I was introduced to Eurovision an international music competition in which viewers vote for their favorite musical performance last week when a friend sent me a link to the hilarious "Sexophone" video. In the clip, Moldovan saxophone player Sergey Stepanov from the group SunStroke Project gyrates his hips along to upbeat pop rhythms as he performs a 15-second solo over and over again. Also called "Epic Sax Guy" and "Sax Roll" in its various YouTube reincarnations, the video is a constant loop of Stepanov's short solo, which was part of Olia Tira's performance of "Run Away" in the 2010 Eurovision competition.
From the dancers' retro outfits to Stepanov's spicy dance moves, the video was easily the funniest thing I had seen all week and thus my love for Eurovision was born.
The Eurovision competition is held once a year, pitting performers from the 60 nations in the European Broadcasting Union against one another. One of the most-watched television events on the planet, Eurovision has achieved widespread fame outside the United States.
When the SunStroke Project represented Moldova in their debut show in May 2010, they snatched 22nd place. More importantly, they made a huge splash with their insanely comical instrumentation. From elaborate costumes to brightly-colored scenery, over-the-top hip thrusting to fluorescent violins, SunStroke performers delivered a truly outrageous performance. "Run Away" is a pretty catchy song even without the added flair, but these extra elements along with Tira's deep vocals helped forge an awesome entertainment experience.
I loved the exaggerated aura of SunStroke's performance so much that I decided to check out other Eurovision videos. A stirring performance of "Satellite" by 2010 Eurovision winner Lena Meyer-Landrut did not disappoint the German native delivered a simple and sweet performance. I also found another gem: 2007 Ukrainian second place finalists Verka Serduchka singing "Dancing Lasha Tumbai." Wrapped in aluminum foil, the performers in this video honestly look crazy and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the performance over and over again.
Eurovision 2011 hosted by Germany this year will air in mid-May. The songs and bands included could only get better from last year's turnout, and I need to witness this amazing event live. Is my obsession strong enough for me to fly out to Germany this spring? Perhaps.
