Review: A cappella group Pentatonix brings harmony to Ohio Union

Sarai Exil
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 18:25:40 +0000
Events, Music, archie griffin, ohio state, ohio union, Pentatonix, sing-off

Avi Kaplan (left), Kirstie Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi and Kevin Olusola, members of the a cappella group Pentatonix, perform at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. The quintet took the spotlight after winning Season 3 of NBC’s a cappella singing competition ‘The Sing-Off.’ Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Scott Hoying of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Avi Kaplan of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Kirstie Maldonado of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Mitch Grassi of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Avi Kaplan of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Scott Hoying (center) steps out to sing a solo as Pentatonix co-members Kirstie Maldonado (left) and Mitch Grassi look on during an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Scott Hoying of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Scott Hoying of the a cappella group Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

Pentatonix performs at an OUAB-sponsored event Sept. 29 at the Archie Griffin Ballroom. Admission to the event was free for students with a valid BuckID. Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editor

They took YouTube and television by storm, and on Monday, a cappella group Pentatonix came to Ohio State and wooed students with a collection of pop favorites.

Pentatonix, winners of season 3 of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” sang at the Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom at the Ohio Union for a sold-out show hosted by the Ohio Union Activities Board, the OSU A Cappella Alliance and The Ohio State of Mind.

Fans cheered as Pentatonix opened with an enthusiastic “Daft Punk,” a medley of the French electronica duo’s music, that had reached more than 94 million views on the group’s YouTube channel as of Tuesday evening. The quintet continued the energy by singing its version of “Problem,” originally by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea.

Some members of the audience reached for their phones to record “Evolution of Beyonce,” another melody with more than 20 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday evening.

The group highlighted vocal bass Avi Kaplan’s ability to do overtones, the ability to sing two notes at once, in a small outtake of the Solomon Linda’s “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

Beatboxer Kevin Olusola claimed the spotlight with his cello, which became a powerful and smart transition into Pentatonix’s rendition of “Say Something.” For the first time, the audience quieted, allowing for the full effect of Pentatonix’s soulful sound. A rollercoaster of the highs and lows of their five-part harmonies gave the audience chills.

From there, “Natural Disaster,” one of Pentatonix’s few original songs, brought vibration from head to toe that stayed in your heart until the next beat dropped. The audience was also asked to join in, and Scott Hoying complimented the excited fans by saying they were a “choir of Beyonces,” which was received with rousing applause, belly laughs and screaming cheers.

Their fairly popular “Evolution of Music” showed the group’s passion for the history of music. Each member of the group had at least one memorable solo in the melody.

One lucky audience member was brought on stage by Kaplan, while the group serenaded her with “Let’s Get It On.” When the song ended, multiple fans were out of their seats cheering. The audience member on stage also received hugs from every member of Pentatonix.

The five members tried to end the show with “Can’t Hold Us,” but the audience cheered them back on, chanting “one more song.” They gave the fans an encore of two songs, “Thrift Shop” and “On My Way Home,” a new song off their recently released third album, “PTX, Vol. III.”

The evening with Pentatonix was incredible and inspiring, simply because they started off as choir friends and fought for their chance to win a record deal to give them a chance at the music industry. The evening had not a single dull moment, and most fans walked away with a jig in their step and a hum on their lips.

Pentatonix just released its third album, “PTX, Vol. III,” and will be featured in “Pitch Perfect 2.”