Impressive amateur performances on YouTube?

Probably a repeat here, but I want to focus specifically on amateur actors/musicians/whatever who have put their stuff up on YouTube that particularly stands out in your mind.

The case that inspired this thread is rather obtuse to most, but I’ll toss it out anyway. There’s a Japanese role-playing video game called Persona 4 (look it up on Wikipedia if you like). It’s generally acknowledged as quite a good game, but it, like almost anything regardless of quality, is ripe for mockery. A LiveJournal-er with the handle “hiimdaisy” has been writing and illustrating a comic parodying the game, hanging a lampshade on all the plot and characterization weirdnesses. Someone decided to take this comic and dub it.

I’m quite impressed at the quality of the voice actors this person assembled for the dub. The narrator, for instance, has quite a good announcer/narrator timbre to his voice, which makes his funny lines all the funnier. But they’re all excellent; I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re listening to the next Yuri Lowenthal or Rob Paulsen somewhere in there.

What’re your favorites?

This was sent to me today. Guy on the street laying down some beats and kicking ass.

There are two well-known cases where someone has parlayed their YouTube fame into professional status. The first is Brandon Hardesty:

In that case he’s not yet a star, but he got a chance at it via YouTube. The other case is Justin Beiber:

He clearly is a star.

Not sure what to do with now-legend on the uke Jake Shimabukuro. The guy is a total monster - his version of While My Guitar Gently Weepsis brilliant. He may or may not have been pro, but was unheard of outside of Hawaii before Youtube. This and other videos have paved the way to a broader pro career for him…

Girl (?) with beautiful voice singing beautiful song beautifully: The Cave (covering the Mumford and Sons original).

Good god, that’s amazing.

Eight-year-old Irene Cara on “Ted Mack.”

I’ve liked this one for a couple years…it’s not a really well known song, so I’ll link the original too
Stone Temple Pilots - Wonderful (live) (no album version on YouTube apparently)
O Soma - Wonderful (acoustic cover)

11 year-old girl playing Rush’s YYZ, doing all the parts except most of the drums are preprogrammed.

Rite of Spring on guitar This guy used a guitar and very few effects to play all the parts (not at the same time though) of the opening of the Rite of Spring by Stravinsky.

You’re Gonna Miss Me, Lulu and the Lampshades not totally sure they’re amateurs, but it always makes smile.

This drummer is pretty amazing. Maybe he’s somebody famous in the drumming world, but he looks to be a college marching band type drummer, so I think he’s an amateur.

That is damn impressive. Now I gotta go buy his CD.

Beatboxing and playing the flute at the same time

I love what this person does with amateur YouTube performances.

Not sure if it counts since Ronald Jenkees has parlayed his YouTube fame into a semi-professional career but Guitar Sound is completely bad ass.

It’s likely everyone’s already seen this, but Groovy Dancing Girl (Sophie Merry) deserves a mention. She parlayed her YouTube fame into an endorsement deal for a clothing label (that one might be even better than the original).

James Dupre posted some amazing vocal performances, apparently delivered from his bedroom.

In fact here is one of the best renditions of Mr. Bojangles you will hear. Check out his other vids, too.

Those vids were posted some time ago. He seems to have since gone pro.

素晴らしいだよ!! She is amazingly talented. Check out her Carry On My Wayward Son.

He’s got a great voice - not an awesome guitar player, but with a voice like that he can go far…

Rich Menga is a very good guitarist for a non-professional casual player. He’s apparently a web admin, and just plays guitar for fun.

Playing some slide guitar blues with a Bic lighter

Fender Squier Sounds like Crap! 2010 version. This is very impressive.