The six vocalists in Five O’Clock Shadow, who win fans internationally for their rock-solid leads and harmonies, will appear in a day of programs and performances in Nantucket Public Schools on Thursday, May 3, followed by a 7 p.m. concert that night at Nantucket Dreamland Film and Performing Arts Center.
National television audiences know Five O’Clock Shadow for its notable appearances on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” VHI’s “Breakthrough,” and the NFL’s “Hall of Fame Halftime Show Headliners.” On concert stages, Five O’Clock Shadow has fronted for Aaron Neville, James Brown, Patty LaBelle, The Boston Pops, Kool and the Gang, and Edwin McCain.
Born and raised on Nantucket, Whelden graduated in 1999 from Nantucket High School, where he performed with the school’s well-known vocal group the Naturals. After high school, Whelden sang in the Cobbletones, the popular Nantucket all-male singing group that performed at many local events, on island streets and in off-island commercial venues.
Whelden graduated Ithaca College with an emphasis on vocal music education, after singing for four years as part of the all-male a cappella group Ithacapella. He first auditioned and won a spot in 2003 in Five O’Clock Shadow, which he has been part of through that group’s two-year hiatus and other changes. Whelden also launched the singing groups Slapdash Graduate and Blueprint. Along with singing in Five O’Clock Shadow, in 2010 Whelden joined Overboard, which is among well-known vocal groups in the United States and for which he is also the group’s director and musical arranger.
The performance is a signature event during Spring ArtWeek Nantucket, a celebration of local arts and culture by Nantucket Cultural District. Nantucket High School alum Greta Feeney, a soprano praised for her beautiful vocal timbre and impeccable musicianship, performs vocal selections from the baroque era and opera, appears on Sunday, June 3.
Nantucket Arts Council’s annual springtime celebration of music honors Margherita Sutro, longtime Nantucket arts benefactor who was a founding board member of Nantucket Arts Council and one of the originators of the concert series. Since their beginning in 1976, Nantucket Arts Council concerts have brought notable musical performances to Nantucket during the island’s quieter months, when live professional entertainment might otherwise be scarce to enjoy, especially for year-round residents, and others.
The series is under the longtime artistic direction of Dr. Gerald R. Mack. Individual concert tickets are priced at $15. Local school student are admitted free. For details and tickets, call The Dreamland box office at 508-332-4822.
