Sharps Shine With An Onslaught Of Pop Hits

Saturday Night Sharps, the BC Sharps' Fall Cafe, was an entertaining evening of a cappella, and even a little comedy. The Sharps, Boston College's all-female a cappella group, were preceded by Brandeis VoiceMale, an all-male a cappella group from Brandeis University. The eight member group, clad in matching blue dress shirts and gold ties, sang three songs, including, "In the Still of the Night." During the song, the lead singer pronounced his love to an unsuspecting audience member and begged her to say "I love you" in return. The crowd cheered, amused by the group's clever act. Brandeis VoiceMale also sang an original up-beat song titled, "Ask Myself." Because they have been working on recording albums recently, VoiceMale said that they have been writing more original songs, similar to the one they performed. Ending on a high note, the boys set the stage for the lovely and talented Sharps.

The Sharps performed 13 songs during their two-act show. Singing both fun pop songs and several older classics, the Sharps captured the audience with their voices and beautiful harmonies. After beginning with "Animal" by Neon Trees, the group performed their rendition of "Breakeven" by The Script. Because of the unique arrangement and the incredible solo by Sara Gomez, A&S '12, the song was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

With a slight change of genre, the Sharps sang a medley of Jessie J's "Price Tag" and The Black Eyed Peas' "Where is the Love." Margeau Frigon, LSOE '14, and Jen Maraia, CSON '13, even did a bit of a cappella rap during the song, keeping the show extremely refreshing and novel. The solo performed by Michaelia Ruhl, A&S '13, in the Sharps' fresh mash-up of "Set Fire to the Rain" and "Rolling in the Deep," was another shining moment of the fall cafe. Ruhl's voice, both distinctive and brilliant, contrasted well with the harmonies of the rest of the group and was ideal for Adele's emotional songs. Led by Dilara Eynula, A&S '13, the Sharps closed the first act strongly with the Whitney Houston favorite, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

During intermission, about four or five clips from the late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live (which the Fall Cafe drew its humorous theme from) were played. The Sharps even filmed a couple comedy sketches of their own. For example, in one titled "Debbie Downer," Siobhan Tellez, CSON '13, played an extraordinarily pessimistic BC student. Her character, though a complete "downer" in the skit, elicited a roar of laughter from those present at the show. The audience chuckled at the funny SNL segments, but they were even more amused when the members of the Sharps came out for the second act dressed as the absurd, hilarious characters from the SNL sketches. Despite their bizarre attire, though, the girls put on another commendable act. Included in the last half of the show was a noteworthy blend of Maino's "All the Above" and One Republic's "Apologize." Another laudable performance by Ruhl in "Bulletproof" by La Roux followed. When Chrissy Patterson, CSOM '12, approached the microphone to sing "No Scrubs" by TLC, the crowd couldn't contain its cheers. And it kept clapping while Kristie Dickinson, CSOM '14, sporting a cowboy hat, sang Lynyrd Skynard's hit, "Sweet Home Alabama." Her gentle, slightly country voice worked exceptionally well in this song, and judging by the audience's response, they clearly agreed. The Sharps' seniors, Patterson, Gomez, and Ali Hall, A&S '12, took the spotlight as the group ended the night with their theme song, "If I Can't Have You." They took a moment to honor their three new freshmen as well. Lucy Smukler, A&S '15; Devin Carroll, LSOE '15; and Jenn Dwyer, CSOM '15; collaborated to create a hysterical parody video of "I'm on a Boat." Their version, "I'm on the T," was a creative, amusing way to introduce the audience to the Sharps' newest members.

With subtle comedy and remarkable vocal talent, BC Sharps amazed their audience with their Fall Cafe. Regardless of the musical preferences among audience members, each person certainly left Saturday Night Sharps with a strong appreciation for a cappella.