Category: Music

PREVIEW: JOHNNYSWIM Live

Natalie Minor

Who: JOHNNYSWIM

When: Saturday, April 5th @ 8pm

Where: The Ark

Tickets: $20 General Admission

The married musical duo JOHNNYSWIM are bringing their mix of folk, soul, and pop to Ann Arbor on April 5th as they perform at The Ark in promotion of their new album, Diamonds, out April 29th.  Featured on 2014’s VH1 You Oughta Know, twosome Amanda Sudano-Ramirez and Abner Ramirez combine impeccable lyrics with powerful vocals and a captivating stage chemistry that you won’t want to miss.

For a little taste of their versatile sound, check out the music video for their 2013 single Heart Beats, their toe tapper Home, and Abner’s killer falsetto in a live performance of Pay Dearly, featured on the upcoming record.

REVIEW: UMICH Welcomes Chance the Rapper

Jane Ziecik

Michigan welcomed 20-year-old singer and rap artist Chance the Rapper to the U of M campus last night. The concert was produced by Big Ticket Productions, a branch of the University Activities Center (UAC). Chance’s first mixtape, 10 Day, was released in 2012. Since then he has come out with his second mixtape, Acid Rap, in 2013 which has had incredible success: named the #1 mixtape of 2013 and ranked 4th best album this past year by Complex Magazine. Having been featured on tracks with artists like Childish Gambino, Rapsody, Justin Bieber, and James Blake, Chance has been quickly gaining popularity in recent years.

The concert was held at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22, 2014 in the Hill Auditorium on campus. The first opener, Quinn, began right on time and his performance lasted about a half hour. Quinn performed slow-tempo songs, having a lower energy than expected. Freshman Maher Hachem described Quinn’s songs as having “slow, summer vibes.” Though talented, the feel of his set didn’t quite seem to match the expectations of the crowd. The second opener, Noname Gypsy, was more up-beat with powerful backup singers. Her performance ended around 9 p.m. Both of the opening artists, Quinn and Noname Gypsy, had rap/hip-hop music styles.

Though there was a bit of a gap between the performances of the openers and Chance, his high energy and exciting stage presence quickly made up for any disappointment during the first half of the event. Chance put on a show. Including crowd pleasers like,”Cocoa Butter Kisses,” “Pusha Man,” and “Chain Smoker” kept the audience enamored throughout the night. He really got the crowd involved, the lights were on point with the music, and his transitions between songs was very professional. Chance entertained from the moment he came on stage to his very last song.

After speaking with a few other students who attended the concert, it seemed very evident that seating played a major role in the quality of experience. Though students who had seating in the balcony said they enjoyed the concert, they made it clear that their experience would have been greatly enhanced with better seating. Freshman Corey Johnson admits, “My seats were all the way in the back on the balcony. It would’ve been better with better seats, but Chance was great and I would go again.” Other than some discontent with the openers and some reservations about seats, the overall consensus was a good show and a good time.

If you happened to miss the concert last night and want to see Chance in concert, he will be performing at various locations and music festivals over the next couple of months (including Good Times, Ultra, Coachella, and more).

Special thanks to Maher Hachem and Corey Johnson.

REVIEW: Aca-Mazingness

musickim

When did a cappella take the U.S. by storm? This is a question I would love to know the answer to. Whether it was with the beginning of the renowned television show Glee, or the widely popular movie Pitch Perfect, a cappella has become a staple in the American music world over the last 5 years. Its popularity snuck up on the country and caused more intense fan followings than many music groups had ever seen before. Don’t get me wrong though. I happily, without embarrassment, find myself in this category, having watched Glee as well as Pitch Perfect and fallen in love with this refreshing and genuine style of music. There seems to be something so unique about a live performance of a cappella. Personally, I like to think it’s the magical, indescribable power a group of people share when they put together their talents to create not just a concert, but an experience for their audience.

 

I also always find myself amazed by the amount of skill it takes for an a cappella group to perform. They are left, vulnerable, on a stage with nowhere to turn but each other. They are forced to perform without studio alterations, without the forgiving edits of a camera, or the gift of a monophonic piece. They must stand, proud of what they are and how much work they have put into their craft, and perform a moving compilation of songs that not only entertains the audience, but in the case of the ICCA semifinals, also wins over the judges. But as I had expected, I was not let down.

 

Every group that got up on stage Saturday night killed it. Despite my personal favorites, I enjoyed all 3 hours of a cappella performances from schools across the Great Lakes region and hope to attend many more a cappella concerts in the future. Of course, I must say I was biased in cheering on The G-Men, the University of Michigan’s a cappella group that competed at the semifinals, and was ecstatic when they won. Their set, the finale of the first half of the concert, was an outstanding mixture of energy, choreography, soccer jerseys, beet boxing, breathtaking belting, and heavy harmonies. The few men who had the chance to solo stole the hearts of the audience. But in terms of soloists, The G-Men had some tough competition to reckon with. The first singer to take the stage commanded the crowd with an amazing sense of confidence. A singer from Oakland University’s group Gold Vibrations, she started the night out on an impressive solo full of controlled runs, belts, and all around aca-mazingness. Another female soloist from University of Toronto’s Tunes. Beats. Awesome. sang a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus. And of course there were many outstanding male solos, including Gold Vibrations’ performance of John Legend’s “Ordinary People”. Also, Ten40 Acappella from Bowling Green State University had a fascinating rendition of “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel that brought quick goose-bumps. I definitely left the concert that night thinking I will be back for more a cappella, and soon.

 

One last note I would like to add is on the fantastic ending entertainment by Chris DuPont, a local singer-songwriter and graduate from University of Michigan. Even after 3 hours of a cappella, I was brought to the front of my seat at his emotionally driven songs and skillful guitar playing. Not only was it a pleasant ending to an exciting evening of competition, but I believe I have found a new artist to follow.

GMen

A picture of The G-Men on stage after their big win at the ICCA semifinals.

REVIEW: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Chelsea Zabel

When’s the last time you listened to music by itself? Not in the background, not while walking to class, not as you’re watching the music video, but just on its own; when was the last time? Before the evening of March 15, I probably could not have given an accurate answer. It seems that we’re always multitasking nowadays, and that being busy reduces our ability to sit and listen. That’s what I did during the performance from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and I would recommend it to you.

The music hardly paused once the first note was played, and the entire performance was rather intimidating. Hill Auditorium’s stage was filled with extraordinarily talented musicians who played Bruckner’s 8th Symphony, a rollercoaster of tempo and dynamics, for 90 minutes. 90 minutes that flew by because so much of the audience was entranced by the sounds the Israel Philharmonic was able to produce. I don’t know why I keep being surprised by how talented professionals are at their professions, but all of the musicians occupying the stage played their parts passionately (especially you, triangle player and cymbal player. You both played for just a handful of measures an hour into the performance and stole the show, at least from where I was sitting).

Of course, I’m no expert because most of the time, if I am listening to classical music then I am also studying. This time, however, there was nothing else to pay attention to but the orchestra. While listening to them, I got the full force of fortissimo without the ability to turn down the volume, not that I would have wanted to. I felt the floor shake under my feet with the vibrations emitted from the low brass section. When’s the last time you avidly observed someone play the timpani?

I would imagine that most of the audience would agree that what we heard was a brilliantly executed performance from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. I feel privileged to have received that performance live; I know now that live symphonies are so much better than a YouTube playlist can produce.

Again I’m no expert, but I think that should make the following advice mean even more: don’t be afraid of classical instrumental music. I don’t think you’ll be bored, and I hope you’ll enjoy yourself. The university gives us great opportunities to see extremely talented people, so take advantage of it! In a few years you’ll have to pay full ticket price.

PREVIEW: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Chelsea Zabel

Who: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

What: Performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

When: This Saturday, March 15 at 8:45pm

Where: Hill Auditorium

The University Musical Society presents the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for this one-night only event. Tickets are still available on the UMS website, and there are special discounted prices for students.

If you would like to know what you’re getting into, here’s a link to the symphony they’ll be playing, but don’t think that listening to this version is comparable to what you’ll hear on Saturday. I’m sure the 1955 version in this video is significantly different from the 1890 version that the Israel Philharmonic will be performing.

REVIEW: Sea Legs: A Nautical New Musical

Natalie Minor

To say that Sea Legs: A Nautical New Musical blew it out of the water would be quite an understatement.  Set in the small New England town of Sweet Ann Harbor, this original musical introduces us to four orphaned adventurers fascinated with the sea beyond their small town.  After a time jump they find themselves reunited in adulthood in the midst of a search for the man who pulled the plug on Periscopia, an underwater utopia the friends dreamed of searching for as kids.  The residents of this underwater world, an eccentric bunch who eat bubbles and have an affinity for prom dresses and leather, make waves as they settle in Sweet Ann Harbor, intent on creating a new home for themselves.  Chaos ensues when it is revealed that one of our orphaned friends is more connected to the crime than he lets on, and we see the true meaning of friendship as he races to prevent one of his own from taking the fall.

At the heart of this seaside tale is an important message about the journey into adulthood and to finding identity.  The orphans we follow throughout the play see their lives develop in ways they hadn’t expected, and some have trouble coming to terms with how things have panned out. Yet by the end they have discovered where it is they are meant to be, whether it is sailing the seas or raising kids in a small port town.  It seems that this struggle is analogous to the futures faced by many of the cast and crew of the production, as well as many in the audience.  The play finishes with a number about how Sweet Ann Harbor will always be there for the characters to return to, and a tear was brought to the eyes of many seniors in attendance.  The song transcends the musical and serves as a message to the graduating class about the place many will think of as home as they start their journey beyond college.

As writer Tyler Dean finishes his theater career here and embarks on an adventure to bigger and better things, the song serves as a farewell to him as well, and also as a grounding connection to a home where he found great success.  In the same theater where he and partner-in-crime Mike Tooman have grown and sparked, we see their final original production fittingly cap off their time here.

Beyond the core message of the play was a highly enjoyable cast of characters and deviously catchy soundtrack – I pity the poor soul who thought he could make it out of that theater without at least one of those tunes banging around in his head.  From the retired sailor turned pigeon whisperer who sings about his ability to see the future in bird droppings to the fully choreographed pop zinger about the glamorous city of Periscopia, each piece takes on a life of its own. If you don’t trust me on this you can see for yourself in the coming months – Sea Legs: A Nautical New Musical is set to hit YouTube just as Dean and Tooman’s previous work Zombie Farm: A New Musical did, and a soundtrack is in the works.