REVIEW: MacFest 2012

So last night I attended MacFest 2012 to see the a cappella groups here on campus. It was spectacular! Here’s a rundown of the groups we saw and how I saw them:

(G)imble was freaking awesome. A co-ed a cappella group going on their 15th year combined great songs with fancy rhythms in their performance. I’ve always liked their group, and this year they performed several great songs.

Amazin’ Blue could have been in my top 3 from last night. They sang an entirely beautiful rendition of “Iowa”, a song which I’d never heard before, but it was so gorgeous – I loved it.

The Harmonettes were a little bit of a snoozer after all the excitement of the previous groups. I don’t really remember their songs – nothing stood out. I think they could have brought more than they did.

G-Men totally pulled of a Spanish love song, fiery and fun, they rocked it.

Midnight Blue, granted I’m biased as a member of the Women’s Glee Club, were so great. They first wowed us with the song “Parachute” by Ingrid Michaelson. The soloist, Katie Glidden, was so perfect for it – it was amazing. Next, they sang a parody of “Jesse’s Girl” entitled “I want to date my GSI”. It was so fantastic and entirely relatable.

Dicks and Janes were cute – they were a great contender in the series.

Good News, the all Christian a cappella group that spreads “the good news of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ,” was actually better than I thought they were going to be. I loved their purple, white, and grey attire. Definitely a fan.

Maize Mirchi, Michigan’s premier and only South Asian a cappella group, was okay. Their songs were a little bit slow for my liking, and I think they could have been better off with something more upbeat.

58 Greene did a stunning rendition of Christian Aguilera’s “It’s a Man’s World” with a male singer as the lead. It was incredible – the notes that dude could hit were entirely admirable. Wowzers.

Others from the night included Kol HaKavod (decent), Angels on Call (not so hot – everyone does “Don’t Stop Believin’”, guys! Ahg.), Kopitonez (cutesy – great arrangement of “Some Nights”), Sopranos (awesome), and the Compulsive Lyres (spectacular).

It was a great night and I am totally going to the next concert. Michigan a cappella’s the best – you should definitely check it out next time!