Redefined tore the roof off the Memorial Union Friday in their annual spring show, dazzling a capacity crowd in the Union Theater for two hours. The only co-ed a cappella choir on campus, Redefined formed in 2001. Since then, their spring shows are highlights of the semester, and Friday was no different.
The choir opened to a doomsday scenario of each member quitting in pursuit of solo careers; these included a kazoo act and a stirring rendition of “Hey Ya!” accompanied by short-shorts and a cowbell. Redefined President Dan Abel said the introduction reflected the zany side of the choir.
“Redefined is a wide variety of eccentric individuals who come together as one,” Abel said.
The first song preformed was a seamless version of “Love You Madly” by Cake. The 10-song first act was flawlessly executed. The choir was in perfect harmony and the soloists brought their own personality to their songs. Highlights included the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Big Machine,” “Come On Eileen” and the Redefined standard “Nintendo Medley.” The medley includes the themes from Mario, Zelda and other vintage games. The act ended with seniors Liam Ball and Andy Kreil featured on Paul Simon’s hit, “You Can Call Me Al.”
As strong as the first set was, the second somehow surpassed it. Snippets of contemporary pop songs, such as Beyonc?’s “Single Ladies,” were sung along with classics like “Let My Love Open the Door” by Pete Townshend. This segment also included a beatbox solo by Matt Kvistad that brought the crowd to a tremendous roar.
Another moment that stirred the crowd was Niccole Galvan’s solo on “Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks. Galvan’s powerful voice and emotion matches the intensity of the original song. As a freshman, she has one of the best voices in the group and will surely be delighting Redefined crowds for years to come. This set also included a rendition of “Wild Nights” that is possibly second only to Van Morrison’s original. The choir closed the show on a ’90s medley that included, among others, Ace of Base’s “The Sign,” Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Right Said Fred and a certain House of Pain song that a few people on campus might know.
The concert also marked the end of three Redefined careers. Seniors Ball, Kreil and Lesli Kiedrowski took their final bows at the show. The rest of the choir showed their thanks for all the hard work these individuals put in. The seniors also performed together for the encore, “Love the One You’re With.” The 17-person choir will fill these spots when auditions start next September for both men and women.
The opening act, Charlie and the Tree, is a fusion act that is a more rock version of groups such as The Iguanas and The Subdudes. They even have flashes of an Umphrey’s McGee-esque group without as many jams. The group performed several songs, with the highlight being a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
The concert was a grand finale for the choir and the seniors. With each show as entertaining as Friday’s, there is no doubt the reputation and following of Redefined will continue to grow. The choir also represents UW well during their road shows by attracting national exposure, such as being on NBC’s Dateline Sunday night.
Redefined is joined by two other all student a capella groups, the MadHatters and Tangled Up In Blue, to create a vibrant a cappella community on campus. Going to these groups concerts supports student arts as well as provide hours of delight.
