1997 Boston Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival

13th Annual

The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

1997 Boston Champions

Five o’Clock Shadow

Five O'Clock Shadow (FOCS) is a Boston based, all vocal rock/pop band. By using amplification and some basic effects added onto their voices, FOCS is able to create the same sound and energy as any rock band....but without using any instruments!

FOCS has been featured on VH-1's "//break.through/", FOX News, WB's Morning Show, A&E, ESPN, PBS, and more. They have also sung for the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and the NFL Hall of Fame. And through their Vocal Challenge program, FOCS has presented concerts and workshops to thousands of music students from coast to coast.

1997 Results
1st	Five o’Clock Shadow
2nd	Happy Cat
3rd (tie)	The Digressions
3rd (tie)	The Wicked Pitches

1997 Participating Groups

aka Pelican Groove
The members of A.K.A. Pelican Groove love to joke around, hence the name (phonetically, "A Cappella Can Groove!") But seriously, their sense of humor has sustained an 8-year-long collaboration that has brought them to many new and exciting places (both musically and geographically). Over their history, they¹ve performed at hundreds of venues, including corporate events, club dates, wedding gigs, outdoor shows, community concerts, and live appearances on television and radio. One morning last spring, the group made their "drive time" debut on Boston¹s Star 93.7 FM morning show. That same evening, they performed the National Anthem on the hallowed grass of Fenway Park (GO SOX!) Last summer, they had the privilege of sharing the stage at Boston¹s Hatch Memorial Shell with Nile Rodgers and Chaka Khan. A.K.A. Pelican Groove released its first CD "Plunge" in 1999. With a diverse repertoire that spans classic R&B, doo-wop, 70¹s soul, 90¹s alternative, pop originals, and more, A.K.A. Pelican Groove looks forward to entertaining you tonight, as they bring their own brand of groove-based, "funkified" a cappella into the new millennium.

Drawn To Scale

Five o’Clock Shadow
Five O'Clock Shadow (FOCS) is a Boston based, all vocal rock/pop band. By using amplification and some basic effects added onto their voices, FOCS is able to create the same sound and energy as any rock band....but without using any instruments!

FOCS has been featured on VH-1's "//break.through/", FOX News, WB's Morning Show, A&E, ESPN, PBS, and more. They have also sung for the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and the NFL Hall of Fame. And through their Vocal Challenge program, FOCS has presented concerts and workshops to thousands of music students from coast to coast.
Listen to: Get Down Tonight | Listen to: All I Want

Happy Cat

Seven Seconds

Silkwood

Talk To The Hand
Talk To The Hand is a women's a cappella quartet, rocking out in venues in and around Boston. These foxy ladies use no instruments, except their four voices. Listen to some clips, and marvel that such a full, luscious sound can emanate from these four wee lasses. Hang on to your hat, as you experience Talk To The Hand covers of a mind-boggling variety of pop, rock, and country artists - all rendered with the magical touch of The Hand. Can you handle The Hand?Members: Emily Iarocci, Laura Larson, Sarah Littlefield, Liz Whitelam

The Digressions
Members: Tony Berke

The Wicked Pitches

Wonkavator

1997 Judges TBA

Complete list of 1997 participants

National Finals Recordings

Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between 3 and 12 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may be waived.

How to enter

Please send music and photos to the regional director :

Dan Campagna (Boston) has been a part of the a cappella community for over 10 years and is the co-founder and business manager of the Boston-based group, Fermata Town. Behind his leadership, Fermata Town has released two award-winning albums, performed at international festivals and appeared on network TV. In 2013, Fermata Town captured the Boston Harmony Sweepstakes championship before placing third overall at Nationals where they took home "Best Original Song" honors. He is a founding board member of the Contemporary A Cappella League and voluteer program manager for the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA). An active member in the Boston a cappella community, Dan enjoys attending local shows and volunteering for Varsity Vocals during ICCA season.

Prior to Fermata Town, Dan sang collegiate a cappella at Emmanuel College in Encore!, the college’s first-ever coed group which later changed its name to In Good Company.

Outside of a cappella, Dan works fulltime at Emmanuel College as the Director of Athletic Communications. Dan is also an Assistant Coach to the University of Massachusetts Boston Women’s Soccer Team and an adjunct professor at Lasell College where he teaches a sports journalism course.

860-874-5191
FermataTown@gmail.com