The Acoustics, a Boston College a cappella group, dazzled audiences at WinterFEST in Newton Centre Green on Sunday afternoon. Hosted by Newton Community Pride, the event was both a celebration of the town and a way to bring Newton citizens together.
While waiting for a performance by The Acoustics, visitors strolled through the Winter Pop Market, which featured local vendors selling everything from dog treats and artisan soaps to slippers and baked goods. The variety of ice sculptures on display, including a family of carved penguins and a polar bear, enchanted the children sipping their hot chocolate. .
By 3 p.m, a small audience had gathered to watch The Acoustics. The group opened its set with an arrangement of “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood, featuring soloist Peter Pinto, MCAS ’22. Loud music blared from the sound system during the beginning of the song, but despite the brief technical difficulty, the group continued to sing without hesitation. The singers drew in a larger audience that seemed eager to witness their talent.
The show continued with a performance of “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa featuring soloist Korinne Arenas, MCAS ’22, which left many children in the audience dancing. Tyler Allen, MCAS ’22, joined Arenas for a rendition of “lovely” by Billie Eilish. The group gave the melancholic song a dynamic energy, drawing applause from the growing crowd.
The Acoustics then surprised the audience with a beatboxing performance by Jason Xue, MCAS ’25. Xue sang and beatboxed simultaneously before pulling out a harmonica. When one audience member asked how long it took him to learn to play the harmonica so well, Xue said “a week or two.” His response garnered laughs and applause.
The Acoustics chose “Genius,” originally performed by Sia, Diplo, and Labrinth, to close their set. A fire engine drove past with sirens blaring during their energetic rendition of the song, but the Acoustics continued, undeterred as they presented a thrilling finale to their performance. The finale featured intricate harmonies and magnificent vocals.
The crowd responded enthusiastically to the Acoustics’ performance. Jeanne Levesque, director of government relations at BC, attended the event and said that she was glad to see BC students engage with the Newton community.
“As the University is a long-standing supporter of the arts and of Newton Community Pride, it was wonderful to see BC students continuing this tradition by sharing their musical talents with the Newton Community,” Levesque said.
Featured Image by AJ Singh / For The Heights
