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The five remaining contestants were narrowed down to the final three as Maryn Shreve and Molly Hott were eliminated Friday in the "Country and Motown" round of Mountaineer Idol.
Three finalists remain in Mountaineer Idol: A.J. Warne, Meghan Carlson, and Nicole Mata.
Hott was the first performer of the night, singing "Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless.
She showed enthusiasm while performing and seemed to enjoy her time on stage.
For Motown, Hott chose "Dancing in the Streets" by Martha and the Vandellas. Though the crowd seemed unenthusiastic, it didn’t stop Hott from trying to get everyone up and dancing.
Next was Warne, who chose the "True Blood" theme song "Bad Things" by Jace Everett and "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin.
"I feel like I did a great job singing ‘Beyond the Sea,’ though I messed up the words," Warne said. "I really had fun singing ‘Bad Things’ because its the theme song from my favorite TV show."
Warne also showed confidence during his performance.
"I totally expected to make it this far," Warne said. "I believe in myself because I feel like it helps the audience believe in me."
Shreve was the next performer, and sang "Anyway" by Martina McBride and "Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
While Shreve put on a good show, she was later eliminated.
Carlson was next and sang "Skinny Dippin’" by Whitney Duncan and "Ooh Baby, Baby" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
Carlson showed control of her voice and didn’t stray out of her comfort zone while singing.
"I felt really good about my performances," Carlson said. "I felt pretty confident, though, I was kind of worried about ‘Ooh Baby, Baby’ because I thought it would be boring, but overall it went well."
Carlson was also grateful to have made it so far in Mountaineer Idol.
"I really didn’t expect to go this far. There was so much talent this year and everyone brought something different to the table," Carlson said.
Audience member and Carlson fan Justin Carter, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, enjoyed the show.
"Overall, I thought they had strong performances, although some of the contestants picked songs that were too big for them to properly sing," Carter said. "Meghan Carlson is my favorite performer because she knows how to pick songs that really showcase her vocal talent."
Mata was the last performer and sang "I Could Not Ask For More" by Sara Evans and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight.
"I felt very confident because not only was I able to emotionally express myself through the songs, but I also had the support of my close friends and family watching me," Mata said. "Mountaineer Idol has given me the invaluable chance to share my talents and meet new people; it’s an experience I will never forget."
West Virginia University’s Mountaineer Rebecca Durst was one of guest judges.
"It was a very good experience," Durst said. "I’ve never done anything like that before. But I really enjoyed it, and all of the contestants are very talented."
Durst said that one performer in particular stuck out to her.
"A.J. Warne is really good, I really liked his performances," Durst said.
Another judge for the night was local rapper 6’6 240.
"I was extremely impressed," he said of the night’s performances. "Everybody involved could have a future in the music industry. Nobody was really the same, they all brought their own different spice to the recipe."
The Mountaineer Idol finale takes place Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. The 2009 winner will be named in the Mountainlair Ballroom.