Tehachapi Idol Continues

Tehachapi Idol is in its fifth week, and the show is still going strong. Over the weeks, contestants have been voted off, narrowing it down to six: Lily Seymour, Destiny Boswell, Ashley Bishop, Brinley Marks, Aubrey McDonald, and Josh Schwartz. The past few weeks have seen the elimination of Ken Yule, Haylee York, and Hannah Clare from the contest. The competition of local singers has undergone themes like oldies, Disney, and country. This week, contestants sang songs all about love, songs that came from every era. Ashley Bishop sang "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys, Brinley Marks sang "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith, Lily Seymour sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Aubrey McDonald sang "One and Only" by Adele.

Some contestants opted out of the sweeping love ballad and replaced it with classic rap songs, with Boswell and Schwartz singing "Shoop" by Salt-n-Pepa and "California Love" by 2pac, respectively. Schwartz even managed to play acoustic guitar to a rap song, and the audience was wild over it. One of the benefits of Tehachapi Idol is the ever-enthusiastic audience. Contestants will never have to fear being booed, because this is a friendly competition with a lot of heart where everyone is welcome to sing.

At the end of the show, audience members who paid for the $6 ticket vote for their favorite singer to keep them in the running. Contestants waited anxiously for the results as tickets were counted. This week, Aubrey McDonald was unfortunately eliminated. After getting the results, she said to the audience, "I'm just here to get better at singing. I love singing, it's my passion. I'm usually very nervous in front of people and this has brought me out." She then gave another performance of "One and Only" to bid farewell to the contest. This is likely the best thing about Tehachapi Idol. Contestants are never sour after being eliminated, rather they are grateful for the time they had onstage, performing their talents and their passions for an always excited audience.

Big Papa's has implemented a first come first serve policy for seating, so if you and your family wish to attend, be sure to arrive early enough for the best seats. Tehachapi Idol will continue two weeks from now on Sunday August 28 at 7:00 pm. The song theme will be "Past and Present Legends" in which singers must choose two songs: one by a legendary artist from the past, and one from a legendary artist from recent years. The contest will continue on every other Sunday until the finale between the final two contestants. Go to Big Papa's the evening of the 28th to cheer on your favorites and see who makes it to the next round of Tehachapi Idol.