Tag Archives: No Promises

November 11, 2025 · 5:44 pm

‘Best of Cincinnati’ Vocal Group Crowns Diamond Anniversary Season with Christmas Tour

Back row: Joey Pace, Kaeden Kass, Buck Hinman & David Baum; Front row: Chancellor Waye, Joshua Steele & Nat Comisar

CINCINNATI, OH – Following their September tenth anniversary spectacular with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and nearly twenty singers from across the country at Oakley’s 20th Century Theater, NO PROMISES Vocal Band proudly closes their milestone year with three heartwarming Christmas programs across the Greater Cincinnati metro area.

Holiday a cappella magic returns as NO PROMISES loads up the sleigh for their beloved annual “Christmas with No Promises” tour. The celebrated ensemble unwraps seasonal favorites from Joni Mitchell, Pentatonix and A Charlie Brown Christmas, joining selections by The Carpenters, Amy Winehouse, Simon & Garfunkel and much more.

“Christmas with No Promises” will include three public performances at venues across Greater Cincinnati:

St. Columban Parish
Thursday, December 11, 7:30pm
894 Oakland Road | Loveland (45140)
60m Family-Length Program
A freewill offering will be accepted; no reservations required

Community of the Good Shepherd
Thursday, December 18, 7:30pm
8815 East Kemper Road | Montgomery (45249)
60m Family-Length Program
A freewill offering will be accepted; no reservations required

The Carnegie
Saturday, December 20, 7:30pm
1028 Scott Boulevard | Covington (41011)
Full-Length Program with Two Sets
Tickets $26 | Purchase Online or 859.957.1940

Celebrating A Decade of Holiday A Cappella Magic
In its tenth season of live concerts, “Christmas with No Promises” has become a holiday tradition for vocal music lovers across Cincinnati, drawing thousands of listeners to concerts at the Tri-State’s popular venues and sacred spaces. More than 25 NO PROMISES singers have appeared on the holiday series since its 2015 inception, at venues including Cincinnati’s Garfield Theater, the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and places of worship in Dayton, Toledo, Findlay and Northern Kentucky.

A Yuletide Youth Movement
In less than two years, a personnel transition has seen NO PROMISES get considerably younger. The once five-member group has swelled to eight singers, including five under the age of 40. Notable recent additions include:

  • WLWT-TV Executive Producer Buck Hinman (resident of Walnut Hills) brings with him a passion for barbershop-style singing honed through international competition.
  • Recent Xavier University graduate Chancellor Waye (Mason) is a bass singer who directed of his university’s a cappella group, Harmon-X, and serves as the Associate Music Director for the school’s Bellarmine Chapel.
  • An alumnus of St. Xavier High School, Joey Pace (Clifton) is now that institution’s Director of Choirs. Similarly coming to the group by way of barbershop music, Joey sings with the Southern Gateway Chorus and enjoys publishing multi-track a cappella recordings.
  • Multi-instrumentalist Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy) is a therapist by day and a singer with NO PROMISES and the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus by night. He’s a graduate of Miami University.
  • Recently returned from attending school in Arizona, past NO PROMISES guest artist Paul Phelps (Liberty Township) is a medical credentialing analyst by trade and has performed with local groups including the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.

These “young lions” joins three longtime members of the group who round out the octet:

  • Practicing clinical psychologist David Baum runs his own Blue Ash-based practice and was recently promoted to Chief of Psychology at the Dayton VA Medical Center. Prior to becoming a psychologist, David appeared in the Broadway productions of MARY POPPINS and A CHORUS LINE. David was a founding member of NO PROMISES Vocal Band.
  • Former operator of The Maisonette and other legendary Cincinnati-area restaurants, Nat Comisar is now a successful real estate agent and vice president at Sibcy Cline Realtors.
  • 3CDC’s director of Over the Rhine’s historic Memorial Hall, Joshua Steele is also a longtime voice instructor at Northern Kentucky University and a founding member of NO PROMISES.

About NO PROMISES
NO PROMISES Vocal Band is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, stadiums and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, television producers, concert promoters, therapists, choir directors and real estate moguls with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

2025 marks the ensemble’s tenth anniversary, memorably celebrated in September with a blowout concert featuring the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and ten former members at the beautifully restored 20th Century Theater in Oakley. In 2024, NO PROMISES was honored to make their debut at Great American Ballpark, performing the national anthem for two Cincinnati Reds games, including a nationally televised tilt with the Boston Red Sox. During the year prior, the group premiered a newly commissioned work as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s 150th anniversary season and joined Broadway veteran Sally Wilfert in concert at historic Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century.

NO PROMISES’ annual co-bill “Sweet Harmony” with soft rock group Three Bald Guys draws perennially capacity crowds at The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. The group’s numerous other collaborators and guest artist appearances have included the Gem City Chorus, the Southern Gateway Chorus, the Sycamore Community Singers, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers, the Queen City Sisters and the Cincinnati Collaborative Ringing Project. NO PROMISES has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019), as well as the pandemic-era virtual concert, NO PROMISES Saves Christmas. NO PROMISES has also released three singles with music vídeos: “Just My Imagination” (the Temptations, 2024), “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Andy Williams, 2024), and their 2023 release of “Kol Nidre,” a rich vocal arrangement of one of the most sacred texts in the Jewish tradition.

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Buck Hinman (Walnut Hills), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), Joey Pace (Clifton), Paul Phelps (Liberty Township) David Baum (Montgomery), Chancellor Waye (Mason) and Nat Comisar (Symmes Township). Individual bios here.

“Their harmony is tight, their arrangements are delightfully eclectic… they sound like a cross between the Four Freshmen and Pentatonix.” – David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer

“For my money, the best a cappella group in the region” – Thom Mariner, Movers & Makers

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July 9, 2025 · 5:24 pm

‘Best of Cincinnati’ Vocal Group Announces Blowout Tenth Anniversary Concert

WITH KENTUCKY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
AT BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED 20TH CENTURY THEATER

CINCINNATI, OH – After a decade of tight harmony singing, three studio albums, countless concerts and nearly 25 singers who have graced the roster, NO PROMISES Vocal Band is celebrating their past and future with an unforgettable concert of old friends and new amid Art Deco splendor.

NO PROMISES proudly announces THE BOY BAND DIARIES – NO PROMISES Tenth Anniversary Spectacular on Saturday, September 13, 8:00pm at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley (3021 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH, 452090). The program will feature the 21-piece Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Boogie Band (studio orchestra) and more than a dozen former NO PROMISES singers in a revue of American tight harmony groups over the past 100 years. Reserved seating tickets are $36 – $46 (plus taxes and fees) and are available at nopromisesvocalband.com or Eventbrite.

The Concert
The Boy Band Diaries concert pairs NO PROMISES with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Boogie Band, featuring music from American tight harmony groups over the past century of music. Originating from a 2021 mini-tour collaboration between those two ensembles, Boy Band Diaries includes favorites by early recording groups The Ink Spots and the Hi Los, Motown groups including The Temptations and The Jackson Five, classic pop and rock groups like the Eagles and Crosby, Stills & Nash; and, of course, 90s boy bands including Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees and *NSYNC. The concert will include a mix of a cappella and full band selections, including numerous original charts by Kentucky Symphony Orchestra arranger and local music legend, Terry LaBolt.

The Talent
The Boy Band Diaries prominently features the seven singers of two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winners NO PROMISES Vocal Band. The group’s core lineup is anchored by two original NO PROMISES members: Broadway veteran (MARY POPPINS, A CHORUS LINE) and clinical psychologist Dr. David Baum, and Northern Kentucky University voice instructor and Director of Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall Joshua Steele. It also includes noted former restauranteur and international barbershop quartet champion Nat Comisar, Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School choral director Joey Pace, Xavier University Bellarmine Chapel associate music director Chancellor Waye, therapist and multi-instrumentalist Kaeden Kass and WLWT Executive Producer Buck Hinman. Full individual bios available here.

Joining the performance are twelve former NO PROMISES members and guest artists from the group’s decade of music making:

  • Noah Berry (New York, NY) – Professional actor and multi-instrumentalist; national tours of SPAMALOT and BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY; noah-berry.com
  • Matt Croy (Findlay, OH) – Property manager and longtime a cappella singer
  • Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY) – Longtime May Festival Chorus singer, founding member of NO PROMISES
  • Charlie Harper (Cincinnati) – Screen and stage actor, IT professional, founding NO PROMISES member
  • Ken Holdt (Cincinnati) – Director of Sycamore High School choirs, Director of Worship & Music at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
  • Kyle Karnes (New York, NY) – Web studio owner and longtime a cappella singer
  • Deondra Means (Cincinnati) – Beloved actor and playwright, arts educator at Ensemble Theater Cincinnati
  • Paul Phillips (Phoenix, AZ) – IT professional and avid vocalist
  • Michael Robertson (Columbus, OH) – School district administrator, former choir director and multi-instrumentalist
  • Ryan Strand (Cincinnati) – Broadway veteran, national tours of JERSEY BOYS and ALTAR BOYZ; Senior Director of Marketing for ArtsWave
  • Corey Tucker (Cincinnati) – In-demand Greater Cincinnati singer-songwriter and worship leader, whose vocals have been described as “smooth, rich, classic and soulful;” iamcoreytucker.com
  • Schyler Vargas (Chicago, IL) – Professional opera singer with credits at Houston Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and The Glimmerglass Festival; dubbed “superb” by the New York Stage Review and a “powerful baritone” by the Washington Post; schylervargas.com

“I’ve often joked that we could make a ‘supergroup’ out of the former singers of NO PROMISES,” says co-founder and group leader Joshua Steele. “We’ve been musing about this concert for several years; the opportunity to bring back so many of our old friends, fronting the region’s best large pop music band, at the marvelously restored 20th Century Theater, is a dream come true.”

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (KSO) is led by founder and music director J.R. Cassidy, whose long musical association and friendship with Steele was the foundation for the Boy Band Diaries collaboration. Steele has been a featured performer with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra for the past 15 years, appearing on programs including STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF, Who Spiked the Symphony and dozens of Boogie Band concerts across the region. The two also collaborated while Steele was the theater producer at The Carnegie (Covington, KY), where they staged productions of OLIVER! and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Cassidy has also featured former NO PROMISES singers Adam Wheeler, Ryan Strand, Corey Tucker, Deondra Means, Paul Phillips and Schyler Vargas in various KSO programs over the past decade.

“Josh and the No Promises members are amazing singers and consummate professionals in addition to being fun and engaging collaborators.” — J.R. Cassidy, KSO Music/Executive Director & Founder

About The Bands
NO PROMISES Vocal Band is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, stadiums and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, television producers, concert promoters, therapists, choir directors and real estate moguls with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2024, NO PROMISES was honored to make their debut at Great American Ballpark, performing the national anthem for two Cincinnati Reds games, including a nationally televised tilt with the Boston Red Sox. During the year prior, the group premiered a newly commissioned work as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s 150th anniversary season and joined Broadway veteran Sally Wilfert in concert at historic Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. Their annual co-bill “Sweet Harmony” with soft rock group Three Bald Guys perennially sells out The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. The group’s numerous other collaborators and guest artist appearances have included the Gem City Chorus, the Southern Gateway Chorus, the Sycamore Community Singers, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers, the Queen City Sisters and the Cincinnati Collaborative Ringing Project. NO PROMISES has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019), as well as the pandemic-era virtual concert, NO PROMISES Saves Christmas. The group has also released three singles with music vídeos: “Just My Imagination” (the Temptations, 2024), “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Andy Williams, 2024), and their 2023 release of “Kol Nidre,” a rich vocal arrangement of one of the most sacred texts in the Jewish tradition.

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Buck Hinman (Walnut Hills), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), Joey Pace (Clifton), David Baum (Montgomery), Chancellor Waye (Mason) and Nat Comisar (Symmes Township). Individual bios available here.

“Their harmony is tight, their arrangements are delightfully eclectic… they sound like a cross between the Four Freshmen and Pentatonix.” – David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer

“For my money, the best a cappella group in the region” – Thom Mariner, Movers & Makers

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1992 (as the Northern Kentucky Symphony) with a mission to make symphonic music and the concert experience attractive, accessible and affordable for Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati residents. Since its inception, the KSO has demonstrated a unique ability to make the concert experience relevant and entertaining to its audiences while maintaining high performance standards and integrity.

The KSO has collaborated with local arts organizations such as the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Playhouse in the Park, the Taft Museum as well as local and international acts like Over the Rhine, Blessid Union of Souls, 2Cellos, Igudesman and Joo, Hasbro Toys and NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

For 33 years The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra has taken the “phony” out of symphony through live thematic concerts which culturally enrich, educate and entertain the residents of the entire region. Nostalgia-focused KSO subsidiary groups like The Newport Ragtime Band, The Devou-Doo Daddies, The Flood Wall Jazz Quintet, The K-so Combo, and the KSO Boogie Band take a variety of musical genres to neighborhoods and municipalities throughout the Tristate.

About The 20th Century Theater
One of Cincinnati’s most recognizable venues, the 20th Century Theater has been hosting films, concerts and special events since 1941. Recent renovations have lovingly enhanced the historic Art Deco architecture while seamlessly integrating modern amenities. More information: https://www.the20thcenturytheater.com/about-us/

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April 1, 2025 · 3:28 pm

‘Best of Cincinnati’ Vocal Group & Beloved Yacht Rock Trio Return to Celebrated Cincinnati Venue

David Baum, Joey Pace, Chancellor Waye, Nat Comisar, Kaeden Kass, Joshua Steele & Buck Hinman
Photo by Taren Frazier.

CINCINNATI, OH – Two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winners No Promises Vocal Band and soft rock all-stars The Three Bald Guys return to The Redmoor (Mt. Lookout) for an evening of “Sweet Harmony” on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 7:30pm. The Baldies’ trademark three-part vocals soar through tunes by James Taylor, Kenny Loggins and Sarah McLaughlan, while No Promises offers thrilling a cappella arrangements including The Eagles, Amy Winehouse and Manhattan Transfer.

Tickets are $26 and are available at nopromisesvocalband.com or theredmoor.com. Doors open at 6:00pm to experience The Redmoor’s delicious dinner menu, along with full cash bar. Reserved table seating and general admission seating available. Complimentary on-site parking behind the venue.

June 19 will be the third annual “Sweet Harmony” concert, with seats for the 2023 and 2024 shows sold out in advance. A major No Promises concert announcement will take place during The Redmoor program.

New Dudes, New Tunes
No Promises welcomes two new members to its lineup in 2025, both young singers with extensive tight harmony experience. Tenor and WLWT-TV executive producer Buck Hinman fell in love with a cappella singing during his time at Wake Forest University, a passion he honed through three separate appearances at international barbershop quartet competitions. Recent Xavier University graduate Chancellor Waye is a bass singer who directed of his university’s a cappella group, Harmon-X, on his way to a degree in choral education. Waye manages a venue in northern Cincinnati and serves as associate music director at Bellermine Chapel. In 2024, No Promises welcomed to its ranks St. Xavier High School’s newly-tenured director of choirs, Joey Pace. Similarly coming to the group by way of barbershop music, Joey has performed with Southern Gateway Chorus and Prism and enjoys publishing multi-track a cappella recordings. Bios and photos of singers available here.

The Three Bald Guys have a consistent roster but are in the habit of constantly adapting new popular favorites for their repertoire. The June program at The Redmoor will see innovative arrangements of three celebrated 90s hits: the cherished ballad Angel by Sarah McLaughlan, Eric Clapton’s bluesy Change The World and Extreme’s timeless More Than Words.

No Promises has likewise been working up some new tunes for debut at The Redmoor, including Amy Winehouse’s Valerie, Simon & Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair and The Eagles’ Life in the Fast Lane.

About The Bands
NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, stadiums and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, television producers, concert promoters, therapists, choir directors and real estate moguls with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2024, NO PROMISES was honored to make their debut at Great American Ballpark, performing the national anthem for two Cincinnati Reds games, including a nationally-televised tilt with the Boston Red Sox. During the year prior, the group premiered a newly commissioned work as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s 150th anniversary season and joined Broadway veteran Sally Wilfert in concert at historic Memorial Hall in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. The group’s numerous other collaborators and guest artist appearances have included the Gem City Chorus, the Southern Gateway Chorus, the Sycamore Community Singers, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers, the Queen City Sisters and the Cincinnati Collaborative Ringing Project. NO PROMISES has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019), as well as the pandemic-era virtual concert, NO PROMISES Saves Christmas.

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Buck Hinman (Walnut Hills), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), Joey Pace (Clifton), David Baum (Montgomery), Chancellor Waye (Mason) and Nat Comisar (Symmes Township). Individual bios available here.

“Their harmony is tight, their arrangements are delightfully eclectic… they sound like a cross between the Four Freshmen and Pentatonix.” – David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer

“For my money, the best a cappella group in the region” – Thom Mariner, Movers & Makers

THE THREE BALD GUYS are Tom Steele (guitar, vocals), his son Joshua Steele (vocals, melodica) and their friend Rick Hagee (keys, vocals), playing soft rock hits by your favorite (mostly) dead singers! Performing at music venues, private parties and their resident gig at the original Montgomery Inn, their set list includes faves by James Taylor, Jim Croce, Chicago, Loggins & Messina, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John, Dave Mason, Chicago, Steely Dan, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Bill Withers, The Bee Gees and many more. https://www.facebook.com/threebaldguys

For Appearances, Interviews and More Information
Contact Nat Comisar at 513.378.5801 or booking@nopromisesvocalband.com.

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September 1, 2023 · 8:04 am

Close Harmony Styles Collide as Award-Winning Men’s Vocal Groups Join Forces for Special Concert

SGC_A Night of Harmony.jpgCINCINNATI, OH – Two of Greater Cincinnati’s most beloved male vocal ensembles are coming together for a one-of-a-kind evening of close harmony singing in Evendale. The Southern Gateway Chorus and No Promises Vocal Band proudly announce a first-ever co-bill concert, “A Night of Harmony,” September 23 & 24, 2023 at Landmark Church (1600 Glendale Milford Rd (follow Aerohub Blvd.), Cincinnati, OH 45215). The program will feature sets from both award-winning ensembles, ending in a special finale with the groups singing together. Tickets are $20 – $25 and available for purchase online: bit.ly/23SGC-Harmony-pr

Barbershop and Vocal Jazz Collide

“A Night of Harmony” will feature two men’s a cappella ensembles who share a passion for close harmony singing but whose style and repertoire come from different branches of the a cappella tree. Performing in the “barbershop” style, Southern Gateway Chorus embodies the classic four-part harmony of lead, tenor, baritone and bass.

About the collaboration, SGC Show Producer/Music Team member Gary Ellerhorst says, “The international award-winning Southern Gateway Chorus is thrilled to perform once again with No Promises Vocal Band after sharing the stage several years ago for their annual Christmas show.  Their combined talent and love of a cappella harmony makes this a dynamic duo and an event that you don’t want to miss!”

No Promises Vocal Band also looks to the past for its stylistic inspiration, modeling its sound on vocal jazz groups such as The Hi-Los and Manhattan Transfer. Their set for the collaborative concert will include selections by those groups, as well as arrangements of music by The Jackson 5, The Gaither Vocal Band and Dan Fogelberg. No Promises is a two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winner whose past concert collaborators have included the Queen City Sisters, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers and the Gem City Chorus.

Vocalist Nat Comisar has the unique perspective of having sung with both ensembles, making “A Night of Harmony” an especially exciting program for him. “It’s mind-blowing to see these two fantastic groups come together,“ says the No Promises bass, who still moonlights in a barbershop quartet. “The musicality of each of these groups is superb, but to showcase a full spectrum of male harmony styles in one night makes it truly special.”

About Southern Gateway Chorus
Formed in 1956, Southern Gateway Chorus is dedicated to singing a cappella musical arrangements done in the four-part Barbershop Harmony Style. As a competitive chorus, Southern Gateway is a perennial qualifier to the annual Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Championship, is a two-time International Champion, and has accumulated more Top 5 finishes than any other chorus in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s history.   In addition, Southern Gateway has a rich history of Quartet performers. Gold Medal international Champions “Interstate Rivals” (1987) “Keepsake” (1992) “Marquis” (1995), “Platinum” (2000) and “Old School” (2011) all have at least one voice part from the Chorus.

And notably, the 2020 International Senior Champion, “Hearsay” is comprised of singers who are ALL active SGC members!

In addition to competitions, SGC proudly produces family friendly themed shows yearly, including musical parodies— “Robin Hood: Misadventures in Sherwood Forest, “East Side/West Side Story”, and “Somewhere Over the Rhine-Bow”.

Highlighting a typical year, the Christmas season finds SGC producing an annual Holiday themed show. In addition to caroling sessions around town, the Chorus has become a regular holiday performer at St Francis Seraph Church. Southern Gateway’s most recent holiday CD offering, “Believe”  was recorded and released in 2018.

In 2022, Southern Gateway’s Aronoff performance of “A Little A Capella Music”,  presented in partnership with Cincinnati Music Theater, was selected as Best Cabaret Performance by Broadwayworld.com

Our current membership is comprised of enthusiastic amateur vocalists from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. SGC is always looking for new members  Our current rehearsal home is Bassett Hound Sound, 5633 Vine Street, Cincinnati 45216, where we rehearse on Thursdays from 7pm to 10 pm.   Our Membership contact is Dale Shoemaker— membership@southerngateway.org

About NO PROMISES
NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, conventions and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, concert promoters, social workers, real estate moguls and hairdressers with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2023, NO PROMISES premiered a newly commissioned work by composer Cecelia Olszewski as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s 150th anniversary season. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. The group’s numerous other collaborators and guest artist appearances have included the Gem City Chorus, the Southern Gateway Chorus, the Sycamore Community Singers, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers, the Queen City Sisters, the Three Bald Guys and the Cincinnati Collaborative Ringing Project. NO PROMISES has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019), as well as the pandemic-era virtual concert, NO PROMISES Saves Christmas.

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), David Baum (Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Individual bios available at http://www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup/.

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January 20, 2023 · 9:05 am

Celebrated Vocal Group Performs World Premiere, Debuts at Classic Cincinnati Venue, Unveils Major Roster Change

NP_Cast Jan. 23CINCINNATI, OH – The Queen City’s favorite vocal jazz group will make three special debuts this March.

NO PROMISES Vocal Band is one of 25 ensembles in the region selected to debut new vocal music commissions as part of the May Festival’s “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music” program. The piece will be performed in three March concerts, including the group’s debut at Mt. Lookout’s The Redmoor. And all three programs will be the debut of former NO PROMISES guest artist Kaeden Kass in his role as the group’s first new permanent member added since 2018.

Music lovers can catch NO PROMISES in concert three times in March:

Northminster Church Concert Series
Sunday, March 12, 2:30pm
703 Compton Road | Finneytown
No Admission Fee | More Information

May Festival 25 for 25 Showcase
Sunday, March 19, 2:00pm (NO PROMISES performs at 6:00pm)
Christ Church Cathedral
418 E. 4th Street | Downtown
More Information

The Redmoor with Three Bald Guys
Thursday, March 23, 7:30pm (6:00pm Doors)
3187 Linwood Ave | Mt. Lookout
Tickets $25 | theredmoor.com

A Compositional Debut – NO PROMISES Sings a World Premiere

This March NO PROMISES is honored to offer the world premiere of “Aubade,” a new work by composer and Luna Composition Lab alumna Cecelia Olszewski. After studying the group’s roster and style, Olszewski sought to write a close-harmony ballad that sounded modern but also included aspects of Medieval composition. Olszweski’s composition “is about the transitional space between two distinct phases,” the composer writes. “Night becoming day, motion becoming stillness, closed eyes opening, a question becoming an answer.” Setting an original lyric by colleague Iman Pekdemir, Olsweski’s piece also nods to the Roman Catholic basis of much of Medieval music, employing 3/4 time in representation of the Holy Trinity.

Olsweski’s commission for NO PROMISES comes courtesy of the May Festival’s 150th anniversary celebration and their “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music” program, wherein composers from Luna Composition Lab will write 25 new choral works for local artist and choral ensembles across Greater Cincinnati. Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers, the only initiative of its kind in the United States. More information on the May Festival program can be found here, and information on the Luna Composition Lab here.

“Aubade” will receive its world premiere at NO PROMISES Sunday, March 12 performance at Northminster Church, and will also be performed on the group’s March 19 and 23 programs.

Kaeden KassA Personnel Debut – Kaeden Kass

NO PROMISES is proud to welcome its first new permanent band member since 2018, Kaeden Kass. Delivering strong performances as a guest artist throughout the group’s 2022 concert sequences, Kass’ tenor voice and strong musicianship were an instant fit for the group.

“I think what excites me most about being a permanent member of NO PROMISES is having the opportunity to make music with a close-knit group of fantastic musicians and fantastic humans,” says Kass. “I love that the group continually pushes me as a musician and performer, and I’m excited to continue to grow in both capacities.”

Kass has been a favorite for several years with the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and their elite small ensemble, the Queensmen.  A multi-instrumentalist in addition to his singing, Kass plays viola, fiddle, ukelele, guitar, mandolin and others, and has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra. Kass is a social worker at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Transgender Health Clinic, and makes his home in Mt. Airy with his husband, Will. Read more about Kaeden Kass here.

A Venue Debut – The Redmoor

NO PROMISES continues its tradition of playing co-bills in the Queen City’s classic small music venues with its Thursday, March 23 debut at The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. The two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winners join soft rock mavens The Three Bald Guys for an evening of sweet harmony at the fabulous Redmoor in Mt. Lookout Square. NO PROMISES’ unique arrangements of selections by Pentatonix, Dan Fogelberg and Gordon Lightfoot meet 3BG’s trademark three-part vocals on tunes by Silk Sonic, Chicago and Kenny Loggins.

Tickets $25. Doors open at 6:00pm to experience The Redmoor’s delicious dinner menu, along with full cash bar. Reserved table seating and general admission seating available. Complimentary on-site parking behind the venue.

The March 3 program at The Redmoor will be NO PROMISES second co-bill with The Three Bald Guys, following a sold-out program last summer at Memorial Hall. Featuring NO PROMISES leader Joshua Steele (vocals & melodica), his father, Tom Steele (vocals & guitar), and their friend, Rick Hagee (vocals, keyboard), 3BG performs soft rock favorites by your favorite (mostly) dead singers.

NO PROMISES has offered similar co-bill concerts at The Carnegie, Northside Tavern, The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and York Street Café with collaborators including The Nancy James Trio, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers and the Queen City Sisters.

About NO PROMISES

NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, conventions and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, concert promoters, social workers, real estate moguls and hairdressers with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2023, NO PROMISES will premiere a newly commissioned work by composer Cecelia Olszewski as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s program 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. The group has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019).

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), David Baum (Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Individual bios available at http://www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup/.

For More Information

Contact Nat Comisar at 513.378.5801 or booking@nopromisesvocalband.com.

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