Young Fil-Am duo makes it to 'X-Factor USA' Top 17

By JULIEN MERCED C. MATABUENA

The Brewer Boys' Twitter bio currently reads, 'a Fil-Am brother's duo whose passion for music started really early! X-Factor USA Top 32! here comes newgrass' (L-R:Justin and Nathan. Photo courtesy of swrnn.com)

MANILA, Philippines – “The X-Factor USA” season one recently unveiled its top 17 finalists, which includes Filipino-American brothers Justin and Nathan Brewer a.k.a. The Brewer Boys.

Prior, there were 32 contestants in all divided into four groups and mentored by an “X-Factor” judge: Girls (Simon Cowell), Groups (Paula Abdul), Over 30s (Nicole Scherzinger) and Boys (L.A. Reid). The Brewer Boys were part of the Groups block.

The Brewer Boys performed Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” at judge Paula Abdul’s home before her and celebrity guest Pharell during the Judges Homes episode aired Oct. 13 (US time). The seventh and eighth episodes showed the contestants making their final performances at their respective mentor's houses before the top 17 contenders were announced Tuesday.

Other songs previously sang by the Brewer Brothers were the Plain White Ts’ “Rhythm of Love” during their audition in LA and a joint performance of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” with their Groups co-members during the Bootcamp episode.

Justin (17 years old) and Nathan (14) hail from Temecula City in California’s Riverside County. According to a tweet on their official Twitter account posted Oct. 15, their mother was from Manila while their grandfather was from Cebu.

Apparently, the bluegrass/pop duo has already been performing in gigs since it was formed five years ago.

In an Oct. 11 article posted on Southwest Riverside News Network’s official website, operating partner Christina Spellman of Spelly’s Pub and Grille in nearby Murrieta City said that the brothers “have been playing here since we opened a little over a year ago.” She added that they hold their performances on the “second or third Saturday of every month.”

In a separate interview on the same website, Nathan described the “X-Factor” experience as “a thrill ride.”

“Going through everything has brought us together more as a duo and as brothers. I think this competition has opened many opportunities for us. It’s just exposure,” he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the other 16 contestants are Simone Battle, Drew Ryniewicz, Tiah Tolliver and Rachel Crow for Girls; Josh Krajcik, Dexter Haygood, LeRoy Bell and Stacy Francis for Over30s; and Brian Bradley, Phillip Lomax, Chris Rene and Marcus Canty for Boys. With the Brewer Boys in the Groups block are Lakoda Rayne, InTENsity and The Stereo Hogzz.

However, due to a last-minute decision made by judge Simon, the supposedly 16 finalists became 17 after Melanie Amaro of the Girls group was added.

The contenders are slated to have their first ever live performance of the season on Oct. 25. “The X-Factor USA” airs every Wednesday and Thursday evening (US time) on FOX
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