ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown singer who has performed at events and festivals throughout the Lehigh Valley turned up on ABC-TV's singing competition "American Idol" on Monday night.
But it was a blinding-fast appearance, and it's unclear whether he'll be back.
Seth Witcher, 26, was shown for a total of 20 seconds of screen time in a montage of acts on which the judges disagreed during auditions for the show at Belmont University in Nashville.
"He said he likes Fall Out Boy. Do you do stuff like that? Like you start out all quiet and then the drums kick in?""American Idol" judge Carrie Underwood, to Seth Witcher of Allentown
Witcher was first shown in an eye-blink shot playing an acoustic guitar before the segment was introduced by singer/celebrity judge Luke Bryan saying he and fellow judge, singer Carrie Underwood, sometimes disagree on contestants.
"There were several times that me and Carrie, we kind of got at odds," Bryan said in the montage.
Apparently referring to Witcher, whose online videos show him with a style leaning to emo performers.
"The kind of intro emo — I just worry about that," Bryan said,
"Yeah, but he said he likes Fall Out Boy," Underwood responded. Then she asked Witcher, "Do you do stuff like that? Like you start out all quiet and then the drums kick in?
"I do," he says.
"He does," Underwood said.
"I'm a no," Bryan said, meaning he voted against putting Witcher through to the Hollywood round.
"Shocker," Underwood said.
Details of audition still unclear
Witcher was not shown performing on the show, so it was unclear what song he performed.
On "American Idol," many of the contestants who are put through to the next-level Hollywood round are introduced or given screen time to give biographical background.
The show also did not explicitly say whether Witcher made it through to the next-level Hollywood round.
But Witcher has said online that he was put through, and he has posted a picture of himself with a "golden ticket" to Hollywood.
That would mean the third judge, singer Lionel Ritchie, voted with Underwood in favor of advancing Witcher.
Next Monday, Feb. 16, will be the final episode of auditions before "Idol" moves into the Hollywood round of competition, where finalists are chosen.
Perhaps Witcher, if he, indeed, moves onto the Hollywood round, will get more screen time, although even the Hollywood rounds skip over contestants who won't end up in the show's Top 24.
Area 'Idol' contestants, Witcher's background
Over the 23 previous seasons of "American Idol," several Lehigh Valley residents who made it to the Hollywood round.
The first was Ian Holmes of Allentown, who made it to the Hollywood round in 2005 — the year Underwood won the season, but didn't make the Top 24.
Tim Marchetto of Bethlehem made it to the Hollywood rounds two years later.
The only Lehigh Valley resident to make it to the Top 24 was Tyler Grady of Nazareth. He also is the only contestant from the area to make the live TV performances.
"All I want to do is give the world a hug with my music. And American Idol might be my only way to do that."Seth Witcher of Allentown, in a Facebook post
Witcher says in a Facebook post that "All I want to do is give the world a hug with my music. And American Idol might be my only way to do that."
Witcher has performed often in the Lehigh Valley in recent years. He just played McCarthy's Red Stag Pub last weekend.
He played Musikfest's Lagerplatz stage last year, its Main Street stage in 2024 and Lagerplatz and Liederplatz stages in 2023.
Witcher also was among local performers who, in 2023, were on a panel at the Lehigh Valley Music Industry Information Share at the Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem.
In 2024, a music video for his song "I’m Afraid of Love” was an entry in the DeSales University Film Festival.
He performed at ArtsQuest's Wicked Plant Fest, Nazareth's Martin on Main Festival, and Bethlehem's Harvest Fest, and Suds n' Roses festivals, all in 2023, and at the Bethlehem Christmas tree lighting in 2022.
Witcher says on his website that he "envisions his music as a guiding light through life's shadows, weaving an eclectic tapestry across pop, punk, indie, singer-songwriter and R&B."
