Christmas Music Joke

The voices of Straight No Chaser: Local members talk about a cappella group's ...

Since a cappella group Straight No Chaser’s performance of “Twelve Days of Christmas” mashed up with Toto’s “Africa” became an Internet video sensation 3 1/2  years ago and got the group signed to Atlantic Records, it has performed across the country and toured abroad twice.

But it was in January that musical director Walter Chase and lead singer Jerome Collins say they discovered they would be playing the show they look forward to more than any in their career so far — its Aug. 11 date on the new Sands Steel Stage at Musikfest.

Chase, a Forks Township native, and Collins, originally from Allentown, grew up with Musikfest being a significant annual event in their lives, and this will be their first hometown show.

In recent telephone calls -- Collins from New York City and Chase from a visit to his father’s home in Allentown – the men spoke about the group’s career so far, its future, and what it means to be playing Musikfest.

LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC: Hey  Jerome, how’s it going?

JEROME COLLINS: “Hey, John. Long time, no talk. How you doing, man?”

I was just looking at our archives here at the paper, and this might be the fourth time I’ve interviewed you.

“I know. We’re working on first-name basis here, man.”

[Laughs] You guys are going to play Musikfest in Bethlehem.

“Oh yeah. Oh man, that’s a dream come true. It’s one of the places that, growing up, I spent a lot of time  wishing that one day, ‘Hey, I’m going to be able to be up there, and people are going to watch me onstage.’ When I first got that call, I can’t begin to tell you the excitement that came over myself and the rest of the members. Some of the guys – Walter being from Easton – they just knew that this was going to be the end-all, be-all for us. A dream come true for us.” (Continues)

And this is essentially the first time Straight No chaser has played the Lehigh Valley per se, right? I’ve seen you in Reading, but …

“We’ve been all the way around, but this is the first time really actually in the greater Lehigh Valley, so it’s going to be fun to be there. Now this is really truly my back yard. So it’s going to be a lot of fun — lot of family, lot of friends. Cannot well.”

Yeah, and I gotta tell you — you guys are selling pretty well, too. There’s only Maroon 5 and Steely Dan selling better than you. You guys are No. 3 of 10 acts.