Lesson #003: Give the Vibes, the Troubadours, & campus’ various vocal leviathans a listen

Ryan Thorton, a member of the GW Vibes, as featured in The Hatchet last month.

Lesson #003: Give the Vibes, the Troubadours, & campus’ various vocal leviathans a listen!

Good afternoon, buff and blue Colonials!

This past weekend has been absolutely insane and has got me stuck on the idea of writing about probably a half dozen different things, including a huge Greek life event and GW Program Board's (@GWPB on Twitter) Spring Fling. Instead, I’ll take it one step at a time and begin with one of the more low-key parts of the weekend.

The GW Vibes in the Smith Center at Spring Fling

On Sunday, I attended Spring Fling’s cornerstone event, a concert featuring none other than Childish Gambino. His opening act, you ask? The Vibes.

No, the Vibes (@GWVibes on Twitter) are not an old all women’s group from the 70’s, in case you were wondering. They are a co-ed a capella group that always manages to astound me with their vocal arrangements and acumen. Here is actually a very short video of them performing one song, though my personal favorite is their cover of “Shark in the Water” by V.V. Brown.

(Definitely look up The Vibes on Youtube to get a better idea of their vocal talents. The sound quality wasn't the best, simply because of the large crowd of students in attendance.)

They aren’t the only group I have seen and recorded (for you guys!) recently. Just a few weeks ago, following a meeting for the GW STAR (Student Admissions Representative, for those not quite up on the campus lingo) program in Marvin Center, I walked with friends out of the doors and exited out onto H Street, into the tender Spring night’s twilight. As they were heading back to the Mount Vernon Campus and as I was headed back to my own residence hall, we walked past Kogan Plaza, where a sizeable crowd was gathered. It was before long that our curiosity got the best of us and we crossed the street to join the crowd, which formed a semi-circle around a group of a dozen guys and girls. This group was the GW Troubadours (@GWTroubadours on Twitter).

When we joined the crowd buzzing with anticipation, I thought that maybe we’d missed their performance. Little did I know that they were really just getting started! The GW Troubadours, one of the premiere a cappella groups on campus, busted out into their rendition of Jason Mraz’s “Geek in the Pink”, with sophomore Max Dinsmore on lead vocals.

GW Troubadours in front of Kogan Plaza a few weeks ago.

The group performed a number of songs, including “I Want You Back”, made famous by the Jackson 5-- effortlessly belted out by sophomore Rachel Weinstein.

A cappella groups can be found left and right between our two campuses and, if anything, they are competitive and passionate. These groups include Emocapella, the emo and punk rock performance group; the Pitches and the Sirens, both stunning all-female groups; and the Sons of Pitch, an all-male group who performed at the White House this past December. In fact, if you search GW a cappella on Youtube, hundreds of videos come up, showcasing the sheer popularity of an art form which has taken on a life of its own.

With just as much zeal in their voices and animation in their eyes as any other a cappella group, the Vibes and the Troubs did what essentially all of the campus a cappella groups do: leave fellow Colonials swaying and swooning over their sick synchronicity and heart-shattering harmonies (from the Smith Center to Kogan Plaza to the White House)!!!

Stay spirited, Class of 2016 and Future Colonials.

Sincerely,

Matt

PS: Any questions or comments? Feel free to email me at mtscott@gwu.edu!