St. Charles to crown its own Idol at RiverFest
With Taylor Hicks now on Broadway, Carrie Underwood winning Grammies, Kelly Clarkson touring successfully, and other American Idols claiming fame, it's no wonder Fox Valley's aspiring musicians seek popularity in their own version of the idol search -- Pride of the Fox RiverFest's Idol Search June 7 and 8 in St. Charles.
Unlike Fox's hit "American Idol," which culminates in the naming of a single star, RiverFest's Idol search looks for and awards trophies in multiple categories, with Saturday winners in the 6- to 17- year-old categories and Sunday winners in the 18 and older category.
The contest is for vocal soloists only, separated into age and gender divisions.
RiverFest's Harris Riverside Stage is the venue, First Avenue and East Main, across from city hall.
Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. each day, with contestants -- appearing in order of registration -- taking the stage at 1 p.m. Contestants are encouraged to bring their own CDG Karaoke disc (or select from a large inventory during registration) and prepare for a real downtown experience.
Keeping the stage scene active between acts is the veteran Brandon Filipello of Karaoke NiteLife, which produces the event for RiverFest.
Round one of the competition is a cappella, round two a Karaoke number, and round three the finals. A panel of three judges will evaluate each contestant on physical presentation and costuming, crowd reaction, how the choreography/performance supports the song and lyrics, vocal presentation and overall performance.
For RiverFest Idol Search information, call (630) 818-8000 or e-mail bart@nitelife.org.
In addition to RiverFest's two stages with continuous free entertainment Friday through Sunday, events and activities include water ski shows, fantasy face art, dragon boat racing, CanineCapers Entertainment, Juried Fine Arts Show, Juried Craft Show, 40-ton sand sculpture, Corvette and "My Other Car" shows, carnival, free children's activities, pony rides, petting zoo, inflatables, paddleboat rides, climbing wall and more.
For details on other RiverFest events, visit www.PrideoftheFox.com.