The all male a capella group Fundamentally Sound blew audiences away with its Friday night performance in Music Hall. Group members’ quirky attitudes and impressive voices astonished newcomers and veterans alike. Fundamentally Sound’s show “As Seen On TV” presented a storyline of short, humorous clips. The singers also acted out skits based on popular TV themes and shows and then sang a capella.
The 16 members of this student-led group were just as comical and entertaining performers as they are talented vocalists. Each skit was cleverly centered on ads or shows that we see on TV today, ranging from murder mysteries to Woodman’s commercials. Their comic relief expressed a relaxed and humorous tone.
Song performances were greatly varied, covering big names such as Justin Timberlake, LMFAO, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Foster the People. Soloists James Housworth, Neal Cragg and Brett Kissell especially shined with their strong voices and charming personalities. A crowd favorite was the song “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO, featuring a solo by Karan Aditya. An amusing and comical mix of hip-thrusting and butt-shaking took the audience by surprise but put a smile on everyone’s faces. Another crowd-pleaser was the group’s vocal percussionist, Peter Anderson. His solo beat box captivated onlookers.
Recent highlights for Fundamentally Sound include winning UW Madison’s first Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award and having a track chosen for “Best of College A Cappella 2013.” Their winter tour included performances around the Midwest, at a variety of charity events and for different student organizations around campus.
UW-Madison’s own hip-hop dance crew, UW Hypnotiq, opened the performance Friday. They performed several dances to music comprised of different popular hip-hop and rap songs. The group’s moves were well choreographed and very original. Each member was passionate and excited, strengthening the performance overall.
Small mistakes were made periodically with the dancer’s timing and synchronization, but as a whole everything went relatively smoothly. Although they may have started out shaky, by the end of their performance dancers showed more comfort and confidence. The bold style of the hip-hop performance was shocking for some of the older audience members. Overall, Hypnotiq was sleek and had high energy – it was a truly eye opening experience that gave the audience the opportunity to experience a rising dance style.
Although “As Seen On TV” was a huge success, there were several technical difficulties scattered throughout Fundamentally Sound’s performance. During the song “Youth of the Nation,” several cordless microphones were not operating at all for the chorus of the song. This problem also appeared again in different parts of the show. Trouble also occurred with the projector malfunctioning and when switching from presenting skits to performing songs. Thankfully, these problems were successfully sorted out by the crew and several singers.
Fundamentally Sound’s members also appropriately involved the audience in the performance. During the down time caused by the technical difficulties, they informed the audience about their new CD and achievements, apologizing for the difficulties and raising spirits with more jokes. Audience members left content, having enjoyed a fabulous evening of song and dance.
