Upcoming Shows at Rockwood Music Hall and Green Room 42
April 2018
We're excited to announce two upcoming shows, and some new members!
Since our last post, we've welcomed Aubrey Johnson and Katie Seiler to the group: two friends, two fixtures of the NYC vocal scene, and two amazingly talented musicians. Not long after, a new tenor joined the group in the person of Tomas Cruz, whose tuning and timing -- both musical and comedic -- are nearly always perfect.
In almost ten years of West Side 5, this may be our most accomplished lineup ever -- which is saying something, given the amazing singers who have graced the group over the years. (We'll have some new photos up soon -- promise.)
We can't wait to unveil this new group, and some new music, at two shows coming up soon. The first one is on April 20th with our good friends from Blue Jupiter, who had the awesome idea of hosting an NYC "Acaparty" on a monthly basis at the very hip Green Room 42. This will be the first of those events, and we're thrilled to be a part of it.
Then later in May, we'll be doing a full solo show at Rockwood Music Hall.
Check out our Shows link for tickets to both shows!
West Side 5 wins Harmony Sweepstakes, Mid-atlantic region
March 2016
The new group went to the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes competition, and came back winners! The original WS5 lineup won the same competition in 2010, so this was a great way for the new group to build on the WS5 legacy.
We started with 'A-Train', and old WS5 classic; then did 'Life Rearranged', a poignant and beautiful original song from Kelly; and finished with 'Anitra's Dance', an amazing (and amazingly difficult!) arrangement from Dylan of a well-know classical piece by Grieg. Check out some live clips and photos from the show below.
After the show, we were up until 4am celebrating -- food, drink, and vocal improvisation games. Yeah, we're nerds...but we party hard.
We're thrilled to be going to the Nationals in California to perform with the other winners of the 7 Regional competitions. The big show is on May 14th - get your tickets now!
Photos
Say Hello to the New West Side 5
April 2015
After a 1-year hiatus, we're back with a (nearly) all-new lineup! Eric is the only original member remaining; joining him are bass Dylan, tenor John, alto Kelly, and soprano Artemisz.
How did we come to be? John was a fan of the original group, a prolific vocal jazz arranger, and an experienced a cappella singer -- he signed on first. He knew Dylan from a larger group they both sang in, and said Dylan "could do it all" as a jazz bass singer. Then came the search for the girls: John ran into Artemisz, a versatile soprano; Artermisz was friends with Kelly, a talented young jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter.
When we all came together, it just worked: we're a group of jazz musicians who just happen to be singers and fans of vocal harmony. Our new members started contributing new arrangements and original songs, and created a dynamic new energy in the group.
We're all excited about the next chapter in West Side 5!
