Cyndi Lauper. Madonna. Huey Lewis. The News. The year was 1984, and these
were the false gods to which America's music industry was praying. True to
George Orwell's nightmarish vision, America's misguided youth was drowning its
sorrows in cocaine and Bananarama, and it looked as if Bob Dylan was forever
skidding down the icy mountain road of obscurity. All the land was cloaked in
darkness. But there was hope.
In a tiny college town on the shore of Lake Erie, shielded from the evil
culture of the coasts, a scrappy band of latter-day hippies was hard at work,
brewing a powerful elixir to cure the nation's ills. They called it "A Kapp'lla,"
which is Maori for 'crab cake'. It could transform the most blatantly uninspired
trash-pop into vocal music which was equally cheesy, but in a new and exciting
way. These lovable misfits called themselves "The Obertones."
Generations have passed since "The Founders" went their separate ways and
faded into legend. But lo, the ancient order of Obertones lives on today, still
nurtured by the shining citadel of Oberlin, the very town that gave it birth so
many years ago. As each summer passes into fall, a new host of superhuman
candidates are selected and subjected to rigorous training, so that they may
replace those whom the world so cruelly stole away the previous spring. In this
way, the Obertones will never die. The man may die, but the Obertone lives on in
a new body.
Today, A Cappella has spread throughout the nation, and few remember how it
all started. But the Obertones press on. They embark on yearly spring tours,
attend competitions, and enrich the lives of Oberlin students with their
unswerving devotion to excellence. As Oberlin's first, best, and only male A
Cappella group, they tirelessly carry the torch of A Cappella across the land,
so that future generations may bask in its warm glow.
for loving and nurturing us:
our families, our schools, the town of Oberlin, and the female first-years which
comprise 80% of our audience.
for supporting us in our
conquests:
our generous donors, and
you, the moneyed consumer (see our discography!)
send questions, comments, or unmarked U.S. legal tender to:
Oberlin Obertones
Box 19
135 West Lorain Street
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH 44074
