Link here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1261643/?lang=en-us&featurereview=16854612#BVRRWidgetID
A Night to Remember with Straight No Chaser
The Wiltern
- Los Angeles
, CA
- Sat, Dec 4, 2010
Posted 12/07/2010
Having followed these gentlemen for three years, I think it's safe to say that I am a big fan of Straight No Chaser. However, in this review, I will attempt to be as objective as possible as I describe the show.
The different genres of music that Straight No Chaser performs are extremely variegated, ensuring that there will be something for everyone to enjoy. From Marvin Gaye to Jason Mraz, Stevie Wonder to Madonna, you are sure to hear something that catches your imagination, no matter the generation. But no matter what they perform, there is always one guarantee: there are absolutely no instruments used throughout the performance. You might find this hard to believe, but every single sound you hear is organic; you'll hear nothing but ten voices, beatboxing/vocal percussion, and some snaps, claps, and stomps. Straight No Chaser's music hearkens back to the days before auto-tuned and highly-processed music became the norm, and their tight harmonies and inventive arrangements show off the group's musicality and ingenuity.
But these gentlemen not only sing; they PERFORM. Member Randy Stine is often quoted as saying, "We take the music very seriously; we just don't take ourselves too seriously." If you're expecting the ten men of Straight No Chaser to sing their songs in a straight line across the stage, you will be pleasantly surprised to see that they actually have some great dance moves. For example, their choreography for their "Billie Jean/Poison" mashup features Jerome Collins and Mike Luginbill (both soloists for the mashup) and their sweet dance moves: Jerome does a great job emulating Michael Jackson's difficult dance moves (including an impressive split), and Mike shows off his moonwalk; all the while, the other eight guys are backing them up and doing some sweet dance moves of their own.
Just as great (and as hilarious) as some of their dance moves are their introductions and witty banter on stage. They truly are having a great time performing on stage, and their energy translates from the stage to the audience. They try to encourage audience participation, whether by inviting them to sing and clap along, by taking photos and videos of the performance (and telling them to post it on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), or even by taking audience photos and encouraging audience members to tag themselves in them on Facebook. And after every one of their concerts, they encourage all in attendance to meet them for an audience meet and greet, where they will sign autographs, take pictures, and talk with you. It's great to get to know the individual men that make up Straight No Chaser, as each member is incredible and special in his own right.
In the end, Straight No Chaser is basically a group of ten friends, singing and having a great time on stage. They can make the audience both howl with laughter and shiver at the sheer beauty of a song, at any given moment, and the purity of the music they sing is unbelievable.
------------
Their set list for the concert at the Wiltern comprised of both holiday and non-holiday songs. They started out with "Joy to the World" (not the Christmas song, but the Three Dog Night song), then proceeded to "Heard it Through the Grapevine" (with hilarious dance moves) and "I'm Yours." They then sang "Chicken Fried," "Under the Bridge," "Stayin' Alive," and "Like a Prayer" before transitioning into the holiday songs. They started off their holiday set with "Hey Santa," then went into "Jingle Bells" (for which one of the guys challenged the other nine to sing it in under two minutes), "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (with incredible booming bass solos), and ending with an original song written by director Walter Chase, entitled "The Christmas Can-Can" before intermission.
After a fifteen to twenty minute intermission, they started off with a haunting arrangement of "Carol of the Bells," then continued with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High." Then to wrap up the Christmas set, they finished with "Donde Esta Santa Claus." Going back to non-holiday music, they sang their "Billie Jean/Poison" mashup, then a cartoon medley (which included theme songs from shows like "The Flintstones," "Gummi Bears," "The Jetsons," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Loony Tunes," among others), "Don't Stop Believin'" (not the Glee version, mind you, but their own arrangement), "Tainted Love," and "Fix You" before closing out the show with their "Lady Gaga Medley."
After the end of their final song, the audience gave them a standing ovation, and they came out for an encore of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," the song that got them signed to Atlantic Records in the first place. Then, after another standing ovation, they came back out, without microphones, and sang a hauntingly beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night," completely off mic. The theatre was silent; almost as if all audience members were holding their breaths until the very last note; then, they erupted into cheers and wild applause, giving these gentlemen a third standing ovation for the night.
The concert lasted about two hours, and the meet and greet lasted for another hour, as people went through the line and left. It was an amazing night and an amazing concert, and I know for a fact that I will be seeing them again the next time they are in town.
Favorite moment: Shoutout from band member Charlie Mechling during "Chicken Fried."
Setlist: Joy to the World, Heard it Through the Grapevine, I'm Yours, Chicken Fried, Under the Bridge, Stayin' Alive, Like a Prayer, Hey Santa, Jingle Bells, Grinch, Christmas Can-Can, Carol of the Bells, Hark the Herald Angels We Have Heard on High, Donde Esta Santa Claus, Billie Jean, Cartoon Medley, Don't Stop Believing, Tainted Love, Fix You, Lady Gaga Medley, Twelve Days of Christmas, O Holy Night
Opening act(s): -
Reviewer Images:
0 comments:
Post a Comment