Beetcafe.com
rockford illinois entertainment guide
Date: 01/31/2003
Cher at Oscar's?
by Patrick McDonough
patrick@beetcafe.com
Well not exactly Cher, alright in some cases not even close. Last night bar goers at Oscar's Pub and Grill had a lot more to talk about than the famed saltwater fish tank. Thanks to 97 ZOK and Budweiser, patrons were treated to a Cher look-a-like contest in which both men and women impersonators had the opportunity to go on stage and perform their favorite Cher tune.

Some participants took the word perform more literally than others. For example show stopper Steve Hulbert had the crowd convinced that had Cher been a man she would have needed a lot more than the occasional face lift or tummy tuck. Then there was Laura Jo Pearson who thought it necessary to add me to her performance when she grabbed me from the front row and less than gingerly pinned me against the DJ booth. (On a side note, "thanks Laura.") In her defense she did say prior to the show that, "It's been a long two days." I'm assuming she was talking about waiting for the contest. Other contestants ranged from the great Sonny and Cher duo of Robert and Jari, for which Robert gave a stunning performance that would have had the real Cher begging for more, to Karina Freer, a late 60s hippy Cher, to Mona, an exotic looking Cher with a red gown and a wig to match, to Special K, who brought her own microphone and fishnet stockings, to African American Cher Tami-X, who had more moves than Cher has wigs, to the female Sonny and Cher duo that went creatively by the alias: Sonny and Cher, and finally to one performance in particular that touched on Cher's less than wholesome side when one performer warned judge Aaron Wilson that he, "was in trouble" before the music even began.

The evenings festivities were hosted by ZOK morning crew Steve Shannon and Stefani Troye. Judges for the event were fellow ZOK announcer Jenna West, Channel 23 newscaster Aaron Wilson (Whose friends begged me not to put incriminating photos of him on the site. All I can say is nice moves Aaron. I especially liked the under the table maneuver), Json Keith from La Monica Beverages and Gina Delicious a local American Idol contestant.

The winners of the Cher look-a-like contest were as follows: Third runner up and winner of a Weis Morris spa package and tickets to see the real Cher was Laura Jo Pearson. She had this to say about her win, "I couldn't have done it without my bodyguards or my girlfriend Julie" (And yes she really did have bodyguards.)

Second runner up and winner of a Weis Morris spa package and tickets to the Cher show was Steve Hulbert, a man that looked more like Andy Richter in a black wig and a see through full body suit than Cher. About his win he remarked, "I couldn't have done it without my wife or my designer Diane. And I wouldn't have done it without my friends from work."

The grand prize of front row tickets to see Cher went to the Sonny and Cher duo of Robert and Jari. After receiving their prize they treated us to another rendition of I've got you babe, to which the crowd jumped to their feet as Robert dramatically went down on one knee and Jari played a believable Cher by pushing her long black hair over her shoulder and licking her upper lip. After their performance I asked them if they had anything to say about their win. Robert quickly replied, "It just feels good to be alive!"



You can see more photos of the performances in the Beet Pics section on the homepage of our site.
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