Elon’s a cappella groups are returning to live, in-person performances as vaccination rates and outdoor gathering limits continue to increase.

Vital Signs, one of Elon’s co-ed a cappella groups, is preparing for its first live show since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group will perform at O’Kelly Field this Friday, April 30 at 6 p.m., though attendance is limited.

Elon sophomore and member of Vital Signs Jack Mullin said he is happy that the senior class has one last in-person performance before they graduate from Elon.

“I think two weeks ago we really finalized like, oh, OK, we can do this, we're doing this,” said Mullin. “I'm super excited because I have not performed with the group live since probably a year.” 

Despite the yearlong hiatus of live, in-person performances, Mullin said he has high hopes for the upcoming concert. 

“We're doing five songs. I hope it goes really well,” he said. “Everyone's working really hard, and I'm really excited about it.”

Co-ed a cappella group Twisted Measure already held its first in-person concert on O’Kelly field earlier this month with a full set of eleven songs. Performers were only allowed to bring a limited number of guests to adhere to physical distancing protocols, but the performance will be streamed on YouTube on May 11, 7:30 p.m.

Elon sophomore and president of Twisted Measure Molly Herson said it was a rewarding experience, and the performance sounded almost as good outdoors as it would inside of Whitley Auditorium, where a cappella groups performed pre-pandemic.

“If we're going to do it, we're going to do it well,” said Herson. ”The whole group was on board, they were super excited that we were gonna be able to have this opportunity.” 

Herson said her time with Twisted Measure has been unlike anything else she’s experienced at Elon and hopes the seniors in the group feel the same way.

“The family is just unreal. I was welcomed with open arms day one, and from there, they've just been my absolute best friends,” Herson said. “Twisted Measure is my Elon experience, and I really just can't imagine not being in a cappella, so really, the community is everything.”