By Benedicte Dansie
North Front Sound presented Zero8 also featuring Throwback and Trocadero at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah,which was an absolutely incredible way to turn around a humdrum Monday (yes, that’s a pun). Every single one of the groups that performed was a delight, working the crowd with the ease of age old showmen.
The show opened with the singing of the Swedish National Anthem, followed by the American National Anthem. Both songs were very beautiful, and showed how proud the singers were to be gathered together representing their countries. Next, North Front Sound, a local barbershop group conducted by Adam Scott and assistant director Grant Goulding, took to the stage. They sang a wide variety of songs from “Almost Like Being in Love”, “Africa”, “What a Wonderful World”, and “Title of the Song”. The group was very playful, taking selfies while they asked everyone to turn off their phones and just generally playing around onstage with each other and the audience. When they sang “Title of the Song” they dedicated it to all those forgotten songs of the 90’s. The singers were gleeful as they discarded their suit coats, popping collars, untucking shirts, loosening their ties, and mussing their hair up. When they struck the opening notes of the song, they launched into choreography mimicking many early 90s boy band groups. Their performance was fun and entertaining, setting the concert off on a good note.
Next, the local quartet Sound Logic entered the stage. They sang two songs, one a bit slower, and the other a more traditional, upbeat barbershop piece. They had a very nice blend and kept the attention of the audience with their high energy. Next, the Swedish quartet Rawsundah sang. Their voices were all incredible and they had a perfect blend. They were very expressive as they sang “Small Fry” and Stevie Wonder’s “You and I”. Following them was the other Swedish quartet Trocadero. This young group was an instant audience favorite as they launched into a swinging rendition of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, followed by “Words Fail” from Dear Evan Hansen, and “Me and Mrs. Jones”. As they introduced their second song they were very open, explaining why they picked the piece and how much it meant to them. Their blend was amazing and they sang with huge amounts of passion and emotion, which made them extremely engaging to watch. After the quartet Throwback sang “Runaway with Me”, “How Sweet it is (to be Loved by You)” and a selection of other songs which had the audience laughing and cheering. All of their pieces were technically very challenging and executed extremely well, especially their various key changes.
When the Swedish Zero8 chorus took to the stage, a hush fell over the audience. They opened up with a rendition of “Limu, Limu, Lima” in which made you feel as though you were walking through the forest on a summer’s day. Their blend was sublime and their sound otherworldly. Everything from cut offs to holds was perfectly timed, and they were perfectly in sync throughout the performance. They also sang “Going Home”, which is arranged with the music from Dvorak’s 2nd movement in the New World Symphony. The conductor joked that for this piece, the choir would be turning into an orchestra and they fulfilled that promise, their voices were pure and ringing, showcasing impressive range and precision. The group transitioned seamlessly from piece to piece, easily blending the mix of Swedish and American music they performed. Their renditions of “Workin’ for a Livin’” and their own Medley of “On My Way”/”Some Nights” were so much fun the audience was barely able to contain themselves from singing and dancing along.
All the groups joined together and sang a final song that Adam Scott wrote and dedicated to one of his singers who is fighting cancer. This piece was a stunning blend of old folk, portraying their message of love, support, and happy memories.
The show was probably more appropriate for an older audience due to its length. The events ticket page recommended no children under the age of eight, which many families ignored. This was a bit distracting for both the performers and audience because the kids were not able to sit still for so long.
Even though the show was over two hours long, it moved at a good pace and kept the audience engaged through out. Having performed in a barbershop choir throughout high school, I was completely blown away by the show. The level of mastery, precision, and musical talent was unlike anything I’d ever heard. If you have the time this week I highly recommend attending some of the International Barbershop Convention events being held in Salt Lake City. These groups performing and competing this week are world renowned and absolutely not to be missed. Please go to their website for times, dates, and venues.
North Front Sound Facebook Page
Zero8 Facebook Page
Trocadero Facebook Page
Sound Logic Facebook Page
Throwback Facebook Page
2019 International Convention Facebook Event
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