Rockapella in Concert

Amazon.com

A cappella vocal quintet Rockapella may have vaulted to fame through a coffee commercial, but as with most such overnight success stories, they've been paying their dues for a long time. This long-awaited concert video captures highlights from their earlier years ("Pretty Woman," "Zombie Jamboree," "Dock of the Bay") as well as from their more recent albums ("That's the Way," "People Change," "Moments of You") presented before a live audience in Santa Barbara, California (also recorded on CD). Driven by vocal percussionist Jeff Thacher and anchored by the bottomless bass of newly blond Barry Carl, the group lends their mix of tight harmonies, jazz, R&B, and doo-wop to 70 minutes of covers and originals. Scott Leonard, who wrote most of the originals, trades lead lines with Kevin Wright, though Elliott Kernan does "Let's Get Away from It All" and Carl gets "Sixteen Tons."

While the limited choreography in front of an enthusiastic but polite audience doesn't make for as invigorating a viewing experience as watching the sense-numbing, high-energy shows favored by today's boy bands, the music more than makes up for it. The video is the perfect way to prove that these guys really do everything without instruments. In particular, Thacher gets to show off in a ferocious "drum solo" during the group's most famous number, the theme song to Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Rockapella spent five years as the house band for that PBS kids' show, and the fact that this concert video has received PBS play shows that they've come full circle. --David Horiuchi

Description

Featuring a five-and-a-half octave range and a unique version of rock-influence, blue-eyed soul, a capella Rockapella are the ultimate unplugged artists. In this special, they perform their greatest hits as well as spectacular renditions of songs we all know and love, including "Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress," "Up on the Roof," and "Dancin' in the Streets."

Customer Reviews:

awesome concert.......2007-05-09

these guys are so talented and you will love the perfect remake of these old songs we knew so well!

Kinda...boring. Really good, but...dull.......2007-03-25

Okay, Rockapella is great, and when you first hear them, you can not believe that there is not a drummer and a bass player accompanying the singers. This DVD proves the case, and is worth a purchase for the 'drum solo' alone; not to mention the great renditions of "16 Tons" and "Where in the World, etc."

"Zombie Jamboree' is a fun song, but really, it could have been funnier. And I guess that's what I missed the most, is that the concert, while truly very good, could have been...more. The singers are so incredibly talented, but they've chosen to present themselves here as a perfectly quaffed, completely choreographed, rather bland boy band...just, with talent and without instruments. I feel the heavy hand of artistic management with every word they say, every move they make, and almost every note they sing. Well, for some people that's fine, but for me, I was bored after about three songs. My 16 year old daughter, who likes boy bands, was also bored after a few songs. I KNOW I'm going to get hit for saying this by people who like their music bland, but so be it.

Contrary to the claim of the Product Information above, and in fact the back of the DVD, Rockapella do NOT perform "Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress" on this concert. I wanted to hear that song, because it's one of their more aggressive rock arrangements, and would have made a great concert to the more pop sound of most of these other pieces.

It's about time!.......2002-09-06

Back in the days when Johnny Carson still hosted the "Tonight Show," Rockapella made a quick appearance - I've been hooked ever since.

Unfortunately, I've only had the privilege of seeing them four times to date in person. But, aside from the (standard practice for any in-concert recording, of course) editing out of all the between-song patter, this DVD is a great substitute for all those shows I've missed over the years.

If you've never had the opportunity of seeing these five guys on stage, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this disk. The kind of smooth, together harmonies they generate is phenomenal. Every voice in this group is a standout - and they each get to show off at least once on lead, including the amazing spit-maker, Jeff Thacher (his "drum solo" is still an unbelievable part of the show).

One last incentive, for anyone who missed them in performance up until now, is that this DVD includes the inimitable Mr. Barry Carl who has now retired from Rockapella. His remarkable Julliard-trained, three-cellars deep bass voice and fantastically entertaining facial expressions will be sorely missed.

Almost Live in Concert.......2002-07-12

I bought this DVD last year before I had the chance to actually see Rockapella live in concert. It is a great DVD that showcases their vocal talents and provides the opportunity for those who do not live near a venue that brings in the band to see them perform (I had to go to the east coast for that). The songs sound great, and you can experience just how talented these singers are...no instruments or pyrotecnics to cover up any flaws.
My only complaint (and this comes after seeing the guys actually live), is that this seems to be a "sanitized" version of a performance. Most of the personality has been surgically removed. You can't tell what a sweet, nice guy Kevin is, what a mischievious sparkling personality Elliott has. And the witty repartee that takes place between the guys during a performance, most especially from Bear (Barry Carl - who retires July 14th from the group...bummer), is what makes a Rockapella concert such a MUST SEE experience. Too bad the editors made the decision to cut it this way.
This is still the most watched DVD in my house, and probably always will be. But it is no substitute for witnessing a concert in person. Run, do not walk, to the venue nearest you and see these guys. I guarantee you will be glad you did.

Can't See Them Yourself? Next Best Thing!.......2002-06-24

If you like close harmonies but can't stomach boy "bands," you'll get into this mature-sounding quintet. Kevin Wright and Scott Leonard, the tenors, have beautiful, clean voices. Elliot Kerman's steady baritone and bassman Barry Carl are there to back it all up. And vocal percussionist Jeff Thacher has an entire drum kit in his vocal chords. These guys are amazing.

Hearing them is an experience in itself. Watching them do their thing is even better. I wish this DVD would have kept more of the between-song chatter, which can be really funny, and shows the good rapport the band has with the audience. (They did keep Barry's famous "Corny solo" speech!) My only other complaint is that Scott gets too much camera time. While I'm sure his many, many female fans don't mind, Jeff is really more fun to watch. Mostly because you're sitting there saying "How *does* he do that?"

Minor complaints, though. This is a band that truly loves what they're doing, which comes across in moments of humour in the fan-favourite "Zombie Jamboree" and the poignant "People Change." Other highlights include a flirtatious "Pretty Woman," Barry getting way looooow on "16 Tons," and Jeff's drum solo during "Carmen Sandiego," unfortunately trimmed down from the version on the CD. But the best is "Zombie Jamboree," with complete with Barry's fake Jamaican-accented introduction and some cute choreography.

When Rockapella comes to your town, check them out. Until then, this will hold you over.

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