The MacVittie College Union Ballroom was bursting with talented voices on Saturday Sept. 12 as Geneseo’s a cappella groups performed at the Geneseo Late Knight WOW Cappella event. The ballroom was packed as attendees sat on the floor to watch the artists perform their distinct renditions of popular music.
Between the Lines was the first group to take the stage. The group is one of three co-ed a cappella groups on campus with Exit 8 and Emmelodics. BTL’s last song—Muse’s “Uprising”—featured a talented male soloist. The group gave strong support as they came together in perfect harmony at the end of the song.
Next up was the only all-male group: Southside Boys. President and senior Aaron Weintraub brought in two alumni from the group for one more performance. “Good Ol’ A Cappella”—their most popular rendition—heightened the energy in the room with stomping and clapping.
The various soloists featured in the song complemented the energy with their powerful vocals and heartfelt performances. Their second song—a cover of “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic—featured Weintraub, who entranced the audience and jumped off the stage to serenade several of the attendees.
Emmelodics followed Southside Boys. Despite the fact that they were missing 11 members, they were not discouraged from rocking the event with their strong harmonies. One of the highlights of their performance was the energetic beat boxer, who hit each beat with confidence and remained completely in the zone.
Hips ‘n Harmony performed fourth. Their first song was ZZ Ward’s “Put the Gun Down” and featured soulful lead singer senior Nicole Peinkofer. The second song they performed was Ella Henderson’s “Ghost.” This track featured intense beat boxing by junior Hannah Fabiny, whose talented voice made it feel like there was a strong bass hidden behind the curtains.
The last group to perform was co-ed group Exit 8. They performed Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,”—the same song that they presented last year at the Regional Quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella at Syracuse University, where they came in fourth place. In their second song, Exit 8 performed a lively mash-up of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and MTKO’s “Classic.”
What stood out about this entire event was the sense of community amongst every a cappella singer. Each group had high camaraderie and had strong connections to all of the other groups.
Hips ‘n Harmony president senior Victoria Colozzi reinforced this notion of camaraderie amongst performers. “These guys are my family,” she said. “Everyone has a place where they can unwind and be themselves. Sometimes in your major, you don’t get that, and before I joined [Hips ‘n Harmony] I wasn’t getting that. I’m doing what I love with these girls.”
GLK’s WOW Cappella event did an exemplary job at showing potential new members how strong the a cappella community is at Geneseo.