Ball in the House brings 90 minutes of pure joy

W
hen you back up talent with passion, good things are bound to happen. When you are backing up an excellent natural character with that talent and passion, a trip into excellence takes place. That is what Newcastle experienced at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, in the Crouch Auditorium when Ball In The House presented an evening of a cappella doo-wop to an enthusiastic audience. I once heard Bill Gaither indicate that one or two songs without instruments were okay, but he wouldn’t want to listen to a whole lot of it at once. I doubt, very much, that he had ever heard these five talented men. If he did, he might change his mind.
I’ve been to concerts that last for hours. Connie and I went to a couple of shows a few years apart by the same group some years ago. The concerts took place in San Antonio at the Majestic Theatre, one of the most beautiful in the country and which attracts many huge artists. I won’t mention who the performers were at those concerts, but they are a world-renown group at the very top of their field. Those concerts were more than four hours long. I can’t tell you exactly how long they were because we got up and left before they were over. That’s just too long for a concert, and the most comfortable seat eventually wreaks havoc on the backside.
However, Ball in the House performed right around 90 minutes. There’s a reason most movies are around that hour-and-a-half or two-hour mark. Longer than that and I think you lose many in the audience. Edgar Bergen once said, “Leave the audience wanting more.” and he was right. BITH left us wanting more. Could I have sat through a couple more songs from them? Oh yeah, I could. But I was not disappointed with what they brought.
Coming from Mass-achusetts, Washington, D.C., and Florida, the group is on a multivenue tour of the Midwest. The group was the kick-off show for the Weston County Concert Association 2019-20 season.  And I can’t think of a better way to kick-start the year’s events than what we experienced. I must give kudos to the board of directors for scheduling them. When you start putting together a schedule of concerts, it is probably a safe bet that you want to start with something exciting, as well as accessible to the majority of people. I feel secure in saying that this evening brought that to us. Ball in the House marked off all my checkboxes for what I think was a successful show.
The group consists of five guys who bring an eclectic mix of personalities and talents, but that mix blends to make an extremely satisfying whole. My experience is that unity is brought together behind one charismatic frontman. But that wasn’t the case here. There was no clear “leader” as it were. Each took turns being the focus, and the others backed that person up with ease and genuine humbleness.
Wallace Thomas was probably as close to the frontman as you could get. His silky high tenor voice was given the lead melody quite often, and he had a stage presence that is on par with the very best. I always love hearing a tenor with a voice that is this smooth. I always wanted to be able to soar up there and sing notes that high, but I can’t. He had no problem reaching up and pulling those top notes out of the air. More than once, I had to scoop my lower jaw up off of the auditorium floor and put it back in place in my amazement. And you could also understand every word he sang. There was no straining to figure out his diction. That was pleasing beyond my ability with words to express. I get so tired of songs that all you can hear is a mush of sounds with no clarity of what the words are. There was none of that with Thomas.
But to call Thomas the leader would be a disservice to the rest of the group, because he wasn’t. Equally as talented is Dave Guisti, who had a fine lyric baritone voice. He had a unique look about him, like an updated Rat Pack appearance, and had a sense of humor that won me over the moment he spoke. He brought more of a raw edge to the group, and that is not a bad thing. When you needed to have a little gravel to bring out needed excitement or when you needed to accentuate the lyrics with some punch, Guisti was there with that. But when you needed him to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the group, he was more than capable there as well. I was also able to talk with Guisti during intermission at some length, and I found him to be completely accessible. He’s someone I would love to have dinner with and chat for hours.
Monterio “Monty” Hill, with his smooth baritone voice, rounded out the bulk of the harmonies well. Now, this is a personal opinion here, but I found his voice the most tranquil of the bunch. And while he had his moments of taking the lead vocally, most of his role was as fill-in on the harmonies, and it was spot-on. That’s an often-overlooked talent and rarely gets praise. But it is precisely the glue that gave the sound of the group completeness. It is both pleasing, as well as artistically well rounded. Of particular note is the fact the Hill suffered a stroke about seven months ago. This scary incident has left some obvious repercussions. He has more trouble moving around and with gestures than his fellow vocalists and had to sit down more often. But he didn’t let this stroke get the better of him. He has worked hard, obviously, to get back on stage and lend his considerable talents to the art we got to witness. That may be a part of why I like him so much. To overcome something potentially devastating and dangerous, and to perform with the professionalism that Hill did, even before full recovery, fills me with admiration. To be able to do it with such considerable talent—well, that probably was one of the biggest reasons why I loved this group so well.
Now, what would an a cappella group be without a bass player? “Wait a minute!” you might be saying. So, before you write a letter to my publisher telling him that he’s hired a lunatic, let me explain. While he did sing along with the others on occasion, Kevin Guest used his fine bass voice to imitate an electric bass for the most part. And it was so fascinating to watch him dance around and hold the microphone right up against his lips. His vocal pops sounded so close to the real thing that I had to keep reminding myself that a voice made the sounds of a bass guitar. And it was the perfect stuff on which to build the songs. Guest impressed me for another reason too. He joined Ball in the House only three months ago. He had each note, each movement, and even his vocal solos, memorized and perfected. Talk about talent! Now add work ethic. You can’t get that level of performance in only three months without working very hard at it. Well done!
And what type of pop group doesn’t have a drummer? That’s where John Ryan comes in. But he didn’t play the drums; he was the drums. Using only his mouth, Ryan came up with sounds that imitated snares, kicks, cymbals, the high hat and probably a whole plethora of others. His rhythms were complex and varied. I’ve heard the human “beatbox” before. Usually, I am into that type of performance for about five or 10 minutes. After that, in my experience, you hear the same patterns repeated over and over again. I tend to tune out at that point. That did not happen here. Ryan kept his vocal beats and patterns new and fresh throughout. He also brought a refreshing humility. A couple of times the song was slow and a drum was not needed. In fact, it would have been out of place. Ryan had no trouble going backstage and sitting those songs out, letting his friends take the spotlight. Maybe that was part of the genius of his work. Taking a break from hearing his beatbox made it fresh and new all over again when he came back on stage. 
Ryan also led the audience in the experience of being a human beatbox. He taught us some basic sounds he used and led us in producing a drumbeat with our mouths. But of course, Ryan then took over and went crazy, giving us a drum solo that would have left Roger Taylor or Keith Moon in awe. He uses a fantastic range of sounds, patterns and a large variety of beats. More than once, I thought, “How does he do that?” Quite frankly, I couldn’t tell you, even after he explained it to the audience. And if you weren’t there, well, I’m sorry. There’s no possible way I can tell the wonder of listening to him. He was also as fun to watch as he was to hear, mixing in arm movements, hand gestures and body pops that fit. Maybe that’s part of his ability to mix it up so well. He didn’t just mouth the drums. He lived them. And it was as humorous as it was professional.
Ball in the House also got the audience directly involved in songs on several occasions. We got to clap and sing along whenever the mood hit us. At one time, they led us in some gospel music with a combination of “This Little Light of Mine” and “Swing Down Chariot.” I think other audience members were singing along with them, but I was singing so loudly that
I wouldn’t swear to it in
court. They also taught us some hand and arm choreography. But I think the highlight was when they did some disco, doo-wop style, of course. I would never have thought you could combine those two styles. I also would have been wrong. When they did their version of The Village People’s “YMCA,” the audience got to lift their arms and spell it out with them. What fun!
During the intermission and after the show, I got to meet and talk with the members of the group. To a person, they were friendly, attentive and humble. Sometimes I think we mix up humility with self-deprecation in our heads. I believe true humility is when someone comes across knowing they are good with God’s gifts, but they don’t brag about it. It becomes a part of who they are. They don’t have to overemphasize that aspect of their being. It’s refreshing and welcomed when you run across that. All five members of Ball in the House displayed such humility. It’s hard to convey that well on stage. It’s impossible to fake that one on one. Their humble nature was genuine, sincere and well-received by an audience that also should be congratulated. Once again, I am bowled over by the quality of life we have in Newcastle. It’s the people we live around and interact with. Newcastle gave a warm and genuine reception to a top-notch group of performers. I’ve done my share of concerts, and believe me, all too often you get audiences that come at you with a “prove it” attitude, arms tightly crossed and a scowl on their faces. But this audience brought an attitude of “Okay, let’s have some fun!” And that can help make a concert a huge success.
For the record, this concert was a huge success. I look forward to when Ball in the House will be singing near us again. I will go to that concert in a heartbeat. I look forward to when Newcastle can bring them back because this group is straight-up fantastic. 
I want to mention something about the Crouch Auditorium. We are so fortunate to have this venue in Newcastle. The acoustics are excellent, the seats don’t wreck your back, and narrow aisles and exits do not impede the flow of the audience when you leave. There’s plenty of room. It’s a perfect place to have a concert. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them here.
Lastly, during the day Ball in the House gave a workshop with the Newcastle High School choir, one of the things this group loves doing. Working with the youth and attempting to get them excited about the arts gives the performers an added sense of accomplishment. They didn’t stop there, though. And I saved this for last because I think it’s the most important thing they did. Before the very last song, they brought members of the choir up on stage, and they were able to sing with them. These students received an opportunity that is not common. BITH made sure this group would be able to take something with them that they could keep for years to come. And when it was over, the audience was quick to give the whole concert a standing ovation. I can’t help but wonder what a thrill that must have been for the high school choir members — what a perfect way to end a perfect evening.