by: Todd Betzold

 

It's time for season three of The Sing-Off, as 16 singing groups compete making music using only with their voices and their chance at $200,000 and a Sony Music recording contract.

 

The teams will be judged by Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman again this season and also by new judge, Sara Bareilles. We start out with a performance by all 16 groups, as they sing "F**kin' Perfect" by Pink...love that song!

 

For the first show, the 16 groups have been broken into groups of eight and the first eight will perform tonight with only six moving on to the next round.

 

Up first, we get to see the YellowJackets, a group of guys from the University of Rochester. We get to see a background on the group, including video from the musical trip to Kenya...kinda cool to see. They come out singing, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. They do a great job and work the stage well, including the end where they bring out the flags and wave them all around. A very soulful performance and the judges had good reviews for them all.

 

Next up we have the singing siblings from Hortonville, Wisconsin, the Fannin Family. The group consists of eight brothers and sisters, although this is only eight of the 11 siblings in the family. Maria is 14 and the youngest of the group, but she leads them as they sing "Who Says" by Selena Gomez. It is a good performance, but to me it just seemed slow and dull, especially compared to the YellowJackets.

 

Afro-Blue from Howard University brings their talents to the stage next. They come out singing "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae...one of my favorite songs. I loved this performance. They did a great job singing and worked the stage so well. They had dance routines during it and looked excellent as a group on that stage...very entertaining performance. Per Shawn, the lead singer's voice "feels like warm butter on grits."

 

The next group is a combination of girls from the first two seasons that have now formed a new group called Delilah. To me, it doesn't seem fair they are all allowed back on for a second chance. It is a new group, but they have all had their chance before...let others get their shot. For their second chance, they choose to sing "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. It started out slow, but they definitely kicked it in halfway through. It kinda felt like an all-star squad from the past seasons, but they definitely showed they are worthy of being up their...very strong.

 

After four performances, the judges have decided what three will move on and what group will be singing their final act. Delilah and Afro-Blue are told they are both safe...that leaves the YellowJackets and the Fannin Family. After some suspense, the YellowJackets are safe, which means the Fannin Family will be headed home.

 

From the streets of Denver, we get a look at Urban Method, who are trying to combine a capella with hip-hop. The thing they feel sets them apart from the other groups is that they have a rapper, which isn't a common thing among a capella groups. We shall see if it works, as they sing "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem and Rihanna. Well, one thing is for sure...the guy can rap. This was a very good performance. The group all worked well together and the rapping was phenomenal.

 

Coming in from Branson, Missouri, up next is Cat's Pajamas. They are not just passionate about singing, but they also are a professional group, doing over 200 shows a year in Branson. They choose to sing "Some Kind Of Wonderful" by Grand Funk Railroad. They are a very high-energy group and have a very good routine for their song. They know the stage and had a very good performance...a very solid group effort. The judges all loved them, but want to see more versatility from them...if they get to move on.

 

Considering themselves the underdogs of the competition, Kinfolk 9 is a group of struggling singers trying to make it in Los Angeles and now on The Sing-Off doing a capella for the first time. They'll be trying to impress the judges by singing One Republic's "Secrets." This was a good performance. It is a slower song and not as exciting as the other groups, but they did decent. There were lots of emotions in the performance because they all want to make it big finally, after struggling for so long. The judges liked it, but they did say to they might need more time to gel together.

 

The last group of the night is BYU's Vocal Point. They claim to have the most designed, clean-cut fun Mormons can have on stage. They go on group dates together and a very religious group, so I am intrigued to see them on stage. One of the group members, Ben, had to travel home to Australia to be with his Dad who is sick with leukemia. Singing for Ben, they bring "Jump, Jive an' Wail" by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. This is a very high-energy performance. They work very well together, as they have dance routines and work the stage amazingly well...very entertaining.

 

Another four performances and time for another group to go home. The first two groups safe are Vocal Point and Urban Method, leaving Cat's Pajamas and Kinfolk 9. After some more suspense, Kinfolk 9 moves on, which was shocking to me, and Cat's Pajamas is headed home.

 

The Sing-Off airs Mondays at 8/7c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

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