Otto Tunes’ pun-filled Cockappella raises awareness, funds for testicular health
Otto Tunes members completed challenges like eating spicy wings, performing interpretative dances and chugging milk while running after completing their individual fundraising goals. The money goes to fighting testicular cancer, a disease the a cappella group acknowledges could one day impact one of their members. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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During Otto Tunes’ annual Cockappella, the emcees ate sausages on stage, one of many penis puns. Otto Tunes members aren’t afraid to talk about their fundraiser for testicular cancer.
“Let’s be honest, testicular cancer is not a super comfortable dinner conversation, but when you have two wild emcees making ball and dick jokes, that makes it way more approachable,” said Connor O’Leary TCF chief mission officer and testicular cancer survivor.
On Saturday night, Otto Tunes held their 13th annual Cockappella, a benefit concert for the Testicular Cancer Foundation. The event is the longest standing, annual third-party fundraiser for the foundation, O’Leary said.
Throughout October, or “Cocktober” for Otto Tunes, the group worked to reach their fundraising goal of $20,000, which Otto Tunes’ President Logan Wagner expects them to surpass. Each member had their own donation page, announcing incentives for reaching their fundraising goals.
Micah Greenberg performed an interpretive dance for achieving his personal $1,000 fundraising goal for Cockappella. With no prior practice, he danced to “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba. Every time the lyrics sang “I get knocked down,” Greenberg fell to the ground and then sprang up at “but I get up again.”
“There have been some really fun incentives, and they get people to donate,” Greenberg said.
Some also participated in Challenges — some livestreamed on OttoTunes’ Instagram — like the Milk Mile, the 9-9-9 challenge and the Hot Ones Challenge.
Wagner said one of the event’s biggest goals is to destigmatize testicular cancer, especially since college-aged males fall into the age range most at risk, according to TCF. There’s a one in 250 chance of developing testicular cancer during a man’s lifetime; if caught early, there’s a 99% chance it’s beatable, O’Leary said. Wagner and Greenberg said the a cappella group understands it could impact their members.
“It’s guys our age, and we’re an all-male a cappella group, so it’s something that feasibly we could be affected by,” Wagner said.
During the Cockappella benefit concert, audience members bought raffle tickets for the chance to pie an Otto Tune. Five winners, including three Otto Tunes almuni, won the honor. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
O’Leary attended the event for the first time in person this year on behalf of TCF. He said he was excited to be in person with the group after having worked with them online and watching the event over livestream for 11 years.
“The amount of money they’ve raised is absolutely incredible, and the awareness they’ve brought is equally as important,” O’Leary said.
Otto Tunes performed a mix of various genres such as hip hop, funk and hard rock songs — all complete with choreography. Song choices included “luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, and “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen.
Otto Tunes also performed their 10-minute International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella set, the mashup of songs they perform at competitions. Soloists Jack Elliott and Rowan Mastrangelo shone as performers in act one, audience member Cameron Keller said.
They also invited Oy Cappella, a fellow Syracuse University a cappella group, and Eight Beat Measure, an a cappella group from Rochester Institute of Technology. Both groups performed a few of their own arrangements to show their support for the cause.
Only part of the night focused on a cappella arrangements, though. During intermission, audience members could buy raffle tickets for the chance to pie an Otto Tune. Five numbers were drawn; three out of five were Otto Tunes alumni, eager to smash shaving cream into the face of a singer of their choice.
“We’re leaning a lot more heavily into the entertainment aspect of things, rather than it just being an a cappella performance,” Wagner said.
Later on, the group spun a wheel filled with various challenges for the Otto Tunes members, such as singing a solo upside down and taking a lap around Goldstein with their legs tied together. Audience members then competed in a bidding battle for the chance to pick a member to complete said task.
Otto the Orange even made a guest appearance throughout the second half of the show, dancing on stage and around the auditorium.
A lot goes into putting together an event like this, not only fundraising efforts but perfecting each number and bit, Greenberg said. In October, Otto Tunes rehearsed six hours or more each week. It’s intense but worth it, Greenberg said. It’s important to the group that the performances are their best, but that’s not all it’s about, Greenberg said.
“Yes, it is an a cappella performance, and yes, it’s this fun, entertaining thing, but I don’t want it to be lost that this is a charity fundraiser, and we’re all there to support a good cause,” Wagner said.
