A special moment puts the three lead singers at the microphone during the opening night of The Sing-Off live tour for 2015 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino Showroom.
I hear it often when I decide to write about America’s continued fascination with the singing competition, whether it be “American Idol,” “The Voice” or “The Sing-Off.” But watch them I do, on FOX for the first through double-digit years now, and NBC for the last two for a shorter but equally devoted duration.
Why, oh, why waste your time, some of my friends wonder to me out loud. They’re bad for the music industry, musicians, and your soul, the harshest critics insist. Even I admit that I’ve been close to giving up on Idol, the longest-running of the trio, which indeed went stale to me with bickering judges and repeat songs and too much similarity between seasons. But changes were made and something has clicked with the chemistry between Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, it’s better again.
In my music critic past for the big daily, I reviewed a handful editions of the “AI” live tour here in Syracuse, watching winners Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordan Sparks, to name three I liked.
And I reviewed a smaller theater show by Pentatonix, a winner from “The Sing-Off,” the smallest of the three shows with the shortest runs, inviting a cappella ensembles, not individuals, to compete against each other.
When I heard that The Sing-Off live tour’s second season was kicking off at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino Showroom in Verona, N.Y., some 25 miles northeast of Syracuse up the New York State Thruway, I bought tickets as part of my Valentine’s Day present for my dear wife Karen.
And it was good, when opener Overboard from Boston came out and warmed the capacity crowd of 700 with two solid songs.
Street Corner Symphony hits the groove at Turning Stone.
And it was very good, when three bands from across the seasons, The Exchange, VoicePlay and Street Corner Serenade, entertained with song and personality and antics. The Sing-Off live is better than “The Sing-Off” on TV, in fact, by far, because the performers quickly connected with the audience members, made eye contact, talked to them, communicated with words and melody and percussion, all from the voice and heart.
When The Exchange put down the microphones and performed “Georgia on My Mind” truly a cappella, filling the room with joy and soul, it was magical.
Patrick on audition with VoicePlay.
When Voice Play invited audience member Patrick to audition for a half-dozen important ensemble talents, it was hysterical.
Then when they put their voices to a medley of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” that melted into Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie,” it was mystical.
When Street Corner Symphony partied with “Down by the Corner,” buzzed with “Creep” and blazed with “Uptown Funk,” it was phenomenal.
And it was great then they all came together on the stage, first allowing the lead singers to pay tribute and then all joining in on the wonders of U2s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” I stood and clapped. I had my answer all over again.
It was the voice, pure and simple and full of wonder. The voice can sing a message. It can carry the notes and ring a bell and play the drum kit. That’s why I still watch these singing shows.
I was busy with my iPhone 6, shooting video clips.
The Exchange performs “Love Runs Out.”
The Exchange performs “Georgia on My Mind” without the sound system.
VoicePlay performs “WOW,” in song snippets.
Street Corner Symphony performs “Hard to Handle.”
The lead singers perform “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” backed by all the performers.
Do watch any of the TV singing shows still, and why or why not? Have you or would you see any of the shows’ live tours? Which video is your favorite and why?
Mark Bialczak 
I actually like the singing shows BUT I haven’t watched one in YEARS. I do enjoy catching clips of them though. I would much rather watch people coming out and singing, playing instruments, than the other “reality” based shows they come up with. Sadly I just don’t have the time to watch the shows. But I love the clips. (An aside to not having time to watch the shows my husband and I think we are actually going to take the big plunge and be a TV free household soon. Because we seldom have actual time for television we figured we would drop the outrageous cost of cable and just do any viewing via internet. So it will all be clips and paid for things via internet possibly.)
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Better you and Davd than me and Karen, MBC. I love my TV watching. 🙂
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Oh I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But criminy, by the time I get off of the computer for blog stuffs, I have but a half hour or so of tv watching and I’m out!!! 😉
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Yes, blogging is very time-consuming, My Buddy Colleen.
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Oh my Dear Mark, okay, I almost put the initials for “Buddy Mark” there and it was SO just making me laugh so I couldn’t. Any way, yes, the hours in to this blogging are like a full time job in and of it’s self. We SHOULD be getting paid!
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Lucky Karen!
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She opted out after a hard week of work, Wormy. I understood. Or do you mean getting me out of the house for the night? 🙂
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Ha!
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Still not catching any of this on television, but I think the competition is a great idea. I’ve enjoyed watching in the past.
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Watch it if you get a chance, if they ever put it on again, that is, Aud. 🙂
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I like reality competition shows so, yes, I watch the singing shows! I like The Voice and American Idol. I know people roll their eyes at me but I like being able to just sit back and relax with TV sometimes after a tough day 🙂
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I would never laugh at you for that, Christy. It’s quite natural, in fact. 🙂
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Well that’s because you totally rock, Mark! 🙂
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I am so excited and think this was an awesome Valentine’s Day gift for the both of you! This concert held so many special new and old songs, ones that I treasure and would enjoy these voices blended together. I mentioned Pentatonix version of a Christmas song on one of my best Christmas songs to listen to in 2014. But, Journey, “Georgia on my Mind” (isn’t Clark Beckham’s version good on “A.I.?”) and one of my all-time faves, “U2’s” “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…” Wow and wow!!
I will keep my eyes open for this “Sing Off” concert coming to Columbus,Mark!
By the way, my good cat owner friend has been trying to ‘win’ us some tickets to go and see Neil Diamond, Mark! So, one way or another, I may get to that March concert in Columbus: yet!!
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I really hope your friend wins those Neil Diamond tickets for you, Robin. I have my fingers and eyes crossed. 🙂
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Yeah, sorry, I’m not a fan of the singing shows, Mark. But I can appreciate the contestants’ drive to make it big, and many of them really are very talented. 🙂
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And they are better live, I think. 🙂
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That’s true. 🙂
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What a collection! Don’t watch much TV outside of whatever I catch on netflix, so haven’t seen any of the singing shows. But these are fun clips. Very nice how VoicePlay includes Happy Birthday for Kerbey in their snippets 🙂
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yes, over-saturation is never good in my opinion. kind of how i’ve been feeling about the nfl this last season.
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I’m a big fan of the Sing-off — really disappointed that it only got one night this year. I never got interested in the others — they seem to go for people with a kind of pop sound I don’t much like (witness the experience of the bluesy guy from your area you wrote about recently — he’d be a voice I’d want to hear). I used to sing in choirs and the A Cappella Choir at my school. We were stuck mostly singing religious stuff from the 17th century (and what 16 year old isn’t thrilled with that 🙂 ) so I especially appreciate the fun, modern stuff they do now. People keep telling me the Voice is great so I may watch more than the ads for it one of these days.
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‘The Voice’ is fun, Leigh. As I said to Beth here, though, running concurrently with ‘American Idol,’ I am getting to the ‘F’ mark on my TV show tank.
That must have been fun, singin a cappella, even with that archaic song list.
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I love singing shows. Music moves people, and it continually evolves and expands. It’s easy as we grow older to officially stop listening to new music and not get excited about it, but good for you for staying young at heart and on top of things. Now I’m off to hear the mystical “Oh, Sherrie.” SHOULDA BEEN GO-ONE!!!!
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I got excited during the World Series when they kept showing Steve Perry during the Giants home games, Kerbey. That’s how much I am fond of his solo and Journey voice … “Oh, Sherrie” is rich thunder. 🙂
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Also, have you ever written ‘have’ out as hHave? D’0h!
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Yes, that hHas hHappened to me a hundred times or two, Diana. ❤
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Hahahaha!
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I don’t watch the singing shows often, but I agree with you about seeing singers live. Mark,hHave you ever seen a local band at a bar and they’re so good, you buy there CD only to find that the CD, although good, does not sound/feel as good as being there live? ❤
Diana xo
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Yes, that has happened to me a hundred times or two, Diana. <3. You are good, my friend. Very good.
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i still like the voice, but haven’t really watched it faithfully for the last year or so. i’m glad you fill us in with all the great moments and stories, though and know there are always amazing surprises that happen on those shows, like magic )
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Yes, the magical click for these young people is fun to watch. But the shows seem to be butting up against each other more and more to me, Beth. Idol just got to its 24 last night and The Voice starts next week. I just can’t stand the thought of doing both at once.
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Loved the videos Bro. My fave is The Exchange doing “Georgia On My Mind” probably because it is not as loud, my favorite of the songs presented, and I love a capella. The wrinkles show with a capella, and I didn’t see any at all in that one. Wrinkles are easy to cover in a rock or jazz song. Having said that, I will add that I wouldn’t want to have to pick a winner from that group, because they are all winners. And no, I don’t usually watch the shows, because I usually forget what time they are on, and what channel, so I just leave the TV on whatever it has been on all day.
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I loved the ‘Georgia on My Mind’ performance, too, sis, because they filled the room with pure voice. It was great.
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Who was your choice for winner Bro?
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My favorite was all of them together for the U2 song “I Still …” sis Angie. The finale was great. But a tie was a song I didn’t get on video, the Journey-Steve Perry combo. Wonderful.
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Oh, well, the ones you got were great. I did like the U2 song–liked all of them, but kept going back and replaying Georgia On My Mind. One of the oldies but goodies that will never wear out.
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Yes, I’m kind of sick of all these singing shows and I was kind of glad to see your blog acknowledging that, but I get it! I saw James Durbin perform once. There’s a scholarship program for my kids rock school and he performed at a benefit concert and he was really good so I can definitely see getting lost in a live performance by the contestants and forgetting the premise of the shows.
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We have to remember that they get out from that confining screen and into the real world again, Marissa. Thanks for relating about James Durbin. I loved his passion on the confining screen.
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It’s true. Under all that kind of false marketing, it’s easy to forget that they are musicians with passion. It’s easier to convey in a live setting.
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