Devlin 008 has never seen as many students as it did Thursday night, when this year's A Cappella Fest drew an audience of hundreds to the dimly lit lecture hall. Fans of the all-vocal music style packed the seats, aisles, and doorways to listen to students sing pieces from Regina Spektor to Frankie Valli.
"I never really understood a cappella. Where are all the instruments?" said Matty Booker, LSOE '11. "But after A Cappella Fest, I'm a fan."
All six of the Boston College a cappella groups - the Bostonians, Against the Current, the Sharps, the Dynamics, the Heightsmen, and the Acoustics - performed. The show ran a little under two hours, from 7 to 9 p.m.
"A Cappella Fest is always great because we get to hear all the other great groups perform, which is something we don't get to do at any other show during the year," said Brendan Dougherty, A&S '10 and a member of the Acoustics. "It's also great because it's the very first show for our new members, so the excitement level is always very high."
The Bostonians, BC's oldest a cappella group, kicked off the show with an uplifting rendition of "Viva La Vida." The soloist, Joe Denatale, A&S '11, out as one of the most charismatic performers of the night, set the bar high for the remainder of the evening's solo singers.
The formally dressed group showed no shortage of talent with their clean and classy presentation. They followed the opening with Pink's "Who Knew," and ended dramatically with Little Big Town's "Boondocks."
Against the Current, BC's only Christian a cappella group, was up next, singing "Revolution" by Starfield. The 14 members have just recently come together, but seemed to have a lot of fan support from the audience.
The Sharps, BC's only all female a cappella group, followed with four songs, including "No Air," given a new spin by having the traditional guy-girl duet sung by two girls. They lightened up the show by closing with a comedic rendition of Britney Spears' "Piece of Me."
2008 Woodie Awards
