Performances, Part I
The Best I’ve Seen highlights the very best in a cappella, as seen in the admittedly biased and limited view of the author.
This time, we share the best performances I’ve seen in collegiate a cappella, Part I.
The Ramblers go on… and on… and on
There’s an old cliché that luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation. Such was the case on one chilly February night in Rochester, NY, in 2006.
The scene was an ICCA quarterfinal at the University of Rochester. It was a decent competition, highlighted by strong showings from the last two groups to perform—Ohio State University High Street A Cappella and Syracuse University Orange Appeal. In addition, throughout the evening, the audience was treated to the song-stylings of Rochester’s own Midnight Ramblers.
The Ramblers didn’t compete that year, but this decision certainly didn’t come from lack of talent. Indeed, the group was clearly right there with the top competitors in terms of quality. Little did the crowd know that when the judges left to deliberate, the show had only just begun.
What followed was one of the most impressive performances of a cappella I’ve ever seen. The Ramblers performed five or six songs, with highlights including The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul,” and The Darkness’s “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” I recall being all set for some BOCA to carry us through the rest of the judging session, and yet the guys went on. I kid you not when I say that they went for well over 45 minutes, before moving into their traditional closer, “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).” One would surely assume The Ramblers were done then. And yet, there was still no sign of the judges. Rather than leaving the crowd unattended, the guys carried on, including, most dramatically, a performance of Tenacious D’s “Tribute” that saw one of the soloists run around the stage and flap his arms like wings, demonstrating an impossible energy level for a group that was pushing an hour on stage.
There’s no practical reason for most collegiate groups to have a repertoire this deep. And yet insane preparation led to absolutely stunning performance, defying the notion of taking an intermission, and carrying the crowd straight through to the announcement of placement and awards. Without competing, The Ramblers emerged as the true champions of the night.