Tonight was the kick off of the second season of The Sing-Off, NBC’s answer for Glee fans. The a cappella singing competition was such a hit last year its made a triumphant return. Ten groups compete over five nights for a $100,000 prize and a recording contract.. oh, and the title of The Sing-Off Champs.The contest is short, only five nights of network competition. A nice change from the usual dragging out on such talent shows. The talent is thick, every group sounds polished and until you hear every note of every performance it’s hard to pick a clear leader. In fact, there are only two drawbacks to watching The Sing-Off: Nick Lechey and Nicole Scherzinger. If you can stomach them for a minute or two between songs The Sing-Off is a great show.
The judges are Ben Folds, Shawn Stockton and Nicole Scherzinger. Nicole is obviously there for the “Paula Abdul affect”, she gives little constructive feedback but lots of fluff. Shawn Stockton is a little like listening to some of the SYTYCD judges. He speaks his own language. Then there is the geeky hotness that is Ben Folds. Not only is he hot (for some strange reason), he is one of the most insightful judges of any singing competition. Ben Folds knows how to give precise criticism without being sappy or condescending or mean.
That’s the primer info for The Sing-Off. Here’s what happened tonight on the opening of season two.
1. Eleventh Hour (Kettering, OH)- “Baby” by Justin Bieber
This small group of high school students are living the Glee life right now. I understand how they made it this far. By the end of the performance I forgave them for making me listen to a Justin Bieber song. (Eleventh Hour on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “... I wish I’d been that productive when I was in high school... some of the static parts were off... the beats were great.
Nicole Scherzinger: “...wow, so we have the real Glee here on The Sing-Off .. it was very powerful...”
Shawn Stockton: “...you give a fresh look to a cappella...”
2. On the Rocks (Eugene, OR) - “Bad Romance” by Lady GaGa
I expected more from this YouTube sensation group (watch now). They were good, but not great. They earned their way past the first night, but I’m not convinced they can compete for the win.
Ben Folds: “...when it’s as entertaining as you guys make it, it doesn’t matter as much... it was off in the basses...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “... I think GaGa would be pleased that she made 15 men monsters...”
Shawn Stockton: “...15 men pretending to be GaGa scared me a little... you pulled it off...”
3. Groove for Thought (Seattle, WA) - “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder
Definitely a different sound and swing from the other groups, but I’m not feeling the lead singer. Maybe it was opening night nerves. The group sounded great though. (Groove for Thought on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “...I thought your ‘groove-to-thought’ ratio was more groove than thought... the bass line sounded great.. it could use more edge...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...I love your jazzy style... stick with it...”
Shawn Stockton: “...really, really solid...reminded me of Take 6...”
4. Pitch Slapped (Berkley, CA) - “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship
Halfway though the performance it was clear this group could not quite compete with the rest tonight. The harmonies were good, but there was no dimension to the group. (Pitch Slapped on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “Some pretty pitches you have goin’ on, hey, it’s your name!...Shawn is onto something, about the top and bottom.. not much for the ensemble...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...it was a little weak...” she also compared them to the Pussycat Dolls. Whatever.
Shawn Stockton: “There was a top and a bottom, but not much in between...”
5. Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town (Oakland, CA) - “Save the Last Dance for Me” - by The Drifters
Jerry Lawson toured the world with the group The Persuasions and decades later met with a group who was rekindling the songs. It was fate... but is it fair? I’m not sure it’s fair to put a professional in this competition, but it makes for great sound for us. No complaints here! (Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “...for the brief review I could just roll up my sweater and you could see the chills I have...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...wow, I don’t know what to say... you can’t by class like that...” M’kay.
Shawn Stockton: “... Jerry, you’re an inspiration to everyone in this room. We respect the fact that you’re here.”
6. The Whiffenpoofs (Yale University) - “Grace Kelly” by Mika
Apparently the men of Yale not only gave us George W. Bush, but also invented a cappella singing. Who knew? Dressed in the traditional white ties and tails, the group owned the stage on The Sing-Off. The lead singer has a falsetto that Adam Lambert would kill for, the rest of the group was just icing on cake. It was excellent. (The Whiffenpoofs on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “...that sounded great, it’s burned into my brain now, you can’t un-see something...the arrangement was fantastic...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “My little Whiffenpoof penguins... what just happened here? It was brilliant!”
Shawn Stockton: “...we would not be here if it weren’t for you... the crescendos... that was like watching a movie.
7. Men of Note (Cherry Hill, NJ) - “For the Longest Time” by Billy Joel
The lead singer seemed to be off to the races right from the first notes of the song. It flew by, and not in a good way. It was probably just opening night jitters, but it was the weakest performance of the night. (Men of Note on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “...you’ve got a lot of tenors... I think the song was rushed, it would be better if you let it breathe...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...great job boys...you could have been a little tighter...”
Shawn Stockton: “... you guys remind me of my group... it felt a little stiff...” to be clear, he meant that his group too used to follow girls at the mall and sing.
8. Street Corner Symphony (Nashville, TN) - “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears
I wanted to love this group the way I love the song they chose. I couldn’t. Though the lead singer has been signed to a recording contract in the past, I don’t think this was a good performance for him. The harmonies of the group were outstanding though. (Street Corner Symphony on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “Y’all know some Skynard? ...that was great, dynamic...I have one pet peeve on beat boxes and that’s symbols...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...I couldn’t believe it was only six people up there...”
Shawn Stockton: “... Life is full of second chances... I love you guys’ honesty.. you guys un-practice very well...”
9. The Back Beats (Los Angeles, CA) - “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce
A collage of singers from varying a cappella groups (including two singers from season one of The Sing-Off) came together to form a super group. It was good. The lead singer had a little trouble in the lower registers of the song, but when she brought the big notes it was a hit. Overall they are a strong group. (The Backbeats on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “...that was moving... you made it mean more...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “...this is really a competition now... Joanna girl, you shut it down...”
Shawn Stockton: “...I’m a sucker for altos... Joanna you were somewhere else... I had chills, it was off the chain...”
10. Committed (Huntsville, AL) - “This Love” by Maroon 5
This gospel group has a big following already. A bit like last season’s winners, Nota. I was a little afraid for them, since the gospel representation last season did not do well. I need not worry. Committed is a fantastically tight group of voices. Both leads were amazing. (Committed on YouTube)
Ben Folds: “Ok, this is what I’ve been waiting for on this show.. the arrangement was really awesome... the bell tones were amazing...”
Nicole Scherzinger: “.. It’s a shame that people don’t like you (I’m kidding!)... Shawn was having a musical orgasm... God is good...”
Shawn Stockton: “...The Sing-Off is the best show as far as pure talent... You guys did that with a Marron 5 song?!”
The judges chose eight groups to continue in the competition, returning Wednesday night. Here is the order the groups were chosen (split into two groups of five):
1. Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town
2. Eleventh Hour
3. On the Rocks
4. Groove for Thought
Eliminated: Pitch Slapped
1. Committed
2. The Backbeats
3. The Whiffenpoofs
4. Street Corner Symphony
Eliminated: Men of Note
It’s going to get a lot tougher to pick the group that gets eliminated as The Sing-Off progresses. Eventually it will go to a public vote, but the judges get it down to the final first. I’ll go out on a very sturdy limb here and say that Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town will be in the finals. My guess would be Committed will be up against them. I could be wrong. At least two of these judges seem a more serious than most talent competitions on now.
So, who is your pick to win The Sing-Off?
Copyright @ 2008 TV Review
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