The Chaser Archives: December 2011

Nick Lachey Checks Out an A Capella Concert

Friday December 16, 2011

Nick and Drew Lachey brought their wives to a SNC show in Cincinnati and talked to the guys backstage!

Read more from Cara Lynn Shultz and check out the fantastic photo on People.com: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20554232,00.html

Hat Tip: SNCmusic.com

http://www.sncmusic.com/blog/f3d803-straight-no-chaser-featured-on-peoplecom/

Straight No Chaser Brings Christmas Cheer to a Sold-Out Crowd

By Shaina Eng
Neon Tommy
December 13, 2011

As a whole, the show was more than just a concert; it was a production. With an elaborate setup of risers, incredible lighting design which added to the changing mood and atmosphere of each song, and witty banter between songs, Straight No Chaser showed that they are more than just a bunch of choir geeks; they are true performers who are making a cappella cool again.

Concert Review: Straight No Chaser arranges and performs a 'brilliant' show

I was there! I was there! My very first SNC concert!!!

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By Andrew Bain
Published December 10, 2011 in A&E: Spotlight
Updated: December 12, 2011, 12:11 AM

Straight No Chaser
Dec. 9
The Wiltern

It’s one thing to feel your seat rumble while you’re listening to
heavy bass in hip-hop or electronic music. It’s another thing entirely
to almost feel the same thing when that bass is coming from one
person.

That is exactly what happened during “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,”
one of the highlights of a cappella group Straight No Chaser’s
outstanding sold-out show at The Wiltern Friday night.

Also impressive was the vocal range of Tyler Trepp, whose ability to
sing into the stratosphere (completely on pitch) was stunning.

A cappella group Straight No Chaser takes another shot at music by reuniting for new EP and album (Walter)

By Andrew Bain
The Daily Bruin
December 8, 2011

DB: How long does it typically take until a song is ready to be performed live?

WC: It’s different for every song. It can be as quick as a day or two. We were in Tennessee … about a month ago, and we decided we wanted to do a version of “Rocky Top” while we were in Tennessee. Literally, the guys arranged it one day, we learned it the next and performed (it) the following day. So that’s one example. Other songs, like the song “Let’s Get It On,” which is a track off our new EP … we had recorded that in the studio back in January of 2009, and it actually did not get performed by us until this past summer. So, (there) was almost two and a half years of it sitting on the shelf … getting reworked … and then it made it on the album, the EP that we just released. So, that was almost three years from when that song first started. And, for some songs we’ll do an original arrangement of and want to tweak it or add something to it, and it goes away for a little bit. Or, it will take a week to arrange the song and then it gets brought back and … we have a choreographer (who) comes in and sometimes adds movements. So, a song can take anywhere from a couple of days, to a couple of weeks, to, in extreme circumstances, a couple of years.

Straight No Chaser brings its a cappella magic to L.A., S.B. (Dave)

By Bill Locey
Ventura County Star
December 8, 2011

What's the strangest gig you guys have had so far?

Oh, we've had a couple of strange ones, particularly when we were in college. Anytime anyone wanted us to sing, we'd do it. But since we've turned pro, the stranger gigs have been when we were starting up and we'd be doing a 100-seat bar venue in Pittsburgh with a stage that was for a small band and not for 10 guys. We'd be crowded on the stage trying to figure out how to make a show work.

How to survive holiday singalongs

This article might take a bit to load, but it's a fun angle.

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By Judy Hevrdejs, Tribune reporter
December 6, 2011

Soon you may gather with family and friends, at a piano or near a fireplace. Then, maybe with "Let It Snow!" or "Jingle Bells," someone will start a singalong.

Want to harmonize? We asked Randy Stine, a bass with Straight No Chaser, the men's a cappella group — with shows Dec. 3 in Chicago and Dec. 4 in Rosemont — for guidance.

"A key part of singing, especially during the holidays, is making yourself feel comfortable enough to enjoy it."

A Conversation with Straight No Chaser's Charlie Mechling

By Mike Ragogna
Radio Personality on Solar Powered KRUU-FM, Music Biz Vet
Posted: 12/5/11 12:42 AM ET

MR: Whose idea was it to combine Michael Jackson with Bell Biv DeVoe on "Billie Jean/Poison"?

CM: The arrangement was done by a guy who used to be in the group by the name of Dan Ponce, but the idea came from Randy Stine, who is, incidentally, also the guy who posted the video to YouTube that then went viral. He had the thoughts and merged them together using Garage Band or some something. He sent that file around to everyone, which got the idea swimming around in Dan's head and he put it to paper.

Read More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/commons-the-believer-with_b_1128742.html

Hat Tip: SNCmusic.com
http://www.sncmusic.com/blog/70eec2-sncs-charlie-mechling-in-huffington-post-interview/

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Edit 12/17/11: The audio to this interview is now available online:
http://www.kruufm.com/node/12142

Found via Google Alerts

Interview: Straight No Chaser's Randy Stine

This one ran a couple of facts together; they think that the 12 Days video that went viral was from a 10 year reunion concert. Actually, the video was uploaded for the SNC 10 year reunion, but it's from a December 7, 1998 concert. It's part of a limited edition DVD edited and produced by Randy, "Straight No Chaser: Live at the Musical Arts Center." These days it's a collector's item that shows up every now and then on Amazon.com and Ebay.

SNC Fun Fact: December 7th is also Dan Ponce's birthday, and he says he never remembers that that concert was on his birthday. lol

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By Chuck Sudo
The Chicagoist
December 2, 2011

C: How does the group determine its song selection? One of the notable aspects of SNC is that you don't do standard a cappella like madrigals or hymnals.

RS:We never were traditional. We've always done pop. We've used arrangements from songs we did in high school. In college, we marketed ourselves as a band without instruments. I think a cappella is a different genre than rock. Rock fans tend to be more open-minded about what they'll listen to. With a cappella fans, they tend to stick to what they like: barbershop quartets, madrigals, classical. Some will come to our shows and tell us after "what you're doing is not what we expect."