What Fans are Saying
First of all, I want to offer a big thank you to Joe Hunter for his kindness and generosity!
If you haven't witnessed a BAC show for yourself, you don't know what you're missing! From beginning to end, this was a high energy show that was thoroughly entertaining. When it was over I found myself looking at my watch, scratching my head and asking myself "How'd that much time go by so quickly?"
The chorus sounded great and the presentation showed the talent and emotional range of the singers. Whether comedic or serious, you could tell that the men on stage understood the message of each song. And the front row of the BAC is second to none!
Scott Brannon was a great emcee that had a very good feel for his audience. We all enjoyed his commentary and stories throughout the show. The topper for me was when he offered a touching tribute to the hard times that have befallen the people of New Orleans capped by a mini-chorus from within the chapter called "A Few Good Men" singing "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?"
The chapter and guest quartets were quality groups too, all a pleasure to listen to. There was a good balance between chorus and quartets and again, it was all quality. Greenwich Ave sounded better than ever, and the Manhattan Music Company was a real pleasure to watch ad listen to. 'Round Midnight took the stage by storm and demonstrated why they are the NY Region Harmony Sweepstakes champs! Reveille performed their now infamous "Taking Over Your barbershop Style" set, which got a great reaction from the crowd. They sounded great and the audience absolutely ate it up.
This brings us to OC Times. Before intermission, we got a little taste when they came out and performed a couple of tunes. This was a smart move on the part of the organizers...the audience was just buzzing in anticipation of seeing them perform their full show set...and they didn't disappoint!
OC Times has a good show package, very entertaining. They have fun on stage and it shows! The audience was especially cracked up by Cory's antics throughout the set. They have a nice repoire with the crowd from start to finish. But what I really like about these guys is that they absolutely own the music. After the full set, they got a standing ovation.
I know, you want to know more...you want to know what they sang, you want to know if there are gags...but I'm not going to tell you. If you want to know, go and see them! They have shows coming up all over the country and even if it's a little out of the way, it's worth the drive!
All of this is meaningless though, compared to what I saw after the show. It was something I've never seen before, but hope to see more of in the future. OC Times was out in the lobby...and CHILDREN WERE FLOCKING TO THEM! I mean, everyone wanted a piece of these guys, that's expected. But children...the future of our hobby...just absolutely adored them! And OC Times was so gracious and caring about these kids...it was like watching a combination of superstars and Barney...parents loved them, kids loved them, parents loved that their kids loved them...it was awesome.
These 4 are great ambassadors for our hobby. There's a reason we've been seeing their faces everywhere lately and I think it's going to continue that way for quite a while. And I don't think that's a bad thing!
At the end of the evening, the chorus and quartets received a well-deserved standing ovation from a very grateful audience.
Congratulations to Big Apple for pulling off a fantastic show and congratulations to OC Times for surviving their visit to NYC (and Brooklyn...when in doubt, take the local)!
I love all your songs. They have lots of humor in them. My favorite song is 12 Days Of Christmas. I love how you add little remarks in. Like "Genuine Golden Rings" and "Wow, unbelivaeble" and "Pick it up". you Guys are so cool and great. These cd's would make great Christmas presents. Maybe next year I will get a few for my family. I am listening to your cd right now. I first heard you guys in the city, on 12/28/03. Keep up the good work.