As an a cappella group, Straight No Chaser brings their shows to life with vocal harmonies, “goofy” choreography and twists on fan-favorite song covers.
Many have most likely heard their renditions of Christmas songs like “The 12 Days of Christmas” or “Jingle Bell Rock” on the radio, but with a new batch of songs and a new album, Straight No Chaser are pursuing their One Shot tour.
With five a cappella groups on campus, the Ball State community has many opportunities to join the a cappella music scene, but Straight No Chaser is an opportunity for the a cappella members to be a part of the audience.
“There are a lot of different a cappella groups on campus, so being able to give them some sort of inspiration in the music scene really helps with motivation for them to try and make it big,” said Bradley Bishop, freshman theatre major.
The members of Straight No Chaser formed their all-male group in 1996 at Indiana University in Bloomington.
In 1998, they had their first big hit with their video recording of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” which got more than 19 million views on YouTube.
Since then, Straight No Chaser has released seven different albums with Atlantic Records, performed live shows, including on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," and reached no. 1 for best-selling album on iTunes and Amazon music charts with their debut album, “Holiday Spirits.”
After the release of their newest album, “One Shot,” the group decided to go on tour as a way to celebrate the release of the album and “to toast the remembrance of their years of growth together.”
For this tour, Straight No Chaser has even released an original song, “Just Like We Rehearsed.”
Tyler Trepp, a tenor and vocal percussionist for Straight No Chaser, said the group has shared laughs and memories through the creation of this album.
“The idea for the album was to tell our story through song. That’s why the first song on the album is “Motownphilly/This is How We Do It” because both of those songs were really popular at the time,” Trepp said. “The album shows the start of what we were doing in college by covering songs that were on the radio, and people seemed to like that.”
Although Trepp said the group really enjoys recording albums, playing live shows is their favorite part because they “highlight the quirks and energy you don’t get from simply listening to the album.”
“The best part for me is seeing the audience’s reaction,” Trepp said. “When you make an album, you have a blast doing it, but you don’t get that immediate reaction like you do at live shows. When you walk out on stage and hear the audience cheering, it keeps you humble. You realize you’re doing something really special that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people.”
During each show, the goal of each member in Straight No Chaser is to get the crowd smiling and laughing. Trepp said the group relishes in mixing genres and generations of music together, so there is something for everyone in the audience to enjoy.
For Bishop, going to a cappella shows like Straight No Chaser gives him a chance to interact with members of a community he was once a part of.
“I love going to the a cappella. I attend the a cappella shows here since I used to be a choir student my whole life,” Bishop said. “Since I am not able to participate as much in singing with a group, it is nice to see other musicians succeed in what I used to love. I look forward to seeing this show. It’s nice to have a venue on campus for students who do not have a way to get to other shows.”
Straight No Chaser will perform a mix of covers and songs from all of their albums during their performance at 7:30 p.m. April 25, in Emens Auditorium.
“We just want the audience to know who we are,” Trepp said. “We’re just normal dudes who make fun of themselves and try to have a good time out there.”
Contact Jacob Eanes with comments at jreanes@bsu.edu.
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