Hittin' Notez with the High C's

The Tabler Arts Center Black Box Theatre was filled with the sound of “do wop’s” and “ahhh’s” as Stony Brook’s all-male a capella group, the High C’s, sang a medley of classic songs for the enthusiastic crowd on Friday, April 20.

The chemistry the eight boys had was obvious from the moment they walked on stage. They stood together in formation until Vice President of the group, Jimmy Deats, approached the microphone. “We love you, you love us, we’re going to sing some songs,” he said. They kept the audience singing along with popular songs such as “Animal” by Neon Trees, “For the Longest Time” by Billy Joel, “I Want It That Way” by The Backstreet Boys and more. The songs were all met with cheers and dancing from the excited fans sitting in the black chairs in front of the small stage.

However, after intermission it was a completely different show. The lights were low and Amit Guruprasad approached the stage. Suddenly, the room burst with the sound of his vocal percussion as the audience sat in disbelief. The sounds that came out of Amit were unnatural, sounding more electronic than human. Afterwards, the room exploded in applause as he walked off.

The talented group of singers competed at the Northeast qualifiers for the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella (ICCA), where they placed fourth. They also attended the Social Media and A Capella Conference and placed well.

Joey Spitaleri, who has been singing with the High C’s for two years, thinks that the future of the group is promising.

“People are showing more interest on Facebook,” he said. “We’re coming up with new arrangements.”

As the High C’s ended with their trademark song, a cover of America’s “Sister Golden Hair,” the already-pumped crowd sang and clapped along. When they finished, the entire crowd left with seemingly satisfied smiles on their faces.