For most University students, the end of the semester looks like a wind-down for Thanksgiving followed by an immediate gear-up for finals, perhaps intermingled with reminiscing on another semester gone by too fast. However, for some, the end of the semester signals something a little different — a cappella concert season.
It was the AcHOOstics’ turn to hit the stage in the Chemistry Building Thursday, and they arrived in full force. The AcHOOstics are unique in the world of Cavalier a cappella groups, standing out as the University’s only philanthropic a capella group. This semester, they partnered with a local animal shelter — Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA — to give a part of their ticket proceeds to help support the shelter.
Before the concert began, the audience buzzed with excitement and anticipation. The concert was advertised as a “Party in the AcHOO.S.A” with flyers and social media promotions featuring gingham, cowboy boots and no shortage of red, white and blue. Many people, including fourth-year College student Nate Stevenson, were curious to see how the theme would be enacted in the concert.
“I love wordplay and this is no exception,” Stevenson said. “So I’m a big fan of the theme [and] I’m excited to hear some a cappella.”
The concert began with an energetic rendition of “Breakin’ Dishes” by Rihanna, sung by Belle Michalski, soloist and second-year College student. Michalski completely embodied the attitude and sass of the original song, strutting around the dimly-lit stage while emphatically repeating the song’s central chorus — “I’ma fight a man tonight,” in a way that was equal parts campy and intimidating.
As the concert continued, the America-inspired theme began to become clearer in the musical choices. The mash-up of “Sister Golden Hair” and “Say You Love Me” was imbued with cool 70’s energy. The soft-rock SoCal vibe of the aptly-named America’s “Sister Golden Hair” blended nicely with the catchy croons of Fleetwood Mac. Shinjini Bose, the group’s music director and fourth-year Engineering student, shared her thoughts on the benefits of this song’s inclusion in the concert.
“I feel like America as a band, they’ve got this beautiful Americana vibe that we haven’t really tapped into before,” Bose said.
The AcHOOstics delivered seamless mash-ups throughout, but it was in the solos that the girls were really able to flex their vocal chops. Bose’s “Teenage Dirtbag” stood out for its clever subversion. Instead of emulating the angsty, early 2000’s sound of Wheatus’s original, Bose chose to go in the direction of pop-folk singer Lizzy McAlpine’s cover and delivered a beautiful, emotional ballad. She later said “Teenage Dirtbag” had been her proudest arrangement.
“That was my little baby. I totally got down on my hands and knees and begged the group to let me put that song on the set list,” Bose said. “I was like, guys I promise there’s a vision. And they let me do it, and I’m happy with that one.”
After an intermission with an appearance from the improv group, the Whethermen, the AcHOOstics returned for part two. They continued to alternate between upbeat, catchy tunes like the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and more emotional songs including Trousdale’s “Always Joni,” bolstered by a powerful three-person trio, and Beyonce’s “I’d Rather Go Blind,” sung soulfully by Madeleine Bartmess, public relations chair and third-year College student.
The concert ended with the AcHOOstics running off the stage to the rapturous applause of the audience’s standing ovation — but in typical a cappella fashion, they weren’t done. In response to the audience’s chants of “one more song!” the group returned, with their new members — affectionately dubbed “nooms” — donning feather boas and costumes, a long-standing AcHOOstic tradition.
They then jumped into their actual final song, labeled “Mystery Medley” on the program, which turned out to be a selection of Lana Del Rey hits. The medley was the highlight of the concert, featuring prettily layered vocals in “Lust for Life” and a sultry rendition of “High By the Beach.”
According to Bose, Del Ray — an artist known for leaning into the Americana aesthetic in her lyricism and music videos — played a large role in forming their theme.
“So we had the Lana medley … and Lana Del Rey is so USA but in her own way,’” Bose said. “A lot of ideas were circulating and we decided to tap into that kind of contemporary Americana vibe, and that’s how we ended up doing our photo-shoot and then our concert promo.”
The photoshoot featured the AcHOOstics in their bluest denim and scruffy cowboy boots, standing against wooden fences topped with barbed wire against the backdrop of rolling green fields. Their concert program was also uniquely stylized to fit the theme and filled with vintage Americana imagery.
Third-year Engineering student Karina Arakal sang the group’s praises after the concert.
“This is my third AcHOOstics concert and it is honestly so amazing every time, I’m so blown away … They’re so coordinated,” Arakal said. “There’s just so much love on the stage.”
One thing is clear, throughout the concert, it was hard to tell who was having more fun — the audience or the AcHOOstics.
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