The Din & Tonics, Lowkeys, and Opportunes Make A Lasting Impression At Sanders Theater

Pitch-black darkness silenced the crowd before the Din & Tonics started their set with a unique spin on the classic song “New York, New York.” Glowing gloves in the dark formed shapes of people dancing, and the iconic “I Heart New York” slogan delivered an unforgettable start to a show highlighting three of Harvard’s renowned a cappella groups.

On Friday, Nov. 5 the Din & Tonics, Lowkeys, and Opportunes each sang in their first A cappella jam since the pandemic in a show titled “Carbo-Low Din: A Bulking Opp Jam.” The long wait for the combination of three Harvard a cappella groups performing their classic alumni songs — as well as a variety of new song choices — sparked an excitement in the theater that could never be felt online.

Their set took an unexpected turn with a request from the group to have the audience act out a scene that introduced their second song of the night: “My Favorite Things” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. By including audience members in their performance, the Din & Tonics were successful in shrinking the distance between the group and the audience — reeling the audience into an outstanding set filled with a refreshing contrast of songs, hilarious facial expressions, and dance moves that added spunk to each song they sang.

Through their humorous song introductions that engaged the audience in banter, attendees could not help feeling that they were as much a part of the show as the Dins themselves. This warm, inviting stage presence suffused the entirety of the show. They ended their set by reassuring the audience that they had all gained 12 new friends after singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman.

After the Din & Tonics’ outstanding first set, the Lowkeys took the stage with a vibrant and exciting entrance that was anything but low-key. Their entrance in striking red and black outfits was in itself exciting enough to get the crowd cheering, and their seamless start to their first song “More” by Lawrence kept the energy high. The set further distinguished itself through a reverberating beatboxing solo that had audience members in awe, as the powerful bass vibrations carried an enticing new sound to the stage and shook the ground under their feet.

Building from this momentum, the Lowkeys followed with a clear highlight of the night: “No Diggity” by Blackstreet. The combination of an aca-classic tune with passionately expressive choreography allowed the audience to forget that there were no instruments on stage.

While each group had a distinct stage presence that grabbed the attention of the audience, the last group of the night took the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the audience and ran with it. The Opportunes focused on choreography much less than the Lowkeys, but they were able to shine as the closing act of the night by showing off their vocal range through both sing-along classics and catchy pop hits.

The highlight of the night was the Opportunes’ powerful rendition of “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. By combining seamless group choreography and stunningly catchy harmonies, it was no surprise that this song in the middle of their set got a standing ovation.

Even though the Opportunes’ finale found itself in treble by having the group confusingly pretend to exit the stage and then continue with their final song — elongating an already long show — the Opportunes’ dominating stage presence ensured that the audience would leave the show still humming the tunes from their set.

So, Dins, Lowkeys, and Opportunes, when is the next a cappella jam?