6th Annual Bulldogs Got Talent Raises over $1300 for the Duluth Center for Women and Children
UMD Band, Tau Beta Delta, gets the crowd excited with the first familiar strums of "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer. Photo by Erin Christenson
Weber Music Hall was the place to be on the evening of Feb. 19 during UMD’s 6th annual Bulldogs Got Talent. The event was a hit, raising $1323 and featuring performances from student musicians, storytellers, and UMD’s very own glover, McGlovin67.
The event MCs Ed McGee and Seth Worden incite laughter in the crowd with their skits in between performances. Photo by Erin Christenson
Dakota Kath, aka “McGlovin67”, won first place with his interpretive gloving routine to “What Do You Mean” by Justin Bieber. The audience was enthralled from the second his fingertips lit up the hall till he walked off while the lights were still off, keeping the mystery alive.
“I walked so other glovers could run,” said Kath, who began gloving one week ago in preparation for this event.
McGlovin’s winning performance brought in the largest dollar amount for the Duluth Center for Women and Children’s (DCWC) Nourish Program which provides affordable and healthy meals for low-income families in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood.
“DCWC does some really good things so I’m excited to support,” said Alex Oberton of Death Valley Yacht Club, a UMD duo who was missing its other half, therefore performing by the name “Yacht Club” for the evening.
One of the first performances of the night was another guy with a guitar, Ryan Schabert, who recently joined a band called 400 Chicken Sandwich. He touched the audience with a heartfelt rendition of “Lua” by Bright Eyes.
“I’m ready to absolutely demolish the vibes with the song that I’m going to sing,” Schabert said before performing.
The vibes didn’t stay low for long because right after Schabert left the stage, the Trombone Headchoppers had the audience rolling with laughter as they began dancing while playing their instruments.
The crowd in Weber Music Hall eagerly awaits the start of this year's Bulldogs Got Talent event. Photo by Finlee Matejcek
The event's third place winner, Jamie Pierce, gave a soulful performance of “I Would Rather Go Blind” by Etta James that had the audience mouths agape in awe with her deep voice and long vocal runs.
The event's hosts, Ed McGee and Seth Worden, kept viewers smiling in between performances with skits and dry humor. As the event drew to a close, they began to announce the performances that brought in the largest dollar amounts. Throughout the event, audience members were prompted to donate $1 per vote for their favorite performer through money bags that circled the hall or through Venmo.
The crowd was ecstatic at the announcement of McGlovin’s first place win, pleading for autographs and selfies with the glover as everyone exited the hall. And just like that, another Bulldogs Got Talent came to an end.