Marilag Angway
Senior Reporter
Guests filed into Mother’s Saturday night to the sounds of a cappella music provided by RPI’s very own Partial Credit. Joined by fledgling group Duly Noted and 8 to the Bar, the audience was entertained from beginning to end.
Partial Credit began the night with “Zoot Suit Riot” by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Though soloist Rich Marchetti ’10 performed a rather decent rendition of the song, it was a little stiff and the rest of the group overpowered him in the background. By the second song, “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon with soloist John Maderazo ’10, however, the group loosened up and gradually gained momentum for the rest of the show. Before the guest groups gave their performances, Partial Credit followed through with two more songs: “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners with soloist Sam Garrett ’09 and “Since You’ve Been Gone” by the ever-humorous Weird Al Yankovic with soloist Michelle Santospirito ’10.
Taking the stage afterwards was Duly Noted, RPI’s new all-male a cappella group. To spice things up, the group started with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” which thoroughly humored the crowd. Duly Noted continued with Joe Jackson’s “Is She Really Going Out With Him?,” a medley of Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and The Temptations’ “My Girl,” and, lastly, King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight.”
Before Partial Credit could continue with the rest of its repertoire, the group 8 to the Bar serenaded the audience with its own fabulous renditions. From Drexel University, the all-male group has been around for over 10 years. During the concert, 8 to the Bar entertained with a number of songs from its collection, including “Good Ol’ A Cappella,” by The Nylons, “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, “Other Side” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “Insomniac” by Billy Pilgrim. My personal favorite in 8 to the Bar’s performance was its rendition of “Chariot” by Gavin DeGraw, where soloist George Waldie provided a nice husky tone to the song.
Once the guest groups finally ended, the main act took to the stage and remained there for the rest of the night. Some of the newer songs in Partial Credit’s repertoire included Meatloaf’s “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth,” Panic at the Disco’s “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage,” and an interesting rendition of Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” Some of the other popular toe-tapping songs were Partial Credit’s version of WHAM’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” with soloist Chris Coates ’10 and The Bangles’ “Hazy Shade of Winter” with soloists Hannah DeLisle ’10 and Julianne Shapiro ’10. Other songs performed included “Your Smiling Face” by James Taylor and “In My Life” by The Beatles.
There was also an impressive Partial Credit rendition of Christopher Tin’s “Baba Yetu” with soloists Nick Kirsch ’11 and Laura Cox ’11, a Swahili version of the Lord’s Prayer. Of course, let’s not forget the a cappella group’s classic “Wishin’ I Was There” by Natalie Imbruglia with soloist Morgan Shea ’09, which never gets tiring to listen to. For those who have yet to hear Partial Credit on stage—or for those who have yet to hear an a cappella group—I do recommend getting a taste of it before you graduate.
