Montrose High School holds annual talent show

MONTROSE — The Lloyd McMillan gym felt more like a night club Thursday morning, when Montrose High School held its annual school talent show.

Seven different student acts  afforded a variety of entertainment — from student rock bands, acoustic guitar, slam poetry and karaoke.

The event was put together by the Montrose High School student council, which organized the show. Council members also were responsible for picking the acts performed, choosing the acts based on how often the groups practiced and how they executed their performances at tryouts.

Robby McLaren, MHS student body president, helped organize the show and said he was impressed with the performers.

“I think it went awesome,” McLaren said. “It sounded good and we got a lot of good feedback. It was a good way to send everyone off to spring break.”

The talent show kicked off with a rendition of rock band Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” performed by Elisa Hiene, Evie Bramlett and Joe Vigil. The crowd responded well and only got louder as Megan Miller and Mae Haulman performed a karaoke-styled “Walking on Sunshine.”

The first rock act of the morning, “You Will Fade,” performed an original song titled “As I Stand There” next. Group members Joel Ballantyne on vocals, Kyle Rangel on bass and Eli Hannibrink on drums got tons of love from the student body.

Darcy Figg’s acoustic performance of “Stoppin’ the Lovin’” had the students and faculty in awe by her impressive vocal ability.

MHS’ Nick Brennan’s electric guitar performance and Kate Golder’s slam poetry piece titled “Ugly” also got great feedback from the audience.

However, the final and biggest performance of the show came from student rock band “Six Shooter Rodeo and the Mountain Cow Pokes Band,” made up of Erik Stucky, Stephen Wargo, Aaron Richardson and Brad Pugh. The group put on a rendition of the Bob Dylan tune “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” followed by a six- minute jam session that had most of the crowd on its feet by the show’s end.

MHS Athletic and Activities Director Lyle Wright said the talent show was impressive and that he thought it was a good chance for students to be creative.

“It’s a way for some kids to show off their talents that people wouldn’t know about had they not performed,” Wright said. “It’s cool and it’s festive to do something like this right before spring break.”

Montrose High is on spring break today through April 5.