Hopkins’s comedy a cappella group, The Mental Notes, hosted Pennsylvania-based troop The Haverford Humtones this past Saturday, Nov. 16.
Although planned last minute, approximately 60 students attended the Mattin Center event — a sizable turnout for a less exposed set.
The Mental Notes opened the show with their masterpiece, “Your Mom.” The group delivered this compilation of classical pieces by repeating the profound lyrics — you guessed it — “your mom,” to the tune of “Do Re Mi.”
This song perfectly captures the appeal of the Hawaiian shirt-bearing performers: audience members enjoy the raw absurdity, the dry humor that The Mental Notes consistently deliver. However, the comedy behind the group is versatile; often proving witty with clever lyrical rewrites and theatrical personas.
The Humtones’s humor walked a similar line. The “most male” all-male collegiate a cappella group opened with the folksong “Drink her Down,” but changed the chorus to “Here’s to JHU” as a grateful gesture.
Next came Dion’s “Runaround Sue,” a 1961 hit. Michael Buble’s “Crazy Love” followed, and one lucky lady in the crowd was serenaded by the entire group.
Surprisingly, The Haverford Humtones ended their set with Lil Jon’s “Get Low,” a pleasant surprise for audience members with Saturday night plans. From Folklore to Dion, The Haverford Humtones clearly cover a wide array of genres.
“Hosting a group is always really fun; singing with people is something that really helps you to form a lasting bond quickly,” sophomore Jackie Choi said.
“The Humtones were not only talented, but they were also cool guys, and it was really nice having them here!” Choi said.
The Mental Notes returned to the stage with a spin-off of Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” at which time they poked fun at Swift’s infamously homogenous tracks. One accurate line was “This song sounds like ‘Our Song’ and ‘You Belong With Me.’” The spoof’s closing line was “You’ve got a weird face”; once again, an inarguable truth.
The group’s grand finale was Mackelmore’s “And We Danced,” as seen at the Orientation Week A Cappella Showcase earlier this semester. The performance wasn’t quite Jason Blades’ foam finger, metallic body suit depiction, but it consisted of air spankings and moonwalking nonetheless.
Although a very brief show, this event was significant because it debuted The Mental Notes’ newest members! The baby Notes fit in perfectly with the veterans.
“This year’s “newbie class” is very different because of the number of upperclassmen — we took four freshmen, a junior and a senior into the group this year!” Choi said.
“They’ve all found their place, and the group dynamic is really awesome. I think you could see that in our performance with the Humtones- even though this was the first performance of the year for the Mental Notes, and the newbies’ first performance ever, I think we did a great job,” Choi said.
The Hopkins community eagerly anticipates The Mental Notes’ upcoming hysterical antics.
