Kicking off the Valentine’s Day spirit a week early, Boston College’s jazz ensemble, bOp!, held their annual concert “bOp! in the Name of Love” on Friday night. Featuring BC’s Full Swing, the concert showed off both groups’ immense skills while filling the audience with the love of the holiday.
Transforming the Rat into a red and pink spectacle, the band’s performance was framed by an array of heart streamers and fairy lights. Each member clad in a touch of red or pink, from ties to skirts to collared shirts, stepping through the doorway was like entering a world of Valentines.
The night kicked off with dance lessons from Full Swing, BC’s swing dance ensemble. Demonstrating some basic steps and turns before putting it all into a combo, the laughter of both couples and friends filled the air.
With an audience duly prepared to take the dance floor, bOp! started their set with a full vocal song, “I Can’t Believe It.” Setting up the perfect atmosphere, the tune’s peppy nature had the growing crowd testing out their new moves.
Performing much of the same setlist as their fall show, “Live at the Cabaret Room,” bOp!’s stunningly mature musical talent has proven itself to be consistent. The array of vocalists each taking their solos lined up in front of the layered band, bOp!’s talent was immediately evident in yet another annual show.
The vocalists took a step away from the forefront—some even practicing their swing dance skills—for the first instrumentally-led song of the night. Despite the lack of vocalists, the presence of Full Swing kept the audience engaged as the instrumentalists were able to showcase their standalone expertise.
As the crowd continued to trickle in, a substantial semicircle formed to line the dance floor. Amateurs danced freely and trained swing dancers trotted across the tile, interweaving and mingling in a way that mesmerized each and every onlooker.
Even more mesmerizing were the night’s solos. The more upbeat songs brought the crowd to frenzied excitement, like “Smooth” and “Sway,” as swing dancers were able to pick up the pace and show off their ability. More sentimentally driven songs like “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” saw the couples in the audience leaning closer together and smiling sweetly.
After a brief intermission in which the band conversed with friends and family who came to support, Full Swing emerged in Hawaiian shirts for their main performance of the night. As the band played “Copacabana” with a conga line of percussionists making their way around the room, members of Full Swing displayed their most technical moves of the night.
From severe dips to flips over the leads’ heads, Full Swing let loose to the cheery background provided by bOp!. The crowd remained enthralled for the entirety of the evening, giving a lasting round of applause upon the group’s bows.
As the performance wore on with more displays of skill, trumpet solos and swing dance numbers filled the audience with the affection of Valentine’s Day. Despite coming a week early, bOp!’s talent combined with Full Swing’s was sure to keep those in attendance in the holiday spirit.
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