Who is this goofy bunch of musicians? They're the Bobs, a celebrated a cappella group touring in honor of their 20th anniversary and spooking up Carrboro tonight in the "Halloween Bobs-a-thon" at the ArtsCenter.
Amy "Bob" Englehardt, the most recent addition to the Bob crew, is coy when explaining the essence of "Bob."
"BOB stands for Best of Breed, a dog show term, as in `This Airedale Terrier was BOB two years in a row,'" she said.
No matter what's behind their name, they've garnered accolades of all sorts.
In addition to their own wacky songs the Bobs have covered such classics as "White Room" by Cream and "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles. The singers often perform out of their own vocal ranges just to give a song a different feel.
Matthew "Bob" Stull, one of the founding Bobs, is amazed that something he and a friend started as unemployed San Francisco telegram singers in 1981 has become so successful.
"At the time, it really wasn't anything other than a hobby," he said. "It was a surprise beyond belief."
Even after 20 years of writing and performing, the group keeps pumping out unique ideas for new songs.
"I listen to NPR a lot, and sometimes a turn of phrase someone uses hits me like a bright spotlight and sends my brain careening," Englehardt said.
