On Oct. 15, Ypsilanti Area Jaycee hosted its third annual Ypsi’s Got Talent show. The 10-act lineup was performed on the stage, tucked three rooms back amid grub eaters and pool tables from 8-10 p.m. in the Tap Room. The venue provided a boisterous bar atmosphere with pizza, beer and burgers to keep the crowd rowdy.
The host, Ypsilanti Area Jaycees, is a group of men and women ages 21- 40 that works toward self-development on a personal and professional level, community service and social networking in the Ypsilanti area. This means it’s responsible for running fun local happenings helping bring the community together.
According to Tim Vroom, Ypsilanti Area Jaycees president, it is the “group behind the scene in Ypsi,” making events happen like the Heritage Festival Parade and the Thanksgiving Basket Project.
Ypsi’s Got Talent was initially meant to provide a social gathering for Jaycee members, but has branched into a community event meant for a few laughs.
“It’s fun because sometimes members have talents you had no idea they had,” Vroom said. “They may not necessarily get in front of a crowd like this but it doesn’t mean they’re not talented.”
Performance is open to anyone, and according to chairperson Lindsey Hall, “We’re trying to make it a little bit different this year. In the past we’ve had a lot of Jaycees [perform] but I want to stray away from that and get more public to [perform].
“It’s just the icing on the cake to get new members excited about what we do. We do fun projects like this all the time.”
The entertainment had an array of expertise ranging from soulful strumming paired with a harmonica to vocals too powerful for the mic. There was a dash of rap, a spoonful of comedy and a heaping helping of musical talent on the piano and viola. Performers were dressed to impress and decked out in matching costumes, which made the merriment all the more enjoyable.
A rap duo called BMCee literally and figuratively reached out to grab the crowd with its animated dance moves and had stage presence to boot.
One lively act by the Patchwerk Dance Troupe had a humble beginning at Eastern Michigan University in 2008. It has since blossomed from a few dancers to a 22-member college-based group including students from EMU, Washtenaw Community College and University of Michigan.
This dance team inspired the audience in its matching blue tees by flaunting its technique in ballet, hip hop, lyrical and modern dance with enthusiasm and smiles. Patchwerk pirouetted, stepped, twerked, bobbed and body rolled to Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye to receive uproarious applause.
Huron High School student Alex Chmiel wowed on the viola with his whole family there to support him. He’s been playing in the orchestra for eight years and is happy to have the opportunity to perform. As a young, well-practiced musician, he said he relishes every opportunity to play.
“This is a good starting point. It’s almost like a first date,” Chmiel said.
According to Hall, Ypsi’s Got Talent is “a great venue for people that are trying to make it in the music business and trying to make it artistically.”
“It’s a good platform for them to use to show their talent,” she said. “It’s kinda why we do it.”
Let’s not forget this event was a competition. There were prizes lined up for the winners. The first-place winner, Patchwerk Dance Troupe, went home with $100; the second-place winner, Danielle Kopey, received $25 giftcards to Heidelberg for her rendition of “Killing Me Softly.” Rap group BMCee received a $25 Subway giftcard and audience favorite, Chmiel, won a gift card to Mix with his viola performance.
All prizes were donations from local businesses.
Audience involvement was encouraged in the penultimate act with a contest mirroring the NBC program “A Minute to Win It.”
Games included “This Blows,” where contestants had to knock cups off a table using the air from a balloon; “Pennyhose,” requiring a skilled volunteer to pick pennies from pantyhose with one hand and, “Elephant March,” where brave souls wear pantyhose on their head with an orange in the bottom and swing it back and forth to knock over these water bottles. The victors took home their very own “Minute to Win It” board game.
“We’ll be back next year,” Hall said. “We always do it.”
