Andrews – If variety is the spice of life, then the fourth round of “Andrews Idol” on Saturday night delivered a spirited end to the first elimination round of 32 contestants selected for the regional talent contest.
With talent from Asheville, Georgia and South Carolina, even when the sun set there was no end to the heat generated by the performances.
Although this week’s round was vexed by two last-minute cancellations – with no alternates available – the six performers more than made up for any abandonment issues by offering an eclectic mix of original and cover songs. Their assortment of songs showed a mélange of ability and range.
The opener and Pendleton, S.C., resident CJ Brewer’s cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” set the tone for a seemingly low-key evening that turned into anything but. He then grabbed the crowd’s attention with an invigorating take on the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero,” plus a particularly stirring version of post-grunge rockers Hoobastank’s “The Reason.”
Bryson City singer-songwriter Emily Franklin continued the smooth and soulful vibe with her heart-melting version of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.” Franklin then sang one of her original songs, “One Day At A Time,” before her third set with an ambitious and show-stopping version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Also from Bryson City, Randall Griggs brought the calm before the storm with Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down.” Accompanied by friend Sam Stewart, Griggs then elevated the audience’s hearts and souls to the mountaintop with “Lead Me Home” by Jamey Johnson. Griggs lastly channeled Leonard Cohen by doing Jeff Buckley’s version of the classic anthem, “Hallelujah,” which brought cheers and tears all around the room.
Asheville-based songwriter Kim Smith gave an impassioned performance with two of her original tunes, including “Wake Up” and “Hungry for Love.” Smith then offered her guitar-shredding and rousing spin on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” which served to get the crowd into a singalong mood.
Franklin native Kevin McCall kept it classic country with Merle Haggard’s “Big City” and Ricky Van Shelton’s version of the Charlie Rich staple “Life’s Little Ups and Downs.” McCall then got the audience toe-tapping and hand-clapping along to Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight,” which ended the night as a right hootenanny.
Andrew Klein of Acworth, Ga., took the crowd on an original set journey with his compositions “We Always Had Each Other’s Backs,” an ode to his lifelong group of close friends, and “Untouchables” which then led to his superbly sublime cover of John Prine’s perennial “Angel From Montgomery.”
The next set of elimination of 16 contestants will be held each Saturday through August, with the final four round and winner announcement set for Sept. 9. The winner of “Andrews Idol” season one receives a $1,000 prize, along with a full-day recording session at Emanant Music in Atlanta. Each contestant placing from second to fourth also receives monetary prizes.
The winners of round four were CJ Brewer, Emily Franklin, Randall Griggs and Kevin McCall. Details: thebluestage.com.