Fueled up with new tunes, the rockin’ a cappella of Tuckermans at 9 (tuckermansat9.com) returns for a third year running to First Night Wolfeboro on December 31. The two-set performance at Brewster Academy’s Pinckney Boathouse begins at 6pm.
“We’re doing two entirely different sets and some brand-new a cappella material,” says founder and baritone Mark Miller, “as well as a number of songs we’ve never performed at First Night.” Tuckermans at 9 will premiere “Carry On/Questions”, originally by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and arranged for a cappella by the San Francisco-based group Flying Without Instruments.
“You’ll also hear our revamped version of ‘Seasons of Love’ from the Broadway musical Rent, a rockin’ take on Bill Withers’ ‘Lean on Me’, and Three Dog Night’s ‘One’Â… again, all a cappella. We also hope to have some silly fun with the audience on Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’. Other tunes include ‘Build Me Up, Buttercup’, Badfinger’s ‘No Matter What’, and a mellow blues/jazz version of ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’, a 1923 Jimmy Cox song revived in the 1990s by Eric Clapton. And our own second tenor has arranged the classic Meatloaf tune, ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Lights’Â… all 8+ minutes of it! It’s a real hoot.”
Based in the New Hampshire Seacoast, Tuckermans at 9 performs a cappella versions of well-known pop, rock, blues, and light jazz favorites, mostly from the 1960s to today. The seven-voice vocal band dubbed “T9” by fans has entertained audiences from Boston and Massachusetts’ north and south shores to Lewiston, Maine, and in New Hampshire from Portsmouth to Nashua and into the Lakes Region. “We call ourselves a band,” explains Miller, “because our voices make all the music. No instruments or pre-recorded instrumental tracks are ever used. Everything you hear, from the vocals to what sounds a bit like brass or electric guitars, is just us. Even the drums – a technique called vocal percussion – come from our throats and lips. Think ‘The Sing Off’ on TVÂ… and groups such as Rockapella, Manhattan Transfer, Ball in the House, The Beelzebubs, or Toxic Audio.” If you’ve never heard T9 or contemporary a cappella before, come check us out. You’re going to have a great time!”
A typical T9 show can feature a cappella classics such as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, “Zombie Jamboree”, “Java Jive”, and “60-Minute Man”, but also the Temptations’ classic Motown anthem “I Can’t Get Next to You”, Billy Joel’s “Longest Time”, and Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The group’s repertoire also includes Joe Jackson’s “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”, ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me”, Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”, and “29 Ways (To My Baby’s Door)”, a Willie Dixon tune recorded by Marc Cohn of “Walkin’ in Memphis” fame. Rounding out the band’s roster are soprano Ashley Gove, altos Kam Raiselis and Frances Lipe, tenors Walt Porter and Daryl Robertson, and bass Bill Hersman. “Audiences of all ages enjoy our shows because there’s literally something familiar there for everyone,” explains Miller. “We choose just plain good, well-written material; we also have a lot of fun on stage and it’s contagious for the audience! It’s really a show, not just a concert.”
Tuckermans at 9 Rockin’ A Cappella, December 31, at First Night Wolfeboro. Pinckney Boathouse, Brewster Academy, 80 Academy Drive, Wolfeboro, NH. Two different sets beginning at 6pm. Admission to all events with First Night button ($5 before Dec. 25, $10 after) available at the Wolfeboro Area Chamber of Commerce, area stores, and at most venues during First Night.. Directions and more info firstnight.wolfeboro.net/directions or tuckermansat9.com.