Every seat was taken, and fans spilled into the aisles of Devlin 008 to hear the Heightsmen of Boston College, the only all-male a cappella group at BC, perform an eclectic array of classic and modern tunes. The group of 13 men, wearing their signature maroon and gold ties, blue suit jackets, and khaki pants, took the stage on Friday to loud cheers and applause.
Standing in the front of the lecture hall decorated with string lights, the Heightsmen kicked off their first set of songs with “Love Never Felt So Good” by Michael Jackson, with soloist Skyler Cho, MCAS ’24.
The group’s chemistry was immediately apparent, as the performers seemed to feed off of each other’s energy onstage. Music director Nick Rossi, MCAS ’23, was the next soloist, performing “The Things We Do For Love” by 10cc, followed by DJ Brown, president of the Heightsmen and MCAS ’22, singing “Hypotheticals” by Lake Street Drive.
Tony Lewis, MCAS ’23, and Hunter Buss, external coordinator and CSOM ’22, were featured on “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic. Their smooth voices and strong falsettos brought the recent Grammy award–winning song for Record of the Year to life in the lecture hall, getting the crowd more excited for the songs to come.
The final song of the first set was “After the Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire, featuring soloist Rory Redmond, public relations director and CSOM ’24. His strong falsetto and performance skills got the audience hyped up, and the rest of the group’s tight harmonies stunned the audience for a fitting conclusion to the first set.
The first brief intermission included a skit that spoofed a number of popular movies. One funny skit featured George Arianas, CSOM ’24, acting as Don Corleone in The Godfather.
Following the funny interlude, Ryan Wesner, CSOM ’24, took the stage as soloist for “Castaway” by Zac Brown Band. His smooth voice and the song’s fun lyrics took the audience on a tropical vacation for a few minutes.
Brown took the stage again for “One Less Lonely Girl” by Justin Bieber, showcasing his vocal control.
Lewis and Rossi came next for “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra. Lewis’ voice was reminiscent of both Sinatra and Michael Bublé, with rich low notes. Cho delivered a rendition of “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae, showcasing his voice with smooth transitions to his strong falsetto.
Rossi showed off vocal riffs in “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees, marking the end of the second set.
For the second intermission, new members of the Heightsmen Jake Parkman, MCAS ’24, and Noah McGuire, CSOM ’25, performed a dance to Lady Gaga songs choreographed by Annabelle Schultze, MCAS ’22, and Gianna Laura, MCAS ’23. The hysterical interlude demonstrated the group’s humor and close bond, serving as a lighthearted break before the sentimental third set.
Members of the group gave speeches about the Heightsmen’s seniors during the third set. Brendan Julian, CSOM ’23, introduced Buss, whose high range and powerful voice shone on “Runaround Sue” by Dion DiMucci.
Next, Rossi introduced Jack Carey, CSOM ’22.
“The bass is the heartbeat of an ensemble,” Rossi said. “Jack Carey, thank you for being that heartbeat.”
Carey sang “My Girl” by The Temptations to his mother, a Heightsmen tradition.
Finally, the group’s newly elected president, Jack Leary, MCAS ’23, introduced Brown, who performed Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” to overwhelming cheers. The three seniors then took the stage to sing their arrangement of “In My Life” by the Beatles, a tribute to the seniors’ time as part of the Heightsmen.
The final song, “Good Ole A Cappella,” is a Heightsmen tradition during which the newly elected president sings the solo. Leary sang to cheers and applause as the new group performed together for the first time without the seniors, who sat to the side to watch their legacy unfold.
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