DeKALB | From unicycles to dance groups, the acts that performed for Live at the Apollo brought laughter and enjoyment to all on Friday night.

“All the acts definitely got the audience involved,” said Darryl Howard, junior industrial management major.

Hosted by the Black Male Initiative, Live at the Apollo is the only talent show on campus that allows the audience to boo and cheer the acts on stage. This is ultimately how a winner is chosen for the night, which means a lot depends on the crowd.

Each performance got one minute until the crowd gave their opinion during their act, and if the act was booed off the stage, a man with a broom swept them off.

Two special feature acts, Alexis the Juggler and The Spellbinder Illusionist, headlined the night and astonished the audience with their talents. Alexis said she has performed before at the event and has been asked to come back ever since her first performance.

“I thought [the show] was really good and was definitely more than I expected,” said senior communication major Emerald Bean. “It was all just very entertaining and exciting to see the performances.”

Between each act, the hosts would play hit songs to get the audience dancing together, filling the aisles of the theater with dancers.

“We saw a better outcome than we actually anticipated,” Howard said. “We already knew Apollo would promote itself, but seeing the turnout, we were satisfied even more.”

At the end of the night, a winner was chosen based on how the crowd reacted, and The Mod Project took first place with their nine-minute mix performance and dance routine.

“It was a longer piece than usual so we only had a few guys able to do it, and we started practice back in September,” said junior business management major Anup Kilann, who performed with the group. “We honestly didn’t think we would win because all the acts were amazing and talented. It was just a great experience.”