On June 17, at the Sherman Street Event Center in Denver, the band decided to party down with all of the former Allstars they could gather. This was a celebration of their affection for each other and the faithfulness of their fans, the current group, including leader and co-founder Norm Silver, beautiful lead singer Jenn Butler, and featured singers Barry Brown, Tony Huerta and Tim Rosendo, all soloists in their own righter. The band was honored by an audience of several hundred who showed up to let these great entertainers know how well respected and loved they really are. The Sherman Street Event Center rocked with music, laughter and lots of applause as a dozen singers at one time or another came on stage to do their thing and celebrate with the current quintet.
Starting as a quartet in 1988, the original guys had a lot of success as one of the early vocal bands to appear regularly in the Denver area and beyond. In 1993, competing in the Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, they went all the way to the National Championship. And they've been playing in that arena ever since. Yes, they have "day jobs", but their schedules all revolve around gigs across the state and beyond.
And celebration is the only word that really describes the feeling and response of audience to singers and vice versa on that evening. Full of laughter and repartee, the various performers still represented themselves as the professionals they were. Every song, no matter what combination was involved, came together as if they had been performing every night for the past 17 years.
The sound system was excellent, the room provided great sight lines, and the atmosphere was party-like throughout the 5-hour schedule, which included an exclusive VIP party, followed by the 2-and-a-half hour concert, and culminated with a dance band wind-down that capped this incredibly entertaining evening. These guys know how to put on a party!
To describe how this vocal band thinks, you need to know that this was not a lets make some money event, although the total donations from the night came in at $11,000. at least not for the Allstars old and new. This was a "labor of love," as they say. The veteran performers found their way back to Denver as a way of saying thanks to those who have kept the music tradition going. They and the current group were there also to give something back to the community connections they have made during those 17 years. The thousands of dollars contributed by fans and friends to celebrate with them went exclusively to two certifiable charities in their hometown. The two beneficiaries are Lost and Found, Inc which aids Denver area kids-at-risk, and the famous Asthma Research Center at the National Jewish Hospital in the name of original Allstar Jeffrey Harris, who died so tragically young.
Most a cappella singers in Colorado have been known for their community work, but the 17th Avenue Allstars have set the standard.
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