Filharmonic performing at WCU
Loud squeals, shouts and laughter filled the University Center Grand Room as the Filharmonic boys searched the audience for a volunteer to come up on stage.
Out of the large audience, Anna Thomas was the lucky girl. She was quickly taken up to the stage where the boys sat her down in a chair. With the promise of upping the level of sexiness, they started to perform their cover of “Dessert” by Dawin. The effect was almost immediate. The audience cheered even louder than before. Thomas said, “I told my fiancé that I was going to make some acapella boys fall in love me.” Much like this performance, the entire show was met with an energetic and enthusiastic crowd.
At 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, the Filharmonic performed in the UC Grand Room as a part of their Get Up and Go tour.
Prior to the show, I met with Last Minute Productions coordinator, Maven Mayfield. I asked her how much effort it takes to put on this kind of show. Maven, currently recovering from being sick, gave me a laugh as she nodded saying, “It took a lot of work.”
Preparations for the Filharmonic started at the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), where our LMP workers saw various showcases. When they saw the Filharmonic showcase, LMP fell in love with what they did and knew the Filharmonic needed to come to WCU.
Following NACA, LMP did everything they could to advertise the Filharmonic. They began hanging fliers, posting on social media, and playing the Filharmonic’s music any chance they could. One of LMP’s workers, Judia Watson, told me, “It seems easy, but there is really a lot of people doing different things.”
LMP’s hard work paid off. Students began to line up before 7 p.m. and the line almost stretched all the way out the door. Savannah Glover was among the many students who were excited for the Filharmonic performance. She recognized them from Pitch Perfect 2 and told me, “I’m twelve out of ten excited! The performance is free and that makes it even more exciting!”
Another student, Kathryn Abernathy, shared similar sentiments when she said, “I think it’ll be great! I’ve never been to a live acapella show before.”
As we waited for the Filharmonic to take the stage, people began to steadily file into the room and take their seats. The second they took the stage they were met with deafening cheers. The boys opened the show with an energetic cover of Nick Jonas’ “Chains.” The crowd’s cheers grew even louder as the show went on.
The boys continued their set with songs like “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber, and even “Flashlight,” an original from Pitch Perfect, as a nod to their movie appearance. However, what really set their show apart, besides their great chemistry and energy, was how interactive they were with the audience.
A favorite audience moment was when Trace Gaynor lead us through beatboxing. He started it off by breaking the crowd into three different sections, and gave us each a different sound to replicate. One of the sections struggled with reproducing their sound, resulting in a lot of laughter. Following the audience’s attempt, the Filharmonic’s beatboxer, Nico Del Ray, showed us what it really means to beatbox!
Impressed, attendee Amanda Gates said, “The beatboxing part was my favorite! They are really talented!”
Another great performance started with the boys asking us for our favorite dessert. Immediately, students began to yell out brownies, pumpkin pie and cheese cake. Choosing pumpkin pie, the Filharmonic began to sing “Sugar” by Maroon 5. Instead of singing the word “sugar,” they replaced it with “pumpkin pie.” The crowd ate it up (no pun intended) as they continuously laughed and cheered.
The Filharmonic treated the audience to a sneak peak of their new original song, “Get Up and Go.” Before performing the song, they encouraged us to sing along, so they broke down the chorus for us.
Group member, VJ Rosales, told us, “This a song about going to the club and getting turnt.”
Once it was time to perform their last song, a cover of “One More Night” by Maroon 5, the audience wasn’t ready for them to leave. One student, Kiana Smith, told me the performance was “the best thing I’ve heard. I fell in love!”
Hannah Grace Lemacks, another student, said, “I’m in shock. It was really amazing!”
After the show, I had the chance to talk with the Filharmonic. Collectively, they told me that their tour has been amazing, and they have a lot of fun. They had just performed their 82nd performance for their Get Up and Go tour. When I asked them what their favorite part about performing here, they all agreed it was the audience. Before I left, I took a few selfies with the group.
Both Last Minute Productions and the Filharmonic brought everything to the stage. The show was a must-see production and an easy crowd pleaser. I’m excited to see what both LMP and the Filharmonic bring in the future to come.
