Before the Zumbyes took the stage, the Mt. Holyoke College V-8s performed a short opening set. The girls, looking sharp in black and white, sang a wide range of pieces considering the limits of their program-from traditional a cappella to a creative reworking of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." At first, the girls sounded nervous. Although the backup was full and in tune, it overpowered the soloist to the point that I could not hear her. The V-8s gradually overcame this shaky start. Once they became more comfortable on the stage, their performance was infinitely more enjoyable. The audience especially seemed to like a sassy and humorous rendition of "Perhaps," in which the girls transformed into a human mariachi band. The V-8s went out with a bang, expressing pride in their all-female school: "May G-d hold you in the palm of her hand."
After the V-8s' performance ended, Johnson Chapel became pitch black as the 11 cloaked members of the Amherst College Zumbyes (or should I say, the Amherstian Order) walked down the aisles of the Chapel in procession, holding candles and imitating Gregorian chant. From the moment the lights switched back on, the energy of the Zumbyes' performance was unwavering. They opened with a gospel-style song, "Take Me to the River," during which they got the entire audience clapping along. It usually takes more time to get the audience warmed-up enough to participate in the concert like this. The fact that the Zumbyes accomplished this in their first number is a testament to their exceptional charisma and performance skills.
Over the course of the concert, the Zumbyes performed songs in a huge range of styles-from traditional a cappella music, to a jazzed-up "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," to a more subdued version of "Misty," to a fugal-sounding "Blackbird," to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." During the appropriate songs, the guys ran around the stage, executed silly, but well-practiced, choreography and interjected spoken commentary.
The Zumbyes also had prepared a few skits, as per tradition of the group. Sitting on each other's shoulders and covering the bottom person with a sheet, they created the character of Goliath. Goliath's parents recounted the triumphs and travails of their son's childhood, which were saturated with witty jokes. As an obligation to the police who broke up their party the previous weekend, the Zumbyes also made a public service announcement about abusing alcohol. Of course, they did it in their own distinct way-someone in a bee suit, droning, "If you want to get a buzz, you don't have to drink." Donning tutus, the guys even performed a classical ballet dance. After which, of course, one of them sarcastically announced, "We're still men!" This humor and self-ease is what made the performance so enjoyable. It was clear that the guys were having a blast on stage, and that vibe transferred over to the audience.
Although they had the audience (and sometimes themselves) in stitches, the Zumbyes were able to make surprisingly quick transitions between the humor of their skits and the seriousness of their music. One minute, the audience was laughing because one of the guys was wearing a mini-skirt, and the next, they were enraptured by his singing of a beautiful love ballad.
What impressed me the most about their performance was that despite the chaos that sometimes engulfed the stage, the Zumbyes always maintained their full, rich and powerful vocal sound. These men are talented in more ways than one, and it is amazing how skillfully they are able to harness their wit and their vocal abilities combining them into the uniquely dazzling reputation of the Amherst College Zumbyes.
This essence is hard to put your finger on, or to describe in words, but it struck me especially at one point during the show. The Zumbyes stood in a semi-circle singing so gorgeous a rendition of "Misty" that the harmonies gave me chills. As I enjoyed their smooth music, I looked at these 11 men-all wearing suits with crazy ties and sneakers. Some even donned baseball caps. One was in a full-body banana suit. And they simply stood, relaxed, their hands in their pockets, just making beautiful music together. No matter how you describe the Zumbyes' style, it was evident in the cheers of the audience that this group is a beloved one within the College community.