A large banner strung between two trees just inside the Northwestern Arch was my only indication that the Treble Makers, an acapella group, would be performing Saturday night. Usually I prefer recommendations from trusted sources before I reserve an evening for a performance, but I decided to go out on a limb and put my faith in the cloth sign. The elegantly illegible script on the banner made it hard to read in a way that I could only assume meant this would be a fancy affair, but I was caught off guard (pleasantly) by the casual nature of the show. It was not in one of the theaters or classic performance auditoriums on campus; instead it was held in a large lecture hall that happened to have a stage. The second indication that this might not be a button-down shirt type of event was the minimal yet charming decorations. Before the show started I had time to admire the carefully crafted word “Friendsgiving” written on the stage chalkboard with colorful fall leaves cut out of paper surrounding it.

The first performances—two duets—weren’t even in the pamphlet, nor were they announced except when the performers timidly stated their first names before singing. I did attend the first of the two performances held that night, so maybe they were still nervous, but the first two duets left me a little disappointed. They were decent singers, but no one yet lived up to the extravagantly scripted sign or even the writing on the chalkboard. Then the lights went down except for on the stage and all the members of the group, 17 according to the pamphlet, rushed on stage. A male soloist immediately began singing the first song on the program: “Feelin’ Good Medley”—“a medley of Feelin’ Good by Michael Bublé and Bring it Back by Shawn Mendes. Both songs have a strong swing and yet opposite emotional messages.” A male soloist—Yichun Li—began the number. I could tell he was a good (not great) singer, but it helped when the rest of the Treble Makers came in with the accompaniment. As a group they sounded well-rehearsed and on key. Then Bernetta Li chimed in to sing what I assumed is the “Bring it Back” part of the medley and I instantly thought she must be the star of the group. She had confident, smooth vocals that stood out among other members of the group. She didn’t have many more solo opportunities (which was disappointing), but other members of the acapella group had decent to solid voices as well. Later in the program a few numbers featured Korean and Cantonese lyrics that flowed perfectly with English supplements.

As the show went on, and it was only about 45 minutes total, I settled into the casual atmosphere. A tenor named Bodhi occasionally offered introductions and interludes between songs, and early on they talked briefly about the theme of “Friendsgiving,” asking that we collectively enjoy the show despite recent disheartening events. I was not friends with any of the performers, but it was clear that the crowd was mostly familiar with them. The auditorium wasn’t full, but there were enough people so that it didn’t feel empty. Friends in the audience would call out to certain performers so that I begun to recognize them by name, and a few people even had signs to hold up as though this was a sporting event. In the second to last song, Liz Kang, an alto soloist, began laughing midway through and didn’t stop until it was over. The lyrics were in Korean, so I couldn’t figure out why she might be laughing so hard. Despite the irony of the song’s title—“Don’t Be Happy”—the fit of laughter seemed unscripted. By that time I had welcomed the charmingly candid nature of the performance, so laughing didn’t seem out of place as it would have been at a fancier, more professional performance. I felt like I was watching a group of friends have fun on stage while making good music together, which is really rewarding. My only advice would be to make the banner outside the arch less ornate in order to match the mood of the performance; then next time I attend a Treblemakers “Friendsgiving” I won’t wear heels.