Meet the Top 10: Suburban Chicago's Got Talent finalists vie for the top prize
Which of the top 10 finalists will win Suburban Chicago's Got Talent for 2018? Will it be a solo artist or one of five rocking bands?
All will be revealed at the finale, which starts at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Little Italy Fest-West. Each of the acts will perform one last time at Addison's Centennial Park, hoping to impress the panel of judges and win over the outdoor audience before the winners are announced.
At stake is the grand prize, which includes a Development Package (custom video, website development, mentor and photo session), a trip for two to either Nashville or Cleveland, a headline concert and an opening act slot for a national act at Schaumburg's Septemberfest on Saturday, Sept. 1.
Also to be announced is the competition's Fan Favorite, chosen by online voters following the top 15 round at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles last weekend. The Fan Favorite prize package features a $200 gift certificate to the music store Chords in Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale, plus a performance at Club Arcada and other gift certificates. Videos of the finalists performing at the Arcada can be viewed at dailyherald.com/entertainment/talent.
Suburban Chicago's Got Talent is a summer talent competition in its seventh season. For 2018, the contest is co-sponsored by the Daily Herald, Onesti Entertainment, Amita Health, Zeigler Auto Group, Salon Lorrene and the village of Schaumburg.
Tommy Bravos
Hometowns: Jeremy Benshish of South Elgin, Tommy Bravos of St. Charles, center, and St. Louis native Ryan Donlin
Talent: band
Challenges as a performer: The biggest and ongoing challenge is finding a style that fits my entire being. My musical taste changes from time to time, and I notice that who I listen to affects how I write. I've made a great stride in the past two years combining all my musical interests into a stage presence and style that fits who I am as a person - what I enjoy listening to the most and how I want to be perceived as an artist. Of course this is a challenge that will never end as I continue to grow as a performer and person.
Johnny Don't
Hometown: Aurora
Talent: vocalist/songwriter/funny guy
Challenges as a performer: Myself. I am my biggest challenge in almost every way. I'm my own worst critic: can't get my ego out of the way too much of the time in too many situations, can't stop obsessing over a song or recording, worried that it's not good enough, etc.
Morgan Etnyre
Hometown: Elgin
Talent: singer
Challenges as a performer: The most difficult time for me was when my band broke up.
Ghostille
Hometown: Tommy Rey, Donnie Love and Allen Win of Chicago
Talent: rock band
Challenges as performers: One challenge I have faced through the years is coordinating the band itself. Three to five people and their busy schedules can be a headache to maintain, and must be done even before we get to work on the fun part.
LiveWire
Hometown: Jake D of Plainfield, Alex Cappelli of Geneva, Nikko Viejon of North Aurora and Danny Cappelli of Geneva
Talent: rock band
Challenges as performers: (from Nikko): As a vocalist, dealing with my voice changing has been a challenge.
Michael McInerney
Hometown: La Grange
Talent: blues singer-songwriter
Challenges as a performer: I've struggled with ADHD since I was a little kid, which made it hard for me to focus on things that didn't interest me. However when I started playing music, I found I was able to put all my energy into one thing. I sing, play guitar, play harmonica and try to be entertaining on stage, so maybe I've just learned how to make my ADHD work for me.
Shannon Nugent
Hometown: Arlington Heights
Talent: singer-songwriter/pianist
Challenges as a performer: The biggest challenge I have had with pursuing music up to this point has been time. I graduated from Elmhurst College in only three years, and I immediately went to graduate school. Now that I am done with school, and I've been working full-time for a while, I feel like I have the time again to pursue my passion for music. I've realized recently how important it is to maintain your passion no matter where life takes you.
Leo Sclamberg
Hometown: Highland Park
Talent: singer/guitarist
Challenges as a performer: My biggest challenge as a performer is writing lyrics to music I've composed. It could be because I'm 14 and don't have enough life experiences to write about yet.
Seasalt</a3>
Hometowns: Jon O'Brien of Richmond, Drew Zaremba of Richmond, Becky Sargeant of Woodstock and Kayla Seeber of Poplar Grove
Talent: indie rock band
Challenges as performers: A challenge that Seasalt has had as a band is finding time in between school, work, life in general to rehearse for gigs. But compromises and sacrifices made for the greater good of the band are what keep us afloat.
Watchtower
Hometowns: Jason Sreniawski of St. Charles, Chloe Weidl of St. Charles, Josh Freehill of Bartlett, Bredia Santoro of Plainfield, Daniel Brozek of Streamwood and Christian Freehill of Bartlett
Talent: rock band
Challenges as performers: When it comes to forming a band, playing and sounding good is the easy part - as long as you have good musicians who are willing to learn their parts. But as someone who's been a part of many different music groups, I find it more difficult to make sure that everyone gets along and is able to make decisions for the better of the band as a whole. When the band can't decide on what to play, or who plays what, or when to rehearse, nothing gets done.
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Suburban Chicago's Got Talent
Top 10 show and finale: 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at Little Italy Fest-West at Centennial Park, Lake Street at Rohlwing Road, Addison
Admission: Free; more information at events.dailyherald.com
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Top 10 judges
Carl Giammarese: A founding member and lead guitarist and vocalist of The Buckinghams. Starting in 1965, The Buckinghams were an important part of creating the sounds of American rock music after the British invasion had changed everything.
Bobby Poynton: A magical voice of the legendary Vocal Hall of Fame group, The Lettermen (1990-1995 and from 2011 to the present), and previously with The Crew Cuts (1998-2000) and The Diamonds (2001-2011).
Ron Onesti: President and CEO of Onesti Entertainment Corporation, which runs the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles and outdoor concerts and festivals throughout the area.
Barbara Vitello: A Lisagor Award-winning reporter, the Daily Herald's principal theater critic and legal affairs writer.