WhatAGratuitousNameForAConcertThankGodTheShowItselfWasMoreTolerable.

A steady stream of students began to permeate an empty Dalton Theater as early as forty minutes prior to show time. Fifteen minutes later the theater was virtually full. Ten minutes before show time and people were being turned away from a sold-out Dalton Theater, the tiered rows of seats surrounding the stage already as congested as the concert’s title.

“HallelujahIt’sRainingStrawberryWineinIowaOnMyWaywardSoWhoIsCarryingOnInChicagoAndItMakesMeWonderIfTimeIsRunningOutForMeToGetAKissFromADesperadeWhoNeedsHelpAndAnLAC?”

The eager students that arrived early enough for the anticipated event, or perhaps the much
needed LAC credit, enjoyed a performance that was exceptional for college-level standards.

The winter 2009 installment of the student organized a cappella concert saw the all-female Acabellas once again join forces with the co-ed Premium Orange in the creation of charming music using only their vocal chords.

The Acabellas opened the proceedings with a near forty five minute set. While the melodic hums of the instrument-less women were crisp and the continuously rotating soloists generally pleased the inner ears, the finest moments of the performance were found in fresh and comical renditions of the ever tedious cliché cover song.

The classy turned sassy rendition of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” was textbook for the Friday night college crowd, yet imaginative and mischievous enough to captivate an audience who had collectively heard the song well over a million times.

Premium Orange followed the Acabellas with a considerably less comedic act. From this more serious disposition emerged an outburst of musical energy, emanating from the vocalists into the captivated throng of spectators.

These spectators quickly became willing passengers as Premium Orange chauffeured them to the concert’s peak; a superb duet of the Motown classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The male vocalist’s soulful voice was so similar to Marvin Gaye’s that he, in fact, was like the real thing.

Aside from performance aspects, “HallelujahIt’sRaining…” featured several positive and negative characteristics commonly found in smaller, student run concerts.

The smaller size of the venue allowed for an intimate setting, reinforced by a lenient hierarchy between the audience and the performers. Both a capella groups were easily accessible prior to and following the show, even working as theater ushers as crowds funneled in.

Dalton Theater's cozy environment also allowed for effortless interaction between the crowd and the stage, culminating in the entire theater singing happy birthday to one of the vocalists.

Although sufficient for the greater part of the concert, there were several lapses in acoustic quality. At times the melody from the background singers would drown out the soloist, notably during Seal’s “Kissed from a Rose” in which the lead vocalist was barely audible for extended periods of time.

After the stellar performances of both the Acabellas and Premium Orange throughout “HallelujahIt’sRaining,” Dalton Theater will assuredly overflow with students when the two groups reassemble this spring, LAC or not. Just be sure to get there 45 minutes early.