Review: STRAIGHT NO CHASER at Reynolds Performance Hall

The holiday shows have officially begun, and my first introduction into the season was by my favorite a cappella group STRAIGHT NO CHASER, who took the Reynolds Performance Hall stage in Conway on Friday, Nov. 1, and performed a mixture of hits and Christmas tunes to a packed house of appreciating Chasers and new-to-them fans. From their beautiful harmonies to their humor and heart, Straight No Chaser brought something special to Arkansas, and we can’t wait for them to return next year! 

Starting as a college group, SNC, which now consists of crooners Walter Chase, Jerome Collins, Seggie Isho, Michael Luginbill, Steve Morgan, Like Bob Robinson, Jasper Smith, Tyler Trepp, and Freedom Young, piqued my interest with the rest of the world when their rendition of 12 Days of Christmas hit the radio waves in 1998 and every year I would listen for it to be played. You know, this was before streaming was invented and the internet was just starting to be a thing. Well, that was basically it until 2007, when they posted an old concert video and 12 Days of Christmas went viral on YouTube. I watched that repeatedly. Then there was the PBS special played during pledge drives. So by then, I was definitely hooked, and here I am professing my love to these Gods of a cappella. 

For the first half of the show, they sang a mixture of pop hits, sliding in a Johnny Cash medley and finishing with a 90s female medley. They tested out Sledgehammer on us, which was enjoyable, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was a hit with my fellow audience members. My biggest delight was when they started talking about movies......and I knew what was coming up! The Movie Medley is my fa-vo-rite non-Christmas Straight No Chaser song. It is so funny. If you haven’t heard it, google it now! Anyway, so this amazing, melodical group in dashing suit and ties, visually interpreted their mashup, and it was the funniest narrative dance/song ever! I am so happy I recorded it – sorry, not sorry – which, by the way, they said we could.    

After intermission they launched into their Christmas music, which is what has made them a household name. They opened with a mixed rhythm version of Jingle Bells before moving into their ballads and finishing with their peppier songs like Run Run Rudolph and the soulful Joy to the World. For encore, they sing the popular 12 Days of Christmas, Christmas Can Can, and close the show by turning off their mics, standing in a semicircle and sing With a Little Help from My Friends. It was powerful even without them being amplified. It was perfect.   

It’s clear that these guys enjoy performing together. Their chemistry comes through on stage, giving off a vibe of friends having fun. They’re amazing vocalists and performers, but they come across as humble and relatable, and they keep the jokes coming throughout the show. They brought the cheer and holiday vibe, and it was the best way to start the festivities.  

If you missed the concert in Conway, SNC will be hanging around the south until November 19, and then head to California, so I suggest you get your tickets quickly. You can find out all the information at https://sncmusic.com. 

To finish out November, Reynolds will host LARRY FLEET IN CONCERT, GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RUNAWAY BUNNY, and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL. More information can be found at https://uca.edu/publicappearances.  

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