Okay so this is actually the very essence of my trip: to
watch Pentatonix! I’m a fan, but maybe it’s a bit different with the way I am fanning
(?) TRG. I mean with TRG, I think I’m such a big fan, that I can probably tell in
which live video(s) Mrs. K is having her PMS and which is not. They’re both
acapella, but.. well. They have their own appeal. TRG is more like a fusion of classic
and jazz, and only recently that they turned a bit pop and ‘easy-listening’..
but the arrangement of their songs is still quite crazy, demands super wide
vocal range, and hard to follow. Pentatonix is more ‘recent’; they’re younger,
they do disco and beatbox, and they’re relatively easier to sing along with. I
still prefer TRG, but I enjoy the fact that the coolness level of Pentatonix is
somehow able to make me step out of my comfort zone, and experience the other
style of acapella. Some highlights of the concerts would be these:
1) Kevin's celloboxing. Here he did a solo performance playing the cello while beatboxing in a track called "Julio". It was awesome. The next track after Julio was "Papaoutai" when he did another celloboxing, and it was also awesome. Such great breathing technique, and.. he did many things with the cello that I haven't seen before, i.e strumming two (or even three?) strings at the same time to make some chords, alternating pizzicato with bowing, and damn he did good on that arpeggio thing! Totally cool! Makes me wanna re-learn violin, really.
2) Avi and Kevin sang the melody while the other three were doing the rhythm! I forgot what track it was, but it was really a refreshment, a new look to the Pentatonix that I usually know. On the song "Standing By", Avi did the whole lead vocal. I've been listening just to the audio of that song, and I thought it was Scott's voice! Turn out that Avi can sing the melody pretty well too!
3) The cover song "Let's Get It On" when they asked one of the audiences to come on stage.. they hugged her, and Avi did that Beyonce move.. crazy. Haha
4) Mitch's range and rap. It wasn't quite human. Too good.
The whole performance was pretty solid; it was flowing nicely. They didn't tell much story because everyone's shouting.. but.. well. They have good endurance. I do hope that they'll last and keep improving.
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| Some pre and post-concert photos |
I’d say it’s perfectly in the middle of the pop and classic spectrum; they make a nice blend. I’m more used to watching concerts while sitting down, cellphones are turned off, no shouting during the songs, and applause is only allowed after the song has finished. With Pentatonix, it’s still acapella, but all those rules just don’t apply, and it’s still nice! I found the excitement not by waiting for applauding after the song has ended, but by singing along and shouting with the crowd. I haven’t been frikkin’ shouting that loud and much for years! It was quite a release (and maybe it was the thing that gave me cough too? Nah, not that. The pollution gave me the cough, not the shouting :p).. and .. well. The crowd were wild, but they’re still queuing, which was AWESOME. Most were enthusiastic, and most used their phone and/or camera to take pictures and/or videos.. and I didn’t feel annoyed! Haha. I would’ve felt annoyed if I were on a regular recital that I used to go to. Haha. I still didn’t go with the ‘culture’ to take as much picture as possible.. I just felt that being there and like really kind of focus into the performance (instead of focusing on pictures/videos) was the very reason I was there. I needed to memorize it with my whole mind, body, and soul, so.. that was what I did. It was super fun! People were dancing, jumping, cheering, and singing along.. Cool things a bout an acapella concert is, the ones who watch it are mostly singers –at least they can sing- so when people are singing along, you’ll hardly hear pitchy voices. It was fascinating, because with the concert of other bands, listening to other people singing out loud in pitchy way can be quite a let-down for me. Sorry :p
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| with the former choir mates! |
I took picture before and after the concert, though. The
post-concert photo was best, because I happened to meet my former university choir
mates, we shared some quick stories.. and it’s nice that we’re still into the
same cool thing we used to do together, i.e. singing. They’re not just a
regular choir mates. One guy used to be one of my poker buddies (it’s a
truth-or-dare poker so many secrets were revealed in this game. haha), drove me
home after the choir practice, and he once was the chief of the choir. He said
that he’s still singing in a small group, and it was very nice to hear that!
The other one is one of my seniors, twice elected as the –what is it? The board
of the organization? Stuff like that. She’s a real soprano, an effortless one.
She’s able to reach e” while talking and sipping her drink, while I could only
reach that e” after like… I don’t know. Lots of practice and little luck,
maybe? I’m not sure I can reach that e” anymore right now since I haven’t done
much practice, but… well. Anyway. It was awesome to meet them there! We didn’t
expect to meet, but we just met! Somehow some things haven’t changed, and that’s
just okay. It’s nice.
So. Focusing back on the hashtag #OnMyWayHomeProject, I
think this concert somehow reminds me that a home is not a building or a name
of a place; it’s more like something you’re comfortable with. Something you can’t
escape from, no matter how hard you try, because you know you’ll be just
miserable without it. There’s just no other way, you just have to have it. In
this case, music is that ‘it’. Of course I’ve tried to deny it because I’m not
doing it as a pro, I should’ve just done what I’m capable of making a living
with (i.e. my job).. and all those blah blah blah, but damn. I’m miserable
without music. I thought teaching English might work as an alternative ‘leisure
activity’ –well it worked for some time, but when the ‘honeymoon period’ ended,
I kind of feel left out with a feeling that.. I want music. I want to do it,
not just listen to it. I’m not sure how much longer I can stay sane without doing
music, so.. I’m making my way, and I think I’m quite determined so far. I feel
pretty pumped for I have made an active effort to pave my way of going home. At
the same time, I feel free. I don’t know, like.. free for being the real me.. because
somehow, a home is where you feel most comfortable with, and I feel most
comfortable when I’m just.. me. Music makes me… me, and it sets me free. When I
feel free, I feel at home. Quite a contradiction, perhaps, but.. that’s just
the way it is.
So yes, music is my home, and I’m on my way home. My home
sets me free. I’m thankful J
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| picture taken from http://conradzero.com/wp-content/uploads/Music_is_my_Life_2_by_LietingaDiena-300x206.jpg |
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