Junior moves on to final round at Apollo Theater

Editor's note: This story is an update of a previously published Silver Chips Online news article.

Junior Nathan Foley won first place in the third round of Amateur Night at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater on Sept. 1. Foley will return for the last round on Oct. 27 to compete for "Super Top Dog" and the grand prize of $10,000.

Foley won first place in every round in which he has competed; in the adult competition in which Foley is competing, the top three winners move on to the next round. He performed the funk rock instrumental "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic each time.

To gain support for his performance in the final round of competition, Foley has invited everyone to take the bus he has arranged to drive supporters from Blair to Harlem. The bus will depart from Blair on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. and return after midnight. The prices are $80 for orchestra seats and $70 for balcony seats. Foley stated that the more people that come, the greater his chances of winning the grand prize.

This is the first year that the Apollo has offered a significant cash prize to its winners. This year's Amateur Night finalists represent a wide range of talents, including ukulele players, saxophonists, pianists and vocalists. According to Foley, winning will be a challenge because in the most recent round not one contestant was booed off the stage. He felt this showed the high level of talent and competition that he will face. "When no one got booed off, it was really rare," he said. "Everyone was just really good."

Because of the intense competition, Foley is uncertain in regards to the outcome of the upcoming round. "I have no idea what to expect at all. I just hope it's something awesome," he said. Although Foley never expects to win these competitions, he stated that he will try his hardest and stay optimistic. "I'm confident that I'll do my best. I'll still be happy as long as I try my best," he said.

Email Motengate@hotmail.com for information or to buy tickets to support Foley in his final round and chance to win the $10,000 grand prize and become the Super Top Dog.