At 7:30 PM on Friday, May 3, The Flying Monkey is excited to present the unique vocal pop group Rockapella. Regarded as being at the forefront of a new flavor of contemporary pop music with their blend of soul, rock, and R&B merged with a cappella performance, Rockapella’s full-band sound comes from just five guys with microphones. No instruments, no tracks, no mirrors. Tickets for this concert start at $35.

Often imitated, but never duplicated, this certifiably unique pop musical group has taken the previously stodgy music genre of a cappella and brought it full-force into the 21st century. Their story— or for that matter, their sound and impression— are like no other. The original quartet, a group of Brown University alumni, was formed for the sheer love of performing. They sang on New York City street corners with a hat out at their feet, earning enough to get dinner, and — through business cards dropped into the hat — work at private parties.

One thing led to another, and now this five-man powerhouse, whose sound has become an infectious blend of soul, rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz, has advanced across the nation thrilling audiences along the way, and now, they’re coming to The Flying Monkey.

“We make it rock and make it interesting,” explains Scott Leonard, the group’s chief songwriter, arranger, and architect of their evolving dynamic sound. “People have a hard time believing it’s just us making all of that music. It’s still those same elements that make modern band music: percussion, bass, melody, and harmonies.”

The five-man a cappella phenomenon has both redefined the genre and set the gold standard for unaccompanied vocal performance. A blend of five voices – a vocal percussionist among them – the group rose to prominence as the house band on PBS’ Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego, then on the wildly successful TV smash Glee, and are now regarded as being at the forefront of a new flavor of contemporary pop music with their blend of soul, rock, and R&B merged with a cappella performance.

“We’re making every bit as much music as the whole Glee chorus — but with only five guys,” says Rockapella’s human beat-box Jeff Thacher.

Tickets for this Friday’s Rockapella Concert are on sale now for $35, and $45 for Premier seats. For tickets and more information on concerts and the Flying Monkey Performance Center, visit FlyingMonkeyNH.com or call 536-2551.