Rockapella Concert - St. Joseph's High School, Lakewood, CA - October 14, 2004

The news of Elliott leaving really saddened me. He was the last original member of the group and was a huge part of its history. I couldn’t imagine how they would sound with a new member. And I knew that we would probably never hear Elliott’s staple songs like “Don’t Do It”, “Kingdom of Shy”, and “No Doubt At All” live ever again. Will it be a totally different group altogether? Well, those questions were answered on October 15th at St. Joseph’s High School in Lakewood, CA. I was going to see for the very first time, the new member of Rockapella, Elliott’s successor, John K. Brown. I didn’t know what to expect and what was in store for all of us. Man, what I witnessed eased whatever apprehensions I may have had quickly! Before I go on, I will not even try to compare Elliott to John and vice-versa. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. They are 2 different people, 2 different performers, with different styles and different stage presence. Elliott is in a category all his own, so there is no need to compare him to anyone else. He’s a class-act all the way! Elliott’s presence was missed. But John brought something different to the table that gave the guys a different kind of vibe, a different kind of energy. What incredibly surprised me was that the boys moved…A LOT! It was such a treat to see them dancing, and doing all these fancy choreography. And the best part was, the new choreography didn’t take away anything from any of the songs, especially the familiar ones on their concert repertoire. The choreography added to the songs and gave the guys a chance to let loose, to “get funky” if you will. I really enjoyed the upbeat songs, especially “Rock the Boat”. The “Stomp” routine that John and Kevin did made my jaw drop! It hit the floor hard! John can sing. Not just “sing” but “ssaaiiinnnngg”. His voice blends really well with Scott and Kevin, as they all have pretty similar timbre in their voices, especially Kevin and John. It was a little hard to distinguish their voices apart from each other because they sound very similar at times. It was great! I did miss “Pretty Woman”, but “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” ain’t too shabby, however. They introduced a new song that was untitled at the time, about a California sad eyed girl. I took it upon myself to call the song “California Sad Eyed Girl” and I think they should just go with that as the title of the song. It’s the one line that sticks out the most anyway. Well, this song has such a beautiful melody to it, and very heart-breaking lyrics, it has the makings of another “Don’t Tell Me You Do”. I’m assuming it’s a Scott original. Mr. Leonard, I am in awe. Where did you get the inspiration? You are brilliant. I take my hat off to you for penning another beautiful masterpiece. After the show, we were able to say hello to the guys while they were signing our cds. It was very cool of Scott to remember all of our names, although he butchered mine a little bit. LOL But it’s okay, he got it right a few times before. Jeff and Kevin were very sweet as well. I was a little flustered while talking to Jeff, and he noticed. I don’t know why, maybe because I realized I was talking to Jeff. *wink* I enjoyed the show immensely! It was like seeing Rockapella again for the first time! Congratulations on snatching up John! He’s quite a find. I’m looking forward to more shows, hopefully in the spring. See you all soon!