Kudos for On the Rocks

Wow, it's been a long time! I really don't know why. It certainly isn't because I have become any less opinionated. Maybe I just haven't thought of anything worth talking about for a while?

But now I have! Back to music! One of my favorite things. A few weeks ago, I saw a link on FaceBook for a YouTube video of an acapella group from the University of Oregon. On the Rocks. I always check out YouTube links, you can get some great laughs and find some seriously good stuff there. I checked out the video, and was absolutely blown away. We all know I was a "choir geek" in high school, I was a member of our "Acapella" choir (strangely enough, we seldom sand anything acapella.) I love tight harmonies, I love listening to male vocal groups. (I don't know why, but there really aren't many female singers I like.)

When I listened to On the Rocks, I was reminded of a group from a few years back, The Nylons. A Canadian acapella group. In 1989, The Nylons put out an album titled Rockapella. On that album, they talk about "taking acapella into the 90's." Yes, I know how old I am. Give it a rest! I love The Nylons, and yes, I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert twice. They are not only fantastic vocalists, they have a great rapport and are fun to watch. You know making music, singong with each other and entertaining their audience is fun for them. That's what makes it fun for everyone.

Would it ever be possible for acapella to break into "mainstream" music? I only wish! What is more exciting, more intriguing, or more impressive than a handful of guys getting up in front of an audience and using the original musical instruments, their voices, and only their voices, to make music?

I believe On the Rocks can take acapella into the new millennium! They have the outstanding voices, the showmanship, the instinct for entertaining their audience. I have spent hours listening to their YouTube videos. Oh, who am I kidding. I have ripped several of them to put on my iPod so I can torture people with them! I now have all of the albums they have produced over the years. On the Rocks has taken on a wide range of styles and moods. They have made me cry and laugh and amazed me by "out gaga-ing" Lady Gaga. (Yep, I think their arrangement and performance of Bad Romance is better than the original. Sorry!)

Perhaps when you think of acapella, you think of barbershop. Yeah, it's that, too, but these guys are so much more. Their vocal percussion is amazing. Using voices for the instruments is fantastic. This isn't grandma's acapella. This type of music deserves to be heard by a much larger audience. After their YouTube video of Bad Romance went viral, they seemed to be shocked at the attention. I could explain it to them. They are fresh, they are new, they are talented, they just plain ROCK! They do weekly concerts on campus during the school year, which is where a number of their videos originated. I confess, I like those weekly shows, just them hanging out and singing their hearts out, better than the "official" performance videos. I understand it's tradition for them to do a midnight concert at the end of the school year. I'm tempted to book a flight to Oregon.

Of course, I want everyone to check out On the Rocks on YouTube. My favorites?


Kyrie Eleison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgvVme1zRB8


Bad Romance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8PAuvxCZuM&feature=related


Afloat (by Caleb and Sol Rexius, Caleb a former On the Rocks member)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP0VVNebbSM


Eye to Eye
http://www.youtube.com/user/yankeessuck8991#p/u/4/73qNHYhfA3g


Lullaby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaQ51pOlJXM


For the Longest Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbLgJTycnHA&feature=related


Ah, there are too many to list!

I truly hope those kids know how good they are, I hope their exposure with Bad Romance results in many new fans of the genre. I hope one, or some, of you reading this will "get it" and understand my excitement!

Now, I think I need to go make a donation to some school music program. Perhaps if more people appreciated music, the world would be a better place to live...

What was I thinking? I forgot the most important link, the link to their website!
http://www.uoontherocks.com/

Could someone please tell them their current group page needs to be updated? We also need new YouTube videos to see what they are up to this year!