On Friday night, the women of In Sync gave their last performance ever - technically. This all-female a cappella group will continue to sing together with the same energy and charm, only under a new name: the Shirley Tempos. Whenever asked, group members make it very clear that their name came first - before the boy band holding a similar title. "When In Sync was founded in 1986," said member Sarah Black '05 during the show, "Justin Timberlake was only three." "Now he is older and producing bad music," she joked. And so the group, out of necessity, has decided to change its name. Each audience member at Friday's semester show in Sachar's Silver auditorium was invited to submit a name suggestion. The final name was a collaboration of group brainstorming and the patrons' ideas.

Dressed in elegant black, white and gray, the In Sync girls drove the show with their enthusiasm. In the opening number, the B-52's "Roam," featured soloists Meredith Bodgas '04 and Kelly Reed '04. Bodgas flashed a wide smile as she and Reed harmonized and bumped hips with gusto on the line, "Take it hip to hip, rocket through the wilderness." Bodgas' grin, constant throughout the show, was contagious as her fellow singers all seemed thrilled to be performing together.

This lively cohesion gave the performance more volume and power than captured in past In Sync shows. Ten women strong, as member Caroline Vangrieken '07 was sick, the group displayed their talent with a range of classic rock and 80s and 90s pop songs. Their quintessential a cappella rhythm, sent the beat right out to the audience.

The soloists were right on target, and the background singers complimented them well, at times offering nonsense syllables and at other points, echoing key words in the song. During "In the Still of the Night" by the Five Satins, the girls repeated, "I remember" and "in the still of the night" as soloist Lindsay Pfeffer '06 went onto other lyrics. In Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," the ladies repeated a sultry "Heal me, my darling" The only problem here was that at times, they overwhelmed Reed's solo, as some parts of her presentation were very quiet.

Pfeffer had the most solos: In addition to "In the Still of the Night," she sang "Crash and Burn," originally by Savage Garden and "Standing Still," originally by Jewel. Her soft, smooth voice never missed a note and blended flawlessly with the other singers, almost so perfectly that her solos seemed effortless. Black's warm presentation of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" has become a signature at In Sync performances. As in the past, Black's command of the song was impressive.

Mira Elias '06 had the solo in another In Sync staple, "Angel of the Morning" by the Pretenders. The song was arranged by a former group member in 1999, before any other songs in Friday's show. Switching from the slower verses to the upbeat chorus, then letting her voice fade before the next verse, Elias' voice was confident and rich throughout.
Of In Sync's five new members this year, two had solos. Sabina Satpathi '06 sung Natalie Merchant's "Kind and Generous" sweetly, delighting the audience by beaming and dancing ever so slightly as she delivered sharp, clear notes. Jessica Perelle '07's solo, the Beatles classic, "You Won't See Me," was a cheerful piece suited escellently to a cappella.
Halfway through the evening, Without Roy, a classic rock cover band from Boston College, performed a set of six songs. Opening with the distinctive piano melody of U2's"Where the Streets Have No Name," Without Roy captured the essence of each cover.

Stephenn Savage, the lead singer and rhythm guitarrist, hit the right notes and had good stage presence, at times turning around to face the drummer or one of the guitarists. Drummer Stephen Cromack stirred audience members to tap their feet along to his constant, pounding beat. The guitar interludes, performed by Savage, bass guitarrist Mike Silvestri, and lead guitarrist Jeff Nedelka, tackled intricate sequences, especially in "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits and Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days;" these moments were the highlight of the set.

The four band members didn't emanate quite the same crazed explosion of energy as the famous artists whose work they presented, but in the spirit of true rock stars, they conveyed a sort of confident and appealing nonchalance. Considering the band has only been together for six weeks, their ability was a pleasant surprise.

The show's only real downside was its length, a little over two hours. Many of In Sync's songs have a similar tone, and so by the end of the night, the audience grew restless. The full list of songs, Without Roy's half-hour set and the ten minute intermission were perhaps a little too much.

Overall, though, as In Sync's finale and the Shirley Tempos' debut, Friday night was a bubbling success, just like the drink, though it might have been more funny if the "eleven sexy ladies," as they advertise themselves, had picked the Backstreet Girls for their new name.