ACB Event Review: ICCA 2008 Mid-Atlantic Semifinals at Rutgers University
By Mike Chin on Apr 8, 2008 in Event Reviews, Featured, News
Mike Chin checking in here after a solid competition at Rutgers this weekend. The Nicholas Music Center was packed with spectators and, similar to last year’s Mid-Atlantic Semifinal, there was a ‘big show’ feeling in the air. There were easily several hundred people in attendance, and it was neat to see the factions coming to cheer on their groups—a Drew University contingent up toward the stage, a Syracuse crew toward the back, a band of Ithaca backers, mostly in the middle and, of course, a majority of the crowd presenting the Rutgers faithful, there to support Casual Harmony.
For this show, we’ll be going with a he said-he said style, with both my own commentary, and the words of ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise.
Mike S: The venue was probably one of the nicest and best-equipped for vocal performances I’ve seen. I walked in to find a well-lit stage with acoustic walls behind it and acoustic tiles around the auditorium. Couple that with stadium seating and we have the makings for a great show. This was surprising since last year’s ICCA Mid-Atlantic Semifinal at Rutgers was located in a level room with a makeshift stage, and quite a few more people than there were folding chairs to seat them.
Mike C: The show opened about a half hour late, and the crowd was none-too-pleased. Deep Treble, the Rutgers mixed group which won this very show a year ago, played host and opened the night with Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Not bad, but I certainly could have done without the ‘guitar solo.’
Rutgers University Casual Harmony was the first of the evening’s competing groups. I must confess from the get-go that this is one of my favorite groups in all of collegiate a cappella. I first saw them in semifinal action three years ago at Cornell, where their insane rendering of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” continues to stand out as one of the greatest a cappella performances I’ve seen, specifically from the soloist. Since then, I’ve seen the guys perform several times, and they’ve never failed to impress. You wouldn’t get any argument from the home crowd, which was behind the guys 100 percent.
The guys took the stage in their standard multi-colored collared shirts and jeans, and opened with Dave Matthews Band’s “Stay.” Slick solo here. Good stage presence, and a silky smooth voice from the guy, though the song seemed to get away from him a bit at the end. In the background, everyone was dipping at the knees in rhythm. Very, very simple, but the guys were into it, and it looked good. All in all it was a good song, but nothing out of this world, and a bit too laid back for a high octane group like this to use for their opener.
Mike S: I thought “Stay” was a really good song selection for the competition – not a slow, dull song, but also not extremely energetic, making me think there was more to come. The backup vocalists had some interesting choreography, with a two-hand lunge toward the audience, followed by dribbling movements, and as you might expect, even a few shooting gestures. The soloist looked confident during the performance and was right on key throughout the song. Really good start to the night.
Mike C: Next up was the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” I credit the guys for using some mainstream music, as I think that can really help draw an audience in. This one was interesting. I thought the soloist had a good voice, and he was giving the facials his all. For all the effort, though, I just don’t think this was the man for the song. The theatrics came off alternately too put on or just not evident enough. Some good dynamics from the group in general, and again, some good, very simple movement. I write it all the time, but you don’t need full on choreography for every song. Some simple movement, well-sold, will do plenty to engage your audience, and that’s something this group understands well.
Mike S: “Iris” was a good song choice in my opinion. Appropriately, there were much fewer, more subtle movements by the backup vocalists, which was fine. I think that with a little more movement, it could have been a little more visually appealing. However, the solo and full sound of the backup vocals more than compensated for the choreography.
Mike C: Contrary to the preceding tune, last up was Casual Harmony’s trademark overblown, insanely choreographed monster of a song. It was “Paralyzer” by Finger 11. This one wasn’t bad, but didn’t really do anything to wow me musically. But man, can these guys move. For my money, there is absolutely no group in collegiate a cappella who can integrate movement this well into a set, and yet make it look completely effortless. From a visual perspective, it was an excellent way to wrap things up, though I would have liked a better musical outing.
I really enjoyed the Casual Harmony set, and am hard pressed to recall a better opening group at any ICCA show I’ve attended. With that being said, I can’t deny that the Rutgers fans started getting on my nerves with their pervasive “RU” chant. If the guys were to win, I’d have no problem with the crowd celebrating that full tilt. But, please, save it for that sort of moment.
Mike S: The last song of the set was “Paralyzer.” Surprisingly, I was a little put out by this performance. The solo sounded almost forced, which I’m not sure is a result of the soloist or the just the song selection. The choreography was a complete 180 from the previous song, with side steps and movements all around the stage. I’m happy to see more action, but vocally speaking, I think this song was slightly lacking.
All in all, Casual Harmony gave a strong performance, showcasing a variety of songs and setting the bar high for their competitors.
Set Summary:
1. “Stay” by Dave Matthews Band
2. “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls
3. “Paralyzer” by Finger 11
Mike C: The evening’s emcees were A For Effort, and improve group from Rutgers. This created an interesting dynamic, as they weren’t reading descriptions the group wrote in advance, as is custom, but rather improvising sketches to illustrate the group names. It was hit and miss, but I appreciate the effort, and willingness to try something new.
The second competing group was Ithaca College’s Ithacappella. This group is always entertaining, always musically sound. Over the years, they’ve become something like the bridesmaids of ICCA—making their fourth straight consecutive trip to the semifinals, and competitive in each outing, but not one berth in the ICCA Finals to show for it. You have to believe that these guys wanted it bad coming into Rutgers.
The men of Ithacappella came out in their signature blue blazers, khakis and ties, a sharp look for sure. They opened with “Get Ready” by The Temptations. I have to admit that I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a smarter opening song for an ICCA set. It’s upbeat, fun, lyrically applicable to the start of a set, and the guys pulled it off well. There was plenty of movement, though the choreography grew a bit repetitive for my tastes. It was well-executed and entertaining nonetheless, and the sound was good. My only complaint was that it seemed to run a little long—I may have liked for them to trim it a little, or sample something, but not a huge problem.
Mike S: “Get Ready” is not my favorite song, but a really good choice. The choreography was a combination of turns and steps around the stage which matched the vocals to a T. The sound was full, yet not so much as to drown out either of the soloists. For a song I’m not too fond of, I was entertained.
Mike C: The guys opted to talk between songs, introducing the next number and soloists—a quirky, interesting choice. Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” was the second number. I would have liked to have heard more of a change in tempo, but I can also respect the decision to buck tradition, and not turn to a ballad in the middle of the set. Another, good, high energy performance, featuring a few fun syllable choices, an a choral sampling of “Basket Case,” which I really enjoyed. Good stuff, all around.
Mike S: Prior to the start of the second song, one of the group members asked if the audience liked Green Day. This made me wonder if they had a medley planned. Luckily I like Green Day. Sure enough, they began singing “Welcome to Paradise.” Interesting song choice, which wouldn’t be the first song I’d think of to perform a cappella, but the group did a great job. The solo sounded really clear and was the right volume level. The choreography featured a plethora of movement, including head tilts, hand-to-ear gestures, and, of course, pelvic thrusts. The group also interjected “ooga-chaka” a few times throughout the song, eventually followed by a transition to “Basket Case.” I thought it was all really good.
Mike C: The guys had me wondering how they would close the set. Convention has your last song be your highest energy one, but it was tough to believe they’d have much left in the tank after the first two, and they hadn’t yet pulled at the heartstrings much. Introducing, Nate Tao as Stevie Wonder. You’ve gotta love the little Asian guy, and man could he sing. Fantastic solo, for a great combination of beautiful music and fun theatrics from the group. Ordinarily, I don’t like for a group to try to be funny during a ballad, and this song was just enough of a ‘tweener that the group could afford a mix of emotions. Solid, solid set.
Mike S: The final song was “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. Perfect song for this competition if performed and choreographed right. I have to say, the group made the right decision picking the soloist and choreography for this arrangement. The solo was dead on. The choreography was just right for the song, with a mixture of finger snaps, arm extensions and retractions, and various head movements. I thought this would win best solo. All in all, it was a stellar performance.
Set Summary:
1. “Get Ready” by The Temptations
2. “Welcome to Paradise” by Green Day
3. “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder
Mike C: Next up were Penn State’s Shades of Blue. The emcees introduced them with their players acting depressed for different reasons. Get it? Depressed, as in they were blue? Shades of blue? What can I say, I’m a sucker for a bad pun.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—I don’t care for the Shades of Blue attire, with different colored blue tops, and black bottoms. I get what they’re going for, but it just isn’t aesthetically pleasing to me. Fortunately, just like last year, the performance exceeded the look for the group. They opened with Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is A Highway.” I’ve been wanting to hear this song a cappella for quite a while, but always envisioned it as a big, rousing closer. This was good, but not quite what I hoped for. A ton of movement which was fun to see. Pretty good solo, but I struggled to understand why a female soloist was covering this one, in a mixed group.
Mike S: I saw Shades of Blue perform at last year’s semifinals, and was expecting an improved performance, filling any gaps from last year. I had mixed feelings overall. The first song of the set was “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane. I think this song was a decent choice for the competition. The group began with their backs to the audience, which made me hope for something exciting, or at least some cool moves. The group did a good job on the whole choreography front for this song, with turns, leg shifting, dancing, and clapping. The solo, however, left something to be desired. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but it was really fast. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but it just didn’t sound right. Why go faster than necessary unless you have a specific reason like a medley or something comedic? I thought it was also too loud, almost screaming rather than singing. Don’t get me wrong, the soloist had a very good voice, but just take it down a little bit.
Mike C: Second up was “Rain” by Breaking Benjamin. Very good solo here, with a decent second solo complementing him. Beautiful sound all around on this one, though, as was the case in the first song (and as would continue into the third number) something about the staging of the song gave me the sense I was watching musical theatre rather than collegiate a cappella. It was well executed enough that that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t necessarily great either.
Mike S: “Rain” was a much slower song. I had never heard the song before, but the backup vocals sounded full, as did the duet. There wasn’t a great deal of exciting movements, which is common of slower songs. (Even though I think that you can still take advantage of the choreography piece with slower songs) By the end of the song, I was getting a little bored, but was surprisingly interested in how they transitioned themselves to their third piece.
Mike C: The set came to a close with The Beatles’ “Let It Be.” This was really interesting to me. Great male solo to start. The female soloist who took over next was over the top to me, though, and kind of took away from the song. Very interesting visual presentation on this one, highlighted with anywhere from one to four members communicating the song in sign language throughout. Very interesting choice, which I liked in that it was different and inclusive, though I had to question the number of hard of hearing folks who would attend an a cappella show, and I didn’t like that the members who signed weren’t singing at all when they did so. Maybe I’m just being ignorant, though, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. All in all, it was an ambitious, aurally pleasing, and certainly off-beat set.
Mike S: “Let it Be” began with some group members standing and others kneeling, having not moved from their ending positions of the previous performance. Again, a slower song choice, but one that the Shades made work for them. Aside from the good vocals and choreography, the group had one of the members interpreting the song in sign language—an interesting twist that proved to be unique and innovative.
Set Summary:
1. “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
2. “Rain” by Breaking Benjamin
3. “Let It Be” by The Beatles
Mike C: Fourth in the queue were the Syracuse University Mandarins. The emcees introduced them by pretending to speak Mandarin Chinese—marginally entertaining. The Mandarins are a talented all-female group which has, historically, enjoyed its share of success including multiple trips to the semifinals, and even one journey into the Finals, in 2004.
The Mandarins took the stage dressed in black with silver highlights. Sharp look all around. The first song was Sonya Kitchell’s “Let Me Go.” Very solid, understated solo. I dig a really good solo, where it doesn’t feel as though the soloist is really ‘performing’ if that makes sense. Good sound all around, and nice level of subtle movement, that was just enough to keep it interesting, but not be awkward or overblown.
Mike S: I wasn’t familiar with “Let Me Go,” but as it turns out, it was a great piece for the competition. The solo was the right volume and sounded really good with the backup vocals. The choreography and vocal percussion were both superb, with just enough pizzazz to make the song work.
Mike C: Next up was Madonna’s “Take A Bow.” Decent soloist, and I liked that the group rearranged their configuration on stage, making it interesting to look at it without even having to move, until they spread out toward the end. Decent soloist here, but I really liked the backing solo, and I feel like her performance is what elevated this song from just OK to actively good.
Mike S: “Take A Bow” isn’t something I would pick for the competition, only for the fact that it is somewhat low and slow, making it more difficult to come up with creative choreography. As expected, the choreography consisted of swaying back and forth. The vocals were decent, but not great.
Mike C: Last up was “Love You I Do,” from Dreamgirls. Good soloist. Song seemed a little high for her, which is a shame, because I know how well she can rip through a song that’s fully in her range. Still, a solid outing for her. Good sound, and a lot of fun movement here, though the movement didn’t play quite as well here, in juxtaposition with so many other strong visual performances, in contrast to the group’s quarterfinal show, where they had more of an opportunity to shine. All in all, a good set, but as a whole, it didn’t hold up quite so well at this level of the competition.
Mike S: I was hoping for a great performance to finish the set. I got an OK performance. I like a lot of the choreography that the Mandarins use, and this was no exception. They used a lot of good arm movements and steps, and were able to pull off the vocals.
Set Summary:
1. “Let Me Go” by Sonya Kitchell
2. “Take a Bow” by Madonna
3. “Love You I Do” from Dreamgirls
Mike C: Intermission time. Pump out the BOCA.
The fifth group was the University of Rochester’s all-female Vocal Point. I’ve gotten to see Vocal Point a number of times before. Year after year, their level of performance seems pretty consistent—good enough to be in the upper tier of just about any quarterfinal, but not impressive enough to make much of a dent beyond that level of competition.
Vocal Point opened its set with “Wishing I Was There” by Natalie Imbruglia. Decent solo. Choreography was OK, but I couldn’t help feeling the girls weren’t selling it full-tilt, which just isn’t going to make for an entertaining show. Only thing that really stood out here for me was the vocal perc, which was pretty darn good.
Mike S: Much like the other all-female group, the Mandarins, Vocal Point arrived on stage in all black, looking very classy. The group started with “Wishing I was There,” which wasn’t a bad pick. I think this was a good song choice to showcase both vocals and choreography. The solo was very good, sounding a lot like Natalie Imbruglia. To complement that, the choreography was a pleasant mix of arm movements, and cross hand-slapping.
Mike C: Second was “The Walk” by Imogen Heap. OK solo. Some good variation in the dynamics, with a big crescendo moving into the end. I found the movement distracting—once again, the right idea, but not executed well enough. The sort of slow motion grapevine move they put into play just looked awkward, and distracted me from the music.
Mike S: “The Walk” was equally as good as the first. The backing vocalists, vocal percussionist, and soloist came together nicely. The choreography consisted of various leg movements swaying in and out, with a few unique steps, and a few arm extensions throughout the song. The arrangement itself was all in all very good.
Mike C: Vocal Point finished its set with Matchbox 20’s “Downfall.” It occurred to me as they started what an amazing idea this was for wrapping up a set. It’s a borderline epic song, with the original featuring a full gospel choir. Put this song in the right group’s hands—in my mind, the hands of a really good mixed group—and you have an amazing experience. This group wasn’t quite up to the task. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really memorable either, making for a lackluster finish.
Mike S: The final song of the set again was a good choice. I would have opted for something a little more different from the previous two, but it was fine. What I noticed most about this performance, oddly enough, was the vocal percussion. Although VP alone isn’t what will win you a competition, I thought that this was a really good performance. Likewise, the snapping fingers, swaying, and clapping meshed well with the rest of the performance. I was definitely OK with it.
Set Summary:
1. “Wishing I Was There” by Natalie Imbruglia
2. “The Walk” by Imogen Heap
3. “Downfall” by Matchbox 20
Mike C: A for Effort introduced Drew University’s 36 Madison Avenue by portraying lost travelers, trying to find their way to—you guessed it—36 Madison Avenue. Faithful readers may recall that Mad Ave was among my favorite groups from last year, and probably the one I would have recognized as most underrated in the Mid-Atlantic at that time. It was good to see the guys return to the semifinals stage this year.
The guys came clad in all black dress clothes, and different brightly colored ties. It made for a pretty fantastic look. They opened with Rufus Wainwright’s “Instant Pleasure.” Soloist was good, but not great. Good energy from the group behind him, with some fun choreography, including a repeated high five move in the back. They sampled The Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself” in the middle. All in all, it was a good song, but not something I would have taken to competition—in part for performance quality, but much more so for subject matter. Not knowing the judges individual sensibilities, and knowing that the shows are supposed to be family friendly, the lines about wanting someone to give them sex whenever they want it may not have been the best choices.
Mike S: The group started their set with “Instant Pleasure” by Rufus Wainwright, which I thought was a decent choice. The movements were also well choreographed and consisted of pulling motions, various hand moves, and hip thrusts. The soloist seemed very confident on stage, blending well with the backup vocals and vocal percussion. In fact, the group transitioned into “I Touch Myself” – Vinyls by the end of the piece. Not a bad start.
Mike C: Second was Citizen Cope’s “Son’s Gonna Rise.” Good charisma from the soloist, and, again, good energy from the group. I wasn’t all that engaged, but I think it was mostly a problem with song selection, rather than anything the guys did or did not do. A bit of a let down on that one.
Mike S: “Son’s Gonna Rise” was an interesting choice. The vocals were good—nothing breathtaking. The vocal percussion could have used a little work. However, I thought the mix of pulls and head turns was really cool. They managed to pull everything together by the end of the song to make it a decent performance.
Mike C: Third song was Everlife’s “Strangers Like Me.” Strong solo, if a little music-theater-sounding. Good, simple choreography. Sampling of Phil Collins’s “Take Me Home,” and they let the two songs bleed into one another at the end. I really wanted that moment to be bigger, with a richer sound. What could have been pretty incredible was just good, rounding out a set that, all around, just wasn’t as great as I would have hoped.
Mike S: The vocals were good on the last song, with a sound solo, and decent choreography. The group managed to combine turns, ducks, and kneels in a way that flowed surprisingly well with the vocals. The only vocal criticism I have was that the soloist sounded a little more Broadway than I thought he should have, and I wasn’t sure if the performance as a whole was good enough to compete with a lot of the other groups.
Set Summary:
1. “Instant Pleasure” by Rufus Wainwright
2. “Son’s Gonna Rise” by Citizen Cope
3. “Strangers Like Me” by Everlife
Mike C: Next up were The Carnegie Mellon University Originals, who the improve group introduced by acting as a group of super heroes, billing themselves as The Originals.
The Originals were a bunch of young looking guys. Decent enough choice of attire—white shirts, blue ties, blue jeans. The guys started with “Jukebox Hero” by Foreigner. Fun song, and while it seemed like they took it a bit more seriously than they had in the quarterfinals, I still wasn’t sold on them as rockers. OK soloist. Lot of movement, lot of energy, decent way to open the set.
Mike S: This group had a cool look, in my opinion. “Jukebox Hero” was a song that I would never really think to choose for an a cappella performance, but I wouldn’t rule it out as having some good potential in the competition. The group was solid in all areas, from the strumming of the guitar movements, claps, and stomps, to full-sounding backup vocalists. The solo was also a great performance, hitting the right volume levels and all the right notes.
Mike C: The second song was “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Really different song choice, and I think it worked well. Out of this world bass sound. Very dramatic, very serious, very well executed, and it helped the group really find its own unique identity in the show.
Mike S: I was really surprised that The Originals picked this type of song. Not that there is anything wrong with choosing this slow, biblical-esque song, but I’ve never heard it sung a cappella. However, I was equally (and pleasantly) surprised at their ability to act the part. They performed this song almost exactly as I would imagine a church choir would. I think that’s a good thing. It showcases their ability to transform and leverage their talents.
Mike C: And then we were on to “Run, Freedom, Run” from Urinetown. Absolutely sensational charisma and presence from the soloist, working the stage, and great theatrical movement from the guys behind him. I really dug this, specifically in the way the choreography built, ending with the guys forming some sort of make shift boat, with a guy hanging off the back, pumping his legs in a running motion. Really entertaining, and a very good ending to a good set.
Mike S: What hit me most about “Run, Freedom, Run” was the choreography. There was a plethora of different movements, including stomps, claps, running, finger-snapping, turns, and a bunch more. It was all well-placed too, fitting with the song selection and a surprisingly good vocal performance. Great way to end their set.
Set Summary:
1. “Jukebox Hero” by Foreigner
2. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
3. “Run, Freedom, Run” from Urinetown
Mike C: The last group out of the chute was The Buffalo Chips. A for Effort introduced them by indicating they were the offspring of a Mr. Buffalo and Ms. Chip. In recent history, I’d evaluate this group to be sort of a brother group, just a notch above Vocal Point—always good enough to make a solid showing in the first round, never great enough to really make much impact come the semifinals.
The Chips were looking sharp in matching bright blue shirts and blue jeans. The guys started with Muse’s “Starlight.” Clean sound from the group, and some very good, if not exactly groundbreaking movement. I liked the soloist here.
Mike S: The vocals on “Starlight” were pretty good, and the choreography was also strong. Most notably, it was the only group of the night to break out the “robot” dance. All in all, they gave an entertaining performance.
Mike C: Next was The Butterfly Effect’s “Everybody Runs.” Decent sound, but kind of a snoozer. Some good movement, but by the end, I was kind of aching for them to break out of the arc formation they’d held through the first two songs.
Mike S: “Everybody Runs” had particularly strong vocals, with an exceptional solo. The other members of the group also provided impressive, full-sounding backup vocals and vocal percussion. The choreography was the only area that could have used a little more movement, but other than that, it was a very good performance.
Mike C: Third came Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around…” Some tight choreography with a good slide move and a nice recurring spread out and re-cluster move at the choruses. Good level of energy and movement in general. All in all, the set was quite good—not amazing, but highly polished, and solid. I think it would have had more of an impact on the crowd had the guys performed earlier in the night, which they, of course, could not help.
Mike S: I thought the Justin Timberlake song was definitely a good way to finish the set. The vocals were what impressed me the most about this song. The high notes, the low notes, it all sounded good, especially backed by rich-sounding backing vocals. The choreography was an interesting mix of members of the group drifting away from each other to return again into one unit. Somewhat simple, but it worked for me.
Set Summary:
1. “Starlight” by Muse
2. “Everybody Runs” by The Butterfly Effect
3. “What Goes Around…” by Justin Timberlake
Mike C: Deep Treble came back out to entertain the crowd while the judges deliberated. OK performance as they wove their way through Ben Folds’s “Landed,” Del Amitri’s “Roll to Me,” “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “This Is How It Goes” by Missy Higgins and Jason Mraz’s “The Remedy.” Nothing particularly noteworthy, good or bad. Decent filler.
A for Effort took over from there was some improv games. The guys ranged from really funny to downright dull. I give them all the credit in the world for rolling with the punches and keeping their energy up, even as the crowd began to thin and lose interest. I’m not sure I’d want to see improve regularly at my a cappella shows, but it was a decent enough way to pass some time, and good attempt at something different.
As for judging the show, I must admit that I was pretty torn. At first, I had Casual Harmony placed first based on energy and movement. Giving it some further thought, though, I would ultimately have to give Ithacappella the duke. They broke free from the clichés of an ICCA set, kept the energy sky high, and sounded good in everything they did, which I just couldn’t say for the guys from Rutgers. I originally placed Shades of Blue third in my personal rankings but going over my notes, it occurs to me that the set was flawed enough that they may not have deserved such a high mark. Don’t get me wrong, because I did enjoy their set, and credit them for persevering with their unique performance style. Nonetheless, I would have to give the Chips the nod as the more solid group, all around, on this evening, and would have given them third place honors, and Penn State fourth. Just like the quarterfinals, I feel as though The Mandarins and The Originals were very tight, representing comparable quality in completely different ways. Mad Ave, as much as I love them, weren’t really in the hunt this year, and I don’t think Vocal Point did enough to break through to a new level.
The judges came back after an extended leave. Outstanding solo went to Shades of Blue for “Rain.” I was pulling for Nate Tao, but this certainly wasn’t a bad choice. Arrangement honors went to Ithacapella. Outstanding choreography was awarded to The Originals. While I was pulling for Casual Harmony to take that award, I was also happy to see The Originals not go home empty handed. Similarly, it was good to see Vocal Point earn some recognition, in the form of the Outstanding Vocal Percussion award. Casual Harmony finished third, and it looked like the guys were pretty disappointed not to be going on to New York. Shades of Blue were a bit of a surprise in second place, but I was happy for them, specifically given their lack of any honors at last year’s Rutgers show, where I would argue they legitimately were the second best group. But I digress. The rightful champions were Ithacappella, and the guys will make their first ever journey to the Finals in a couple weeks. The guys finished the show with The Black Crows’ “Hard to Handle” which transitioned into Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” then “Love in an Elevator.” Beyond each of the songs being classic rock, I’m not so sure about the thematic connection. Of course, at that point, who cared? It was time to rock out and celebrate.
All in all, it was a good show. We have ton of photos to show for it, featuring a selection from yours truly, and also some fantastic shots courtesy of Will Browar. They will be up quite soon on our Photos page—if they aren’t already up by the time you are reading this.
Mike C’s Picks:
Overall Placement:
1. Ithaca College Ithacappella
2. Rutgers University Casual Harmony
3. The SUNY Buffalo Buffalo Chips
Best Soloists
1. Ithacappella for “Isn’t She Lovely”
2. The Originals for “Run, Freedom, Run”
3. Shades of Blue for “Rain”
Best Choreography:
1. Casual Harmony for “Paralyzer”
2. The Originals for “Run, Freedom, Run”
3. The Buffalo Chips for “What Goes Around Comes Around”
Best Attire:
1. 36 Madison Avenue
2. Casual Harmony
3. The Buffalo Chips
Mike S’s Picks:
Overall Placement:
1. Rutgers University Casual Harmony
2. Ithaca College Ithacappella
3. The SUNY Buffalo Buffalo Chips
Best Soloist: Ithacappella for “Isn’t She Lovely”
Best Choreography: The Originals for “Run, Freedom, Run”
Best Vocal Percussion: Vocal Point for “Downfall”
ICCA Official Results:
Overall Placement:
1. Ithaca College Ithacappella
2. Penn State University Shades of Blue
3. Rutgers University Casual Harmony
Outstanding Soloist: Shades of Blue for “Rain”
Outstanding Choreography: The Originals for “Run, Freedom, Run”
Outstanding Arrangement: Ithacappella for “Welcome to Paradise”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Vocal Point
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Wonderful review, guys! You captured my sentiments exactly, though I did feel that Vocal Point was perhaps a little underrated. I had them squarely in third place. Was very glad to see you all on my home turf and looked forward to this review! Thanks again!
RUSop2 | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
I attended this show as well and I have a question for you guys. From where I was sitting I could barely hear the first group that performed. But then when Ithacappella came out I could hear them clear as day and I had no problem hearing any of the groups that followed them. Was there something funny happening with the sound equipment during the first groups performance or was it really that all the other groups were just that much louder? Did you experience the same thing where you were sitting? I just thought it was really strange that the first group, which was quite large, was so much quieter than some of the much smaller groups.
Meg | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
SMY from Casual Harmony here. Great review guys.
I’d just like to say that we are very grateful to host the semi-finals each year, and I’m glad that we were able to compete this year as well. I truly believe that all of the groups put on an amazing show, and Casual Harmony was excited to be up there with the best of the best.
We pride ourselves in being a different group, a group that can go out there every time and give the audience something they don’t expect. We were initially disappointed to have not advanced to NYC, but who wouldn’t want to perform on that stage at Lincoln Center?
Performing in front of that crowd of 700 people at Nicholas Music Center was like tasting heroine for the first time. Once you reach a high like that, the highest of highs, you never want to taste anything less.
Congratulations to Ithacapella. Make the best of your opportunity on that stage at Lincoln Center. Overdose on it, as it’s a feeling you might not ever get to have again.
- SMY
SMY | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Meg, I know there were obvious sound problems during Deep Treble’s opening song, but I didn’t notice any issues while the first group was performing. We were sitting in the second tier of stadium seating a little ways up.
-Mike Scalise
Mike Scalise | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Meg - from where I was sitting, the backing vocal mic (where the trio sang) was definitely not on during “Stay”. I had a terrible time hearing the VP throughout the set, and think there was a problem with the group mics as well. Congrats to the CH boys for still putting on a solid performance under these circumstances!
Melissa | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
On behalf of Casual Harmony - I, nor any other member to my knowledge, has taken heroine.
SMY - When I find out who you are…your parents are getting a phone call so fast…
Dave R | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Great review guys keep up the solid coverage on the site, I know I speak for many readers when I say I appreciate your views and takes on the various rounds of competition.
I was in attendance on saturday night as well and had a few things I wanted to point out.
1st- Meg, I agree with you that there seemed to be some problem with the sound during Casual Harmony’s set. I’ve seen them twice before, once while they were competing two years ago and again last year when they hosted the competition. The volume levels specifically from the vocal percussion (I’ve heard that guy VP before, never any volume issues in the past), the back up mic utilized by the three back-up singers (I definitely enjoyed their almost supremes-esque doo-wop dynamic) and the overhead mics (condensers?) never seemed to fully reach a balance. Sort of felt this to be unfair for the group, who attacked the stage and really set the bar high for the event.
2nd- I may be nit-picking here but I had a major issue with the Originals taking the award for best choreography. While I found the song to be very entertaining, I found it odd that the name of the group is the Originals and yet that choreography was completely unoriginal and taken almost movement for movement from the original broadway rendition. It was definitely impressive that they held up their vocals throughout the movement, but it failed to have the comparable “wow” factor since I’ve seen the same thing in a community theater production a few times. Personally I would’ve given the award to Casual Harmony for the intense choreography during their closer as it was completely original and there was quite a bit of movement I never thought I’d see from an a capella group. I guess thats just my personal opinion, take from it what you want. (after the competition I went on youtube to see if I could find any other choreo-driven numbers by the groups and found Casual Harmony’s rendition of Stronger by Kanye West, very cool movements during this one Mike C, have to agree with you, these guys can move!)
All in all, I thought this was definitely one of the best semi-final rounds I’ve seen for the mid-atlantic region, very strong competitors throughout, also it was nice to see groups take chances by doing songs polar opposite of what is considered “typical” a capella. I agreed with the judges top 3 in terms of best performances however upon viewing the scores I think they were kinda harsh on Casual Harmony as they were one of the better sounding and entertaining groups of the night. Best of luck in the finals to Ithicapella, hope you guys do great and represent east coast collegiate a capella.
LEA483 | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
This review describes the night to a T and I mostly agree with Mike S. About the soloist from Shades of Blue “Let it be”, if you haven’t seen Across the Universe… you would totally not understand where it was coming from. I LOVED the female soloist!
On behalf of Deep Treble… We had a BLAST performing at ICCA’s this year without the stress of competing. It was amazing being in Nicholas and finally having an excited audience to bounce energy off of. I hope we can have that space next year too!
Alex B | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
Hey guys,
Thanks for the review. We loved the opportunity to make it to Rutgers this year to perform at semi-finals. I know i speak for the whole group when i say that it has been the expereince of a lifetime and something that has helped our group grow both musically stronger and personally closer.
On a similar note, I would like to touch upon the comment made earlier about us stealing choreo movement for movement from the original.
First of all, our name corresponds not only to the way we perform but also to the songs we sing. I’m sure the audience loves to hear the exact same genre of song in 20 minutes chunks… over.. and over… and over again. The O’s, however, have a different approach to music.
I doubt ever before has a group done an 80’s Rock Ballad, a choral piece, and a musical selection as their set for ICCAs. We pick our songs differently because we too, are human (hard to imagine… i know) and we understand the pain the audience feels when being beaten over the head with pop music for 2 hours.
(Our name also comes from a local late-night eating place known as The Original Hot Dog shop - just for a little history lesson)
Secondly, I mean no disrespect to any of the other groups and their choreography - because thanks to ICCA regulations we weren’t allowed to watch other groups live. However, from what i was told from those who saw it live and the recordings of show i saw afterwords, one of the things that set us apart was our Choreo. If you would like to hit up YouTube and search for the original Run, Freedom, Run please do so. U’ll find that we took maybe 2 things from the show that were essential to the mood and feel of the song. The ones i remember are the choral part in the middle where we crowd behind Andy and the part where someone faints when being touched by the soloist.
I don’t think Hunter Foster and his crew made a makeshift boat and sailed it on stage… If im watching the wrong video, please tell me. Moral of the story… please consider your words carefully before you insult the hard work it took for our group to make it this far into the competition.
Once again, thank you ACB for all your support over our run to the Semi’s and Quarters, thank you Casual Harmony for hosting us, and good luck to Ithacappella at NYC. We know you’ll rep the Mid-Atlantic the way we deserve to be.
Rock on,
Jay
Jay | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
It isn’t ICCA regulation for groups not to watch one another live - the unfortunate and yet fortunate scenario with Rutgers was that the venue was basically sold out and not large enough to house the 700 person audience and the 150 or so performers - otherwise groups are more than welcome to watch each other perform - in fact, it is encouraged!
Just a note | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Hey, great reviews guys. Thanks for taking the time.
I was just wondering if anyone had video of the entire performance? I’m in shades of blue and would love to be able to see not just our set, but everyone else’s as we couldn’t watch throughout. If anyone does have a recording or a way to share it I’d love to hear from you. Just message our myspace. Its at…
myspace.com/psushadesofblue
Thanks a lot!
Dan | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to obtain permission to record the entire event.
However, Acappella Hosting will be teaming up with Acappella U for next years ICCA’s in order to provide detailed video coverage of as many events as possible. (this would limit the events to the Mid-Atlantic region, Northeast, and some Mid-West locations)
We will definitely keep the blog updated on this in the future!
Mike Jankowski | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Just wanted to say thanks for a great review!
I always enjoy reading what you guys have to say.
Hayley | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
I was actually in Urinetown when our local center for the arts put it on and over all I would agree that a large portion of the Originals choreo was from the stage show. However, I also agree that they did change a number of things to best suit their style and the a cappella genre in general. I guess this can be compared to cases when groups do songs like “thriller” and just rip the choreo right from the music video. I mean if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Also I wish I had had a huge bowl of bison chip dip when those Buffalo Chips came out on the stage because I would have slathered each and every one of them from head to toe and nibbled on them all night.
Jasmine | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
It’s unfortunate that the groups weren’t able to watch the show, but like someone said earlier, the venue was sold out, and it would have been a violation of the fire code had we had even 701 people in the venue.
And there isn’t a regulation within the ICCA’s that states competing groups can or cannot watch the show. It’s entirely up to the situation at the venue. For example, I know at the Drexel and Ithaca quarterfinals this year, we were able to watch, but this is because the venue had more than 100 seats available.
Moving on, like I’m sure most of the competitors did, I did my research on the competing groups, such as “YouTubing” videos or going to some of the quarterfinals.
As far as the results go, not to stir up any controversy or anything, but I have seen the choreography The Originals did before in two different productions of Urinetown. Most of the O’s choreo was different, but the “makeshift boat” is the only thing that sticks out as what I have personally seen before. Not for nothing though, I’m not accusing the O’s of anything, as a lot of their choreography was very creative and used very well throughout their set, but if you take out the boat, then I personally don’t see a “Best Choreo” award in their hands.
But then again, the judging at the ICCA’s is very subjective and somewhat political. We (Casual Harmony) felt like we were the best group there. Now that doesn’t mean we were, but that also doesn’t mean that we can take everything that the judges say as the absolute.
I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who was looking at the judges sheet after the show and scratching my balls in disgust. I know that we’re personally going to take make this a learning experience.
In this competition, and I’m sure others will agree, it’s not always how good you perform or how amazing you sound that gives you the crown. Sometimes it’s the type of music that you perform and the type of swagger you have on the stage. If you don’t have the “typical A Cappella” swagger and don’t do Stevie Wonder or Elliot Yamin at the ICCA’s, you probably won’t get the nod from the judges.
Casual Harmony prides itself in being a different group, a group that does songs outside the suffocating shoebox of typical a cappella. I saw that, even though we were one of the most entertaining and most musical groups at this past semi-finals, it was our style that held us back.
And also, don’t assume anything from the following statement, but we also had the most ethnic group at that competition with 4 black people, 4 jews, 3 asians, and a Pakistani. Someone call Al Sharpton…
SMY | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Just to clear things up, these are all my personal opinions and should not reflect on the Casual Harmony as a whole. Also, I didn’t mean to come off as bitter in the previous post (if those of you who read it felt that way). Ithacappella kicked ass and deserved to win. Everyone who won the awards deserved those awards, and Casual Harmony was very happy to be a part of it.
My natural mindset as a college student is to question everything and be a cynical jackass, so sorry if I offended anyone.
SMY | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
SMY,
First. Casual Harmony was NOT the best group of the night, and no offense, did not deserve a placing.
To play the RACE CARD now and tell us you are so much better than every group makes you look like a bunch of jerks.
Everyone performs different songs, it has nothing to do with who advances and who doesn’t. The quality wasn’t there, maybe you had energy and ‘crazy moves’ but this isn’t a dance competition.
Last, I hope you don’t speak for your entire group, because if you do represent the mindset of your group then I just lost ALL respect for CH and Rutgers.
I CANNOT believe you just played the race card, get a life, and some better arrangements.
-a PISSED off audience member.
An Audience Member | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
As far as CH goes, I thought they were good … but not great. I don’t think they deserved to place, but that’s just my opinion.
What I found funny was SMY’s comment above: “Casual Harmony prides itself in being a different group, a group that does songs outside the suffocating shoebox of typical a cappella”
When two-thirds of your set is Dave Matthews Band and the Goo Goo Dolls — not to mention performing songs by these artists that have been performed and recorded by HUNDREDS of collegiate a cappella groups over the past 10 years — I think you need to realize that you’re part of the suffocating shoebox, not outside of it.
boondoggie | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Hello a cappella enthusiasts,
I would like to assure the reading audience that Casual Harmony does NOT have the mindset
that SMY stated. SMY feels passionate about what he said, but it is solely his opinion - not that of the groups.
The mindset - however - of our group is that of complete gratitude. We were so honored and thankful to have taken part in such a large event with so many uniquely talented groups and an incredible audience. Ithacappella was AWESOME April 5th and without a doubt deserved the 1st place finish - we hope they represent the mid-atlantic well and bring home the gold!
Thanks again to everyone that made the night a success, we hope to sing again with all the groups in the near future!
Dave R
Founder
Casual Harmony
Casual Harmony | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Dave R said it best. I was just ranting out loud, and I mentioned right afterwards that Ithacappella kicked ass and each group did a great job.
And to the guy who said I was playing the race card, c’mon now, it was obviously a joke.
Sorry to cause a stir. Was obviously not my goal, as I stated. I was just getting things that I, Me, NOT CASUAL HARMONY, feels.
- SMY
SMY | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
To boondoogie:
I like to be in a box. Id like to cut a whole in that box. Then put some junk in the box and make you open that box. Because that’s the way you do it.
not an audience member | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
To not an audience member:
I. Don’t. Get. It.
Are you a box or a box with junk in it? Anyway …
My post was not meant to be disrespectful, just meant to rib CH at calling themselves atypical, when in fact, they are nothing BUT typical. I should caveat, my statement is made solely based on what I saw at the show last week. Maybe all of CH’s other songs are atypical, but that begs the question — why would you compete using songs that don’t showcase the true reality of your group?
boondoggie | Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
I have much to say about all this, but since I lack time at the moment, I’ll simply for now point out that not-an-audience-member’s post was a reference to Justin Timberlake and Adam Sandberg’s (sp?) magnum opus, “D*ck in a Box”.
That’s all, for now.
CandiceH | Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks, Candice. I apparently missed the “hip” parade when it came through town, otherwise, I would have gotten the reference.
boondoggie | Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
I just want to say that as a member of the Rutgers community I can tell you that CH is very original when it comes to their music and their performances. I’ve seen my share of acappella (youtube and live) and I think that CH really does stand out as doing something different than all the rest, whether or not their semi-final set showcased that.
Wayne | Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
No problema, boondoggie! I spend way too much time submerging myself in pop culture. Somewhere between the two of us lies balance in the force.
CandiceH | Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
Alright, here we go…
1- The main thing I wanted to put out there in cyberspace (esp. to those that weren’t there that night, but follow these things closely) was that the scoring was VERY harsh from top to bottom, to the point where an outsider looking in at the scores given does NOT get an accurate representation of last week’s show.
Honestly, every group, save the top two, getting scores below 300? That’s just plain inaccurate. I personally thought it was one of the better semi-finals that I’ve seen in the past few years.
2- Rochester Vocal Point. Where is the love? I thought they were fantastic, really, and were low-balled both scoring-wise and on here (don’t get me wrong, I thought this was a great review, but on this group, I happen to disagree with ACB). I thought they did an excellent job with their entire set; professional, confident, musical, etc. All the things you could hope for from a semi-finalist.
I was very happy their percussionist got the award, at least - she truly deserved it. In general though, just wanted to give some props to what I thought was a great all-female group.
3- The “R! U!” chant. Yes, I’m a Rutgers gal, and yes, I was one of those chanting. Just wanted to put out there that we weren’t trying to act like we’d won the thing when the show had just started. During any RU sporting event, to show solidarity and support for our team, we pull this cheer out (like any other school, we have a series of other crazy songs and cheers when the team does well or scores).
So, it was simply meant as fans showing support for our guys in Casual Harmony after they finished what I thought to be an excellent set, and nothing more.
Personally, I don’t want people coming away with the wrong idea of our school, so while it was a small point, it was something I wanted to take the time to address.
4- So, not to get all Mary Sunshine on everyone, but I can’t for the life of me understand why a conversation can’t happen about these shows without people becoming mean and nasty.
I understand the temptation to fight fire with fire, believe me. But for the most part, it just comes across as rude and immature, not to mention unecessary.
In particular, I can’t find any real justification in responding to SMY’s comments but insulting the group he comes from, and randomly singling out their arranger and choreographer (SMY is neither, and both of those individuals happen to be VERY talented, and undeserving of such a brush-off), in a caustic fashion.
I understand wanting to reply, that part I get. But when did it stop being en vogue to take the high road? Sorry, but to me, it just plays as excessive, and seems to serve no other purpose other than being potentially hurtful.
I think that’s all I wanted to say, besides congratulating Ithacappella on a fantastic set and a great win! I look forward to seeing you guys rock out Lincoln Center this weekend!
CandiceH | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
My faith in the ACB has been restored in this review — not that you needed it
Going in, I thought Ithacappella was the group to beat. And after the show I honestly felt that Ithaca and RU really were the strongest groups of the night, truly on a second level. That’s not a dig at anyone else, just kudos to those guys.
Where I disagree with the review (of course), with the huge exception of the VP award I feel like the superlative awards were out of deep left field. Right away, I had a pretty good feeling how the judges saw/heard the night. Ithaca’s “Isn’t She Lovely” soloist is absolutely sick. Singing Stevie, as you can tell from the first couple of weeks of American Idol, is quite difficult and he ripped in both style, tone and range. He, literally, was outstanding. I also heard stronger arrangements from VP, Rutgers and the Chips. As far as choreo goes, I personally believe that award should be awarded for an entire set or one song beginning to end. Before this show, I used to think these awards didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things as long as the “right” group advances. Now, I’m not so sure.
I’d also say in terms of the awards and the commentating here, 150% the Chips and URochVP did not get the recognition they deserved. Why? They performed the heck out of their sets. Sure I’d tweak a few things, but they were better than the points they received. And heck, both groups won over a pretty partisan crowd.
In terms of improvements, CH
I thought you guys rocked and yeah I was surprised by the 3rd placing and the shutout from the awards. Meh. The thing with the ICCA one of the tricks/hacks is you guys have to be “likeable.” You have to make the judges want to give you those subjective points. Of course, I’m simplifying but right now you guys are the perennial ICCA bridesmaids. Also, with harder, 8- to 10-part arrangements the music has to be tight at all times; no one in the group can “hide” in the mix. Oh! And f-ing work with the mics better.
The only thing I can say to Ithacappella is wow, ya’ll deserved it. But, given all the other stellar groups, I’d figure out how and where to make your set more stellar. One year, I heard you guys do “Love in an Elevator” which totally brought the crowd to their feet. This year, even with a 100% uptempo set (I’m including the Stevie cover), that moment isn’t there. But all of the other finalists have that “wow” moment. Just sayin’ … because I want you guys (or the N’Harms ;)) to win.
mcbc | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
Now, as far as the negative crap, what the frak yo?
As much as I find SMY’s jokes funny, dude (and all of CH) you have nooo idea who is trolling the posts. Judges, producers, parents, audience members etc. etc. … heroine & Al Sharpton? Funny but not for mixed company. You guys should stay classy and let the alums and fans bring the fire if need be :).
Now the reaction for said misplaced jokes & rants? Not cool. Telling someone to get a life, better arrangements and playing the race card? Wrong. I could say to “an audience member” get a better ear and return Helen Keller’s — but I actually respect Ms. Keller and her musicianship over yours. However I won’t b/c it’s not cool to throw insults isn’t it?
As someone who has arranged for CH before, hopes to again and has won an award for an arrangement, I feel that remark was directed at me. I don’t want an apology or your respect. I do want the negativity to end. If someone makes a comment or rant you don’t approve of, ignore it. And let’s focus on giving feedback and criticism that actually helps all of these great groups.
mcbc | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
I’m not sure why people would be surprised about low scoring — it’s all subjective. It was very obvious to me in reviewing my groups score sheets from ICCA events that some judges consider “5″ to be average on a 1-10 scale and score everywhere from 1-10, while other judges consider “8″ to be average and generally score between 6-10 for everyone.
If you get a group of judges that all (or most all) follow the former example, then I can understand why scores are collectively low. If there were not consistently lower (or higher) scores, then I would be worried.
Also, there is no consistency across judges and shows, so its hard to compare one semi-final to another and say that “so-and-so” is the favorite because they scored more points in their semi-final … they probably had the smaller scale (6-10) judges.
boondoggie | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
Hey all.. a Chip here.
I just wanted to say thanks to all the groups for making it a fantastic semifinal! The quality of the groups in the Mid-Atlantic has skyrocketed in the short years I’ve been competing.
I am curious to see what will happen next year with our division.. we could potentially see 5 quarterfinals of 6-8 groups each.. now that would be something. Although I’m not sure how a 10 group semifinal would work out though.
As for the negative comments, I think we should just all chill and understand that its hard to consider what sarcasm or a joke especially when online so be sure to mark any sarcastic comments with an ‘lol’ or crooked smiley ;).
Take care and I hope to see everyone next year!
Oh yeah… thanks Jasmine!
A Chip | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
Just a scoring note … all the judges use the same methodology when scoring. On a 10 scale, 5 is average and 8 is very good (w/ a few minor problems), 10 is excellent and professional. On a 5 scale, 3 is average with a few distracting problems. An 8 is never average, unless every group at a show is “very good.”
So these points mean something. Whether groups put too much stock in them is another story. But right now, I’d say the SoCal VoCals would be the favorite since heck, they scored a near perfect score.
Of course, Judge Dread can give you a 5/10 while Judge Judy gives you 9/10 but that again is another story. But I’d imagine the ideal that the competition is pushing for w/ judge certification and the whatnot is to minimize that standard deviation. (Heh, so who said math would never come in handy?)
mcbc | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
mcbc-
So based on the system you’ve outlined and the scores posted on varsityvocals…the show at Rutgers was at or below average.
Using the same scoring system, the scores in other regions have shows (as in the case of the west) that are near perfection…
Is there really THAT much of a difference between the quality of the East and West?
OR are the judges on the west that much more generous with their scoring? thus - skewing the system you’ve outlined?
To second what CandiceH wrote -
After seeing the mid-atlantic finals I can’t imagine that the groups in other regions were a hundred or even hundreds of points better than the top 3 in the mid-atlantic…any thoughts???
No way.... | Apr 14, 2008 | Reply
I agree with No Way …
The judges out West are clearly more forgiving than the judges in the East. You can’t be afraid to use the full scale afforded to you, which is why I prefer the “harsher” East scoring.
Giving everyone an 8 to make them feel good (when they were terrible) doesn’t benefit the group or the system.
boondoggie | Apr 14, 2008 | Reply
Hey all,
Just letting everyone know our ICCA videos are now on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/mikeo550
Thanks everyone… better quality videos are up on our website. HD quality videos will be available soon.
-The Chips
The Buffalo Chips | Apr 16, 2008 | Reply
Great vids!
Did you guys happen to record any of the other groups that performed that night?
Awesome | Apr 17, 2008 | Reply
I had asked but wasn’t given permission.
Next year, Acappella Hosting will be teaming up with Acappella U in order to document the majority of the Mid-Atlantic and North East Competitions.
And any round I’m at next year, including Semis, will be recorded in HD. These were recorded in HD as well but I’m not too keen on sharing the videos yet due to bandwidth restrictions but once I re encode them it should be fine to download.
The Buffalo Chips | Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
Hi Im one of the CMU Originals and I think its really unfair to say that our choreo for Run Freedom Run was coppied. The only youtube video ive seen from broadway productions is from the Tonys and we only used a few of the same things.
-clapping
-waving arms in the air straight up and down “hallelujah” style
-using a chorus formation
-having someone fall
to be perfectly honest that was about all the choreo that the tonys had. we added dozens more moves in between all that, and some of the copying was really unavoidable. It is a gospel-esque peace and clapping and arm waving are staple movements for gospel singing. While in the Tonys they clapped for practically the whole song we only clap for a few bars. We only have our arms waved in the air for about a second in the whole piece. And even in our choir formation there are so many movements that we added to what in the Tonys was complete stillness. Dont just look at the similarities, look at all the things we did differently.
All one would have to do is watch both our youtubed ICCA footage and that video back to back to see the huge difference. We put somewhere in the area of 50 hours of work into choreo ALONE and worked very hard on our set as a whole. To see people say “they just coppied broadway” really doesnt do justice to our choreographer who is himself an A-Class dancer who does choreo for regular dance productions.
On a side note I think people have to not be such sore losers and learn to take the judging better. While I didnt agree with EVERYTHING the judges said and it wasnt always the most flattering information, it was still extremely constructive criticism. You cant expect the judges to just complement your group because no matter how much you like yourselves you arent perfect. And audience members also have to take into account your own natural biases for your home crowd. I could hear just from their warmups that Ithicappella was going to win but for the rest of us it was really quite close. We only came 20 points behind the 3rd place group and in ICCA scoring thats _very_ close. Also given the fact that we couldnt watch the actual performances I dont think that a cappella members really have the right to second guess the scoring over judges that are more musically educated.
Flying O | Apr 20, 2008 | Reply
“Hey all.. a Chip here.
The quality of the groups in the Mid-Atlantic has skyrocketed in the short years I’ve been competing.”
Interesting point, considering that the Chips have competed exclusively at Penn State and Rutgers for the past 2 years. The year before that, they were in the New England division, and the year before THAT was their first time competing at all in years. So really what you mean is, you’ve only competed in a small section of the Mid-Atlantic, for only 2 years, and have no idea how the scene has been progressing. Thanks for playing.
“I am curious to see what will happen next year with our division.. we could potentially see 5 quarterfinals of 6-8 groups each.. now that would be something. Although I’m not sure how a 10 group semifinal would work out though.
A Chip”
That won’t happen, since as you point out a 10-group semifinal is too much. All that will happen (if anything) is that the level of competition at quarterfinals will go up. If they need to, they can move some groups to another division, or (eventually) add a level of competition prior to quarterfinals.
Factchecker | Apr 22, 2008 | Reply
Correction: you were at Syracuse this year, Chips. My mistake. Larger point still stands.
whatever | Apr 23, 2008 | Reply
What is the point of that comment?!
Is it so terrible that someone is proud of the mid-atlantic and feels the groups are getting better and better each year???
I dont know about you but I can’t wait to see the northeast/midatlantic progress. Hopefully we’ll again soon see a mid-atlantic/northeast international champ as I feel the song selection in this area as a whole beats out other regions 10fold!
What?! | Apr 23, 2008 | Reply
Look I’m not trying to start an issue here but:
I said.. “Short years” Meaning two years, and the 4 rounds I’ve been in.
You said the Chips haven’t competed in years? We have competed EVERY year since 97 or 98. We hosted in 2004, so I’m not sure if we competed or not.
The Chips competed in the New England region in 2006, thats it. They competed every other year in the mid-atlantic region. So in essence, being a Chips fan for many years, I HAVE seen the quality of groups increase over a 10 year span.
I can’t help but notice your ‘attack’ on my post.. and the fact that you didn’t have all your facts makes me giggle a little bit Mr. Factchecker… thanks for playing.
A Chip | Apr 23, 2008 | Reply
PaWned.
Well Played | Apr 23, 2008 | Reply
i dont really know the chips and they were actually a little rude to my group in passing but still, Mr. “Factchecker” is being a total D-Bag. so what, what are you trying to prove with being there 4 years. WHO F***ING CARES!?
you are so insecure | Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
GUYS! This was a SINGING COMPETITION. Everybody needs to friggin calm down and realize that the whole point of the competition is to meet other groups and recieve comments from judges on ways your group can improve. Obviously it has a competitive nature to it but If people really need to analyze everything others say, and rudely put down other groups in an A CAPPELLA COMPETITION then you need to honestly get a life. It is becoming ridiculous. I have only been a part of the competition for 2 years now and can say that I feel each group is treating this like a sporting event. Trying to scout out the competition on youtube (as someone discussed), critically analyze others’ sets to feed your insecurities about your own, and overall view every other group as the ENEMY. If everyone relaxes and has fun it will make the entire experience a lot more enjoyable.
Chris | Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
Dear No Way:
Sorry I missed your post. Believe it or not, I’m not a regular ACB reader. But to answer, hmmm yeah I have a couple of theories on the point differential between the east & west — most are probably scandalous and would get the smackdown from the powers that be.
I will say just as there is an “east coast ICCA style” of a cappella and a “west coast ICCA style,” I think the judges on each coast have a particular mindset on what’s good, bad and ugly. I don’t think the eastern groups have mastered what the ICCA judges like. That’s probably a good thing. Plus, there is a deeper diversity of group on the east coast — also a good thing.
mcbc | Apr 25, 2008 | Reply
I think Factchecker has “a chip” on his/her shoulder. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Umm I don’t mind groups treating the ICCA like a sporting event. I mean originally the ICCAs were the NCCAs which was a play off of the NCAA (i.e. March Madness). You watch game film, you’re critical of other teams, even more critical of yourself. Fans root on their team but still respect the opponent when they throw a no-hitter. The teams run around in silly costumes and do silly moves. But the thing is it’s all in fun and you leave it on the field.
This blog and the random haters is not going to make me like a cappella any less. Even if a few groups take the game and themselves too seriously (see also the Miami Hurricanes of the ’80s or the “evil heel” wrestler du jour) I’m not going cry about it. Just my opinion.
Oh and sure my old group may have taken Ithacappella or the Mandarins as the “enemy” and wanted to win by like a million points. But the next time they need a guest group I’ll bet those two groups are on the short list to call.
Can we get back to making these groups better and taking on the real evil enemy? Satan and the West coast. Not in that order.
mcbc | Apr 25, 2008 | Reply