Miami U's "Cheezies" Glee Club Returns to Avon Lake May 13

Miami University’s premier male a cappella group, the Cheezies, are returning to Avon Lake on Friday, May 13 from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. as part of the group’s spring tour. The Avon Lake Merples, the high school's elite 16 a capella group, will be joining the Cheezies. 

On May 10, the group will sing the National Anthem at the Cleveland Indians' game.

The group played in Avon Lake last May to rave reviews.

This year’s group has 14 members, including three former Avon Lake High School Merples. Colin Atherton, CJ Blankenship and Chris Walsh are part of this year’s Cheezies.  

“CJ, Colin, and I were all members of the Merples and the Chorale at ” Walsh said.

The Merples are the exclusive branch of the Avon Lake Chorale made up of the top eight male voice and eight female voices. Blankenship was a Merple from 2008-09, Atherton from 2005-07 and Walsh from 2007-09.

“We all went on to join the Glee Club at Miami and then made Cheezies,” Walsh said.

Atherton, a 2007 Avon Lake High School alumnus will graduate college this year.  Blankenship and Walsh, 2009 ALHS alumni have two years left at Miami.

On average, 30 people try out per year for spots in two a cappella groups out of Miami’s Glee Club.

The club was founded in 1989 with five guys who wore the Glee Club's old powder blue blazers as a uniform, Walsh said. They named themselves the Cheezie Jackets after the blazers. As the group evolved they eventually lost the blazers and the name was shortened to the Cheezies.

The concert, which is a part of the group's spring tour, will feature a variety of pop tunes and medleys. Walsh said attendees at the free concert can expect at least an hour of music.

“We'll be singing a full concert with a wide variety of music,” Walsh said. “We do classic a cappella songs (For the Longest Time, etc.), oldies, hip-hop, obscure music, and some more comedic stuff.  The audience can expect a high level of entertainment and a lot of fun."

Click here to hear the Cheezies and reserve a spot at the performance.