The Tripod

Media Credit: Courtesy of the Quirks [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Courtesy of www.conncoll.edu [Click to enlarge]

H1N1 influenza is more lethal than we anticipated. After killing more than 4,000 people worldwide, it proceeded to devastate the vocal abilities of Connecticut College's only all-male a cappella group, the Co Co Beaux. Or so they claim. With roughly half of their members sick and consequently in absentia during Thursday night's performance in the Fred common room, they may have succeeded in charming their audience, but failed their primary goal: to deliver quality vocals.

In stark contrast, Trinity College's newest female a cappella group, the Quirks, displayed their mastery of genres. During their opening with Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am," Katie-Lou Ingraham '12 demoed her sweet melody. Surprising the audience with their versatility, the Quirks next sang a rendition of Shakira's "She-Wolf." Jen Abalajon '10 may not have Shakira's notorious vocal range or her contortionist, belly-dancing moves, but she came pretty damn close, or should I say the audience did: the girls looked on with envy and the guys stared enthralled as she enticed the audience with not only her feisty vocal execution, but also with her powerful enthusiasm.

The Co Co Beaux then took center stage and followed the standard set by the Quirks - for one song, at least. Singing the traditional "Good Old A Cappella," they exhibited their brotherly camaraderie and what the audience hoped would be their continued vocal harmony. But to the audience's disappointment for the next four songs, first impressions are not to be trusted. After their fluke of beginners' luck, almost without fail, each soloist sang off-pitch and the group as a whole lacked harmony. It was especially upsetting that during their third song, "Light In Your Eyes" by Blessid Union of Souls, the Co Co Beaux failed to execute the quality vocals that the song demands. Their display of charisma only succeeded to occlude their musical insufficiency when they performed "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men. The song, discussing the method of making sweet love, combined with the singers suggestively rubbing their shirts and seductively gazing at the audience may have made their performance even more appealing than even Boyz II Men could execute.

They finished their set with "Something Like That" by Tim McGraw and while, once again, the group may not have made an impeccable performance vocally, the song seemed perfect for soloist Logan Keeler '11. Singing about a barbecue stain on his T-shirt, it was easy to envision him in some southern town, romancing a sweet little gal.

In a positive endeavor to salvage the reputation of the night, the Quirks performed the closing song, "Somebody To Love," by Queen. After the solo sections by Courtney Duffy '12, Amanda Sweat '12, and Kat Lawlor '10, what really shocked the audience was the ending segment by Natasha Jeremiah '10. After she held an impeccable falsetto, the audience was spurred into appreciative applause, but she didn't stop there. She hit notes that would rival opera performers and concluded the night in a very high mood. While the Co Co Beaux were able to perform with overwhelming charisma, their insufficient vocals served to emphasize the harmony of the Quirks. I suppose the Co Co Beaux 30 years of history do not really amount to much.

Article Tools