Three years ago, Pentatonix was still relatively new, performing an intimate concert at the Vogue. On April 28, they returned to Vancouver performing in front of a packed Pacific Coliseum. The a cappella quintet used their voices exclusively, and brought the Vancouver audience an incredible show.
Pentatonix, which won the NBC music competition The Sing Off in 2011, opened their performance with their original songs “Cracked” and “Na Na Na.” At one point, vocalist Scott Hoying remarked to the crowd, “This is incredible, seeing so many people come out to an a cappella concert.”
His surprise comes on the heels of the rise in popularity of a cappella in mainstream music. With the advent of TV shows and movies like Glee and Pitch Perfect, it created the perfect conditions for Pentatonix to break on to the charts. After a brief stint with Sony, Pentatonix began releasing music to their YouTube account, which boasts over 10 million subscribers and over one billion views.
Highlights of the concert included their covers of Jack Ü and Justin Bieber’s “Where Are Ü Now” and Megan Trainor’s “No,” a Michael Jackson-inspired powerhouse medley, and performances of original songs off their 2015 self-titled album such as “Can’t Sleep Love,” “Rose Gold,” and “Water.” The show demonstrated the diverse and unique talents of its individual members as well, such as bass singer Avi Kaplan’s operatic training. Beatboxer Kevin Olusola’s also performed Bach’s “Prelude No. 1” on the cello with a beatboxing twist. There was a brief moment where Pentatonix invited up some audience members and serenaded them, making everyone else slightly envious.
Pentatonix was joined in concert by New York native AJ Lehrman and YouTube sensation Us the Duo. Both acts performed high-energy sets before Pentatonix stepped onto the stage. From the beginning to the end, the energy never stopped and Vancouver audiences were treated to an extra-special night; even more special when it was noted that so far, Vancouver is the only Canadian stop on their World Tour.
In all, the concert ran seamlessly and showed just how cool and popular a cappella has become. From the powerhouse vocals to the light-hearted jokes in between songs to the incredible visuals that were projected in the background, Pentatonix brought something special to Vancouver on Thursday night. It was clearly evident in the enthusiastic cheering and singing in the audience — and on the transit ride home that followed.
