A Joint Interview by AcaFanBase and Popappella
Hello, fellow acafans! We’ve been away from the blog for awhile, but we’re back with something very exciting…
If you like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed us stalking our new obsession with some Broadway boys singing a cappella: #SpideyBoys!
UPDATE: The Spidey Boys have changed their name to Apollo Link! Same guys, new name!
We, along with our good friend and fellow a cappella blogger, Popappella, were able to catch up with the very busy #SpideyBoys to get some of our burning questions answered. Enjoy!
AFB & POP: Who are the #SpideyBoys, and how did the group get started?
#SpideyBoys: The #SpideyBoys are Brandon Rubendall, Adam Roberts, and Jake Odmark. They met as castmates in Spider-man: Turn Off The Dark on Broadway in 2012. Brandon and Adam were aerialists and played The Lizard and Carnage, respectively, while Jake played Flash and was the cover for Peter Parker. (Fun note: All three of us wore the Spidey suit at one time or another!) We sang for the first time during the Christmas season in 2012. We sang Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas just for fun – learning our parts during intermissions.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, arranged by Jake Odmark
AFB & POP: Introduce yourselves and let us know how you got started in music.
#SpideyBoys:
Jake Odmark (@jakeodmark on Twitter and Instagram) went to college as a trumpet major originally, eventually switching to voice/music theater which earned him a degree in voice. He also plays piano. His parents are both instrumentalists, along with his three siblings (two sisters and a twin brother) who are all still working in the music industry. Music has always been part of his soul and to have an outlet like the #SpideyBoys to not only sing with but arrange for is a dream come true!
Brandon Rubendall (@Brubendall on Twitter and Instagram) grew up as a dancer and a musical theater nerd. Skipping college after high school, he decided to put himself out there and attempt to make it on his own. Without any real professional training, shortly after graduation he was able to break into the theater scene regionally. It was doing shows across the country where he was able to get real life training to prepare him for what was to come. After his Broadway debut in the Original Cast of Spider-Man, Brandon went on to dance behind artists like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna to name a few. It wasn’t until after his second Broadway show closed that he realized singing was just as much of a passion as dancing.
Adam Roberts (@adamant9 on Twitter and Instagram) was born into a musical family, his father a singer/guitarist and grandfather in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, so it was inevitable that he’d follow suit and pursue his dream of performing onstage for the masses. He began working professionally at age 10 and went on to further his education, receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre from Coastal Carolina University.
AFB & POP: What are each of you doing now?
#SpideyBoys: Jake Odmark is performing as Harry in the Broadway company of KINKY BOOTS!
Brandon Rubendall has recently returned to his regional roots playing Al in A Chorus Line at Weston Playhouse.
Adam Roberts can currently be seen as one of the Players in Pippin on Broadway and harmonizing with the #SpideyBoys in his spare time.
AFB & POP: Who would you say is your current fanbase for the #SpideyBoys?
#SpideyBoys: Our fan base is anyone that loves music! We have a lot of Broadway fans because that’s, of course, where we first started. However, we have a lot of a cappella fans as well! Through the wonders of social media, we strive to expand our fan base every day.
AFB & POP: Did you anticipate this much attention?
#SpideyBoys: Of course not! The first song/video we did was for our own entertainment, and that’s it! Adam and Brandon knew Jake arranged music in his spare time, so they asked him if they could sing something, purely for fun. When it all came together, we knew we had something special, for sure, but there was no way we could have anticipated this much attention. Our first video (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas) was shared over 500 times on Facebook… in less than a week!
Latch (opb Disclosure ft. Sam Smith), arranged by Jake Odmark
AFB & POP: How do you select your songs?
#SpideyBoys: Since we are all working in different shows now, we are rarely all in the same place. So, we have a text thread going almost all the time and if there is a hot new song that one of us likes, we’ll send it in the text thread to the others to see what they think. When we all agree on one, that usually means it’ll be our next.
Jake does all the arranging. He has been arranging choral and a cappella music for about nine years now and definitely has a passion for it!
AFB & POP: Are you keeping the name #SpideyBoys, even though the show has closed?
#SpideyBoys: You know, at first we all agreed that this name was accidental and that we were going to change it at some point. But now? We’re not so sure. We are starting to like the name! It represents where we met, it’s different and definitely won’t be confused with other bands or groups, and it’s got kind of a cool ring to it, don’t you think? The #SpideyBoys might be staying! (We did add a hashtag – it’s very important to note that!)
AFB & POP: Can we expect recordings soon?
#SpideyBoys: Absolutely! Brandon is away for a few more weeks, but when we get back in late August… be on the look out! Do you have any requests?
AFB & POP: Do you have any exclusives for AcaFanBase and Popappella?
#SpideyBoys: You know, we have a pretty killer version of the Star Spangled Banner that we learned way back when. We could probably give AcaFanBase and Popappella a little snippet of that when Brandon gets back! We’ll tweet you!
Chandelier (opb Sia), arranged by Jake Odmark
Well, acafans, what do you think? Will you join us in our stalking obsession with the #SpideyBoys? Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram: @jakeodmark, @brubendall and @adamant9!
Big news! #SpideyBoys will be performing LIVE for the first time at BroadwaySpotted’s 5th Anniversary Party on August 30th. Buy tickets here!
Also, be sure to follow the blog of our friend and partner in this interview, Popappella, and also like Popappella on Facebook and follow @Popappella on Twitter.
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