Everyone knew it would happen at some point, it was just a
matter of when.
Fortunately it didn’t take long for a member of Pi Kappa
Phi to pull the move the entire crowd expected by slipping on the
rain-soaked stage of the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Friday night.
As he went tumbling off left stage, the 4,500 strong crowd ““
huddling masses shivering underneath their $2 ponchos, with $10
ticket stubs in tow ““ reacted the only way they could: they
grinned, they giggled, they cheered.
By that point, it was of little concern whether the Spring Sing
crew would ignite the mic figuratively, let alone literally, and
the night had taken on the flair that tradition always mandated, at
least to some extent.
Under the auspices of Mother Nature, the night was quickly
established not as an exhaustively prepared talent showcase but
more like a night out at the karaoke bar. Fans braced for the
worst, screamed at their best and amid the sloppy banter of the
company, it was more and more difficult to discern the calculated
chaos from the impromptu anarchy.
For example, the stylin’ quartet Rodeo Hardline, write-in
winners of the Most Technical Problems award, whose setup delays
seemed more an excuse for their makeshift fan club to bang pots and
catcall for band members.
Or Ed Rhee’s performance of “Slipping Away”
(take two, with keyboard accompaniment), whose triumph over initial
setup problems drew one of the loudest ovations of the night. Until
the rain had claimed every dry garment and fans began trickling
out, it was clear they weren’t just there to be entertained,
they were there to provide support.
That’s not to say all the acts needed it. As usual, Spring
Sing offered up its share of stage-worthy performances, from
the wonderfully elaborate remake of gospel classic “He
Reigns” by Best Acapella winner Envision Vocals to the
nostalgic embrace of the three sorority and fraternity productions
to the old school hip-hop groove of vocal ensemble Namaste.
Not all of the best acts won for their respective categories
““ Calcutta took home the prize for best band despite being
outshined by its competition. Funkland Security and Paramount
rocked the audience’s soggy socks, and they would have had
the audience grooving had they still been able to feel their toes.
Rodeo Hardline’s tongue-in-cheek interpretive hand motions
and segue to Bob Marley’s sunny joint “Stir it
Up” provided some of the highlights of the night, even if it
was an exercise in cognitive dissonance.
Campus favorite Sarah Barielles claimed top honors in the
solo/duet category and was also dubbed best overall entry for a
heartfelt rendition of her song “City,” but she faced
admirable competition from fellow troubadour Seema Jadhav, who put
her vocal chops on full display in her song “If You Loved
Me.”
Considering the conditions, the more elaborate productions were
executed superbly and without any major disasters. Best Production
winners Chi Omega and Alpha Gamma Omega tackled the controversial
issue of North vs. South Campus with a spoof on “Westside
Story,” coming to the conclusion through song and dance that
love is undeclared (though in terms of musical skill, Ms. North
campus edged out Mr. Southie).
The brilliantly-performed finale “BLOMP!” would have
stolen the show had the crowd still been around to witness it
““ the troupe’s percussive stagings and elaborate light
show wowed an audience that had whittled down to less than a third
of its original size.
Still, Company deserves its share of praise for keeping the ship
from drifting too far astray. Faced with low reserves of power and
forced to cut skits and presentations short, Company still managed
to make the night run relatively smoothly while entertaining the
audience as they duked it out against the cloudy skies.
One Company member’s decision to strip down to nothing but
a speedo seemed more a stubborn rebellion against the elements than
a classy display of entertainment tact.
With the irony of the night’s theme lost on no one, one of
the crowd members perhaps summed it up best as she chanted the
age-old cliché of “rain or shine” before the night
got slowly under way. Of course it’s only fitting at that
point it wasn’t your typical phrase of warning, but a
rallying cry.