Lee DeWyze fan contests end on sweet note
A visit to the eye doctor turned out to be the trip of a lifetime for one Arlington Heights teen.
Rachel Grabowski, 16, stopped at Special Eyes Optical in Arlington Heights, when she and her family noticed the Lee DeWyze Hometown Fan Club van parked in the nearby Harmony Park.
Between her eye appointment and the time it took to pick out new glasses, Grabowski won the chance to meet DeWyze at a special meet and greet before tonight's concert at Arlington Park.
What's more, she won a stack of tickets for her classmates at Hersey High School to attend the bash, courtesy of Arlington Park officials.
DeWyze will headline his first solo concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. since wrapping up the American Idol tour last month. The concert takes place in the winner's circle, after the day's races, which run from 1 to 5 p.m.
Premium tickets remain available for $15 and $25, as well as $8 general admission tickets. Tickets can be purchased online at arlingtonpark.com or by calling (847) 385-7427.
"I am so excited," said Rachel, a junior at Hersey. "I feel like a total rock star."
Acting on a whim, she and her 11-year old brother, Mason, spontaneously entered the "Sing Out for Lee" contest, which was playing out in front of the optical shop. They went up against Emily Rose Bolash, 11, of Arlington Heights and Carolynn Brusseau, 15, of Mount Prospect.
In the end, Rachel wowed fan club members with her rendition of "Put Your Records On," the Corinne Bailey Rae song, while her brother, Mason, was a close second, with his rendition of John Lennon's "Come Together."
Turns out the siblings study voice and acting at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located across the street from Harmony Park, and Mason already is in rehearsal for "A Christmas Carol."
"It just runs in our family," Rachel said. "We've been singing for as long as we can remember."
The first contest of the night was a "Lee Look Alike Contest." Only four contestants turned out, ranging from 2-year old Benjamin Keller, and 11-year old Emily Jarosz both from Arlington Heights; to 11-year old Austin Mathews of Hoffman Estates, who dressed in black for the contest, with painted facial hair and wearing one of DeWyze's signature chains around his neck.
"He just had this spark," Mathews said of DeWyze. "I could tell from the first round that he was going to win."
In the end the judges awarded first place to 5-year old Alex Hagar of Arlington Heights, who is a kindergartner at Olive-Mary Stitt School.
Alex had DeWyze's outfit down, from his jeans and red T-shirt, to the tattoos on his arms.
"The judges thought I was cool," Alex said, summing up his award.
Ali Lapping and Carly Gordon, the two Northbrook teens who lead the fan club, said they have drawn more than 1,000 members, mostly through Facebook. Thursday's contests were part of a "Get Ready for Lee Week," which started on Wednesday at Capannari Ice Cream in Mount Prospect.
"We just want everyone to come out and see him," Gordon said. "His story is so inspiring."
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