ICCA Northeast Semifinals at MIT

Michael Marcus is an alumnus and co-founder of Columbia University’s Nonsequitur, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Though Nonsequitur was a competitor at this year’s ICCA Northeast Semifinals, he did not work with them at all in preparing their set and was in attendance solely as a supporter, fan and proud aca-papa.

Mike is also a reviewer with RARB and has previously written about the ICCA for The A Cappella Blog. This is his first event review.

MIT’s Kresge Auditorium is a marvel of modern acoustic engineering, and it seems especially well suited to a cappella. When I walked in and laid eyes on the sinuous acoustic ceiling panels, blond wood walls and the arc of area mics on stage, I knew I was in for a good show.

The house was packed, but with four Boston-area groups competing this was hardly a surprise. In fact, there were so many people that the ushers ran out of programs. As if that were not unprofessional enough, the show was delayed nearly half an hour because the host group, MIT Resonance, did not know how to dim the house lights. (Considering that these are not only MIT students, but also a group that has hosted this show every year for the past several years, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself at the irony of the situation.)

When the lights finally did go down and Resonance took the stage, everyone cheered. Their opening number was a fun mash-up of two Bruno Mars songs that meshed very well together,“The Other Side” and “Grenade.” The number had an infectious energy and a great male/female duet that warmed up the crowd nicely. As the applause from the opening died down, ICCA Northeast producer Holli Matze took the stage. She apologized for the delay and the shortage of programs, and then brought out the two emcees from Resonance: Colin Beckwitt and Mason Tang. These guys had great banter throughout the night, though some bits were more successful than others.

The first competing group out was NYU Ani V’Ata. The men were dressed in all black with violet yarmulkes, with the women in matching violet dresses: an elegant costume choice that still had a lot of school spirit. They opened with a mash-up of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You,” which fit surprisingly well together musically (if not emotionally). While the arrangement was clever, the ensemble choreography was really cheesy and didn’t really add much to the song. Next up was Ingrid Michaelson’s “Keep Breathing.” I was never a fan of this song to begin with, and Ani V’Ata didn’t do anything to change my mind. Their closer was a mash up of “Waving Flag” by K’naan with traditional Jewish songs about, in their words, “doing your thing.” I am not sure that the moment of talking they added was worth the interruption in the flow of their set, even though it did provide some helpful context for the audience. This was their best song and soloist by far, but the generic movement still didn’t really fit the song, and this group never managed to own the stage. They also sounded very thin throughout, not filling the space at all until the very last note. This performance may have been good enough to get them here, but Ani V’Ata just didn’t come across as a viable contender at this level.

The next group to perform, NYU’s N’Harmonics, could not have been more of a contrast. I had the opportunity to see this set at the Hartford quarterfinal, so I knew that this group would take an unorthodox approach. There was very little coordination in their wardrobe, mostly black with a few splashes of violet, but this group did not need clothes to make it clear that they were completely in sync with one another. The MD used a melodica instead of a pitch pipe to play starting notes and chords, which got a few chuckles from the audience. Their opener, Kimbra’s “Settle Down,” began with an extended instrumental intro and simply oozed soul from beginning to end. The group chose a scattered formation that lent itself to organic movement rather than full-out choreography. The high tenor on the solo was amazing, but the gender bending didn’t quite work for me on this song; besides, I was looking forward to a repeat performance from Outstanding Soloist winner Kiah Victoria. The percussion on this song was excellent as well. Their second song, “Central Park” by Krystle Warren, continued the pattern of soulful singing and natural movement, with the tenor soloist going off-mic very intentionally for a nice moment at the end. They ended with a full-on, rock-out arrangement of “25 or 6 to 4,” which showcased not only the group’s trademark high wailing sopranos but also a solo for the percussionist—while he was still doing percussion! (I felt pretty confident calling the Outstanding Vocal Percussion award at this point.) Once again, the N’Harms proved themselves to be a supremely polished and confident group, and in my mind they had easily secured themselves a spot in the top three.

Up third were The Harvard Opportunes. Even if Colin and Mason had not informed us that this was the school’s oldest co-ed group, I might have guessed it from the tuxedoes and evening gowns that the group was wearing. Their sound and repertoire was just as traditional: they opened with a very straightforward arrangement of “Father Figure.” The soloist had a perfect baritone voice for the song, but the choreography had the group paring off into couples and made no sense in context. The Opportunes slowed it down for their second song, “Wonderful” by Annie Lennox. The soloist’s gorgeous and sultry alto really made you feel the song; in my mind, she was one of the best thus far and the first real contender for the Outstanding Solo award. Their closer, Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” conjured up comparisons with the SoCal VoCals’ version from their 2008 ICCA championship set. Their staging was not nearly as theatrical and far more literal, ending with a down-on-one-knee proposal to the female soloist. This group was classy all the way and gave a solid performance overall, but I wasn’t confident that it would be enough to carry them through.

The final group to perform before intermission was the group to beat at this competition, Berklee College of Music’s Pitch Slapped. They opened with “The Other Side” by Bruno Mars, completely blowing Resonance’s version out of the water. They used two female soloists for this song, both of whom were fantastic, and the transition from one to the other was so seamless that I didn’t even see the second soloist until she raised the mic to her lips. The end of the song featured some great eerie sci-fi noises and a “Thriller” quote, which actually worked quite well. Their second number was Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” which featured yet another fantastic female soloist to contend for the Outstanding Soloist honor. The staging for this number could have been a case study on how to perform ballads, with the soloist downstage left and the group arranged diagonally behind her far upstage right and every single one of them selling it to the crowds. Their finale was a fun and funky arrangement of “Taking It to the Streets,” which started with the group in a pyramid and built up from the sopranos in the front to the basses in the back. This song was an excellent choice for a high-energy closer, and Pitch Slapped absolutely killed it. I had them picked for the win on reputation alone before the show even started, but that set clinched it.

The first group to perform after intermission was the Bowdoin College Longfellows, (introduced by Colin and Mason with a joke about them being nomads). They looked great in dark suits and ties, and I was impressed that they did not seem to need a pitch pipe as one of their members seemed to have perfect pitch and gave them the starting note out of thin air. They opened with “Border Song,” which didn’t seem like a great choice for an opener given the slow tempo. The simple arrangement showcased the group’s pleasant vocals and blend, including a great 3-part harmony moment at the end, but the Longfellows didn’t have the passion that the song demands. For their second song, they slowed things down even more with the choral hymn “It Is Well with my Soul.” They sang it beautifully, and they wisely chose to remain in an arc, but it was not very interesting to watch; at this level, groups need more than beautiful singing to compete. With a few crooked smiles from a few of the members, the Longfellows suddenly launched into a step dance with arms straight out at their sides, moving with the precision of a military drill. This was the last thing I was expecting from this group, and while it was impressive and got the crowd going, it came completely out of nowhere and felt like too little, too late. The familiar rhythms quickly gave way to Marc Broussard’s “Home.” Though this song has long been a favorite of mine, this arrangement was very simplistic, and the first soloist looked more scared than anything. The second soloist, who took over at the high bridge, was far better: he looked much more comfortable on the mike and simply slaughtered the high notes. I wondered why the Longfellows didn’t simply give him the whole song. This was a great example of a group that was trying too hard to please the judges and ended up with an inconsistent set that did not represent them well.

Next up was my alma mater group, Nonsequitur from Columbia University. As usual, their dress was smart casual but not really coordinated in any visible way. Their opener, “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit, started off tentatively but quickly found a nice groove. I loved the way they staged this, with a quartet out front taking the first chorus and then fading back for the slower section. The second song, “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles, had a more traditional choreographed backing block with head-bops and the like. This mostly just distracted from a soloist who managed to totally own a song that is rapidly heading into overdone territory. Their closer was Coldplay’s “Shiver,” a risky choice that paid off thanks to the fantastic lead and solid, high-energy arrangement, though the abrupt ending was a tad anti-climactic. What struck me the most about this set, both here and at the quarterfinal, was its disregard for the traditional “fast, slow, fast” song order in favor of three songs that made a consistent set, flowed nicely and showcased the group’s strengths. The singers also seemed to move and sing as one living, breathing entity, though they weren’t nearly as polished or confident as the N’Harms and Pitch Slapped. In the end, they held their own and didn’t let the big stage swallow them up, and I was so proud that they at least had the opportunity to share that stage with such a talented field.

The UMass Dynamics took the stage next, dressed in all black with brightly colored ties on the men and shoes on the women. I reviewed their album Barking Mad a while back, so I was curious to see them live. As I suspected, the album does not do this group justice. They stomped and clapped their way into a super high-energy rendition of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows,” the choreography culminating with the group in a clump and someone acting as a human mic stand for the soloist’s final the final few notes. They chose “I Can’t Make You Love Me” for their ballad, which stood in sharp contrast to their opener. The arrangement was notable for a nice breakdown and build at the end, and their soloist sang prettily but with a surprising lack of emotion given the subject matter. But the pièce de résistance was their finale, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. They cranked the energy up to 11 for this one, and their soloist let his inner rock god run wild all over the stage and the auditorium. He threw off his sports jacket, ran through the aisles, did a knee slide a la Bruce Springsteen, shouted “make some noise, Cambridge!” to the crowd, and even jumped off the on-stage podium at the end—and he never missed a high note the entire time. It was an over-the-top performance to say the least, and the crowd ate it up.

The last group of the evening was The Nor’easters from Northeastern University. Mason brought out his best pirate voice for the intro to let us know there was a storm a-comin’, and he wasn’t wrong. Their dress was semi-formal, with the guys in charcoal vests and bow ties and the women in little black dresses and stockings. They opened with a mash-up of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and “Firework.” I loved the stage business for this song. “Teenage Dream” featured the entire group in a clump sinking down to reveal various pairs of members making out, including a guy-on-guy paring at the end; and “Firework” had vocal violins complete with pantomime. The remainder of their set consisted of three songs seamlessly stitched together: Bon Iver’s “Woods,” Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette,” and The Beatles’ “Let it Be.” These songs would barely make sense in the same sentence, let alone the same set, but somehow the Nor’easters pulled it off and made it sound completely natural. “Woods” was a perfect ICCA ballad executed perfectly: the Nor’easters nailed the tricky harmonies, and their lush blend filled the hall. “Let it Be” featured multiple talented soloists and sounded absolutely epic coming from this large group, a fitting finale to a fantastic set and to the competition as a whole.

While the judges deliberated and Resonance kept the crowd entertained, I reviewed my picks for the evening. Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Arrangement would surely go to the N’Harmonics, mostly for “25 or 6 to 4.” Outstanding Choreography would be a toss-up between Pitch Slapped and the Dynamics, though the Longfellows might get a nod for “Home.” Ultimately, I had to give this to the Dynamics, since their staging was by far the best thing about their set. Outstanding Soloist was harder; with so many standout performances, it would be difficult to choose. I finally settled on Pitch Slapped for the overall poise, professionalism and emotion on display during “Because of You.” As for the big prizes, it was clear to me that Pitch Slapped had this in the bag, and that second and third place would go to the N’Harmonics and the Nor’easters in some combination; I decided to give the N’Harmonics a slight edge for their originality and sheer power.

My Picks:

Outstanding Arrangement: NYU N’Harmonics
Outstanding VP: NYU N’Harmonics
Outstanding Choreography: UMass Dynamics
Outstanding Soloist: Pitch Slapped

Overall:
1st: Pitch Slapped
2nd: N’Harmonics
3rd: Nor’easters

After Resonance completed their set, Mason declared, “everybody is a winner, but some get to win more than others.” Here are the groups that won the most, from the official results:

ICCA Official Results

Outstanding Arrangement: Trevor Bachman of the N'Harmonics for the entire set
Outstanding Choreography: Hannah Juliano of Pitch Slapped
Outstanding Soloist: Justin Foster of the Longfellows for "Home"
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Andrew Flockhart of the N'Harmonics for the entire set

Overall:
1st: Pitch Slapped
2nd: Nor'easters
3rd: N'Harmonics

I was shocked at the judges’ choice for Outstanding Soloist, considering that he only sang half the song and that several other soloists had more well-rounded, complete performances. Otherwise, I think the judges made the right calls, and I can understand why they chose the placements they did.

We were on the clock to get out of the space due to the earlier delays, so Holli announced the results very matter-of-factly, and we did not get to hear an encore from Pitch Slapped. Even so, the concert was a fantastic showcase of the best groups from the most competitive region in the country.