Members of Cadence shook McCain auditorium Tuesday night with a blend of satiric comedy and on-stage antics infused into R&B, rock, country and classical songs.

The a capella group mixed beat-boxed tunes and barbershop-like harmonies to reproduce songs dating back to Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D."

Group members mimicked instruments while pretending to play orchestra instruments and turned invisible pages on music stands.

"They are a lot looser this year. They are more comfortable on stage," said Ben Asnicar, senior in civil engineering and former Cadence member. "There are a lot more random fun activities that happen on stage - not necessarily comedy, but just a lot of fun stuff that happens on stage."

Another skit was Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" complete with white shirts and gloves highlighted by black lighting and classic Jackson moves. Two members of the 12-man ensemble paid homage to the Guitar Hero video game during their rendition of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

"I loved the use of the props," said Mackenzie Meyer, freshman in family studies and human services. "It was a lot of fun."

Group members got laughs from the audience when they break-danced, made a few sexual gestures and joked about pop culture.

"We wrote the material about an hour beforehand," said Jeff Frazen, senior in electrical engineering. "Any sexual innuendo was totally by accident. We also try to keep it PG-13."

Frazen, who has been with the group for five years, used a pitch pipe to give the pitch for the songs but had a little mishap when group members got confused which song they were performing.

"My favorite part was bowing at the end," he said. "As a guy, what other time do you get to have a bunch of girls standing up and screaming at the top of their lungs for you - even if one of them was my mom."