By AMY COWI
Music fans will be dazzled with a concert by The House Jacks, an a cappella rock group, tonight at 9 p.m. in the ELWC Ballroom as part of Renovation Kick-off Week. Vocal Point, a group which originated at BYU, will be opening for the group.
The House Jacks is a group comprised of six men: Rob Penn, Tristan Bishop, Austin K. Willacy, Deke Sharon, Bert Bacco and Andrew Chaikin, who combined their individual talents in 1991 under Sharon’s direction.
“Deke Sharon just went to the college a cappella groups that he knew of, and invited guys who were graduating to join the group,” said Glen Sawyer, president of the A Cappella Club at BYU.
Unlike many other well-known a cappella groups like the Nylons, the House Jacks use no electronic instruments in their performances. Anything that sounds like an instrument was actually created by someone’s mouth, including a rhythm section, guitars and other familiar element sounds.
“I think they are the best R&B a cappella group in the nation,” Sawyer said. “Their vocal percussionist is an incredible percussionist. People can hear him perform his percussion solo, and don’t believe that it isn’t a drum set they’re hearing.”
A cappella groups have become increasingly popular, especially here at BYU.
“Many groups, like Extempo, 6 Track, Vocal Point, originated here and have gone professional,” Sawyer said, “There are also other smaller a cappella groups like Integral and PDA who perform on campus.”
The a cappella genre can credit its rising appeal to the new sound it produces. “I think people got tired of the highly processed, electronic-sounding music. The human voice is the original, and most versatile instrument,” Sawyer said. “A cappella is live, with nothing between the performer and the audience. When you attend an a cappella concert, the music comes from the performer’s heart directly to the audience, without an instrument in between.”
Another advantage to a cappella music is that anyone can pick up and do it, Sawyer said, without needing any equipment. The House Jacks, and other a cappella groups, are hoping to see an increased popularity in their music style.
The House Jacks released their debut album in 1994, entitled “Naked Noise,” on an independent label. The 10 songs range from light heavy metal to traditional doo-wop and love ballads, exhibiting the great depth that the group has. They have recently signed a contract with Warner Brothers and their nationally released CD will come out this spring, giving the group radio exposure across the nation.
