On April 21, 2012, Boston witnessed the return of its first-ever citywide talent show: Kollaboration Boston 2. Starting 9:00AM, staff members began arriving at John Hancock Hall bright and early to begin preparation for the show. As guest performers and finalists participated in dry runs on stage, staff members worked against the clock -– setting up audio and recording equipment; ushering performers to their respective green rooms; organizing swag bags for VIPs containing goodies from PopChips, Sony, Redbull, Superdry, Seamless.com, and Paintnite; and more -– to ensure that the night’s events would unfold smoothly.
Backstage, contestants engaged in group chants, practiced dance moves and segments of songs, befriended each other, and took time to relax and enjoy Boloco burritos during their down time.
At 5:00PM, the doors opened as VIPs began to arrive for a meet-and-greet with guest performers and show contestants, complete with live DJ music courtesy of DJ Jade. The first VIPs to arrive also received free Kollaboration Boston t-shirts! CONcept ARTists stood out with their matching denim cut-off vests and vocalist Yui Mugino arrived in a chic dress.
The show finally kicked off a few hours later when Kollaboration founder and show host Paul ‘PK’ Kim stepped out on stage and welcomed the crowd. His sharp wit had the entire audience close to tears in laughter as guest judges Jean Foo, Eric Nam, Lydia Paek, and Paul Ross entered the venue.
(Above: Paul 'PK' Kim, founder of Kollaboration and Kollaboration Boston 2 show host)
UPrising took the stage first with a Wizard of Oz-inspired storyline and impressive acrobatics infused in their new age dance segment. Next, Andy Kim stole the hearts of girls with a self-composed song about unrequited love. Hip-hop violinist Justin Chiou elicited an explosion of excitement from the audience as he accompanied hip-hop songs with his electric violin playing and even some dance moves. After the intermission, vocalist Yui Mugino surprised show attendees with her powerful rock vocals. Hip-hop dance troupe Fusion followed with an expressive dance performance that asked the audience, “What would you do if today was your last day?” K-Soul melted the hearts of many in the crowd with their harmonies and a cappella rendition of well-known songs, such as “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas. Finally, CONcept ARTists closed the finalists’ portion of the show with powerful hip-hop choreography that left a lasting impression on judges and audience members alike.
Book-ending the Kollaboration Boston 2012 show were guest performances by BlackOUT (Tufts University’s step team and Kollaboration Boston 1 winners) and Eric Nam (Kollaboration Boston 1 Executive Director and founder as well as a recent finalist on MBC’s talent competition “Birth of a Great Star”) in the first half followed by dancer and choreographer Paul Ross (of Choreo Cookies) and dancer/choreographer/singer/producer Lydia Paek in the second half. Their performances inspired, encouraged, and took the breath away of all in attendance and illustrated the power and ability of art to reach people from a multitude of backgrounds to empower the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, especially in the realm of entertainment.
(Above: Lydia Paek, Kollaboration Boston 2 guest judge and performer)
(Above: Paul Ross of Choreo Cookies, Kollaboration Boston 2 guest judge and performer)
(Above: Eric Nam, Kollaboration Boston 1 Executive Director and Founder, Kollaboration Boston 2 guest judge and performer)
After two-and-a-half hours of incredible performances, at the end of the night, Justin Chiou took away the honor of being named Kollaboration Boston 2 winner and K-Soul and CONcept ARTists tied for second place.
(Above: Justin Chiou, Kollaboration Boston 2 winner)
(Above: CONcept ARTists, Kollaboration Boston 2 second place)
(Above: K-Soul, Kollaboration Boston 2 second place)
The show was overall a great success and we are grateful for all of our friends, fans, supporters, and family members who supported us throughout the past eleven months. We are also indebted to Boston’s wealth of talent and the strength of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to gather and unite behind this annual celebration of Asian American talent!
We hope you will continue to support, love, and enjoy the Kollaboration movement and keep your eyes and ears open for Kollaboration Boston 3 in the near future!
(Above: Qian Chen, Executive Director of Kollaboration Boston 2)