Season 2 - Opening Night

[singabelle]

Wellll IMO, here is where I applaud Deke and Ed (and a bunch of other people, but I actually know what Deke and Ed look like, so I'm going to mentally applaud them).

Last season I watched the each episode when it aired and then listened to them at work so any visual stimulus would be eliminated and I could make a fair assessment of each group just by listening. This season...well I haven't actually watched last night's episode bc I was at one job and my gov't job forces me to sneak a cappella at the work place so I listened to the Hulu broadcast this morning...but I digress...

This season, sounds awesome! I don't even care about who sang what and why and where (though I will always admit to being Kendall Young's biggest fan). But we trudged through those first episodes of last season in regards to sound quality and last night The Sing Off came out with a bang! After all of the hype about a cappella entering the mainstream, THIS is what we needed and arrangements and shtuff aside, it just SOUNDS goooood!

And let's talk about it's appeal...my grandmother called me last night to say "There's this show on NBC...lots of colors and people singing. A cappella...isn't that what you do? Your papa hasn't left the TV in an hour." So if it's got an old Puerto Rican couple hooked, good things are coming! I'm very excited for the rest of the season!

[rdietz55]

[chrismurphy]

I have no idea if people have talked about this subject yet, but I'm going to throw it out there...

First, let me say that I enjoyed the show. I am, however, nerved that a spot on the show was taken by an already established singer with hit records that have charted and has paved the way for the a cappella community. Jerry Lawson is an icon. I actually had the honor of sharing the stage with him when he was still with the Persuasions, but for the life of me I cannot understand why a reality show of this nature would place this level of "establishment" in a competition with newly formed groups who have not yet had the luxury of making it big.

Of course, I might be a bit sour on this front being that my group did audition in NYC and made it to the top 20 of 240-some groups for Season 2. (The story and names of Street Corner Symphony are way too similar to ours...but I digress.) Even the lead vocalist for SCS had dabbled in the record industry.

To me, although there needs to be some "television-worthy" aspects for NBC, I don't think it is fair or true "reality" to have groups or invidiuals who have already made a mark in the industry. A cappella is making its own mark in the world with this show, but I certainly hope that it is being done as fairly as possible....

My two cents...

Chris Murphy

[obsessedacafool]

So I agree with most of what's been said so far. But I no one's mentioned the mix yet. Did anyone else feel the low end was simply missing? I'd like to know if it was just my (rather large and powerful) surround system or not. It was better than last season though. Can't wait for wednesday!

[dekesharon]

A few quick comments/clarifications:

1) It is a very correct statement that not every song can be cleared, and it's not always easy getting a song that works for a group, that they're happy with, that the producers are happy with, that the network is happy with, that fits with the other songs, etc. But you have my word that we do our very best to put every group in the best possible light.

2) No one is predestined to leave, and no one is thrown under the bus. How stupid would that be? Try to make someone less entertaining?!? No. Not on my watch.

3) The five groups then elimination then other five then other elimination was for one simple reason: we couldn't fit 10 groups lined up in a row on stage. That simple. You can read into it, but that's really it. Next show we have to do 4 and 4 for the same reason, but then once we're down to 6, a number that can be lined up across the stage, we have just one batch.

4) I wish we didn't have to have eliminations right away - in fact I wish we didn't have to have any eliminations - but that's what the show is. That's the drama people need. So it will happen in show #1, much as I hate it.

[colton]

[cyserrano]

[aaamusiq]

[dougiefresh]

This might stir up some controversy, so I'll cite the 1st Amendment as my defense.

First and foremost...To Deke + Ed + whoever else we don't know about, thank you for improving the tuning. It's not overly obvious like , nor does it make me want to change the channel like last year when I heard . Thank you for being our veteran representatives, and thank you for all your hard work that we either don't know about or that you can't tell us about. Also, the opening number was baller. Bravo.

Second of all...(I know we've gone over this a thousand times)...The talent is better, but still not representing our genre in the best possible light. Yes, the dozens of super-professional groups can't sign the NBC contracts because of the crazy talent rider stipulations (I had to sign them myself, so I get it), and some of those groups might not even want/need this sort of "Glee-esque" exposure, so I'll let that slide. But I'm sure Nick, Ben, Shawn, and maybe even Nicole (who I honestly can't believe they brought back for the 2nd season - I'd take Paula Abdoul over her) know that there's much better stuff out there; it's false advertising, and NBC knows but doesn't care. I therefore hope that the judges let the best groups advance to the later rounds, not necessarily those that fill demographics.

Third of all...This was astounding, especially considering the potential childhood audience watching this show, expecting it to be Glee-squared. Why would NBC not edit out terms like "musical orgasm," and why are they showing OTR playing beer pong on primetime television? Even if that slang atmosphere is a part of our genre, it should not be presented on the premiere of an episode that represents the "best a cappella group" we've got. Call me stuck-up, but the 21st century's increasingly lackadaisical censorship is hurting the overall reputability of late-night television, not to mention the validity of our genre. It's little tidbits like these that continue to force us to defend our craft. Also, Nicole Scherzinger, not everyone believes in God.

Fourth of all...(based on pure musicality and Ben Folds' comments)...My votes for which groups should make it to the final three:

1. Committed - "Bravo. Just bravo. These fellows took some serious harmonic chances with a fairly simple song. That they come from the church and not mainstream gives them some intensity and something fresh for sure. But they're just good. That's obvious immediately. Moments of sheer brilliance. Inspired."

2. Groove For Thought - "Here is our jazz group. And you know how marketable jazz is! But this is a cappella and that seems to have made their jazziness more relatable...As a group that does actually look and feel like a group of school teachers, they'll be up against more "marketable" groups so I say they've got their work cut out for them. Still, this is the first group this season that has given us a truly class musical performance."

3. Street Corner Symphony/The BackBeats (let's see if anyone else in either group can solo) - "Great singers and musicians. Period. We were in good hands from the downbeat of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World." No reason to be nervous for these guys (SCS). They've now set their own bar and the only downside of this nearly perfect performance is that they've got to figure a way to keep moving up." ... "Are they (The BackBeats) going to stick with Joanna as the lead singer each time? She was a hit. Or do they want to show depth on the bench? Will they come off as plain and anonymous when they have to sing a song that doesn't pack such obvious emotional punch?"

Finally...(based on what happened last year, and NBC's desire to reach as many viewers as possible)...My votes for which groups will make it to the final three:

1. OTR or Whiffenpoofs --> all male collegiate fraternity = The Bubs, Part 2. Female audience demographic, check.
2. Groove for Thought or Street Corner Symphony --> explores the relationship of talent and age. Baby boomers demographic, check.
3. Eleventh Hour or Committed --> Glee demographic or Religious demographic, check.

I'm sure that those who already know the final three are laughing at me right now, but put yourself in my shoes and ask yourself if you'd think any different if you weren't behind-the-scenes. That being said, bravo on the overall experience. My principles didn't stop me from watching the clips on Hulu, so you can take my cynicism with a grain of salt.

Bottom line, this show is good for a cappella, even if it doesn't represent the genre in the specific way that each of us wants. Mainstream exposure breeds viral marketing through social media connectivity. For example, I have always known that OTR is amazing, but in today's age, those who don't know about their specific musicality only need to know about YouTube to vouch for them. And how you vouch doesn't matter as long as you vouch.

Therefore, I hope that this show continues for as many seasons as our generation will allow. As long as Glee, American Idol, Survivor, The Amazing Race, and Jersey Shore continue to be successful, "reality tv" shows like this will stay afloat. And by Season 6, I'm sure that enough people will explore the internet (if it still exists in 2020) to find their way to our sources. And yes, CASA, I smell sponsorship deals. However you slice it, exposure and internet trafficking will lead to increased attendance at our festivals, increased numbers of start-up groups per year, and ultimately more a cappella dollars in circulation. Capitalism breeds itself through this seemingly Communist connectivity. And isn't that what it's all about? Or is it because we love this genre? Does passion trump economics? Have I gotten completely off-track?

Whatever, bring on the stones.

[sahjahpah]

I'm still baffled as to why the Whiffs would even appear on this show. They've got a 100-year-old brand that is bound for nothing but failure because comparing OTR to the Whiffs is a little bit like comparing delicious, red apples to an obscure fruit like lychee. Guess which one has more mass appeal. I just can't see any circumstance in which the Whiffs come off looking anything other than silly, outmoded, and boring compared to the other groups...and I say that as someone who can probably sing 2003's "Supernatural" from front to back and who first fell in love with a cappella in the sixth grade watching them sing in Woolsey Hall. As Jon Stewart might say, the Whiffs are bringing a tote bag full of David Sedaris books to a knife fight.

[rdietz55]

When does ratings info start to come in?

Robert

[selizara]

Deke - can you comment on why Mario was not the soloist for Pitch Slapped last night? He sang the solo in ICCA competition last year, and KILLED it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLT9fRQcu-k

There has been speculation that he was booted by some producer because he's not as classically attractive as the guy who did sing the solo, and that makes me really sad, because he is amazing.

[cyserrano]

[aaamusiq]

[soundslikedrums]