Tonight, MSU students will have their chance to experience an a cappella group that prides itself on musical diversity.
“We’re always trying not to be like the typical college a cappella group,” said psychology junior Caleb Sandoval, financial officer of the Accafellas, an MSU men’s a cappella group. “We want to do something that sets us apart.”
The Accafellas will perform their annual spring show tonight at the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.
The group will sing a variety of songs, from “Cryin’” by Aerosmith to “Come on Over (All I Want is You)” by Christina Aguilera and “The Best I Ever Had” by Vertical Horizon.
And Sandoval said certain songs the group performs have become enormously popular with fans.
“They go crazy for ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi,” he said. “We’ve taken that ‘hair band’ song and turned it into a ballad kind of thing - making fun of it.”
Accafellas formed in fall 1996 as a branch of the men’s Glee Club, with students interested in performing more contemporary pop songs. The group has stayed at eight members ever since.
Founder and music education senior Phil Johnson said the last show of the semester will hold more surprises for audience members.
“We’ll be doing ‘Come Sail Away’ by The Styx, with a special appearance from Cartman (from South Park),” he said.
But Johnson refused to give away any more pre-show secrets.
“You’ll have to come to the show to find out (anything else),” he said.
Other surprises are in store as well.
Psychology senior and Accafellas President Mark Rabbat tutors with the Student Literacy Corps with 8-year-old Vernon Brown, Jr., a student at Wayne Wright Elementary School in Lansing. And today, Brown will get a surprise of his own.
“The first day I met him, we did these icebreaker activities to get to know each other,” he said. “He said he wanted to learn to play the piano, so I called all these different local churches, VH-1 Save the Music and music stores to find out what we could do with the piano situation.
“The best thing that I found was Marshall Music in Frandor. They cut us a pretty good deal on a good piano.”
And Brown’s gift has been kept a secret to him, and will be unveiled before the show begins.
“I’m really excited,” Rabbat said. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I think it’ll be really good for him and the community.”
The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre, with opening guest John Laperriere, a former Accafellas member. Tickets are $5 and are available through the Wharton Center Box Office.
