Tag: Music

REVIEW: Women’s Glee Club Spring Concert

Chelsea Zabel

Compared to the noise and excitement in the diag yesterday (the first Saturday of April, if that means anything to you), the calm atmosphere set by the Women’s Glee Club’s second song was a welcome change. After opening with “The University”, per tradition, the women sang a composition by Gustav Holst of “Ave Maria” that quickly reminded all in attendance that we were no longer walking about on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we were sitting in a nearly acoustically perfect space listening to talented women sing meaningful music.

One thing that I very much appreciate about the Women’s Glee Club is that they are not trying to be the Men’s Glee Club. The men’s organization is older with a wider alumni base and a bigger reputation that precedes them, and this allows them to fill Hill Auditorium more easily. The women do not have that advantage, and I think that this encourages them to take risks that are to their benefit. They are willing to change up the formations they stand in, to use all parts of the stage, and really add life in the performance of their songs to a degree that is not always matched by the more solemn men (I’m referring especially to the songs “El Vito” and “Usilethela Uxolo (South Africa)”, which both incorporated movements around the stage that enhanced the songs). Neither is the correct way to hold a concert and both are fantastic groups, but I do wish to stress that what works for one is not always best for the other.

My favorite song from the afternoon was “Two Strings, But One Voice (O Sweetest of Songs)”. The voices of the Women’s Glee Club soared in this arrangement, and it filled the auditorium effortlessly. I got so many chills during this song, it was insane. If you’re interested, it sounded like this (that’s not the Women’s Glee Club, obviously, but they’re still pretty good).

I’m so glad I attended the Women’s Glee Club Spring Concert. I really don’t think I’m biased in any way when I say that these ladies deserve much more love and attention from the university. The more of their concerts I attend, the more I realize how lucky I was to be a part of them for a couple semesters because they are an impressive group. This concert was enjoyable from beginning to end, and I look forward to seeing their a capella octet, Midnight Blue, perform on Friday.

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: 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.

PREVIEW: Collage Concert at Hill

Phillip Wachowiak

Who: The School of Music, Theater and Dance

What: A collection of pieces by students for you, the audience.

Where: Hill Auditorium

When: 8 PM

Cost: $10 with a student ID

This Saturday
This Saturday

The collage concert is just that–a collection of student pieces interweaving aspects of dance, music, and theater all into one. This year the concert celebrates the 100th anniversary of Hill Auditorium, so it should be especially awesome.

As the Michigan Daily puts it: “The ensemble conductors and selected groups collaborated to form a diverse and kaleidoscopic program. The wide variety of performance material and participating groups should make the concert appealing to an audience with diverse tastes and expose the participants to new kinds of performance.”