I'm so excited! One of my favorite groups will be at one of my favorite venues this week-end!! Straight No Chaser, an acclaimed men's a cappella group, will be appearing at Chastain Amphitheatre on Friday night (June 28th at 8PM).
I LOVE this group!! If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses… think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced! Founding member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
Straight No Chaser started at Indiana University as "10 guys who happened to be good friends who also liked to sing." Anything else that came along because of that was icing on the cake. After graduating, they scattered in different directions and started careers. Although most stayed in the music industry as Broadway actors, singers, music writers, audio engineers and producers, Dave finished his MBA and is an executive at a global bank in New York City and Don is a Deputy District Attorney in Colorado. Some of the guys are single and some are married with children. Their brotherhood and love of music is what binds them together and makes them special.
The members of SNC don’t take anything for granted: “To think that the ten of us could go our separate ways after college, start professional lives, and then commit to putting SNC back together after all these years is nothing short of a minor miracle,” said original member Charlie Mechling. “With each opportunity to perform that comes our way, we are reminded of how fortunate and blessed we are to be able to do what we love to do."
In an era when so much pop music is the product of digital processing and vocal pro-tooling, Straight No Chaser is the real deal - the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense… and with a sense of humor.
Starting with two holiday releases, 2008’s HOLIDAY SPIRITS and 2009’s CHRISTMAS CHEERS, they built a massive fan base, with more than 25 million views on YouTube. Their version of "The 12 Days of Christmas," which incorporates Toto's "Africa," went Top 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart and was viewed more than seven million times. (One of my all time favorites! See it HERE) Last fall, they bundled these two albums with a never-before-commercially released DVD, “Live In New York: Holiday Edition” to create ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, a 2-CD and DVD box set.
On the road, Straight No Chaser has built a reputation as an unforgettable live act. By the end of 2010, the group will have sold more than 225,000 tickets to 160 shows, more than half of which sold out in advance. Over the summer, the group held a hugely successful residency at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, where they performed 40 shows in 8 weeks.
"A music career was definitely not on my radar; getting the guys back together, not just for someone’s wedding or bachelor party, but to spend the majority of the year together touring and recording, is a dream come true." Stine says. "I pinch myself all the time and hope it continues and becomes a longstanding career."
Their "Summer of Influence" Tour marks the release of their latest album, "Under the Influence", which features a selection of their all time favorite songs alongside many of the superstar artists and undisputed music icons that influenced them. This album includes unprecedented collaborations with some of popular music’s best and brightest – including Phil Collins, Dolly Parton, Rob Thomas, Seal, and Jason Mraz – as Straight No Chaser put their distinctive and inimitable spin on songs known and loved the world over.
“UNDER THE INFLUENCE” is heralded by the new single, “I Want You Back (Feat. Sara Bareilles).” A companion video for SNC’s inventive take on the Jackson 5 classic is streaming now exclusively via Billboard.com (direct link: http://atlr.ec/WZUc7w ).
Fans can meet the newest/oldest member of SNC at Straight No Chaser’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/sncmusic or visit their website at: http://www.sncmusic.com.
TICKETS:
$294.00 Terrace Table (seats 6), $69.00 Box Seats, $39.00 Terrace Seats, $29.00 Rear Terrace Seats, $25.00 Lawn. Purchase Tickets HERE .
PERFORMANCE:
Friday, Jun 28th at 8:00PM , doors open at 7:00pm. Delta Classic Chastain Concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheater are brought to you by the Atlanta Symphony Ochestra.
CHASTAIN PARK AMPHITHEATRE:
Nothing says summer like going to a concert at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. To me, it's one of the most beautiful venues in Atlanta. It's no wonder that this very intimate amphitheatre in a natural wooded setting right in the heart of the city, is one of the most popular in the country. Many of music's biggest names from every genre have played here.
One of the things that people enjoy about Chastain is that you are allowed to bring in coolers, food and drinks. I love watching everyone set up their tables. It ranges from sandwiches, paper plates and beer to linens, fine china, flowers, gourmet food, wine and candelabra. The atmosphere is very relaxed and people usually start up conversations with the folks at nearby tables. Seeing the hundreds of candles on all of the tables after dark is what makes this place so magical. There's just no where else quite like it.
Sorry, this contest is over.
Congratulation to our winner, Danielle Fritz!!
