Last Thursday, AMHS showed off its creative side at the 16th Annual Talent Show. The Dirty Birds started the night off with a bang that set the mood for the rest of the evening. Olivia Ollis and Marlow Thomas, the only freshmen and first act of the night to perform, sang “That’s What’s up” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Eva Leach played the ukelele and sang “Dream a Little Dream” by Ella Fitzgerald; Ella Bovender performed “Say Anything” by Tristan Prettyman while playing the guitar. Amelia Sizemore gave a beautiful performance of original choreography to “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave. Janelle Green impressed with an emotional rendition of “When We Were Young,” the new, popular song by Adele. Mackenzie Jenkins and Julia Walpole  put a twist on two well-known Taylor Swift songs by singing a mash-up of “Clean” and “Out of the Woods.”Adding variety to the night, Zachary Kronsberg made the audience chuckle with his original stand-up comedy routine. Rachel Biggs and Emily McGee finished off the first set by performing “Burning House” by Cam.

Starting the second set, Phoebe Rudolph sang “The Saga Begins”, a catchy song about everyone’s favorite space-based franchise, Star Wars. Maddie Steen entertained with a powerful performance of Hozeir’s “Cherry Wine.” Seniors Peter Sterckx and Jameson Sanders performed their own original skit revolving around the creation of their very own carrot flute, which was arguably them most original part of the night. Blake Farrell captivated the audience with “Til the Casket Drops” by ZZ Ward. Still in Progress, a duo with John Pavlides and Misha Pekar, enthralled with a soulful performance of “Sara Smile” by Hall and Oates. Ireland with Whiskey, another duo consisting of Gypzy Carrigg with Nick Curcio, sang “365 Days” by ZZ Ward. The crowd favorite, No Direction, featuring Jacob Gleaton, Nick Curcio, and Nate Bradley, stole the show with a rocking performance of “You Really Got Me” by Van Halen. They received a standing ovation and may have started their own fanbase. From Russia with Love, featuring Nathan Bradley, John Pavlides, Misha Pekar, Tony Reda, and Maddie Steen, brought home the fun-filled night with their rendition of “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys.

Whilst the judges were deliberating over the 16 acts, Misha “The Wizard” Pekar faced off against beloved AMHS teacher, Mr. Grimshaw, in a Keytar vs. Guitar battle. The two attempted to play as many notes on their respective instruments as possible, and while there wasn’t a clear winner, it was certainly entertaining to watch.

At the end of the night, the winners were finally announced. Janelle Green won Best Solo Act, and John Pavlides and Misha Pekar, Still in Progress, won Best Group act. From Russia with Love won second place overall, and crowd-favorite No Direction took home the big award of the night, first place overall.

Check out the epic Keytar vs. Guitar battle here:

https://youtu.be/TS8TKdYmty0