What's all the hullabaloo about the Hullabahoos? The a cappella group has been generating a lot of attention recently. Consisting of 15 undergraduates, the Hullabahoos are one of three all-male singing groups at the University. Known for their humor and eccentricity, the group members perform clad in brightly-patterned robes as part of a long-standing tradition (in fact, their Web site boasts the slogan: "Robed for your Pleasure"). With a varied repertoire that includes pop/funk songs like "Hey Ya!" to classic rock songs like Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" to Mo Town, the group's versatility contributes to its current success.
"We are a group that can perform for just about any function and any audience," said Erick Hong, a fourth-year College student and current Hullabahoos president.
While the Hullabahoos make their presence known to University audiences through frequent concerts and performances, they recently had the unique opportunity to perform for a new kind of audience on Capitol Hill. The group entertained at a fundraiser dinner for the Republican National Congressional Committee, held at the Washington D.C. Hilton Hotel last Thursday.
Although the Hullabahoos have no official affiliation with the Republican Party, group members said they were honored to sing in front of the high-level clientele, which included Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, members of the House of Representatives and President George W. Bush, who attended earlier in the night.
The singing group held its ground despite warnings from the event planner that the seated audience might be inattentive. As the last scheduled performance of the event, the Hullabahoos said they expected to wrap up the night while members of the audience exited the convention room.
Keith Bachman, a third-year College student and the musical director of the group, said he was impressed by the audience's reaction.
"It was a nice feeling that there were still people watching us at the end," Bachman said. "While that may seem weird, it was an accomplishment that, according to the event planner, not even Meatloaf [who had previously performed for the RNCC] could pull off."
The set of eight songs performed by the group included tunes by artists such as Jason Mraz, Kenny Chesney, U2 and Counting Crows. Because of the political nature of event, the Hullabahoos said they chose to omit "Hey Ya" and "Where is the Love" from the program, because of explicit lyrics and anti-war messages.
Bachman, who arranges most of the group's current repertoire, added: "It was all around the most exciting gig I've ever sung with the group."
Alan Webb, a first-year who joined the Hullabahoos last fall, agreed. He attributed the enthusiastic response from the spectators to the novelty of having a collegiate a cappella group and the group's high caliber performance which kept most of the audience until the last note.
According to Webb, several shouts of "Go Wahoos," cheering on the University's unofficial mascot, could even be heard from the audience.
"I was very nervous -- I can't necessarily speak for the rest of the guys... but we knew that we had many more potential gigs riding on" the performance, Webb said.
Indeed, the gig in the nation's capitol served not only as a venue in which the Hullabahoos could sing outside the University, but also as a door-opener for other opportunities.
The event planner, pleased with the group's performance, subsequently booked the a cappella group for other, similar high-profile functions, including the Republican National Convention in New York City this August. The gig will be an all-expenses-paid trip lasting several days, and will undoubtedly garner further attention to the group's flair and professionalism.
But why choose the Hullabahoos to be the main source of entertainment for such a nationally-recognized event? The group said it believes that its previous relationship with the event planner paved the way for its rising popularity outside the University.
"The agency was really pleased with our attitudes and willingness to come up there and showcase our talent," said John De Triquet, a third-year who is the elected president for the upcoming academic year.
The Hullabahoos was originally created in 1988 by a group of men with the intent to have fun while singing and performing more contemporary music. According to Hong, the tradition of the robes is indicative of the fun, light-hearted quality of the singers. Not only do the robes distinguish the singers from the other a cappella groups on Grounds, but they are also quick and effective performance garb. Of course, they do not always strictly adhere to a dress code -- the Hullabahoos opted for more appropriate attire -- business suits -- for the RNCC function.
Becoming part of this unique group, however, is no easy task.
A cappella auditions are competitive. Hong said he estimates approximately 70 to 80 hopefuls try out each fall for the Hullabahoos along with other a cappella groups, including the Academical Village People and the Virginia Gentlemen. Considering that only three to four people are accepted by the Hullabahoos each year, the process can be intimidating.
"We're looking for personality as much as we are quality of voice," De Triquet said. "In many ways, it's similar to joining a frat."
Once accepted into the a cappella group, members said they take their roles seriously and are committed to perfecting their sound. Combined with performances and studio time, Hong estimated that the group spends anywhere from 10 to 30 hours a week practicing together. Such close contact with one another lends itself to the quality of their performances -- and also makes for the impermeable bond that each Hullabahoo has with the others.
"Not only do we sing together, not only do we do all these gigs together, but we have such a good time together," De Triquet said. "It goes beyond the rehearsals and the performances -- some of my best friends are in the group."
The upward momentum of the Hullabahoos can be traced to the hard work put forth by the older members. Among other awards, the group's 2001 CD release, Xerox Nation, won the Best Male Collegiate Album from the Contemporary Acapella Recording Award, a national organization.
Hong said he believes the large talent pool at the University as well as learning from the past are key to the Hullabahoos' present rise to the top.
"The biggest thing is... enjoying our time as a group of guys singing in college, sort of the fun aspect of it," he said. "But I think that one thing is to recognize is that we have some unique opportunities that we weren't taking advantage of. What I've tried to do is a lot of networking."
And with so much to look forward to, the Hullabahoos certainly do have something to sing about.
Their new CD, "Jacked," comes out in several weeks and will be ready to buy at their next performances.
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