FAIRPORT, N.Y. \u2014 Lucas West, a Fairport native, is making waves on NBC\u2019s singing competition \u201cThe Voice\u201d as he competes in the blind auditions.<\/p>\n
West chose \u201cBennie and the Jets\u201d for his blind audition, a song he feels deeply connected to. \u201cIt\u2019s sort of one of my staple tunes,\u201d West said. \u201cIt felt like the right choice in terms of what I could show off with vocally.\u201d <\/p>\n
West chose to join Legend\u2019s team. He shared his inspirations and aspirations, highlighting the impact of legendary artists like Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John, and The Beatles on his career.<\/p>\n
Coaches Adam Levine and John Legend both turned their chairs for West in the middle of his rendition of Elton John\u2019s \u201cBennie and the Jets.\u201d West chose to join Legend\u2019s team. The episode premiered on Monday, Feb. 23, and you can watch his performance on the YouTube channel<\/a> for \u201cThe Voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Reflecting on his experience on \u201cThe Voice,\u201d West described it as emotional but exhilarating. \u201cOnce you\u2019re on stage and the high hat starts, it\u2019s just like, okay, this is what I do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n West is excited about the opportunity to work with John Legend. \u201cFor the opportunity to work with John is just incredible,\u201d West said. \u201cHe\u2019s a phenomenal vocalist and a wonderful pianist.\u201d<\/p>\n West has experience performing live, having sung at the Bills Stadium twice. He compared performing for the Bills Mafia to singing on \u201cThe Voice.\u201d \u201cYou just can\u2019t\u2026cannot beat 70,000 Bills Mafia. But that\u2019s its own thing,\u201d West said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Voice had this atmosphere in its own way where it\u2019s like, I\u2019m singing for my heroes, you know, and musical heroes.\u201d <\/p>\n West is preparing for the battle rounds after another round of blind auditions. He will perform a duet with another Team Legend member. \u201cI\u2019ll be singing a duet with another person on Team Legend\u2026John will pick who he thinks is the best fit,\u201d said West. \u201cI hope that can be me.\u201d <\/p>\n West\u2019s future goals include becoming a recording artist and possibly venturing into Broadway. \u201cI want to try to use this experience to book that,\u201d he said, mentioning the upcoming Broadway adaptation of \u201cLa La Land.\u201d He said he will be happy as long as he is \u201ctreating people with kindness and doing school stuff.\u201d West is a senior at SUNY Fredonia, pursuing a degree in music with a focus on jazz.<\/p>\n West expressed gratitude for his Western New York roots. \u201cI\u2019m so beyond proud to call myself a Bills fan and to be a Western New Yorker,\u201d he said. \u201cUs artists without the people that want to listen to us are really nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Voice\u201d airs on Monday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.<\/p>\n