The Daily Campus

Issue date: 1/26/09 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Kevin Mastro Enthusiastic members of the Conn-Men put on an entertaining performance at the a cappella showcase along with other groups such as The Chordials, Extreme Measures, A-minor, Rubyfruit and CDN. The concert promoted upcoming auditions and raised money for charity.

The a cappella showcase concert Friday night was a mixture of fun and charity as UConn's a cappella groups performed at Late Night in the Student Union theater.

The concert was held to promote the a cappella groups' upcoming auditions and to raise money for towns that had been hit hard by Hurricane Ike, like Galveston, Texas. Half of the money brought in during the concert, as well as additional donations is being sent to help with hurricane relief.

Each group played two songs to a full Student Union Theater and pitched their selected audition times. The Chordials kicked off the show with an impressive performance. Amy MacPherson, a 6th-semester communication major, and music director for the Chordials, was pleased with the performance as a whole.

"I thought it was really great that all of the groups could come together and help a greater cause," MacPherson said. "I thought everyone did a great job and the concert represented the a capella community in a very positive light."

Extreme Measures and A-minor, the only two co-ed groups, impressed the audience with their entertaining presentations.

"The show was great," said John Zerio, a 6th-semester psychology major. "I really liked A-minor and their performance. Their songs had some unique dance moves, but they were really entertaining."

Every group had its own unique touches. Some had a signature style, like Rubyfruit and their pink ensembles, while others, such as CDN, used audience participation to entertain the crowd. Each group's individual flair added variety and amusement to the overall performance.

The Conn-men stole the show with their renditions of "One of These Nights" by The Eagles, and "Hey Girl" by OAR. The group's collaborative effort to entertain the crowd gave an added edge to each song they performed.

"The Conn-men were really great," said Alicia Caccavelli, a 6th-semester pharmacy major. "They were definitely the most entertaining group in my opinion."

John DePalma, an 8th-semester music education major, and member of the Conn-men said, "We had a really great turnout for the show. I'm looking forward to having more benefit concerts in the future, I think they are a great way to help those in need."

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