Straight No Chaser is returning to IU as part of its "Holiday Road" tour promoting the new Christmas album of the same name. The concert will take place 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the IU Auditorium.
An hour before the show, there will be a pre-show talk with IU professor Michael J. Sammis, the director of music business in the Jacobs School of Music. He will discuss the history of how SNC went from being a college group to a Christmas staple and how the group has maintained its success for over 25 years.
“30 years of global success, getting signed to a record label and releasing, you know, multiple No. 1-selling albums and performing live for greater than two million fans,” Sammis said. “I mean, these are not easy things to do. So, you know, an incredible example of what can be done if somebody takes the initiative and finds the talent, pulls that talent together and tries to fill a gap.”
Straight No Chaser was formed at IU in 1996. The group first performed at IU Dance Marathon and continued performing around campus and in dorms following their debut. Later that year, they moved to Chicago for a summer, performing at Chicago's Navy Pier and opening for Lou Rawls. The next year, they toured the country as an ambassador group for the IU Alumni Association.
After graduating in 1999, the members went their separate ways but reunited 10 years later when founding member Randy Stine uploaded a video of their 1998 performance of "The 12 Days of Christmas" on YouTube.
The video went viral and was seen by CEO of Atlantic Records Craig Kallman, who later offered the group a record deal. Since then, SNC has been releasing holiday and pop albums for almost 20 years.
SNC’s yearly holiday tour has become an IU tradition, as the members make sure to perform at their alma mater each year.
Jasper Smith, a current member of the a cappella group, said coming back to IU each year feels like a homecoming show, even when current members are scattered around the country.
"We all didn't have the same college experience because we were there at difference times, right?" Smith said. "But, like, coming back to Bloomington, that's something that we all share, and we all love coming back to."
Steve Morgan, one of the founding members of SNC, said performing at IU is one of the highlights of each tour they go on and that they never skip out on coming to Bloomington. He said the group even tries to schedule rehearsals in Bloomington so that members can come back more often.
Through lively songs, playful banter and holiday spirit, SNC’s goal for the upcoming show is to lighten audiences’ mood, Morgan said.
“I think what we go for in our show is to give you two hours of escapist joy,” Morgan said. “There’s any number of things that keep us awake and anxiety ridden these days, and so for two hours we want you to forget your troubles, come on be happy.”
The show will be divided into two halves, with the second including SNC's holiday hits. The first half will feature well-known pop songs; Smith said these songs range from 1960s classics to modern bops, even teasing the potential of songs from the popular Netflix movie "KPop Demon Hunters."
Smith also said there will be a chance for fans to get involved in the show through audience engagement but didn't want to spoil the surprise for those planning to attend.
Smith and Morgan both said their favorite moment in the show is when the members put down their microphones at the end of the performance and sing directly to the audience. Morgan said it serves as a great reminder of how the band started out at IU, serenading people wherever they went on campus.
“We sing off mic in just a completely silent but full IU Auditorium, where it’s just nothing but our voices, you know. If we weren’t singing, you could hear a pin drop,” Smith said. “That moment where everyone kind of leans in a little bit and we’re leaning in. Just kind of that shared experience is a feeling and a fun experience that I find hard to beat.”
Tickets start at $34 and can be purchased online through the IU Auditorium’s website or in person at the box office.
