Ghostbusters Night

After an amazing start to Group B last week with Voices of Olympus Night, it was time for Ghostbusters Night! I was intrigued by this theme night, as I have frequently enjoyed the theme nights that are dedicated to a specific movie, and I was also curious as to what songs would be performed on a theme night like this. 

The episode started in an entertaining way, as all the panelists came out dressed as Ghostbusters and were wearing proton packs, their car the Ecto-1 was on the stage, the stage had a backdrop of New York City, the dancers were also dressed like Ghostbusters, and there was a person dressed as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I was a little surprised that they didn’t bring back Ray Parker Jr for a special performance of the song “Ghostbusters” at the beginning of the episode, because he has been a contestant before, and they like bringing back past contestants for special performances at the start of an episode. That being said, it was still nice that they got Ernie Hudson, one of the original Ghostbusters, on the episode. 

The first performer of the night was Pearl. In her clue package, she said that everyone has a few skeletons in their closet, a few ghost stories, and that she was no exception. She then said that when she was younger, she was stuck in a tiny little tide pool off the side of a highway no one has ever heard of. She then said that her home life was rocky, and she drifted away before she even hit high school, and she found herself, as a kid, tending bar in a hopeless place, serving up drinks with a double barrel at the ready in case the clientele got crazy, and she couldn’t wait to get out, which was something she dreamed about every day. She then said that one day, she decided to swim into new waters, launching herself almost by accident into a tidal wave of success. She then said that she appreciated everything that she learned from the tide pool, which was that you work hard, you show up, and you keep fighting. Visual clues included a dive bar, a wanted poster, and a crescent moon. She then went on to give an amazing performance of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, during which she started off in the quiet tone the song has, before showing off all the power in her voice in the second half. One detail that I found funny during the performance was that the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was on the keyboard in the first half, and was then dancing around the stage in the second half. And for those of you that are wondering, yes, the panelists did make a More Cowbell joke. After the performance, an additional clue was brought out, which was one of the Men In Black wearing a shirt that said “Best Seller” on the back, and Pearl then said that she is a bit of a ghost writer, and she knows how to put pen to paper. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Pearl is country singer Gretchen Wilson. She dropped out of school in the ninth grade and worked as a cook, but earned her GED in 2008, the dive bar is referring to the fact that she has performed at several dive bars throughout her career, the wanted sign could be referring to her cover of “I Want You To Want Me,” the crescent moon could be referring to her cover of “Bad Moon Rising” with Ann Wilson, and she has written a New York Times bestselling memoir.

The second performer of the night was Griffin. In his clue package, he said that when he was a kid, he would play the “Ghostbusters” soundtrack on repeat. He then said that growing up, he loved to sing, and there was nothing he loved more than Broadway, as he collected playbills before it was cool. He then said that the kids his age understand, and they teased him relentlessly, and as a result, dark thoughts started to creep into his mind, so he literally hid that part of himself. He then said that he built a fort with a record player where he would sing his heart out, which is where the “Ghostbusters” soundtrack came in. He then said that being on the show has allowed him to tap back into that passion he was too embarrassed to show as a kid. Visual clues included a picture of The Lamp costume from Season 9 and bats. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Disturbia” by Rihanna, which was a more slowed down and powerful version of the song, which allowed him to show off all the power in his voice, which I found very impressive, as he is not a professional singer. After the performance, an additional clue was presented by way of a pre-recorded video from “Ghostbusters” star McKenna Grace, who said that not only is he an incredible performer, but he’s an even better person, he’s like a dad on set, which she knows because she has costarred with him. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Griffin is James Van Der Beek from “Dawson’s Creek.” He did grow up as a theater kid, was even in an off-Broadway show, The Lamp costume is because he got his start in an episode of “Clarissa Explains It All,” which starred Melissa Joan Hart, who was the lamp, the bats are referring to his role on the show “Vampirina,” and he played the father of McKenna Grace on the show CSI Cyber.

The third performer of the night was Space Ranger. In his clue package, he said that he had a vehicle change his life, as before his career took off, he was doing odd jobs, from catering to schlepping furniture around New York in the hot summer. He then said that one day, he and his partner came up with a crazy idea in the back of a moving van, and that they had big dreams, but no one wanted to hitch a ride with them. He then said that they called a beastly band of boys who ended up boosting up their careers into hyperdrive, and helped their group start a worldwide movement. Visual clues included a crown and an instrument machine. He then went on to give a great performance of “Cleanin’ Up the Town” by The Busboys, which was perfect for his voice and also the only song from the movie that was performed that night. After the performance, an additional clue was brought out by a remote controlled car, which was a globe, and Space Ranger then said that the Ghostbusters always saved the day, and he would have helped out too, but he was busy touring the world. When the panelists were making their guesses, I was happy that Rita and Jenny both correctly guessed that Space Ranger was Flavor Flav. 

The final performer of the night was Boogie Woogie. In his clue package, he said that there are ghosts everywhere, so what he does is put on his headphones and keep moving. He then said that he is not into gossip, as he tries to keep it positive with everything he does, which is something he learned from his parents at a very young age, which makes sense as they made kids shows. He then said that they did everything they could to give him a good life, and this sunny outlook would spark his whole career, and it’s what he has become known for, and he has also been told that his positivity radiates and that it has even saved lives. He then said that he has experienced criticism from people calling him naive, sheltered, and fake, and while it hurts, he won’t stop being himself, and if it continues to make people happy, then he has done his job. Visual clues included a mirrorball, a telescope with a star on it, and dance shoes. He then went on to give an amazing performance of “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, during which he showed off all the power he has in his voice. After the performance, Ernie Hudson brought out an additional clue, which was a doctorate of medical science, and Boogie Woogie then said that being attached to this show was a very pleasant surprise, and Detective Lucky Duck then said that in order to understand the clue, we would have to use our brains, specifically, the gray matter. I still agree with the popular guess on the internet, which is that Boogie Woogie is Andy Grammer. His father is a musician for children, many of his lyrics center around positivity and optimism, all the visual clues are referring to his time as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars,” and his songs were featured on the show “Grey’s Anatomy.”

After everyone had performed, it was time for the unmasking. When the four contestants walked back out, something very funny happened, as Space Ranger started walking in a very exaggerated way that almost showed off his knees. Nick then announced that the singer with the least amount of votes was Space Ranger, which did not surprise me. Before the panelists made their final guesses, the Crack The Case Clue Case was brought out for him, and inside was a pair of sunglasses, which made it even more obvious as to who it was, as this person is famous for always wearing sunglasses. For a second, I thought the panelists were unanimous in their final guesses for the third time in the show’s history, but unfortunately, Ken stuck with his guess of DJ Jazzy Jeff, so only Robin, Jenny, and Rita were unanimous. After that, Space Ranger was unmasked, and after a hat and sunglasses were quickly brought out for him to put on, he was revealed to be Flavor Flav. After he was unmasked, he said that he didn’t come on the show to win, but rather to have fun, which I think is a great mindset for any of the contestants on the show. I am also happy that he was on the show because he is yet another celebrity that I had on my list of celebrities that would be perfect for the show.

Overall, this was another amazing episode of Season 13 of The Masked Singer, and I’ll see you all next week for the Group B Finals in Grand Ole Opry Night!