Straight No Chaser at the Murat Theater on December 20, 2025

The Holiday Road Tour

Photos by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos)

Review by Dave Fox

Many years ago, someone sent me a link to a video on YouTube that was going viral. It was an an all-male a cappella group called Straight No Chaser, and they were performing a hilarious version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” I sent it to Laura, who immediately forwarded the link to all our friends and family.

At the time, Straight No Chaser (SNC) was a student group at Indiana University. Thanks to that YouTube video, a strong fan base, and immense talent, however, SNC is now a widely-recognized, professional group that consistently packs auditoriums throughout the country.

For many fans, Straight No Chaser concerts are a hallowed holiday tradition, and the mood at the Murat Theatre Saturday night was one of merry anticipation. The crowd consisted of people of all ages, from the young to the young at heart. Not surprisingly, there were A LOT of IU fans in the audience.

Laura and I were first-timers to the SNC experience. Athough we expected an enjoyable show, we were both pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had! It wasn’t because SNC had fancy production, pyro, or a thunderous beat that compelled us to jump up and dance. We had fun because SNC knows how to entertain an audience.

Straight No Chaser’s beautiful harmonies and arrangements are first-rate and would thrill just about any audience. But rather than simply showcase their considerable talent, SNC works humor, anecdotes and stories, local flavor, and even audience participation into their performance.

The first half of the show featured original music as well as covers and medleys. We both cracked up during the snarky Disney mashup - it was one of the highlights of the evening. My favorite song of the night was the cover of “Friends in Low Places” - Luke Bob Robinson’s incredibly low bass notes were truly impressive and earned him tremendous applause.

After intermission, Christmas music prevailed. In addition to The nine/member group rocked their rendition of “Holiday Road” (which is the theme song from National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” movie, as well as the group’s new album and current tour). Laura’s favorite song came near the end of end of the set, when SNC performed “O Come, O Come Emmanuel/O Come All Ye Faithful” in true acoustic, a capella style. She said it was so beautiful she got goosebumps.

Would we recommend you see Straight No Chaser live? We absolutely would. Will we back to see them live again? We definitely will.