After six weeks of preliminaries and two weeks of semi-finals, five finalists were chosen, and last Wednesday, Aug. 26, the Surf City Hotel’s fourth Long Beach Idol winner was declared. Terri Hammer of Denville, both a kindergarten teacher and a rock ‘n’ roller, took home the title along with a 47-inch HDTV.
“What am I going to do with this?” she asked when her win was announced.
Hammer has been “doing this a long time,” she said — almost a quarter of a century. “It’s a lot of fun!”
She has played in a wedding band, recorded an album and currently works with a rock band.
“I teach during the week and sing in a rock band on weekends,” she said. “Teachers all need a second job.”
Hammer got involved when the first year’s winner, Nelson Cantillo, also the drummer for her husband’s band, invited her to “come on out and sing with the band.” She did, she won, and “now my summer is officially over,” she said.
All five finalists, all from New Jersey, sang two songs each — first, one chosen by the house, the Gin Blossoms’ “Hey Jealousy.” During round two, they each sang a song of their own choosing. For Hammer, who made it through in preliminary week four, it was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” All performances were backed by the competition’s house band Eleven Eleven, the “live karaoke” band that has been with the contest from its start. Between rounds, 2006 winner Cantillo performed, both drumming and singing Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy.” He was followed by last year’s winner Rob Kaylin, who sang Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.”
After everyone had performed their two songs, the judges took a leave to discuss potential winners. Among those judging were Al Geary, president and CEO of Shore Bets Entertainment of Philadelphia and founder and director of the Philly Music Awards; Terry Tompkins, founder of Big Fish Management, showcase director of the Philadelphia Music Conference, and full-time faculty member and president of MAD Dragon Records at Drexel University; and Vibhas Madan, an associate of Tompkins at Drexel University with extensive musical knowledge who has assisted in selecting bands to play at bars. Judging was based 50 percent on vocal performance and 25 percent each on stage presence and audience reaction.
When the decision was made, bartender Jason Booth, who co-hosted the evening with Kristin McNamara, announced the winners. In third place, winning a Bud Light jacket, was week two’s Kimberly Maloney of Delran who sang AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long."
Second place prize, a Stella Artois picnic basket, went to week one’s Philip Green of North Beach Haven, who sang Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell.” The other two finalists were week six’s Kate Drangula of Swedesboro who sang The Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle,” and week one’s Mary Buck of Barnegat who sang Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”
All finalists received a 2010 Beach Club Season Pass for the Hotel. The competition this year began with six weeks of preliminaries during which anyone 21 or older could sign up to compete. According to Tom Gentry, the Hotel’s general manager, at least 10 to 12 contestants tried out each week, with one week bringing out as many as 14.
“I’m happy with the turnout this year,” he said. “There certainly wasn’t a lack of interest.” During those six weeks, the audience’s applause picked two each week to move on to the semi-finals, while a third was picked by the house, a new vote this year. While “generally three” were chosen each week, on two occasions, a fourth was chosen by the house because the call was very close and both deserved a second chance. Because of the addition of the house vote, two weeks of semi-finals took place. Of the 20 semi-finalists, 15 showed. While it was originally evenly split between the two weeks, 11 performed week one because someone scheduled for week two couldn’t make it that week and everyone else showed up. Although nine were scheduled to perform in week two, because of illness, distance and other reasons, only four showed up.
“I would have liked to have more last week,” Gentry said. But still, he believes having the house vote and two weeks of semi-finals is “better ... because there were some good singers in past years that didn’t make it to the semi-finals, which is why we did the house vote.” As 14 trying out one week of preliminaries was pushing it, 20 would have been too many in one night. As such, they plan to keep the additions in future years of the competition.
Finalists were chosen by a panel of judges each semi-final week — three during the first week and two during the second. These five went on to compete for the grand prize, with Terri Hammer coming out on top.
