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The Sing-Off 2

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apskip:
Tonight was the time for 5 teams to get reduced to 3. Each group would sing  a one-group medley and then do a song picked specifically by the judges to showcase them.

The groups did these medleys:

Lady Gaga - Backbeats
Usher - Committed
Elton John - On the Rocks
Beatles- Street Corner Symphony
Otis Redding - Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town

The judging resulted in On the Rocks being eliminated. Since they had already overstayed, I thought that was fair.

The second round of performances was a single song chosen for each group to showcase them. These were:
Backbeats - "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
Committed - "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
Street Corner Symphony - "Down on the Corner" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town - "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals

Committed and Street Corner Symphony were judged worthy of the Final 3. It was down to Backbeats and Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town for which would move ahead and which would go home. Nick Lachey announced that the Backbeats were safe, which left Jeffy Lawson in stunned silence. then, Nick redeemed the judges by announcing that all teams had advanced, with the judges deciding each group had done so well that the TV audience should decide which group would win. These teams are all excellent a capella groups, but to me it is a no-brainer - Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town for the win.

bee1233:
Personally I don't think Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town will win.  I think younger people will not vote for them.  I would think it will be between Committed and Street Corner Symphony.  If the truly YOUNG voters vote then it could be Backbeats.  I didn't watch the first season but enjoying this season. :xmas49

BamBam:

--- Quote from: bee1233 on December 16, 2010, 03:56:35 AM ---Personally I don't think Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town will win.  I think younger people will not vote for them.  I would think it will be between Committed and Street Corner Symphony.  If the truly YOUNG voters vote then it could be Backbeats.  I didn't watch the first season but enjoying this season. :xmas49

--- End quote ---

Agree with everything you said.  I like Jerry Lawson but think they sound too much the same all the time.  The other groups seems to have more range or something?

apskip:
Here is a fine article from today's Newark Star-Ledger by Vikiv Hyman titled "A Program of Note":

NBCThe Backbeats, an a capella "supergroup," formed to compete in NBC's "The Sing-Off," performed Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" last week.

Brimming with likable, phenomenally talented singers, NBC’s a cappella competition, “The Sing-Off,” is “Glee,” minus the wildly inconsistent plotting, and “American Idol,” without the endless audition cycle, bizarre theme nights, tragic back stories and wildly inconsistent judging.

True, it has a terribly punny Nick Lachey as host. But that’s why God created the DVR, or, more to the point, the fast-forward button.

Ratings have been consistently strong over the show’s abbreviated run, but if you haven’t tuned in, that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the finale tonight at 8.

Ten groups from across the country (including the Cherry Hill-based Men of Note, the Whiffenpoofs of Yale, the world’s oldest collegiate a cappella group; and the exquisitely named Pitch Slapped of Boston’s Berklee College of Music) have now been narrowed to four by the unusually coherent — by reality show standards — judging panel of musician Ben Folds, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men. Okay, so Scherzinger comes off like Paula Abdul on a lower dose; Folds and Stockman know what they’re talking about, dawg.

Viewers determine tonight’s winner of the $100,000 grand prize, and the 2½-hour finale will feature performances by the four remaining groups, each with its distinct vibe.

The Backbeats are a Southern California-based coed a cappella “supergroup,” formed by the stars of the collegiate a cappella circuit. The lead singers are all women who specialize in gutsy, emotional ballads (and skirts so short they deserve an NC-17 rating) — and it’s also the only group left that makes an attempt at intricate choreography.

Committed, which has drawn some of the highest praise from the judges, is a six-member all-male gospel a cappella group from Huntsville, Ala. These nice Baptist boys have gradually added a little sex appeal to their performances, but what hasn’t changed are their intricate, soaring harmonies. Streetcorner Symphony is another all-male Southern sextet, but this Nashville group is sometimes funky, sometimes haunting and often at its best when the members are softly blending their voices. They also risk ruining those moments when they attempt to dance. The less we say about that ill-conceived kick line, the better.

Finally, there’s Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town. Lawson was an original member of the longtime a cappella group the Persuasions and joined the San Francisco group Talk of the Town three years ago. Call him a ringer, but Lawson’s smoky voice combined with the group’s straightforward but soulful arrangements get the job done.

They’re all so engaging that judges couldn’t bring themselves to eject one of the groups from the competition last week and sent them all to the finale.

Judging by the pop cultural omnipresence of “Glee” and “The Sing-Off”’s great ratings, it appears there’s a real thirst for glorious a cappella, and I’d love to see NBC re-up the show and perhaps expand the run — as long as they stick to the music and leave out the melodrama.

apskip:
The finale opened with a group singing of "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" by Jackie DeShannon.

Next, each of the 4 finalists performed (just for fun as the audience votes had already been cast and tallied) with a judge or the host:

Committed - "Motownphilly" by Boyz II Men (with Boyz II Men)
Backbeats - "King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles (with Sara Bareilles)
Street Corner Symphony - "Gone" by Ben Folds (with Ben Folds)
Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (with Nicole Scherzinger)

I have to say that I found Ben Folds' music a bit strange.

Next was killing a lot of time until the results were announced. The first 2 groups eliminated were Jerry Lawson and Talk of the town and the Backbeats, leaving the final 2 as Committed and Street corner Symphony. The victory went to Committed.

This was a fun series and amply rewarded with large TV audiences. I think it has a lock on coming back for a third season.

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