Since 1989, the Limestones, a male a capella group, have been a beloved part of the St. Olaf Campus. Throughout their history, the nine-voice organization of vocal artists has entertained audiences around the Midwest and have even created multiple albums that can be found on most steaming services. The Limestones put on a lively first concert of the year on Thursday Oct. 25, at the Pause Mane Stage.
The group performed a variety of different songs ranging from “Bridge over Troubled Waters” to “Why Don’t We Just Dance.” The variety of song choices displayed the varying vocal types of the members, keeping the performance entertaining and interesting.
The high-energy songs performed were fun to watch as the members performed alternating solos. Some of the highlights included solos by Justin Elue ’21, Johannes Carlsen ’19 and Aaron Musser ’19.
Elue soloed for a very strong cover of “Fly Like an Eagle,” which was performed with creative choreography. Slowing it down, Carlsen and Musser soloed for a beautiful cover of “Bridge over Troubled Water,” just one example of the consitently strong display of vocals from the two senior members of the group.
Despite some unexpected technical difficulties with the microphones, the Limestones improvised in a variety of ways. These interludes ranged from an unbelievable beatbox solo from Cris Seong ’20 to a handstand competition. At one point, two of the group’s new members, Elue and Patric Carlsen ’21, had a competition to see if Elue could juggle for more time than Carlsen could hold his breath while doing a handstand. In another instance, the members acted out their favorite Vines, handling the unexpected technical difficulties incredibly well while keeping the packed Pause entertained.
During the intermission of the concert, Agnes Acapella sang two songs including “God is a Woman” by Ariana Grande, showing off the group’s amazing range and vocal strength. The all-female group will be having their own concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9.
After returning from intermission, the Limestones brought a couch onto stage, joking that because the audience was too lazy to stand up, the performers were as well. The second half of the performance was much shorter, and finished with the long-time favorite Malt-O-Meal song in multiple comical renditions.
Although the Limestones next event on campus is yet to be scheduled, be sure to keep your ears open so as not to miss the next Limestones concert. Until then, check out the Limestones on your favorite music streaming provider.
