The Chaser Archives: September 2010

An Interview with Straight No Chaser (Walt)

By Lisa DiCarlucci
The Hofstra Chronicle
September 30, 2010

TC: I read your bio on the website and it says your nickname is "fatty." What did you do to earn that?

WC: Well first it's a misnomer. It's not a physical reason. We all have nicknames. I've created this fat persona, looking at things to the fullest, everything in excess. It's a fat mindset, looking to go out partying. Plus it's a fun thing to yell at the bar.

A cappella band Straight No Chaser is just '10 guys, 10 mics'

Naturally, as soon as we read this one several of us tweeted them to find out which one was Thunder and which one was Lightning. I'm sure you will sleep better tonight knowing that Jerome is Thunder and Mike is Lightning. You're welcome! lol

**********
By Mark Wedel
Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette
Thursday, September 30, 2010, 8:56 AM

There are no big stars among the 10 brothers. Isho’s voice “is the best one” you hear on the CDs,
he joked. “Our two main soloists are Mike (Luginbill) and Jerome (Collins). We call them Thunder and Lightning.”

Straight No Chaser's Charlie Mechling talks with Louisville.com

A long interview! *squee* I might point out that those old records he mentions turn out to be quite important. One of them was Straight, No Chaser by Thelonius Monk. It stuck with Charlie, he suggested the name for the group, and the rest is history!

**********

By Kevin Sedelmeier
Louisville.com
September 29, 2010

...my dad has always, wherever he's out and about at a garage sale or an auction or something like that, he'll stop in, and if there are any records there, he'll just buy them. They're usually like 50¢ for the records or $10 for the box, so he'll just buy the box. We had this little record collection of this eclectic mix of things, and I would just wear those records out just because that's what was there.

Straight No Chaser brings its fun show to town (Ryan)

By Kevin Kilbane
News-Sentinel
September 24, 2010

They have a set song list, and some things are scripted, but 90 percent of the humor on stage is ad-libbed, he said. Group member Charlie Mechling “keeps us on our toes,” with new show opening lines and other humor he injects into each performance.

Read more: http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100923/ENT/9230307

Hat Tip: @ShainaEng

Straight No Chaser members talk to local students (photo blog)

Brittfest.org
September 20, 2010

Local high school choir students participated in a Britt educational event on Friday, when they came out to Straight No Chaser's afternoon sound check.

See post: http://www.brittfest.org/blog/sncblog

Hat Tip: Eileen R.

'Familiar, but different' for Straight No Chaser

Napa Valley Register
Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Ponce recalls sitting at a piano, “jamming” ideas for harmonies and textures. And Stine explains that the prevailing goal is to find the right “twists” without losing the identifiable character of the songs.

“You have to figure out a way to make things familiar yet different,” he said. “You want to find what people love about the song and carry it over so it’s not too shocking to the ear and still has that known melody that people like. It’s tricky, but it’s a lot of fun, too.”

The Bad Boys of A Cappella: Straight No Chaser is shaken and stirred

The photo that goes with this article is too funny!

**********

By Brianna Snyder
TimesUnion.com
September 10, 2010

(If you're like me, you're envisioning a pretty rocking tour bus with 10 dudes belting out gorgeous multipart-harmony versions of your favorite songs for hours on end, delighting the bus driver and all the children on the streets. That doesn't happen, though. Ahlwardt says they save it for the stage. Fair enough.)