation H" commercial jingle. The five men also crooned their way through some real commercial tunes of theirs - including the famous "Folgers" coffee jingle.
What's the verdict - is Rockapella a group of corporate sell-outs or talented, enterprising artists?
When the crowd reacts the way they did on Friday night, does it really matter?
"It was amazing - [I loved] all of it, all their voices," said Mercedes Howard, a 5th-semester French major. "I'm in a dream state right now. They dazzled me."
Rockapella took the audience through a tour of their discography, both original compositions and covers, ranging from their very first album - a cover of The Hollies' "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress " - to 2002's "Smilin'" - to their original "Dance With Me."
And, for the most part, they brought the house down. Drawing from R&B, jazz, soul and funk, their smooth vocal harmonies and energetic charm kept the audience clapping, laughing and singing along. Their sound was complemented by the confident beats of Jeff Thatcher - "The kind of vocal percussion in the globe of Earth," Leonard said.
Aided by projection screens imitating a wobbly sunset, "Rockapella" aimed to provide a shot of summer in the increasingly chilly Storrs weather - sand, sun and soul were the watchwords of the night. At one point, the group invited a member of the audience - "Jennifer" - to come on stage and weather the full force of their crooning.
"I was totally jealous of Jennifer," said Valerie Herstatt, a senior at Central Connecticut State University. "Best part of the night? Slowly getting over my jealousy."
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