Only one more round left

  • Published
  • By Sheila Rupp
  • Nucleus Journalist
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  Torrential downpours - or at least the heavy rain that native Albuquerqueans call torrential downpours - caused smaller crowds and fewer contestants to venture to the Mountain View Club here for the second preliminary of Kirtland Idol.

Only four contestants showcased their skills in the evening's festivities. Masters of ceremonies Shanya-Nicole Walker of services and Capt. Morgan O'Brien of the Albuquerque Military Entrance Processing Station seemed much more relaxed, and their banter livened up the quiet crowd.

First up to perform was retiree Robert Gates, who formerly served in the military police and the chaplain corps. Mr. Gates sang "Cat's in the Cradle," a 1970s song by Harry Chapin about the relationship between a father and son. Mr. Gates seemed a little nervous at the beginning of the song, but eased into the folk song.

Airman Jessica Hubbard of the 58th Maintenance Operations Squadron sang "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter. Her voice was soft and lullaby-like, but unfortunately, the music tended to overshadow her vocals. Airman Hubbard brought a large group of fans with her, but it wasn't a large enough crowd to save her soft performance and vote her into the finals.

Lauren Wolcott, who performed the Janis Joplin rock hit, "Piece of My Heart," in the first preliminary, returned this time to sing Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window." This song selection proved to be much more suited to Ms. Wolcott's dynamic and emotional voice. Again, she was the first performer of the evening to present the whole package in performance and vocals. She got the audience singing along, tapping their feet and bobbing their heads along to the rock anthem. Ironically, Melissa Etheridge did a cover of Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" live at the 2005 Grammy Awards with singer Joss Stone. After her performance, Ms. Wolcott said that she chose to sing Etheridge's hit because it was a fun song that she could really get into and perform.

Airman 1st Class Brittnie Brazile of the Air Force Research Laboratory orderly room came in with a bang singing Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." Airman Brazile's voice was surprising, with a young sound, but she broke out into the chorus with a gruff, tough-girl attitude. She performed with a strong personality and it was apparent that she had fun on stage, which made all the difference when it came time to vote.

Ms. Walker entertained the crowd by singing "Take My Breath Away (Love Theme)" by Berlin from the "Top Gun" soundtrack.

But the true show-stealer of the evening was Captain O'Brien's rendition of Van Halen's "Runnin' with the Devil." His performance was complete with groupies running across the stage, to which he responded by pulling off his polo shirt to show a runner's jersey - he even hosed himself down with a water bottle.

Though there were only four contestants, the evening was a success with four strong performances, but only three could move onto the finals. Ms. Wolcott finished in third place, taking $25; Mr. Gates finished in second place, with $50; and Airman Brazile's lively rendition of the Pat Benatar hit got her first place and $75. All three will move on to perform in the finals for their shot at becoming this year's Kirtland Idol.

The finals will take place April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Mountain View Club. The third place contestant will receive $300, the second place will receive $400 and the first place-finisher will take home $700 and the title of 2007 Kirtland Idol. All three will have the opportunity to open the Summer Bash on July 20.

The last preliminary was April 20.