MACFest had all the elements of a typical a cappella concert: people standing in a half circle, many hand gestures, and neat beatboxers. All 15 University of Michigan a cappella groups performed, along with a special guest performance by the Flint Octaves. Everyone sang great, but some groups stood out in particular with some memorable highlights of the night.
Amazin’ Blue kept up its legendary reputation with “Nowhere to Run,” bringing quality music that they are known for. Maica Mori of Good News sang “Hills and Valleys” with a soothing elegance and beauty, her pure voice floating through the air. Maica literally has the voice of an angel, and I could listen to her sing forever. Then, Maize Mirchi sang a calming and gentle “Au Re Chanda Pt. 4”, showing how diverse and talented the groups on campus are.
Friars, the a cappella group of the Men’s Glee Club, pulled a fast on on us. Starting out with “Ava Maria”, they quickly turned the tables and started rocking out to the Jonas Brothers’ classic hit, “Burnin’ Up.” This got the audience excited, who previously thought they were going to have to sit through the beautiful yet less-than-exciting “Ava Maria.” Instead, they pull out freshly dorky dance moves and gave us an enjoyable throwback to the 2008 hit.
The DJs brought some classy sass to the stage, with Taylor Adams rapping and singing “White Lillies/White Lies.” The all-female group Sirens had a sultry yet powerful rendition of “Cotton Eye Joe” with tantalizing harmonies and melodies. Finally, the G Men ended the concert in a way only the G Men could, storming the auditorium in soccer jerseys before closing with “Other Side of Paradise,” soloist Kyle Kim filling the stadium by hitting some impressive notes.
The groups all brought power and energy to the stage with only the miraculous sounds of their voices. While they all only performed one song, it was clear each group had their own dynamic and style and they’ll have a great year of music and passion ahead of them.
