ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals at Lafayette College

Event: International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal
Date: February 24, 2007
Location: Easton, PA
Lafayette College
Colton Chapel
Sub-title: Monster solos, guitars, and a robot invasion
Official Results: See end of article

Mike C checking in here, and after three weeks removed from competition, it was good to get back down to business. Last night's show at Lafayette was nothing if not memorable. For starters, I've never seen a more competitive ICCA first-round contest. It was nice to go into the final announcement of placement and awards, and really not know how things would turn out. While the competitors were darn sharp, Lafayette's facilities and personalities fell pretty far short of ideal. Without further ado, let's get to the review.

Setting foot in Lafeyette's Colton Chapel, I couldn't help noticing how small everything was. Waiting in the lobby before the show, people were practically standing on top of each other, and the crowd wasn't even that large. The performance space itself was no better--a really small facility with a positively tiny stage. To give a little perspective, I've heard folks complain about the size of the competition stage at Cornell's Sage Chapel. This stage made Cornell's look huge. Don't get me wrong, because it was a beautiful building, and I mean no disrespect to the Lafayette students and staff who use it for worship and events at the college. The building just wasn't fit to host an ICCA competition.

The show started a few minutes late, and rather than have an emcee or representative from ICCA greet the crowd, all we got was a group of men and women in multi-colored collar shirts and jeans (except for one woman in a jean skirt and Ugg boots. I guess she missed the memo. Awkward.). No one introduced them, and they didn't introduce themselves, but later in the show, we learned this group was Lafayette's own Soulfege. Anyway, the group kicked off the night with a harmless rendition of Three Dog Night's "Shambala." Not bad, nothing earth-shattering.

The old Chicago Bulls intro music started up over the speakers. This would have been infinitely more entertaining and relevant if a group had had the gumption to sing the intro a cappella. Anyway, a member of Soulfege got on the mic (this is important later, so take note). The man on the mic introduced our MCs for the night in classic Bulls announcer fashion, bringing out Lafayette students Matt and Dan. One of the guys came out with guitar, and I had to question for a moment whether he was familiar with what a cappella meant. They sang a song composed for the evening which started a little funny, and went downhill from there. The guys proceeded to clarify that they didn't know what ICCA is all about, as they went on to joke about the history of the competition. Some of it was funny, most of it fell flat. I hate to be a buzz kill here, and I hope some folks in the crowd did enjoy this performance. For me, though, this bit made it clear that the organizers didn't have a good concept of the differences between an ICCA show and a regular campus show. At a regular show, you can get away with a lot more--you're performing in front of people who know and like the cool kids from the school, and everyone's there to have fun and be entertained. At an ICCA show, at least half of your audience is made up of members of competing groups, and their friends and families (not to mention jaded bloggers). These folks don't know you, and aren't going to get your inside jokes. Anyway, big thumbs down to this intro.

ICCA Mid-Atlantic Producer Hayley Cammarata took the stage next with the standard announcements.

At last we're off and running.

As we get into the competing groups, a reminder of my completely subjective scoring model. The basic breakdown:

* = Not so good.
** = Okay
*** = Good
**** = Stellar
***** = The a cappella equivalent of pure sugar--totally sweet

Our first competitors were Lafayette's Chorduroys. I have mixed feelings on the outfits. Love the concept--corduroy jackets, jeans and random t-shirts. What threw me off was the jacket coloring. Most were tan or brown--cool enough. But then we got two random grey coats, and one black one. You've either got to balance those colors out, or stick to one or two. A minor complaint, but distracting for me nonetheless.

The Chorduroys started strong with a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love." Good soloist and some real nice harmonies here. The guys got a little cheesy for my tastes when two of them sang a guitar solo, and broke out plastic toy guitars. At least they didn't actually play them. The choreography was suspect here. You have to be careful in competition, when you don't know what the judges' sensibilities will be. The spanking motion these guys used toward the end may not have been the best idea. Things went worse when the guys suddenly stopped for a moment, and one asked if he could get a phone number for the Soulfege guy who did the announcing earlier. I could reiterate my tirade about how a competition is different from an in-house show, but for now, I'll rest at calling this unprofessional. Hopefully, the guys learned the lesson when no one in the audience laughed. I have to admit that I didn't recognize the second song. Scanning through The Chorduroy' repertoire, I'm guessing that it was Cadence's "Sunshine." I welcome anyone to write in to correct me if you know differently. In any case, it was a breezy melody with no vocal perc, but plenty of finger snapping. Nice bass line, and good falsettos here. Not great, not bad. A couple points off for a visible cut-off from one member at the end of the song. The guys took off their jackets for the last song--a nice symbolic gesture to show that they were going to get down and dirty. On the negative side, losing the jackets cost the group its appearance of solidarity, and left them looking a little sloppy. They launched into Green Day's "Welcome to Paradise." The soloist and percussionist showed a lot of energy. Unfortunately, the energy just wasn't there for the whole group, and for an all-male group, they weren't too adept at free-flowing dance. Homestage advantage was evident, as the crowd was very much behind these guys. All in all, not a bad closer. Based on talent, I would put this set in the 2.75-3/5 stars range. The lack of the professionalism left a bad taste in my mouth, though, and the guys didn't do anything to win me back over, so I'm dropping them to a final score of 2.5/5 stars.

Dan and Matt came back. They decided to preview The Oscars for us, and predicted Eddie Murphy as a winner, before making some lame references to Norbit. Next, please.

36 Madison Avenue, out of Drew University, was up next. By physical appearance, I wasn't dazzled. They looked really young and, for lack of a better word a little nerdy. The outfit choice wasn't bad, but wasn't grea--plain black t-shirts and jeans. Nice and uniform, but a little blah.

From the looks of them, I wasn't expecting great things from the group. Imagine my surprise when the first soloist unleashed his booming voice. Easily the best solo I had seen from anyone this year up to this point, for Seal's "Future Love Paradise." Nice work on the choreography here, subtle and building as the song progressed. That'll teach me for being so superficial in pre-judging a group--these guys came to play. Next up was an impressive rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." While I appreciate that they took the initiative to break from the typical upbeat, ballad, upbeat model for an ICCA set, I would have liked to see a different song selection--just something that sounded more different from the first tune. Nonetheless, it was another strong song, rife with emotion. It was interesting that they opted to sample "Born in the USA" here. Two songs from "The Boss," both powerful commentaries, one from the eighties, one from post-9/11 America. It was thematically sound, but sampling, arguably, Springsteen's most iconic song took away from the less well-known tune a little bit in my book. The guys finished strong with a Western theme, incorporating gun slinging motions into the choreography, and sounding off verbal bullets throughout Tim McGraw's "Real Good Man." Fun closer with a good soloist and some really neat choreography to finish, with the group crouched, and the soloist falling right back into them, only for them all to rise up together. This set was a lot of fun. I'll give them 3.75/5 stars.

Dan and Matt came back to bust balls about Snakes on a Plane. Let's keep this moving.

Ithaca College's all-male powerhouse, Ithacapella stormed the stage next. I was impressed they could fit all 20 guys up there. It was pretty darn tight. The guys came clad in their traditional matching blue blazers and khakis, with assorted shirts and ties. I caught this group in action in the semifinals last year, and they put up a solid 3+ star showing, so I had high expectations here.

The first soloist cast off his blazer slinging it over his shoulder then to the floor, and sported a fedora to come out in style. We got a fine rendition of Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming." Simply awesome choreography toward the end here. Four of the guys, including the percussionist, bent at the waist and stood still. The soloist roused them, one by one, with his touch, as they came back to life, rejoining the song vocally, and better yet, busting out a slow motion robot dance. The percussionist came back to us last, and then the guys treated the crowd to a neat slide and move dance step while doing the robot. The guys slowed things down next with Sarah McLachlan's "When She Loved Me." Musically sound, but kind of boring. I also wasn't wowed with the soloist. Good voice, but no emotional connection with the song or the audience. To contrast, I remember watching the University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers compete with this song two years ago. That was downright poignant stuff, as the soloist looked heartbroken. Here, the soloist was too concerned with looking smooth. Ithacappella rebounded strongly, ending the set with "School of Rock" from the movie by the same name. Very, very entertaining. I was very appreciative of the soloist's ability to improvise. In prepping for competition, I have to assume that the group didn't know what a small stage they were working with. A lesser group would have restrained itself. This soloist refused confinement, venturing off the stage, well into the audience to sing. Way to make your circumstances work for you. The choreography was straight out of the movie--points off for lack of creativity, but I'll give those points back for just how well in synch the back up dancers were, and the soloist's ability to recreate Jack Black's facials, without going too far over the top. They sampled Guns N' Rose' "Sweet Child of Mine"and it worked for me. Nice end to the set. From crowd reaction, they were the top group of the night to that point, and while I grant that it was probably the most entertaining set, I would still put over 36 Madison Avenue for the performance on the whole. Overall, Ithacappella weighs in at 3.5/5 stars.

Intermission time. I've rarely seen a line like that to use the men's room, but I suppose that's what you get when there's only one toilet, and it isn't flushing properly.

We come back, and so do Dan and Matt. Sticking with the Oscar theme, they suggested the Academy will hold Wild Wild West against Will Smith and deprive him of the Best Actor Award. Thanks for that insight, guys.

Delaware's Vocal Point was up next, clad in blue tops and black bottoms, the guys with suspenders and ties. Not a bad look, though I would have gone for the same shade of blue throughout, and, if I'm not mistaken, one guy was wearing white.

It has become a cliche in NBA basketball--a vertically challenged broadcaster watches a gifted player soar to the hoop, and throw down a gravity-defying dunk, then comments, "Just once in my life, I'd like to do that." This line couldn't help but come to mind, watching Vocal Point's first soloist take flight with Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke." Not to take away from the 36 Madison Avenue dude, but this act supplants him for best solo I've seen in 2007 thus far. Wish I could sing just one verse that way. Anyway, the group couldn't quite live up to the soloist, but the fact remains that it was a good opener. Next up was Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama." The opening song's soloist turned in some top notch perc on this one. The second soloist was good enough. It was nice to hear a female soloist again. Some choreography would have been nice here, as it was pretty static song, and the attitude of the lyrics afforded some attitude from the background. Last up was Panic! at the Disco's "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies." We got stop motion robot choreography to start. We sure did see our share of robots. In any case, the whole group brought a lot of energy here, which was a nice change of pace. The group made the smart choice of working in radio edits in the song--"Shh"s over curse words and offensive terms. You don't know the judges, and you don't want to risk offending them in competition. Interesting choreography on this one, with just one group member taking action at certain points. Some of the group members were better at selling this than others. Unfortunately, things deteriorated toward the end of this one, as the soloist's voice started cracking. He might have put a little too much into it early on. I felt bad for the guy after the set too, because he forgot his water bottle on stage. Hopefully somebody got it back to him. All in all, a good set. 3.25/5 stars.

Dan and Matt pegged The Departed as the winner for best motion picture.

Last up was Syracuse University's all-female group, The Mandarins. Classy outfits as always--all black with matching flare. I wasn't wild about the shade of blue they chose to accessorize with this year, but it's a minor complaint.

The Mandarins kicked off their set with a rendition of "Irreplaceable." It was the most choreographed song of the night to this point. I appreciate the effort there, and parts of this looked great. However, it was also the case that not all of the girls sold all of the moves all the way. You've got to commit to choreography if it's going to work. Nonetheless, this one had a good sound and a good soloist. It's tough for me to judge it fairly, as I've seen this soloist before, and watched her bring down the house. This wasn't the earth-shattering performance she was capable of, but still a good showing. Next up was Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek." The song's become pretty played on the collegiate a cappella scene, but I will maintain that few can stack up with The Mandarins' version of it. The dynamics were top notch. The group did a good job of adding some visual appeal to this one. It was nice to see a group work some choreography, subtle as it may be, into a ballad. The facials were good here as well, as the girls were feeling the music. The blend was a little off at points, but that's my only real complaint. Last up came Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Nice combination of soloists her--one singing with raw power, the other's voice sugary sweet to the core. This one was also a contender for best choreography--charismatic soloists up front, entertaining visuals in the back. I would have like a little more oomph from the back-up vocals at the end, but still a very respectable finish to a very respectable set. I'll go 3.25/5 stars on this one.

I have to admit that Matt and Dan began to grow on me a little as they neared the end of their part in the show. The guitar was back, and they actually told some decent jokes. I still don't think this was the venue for them, but put them at an open mic night and I would probably enjoy their shtick.

Lafayette's Quintessence took the stage to entertain the crowd for a while. The highlight of their set came at the end, when they invited Lafayette alumnus and group founder Dave Mitchell onto the stage to do percussion for Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," dedicated to a group member's father, who was celebrating his birthday that day. I have criticized this whole event for being too much like a regular campus show, and this was the lone point in the evening when I didn't mind it. A fun, touching moment that the whole crowd could enjoy.

Soulfege came back to the stage. It was interesting to note that a number of members of this co-ed ensemble were also a part of Quintessence or the Chorduroys. Soulfege isn't a great group, but they were entertaining enough. Songs included "I Want You To Want Me,"a sampling of "Hard to Handle" (beautifully fudged by the soloist, reading lyrics off of a sheet of paper in his shirt pocket), and "You're So Vain."

On to awards and the announcement of placement (all of which you can watch here). As I alluded to earlier, awards and placement were interesting, because there were few clear cut winners. I have seen two prevailing philosophies in the distribution of awards. The judges either give it to the people who legitimately deserve it, or spread out the accolades so the talented parties who didn't place don't leave empty-handed. The judges seemed to go with the former, as 36 Madison Avenue took home Outstanding Arrangement, Choreography and Percussion honors, while Vocal Point's Alfredo Austin got the nod for Outstanding Soloist. The final results saw Ithacappella take first, 36 Madison Avenue take second, and Vocal Point finish third. It was a shame to see The Mandarins go unrecognized, and I ultimately would have given them third place. Very, very close between them and Vocal Point, and while the girls couldn't match "Sir Duke," I would argue that they put on a more solid and consistent set all around. Not to take anything away from Ithacappella, but I also would have picked 36 Madison Avenue over them. I can't complain too much, though. It was very, very close in my estimation, and, at the end of the day, the right two groups are heading on to Rutgers for the Mid-Atlantic Semifinals on March 24.

Ithacappella closed the night with a powerful rendering of Bush's "Machinehead."

All considered, this was the most competitive ICCA quarterfinal I've seen. Despite some shaky hosting, this was definitely a show well worth seeing.

Be sure to check out A Cappella Blog video coverage of this event on YouTube, including two previews (here and here) and a post-show interview with a member of Ithacapella (here). Over 40 photos from the show are available when you Facebook friend me here.

A Cappella Blog Picks:

Overall Placement:
5. Lafayette College Chorduroys
4. University of Delaware Vocal Point
3. Syracuse University Mandarins
2. Ithaca College Ithacappella
1. Drew University 36 Madison Avenue

Best Choreography:
3. Ithacappella, "School of Rock"
2. Mandarins, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
1. Ithacappella, "Hold On, I'm Coming"

Best Soloist:
3. Ithacappella, "School of Rock"
2. 36 Madison Avenue, "Future Love Paradise"
1. Vocal Point, "Sir Duke"

Best Overall Song:
3. Madison Avenue, "Real Good Man"
2. Madison Avenue, "Future Love Paradise"
1. Ithacappella, "School of Rock"

ICCA Official Results:

Overall Placement:
2nd Runner Up: University of Delaware Vocal Point
1st Runner Up: Drew University 36 Madison Avenue
1st Place: Ithaca College Ithacappella

Outstanding Arrangement: 36 Madison Avenue, Ross Michaels
Outstanding Choreography: 36 Madison Avenue
Outstanding Soloist: Vocal Point, Alfredo Austin, "Sir Duke"
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: 36 Madison Avenue, Justin Giza