Duffy's First Gong Show | Photo Essay

photos and words by Kat Buchanan

Darren Keen, Hilary Stohs-Krause and Tim Carr wielded a mallet with the intention to strike, and strike they did.

Last Thursday marked the wonderful beginning of Duffy's now-monthly gong shows. Willing contestants can sign up to showcase their talents onstage (backing band optional) with a four-minute time limit to please the judges. If the celebrity judge panel doesn't like your act, you get "gonged," interrupted by the ringing of a giant, authentic gong and forced to exit stage right.

Eight performers took the challenge at the inaugural Gong Show, and the first night's acts offered a variety of entertainment from British rap to comedy and cover songs. Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band won first prize. Keen jokingly accused the second place winner, Jeremy Eide, of tailoring his act –– a rap song about a bubble bath, done in a British accent –– to please the judges. Sexysista, a tenured gong show contestant as the audience found out, stole third place with a jaw-dropping cover of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." 

There was rarely a lull in the laughter and cheering, and all but three acts were gonged by sticklers Carr of Universe Contest, Keen of Touch People and Stohs-Krause of X-Rated. The next Gong Show is scheduled for Feb. 21. Start practicing.

Brett Olsen

Brian Brazier

Dr. Funnystein and Yo Door

Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band

Ben Norton

Sexysista

Elvis

Jeremy Eide

Kat Buchanan is a Hear Nebraska intern. She hasn't gotten the beat of "Bubble Bath" out of her head since Thursday night. Reach her at katb@hearnebraska.org.

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