Teens revere chance to make big stage at T.I.P. Fest 2016
By Kevin Beese For Chronicle Media — March 2, 2016
Trille$t performs Saturday in Chicago’s Austin Town Hall during auditions for the T.I.P. (Teens in the Park) Fest. The rapper, who performed a cappella, did not advance to the second round of auditions. (Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)
For Andre Allen, the car trip from DeKalb to Chicago’s Austin Town Hall was well worth the effort.
Allen, who performs under the stage name “Lil Woo,” was one of the individuals to make it to the second round of auditions for the T.I.P. (Teens in the Park) Fest 2016.
“I’m excited,” Allen said after getting word he advanced to the next round of auditions. “I wish we didn’t have to wait until June (for the next round of auditions). I want to keep going now.”
Allen said he did not have any nerves when he took the stage at Austin Town Hall to rap Saturday afternoon.
“I’ve been doing this since third grade,” said the 17-year-old DeKalb resident.
He said he would be thrilled to make it on stage for the second T.I.P. concert, which will be July 9 at Northerly Island in Chicago.
Adriane Clomax, senior program specialist with the Chicago Park District, noted that 3,000 teens attended last year’s event that included a surprise appearance by Kendrick Lamar, who won a Grammy this year for his rap album “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
Saturday’s tryouts were the first of three auditions being held for the Chicago Park District’s T.I.P. Fest. Other auditions will begin at noon:
- March 5 at Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd, Chicago.
- March 12 at Revere Park, 2509 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago.
Jon Jon Roberts and Keyani Alize-Azari advanced to the second-round auditions for T.I.P Fest 2016. (Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)
Artists need to be between 14 and 20 years of age as of July 9, noted Kevin Stepanek, marking assistant with the Park District.
For 15-year old Keyani Alize-Azari, taking the stage at Austin Town Hall in front of judges was no big deal not after appearing at the United Center, UIC Pavilion and the Chicago Theater. She has performed with Twista and is featured on Chicago Bull Joakim Noah’s mix tape.
With her eyes on performing R&B, rap and pop music, Alize-Azari, who goes by Keyani when performing, splits her time between Chicago and Atlanta, where her song “Kash” was released last week and is doing well.
“I sing, I rap, I dance. I’m a prodigy,” Keyani smiled.
Making it onto the Northerly Island stage would be a chance to get her name and music in front of more people, she noted.
Keyani, whose grandmother performed with the legendary James Brown, said she has always wanted to be a performer.
“It’s in my blood,” Keyani said. “This is what I have wanted to do every day since age 5. My mother says I used to stand up in my crib and sing.
Judges for the T.I.P Fest 2016 contemplate which performers to advance to the second-round auditions. (Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)
She auditioned with her cousin, 8-year-old Jon Jon Roberts, who danced while Keyani sang. Being on stage was not quite as second nature for him.
“It was scary. I was nervous,” he said.
Keyani said she wanted to give her cousin a chance to get experience on stage.
“He’s family. I wanted to give him a chance to audition,” she said.
Being home-schooled, Keyani will graduate next year at the age of 16 and plans to devote all her attention to the music business.
— Teens revere chance to make big stage at T.I.P. Fest 2016 —
