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AMBER MATTICE
Staff Writer
The Riveters once again blew their audience away on Nov. 14 as they held their annual Fall Show. Making an appearance alongside Fredonia’s well-known a capella group were The Buffalo Chips and The Royal Pitches from the University of Buffalo.
The groups complimented one another well and showcased the talents of every person performing. The Riveters were, of course, the showcase group performing and the concert was organized in a way that brought this out while also allowing the visiting groups to be appreciated and heard.
Each group sounded extremely different and brought new energy to the show despite the fact that they all used similar techniques. There was a mix of music styles as songs would go from slower to more upbeat and back again as the afternoon progressed.
This variation of songs was entirely intentional, at least in regard to The Riveters. Many of their songs are arranged by students within the group, and they spend a large amount of time voting on what to perform and figuring out how to showcase each member’s talents in an evident yet harmonious way.
“We tend to go for songs that are powerful, strong [and] sometimes upbeat, but some that are just moving ballads. [We] try to have a good variety of songs that features all of the voice parts in a nice way,” said Katelyn Dietz, a junior music and theatre major as well as the music director of The Riveters.
Their attempts to feature every voice were certainly successful as they allowed for a new singer to be the focal point in almost every song.
It was extremely evident throughout the night that each group loved being in front of the audience, sharing what they’ve created and worked hard to perfect. Each group was highly supportive of the others performing and illustrated their enthusiasm for one another throughout the show.
Almost every group interacted with the audience in some way as well. Whether it was through clapping along to beat of the song or actually singing with the members of the group, the audience was constantly engaged and showing support.
There were cheers after every song and everyone in the audience was enthusiastic until the very end of the show. The Riveters even received a standing ovation after they performed their second-to-last song titled “Bottom of the River.”
“It’s really awesome, actually, because there are a lot of people who follow our group and really enjoy our music so it’s fun to be able to perform for them and show them what we have been working on for the whole semester,” said senior music industry major and President of The Riveters Dana Pizzi, after being asked what it’s like to be able to perform in front of her peers.
“It’s amazing to know that it’s our friends and family out in the audience and we can feel that support coming from them while we’re performing,” Dietz added. “It gives us more energy and makes us more excited to be singing for them.”
They certainly did bring a lot of energy to the show, as well as a lot of emotion. When it came time to play their last song, a mashup of Sara Bareilles’ “Kaleidoscope Heart” and “Uncharted” that The Riveters titled “Kaleidocharted,” they asked for their alumni to come down from the audience and sing with them. It was beautifully done and everyone in the audience could tell it was both an exciting and emotional experience for everyone in the group.
The audience and everyone in each group was ecstatic by the end. Cheers and applause were given vigorously and it was obvious that everyone in attendance had fun and appreciated everything that went into putting the show together.