The O-town Scene

Groupies Idol Stars begin to emerge at the area’s main summer event. The first elimination round of Ultimate Idol 2011 was Wednesday, June 29, when 20 local singers performed for a crowd at Foot- hills Performing Arts and Civic Center. There are three official judges for the contest _Tom King, Tom Pondolfino and John Thompson. But there is a whole big white tent full of unofficial judges forming opinions of each performance and picking out favorites. Idol Groupies is a random selection of au- dience members, ages spanning 50 years, who rated each of the 20 performances. Wednesday night, some performers had theatrics on their side, but chose obscure songs that the audience didn’t relate to. Some chose great songs, but lacked stage prescence. Some had incredible confi- dence, but average vocals. And some just didn’t know what to do during those instru- mental interludes. Awkward. But, there were a handful of performers who stood out as being better than the rest. The top three performances of the eve- ning were: 1. Nicole Frank of Oneonta singing Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” With shiny long brown hair and wearing jeans and gladiator sandals, Frank looked like she was about to give a speech to her sorority sisters as she stepped on stage. Then with a stone-faced ex- pression, she took on Adele’s powerful song with loud, strong vocals to match. Although Frank’s movements on stage were a little stiff, her confi- dence was apparent and she had the strong voice to back it up. Plus, she chose a great song. 2. Liz Walker of Delhi singing Faith Hill’s “Let’s Go to Vegas.” Walker is a rosy-cheeked blonde with a sweet voice. She was probably the most-talented singer 4 O-Town Scene July 7, 2011 of the evening, and one of the most-polished performers. Her movements were natural, and she looked completely at ease on stage. She looked like she was enjoying what she was doing, and the audience enjoyed her performance, too. The song wasn’t a huge crowd-pleaser, but even one unofficial judge who admittedly hates country music ranked Walker’s as one of the best perfor- mances of the evening. 3. Mary Francis Perricone of Sidney Center singing Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.” Perricone is an Idol veteran, routinely advancing to the quarterfinals with her renditions of golden oldies. She is a seasoned performer who knows what she likes to sing, and the audience re- sponded Wednesday with enthusiasm, especially when she hit the long, high notes in the song. She has a powerful voice, but it was her passion and emotion while singing the song that made her a crowd favorite. NOTES: • Solon Tsangaras of Afton gets the most points for enthusiasm. His rendition of Queen’s “Fat Bot- tom Girls” got the crowd all riled up. We’re sure he’ll advance for sheer entertainment value. • Jennifer Pajerski blew the crowd away with her audition performance a few weeks ago, sing- ing Alanis Morrisette’s “Uninvited.” Who’s heard that song since 1996?! It was interesting and mov- ing. But, her song choice Wednesday of “Raise Your Glass” by Pink was all wrong. It didn’t show off her voice and it seemed age inappropriate. We’re hoping she advances because we want to see another performance like her first one. • Some tips the unofficial judges gave for per- formers were to be confident, go for it, choose a song that the audience knows and one that shows off your voice. Also, if you’re having fun, the audi- ence probably will, too. The next elimination round of Ultimate Idol 2011 will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 13. After that night’s performances, the top 20 performers will be announced. Laygirl Fashion by Emily Popek ‘Project Runway’ can be hazardous to your closet I had what can only be char- acterized as temporary shop- ping insanity this past weekend. But I have a solid defense. I was under the influence of “Project Runway.” The TV show is sort of like MSG for the fashion-obsessed: it tastes great going down, and leaves you headachy and irri- table, yet wanting more. In case you have been living under a very unfashionable rock, the reality show’s premise is simple: Designers compete through a series of challenges for a chance to show their garments at New York Fashion Week. A different designer is eliminated on each episode until the group is whittled down to three (or four, or five, or whatever the judges feel like that year). I’ve been bingeing on Season 8 lately, sneaking bite-sized quantities of Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn in stolen moments like a kid sneaking candy before dinner. And I’m afraid the stud- ied wackiness of some of the Associated Press A model on stilts walks the run- way during an outdoor ‘Project Runway’ television show taping at Battery Park City on Friday, June 24, in New York. show’s designers (I’m looking at you, Mondo) have left their mark on me. That’s the excuse I’m giving for having bought a voluminous calf-length gray tweed cape/poncho disaster. When I saw it on the hanger at that most fashionable of shops, the Salvation Army, I envisioned some sort of decon- structed chic fall look that involved a great belt, leggings, heels, a topknot and glasses. The thing is, exaggerated, over-the-top looks are great on the runway, and on TV. When I got home and put on this crazy garment, it didn’t look chic or fashionable at all. It looked like a sloppy gray sack. The lines were all wrong (maybe because, instead of being a fine wool, it was a cheap polyester blend). The collar hung awkwardly. And when I tried to belt it, I couldn’t move my arms. So I’m a little chagrined, but undaunted. I’m going to keep taking fashion risks, even when they are probably stupid. And I can’t wait for Season 9 of “Project Runway,” even though it will probably prompt me to make more foolish purchases. Who knows? Maybe the next time I have a crazy fashion idea, I’ll actually be able to “make it work.” Emily F. Popek is still trying to figure out what to wear with the embroi- dered handkerchief-hem blouse she picked up on a whim at the O-Town Scene clothing swap. She is also assistant editor of The Daily Star.

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