Talent takes center stage at DuPage fair
Fresh from listening to a junior-age competitor in the DuPage County Fair's talent show belt out an inspirational rendition of Christina Aguilera's hit, "Reflection," on Saturday afternoon, Michelle Kozi, 14, of Winfield, pondered the idea of taking the stage herself next year.
"She's thinking," said her friend, Katherine Gibson, 15, of Glen Ellyn, adding that Kozi favors a song titled "Heaven."
The two girls stood near the back of the tent as 16 finalists in two age divisions, 14 and under and 15 through 21, entertained with song, dance, even martial arts demonstrations.
"We've had jugglers. We haven't had a ventriloquist yet. We've had comedy teams. We have a band coming up in the next division," said Sandy Jozef, the show's coordinator.
Jozef said 43 contestants competed July 13 in the competition's preliminary round for the chance to show three judges and an audience of about 200 their stuff at the fair. The top acts in each of the two divisions will get to compete in the state contest in January.
After a short break, the older contestants got their shot at earning the audience's adulation.
The crowd broke into applause when 15-year-old Villa Park resident Megi Caushi navigated the highest notes in Aguilera's "Reflection" with uncommon vocal dexterity.
As Brittany Austin of Naperville wowed the crowd with a well-executed hip-hop dance solo, the members of The Aviators, a band composed of four boys from Lombard who will be freshmen at Glenbard East this fall, huddled.
"We did it last year," said drummer Jake Martin. The song they performed last year was Green Day's "American Idiot."
Before the band hit the stage, drummer Martin was asked why the band chose the name, The Aviators.
" We like the sunglasses, basically," he said.
Martin said three of the band members - himself, Dominic Segatti and Mitch Bellock - have been playing together for four years. Singer Chris Byrne is a more recent addition.
The band members, all wearing conspicuously large sunglasses, gave a rousing performance of Weezer's rebellious anthem, "Pork and Beans," bringing the decibel - level in the entertainment tent up a few notches.