ROCKAPELLA, SCERA Shell, Saturday.
OREM — It may have been wishful thinking on the part of a cappella group Rockapella when they entered the SCERA Outdoor Theater stage singing "House of the Rising Sun" that somehow the daytime chill would turn into a hot evening. Not so lucky, the chill turned to bitter cold. But for more than 2,000 parka and blanket laden fans, the evening was all about hot.
Even at 47 degrees and a wind-chill factor Saturday night, Rockapella mesmerized the audience with songs like "Dancing in the Street," "Here Comes the Sun," "Love Potion No. 9," "Pretty Woman" and "My Girl."
The men of Rockapella include veterans Elliott Kerman (baritone); Scott Leonard (high tenor); Jeff Thacher (vocal percussion); Kevin Wright (tenor) and newcomer George Baldi (bass). They are a self-contained vocal ensemble that provide their own backup percussion by use of mouth. Thacher even provides a fantastic rendition of a drum and cymbal solo.
Devoted fans watched as these men literally shivered through most of the evening while belting out some great tunes and funny one-liners. The cold became so much a part of the concert, Rockapella offered a rendition of "Winter Wonderland" from their Christmas show. One devotee ran to the stage and handed Wright a sweat shirt to wear (he came dressed in Florida garb). Others delivered five Hawaiian leis to the stage. The feelings were mutual, though. Several times during the night the men came into the audience and ascended the SCERA Shell to make sure "all" of their audience were having a good time.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Rockapella, who have performed before at the shell and were selected to open the 20th anniversary season for the shell. It was even a greater surprise for Baldi when he saw friends from Utah in the audience who had performed with him in Japan.
To cap off the evening, Rockapella received sustained standing ovations and gave approximately 20 minutes of encores. If nothing else, the audience left warmed by a great evening of entertainment.
E-mail: pugmire@desnews.com