Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
For the first time in a long time, a capella groups Sticks and Stones and Mixed Company are putting on a joint concert. Fans of rock, pop, pop-rock, and co-ed a capella will delight in hearing the groups sing on Saturday in New Dorm (Alice Paul) lounge at 7pm.
In actuality, labeling either Sticks and Stones or Mixed Company as a purely pop/rock group is something of an understatement. Both groups perform a wide variety of musical genres, which includes, but is not limited to, pop, rock, blues, folk…basically, “whatever we like,” says Jeff Mao ’06 of Mixed Company. Saturday, while listening to Mixed Company and Sticks and Stones, one may hear anything from anytime after the 60s.
While they are not giving away too many details, both Company and Stones plan on performing a number of songs that have been left unperformed for a while. A-ha’s “Take On Me,” solo by Andrew Crispin ’09, who is new to Mixed Company this semester, and “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money, Sticks and Stones’ Shingo Murata ’07 on solo, will be among Saturday’s numbers. Though Murata recorded “Take Me Home Tonight” with Stones recently, this will be his first time performing it.
Mixed Company and Sticks and Stones are also welcoming new members in their first concert. Marina Lima ’09, like Crispin, joined Mixed Company this semester. The latest addition to Sticks and Stones, Woody Jiang ’09, will unfortunately be absent Saturday and will make his debut at the Spring Jamboree later in the semester.
It may seem surprising that two groups with so many parallels, and with many inter-group friendships, took so long to get a chance to sing together. As Mao says, “it makes sense for us to have a concert together.” If the past is any indication of the future, it may be another while before a Mixed Company/Sticks and Stones joint concert, so the Swarthmore community should take advantage of this rare and wonderful treat.