Cartoon Johnny Comes to Annandale

Energetic vocal band Cartoon Johnny will take the stage at on Sunday evening as part of the Spotlight by Starlight summer concert series. The local group draws on influences from classic soul to modern alternative. They are two-time National Harmony Sweepstakes finalists, winning the title for the Mid-Atlantic region in 2005 and in New York in 2009.

Learn more about Sunday night’s performance in this Q&A with band member Kieran Daly.

What is your role in Cartoon Johnny? How long have you been in the band?

I sing tenor, and outside of performances, I work on our website and recording projects. I've been with the group since 2003. Wow. Eight years!

What makes Cartoon Johnny unique as a vocal band? How do you push the limits of traditional a cappella?

Cartoon Johnny was one of the first groups in the D.C. area to take an all vocal performance and introduce the use of special effects to produce a more instrumental sound. We were inspired by groups like Five O'Clock Shadow to take the vocals and twist them into something much more instrumental sounding. We actually use some of the same pedals and technology that electric guitar players use to create a sound more in line with the style of the original songs we cover. On some songs, Kevin, our bass, uses a pedal that gives extra depth to his sound by adding another full octave below the notes he is singing. And our vocal percussionist, Ben - he's really a freak of nature. The sounds in his vocal percussion "kit" are amazing - he can even sound like a lawn mower. Seriously. 

As a local band, how do you feel about the music scene in the Washington metropolitan area? What response do you get from local music lovers as an a cappella group?

The music scene in the D.C. area offers so much diverse talent! Go to any open mic night at Jammin' Java or IOTA and you'll hear everything from a violinist and folk guitar duo to, hopefully, an a cappella group. Even though our style of music has grown up a bit, especially with NBC's "The Sing Off" doing so well, it's still very new to many audiences. And so every new show we do is often an opportunity to introduce some of the audience to contemporary a cappella in general. That's always so much fun because a lot people first think a cappella equals barbershop or doo wop. So we get to surprise a lot of 'em, and they seem to like it judging from all the questions we get when we get to meet people after each show!

Can you give us a hint as to what concertgoers can expect from your Sunday performance?

We like to sing what we grew up with, which is 80s and 90s pop music.  So there are plenty of those tunes in our show, as well as a Motown medley, The Beatles - lots of old favorites everybody knows. But we also like to add some of the newest stuff out there too. Malcolm does an amazing job with Cee Lo's "Forget You," and Darcy nails the lead on our take of Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold." We throw in a few of our own orignals too that Mike has written for the group, so it's really a great mix. We'll get 'em dancin' and clappin'!

What do you love most about being a part of Cartoon Johnny? What are some of the band’s goals for the future?

Being in Cartoon Johnny has allowed me to keep singing well past my college years. I'm a graphic designer by day, but keeping music in my life is so important to me, and performing with Cartoon Johnny is a blast. As a group, we love singing to do good as well, which is why we participate in SingStrong every year in Reston to help raise money to fight Alzheimer's, and why we also do an annual benefit concert for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) each spring. We even released a holiday album last year called "The More the Merrier" featuring other groups from the DC area and around the globe to raise money for LLS, and got a CARA nomination (kind of like the a cappella Grammy awards) along with our fellow artists for the album. So I guess, if Cartoon Johnny can keep audiences clapping and we can keep helping out others while doing what we love, then everyone wins, right? 

Click here to learn more about Cartoon Johnny.

For last minute performance cancellations due to inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

Sunday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Free
6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA; (703) 324-SHOW