Eight a cappella groups sold out UF’s Auditorium on Saturday night for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella 2013 Tournament.
Saturday’s quarterfinal competition was the first round of the ICCAs, organized by Varsity Vocals.
Florida State University’s all-male group, Reverb, and UCF’s Gemini Blvd. will be the two groups advancing to the regional semifinals.
UF’s No Southern Accent won third place and best choreography. They sported red shoes, and the group sang songs from Alex Clare and The Killers, earning them a standing ovation, along with some Gator chomps.
The Staff, an all-male group from UF, also competed.
This was the first time that the competition was held at UF.
Audience members included a cappella enthusiasts and fans of the 2012 film “Pitch Perfect.”
Danielle Amols, 20, a member of FSU’s All-Night Yahtzee, was an extra in “Pitch Perfect.” Amols said she spent three days with her a cappella group in Baton Rouge filming the semifinals scene.
“This [competition] will be a reality check; “Pitch Perfect” is a glorified version of a cappella,” she said.
South Producer for Varsity Vocals Lindsay Howerton said the groups that usually win can sing and dance simultaneously.
“The groups that generally win are the ones usually doing the most innovative things,” she said.
The winning performance was a dance revival of boy bands from the past two decades, beginning with the classic “This Is How We Do It.”
“I thought we did well, but there were so many good groups that I didn’t know how we would do,” said Reverb member Eric Glaze, 20. “It feels absolutely breathtaking.”
UF’s coed a cappella group, No Southern Accent, performs at the 2013 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella on Saturday at the University Auditorium. NSA placed third out of eight a cappella groups competing.
