Newburyport MA, May 17, 2010. Does “a capella” make you think of mustached-men in barbershops and doo-wop falsettos being sung under a street lamp? You’ll think again after you hear Boston’s own Five o’Clock Shadow (also known as “focs”), the all vocal group that will have you looking for the guitars, the drums and the full-percussion background. But look no further than the humans on the stage – all that music is generated by the five young men you will see before you at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, Market Square, Newburyport on Saturday, July 17 at 8pm. Tickets are $18 for Students, seniors and Members and $20 for Adults and may be purchased at the Box Office by calling 978/462-7336 or online at www.firehouse.org.
The members of the band have changed considerably over the years since the original formation in 1991 but the current roster includes Dan Lennon, Oren Malka, Caleb Wheldon (tenors); Paul Pampinella (baritone) and David Stackhouse (vocals, vocal percussion, bass).
Paul currently teaches voice at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music. David, or “Stack” as he is commonly known, does both the beats (vocal drums) and the vocal bass lines simultaneously and you will be left scratching your head and muttering something about “how does all of that sound come out of one human being with nary an instrument in sight?” No, there are no pre-recorded percussion tracks. All that music truly does come from the multi-tasking throat of Stack, who is one of the few users of a specialized neck microphone known as a “thumper,” which is designed to pick up only the lowest vocal frequencies, and can mimic kick-drum and snare drum sounds.
And these boys can do it all. Whether it’s the more traditional strains of the National Anthem for the NBA playoffs or ABC’s Monday Night Football; Silent Night as performed with Keith Lockhardt and the Boston Pops; or “I’m Right”, a selection that appears on one of their recent CDs Wonders of the World. The group can make beautiful music wherever they go thanks to the fact that they can travel light: Have voice, will fill the hall with lovely strains of music.
Be sure you don’t miss Five o’Clock Shadow, the group MTV Online called "the number one vocal pop band of the new millennium." See for yourself that a band without instruments can still rock!
Call the Box Office at 978/462-7336 or order your tickets online at www.firehouse.org.
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