SOS, Sirens of Swank, Schwa – Spectacular Speakeasy
Whitman mixed-gender a cappella group Schwa was one of several groups performing at the Speakeasy Concert.
October 25, 2018
Free medicine and a cappella music — what else does one need? On Saturday, Oct. 20, Whitman held an event called Speakeasy Concert 2018 organized by the SOS volunteer club and sponsored by the Pre-health Society in Cordiner Hall. The entry was free but small donations of $5-10 were encouraged by the organizers. The money received during the show will be given to the SOS Clinic.
Three representatives of the SOS Clinic delivered a speech in which they described their activity and Whitman’s past contributions to the work of the clinic. Thanks to Whitman’s donations and volunteer work, the clinic has been able to provide over 1000 medical encounters and around 3000 hours of volunteering. The SOS clinic provides free medical service to all the residents of the valley, including those without insurance.
Schwa started their performance with “Loving is Easy” by Rex Orange Country. The band’s members showed a high degree of cooperation and mutual understanding. Their cover of “Interlude (That’s Love)” by Chance The Rapper was rather interesting stylistically — it was a combination of rapping and a cappella singing. The most impressive aspect of Schwa’s performance was the last piece — a mixture of Kanye West’s “Runaway” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” During the “Creep” section of the song, junior Yann Dardonville showed some jaw-dropping falsetto skills that were indeed incredible. The juxtaposition of the two songs wouldn’t seem quite logical but Schwa did an amazing job of putting together desperate “Runaway” and paranoid “Creep.”
Between the acts, the emcees were entertaining the public with nice little puns that created an amicable atmosphere in the audience.
Sirens of Swank, who performed after Schwa, were superb. They covered some famous songs as well as presented some lesser known ones. Their performance of Britney Spears’ “Oops I Did It Again” was quite amusing as they not only sang the song but added elements of acting. The girls also sang “Wisely and Slow” by The Staves — a very melodic and pleasant song that made people smile and reflect a bit. Sirens covered “New Rules” by Dua Lipa — an absolute banger! It was a dynamic and rhythmic act that made the audience want to move and dance. The song serves as an empowerment to young women, and Sirens did a good job singing it.
After the concert was over, the emcees announced that they have collected around $2130 in the foyer before the concert. Most of the contributions were, of course, from students’ parents who came visiting for the family weekend. The organizers put some incredible effort into this event and deserve appreciation as well as the SOS Clinic and the a cappella groups that performed at the event. All in all, the Speakeasy Concert 2018 was a great success!
