By Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
Sounds of music delivered by the voices of the group Acapella thrilled the audience at Cinema 2 in New Kingston on Saturday night. - Ricardo Makyn/ Staff Photographer
THE RELEVANT authorities are still trying to sift through the rubble that is left of Cinema 2 in New Kingston after American gospel group Acappella utterly destroyed it on Saturday night with a performance that has placed them on the 'most wanted' list.
The all-vocal quartet delivered an astounding performance that supported the notion that instruments are overrated and that the voice is the mother of all. Without a smidgeon of a doubt, the crowd favourite was Gary Evans, who was armed with a bass voice that could topple the hugest of mountains.
When Evans opened his mouth, it was as if he had an earthquake that measured 9.9 on the Richter scale trapped in his belly. Evan's voice shook the very foundations of the venue; patrons had to hold on to their chairs in order not to hit the deck. Additionally, the group was the epitome of harmony, as Nic Dunbar (baritone); Matt Nunally (high tenor) and Sean Samuel (second tenor) proved that their voices were worth their weight in gold.
In addition to their vocal prowess, the group cracked the crowd up with their choreographed gimmicks. At several points during their 'wicked' stint the all-male group was reminiscent of the Three Stooges (plus an additional member).
The introduction of the group was met with massive applause coupled with screams and whistles and they did not disappoint their fans. Acappella: The Next Generation, more than justified the $650 pre-sold and $750 at the gate price tags as they gave the audience more than their money's worth.
In the segment they dubbed 'Instru-pella', the group used their vocals to make rhythms and scratching sounds as they declared in a song that they did not need any instruments, they would just sing it a cappella and rightly so. They received thunderous applause for songs such as the solemn Worthy Is The Lamb and Amazing Grace.
HYPNOTIC SPELL
Acappella could do no wrong as they cast a hypnotic spell on the audience. At 10:19 p.m. the young men exited. As you may have already figured out, the crowd verbalised their requests for an encore as they chanted, "We want more!"
Their urge was not immediately satisfied but was subsequently eased after the group returned after ex-Acappella man Wayburn Dean's second performance on the night. Dean first came to the stage at a minute to nine and delivered a tight set.
Dean is a sedate performer but he is blessed with a superb voice. Amongst the songs he did was a contemporary version of the seemingly ancient gospel anthem Amazing Grace, the powerful Wait On Me, which was written by his wife, and the insightful That Could Have Been Me.
Dean's songs had depth. At times a reflective hush fell on the audience as they contemplated the deep messages in the ballads performed by the veteran singer. Dean existed at 9:31 p.m. and cautioned that he would return.
While his performance was good, Dean should have wrapped up his segment at that point and allowed Acappella to bring the show home. Instead, after Acappella rocked the venue he returned.
On his return most of the patrons that gathered at the front of the stage turned and walked back to their seats, seemingly in anticipation of the return of Acappella. At 10:43 p.m. he called Acapella back to the fore and once again like chickens under the wings of a mother hen, the patrons assembled at the front of the stage. Acappella and Dean combined and delivered Hush and the song that the crowd was holding their breaths for, Rescue. Earlier in the night, performances were rendered by the locals, which included George Gordon, Renay McKnight, April Simmonds, Claude Edwards, Judith Gayle and the sign language group Praise and Worship.
There was a healthy turnout; still there were more chairs than people in the venue. Plus, the rugged terrain at the venue was not the best of places for the seating arrangements. Also, there were some noticeable technical flaws, especially during Dean's performances. In his first stint, the microphone the singer used gave off loud feedback.
Plus, near the end of his second offering the said microphone chipped out completely. All you could see was his lips moving, not a word could be heard. The power returned but went again after he called Acappella back to the stage.
