Nov 14
DaraA cappella, Indie Rock, Orchestra
Gorgeous. Not the transvestite stage spectacle and loud queer politicizing I expected, but rather a focus on the music, which is more beautiful and orchestral than I realized from their studio recordings. I finally understand why they’re described as chamber pop. Young cute Canadians – maybe not cute – they were each a little dorky and odd in their own way. The lead singer pleased me with his tall lankiness and dark eyes, and his distinctive prettily quirky voice that warms me like the sound of a well-liked familiar friend. There were two fiddlers, a keyboardist, an occasional trumpeter, a drummer – maybe 7 or 8 people on stage total? Their songs are complicated but hooky, like The Shins but more comfortable. They toy with sounds and their voices and the instrumentation in a sophisticated and sonically pleasing way. They’re often billed as “gay church folk music,” and part of what attracted me to them in the first place was their blaspheming of religious imagery by jumbling it up with explicit homosexual lyrics. While there is something majestic and holy in their sound, the term “folk” doesn’t do credit to their sound. This band and I were meant for each other.
Oct 26
DaraA cappella, Art Rock, New Wave, Prog Rock, Thrash
complex and sophisticated music that was possibly based in Afro-pop or new wave but verged into prog rock – absolutely inventive – lead vocalist/guitarist communicated musical genius to me and I fancy he wrote the songs and what with his crazy guitar skills he couldn’t help but throw a little prog into the music – his voice was also very good… something between Antony and the Johnsons and Elvis Costello and Paul Simon – he was usually accompanied by three female backing vocalists who created a fabric of sweet noises that went from an ethereal drone to a’cappella to screaming – sometimes they would juxtapose their harmonizing almost in a beat boxing fashion so that it created a synthy sound which was amazing – departures from the general sound included the beginning of the set in which the lead guy used an electric guitar in a singer/songwriter style, when he accompanied the black-haired female vocalist in a very pretty jazz vocal, when the entire band would bend over at the waist and incongruously thrash to finish a song (just made me giggle), when the bass guitarist brought out an upright bass which added a jazz feel again to the music, and when the blonde female vocalist took over the stage in a liltingly funky M.I.A.-like song – in other amusing sidenotes, the band generally engaged in anti-cool posturing with the lead guy wearing two massive cardigans, the bass guitarist in an old-school sweatshirt that had some witty saying on it that I forget now, the black-haired vocalist in a plain black t-shirt with a little necklace, etc. etc. – there was also a drummer whom I’m sorry to say I could not see at all
May 02
AndrewA cappella
Okay, when you’re slotted into Lecture Hall C in the Science Center at Harvard University, you know the acoustics and performance space are not going to be ideal. The ‘Cliffe Notes, an all female a cappella group, gamely took to “the stage” at the bottom of the auditorium to perform as part of Arts First Weekend at Harvard University. They launched into fairly rote versions of Love Song and Call Me. Despite the a cappella arrangements, there wasn’t anything particularly novel about their interpretations of the pop songs. Isn’t the point of performance to put your own stamp on it?
As if to prove exactly that, it was the last number, a medley of Abba songs, that not only showcased their vocal talents, but also provided a spark in their performance. Finally, the girls looked like they were loosening up and having a fun time and the arrangements were dynamic and creative. They ended on a high note, literally.
The ‘Cliffe Notes setlist
Love Song
Call Me
Son of a Preacher Man
Abba medley
May 02
AndrewA cappella
As part of the Arts First Weekend at Harvard University, the Opportunes put on an enthusiastic a cappella set that featured radio-friendly interpretations of well-known songs. The set started with a Michael Jackson medley that included Smooth Criminal and a wicked version of Man in the Mirror. Various players took turns with solos, and Daniel Oshima handled the beat box (apparently more appropriately titled “vocal percussion”) throughout the set. A gorgeous rendition of Heart of the Matter showed both the creativity and energy that the vocal group put into their arrangements, and their version of Forever even featured some dance choreography. They closed with Change in My Life before running out of time because a mariachi band was waiting in the wings for their turn.
The Harvard Opportunes setlist
Michael Jackson medley
Heart of the Matter
Everybody Knows
Forever
Last Name
Change in My Life
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