Since 1999, Wittenberg’s male a cappella group, The Wittmen Crew, has put on concerts that display some of the most talented voices on campus. Its winter concert, performed on multiple days last week, was a fine showcase of the crew’s personality.
Performed in Ness Auditorium, the scene was set with a painted banner displaying a snowy scene hung from the second floor railings. The railings were lined with Christmas lights and The Wittmen Crew’s very own “Crewpies.”
Split up into two acts with a 10-minute intermission in between, the show’s first act contained skits performed by members of the crew. Wittmen Crew began each song with a skit that eventually lead into the performance. The skits were spoofs of classic Christmas movies such as “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” “Christmas Vacation” and “The Nutcracker.” The last line in the skit would end with the title of the song they were going to sing next. The skits were performances in themselves, feeling as though the audience got two shows in one.
In the first act, all the songs were Christmas songs, and the act opened with “This Christmas,” featuring a solo by Alex Hallauer, ‘19. Other songs performed in the first act included “White Christmas,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” The Wittmen Crew took these typically recycled Christmas songs and made them its own with clever tweaking and outstanding vocals. Especially “Joy to the World,” in which vocal percussionist JD Smith, ‘18, set the tone for a remixed and more modern feel of the song.
For the second act, the Wittmen Crew came back to the stage with matching red sweaters and new vibes. Simply going into each song with mild commentary before each tune, the Crew performed songs such as “Pure Imagination,” “I Want You to Want Me” and “Africa.” Brothers in the crew, Levi Goble, ‘18, and Josh Goble, ‘20, sung solos in back to back songs, and left the audience with goosebumps. The solo in “Every Breath You Take” was done by Levi Goble, while Josh Goble performed in “Ghost.”
Levi Goble has been with The Wittmen Crew for three years now, and plans to perform for them again next year.
“I tried a lot of clubs, but this was the one for me; there isn’t anything else I would rather be doing. These guys are my family,” Goble said.
To wrap up the show, they opened the stage up for alumni Crew members to come down and perform in the last two songs, “Me and the Boys” and “Africa.” Even after the final song, the crowd couldn’t get enough, and of course, an encore was in order. The Wittmen Crew came out and performed “Starboy” by The Weeknd to end the show.
However, you don’t have to wait for the next show to keep hearing the amazing talents of these fine men. You can follow The Wittmen Crew on SoundCloud, YouTube or purchase its CDs for $8 apiece. If you’re looking to spice up your music selection, I highly recommend following them on any social media and heading to the next concert.
