================================================ Subject: "Your Big Break" as Stapp From: To: Date: Mon 13 Aug 2001 14:12:31 EDT ================================================ Yeah, a creed-related topic! Well, last night I was trying to find something on television to watch. There was nothing on! So, I ended up watching a show called "Your Big Break". The following is some background information for those who are not familiar with the show. "Your Big Break" takes ordinary people with good singing voices, dresses them up like their favorite performers (that they also can sound like) and lets them act out their favorite showbiz fantasies on stage before a live audience and millions of TV viewers. Five or six acts take the stage during each hour-long show. First viewers see a short documentary about the contestants living their normal lives, then on stage they disappear into a bank of fog, only to reappear (after the professional makeup artists & stylists get through with them) dressed up as their favorite artist. The contestants on the show are surprisingly talented; this is no karaoke bar. They sound remarkably similar to the stars they're impersonating. So much so that many viewers mistakenly believe they are lip-syncing to a recording. They are not. All singing is live, done by the contestants. No lip-syncing, ever. The audience votes for its favorite act at the end of the show. Contestants compete for a $25,000 grand prize, which isn't much in this day of million dollar game shows. In fact, if they win the audience vote, contestants don't even win the money then - just a chance to go on to the finals where they can win the cash. But I suspect that many of these contestants would probably pay to get this kind of free publicity, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to strut your stuff in front of the world, and maybe even be discovered along the way (although that's a longshot.) The episode I watched had people impersonated Patti Labelle, The B-52s, Melissa Ethridge, and others. One of those other artists that were impersonated was Scott Stapp of Creed. Before a commercial break, the host gave a trivia question out as a hint for the next performer. He said something to the ring of "Our next contestant will be impersonating a band who joined The Doors guitarist, Robbie Kriegar in front of a crowd of over 400,000." I already knew the answer before he gave multiple choices. Let me say choice A was Creed and choice B was Pearl Jam. After the commercials, the host went into the video on the contestant. This 20-something contestant was named Dean Summer from Madison, Alabama where he lives with his parents, sister, and grandparents. He has a band, but his day job is repairing/redesigning RVs and buses. He also enjoys water sports including surfing. That was pretty much the whole video on him. Back in the studio, he comes out and the host greets hi, and says "So, what artist will you be performing as?" Dean reply was "A band I hope my band can one day open for, Creed." Well, before I continue I need to make a disturbing comparison. Dean looks like a 20-something Eddie Vedder with short hair. Their faces look so much the same. It gave me the willies with the whole Pearl Jam and Creed issues. Then Dean went into the fog and then the host introduced him "This band has sold over 10 million copies of their 3 records to date (3 records? Uh, not quite yet and Human Clay had sold over 10 million on its own.) Here is Dean Summer as Scott Stapp of Creed." The make-up people just made his blonde hair to dark brown, added extensions and threw it back behind his ears. The costume people did a bit better. Dean was in black leather pants (a bit too baggy though), black shirt, black leather jacket, and the chain necklace. How was Dean's portrayal as Scott Stapp? He did do well. He did do "Higher," but all the impersonators had to do the biggest hits of the artists they were portraying. Dean's voice was deep, but there were parts where he did not hold the note as long as Scott does or as low on a note or two. (Critical? Nah) Overall, it was good. The stage was designed well too. It was designed like the "Higher" video (it looked better actually in my opinion) with the red background and rotating lights. The back-up band did not do as well with the song. The guitarist looked like Carl Bell of Fuel a bit and his playing was nothing even comparable to Mark's. The drummer was American-American and had short hair. I am not sure if it was a male or female. They only show the drummer once of twice and both times at a profile angle. I did not get a good look at the bass player, but it seemed like the bass lines were correct. Well, I am making this really long. Dean did not end up winning. The woman who impersonated Patti Labelle won (and she deserved it). I just thought that was interesting though. It was nice to see some Creed mentions on non-cable for once. The show is syndicated if any one wants to see the show. Best Wishes, Kerri To unsubscribe or change your preferences for the Creed-Discuss list, visit: http://www.winduplist.com/ls/discuss/form.asp