The story of Straight No Chaser's formation has more than a few hoary old show-biz cliches built into the plot line, especially when you consider this is an all-male a capella group.
You know, college buddies start missing the old days and pretty soon they're on the phone with each other and someone says, "Hey, gang, let's get the old group together and put on a show!!!"
Except it's pretty much true, if you add a 21st century twist.
The group formed 16 years ago at Indiana University -- 10 guys who got along well together and loved to sing. The original members moved on when they graduated and were replaced by new singers who entertain and compete against other college groups. When the original members came together for a 10-year anniversary show in 2006, one of them posted video of it on YouTube and it went viral.
Next thing you know, phone calls are being made and the old group is getting together to put on lots of shows, including one at the Stranahan Theater at 7:30 p.m. Thursday as part of its most recent tour. The Thursday show was nearly sold out as of late this week with just a few single tickets remaining.
Ryan Ahlwardt, who sings tenor in the group, was one of those who picked up the receiver a few years ago and had his life change dramatically. He had been married for three months, working as a substitute teacher and giving music lessons in Fishers, Ind., when Randy Stine called and told him Atlantic Recording officials had seen the video and were interested in the group getting back together to perform and record.
"I thought about it for about 10 seconds and said, 'Yep, let's do it," Ahlwardt said in a phone interview from a tour stop.
Two years later it became a full-time gig, and the band has recorded three discs, been featured on PBS, and has toured the world.
"It's been great and no one's looked back. It's weird and just really odd how everything was kind of orchestrated without anyone really thinking about it," he said.
More than 50 members have passed through Straight No Chaser's Indiana University iterations over the years and the current touring group is comprised of original members and some who joined just a few years after 1996. In the group now are Ahlwardt, Stine, Walter Chase, Jerome Collins, Seggie Isho, Michael Lugenbill Charlie Mechling, Don Nottingham, David Roberts, and Tyler Trepp.
The group released Christmas CDs in 2008 and 2009 and more recently "With A Twist," which features a capella arrangements of songs such as Madonna's "Like A Prayer" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."
"We like to take songs that influenced us and spin them on their heads and give them their own twist," Ahlwardt said.
Straight No Chaser is best known for its live shows, which are energetic, fun, and extremely popular as a result of the group's emphasis on crowd-pleasing vocal gymnastics and its fresh take on a style of music that unfortunately is sometimes considered a bit stodgy.
Ahlwardt addressed that notion head-on.
"[A capella has a] cheesy connotation. There's an element of kitsch, for lack of a better term, sort of a stiff, very square stigma, I guess. When you think of a capella you probably think of Andy Bernard from The Office," he said, referring to the strait-laced character played by Ed Helms on the popular show.
"We can't escape that, but what we can do is go out on stage every night with the goal of entertaining people and sounding as great as we can. That's the objective every night. What's kind of fun is after the shows and being in the [autograph] signing line. It's fun to see people who weren't expecting it and to hear their reactions to the show."
Straight No Chaser's show Thursday at the Stranahan Theater was nearly sold out as of late last week. Only a few single-seat tickets remained. The Stranahan box office phone number is 419-381-8851. The Stranahan is at 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd. and show time is at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Rod Lockwood at: rlockwood@theblade.com or 419-724-6159.
First Published April 15, 2012, 4:15 a.m.
