This afternoon, The 5th Wheel received some sad news from one of the most beloved quartets in our Society. Remember this day, 10/26... for it will be a day nobody will forget. Where were you when you first heard the news? Metropolis has released a statement.
To Our Dear Friends,
In the spirit of our truly International Annual Convention, it is with hope for the future and affection for our good fortune in the past that Metropolis announces our Swan Song performance. Our final bow will take place on the World Harmony Jamboree during the International Convention in Anaheim, California in July 2009. We've been so blessed by the International community that we felt this would be the most appropriate place for us to say good-bye.
Over the past 12 years, Metropolis has endeavored to bring as much fun as possible to our
appearances and to the reputation of our hobby in general. Our goal, from the beginning, was to have the best time possible, singing at the highest level possible and entertaining audiences everywhere we could, as often as we could.
From that time, we've managed 3 appearances on National Television (two of which continue in syndication to this day) and have averaged more than 21 shows per year, totalling over 450 performances on 270 different shows in 37 different States and 5 Canadian Provinces. In the past 9 years, we've been honored to have been asked to travel overseas on many occasions to educate and perform for barbershoppers the world over, beginning with the first Russian Barbershop Festival in 1999. Since then, we've returned for the third Russian festival in 2001 and subsequently repeated these same duties at the BABS Convention in 2003, the Pan Pacific Convention in 2004 and, in 2007, we educated and sang for the the IABS Convention, the BABS convention, the Holland Harmony Festival and the Tokyo Barbers Show. We'll be returning to England once more to educate and perform with the Cottonwood Chorus in Bolton this coming February.
Achieving medalist quartet status at the International level was certainly a tremendous bonus, as was becoming the first barbershop quartet to win the National A Cappella Championship.
We've made so many friends that we can scarcely count them, regardless of what our FaceBook profile says. ;-)
We're currently pressing our final group of products, including our DVD in PAL and NTSC format, as well as our CD and will cease selling them on our website within a week of our appearance on the World Harmony Jamboree. After this time, we will provide a limited number of loaner copies of the DVD of our performance free of charge for private showings at Youth Harmony events. We're currently working with the Society to provide them in an organized fashion directly from Headquarters for this purpose, in order to protect the copyrights associated with the production of the DVD, as well.
We've been blessed to have had the opportunity to entertain you and enjoy your company and we wish to take this opportunity to honor our coaches and inspirations: the members of The New Tradition, The Ivy League and 139th Street Quartets, Greg Lyne, Cindy Hanson, Kim Hulbert, Mark Hale, Sandy Robinson-Marron, Jim Kline and our coach, friend and mentor Lloyd Steinkamp.
We'd also like to send special thanks to our "substitute tenor", Royce Ferguson, as well as our very first tenor, Ken Potter and our dear friends Rob Menaker, Jeff Baker & Brett Littlefield, who have always been at the ready to assist us in whatever manner we've needed. Rob and Pat Menaker, in particular, for opening their home to us so often without hesitation, so we'd have another place to rehearse every other week.
Metropolis wouldn't be what it is without our former baritone, Mike McGee and we'd be remiss
if we didn't recognize our MetrophyWives, Doreen, Naomi, Tamar & Mandy, MetroTeen Becky and MetroTots Jennifer, Sydney, Lindsay and Isabelle - we couldn't have done it without their support (and permission)!
We hope to see all of our friends at the World Harmony Jamboree to see us off - our love to you all!
Pax, harmonia (peace and harmony),
Brian Philbin, Bob Hartley, James Sabina and Kelly Shepard
In the spirit of our truly International Annual Convention, it is with hope for the future and affection for our good fortune in the past that Metropolis announces our Swan Song performance. Our final bow will take place on the World Harmony Jamboree during the International Convention in Anaheim, California in July 2009. We've been so blessed by the International community that we felt this would be the most appropriate place for us to say good-bye.
Over the past 12 years, Metropolis has endeavored to bring as much fun as possible to our
appearances and to the reputation of our hobby in general. Our goal, from the beginning, was to have the best time possible, singing at the highest level possible and entertaining audiences everywhere we could, as often as we could.From that time, we've managed 3 appearances on National Television (two of which continue in syndication to this day) and have averaged more than 21 shows per year, totalling over 450 performances on 270 different shows in 37 different States and 5 Canadian Provinces. In the past 9 years, we've been honored to have been asked to travel overseas on many occasions to educate and perform for barbershoppers the world over, beginning with the first Russian Barbershop Festival in 1999. Since then, we've returned for the third Russian festival in 2001 and subsequently repeated these same duties at the BABS Convention in 2003, the Pan Pacific Convention in 2004 and, in 2007, we educated and sang for the the IABS Convention, the BABS convention, the Holland Harmony Festival and the Tokyo Barbers Show. We'll be returning to England once more to educate and perform with the Cottonwood Chorus in Bolton this coming February.
Achieving medalist quartet status at the International level was certainly a tremendous bonus, as was becoming the first barbershop quartet to win the National A Cappella Championship.
We've made so many friends that we can scarcely count them, regardless of what our FaceBook profile says. ;-)We're currently pressing our final group of products, including our DVD in PAL and NTSC format, as well as our CD and will cease selling them on our website within a week of our appearance on the World Harmony Jamboree. After this time, we will provide a limited number of loaner copies of the DVD of our performance free of charge for private showings at Youth Harmony events. We're currently working with the Society to provide them in an organized fashion directly from Headquarters for this purpose, in order to protect the copyrights associated with the production of the DVD, as well.
We've been blessed to have had the opportunity to entertain you and enjoy your company and we wish to take this opportunity to honor our coaches and inspirations: the members of The New Tradition, The Ivy League and 139th Street Quartets, Greg Lyne, Cindy Hanson, Kim Hulbert, Mark Hale, Sandy Robinson-Marron, Jim Kline and our coach, friend and mentor Lloyd Steinkamp.
We'd also like to send special thanks to our "substitute tenor", Royce Ferguson, as well as our very first tenor, Ken Potter and our dear friends Rob Menaker, Jeff Baker & Brett Littlefield, who have always been at the ready to assist us in whatever manner we've needed. Rob and Pat Menaker, in particular, for opening their home to us so often without hesitation, so we'd have another place to rehearse every other week.
Metropolis wouldn't be what it is without our former baritone, Mike McGee and we'd be remiss
if we didn't recognize our MetrophyWives, Doreen, Naomi, Tamar & Mandy, MetroTeen Becky and MetroTots Jennifer, Sydney, Lindsay and Isabelle - we couldn't have done it without their support (and permission)!We hope to see all of our friends at the World Harmony Jamboree to see us off - our love to you all!
Pax, harmonia (peace and harmony),
Brian Philbin, Bob Hartley, James Sabina and Kelly Shepard
Metropolis
--------------------------------------
Metropolis has affected our Society in so many positive ways. The quartet gave incredibly entertaining peformances which did nothing but show barbershop in its best form. They have done more for our Society than many of our past champions. Just because their medals were never gold doesn't mean they didn't affect the world to the same way a champion would. Metropolis' level of entertainment would freak out Int'l Champions that had to share the stage with them. Nobody wanted to follow Metropolis.
While everyone enjoyed the slapstick in Metropolis' performances, what people have failed to understand is not just the complexity of their humor, but how difficult it was to make such quick, jolted moves, dance around the stage and do pratfalls, while at the same time never hear a bump in the sound. Metropolis rehearsed this technique for hours! Unfortunately in our competitions, we aren't judged by level of difficulty.
We have a comment box for each post. Please take a moment and leave a comment for Metropolis. We'll miss you guys! COULD IT BE?
Photos courtesy of Dan Proctor and photographed by Lorin May
3 comments:
Wait we retired? This is the first I have heard of this...hmmm...
James Sabina
We'll miss the brilliance, innovation and risktaking of four guys who dared to bring comedy to the international boards while working to sing at the top levels of the craft.
Hats off for a job more than well done!
Randy Loos
old phart to tried to do similar things, but never to the level of what Metropolis achieved
Not good! I've been excited since I got the thumbs up to bring Metropolis back again to do our 2010 annual show! These guys are not only awesome singers and entertainers, they're great guys to be around! We'll certainly miss them.
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