12th Performance - Pentatonix - Dog Days Are Over by Florence & The Machine - Sing Off (REACTION!!!)

[@sonjarussell7332]

*YES* my favorite episode! The first ever “Mitch-slap”! Not the ‘final’ episode but the song that sealed or put the stamp of approval on their win. As much and as fast as they grew and improved over the course of this show…..they haven’t stopped or even slowed down in the past twelve years. Babytonix is all grown-up and matured now, gifting us with their magic in every new release. And they still manage a few surprises. Great reaction. Thank you. Buckle-up! There is still sooooo much to discover, you’re gonna love it. And I promise you won’t be disappointed!

[@margretrosenberg420]

This was arguably their most difficult performance. One of the reasons the judges assigned them to sing "The Dog Days Are Over" was that they thought it was a chance for Scott to show off his powerful baritone, but Scott's powerful baritone was limping. His voice was already tired after nine weeks of overworking it, and he was coming down with a cold. Their dress rehearsal for this song had been an out-of-tune disaster. They went into this performance fully expecting that they'd blow it, lose votes because of it, and go home in second place, having lost the $200,000 and, most importantly, having lost the recording contract that was their primary reason for being there. So they thought about it. They actually had two goals for _The Sing-Off._ They didn't just want that recording contract (so bad they could taste it); they also wanted to introduce the world to the wonder that is Mitch Grassi's voice, and so far they'd been thwarted in that goal by the producers' insistence that Mitch could never be the lead. Frankly, it was a continuation of the bullying Mitch had been subjected to in high school, except that this was coming from adults in a position of authority. So here they were - the twelfth performance. The last performance that counted for the contest. What they did here could make or break them in the voting, but it couldn't keep them out of it entirely, as it might have done in an earlier performance where the producers could have disqualified them and sent them home for breaking the rules. It was time. There was ONE thing they could salvage from the wreckage they fully expected this performance to become: they could deliver the world's first Mitch slap. So, they had a great arrangement. They'd come up with some marvelous choreography (which they may have thought of as stage direction - remember that the trio all came from a community musical theater background); it didn't take much of a tweak to set up Mitch's solo and put him in the right place at the right time to make it happen. So that's what they did, and then, to give Mitch the best support they could, they went out there and did their best. They gave it their all, and to their astonishment they totally nailed it. That vocal fry on Scott's last note was his voice giving out entirely; it's a good thing that they were never supposed to respond verbally to anything the judges said, because after this performance it was impossible for Scott to say anything until his voice had had time to heal. And when every one else in Pentatonix turned their backs on the camera during Mitch's solo it said two things. To the producers it must have been a figurative raised middle finger about the way they'd treated Pentatonix, and especially Mitch, but to the rest of the world it said, "In this moment, for this solo, Mitch Grassi IS Pentatonix. LISTEN to him. He is everything we are, everything we want to say." Genius.

[@risaAflores222]

Ooooh I never saw that until now! When they turned their backs on the camera, Mitch was the middle finger!

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@risaAflores222 You weren't supposed to see it; the only people who were supposed to see it were the producers. It was very subtle. The only reason we can see it now is that we're aware of what the producers had been putting them through. There's something else that I see in this performance that no one was supposed to see. Remember Ben talking about Avi being unwilling to give up his focus at the end of the song? I don't see that, but I know some things Ben didn't know. I know about that horrible dress rehearsal. I also know about Avi breaking down as soon as they got back stage. With those two things in mind, watch that group hug at the end of their performance again. It doesn't start as a group hug of Mitch. It starts when MITCH grabs Avi, and turns him to face away from the camera. Then Mitch is patting Avi comfortingly on the back. Kevin comes up behind Avi and adds his hug, OF AVI, to Mitch's hug. Scott comes up behind Mitch and sees what's going on, and he's the one who turns it into a group hug of Mitch. Kirstie comes up and sees only the group hug of Mitch, which she wants to join but can't quite figure out how, so she grabs Mitch's elbow and does a little happy dance (gotta love Kirstie's happy dance), which just makes the whole thing work even better as camouflage for whatever was happening with Avi. I think Avi's breakdown began on stage, as soon as he realized that they hadn't lost after all. Mitch was the closest to him and picked up on it immediately, so he comforted Avi and turned him away from the cameras to give him privacy. Kevin joined him in comforting Avi, and when Scott turned it into a group hug of Mitch he gave them a reason for what they were doing that didn't point to Avi, as well as giving them however much time they needed for Avi to regain his composure. Very well done, and extremely good thinking on their feet.

[@tyseemahbishop6123]

Love this and I knew everything but the middle finger!!! Outstanding job they did and still do

[@Phillylullaby77]

I don't ever remember any of the judges mentioning Avi's overtone singing (a buzzing alien sound) at the beginning of Dog Days. It is quite noticeable to me now after learning over the years that he can do that. Did they think it might give PTX an advantage over the other groups? He did it on Dog Days, and maybe some others songs during the competition. Surely they were well aware of this ability-. I just don't remember any judge commenting on this. I never knew there was such a thing back then. Unless it was Kevin making that sound. Another thing, how did the Sing Off Show ever let the record company cancel PTX's contract?? They won fair and square. The show continued on, and a contract was offered again the next year. What a ripoff. They took advantage of these young people. I bet they are sorry now--those scrappy kids fought tooth and nail to claw they way out of that mess. At least they got 200 grand. The winners the following year, Home Free, got only 100 G.

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@Phillylullaby77 It was Avi doing the overtone singing. He did it numerous times during _The Sing-Off,_ and you are correct; the judges never referred to it. To the best of my knowledge Avi is the only member of Pentatonix who's ever done overtone singing in performances. That said, he ISN'T the only member who's able to do it. Check out this interview: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHzQZq2EeJKgl6c It's long, and the whole thing is well worth watching, but the question about overtone singing starts at 17:11. I also ran into an interview where someone asked Avi how he did it, and his explanation was, um, less than helpful. I think the question took him by surprise because he was struggling to explain and not having much success. But after I saw the interview where the other four demonstrated that they could do it too, and said it wasn't that hard, I started looking for explanations of how to do it and I ran into this tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWWVdYSlj5KtlcU They're right; it isn't that hard, just takes practice. My voice is nothing to write home about, but I'm in the process of learning the technique. As for the company reneging on the contract, I think that perhaps _The Sing-Off_ didn't really have any way to enforce it. Sony sponsored the show, and Epic was a minor subsidiary of Sony. And sponsors call the shots. Once PTX started getting a large following on KZbin Sony had second thoughts and offered them another contract, this time with Madison Gate, another minor subsidiary. And when PTX started winning Grammys Sony suggested that Pentatonix might find a better fit with their flagship label, RCA. Pentatonix has been with RCA ever since.

[@taniareads8751]

My absolute favourite performance. The energy in this is incredible. Mitch, well, his voice, that look to camera. Just Perfect.

[@pamscarr8696]

I was and am forever, Avi slapped. Now I have to go to his solo music and I do.

[@themightierpencil]

I appreciate that even in the midst of a Mitch-slap, you still managed to acknowledge those insane vocals Scott was giving…which too many reactors don’t do and it’s frustrating cuz ya boy was singing for his life ❤

[@melissacoviello2886]

Love this one soooo much!

[@davidphillips4476]

That was just Insane vocals for these Babies!! that much talent at the beginning, just a foreshadowing of the greatness to come.

[@marlin1708]

Mitch-slap alert 😂😂😂😂 The best reaction I've seen so far. And a saw a lot. Great

[@bfly5990]

After this song America voted So rest of songs are just performance. This is the one that counted.

[@danielcarter837]

Probably the most complex and well rounded song. Well rounded may not be the right thing to say. It had a lot of movements and each part of the song took a different approach. This is regarded as the first Mitch slap. Just five unicorns doing unicorn things. How Scott, Mitch and Kirstin happened to be together in the same school at the same time and became life long friends could only have happened by intervention of the powers that be in the universe. Most teachers or schools (outside of a performance magnet school which their high school was not) might have one student with their abilities in 30 years, and they had three at the same time. Fun fact: Their high school acapella choir opened for them on the Christmas concert in 2018. Seems like so long ago since it was pre Covid.

[@karinjackson754]

I love how the guys are all wearing the same thing but in their own personal style. The vest is worn differently by all of them

[@pjb3583]

I was waiting for you to get here! This is absolutely my favorite of their Sing-Off performances. Scott’s lead was flawless, even with a very tired voice, and everyone put their heart on the line at the exact right time. I love watching their very beginnings as PTX. Well done, I have enjoyed your reactions to this run of videos. Peace …

[@LoccdWolfReacts]

Thank you Peace!

[@juliayoung537]

I still love these videos ❤😊

[@patriciaalvareztostado8170]

The story of this is that Scott, he lost his voice his voice, for this song, his voice was so tired but he give all he could, and they made this the frist real MITCH slap, in other song he didnt shine as much, because the director of the Sing off didnt like that he was gay, that why Scott also sound and look more mainly.

[@mmg8823]

Scott used to adjust his demeanor based on "how gay" his surroundings were. After hitting 30, he has pretty much given that up. I am not criticizing him here. I give him credit for just going with what feels right to him.

[@margretrosenberg420]

The show supplied (and chose) their costumes; the producers were afraid that if they'd left it to Pentatonix Mitch and Scott would choose clothing that was too "gay" (whatever that means). They also pushed Kirstie to wear clothing that was more revealing than she was comfortable with, to try to give the impression that she might be in a relationship with Scott or Mitch. As far as possible she toned that down, except where that was the impression she meant to give in a particular song (I'm thinking of that glittery silvery dress in the Britney Spears medley).

[@LoccdWolfReacts]

too "gay" smh. but ofcourse they want her to dress more revealing smh

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@LoccdWolfReacts The ironic thing is that lately I've seen criticism of her on Twitter for dressing in TOO revealing a way. As for Scott's and Mitch's fashion choices; I've never seen anything overtly "gay" from Scott. However, in their red carpet pictures from the Grammys this year (February 5, 2023) Mitch was wearing a snazzy white suit with an exquisite pair of lace gloves. I think the lace gloves would have given the producers of _The Sing-Off_ a major conniption fit. I also think that Mitch would have restrained himself if they'd simply asked him to do so, courteously and respectfully. Pentatonix were there to sing, not to pick up dates. It was the producers' own prejudice that turned Mitch's voice into some kind of threat to them, and it made them behave stupidly. As far as I can tell, that's what bigotry does to people. When the Mitch slap finally occurred, did Shawn Stockman say, "Mitch! Are you gay?!" (in the tone of voice of Fred Savage asking "Is this a KISSING book?" in _The Princess Bride_ )? No, of course not. In the first place any singer knows that vocal range has nothing to do with sexual orientation, and in the second place Shawn would have thought it none of his business.

[@debrawalkermeyer9109]

I bet if someone had told you a year ago that you would be "mind blown" multiple times by a 5 member a cappella group you would have laughed. If they additionally told you they won a national contest and sang "Let's Get it On" and "Born to Be Wild" and won the contest and later recorded "Daft Punk" and "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and won Grammys for each you would have double laughed and told the person no way. FYI: I loved the reaction where you left your room and brought back a drink and said you were thirsty. 😂😮❤😂😮❤

[@LoccdWolfReacts]

I def would have laughed my musical tastes were horrible

[@judithbush939]

Just realizd the audience went silent during Mitch's solo!

[@saralynne1513]

Shawn Stockman the original Pentaholic ❤️❤️

[@LyndalParkerNewlyn]

Ooh I’ve been waiting for you to get here !!! 😮😅

[@margretrosenberg420]

They appeared twice more in season 3. Here they are when the winners were announced: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4O4n2p7lMSCetE , and here they are in the finale: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGKUlI2iiM57npI

[@margretrosenberg420]

Please note that I got the link to the finale wrong; see my reply to that comment for the correct link.

[@MaryWolfert-or6rf]

Fantastic!!

[@kathrynstafford7099]

The original is amazing. I love Florence and the Machine.

[@adam.4487]

My favorite, Mitch killed it for them all. Listen to the original by the 'Machine..... it's really good.

[@sonjarussell7332]

And stars are born………….

[@thechomiji]

The aftermath backstage video is so bittersweet now that we look back, with Avi saying he wants to be with them for the rest of his life. Actually Scott turned 20 during the course of the season (his birthday is in September). But no, let's not correct the nice judge on-camera.☺. Sara Bareilles has her own tales of her time on this show: the producers apparently wanted her to be more sexy and fluffy and it just isn't her thing. She was re-united with the group most recently on last year's Grammy Week tribute to Joni Mitchell, when she and Scott both sang as part of the chorus in in the big finale: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5rOhaqJjcl-qLM. Scott is easy to spot (and hear, even though he doesn't get a solo); Bareilles is wearing the two-piece pink glitter pants outfit and ends up at the right side of the screen.

[@df5199]

The next and last performance was Without You. Fortunately, it didn’t count for anything since it was their weakest performance. There were some sort of technical issues where they couldn’t hear or keep in tune with each other. Although it sounded okay, it was rather disappointing. There is a video of them singing Without You in Parking garage.

[@LoccdWolfReacts]

Thanks!

[@mmg8823]

The season finale is right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4O4n2p7lMSCetE

[@nickybomberry1190]

Avi at the end….ugh 💔

[@melissacoviello2886]

Right, it always gets me.

[@danielcarter837]

Probably the most complex and well rounded song. Well rounded may not be the right thing to say. It had a lot of movements and each part of the song took a different approach. This is regarded as the first Mitch slap. Just five unicorns doing unicorn things. How Scott, Mitch and Kirstin happened to be together in the same school at the same time and became life long friends could only have happened by intervention of the powers that be in the universe. Most teachers or schools (outside of a performance magnet school which their high school was not) might have one student with their abilities in 30 years, and they had three at the same time. Fun fact: Their high school acapella choir opened for them on the Christmas concert in 2018. Seems like so long ago since it was pre Covid.