A Cappellastock goes big for No. 5
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1 Comment [ View ]By LINDA EAST BRADY
Standard-Examiner staff
A Cappellastock, Ogden's own vocal music festival, turns five this year. The singing-sans-instrumentation celebration is Saturday at the Ogden Amphitheater.
"For the fifth anniversary, our motto was: Either go big or go home," said Jared Allen, tenor of T Minus 5. The group, which began singing when its members were attending Weber State University, founded and still produces A Cappella-stock.
"So we went big," Allen added. "Two semi loads of lighting and sound gear. And we decided we had to get a big group this year. Well, what's bigger than the original members of Rockapella, the group that started this whole modern a cappella movement?"
XRP (short for Ex-Rockapella) is what the four members of Rockapella who built the following for the group in the early '90s are calling themselves for this engagement.
Also coming are the Saltaires, of Salt Lake City, and nationally known recording artists Hi-Fidelity and Tonic Sol-fa.
"There is a worldwide resurgence of vocal music," said Jeff Peterson, baritone with T Minus 5. "We're getting requests from Turkey, the Far East. ... A cappella seems to connect with the soul. It is purely harmonic, so it can speak to all kinds of people."
Added Jason "Fish" Salmond, who sings bass for T Minus 5: "When we first started A Cappellastock, we started small, inviting local groups -- all of them were from Utah. Then we grew, inviting people who won the championships. Now we have all pro groups."
A cappella predates even Gregorian chants, the first written music -- but as a modern style, it came into its own in the 1950s. Pop vocal groups like the Mills Brothers and Drifters, and doo-wop groups like Dion and the Belmonts and The Cadillacs, were part of the first wave, often coming from first-generation-immigrant and minority groups singing on street corners.
The style made it to the concert stage and beyond, and saw resurgence with groups like The Persuasions, The Nylons and Rockapella.
Now the groups those '80s bands inspired are adding not just vocal harmonies, but sound effects as well, giving the impression of a band of instruments, using vocal sounds.
Shawn Satterthwaite, percussionist for T Minus 5, said he loves the thick texture of sound that has developed in the style in recent years, thanks to both the electronic effects and more challenging arrangements.
"Like many groups now, instead of being a vocal group, we are a vocal band," Satterthwaite said, "We feature all these sounds. And our soundman (Rick Low) is a master at making these sounds as effective as possible. People will ask when I play a CD, 'Who is playing drums?' That's me, but I am doing it with my mouth."
Such bands as the House Jacks and Toxic Audio, who appeared last year, and Tonic Sol-fa coming this year, put in as much percussion in their mix as a full band, but "without cluttering up the stage with a drum set," added Satterthwaite.
How good is their soundman? So good that XRP won't be bringing one of their own.
"Barry Carl, their bass man, was here last year as our emcee," said Allen. "He said, 'Your sound guy is awesome, we'll just use him.' "
Shade and slope
The festival is expecting about 4,000 attendees, which would make it the largest event of its kind at the Ogden Amphitheater.
T Minus 5 said it is committed to keep the show in Ogden, even though a few improvements could be made to the amphitheater.
A sharper grade beneath the portable bleacher seats would improve line-of-sight in the first few rows of the section, said Allen. Shade can also be an issue on hot August evenings, and they hope for some sort of relief in the form of artificial shade, to arrive next year.
Their frustrations have to do with wanting the venue to be as perfect as it can be, because they love the location in downtown Ogden. And all say that huge strides have been made downtown since the first Ogden A Cappellastock.
"The first year, we had it in Layton," said Peterson. "But there were tricks to work out -- where will your artists stay, and your people who come from out of state? Ogden gives you all of it in walking distance. You don't have to rent a car when everything is downtown."
Satterthwaite added, "Honestly, our vision of this is to turn this into the a cappella world's Sundance ... Why do they do Sundance in Park City? Because that is where they decided to have it, and the whole world comes now. We have this here -- the whole world can come here, too. There is such a beautiful city, with such beautiful history."
PREVIEW
l WHAT: A Cappellastock. featuring XRP, Hi-Fidelity, Tonic Sol-fa, T Minus 5 and the Saltaires
l WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
l WHERE: Ogden Amphitheater, 343 Historic 25th St., Ogden
l TICKETS: $10-$125, available in advance at www.acappellastock.com
Add Your Comment
I'm so excited for this event. I LOVE Acappellastock!
Great job, T Minus 5, on getting top notch talent!
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