Trio acoustic group &BLUE from the San Francisco Bay Area emerged as the winner for Kollaboration Star 2013. In an evening that began at dusk with pre-event Terrace activities at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the winner bested five other worthy finalists. With the winners' announcement capping the night after Drunken Tiger's over an hour long special performance, &BLUE received their award surprised.

You know you spent a good weekend when you feel good even amid exhaustion. Kollaboration 2013 felt exactly like that. It felt like coming from a high school or family reunion minus all the drama. When there's too much going on, it's only normal to feel like you're missing the message. But, at Kollaboration, even with everything going on, the message is loud and clear - dreams can be reached when fueled by a community.

On the Red Carpet, the KpopStarz team met judges, participants, guest celebrities from the Asian Pacific American community. And in each interview, one thing resonated when we asked them what they would like to tell aspiring Asian American young artists, and that one thing is to "never give up. To keep pushing for that dream." The signage for Kollaboration Star didn't bear any kind of slogan around this theme, so we know this isn't a branding ploy on the part of the events marketing team. The vibe is just genuine.

At Kollaboration, people come to see artists who are in just one of the stops to the long road to their dreams. Or come to be inspired by the people behind the scenes who've dreamed, are still dreaming and ready to guide a new generation of dreamers.

The 6 finalists truly did not disappoint. During the competition stage, everyone gave their best. And showed their uniqueness. With each performance being different - each contestant is representing not only their own cities but also their own niche, their own artistry. But there was no air of fierce competitiveness to be found among the contestants, and in our conversations with them we found that each have their own stories, most of it just like you and me.

Mike Silverio, finalist from Houston, showcased his beatboxing prowess during the contest. But, backstage we get to see a glimpse of simply a young man. He shared with us his experience hearing about his landing the finalist spot. "At first, I couldn't believe that I won. When I got the email, I just couldn't believe it. And afterwards I was just so happy that I screamed," he told us. But looking at his performance, we no longer see a boy, but a talented dreamer who can beatbox like the DJ-box at a night club.

The Rhee Brothers from LA, can be quite the entertainers. While in their side interview with KpopStarz, admittedly they say that they are not much updated with K-pop, John is first to confess how he is a fan of KARA. "I am hardcore Kamilia, okay? I even have a Daum account at their fan cafe," we remember him saying. Revealing brothers who, even if focused with their music, can still somehow be in tune with the world at large, and the simple (and sometimes) guilty pleasures found in being a fan(boy).

Spoken word poet Troy from Seattle shared with us the secret behind what inspires him in his poetry, "I want to tell a story. And I want to tell it through poetry" And the goosebumps came on when he took the stage that night. Tell a story, that indeed he did.

Toronto-based Plaitwrights and Charleston Relay enjoyed the ride and being able to come out to warmer Los Angeles for Kollaboration. Their memorable experience though, from Kollaboration? "Boiling Crab!," the musicians exclaimed, referring to their gastronomic escapades at the chain crustacean joint. As if, telling the audience that they are not there to compete but to have fun. Seeing their set on stage, the unique touch and the absolute focus in their performance are enough to wow an audience. It was phenomenal enough to forget that they just were raving and spazzing over dinner choices mere hours earlier.

Dave Yoon, from Washington DC, is no stranger in competition which is probably why when he asked him what he is up to next, regardless of the outcome, he said, "I will keep going. I will just keep doing this." In a pool of real raw talent, Dave would be what you call the K-pop trainee alumnus. He has trained for a year with CUBE after landing a Top 10 spot in MBC Star Audition. At Kollaboration, we saw a genuine Dave Yoon who connected with the audience with his meaningful composition. This eventually led him to take home the Verizon Choice Award.

&BLUE told us before they took on the stage and eventually the crown that night, "Life after Kollaboration? We just want to contribute to the campus community at UC Berkeley or even beyond that, to spread awareness about our causes by sharing our talents." Laidback, modest, yet still every bit 'leader' as is the stereotype of students from their beloved alma mater is how the winning group projected themselves when we spoke with them. On stage, we see them transform to an acoustic group taking simple to the next level. The original composition they performed that night hits home, because it is just so relatable. And this simplicity is what gained them the crown. A nice reminder to the rest of us, K-pop fans, who have been used to the shiny bells and whistles of K-pop. Kollaboration served as a note that simplicity can also be a winner.

 The finalists have a common sentiment prior to the show - that of excitement over nervousness. Seeing their wide-eyed smiles it must have felt akin to the butterflies in your stomach you only feel when you're on the verge of seeing your dreams come true. That night they were all winners, because at least for me and hopefully for other people in the audience, they won me over - to take the independent Asian Pacific American entertainment scene more closely. They taught me what it takes to become a star, and that it is not just dancing, composing, singing as we are all used to in K-pop. Talent comes in many different forms. Even more importantly, the desire to share, the motivation to keep going is unique within each dreamer.

Keeping grounded to reality though, as we have heard from judge Jane Cha, Executive Producer for Full Picture Entertainment, the group behind the hugely successful TV show Project Runway, "The winner, I think, should be someone who can really make it and be successful in the future," indicating that marketability will still be important. That is an honest internal criteria coming from a judge, because just the way consumers think, we stand behind something that has potential to make it. And the simplicity showcased by the winning group, &BLUE, allows them to fit that criteria - they still have a long way to go, but easily likable now. Thus, making them more easily molded to showcase their talents in a way that will work for them in the future. Kollaboration Star is a launch pad, not just for the winner but for all finalists, who will go back on the road, hone their craft in their chance to someday be a shining star in the Asian Pacific American scene. We, at KpopStarz, are only glad to have seen them in their beginnings.

Watch Kollaboration Star 2013 winner &BLUE's profile interview back from when they were still a finalist in the local competition from here!