Western Courier

Issue date: 5/6/05 Section: The Edge

Media Credit: Dustin Larkey Jennifer Wallis, junior music major, sings her heart out at Western´s second annual Western Idol Contest Wednesday.

With the promise of karaoke, the sun decided to make an appearance on a nearly cloudless Wednesday afternoon. Yet, for the third annual Western Idol contest, the student performers came away as the true bright and shining stars.

In the free speech area behind the Western Illinois University Union, a meager gathering of students and faculty began to form at about noon. Upon arrival, the loud sound system entertained the folks enjoying free food and beverages from the concession area, as well as those who felt inclined to play Baggo or shoot hoops.

The casual congregation of onlookers was at first tentative to sign up for the idol contest causing the actual performances to begin a bit after the noontime start. The DJ and hostess encouraged the entire crowd to join in the fun of singing and eventually a lively girl gathered the courage to belt out "Proud Mary/Rollin' on the River," made famous by Tina Turner. While Turner is undoubtedly one of the greatest live performers and a prolific entertainer, the first contestant did a surprisingly good job. With any karaoke performance, the expectation is often for the worse, yet this rendition was quite pleasing.

Next on the list of performers was a local R&B/hip-hop trio collectively known as KTW. These talented guys apparently came prepared to show off their originality with one of their own songs. Their sound was comparable to a more toned-down Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony, with each of the members rapping with his own style and flow.

As KTW took its leave, the contestants for Western Idol were waning in fortitude, so the disc jockey came back on duty while more students signed up to perform.

The free hot dogs and thumping music drew people to the performance area like bees to unguarded honey. Those who showed up were in for a treat as a singing duo took respective microphones to pump out "I'm Every Woman." The two girls put forth a tremendous effort, and were obviously having fun while performing.

"This is my passion," said Danielle Baugh, junior communication and journalism double major, part of the dual singing effort. "I feel like this is my calling."

Continued...

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