CASA - The Contemporary A Capella Society

First up, the trio of 91 Ghosts (Bill Eddy, Jim Myers and Warren Tessier) did a beautiful, quiet 3-part piece that was an unexpected and bold way to start a show. 91 Ghosts then introduced Sean Altman, who did an electric 8-song set, featuring guest appearances by Dave Stackhouse (FOCS current), Mike Mendyke (FOCS past), and Jeff Thacher (FOCS past and Rockapella current).  In Seans own words in his opening song: In the a cappella world, I am considered a god. Altman had the audience in the palm of his hand from song one, with a set that ranged from Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego to Taller Than Jesus. It was proof that although he may make godly claims with tongue firmly in cheek, he definitely deserves the adulation.

{mosimage}After Seans set, the rest of the show progressed in fairly chronological order. Earlier versions of FOCS started out with some classics Rockin Robin and 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and moved on to FOCS classic originals, still as fresh and fun as always. Heavy Cloud, No Rain with JoJo David on lead, and Buzz Buzz with Dan Lennon, Warren Tessier and Dave Harrison sharing lead gave powerhouse performances. The first set was capped off by Green Eyes, with Dan Lennon on lead. Another great FOCS original that set the expectations high for set 2.
After the intermission, the current FOCS took the stage, with a slightly-less effected (as in sound effects) sound from when they were last heard, but still as powerful. They started with favorites Wonders Of The World and Im Right, and went into a new song called Blurry, featuring Caleb Wheldon on lead. During their set, they debuted another new tune (Nobodys Waiting, by Paul Pampinella) and did a happy birthday tribute to someone in the audience, and several other tunes from their repertoire (including bringing Mike Barnicle up to sing (Without Love) Where Would You Be Now? Current FOCS did two encores before bringing up the entire crew to sing their traditional closer, Crossroads.
The evening was proof that FOCS can still fill a theatre and put on a fantastic show, so hopefully their next gig will be less than 18 months from now!
Former members performing at this show included: Mike Barnicle, JoJo David, Dave Harrison, Mike Mendyke, Jeff Thacher, Warren Tessier, Bill Eddy, and Jim Myers
Current FOCS is: Oren Malka, Dan Lennon, Dave Stack Stackhouse, Caleb Wheldon, and Paul Pampinella

Amy Malkoff is a musician, graphic designer and editor living on the north shore of Boston. She has an AB in music from Kenyon College, completed graduate studies in theoretical studies at the New England Conservatory of Music and has a design certificate from Clark University. She is one of the founding members of All About Buford