Rapper/Comedian Elijah raps with the In Crowd band at the Summer Showdown. Photo by Jordan Patterson

The exciting Summer Showdown hosted at the Spire Theater came to a close Wednesday night. Rapper/Comedian Elijah took home the grand prize.

The finale came down to eight contestants. On the line was a $500 cash prize which was in addition to the $50 prize that contestants won each week if they led in voting. The Summer Showdown is a spin-off of the winter/spring contest Chautauqua’s Got Talent. One different twist to this competition was that voting was cumulative over the course of the summer. So, contestants were able to improve upon their performance from the week before.

The finalists included: Shiloh Crook (Singer), Team Classy (Dancers), Lexy (Singer), Rose Gold (Band), Leisha (Singer/Songwriter), Derek (Dance), Libby (Violinist), Elijah (Rapper/Comedian).

Singer of the band In Crew and co-owner of the Spire Theater Angelo Giuffre commented on this summer’s talent show.

“I think we had awesome talent,” Giuffre said “The people that came this year for the Summer Showdown were really, really diverse.”

Giuffre mentioned this time around he got to know each contestant better because there was less of them and they got to stick around each week. Giuffre also would give personal lessons to the performers as the weeks went on.

“The group that did this contest kind of became a big family,” Giuffre said.

Among talents were dancers, bands, singers, rappers, comedians and performers in general. The show features a panel of four judges that includes Heather Skuggen from 106.5 Kiss FM, local comedian Paul Clemente, Jamie Lee from Infinity Performing Arts and dancer and dance coach Daman Holland of the Studio Dance Conservatory.

Clemente was impressed with the talent for the Summer Showdown and praised the performances.

“I love the fact that we have so many talented people in this area,” Clemente said. “They’re not coming from Buffalo, they’re not coming from Erie, they are coming from right here, performing for us for only $9.”

The finale featured a little help from the band In Crew. If the contestant chose to they could pick certain aspects from the band that they wanted to be featured in their live performance for the finale.

Be on the lookout for the similar style event, Chautauqua’s Got Talent, which will be back or its ninth year at the Spire Theater.

“I’m happy it’s local,” Clemente added. “It’s all right here and for people that don’t think this area is thriving in talent, it’s absurd.