HE IS SO TELENTED!!!!!!! Blind reaction to Pentatonix - The Kevin Show/Kevin's Fifth

[@april8293]

I saw this live and I will never be the same. Everyone was on their feet dancing. His level of talent is once a generation. I think the classical music gods are looking down and smiling at Kevin. ❤

[@Gwennedd]

I think of Kevin as a genius. Not only does he play cello, beatbox, dance and is a genuinely sweet human being, but he also plays sax and keyboard, songwrites, speaks several languages , including Mandarin, and gave up a career as a doctor and doing missionary work. He grew up with two doctors for parents and had planned in following their footsteps...and it must have been a massive wrench for them when he chose a musical career over a medical one....and yet his parents are soo, so proud of him. They often used to attend the fan organized meet-ups and do the Q&A sessions a few years ago.

[@leslieholland7843]

Kevin and a friend also have a Spiritual podcast, which I really like.

[@rachel_lee_123]

Fantastic reaction! I loved watching this!

[@ruth2141]

There's a seven-minute video, "Introducing Matt Sallee", that came out soon after he joined Pentatonix. It has interviews with him and the other PTX members and video of him with his college performing group. Most of the PTX members are more shy than you'd think watching them perform, and they all mention how nice it is to have Matt as the group hype man, especially since he is such a good guy.

[@KaaSerpent]

THAT, in the name of the good lord in heaven above, is an electric CELLO. Mind-blowing, isn't it?

[@leslienoel6909]

I love how much the members in PTX support each other. Scott actually encouraged Kevin to do this performance and make it as big as he wanted. The talent is unreal. This is what makes them sush a special group.

[@margretrosenberg420]

Kevin has perfect pitch. He's been classically trained on piano, saxophone, and cello since childhood. He performed at Carnegie Hall twice when he was a teenager, once on saxophone and once on cello. He speaks five languages fluently: English, Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese. Basically, Kevin is a polymath. Polymaths are the people geniuses look at and say, "Wow! I wish *_my_* mind were that good!" Leonardo da Vinci was a polymath. So were Richard Feynman and Isaac Asimov. And on top of that Kevin is one of the kindest people in the world, and when he laughs the whole planet seems like a brighter place. I would LOVE to have a conversation with Kevin; I have a whole list of questions I'd like to ask him.

[@pjb3583]

Kevin’s cover of Down on his channel is superb too. Matt, I think, is more of a natural cheerleader than anyone else in the group, and he and Kevin together are just exuberant on stage. Loved your reaction, thanks. Peace …

[@DougRayPhillips]

Yes. Check out Down.

[@lindaosmon5224]

He is a classically trained cellist.

[@margretrosenberg420]

This is Kevin's electric cello. The one that he normally plays when PTX wants cello accompaniment on an official video is his standard cello, which he's named Beyoncé. He wanted to name the electric cello Jay-Z, but his mother liked "Mr. Carter" better, so in this video Kevin is playing Mr. Carter. I'm not certain, but I THINK it's easier to travel with Mr. Carter; I believe he's less delicate than Beyoncé. Also, there are effects Kevin can get from an electric cello that are impossible with a standard cello.

[@bonnieflynn4798]

❤❤❤

[@barbk2324]

I’m so so glad you are reacting to this! Kevin is unbelievable and Matt is also amazing!!!

[@carolynl.higgins6206]

Yes it's Matt now!! Six years in!!! He's the bass, the one to reference as adding bass.

[@barbarakennedy2667]

Love PTX. KEVIN IS AMAZING. I would buy an album of Kevin Olusola music.

[@amymason5145]

There are 2 cd's floating around somewhere. I think they are under the name K.O.

[@denee940]

OMGawwwd! I've always loved listening to cello but this is the first time it's been a whole body experience. Thank you for the great reaction

[@louisegallaway8271]

Thanks for the great reaction! We saw Pentatonix last December, 2022 and this was part of the show and he was AMAZING!! If you ever have the chance to see them live, you will not be disappointed!

[@judybrant1403]

I saw this performance live, and thought I was going to explode! What a rush!

[@bfly5990]

I love PTX and Kevin is the Best. That is Kevin talking. A great talent and wonderful human

[@vanessa4u4evr]

Kevin has what we call 'whole brain function', or at least he's very close to it. That's how he can beat-box and play the cello at the same time so effortlessly.

[@jaisiline]

The pad Matt’s using is a looper pad Kevin programmed, because there are parts of the song Kevin can’t beatbox and play cello at the same time

[@lindaosmon5224]

I saw them on September 14th and him and Matt performed this. It was absolutely insane. Great reaction.

[@professionalvampire1]

This tour Matt is playing a full drum set - and crushing it! And Kevin is absolutely amazing, as always.

[@dawnemami3089]

You need to check out Kevin’s channel… especially his rendition of Down ❤ He does play effortlessly… he was a protege at playing the chello.

[@perfectkismet]

Yep, that was Matt the hype man. I love the way Matt gets to be in on what used to he just Kevin-time. It makes me think of their PTXperience videos that document behind the scenes... back on Matt's first tour with PTX he was geeking out while Kevin practiced and Kevin asked him to hold the cello for a second while he went to get something. Matt was like "I have arrived!" Eg. Kevin was trusting him with his instrument so now he knew he was a part of the group. Also, yep, that was the cello. Kevin adds distortion to the electric cello. In the "Down" video on his YT channel, at least, you can see him step on the petal before he starts in. He said he experimented and tweaked the method for about a year before he got the electric guitar sound the way he wanted it. But that was some time ago, now.

[@ElizabethRoss-uj8rl]

In the 1970s, Rachmaninoff made a comeback as "All By Myself", and I won a Disco dance contest to Beethoven's 5th. I played both of those originals on the piano in my youth. The classics will never die.

[@mkaplan519]

I just saw them live last week in Toronto Canada. Matt had a full drum set, no dancers. They were awesome. The whole show was amazing.

[@FayolaOnline]

Same!

[@haileymcbroom7586]

Just so you know the purposeful cracking of the voice is called a vocal fry and Avi does it crazy well!!!

[@cyclone209]

An amazing reaction! Lol did it feel like you just ran a marathon? I love Kevin so much, his talent is unmatched!!! Thank you for your honest reaction it was great!❤

[@rulab]

Another fantastic reaction to a great song. I love how passionate you are during these, especially in the livestreams...you are so fun always but especially with a live audience...consummate entertainer without any fallacies... Amazing as always Sir #DJAntlers #HerdMind 💗💗

[@davidphillips4476]

Dude is WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY to talented!!!!!!!! That's insane!!!

[@carmengibson]

I was at this show and he BLEW THE ROOF OFF Rupp arena!

[@donnastohr]

I lived through this live this week. Yes, exhausting and an ultimate thrill.

[@margretrosenberg420]

No matter what Scott said, Kevin is NOT a doctor. He had already been accepted to Yale Medical School when he took his little detour to California to appear on _The Sing-Off_ with a bunch of strangers, but when he decided to stick with Pentatonix even after Epic reneged on the recording contract they'd "won" he gave up that possibility. That said, Kevin's father is a doctor and Kevin knows more than enough about medicine to tell any member of Pentatonix when something is bad enough that they really should see a doctor.

[@rebapuck5061]

Scott did correct himself and called Kevin a scholar.

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@rebapuck5061 Sounded like an addendum, not a correction.

[@edsartistry]

This is so mesmerizing, you find yourself getting so lost in the music and you don't realize it until it ends.!!!!!! Yes, yes, YES, he did it !!! Electric guitar !! That man can be and do ANY instrument you want him to be. Trumpet, drums, flute, guitar, wind instruments...... ANYTHING> !!! He is so GOOOOOOOD !!

[@marthalikens482]

KEVIN!! PTX!!

[@KaaSerpent]

BeatBach is the word you're looking for. :)

[@jcs1025]

I saw this show - not this particular one - but another on the same tour. They put on an amazing show.

[@suzannebastien2918]

Masterpiece 🥰🥰🥰

[@liisaara7242]

Amazing!!!

[@tyseemahbishop6123]

Avi isn’t in the group anymore this is him playing with Matt last Christmas I believe

[@patbrewer4205]

He was going into Missionary work as a Doctor in China, speaks Mandarin also

[@dwfarr]

Recommend Pentatonix’s cover of Mad World.

[@darlenegallagher5652]

I guess you would call it "beat-Baching"

[@lesaahrenstein6360]

If you watch the reaction by drumming with Jarvis to home freeze listen to the music he explains how Beatboxers cannot and tones that a regular instrument cannot. Has something to do with bending the note and the voice can hit any single sound along a particular toner I don't know what the word is Actual instruments can only hit a certain note where as the voice can hit any variety in between 2 notes. I saw them live last September at the Hollywood bowl. I never doubted that they sounded the same in person as they do studio but to experience it was Other worldly. I get to go see them again September in. I don't know if Kevin do this piece bit I hope that he does.

[@patbrewer4205]

The Dancers are a married couple that toured with them last year

[@kevinkor2009]

Beat Bach-ing

[@ginawhitfield6797]

Avi? He left the group 6 year's ago

[@hempchimp]

Your question seems familiar. Schrödinger's cat maybe?

[@darlenegallagher5652]

And not to make light of it but... does anyone else think that cello looks like a vacuum cleaner?

[@jimmiemurvin1871]

Kevin's cello's name is Beyonce. Isn't that a hoot?

[@patbrewer4205]

Btw the group does not perform on Sundays for religious reasons

[@FayolaOnline]

It's actually Friday night through Saturday, because that is Kevin's sabbath.

[@alphabetatiger]

I can’t take you seriously until you spell “talented” correctly.😅 and realize Avi hasn’t been with the group for almost 10 years.

[@margretrosenberg420]

I THINK the reason the beatboxing sounds better than the real drums is that Matt just has two drums there, while Kevin has the equivalent of a full drum kit. Please note that Kevin is the oldest member of Pentatonix, while Matt is the youngest member. Also, Matt and Kevin together make up the rhythm section, so they work closely together, and they have the shared experience of growing up black in a country where white privilege is alive and well. So in many ways Kevin has taken Matt under his wing. When Kevin performs "Kevin's Fifth," he uses his big moment to give Matt a chance to show off a skill Matt isn't normally called upon to use in Pentatonix. 🥰 🫠

[@bonnieflynn4798]

So well said