Face (a cappella group)
Encyclopedia
Face are a Boulder
, Colorado
-based "all-vocal rock band," or a cappella
group performing mostly rock music
. National appearances and awards include one of the eight original groups on NBC's premiere season of "The Sing-Off
" (2009), two-time Runner-Up and two-time National Audience Favorite at the National Finals of Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
(2005 and 2007), and Runner-Up for Favorite Pop/Rock Group from the Contemporary A Cappella Society
's Community Awards (2007). Based in Boulder, Colorado, Face has also garnered numerous local awards including Best Local Musician by Boulder Weekly's Best of Boulder Awards (2009) and third-place for Best Local Band by The Denver Channel's A-List Awards (2009).
in Boulder while singing with CU's In The Buff. Deciding that In The Buff wasn't exactly what they were looking for, Ben and DiMasi co-founded the award-winning Extreme Measures.
The success of Extreme Measures attracted bass J Forest Kelly and the core of Face began to form. Once they graduated, they began seeking members to fill out Face. It would be two years before the group was fully formed. Many of the group members were found by friends of friends. Mark Megibow had been performing since he was 6 years old but was in the midst of a 7-year hiatus until he got the call from DiMasi asking him to audition. During this time, the group included John Lawrence, Michael Daehnick, and Cody Qualls.
In 2003, Ryan Driver was introduced to the group. He added his voice and successful arrangements to the group as well as his longtime friend, Steven Ross. 2004 was a big year for Face. Ryan Driver, called Driver by his friends and fans, took a year to tour with the east coast's Almost Recess and later that year, Joseph left the group for other endeavors. In addition, Jayson Throckmorton was introduced to the group by more friends of friends and has impressed his fans with his tenor.
By 2005 the group had jelled. They saw success in the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
as well as other competitions. In the years to come they competed in Colorado
and California
, performed for Jimmy Buffett
and numerous politicians at the Bohemian Grove
, provided on-stage vocal accompaniment for Ballet Nouveau Colorado
's contemporary ballet
production face.2.face, performed in Las Vegas
, and are currently performing 80-90 times a year.Best of Boulder
They have released three CDs.
, getting before the celebrity judges, including David Hasselhoff
, however, they were eliminated and their segment never aired.Longmont Times-Call interview
television program The Sing-Off
, which premiered on December 14, 2009. Face was selected amongst hundreds of groups to compete. Having made it that far, Face performed "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi
and while the judges were impressed that they could "rock without instruments," it was not enough to keep them on the show. In particular, their lack of an upper range ultimately led to their elimination in the first round.
According to the New York Times
Boulder Weekly's "Best of Boulder" Reader Survey 2009
Best Band That Plays the 'Burbs
Yellow Scene's "Best of the West" 2008-2009
Audience Favorite
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007 Harmony Sweepstakes 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2005Harmony Sweepstakes 2005
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2004
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2003
National Runner-Up
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2005
Best Arrangement
Ben Lunstad, "O Fortuna" - Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007
Ryan Driver, "Home" - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Ryan Driver, "Harder To Breathe" - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005
Favorite Rock/Pop Group Runner-Up
Contemporary A Cappella Society Community Awards 2007
Regional Champions
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005, 2007
Best Stage Presentation
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Best Soloist
Ryan Driver - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Regional Runner-Up
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2003
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
-based "all-vocal rock band," or a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group performing mostly rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. National appearances and awards include one of the eight original groups on NBC's premiere season of "The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
" (2009), two-time Runner-Up and two-time National Audience Favorite at the National Finals of Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is an annual showcase and competition for a cappella groups of all vocal styles. The competition is organized into eight regional events across the United States, with each winning group advancing to the National Finals in San Rafael, California.-Festival...
(2005 and 2007), and Runner-Up for Favorite Pop/Rock Group from the Contemporary A Cappella Society
Contemporary A Cappella Society
The Contemporary A Cappella Society , or CASA, is a 501 charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was cofounded in 1991 by Deke Sharon by incorporating the first a cappella directory, The List, founded in 1988 & distributed...
's Community Awards (2007). Based in Boulder, Colorado, Face has also garnered numerous local awards including Best Local Musician by Boulder Weekly's Best of Boulder Awards (2009) and third-place for Best Local Band by The Denver Channel's A-List Awards (2009).
History
The idea for Face grew out of a university a cappella experience. Both Ben Lunstad and Joseph DiMasi had formed and performed with undergraduate a cappella groups. They met in grad school in 2000 at the University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado System
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
in Boulder while singing with CU's In The Buff. Deciding that In The Buff wasn't exactly what they were looking for, Ben and DiMasi co-founded the award-winning Extreme Measures.
The success of Extreme Measures attracted bass J Forest Kelly and the core of Face began to form. Once they graduated, they began seeking members to fill out Face. It would be two years before the group was fully formed. Many of the group members were found by friends of friends. Mark Megibow had been performing since he was 6 years old but was in the midst of a 7-year hiatus until he got the call from DiMasi asking him to audition. During this time, the group included John Lawrence, Michael Daehnick, and Cody Qualls.
In 2003, Ryan Driver was introduced to the group. He added his voice and successful arrangements to the group as well as his longtime friend, Steven Ross. 2004 was a big year for Face. Ryan Driver, called Driver by his friends and fans, took a year to tour with the east coast's Almost Recess and later that year, Joseph left the group for other endeavors. In addition, Jayson Throckmorton was introduced to the group by more friends of friends and has impressed his fans with his tenor.
By 2005 the group had jelled. They saw success in the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is an annual showcase and competition for a cappella groups of all vocal styles. The competition is organized into eight regional events across the United States, with each winning group advancing to the National Finals in San Rafael, California.-Festival...
as well as other competitions. In the years to come they competed in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, performed for Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
and numerous politicians at the Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove is a campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men's art club known as the Bohemian Club...
, provided on-stage vocal accompaniment for Ballet Nouveau Colorado
Ballet Nouveau Colorado
Ballet Nouveau Colorado , a contemporary ballet company based out of Broomfield, Colorado is the second largest ballet company in the state...
's contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet is a form of dance which incorporates elements of both classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique and use of pointework from classical ballet, although it permits a greater range of movement that may not adhere to the strict body lines set forth by schools of...
production face.2.face, performed in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, and are currently performing 80-90 times a year.Best of Boulder
They have released three CDs.
America's Got Talent
In 2008, Face auditioned for America's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, getting before the celebrity judges, including David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, however, they were eliminated and their segment never aired.Longmont Times-Call interview
The Sing Off
Face are featured on the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television program The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
, which premiered on December 14, 2009. Face was selected amongst hundreds of groups to compete. Having made it that far, Face performed "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and while the judges were impressed that they could "rock without instruments," it was not enough to keep them on the show. In particular, their lack of an upper range ultimately led to their elimination in the first round.
According to the New York Times
-
- Face delivered a pretty tasty rendition of the Bon Jovi anthem... How could these guys get the heave-ho, especially given that a whole other religious college is also represented in the final eight and that they had such a swell back story? One of the member’s wives couldn’t go through a pregnancy because of cancer, so the wife of another member carried the embryo for her.
Performances & Results
| Episode/Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | "Livin' on a Prayer Livin' on a Prayer "Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band... " |
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald... |
Eliminated |
Members
All of the men in Face are employed with full-time jobs and most have families.- Jayson Throckmorton - Jayson's passion, other than music, is for wine. He serves wine at a popular Denver bar.Face About Us
- J Forest Kelly - Forest is a massage therapist in BoulderBoulder, ColoradoBoulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He is married with one son.Meet Face - Mark Megibow - Mark works with Jewish teens and does leadership seminars. He is married with one son.
- Ben Lunstad - Ben is a biochemist and does many of Face's arrangements. He is married with a daughter and a son.
- Stephen Ross - Stephen is a music teacher at Skyline High SchoolSkyline High School (Longmont, Colorado)Skyline High School is a public high school in Longmont, Colorado. The school is part of the St. Vrain Valley School District. Current enrollment at the school is approximately 1260 students grades 9-12. The school mascot is the Falcon with the school colors being Red and Gold.- History :Built in...
in LongmontLongmont, ColoradoLongmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, U.S.AUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is married with one daughter. - Ryan Driver - Driver is an entrepreneur and owns his own ice cream shop. He is also apprenticing as a recording engineer at Sonic Audio Productions in DenverDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
Awards and Accolades
Best Local Band/MusicianBoulder Weekly's "Best of Boulder" Reader Survey 2009
Best Band That Plays the 'Burbs
Yellow Scene's "Best of the West" 2008-2009
Audience Favorite
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007 Harmony Sweepstakes 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2005Harmony Sweepstakes 2005
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2004
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2003
National Runner-Up
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2005
Best Arrangement
Ben Lunstad, "O Fortuna" - Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals 2007
Ryan Driver, "Home" - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Ryan Driver, "Harder To Breathe" - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005
Favorite Rock/Pop Group Runner-Up
Contemporary A Cappella Society Community Awards 2007
Regional Champions
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2005, 2007
Best Stage Presentation
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Best Soloist
Ryan Driver - Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2007
Regional Runner-Up
Harmony Sweepstakes Rocky Mountain Regional 2003