The Buffalo Chips, UB's all male a capella group, live by their motto: "entertaining crowds since 1995." From performances at UB to competitions in New York City, the Chips have been singing their way across the state.
Last Saturday, the Buffalo Chips held their annual Winter Concert and filled the SU Theater with songs by artists ranging from Britney Spears to Bob Dylan. It also previewed an original short film where club members impersonated celebrities such as Paula Abdul and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.
Just as the audience is captivated by the energy of the Chips on stage, the performers enjoy looking out into the audience to see the reactions, according to Dan Stafford, a senior psychology major and music director of the Chips. Audiences add to the energy by singing along to hits like Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song," a crowd favorite.
"I love having the live reaction of audience members when I'm performing," Stafford said. "It's a rush being on stage, and I always make sure to dance and look like I'm having a good time. But I also love hearing the perfect tuning and power of a recording studio."
The Chips have recorded over 10 CDs throughout their existence at UB. Its upcoming album, which will be out in April, is being recorded at A Capella Productions. Mike Jankowski, an alumnus of the Buffalo Chips, owns the studio.
"[There are] some good contemporary songs from the concert, some great old songs from old Chips' years, and some loud and powerful songs [on the new CD]," Stafford said.
Even after Stafford graduates from UB this year, he plans to stay in contact with the group. This year, the Chips held their first alumni weekend where past and present members gathered to catch up and sing with each other.
"It was great to see that passion across generations," said Keegan Burke-Falotico, business manager of the Chips and a senior in the social sciences interdisciplinary program.
Burke-Falotico first saw the Chips perform as a sophomore in high school when the group went to a local school near where he grew up. He came to UB and realized the Chips was the same group he saw a couple of years earlier; he knew he had to audition.
He didn't make the group on his first few attempts but last January he decided to audition one last time. After his final try, he got the call he was waiting for and officially became a Chip.
"It was great to get [to] watch them for years and years and appreciate the group before being [a part of] it," Burke-Falotico said.
Last year, the Buffalo Chips competed at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and made it to the semi-finals. Afterwards, the group travelled and sang at Tully Hall in New York City with other a cappella groups from across the world.
"When we win something together, it's so great to have [the] mutual joyous feeling [of victory] after a competition," Stafford said. "[It] makes me feel like I'm part of something successful…[Also] putting on a successful show and seeing people enjoy it is great [and] really fulfilling."
Once, while backstage during a show, Burke-Falotico was approached by a high school student who had heard the Chips' rendition of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida."
"[The high school student] said [the song] gave him hope and made him want to pursue music," Burke-Falotico said. "I'm so happy we could give him that."
The Chips say it is more than just a group of guys that gets together to sing a couple of times a week.
"We are a team, a group," Burke-Falotico said. "We fail together and we succeed together. We wouldn't be anywhere without each one of the 14 young men."
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Mhdariby / Wikimedia Commons
