In celebration of its 10th year on campus, UR’s only co-ed a cappella group, After Hours, performed its annual spring concert last Friday and displayed that having fun onstage makes for a great show.
All of the members of After Hours entertained the audience to no end with their crazy dance moves, upbeat songs and animated energy. Strong Auditorium was filled with cheering fans, and the spirit didn’t lessen at all throughout the duration of the performance.
The show started off seductively with an outstanding rendition of The Divinyl’s “I Touch Myself,” performed by After Hours newcomer and freshman Michael Tichenor and accompanied by sophomore Lindsay Wood. Together, they captivated the audience with sexy moves and strong voices. Next, another newcomer, freshman Claire Agrawal, sang “Mr. Blue” by Catherine Feeney. It was a little slower and harder to engage one’s attention in, but was done well. The last song of the first set featured senior Dan Wang with supporting vocals from sophomore Adam Penna in “Mistake of My Life” by Caedmon’s Call.
In between sets, an all-male a cappella guest group from University at Buffalo, the Buffalo Chips, came onstage with powerhouse voices that earned it top ranks at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competition last year.
They sang several sets that included songs such as “What Goes Around (Comes Around)” by Justin Timberlake and “Black Holes and Revelations” by Muse. They got the crowd cheering and exhibited unique and talented voices.
After Hours was welcomed back on stage with an uproar of cheers as junior Griffin Pahl and sophomore Cait Cavanagh took the spotlight with a duet to “The Way I Are” by Timbaland. Pahl’s deep, cavernous voice captured the original version perfectly and complemented Cavanagh’s accompanying part well. The song became my favorite part of the show.
Next, senior Kellie Hasselwander performed “Paper Bag” by Fiona Apple, followed by an enjoyable rendition of the Beatles’ “Drive My Car,” sung by sophomore Doug Butler with background vocals from junior Alex Pawlicki. A strange song, “The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas” by They Might Be Giants, came after, with soloist and sophomore Brian Lobenstine, which was mildly entertaining but a little unusual. Wang sang
the solo to “I Feel Fantastic” by Jonathan Coulton, but the rest of the group really captivated my attention the entire time during the song, showing off some offbeat and funny acting and dancing.
Cavanagh performed “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las with seniors Bex Porter and Ali Stumpf playing the cutesy roles of gossiping girls. The show ended with a bang with “Built this City on Rock and Roll” by Jefferson Starship, which featured Pawlicki as the soloist and junior Lindsey Alico with a fantastic accompaniment.
The variety of songs was more interesting than in past shows, and the group really has grown in vocal strength and energy.
“We are very happy with our performance, musically and in terms of energy, and we appreciated all of the audience support we received,” Cavanagh said.
The show’s theme, “Win a Date with After Hours,” promised exactly what it said. Audience members received raffle tickets with their show tickets and, if chosen, would have the opportunity to choose any After Hours member to go on a date with. Three lucky winners came up onstage after the show and, after some contemplation, selected each of their favorite members. To highlight the potential dates, each member of the group was introduced with a short bio and fun facts making fun of themselves throughout the show. It was amusing and a great way to engage the audience.
A strong showing of alumni came up to share the stage and sing the group’s final song, “And So It Goes,” by Billy Joel. A cute announcement was made before the singing began: two After Hours alumni that came to the show have gotten married since their days at UR and recently had the first After Hours baby.
It was a good show with outstanding energy and left the audience upbeat and happy.
Friedlander is a member of the class of 2010.
