Hullabahoos

The Hullabahoos

The 2012-2013 Hullabahoos
Background information
Origin University of Virginia
Genres A Cappella
Years active 1987–present
Website hullabahoos.com

The Hullabahoos are a student-run, all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The group was founded in 1987 by Halsted Sullivan and recorded its 19th studio album[1] in 2014. They have performed at the 2004 Republican National Convention,[2] Washington Nationals baseball games, Good Morning America,[3] the Philippines,[4] weddings, and private parties. Other performance requests have included invitations from the White House, the Kennedy Center,[5] and NBC's The Today Show.

History

The group was founded December 8, 1987, when a couple of friends at the University of Virginia joined together and said, "Hey, let's sing other people's songs without instruments, and wear robes while we do it." The group's history has taken them all around the world and allowed them to record several studio albums in what they refer to on their album inserts as "Hullabasound".

The Hullabahoos typically have 13 to 18 members, although this figure varies from year to year. Auditions for newcomers are held every fall and occasionally in the spring.[6]

The Hullabahoos logo

The current Hullabahoos logo was drawn in fall 2003 by Morgan Anderson, a student at Williams College, to promote the Hullabahoos' visit to her college. The poster was later scanned into a computer and emailed from a girlfriend in Massachusetts to her boyfriend in Virginia, and it slowly crept its way on to more and more Hullabahoos' paraphernalia, gradually overtaking the traditional but less distinctive Uppercase H logo.

Fall Roll

In addition to concert performances and other similar gigs, the Hullabahoos typically reserve their fall break weekend at the University of Virginia for a road trip known as Fall Roll.[7] The tour typically covers the East Coast, stopping and performing at various colleges (e.g. Dartmouth College, Boston University, University of Connecticut) along the way.[5]

CD production

The Hullabahoos released their first studio album, Full Glottal Stop, in 1991,[8] and spent the majority of their early album-making career recording with the accomplished sound engineer Paul Brier, formerly of Virginia Arts Recording Studios in Charlottesville, Virginia. However, with the release in 2004 of Jacked, the Hullabahoos began to use to a new sound engineer/producer, Dave Sperandio of Diovoce, hiring him to handle the album's final mixes and mastering. Sperandio, with his proficiency in hip-hop and pop type production, quickly built a solid reputation in the a cappella world, and his work has been commended by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB). With the Hullabahoos' 13th CD release, the a cappella producer and UVA alumnus, James Gammon, of James Gammon Productions, was added to the production team, doing almost all of the Hullabahoos' recording as well as mixing "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" and recording and mixing the album Varsity Sing Team in full.

Robes

The Hullabahoos of 2000-2001, wearing their robes

The Hullabahoos were not the first all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia. The Virginia Gentlemen were founded in 1953.[9] Historically, the Virginia Gentlemen wear tuxedos or coats and bowties whenever they perform. When the Hullabahoos were formed, they decided to differentiate themselves with a more laid-back style by adopting the use of uniquely patterned robes[10] that have been noted to resemble the official garb of the Eli Banana,[11] one of the many Secret Societies at the University of Virginia.

Each member goes to Mr. Hank's Fabric Store in Charlottesville to pick out his own desired robe pattern.[10] This gives the group a sense of relaxed individuality, making the Hullabahoos stand out amongst the more typical glee club-style college groups.

Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory

New York-based writer Mickey Rapkin followed the Hullabahoos in 2006 and 2007 and profiled the group in his book, Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. This "behind-the-scenes look at the bizarre, inspiring, and hilarious world of competitive collegiate a cappella"[12] was published on May 29, 2008, by Gotham Books.

The group makes an appearance in Pitch Perfect, the film adaption of the novel, released in 2012. They appear during the ICCA Finals as a participating group performing "The Final Countdown".

Discography

Awards and recognition

CARA wins and nominations

Albums selected as "Top Picks" / "Honorable Mentions" by the RARB

Album tracks selected for BOCA

Album tracks selected for Voices Only

References

  1. ↑ "Hullabahoos History". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  2. ↑ Lee, Youyoung (April 9, 2004). "The Hullabahoos: Unrobed For Your Pleasure". Cavalier Daily.
  3. ↑ Milberger, Michael (September 28, 2008). "College A Capella Groups Breaking Tradition, Hearts". ABC News.
  4. ↑ Batten, Stephanie (September 20, 1999). "Hullabahoos take their show on the road". Cavalier Daily.
  5. 1 2 "Kennedy Center: Millennium Stage Artist Details for The University of Virginia Hullabahoos". Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  6. ↑ "So you want to be a Hullabahoo?". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Fall Roll 2014". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  8. ↑ "Full Glottal Stop (album)". Hullabahoos (home page). Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Virginia Gentlemen (home page)". Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Wood, Teresa (April 11, 2005). "Loud Robes". Cavalier Daily.
  11. ↑ Jacob, Katie (January 2004). "Looking back at years of Bananas, Ravens". A&S Online.
  12. ↑ Rapkin, Mickey. "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory". Archived from the original on May 25, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
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