(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Kitchen Table Kibitzing 7/14/2026: Choir!^3 [1] ['Belinda Ridgewood', 'A Pagan In Arizona'] Date: 2026-07-14 Good evening, Kibitzers! I hope everyone has some refuge from the various forms of hideous weather currently making us miserable. Tonight, I’d like to show you an organization called Choir! Choir! Choir! Started in 2011, it’s based in Toronto but frequently travels. It’s led by Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, and its deal is this: a theaterful of random people show up (knowing what the song is), are handed lyric sheets, and are taught the C!C!C! arrangement of a well-known song for two hours, at the end of which time, they perform it together on video, sound good, and have a fabulous time. I know this sounds far-fetched, but it works, and they have the YouTube channel to prove it. Indeed, sometimes the original (or otherwise famous) artists show up to sing with them. There’s a very short video on their website’s About page that gives a feel for what this looks like. But also, I’ve picked out some of those final videos for you. I’ve been eyeing them for some time, but they came to my attention this week because they have a cover of Total Eclipse of the Heart, and they just reposted it, re-cast as a Bonnie Tyler in-memoriam sing-along with lyrics provided onscreen in case you’d like to partake. (All the song titles will be links to the original artist’s version.) ❧ [4:59] In the fall of 2022, they had a special performance of Rainbow Connection at Lincoln Center in New York, with guest artist Kermit the Frog. ❧ [4:03] In 2018, they did a theater sing of Karma Chameleon, after singing it throughout the Toronto Pride parade. ❧ [4:55] Back in the Covid era, singing groups were figuring out new ways to perform together. In July 2020, 1500 singers virtually joined the C!C!C! directors and Rufus Wainwright to sing Across the Universe. ❧ [4:39] Still in 2020, they released a previously-recorded Needle And The Damage Done to mark Neil Young’s 75th birthday that November. ❧ [3:08] When Walter Becker died in 2017, they offered Dirty Work as a tribute. ❧ [4:43] In 2018, they issued a video invitation to Rick Astley to come to Toronto and sing with them, and two weeks later, there he was! (Unsurprisingly, they sang Never Gonna Give You Up.) ❧ [6:01] This 2016 performance of Losing My Religion features Aaron Comeau on mandolin. ❧ [4:51] Here is a performance from the 2018 Under the Radar Festival, held in the iconic Public Theater in New York. They perform the David Bowie/Brian Eno song Heroes with David Byrne as the soloist. ❧ [5:24] In 2019, the Ontario theater Centre in the Square hosted its Stage Series, including this performance of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. ❧ [5:36] I know you remember the January 2017 Women’s March, and the big impact that singer MILCK made at the time with her song (I Can’t Keep) Quiet. Within a couple of weeks of that march, C!C!C! had put together this Toronto performance with her, to benefit the ACLU. ❧ [6:15] Here’s a March 2015 performance of U2’s Pride (In The Name Of Love). ❧ [3:59] Finally, this performance was at Onassis Festival 2019: Democracy Is Coming, co-presented by the Public Theatre and Onassis USA. Patti Smith joined them for her song People Have the Power, and they were also joined by Stewart Copeland playing percussion on frying pan. ❧ [6:58] I need to add a small tribute here — this is new from HCR’s 250 to 250 series we saw recently. It’s The Advent of Bebop, narrated by Rick Perlstein, and I offer it in love and respect for my friend Denise Oliver Velez. (If you have not heard, Denise is in hospice at home; Onomastic has details here, and there is a GoFundMe for Dee and her family here.) ❧ [1:02] We can’t wander off without wishing a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the woman whose birthday is easiest to remember, 714day. Happy, happy birthday to you, my friend, and many more! internet [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/14/800069354/community/kitchen-table-kibitzing-7-14-2026-choir3/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/