Home Free

“Home Free” didn’t need to acclimate before climbing onto the KiMo Theatre’s stage Thursday night as their tour bus idled on Fifth Street after rolling in from Mesa, Arizona. Their current excursion is nearing the end but there was no quit in the effort they made entertaining a loyal New Mexican fan base.

Singing sans backing track, the five musicians bring a thundering audio mix that’s richly deceptive: can their complex compositions really be developed solely with vocal chords? Setting out to prove this phenomenon is founder Adam Rupp who delivers percussion sounds with a beatbox flare that evokes the first wow of the performance. A trained trumpeter, he also plays keyboards, drums, and bass guitar, bringing notes from each instrument into the arrangements of the group’s other four voices.

Adam’s brother Chris Rupp, co-founder and musical director, contributes the baritone harmonies with precision and panache. Both have music degrees and solid band accomplishments but they’ve abandoned keys and strings at this point in their careers to demonstrate how the power of a cappella singing as an uncontaminated medium can be equally satisfying. Chris does most of the arranging, which is inventive and precarious, given that the song selections are all top shelf numbers.

Their set list leads with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Wagon Wheel” à la Darius Rucker’s version, which kicks off a chain reaction of smiles and cheers as contrabass Tim Foust chimes in with the night’s second wow: now that’s a low voice! His beautiful timbre ranges five octaves but his bottom register brings down the house. Complimenting Foust’s lower access is tenor Rob Lundquist, a true showman who nearly gets to full falsetto. He has astounding breath flow control and expertly carries a few songs on his own.

In front of these four is the darling Georgian, Austin Brown. Part old-time preacher and part boy-band leader, Brown is a real cutie-pie. Nearly always blocked center stage, his presence is memorable. And for the next wow: he can sing. As a countertenor, he possesses a high enough range to balance the deep, throbbing pulse of the measures. During their countrified rendition of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” Brown spins the doo-wap into a brand-new hit.

The most brilliant composition of the night is Ed Sheeran’s 2014 super song “Thinking Out Loud” melted into Marvin Gaye’s 1973 platinum single, “Let’s Get it On.” Innovation such as this is how “Home Free” won NBC’s reality competition, “The Sing Off” in 2013 and why they are headed to Nashville for their Grand Ole Opry debut this July.

Corny and adorable, funny as all get out and talented to the limit, these guys are smart and ambitious. They kiddingly attempt Taylor Swift and Chippendales dance moves and banter about with snappy choreography echoing the Temptations. The only detail lacking is their costuming; they literally looked as though they just rolled out of that bus. Foust gave a sweet shout to his grandparents in the audience, who are celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary this year, and 57 years in Albuquerque.

On assignment for ABQToDo.