Waiting at the Anacortes ferry terminal for five hours, the Coats found something constructive to do: they fine tuned a spot-on vocal imitation of bagpipes, composing a new song they called, “Get There Earlier Next Time”.
The brief tune inspired raucous mirth at Orcas Center on Sunday night, and the crowd drove home with faces aching from laughing so hard.
From the moment the Coats hit the stage, it was clear they were there to have a good time. The a capella men’s quartet gave a rib-busting performance including original songs, a little country, a skosh of jazz and some cheeky renditions of pop hits like “Sunglasses at Night”, complete with neon glow-in-the-dark shades and “We can’t dance but we’re going to anyway” moves.
They did a saucy imitation of a “girl band” in the Blondie song “The Tide is High” and cracked the audience up with their “The Progression of the Bass Man” routine, from prehistoric times through each musical era. “Down on the Corner” got the crowd tapping its feet and “Rawhide” brought listeners some cowboy boot-stomping goodness, complete with an imaginary – and lively – horse.
The group’s collective vocal range was stunning: from Kerry Dahlen’s throaty bass that rumbles your bones to Keith Michael Anderson’s high tenor/soprano that clears the rafters, the group has a tight harmonic synergy. Second tenor Jamie Dieveney brings earnest soul and baritone Doug Wisness adds more than a splash of goofy cheer.
Vocal antics stretched from the usual human sounds to a wide range of noises normally made only by machines. Dieveney especially brought out perfect imitations of electronic synthesizers and turntables.
At show’s end, the Orcas Center crowd applauded for an encore before they finally let the Coats head back to the ferry. Judging by the audience, it seems Orcas Islanders would warmly welcome the group back if they decide to return next season.
The Coats began singing as a quartet roughly 15 years ago, busking at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Since then, the group has released numerous CDs and performed across the nation along with entertainers Trisha Yearwood, The Beach Boys, Tanya Tucker, Billy Dean, Crystal Gayle, and Colin Ray and more. This summer they’ll ride as the grand marshals for Seattle’s Seafair Parade July 28 and perform for the Puyallup Fair on September 11-13.
