Luscious Harmonies

Take 6 - "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Lewis Family Playhouse - Rrrancho Cucamonga, CA

As I drove to church for Mass, I saw that that the street on which my alma mater is situated was full of school buses.  It made me melancholy, because I really wanted to go to the SCSBOA Marching Band Field Show Championships taking place there that night.  (It's been 6 years since they've been in the championships, and they were competing on their home field, and, well, look at this promo!).  But it was drizzling.  And I had a ticket to see Take 6.  When I heard the rain pouring outside during Mass, I figured that it was a reminder that I really, really like Take 6, and it's inside, and I would get to see my friends.  But I did come very close to calling Liz and telling her to bring Joe with her to use my ticket.  

I arrived at the venue with plenty of time before the doors opened, so I went to the restroom to turn around my mayo-stained shirt.  Dangit, that's one of my favorite shirts!  But at least it's a turtleneck and it doesn't matter which side goes in front.  I met up with Wendy, Jeff, Aura, Aura's mom and Aura's friends, and Liz in the lobby.  Wendy and Jeff had scored front row apron seats for us (right side of house).  THANK YOU!  Liz and I informed each other about whomever were new members to us.  I told Wendy that Liz and I were at the same Take 6 concert when I saw them for the first time in the early 1990s, but we hadn't met each other yet.  Liz and I were meant to be friends.  :)  Wendy and Jeff had never seen them before.  I told her that they would have audience participation, just for Jeff.

Take 6 took the stage, and as soon as they had sung their first chord, I had forgotten all about the band championships and got into the Christmas spirit.

I did not take notes during the show, but here is the set list and what I can remember the next day.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Yup.  First chord.  

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Weird not to hear Kevin Wright singing the lead on this.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

This is one of the first Christmas songs I had ever heard them sing, from their "He Is Christmas" CD.  Claude enjoyed saying "Rancho CUC-amonga!"  What is it with the high tenors loving the name of this place? ;)

Let It Snow

Claude said that he grew up in Buffalo, which is known for snow, so he thought they should bring some musical snow to So Cal for Christmas.  He even showed us how to imagine the snow with some finger motion. 

Grinch

Claude told Alvin that he wanted to sing bass on this one, and asked if they could both sing bass.  So they each sang lead on every other verse.  Since they took it at the original tempo, I wasn't very jarred about them not being Rockapella with Santa Hats.  Their rendition is jazzy, like the original, but with much better harmonies.  Claude could hit those low notes, and the high ones at the end.  Crazy range.

The Sugarplum Dance

Mark arranged "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker.  I was hoping that it wouldn't be like Scott's arrangement on "Simply Having..." because I try to keep the groups separate from each other.  Mark did not disappoint me one bit.  Their arrangement is amazing and totally virtuoso for all of them.  

I'll Be Home For Christmas

A tribute to our troops.  Mark was looking for mistletoe to point to, but there wasn't any.  I liked that he enunciated "presents under the tree", because it makes more sense than "presents on the tree".  Wouldn't the tree fall over if all of the presents were on its branches?

One

This is not a Christmas song, but it is the title song from their new CD.  I wish they had their actual CDs in the lobby instead of stuff that they only produced.  I have some catching up to do on their CDs.

Alvin is from So Cal, and said he's been trying to get the guys to tour here for a long time.  Thanks, Alvin!

Stand By Me

Always a crowd favorite for the a cappella groups.  Joey sang lead, and pointed to a lady that she should stand by him on stage. She didn't.  I almost got up myself.  I mean, he was RIGHT THERE!

Old School stuff that included Earth, Wind & Fire, Nat King Cole, The Doobie Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson

At this point, some of the guys shared their musical influences.  The Nat King Cole was pretty much just Claude doing an impersonation of "When I Fall In Love", all by himself, while sitting on the piano bench.  Loved their "Taking It To The Streets", and they sang Stevie's "I Wish", which is just so Stevie/T6.  Then Khristian shared that he was born in 1982 and wouldn't know an 8-Track if it hit him in the face.  His influence was Michael Jackson, and he danced and sang and talked like MJ.  He did snippets of a bunch of songs, and frightened the women sitting front and center with the crotch-grabbing scream.   Can't remember who on stage told him, "This is a family show."  He was great, though.  He also played some piano during one or two of the other songs, which, I think, is the only time a piano was used in the show.

So Much To Say

Ah, the song that I first heard them sing live.  But oh, what a change they made!  OMG, the vocal acrobatics with the scatting and the vocal percussion and the melismas!  Good golly, Miss Molly, they have arranged this song to new, explosive heights, and I am happy to go up there with them!

Joy To The World

Back to Christmas songs now.  APPARENTLY, they have 3 Christmas CDs.  Why did I only know about one?  

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

So pretty, and it's Mark's favorite.  

Lamb of God

Joey did some preaching, and we all went right there with them.  This song is gorgeous, and has a bit of the old Danish "Holy Holy Holy" in it.  Nice.

Encore:

Come On

Yeah, because we weren't all crazy enough (we were), here we go with some call and response.  YEAH!  

They announced that they'd be signing CDs.  I stole a set list from the stage, and confessed to Alvin that I did so, but he didn't mind, and they all signed it.  What's cool about their set list is that each song has the key that they used.  Aura said that she never saw anyone use a pitch pipe, and neither do I, so some of them must have perfect pitch.  They're so totally amazing!  I told Mark that he sings my favorite Take 6 song, "Something Within Me", and the first time I heard him sing it, he was sick.  I told him that I said that night, "I wish I could sing like that when I'm sick!"  They're all very nice, but I was too shy to ask for pictures.  I was kind of the same way with Rockapella, although I did get a picture with them the first time I met them at a meet and greet.  Oh, Pella, how far we've come since then!  :)

We bid goodbye to Aura and Liz.  Wendy, Jeff and I went to Cheesecake Factory, and who shows up but Aura and her guests!  Aura's mom told us that she went crazy when she saw Rockapella and they sang "Folger's".  So THAT'S where Aura gets her fangirl-ness!  Later, we ended up leaving at the same time, too, and they said that the Kibble brothers were sitting at the next table.  Cool!  I probably wouldn't have been able to eat if I saw them there.

So here I am now, feeling the Christmas spirit like I'm supposed to be doing.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!