I sadly had to blur out the original music video as RUclips would block my whole reaction worldwide! I've uploaded this reaction to my Patreon without the blur which you can access here if you would prefer it: www.patreon.com/posts/pentatonix-49320198
It’s best to just blur the videos or do some kind of watermark or flip the video cause they are cracking down big time. And it feels random. But i’m not a creator. I just watch and see people making comments about them sucking. PTX is amazing. Literally any song you choose is a good one.
Yeah, it’s quite a common thing unfortunately. Some reactors pause and talk about them, others put a filter over them, like you did. Pentaholics will know the videos off by heart though, and they’ll also know the limitations on RUclips x
Just remember Daft Punk was shot back in November 2013. They'd only been together two years and were on a tiny indie label because Sony/Epic bearly waited for the ink to dry before reniging on the recording contract they won on 2011's Sing-Off. Six months after Daft Punk went viral Sony finally came crawling back with a much better deal on Sony/RCA than the cookie cutter contract given to TV contest winners.
One person who gets overlooked and denied a lot of credit is their producer, Ben Bram. Dude is a genius. If you listen to their quarantine album "at home," they each recorded their parts separately, in their houses, without hearing the other parts- sent them to Bram and he mixed them beautifully. Largely in part bc he helped them all order mics that were best suited for their individual voices. His mixing is flawless. "When the party's over" is amazing and I still can't believe it was recorded during quarantine. It sounds like they made it in a studio.
@@Mahiahtree i have heard that as well...and it does make sense!!! They took years to do this one because they wanted it to do the original the justice it deserved!!!
The only thing close was Heart doing 'Stairway to Heaven,' the night that Led Zep was honored at the Kennedy Center. Rock legends, preforming in front of Rock Gods, doing those Gods' best known hit, and knocking it out of the park. Kind of like SRV doing Hendrix. ;-)
Absolutely loved this reaction! :D “It sounds like there’s a bass!” That’ll be Avi! Avi (bearded dude) left for personal reasons and was replaced by Matt. Both very good singers, both very different. Avi helped choose Matt to take his place in the group. All other members are the original line-up, they just change their looks from video to video. Can’t wait to see more
Personal reasons being the touring schedule being too much for him, and also his mother was very sick, rather than personal reasons being him having a personal falling out with anyone, yeah. (Just in case anyone wasn't sure.)
Actually, PTX held auditions and Matt auditioned and got the spot. The belief that Avi helped them find Matt is a myth that most of us have bought into (it *should* be true, right?) but it's still a myth. The one part of it that's based on fact is that Matt attended A Cappella Academy when he was a kid, and Avi was a primary mover in starting A Cappella Academy, so in that sense he helped to prepare Matt for his eventual position in Pentatonix.
This is why we Pentaholics show up. Watching someone who has never conceived of their level of a capella, and the fact that all 5 are musical geniuses...we watch you be blown away. Then, the obsession starts. They preform this live. The panning you heard was a nod to Queen, they also used that technique. I don’t know if they were the first, but Queen utilized it. Finally, Brian May tweeted to all his followers the link to this video. Highest praise.
Most of us have seen this so many times, the blur is not an issue. We know where to find the official video, it's your reaction that counts. There really is no lead singer, like Mitch takes this one, but the others are featured in other videos. And everybody usually gets a part to shine no matter what they do.
Our dearly beloved Avi (bass singer with beard) is no longer a member of Pentatonix, but he was central to the initial popularity of the group and the passionate devotion of Pentaholics. He left after six years for personal reasons, helping to select Matt Sallee to replace him. Avi left big shoes to fill, but Matt is such a great guy and superb talent that he's earned our love and respect, Pentaholics are an open-hearted bunch, as you are finding out.
You will notice that Avi, the original bass, has a completely different singing style and quality to his voice compared to the new bass, Matt. Avi has been known to blow speakers with how deep he goes on some of the songs. If you want to see his solo stuff, check on Change on the Rise. If anyone gives you crap for blurring or pausing, ignore them. We are here to see your reaction, not the music video. If we wanted to watch the music video, we'd go to ptx and watch it there. Keep up the great work :)
You are confusing his titles... he has an official video of Change On The Rise on RUclips but he also has a song out called Chains... both worth hearing.
I attended their concert in Denver on November 20, 2022. They performed "Hallelujah" early in the evening, when their voices were still fresh (unlike at the Hollywood Bowl concert, where it was their last song). The second verse had an arrangement I hadn't heard before, and I would *swear* that Matt's lowest note was as low as anything I ever heard from Avi, while his highest note was in the *tenor* range! Remember, Matt is the youngest member of Pentatonix, and the bass voice tends to continue developing over the years. I always knew he had a phenomenal talent (he's in Pentatonix, duh), but at this point he is nothing short of spectacular. (I've since seen/heard the live feed of "Hallelujah" from the Hollywood Bowl concert. Same arrangement overall, and Matt reaches the same high note, but he didn't attempt that low note. And I don't have a trained ear so my observations aren't as reliable as I'd like. I would be *very* interested in any fan videos anyone got in Denver, or if they ever publish the live feed from their Denver performance, so if anyone finds that please let me know.)
I enjoy your reactions. You are a lot of fun to watch. Mitch doesn't use the megaphone when they perform it in concert. He just uses the standard microphone. As for metal songs, they did a pre-metal song on the Sing Off, the song that coined the phrase "heavy metal thunder", Born to be Wild. They were babies back then. Mitch missed his high school graduation to go to the audition. Kevin wanted to finish his senior year final exams at Yale so he didn't met the rest of them until the day before the audition. (yes, the Sing Off is like The Voice but only for a capella bands. Did anyone mention that Kevin, the beat boxer, has a degree from Yale, was planning to go to medical school and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese?
These kids were so young when the group started recording (three of them were only 19), so their look has changed a lot over the last decade. You will love Daft Punk medley, for sure, and then I recommend their covers of Can't Hold Us and Gold. These will give you a sense of the versatility, creativity and sheer musical talent of PTX.
Welcome to the world of Pentatonix, or PTX for short. Get ready for a quick boost to your channel from their rabid fans who call ourselves “Pentaholics”. Here is a quick intro to the group. PTX is a five member “a Capella” (without instruments) vocal band formed in 2011 for the NBC television reality competition show “The Sing Off”. The original members are “the trio”, who went to high school together in Arlington, Texas made up of: SCOTT HOYING, (male, 6’3”, usually blond) who sings baritone, but has a wide vocal range and covers the bass line of songs when the normal bass is singing a lead. MITCH GRASSI, (male, 5’10”, normally black hair but has changed body mass, wardrobe and hair style so much in videos he’s often mistaken for different people) who has an amazingly high range (contra tenor) that some mistake for a second female voice. KIRSTIN MALDONADO, (female, 5’4”, natural hair color is black but changed it often in videos) who sings mezzo soprano and, for a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”. Added to “the trio” for the show were: AVI KAPLAN, (Male, 5’11”, long dark hair, beard, usually wears a knit hat of some kind) is a classically trained “basso profundo”. He provides the vocal bass line as well as added vocal percussion but often uses his upper registry to sing vocal leads in a number of arrangements. Avi is the ONLY member of the band that has change. He left on good terms in 2017 for reasons related to conflicting demands of the band’s touring schedule and his personal/family commitments. He assisted the group in finding his replacement Matt Sallee. KEVIN OLUSOLA (male, 6’1”, black, changing hair style) known as “KO” was asked to join PTX to provide vocal percussion after Scott watched a RUclips video of him “cello boxing” (beatboxing while playing his cello). KO is the classic over achiever of the group. He plays Cello, Piano, and Saxophone all at concert levels. He graduated pre-med from Yale, speaks Spanish and spent over a year in China where he became fluent in Chinese. He sings Tenor but vocals were not his strong suite when he started so he worked with other band members and a vocal coach until while on tour he would perform the featured vocals in "if I ever fall in love", (originally performed by guest artist Jason Derulo for the album and video). He also writes and produces music both individually and for the group. So, KO is more than “just the beatboxer”. The most recent member and the only change in the group’s membership is: MATT SALLEE, (male, 5’9” black with usually close-cut black hair) who replaced Avi Kaplan in 2017 to provide vocals, vocal bass and percussion. Matt can be heard using his exceptional upper vocal range to provide a rich tenor/baritone lead often ending with a slide down to a deep bass punch. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage. Enjoy the ride.
They've indeed covered a wide range of music styles - try out their version of Cohen's Hallelujah, Daft Punk for sure, Gold (original by Kiiara, which you should definitely listen to first!!), Lennon's Imagine, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Can't Hold Us, Havana, Attention, Evolution of Rihanna, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and their original songs Sing, Can't Sleep Love, Run to You and Love Again. They've also done a ton of Christmas music - the most spectacular arrangements, in my view, are Carol of the Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, and 12 Days of Christmas (which really showcases their range, you'll see :)).
Avi Kaplan (beard guy) was the original bass, and yes that's his voice. He left the group amicably around 2017 for family reasons and helped find Matt Sallee, the new bass you saw in Sound of Silence. That's the only change in lineup since the group formed. PTX has an incredible library of content. Since you said it's hard to imagine how they do this, their cover of "Imagine" needs to be your next reaction.
It’s an internet rumor that Avi helped to find Matt. He played no part in it. PTX hired an outside company to do that. They knew in mid 2016 that Avi was leaving.
@@EliaKay1 You could tell they knew it was coming for a long time just by how normal Avi's parts had become. He stopped doing any overtone singing and effects, and we started seeing Scott really work on his bass. While Hallelujah is one of their top songs, I can't watch it without thinking, "they knew even back then." Because his parts had become something any other decent bass could step in and fill, and many of their old popular songs with his overtones could only be heard live in snippets of mashups.
@@lostrmntic yeah, he’d been unhappy for a long time and was rather vocal about that with his friends. While what he said in his leaving announcement was true, it’s only part of the story. There was a lot of acting going on that day.
@@EliaKay1 yeah, the disappearance of their 2018 original album spoke volumes about how their parting wasn't as amicable as everyone plays it off to be.
Thank you for reacting to this amazing Pentatonix video. Glad that you liked it. I have no problem with the blur. I've seen the video hundreds of times. If I wanted to see the original video, I would just go to the PTX channel. I'm here for the reaction, so Thanks. I look forward to more Pentatonix reactions. Subscribed.
Everyone will suggest Hallelujah - could be a good time for you to see a live piece - Hallelujah, from a Pentatonix Christmas Special. It has closer camera work, better to see how vocals are executed and blended :)
It's not just that they do it without instruments, it's that they do it so well. Pentatonix, Home Free, Voiceplay, and others have changed the game. You'll enjoy them all for what they bring.
Welcome to the madness..the fantastic madness of Pentatonix. I'm a mother of metal heads from Alaska whose band opened for Suicide Silence. You need to see Pentatonix from their beginnings on a talent show back in 2011.
The bearded guy was the original bass singer for the group. his name is Avi. He left PTX in 2017 and was replaced by the guy you saw in sound of silence. His name is Matt :) I love that you're discovering them for the first time!
So glad you reacted to this one! Just an FYI- the megaphone was a prop. Mitch does it in concert without one. Avi (bass in this video with beard) is the original bass. He left in 2016, and Matt (bass in Sound of Silence) joined in 2017. That is the ONLY change. But Mitch and Kirstie change their look A LOT. You might enjoy checking out ‘Can’t Hold Us’ and ‘Daft Punk’.
You were a year off on your dates. Avi left in 2017, Matt joined shortly thereafter as a temporary replacement, then joined as the new full-time member in 2018.
Great reaction!! We pentaholics love to see people see PTX for the first time. I’ve seen them perform this live. One of the best nights of my life! Mitch does not use, and never needed a megaphone. Kevin the beat boxer is a beast!. Check out Kevin Olusula’s cover of “Down”, not to be missed.
This was an earlier song, so Avi Kaplan is the bass. Matt Sallee took over bass in late 2017, but does not really show up in recordings until early 2018. Avi had some family things to take care of that were not possible with their heavy touring. They also do 2 EDM songs - Daft Punk medley and Love Again.
You will be blown away by their "Evolution of..." videos. My fave is the Evolution of Michael Jackson, but each of them is a no-frills, one-take musical feast that highlights the expert pitch, timing, harmony and creative genius of the group. You have so much to enjoy yet... welcome to the PTX rabbit hole!
Hahahaha I made it before Sean?????. Yay! Great reaction, everything I was expecting it to be when I, among many others, requested you do this one. I love the look on people's faces when Mitch hits the high note, then again when he does the "guitar" solo. The look on people's faces who haven't heard much modern beatboxing is pretty sweet, too, I have to say, when Kevin hits those tom-toms and the snap snare. Always fun. Thank you for doing this one, can't wait to see what's next. Hopefully, Born to be Wild. I would love to hear what you think of their version, which is quite different than the original.
Oh, wait! I was going to answer your question, too. There was a member change, only one though, in 2017. Avi, the gentleman with the beard, decided that he needed to move on from the group. He is still missed and loved by all the fans, though we love Matt as well. Matt Salle is the newest member, though he's been with the group for four years now, to the group.
It's called the Grassi guitar. It does not take a megaphone. He only used the prop so the viewer would realize who was doing the guitar sound. I saw them do this live and no megaphone was used and it sounded fabulous.
I live for first time reactors to PTX and you did not disappoint so obviously then I LOVE YOU!!🥰‼️ Also beautiful tattoos! I hope you keep doing Pentatonix, I’ll be here for all of them!! They’re wonderful people as well❣️
This is the kind of reaction I watch reactions for. True amazement at what Pentatonix can do. Pick any of their songs, and you will not be disappointed. And as many other commenters have suggested, Daft Punk Medley, is awesome. Also their Macklemore & Ryan Lewis cover of Can't Hold Us is a great one.
Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars, and Pentatonix is from Heaven. BTW - Mitch can make the lead guitar sound, heard here, WITHOUT the megaphone! I heard him do it live! :) If you have not yet heard of the acapella group HOME FREE, you have another rabbit hole to explore. You might start with End of the Road. They are equal to Pentatonix in talent.
The base is Avi, he left the group awhile ago and helped them find Matt his replacement. Matt was the base in Sound of Silence, he had the white jacket on.
I can't see the video of Pentatonix that you are watching, but if it's the one with all members on the sofa, Avi Kaplan (bottom-right) is performing mainly the Bass sounds. Kevin (bottom left) is performing mainly percussion. Other sounds are produced from each of them, depending on the particular sound they want to use in the performance, and when they need to perform it.
Pentatonix is always amazing. Who says the voice isn't an instrument? They once said they wanted to cover Babymetal, and Babymetal said they hoped it would happen, sadly seems not to come about. Been awhile.
The bass with the beard was Avi Kaplan, an original member. Check the date on the video. After 2017, he was replaced by Matt. Avi had to leave for family reasons and left amicably. Before he left, he helped the group choose a replacement. Matt is different than but technically and vocally as good as Avi was.
One of the great things about Pentatonix is that they try and make sure everything they do in their recordings is something they can reproduce in live performance. They never use autotune, rarely (if ever) overdub, etc. The only effect they really use on recordings or live is some reverb.
*****Important note**** Before you react to AHA! from the star vista in Singapore, know that while they are singing the more classical snippet, Kevin is putting away his cello bc he had just finished his cello boxing performance which he invented. It is now taught in schools called cello boxing. When Avi starts the really low note Kevin joins them.
The “guy with the beard”, Avi, left on amicable terms, and Matt joined to take his place. Kirstin and Mitch change looks frequently, so some people think they are different members.
Avi Kaplan the original bass is a classically trained basso profundo (lowest bass).He has several original works that are worth checking out. Starting with, Change On The Rise.
please react to Hallelujah both video and live version (Christmas Special 2016). Its breathtaking and you will see first hand the live performances sound ever bit as fabulous as the videos. Its just so hard to adjust to that fact but once you do you will understand why this band is so unique and special. This band is so supportive of one another. You can hear their individual voices but they blend so well with one another it just sounds heavenly. Please watch the older videos first so you get to see who they are and where they started from. Avi(the original bass with the beard) is no longer with the band but has his own solo career. He's my fav but they are all super. They won 3 Grammys while Avi was with the band. Please relax and enjoy the ride. They will not disappoint.
The megaphone Mitch uses is just a prop. It is not turned on. Avi Kaplan is the bass singer. He left a few years ago & helped pick out his replacement, Matt Sallee. Listen to "Daft Punk" - "Hallelujah" - Mitch's solo, "Your Power"
The megaphone that Mitch is using is a prop only. He does the same thing live in concert without it. Yes, Kevin does the beatboxing (drums and symbols and of course Avi does the other sounds to assist Kevin in the drum and bass section). It's all done with their voices.
This is an older video with the original lineup including Avi Kaplan as Bass. He helped them find Matt Sallee when he left the group amicably for personal reasons. Matt Sallee was the bass in Sound of Silence. If you go back to the original song, Queen played around with the stereo effects. Stereo didn't become popular until the late '60s, so it was still being experimented with in the early '70s with songs like Baba O'Reilly and so on. I'm glad Pentatonix decided to stay that true to the original.
They have said in a interview that it took them 5 years to get the song right. And the megaphone was just a prob that was actually Mitch's voice. And it's been a while but I am absolutely positively loving your reaction to penitentiary it's refreshing and I can't stop my life
"Ya Like It Don't Ya!" ~Mitch Grassi Totally unrelated quote by one of the PTX members from a different song. Pentaholics will get it. Glad you loved their version of this classic song!
It comes through different ears bc that's how Queen originally recorded it. I can't remember what the technical term is, but the result is that certain parts of their recording did that: different ears. The fact that PTX took the care to replicate that makes it even better for me.
OMG!!!!! First time i am FIRST to comment and i am so over the moon it was on one of your videos...you are such an amazing reactor!!! Your smile and your accent just SLAY me!!!! Please, please, please do not stop reacting to EVERYTHING!!!! Stay safe and healthy my friend and please keep smiling!!!
yeah u saw Avi's replacement Matt....Avi left to due family commitments and found his own replacement. Matt is also incredible...you have to do Daft Punk and Hallelujah, and Imagine...those are all earlier with Avi! SPOILER ALERT...Daft Punk won them a Grammy AFTER their record label dropped them...it was filmed in their apartment with a budget of $400 USD
@@taligeoghan7245 Avi played no part in finding Matt. That’s an internet rumor. Pentatonix hired an outside company to find Avi’s replacement. They knew Avi was leaving the group in mid 2016.
@@EliaKay1 No Ben Bram called Matt to come and audition for the group. He met them when he was in an Acappella group in High school. His group was in a competition and PTX performed for them all. There's a picture of Mitch wearing Matt's sunglasses.
@@yolandajones9844 that is true, but Avi had no part in choosing Matt as his replacement. Ben Bram played a part, yes. He convinced Matt to send in an audition tape for a project they were working on. Matt did not initially know it was for Pentatonix. No one who initially auditioned knew what it was for, they were blind auditions by invitation only. PTX hired an outside producer by the name of Tim Davis to coordinate the search for Avi’s replacement.
This is PTX' first true classic and it is just phenomenally done, from who sings what portion to how to handle the musicality to the innovation set and arrangement. Nigh on to perfect!
They are magicians. Simple as that. It's so fun to watch you discover this group and their wizardry! As long as you're already gobsmacked, would love to see you react to their cover of Can't Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
This video has the original bass Avi (black beard) when he left Pentatonix he helped them find Matt (bass in Sound of Silence) You should see their version of Imagine by John Lennon
The bass, the one with the beard, is Avi. He's the original bass. Matt came in when Avi went solo. Check out "Hallelujah". And then check out Avi's solo stuff. He's got one I think is called "Change on the Rise" it's phenomenal!!! Avi does all the parts, from what I'm told.
Awesome. Thank you for sharing. More pentatonix please. More. More. More. I suggest their “Daft Punk” medley and their cover of “Can’t Hold Us” and “The Evolution of Michael Jackson.” Thanks!!!
Yeah, Avi Kaplan was the bass there. He was the bass until the end of 2017 when he had to step away because the touring schedule was too much for him anymore, combined with the fact that his mother was very ill at the time and said touring schedule wasn't letting him see her as often as he liked. Matt (dude in the white jacket in the Sound of Silence video) then became the bass from early 2018 on til today. Avi's still doing music (Check his "Change on the Rise" video, it's epic), but it's more lowkey and on his schedule, which leaves plenty of time for him to get out into nature and de-stress for a while.
The guy with the beard is Avi. He was the original bass singer. He was replaced by Matt half way through 2017. You heard Matt singing in Sound of Silence.
Great reaction. I used to sing and it is still mind boggling to me as well. The way they manipulate their voices is astounding. The percussion and bass fascinate me the most since I am naturally a soprano. :) as fat as metal goes, i don’t think they do any metal specifically. But when they were on the tv show, the sing-off, which they won, they did a rock week and did an amazing rendition of “born to be wild”. If you want to see their baby origins and some of their range, watching their performances from the show will def give you an idea of how good they were even in the beginning. They started off awesome and just got better and better and better.
That guy also sings electric guitar solos without the megaphone. While lying on his back. The megaphone is just a prop to let the audience know it's him.
The only change is the bass. The original was Avi Kaplan ( with the beard), but he left the group in 2017. Before he left, he helped the group decide on his replacement, Matt Sallee (the bass in Sound Of Silence). The group split on good terms as they understood why Avi stepped back. PTX has an insane tour schedule and Avi was flying home between concert dates to spend time with his mother who was battling cancer at the time. The constant travel just wore him down to near burn out and after leaving he spent nearly a year recovering while spending time with his family and writing. He chose to go in more of a folk direction that would allow him to play guitar and sing in more than his deepest bass. He is making appearances but at a much slower pace than PTX. His latest album is out and he is doing videos from it. Check out Change On The Rise for a taste of his current work.
This video is older that The Sound of Silence video. Avi (black beard) was an original group member & vocal bassist. He left amicably in 2017 (🤔?). Matt who did the bass & 3rd verse in The Sound of Silence is now the vocal bassist replaced Avi in 2018 (🤔?) . With Avi’s blessing, of course.
Interesting fact: Brian May the lead guitarist is an astrophysicist and hold a PhD thesis on speed of and light Reflection from dust in our solar system. He has consulted with NASA. When they show the sky with all the stars that's a nod to Doctor Brian May and there are four shooting stars because there are four people in Queen. I know that your rain has a problem grasping onto what your eyes and ears are hearing and seeing. But it is true they are at capella. The black gentleman is their beatboxer who occasionally sings. He is also a cellist and does is called cello boxing because he beat boxes while playing the cello. Apparently this has really caught on and other people are doing it. The bearded gentleman is Avi and he does the bass. When he's singing then Scott the blond takes over the bass. Please keep doing Pentatonix reactions and pentaholics will flock to you
Hey so yes Avi Kaplan(the one with the beard) left the group in 2017 to be with his family more and matt sallee (in the Sound of Silence video the far Left on) had taken over the Bass position from Avi. Other than that the Crew is still the same Kevin Olusola Beatbox and some times Cello Mitch Grassi Tenor (the chamäleon) Tenor, first singer in this one Scott Hoying Bariton (tall blond) And Kirstin KIRSTIE Maldonado Mezzosopran They Won three grammys 1. Daft punk Medley 2. Dance of the suger plum fairy 3. Jolene with Dolly Parton
PTX sound is perfect, absolutely. And Kevin is the string on which their voices can line up like pearls. And they have clearly the best voices on earth!
The original bass, Avi is in this one... he is the only one to have left the group (in 2017 and on good terms) and he found Matt for them, the one in Sound of Silence. Another great by them is HALLELUJAH (Leonard Cohen cover). Also DAFT PUNK, GOLD, IMAGINE... they have 10 years of incredible covers and originals as well. Their live performances are also wonderful!
another Pentaholic in the making. You have soo many videos to catch up on. they won the third year of the show "the sing off"' you can witness the evolution of their group. there are a few new groups on the scene that are almost as good in my opinion, but A Capella will never be the same again. Kevin is the beatbox genius, and you havent lived till you see him in their version of "Shallow" beatboxing while playing the cello, the only time I can remember where they use a single instrument. welcome to the rabbit hole, enjoy the ride
Welcome to the family of pentaholics. I know other comments have said that the megaphone is just a prop but what is more amazing to me is that in a recent live chat that they were all in one of the questions was for Mitch. They asked him how can I learn to make a guitar sound and because he's nuts he was thrown by that question. He started to say just listen to guitar solos then he said actually you know what I just winged It. And all the other members basically chimed in saying he can pretty much do anything. Do you ever look at your Instagram DMs. I usually try to let my favorite reactors know if PTX is releasing a song or a video bc if you react to quickly you will get a lot more subscribers.
Okay, I don't know whether you've heard the origin story about Pentatonix, so here goes. I'm assuming that by now you know who each of the members are. Scott, Mitch, and Kirstie grew up in Arlington, Texas. Kirstie was involved in kid's community theater, where she met Mitch when she was 8, and they became good friends. Scott was involved in kid's community theater, where he met Mitch when he was 8, and they became good friends. However, somehow Scott didn't meet Kirstin until they were both 14 and in the same high school class, at which point they became good friends. Mitch attended the same high school, one year behind Scott and Kirstin. All three were in choir together, and they also formed a trio (named "The Trio" - I know, but they've gotten better with names since) which appeared at school functions and occasionally on local television shows. Scott and Kirstin graduated in 2010, and each went away to college, Kirstin in Missouri and Scott in southern California, but after that first year of college they came back to Arlington because Mitch was about to graduate and Scott had an idea. There was a show on NBC named _The Sing-Off,_ a musical competition show for a cappella groups. The groups would perform numerous numbers throughout the entire season, and at the end of the season the winning group would receive $200,000 and a recording contract. Scott wanted The Trio to go on _The Sing-Off._ If they won they could stay together forever, and if they lost they'd still have gotten some publicity so it could be a good start for their individual careers. Scott managed to convince Kirstin and Mitch, but they still had a problem. _The Sing-Off_ had a requirement that all bands must have at least five members, and The Trio obviously had only three members. Scott had met Ben Bram in southern California where he'd been involved with the local amateur a cappella community (Ben was the one who'd told him about _The Sing-Off,_ where Ben was a coach) and Ben suggested that the group would profit from having a rhythm section, so they needed a bass and a beatboxer. Ben knew Avi from the amateur a cappella community, so he recommended Avi for the bass, and Avi accepted. For a beatboxer they found Kevin celloboxing on RUclips (playing his cello while beatboxing). Their first rehearsal with all five of them was the day before they had to audition for _The Sing-Off._ Mitch had to skip his high school graduation ceremony to attend the audition. And the audition was a success; they were on _The Sing-Off._ There are RUclips videos of all their performances on _The Sing-Off;_ they are well worth watching, preferably in order so you can watch them improve over the season (that's season 3, 2011). Eventually they won _The Sing-Off,_ with the $200,000 and the recording contract. And a week later the record label dropped them like a hot potato, saying that they didn't know how to market an a cappella band. So Pentatonix used the $200,000 as seed money. They lived frugally; they recorded themselves on their iphones anywhere they could find good acoustics (stair wells, parking garages, closets...), and they posted to RUclips, where they began to build up a loyal fan base. In a lot of their early videos we just see five very young people sitting together on a couch, singing their hearts out. So the moving couch in this video is actually taking them on a trip down Memory Lane. Pentatonix has always loved Queen, and they've always wanted to cover "Bohemian Rhapsody," but they were afraid that they couldn't do it justice so they decided to wait until they were ready. That took them five years. After that they still had to come up with arrangements, rehearse, figure out how to motorize a sofa, whatever else has to be done in preparation for a new release; judging by the dates all of this took several more months, perhaps as much as a year. It was worth the wait. The megaphone was not turned on; it was just something that Mitch saw lying around the set and he thought it would be a cool prop, so it's been confusing people ever since. • The audio panning is from Queen's original version of "Bohemian Rhapsody"; Pentatonix wanted to make it as authentic as possible. • The starry night sky is a tribute to Brian May, who has a doctorate in Astrophysics. • The four shooting stars are for the four members of Queen. • The scene near the end where they're all sprawled on the sofa is a reference to the cover art of Queen's _Sheer Heart Attack_ album. • And Brian May posted a link to this video on all of his social media accounts with a single word: "Enjoy."
the sofa is a reference back to their days when they had to hustle themselves on RUclips. They'd won a recording contract, but been shuffled to the division that did 'greatest hits of yesteryear' and such crap like that. So that sat on a sofa in one of their apartments, with a single camera and some recording equipment, and sang. those videos are out there still. As for the bits coming out on your left or right: have you never listened to the original on headphones? If not, then we are gonna need a react on that. You don't know the song as well as you think!
if you're surprised about Avi doing base here...(he left to go solo and was replaced by Matt Salee, the bass you saw in Sound of Silence)... you might wanna check out Tim Foust (from Home Free) and Geoff Castellucci (from VoicePlay) as well... these guys have been known to break speakers with how low they go... (try listening to their songs on a good sound system with a subwoofer... they really go low those guys)...
Another a Capella group you should check out is Home Free. They are more of a country group, but they do all kinds of music. Their fans call themselves Home Fries. A lot of HF fans are also PTX fans and have been referred to as PentaFries LOL. Songs from Home Free I would suggest starting with are: "Man of Constant Sorrow", "When A Man Loves A Woman", "End of the Road", "Country Fried Pop", "Butts Medley" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which was a collaboration with Peter Hollens.
I am not a Pentaholic. I do follow alot of acappella bands and Avi Kaplan separately. Homefree has been very active during quarantine as has Voiceplay. As this is your first video with Avi it should be explained that he can sound exactly like a bass including the slap or a cello for that matter in his lower register and had received awards for it from the ICCA prior to Pentatonix start where they had to modify the category to give it to him for what he does. Avi and Kevin composed the rythmn section of the band and got incredibly good at it. They also shared an apartment for years in L.A. and perfected it. Avi taught Kevin singing. Kevin was strictly an instrumentalist before Pentatonix. Avi could also cover for Kevin when needed. Because Pentatonix was the breakthrough group to do this they got very good at explaining the instrumentation techniques. Also here is the behind the scenes on the filming of this. Avi & Kevin demonstrate their "addition" to Telephone for the Sing-Off auditions where they got their start funny ruclips.net/video/HFtM1pjOE_c/видео.html Sing Strong Festival 2012 ruclips.net/video/xnbwR9sIOPI/видео.html Spaulding Sessions ruclips.net/video/at18d7Q0Pzw/видео.html PTX master class ASU ruclips.net/video/P3_Dp28FFmk/видео.html Dutch radio station interview & singing ruclips.net/video/3gnSTPT-2GQ/видео.html Behind the Scenes PTX video Bohemian Rhapsody ruclips.net/video/Q8ugJnIG_Lk/видео.html
Avi Kaplan (the man with the black beard) is a very very low voice, and classically trained, and he fills a lot of the sound on the low end. He left for personal reasons and was replaced by Matt, the new bass you saw in Sound of Silence. That's the only member change the group has gone through to date. Glad you enjoyed this! I definitly recommend the daft punk video, and after you're familiar with that one, take a day you're feeling spicy and search up "daft punk private performance". if you see red plaid you're in the right place. That will really show you what five extremely talented voices can do. After that we should talk about other a cappella groups, because PTX isnt the only one out here blowing minds!
![INSANE!!! ~ PENTATONIX - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ~ [REACTION!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ro-UHBlXido/mqdefault.jpg)
I sadly had to blur out the original music video as RUclips would block my whole reaction worldwide! I've uploaded this reaction to my Patreon without the blur which you can access here if you would prefer it: www.patreon.com/posts/pentatonix-49320198
It’s best to just blur the videos or do some kind of watermark or flip the video cause they are cracking down big time. And it feels random. But i’m not a creator. I just watch and see people making comments about them sucking. PTX is amazing. Literally any song you choose is a good one.
Yeah, it’s quite a common thing unfortunately. Some reactors pause and talk about them, others put a filter over them, like you did. Pentaholics will know the videos off by heart though, and they’ll also know the limitations on RUclips x
@@MelaniePoparad k
@@MelaniePoparad AMEN!!
Their copyright company is notorious for being strict. We understand. Thanks for covering it.
I will never tire of watching people have their minds blown by PTX.
Yeaaah!
Ditto
Right? He's mind blown... lol
I second this!!!
As a classically trained vocalist, I agree. People are shocked at what voices can do. Those of us that get it, still love seeing these reactions.
Watch Daft Punk. It was filmed in their kitchen, recorded in their closet for a budjet of $400.00. And it won them their first Grammy!
i commented that as well hun...just incredible am i right?? Like them record execs be bawling in their bowl of cheerios xD!!!!
Just remember Daft Punk was shot back in November 2013. They'd only been together two years and were on a tiny indie label because Sony/Epic bearly waited for the ink to dry before reniging on the recording contract they won on 2011's Sing-Off. Six months after Daft Punk went viral Sony finally came crawling back with a much better deal on Sony/RCA than the cookie cutter contract given to TV contest winners.
If he thinks this beat boxing is impressive. He might literally just die. 🤣
@@RMoribayashi Winning a Grammy tends to do that to record company executives, I've noticed. Gee, I wonder why.
One person who gets overlooked and denied a lot of credit is their producer, Ben Bram. Dude is a genius.
If you listen to their quarantine album "at home," they each recorded their parts separately, in their houses, without hearing the other parts- sent them to Bram and he mixed them beautifully. Largely in part bc he helped them all order mics that were best suited for their individual voices. His mixing is flawless. "When the party's over" is amazing and I still can't believe it was recorded during quarantine. It sounds like they made it in a studio.
Brian May of Queen posted a link to this video on his social media with the comment "Enjoy"
OMG YES!!!!! How freaking incredible it must be to see a FREAKING LEGEND do that for your career?? MAD RESPECT for Dr. Brian May
Brian May's exact words were (caps his) "GREAT VERSION. Enjoy." Can't get better praise than that.
I also read somewhere that the shots of the star filled sky was a nod to Dr. Brian May, too. Not sure if it's true but it makes sense if it is!
@@Mahiahtree i have heard that as well...and it does make sense!!! They took years to do this one because they wanted it to do the original the justice it deserved!!!
The only thing close was Heart doing 'Stairway to Heaven,' the night that Led Zep was honored at the Kennedy Center. Rock legends, preforming in front of Rock Gods, doing those Gods' best known hit, and knocking it out of the park. Kind of like SRV doing Hendrix. ;-)
Absolutely loved this reaction! :D “It sounds like there’s a bass!” That’ll be Avi!
Avi (bearded dude) left for personal reasons and was replaced by Matt. Both very good singers, both very different. Avi helped choose Matt to take his place in the group. All other members are the original line-up, they just change their looks from video to video. Can’t wait to see more
Personal reasons being the touring schedule being too much for him, and also his mother was very sick, rather than personal reasons being him having a personal falling out with anyone, yeah. (Just in case anyone wasn't sure.)
Actually, PTX held auditions and Matt auditioned and got the spot. The belief that Avi helped them find Matt is a myth that most of us have bought into (it *should* be true, right?) but it's still a myth. The one part of it that's based on fact is that Matt attended A Cappella Academy when he was a kid, and Avi was a primary mover in starting A Cappella Academy, so in that sense he helped to prepare Matt for his eventual position in Pentatonix.
This is why we Pentaholics show up. Watching someone who has never conceived of their level of a capella, and the fact that all 5 are musical geniuses...we watch you be blown away. Then, the obsession starts. They preform this live.
The panning you heard was a nod to Queen, they also used that technique. I don’t know if they were the first, but Queen utilized it. Finally, Brian May tweeted to all his followers the link to this video. Highest praise.
Us pentaholics don’t care if we can’t see the video. We want to see your reaction. I’ve seen this video hundreds of times
Most of us have seen this so many times, the blur is not an issue. We know where to find the official video, it's your reaction that counts. There really is no lead singer, like Mitch takes this one, but the others are featured in other videos. And everybody usually gets a part to shine no matter what they do.
The left and right channel at 2:36 is exactly what Queen did in the original, I love that they replicated that.
The rest of the panning throughout is also largely replicating what Queen did.
Our dearly beloved Avi (bass singer with beard) is no longer a member of Pentatonix, but he was central to the initial popularity of the group and the passionate devotion of Pentaholics. He left after six years for personal reasons, helping to select Matt Sallee to replace him. Avi left big shoes to fill, but Matt is such a great guy and superb talent that he's earned our love and respect, Pentaholics are an open-hearted bunch, as you are finding out.
You will notice that Avi, the original bass, has a completely different singing style and quality to his voice compared to the new bass, Matt. Avi has been known to blow speakers with how deep he goes on some of the songs. If you want to see his solo stuff, check on Change on the Rise.
If anyone gives you crap for blurring or pausing, ignore them. We are here to see your reaction, not the music video. If we wanted to watch the music video, we'd go to ptx and watch it there.
Keep up the great work :)
You are confusing his titles... he has an official video of Change On The Rise on RUclips but he also has a song out called Chains... both worth hearing.
@@gingerjohnson1095 Thanks! I knew it didn't sound right
I attended their concert in Denver on November 20, 2022. They performed "Hallelujah" early in the evening, when their voices were still fresh (unlike at the Hollywood Bowl concert, where it was their last song). The second verse had an arrangement I hadn't heard before, and I would *swear* that Matt's lowest note was as low as anything I ever heard from Avi, while his highest note was in the *tenor* range! Remember, Matt is the youngest member of Pentatonix, and the bass voice tends to continue developing over the years. I always knew he had a phenomenal talent (he's in Pentatonix, duh), but at this point he is nothing short of spectacular.
(I've since seen/heard the live feed of "Hallelujah" from the Hollywood Bowl concert. Same arrangement overall, and Matt reaches the same high note, but he didn't attempt that low note. And I don't have a trained ear so my observations aren't as reliable as I'd like. I would be *very* interested in any fan videos anyone got in Denver, or if they ever publish the live feed from their Denver performance, so if anyone finds that please let me know.)
I enjoy your reactions. You are a lot of fun to watch.
Mitch doesn't use the megaphone when they perform it in concert. He just uses the standard microphone.
As for metal songs, they did a pre-metal song on the Sing Off, the song that coined the phrase "heavy metal thunder", Born to be Wild. They were babies back then. Mitch missed his high school graduation to go to the audition. Kevin wanted to finish his senior year final exams at Yale so he didn't met the rest of them until the day before the audition. (yes, the Sing Off is like The Voice but only for a capella bands.
Did anyone mention that Kevin, the beat boxer, has a degree from Yale, was planning to go to medical school and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese?
Also his cello playing is ON POINT!!!!
Don't forget Cello and Saxophone both performed at Carnegie Hall!
I've been waiting for this. His first Pentatonix reaction blew up and I thought "there's no way he's passing on this opportunity"
These kids were so young when the group started recording (three of them were only 19), so their look has changed a lot over the last decade. You will love Daft Punk medley, for sure, and then I recommend their covers of Can't Hold Us and Gold. These will give you a sense of the versatility, creativity and sheer musical talent of PTX.
Welcome to the world of Pentatonix, or PTX for short. Get ready for a quick boost to your channel from their rabid fans who call ourselves “Pentaholics”. Here is a quick intro to the group.
PTX is a five member “a Capella” (without instruments) vocal band formed in 2011 for the NBC television reality competition show “The Sing Off”. The original members are “the trio”, who went to high school together in Arlington, Texas made up of:
SCOTT HOYING, (male, 6’3”, usually blond) who sings baritone, but has a wide vocal range and covers the bass line of songs when the normal bass is singing a lead.
MITCH GRASSI, (male, 5’10”, normally black hair but has changed body mass, wardrobe and hair style so much in videos he’s often mistaken for different people) who has an amazingly high range (contra tenor) that some mistake for a second female voice.
KIRSTIN MALDONADO, (female, 5’4”, natural hair color is black but changed it often in videos) who sings mezzo soprano and, for a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”.
Added to “the trio” for the show were:
AVI KAPLAN, (Male, 5’11”, long dark hair, beard, usually wears a knit hat of some kind) is a classically trained “basso profundo”. He provides the vocal bass line as well as added vocal percussion but often uses his upper registry to sing vocal leads in a number of arrangements. Avi is the ONLY member of the band that has change. He left on good terms in 2017 for reasons related to conflicting demands of the band’s touring schedule and his personal/family commitments. He assisted the group in finding his replacement Matt Sallee.
KEVIN OLUSOLA (male, 6’1”, black, changing hair style) known as “KO” was asked to join PTX to provide vocal percussion after Scott watched a RUclips video of him “cello boxing” (beatboxing while playing his cello). KO is the classic over achiever of the group. He plays Cello, Piano, and Saxophone all at concert levels. He graduated pre-med from Yale, speaks Spanish and spent over a year in China where he became fluent in Chinese. He sings Tenor but vocals were not his strong suite when he started so he worked with other band members and a vocal coach until while on tour he would perform the featured vocals in "if I ever fall in love", (originally performed by guest artist Jason Derulo for the album and video). He also writes and produces music both individually and for the group. So, KO is more than “just the beatboxer”.
The most recent member and the only change in the group’s membership is:
MATT SALLEE, (male, 5’9” black with usually close-cut black hair) who replaced Avi Kaplan in 2017 to provide vocals, vocal bass and percussion. Matt can be heard using his exceptional upper vocal range to provide a rich tenor/baritone lead often ending with a slide down to a deep bass punch.
Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches!
1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good.
2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen.
3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.
Enjoy the ride.
They've indeed covered a wide range of music styles - try out their version of Cohen's Hallelujah, Daft Punk for sure, Gold (original by Kiiara, which you should definitely listen to first!!), Lennon's Imagine, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Can't Hold Us, Havana, Attention, Evolution of Rihanna, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and their original songs Sing, Can't Sleep Love, Run to You and Love Again. They've also done a ton of Christmas music - the most spectacular arrangements, in my view, are Carol of the Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, and 12 Days of Christmas (which really showcases their range, you'll see :)).
Proceeds to list 10,000 more songs.. lol
Avi Kaplan (beard guy) was the original bass, and yes that's his voice. He left the group amicably around 2017 for family reasons and helped find Matt Sallee, the new bass you saw in Sound of Silence. That's the only change in lineup since the group formed.
PTX has an incredible library of content. Since you said it's hard to imagine how they do this, their cover of "Imagine" needs to be your next reaction.
Love Avi!!
It’s an internet rumor that Avi helped to find Matt. He played no part in it. PTX hired an outside company to do that. They knew in mid 2016 that Avi was leaving.
@@EliaKay1 You could tell they knew it was coming for a long time just by how normal Avi's parts had become. He stopped doing any overtone singing and effects, and we started seeing Scott really work on his bass. While Hallelujah is one of their top songs, I can't watch it without thinking, "they knew even back then." Because his parts had become something any other decent bass could step in and fill, and many of their old popular songs with his overtones could only be heard live in snippets of mashups.
@@lostrmntic yeah, he’d been unhappy for a long time and was rather vocal about that with his friends. While what he said in his leaving announcement was true, it’s only part of the story. There was a lot of acting going on that day.
@@EliaKay1 yeah, the disappearance of their 2018 original album spoke volumes about how their parting wasn't as amicable as everyone plays it off to be.
Thank you for reacting to this amazing Pentatonix video. Glad that you liked it. I have no problem with the blur. I've seen the video hundreds of times. If I wanted to see the original video, I would just go to the PTX channel. I'm here for the reaction, so Thanks. I look forward to more Pentatonix reactions. Subscribed.
Exactly! Totally agree!
Everyone will suggest Hallelujah - could be a good time for you to see a live piece - Hallelujah, from a Pentatonix Christmas Special. It has closer camera work, better to see how vocals are executed and blended :)
Of course no one can top Queen's version but this is my favorite cover of this song. They are so good I'm always amazed by them. Great response!
It's not just that they do it without instruments, it's that they do it so well. Pentatonix, Home Free, Voiceplay, and others have changed the game. You'll enjoy them all for what they bring.
Citizen Queen is also very good. 5 great female voices.
Welcome to the madness..the fantastic madness of Pentatonix. I'm a mother of metal heads from Alaska whose band opened for Suicide Silence.
You need to see Pentatonix from their beginnings on a talent show back in 2011.
The bearded guy was the original bass singer for the group. his name is Avi. He left PTX in 2017 and was replaced by the guy you saw in sound of silence. His name is Matt :) I love that you're discovering them for the first time!
So glad you reacted to this one! Just an FYI- the megaphone was a prop. Mitch does it in concert without one.
Avi (bass in this video with beard) is the original bass. He left in 2016, and Matt (bass in Sound of Silence) joined in 2017. That is the ONLY change. But Mitch and Kirstie change their look A LOT.
You might enjoy checking out ‘Can’t Hold Us’ and ‘Daft Punk’.
You were a year off on your dates. Avi left in 2017, Matt joined shortly thereafter as a temporary replacement, then joined as the new full-time member in 2018.
Great reaction!! We pentaholics love to see people see PTX for the first time. I’ve seen them perform this live. One of the best nights of my life! Mitch does not use, and never needed a megaphone. Kevin the beat boxer is a beast!. Check out Kevin Olusula’s cover of “Down”, not to be missed.
This was an earlier song, so Avi Kaplan is the bass. Matt Sallee took over bass in late 2017, but does not really show up in recordings until early 2018. Avi had some family things to take care of that were not possible with their heavy touring.
They also do 2 EDM songs - Daft Punk medley and Love Again.
You're gonna LOVE Daft PUnk, my friend. :)
You will be blown away by their "Evolution of..." videos. My fave is the Evolution of Michael Jackson, but each of them is a no-frills, one-take musical feast that highlights the expert pitch, timing, harmony and creative genius of the group. You have so much to enjoy yet... welcome to the PTX rabbit hole!
Hahahaha I made it before Sean?????. Yay!
Great reaction, everything I was expecting it to be when I, among many others, requested you do this one. I love the look on people's faces when Mitch hits the high note, then again when he does the "guitar" solo. The look on people's faces who haven't heard much modern beatboxing is pretty sweet, too, I have to say, when Kevin hits those tom-toms and the snap snare. Always fun.
Thank you for doing this one, can't wait to see what's next. Hopefully, Born to be Wild. I would love to hear what you think of their version, which is quite different than the original.
Oh, wait! I was going to answer your question, too. There was a member change, only one though, in 2017. Avi, the gentleman with the beard, decided that he needed to move on from the group. He is still missed and loved by all the fans, though we love Matt as well. Matt Salle is the newest member, though he's been with the group for four years now, to the group.
It's called the Grassi guitar. It does not take a megaphone. He only used the prop so the viewer would realize who was doing the guitar sound. I saw them do this live and no megaphone was used and it sounded fabulous.
Thank you for reacting to this one! It's a brilliant work of art! I'll always be back for more Pentatonix!
I live for first time reactors to PTX and you did not disappoint so obviously then I LOVE YOU!!🥰‼️ Also beautiful tattoos! I hope you keep doing Pentatonix, I’ll be here for all of them!! They’re wonderful people as well❣️
This is the kind of reaction I watch reactions for. True amazement at what Pentatonix can do. Pick any of their songs, and you will not be disappointed. And as many other commenters have suggested, Daft Punk Medley, is awesome. Also their Macklemore & Ryan Lewis cover of Can't Hold Us is a great one.
Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars, and Pentatonix is from Heaven. BTW - Mitch can make the lead guitar sound, heard here, WITHOUT the megaphone! I heard him do it live! :) If you have not yet heard of the acapella group HOME FREE, you have another rabbit hole to explore. You might start with End of the Road. They are equal to Pentatonix in talent.
I’m here for your ride! Wondering if you’ll ever get over that it’s just vocals. They are absolute artists.
Avi Kaplan is the original bass. He was with the group from 2011-2017. Matt Salee took his place in 2017 to the present
The base is Avi, he left the group awhile ago and helped them find Matt his replacement. Matt was the base in Sound of Silence, he had the white jacket on.
And, when Matt is singing lead, Scott (baritone) covers the bass beat. Welcome down the rabbit hole.
I can't see the video of Pentatonix that you are watching, but if it's the one with all members on the sofa, Avi Kaplan (bottom-right) is performing mainly the Bass sounds. Kevin (bottom left) is performing mainly percussion. Other sounds are produced from each of them, depending on the particular sound they want to use in the performance, and when they need to perform it.
Every now and then I STILL get overwhelmed by the fact that this stuff IS the human voice.. just boggles the brain!!
Pentatonix is always amazing. Who says the voice isn't an instrument? They once said they wanted to cover Babymetal, and Babymetal said they hoped it would happen, sadly seems not to come about. Been awhile.
The bass with the beard was Avi Kaplan, an original member. Check the date on the video. After 2017, he was replaced by Matt. Avi had to leave for family reasons and left amicably. Before he left, he helped the group choose a replacement. Matt is different than but technically and vocally as good as Avi was.
One of the great things about Pentatonix is that they try and make sure everything they do in their recordings is something they can reproduce in live performance. They never use autotune, rarely (if ever) overdub, etc. The only effect they really use on recordings or live is some reverb.
*****Important note**** Before you react to AHA! from the star vista in Singapore, know that while they are singing the more classical snippet, Kevin is putting away his cello bc he had just finished his cello boxing performance which he invented. It is now taught in schools called cello boxing. When Avi starts the really low note Kevin joins them.
The “guy with the beard”, Avi, left on amicable terms, and Matt joined to take his place. Kirstin and Mitch change looks frequently, so some people think they are different members.
Avi Kaplan the original bass is a classically trained basso profundo (lowest bass).He has several original works that are worth checking out. Starting with, Change On The Rise.
please react to Hallelujah both video and live version (Christmas Special 2016). Its breathtaking and you will see first hand the live performances sound ever bit as fabulous as the videos. Its just so hard to adjust to that fact but once you do you will understand why this band is so unique and special. This band is so supportive of one another. You can hear their individual voices but they blend so well with one another it just sounds heavenly. Please watch the older videos first so you get to see who they are and where they started from. Avi(the original bass with the beard) is no longer with the band but has his own solo career. He's my fav but they are all super. They won 3 Grammys while Avi was with the band. Please relax and enjoy the ride. They will not disappoint.
You should react to their Michael Jackson evolution, it's all in one take and they made an incredible work
The megaphone Mitch uses is just a prop. It is not turned on. Avi Kaplan is the bass singer. He left a few years ago & helped pick out his replacement, Matt Sallee. Listen to "Daft Punk" - "Hallelujah" - Mitch's solo, "Your Power"
The megaphone that Mitch is using is a prop only. He does the same thing live in concert without it. Yes, Kevin does the beatboxing (drums and symbols and of course Avi does the other sounds to assist Kevin in the drum and bass section). It's all done with their voices.
So there is this song called Hallelujah that they sing, and that is by far the best song they sing.
This is an older video with the original lineup including Avi Kaplan as Bass. He helped them find Matt Sallee when he left the group amicably for personal reasons. Matt Sallee was the bass in Sound of Silence. If you go back to the original song, Queen played around with the stereo effects. Stereo didn't become popular until the late '60s, so it was still being experimented with in the early '70s with songs like Baba O'Reilly and so on. I'm glad Pentatonix decided to stay that true to the original.
They have said in a interview that it took them 5 years to get the song right. And the megaphone was just a prob that was actually Mitch's voice. And it's been a while but I am absolutely positively loving your reaction to penitentiary it's refreshing and I can't stop my life
"Ya Like It Don't Ya!" ~Mitch Grassi Totally unrelated quote by one of the PTX members from a different song. Pentaholics will get it. Glad you loved their version of this classic song!
LOL, Welcome to the wonderous world that is Pentatonix! You are in for a FUN ride!! :)
It comes through different ears bc that's how Queen originally recorded it. I can't remember what the technical term is, but the result is that certain parts of their recording did that: different ears. The fact that PTX took the care to replicate that makes it even better for me.
OMG!!!!! First time i am FIRST to comment and i am so over the moon it was on one of your videos...you are such an amazing reactor!!! Your smile and your accent just SLAY me!!!! Please, please, please do not stop reacting to EVERYTHING!!!! Stay safe and healthy my friend and please keep smiling!!!
yeah u saw Avi's replacement Matt....Avi left to due family commitments and found his own replacement. Matt is also incredible...you have to do Daft Punk and Hallelujah, and Imagine...those are all earlier with Avi! SPOILER ALERT...Daft Punk won them a Grammy AFTER their record label dropped them...it was filmed in their apartment with a budget of $400 USD
@@taligeoghan7245 Avi played no part in finding Matt. That’s an internet rumor. Pentatonix hired an outside company to find Avi’s replacement. They knew Avi was leaving the group in mid 2016.
@@EliaKay1
No Ben Bram called Matt to come and audition for the group. He met them when he was in an Acappella group in High school. His group was in a competition and PTX performed for them all. There's a picture of Mitch wearing Matt's sunglasses.
@@yolandajones9844 that is true, but Avi had no part in choosing Matt as his replacement. Ben Bram played a part, yes. He convinced Matt to send in an audition tape for a project they were working on. Matt did not initially know it was for Pentatonix. No one who initially auditioned knew what it was for, they were blind auditions by invitation only. PTX hired an outside producer by the name of Tim Davis to coordinate the search for Avi’s replacement.
This is PTX' first true classic and it is just phenomenally done, from who sings what portion to how to handle the musicality to the innovation set and arrangement. Nigh on to perfect!
They are magicians. Simple as that. It's so fun to watch you discover this group and their wizardry! As long as you're already gobsmacked, would love to see you react to their cover of Can't Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
This video has the original bass Avi (black beard) when he left Pentatonix he helped them find Matt (bass in Sound of Silence)
You should see their version of Imagine by John Lennon
I am really enjoying watching a metalhead jam out to some great a capella! Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole friend!
I've watched this video sooo much that I can picture exactly what's happening with it all blurred out ha ha ha
The bass, the one with the beard, is Avi. He's the original bass. Matt came in when Avi went solo. Check out "Hallelujah". And then check out Avi's solo stuff. He's got one I think is called "Change on the Rise" it's phenomenal!!! Avi does all the parts, from what I'm told.
They just came out with a 90s dance medley. You should check it out 💕
Awesome. Thank you for sharing. More pentatonix please. More. More. More. I suggest their “Daft Punk” medley and their cover of “Can’t Hold Us” and “The Evolution of Michael Jackson.” Thanks!!!
I think you will appreciate Daft Punk as it is a medley of the songs of the group Daft Punk. They won their first Grammy award with this performance.
This is amazing to watch them do this live in concert. They are just out of this world talented!!!
Look up pentatonix born to be wild... they did it on the sing off a television show. The bass changed a few years back.
The guy with the beard is AVI, the original bass in the group. The Sound of silence bass is MATT.
Yeah, Avi Kaplan was the bass there. He was the bass until the end of 2017 when he had to step away because the touring schedule was too much for him anymore, combined with the fact that his mother was very ill at the time and said touring schedule wasn't letting him see her as often as he liked. Matt (dude in the white jacket in the Sound of Silence video) then became the bass from early 2018 on til today. Avi's still doing music (Check his "Change on the Rise" video, it's epic), but it's more lowkey and on his schedule, which leaves plenty of time for him to get out into nature and de-stress for a while.
The guy with the beard is Avi. He was the original bass singer. He was replaced by Matt half way through 2017. You heard Matt singing in Sound of Silence.
PTX!!! Yeah!!! 🤗
Great reaction. I used to sing and it is still mind boggling to me as well. The way they manipulate their voices is astounding. The percussion and bass fascinate me the most since I am naturally a soprano. :) as fat as metal goes, i don’t think they do any metal specifically. But when they were on the tv show, the sing-off, which they won, they did a rock week and did an amazing rendition of “born to be wild”. If you want to see their baby origins and some of their range, watching their performances from the show will def give you an idea of how good they were even in the beginning. They started off awesome and just got better and better and better.
The guy with the black beard is Avi. He's the original bass. Matt is the new bass that you saw in sound of silence.
That guy also sings electric guitar solos without the megaphone. While lying on his back. The megaphone is just a prop to let the audience know it's him.
The only change is the bass. The original was Avi Kaplan ( with the beard), but he left the group in 2017. Before he left, he helped the group decide on his replacement, Matt Sallee (the bass in Sound Of Silence). The group split on good terms as they understood why Avi stepped back. PTX has an insane tour schedule and Avi was flying home between concert dates to spend time with his mother who was battling cancer at the time. The constant travel just wore him down to near burn out and after leaving he spent nearly a year recovering while spending time with his family and writing. He chose to go in more of a folk direction that would allow him to play guitar and sing in more than his deepest bass. He is making appearances but at a much slower pace than PTX. His latest album is out and he is doing videos from it. Check out Change On The Rise for a taste of his current work.
Kevin, the beatboxer, sings tenor when he isn't using his mouth to beatbox and he plays the cello and saxophone too.
there is no other A Capella like Pentatonix.
Home Free would like a word with you ...
This video is older that The Sound of Silence video. Avi (black beard) was an original group member & vocal bassist. He left amicably in 2017 (🤔?). Matt who did the bass & 3rd verse in The Sound of Silence is now the vocal bassist replaced Avi in 2018 (🤔?) . With Avi’s blessing, of course.
They worked on this for 5 years! And when Brian May heared it he cried
I don’t even need to see the video and I can picture it. That’s how many times I’ve watched it/people react to it!
Interesting fact: Brian May the lead guitarist is an astrophysicist and hold a PhD thesis on speed of and light Reflection from dust in our solar system. He has consulted with NASA. When they show the sky with all the stars that's a nod to Doctor Brian May and there are four shooting stars because there are four people in Queen. I know that your rain has a problem grasping onto what your eyes and ears are hearing and seeing. But it is true they are at capella. The black gentleman is their beatboxer who occasionally sings. He is also a cellist and does is called cello boxing because he beat boxes while playing the cello. Apparently this has really caught on and other people are doing it. The bearded gentleman is Avi and he does the bass. When he's singing then Scott the blond takes over the bass. Please keep doing Pentatonix reactions and pentaholics will flock to you
Hey so yes Avi Kaplan(the one with the beard) left the group in 2017 to be with his family more and matt sallee (in the Sound of Silence video the far Left on) had taken over the Bass position from Avi.
Other than that the Crew is still the same
Kevin Olusola Beatbox and some times Cello
Mitch Grassi Tenor (the chamäleon) Tenor, first singer in this one
Scott Hoying Bariton (tall blond)
And Kirstin KIRSTIE Maldonado Mezzosopran
They Won three grammys
1. Daft punk Medley
2. Dance of the suger plum fairy
3. Jolene with Dolly Parton
I love your reaction to the megaphone reveal. It was like the first time I saw it.
PTX sound is perfect, absolutely. And Kevin is the string on which their voices can line up like pearls. And they have clearly the best voices on earth!
The original bass, Avi is in this one... he is the only one to have left the group (in 2017 and on good terms) and he found Matt for them, the one in Sound of Silence. Another great by them is HALLELUJAH (Leonard Cohen cover). Also DAFT PUNK, GOLD, IMAGINE... they have 10 years of incredible covers and originals as well. Their live performances are also wonderful!
DAFT PUNK by Pentatonix will blow your mind.
Admit it you are totally blown away...I was also...they are absolutely my favorite and the most talented group I've ever listened to
another Pentaholic in the making. You have soo many videos to catch up on. they won the third year of the show "the sing off"' you can witness the evolution of their group. there are a few new groups on the scene that are almost as good in my opinion, but A Capella will never be the same again. Kevin is the beatbox genius, and you havent lived till you see him in their version of "Shallow" beatboxing while playing the cello, the only time I can remember where they use a single instrument.
welcome to the rabbit hole, enjoy the ride
I am loving your reaction to PTX. They are incredible.
Welcome to the family of pentaholics. I know other comments have said that the megaphone is just a prop but what is more amazing to me is that in a recent live chat that they were all in one of the questions was for Mitch. They asked him how can I learn to make a guitar sound and because he's nuts he was thrown by that question. He started to say just listen to guitar solos then he said actually you know what I just winged It. And all the other members basically chimed in saying he can pretty much do anything.
Do you ever look at your Instagram DMs. I usually try to let my favorite reactors know if PTX is releasing a song or a video bc if you react to quickly you will get a lot more subscribers.
It’s wonderful isn’t it! Love your reaction to this and the last one.
Okay, I don't know whether you've heard the origin story about Pentatonix, so here goes. I'm assuming that by now you know who each of the members are.
Scott, Mitch, and Kirstie grew up in Arlington, Texas. Kirstie was involved in kid's community theater, where she met Mitch when she was 8, and they became good friends. Scott was involved in kid's community theater, where he met Mitch when he was 8, and they became good friends. However, somehow Scott didn't meet Kirstin until they were both 14 and in the same high school class, at which point they became good friends. Mitch attended the same high school, one year behind Scott and Kirstin. All three were in choir together, and they also formed a trio (named "The Trio" - I know, but they've gotten better with names since) which appeared at school functions and occasionally on local television shows.
Scott and Kirstin graduated in 2010, and each went away to college, Kirstin in Missouri and Scott in southern California, but after that first year of college they came back to Arlington because Mitch was about to graduate and Scott had an idea. There was a show on NBC named _The Sing-Off,_ a musical competition show for a cappella groups. The groups would perform numerous numbers throughout the entire season, and at the end of the season the winning group would receive $200,000 and a recording contract. Scott wanted The Trio to go on _The Sing-Off._ If they won they could stay together forever, and if they lost they'd still have gotten some publicity so it could be a good start for their individual careers.
Scott managed to convince Kirstin and Mitch, but they still had a problem. _The Sing-Off_ had a requirement that all bands must have at least five members, and The Trio obviously had only three members. Scott had met Ben Bram in southern California where he'd been involved with the local amateur a cappella community (Ben was the one who'd told him about _The Sing-Off,_ where Ben was a coach) and Ben suggested that the group would profit from having a rhythm section, so they needed a bass and a beatboxer. Ben knew Avi from the amateur a cappella community, so he recommended Avi for the bass, and Avi accepted. For a beatboxer they found Kevin celloboxing on RUclips (playing his cello while beatboxing). Their first rehearsal with all five of them was the day before they had to audition for _The Sing-Off._ Mitch had to skip his high school graduation ceremony to attend the audition. And the audition was a success; they were on _The Sing-Off._ There are RUclips videos of all their performances on _The Sing-Off;_ they are well worth watching, preferably in order so you can watch them improve over the season (that's season 3, 2011).
Eventually they won _The Sing-Off,_ with the $200,000 and the recording contract. And a week later the record label dropped them like a hot potato, saying that they didn't know how to market an a cappella band. So Pentatonix used the $200,000 as seed money. They lived frugally; they recorded themselves on their iphones anywhere they could find good acoustics (stair wells, parking garages, closets...), and they posted to RUclips, where they began to build up a loyal fan base. In a lot of their early videos we just see five very young people sitting together on a couch, singing their hearts out. So the moving couch in this video is actually taking them on a trip down Memory Lane.
Pentatonix has always loved Queen, and they've always wanted to cover "Bohemian Rhapsody," but they were afraid that they couldn't do it justice so they decided to wait until they were ready. That took them five years. After that they still had to come up with arrangements, rehearse, figure out how to motorize a sofa, whatever else has to be done in preparation for a new release; judging by the dates all of this took several more months, perhaps as much as a year. It was worth the wait.
The megaphone was not turned on; it was just something that Mitch saw lying around the set and he thought it would be a cool prop, so it's been confusing people ever since.
• The audio panning is from Queen's original version of "Bohemian Rhapsody"; Pentatonix wanted to make it as authentic as possible.
• The starry night sky is a tribute to Brian May, who has a doctorate in Astrophysics.
• The four shooting stars are for the four members of Queen.
• The scene near the end where they're all sprawled on the sofa is a reference to the cover art of Queen's _Sheer Heart Attack_ album.
• And Brian May posted a link to this video on all of his social media accounts with a single word: "Enjoy."
the sofa is a reference back to their days when they had to hustle themselves on RUclips. They'd won a recording contract, but been shuffled to the division that did 'greatest hits of yesteryear' and such crap like that. So that sat on a sofa in one of their apartments, with a single camera and some recording equipment, and sang. those videos are out there still.
As for the bits coming out on your left or right: have you never listened to the original on headphones? If not, then we are gonna need a react on that. You don't know the song as well as you think!
if you're surprised about Avi doing base here...(he left to go solo and was replaced by Matt Salee, the bass you saw in Sound of Silence)... you might wanna check out Tim Foust (from Home Free) and Geoff Castellucci (from VoicePlay) as well... these guys have been known to break speakers with how low they go... (try listening to their songs on a good sound system with a subwoofer... they really go low those guys)...
Another a Capella group you should check out is Home Free. They are more of a country group, but they do all kinds of music. Their fans call themselves Home Fries. A lot of HF fans are also PTX fans and have been referred to as PentaFries LOL. Songs from Home Free I would suggest starting with are: "Man of Constant Sorrow", "When A Man Loves A Woman", "End of the Road", "Country Fried Pop", "Butts Medley" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which was a collaboration with Peter Hollens.
Whenever you think you are ready for PTX, they swerve with something new and brilliant.
Your smile says it all.
I am not a Pentaholic. I do follow alot of acappella bands and Avi Kaplan separately.
Homefree has been very active during quarantine as has Voiceplay.
As this is your first video with Avi it should be explained that he can sound exactly like a bass including the slap or a cello for that matter in his lower register and had received awards for it from the ICCA prior to Pentatonix start where they had to modify the category to give it to him for what he does. Avi and Kevin composed the rythmn section of the band and got incredibly good at it. They also shared an apartment for years in L.A. and perfected it. Avi taught Kevin singing. Kevin was strictly an instrumentalist before Pentatonix.
Avi could also cover for Kevin when needed.
Because Pentatonix was the breakthrough group to do this they got very good at explaining the instrumentation techniques.
Also here is the behind the scenes on the filming of this.
Avi & Kevin demonstrate their "addition" to Telephone for the Sing-Off auditions where they got their start funny
ruclips.net/video/HFtM1pjOE_c/видео.html
Sing Strong Festival 2012
ruclips.net/video/xnbwR9sIOPI/видео.html
Spaulding Sessions
ruclips.net/video/at18d7Q0Pzw/видео.html
PTX master class ASU
ruclips.net/video/P3_Dp28FFmk/видео.html
Dutch radio station interview & singing
ruclips.net/video/3gnSTPT-2GQ/видео.html
Behind the Scenes PTX video
Bohemian Rhapsody
ruclips.net/video/Q8ugJnIG_Lk/видео.html
Avi Kaplan (the man with the black beard) is a very very low voice, and classically trained, and he fills a lot of the sound on the low end. He left for personal reasons and was replaced by Matt, the new bass you saw in Sound of Silence. That's the only member change the group has gone through to date. Glad you enjoyed this! I definitly recommend the daft punk video, and after you're familiar with that one, take a day you're feeling spicy and search up "daft punk private performance". if you see red plaid you're in the right place. That will really show you what five extremely talented voices can do. After that we should talk about other a cappella groups, because PTX isnt the only one out here blowing minds!