During the last weekend of November, every a cappella nerd in the area was in a state of elation. Both Pentatonix (PTX), of “Sing-off” fame, and Straight No Chaser (SNC), from Indiana University, performed shows in St. Louis. While these groups are two of the most popular a cappella groups in the country, their styles and appeal could not be more different.
Straight No Chaser began at Indiana University in 1996 when ten guys realized they had one interest in common: girls.
Oh, and singing.
After excelling as an a cappella group at IU during their studies, the members graduated and moved on to careers mostly outside of music. But ten years later, when their video of “12 Days of Christmas” reached over 7 million views in one year, Atlantic Records contacted them about getting back together. Since then, the ten men have traveled around the country performing in concert and on television and recording multiple albums.
“We take our music very seriously. We just don’t take ourselves seriously,” Ryan Ahlwardt, a tenor in the all-male a cappella ensemble said.
This group functions best as a goofy, entertaining a cappella group, covering popular songs and including generic dance moves. Highlights of the concert included the “Fix You, I’m Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow” mash-up and “12 Days of Christmas.” The arrangements were overall incredibly elaborate and appealing. Many of the tunes interwove two completely different songs, creating an entirely new feeling and sound.
“People respond most to […] hearing songs in a completely different way,” said Ahlwardt, who writes some of the song arrangements for SNC. “Some people even like that better. That’s very rewarding as an arranger!”
Between songs, the men entertained the audience with funny bits. Charlie Mechling, one of the impressive basses in the group, gave a hilarious monologue about what it’s like to go to the movies. The group followed with a song consisting entirely of epic movie theme songs. Straight No Chaser by no means bends the rules of a cappella, but you are sure to be entertained at their shows as they combine top-notch singing with comedy.
Pentatonix, on the other hand, has only five members. This young group was formed last year, winning the popular NBC reality show, “The Sing-Off.” They won’t have you roaring with laughter, but this group truly understands how to arrange music to incorporate the theatrically of a song. Their song arrangements sound almost computer-generated, although the group performs everything live with only their voices. PTX performed many of their famous songs from “The Sing-Off,” with several new ones, including Beyonce’s “End of Time” and “Nature Boy.”
Highlights from the night include an interactive a cappella session with bass Avi Kaplan and vocal percussionist, Kevin Olusola. Although the impressive vocal gymnastics of the three main singers are part of the appeal of the group, the risks and choices made by Kaplan and Olusola are truly Pentatonix’s foundation. When the three main singers took a break, Kaplan and Olusola took center stage and led the audience in their own arrangement.
Each group has its own gimmick, and both Straight No Chaser and Pentatonix delivered solid shows. To read more about Straight No Chaser, visit sncmusic.com. Visit pentatonix.org to learn more about Pentatonix.
