Dashing through the snow, in my '97 Buick sleigh, I made my way to the Lovin' Cup Wednesday night, where some creatures were stirring. Not mice, though - that would violate health codes. The creatures were two a capella groups, the Smoking Hot Pipes and Five Second Rule, putting on the A Capella Christmas Special! It was an inspired performance carefully crafted to warm even the coldest Grinch's heart.

Sadly, my sleigh doesn't handle so well in the snow, so I missed the opening set by the Pipes. But I made up for it by giving myself the gift of the group's Christmas CD, a combined effort with the two bands on tonight's bill and a third local a capella quartet known as Fusion.

A kindly member of the opening act gave me a copy of their setlist. Upon receipt of this I  promptly kicked myself for missing their renditions of The Jackson Five classic "I Want You Back," and Reel Big Fish's "Sell Out." Fortunately The Jackson Five tune is up on the Pipes' MySpace page, and I must say a full-grown adult recreating those preteen MJ vocals is no small feat. And until their next show,  I'm just going to have to imagine how "Sell Out" must have gone.

To transition between sets, Five Second Rule joined the stage with The Pipes for a duet of sorts. They performed a church-service worthy rendition of "O Holy Night" that demonstrated just how well matched the two groups are. And apparently that extends past the music, as I discovered that two members are also engaged. Don't the holidays make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Five Second Rule managed to prolong this feeling with a set that carefully mixed classic Christmas songs with all sorts of love songs, from 50's doo-wop to 80's pop. The ladies of FSR took The Outfield's hit "Your Love" to new heights, complete with beat boxing from a member of the Smoking Hot Pipes.  If only someone had realized this winning combination two decades ago.

Their sparklingly polished Christmas songs really made me wonder how and why caroling became a dead artform. Clearly there are still people out there with holiday spirit in them, and the vocal chops to coax that spirit out.

With that said, if members of either act are reading this, should the urge to go caroling strike, I've got milk and cookies waiting for you.