Editor's note: This article has been modified from the original post to correct misidentified performers.
Andrews – The adage “The show must go on” was put to the test Saturday at The Blue Stage downtown.
As emcee Logan Massey took the stage to introduce the first contestant, the venue went dark. The whole of Main Street experienced an outage that Duke Energy said would not be restored until midnight.
Although tensions began to mount with that news, staff moved into “Operation Save Andrews Idol” mode, making sure there was enough ice and cold drinks to keep temperatures from rising. The eight performers and a packed house of patrons waited patiently in the gathering heat and anticipation, while owners David and Patrick Howell worked to get the lights on.
The Town of Andrews and fellow Main Street business owners, including Duron Smith of Cups & Cones, rallied to find a generator, which restored stage lights and sound within about a half-hour.
“They really saved the day for us,” David said. “We appreciate how our community turned out and stayed patient.”
Manager Daniel Ferreira announced that acoustic warm-up acts would start, and David Mohr and Charlie Beck hustled to the stage with guitar and banjo in hand to entertain. Mohr got the audience’s feet and hands clapping and a group singalong to Three Dog Night’s “I’ve Never Been To Spain,” which proved to be just what everyone needed to ease into waiting for power to be restored.
When the second set began, power was restored to the whole of downtown – and everyone rejoiced that the air conditioner had come back online.
After that, the competition was fierce with a varied group of talented performers. With a mix of originals and covers, the eight contestants showed no sign of wear after the long wait.
Last-minute replacement Tory Hood wowed the crowd with her rendition of Maggie Rogers’ “That’s Where I Am.”
Building on that momentum, Andrews’ own Braxton Curtis got the crowd a little rowdy with his take on Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.”
Kimbra Westervelt of Los Angeles, Calif., whose experience includes performing for troops and touring with United Service Organizations (USO), took the stage next . Nathan Melton brought the crowd to a collective hush when belting out Band of Heathens’ “Hurricane.”
Dorothy Smith channeled Patsy Cline with the classic “I Fall To Pieces,” while hometown talent Rebecca Woodard of Andrews went more modern with her version of Martina McBride’s “Independence Day.”
Each singer had three opportunities to wow the audience. The first-round winners are Woodard, Charlie Beck of Brasstown, Nathan Melton of Walhalla, S.C., and Westervelt.
“Andrews Idol” continues each Saturday through July and August, with the final winner announced the first weekend in September. Details: Visit thebluestage.com/andrews-idol.