“Katie Kadan”
Down to four.
“Marybeth Byrd”
Down to three.
With both America saves gone, the final choice fell to John Legend.
“Just the charisma and the electricity you’ve performed with has been so impressive to me, so I got to go with Will.”
Last Tuesday, Will Breman survived to see another week on “The Voice.” After his live performance debut the night before, the Santa Barbara singer left the coaches wanting more. So when the time came for Mr. Legend to use his one and only save, Mr. Breman proved to be a contestant worth keeping.
“In that moment of eliminations, I was comfortable with not getting that third pick,” Mr. Breman told the News-Press. “I was humbled to know (John) believed in me enough to choose me in the end.”
At the sound of his name, Mr. Breman bowed in relief, overcome by a giant wave of emotion. Thanking the crowd, he went down to meet his coach.
“I love you, dude,” said Mr. Legend, as the pair shared a hug. “You deserved to be in the top two.”
Fighting for America’s vote, Mr. Breman gave Taylor Swift’s “Style” an original spin, weaving scats and vocal runs throughout the song.
Although this performance marked Mr. Breman’s fourth appearance on the show, preparation for the round was unlike any other. Previous weeks were filled with anxiety and anticipation. This time, Mr. Breman dealt with his nerves more easily.
“Going into the knockouts, I knew that (my performance) would eventually go out to millions of people at home, so my nervousness built up before the round,” he said. “With the live shows, there was no waiting. I could prepare myself.”
Behind the scenes, Mr. Breman focused on routine and self-care, allowing him to take on an uncharted stage. While he has been gigging around town for years, performing on “The Voice” was not an ordinary live show.
“With gigging, there’s a lot less adrenaline because I’ve been doing it for so long it’s like second nature,” said Mr. Breman. “That’s the big difference. I haven’t ever done anything to this scale.”
The setting may have been different, but Mr. Breman still found a way to go back to his roots. Guitar in hand, he took on a song that was a regular part of his set at home.
“I wanted to do something that I was used to but that would still draw everyone in,” said Mr. Breman. “Kind of like showing America, ‘This is who I am.’ ”
For the next time around, Mr. Breman hopes to do a slower song. He not only wants to show his personality, but also his range.
“There’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing now, but I can do more,” said Mr. Breman. “People are expecting me to be electric, but I want to channel that into something slower.”
Mr. Breman will take the stage at 8 p.m. today on NBC.
email: news@newspress.com
