Citation :Victoria Idol contestant comes home
Leah Collins, Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Friday, July 13, 2007
Today, for the first time since his debut on Canadian Idol, Liam Chang was nervous.
"I still have butterflies," the 17-year-old said with a quiet laugh, clutching his stomach. "It's been a long time since I've been nervous to get onstage and perform."
Those butterflies began to flutter as soon as Chang bounced through the gym doors of St. Andrew's High School this morning. Approximately 300 people - friends, fans, dignitaries, even his grandmother - started howling, taking pictures and waving posters as soon as they caught a glimpse of Chang's signature emo do.
Liam Chang at St. Andrew's: "Liam is Victoria's pride."View Larger Image View Larger Image
Liam Chang at St. Andrew's: "Liam is Victoria's pride."
Ray Smith
They were all there waiting in the bleachers at 9 a.m. to welcome this hometown Idol with a pep rally. Chang was voted off the program Wednesday night.
"I was surprised that everyone was so into it," he said. "It wasn't even like that on Canadian Idol. I'd rather be here."
As soon as he was through the doors, Chang jumped onstage to reunite with his band, TAWG, then burst into their pop-punk take on This Magic Moment, the same song that clinched his Idol audition in Vancouver months ago. Moms and tots rocked along, teens squealed and held up their homemade messages: "Our hero Liam," "Liam is Victoria's pride," "Thanks for the magic moment."
There were no Canadian Idol cameras circling the stage as originally planned; the rally was scheduled earlier this week as a video op for the show. Videographers from the local media swarmed the stage instead, with just as many fans approaching the band with their digicams. Even Chang's mom and dad, Roslyn and Stanley, broke out their video camera while beaming at their son from their stage-side seats.
The Changs uprooted their lives in Victoria to support Liam during his Idol run, and Roslyn Chang says she'd do it all over again - even though Liam will be a chaperone-free 18 if he auditions next year. "It's been a hyper speed of life since the show started," she said. "But he loves what he's doing."
After the shock of her son's dismissal from the competition, Chang gave the ok to the pep rally organizers to go ahead with the event."It's just a nice finish," she says. "It's good to see how Victoria cared about him."
It may have been a pep rally, but it wasn't just Chang's high school pals that were there for support. Up front, Chang had an unofficial fan club from Rosebank Gardens, the seniors centre he works at part-time.
"We'd never heard of Canadian Idol, never were interested in it until Liam was on it," said Blanche Dwyer, 82. All the folks there, she said, had been watching the program dutifully since Chang made it on. "We all voted," she said.
Apart from the friends, fans and family crowding the bleachers, Chang's teachers at St. Andrew's, his principal and the mayor of Saanich were on hand to beam with pride. "You're our favourite son," said city councillor, Dean Fortin. "You're always welcome to play anywhere in this city. We're always your home."
Chang appeared humbled by the praise, bashfully biting his lip at all the kind words, and bowing to the crowd. "To my family, my friends, and to everyone who cared even for just two seconds, it means so much to me," he said.
Idol living may be behind him: no more early morning rehearsals, no more interviews, no more Ben Mulroney (who, despite Chang's expectations was "actually really fun," he informed the audience). Still, Chang's looking forward to a busy Victoria summer. He's still got a provincial exam to write, and he says his band is already lining up gigs, including one this weekend at Soprano's.
"I'm glad to be back here. I have a lot here that I don't want to let go of yet. I have a great family, great friends, I have a great job. It's just home to me," he says.
Still, dedicated to making a career for himself in music, Chang is looking towards the future. But does that hold another go at Idol?
"Right now, the answer is probably yes," he says. "[Idol] is a tough journey, but it's a lot of fun at the same time."
source:
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolo ... b2&k=84242