KeyLime Delivers Pop and Jazz

Saturday’s a capella concert featuring The LowKeys and The Din & Tonics proved what so many already knew: everybody loves “Stacey’s Mom.”

The LowKeys took the stage first with their customarily elegant clothing adding an intriguing level to their focus on contemporary pop-songs.

Although each song in the Lowkeys’ repertoire, including “I’ll Be” by Pearl Jam, was well rehearsed and impeccably sung, it was the solos that enraptured the audience. One highlight was Meghan C. Joyce ’08’s cover of Michelle Branch’s “All You Wanted.” Impressively, she managed to project her clear, full voice throughout her large range.

The real showstopper, however, came when William B. Bailey ’08 sang a medley of the choruses of different hip hop and mainstream hit songs, such as Sean Paul’s “Shake That Thing” and Eric Prydz’s “Call On Me.” The sequence so enthused the audience that they begin clapping to his singular beat.

To conclude their set, the Lowkeys sang Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacey’s Mom,” which, judging from the crowd’s response, is a reliable instant crowd pleaser. Their short skits enacting the lyrics of the song made it an unforgettable conclusion.

After intermission, the all-male Harvard Din & Tonics took the stage; the concert was named for their standard sartorial choice, this time seen in their socks. The choice, combined with their traditional white-tie tuxes, give a laid-back ’40s and ’50s vibe to all their proceedings.

Evan D. Siegel ’07 took full advantage of his rich, full voice to convey a longing and sadness in his performance of the Thelonius Monk jazz classic “Round Midnight,” setting the pace for the entire set. Though obviously well rehearsed and harmonized, for a typical undergraduate familiar with Top 40 music like me, their classic set tended to be less attention grabbing than the Lowkeys’s pop songs. And yet, the Din and Tonics never approached tedium, partially because of their deft insertion of humor into their acts.

For instance, in the “Cheeseburger Song,” Jonathan J. Carpenter ’07 sang about his love for a McDonald’s girl, the “angel in the polyester uniform” and the members of the Dins formed a McDonald’s arch with their bodies.

For the show’s finale, the Dins laughed at themselves by performing the “Copa Cabana,” during which the tallest member, dressed in drag, complete with a blonde wig, mamboed about the stage with the lead singer. But, somehow, it was perfect.

It was a bizarre finish to an all-over-the-place evening, but it made for a memorable and exciting balance.