SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Wildly popular a capella group Pentatonix has been booked to perform at this summer’s July 2-11 General Conference session in San Antonio. The group, formed in 2011, catapulted to fame the same year by winning NBC’s third season of The Sing-Off. Pentatonix, loved for their pop-infused a capella arrangements of songs, is especially popular with Seventh-day Adventists due to the presence of Adventist group member Kevin “K.O.” Olusola.
Olusola, 26, the beatboxer of the vocal band, was recruited to Pentatonix after making a name for himself by developing the art of celloboxing (playing cello and beatboxing simultaneously). A practicing Seventh-day Adventist, Olusola is the reason Pentatonix does not perform on Friday nights.
The group was invited to sing at the General Conference session by representatives from the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. The NAD posted a Wall Street Journal article about the group’s chart topping success in December 2014, highlighting the fact that the group does not perform on Friday nights in respect of Olusola’s faith. The post drew over 5,000 likes and 1,400 shares.
“We really are from Arlington, not San Antonio, but it will be fun to come home to Texas and sing for such an international crowd in the Alamodome,” said the group’s baritone, Scott Hoying. “Kevin tells me Adventists are big on a capella so we are looking forward to singing with you folks.”
“While we don’t usually perform on Friday nights we’ll make an exception for the General Conference,” said Olusola of the group’s concert on Friday, July 3. “This is for church after all.”
When asked what the group will perform, Olusola said that, among other songs, the group was working on their own version of Don’t Forget the Sabbath. “Don’t worry, we are an a capella group, there won’t be a drum set in sight,” quipped Olusola.
