If Pentatonix can get a Grammy with their Daft Punk medley, this song from Voice Play absolutely deserves an Grammy. This is song is soooooo fricken good.
I agree with the others suggesting "Nothing Else Matters". Super simple setting, but musically extraordinaire. On the opposite side, i.e. LOTS of costumes, make ups and theatricality, I'd suggest their version of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", from Grieg's "Peer Gynt". 🙂 Or their latest release (for now), Beach boys' "In my room". Soothing and "buttery". 🙂 See you next time!
Great to see you here again. Would love to hear you react to Nothing Else Matters.... Geoff's bass line in it is superb. (Geoff arranged both this and Nothing Else Matters.) When this was released the general response in the comments was that Eli and Layne were the two really dangerous ones... Layne because he's "don't step on my shadow" crazy. Before he joined VP, Eli fronted a metal rock band, and I love it when he pulls out that edge in his voice!
Eli does have a rock tenor voice and has sung with rock bands in the past but is also very versatile. And is capable of looking terrifying at times. :) VoicePlay don't always do the whole theatrical thing, often they just sing. But their arrangements are always incredible.
That's one reason why I gave them the #TheatreKidsOfACappella. They do love their theatrics. They never disappoint down to all the small details. They auction off costume pieces to their patrons and donate the money to different charities to support the arts.
Thank you very much for allowing the video to continue to play as you comment on what's going on instead of pausing every 10 seconds to try to explain what just happened. Thank you.
Most if not all the VoicePlay members have been cast members at Walt Disney World and/or Universal Park, so the theatrical approach follows on from those experiences. Plus the beatboxer, Layne, owns a production studio along with a former VP member.
They did/do alot of musical theater at Disney World in Orlando, so that's why they really get into the costumes, theatrics and so forth. Personally, I LOVE that style because it grabs my attention and holds it.
The occasional theater performances they do is what sets them apart. Pentatonix is essentially the benchmark for professional acapella, it really doesn't get much better. Home Free has followed suit in the country genre. Voice Play's key three - Geoff (bass), Lane (percussion/effects), and Eli (bald rock voice) were heavily into musical theatre growing up. So they are drawn to the theatrical aspects of performance. And they knew one of the ways they could take really good acapella and make it iconic is to perform it like theatre. So they have a good third of their videos are highly popular songs (a lot from films) that they've gone the full theatrical route for, and they really stand out amongst the acapella juggernauts. They love animated films, and make videos to bring the animation to life. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto, a medley from Moana, and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" are particularly incredible. Doing them in character adds a depth and layer of authenticity that makes the fact that they're doing it all with their voices the cherry on top of the wow-factor sunday. The richness and layering makes you forget - especially when they're in character - that you're actually watching acapella, it sounds so realistically compositional in its structure and performance.
If you want intricate harmonies and crazy bass lines without theatrics, Nothing Else Matters is a must. It is mindblowingly good. Then there's their other latest, which also features intricate harmonies and no theatrics but is about as opposite as you can get from Nothing Else Matters, that's their version of the Beach Boys' In My Room. Both are so good.
One of my favorites! Geoff often sings 'bass guitar', in Superstition replicating the iconic bass line. For fun and humor, check out The Little Mermaid Medley, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Boy Bands in 5 Minutes, We Don't Talk About Bruno.
They just recently dropped a cover of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters, and another cover of Beach Boys’ In My Room, both of them straight up singing without the theatrics, if that’s more your bag. The Metallica cover has broken quite a few reactors. Nobody is ready for either of them.
Thanks for the reaction! I personally love their theatrics, and no detail is too small. In this video they even had been 'branded' with VP brands. As others have said, Nothing Else Matters is a must see. As for live, Road Trip is exceptional, filmed in front of a live audience and their Aca Top 10 is the guys sitting in front of mics just singing straight through. They are a lot of fun. Subscribed and hoping to see more VoicePlay!
If Eli's (bald rock-tenor) smile disturbed you here, you need to take a look at their My Mother Told Me video - his smile (grimace? snarl?) is REALLY terrifying in that one!
Awesome reaction. They are extremely talented in everything they do. Geoff Castellucci released his new video "Sound of Silence" on RU-vid Friday morning. It's absolutely beautiful. Voiceplay released their new video on Patreon a week ago. It awesome. Well just say "Pinocchio". Pattycake Productions released their new video on Patreon Friday night. Different Cinderella's throughout the years. It's awesomely beautiful.
If you want to hear how the sound live but with decent sound quality check out the Roadtrip video on thier channel. It was recorded live while they were on the Sing Off Tour so it has way better sound quality than some of the cell phone recordings of it that have been posted to youtube. They also ahve a whole series of AcaTop10 videos that were all recorded live as well. If you want to know how they capture an orchestral piece they did In The Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg. While it does have costumes and characterizations they switch between multiple music styles for the "story narrative" they crafted for the piece and I think you will enjoy how they did it. I look forward to checking out more of your reactions.
Their Sing Off performances are really only of interest to completionists, IMO. They have improved *dramatically* since that time. Their earliest thing that I can recommend without reservation, is Phantom of the Opera.
I'll agree with the others to check out "Nothing Else Matters." Geoff pretty much becomes a bass guitar for that one and it's incredible! He does that pretty often but sometimes it stands out more. It's stand out in "Carry On Wayward Son" as well. ❤️
Subscribed in anticipation of more Voiceplay and Geoff. Originally the featured artist was supposed to be someone else, not sure who. Covid travel restrictions forced them to add Jose instead. Eli had already recorded the part that Jose sang, but the screaming rock tenor part did not suit Jose's voice, so Eli switched. They have an ACA Top 10 series (cartoon themes, television themes, broadway shows, video games, DIsney, etc) that were all recorded live. I'm sure you can find something there that will interest you. They currently record in their own home studios, Geoff or Layne do the arrangements, editing, production, set, costume and makeup designs. FInal mix is done by Ed Boyer, who also works with other acapella groups. For a completely different vibe, check out their cover of I Can't Make You Love Me. Trust me!
Voiceplay suggestions- Oogie Boogie Man, Carry on Wayward Son, Dragon Born Comes, Hoist the Colors, Bang!. Geoff Castellucci- Blackbird, 16 Tons, High and Dry, House of the Rising Sun. But honestly you could just start the Playlist on a random title and you won't find a bad song.
try their version of kiss it’s not so theatrical but super amazing or my own personal favourite Warriors which is a bit theatrical but just stunning ❤🏴
You said Geoff shivered your bones... you could almost say it shivered your timbers, ;-p Geoff frequently does such a flawless imitation of a bass guitar that people forget there isn't one. For something recorded live, check out any of their Aca Top 10 videos.
Geoff had a few moment in this one towards the end where it was hard to tell if it was a guitar or just him. And Layne's percussion at the end often gets missed - he sounds so much like a drum kit that we easily forget it's just his voice. 👍
IMO you don't get a good showing of Voiceplay from the Sing Off. If you want something of theirs that's live, I would suggest Road Trip or Elvira. If you want really silly, there's always the Chicken Song but it's not really that musical.
This Is their best work for me. Sometimes Geoff go so low, he reaches Hell's basement. The devil is afraid to look down there in the dark... GEOFF HAMMERHAND, the Horn of Helm's Deep!
