I will unashamedly admit that I have had Dec. 10 marked on my calendar for a long time. Each day passing signified one day closer to the Redefined Fall Semester Show at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Redefined is UW-Madison's sole co-ed a cappella group. It is made up of 16 wildly talented Badgers with a passion for great music. They were formed in 2001 and continually raise the bar for a cappella music by performing across the Midwest, all over Madison and even on national television.
I woke up that morning like it was Christmas; finally, the day had arrived. I got to Memorial Union over an hour before the show started and expected to be met with an empty lobby. However, I could not have been more wrong. It was packed with fellow a cappella fanatics and supporters of the group, all waiting to get good seats.
Phonetic One, a hip-hop artist from Minneapolis, opened for Redefined. He performed his first two songs a cappella and the final three with the help of Redefined beat boxer Dieter Schaaf. Phonetic One was humble, appreciative and interacted well with the audience who were clearing itching for Redefined to make their appearance on stage.
When the crowd was finally greeted with Redefined, they went as wild as preteen girls at a Jonas Brothers show. As a Badger and an a cappella lover, it warmed by heart to see such dedication and appreciation for fellow students.
The show opened with a powerhouse rendition of Adele's "Right as Rain" with soloist Mikayla Braun. Other standouts in the first set included "The Call" by Regina Spektor and a second appearance of Adele's work with "Set Fire to the Rain." The first set ended with a song that Redefined is well known for-a rendition of Toto's "Africa" with soloist Robert Messenger.
Following a brief intermission, the second set managed to top the first one. There as was a vocal percussionist showcase with the two beat boxers Dieter Schaaf and freshman Sam Mergendahl. Sarah Carpenter also blew me away with "Many the Miles" and The Civil Wars' "Poison and Wine" featuring Katie Berndt and Alec Hoge.
The Redefined Fall Semester Show was the last performance for senior Niccole Galván. Along with her gut-wrenching performance of "Set Fire to the Rain" in the first set, she closed the show with VV Brown's "Shark in the Water." This was the third time I've heard the song performed, and Galván definitely sang it with the passion of a final performance.
My Saturday evening with Redefined was easily worth every penny of the eight dollar admission. It's time to start counting down to the Redefined Spring Semester Show.
