Students showcase wide range of talents
By Dylan Hackett, News Editor
Last Thursday evening, 12 Douglas students, involved with 10 different acts, showcased an array of abilities at the first ever Dougie’s Got Talent show, put on by the DSU and the Office for New Students. Sydney Bedford and Kaylee Mitchell won the crown prize of $500 for their medley of over 20 songs that follow the chord progression of C, G, Am, F. The first and second runners-up were 2wintrix, the hip hop dancing duo comprised of Shannon Ko and Hanna Kim, and slam poet Vincent Gnit.
The house band for the event was self-described stoner metal country trio MEGABEAR, who warmed up the event, played the mid-show intermission, and followed up with a post-show set where they were joined onstage with an ensemble of music studies students who swayed and sang to a few choruses.
Jeffrey Aitchison opened the show with a powerful acoustic performance of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface,” with appropriately gender-adjusted pronouns.
Lin Lin followed Aitchison with song on the Chinese pipa, an instrument with sizable tuning pegs that could make Ron Jeremy blush. Lin Lin struggled with a few hammer on notes, but on whole was positively-received. Aboriginal student services coordinator and talent judge, David Seaweed, had nothing but praise, impressed by her “pageantry and regalia.”
The Other Press’ all-smiling answer to Jeff Buckley, Eric Wilkins, then took to the stage to lament lost love with an acoustic performance of Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning.” One impressed judge remarked that his eyes were in tune with the music.
Slam poet Knit took to the stage with the timbre, rhythm, and cadence of an a cappella hip hop performance. Some choice lines from his jam were, “Let these words touch your emotions and cause a commotion,” and “I kick-flipped into the abyss and fell into blackness.”
Two more singers rose to the stage, Isabel Sui and then Luc Picard, who with his guitar did an earnest performance of “Lovers in a Dangerous Time.”
Wearing a suit the same shade of an unripe avocado, was magician and comedian Billy Hsueh. He declared that every good act needed an opener, and proceeded to procure a bottle opener from a blue handkerchief.
Vince Leong took the stage to sing, sans guitar due to the show’s organizers refusal to let performances differ in any way from their auditions. He did an ‘N Sync tune: “A Little More Time on You.” The judges echoed the sentiment that Leung should’ve been allowed to wield his guitar onstage.
Winners Bedford and Mitchell took the stage next, inciting much cheer as they played their medley set and 2wintrix followed with the final talent performance.
Singer-guitarist Aitchison enjoyed performing at the show, but had a few criticisms of how the event played out. “I felt it was a little too rigid. [Organizers] could’ve been a bit more relaxed with how this went. The voting system was a little messed up… it might as well be called the ‘see-who-knows-the-most-people show.’ The talent doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day if [attendees] are voting on their friends. I would like to have seen the judges play a more active role in that.”
The audience voting system was partially set into place as means to promote the DSU Rock the Vote campaign, a voter registration drive set on signing up Douglas students for the May 14th provincial election.
