A recent contest held at the Waltz-Astoria café showcased some local talent and crowned the “ultimate singer-songwriter.”
This marked the first time that Waltz-Astoria, located on Ditmars Boulevard, held the contest, which took place from November 5 to November 8. During the first three nights of the competition, more than 50 singer-songwriters, who were predominantly from Astoria, participated in qualifying rounds. Nine were selected to compete in the final around.
Each finalist performed three songs. The audience then voted for their favorite to determin the winner.
“These are the best of the best that came out for this contest,” said Pedro Gonzalez, a co-owner of Waltz-Astoria with wife Song. He also noted that each person brought something special and different to the stage.
Gonzalez said that the contest was a way to get local musicians exposure. He also said that the contest was beyond his expectations.
“These performers made it so much more than I ever thought it would be,” he said.
The first place winner was Joe Jung, a singer who also played the guitar, harmonica and tambourine. A resident of Astoria for the last five years, Jung said he is a trained actor but has always done music as a fun release. He said he was excited to win, but also felt a little shocked.
“They were great,” he said of his fellow finalists. “It was such a huge range of sounds and styles and musicianship and writing ability. It was just a pleasure to be on stage with some of those folks.”
Jung said that he thought the contest was a great idea, since it was a way to bring many different artists to the Astoria area. He also said it gave fans a way to be exposed to different musicians.
Second place was awarded to duo Black & White Cookie. Another duo, Milene Corso and Yukari Hirata, received third place honors.
Among other upcoming events, Waltz-Astoria will host a comedy competition in January. A calendar of events is available at www.waltz-astoria.com.
