Thursday, November 29, 2018

Voices Carry

On Wednesday, I went to The Lula Lounge for a significant milestone: the 20th anniversary of a cappella band Retrocity. Since I have seen numerous shows from this 80s cover band over 15 years, I thought there'd be no more surprises but I was wrong.

First, every former member except for 1 made an appearance. Kevin Fox (now with UK-based Swingle Singers) flew in for the occasion. His wonderful voice and range was a lovely addition especially on Africa as lead. Tom Lillington was also there. I vaguely remembered having heard his smooth vocals a long time ago. This was confirmed when he did She Blinded Me With Science, a number Retrocity hasn't done in years. Theresa, with a her funky faux-hawk, was a complete surprise. Turns out she was with them prior to 2003. And of course, the 7 current members contributed to an evening of complex harmonies and arrangements.

In addition to numerous songs and medleys, one running theme was that each member would pick a 80s song of significance to them. One small negative was that some older arrangements were chosen, and these numbers made clear how much Retrocity has grown musically. Skits made a re-appearance including the introduction of every member via a medley and the Family Ties theme as each singer posed behind a picture frame. New additions such as ad-libbing songs based on audience suggestion wowed us with their talent. It was a great evening of music and laughter.

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