GONG! Renton’s wackiest talent contest returns Saturday for a third go-around

Published 12:36 pm Friday, March 14, 2014

Local band the Hi-Speed Wobblies will present “The Renton Gong Show 3” at DeLancey’s on Third this Saturday in downtown Renton.

The talent show is 9 p.m. at the lounge at 810 S. Third St.

Mike Moscowitz, Mark Embry and Mark Arnold decided six months ago that the city needed to have a gong show for people who think they don’t have talent or who have an unusual skill. Former owner of the Renton shop Happy Delusions, Mary Clymer, is also a co-collaborator.

The previous shows have been well attended and the event has raised a couple hundred dollars for the Renton Food Bank, the chosen charity, according to the organizers.

“Everybody’s got something and this is the kind of place where they can let unknown gifts be known to the world,” said Moscowitz.

Past acts have included comedians, music acts, magic tricks and little skits. Hosts break the performers up into two heats of the best of the best and the best of the worst.

And like the old TV show, if an act is really terrible it gets the gong and the audience is encouraged to let their feelings about the acts be known, said Moscowitz.

At the first Renton Gong Show, a woman inflated a balloon while playing a didgeridoo and throwing a dart in the air. She won that show.

Another winner from a previous show was a man playing a unique, sad song on an accordion. Once a quartet of women sang The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

There are raffle tickets and prizes of gift certificates to area restaurants like the Local 907. There are also unusual found object prizes and gift certificates for the winner of the talent show.

For more information, call DeLancey’s on Third at 206-412-9516.