So now that it's been announced that Adam Chance will start performing with Home Free in June, the Home Fries have been trying to get a feel for who Chance is as an artist. Among other things, this has involved a mass Fry watching of various Street Corner Symphony videos. Street Corner Symphony being the a cappella group that Chance formerly sang bass with, for those who weren't aware. The best thing about this is that in addition to giving everyone an idea of what Chance can do, it's also introduced some new people to Street Corner Symphony. Or has perhaps reminded those of us who were already familiar with SCS of just how good they are. As someone who falls in the latter camp, I must admit that watching their videos has made me a little sad to think of how Chance isn't with them anymore. Of course, it's not like we're losing Chance all together. He's just relocating. As has been pointed out a lot lately, change is just a part of life. If things do have to change, I'm grateful for all the music and videos they created together. I'm thankful that I got to see this group of guys together live, not just once, but twice. Street Corner Symphony is one of the best vocal groups I've ever seen and I know that they'll be just fine.
This post is serving a dual purpose. The first purpose is to highlight my favorite Street Corner Symphony video. "Madness" is such a cool song and I think it suits them perfectly, as you'll see. The second purpose of this post is throw some love Chance's way for reasons that shall be explained later on. Now it's time for a little "Madness". Check it out.
Perhaps a run through the lineup would be in order. Aside from Adam Chance (bottom left), you have Jeremy Lister (tenor, bottom right), Johnathan Lister (tenor, upper middle), Richie Lister (baritone, upper right), Mark McLemore (tenor, bottom middle) and Kurt Zimmerman (vocal percussion, upper left). When I think about seeing these guys live, the best way I can think of to describe it is that it's like getting swept up in a tsunami of luscious harmonies. Talk about a wall of sound! The first time I saw them was at The Sing Off Tour at the Ryman. What a perfect venue for music in general, but especially a cappella. Especially for a group like Street Corner Symphony. The second time I saw them, they were performing at Centennial Park here in Nashville and you know what? While more intense at the Ryman, they were still producing that wall of sound. "Madness" showcases that so well, especially from the two minute mark on. Especially when you're wearing headphones.
I love the way they did the video and if you look in the description is has Chance listed as the director. He did a great job. This treatment is perfect for this song. It makes you feel a bit mad watching which is exactly what this song needs. Great use of light and color; it's cool and just a bit unsettling. Perfect. Hopefully it'll inspire you to check out the other videos on their channel. I'd also recommend checking out their albums Unpractice Makes Perfect and Southern Autumn Nostalgia; they're both pretty wonderful.
Now onto the one we're calling Chance. I gotta admit that I feel for him a bit. He's been given the rather large task of filling in the hole that will be left once Chris leaves Home Free. I've been proud of the Fries for being so welcoming to him - proud, but not surprised. Even still we've entered what feels like a kind of state of limbo. There's some unknowns and while I have faith that everything will work out great for everyone involved, it's going to be great when we finally get to hear the new Home Free. For his part, Chance has shown that he understands and respects that this is a bit of a sad time for the Fries. I've honestly been so impressed with the way he's handled this situation. I really don't think he could've handled it any better. He's made a point of saying how he knows he can never replace Chris and he's not going to try to. He is, however, looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the group. He's said he's excited about meeting all the Fries and has proved that by making a point to interact with all of us.
The other day we were asked to come up with some questions for him and he spent a good chunk of this past Monday answering them. And there were a lot! He even took this a step further and said that if anyone had any other questions that weren't on the list to ask them in the comments and then went and answered those. It's not just that he answered them, it's that you could tell he'd put thought into his answers. He took it seriously, but in a way that let us get a feel for his personality. Safe to say I think he's going to fit in just fine! He's shown that he respects the fans of the group that he seems sincerely happy to have joined. In doing so, he's eased most of the concerns we may have had. I trust that any lingering concerns will be put to rest the first time we hear him with the other guys. It'll be sad once Chris leaves in May, but I really don't think the rest of Home Free could have picked a better person to bring in. Plus speaking for myself, Chance now holds the special distinction of being the first (and so far only) Home Free member I've met. I'm very excited to see what he brings to the group!
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