So this post is suppper delayed, but last week I took a little hiatus from some of my social media activities. I went to see the Pentatonix perform at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City on Tuesday, September 12. Pentatonix is a 5-member a cappella group that is most known for winnning season 3 of NBC’s The Sing-Off, and for having the ability to transcend the customary boundaries of a cappella with unique and futuristic arrangements.
The show was nothing short of phenomenal.
I know Pentatonix is impressive, but nothing prepares you to see them performing live!
If you are familiar with The Sing-Off then you can recall the judges always referred to Avi and Kevin as the “meat and potatoes.” I have always been so obsessed with Scott (he is always featured on my blog), but my breakout stars for the night were definitely Kevin and Avi. It’s not very often that the focus is on the lower parts, but the bass and the beatboxing made the show!
The opening act for the night was Julia Easterlin — who deserves, and will get her own blog post. Great start to the night, and the crowd was pumped up for Pentatonix to hit the stage.
They did not disappoint, performing all of their big songs from The Sing-Off and all of my favorite covers from YouTube.
The best part of the night was the end when I got to meet them and, of course, I absolutely shower them with praise! I have been around a number of celebs/musicians in my life, but I was so in awe of their performance that I was actually nervous (embarrassing). They were so sweet!
For the full Pentatonix biography see below.
Buy the Pentatonix EP PTX, Vol. 1 here.
A cappella sensations and winners of season 3 of NBC’s The Sing-Off, Pentatonix are taking instrument-free music far beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. Named after the world’s most widely recognized five-note musical scale, this vocal quintet has transformed one of pop music’s purest and most soulful expressions into an exciting future, filled with limitless sonic possibility. Pairing their intricate arrangements with cleverly re-imagined pop songs, Pentatonix have quickly cultivated a sound and style that is entirely unique and undeniably infectious.
Pentatonix is comprised of lead vocalists Scott Hoying (20), Kristie Maldonado (20) and Mitch Grassi (19), vocal bass Avi Kaplan (23) and beatboxer Kevin “K.O” Olusola (23) and, while the individuals would maintain that each of their fellow band members is irreplaceable, the fact remains that 24-hours before their audition for The Sing-Off they still hadn’t all officially met.
A freshman at The University of Southern California, Scott decided to audition for the show and enlisted childhood friends and fellow Arlington, Texas-natives Kristie and Mitch. As a high school vocal trio, they had found success both locally and online thanks to their cover of Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.” Determined to add depth and a distinctive dynamic to the group, Scott set out to add more vocalists, first adding Avi, who’d built himself a reputation as one of the most talented vocal bases in Southern California, and eventually took to YouTube where he found the video for “Julie-O,” featuring Kevin’s cello-boxing (simultaneously beatboxing and performing the song on his cello).
Finally a fully formed group, Pentatonix perfected their sound (and their chemistry) throughout the season, naturally developing a signature style and a knack for arranging songs that pulled equally from the five individuals’ strengths. Despite drawing from a dizzyingly eclectic set of musical genres – the group cites pop, jazz, r&b, indie, folk, dubstep and electronica as just a few of their inspirations – the quintet seemed to mesh magically, evident in their modern interpretation of The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star,” or their epic adaption of Florence and the Machines’ “The Dog Days Are Over.” Before long, Pentatonix had become a legitimate musical force, armed with a collective confidence and swagger that would eventually propel them to win the competition.
Now six months removed from The Sing-Off, Pentatonix – who have all relocated to Los Angeles – have continued to build upon their already fiercely loyal fanbase, introducing a slew of new material via their YouTube channel, including covers of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” and Fun’s “We Are Young.” The two videos – featured by Perez Hilton, The Huffington Post, RyanSeacrest.com and Nightline – have eclipsed 8 million views, collectively, while the channel has quickly reached 13 million views, buoyed by its nearly 120,000 subscribers.
On June 26, Pentatonix will release their debut EP – PTX Volume 1 -courtesy of Madison Gate Records. The release is a celebration of their musical diversity and sonic proof that the right five voices can effectively and expertly deliver a pop song. The EP includes 4 covers, highlighted with the group’s Gotye track, as well as Nicki Minaj’s “Starships,” Imogen Heap’s “Aha!” and Jasmine Sullivan’s “Love You Long Time.” Additionally, the EP also includes two original songs, “The Baddest Girl,” written by Scott and Pentatonix producer Ben Bram and “Show You How To Love,” written by Avi and Kevin.
Pentatonix will be supporting PTX Volume 1 on the road and online throughout the summer and fall, as well as continuing to create new music, consistently testing any and every preconception of what a cappella music is and just how big it can be. – B.B. King Bio