7th Ave. paves the way for PCAC concert season
The power of the human voice multiplied by four roared into Holyoke last Wednesday evening, Oct. 24, as 7th Ave. kicked off the 2018-2019 Phillips County Arts Council season. The multifaceted quartet wowed a crowd of 240 enthusiastic listeners and had the Heginbotham Auditorium rockin’ and reelin’.
In addition to a dynamic evening concert, the band hosted a 50-minute afternoon session with local middle school and high school students. The group performed a few of their concert numbers and the students had a great time singing along. The group also fielded lots of questions from the students about performing, life on the road and how each of the singers found their way into music. Many students returned for the evening concert which cranked up the energy level for both the performers and the audience.
Opening the concert with Justin TImberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” 7th Ave. displayed not only their amazing vocal talents but their dancing abilities as well. Through the vocal scoldings of Meghan Trainor’s “No,” a swinging four-part harmony version of the classic “Route 66,” a nostalgic medley of Disney songs, and a mysterious, raspy-voiced interpretation of Alanna Myles’ “Black Velvet,” 7th Ave. showed they are a formidable entry in the popular vocal group genre.
Vocalist Abby Burke sidled up to the Baldwin grand piano and added an extra sultry touch to the Etta James standard, “At Last.” A highlight of the first set was a heavenly arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s haunting, “Hallelujah.” Adam Bastien led off the song with his soaring tenor making way for the rest of the group — Chris Rupp, Tristin Rupp and Burke — to add their luscious harmonies to mix. The final song of the first set pitted the boys against the girls in a sing-off of songs from the 1990s. Chris Rupp and Bastien sang songs made popular by boy bands, and Burke and Tristin Rupp sang songs by girl bands. At the end of the contest, the audience voted the girls were the winners.
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