I've been a bass singer for over 30 years and can say, Geoff is one of the best I have ever heard. He has a resonance to his voice not many bass singers can match. Plus, his non-lyrical basslines are beyond impressive.
@@johndeeregreen4592 I hear you. I think PTX is an extremely talented group, and I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate them, but I just can't get into their stuff. I'm not sure how to explain why, but the closest I can come to it, is they feel too "commercial" or something to me. But I think it's great they have so many fans, and wish them well in their careers.
VoicePlay is far and away the most versatile and creative with their performances (in my humble opinion). They do everything from Disney to rock ballads, they’re serious and they’re hilarious, and they never miss. Home Free is my “listen to in the car” group for their consistent vibe across their songs, Pentatonix is a little too commercially pop for me? But VoicePlay is my “sit down and enjoy the experience” group, and def my fave.
I think that's a very good description overall. It's not like any of them are better or worse, but the flavors are different and you description feels sort of right. In a way, I think pentatonix is also more acapella for non acapella-fans/broader audience? Whereas Voiceplay is more for nerds of all different sorts, be it music, theater, lighting etc. Homefree being cozy country music.
Geoff & Layne are the only guys still left from the original group that formed in 1997. They were named 4:2:Five back then and began straight out of High School. Eli joined them in 2010, by which time they were then known as VoicePlay. J None came in a few years later. He is now listed as featured because he has left the group to sing for the US Navy, but performs with them often when he comes home on leave (like this one). Cesar came in after J None left in 2021. They work with a lot of featured artists as their Tenor 1 left in 2020 and they have never really replaced him. Not only did he have a very unique voice, but he had been with Geoff & Layne since Middle School. I think they just enjoy having multiple options available for that higher voice. And really, Both Eli & Cesar can sing Tenor 1 when needed. They stopped touring when Covid shut everything down and now concentrate on music videos. They are completely independent. Arrange and produce the music and videos themselves, with help hired usually only for actual camera work, the final audio mix and whenever they have extensive makeup. Whomever arranges the song is also responsible for the rest of the video. Most of their stuff was arranged by Geoff or Layne, but Eli has done a few as well. Eli is also their lighting and computer background guy. Truthfully, they are all so insanely talented visually as well as musically that it hardly seems fair! Subscribing to watch your journey down the rabbit hole. And I would be remiss to not mention that you probably should check out Geoff's solo channel (Geoff Castellucci) as well. He has a 5 octave range and harmonizes with himself, usually including a visual representation of himself for each part. We call them the Geoffettes or his clones. He also plays piano and 'plays' the other instruments you hear on his tracks by midi. Geoff uses his solo channel to experiment more with instrumental sounds. Highly suggest "16 Tons" and "I See Fire". But really, everything on either channel is great.
Ah that rabbit hole. I actually created a piece of art where words go down in a spiral. It says: Voiceplay magic, feel the pull. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
You’ve been missing out, VoicePlay is the best! Their arrangements are always complex and creative as are their productions. There are a few like this one that are more chill but most are more dramatic and theatrical. Some of my favorites are Hoist the Colours, Dream On, Seven Nation Army, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, In the Air Tonight, Warriors… and so many more. Oogie Boogie’s Song was the first one I saw of theirs and I was hooked. They are truly incredible!
@@KaaSerpent I’m thinking the Decepticon Soundwave….only retired from being a bad guy and trying to pass as human. The whole beatboxing thing would suit someone who’s alt form is a tape cassette. He’s not making those sounds, he’s playing them back. Somehow that seems nearly as plausible to me as Layne actually being able to do what he does. 😏
That has been a good song to introduce you to Voiceplay... Musically. 😁 But they are known as "the theatre kids of a cappella", and this one doesn't really show much of their "acting". Yep, this is, IMHO, one of their most unique characteristics: they don't just "sing", they kinda LIVE what they're singing, and convey a whole lot of emotions through that. AND they have a very good sense of humour 😅, which wasn't on display here. 🙂 I'd suggest you to try "one song per genre" in their repertoire, and I'd say that a good list could be as follows: - Either "Halo theme" (watch it to the end... It's worth the while) or "The Dragonborn comes - Skyrim", for their "gamers soundtracks" niche; - "I can't make you love me", for their emotional side; - "Valhalla calling" (or "My mother told me") for their "vikings stuff"; - "Wicked medley" for their "Broadway medleys" corner; - "We don't talk about Bruno" (or "Little Mermaid medley") for their Disney inclination; - "Either one among "Oogie Boogie Song", "This is Halloween", "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" for their "Nightmare before Christmas" obsession; - "In the hall of the Mountain King" to see what they can do with a piece of instrumental, classical music (from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt"); - "Hoist the colours" (from Pirates of the Caribbean 3) or "Drunken Sailor" for their Sea Shanty passion; - "You're a mean one, mr. Grinch" for another "Christmas-ish" song 😅. Geoff has his own channel, which is another nice rabbit hole. If you'd like to check it, I'd begin from "Far over the Misty Mountains cold" and "I see fire", respectively from the first and second movie of "The Hobbit" trilogy. 🙂 Subscribed in anticipation for more a cappella stuff. 🙂 Oh, BTW, Voiceplay and Home Free are friends since they were in the same season of "Sing Off!" and toured together for about two years afterwards. They collaborated a few times in different ways. Geoff credits Tim for teaching him about the "growl" technique, Geoff arranged HF version of "Elvira", Rob of HF was featured in a couple VP videos... They're friends and respect each other a lot. 🙂 See you next time!
Aren't they amazing?!? 😲 ❤ Voctave - Major competition choir; Pentatonix - traveling a capella group setting the bar for the others; Home Free - the "good ol' boys" of a capella; Voice Play - Drama Dept of a capella! And they're all awesomely fantastic! 🤗💞
All so talented. My order of preference is Home Free & Voice Play almost equally. Pentatonix - although I don't follow them very closely, there are several of their covers that I cannot resist. I liked them better when Avi was still a member. Voctave is lovely, but I haven't subscribed because the choir style just doesn't push my buttons.
Their cover of Creep is also epic. This is only the second time Layne has brought out his violin - first time was Warriors and won him the name VioLayne. Geoff's range is 5 octaves. Eli can sing down to A1 if needed for backup while Geoff is taking a lead. Cesar is supposed to be the baritone - but he took the high note in Dream On. So yeah, they all have crazy ranges. As a result, their harmonies tend to wind around each other in a way that's unusual. They do it all - this one was arranged by Geoff. They set the creative vision and do their own videos and editing. If you want to hear them REALLY cut loose both theatrically and on an exclusively instrumental piece - listen to the cover Layne arranged/directed for Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King. No lyrics, but great story telling and all a cappella.
Don't be thrown off by their brief use of a musical instrument in this rendition. It is not something they normally do, but it seemed the best way to pay respect to the original.
VoicePlay are the "Theater Kids" of the big acapella groups - they tend to do a lot of creative stuff in their videos. You could check out their Moana medley, We Don't Talk About Bruno, or Little Mermaid medleys if you like Disney, or their Wicked or Greatest Showman medleys if you like musicals. They're a fun group with some remarkable singers, and definitely have their own unique vibe.
Ah, don't forget "Phantom of The Opera”/with one of their older line-ups, as it has Tony Wakim rather than J None. Tony and Layne now co-own "Pattycake Productions," the channel that does Disney based stuff. It gives Voice play and edge when it comes to video productions! Not that they need it, because as we see in this video they are just as awesome simply sitting on stools, singing!
Voiceplay always pays homage to the original but will never do a copycat version. Geoff has said, Why do something that someone else has done. If they can't add something, they walk. They create a karaoke version of their pieces, and that is what they frequently play for the outro. Geoff wrote the arrangement with the solo being sung, but asked Layne, who is a great violinist if he could do it. To see the theatric side, try The Dragonborn Comes/Skyrim. Even if you are not a gamer, you will be impressed, I promise. Next their version of Phil Collins In the Air Tonight. They produce a new cover every month. Totally independent, no label, no manager, complete artistic control. Usually Geoff and Layne trade off arrangements month to month, and Eli has begun arranging, too. Whoever does the arrangement does everything, plans the costumes, set, makeup, camera, production, everything. Final mix is done by Ed Boyer who also works with Pentatonix and Home Free (pretty sure on that one). Subscribed in anticipation of more Voiceplay!
So glad that you guys enjoyed this cover! This is one of my favorite songs of theirs, it is just perfect imo. I will give you a bit more background on the group (though I'm sure that a lot of people have done the same haha). They are made up of 4 members as you know which are Geoff Castellucci, Layne Stein, Eli Jacobson, and Cesae De la Rosa. Geoff is the bass of the group. He is one of their main arrangers (this one that you listened to today was one of his) and also has a 4 or 5-octave range. He does have his own channel where he does some of his own solo work. Layne is the beatboxer of the group. He is another main arranger of the group. He co-owns PattyCake Productions with Tony Wakim (who is a former member of the group). They film most of their videos in that space. Eli is the tenor of the group. He also does some of the arrangements (his most recent is "Creep originally by Radiohead). He is mostly known as a "rock tenor" because he is really good at going up into that range. He just has a crazy range in general. Last is Cesar, who is the baritone/tenor of the group. He is the newest member of the group who just joined in 2021. He is really expressive in all of their videos. They are known as the theatre kids of acapella. They put a lot of work into their videos with all of the work that they do for the set, lighting, costumes, and makeup. They are also all amazing at really acting out the songs and showing the emotions of the songs that they do. Some of my recommendations for what songs to check out next are "Drunken Sailor", "We Don't Talk About Bruno", "Wicked Medley", "Valhalla Calling", and "Dream On". I am so glad that you guys have reacted to them! I have subscribed for more Voiceplay and acapella reactions!! Thanks so much for the amazing reaction❤
Long comment is long: Hi! Welcome to the glory that is VoicePlay. Be prepared for a floodgate of subscriptions. I, like many here, subscribed immediately when you did a second Voiceplay video. You seem like you're about to go down the rabbit hole and I, for one (and all the rest of the VoicePlayers) are going to absolutely live for your reactions as you get to know the guys, the group's story and their endless supply of wonderful music. They release at least one full length song per month, sometimes two. They also produce 1 to 4 'minis', just shorts that are excerpts of songs. VP is entirely independent. They arrange, film concept, set design and building, edit, first mix, production, lights... all of it is them (PattyCake Productions which is listed a lot of the time, is run and owned by Lane Stine, a current VP member and Tony Wakim, a former VP member). Songs go off for a final mixing by Ed Boyer, who does the mixing for the 'Big Three' acapella groups - VoicePlay, Home Free, and Pentatonix - as well as so much more. They also do not copyright claim their videos as they actively enjoy reactor interactions. The band's members have changed slowly over time, but if you look at the thumbnail for their cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, the individuals from left to right are: Geoff Castellucci - The Most Marvelous Bass Singer. Pronounced "Jeff" not "Gee-off." He, himself, has a 5 octave range, and his current lowest note is a B0... there are only two notes lower than that on the Piano. J. None - Baritone Perfecto and former member of the band who is serving in the Navy at the moment, but who gets together with the guys for another song whenever he can. Absolutely stunning smooth, warm voice. Eli Jacobson - Rock Tennor Sans Compare. The name is pronounced like the feminine name Ellie, rhymes with Jelly, and is short for Eliezer not Elijah. Watching his voice and skill develop over the years has been an absolute delight. Cesar De La Rosa - Baritone/Tennor Extroidinare. Cool voice, smooth smile, Incredibly theatrical and wonderfully entertaining. Layne Stein - Boundless Human Synthesizer. Or maybe an alien. He's got it all. Drum kit, brass section, throat bass, and an ability to create sounds you would *swear* are not possible to create by human mouth and throat. They are. Layne proves it. Also an excellent violin player. Former Members that you're likely to see in older videos: Tony Wakim - former bass - now co-owns PattyCake productions with Layne Earl Elkins Jr - former high tennor (Tennor 1) - stunningly high voice, left for personal reasons In addition to the band's regular members, in nearly every video, you'll see a guest featured. Common appearances are DeeJay Young, Omar Cardona, J.None(for now technically a guest feature, but most of us consider him still a member.), Rachel Potter, Anthony Gargiula, and Jose Rosario, Jr. Before I get to recommendations, it's worth noting that although not all of their older songs have them, most of the stuff from the last couple of years has captions, though it usually takes a day or so after the videos are posted for them to be added. Turning on the captions is worth it because sometimes there are funny notes (see VP's cover of Nighmare Before Christmas's Oogie Boogie Song for a prime example) Similarly, it's always worth it to to watch the video credits. On occasion there is something to see during the credits (See Hellfire, Drunken Sailor, or Hall of the Mountain King for the best examples here). ---------- That all being said, and with the note that everything they've done is really, genuinely worth watching, here are my "These First!!!" recommendations: If you like ..... You should check out their cover of: Metallica ..... Nothing Else Matters* Pirates ..... Hoist the Colors, Drunken Sailor* Vikings ..... My Mother Told Me, Valhalla Calling* Video Games ..... Enemy*, The Dragonborn Comes*, Halo Theme, Still Alive, Minecraft Theme(mini) Sea shanties ..... Wellermen* Nightmare Before Christmas ..... What's This, Kidnap the Sandy Claws*, Oogie Boogie Song, This is Halloween* Disney Movies ..... Moana Medley*, Little Mermaid Medley, Hellfire*, We Don't Talk About Bruno*, Friends on the Other Side*, Go the Distance, Frozen 2 Medley, Hellfire* Musicals ..... Wicked Medley, Timewarp(mini), If I were a Rich Man*, Greatest Showman Medley BTS ..... Butter* Panic! At the Disco ..... Panic in 4 minutes - parts 1 and 2, Death of a Bachelor + The Billie Eilish in 3 Minutes* is a prequel to the Panic in 4 Minutes, and together they are a three video series. Halloween ..... Hide and Seek*, Superstition, Hall of the Mountain King*, Grim Grinning Ghosts Christmas ..... Christmas Don't Be Late, You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch, Mission: Jingle Bells, Baby It's Cold Outside*, O Little Town of Bethlehem, This Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, O Holy Night Generally Being Awed and Amazed ..... Seven Nation Army, Creep, Man in the Mirror, In the Air Tonight, Eleanor Rigby, In My Room, Dream On, The Heart of Life, Survivor (Zombies vs Hillbillies, with fellow Acapella Band Home Free), Boy Bands in 5 Minutes, Tennessee Whiskey, I Can't Make You Love Me, Golden Hour, Bang, The Bones, Cary On My Wayward Son, Queen in 5 Minutes *LITERALLY ALL OF THESE, CONSIDER THIS WHOLE SECTION STARRED* ---------- I've starred a few favourites, and it's also definitely worth noting that if a song has lyrics, especially a bridge, that isn't in the original, Geoff Castellucci almost always is the one who writes it. If I didn't star it, it's still excellent. Even if I didn't list it, it's still amazing. These are just the ones that stand out to me as things I want to see reactors... well, react to. Finally, Geoff also has a solo career, and his videos are here, too. I'd suggest, in no particular order House of the Rising Sun, Ain't No Sunshine, Sixteen Tons, Jack's Lament (Nightmare Before Christmas), God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, White Christmas, The Sound of Silence, Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold (The Hobbit), I See Fire (The Hobbit), and Ghost Riders in the Sky.
Voiceplay is so creative and vocally talented... you can't put them in a box, because they do every genre! Try Seven Nation Army, Hoist the Colors, The Dragonborn Comes, Queen in 5 Minutes, If I Were a Rich Man... and so many more. Also, Geoff has a solo channel and has some amazing music there. Much like Tim Foust, he has a 4± octave range.
They did this one in early January this year 2 days off from my birthday. It is spectacular. The group started to get together in middle and then high school. Their first name of the group was 4:2:Five back in 1997. As some of the group left for their futures, Layne (baritone), Geoff (bass but wanted to be a tenor) and Earl (high tenor retired from VoicePlay 3 yrs ago) remained. Scott Porter (beatboxer) left for an acting career, Mykal (baritone) left for Broadway. Layne wanted that beatboxer position and Geoff taught him what he knew of vocal percussion and Layne picked it up fast and never looked back. He is one of the best of vocal percussion. They picked up Eli (who had gone to a nearby school and knew each other through competitions. After school, Eli joined a couple of rock/metal bands. He joined VoicePlay in 2010. Tony Wakim came on as the baritone until he decided he really wanted to get into production. He and Layne bought a studio which serves as the primary but not exclusive, studio called Pattycake Productions, for VP and Geoff's solo work. J None was brought on to replace Tony. The group was invited onto the Sing-Off same season as Home Free and also did two tours with the Sing-Off, world travel and more. The members live in Orlando, and I think all of them have done work for both Disney and Universal as well as other theme parks. They know the power of theatre, costuming, staging and more because of that and have brought in a lot of that for most of their videos.They did not opt for contract manager company as they wanted to maintain all the creativity in house. Up until very recently only Geoff and Layne alternated a video project, only one was responsible for the arrangement, camera work (hired some work), pre-mix audio, final mix is the great Ed Boyer who handles final for all the best acapella groups, costuming, staging. Arrangements are sent out to the group, critiques come in, finalize everything. Eli does all the lighting, computer generated programs, green screens and is now joining Layne and Geoff with a turn at full project. He recently did Creep (RadioHead) and it's great. The 3 guys will be taking turns at the projects. J None was recruited hard by the US Navy Chorus and he has completed over half of his 5 yr stint. When he left he said he'd be back and came back for Friends on the Other Side (Princess and the Frog), Nothing Else Matters, Valhalla Calling (Miracle of Sound), In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Hellfire (Hunchback of Notre Dame). Cesar was brought on with Earl and J None gone (hear his final audition with VP, We're Good (Dua Lipa). VoicePlay has lots of great singers that they can call on to fill in the #5 slot. Some of my favorite songs by them: a post-apocalyptic trilogy done over 3 yrs - Warriors (Imagine Dragons), Dream On (Aerosmith) and Seven Nation Army (White Stripes), try Dragonborn Comes Skyrim, In the Hall of the Mountain King (Edvard Grieg 1875), Hoist the Colours (Pirates of the Caribbean), Wicked (Broadway), Little Mermaid (Disney), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt), Queen in 5 Minutes, Boy Bands in 5 Minutes, Drunken Sailor.
If you want energy from VoicePlay, go for "Valhalla Calling." It's a Viking epic! I was ready to ride off to war after listening to it, lol. Great reaction! I really enjoyed watching y'all react to this. It was like I was seeing it for the first time again. ❤
J None was a full member, but he is currently doing a hitch in the Navy. He "guests" whenever he can at present, and will most likely return as a full member after. Suggestions, they do a lot of Disney. I could suggest The Little Mermaid Medley, or Hellfire, from The Bunch back of Notre Dame. Rock, would be Creep or Dream On. Geoff has his own line. I would send you to Ain't No Sunshine. As you go down the Rabbit Hole with Voiceplay, you'll meet a couple old members. Earl Elkins and Tony Wakim, who have both left the group for other pursuits. Cesar is the newest member, so he was missing from these older vids.
This is one of only two songs where "VioLayne" makes an appearance, the other being their cover of Warriors. They are indeed still making music! Recommend in particular their covers of Hoist the Colours, We Don't Talk About Bruno, Valhalla Calling, Creep, The Wellermen, Drunken Sailor, and Seven Nation Army, but anything in their catalog is well worth a listen. Ditto for Geoff's solo channel, where you will find among other things his excellent versions of Ghost Riders in the Sky, Sixteen Tons, The Sound of Silence, and Jack's Lament. (ETA: Goodness, how did I forget to mention his take on I See Fire?) Looking forward to more VoicePlay reactions!
Always love a new reaction to Voiceplay and his majesty, the king of bass, Geoff Castellucci!!!!! You MUST listen to some of his solo (well, with himself) songs!
I personally prefer Voiceplay, I used to listen to PTX a lot when Avi was a part of the group, but I guess I just drifted away from listening to them after a while. I found Voiceplay in June and still going strong in listening to them. They have been helping me artistically actually. I also use Valhalla Calling as a motivator when cleaning.
.....and now you are on your "VoicePlayway" of no turning back. The beauty with VoicePlay is that no matter who is featuring in the group, they always fit in. I believe it's because when they sing, they help eachother to shine. When you're listening to VoicePlay, you don't know what you are going to experience. Their reportoir is just about anything. They'll do pop, rock, metal, ballad, musical, classical, halloween, christmas, movies, game and everything in between. They arrange all their music and produce all the videos, by themselves.
oh man. subscribed for the VoicePlay rabbit hole! my favorites: Hoist the colors, Oogie Boogie song, Hide and Seek, Hall of the Mountain King, My Mother Told Me/Valhalla Calling
I find it doesn't matter what Voice Play does, they do it with their own flare. They always pay homage to the original but will never do a cookie cutter cover. They have a very wide range from rock to Disney. Welcome to the Voice Play rabbit hole and by extension Geoff Castellucci. Enjoy!
PTX uses violins an cello in radioactive and a few other tunes. Voiceplay are the theatre kids (although this is their LEAST theatrical cover), Home Free are the country guys, and PTX is a whole lotta Christmas. My fave VP song is Valhalla Calling, which is a cover of the video game theme from one of the Assassin's Creed episodes. This was a nice review because you were able to compare to the original Metallica version.
One of the most beautiful and artistic Pentatonix videos is Over The River, with Lindsay Sterling dancing like a princess w/her violin & Kevin playing cello! It's not just music. It's absolutely art! 🎨 ❤
Lulled you in, didn't they; they have an ability to re-interpret songs in their arrangements because they do their own arrangements and video production and bring their vision to life. Every member has an incredible range and they feature guests to fit the song. If you're familiar with the play, their Wicked medly is exceptional; likewise their Hoist The Colors is a great adaptationof the Disney piece. Done during lockdown, My Mother Told Me is a complete vibe and they later followed it with Valhalla Calling (which is total theater and mind blowing.) For nore straight a Capella there is Bang, Tennessee Whiskey, True Colors and my favorite I Can't Make You Love Me. Enjoy the ride!
Thank you both for a great reaction to Voice Play. Please do a reaction video to Voice Plays cover of Hell Fire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Geoff the bass singer takes the lead as the evil Minister Frolo. Voice Play are known as The Theater Kids of Acapella. You will love it. Please please do a reaction to it.
Great reaction and loved the assessment at the midpoint and your reaction to VioLayne!! I love Nothing Else Matters as the introduction to #Voiceplay. Not too crazy and it shows off their skills. Now we get to blow your minds with Valhalla Calling, Hellfire, Seven Nation Army, Creep, Warriors, Dream On, Hoist the Colours, Hall of the Mountain King, Drunken Sailor, Dragonborn Comes, Halo Theme, Oogie Boogie, ... buckle up!! It's going to be a fun ride!! And others have already commented and done a great job with the group's history and that they arrange and produce everything themselves. And do check out Geoff's solo channel!! Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole!!
If you want to see/hear their dynamic ranges, may I suggest listening to “Oogie Boogie Song” and “Hoist the Colors”; although you can’t go wrong with any of their arrangements.
I'm glad you guys were able to react to this song as your first. The guys are amazing. Out of all 3 groups you mentioned VoicePlay is basically the theater kids of the 3 groups. You should check out Valhalla Calling. It also has J. None as a guest for the song.
This USUALLY isn't one of the first songs that people react to from Voiceplay... Their Disney and Nightmare before Christmas songs are. Character voices and mashups were their bread and butter for a long time... I suggest "Friends on the other side" and "Phantom of the Opera" (and about 30 others) for that. Fun Fact: Tim (Home Free) and Geoff work together on their bass craft and they competed in the Sing Off the season that Home Free won. Avi (PTX) and Home Free have worked together in a couple of songs. The fanbase of all 3 groups find each other early and you'll find a lot of Voice-Frie-Aholics in the comment section.
VoicePlay #TheattreKidsOfACapella.They do about 95% of everything you see and hear. They are still going and trying to put out a video once a month. They are amazing and cover everything from this Matalica to Disney. They do tend to go more of the Theatrical. Last month they performed on stage with Chicago in Atlantic City. J.None was a member but joined the Navy in 2021. So now he is a featured guest when he's home on leave. Geoff Castellucci has his own channel where he does his own low-bass covers. Home Free and VoicePlay were on The Sing-Off together and are friends. Tim Foust and Geoff are so funny. The two groups have done things together.
Voiceplay goes so hard in every aspect of their craft, from harmonies to arrangement to studio design for their videos, costuming, lighting, literally everything. And they do almost all of it in-house, just their group and family in some cases. Definitely check out more of their work, and be double sure to look for Geoff's solo work too!
Great reaction Bars & Barbells. You do need to do a deeper dive into what Voicplay is all about. You should also check out Geoff's solo stuff as well like Sixteen Tons or Ghost Riders in the Sky.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Voiceplay! Down the rabbit hole we go! Be prepared for a wild and wonderful ride! And wait until you see them in their "Theater Kids" vibe! I'm subscribing just to see you being amazed by Voiceplay. Especially in "Valhalla Calling" and "Hoist The Colors!" Also, expect your subscriber numbers to go up!
VoicePlay never fails to surprise and delight. "Creep," "7 Nation Army," "Warriors," "Halo," "Carry on Wayward Son," "Superstition," "We don't talk about Bruno," "Unchained Melody" just to name a few of their stellar display of versatility and incredible talent.
So glad you guys finally got to VP! They do everything and are like Home Free in that they also have a lot of fun and can make fun of themselves, etc. Like it's said, each group bring their own flavor to the table, but I have to admit VP is my favorite! Violayne (his nickname, he doesn't do it often--but has played in other songs from time to time). Will be watching for more VP reactions! If you want to hear another "instrumental" heavy (actually only) song, there is In the Hall of the Mountain King. But not sure what you'd like to hear more (rock, stage, Disney, nerd, etc.), but I'd suggest a mix of styles and songs so you can get a great feel for them as a group. My favorites are Hoist the Colours, Mr. Blue Sky, and almost anything they've sung, lol.
An additional thought on VoicePlay... you'll surely get a lot of suggestions. Mine is to do "In the Hall of the Mountain King." It's from an orchestra score for a play in the late 1800's. Youu will likely recognize the melody when you hear it. HERE is the teaser... it is a cappella with no instruments AND no spoken words (lyrics). It's all Dum-dum dums and oohs and other vocal sounds. It's one of their "theater" pieces in full makeup. It's certainly a unique acappella performance!!
Welcome to the VoicePlay rabbit hole!!! You will never be the same. Also Geoff does his own Low bass solo work where he sings ALL the parts. I came to VoicePlay thru Geoff’s cover of 16 Tons. My first VP was Hoist the Colors. Again, welcome and enjoy the ride!!!
I really appreciate your first reaction to them, very complete. They have GREAT covers Valhalla calling, creep, in the air tonight, lots of Disney covers (my favorite I will go the distance) Once you listen to more of their songs I’m sure you’ll be putting them right up there with PTX and home free. For me, they are THE best of the best.
Voiceplay is a whole another world in Acapella! James Hetfield of Metallica Said this was the Best cover he and the Band has ever heard and is their Favorite.
They have done so many amazing songs and a very wide range of styles. If you want to hear Geoff front and centre in a voiceplay song they recently did Hellfire from the Hunchback of Notre Dame with him as the lead. Creep will make you cry and features Cesar heavily. We don't talk about Bruno and Hall of the Mountain King show the more silly side of them and then there is Dream on and Seven Nation army which show case a couple of their regular guests and some amazing voice effects. Just to name a few.
Congratulations, you've now completed the Acapella Triumvirate with your intro to VoicePlay! Pentatonix is the straight acapella group, Home Free is the "country" group, and VoicePlay are the "theater kids," most of them having worked in the Orlando entertainment complex at some point in their lives. Enjoy the ride and keep on keepin' on!
A few things they pretty much have the same tempo of Nothing Else Matter and the same length, Metallica is known for their long intros. With Geoff one of my Fav Voiceplay songs where he shines is for me Oogie Boogie Song they did as a cover and Geoff has his own channel as well and he does great work there too !
If you're adding VoicePlay/Geoff Castellucci to your reaction lineup then I'm for sure subbing. Well, I have already actually. Can't wait to see more. 🙂
These guys blow my mind every time they do something new. And they cover alot of different genres. You guys should check out carry on wayward son, dream on, and creep. For soundtracks i recommend Hoist the colors, if I were a rich man/ girl, and we don't talk about Bruno. And that is just the beginning. Geoff has his own channel. If you really wanna see his vocal range, check out over the misty mountains cold, I see fire (sequel to misty mountains cold), and house of the rising sun. Good luck falling down this rabbit hole and happy holidays. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Glad to see you starting to look into Voiceplay ! I enjoyed your reaction to this - which to me is one of their masterpieces. They are awesome - almost as good as Home Free ! They definitely enjoy more 'theater' in their work. For an example, I recommend their track 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', among many others.
VoicePlay's arrangements tend to have a lot of genre diversity. The poster child for this is probably Mountain King, but in general a lot of their arrangements throw in unexpected genre elements at various points to change things up so it doesn't get too repetitive. You didn't see it in this video, but they're also voice actors (all of them, but especially Eli), which really comes out in some of the animation-derived videos; the best example of that is probably This Is Halloween. Another thing you didn't really see here is their theatricality... So yeah, they're versatile. And yes, they are still making music. Typically they release a full video every 3-6 weeks, and sometimes shorts/minis/loops in between times, plus Geoff releases something on his own channel now and again. (J and Cesar and Layne also have channels of their own but don't release very often.)
Genre versatility plus them doing almost everything themselves - from arrangement to production etc. AND their vocal abilities are what makes them stand out for me. Their rock covers are amazing and my favourite (In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins, Wayward Son - Kansas, Seven Nation Army - White Stripes, Creep - Radiohead, Kiss - Prince etc). They also do every genre in between. Couple that with a fun sense of humour and ace human beings and you have a winning combination. VP is still going but have not toured post pandemic. However, they did play with the legendary Chicago last month (live) and it was awesome. If anyone can, VP can. Enjoy this fantastic rabbit hole!
Voice Play is very talented and perform various genres of music. They live in Florida and perform many Disney covers (We don't talk about Bruno from Encanto, several medleys, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.). They're gamers, so they do many of those type of covers (Dragonborn comes, Halo, etc.). So, yes, Voice Play is considered the "Theater kids of A Capella" and normally dress up the parts incredibly well. Geoff's wife, Kathy, does most of the costuming.
Well - found you guys with this reaction - Voice Play is amazing! I love HF, PTX & VP all. Serious side check out Creep. Fun look at Oogie Boogie or Little Mermaid. But - no matter what you pick - they are all fantastic!
VoicePlay is my favorite out of Home Free & Pentatonix. Try checking out these songs by them: Valhalla Calling (my favorite), Seven Nation Army, Hoist the Colors, The Dragonborn Comes, If I Were a Rich Man, Dream On, In the Air Tonight, Warriors. Then Geoff has his own channel which has some great music as well.
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole! So many great videos!! Dream On is another good rock ballad. Geoff had his own solo work where he sings all parts. His version of 16 Tons us awesome. Hall of the Mountain King is another world. Valhalla Calling is a Viking song. Some if their best videos are from Nightmare before Christmas. Have fun getting your minds blown. It's like they are not just one group but constantly reinventing themselves with guest stars helping along the way.
@BARS & BARBELLS You were talking about who sings what parts in VoicePlay, like who is the Bass? and who is the Tenor? With VoicePlay, there is only ever one answer to any of those questions and the answer is: Yes. No, seriously, they all have ridiculous range. Geoff Castelluci (the bass singer with the long hair) has a 5.5 Octave Range. He can go from Earthquake Inducing Bass to Mid-Rock-Tenor with ease. Eli (the bald guy with the glorious beard) is VoicePlay's resident Rock Tenor. He lives in the High Tenor Range (we're talking Steven Tyler "Dream On" Range). However, he can, if need be, and especially with "Morning Voice," sing Bass. Layne Stein (the Vocal Percussionist) is, generally, a Tenor when he sings, but he can also go Bass if need be (check out VoicePlay's cover of Hellfire to hear that). J. None, the guy to Eli's right (left on your screen) is a Baritone that has the range to go both Tenor and Bass if need be. He's currently serving in the Military so he's not currently part of the group and guests from time-to-time when he's in town. He intends to return to the group when his tour is over. What does he do in the Military? He's the Military's Bass Singer for their group. So yeah, this Baritone's Day Job is singing Bass for the Military. Then we have the newest member of the group, Cesar de la Rosa. He's, technically, a Baritone, but he can sing as high as Eli. If you want a prime example of Cesar, go watch/listen to VoicePlay's cover of "Dream On." Cesar sings Steven Tyler's part. Yes, he sings the scream. So everyone calls him a BariTenor. He's actually listed as such on VoicePlay's Official Website. So yeah, they all have incredible range and can cover any part that is needed. Their Range Flexibility is what allows Geoff to take the Lead and go Tenor for some songs because, literally, any of them can take over the Bass Line for Geoff. The aforementioned "Hellfire" Cover is the prime example of this as Geoff is the Lead Singer for that song. As such, he's not on the Bass Line for most of the song despite singing in the Bass Register for most of the song. Layne, I believe, takes the Bass Line when Geoff takes the Lead, then Geoff takes over the Bass Line when one of the others takes the Lead for a line or two. It also would not surprise me if J. None takes the Bass Line when Geoff takes Lead while Layne needs to lay down the Vocal Percussion. Like I said, their Range Flexibility is ridiculous. It basically allows them to sing anything and sound incredible doing it. Oh and yes they still make music. They just released, a couple days ago, their Christmas Song for this year: a cover of the "Mean Girls" version of "Jingle Bell Rock." They also do concerts and live performances. In fact, they recently, like a couple months ago, did an A Capella set with the group "Chicago" as one of "Chicago's" guests. So yeah, "Chicago" invited them to part of the concert and Geoff, as Geoff does, blew them away. Well they all did, but you can see the visible reactions to Geoff when he goes Subwoofer Mode live on stage. "Chicago" were so impressed, they gave VoicePlay a unanimous standing ovation at the end of the set (they were all sitting down for the set, but VoicePlay being VoicePlay stood up to vocally flex at times). "Chicago" sang Background Vocals and their drummer pulled out, like, a set of Bongos or something to provide Percussion to back up Layne. I think their Lead Guitarist pulled out his Acoustic Guitar to provide Guitar backing as well. But yeah, it was, primarily, an A Cappella set designed to showcase VoicePlay, which was incredibly magnanimous and kind of "Chicago" to do. And yes you can find this on UA-cam. But yeah, VoicePlay remain incredibly active in music. If you guys love A Capella, you need to dive into some Voctave. Especially if you like Disney Music. The bulk of them work for Disney as they sing with a group called "Voices of Liberty" that sings at Disney World. The majority of their covers are Disney Covers as that is what they are most familiar with. They don't have a Vocal Percussionist, but they don't need one as they have 11 Members so they always have a full sound even without one. Their technical prowess is INSANE. In my opinion, Voctave and VoicePlay are, currently, the pinnacle of A Capella. Another group you should check out, if you have time, is The Bass Gang. They are, as their name suggests, all Bass Singers. But they all have ridiculous ranges. Heck, one of them (Peter Barber) is a Bass Opera Singer who is currently studying and touring so Opera is, as we speak, his Day Job. Another member (Tomi P) has a Whistle Register. You read that right. Tomi P is a Bass Singer with a Whistle Register. Their Manager, Casper Fox (who they did a collab with them for their Christmas Song this year) is a ridiculous Tenor and bears checking out as well. The Bass Gang and Casper are both relatively new to the A Capella scene, but they are crushing it and are definitely ones to watch! Oh also, if you love Geoff Castelluci, you should check out his UA-cam Channel and give his Solo stuff a watch/listen. He really shows off his range. He's an insane arranger. He arranges a lot of VoicePlay's stuff. In fact, he arranged what you just watched/listened to aka "Nothing Else Matters." Fun Fact: Geoff wrote the Guitar Solo as A Capella, but it wasn't sounding right so he turned to Layne and was like, "Hey Layne. How about busting out VioLayne for this?" And Layne was like, "I can do that." So Geoff actually re-wrote the Guitar Solo as a Violin Solo for Layne in mid-recording.
My favorite Voiceplay songs are Valhalla calling and Hellfire. Also check out oogie boogie and on Geoff on his own Jack's Lament, sixteen tons Far over the Misty Mountains
You are in for a wild ride in this rabbit hole😊 Buckle up! Any genre any time. Disney to Metallica and everything in between. True genius talent. They do it all themselves. Have fun!
Enjoy falling down the VoicePlay rabbit hole! EVERYTHING they do is fabulous. One of my top favorites is their cover of Go The Distance from Hercules, which is the first song of theirs I ever heard (I came into acapella via barbershop, and UA-cam served me their version after I'd listened to several barbershop quartet versions). Their more theatrical stuff is also outstanding, many others in these comments have named excellent choices, but I like My Mother Told Me and their Queen in 5 minutes videos. But you can't go wrong. I always like their covers at least as much as the originals, and often I highly prefer theirs. In fact, I used to hate Radiohead's Creep, but VoicePlay changed that for me and I love their version...they changed it from a whiney incel song to a deeply introspective one. Their talent is amazing -- enjoy!
Loved yalls reaction. New sub to your channel. VoicePlay is my favorite out of the A Cappella groups. I would loke to suggest listening to their cover from Aerosmith "Dream On" & Imagine Dragons "Enemy". My personal favorites are Hoist the Colours, Creep and Seven Nation Army. You honestly can't go wrong with these guys. Top Tier. Looking forward to hearing more of you two. Stay Blessed!!
Where Home Free is country, pop, R&B, etc. and Pentatonix is pop, main stream, etc., Voice Play does more rock... (I highly recommend their version of Dream On) These guys are fantastic together and I love this rendition. As you can see (and hear) theses guys excel at making a song "theirs". Loved your reaction... I see more Voice Play in your future :P
Glad you got to see Voiceplay. I think you will really enjoy their videos as you see more. Great job on knowing and hitting spot on each member. That alone is impressive. Have a great new year and wish you happiness and success in it.
Your reaction and analysis was just great. Loved it. I strongly recommend listening to either Valhalla Calling or Hoist the Colours next. Also, Geoff does solo stuff on his channel. He has a 5 octave range and layers himself doing all the parts. 16 Tons is a fun starting spot for Geoff but all his stuff is amazing.
So much to say. So many VoicePlay covers, but their cover of “In the Air Tonight” is awesome. Violin in acapella: Check out Pentatonix “Radioactive” featuring Lindsey Stirling. Geoff’s vocal range: check out his covers of these: “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, “Sixteen Tons”, “Fulsom Prison Blues”, “Far over the Misty Mountains Cold”. Really cool productions and Geoff does all the arranging, vocals, filming (check the credits).
VoicePlay and HomeFree both cracked the a cappella line about the same time, VP using a violin here and HF using a guitar in "So Long Dixie". I sometimes could swear they give each other a heads up when they're up to something; the two groups seem almost synchronized. (Tim and Geoff are pretty friendly.) Personally, I'd like B&B to check out Geoff Castellucci's solo channel as VoicePlay-adjacent. He does most of their arrangements, I think, anyway. "Ain't No Sunshine" and "House of the Rising Sun."
Geoff Castellucci has a 5 octave range. From a B0 to an A5. In Valhalla Calling, he does a 15 second B0. Anything that Voice Play does, they will never disappoint! Geoff Castellucci has his own channel. Watch his Jack's Lament cover from The Nightmare Before Christmas. You will be blown away by his range in that one.
Great reaction, Sam and lovely Phil😂. Even though i am a Home Fry, Voiceplay did an amazing job on this. We are very lucky to have 3 talented acapella groups that we can listen to whenever we like.
This was one of the first songs that got me hooked on VoicePlay! As a Metallica fan who doesn't usually care for cover songs I was shocked at how great this was.. The arrangement is brilliantly awesome!! Hope you keep checking them out and the solo channel of Geoff, it is pretty amazing too. They cover a lot of different styles, just pick one you think you'd enjoy. Another personal favourite of mine is Hoist the Colours.. Thanks for the reaction!
So, Geoff, the bass singer, has a range of five full octaves. So he can casually just bring down the house with his subharmonic awesomeness just as easily as he can reach up into tenor range and sing some harmonies. Layne is the most amazing beatboxer/violayne player I've ever heard, Eli is AMAZING, I absolutely love him belting notes. Ceasar has the sweetest most... I'm not really sure how to qualify his voice it's innocent and sexy and yearning and just really awesome. and J None is freaking amazing as well. He sings bass with the navy choir and can reach as high as the lead falsetto with 'the lion sleeps' that they just released.
Voiceplay formed the group in 1997 under the name 4:2:Five. Geoff Castellucci, Layne Stein, Earl Elkins Jr, Scott Porter and Mykal Kilmore were the original members.
VoicePlay is in a category of its own. They don’t just sing, they Play out the visual. One of my favorite songs by them is “Creep”. I did not like that song until I heard their version. By the way, Eli did the arrangements on this song. It is all amazing - harmony, vocals, visuals. Anthony Gargiula who joins in this song has an amazing and almost unbelievable voice. I keep hoping they will bring him on permanently. I kind of wonder if they don’t think he is too powerful for all of the songs. He certainly can belt it out beautifully! I find it impossible to believe you could not love this group. I’m going to subscribe to see your journey. I love PTX and Home Free. I thought I could never have a third favorite group. I don’t mean they are my 3rd favorite. I mean I have three favorites. It’s like having a favorite person - one to go places with, one to watch movies with and one to cry and laugh with. They are different flavors of A Cappella. I’m glad you did not give them points off for the violin. They usually don’t have musical instruments. However, PTX even occasionally has KO’s cello or Scott plays the piano. Home Free adds a harmonica. JUST JOKING! I know Adam is the harmonica. VoicePlay has the best shorts! They are not just snippets taken out of recorded videos. They are made especially for a short. They are beautifully done with the singing and harmonies but the best part is the acting! Cesar is adorable! They all seem to love the acting out part. They make me smile! Thanks for the reaction. It was a fair reaction for someone new to VoucePlay. I think you will appreciate them and their abilities after going a bit deeper. I’m looking forward to taking that journey with you. This will be fun. In the in between time I will check out your PTX and Home Free reactions.
I've been a bass singer for over 30 years and can say, Geoff is one of the best I have ever heard. He has a resonance to his voice not many bass singers can match. Plus, his non-lyrical basslines are beyond impressive.
Yes! It's totally worth checking out Geoff Castellucci's solo stuff too.
He is great, yet Avi Kaplan is the best overall for me.
Me too! And I think they've got the best beat boxer.
@@monimoni305, Avi is number 2 for me, even though I cannot stand PTX, to be honest.
@@johndeeregreen4592 I hear you. I think PTX is an extremely talented group, and I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate them, but I just can't get into their stuff. I'm not sure how to explain why, but the closest I can come to it, is they feel too "commercial" or something to me. But I think it's great they have so many fans, and wish them well in their careers.
VoicePlay is far and away the most versatile and creative with their performances (in my humble opinion). They do everything from Disney to rock ballads, they’re serious and they’re hilarious, and they never miss. Home Free is my “listen to in the car” group for their consistent vibe across their songs, Pentatonix is a little too commercially pop for me? But VoicePlay is my “sit down and enjoy the experience” group, and def my fave.
I think that's a very good description overall. It's not like any of them are better or worse, but the flavors are different and you description feels sort of right.
In a way, I think pentatonix is also more acapella for non acapella-fans/broader audience? Whereas Voiceplay is more for nerds of all different sorts, be it music, theater, lighting etc. Homefree being cozy country music.
Geoff & Layne are the only guys still left from the original group that formed in 1997. They were named 4:2:Five back then and began straight out of High School. Eli joined them in 2010, by which time they were then known as VoicePlay. J None came in a few years later. He is now listed as featured because he has left the group to sing for the US Navy, but performs with them often when he comes home on leave (like this one). Cesar came in after J None left in 2021. They work with a lot of featured artists as their Tenor 1 left in 2020 and they have never really replaced him. Not only did he have a very unique voice, but he had been with Geoff & Layne since Middle School. I think they just enjoy having multiple options available for that higher voice. And really, Both Eli & Cesar can sing Tenor 1 when needed.
They stopped touring when Covid shut everything down and now concentrate on music videos. They are completely independent. Arrange and produce the music and videos themselves, with help hired usually only for actual camera work, the final audio mix and whenever they have extensive makeup. Whomever arranges the song is also responsible for the rest of the video. Most of their stuff was arranged by Geoff or Layne, but Eli has done a few as well. Eli is also their lighting and computer background guy. Truthfully, they are all so insanely talented visually as well as musically that it hardly seems fair! Subscribing to watch your journey down the rabbit hole.
And I would be remiss to not mention that you probably should check out Geoff's solo channel (Geoff Castellucci) as well. He has a 5 octave range and harmonizes with himself, usually including a visual representation of himself for each part. We call them the Geoffettes or his clones. He also plays piano and 'plays' the other instruments you hear on his tracks by midi. Geoff uses his solo channel to experiment more with instrumental sounds. Highly suggest "16 Tons" and "I See Fire". But really, everything on either channel is great.
Ah that rabbit hole. I actually created a piece of art where words go down in a spiral. It says: Voiceplay magic, feel the pull. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
I feel like Eli counts as a tenor 1 at this point.
💯
@@viverefren Eli counts as ALL the tenor at this point! He can do everything!
Excellent summary, Hwyla! 😊
You’ve been missing out, VoicePlay is the best! Their arrangements are always complex and creative as are their productions. There are a few like this one that are more chill but most are more dramatic and theatrical. Some of my favorites are Hoist the Colours, Dream On, Seven Nation Army, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, In the Air Tonight, Warriors… and so many more. Oogie Boogie’s Song was the first one I saw of theirs and I was hooked. They are truly incredible!
thing is each video is done by a member, from start to finish i believe just one or two are a collab between 2 members
@ Yes, typically Layne of Geoff but on rare occasions Eli, a colab or Rob Dietz.
If you want your brain to be melted by the beatboxing, I suggest their cover of Seven Nation Army. I am convinced that Layne is not entirely human.
Yeah, he gave himself away in that one. The first sound he makes is clearly a transformer transforming. 😁
He is a weredrumkit.
@@KaaSerpent I’m thinking the Decepticon Soundwave….only retired from being a bad guy and trying to pass as human.
The whole beatboxing thing would suit someone who’s alt form is a tape cassette.
He’s not making those sounds, he’s playing them back.
Somehow that seems nearly as plausible to me as Layne actually being able to do what he does. 😏
More than meets the Eye@@Gael4ce
IIRC Him and Geoff are two of the three founders of the group. And they both excede human ability. Hmmm......
That has been a good song to introduce you to Voiceplay... Musically. 😁
But they are known as "the theatre kids of a cappella", and this one doesn't really show much of their "acting". Yep, this is, IMHO, one of their most unique characteristics: they don't just "sing", they kinda LIVE what they're singing, and convey a whole lot of emotions through that. AND they have a very good sense of humour 😅, which wasn't on display here. 🙂
I'd suggest you to try "one song per genre" in their repertoire, and I'd say that a good list could be as follows:
- Either "Halo theme" (watch it to the end... It's worth the while) or "The Dragonborn comes - Skyrim", for their "gamers soundtracks" niche;
- "I can't make you love me", for their emotional side;
- "Valhalla calling" (or "My mother told me") for their "vikings stuff";
- "Wicked medley" for their "Broadway medleys" corner;
- "We don't talk about Bruno" (or "Little Mermaid medley") for their Disney inclination;
- "Either one among "Oogie Boogie Song", "This is Halloween", "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" for their "Nightmare before Christmas" obsession;
- "In the hall of the Mountain King" to see what they can do with a piece of instrumental, classical music (from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt");
- "Hoist the colours" (from Pirates of the Caribbean 3) or "Drunken Sailor" for their Sea Shanty passion;
- "You're a mean one, mr. Grinch" for another "Christmas-ish" song 😅.
Geoff has his own channel, which is another nice rabbit hole. If you'd like to check it, I'd begin from "Far over the Misty Mountains cold" and "I see fire", respectively from the first and second movie of "The Hobbit" trilogy. 🙂
Subscribed in anticipation for more a cappella stuff. 🙂
Oh, BTW, Voiceplay and Home Free are friends since they were in the same season of "Sing Off!" and toured together for about two years afterwards. They collaborated a few times in different ways. Geoff credits Tim for teaching him about the "growl" technique, Geoff arranged HF version of "Elvira", Rob of HF was featured in a couple VP videos... They're friends and respect each other a lot. 🙂
See you next time!
I second all of those suggestions. I subscribed now too, in anticipation of all the great reactions to come. 😄❤
Agree with all of this 💯 per cent!, Davide !! 😊
Valhalla Calling is up next!
@@barsandbarbells2022 Making popcorn already 😁
Geoff is talented as hell. VoicePlay has some great performances for sure.
Aren't they amazing?!? 😲 ❤
Voctave - Major competition choir; Pentatonix - traveling a capella group setting the bar for the others; Home Free - the "good ol' boys" of a capella; Voice Play - Drama Dept of a capella! And they're all awesomely fantastic! 🤗💞
Yup! Love all of them different types of songs/vibes.
All so talented. My order of preference is Home Free & Voice Play almost equally. Pentatonix - although I don't follow them very closely, there are several of their covers that I cannot resist. I liked them better when Avi was still a member. Voctave is lovely, but I haven't subscribed because the choir style just doesn't push my buttons.
I would add in The Bass Gang. But then again I do have a bit of a crush on Peter Barber.
Voiceplay for me. Their harmonies, arrangements that they write are oustanding, their humor and their theactricality put them on the top tier for me.
Their cover of Creep is also epic. This is only the second time Layne has brought out his violin - first time was Warriors and won him the name VioLayne. Geoff's range is 5 octaves. Eli can sing down to A1 if needed for backup while Geoff is taking a lead. Cesar is supposed to be the baritone - but he took the high note in Dream On. So yeah, they all have crazy ranges. As a result, their harmonies tend to wind around each other in a way that's unusual. They do it all - this one was arranged by Geoff. They set the creative vision and do their own videos and editing. If you want to hear them REALLY cut loose both theatrically and on an exclusively instrumental piece - listen to the cover Layne arranged/directed for Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King. No lyrics, but great story telling and all a cappella.
Don't be thrown off by their brief use of a musical instrument in this rendition. It is not something they normally do, but it seemed the best way to pay respect to the original.
Like HF, they can all sing lead! Eli and Cesar can sing a baby to sleep at 7pm and front a rock/metal band at 9. So much talent in this group.
Geoff is next level. Never heard any bass like his. Love this homage to Nothing Really Matters, very powerful. 🔥
VoicePlay are the "Theater Kids" of the big acapella groups - they tend to do a lot of creative stuff in their videos. You could check out their Moana medley, We Don't Talk About Bruno, or Little Mermaid medleys if you like Disney, or their Wicked or Greatest Showman medleys if you like musicals. They're a fun group with some remarkable singers, and definitely have their own unique vibe.
Ah, don't forget "Phantom of The Opera”/with one of their older line-ups, as it has Tony Wakim rather than J None.
Tony and Layne now co-own "Pattycake Productions," the channel that does Disney based stuff. It gives Voice play and edge when it comes to video productions! Not that they need it, because as we see in this video they are just as awesome simply sitting on stools, singing!
@@DravenGalDo ya remember Paul Stanley playing the role?
@@williamyates694 Which role?
Voiceplay always pays homage to the original but will never do a copycat version. Geoff has said, Why do something that someone else has done. If they can't add something, they walk. They create a karaoke version of their pieces, and that is what they frequently play for the outro. Geoff wrote the arrangement with the solo being sung, but asked Layne, who is a great violinist if he could do it.
To see the theatric side, try The Dragonborn Comes/Skyrim. Even if you are not a gamer, you will be impressed, I promise. Next their version of Phil Collins In the Air Tonight.
They produce a new cover every month. Totally independent, no label, no manager, complete artistic control. Usually Geoff and Layne trade off arrangements month to month, and Eli has begun arranging, too. Whoever does the arrangement does everything, plans the costumes, set, makeup, camera, production, everything. Final mix is done by Ed Boyer who also works with Pentatonix and Home Free (pretty sure on that one).
Subscribed in anticipation of more Voiceplay!
So glad that you guys enjoyed this cover! This is one of my favorite songs of theirs, it is just perfect imo. I will give you a bit more background on the group (though I'm sure that a lot of people have done the same haha).
They are made up of 4 members as you know which are Geoff Castellucci, Layne Stein, Eli Jacobson, and Cesae De la Rosa. Geoff is the bass of the group. He is one of their main arrangers (this one that you listened to today was one of his) and also has a 4 or 5-octave range. He does have his own channel where he does some of his own solo work. Layne is the beatboxer of the group. He is another main arranger of the group. He co-owns PattyCake Productions with Tony Wakim (who is a former member of the group). They film most of their videos in that space. Eli is the tenor of the group. He also does some of the arrangements (his most recent is "Creep originally by Radiohead). He is mostly known as a "rock tenor" because he is really good at going up into that range. He just has a crazy range in general. Last is Cesar, who is the baritone/tenor of the group. He is the newest member of the group who just joined in 2021. He is really expressive in all of their videos.
They are known as the theatre kids of acapella. They put a lot of work into their videos with all of the work that they do for the set, lighting, costumes, and makeup. They are also all amazing at really acting out the songs and showing the emotions of the songs that they do. Some of my recommendations for what songs to check out next are "Drunken Sailor", "We Don't Talk About Bruno", "Wicked Medley", "Valhalla Calling", and "Dream On".
I am so glad that you guys have reacted to them! I have subscribed for more Voiceplay and acapella reactions!! Thanks so much for the amazing reaction❤
Long comment is long:
Hi! Welcome to the glory that is VoicePlay. Be prepared for a floodgate of subscriptions. I, like many here, subscribed immediately when you did a second Voiceplay video. You seem like you're about to go down the rabbit hole and I, for one (and all the rest of the VoicePlayers) are going to absolutely live for your reactions as you get to know the guys, the group's story and their endless supply of wonderful music.
They release at least one full length song per month, sometimes two. They also produce 1 to 4 'minis', just shorts that are excerpts of songs.
VP is entirely independent. They arrange, film concept, set design and building, edit, first mix, production, lights... all of it is them (PattyCake Productions which is listed a lot of the time, is run and owned by Lane Stine, a current VP member and Tony Wakim, a former VP member). Songs go off for a final mixing by Ed Boyer, who does the mixing for the 'Big Three' acapella groups - VoicePlay, Home Free, and Pentatonix - as well as so much more. They also do not copyright claim their videos as they actively enjoy reactor interactions.
The band's members have changed slowly over time, but if you look at the thumbnail for their cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, the individuals from left to right are:
Geoff Castellucci - The Most Marvelous Bass Singer. Pronounced "Jeff" not "Gee-off." He, himself, has a 5 octave range, and his current lowest note is a B0... there are only two notes lower than that on the Piano.
J. None - Baritone Perfecto and former member of the band who is serving in the Navy at the moment, but who gets together with the guys for another song whenever he can. Absolutely stunning smooth, warm voice.
Eli Jacobson - Rock Tennor Sans Compare. The name is pronounced like the feminine name Ellie, rhymes with Jelly, and is short for Eliezer not Elijah. Watching his voice and skill develop over the years has been an absolute delight.
Cesar De La Rosa - Baritone/Tennor Extroidinare. Cool voice, smooth smile, Incredibly theatrical and wonderfully entertaining.
Layne Stein - Boundless Human Synthesizer. Or maybe an alien. He's got it all. Drum kit, brass section, throat bass, and an ability to create sounds you would *swear* are not possible to create by human mouth and throat. They are. Layne proves it. Also an excellent violin player.
Former Members that you're likely to see in older videos:
Tony Wakim - former bass - now co-owns PattyCake productions with Layne
Earl Elkins Jr - former high tennor (Tennor 1) - stunningly high voice, left for personal reasons
In addition to the band's regular members, in nearly every video, you'll see a guest featured. Common appearances are DeeJay Young, Omar Cardona, J.None(for now technically a guest feature, but most of us consider him still a member.), Rachel Potter, Anthony Gargiula, and Jose Rosario, Jr.
Before I get to recommendations, it's worth noting that although not all of their older songs have them, most of the stuff from the last couple of years has captions, though it usually takes a day or so after the videos are posted for them to be added. Turning on the captions is worth it because sometimes there are funny notes (see VP's cover of Nighmare Before Christmas's Oogie Boogie Song for a prime example) Similarly, it's always worth it to to watch the video credits. On occasion there is something to see during the credits (See Hellfire, Drunken Sailor, or Hall of the Mountain King for the best examples here).
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That all being said, and with the note that everything they've done is really, genuinely worth watching, here are my "These First!!!" recommendations:
If you like ..... You should check out their cover of:
Metallica ..... Nothing Else Matters*
Pirates ..... Hoist the Colors, Drunken Sailor*
Vikings ..... My Mother Told Me, Valhalla Calling*
Video Games ..... Enemy*, The Dragonborn Comes*, Halo Theme, Still Alive, Minecraft Theme(mini)
Sea shanties ..... Wellermen*
Nightmare Before Christmas ..... What's This, Kidnap the Sandy Claws*, Oogie Boogie Song, This is Halloween*
Disney Movies ..... Moana Medley*, Little Mermaid Medley, Hellfire*, We Don't Talk About Bruno*, Friends on the Other Side*, Go the Distance, Frozen 2 Medley, Hellfire*
Musicals ..... Wicked Medley, Timewarp(mini), If I were a Rich Man*, Greatest Showman Medley
BTS ..... Butter*
Panic! At the Disco ..... Panic in 4 minutes - parts 1 and 2, Death of a Bachelor
+ The Billie Eilish in 3 Minutes* is a prequel to the Panic in 4 Minutes, and together they are a three video series.
Halloween ..... Hide and Seek*, Superstition, Hall of the Mountain King*, Grim Grinning Ghosts
Christmas ..... Christmas Don't Be Late, You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch, Mission: Jingle Bells, Baby It's Cold Outside*, O Little Town of Bethlehem, This Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, O Holy Night
Generally Being Awed and Amazed ..... Seven Nation Army, Creep, Man in the Mirror, In the Air Tonight, Eleanor Rigby, In My Room, Dream On, The Heart of Life, Survivor (Zombies vs Hillbillies, with fellow Acapella Band Home Free), Boy Bands in 5 Minutes, Tennessee Whiskey, I Can't Make You Love Me, Golden Hour, Bang, The Bones, Cary On My Wayward Son, Queen in 5 Minutes *LITERALLY ALL OF THESE, CONSIDER THIS WHOLE SECTION STARRED*
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I've starred a few favourites, and it's also definitely worth noting that if a song has lyrics, especially a bridge, that isn't in the original, Geoff Castellucci almost always is the one who writes it.
If I didn't star it, it's still excellent. Even if I didn't list it, it's still amazing. These are just the ones that stand out to me as things I want to see reactors... well, react to.
Finally, Geoff also has a solo career, and his videos are here, too. I'd suggest, in no particular order
House of the Rising Sun, Ain't No Sunshine, Sixteen Tons, Jack's Lament (Nightmare Before Christmas), God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, White Christmas, The Sound of Silence, Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold (The Hobbit), I See Fire (The Hobbit), and Ghost Riders in the Sky.
Voiceplay is so creative and vocally talented... you can't put them in a box, because they do every genre! Try Seven Nation Army, Hoist the Colors, The Dragonborn Comes, Queen in 5 Minutes, If I Were a Rich Man... and so many more. Also, Geoff has a solo channel and has some amazing music there. Much like Tim Foust, he has a 4± octave range.
He has over a 5 octave range.
They did this one in early January this year 2 days off from my birthday. It is spectacular. The group started to get together in middle and then high school. Their first name of the group was 4:2:Five back in 1997. As some of the group left for their futures, Layne (baritone), Geoff (bass but wanted to be a tenor) and Earl (high tenor retired from VoicePlay 3 yrs ago) remained. Scott Porter (beatboxer) left for an acting career, Mykal (baritone) left for Broadway. Layne wanted that beatboxer position and Geoff taught him what he knew of vocal percussion and Layne picked it up fast and never looked back. He is one of the best of vocal percussion. They picked up Eli (who had gone to a nearby school and knew each other through competitions. After school, Eli joined a couple of rock/metal bands. He joined VoicePlay in 2010. Tony Wakim came on as the baritone until he decided he really wanted to get into production. He and Layne bought a studio which serves as the primary but not exclusive, studio called Pattycake Productions, for VP and Geoff's solo work. J None was brought on to replace Tony. The group was invited onto the Sing-Off same season as Home Free and also did two tours with the Sing-Off, world travel and more. The members live in Orlando, and I think all of them have done work for both Disney and Universal as well as other theme parks. They know the power of theatre, costuming, staging and more because of that and have brought in a lot of that for most of their videos.They did not opt for contract manager company as they wanted to maintain all the creativity in house. Up until very recently only Geoff and Layne alternated a video project, only one was responsible for the arrangement, camera work (hired some work), pre-mix audio, final mix is the great Ed Boyer who handles final for all the best acapella groups, costuming, staging. Arrangements are sent out to the group, critiques come in, finalize everything. Eli does all the lighting, computer generated programs, green screens and is now joining Layne and Geoff with a turn at full project. He recently did Creep (RadioHead) and it's great. The 3 guys will be taking turns at the projects. J None was recruited hard by the US Navy Chorus and he has completed over half of his 5 yr stint. When he left he said he'd be back and came back for Friends on the Other Side (Princess and the Frog), Nothing Else Matters, Valhalla Calling (Miracle of Sound), In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Hellfire (Hunchback of Notre Dame). Cesar was brought on with Earl and J None gone (hear his final audition with VP, We're Good (Dua Lipa). VoicePlay has lots of great singers that they can call on to fill in the #5 slot. Some of my favorite songs by them: a post-apocalyptic trilogy done over 3 yrs - Warriors (Imagine Dragons), Dream On (Aerosmith) and Seven Nation Army (White Stripes), try Dragonborn Comes Skyrim, In the Hall of the Mountain King (Edvard Grieg 1875), Hoist the Colours (Pirates of the Caribbean), Wicked (Broadway), Little Mermaid (Disney), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt), Queen in 5 Minutes, Boy Bands in 5 Minutes, Drunken Sailor.
Your very first Geoffquake AND VioLayne both in your first experience with this amazing group. Welcome to the fold. :)
If you want energy from VoicePlay, go for "Valhalla Calling." It's a Viking epic! I was ready to ride off to war after listening to it, lol.
Great reaction! I really enjoyed watching y'all react to this. It was like I was seeing it for the first time again. ❤
Up Next!
@@barsandbarbells2022Awesome!!
J None was a full member, but he is currently doing a hitch in the Navy. He "guests" whenever he can at present, and will most likely return as a full member after. Suggestions, they do a lot of Disney. I could suggest The Little Mermaid Medley, or Hellfire, from The Bunch back of Notre Dame. Rock, would be Creep or Dream On. Geoff has his own line. I would send you to Ain't No Sunshine. As you go down the Rabbit Hole with Voiceplay, you'll meet a couple old members. Earl Elkins and Tony Wakim, who have both left the group for other pursuits. Cesar is the newest member, so he was missing from these older vids.
This is one of only two songs where "VioLayne" makes an appearance, the other being their cover of Warriors. They are indeed still making music! Recommend in particular their covers of Hoist the Colours, We Don't Talk About Bruno, Valhalla Calling, Creep, The Wellermen, Drunken Sailor, and Seven Nation Army, but anything in their catalog is well worth a listen. Ditto for Geoff's solo channel, where you will find among other things his excellent versions of Ghost Riders in the Sky, Sixteen Tons, The Sound of Silence, and Jack's Lament. (ETA: Goodness, how did I forget to mention his take on I See Fire?) Looking forward to more VoicePlay reactions!
Always love a new reaction to Voiceplay and his majesty, the king of bass, Geoff Castellucci!!!!! You MUST listen to some of his solo (well, with himself) songs!
Rabbit. Hole. Go down it. I double dare ya lol. Love me some Voice Play.
I personally prefer Voiceplay, I used to listen to PTX a lot when Avi was a part of the group, but I guess I just drifted away from listening to them after a while. I found Voiceplay in June and still going strong in listening to them. They have been helping me artistically actually. I also use Valhalla Calling as a motivator when cleaning.
.....and now you are on your "VoicePlayway" of no turning back.
The beauty with VoicePlay is that no matter who
is featuring in the group, they always fit in.
I believe it's because when they sing,
they help eachother to shine.
When you're listening to VoicePlay,
you don't know what you are going to experience.
Their reportoir is just about anything.
They'll do pop, rock, metal, ballad, musical, classical,
halloween, christmas, movies, game and everything in between.
They arrange all their music and produce all the videos, by themselves.
oh man. subscribed for the VoicePlay rabbit hole! my favorites: Hoist the colors, Oogie Boogie song, Hide and Seek, Hall of the Mountain King, My Mother Told Me/Valhalla Calling
I find it doesn't matter what Voice Play does, they do it with their own flare. They always pay homage to the original but will never do a cookie cutter cover. They have a very wide range from rock to Disney. Welcome to the Voice Play rabbit hole and by extension Geoff Castellucci. Enjoy!
PTX uses violins an cello in radioactive and a few other tunes. Voiceplay are the theatre kids (although this is their LEAST theatrical cover), Home Free are the country guys, and PTX is a whole lotta Christmas. My fave VP song is Valhalla Calling, which is a cover of the video game theme from one of the Assassin's Creed episodes. This was a nice review because you were able to compare to the original Metallica version.
One of the most beautiful and artistic Pentatonix videos is Over The River, with Lindsay Sterling dancing like a princess w/her violin & Kevin playing cello! It's not just music. It's absolutely art! 🎨 ❤
@@shilohauraablethat is a beautiful video! Truthfully anytime K.O. breaks out his cello you know you are in for a good ride!
Lulled you in, didn't they; they have an ability to re-interpret songs in their arrangements because they do their own arrangements and video production and bring their vision to life.
Every member has an incredible range and they feature guests to fit the song.
If you're familiar with the play, their Wicked medly is exceptional; likewise their Hoist The Colors is a great adaptationof the Disney piece.
Done during lockdown, My Mother Told Me is a complete vibe and they later followed it with Valhalla Calling (which is total theater and mind blowing.)
For nore straight a Capella there is Bang, Tennessee Whiskey, True Colors and my favorite I Can't Make You Love Me.
Enjoy the ride!
Thank you both for a great reaction to Voice Play. Please do a reaction video to Voice Plays cover of Hell Fire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Geoff the bass singer takes the lead as the evil Minister Frolo. Voice Play are known as The Theater Kids of Acapella. You will love it. Please please do a reaction to it.
Great reaction and loved the assessment at the midpoint and your reaction to VioLayne!! I love Nothing Else Matters as the introduction to #Voiceplay. Not too crazy and it shows off their skills. Now we get to blow your minds with Valhalla Calling, Hellfire, Seven Nation Army, Creep, Warriors, Dream On, Hoist the Colours, Hall of the Mountain King, Drunken Sailor, Dragonborn Comes, Halo Theme, Oogie Boogie, ... buckle up!! It's going to be a fun ride!! And others have already commented and done a great job with the group's history and that they arrange and produce everything themselves. And do check out Geoff's solo channel!! Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole!!
If you want to see/hear their dynamic ranges, may I suggest listening to “Oogie Boogie Song” and “Hoist the Colors”; although you can’t go wrong with any of their arrangements.
In the Air Tonight, Creep, Carry on Wayward Sun, Seven Nation Army. Also Geoff has his own solo work on YT
this video really wants me to have J.None back in voiceplay. He fits so well in the group.
I'm glad you guys were able to react to this song as your first. The guys are amazing. Out of all 3 groups you mentioned VoicePlay is basically the theater kids of the 3 groups.
You should check out Valhalla Calling. It also has J. None as a guest for the song.
This USUALLY isn't one of the first songs that people react to from Voiceplay... Their Disney and Nightmare before Christmas songs are. Character voices and mashups were their bread and butter for a long time... I suggest "Friends on the other side" and "Phantom of the Opera" (and about 30 others) for that.
Fun Fact: Tim (Home Free) and Geoff work together on their bass craft and they competed in the Sing Off the season that Home Free won. Avi (PTX) and Home Free have worked together in a couple of songs. The fanbase of all 3 groups find each other early and you'll find a lot of Voice-Frie-Aholics in the comment section.
Check out their cover of "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. It's pretty damn incredible...but everything they do is incredible!
VoicePlay #TheattreKidsOfACapella.They do about 95% of everything you see and hear. They are still going and trying to put out a video once a month. They are amazing and cover everything from this Matalica to Disney. They do tend to go more of the Theatrical. Last month they performed on stage with Chicago in Atlantic City. J.None was a member but joined the Navy in 2021. So now he is a featured guest when he's home on leave. Geoff Castellucci has his own channel where he does his own low-bass covers. Home Free and VoicePlay were on The Sing-Off together and are friends. Tim Foust and Geoff are so funny. The two groups have done things together.
Voiceplay goes so hard in every aspect of their craft, from harmonies to arrangement to studio design for their videos, costuming, lighting, literally everything. And they do almost all of it in-house, just their group and family in some cases. Definitely check out more of their work, and be double sure to look for Geoff's solo work too!
Great reaction Bars & Barbells. You do need to do a deeper dive into what Voicplay is all about. You should also check out Geoff's solo stuff as well like Sixteen Tons or Ghost Riders in the Sky.
I’m so excited to see your VP journey unfold. Like Pentatonix and HF, they don’t have a bad song!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Voiceplay! Down the rabbit hole we go! Be prepared for a wild and wonderful ride! And wait until you see them in their "Theater Kids" vibe! I'm subscribing just to see you being amazed by Voiceplay. Especially in "Valhalla Calling" and "Hoist The Colors!" Also, expect your subscriber numbers to go up!
VoicePlay never fails to surprise and delight. "Creep," "7 Nation Army," "Warriors," "Halo," "Carry on Wayward Son," "Superstition," "We don't talk about Bruno," "Unchained Melody" just to name a few of their stellar display of versatility and incredible talent.
So glad you guys finally got to VP! They do everything and are like Home Free in that they also have a lot of fun and can make fun of themselves, etc. Like it's said, each group bring their own flavor to the table, but I have to admit VP is my favorite! Violayne (his nickname, he doesn't do it often--but has played in other songs from time to time). Will be watching for more VP reactions! If you want to hear another "instrumental" heavy (actually only) song, there is In the Hall of the Mountain King. But not sure what you'd like to hear more (rock, stage, Disney, nerd, etc.), but I'd suggest a mix of styles and songs so you can get a great feel for them as a group. My favorites are Hoist the Colours, Mr. Blue Sky, and almost anything they've sung, lol.
An additional thought on VoicePlay... you'll surely get a lot of suggestions. Mine is to do "In the Hall of the Mountain King." It's from an orchestra score for a play in the late 1800's. Youu will likely recognize the melody when you hear it. HERE is the teaser... it is a cappella with no instruments AND no spoken words (lyrics). It's all Dum-dum dums and oohs and other vocal sounds. It's one of their "theater" pieces in full makeup. It's certainly a unique acappella performance!!
Violin in an acappela group, PTX "Radioactive" with Lindsey Stirling.
Great reaction! I’ll be interested to see more reactions for Voiceplay!
Welcome to the VoicePlay rabbit hole!!! You will never be the same. Also Geoff does his own Low bass solo work where he sings ALL the parts. I came to VoicePlay thru Geoff’s cover of 16 Tons. My first VP was Hoist the Colors.
Again, welcome and enjoy the ride!!!
I really appreciate your first reaction to them, very complete.
They have GREAT covers
Valhalla calling, creep, in the air tonight, lots of Disney covers (my favorite I will go the distance)
Once you listen to more of their songs I’m sure you’ll be putting them right up there with PTX and home free.
For me, they are THE best of the best.
Now you have met the top group of all accapella group they are gods of voice
It's a little out of season now, but Oogie Boogie is my favorite Voiceplay song.
Voiceplay is a whole another world in Acapella! James Hetfield of Metallica Said this was the Best cover he and the Band has ever heard and is their Favorite.
They have done so many amazing songs and a very wide range of styles. If you want to hear Geoff front and centre in a voiceplay song they recently did Hellfire from the Hunchback of Notre Dame with him as the lead. Creep will make you cry and features Cesar heavily. We don't talk about Bruno and Hall of the Mountain King show the more silly side of them and then there is Dream on and Seven Nation army which show case a couple of their regular guests and some amazing voice effects. Just to name a few.
Congratulations, you've now completed the Acapella Triumvirate with your intro to VoicePlay! Pentatonix is the straight acapella group, Home Free is the "country" group, and VoicePlay are the "theater kids," most of them having worked in the Orlando entertainment complex at some point in their lives. Enjoy the ride and keep on keepin' on!
A few things they pretty much have the same tempo of Nothing Else Matter and the same length, Metallica is known for their long intros. With Geoff one of my Fav Voiceplay songs where he shines is for me Oogie Boogie Song they did as a cover and Geoff has his own channel as well and he does great work there too !
If you're adding VoicePlay/Geoff Castellucci to your reaction lineup then I'm for sure subbing. Well, I have already actually. Can't wait to see more. 🙂
Voice Play and Home Free are next level. Enough said!
These guys blow my mind every time they do something new. And they cover alot of different genres. You guys should check out carry on wayward son, dream on, and creep. For soundtracks i recommend Hoist the colors, if I were a rich man/ girl, and we don't talk about Bruno. And that is just the beginning. Geoff has his own channel. If you really wanna see his vocal range, check out over the misty mountains cold, I see fire (sequel to misty mountains cold), and house of the rising sun. Good luck falling down this rabbit hole and happy holidays. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Glad to see you starting to look into Voiceplay ! I enjoyed your reaction to this - which to me is one of their masterpieces. They are awesome - almost as good as Home Free ! They definitely enjoy more 'theater' in their work. For an example, I recommend their track 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', among many others.
Fun song of them is "We don´t talk about Bruno" from the Disney movie Encanto. ua-cam.com/video/5vOjk2H_g9k/v-deo.html
Welcome to the voiceplayers. Dream On. Enemy. Oogie Boogie. Hoist the Colours. Good places to start.😊
VoicePlay's arrangements tend to have a lot of genre diversity. The poster child for this is probably Mountain King, but in general a lot of their arrangements throw in unexpected genre elements at various points to change things up so it doesn't get too repetitive.
You didn't see it in this video, but they're also voice actors (all of them, but especially Eli), which really comes out in some of the animation-derived videos; the best example of that is probably This Is Halloween.
Another thing you didn't really see here is their theatricality...
So yeah, they're versatile.
And yes, they are still making music. Typically they release a full video every 3-6 weeks, and sometimes shorts/minis/loops in between times, plus Geoff releases something on his own channel now and again. (J and Cesar and Layne also have channels of their own but don't release very often.)
Genre versatility plus them doing almost everything themselves - from arrangement to production etc. AND their vocal abilities are what makes them stand out for me.
Their rock covers are amazing and my favourite (In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins, Wayward Son - Kansas, Seven Nation Army - White Stripes, Creep - Radiohead, Kiss - Prince etc).
They also do every genre in between. Couple that with a fun sense of humour and ace human beings and you have a winning combination.
VP is still going but have not toured post pandemic. However, they did play with the legendary Chicago last month (live) and it was awesome.
If anyone can, VP can.
Enjoy this fantastic rabbit hole!
Voice Play is very talented and perform various genres of music. They live in Florida and perform many Disney covers (We don't talk about Bruno from Encanto, several medleys, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.). They're gamers, so they do many of those type of covers (Dragonborn comes, Halo, etc.). So, yes, Voice Play is considered the "Theater kids of A Capella" and normally dress up the parts incredibly well. Geoff's wife, Kathy, does most of the costuming.
I really hope you look at more of their stuff. They are the theater kids of acapella and they have lots of fun
Well - found you guys with this reaction - Voice Play is amazing! I love HF, PTX & VP all. Serious side check out Creep. Fun look at Oogie Boogie or Little Mermaid. But - no matter what you pick - they are all fantastic!
VoicePlay is my favorite out of Home Free & Pentatonix. Try checking out these songs by them: Valhalla Calling (my favorite), Seven Nation Army, Hoist the Colors, The Dragonborn Comes, If I Were a Rich Man, Dream On, In the Air Tonight, Warriors. Then Geoff has his own channel which has some great music as well.
Great reaction
Please react to more voiceplay
I recommand you voiceplay Hoist the colors
Please please
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole! So many great videos!! Dream On is another good rock ballad. Geoff had his own solo work where he sings all parts. His version of 16 Tons us awesome. Hall of the Mountain King is another world. Valhalla Calling is a Viking song. Some if their best videos are from Nightmare before Christmas. Have fun getting your minds blown. It's like they are not just one group but constantly reinventing themselves with guest stars helping along the way.
@BARS & BARBELLS
You were talking about who sings what parts in VoicePlay, like who is the Bass? and who is the Tenor? With VoicePlay, there is only ever one answer to any of those questions and the answer is: Yes. No, seriously, they all have ridiculous range. Geoff Castelluci (the bass singer with the long hair) has a 5.5 Octave Range. He can go from Earthquake Inducing Bass to Mid-Rock-Tenor with ease. Eli (the bald guy with the glorious beard) is VoicePlay's resident Rock Tenor. He lives in the High Tenor Range (we're talking Steven Tyler "Dream On" Range). However, he can, if need be, and especially with "Morning Voice," sing Bass. Layne Stein (the Vocal Percussionist) is, generally, a Tenor when he sings, but he can also go Bass if need be (check out VoicePlay's cover of Hellfire to hear that). J. None, the guy to Eli's right (left on your screen) is a Baritone that has the range to go both Tenor and Bass if need be. He's currently serving in the Military so he's not currently part of the group and guests from time-to-time when he's in town. He intends to return to the group when his tour is over. What does he do in the Military? He's the Military's Bass Singer for their group. So yeah, this Baritone's Day Job is singing Bass for the Military. Then we have the newest member of the group, Cesar de la Rosa. He's, technically, a Baritone, but he can sing as high as Eli. If you want a prime example of Cesar, go watch/listen to VoicePlay's cover of "Dream On." Cesar sings Steven Tyler's part. Yes, he sings the scream. So everyone calls him a BariTenor. He's actually listed as such on VoicePlay's Official Website.
So yeah, they all have incredible range and can cover any part that is needed. Their Range Flexibility is what allows Geoff to take the Lead and go Tenor for some songs because, literally, any of them can take over the Bass Line for Geoff. The aforementioned "Hellfire" Cover is the prime example of this as Geoff is the Lead Singer for that song. As such, he's not on the Bass Line for most of the song despite singing in the Bass Register for most of the song. Layne, I believe, takes the Bass Line when Geoff takes the Lead, then Geoff takes over the Bass Line when one of the others takes the Lead for a line or two. It also would not surprise me if J. None takes the Bass Line when Geoff takes Lead while Layne needs to lay down the Vocal Percussion. Like I said, their Range Flexibility is ridiculous. It basically allows them to sing anything and sound incredible doing it.
Oh and yes they still make music. They just released, a couple days ago, their Christmas Song for this year: a cover of the "Mean Girls" version of "Jingle Bell Rock." They also do concerts and live performances. In fact, they recently, like a couple months ago, did an A Capella set with the group "Chicago" as one of "Chicago's" guests. So yeah, "Chicago" invited them to part of the concert and Geoff, as Geoff does, blew them away. Well they all did, but you can see the visible reactions to Geoff when he goes Subwoofer Mode live on stage. "Chicago" were so impressed, they gave VoicePlay a unanimous standing ovation at the end of the set (they were all sitting down for the set, but VoicePlay being VoicePlay stood up to vocally flex at times). "Chicago" sang Background Vocals and their drummer pulled out, like, a set of Bongos or something to provide Percussion to back up Layne. I think their Lead Guitarist pulled out his Acoustic Guitar to provide Guitar backing as well. But yeah, it was, primarily, an A Cappella set designed to showcase VoicePlay, which was incredibly magnanimous and kind of "Chicago" to do. And yes you can find this on UA-cam. But yeah, VoicePlay remain incredibly active in music.
If you guys love A Capella, you need to dive into some Voctave. Especially if you like Disney Music. The bulk of them work for Disney as they sing with a group called "Voices of Liberty" that sings at Disney World. The majority of their covers are Disney Covers as that is what they are most familiar with. They don't have a Vocal Percussionist, but they don't need one as they have 11 Members so they always have a full sound even without one. Their technical prowess is INSANE. In my opinion, Voctave and VoicePlay are, currently, the pinnacle of A Capella.
Another group you should check out, if you have time, is The Bass Gang. They are, as their name suggests, all Bass Singers. But they all have ridiculous ranges. Heck, one of them (Peter Barber) is a Bass Opera Singer who is currently studying and touring so Opera is, as we speak, his Day Job. Another member (Tomi P) has a Whistle Register. You read that right. Tomi P is a Bass Singer with a Whistle Register. Their Manager, Casper Fox (who they did a collab with them for their Christmas Song this year) is a ridiculous Tenor and bears checking out as well. The Bass Gang and Casper are both relatively new to the A Capella scene, but they are crushing it and are definitely ones to watch!
Oh also, if you love Geoff Castelluci, you should check out his UA-cam Channel and give his Solo stuff a watch/listen. He really shows off his range. He's an insane arranger. He arranges a lot of VoicePlay's stuff. In fact, he arranged what you just watched/listened to aka "Nothing Else Matters." Fun Fact: Geoff wrote the Guitar Solo as A Capella, but it wasn't sounding right so he turned to Layne and was like, "Hey Layne. How about busting out VioLayne for this?" And Layne was like, "I can do that." So Geoff actually re-wrote the Guitar Solo as a Violin Solo for Layne in mid-recording.
I agree with you, VoicePlay and Voctave are the best!!
My favorite Voiceplay songs are Valhalla calling and Hellfire. Also check out oogie boogie and on Geoff on his own Jack's Lament, sixteen tons Far over the Misty Mountains
I love voiceplay group and Geoff Castellicci's big bass.....
You are in for a wild ride in this rabbit hole😊 Buckle up! Any genre any time. Disney to Metallica and everything in between. True genius talent. They do it all themselves. Have fun!
Enjoy falling down the VoicePlay rabbit hole! EVERYTHING they do is fabulous. One of my top favorites is their cover of Go The Distance from Hercules, which is the first song of theirs I ever heard (I came into acapella via barbershop, and UA-cam served me their version after I'd listened to several barbershop quartet versions). Their more theatrical stuff is also outstanding, many others in these comments have named excellent choices, but I like My Mother Told Me and their Queen in 5 minutes videos. But you can't go wrong. I always like their covers at least as much as the originals, and often I highly prefer theirs. In fact, I used to hate Radiohead's Creep, but VoicePlay changed that for me and I love their version...they changed it from a whiney incel song to a deeply introspective one. Their talent is amazing -- enjoy!
Loved yalls reaction. New sub to your channel. VoicePlay is my favorite out of the A Cappella groups. I would loke to suggest listening to their cover from Aerosmith "Dream On" & Imagine Dragons "Enemy". My personal favorites are Hoist the Colours, Creep and Seven Nation Army. You honestly can't go wrong with these guys. Top Tier. Looking forward to hearing more of you two. Stay Blessed!!
Where Home Free is country, pop, R&B, etc. and Pentatonix is pop, main stream, etc., Voice Play does more rock... (I highly recommend their version of Dream On) These guys are fantastic together and I love this rendition. As you can see (and hear) theses guys excel at making a song "theirs". Loved your reaction... I see more Voice Play in your future :P
That actually explains why I prefer voiceplay, their song choices
Voice play is my absolute favorite of all time!! You have to check other songs!!!
This is great but their specialty is more theatrical stuff, halloween themed stuff and disney covers. Geoff also releases stuff on his own channel.
When PTX did "Radioactive" both violin ( Lindsay Sterling complete with dubstep ) and Cello added to the presentation.
Glad you got to see Voiceplay. I think you will really enjoy their videos as you see more. Great job on knowing and hitting spot on each member. That alone is impressive. Have a great new year and wish you happiness and success in it.
Your reaction and analysis was just great. Loved it. I strongly recommend listening to either Valhalla Calling or Hoist the Colours next. Also, Geoff does solo stuff on his channel. He has a 5 octave range and layers himself doing all the parts. 16 Tons is a fun starting spot for Geoff but all his stuff is amazing.
So much to say. So many VoicePlay covers, but their cover of “In the Air Tonight” is awesome.
Violin in acapella: Check out Pentatonix “Radioactive” featuring Lindsey Stirling.
Geoff’s vocal range: check out his covers of these:
“Ghost Riders in the Sky”, “Sixteen Tons”, “Fulsom Prison Blues”, “Far over the Misty Mountains Cold”. Really cool productions and Geoff does all the arranging, vocals, filming (check the credits).
Very impressive❤Much love from Canada❤🇨🇦
VoicePlay and HomeFree both cracked the a cappella line about the same time, VP using a violin here and HF using a guitar in "So Long Dixie". I sometimes could swear they give each other a heads up when they're up to something; the two groups seem almost synchronized. (Tim and Geoff are pretty friendly.) Personally, I'd like B&B to check out Geoff Castellucci's solo channel as VoicePlay-adjacent. He does most of their arrangements, I think, anyway. "Ain't No Sunshine" and "House of the Rising Sun."
Layne (beatboxer) and Geoff (alien bass) were in the same middle school choir. (Along with Scott Porter.) Are you kidding me????
Geoff Castellucci has a 5 octave range. From a B0 to an A5. In Valhalla Calling, he does a 15 second B0. Anything that Voice Play does, they will never disappoint! Geoff Castellucci has his own channel. Watch his Jack's Lament cover from The Nightmare Before Christmas. You will be blown away by his range in that one.
Great reaction, Sam and lovely Phil😂. Even though i am a Home Fry, Voiceplay did an amazing job on this. We are very lucky to have 3 talented acapella groups that we can listen to whenever we like.
Welcome to voiceplay! 😊💜💜
This was one of the first songs that got me hooked on VoicePlay! As a Metallica fan who doesn't usually care for cover songs I was shocked at how great this was.. The arrangement is brilliantly awesome!! Hope you keep checking them out and the solo channel of Geoff, it is pretty amazing too. They cover a lot of different styles, just pick one you think you'd enjoy. Another personal favourite of mine is Hoist the Colours.. Thanks for the reaction!
Welcome to the VoicePlay / Geoff Castellucci rabbit hole. We’re all mad here. ❤
It may not be the right time of year for it, but The Oogie Boogie Song is a great display of Geoff's bass.
It used to be, lol. I think he’s improved since then and his solo stuff is where he’s really displaying what he can do.
You should listen to VoicePlay’s rendition of Hoist the Colors
So, Geoff, the bass singer, has a range of five full octaves. So he can casually just bring down the house with his subharmonic awesomeness just as easily as he can reach up into tenor range and sing some harmonies.
Layne is the most amazing beatboxer/violayne player I've ever heard, Eli is AMAZING, I absolutely love him belting notes. Ceasar has the sweetest most... I'm not really sure how to qualify his voice it's innocent and sexy and yearning and just really awesome. and J None is freaking amazing as well. He sings bass with the navy choir and can reach as high as the lead falsetto with 'the lion sleeps' that they just released.
My favorite, if I had to pick one, is My Mother Told Me.
Voiceplay formed the group in 1997 under the name 4:2:Five.
Geoff Castellucci, Layne Stein, Earl Elkins Jr, Scott Porter and Mykal Kilmore were the original members.
its quite fascinating how few actually catch geoff going pretty high after his second low part :D
VoicePlay is in a category of its own. They don’t just sing, they Play out the visual. One of my favorite songs by them is “Creep”. I did not like that song until I heard their version. By the way, Eli did the arrangements on this song. It is all amazing - harmony, vocals, visuals. Anthony Gargiula who joins in this song has an amazing and almost unbelievable voice. I keep hoping they will bring him on permanently. I kind of wonder if they don’t think he is too powerful for all of the songs. He certainly can belt it out beautifully!
I find it impossible to believe you could not love this group. I’m going to subscribe to see your journey.
I love PTX and Home Free. I thought I could never have a third favorite group. I don’t mean they are my 3rd favorite. I mean I have three favorites. It’s like having a favorite person - one to go places with, one to watch movies with and one to cry and laugh with. They are different flavors of A Cappella.
I’m glad you did not give them points off for the violin. They usually don’t have musical instruments. However, PTX even occasionally has KO’s cello or Scott plays the piano. Home Free adds a harmonica. JUST JOKING! I know Adam is the harmonica.
VoicePlay has the best shorts! They are not just snippets taken out of recorded videos. They are made especially for a short. They are beautifully done with the singing and harmonies but the best part is the acting! Cesar is adorable! They all seem to love the acting out part. They make me smile!
Thanks for the reaction. It was a fair reaction for someone new to VoucePlay. I think you will appreciate them and their abilities after going a bit deeper. I’m looking forward to taking that journey with you. This will be fun. In the in between time I will check out your PTX and Home Free reactions.
I highly highly recommend Queen in 5 minutes by them. It's one of the coolest things I've seen in my life.