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Candidates compete to sing national anthem in The Pit
Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Rachel Sparks holds her infant son while singing the national anthem during auditions at The Pit last week. Sparks didn't make The Trib's top 10 list of finalists for our online poll, but remains a candidate to sing at the University of New Mexico men's or women's basketball games
Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Seven-year-old Candace Johnston receives support from her mother Kimberly Johnston while awaiting her turn to audition. Overall, 63 contestants tried out for a chance to sing the national anthem at The Pit before the Lobos men's and women's basketball games.
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This story merits my best Ryan Seacrest impersonation.
How's my hair?
I know, it's beautiful.
Anyway, it's up to you, Albuquerque Tribune readers, to cast your votes for the Duke City's best national anthem performers.
Fowler out.
"American Idol" pales in comparison to The Trib's batch of scintillating singers who performed at last Friday's University of New Mexico national anthem auditions for Lobo men's and women's basketball games.
Sixty-three candidates sang - some decidedly better than others - at The Pit, each hoping to win a chance to perform in front of thousands during a Pit game.
The event was as colorful as the red, white and blue dress worn by 7-year-old singer Candace Johnston. People approached the microphone wearing lime-green MC Hammer pants, pink scarves and even a baby.
"I didn't have a baby-sitter," said Rachel Sparks, carrying her infant son, Joseph.
This wasn't an audition for bagpipes and bozos. What some performers lacked in talent, they made up for in style.
But UNM's standards for singing at Lobos games are a mile high, like the sign says on The Pit ramp.
Consider that Stu Walker, the voice of the Lobos, auditioned years ago but didn't make a courtesy cut to sing a pre-game anthem.
I was there Friday, along with Trib staffers Tamara Casias Shope and Steven St. John. Combining all of our musical knowledge (and abiding some of the, uh, weaker performers), we picked the 10 best voices for our own, online version of "American Idol."
American Idolish? Albuquerque Idol? Lobo Idol? Whatever. It's your chance to have a say in who deserves a star-spangled moment on the court.
Our Top 10 includes professionally trained singers and others who just love to belt out tunes for the fun of it.
Officials from UNM's marketing department were to select their winners this week. But that's their deal. This is ours. What would it mean to the finalists?
"That'd be awesome to win," said finalist Michelle Montoya, 22. "I've never won anything like that before."
Even so, First Light, a competitive a cappella quartet, could be poised for victory because "we sing even better than we look," group member Kirk Sugars said.
