Larisa Bunch Wins Songbird 2


We have a new “Best Singer in Philly,” folks, and it’s Larisa Bunch. The 28-year-old was crowned winner last night at the grand finale of Josh Schonewolf’s Songbird 2 competition at Tabu. Here’s what she had to say about the honor on her Facebook wall:

“I would just like to say how thankful I am to have met so many amazing people — not just the people in the competition with me, but the amazing people I’ve met in the community. …  I’d like to thank Josh Schonewolf for believing that I was talented enough to make the top 20 picked, and I would like to thank the judges for believing in me throughout this grueling and stressful competition. …  I’m so so so happy right now and I am so grateful for all the amazing times that I’ve had with my new friends.”

The competition came down to Bunch and runner-up Kate Faust, but the former blew judges away with powerful renditions of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” and Deborah Cox’s “How Did You Get Here.” I reached out to one of the judges, Philly burlesque performer Lobstar Bisque, who tells me that, while Bunch stood out, Faust is a voice to look out for, too.

“[Bunch] is incredibly talented and showed a range with her voice that was really lovely to hear. [Faust] is a stellar performer and composes pieces that really get inside your head and make you think. Both of them brought all their talent and showmanship to the stage and I think that, for me, what it came down to in the end was who gave me a show I really connected with. I really think that their abilities are so strong, and their styles are so different that they both should have no trouble producing and singing professionally.”

Many congrats to Miss Bunch. Look out for her in a TBD Songbird showcase, but until then, check out video of her singing Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in You and Me” below.