new best performance in barbershop history! (FULL TRANSCRIPTION + EXPLANATION)

Spider-Man Theme (otherwise known as Spider-Farm) performed by Midtown arranged by Aaron Dale: • Spider-Farm - Midtown
This song got a 97.0% score!!! (98.0 MUS 100.0 PER 93.0 SNG)
Subscribe to the Barbershop Harmony Society channel to see more videos like this one!! • Spider-Farm - Midtown
Notes: They tend to drift in pitch, so I had to make choices as to where I stayed true to where I thought they were supposed to be, and where I just jumped back down or up to where they actually are in pitch. But this is just a transcription, not the original sheet music, so it might not all line up perfectly.
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transcriptions: • Transcriptions

[@josephsimmons1232]

This is like watching your first Marvel movie and it's Endgame.

[@CheesyLizzy]

Yeah, that's how i feel right now XD

[@umcarafilipino]

Literally me

[@singsbari]

You might add that Midtown scored the first perfect 100 in the Performance category for this.

[@johndevine6346]

What are we trying to preserve?

[@ninsophy9798]

tbf i think the acting could be better in some weenie tiny parts but it does the trick for the most part 😂

[@anopirsten7565]

Performance as in how they move and speak or Performance in how they sing? It's late at night so I'm skimming through the video but this doesn't seem to be too mucb special. I'll look over it better in the morning but I think I prefer the older pre-2000's voice that quartet's just don't have anymore. The first BHS quartets had a soft sound that sounded oh so nice, the quartets around the Buffalo Bill era had a harder attack than their predecessors and rung so loudly, the 1960's quartets started the same sound that would be used all the way up to somewhere in the 90's, and now here we are. I don't even know how to describe this voice but it rattles my ears to listen to. I listen to something like Mother of Mine by the Oriole Four and I'd take that any day over this (I understand that it's a studio recording and not a live one, so to give a live recording I'll give BHS's Mill Street Medley). I really don't want to sound like a debbie downer but I just love this art form so much and to see it change to a point where I can't listen to any new songs put out by quartets anymore is very sad.

[@pegialberts2997]

If you have listened to barbershop this long you may have been aware of the The Most Happy Fellows. Intel Champs from 1977 if I remember correctly. Bob Hodge, tenor, was my Brother-in-law. He was phenomenal! I miss him and all the Haps greatly.

[@TomCee53]

@@ninsophy9798the Performance category is how they present themselves, and includes any acting or speaking. files.barbershop.org/PDFs/Contests-Judging/CJ_Handbook.ver_15.4.pdf

[@lawrencespies8674]

How KJ makes that fall without hurting himself is beyond me. Hits the floor flat and hard.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

He hits shoulder and hip to spread the impact and is very careful with the head. It’s actually quite well done.

[@AnneONeemass]

It's called a "prat-fall." I learned to do them years ago.

[@louiederpman7113]

@@johnathanrhoades7751 you can also see he puts his other arm out as he falls but blocks it from view with his body

[@samsignorelli]

@@johnathanrhoades7751 Well yes....there's definitely technique to it....but even experienced stuntmen get injured on occasion, especially since he wasn't falling into a safety pad.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

@@samsignorelli sure, it’s by no means foolproof.

[@another_aaron]

Barbershop's tradition of in-jokes is my favourite but it's hard to keep track of them all so I appreciate the Explaining of The Jokes

[@carolemerckel3461]

From now on when I see a spider, I'll think "Restless Leg Syndrome"!!

[@bree_nicole]

Agreed! There are so many inside jokes, and I didn’t catch some of them, so seeing the little Easter eggs I missed explained makes me appreciate it that much more!

[@TAP7a]

It's about as close to a cult as you can get while still having the cult status be questionable

[@KajSeVai]

@@TAP7a It's not a cult it's a way of life.

[@dianeionescu3806]

My favorite part of this is that you have to be a diehard barbershop fan to get this. All of these niche barbershop jokes, but the audience responds wonderfully and gets every single one. Wonderful example of how music brings people together, no matter how popular/niche the genre is!!

[@gloriouslyimperfect]

I am new to barbershop and didn’t get most of them right away and could still find the humor in what they were doing without knowing it. Though knowing it makes it even more amazing.

[@CtrlAltFone]

Sorry to dissapoint you my noble lady...I am a Rockabilly Hepcat ( if you want to insist on titles) and I do understand all their jokes, their walk through history, their puns and all, you're not that exclusive😎😉💖

[@mdgraller]

The Rick and Morty copypasta but for barbershop is one of the least unexpected things I've ever seen

[@jimmyoutlaw9384]

I was not expecting the fall to be that convincing oh my god

[@Chiberia]

*THUD*

[@nickhadfield3192]

Fall was OK, the impact was bloody perfect.

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

the impact was bloody 😂😂

[@YquemPelloMusic]

Jason, you're one of the MVPs of spreading barbershop to a wide audience, thank you so much!

[@itsameekay450]

He tips his head, one legend to another

[@BRAN06]

yeah hthanks jason

[@TriStain69]

I don't know what path I took in my online life where I'm watching a video of a barbershop quartet performing with all of the inside jokes being explained, and I'm sitting here thinking "No you don't have to explain it, I got the reference" every time

[@rhonal4198]

I love that you can hear them quietly chirping their notes every now and then during the long comedy stuff, highly relatable. Absolutely incredible performance all round!

[@-c3202]

Can anyone give a time stamp of an example? My ears aren't that well-attuned!

[@z0nxi]

@@-c3202 listen to those 2 left guys at 5:11 and right after for example (humming e and g if that helps)

[@realtylerdb]

@@-c32024:56 and 57, and some other bits aftev that too

[@therealthomaskuo]

around 5:15ish you can hear it very softly while they're all pointing@@-c3202

[@dukeofkings8942]

@@-c3202 6:21 is a good example.

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

you have to give the man an oscar for falling to the floor like that....many a tough man wouldnt have risen again!!

[@A_Wild_Dyzzy]

Even after you stated it was very convincing I still did not expect such dedication to a drop like that. Holy smokes!

[@KyleHottel]

9:54 is a reference to International in 2022 when Midtown jogged off stage after a great set - Anthony slipped and fell. The other quartet members proceeded to come back out on stage and fall on purpose. It was amazing and this is a funny call-back

[@evanbell]

That should have been everyone's first indicator that this quartet could pull off comedy

[@justadam3186]

Sounds absolutely hilarious!! Do you have some sort of link or is it completely lost :(

[@KyleHottel]

@@justadam3186 unfortunately there cameras weren't rolling for that. No camera tracks the quartet as they walk (or fall) off stage

[@justadam3186]

@@KyleHottel Damn, haha. Sounds like it was a ton of fun! Glad you had the pleasure of experiencing it. Thanks for the info

[@danielleethier4152]

I remember KJ gave Anthony grief for buying cheap shoes in the interview after.

[@nitramnagrom3574]

I never watched Barbershop Quartets until I saw a George Collier video like this, now that I’ve seen THIS video, I know there’s a whole lot more to the jokes involved and community scene. I can’t wait to watch more!

[@jasonfieler]

That's so exciting!!! I'm glad you're getting into it :) it's a lovely world

[@mwiz100]

Pretty much same here. Seen a little snippets but never gave them my full attention until one of his videos.

[@sharp9150]

Same!

[@Greentrees60]

​@@mwiz100ditto I always thought it sounded cool, but I had no idea about the competition or community. I will keep following!!

[@taruheizu]

It was really funny watching Quorum’s reactions to some of their jokes, they were dying laughing. Just shows how everyone’s good sports in this hobby.

[@samsignorelli]

Kinda makes me wonder at the reactions of the rest of Lunch Break....especially since KJ won with basically an LB routine.

[@clefnoteproductions6695]

The comedy is phenomenal, but even better is coming back to the music without having to retune or have a pitch pipe is amazing.

[@sco9616]

if you listen carefully during the spoken parts u can hear the occasional hums of someone reminding the pitch and holding it... which is pretty awesome considering they have to focus on the acting as well at the same time. Super impressive

[@charliegreen5361]

The fact that the previous time he did it, KJ said he "wouldn't miss" falling on his face and now 3 people who grew up with it are pressuring him to do it.

[@shawnfurl4854]

I wish I could've seen this live. This has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen as a barbershopper!

[@jasonfieler]

Same!

[@4partharmony208]

Great job explaining the iceberg of this masterpiece in real-time. I wasn't sure anything could top the lunacy of the "Car Song". I was wrong NOTE: The Car Song would be a great video to transcribe too

[@jasonfieler]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

[@jasonfieler]

Could be fun

[@MoominJude]

It's not a masterpiece

[@qwudgiecarter1516]

What is the car song?

[@4partharmony208]

@@qwudgiecarter1516 Storm Front, 2010 Finals, Jukebox Saturday Night Medley

[@gingerpianist6136]

I performed in the army band of NY with one of these guys. (The one on the right with the beard) He's an amazing vocalist and a genuine fella!

[@sarahr9894]

Never heard of these guys and don't have any extensive lore into the Barbershop Scene which apparently exists, but this had me rolling. The way he bounced 💀😂 the physical comedy was so good even someone who has no idea what is happening can burst out laughing 😂

[@Stepica]

It feels like 12 years of watching these performances finally paid off 😂 This made me so happy!

[@donath.3324]

I'm not familiar with barbershop and the amount of lore is crazy

[@toastergdofficial]

is 8 rewatches enough??

[@trippcartermusic]

you’re actually a legend for doing this so fast…. Like what?

[@HDWalrus123]

1:15 I love how Nick sniffs the paper and then presses it against KJ's chest

[@bree_nicole]

I absolutely love watching barbershop, especially barbershop comedy, but there were so many little references packed into this, I wouldn’t have caught everything! Thank you so much for breaking this down, it makes me appreciate it even more!

[@jocelyngoodwin4485]

The tenor (Anthony Fortino) is my literal cousin 😭😭 So proud

[@sachionang]

Wow, he’s my gf’s cousin! Small world!

[@SuperJ002]

They are legends for this masterpiece

[@TreyBruceable]

What an experience this was live. About fell out of my chair with the Lunch Break throwback.

[@sammystrent]

the chord at 7:54 makes me bawl every time. so good.

[@TheBeatzGuy16]

That B major chord in measure 14 just sounds so cool

[@oliverdelica2289]

All that's left is for other quartets to interrupt Midtown in their AIC show mic test sets

[@LongNeckLives]

That has to be one of the best prat falls ive seen. Thanks for the explanations too, it helps someone like me that knows nothing about the barbershop world

[@codemanthe2nd343]

Among everything else, that fall was superb

[@JamesEnsor]

Pointing out a squirel in such a manner is that is a common tropey joke of people with attention deficit disorder. Some may call it ableist, I call it fucking hilarious.

[@synaesthesis]

ADHD person here, can confirm that I've actually done the squirrel pointing irl 😂

[@abydosianchulac2]

I'm pretty sure it's a direct reference to the movie _Up_ as well, as a talking dog is frequently distracted mid-sentence by seeing a squirrel. (Either that, or the writers of the movie pulled this from Lunch Break, it's way too similar to be coincidence.)

[@parkerklinck263]

As soon as I discovered midtown in 2018 I knew they would be champions and I am so happy that they finally did it this year!

[@itzzzzyor_boi_staticTV]

It’s 5 in the morning i need to go to school in an hour but instead I’m watching this. I don’t regret a thing

[@meggyandjayjay]

It was a centipede not an octopus ❤. Also my fiancé is the bass and he said you caught things that even he missed 😂

[@evanbell]

I believe the centipede joke was bunions, not restless leg syndrome "With an owowowowowowowowowowowowowowow here"

[@meggyandjayjay]

@@evanbellomg you’re so right. Forgive me LOL

[@1stCZbarbershopper]

So what twas wrong with the octopus when Lunch Break sang about it?

[@4partharmony208]

@@1stCZbarbershopper An octoplegic octopus

[@TwoToneShoes]

Nothing tops Ringmasters' Notre Dame Medley for sheer jaw dropping singing but this was good fun and incredible harmony.

[@Ben_R4mZ]

Wow who knew Barbershop music had lore 😂

[@romanlutterotti3158]

I’m high af, thank god for the joke explain box lmao

[@KevinPally]

Midtown came to the Illinois District recently and they talked about this performance and it was so cool to meet with them. They coached my quartet too!

[@roosmertens851]

I actually spit my water out watching this

[@samsignorelli]

I've never been a big barbershop fan. but I've seen enough to recognize KJ and all the in jokes....good on him for running with it. And DAMN, how did he not hurt himself on that fall??

[@mnemosyned]

I don't know why exactly I got this recommended for me, but it is EXACTLY what I need more of in my life. Thank you for explaining the in-jokes so outsiders like myself can understand and enjoy the laughs! Also, as a narcoleptic, I can't stop giggling at the pig 😆 Also, KJ is a very handsome fellow, I'd just like that on the record.

[@speedbag1]

He held that last note for 22 seconds! (11:50 to 12:12) Unreal.

[@luigimario4458]

That performance was impressive! What really got me was when AJ fell in 10:41min!💯

[@Andrew42520]

*KJ, but yeah it was really good!

[@balazon2000]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart gentlemen. Not an easy day for me but you all made me smile and at a couple of points actually laugh out loud.

[@davidbwoo]

How. HOW did they do this without cracking up. EDIT: ALSO!! The throwback surprise at the very END!!!!

[@jeremiedayglider1690]

Thanks for explaining all of the inside jokes. I had gone back and watched Lunch Break's version. But, I'm just discovering Barbershop and didn't know all of the quotes from all of the other groups. SO cool! And what a fine actor KJ is! This was perfectly staged, choreographed, and acted!

[@jaguarproatom]

the acting chops thing with anthony is also because he has toured with broadway touring shows!

[@skyubu]

the funniest bit is one woman's laugh 💀 it's just screaming and it's so funny

[@Oct_sflb]

"He clearly doesn't want to"

[@losttommyboy3391]

"I don't want to explain this" 😂

[@BradPoitz]

Angel Di Maria quit Soccer and is now the bass of a barbershop quartet

[@roywangui1211]

When they pointed out squirrel I swear i was hearing them hum their voices so as not to go off during the long break, please tell me I'm not alone.😆

[@alistairwall5470]

Yep, fairly common for quartets to do this during breaks in comedy songs. The Newfangled Four and Main Street are also good at this

[@paulahaddad5114]

You bring joy to a disabled person who has problems getting to performances etc. Love you guys!!!😊😊

[@pedrosilvamusician]

Who knew Angel Di Maria was in a Barbershop quartet as a bass

[@Mac77_]

HAHAHAHA I DIDNT THINK ABOUT THE RESEMBLANCE

[@ammyzea]

i saw them perform live twice, this song gives me chills every time😭😭

[@TheRealAudioDidact]

BRAVO!!!! This was world ending in quality and scale. Never to be topped.

[@dinascharnhorst6590]

Thank you for the side notes: people didn't believe me when I pointed out the FRED references.

[@mandiocatostada3859]

It just gets better

[@jzzsxm]

I remember seeing The Simpsons Movie in theaters when it was released and we all knew, even then, that Spider Pig was going to go down in history as one of the greatest scenes ever made.

[@human-tk2fo]

It's a crime that I can only like this video once

[@steveboone1498]

8:35 there is a Simpson's movie reference. In the movie while Marge is cleaning dirty footprints on the walls and ceiling she overhears her husband singing "spiderpig" while he's holding the animal creating the dirty footprints.

[@Chiberia]

Spiderpig, spiderpig, does whatever spiderpig does!

[@AbuMaia01]

@@Chiberia These days my headcanon of the Iron Man song says it has to go, "I am Iron Man, doing whatever an iron can."

[@Chiberia]

@@AbuMaia01 my iron cans hold soup. That’s a superhero movie I’d go see

[@carolemerckel3461]

Just found the Simpson clip on KZbin!!

[@user-nn3cm9yw5d]

Thank you for posting the score. It made it more enjoyable for me. Love the song/skit.

[@lesleywilbourne7823]

I just loved that. What a nod to Lunchbreak, Fred and all the others. That is what you call a parody xxxx

[@markweatherill]

They don't sound like giants, but they might be.

[@PhilipIvesMusic]

I’ve found Barbershop KZbin, and I’m here for it!

[@PeacelordApropos]

This is definitely one of the best comedic barber shops I have seen. The extra explaining helps

[@Unclejojo330]

That performance was exceptional so entertaining and enjoyable great harmony,how barbershop has transformed from my early years l cannot express my delight. Thank you so much👍

[@eviculum4518]

i didnt know anything could have so much lore

[@gloriouslyimperfect]

Fairly new to barbershop so thank you for sending me down all these amazing wormholes!

[@sunday15th62]

YOU'RE THE GOAT FOR THIS

[@noodles2459]

That prat fall was great

[@charlescharliecharlotte]

I don’t understand any of this but I’m happy to be here

[@jasonfieler]

I'm glad you're happy to be here! That makes me happy! :)

[@ThespianGamr]

This popped up in my reccomended so I had to say hi. Great singing with you in Louisville Jason! Hope to sing tags again -Zach from MCC

[@jasonfieler]

It was awesome to connect with you! I'm sure we'll sing again next year :)

[@cyclesingsleep]

Thank you for all of the commentary. I never would have understood it, otherwise! : P

[@thunderduckie01]

OMG!! I just found this channel and I'm DYING over here!!! When he hit the floor, beer shot from my nose!!!

[@rodneybrown2448]

What a guy. Did it for the team.

[@NameNik223]

As a person who found out about barbershop only this week, I thank you for these comments explaining the jokes

[@DrStephieRaeGrenier]

Literally laughing with tears in my eyes. Thanks for the commentary, would’ve never known. 😂

[@isabellaosborn3171]

The way I gasped when he fell

[@GuntherRommel]

That was next level.

[@AnneONeemass]

I've got a good friend who sings tenor in a pro barbershop quartet & in various competitions. He's REALLY good!

[@alistairwall5470]

wait who

[@campfire2953]

I watched this on BHS's youtube channel when it first came out and was confused about all the interest and excitement about it. Now I get it. Thank ya for the work!

[@bierbrauer11]

Appreciate you filling in those of us who have zero background.. super stellar job!!!

[@noneyabid]

Thank you for doing this! For those of us unfamiliar with some the references, this helped a lot! I'm still staggered by the quality of this performance.

[@ButterKing-28]

Thank you for doing this and the explanation with it!

[@tampazeke4587]

Absolutely flawless! Superb! Encore!

[@squidworth2570]

Oh man I'm still laughing.... Whew! This was amazing!

[@ThespianGamr]

Thank Eddie Holt for putting together this masterpiece of a song for his former quartet mate.

[@saraalhashimi2650]

@@ThespianGamrAnd Jim Clark and Darin Down too!

[@mageSjoy]

Definitely rehearsed but I don't think that makes it less funny, It's so good

[@hellomello258]

Wow. I see how that could bring the house down, especially for those in on the group-related jokes

[@bradenbosilovich2501]

Very much appreciated the explanation to help me understand this awesome performance

[@raelynnclinard]

i have zero interaction with quartets, other than any regular american from old tv/etc, but with your explanation, i thoroughly enjoyed this!

[@limeoreospls8044]

That is a gosh darn talent right there!

[@blankadams3120]

Thank you for all the annotations, I went deep dive to watch the jokes, and found all sorts of quartets I've never heard of. That said, I don't believe for a second that KJ wasn't in on the joke, what with having his old uniform on under a pull away tux...

[@carolemerckel3461]

Costume please, not a uniform, thank you!

[@blankadams3120]

@@carolemerckel3461 If you insist. I just couldn't remember when I posted the first comment.

[@SpadeCaller]

Simply amazing start to finish.

[@mixmashandtinker3266]

Now THAT was a drop!!

[@clarissasemjaz2207]

Imagine that one of these guys is your dad