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Pentatonix delivers anticipated performance

Courtney Betts

February 4, 2014

Pentatonix5 — Pentatonix performed at Aiken Auditorium Feb. 4 to a sold-out crowd. Photo by Lauren Roberts

Students anxiously stood outside Akin Auditorium Tuesday night awaiting the performance that sold out in early January.

A tour bus with covered windows is parked outside housing the anticipated performers. The room fills to maximum capacity within moments of opening the entrance with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Students chattering and snapping pictures can be heard throughout the auditorium.

Suddenly the lights go dark and in comes Pentatonix. The crowd loses it, exploding with cheers.

“I have been a fan of the group for almost two years so I once I found out they were performing at MSU, I started harassing the school to get tickets for myself and some of my students,” Shirley Johnston, graduate in music education and music teacher at Kirby Middle School, said. “It’s rare to find a true bass voice anymore and Pentatonix is genius.”

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The a capella group Pentatonix kick started their world tour by performing at Midwestern State University in front of fully attentive students. The group won the third season of “The Sing Off” on NBC in 2011 and hasn’t looked back since. Their self-published YouTube videos grew their fan base and allowed them to reach nearly 5 million subscribers.

“I learned about Pentatonix after watching a couple of videos on YouTube and they sound great,” Reagan White, sophomore in nursing, said. “I just learned about them today and I’ve already been in line waiting to see them for 30 minutes.”

The first three members of the group were Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado and Mitch Grassi. These three were friends in high school in Arlington, Texas. The a capella quintet wasn’t completed until just a few hours before their first performance on “The Sing Off,” however. The original vocalists met their counterparts, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, moments before the show after witnessing Olusola’s talent on YouTube and recognizing Kaplan’s talent among the a capella vocalist community.

“We have performed at dozens of colleges and I love the experience because the crowd is so energetic and fun,” Grassi said.

The students were encouraged to participate with the vocalists several times during the performance. At one point the group pulled a student on stage to perform their rendition of “Grind On Me” by R. Kelly.

“I had such an amazing time on stage while they [were] dancing around me and singing,” Ciera Phillips, freshman in psychology, said. “I think they chose me because my beanie matched Avi’s.”

Some of the band members left college early to form the successful a cappella group.

“College was different because it has so many general studies you must take, and sometimes you have to work and provide for yourself all at the same time,” Kaplan said. “Now we can do what we love.”

Pentatonix brought out the choir voice in everyone by creating an a capella group that included the entire crowd.

“The crowd participation was my favorite part because everyone in the audience had such great energy,” Mello-Dee Capps, senior in music, said. “This was the funnest concert I have been to in years.”

This was the first Artist Lecture Series event to predominantly attract students instead of community members. Some people had to stand in the aisle or bring in a chair to sit because there were more than 400 students in the audience.

“Based on the demand of tickets for the show, these types of events are certainly important to students ,” Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, said. “This event and many other important factors feed into the overall satisfaction that students have with the institution.”

Pentatonix will continue their world tour to Tulsa, Okla. and had some advice for any aspiring musicians:

“You need to have a meticulous work ethic, be passionate, and continue to intrigue your craft,” Olusola said.

Pentatonix

In the first show of their 2014 international tour, the group Pentatonix consisting of Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, performed in Akin Auditorium at Midwestern State University Feb. 4. Photo by Lauren Roberts

The Wichitan

The Wichitan

The Wichitan

Pentatonix delivers anticipated performance

Pentatonix

The Wichitan

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