On Saturday night I went to see some former "Idol" contestants at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL. Melinda Doolittle, Chikezie, Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen? Sounds like a good time! Since I'm a nerd who doesn't know anyone else that likes "Idol" as much as I do, I made this journey all by myself. It's OK. I'm used to being a loner.
As a stickler for punctuality I made sure I got there before the 8:00 start time. It turns out I needn't have rushed, as nothing happened until 8:30. There was a pretty good turnout. I wasn't sure what type of crowd I'd find there, but it seemed to be mostly adults 40 and up with occasional teenagers and children. I must've looked weird as a guy in his mid-to-late 20's all by himself, but hey, what do I care what some people in a town two hours away think?
After I'd already been sitting down so long that I was ready to stretch my legs, they dimmed the lights and a guy came out who introduced himself as Ron Onesti. He told us that the Arcada Theater had been built in the 1920's and that his group had saved it from being torn down. They were trying to preserve the historical building by bringing good entertainment to the venue. Sounds like a group after my own heart. Family-friendly entertainment and an appreciation for history!
It turns out that the first hour of the show was going to be a singing contest featuring 14 local amateurs (mostly kids). The winner would get the chance to audition for a talent agency as well as sing with the Idols in their final group number. There were four judges to pick the winner. Two were local DJ's and the others, I believe, were talent scouts. They didn't critique the contestants after their performances since it would've taken too long and they didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. In the spirit of "American Idol" they brought the 14 out to do a fun cheesy group sing of "Rock Around the Clock" before the actual competition started.
I won't recap this singing contest in great detail, since you probably don't care if you're reading this, but I did think there was some good talent. One girl sang Aerosmith's "Cryin'" with her husband playing acoustic guitar. I thought she was possibly the strongest vocalist there. Another girl sang "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and did an excellent job. Of the contestants who appeared to be within the proper age range for "Idol," those two probably would have the best chance of making it.
There was also a guy in a cowboy hat who sang some Jason Aldean song. I don't see him going anywhere in the industry, but he was perhaps the most entertaining. Another hopeful was a schoolteacher who said she taught Kindergarten through 4th Grade and that her students were there that night. I had one of those "I'm getting old and feeling pathetic for not doing anything with my life" moments when she stated her profession, since she appeared to be several years younger than me. She got drowned out by the backing track too often to have any chance of winning, but her stage routine was...interesting.
The winner was a young girl who sang "Orange-Colored Sky." I thought she did OK, but she wasn't the one who impressed me most. Still, good for her. Even though I was there to see the Idols, I was happy for these singers who got a chance in the spotlight. I tried to clap for them as much as possible to be encouraging.
After that hour-long opening act and the intermission it was time for our Idols. It seemed that the audience thinned ever-so-slightly after the singing contest was over. I think some people were only there to support their friends and relatives in the competition rather than see the Idols. They were introduced as Melinda Doolittle, Chikezie, Jon Peter Lewis and Gina Glocksen. Jon Peter Lewis? Where was Phil Stacey? I have nothing against JPL, but I was looking forward to seeing Phil. Oh well, it was sure to be good all the same.
The first thing the Idols did was walk out one-by-one singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." I know, I know, we've all heard it a thousand times, but it's one of those simple group songs that everyone's familiar with. I formed a just-for-fun singing group with some co-workers of mine once and that was our signature tune. Fortunately, they cut it down rather than go through every verse and bridge. It served more as an audience warm-up than a full-fledged segment of the act.
Gina got the first solo set. She mentioned her recent marriage and told us that Jordin Sparks sang for her first dance with her husband. She was going to sing the song Jordin sang, which was a slowed-down version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." I actually liked it. It was a fresh take on the song that didn't seem needlessly contrived. I did think it was kind of funny when she sang the line "You'll let me be your man." It probably works better if there's a man present, like at a wedding. Still, Lennon and McCartney wrote some great stuff in the days when they were actually collaborating, and the song was in good vocal cords with Gina.
Gina then sang an original she co-wrote with her husband called "Just Me." She said they wrote it together right after her elimination from "Idol." One lyric was something like "I don't have to be some girl on a TV show." That internal struggle most of us have with our outward image versus our true selves is probably magnified on "Idol," so I can imagine it being an inspiration for a song. I thought it was pretty good. By the way, did I mention that the Idols backed each other up several times? Melinda sang backup (or support, as I believe Melinda herself calls it) for Gina on this one.
Jon was next. He started by asking the audience if anyone remembered Season 3, back in the "dinosaur ages." Someone in the crowd yelled "Fantasia!" He answered "Yes! Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson..." He made a reference to his famous "A Little Less Conversation" performance by saying "They made me sing Elvis songs and dance like this." He demonstrated the moves he immortalized in that fateful Wild Card show. Good to see he still has a sense of humor about it. Did he say they "made him" do it though? There could be a scandal brewing if that gets out. He sang two originals called "Break the Silence" and "Everybody Falls." They were both OK. I liked "Break the Silence" better of the two.
Next was the greatest singer ever to set foot on the Idol stage, Miss Melinda Doolittle. First she sang an original from her new album called "Declaration of Love." I believe both Gina and Chikezie backed her up here (most of this is from memory). This song required a ton of vocal ability and soul, but if you're familiar with Melinda you can probably guess that she pulled it off perfectly. After that she sang "My Funny Valentine," which most of us probably remember for its sheer perfection when she sang it in Season 6's Semifinals. While it's hard to duplicate the magic of that moment, she did do another fantastic job.
Next was Chikezie, who sang "I Believe to My Soul" with Melinda and Gina on backups. He rocked the house with it. Ah, Chikezie. It was us, not you, who were robbed last season. After it was over Chikezie talked to the audience about how blessed he was to be there that night. He also said he was honored to share the stage with the kids who performed earlier, because they're the future of the music industry. I assumed he was going to do another song, since everyone else did two, but he re-introduced Jon.
Jon sang another original called "Now That I'm Kneeling." This was my favorite of the songs he performed that night. It had the most memorable hook and he tore it up vocally. Yes, I just said Jon Peter Lewis tore up a song vocally. If your only image of him is some marginally-talented kid on "Idol," you'd be surprised if you saw him today. He's grown a lot as a singer since then. I actually want to check out his album after hearing that song.
Gina came back after that to do Heart's "Alone." She started by saying "I don't need to introduce this next song, sing everyone always sings it on 'Idol.'" Ha! At least she's aware of it. Of course, back when Gina sang it it had only been done once, and that was by Carrie Underwood. Chikezie sang the Nancy Wilson harmony vocals. I'll take this moment to add that I was extremely impressed with Gina throughout the night. I don't know if she's improved since being on "Idol" or if she just does better with songs she's more familiar with, but she sounded like a total pro out there. Even though I've poked a little bit of fun at her before on this blog I have to give her credit for being an outstanding performer. I wasn't a fan of hers when she was on "Idol," but I've grown to appreciate her a lot more since then. She sang Sara Bareilles' "Gravity" after that. She described it as being about toxic relationships, but opened up to us and said that it always reminds her of her father. Sounds like there's a sad story in there somewhere. I thought the song was kind of boring, to be honest, but at least she sang it well.
Chikezie came back to do "All the Woman I Need" with Gina and Melinda supporting him. It's good to see him staying true to the music he loves, even though a lot of people were underwhelmed when he did that song on the show. I like an occasional R&B ballad, so I was able to enjoy it. After that Gina joined him to do a duet on Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's "Lucky." Chikezie and Gina Glocksen might seem like an odd pair for a duet, but it really worked well. I liked the laid-back love song.
Next it was Melinda and Gina's turn to duet. Melinda talked about how Gina has been her rock during the tour and how she values her friendship so much. I love hearing that stuff, because friendship is a beautiful thing. They sang the song "For Good" from Wicked. I'm not familiar with the story of Wicked, but the song was about thanking someone for impacting your life in a positive way. Even though they've probably performed it together several times, I believe they were sincere when they sang it to each other. It was a touching moment.
Melinda got the final solo set. First she sang "It's Your Love," another original with both Chikezie and Gina on backups. Jon didn't do any duets or backups, possibly because he was a last-minute replacement for Phil. I think I enjoyed "It's Your Love" a bit more than "Declaration of Love." Then she sang a song she'd previously set the AI stage on fire with, "I'm a Woman." It was good to hear the whole thing and not just the minute-and-a-half "Idol" version. You can fully appreciate the humor in the lyrics.
Finally the whole group came out to sing Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," with the winner of the singing contest joining them onstage. It was a groovy way to end the show. They gave us their thanks after it was over and Gina even thanked us for staying, as several people had left before the end. Not me. I like to get my money's worth.
Afterwards they did a meet and greet, and I was a little nervous. Not too nervous, mind you, but just a little. That's the great thing about Idols. They're average joes when we first meet them and well-known names when it's all over. While they may be recognizable to lots of people worldwide they retain some of that approachability they had at the beginning of the season. I wished I could've sat and chatted with them rather than say a few things in passing, but I knew they had to keep the line moving. I decided to have them sign my computer-printed ticket as a souvenir.
I brought a camera with me that could record videos, so I decided to leave it rolling while I went down the table. It's fun to relive that three and a half minutes.
First was Chikezie. I said "Chikezie Eh-zay, right?" I figured he'd had his name mispronounced so many times that he'd be happy to see that there's a fan out there who says it the right way. Yeah, I'm not sure why I was thinking that would be the thing to say to him either. He just kind of nodded. I told him he was my favorite from last season and that I "always voted for him." I meant to say "every week," so it probably sounded weird, but he shook my hand in gratitude. I told him to "keep on rocking," he said "you too" and started playing with what looked to be some portable communication device. I get the impression that Chikezie's a shy person, since he didn't seem particularly talkative with the fans. It's odd that I finally met one of my favorite Idols and our exchange was that lame. I wish I'd told him how brilliant his "She's a Woman" was or something. I hate trying to converse under pressure.
Next was Jon. I was kind of caught between him and Chikezie while he was talking to the girls in front of me, so I may have creeped him out a little by holding the camera pointed at him before I'd even said anything to him. The girl in front of me was apparently a big Phil Stacey fan, since she had a t-shirt with "I [heart] Phil" written on it. She asked Jon where Phil was. Jon wasn't sure, so he asked Chikezie, who said Phil had a prior commitment. I think it had something to do with singing at a church in Alabama. I tried to make some conversation with Jon when it was my turn, so I asked him if the group numbers at the results shows are fun, and he said that they weren't for him. He said song and dance has never been his thing. Song yes, but dance, no. I also told him that I liked his original material, and he seemed grateful to hear it. I told him I'd check out his album on Amazon, to which he said "please do."
When I met Melinda I told her she was great that night. I mentioned that I'd voted for her the week she was eliminated and apologized for it not being enough. "Shame on you," she jokingly said. I recalled how there was a message that came with the vote that night saying "Thank you for voting for me, Melinda." In the words of Chris Farley: "Idiot!" I finally get to meet Melinda Doolittle and that's all I can say? I ought to be struck upside the head with a shovel. Her response to that was just "Oh yeah, we said it ourselves." She asked if I was recording with the camera, since it must've looked weird with me just holding it there. I told her yeah, I wanted to record my little "meet the Idols" moment. She was kind enough to keep on smiling for me. She's as wonderful in person as I always imagined.
Finally I came to Gina. I told her she did a good job, which she appreciated. I said "We don't have many Illinois Idols, do we?" She said "No, we don't. Not yet." I'm not sure what she meant by "not yet." Perhaps she was referring to the kids who'd sang in the talent show that night, suggesting they might be on the show someday. Either that or she'd misheard me and thought I'd said "any" rather than "many," and assumed I meant there were no winners from the Land of Lincoln. It's OK, Gina. You did a great job representing our state.
Overall, it was a fun show put on by a quartet of class acts. The two-hour drive in the rain both ways was definitely worth it. If you liked them on "Idol" and they're coming to your area, I highly recommend checking them out.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Top 10 Results - Soul, Sweat and Oil
So...which contestant on the tour will the concertgoers be least familiar with this summer? There were over 36 million votes, the most ever for the Top 10. I'm sure they think that means people are more invested in the contestants than ever before. Whatever gets them through the night.
The group performance has video clips of Hitsville, U.S.A. accompanying it, and there are actual solos this time! Of course, the solos only make the lip-synching even more painfully obvious. It's a medley of "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," all of which have been sung to death on this show. Seriously, "Idol." Get some new songs. Last night only one song hadn't been previously performed. Do you not see this as a problem of any sort?
The Ford commercial is set to Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine." The Idols piece together a landscape with pictures. It's very lackluster, like all the Ford commercials thus far in Season 8. First they ruin the group sings and now this. They're killing all the great result show traditions.
It's time for Ruben Studdard, here to perform his new single! As Ryan would've said back in Season 2, Ruuuuuben! He's lost some weight but still sweats a lot. In recent times he's jettisoned the 205 gear in favor of classy suits. While his current style makes him looks more sophisticated, it's probably not the best choice for keeping cool. I'm digging this song. I probably won't buy it or anything, but I hope Ruben has some success with it. He even gets the split screen of pimpage! Ruben often gets held up as an example of AI's failure to produce stars, but there's no denying his talent.
Result time. I predicted Scott, Kris and Megan for the Bottom 3 in my last post. Let's see how accurate my prediction is.
First is Adam Lambert. Like he's going anywhere. He's safe, as if there were any doubt.
Matt Giraud is next and...in the Bottom 3. Well, I guess I'm not surprised. He did go on first.
Kris Allen is, wow, also safe! Ryan tried to fake us out there. I guess I can switch Kris and Matt in my Bottom 3 prediction.
Michael Sarver and Lil Rounds next. Now Lil, you sang "Heat Wave." Kimberley Locke and Jennifer Hudson both sang it and ended up in the Bottom 3. You are...also safe! Lil is so relieved! Come on Lil, you know you're fine for now. Who's competing with you for votes? That makes Michael our second member of the Bottom 3. Man, I'm 0 for 2. I guess I'm not very good at this.
Before we find out who gets the last stool, Joss Stone and Smokey Robinson are singing a duet! It's "You're the One For Me." This isn't very interesting, but it's good to see a legend like Smokey onstage. Joss is wearing a bunch of glitter. There's something mildly disturbing about this. I'm not sure what. Could it be the 45-year age difference between these two? I'm not sure.
Back to the results.
Allison Iraheta is safe. Good.
Anoop Desai is safe. Cool.
Danny Gokey is safe. Well...I'm not surprised.
That leaves us with Megan Joy and Scott MacIntyre. The final member of the Bottom 3 is...Scott.
Randy, Ryan asks, who here doesn't deserve to be in the Bottom 3? "Matt!" yells the crowd. Randy echoes their sentiments. Matt's rocked the mic consistently, says the Dawg. Well, there was that Coldplay performance, but that was back before the judges hand-picked him for the Top 13. Someone's going back to safety, and it is...Scott. Dang it! I was wrong! At least I got his Bottom 3 appearance correct. This means Michael's leaving us, since I highly doubt it's going to be Matt.
Before sending Michael back to his oil rig though, Stevie Wonder's going to do a Motown medley. I'll bet Scott's excited about this. Here's a blind guy who loves his piano that made it big. And Scott's a better singer! First is Stevie's own "My Cherie Amour." The Idols on the couches seem to love it. Next is Stevie's own "Superstition," which Ricky Braddy previously rocked in the Wild Card round for filler's sake. Next is another Motown classic, Stevie's own "Overjoyed." Why is this being billed as a "Motown medley"? It's a Stevie Wonder medley. Why couldn't they just call it that? Finally he goes into his new tune, "All About the Love Again." I'm kind of liking it until he shouts "I love you, Barack Obama!" I really, really want to keep politics off this blog. Let's just say I wish this guy would keep politics off "Idol."
Time for the moment of truth (not to be confused with that trashy game show we always saw commercials for last season). The lowest vote-getter is...Michael. Yep. Michael totally sees it coming and keeps right on smiling through the announcement. He tells us he's nervous about reprising his performance after Stevie just went on. Trust me, Michael. In 2009 even you can sing better than him. During "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" Randy and Simon whisper to each other while Paula and Kara take in the whole thing. I'm sure they're just racking their brains trying to decide whether to save Michael. This is such a tough decision! After Michael's done the judges are still undecided. Oh, come on. This is all for show. We know he's not being saved. Finally Simon cuts through the B.S. and tells Michael he's going home. Glad we got that over with.
I can't say I'll miss Michael too much, but he seems like a nice guy, so I wish him well. Hopefully he won't have to go back to his dangerous job after all the money he makes on the tour.
Power Rankings:
9. Scott MacIntyre - If Michael can be eliminated after being in the Bottom 3 the previous week so can Scott. I highly doubt he's going to show us anything new next time, so America probably won't feel bad about not supporting him after yet another predictable performance.
8. Anoop Desai - I like Anoop, I just don't think he's as good as a lot of people say he is. This one's a gut feeling.
7. Megan Joy - She's perfect for the Sanjaya spot. If she didn't hit the Bottom 3 after this week's trainwreck she obviously has some support besides Vote For the Worst.
6. Kris Allen - His lack of personality will probably cost him in the long run, but his consistently strong performances should keep him in it for a while.
5. Allison Iraheta - She's outperformed Lil on What Not to Sing at every stage of the competition, but she's not the chosen female. It's a guy's year, so Allison gets the opposite gender slot.
4. Danny Gokey - Nothing new to see here.
3. Lil Rounds - Chosen female, only black diva.
2. Matt Giraud - If you hit the Bottom 3 this early you can't win. Diana DeGarmo and Katharine McPhee were both in the Bottom 3 this early, but neither could do better than runner-up.
1. Adam Lambert - I know a lot of people out there don't like him, but he's the most memorable contestant and a born entertainer. As he showed us this week, he can give a strong, meaningful performance that'll make people pay attention without offending them. If Taylor Hicks can win despite a lot of negatives, Adam probably can too.
I have no idea what next week's theme is, but I know David Cook is the former winner of choice at the result show. Taylor, Jordin and Fantasia are the only ones we'll still be waiting on.
The group performance has video clips of Hitsville, U.S.A. accompanying it, and there are actual solos this time! Of course, the solos only make the lip-synching even more painfully obvious. It's a medley of "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," all of which have been sung to death on this show. Seriously, "Idol." Get some new songs. Last night only one song hadn't been previously performed. Do you not see this as a problem of any sort?
The Ford commercial is set to Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine." The Idols piece together a landscape with pictures. It's very lackluster, like all the Ford commercials thus far in Season 8. First they ruin the group sings and now this. They're killing all the great result show traditions.
It's time for Ruben Studdard, here to perform his new single! As Ryan would've said back in Season 2, Ruuuuuben! He's lost some weight but still sweats a lot. In recent times he's jettisoned the 205 gear in favor of classy suits. While his current style makes him looks more sophisticated, it's probably not the best choice for keeping cool. I'm digging this song. I probably won't buy it or anything, but I hope Ruben has some success with it. He even gets the split screen of pimpage! Ruben often gets held up as an example of AI's failure to produce stars, but there's no denying his talent.
Result time. I predicted Scott, Kris and Megan for the Bottom 3 in my last post. Let's see how accurate my prediction is.
First is Adam Lambert. Like he's going anywhere. He's safe, as if there were any doubt.
Matt Giraud is next and...in the Bottom 3. Well, I guess I'm not surprised. He did go on first.
Kris Allen is, wow, also safe! Ryan tried to fake us out there. I guess I can switch Kris and Matt in my Bottom 3 prediction.
Michael Sarver and Lil Rounds next. Now Lil, you sang "Heat Wave." Kimberley Locke and Jennifer Hudson both sang it and ended up in the Bottom 3. You are...also safe! Lil is so relieved! Come on Lil, you know you're fine for now. Who's competing with you for votes? That makes Michael our second member of the Bottom 3. Man, I'm 0 for 2. I guess I'm not very good at this.
Before we find out who gets the last stool, Joss Stone and Smokey Robinson are singing a duet! It's "You're the One For Me." This isn't very interesting, but it's good to see a legend like Smokey onstage. Joss is wearing a bunch of glitter. There's something mildly disturbing about this. I'm not sure what. Could it be the 45-year age difference between these two? I'm not sure.
Back to the results.
Allison Iraheta is safe. Good.
Anoop Desai is safe. Cool.
Danny Gokey is safe. Well...I'm not surprised.
That leaves us with Megan Joy and Scott MacIntyre. The final member of the Bottom 3 is...Scott.
Randy, Ryan asks, who here doesn't deserve to be in the Bottom 3? "Matt!" yells the crowd. Randy echoes their sentiments. Matt's rocked the mic consistently, says the Dawg. Well, there was that Coldplay performance, but that was back before the judges hand-picked him for the Top 13. Someone's going back to safety, and it is...Scott. Dang it! I was wrong! At least I got his Bottom 3 appearance correct. This means Michael's leaving us, since I highly doubt it's going to be Matt.
Before sending Michael back to his oil rig though, Stevie Wonder's going to do a Motown medley. I'll bet Scott's excited about this. Here's a blind guy who loves his piano that made it big. And Scott's a better singer! First is Stevie's own "My Cherie Amour." The Idols on the couches seem to love it. Next is Stevie's own "Superstition," which Ricky Braddy previously rocked in the Wild Card round for filler's sake. Next is another Motown classic, Stevie's own "Overjoyed." Why is this being billed as a "Motown medley"? It's a Stevie Wonder medley. Why couldn't they just call it that? Finally he goes into his new tune, "All About the Love Again." I'm kind of liking it until he shouts "I love you, Barack Obama!" I really, really want to keep politics off this blog. Let's just say I wish this guy would keep politics off "Idol."
Time for the moment of truth (not to be confused with that trashy game show we always saw commercials for last season). The lowest vote-getter is...Michael. Yep. Michael totally sees it coming and keeps right on smiling through the announcement. He tells us he's nervous about reprising his performance after Stevie just went on. Trust me, Michael. In 2009 even you can sing better than him. During "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" Randy and Simon whisper to each other while Paula and Kara take in the whole thing. I'm sure they're just racking their brains trying to decide whether to save Michael. This is such a tough decision! After Michael's done the judges are still undecided. Oh, come on. This is all for show. We know he's not being saved. Finally Simon cuts through the B.S. and tells Michael he's going home. Glad we got that over with.
I can't say I'll miss Michael too much, but he seems like a nice guy, so I wish him well. Hopefully he won't have to go back to his dangerous job after all the money he makes on the tour.
Power Rankings:
9. Scott MacIntyre - If Michael can be eliminated after being in the Bottom 3 the previous week so can Scott. I highly doubt he's going to show us anything new next time, so America probably won't feel bad about not supporting him after yet another predictable performance.
8. Anoop Desai - I like Anoop, I just don't think he's as good as a lot of people say he is. This one's a gut feeling.
7. Megan Joy - She's perfect for the Sanjaya spot. If she didn't hit the Bottom 3 after this week's trainwreck she obviously has some support besides Vote For the Worst.
6. Kris Allen - His lack of personality will probably cost him in the long run, but his consistently strong performances should keep him in it for a while.
5. Allison Iraheta - She's outperformed Lil on What Not to Sing at every stage of the competition, but she's not the chosen female. It's a guy's year, so Allison gets the opposite gender slot.
4. Danny Gokey - Nothing new to see here.
3. Lil Rounds - Chosen female, only black diva.
2. Matt Giraud - If you hit the Bottom 3 this early you can't win. Diana DeGarmo and Katharine McPhee were both in the Bottom 3 this early, but neither could do better than runner-up.
1. Adam Lambert - I know a lot of people out there don't like him, but he's the most memorable contestant and a born entertainer. As he showed us this week, he can give a strong, meaningful performance that'll make people pay attention without offending them. If Taylor Hicks can win despite a lot of negatives, Adam probably can too.
I have no idea what next week's theme is, but I know David Cook is the former winner of choice at the result show. Taylor, Jordin and Fantasia are the only ones we'll still be waiting on.
Top 10 - Is it Too Early to Declare Adam the Winner?
It's Motown Week! They haven't done one of these in a while, but a lot of AI standards have come from the legendary Detroit R&B-pop scene. Tonight we'll see a bunch of them rehashed and try not to get too bored.
Ryan mentions the shocking elimination of Alexis Grace last week. Yeah, it was so shocking that I totally called it on my blog. Either I'm one of the best Idol analysts out there or I got reeeeeeally lucky. OK, maybe that "one of the best" thing is an exaggeration, but I don't think it was luck. I put a lot of thought into it. Anyway...
The Idols were flown to Detroit, where Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave them a tour of Hitsville, U.S.A. Lucky dogs. That's some history there. Being a contestant on this show must be awesome.
After performing at or near the end of the show for two straight weeks, Matt Giraud gets to see what it's like on the other side. He's doing "Let's Get it On." Oh, brother. This song has a lot of soul as well as a lot of cheese potential, so we'll see how it comes across. Matt starts at the piano. Will he be called out for it like Scott was last week? Perhaps not, as he moves out from behind it once the chorus gets here. Weirdly enough, I sort of like this. I don't know why, but I do. I still don't like Matt himself, but this performance entertains me. Randy says Matt is challenging for the top spot. I've had him at the top of my power rankings for a long time now, so if he wins this thing I'll point you to my blog and show you how awesome I am. I never get anything wrong ever! Kara thinks the girls want to get it on with him (somebody wipe that drool off the table, please) and likes how he came out from behind the piano. Paula says he showed a sexycool (I think that was meant as one word) vibe. She also says that too many people overdo their riffing, but his are good. Pssssh. Have you already forgotten his "Who's Lovin' You" from the Wild Fraud Show? Simon says it was a brilliant song choice and he's now a frontrunner. Just like that, huh?
Kris Allen's song choice is "How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved By You)." He's got his guitar again. Jason Castro and his constant use of the guitar kind of annoyed me last year, since it served as a symbol of his being nothing more than a marginally-talented college kid who got a lucky break. Kris, on the other hand, really seems to bring some artistry with his guitar. He does all kinds of starts and stops to the song and gives it a really cool vibe. His vocals are spot on too, although the final glory note is kind of weirdly shouted. Kara says he made his own mark on the song and did everything right. Paula says he's coming into his own and she's proud of him. Simon says it was good, but Kris needs to start believing in himself. He adds that you have to be conceited to be a star. Randy says he's hit his zone and needs to stay in stride. Kris says he appreciates the feedback about believing in himself but isn't sure about the conceitedness. Good for you, Kris. They often flash to shots of Kris' wife in the audience during the criticism. She's pretty. That Kris is a lucky guy. I'm confused though. Is the message here "don't vote for him ladies, he's taken" or "look at him and what a nice, grounded guy he is"? I guess viewers will interpret it however they want. I like the latter interpretation.
Remember last week when the judges told Scott MacIntyre to change it up and come out from behind the piano? Well, Scott's being true to himself and staying there! If he's going to change it up it's going to be from that bench! Instead of the slow song route, he's going uptempo with "You Can't Hurry Love." Sorry Scott, but I can't think of this song on "Idol" without remembering Brandon Rogers' infamous flop that got him eliminated. He has the backup singers standing next to the piano for visual appeal. I guess it's part of the whole Motown spirit or something. While I appreciate Scott's attempt to go upbeat, his vocals just don't carry this song well. His phrasing doesn't flow. I love the grooviness with the piano, but without a good vocal it feels too choppy. It's one of those half-good, half-bad performances. Paula says the singers by the piano brought new life to the performance. Simon thought it was completely the wrong song choice and seemed a bit cheap. Randy compares it to a hotel performance (great, he's taking after Simon). Kara says the idea was good but the execution was bad. The judges upstage the contestants once again when Paula pulls out crayons and a coloring book to give to Simon. Get it? She's calling Simon a child! Why don't they focus on judging and not stealing the spotlight from the singers?
What's horseteeth Megan Joy going to butcher this week? Only Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life"! I love this song! Why does this annoying girl get an opportunity to sing it on national TV? Her phrasing and pronunciation are obnoxious as always. We hear about someone she's "netted" so long, and judging by her pointing, that someone warm like Simon is apparently what made her dreams come true. She's barely singing. It's just annoying half-talking. Then again, people thought Jamar Rogers was good, so perhaps some people will like this crap. Randy calls it a train wreck. Kara says "My Guy" would've been better for her and starts singing it. Careful, Kara! You just cost the show money! I agree though, that "My Guy" would've fit Megan's style better. Paula agrees with the bad song choice criticism but adds that the camera loves her and she's beautiful. Blah blah blah. Who cares? Her looks are overrated. Simon calls it horrible and says she's in serious trouble.
Anoop Desai is doing Smokey's own "Ooh Baby Baby." Nice suck-up job, Anoop! Smokey says the song started as an accident. Interesting. Anoop starts the song sitting on the top step. Uuuugh. Something isn't working on the chorus. Either he's off-key or his falsetto tone just isn't working. I can't tell. He has some good moments later on where his voice is more powerful, but the chorus is the most important part of the song. If you're going to have trouble, have it in the verses. Of course, no trouble at all is ideal. I like Anoop, but this didn't work as well as I wanted it to. Kara says it's a hard song to sing but she liked his chest voice. Way to say what I'm thinking, Kara. Paula says his phrasing, delivery and falsetto are spot on and sweet. Simon says it was a great vocal, but he looked like he was half-asleep. Randy says it was pitchy here and there and he wants him to turn it up next week. That might be a good idea.
Poor Michael Sarver didn't get to visit Detroit because he was sick. Awwww. His song choice is "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." My earlier Scott Savol comparison seems apt. Smokey advises him to be demanding and not sweet-talk, 'cause it's the last chance with his woman. Good advice. I hate when people obviously aren't thinking about what they're singing. Speaking of which, stop smiling, Michael! You're not supposed to be happy here! OK, last week I said he never seems trainwrecky even though he's not good. Well, this is trainwrecky. He looks too cheesy and his voice is too weak for this to be considered anything resembling passable. Hey, is that Rudy Cardenas among his friends in the audience? I doubt it, but it kind of looked like him. Paula says it was too Las Vegas loungy for her. Simon says he couldn't wait for it to end, that he was screaming and shouting the song and that he has no chance of winning. Oh, cut the crap. You could've told him the exact same thing in the Semifinals. Randy says the song was too big for him and it was corny because he tried to do too much with it. Kara isn't seeing who he is as an artist. Sheesh. The only reason he made the Top 13 is because you told America to vote for him. Good job, judges.
Lil Rounds is having an emotional week. Uh-oh. What happened? Oh, she was just really moved by the trip to Hitsville. Um, OK? That's cool, but why is that worth discussing here? Smokey says he's proud to know they left a legacy, as well he should be, but the only reason I can see for including this segment is to make Lil more likable and further anoint her as the last female standing. With a Motown-style hairdo and dress, Lil takes on "Heat Wave." As usual, her voice sounds slightly lacking, but for some reason I don't care. She owns it. At least the song gets your foot tapping. I think this is the most I've enjoyed one of Lil's performances. I notice she lets the backup singers sing the high part while she harmonizes with a low note on the phrase "heat wave." She ends with her usual shouty glory note. Whatever. I'm in a good mood so I'll say this was very good. Then again, maybe I'm judging it leniently after the low bar set by the previous three performers. Randy says the beginning of the song was torture and it felt like she was rushing through the song. Kara says she was the diva everyone was waiting to hear (everyone?), but she doesn't think it was the right song and accuses her of screaming at parts. Gee, you just noticed how much of her "belting" is really shouting? Paula says she made it feel fresh and owned it. Lil looks upset because she apparently knows Paula's compliments are meaningless. Simon says the song doesn't give her a "moment." Argh. All night the judges have been criticizing song choices. It's such a lazy criticism. I swear these judges just say "bad song choice" whenever they can't articulate why they didn't like it. Lil responds to the mixed reviews with as much class as she can, and Paula says Lil should run for president. This of course prompts an "Obama!" from Lil. Very good, Mrs. Rounds. That's the reason we're watching this now instead of yesterday like it should've been.
Adam Lambert's song choice is "The Tracks of My Tears." Finally a song that hasn't been done on this show before! It only took us until the eighth performer! He asks Smokey what inspired the song, and Smokey says it was the idea that someone's cried so much that there are permanent marks on his face, which astounds Adam. We know Adam's an actor, but it's good to see a contestant who actually tries to understand what he's singing about. Adam's changed up his look this week, sporting slicked-back hair and a suit. He's going all-acoustic tonight too. All I can say is "wow." This is incredible. It's all sung in head voice, which is an odd combination with his look, but you can feel the emotion when he's singing. Smokey gives him a standing ovation. That's not just the best of the night so far, it's the best of the season. We haven't had any truly standout performances yet this year, but someone has finally broken through. Kara says he showed artistry. Paula says he's in his own league and brings an element of surprise. Exactly! Simon says Adam emerged tonight as a star. Randy calls it "the bomb." Even though Adam isn't my favorite, he's proving himself to be the most worthy winner. The guy can sing anything, he's shown more creativity than anyone else here and he's the type of contestant whose performances you actually remember. So many people think Danny's going to win, but does he make anywhere close to the impact Adam does?
Speaking of Danny Gokey, he's up next! He's doing "Get Ready." Well, at least he's not reprising his audition of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Smokey suggests that Danny sing the backing vocal parts. OK, cool. Then the song starts and...we learn he didn't take that advice. Are we allowed to start calling him "LaKisha Jones II"? Let's start with the positive: this song does make you tap your feet. Now for the negatives: he does a cheesy dance with the backup singers, uses awkward phrasing and sounds out of breath at times. Ah, what the heck. I kind of enjoyed it even if several flaws stuck out. I must be in a good mood to let this stuff slide like I did earlier with Lil. Either that or I'm just sick of complaining about the same stuff only to find that no one agrees. It's easier to sit back and try to enjoy it. Paula says he gives a first-class performance every week. Simon calls it clumsy and amateurish. Randy says he reminds him of Levi Stubbs. Huh? That's stretching it. Kara says it was good, not great. Man, I'm agreeing with Kara again. Should I be worried?
Finally, Allison Iraheta gets the pimp spot. She deserves it, because she's awesome (thanks for finding that, VFTW!). She's doing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." The vocal is solid, but it's not as good as David Hernandez' version from last year (wow, how often do you get the chance to say that?). The final glory note is great. I think it's good, but I liked her better last week. Randy says it was blazing hot and that she's one of the dopest singers in the competition. Kara uses a Randy-like "What?" when referring to the fact that Allison was in the Bottom 3 last week. She goes on to rave about how great Allison is. Apparently Allison sounds like she's been singing for 400 years and has a gift from God that you can't teach. Wow. Over the top much? Paula has a moustache from the crayons she gave Simon and thinks Allison is awesome. Simon says it was one of her best performances. Alright already. It was good, but it wasn't as great as the judges make it out to be. Let's just keep Allison in this thing for a long time. OK, America?
Ryan talks to Smokey and Berry. Berry says he was blown away by it all and Smokey says they were all awesome. How generous of them.
My performance ranking:
Adam (10 out of 10)
Matt (8.5 out of 10)
Kris (7 out of 10)
Lil (6.9 out of 10)
Allison (6.1 out of 10)
Danny (6 out of 10)
Scott (5 out of 10)
Anoop (4 out of 10)
Michael (1.5 out of 10)
Megan (1 out of 10)
Prediction:
OK, this is tough. I think I'm going to reason this through like Mike V. over at American Idol Addicts.
We had two trainwrecks in Megan and Michael that were far worse than the rest of the crop. What Not to Sing's "Sesame Street Effect" could come into play here. Michael and Megan's fans know their favorites are in trouble, so they might vote a little harder in order to save them.
I believe Lil, Danny and Adam all have fanbases big enough to carry them for a while.
Matt had the death spot, but he did well enough and got pimped enough that he isn't going anywhere. Allison got the pimp spot, so she'll be fine.
Anoop has a strong fanbase and got some pimping despite the fact that I found him forgettable.
That leaves us with Kris and Scott. Scott was forgettable, and Kris was good but went fairly early. I'll pick them both to end up in the Bottom 3 by default. I think they'll be joined there by one of the two trainwrecks. Michael's fanbase is likely to step it up after he was in the Bottom 3 last week, so I'll say it's Megan (I think she was worse anyway, so that works out well).
That leaves us with:
Bottom 3: Kris, Scott, Megan
Going Home: Scott
I get the impression that America's pretty much over Scott. He does the same thing every week and his vocals aren't good enough. Last year I got the Bottom 3 and elimination exactly right in the Top 10, so maybe I'll get lucky again this time. Of course, that was the week we lost Chikezie and I'm still bitter about it to this day. It's hard to say I was truly "lucky" on that one. Of course, I wouldn't mind being right this time, since I can't say Scott interests me that much.
Whom I Voted For: Kris, Anoop, Allison (I'll probably only be voting for these three until they're eliminated)
Tomorrow we have a freaking all-star lineup! Stevie Wonder! Joss Stone! Smokey Robinson! Ruben Studdard! I'm actually looking forward to this one! As long as Anoop or Kris doesn't go home (I'm not even worried about Allison) it should be a good night!
Ryan mentions the shocking elimination of Alexis Grace last week. Yeah, it was so shocking that I totally called it on my blog. Either I'm one of the best Idol analysts out there or I got reeeeeeally lucky. OK, maybe that "one of the best" thing is an exaggeration, but I don't think it was luck. I put a lot of thought into it. Anyway...
The Idols were flown to Detroit, where Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave them a tour of Hitsville, U.S.A. Lucky dogs. That's some history there. Being a contestant on this show must be awesome.
After performing at or near the end of the show for two straight weeks, Matt Giraud gets to see what it's like on the other side. He's doing "Let's Get it On." Oh, brother. This song has a lot of soul as well as a lot of cheese potential, so we'll see how it comes across. Matt starts at the piano. Will he be called out for it like Scott was last week? Perhaps not, as he moves out from behind it once the chorus gets here. Weirdly enough, I sort of like this. I don't know why, but I do. I still don't like Matt himself, but this performance entertains me. Randy says Matt is challenging for the top spot. I've had him at the top of my power rankings for a long time now, so if he wins this thing I'll point you to my blog and show you how awesome I am. I never get anything wrong ever! Kara thinks the girls want to get it on with him (somebody wipe that drool off the table, please) and likes how he came out from behind the piano. Paula says he showed a sexycool (I think that was meant as one word) vibe. She also says that too many people overdo their riffing, but his are good. Pssssh. Have you already forgotten his "Who's Lovin' You" from the Wild Fraud Show? Simon says it was a brilliant song choice and he's now a frontrunner. Just like that, huh?
Kris Allen's song choice is "How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved By You)." He's got his guitar again. Jason Castro and his constant use of the guitar kind of annoyed me last year, since it served as a symbol of his being nothing more than a marginally-talented college kid who got a lucky break. Kris, on the other hand, really seems to bring some artistry with his guitar. He does all kinds of starts and stops to the song and gives it a really cool vibe. His vocals are spot on too, although the final glory note is kind of weirdly shouted. Kara says he made his own mark on the song and did everything right. Paula says he's coming into his own and she's proud of him. Simon says it was good, but Kris needs to start believing in himself. He adds that you have to be conceited to be a star. Randy says he's hit his zone and needs to stay in stride. Kris says he appreciates the feedback about believing in himself but isn't sure about the conceitedness. Good for you, Kris. They often flash to shots of Kris' wife in the audience during the criticism. She's pretty. That Kris is a lucky guy. I'm confused though. Is the message here "don't vote for him ladies, he's taken" or "look at him and what a nice, grounded guy he is"? I guess viewers will interpret it however they want. I like the latter interpretation.
Remember last week when the judges told Scott MacIntyre to change it up and come out from behind the piano? Well, Scott's being true to himself and staying there! If he's going to change it up it's going to be from that bench! Instead of the slow song route, he's going uptempo with "You Can't Hurry Love." Sorry Scott, but I can't think of this song on "Idol" without remembering Brandon Rogers' infamous flop that got him eliminated. He has the backup singers standing next to the piano for visual appeal. I guess it's part of the whole Motown spirit or something. While I appreciate Scott's attempt to go upbeat, his vocals just don't carry this song well. His phrasing doesn't flow. I love the grooviness with the piano, but without a good vocal it feels too choppy. It's one of those half-good, half-bad performances. Paula says the singers by the piano brought new life to the performance. Simon thought it was completely the wrong song choice and seemed a bit cheap. Randy compares it to a hotel performance (great, he's taking after Simon). Kara says the idea was good but the execution was bad. The judges upstage the contestants once again when Paula pulls out crayons and a coloring book to give to Simon. Get it? She's calling Simon a child! Why don't they focus on judging and not stealing the spotlight from the singers?
What's horseteeth Megan Joy going to butcher this week? Only Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life"! I love this song! Why does this annoying girl get an opportunity to sing it on national TV? Her phrasing and pronunciation are obnoxious as always. We hear about someone she's "netted" so long, and judging by her pointing, that someone warm like Simon is apparently what made her dreams come true. She's barely singing. It's just annoying half-talking. Then again, people thought Jamar Rogers was good, so perhaps some people will like this crap. Randy calls it a train wreck. Kara says "My Guy" would've been better for her and starts singing it. Careful, Kara! You just cost the show money! I agree though, that "My Guy" would've fit Megan's style better. Paula agrees with the bad song choice criticism but adds that the camera loves her and she's beautiful. Blah blah blah. Who cares? Her looks are overrated. Simon calls it horrible and says she's in serious trouble.
Anoop Desai is doing Smokey's own "Ooh Baby Baby." Nice suck-up job, Anoop! Smokey says the song started as an accident. Interesting. Anoop starts the song sitting on the top step. Uuuugh. Something isn't working on the chorus. Either he's off-key or his falsetto tone just isn't working. I can't tell. He has some good moments later on where his voice is more powerful, but the chorus is the most important part of the song. If you're going to have trouble, have it in the verses. Of course, no trouble at all is ideal. I like Anoop, but this didn't work as well as I wanted it to. Kara says it's a hard song to sing but she liked his chest voice. Way to say what I'm thinking, Kara. Paula says his phrasing, delivery and falsetto are spot on and sweet. Simon says it was a great vocal, but he looked like he was half-asleep. Randy says it was pitchy here and there and he wants him to turn it up next week. That might be a good idea.
Poor Michael Sarver didn't get to visit Detroit because he was sick. Awwww. His song choice is "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." My earlier Scott Savol comparison seems apt. Smokey advises him to be demanding and not sweet-talk, 'cause it's the last chance with his woman. Good advice. I hate when people obviously aren't thinking about what they're singing. Speaking of which, stop smiling, Michael! You're not supposed to be happy here! OK, last week I said he never seems trainwrecky even though he's not good. Well, this is trainwrecky. He looks too cheesy and his voice is too weak for this to be considered anything resembling passable. Hey, is that Rudy Cardenas among his friends in the audience? I doubt it, but it kind of looked like him. Paula says it was too Las Vegas loungy for her. Simon says he couldn't wait for it to end, that he was screaming and shouting the song and that he has no chance of winning. Oh, cut the crap. You could've told him the exact same thing in the Semifinals. Randy says the song was too big for him and it was corny because he tried to do too much with it. Kara isn't seeing who he is as an artist. Sheesh. The only reason he made the Top 13 is because you told America to vote for him. Good job, judges.
Lil Rounds is having an emotional week. Uh-oh. What happened? Oh, she was just really moved by the trip to Hitsville. Um, OK? That's cool, but why is that worth discussing here? Smokey says he's proud to know they left a legacy, as well he should be, but the only reason I can see for including this segment is to make Lil more likable and further anoint her as the last female standing. With a Motown-style hairdo and dress, Lil takes on "Heat Wave." As usual, her voice sounds slightly lacking, but for some reason I don't care. She owns it. At least the song gets your foot tapping. I think this is the most I've enjoyed one of Lil's performances. I notice she lets the backup singers sing the high part while she harmonizes with a low note on the phrase "heat wave." She ends with her usual shouty glory note. Whatever. I'm in a good mood so I'll say this was very good. Then again, maybe I'm judging it leniently after the low bar set by the previous three performers. Randy says the beginning of the song was torture and it felt like she was rushing through the song. Kara says she was the diva everyone was waiting to hear (everyone?), but she doesn't think it was the right song and accuses her of screaming at parts. Gee, you just noticed how much of her "belting" is really shouting? Paula says she made it feel fresh and owned it. Lil looks upset because she apparently knows Paula's compliments are meaningless. Simon says the song doesn't give her a "moment." Argh. All night the judges have been criticizing song choices. It's such a lazy criticism. I swear these judges just say "bad song choice" whenever they can't articulate why they didn't like it. Lil responds to the mixed reviews with as much class as she can, and Paula says Lil should run for president. This of course prompts an "Obama!" from Lil. Very good, Mrs. Rounds. That's the reason we're watching this now instead of yesterday like it should've been.
Adam Lambert's song choice is "The Tracks of My Tears." Finally a song that hasn't been done on this show before! It only took us until the eighth performer! He asks Smokey what inspired the song, and Smokey says it was the idea that someone's cried so much that there are permanent marks on his face, which astounds Adam. We know Adam's an actor, but it's good to see a contestant who actually tries to understand what he's singing about. Adam's changed up his look this week, sporting slicked-back hair and a suit. He's going all-acoustic tonight too. All I can say is "wow." This is incredible. It's all sung in head voice, which is an odd combination with his look, but you can feel the emotion when he's singing. Smokey gives him a standing ovation. That's not just the best of the night so far, it's the best of the season. We haven't had any truly standout performances yet this year, but someone has finally broken through. Kara says he showed artistry. Paula says he's in his own league and brings an element of surprise. Exactly! Simon says Adam emerged tonight as a star. Randy calls it "the bomb." Even though Adam isn't my favorite, he's proving himself to be the most worthy winner. The guy can sing anything, he's shown more creativity than anyone else here and he's the type of contestant whose performances you actually remember. So many people think Danny's going to win, but does he make anywhere close to the impact Adam does?
Speaking of Danny Gokey, he's up next! He's doing "Get Ready." Well, at least he's not reprising his audition of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Smokey suggests that Danny sing the backing vocal parts. OK, cool. Then the song starts and...we learn he didn't take that advice. Are we allowed to start calling him "LaKisha Jones II"? Let's start with the positive: this song does make you tap your feet. Now for the negatives: he does a cheesy dance with the backup singers, uses awkward phrasing and sounds out of breath at times. Ah, what the heck. I kind of enjoyed it even if several flaws stuck out. I must be in a good mood to let this stuff slide like I did earlier with Lil. Either that or I'm just sick of complaining about the same stuff only to find that no one agrees. It's easier to sit back and try to enjoy it. Paula says he gives a first-class performance every week. Simon calls it clumsy and amateurish. Randy says he reminds him of Levi Stubbs. Huh? That's stretching it. Kara says it was good, not great. Man, I'm agreeing with Kara again. Should I be worried?
Finally, Allison Iraheta gets the pimp spot. She deserves it, because she's awesome (thanks for finding that, VFTW!). She's doing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." The vocal is solid, but it's not as good as David Hernandez' version from last year (wow, how often do you get the chance to say that?). The final glory note is great. I think it's good, but I liked her better last week. Randy says it was blazing hot and that she's one of the dopest singers in the competition. Kara uses a Randy-like "What?" when referring to the fact that Allison was in the Bottom 3 last week. She goes on to rave about how great Allison is. Apparently Allison sounds like she's been singing for 400 years and has a gift from God that you can't teach. Wow. Over the top much? Paula has a moustache from the crayons she gave Simon and thinks Allison is awesome. Simon says it was one of her best performances. Alright already. It was good, but it wasn't as great as the judges make it out to be. Let's just keep Allison in this thing for a long time. OK, America?
Ryan talks to Smokey and Berry. Berry says he was blown away by it all and Smokey says they were all awesome. How generous of them.
My performance ranking:
Adam (10 out of 10)
Matt (8.5 out of 10)
Kris (7 out of 10)
Lil (6.9 out of 10)
Allison (6.1 out of 10)
Danny (6 out of 10)
Scott (5 out of 10)
Anoop (4 out of 10)
Michael (1.5 out of 10)
Megan (1 out of 10)
Prediction:
OK, this is tough. I think I'm going to reason this through like Mike V. over at American Idol Addicts.
We had two trainwrecks in Megan and Michael that were far worse than the rest of the crop. What Not to Sing's "Sesame Street Effect" could come into play here. Michael and Megan's fans know their favorites are in trouble, so they might vote a little harder in order to save them.
I believe Lil, Danny and Adam all have fanbases big enough to carry them for a while.
Matt had the death spot, but he did well enough and got pimped enough that he isn't going anywhere. Allison got the pimp spot, so she'll be fine.
Anoop has a strong fanbase and got some pimping despite the fact that I found him forgettable.
That leaves us with Kris and Scott. Scott was forgettable, and Kris was good but went fairly early. I'll pick them both to end up in the Bottom 3 by default. I think they'll be joined there by one of the two trainwrecks. Michael's fanbase is likely to step it up after he was in the Bottom 3 last week, so I'll say it's Megan (I think she was worse anyway, so that works out well).
That leaves us with:
Bottom 3: Kris, Scott, Megan
Going Home: Scott
I get the impression that America's pretty much over Scott. He does the same thing every week and his vocals aren't good enough. Last year I got the Bottom 3 and elimination exactly right in the Top 10, so maybe I'll get lucky again this time. Of course, that was the week we lost Chikezie and I'm still bitter about it to this day. It's hard to say I was truly "lucky" on that one. Of course, I wouldn't mind being right this time, since I can't say Scott interests me that much.
Whom I Voted For: Kris, Anoop, Allison (I'll probably only be voting for these three until they're eliminated)
Tomorrow we have a freaking all-star lineup! Stevie Wonder! Joss Stone! Smokey Robinson! Ruben Studdard! I'm actually looking forward to this one! As long as Anoop or Kris doesn't go home (I'm not even worried about Allison) it should be a good night!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Top 11 Results - So Much For That Staffer
In our show's intro Ryan says the results may shock us. Wow. Could my Alexis prediction come true? I hope so! After introducing the judges he reminds us of their power to save a contestant once this year. Interesting! Please be Alexis! If they have to have this stupid new rule let's get it out of the way early. I mean, you know they want Alexis to go far.
"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is the group number, and they solve their Scott problem by having him play the piano while the rest move around the stage. That's actually quite sensible. You know what's really annoying? The group numbers just aren't as fun this year. All they do is sing in unison. Where are the solos? Where are the harmonies? Not that those ingredients are absolutely necessary (check out the Soul Medley ranked #2 in my post from this weekend), but they do tend to add to the fun. "Hot N' Cold" was the only good group number this year. The rest are just lip-synched mediocrity.
During the commercial we see Kristen McNamara's audition where she sings "Black Velvet." I hope we eventually get to see all the Top 36 members whose auditions we never saw. How will we survive without knowing what Jeanine Vailes sang for hers?
This week's Ford commercial/video/excuse to goof around on camera is a water balloon fight set to "Here it Goes Again." That's by OK Go, right? I don't care enough to look it up.
We see a video of what happens after contestants get eliminated. I've heard about these farewell dinners, but now we finally get to see what they're like. So emotional. Lots of tears. I can imagine.
Ryan chats with the contestants. Alexis talks about how much she loves Jasmine Murray. Michael talks about how hard it is to be away from his family. His daughter even asked him why he didn't want to be with her. Awwwwwww. Megan feels better today. They wore masks in rehearsal to keep from getting sick. If everyone gets sick these next few weeks are going to be interesting.
Time for results!
Danny Gokey is on the tour! Of course.
Lil Rounds is safe! Boy was that a tense moment for her!
Anoop Desai is safe! Anooooooop!
Allison Iraheta and Michael Sarver get to stand up together. Paula, who do you think is in the Bottom 3? Paula says no one in the group deserves it, but chooses Allison between the two of them. Huh? Allison rocked it! Michael...didn't. Surprisingly, both are in the Bottom 3! I mean, Michael doesn't surprise me, but Allison was the best of the night in my opinion. I guess my hunch about her not having a strong fanbase is proving itself correct. If Kris is the last member of the Bottom 3 this show is officially rigged.
Before we finish up the results, Brad Paisley in da house! I've been out of the loop with country since I no longer have cable and can't watch CMT, but this new song is pretty good. It's no surprise that he's one of the best artists in country music today. Ryan pretends to give Brad the results of the voting as soon as he's done performing. Uh, yeah. Not that funny.
Back to the real results.
Scott MacIntyre would love to go on tour, and he'd better pack his bags, because he'll be there!
Megan Joy is on the tour too. Big whoop.
Matt Giraud got the pimp spot, so obviously he's safe too.
Kris Allen is in the Top 10! Congrats, dude!
It's down to Alexis Grace and Adam Lambert. Alexis has to be in the Bottom 3! Adam's got too big a fanbase to end up there this early! Simon refuses to apologize for his comments on Adam last night. Randy informs us the version Adam did last night was based on Jeff Buckley's version. Thanks for clearing that up, Dawg. And the final member of the Bottom 3 is...Alexis! Now if we can just get rid of her!
Who's going back to the safety of the couches? The crowd yells "Allison!" Good to see this audience has taste. They get their wish! Allison's safe! Whoo-hoo! If she'd gone home this show would've been a fraud. So who's leaving? Michael or Alexis? We'll find out after a duet between Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis!
Carrie and her post-Idol success get a lot of pimping, and like Kelly last week, she's happy about being back on the stage that launched her to stardom. Randy Travis says he has no technical knowledge of music and couldn't give much advice to the contestants, but he had a lot of fun doing it. That seems to be the plight of many an Idol mentor. The "I Told You So" duet is really nice. I'm sure my sixth grade teacher would tell me that's lazy writing, but it's about all I can say.
Back to the results. Ryan asks Simon about the Judges' Save, and Simon says there's one contestant in the Bottom 2 that they'd consider saving. Gee, I wonder who that would be? The verdict? Michael is...safe! I knew it! Alexis is the lowest vote-getter! Did I call it or what?
Now she has to sing for her life! According to Simon, if she doesn't do well here she won't be saved. Sheesh, who could perform under that kind of pressure? She looks like she's about to cry the entire time. Perhaps that's just the emotion the song needs! Just as Alexis is desperate to stay in the competition the singer in the song is desperate not to lose her man to Jolene! I can't wait to hear her supporters say that when the judges save her.
Are the judges going to save her after that distraught performance? They say no! Whoa! And here I thought they wanted her more badly than that! Well that's a relief! One less annoying contestant to sit through and no more jerky hand motions or dirtiness! Of course, they probably wanted to save their gimmick for a few more weeks to keep the tension going during farewell performances. Just another way for the show to toy with people's emotions.
Next week we're going to be preempted by the president. "Idol" will be on Wednesday and Thursday nights again. Sigh. First the World Series, then "American Idol," then "American Idol" again! You are not bigger than these events, Mr. President!
Power Rankings:
10. Megan Joy - Her minimally-talented butt is toast next week.
9. Scott MacIntyre - People already seem to be getting sick of him.
8. Michael Sarver - Nice guy, but not good enough.
7. Anoop Desai - Did very well this week, but I don't think he's consistent or strong enough to make it deep into the competition.
6. Kris Allen - May have a bigger fanbase than I realized.
5. Allison Iraheta - Not quite pimped enough, but good enough for the "opposite gender" slot.
4. Danny Gokey - Shocker!
3. Lil Rounds - The diva vote will keep her around as long as she delivers each week.
2. Adam Lambert - Enough fans to get to the finale, enough anti-fans to keep him from winning.
1. Matt Giraud - What Not to Sing had him as the highest-rated performance last night. I was surprised too. For some weird reason people like this guy and nobody except me seems to hate him.
Next week the theme is Motown! Joy of joys!
"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is the group number, and they solve their Scott problem by having him play the piano while the rest move around the stage. That's actually quite sensible. You know what's really annoying? The group numbers just aren't as fun this year. All they do is sing in unison. Where are the solos? Where are the harmonies? Not that those ingredients are absolutely necessary (check out the Soul Medley ranked #2 in my post from this weekend), but they do tend to add to the fun. "Hot N' Cold" was the only good group number this year. The rest are just lip-synched mediocrity.
During the commercial we see Kristen McNamara's audition where she sings "Black Velvet." I hope we eventually get to see all the Top 36 members whose auditions we never saw. How will we survive without knowing what Jeanine Vailes sang for hers?
This week's Ford commercial/video/excuse to goof around on camera is a water balloon fight set to "Here it Goes Again." That's by OK Go, right? I don't care enough to look it up.
We see a video of what happens after contestants get eliminated. I've heard about these farewell dinners, but now we finally get to see what they're like. So emotional. Lots of tears. I can imagine.
Ryan chats with the contestants. Alexis talks about how much she loves Jasmine Murray. Michael talks about how hard it is to be away from his family. His daughter even asked him why he didn't want to be with her. Awwwwwww. Megan feels better today. They wore masks in rehearsal to keep from getting sick. If everyone gets sick these next few weeks are going to be interesting.
Time for results!
Danny Gokey is on the tour! Of course.
Lil Rounds is safe! Boy was that a tense moment for her!
Anoop Desai is safe! Anooooooop!
Allison Iraheta and Michael Sarver get to stand up together. Paula, who do you think is in the Bottom 3? Paula says no one in the group deserves it, but chooses Allison between the two of them. Huh? Allison rocked it! Michael...didn't. Surprisingly, both are in the Bottom 3! I mean, Michael doesn't surprise me, but Allison was the best of the night in my opinion. I guess my hunch about her not having a strong fanbase is proving itself correct. If Kris is the last member of the Bottom 3 this show is officially rigged.
Before we finish up the results, Brad Paisley in da house! I've been out of the loop with country since I no longer have cable and can't watch CMT, but this new song is pretty good. It's no surprise that he's one of the best artists in country music today. Ryan pretends to give Brad the results of the voting as soon as he's done performing. Uh, yeah. Not that funny.
Back to the real results.
Scott MacIntyre would love to go on tour, and he'd better pack his bags, because he'll be there!
Megan Joy is on the tour too. Big whoop.
Matt Giraud got the pimp spot, so obviously he's safe too.
Kris Allen is in the Top 10! Congrats, dude!
It's down to Alexis Grace and Adam Lambert. Alexis has to be in the Bottom 3! Adam's got too big a fanbase to end up there this early! Simon refuses to apologize for his comments on Adam last night. Randy informs us the version Adam did last night was based on Jeff Buckley's version. Thanks for clearing that up, Dawg. And the final member of the Bottom 3 is...Alexis! Now if we can just get rid of her!
Who's going back to the safety of the couches? The crowd yells "Allison!" Good to see this audience has taste. They get their wish! Allison's safe! Whoo-hoo! If she'd gone home this show would've been a fraud. So who's leaving? Michael or Alexis? We'll find out after a duet between Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis!
Carrie and her post-Idol success get a lot of pimping, and like Kelly last week, she's happy about being back on the stage that launched her to stardom. Randy Travis says he has no technical knowledge of music and couldn't give much advice to the contestants, but he had a lot of fun doing it. That seems to be the plight of many an Idol mentor. The "I Told You So" duet is really nice. I'm sure my sixth grade teacher would tell me that's lazy writing, but it's about all I can say.
Back to the results. Ryan asks Simon about the Judges' Save, and Simon says there's one contestant in the Bottom 2 that they'd consider saving. Gee, I wonder who that would be? The verdict? Michael is...safe! I knew it! Alexis is the lowest vote-getter! Did I call it or what?
Now she has to sing for her life! According to Simon, if she doesn't do well here she won't be saved. Sheesh, who could perform under that kind of pressure? She looks like she's about to cry the entire time. Perhaps that's just the emotion the song needs! Just as Alexis is desperate to stay in the competition the singer in the song is desperate not to lose her man to Jolene! I can't wait to hear her supporters say that when the judges save her.
Are the judges going to save her after that distraught performance? They say no! Whoa! And here I thought they wanted her more badly than that! Well that's a relief! One less annoying contestant to sit through and no more jerky hand motions or dirtiness! Of course, they probably wanted to save their gimmick for a few more weeks to keep the tension going during farewell performances. Just another way for the show to toy with people's emotions.
Next week we're going to be preempted by the president. "Idol" will be on Wednesday and Thursday nights again. Sigh. First the World Series, then "American Idol," then "American Idol" again! You are not bigger than these events, Mr. President!
Power Rankings:
10. Megan Joy - Her minimally-talented butt is toast next week.
9. Scott MacIntyre - People already seem to be getting sick of him.
8. Michael Sarver - Nice guy, but not good enough.
7. Anoop Desai - Did very well this week, but I don't think he's consistent or strong enough to make it deep into the competition.
6. Kris Allen - May have a bigger fanbase than I realized.
5. Allison Iraheta - Not quite pimped enough, but good enough for the "opposite gender" slot.
4. Danny Gokey - Shocker!
3. Lil Rounds - The diva vote will keep her around as long as she delivers each week.
2. Adam Lambert - Enough fans to get to the finale, enough anti-fans to keep him from winning.
1. Matt Giraud - What Not to Sing had him as the highest-rated performance last night. I was surprised too. For some weird reason people like this guy and nobody except me seems to hate him.
Next week the theme is Motown! Joy of joys!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Top 11 - Drive Out the Snakes
Tonight we're doing songs from members of the Grand Ole Opry and Randy Travis is our mentor. All but tonight's lowest vote-getter are going on tour this summer. Now there's a group that won't be getting my money.
It's also St. Patrick's Day, so that means they have to make the set light up green for a moment with a bunch of shamrocks! I'm glad Carly Smithson isn't here this year. We wouldn't hear the end of it.
We lead off our show with Michael Sarver, who's doing Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up." Once again, my Josh Gracin comparison is dead on. He has a harmonica player onstage with him. The vocals are nothing special, but they're passable for country. The weird thing about this guy is that he doesn't look like a star and his vocals really aren't that good, but somehow his performances never seem like complete trainwrecks. He likes to smile a lot too, so you can't help but feel happy for him when he's up there. So what can I say? This isn't outstanding, but it's fun. Randy says he didn't show enough vocally. Kara says she missed the big notes but was impressed that he remembered all the words. Paula says she had fun and that the genre suits him. Simon says he couldn't understand a word, and that Michael came over as a clumsy, likable guy on karaoke night. He might hit the Bottom 3 for going first, but he probably has the fanbase to stay another week.
Allison and Kris are next after the commercial, and they do their arm-wrestling routine again. Those two are such fun together!
Allison Iraheta's doing Patty Loveless' "Blame it on Your Heart." Now this is great stuff. Allison really owns the stage and sounds perfect. How did this girl fly under the radar for the auditions and Hollywood? So far she's been the most consistently strong contestant. The funny thing is, she seems completely shy and awkward most of the time, but she's totally poised while performing. Kara says she made it her own and keeps getting better every week. Paula says it was a rock solid performance and thinks she's an amazing artist. Simon says it was a little bit tuneless in parts and that she seemed to struggle with remembering the words, which Allison says she didn't. Ha ha, Simon! Randy thinks it was dope. You know something? Allison reminds me more of Kelly Clarkson than dumb ol' Alexis does. You might want to transfer the coveted mantle of "next Kelly" to Allison next week, judges.
Can Kris Allen hang on another week? Well, to make his case, he's going to perform Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love." It's not the most exciting song, but if you can appreciate good control and pitch, this performance has it in spades. There's a minimal backing track, which can expose a singer's flaws, but Kris pulls it off. His head voice at the end is a little shaky, but overall it's a thumbs up. Paula's pleasantly surprised and loves him without the guitar. Simon says it was terrific and the first time he's thought Kris had a shot at doing well in the competition. Randy says he didn't know he had such tender moments in him. Kara says it was beautiful. He'd better be back next week, or this show is officially too slanted against the ones without screentime.
Diva time! Lil Rounds is doing Martina McBride's "Independence Day." She's not going to diva it up though. She's going to hold back and honor the country genre. Of course, Randy Travis advises her to slow it down to get her riffs in. So...which way is she going to do it? Well, the vocal starts out sounding just OK, but it feels disconnected for some reason. It gets worse as it goes on, especially the chorus. All this performance is doing is proving to me how weak her voice really is. Her sustained notes are terrible and there's a notable lack of power in her vocals. Melinda Doolittle she isn't. Chant with me now: O-ver-ra-ted! There's a long run at the end before the final glory note. How country of her. I'll give Lil credit for making an effort, but this just isn't good. Randy says it was an ambitious song choice that didn't feel comfortable on her. Lil responds by saying she wanted to show that she can do other styles. Kara says she did what she felt, which is part of being an artist. Paula says everything went right for her. Oh, quit the BS. Simon, while struggling with calling Lil "Little," says she came over as a wedding singer forced to sing a request she didn't feel comfortable with. Lil's probably safe for this week, but she's been exposed early.
Next is Adam Lambert. What'll campy theater boy do for country week? Why, a Middle Eastern-influenced version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"! Uh, what? Now this is confusing. It's slow-paced and almost creepy, but there's something about it that makes it interesting. I wonder where he got this version from? Since no Adam performance would be complete without them, he makes weird melodramatic-scary faces at the camera and does some occasional shrieking. My brother is impressed by his voice but not his song choice. That was just...puzzling. Somehow it seems to fit Adam's style though. Kara says it was interesting but she liked it. Paula loves it. Simon calls it horrific, indulgent rubbish. Randy says it was like Nine Inch Nails doing country! It was current! It was fresh! It was hot! David! Archuleta! Phonebook! Adam should be fine for this week. It was another love-it-or-hate-it performance, and enough people love him.
Scott MacIntyre's tonight's first gender-bender: he's doing Martina McBride's "Wild Angels." Randy Travis hates the song choice. I'm not expecting much after last week's disaster, but to my surprise Scott actually sounds really good here. When the big chorus comes in he seems to be feeling it and not getting swallowed up by it. As much as I want to dislike Scott for being so pimped and having a boring style, this is very good. Paula calls it an impressive, lovely performance, but she wants him to mix it up next time and do a song without the piano. Simon says he chose a similar song as last week and wants him to pick something different. Randy wants to see him do more vocally. Kara wants him to up his game. Sheesh, and I thought it was his best performance yet.
Alexis Grace, who kind of looks like Dolly Parton in a petite frame minus the plastic surgery, is singing "Jolene." Will she do better than Brooke White last year? Alexis starts on the stairs and progresses down them over the course of the performance. Ehhhh, I'm not feeling it. The vocals aren't bad, but like Lil, there's sort of a disconnect going on here. Her jerky hand movements are getting annoying too. Randy says she tried to bend it in a bluesy sort of way that didn't work. Kara says she lost her edge a bit. The one you forced her to adopt, Kara? Paula says she was an artist by telling the story of the song. Simon says it was OK, but a bit soundalike. Alexis says she'll bring back the dirty next time. I have future sympathy for her daughter when she reaches junior high. If a classmate finds pictures of Alexis it's all over for her social life.
The Taylor Hicks the judges like, Danny Gokey, is our second gender-bender of the night. He's taking on the first hit of one of our own Idols, Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel." He gets really nervous in front of Randy Travis and has to start over about a hundred times. Will he choke tonight? Oh yeah. This song does not work with his voice. Even my brother comments on how terrible it is. He says he can see Carrie Underwood crying already. Danny's off-pitch most of the time, and when the big chorus comes in it's a mess. He ends with a ridiculous run. This is worse than LaKisha Jones' version. Kara says halfway through he came out of his shell. Paula thinks it's brilliant and that Carrie would buy the record. I'd imagine she has better uses for her money, Paula. Simon's only problem is with Danny's wardrobe. Interesting. I hadn't noticed, but his outfit does remind me of Melinda Doolittle's in the video ranked #8 in the post below. Randy says the verses were pitchy and he needs to support them better. Danny's got the fanbase to be safe, but I didn't think that was as good as the judges did. Man, I got in a lot of references to former Idols there, didn't I? Let's keep it going! Uh...Rickey Smith!
So, Anoop Desai. Are you going to redeem yourself after last week? Well, he's going to keep it simple with Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind." Good song choice. I believe it's been done before, but I won't hold that against him. It's another minimalist arrangement that leaves little room for error, but Anoop handles the first verse and chorus flawlessly. The crowd even cheers as soon as the music picks up. Now this is the Anoop we were all hoping for! He loses the pitch a few times later on, but overall I'd say this is his best performance. It's nice to hear his vocals in all their glory. I like it. I'm feelin' it. Paula says Anoop is back! Simon says Anoop went from zero to hero. Randy says he showed off how good his vocals were and that the arrangement was dope. Kara calls it the best of the night. Good job, Anoop. Now let's keep it up next week.
Megan Joy "Don't Call Me" Corkrey chooses Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." OK, I can hear her doing this, as it's got kind of a jazzy side. My early interest in Megan is shattered once the performance begins and I'm reminded of how annoying her voice is. This time she even adds some goatiness to the mix. I hate Amy Winehouse and her obnoxious jazz inflections, so you can guess how I feel about Megan. While she plays to her personal style well, I can't honestly say I enjoy this. As Simon would say: ob-noxious! Randy calls it very good and the perfect song choice. Kara raves about her performance and mentions that she did it all with the flu. Paula tells us Megan's been in the hospital (you're pimping again!) and calls it fantastic. Simon says it was better this week than last week. Argh. We may have to put up with her in the Top 10.
After going second to last the previous week, Matt Giraud is now getting the pimp spot. Sigh. He's our final gender-bender of the evening, and once again Carrie Underwood is the artist. This time the song is "So Small." It's another piano-based performance, so it's nothing we haven't seen before. His vocals sound OK, but they don't elevate to another level when the band gets louder, hence he gets drowned out. The final note is off. I still hate Matt, but I guess he did all right here. I'm hardly blown away though. Whatever. Kara calls it amazing. Paula loves his authenticity. Simon says he doesn't think Matt's gotten enough credit for his vocals and calls him one of the best of the night. Randy calls it his favorite performance of the night. Blah. Why don't they tell him to change it up and get out from behind the piano? Are the subtly trying to de-pimp Scott and pimp Matt?
My performance ranking:
Allison (9 out of 10)
Scott (8 out of 10)
Kris (7.5 out of 10)
Anoop (7 out of 10)
Adam (6 out of 10)
Matt (5.5 out of 10)
Michael (4.5 out of 10)
Alexis (4 out of 10)
Lil (3.5 out of 10)
Megan (2.5 out of 10)
Danny (2 out of 10)
Prediction
Bottom 3: Alexis, Michael, Kris
Going Home: Alexis, and the Judges' Save makes its debut
Whom I Voted For: Allison, Kris, Anoop
I've had a tough time gauging the popularity of each competitor, so I won't be surprised if none of my Bottom 3 end up there. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Tomorrow Carrie Underwood is the returning Idol, and she's doing a duet with Brad Paisley. Sounds like a good time!
It's also St. Patrick's Day, so that means they have to make the set light up green for a moment with a bunch of shamrocks! I'm glad Carly Smithson isn't here this year. We wouldn't hear the end of it.
We lead off our show with Michael Sarver, who's doing Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up." Once again, my Josh Gracin comparison is dead on. He has a harmonica player onstage with him. The vocals are nothing special, but they're passable for country. The weird thing about this guy is that he doesn't look like a star and his vocals really aren't that good, but somehow his performances never seem like complete trainwrecks. He likes to smile a lot too, so you can't help but feel happy for him when he's up there. So what can I say? This isn't outstanding, but it's fun. Randy says he didn't show enough vocally. Kara says she missed the big notes but was impressed that he remembered all the words. Paula says she had fun and that the genre suits him. Simon says he couldn't understand a word, and that Michael came over as a clumsy, likable guy on karaoke night. He might hit the Bottom 3 for going first, but he probably has the fanbase to stay another week.
Allison and Kris are next after the commercial, and they do their arm-wrestling routine again. Those two are such fun together!
Allison Iraheta's doing Patty Loveless' "Blame it on Your Heart." Now this is great stuff. Allison really owns the stage and sounds perfect. How did this girl fly under the radar for the auditions and Hollywood? So far she's been the most consistently strong contestant. The funny thing is, she seems completely shy and awkward most of the time, but she's totally poised while performing. Kara says she made it her own and keeps getting better every week. Paula says it was a rock solid performance and thinks she's an amazing artist. Simon says it was a little bit tuneless in parts and that she seemed to struggle with remembering the words, which Allison says she didn't. Ha ha, Simon! Randy thinks it was dope. You know something? Allison reminds me more of Kelly Clarkson than dumb ol' Alexis does. You might want to transfer the coveted mantle of "next Kelly" to Allison next week, judges.
Can Kris Allen hang on another week? Well, to make his case, he's going to perform Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love." It's not the most exciting song, but if you can appreciate good control and pitch, this performance has it in spades. There's a minimal backing track, which can expose a singer's flaws, but Kris pulls it off. His head voice at the end is a little shaky, but overall it's a thumbs up. Paula's pleasantly surprised and loves him without the guitar. Simon says it was terrific and the first time he's thought Kris had a shot at doing well in the competition. Randy says he didn't know he had such tender moments in him. Kara says it was beautiful. He'd better be back next week, or this show is officially too slanted against the ones without screentime.
Diva time! Lil Rounds is doing Martina McBride's "Independence Day." She's not going to diva it up though. She's going to hold back and honor the country genre. Of course, Randy Travis advises her to slow it down to get her riffs in. So...which way is she going to do it? Well, the vocal starts out sounding just OK, but it feels disconnected for some reason. It gets worse as it goes on, especially the chorus. All this performance is doing is proving to me how weak her voice really is. Her sustained notes are terrible and there's a notable lack of power in her vocals. Melinda Doolittle she isn't. Chant with me now: O-ver-ra-ted! There's a long run at the end before the final glory note. How country of her. I'll give Lil credit for making an effort, but this just isn't good. Randy says it was an ambitious song choice that didn't feel comfortable on her. Lil responds by saying she wanted to show that she can do other styles. Kara says she did what she felt, which is part of being an artist. Paula says everything went right for her. Oh, quit the BS. Simon, while struggling with calling Lil "Little," says she came over as a wedding singer forced to sing a request she didn't feel comfortable with. Lil's probably safe for this week, but she's been exposed early.
Next is Adam Lambert. What'll campy theater boy do for country week? Why, a Middle Eastern-influenced version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"! Uh, what? Now this is confusing. It's slow-paced and almost creepy, but there's something about it that makes it interesting. I wonder where he got this version from? Since no Adam performance would be complete without them, he makes weird melodramatic-scary faces at the camera and does some occasional shrieking. My brother is impressed by his voice but not his song choice. That was just...puzzling. Somehow it seems to fit Adam's style though. Kara says it was interesting but she liked it. Paula loves it. Simon calls it horrific, indulgent rubbish. Randy says it was like Nine Inch Nails doing country! It was current! It was fresh! It was hot! David! Archuleta! Phonebook! Adam should be fine for this week. It was another love-it-or-hate-it performance, and enough people love him.
Scott MacIntyre's tonight's first gender-bender: he's doing Martina McBride's "Wild Angels." Randy Travis hates the song choice. I'm not expecting much after last week's disaster, but to my surprise Scott actually sounds really good here. When the big chorus comes in he seems to be feeling it and not getting swallowed up by it. As much as I want to dislike Scott for being so pimped and having a boring style, this is very good. Paula calls it an impressive, lovely performance, but she wants him to mix it up next time and do a song without the piano. Simon says he chose a similar song as last week and wants him to pick something different. Randy wants to see him do more vocally. Kara wants him to up his game. Sheesh, and I thought it was his best performance yet.
Alexis Grace, who kind of looks like Dolly Parton in a petite frame minus the plastic surgery, is singing "Jolene." Will she do better than Brooke White last year? Alexis starts on the stairs and progresses down them over the course of the performance. Ehhhh, I'm not feeling it. The vocals aren't bad, but like Lil, there's sort of a disconnect going on here. Her jerky hand movements are getting annoying too. Randy says she tried to bend it in a bluesy sort of way that didn't work. Kara says she lost her edge a bit. The one you forced her to adopt, Kara? Paula says she was an artist by telling the story of the song. Simon says it was OK, but a bit soundalike. Alexis says she'll bring back the dirty next time. I have future sympathy for her daughter when she reaches junior high. If a classmate finds pictures of Alexis it's all over for her social life.
The Taylor Hicks the judges like, Danny Gokey, is our second gender-bender of the night. He's taking on the first hit of one of our own Idols, Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel." He gets really nervous in front of Randy Travis and has to start over about a hundred times. Will he choke tonight? Oh yeah. This song does not work with his voice. Even my brother comments on how terrible it is. He says he can see Carrie Underwood crying already. Danny's off-pitch most of the time, and when the big chorus comes in it's a mess. He ends with a ridiculous run. This is worse than LaKisha Jones' version. Kara says halfway through he came out of his shell. Paula thinks it's brilliant and that Carrie would buy the record. I'd imagine she has better uses for her money, Paula. Simon's only problem is with Danny's wardrobe. Interesting. I hadn't noticed, but his outfit does remind me of Melinda Doolittle's in the video ranked #8 in the post below. Randy says the verses were pitchy and he needs to support them better. Danny's got the fanbase to be safe, but I didn't think that was as good as the judges did. Man, I got in a lot of references to former Idols there, didn't I? Let's keep it going! Uh...Rickey Smith!
So, Anoop Desai. Are you going to redeem yourself after last week? Well, he's going to keep it simple with Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind." Good song choice. I believe it's been done before, but I won't hold that against him. It's another minimalist arrangement that leaves little room for error, but Anoop handles the first verse and chorus flawlessly. The crowd even cheers as soon as the music picks up. Now this is the Anoop we were all hoping for! He loses the pitch a few times later on, but overall I'd say this is his best performance. It's nice to hear his vocals in all their glory. I like it. I'm feelin' it. Paula says Anoop is back! Simon says Anoop went from zero to hero. Randy says he showed off how good his vocals were and that the arrangement was dope. Kara calls it the best of the night. Good job, Anoop. Now let's keep it up next week.
Megan Joy "Don't Call Me" Corkrey chooses Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." OK, I can hear her doing this, as it's got kind of a jazzy side. My early interest in Megan is shattered once the performance begins and I'm reminded of how annoying her voice is. This time she even adds some goatiness to the mix. I hate Amy Winehouse and her obnoxious jazz inflections, so you can guess how I feel about Megan. While she plays to her personal style well, I can't honestly say I enjoy this. As Simon would say: ob-noxious! Randy calls it very good and the perfect song choice. Kara raves about her performance and mentions that she did it all with the flu. Paula tells us Megan's been in the hospital (you're pimping again!) and calls it fantastic. Simon says it was better this week than last week. Argh. We may have to put up with her in the Top 10.
After going second to last the previous week, Matt Giraud is now getting the pimp spot. Sigh. He's our final gender-bender of the evening, and once again Carrie Underwood is the artist. This time the song is "So Small." It's another piano-based performance, so it's nothing we haven't seen before. His vocals sound OK, but they don't elevate to another level when the band gets louder, hence he gets drowned out. The final note is off. I still hate Matt, but I guess he did all right here. I'm hardly blown away though. Whatever. Kara calls it amazing. Paula loves his authenticity. Simon says he doesn't think Matt's gotten enough credit for his vocals and calls him one of the best of the night. Randy calls it his favorite performance of the night. Blah. Why don't they tell him to change it up and get out from behind the piano? Are the subtly trying to de-pimp Scott and pimp Matt?
My performance ranking:
Allison (9 out of 10)
Scott (8 out of 10)
Kris (7.5 out of 10)
Anoop (7 out of 10)
Adam (6 out of 10)
Matt (5.5 out of 10)
Michael (4.5 out of 10)
Alexis (4 out of 10)
Lil (3.5 out of 10)
Megan (2.5 out of 10)
Danny (2 out of 10)
Prediction
Bottom 3: Alexis, Michael, Kris
Going Home: Alexis, and the Judges' Save makes its debut
Whom I Voted For: Allison, Kris, Anoop
I've had a tough time gauging the popularity of each competitor, so I won't be surprised if none of my Bottom 3 end up there. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Tomorrow Carrie Underwood is the returning Idol, and she's doing a duet with Brad Paisley. Sounds like a good time!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Top Twelve American Idol Group Numbers
We all have our opinions on how to improve "American Idol" (and the list has been virtually endless this season), but one that always puzzles me is the suggestion that they do away with the group numbers at the result shows. To this I say: perish the thought! The group numbers have given us countless moments of fun, laughter and at times, brilliance. What kind of flint-hearted scoundrel would want to take them away? Are they sometimes clunky or unmemorable? Sure, but why dismiss the good ones because of a few bad ones?
Maybe it's just my escapist outlook on entertainment, but I think music should brighten up your life. Well-executed group performances can do that in many ways. If you like the song they're singing it can lift your spirits by the sheer power of the notes. If you watch the awkward contestants try to do choreography you can enjoy some unintentional comedy. If it's obvious that the contestants decided to forget their embarrassment and have fun out there we viewers have fun watching them. In all honesty, the group sing is sometimes the only thing worth watching on results night.
To celebrate the moments where they really click, I've compiled what are in my opinion the twelve best group performances. Since AI has had its best seasons with a Top 12, it's only appropriate that that number be used here.
12. Season 2, Top 11 - "Footloose"
The Idols got to sing the title song to Footloose for Movie Week and boy did they enjoy themselves! Just watch! They can't wait to run into the audience to meet their adoring fans, nor can they wipe the smiles off their faces! Is it possible to watch this without wishing you were there?
Cheesy But Fun: In further proof that life just isn't fair, Kimberly Caldwell and Carmen Rasmusen fight over married man Josh Gracin and Julia DeMato and Kimberley Locke grind with Clay Aiken. Some guys have all the luck even when they don't want it.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: During the second verse you can catch Corey Clark checkin' Carmen out!
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Ruben Studdard's limited mobility keeps him confined to stage right most of the time. It looks like he gets to go into the audience, but the camera doesn't follow him there.
11. Season 7, Top 20 - 1970's Medley
The music of the 1970's is often maligned, but this medley reminds us that there were some gems during the decade as well. They obviously went to a lot of trouble to choreograph this segment for 20 contestants as well as give most of them face time. Sometimes more participants means more to love.
Cheesy But Fun: Jason Castro and Danny Noriega pop up in front of the camera to sing the word "Yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu."
Unintentional Comedy Alert: "Nothing But a Heartache" rolls along smoothly before it's suddenly interrupted by Amanda Overmyer's raspy vocals.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Robbie Carrico likes to keep his hand in his pocket and give the choreography a halfhearted effort.
Best Part: "I Feel the Earth Move" may be the most fun part, but "The Things We Do For Love" is pretty good too, especially with my homeboy Chikezie getting featured twice. Of course, "I Saw the Light" also rocks because it's freaking Todd Rundgren!
10. Season 1, Top 5 - Burt Bacharach Medley
Let's just say you hate the cheesy choreography but love the singing. This one should be right up your alley. The contestants just stand in a row and sing, and all the songs are Burt Bacharach classics. Oh yeah, Hal David classics too! You don't want to forget about him! It's hard to go wrong with such good material, and the Top 5 here pull it off admirably. Sit back and enjoy the music.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Perhaps "comedy" is too strong a word, but when Justin Guarini and RJ Helton are singing "This Guy's in Love With You" you can hear one of the girls off to the side say something like "I feel like it's just silly now that I'm doing this here."
Best Part: "Anyone Who Had a Heart," where Kelly Clarkson and Tamyra Gray get the spotlight.
9. Season 8, Group 3 - "Hot N' Cold"
Yep, this one we just saw a few weeks ago made the list. Was it unbelievably corny? Of course it was! That's what made it so great! It stands head and shoulders above the crappy other group sings we've been given this season. Yes, it was almost certainly lip-synched, but with choreography like that how can it not be a classic?
Cheesy But Fun: Where do I begin? Ryan standing right in the middle of the action when it starts? The women's permanent smiles? The synchronized leg-
crossing? Nathaniel Marshall really getting into the lyrics? The camera panning down to find the singers on the couch turned to face it? Ah, heck, they're all winners.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Two words: Scott MacIntyre. OK, OK, I don't want to make fun of the visually impaired, but it's obvious he's at a disadvantage here. If I'm being serious, he does a pretty good job considering his handicap.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Jorge Nunez. The guy can't even lip-sync properly. Alex Wagner-Trugman often looks lost too.
Best Part: I'd have to say the first chorus when we get to see the guys' entire leg-crossing, finger-snapping routine.
8. Season 6, Top 12 - Supremes Medley
It's hard to say what makes this one so appealing. Could it be another case of "the more the merrier"? Could it be that The Supremes had some great songs? Could it be that these contestants were such a fun bunch? Perhaps it's all of the above. All I know is that I've always loved the medley they did for Diana Ross Week.
Cheesy But Fun: During "Stop! (In the Name of Love)" the girls are paired up with guys whose job is to stand there and act aloof.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Chris Sligh. Chris admitted that during the group numbers he was often trying hard to stay focused on the choreography, and it's pretty obvious that he's in a "zone" here. He misses a turn during Blake Lewis' solo line, and you can see him in the background with a blank look on his face during Jordin Sparks' solo in "Baby Love."
Best Part: Musically I'm partial to "Baby Love." Comedically I'm partial to Chris Sligh's standoffishness toward Stephanie Edwards.
7. Season 4, Top 5 - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Sometimes a great song is all that's needed to make a great group performance. While I love the larger group performances, there's a special charm to the smaller ones too. They allow you to hear the individual voices better and usually represent the best of the season's talent. You can argue that Anthony Fedorov and Scott Savol here don't deserve to be mentioned as such, but regardless of what you think of those two, this quintet sounds incredible together. Bo Bice in particular owns.
6. Season 2, Top 3 - Love Songs Medley
Speaking of smaller group numbers, I've always liked this one too. While it may seem like little more than a medley of three adult contemporary hits, it reminds you of the old days when "Idol" was a more innocent show. Back then these three aspiring singers didn't realize what big stars they already were. Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke were certainly one of the most memorable Top 3's ever, and this was the moment they had the stage all to themselves.
Best Part: The Peaches & Herb classic "Reunited." I'm not sure what, but Clay and Ruben seem to be laughing about something when Kimberley starts singing the verse. This display of camaraderie only adds to the enjoyability.
5. Season 2, Top 5 - 1960's Medley
Let's just be honest here: music was better in the 1960's. The decade seemingly offers something for everyone stylistically. This fact wasn't lost on the arrangers of this medley, as it runs the gamut of '60s pop from Stevie Wonder to Gary Puckett to The Mamas and The Papas to Aretha Franklin to Lulu to Little Anthony and The Imperials. Overall, it's five and a half minutes o' pure gold.
Cheesy But Fun: Kimberley Locke and Trenyce do symmetrical arm choreography on "You'll Never Get to Heaven."
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Poor Josh Gracin. He just couldn't stay on pitch anymore at this point. He hangs in there on his solo as best he can though.
Best Part: Just because it's my favorite song of the bunch, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" with Ruben Studdard leading the way is pretty dang cool.
4. Season 5, Top 4 - Elvis Presley Medley
Within an hour America would be shocked to learn that Chris Daughtry was going home, but for the time being the King needed a tribute medley. Elvis Presley was many things, among them a sex symbol, a pop culture icon and an American legend. Most importantly though, he was an artist whose hits still hold up well 30 years after his death. Season 5 didn't have very many group sings, and the ones it did have were mostly lackluster and overchoreographed. On this one our Top 4's leashes are given some slack and they turn a simple medley into a celebration.
Cheesy But Fun: The guys all quickly turn toward Katharine McPhee on the line "Go cat (Kat) go!" in "Blue Suede Shoes." She obliges with a sexy dance.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Seriously, Katharine? Melismafying "Burnin' Love"?
Awkward Contestant to Watch: The house backup singers are obviously participating on this one, and Taylor Hicks doesn't seem all too enthusiastic about his pantomimed role as a Jordanaire.
Best Part: Taylor tears it up at the end on "Burnin' Love." I don't care what anyone says, America got it right with him.
3. Season 6 Finale, Top 6 Girls - Gladys Knight Medley
I'm not a big fan of group sings that include a "special guest," since I think "American Idol" should be about the contestants. After all, they're getting perhaps their only moment in the limelight. This is a rare case where the guest actually works. In a year where the soulful divas ruled, it was only fitting that they brought in one of their musical ancestors. Gladys Knight's voice clearly has some wear and tear on it, but she can still muster up the passion.
Cheesy But Fun: The girls all pull an imaginary train whistle rope and go "whoo-whoo!" Jordin Sparks in particular seems to get a kick out of it.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Gina Glocksen. The Celine Dion rocker chick got no rhythm!
Best Part: "Midnight Train to Georgia" is still a great song after all these years, and this medley wouldn't have been complete without it. Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones get to sing with Gladys on her signature song, and you can see the admiration on their faces. They're sharing the stage with a legend and they're loving it. Isn't that the true beauty of this show? That we're watching dreams come true? Man, I miss Melinda. She had a way of brightening up any stage she set foot on.
2. Season 3, Top 12 - Soul Medley
This thing is so saturated with fun that it almost spills off your monitor and messes up your keyboard. Seriously, you can even hear them laughing at parts. These kids are truly having a blast out there. I always want to watch this one over and over because it's so irresistible. Try not to tap your feet when you watch it. Ha! You can't do it, can you?
Intentional Comedy Alert: One of the guys (I think Matt Rogers) yells "oh, play it Steve!" in the middle of "Soul Man," just like in the Sam and Dave original.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: John Stevens gives it his best effort, but it's obvious this stuff doesn't come naturally to him.
Best Part: Hard to pick, but the highlight may be the end when everyone gets in on "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."
1. Season 6, Top 7 - "I'm Alright"
There's no unintentional comedy or awkwardness to smile at in this one. The fact of the matter is that this is the only group sing that's ever deeply moved me with its beauty. Yeah, I'm a sap, but so what? This performance is perfect in every way. I realize this is the third item from the oft-hated-on Season 6, but I love Season 6 and this is my list. The contestants were much more likable then than they have been since, and this performance only confirms that ever more in my mind. Just watch it and take it all in. It's fantastic.
If you're still in favor of eliminating the group numbers after seeing all that, you officially have no soul. On an otherwise sad night where we have to say goodbye to someone the group sing lets us see the contestants together one final time doing what they dream of. There's a lot we could dispose of on "Idol" (like that new Judges' Save rule), but the group numbers don't belong anywhere near the dumpster.
Maybe it's just my escapist outlook on entertainment, but I think music should brighten up your life. Well-executed group performances can do that in many ways. If you like the song they're singing it can lift your spirits by the sheer power of the notes. If you watch the awkward contestants try to do choreography you can enjoy some unintentional comedy. If it's obvious that the contestants decided to forget their embarrassment and have fun out there we viewers have fun watching them. In all honesty, the group sing is sometimes the only thing worth watching on results night.
To celebrate the moments where they really click, I've compiled what are in my opinion the twelve best group performances. Since AI has had its best seasons with a Top 12, it's only appropriate that that number be used here.
12. Season 2, Top 11 - "Footloose"
The Idols got to sing the title song to Footloose for Movie Week and boy did they enjoy themselves! Just watch! They can't wait to run into the audience to meet their adoring fans, nor can they wipe the smiles off their faces! Is it possible to watch this without wishing you were there?
Cheesy But Fun: In further proof that life just isn't fair, Kimberly Caldwell and Carmen Rasmusen fight over married man Josh Gracin and Julia DeMato and Kimberley Locke grind with Clay Aiken. Some guys have all the luck even when they don't want it.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: During the second verse you can catch Corey Clark checkin' Carmen out!
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Ruben Studdard's limited mobility keeps him confined to stage right most of the time. It looks like he gets to go into the audience, but the camera doesn't follow him there.
11. Season 7, Top 20 - 1970's Medley
The music of the 1970's is often maligned, but this medley reminds us that there were some gems during the decade as well. They obviously went to a lot of trouble to choreograph this segment for 20 contestants as well as give most of them face time. Sometimes more participants means more to love.
Cheesy But Fun: Jason Castro and Danny Noriega pop up in front of the camera to sing the word "Yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu."
Unintentional Comedy Alert: "Nothing But a Heartache" rolls along smoothly before it's suddenly interrupted by Amanda Overmyer's raspy vocals.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Robbie Carrico likes to keep his hand in his pocket and give the choreography a halfhearted effort.
Best Part: "I Feel the Earth Move" may be the most fun part, but "The Things We Do For Love" is pretty good too, especially with my homeboy Chikezie getting featured twice. Of course, "I Saw the Light" also rocks because it's freaking Todd Rundgren!
10. Season 1, Top 5 - Burt Bacharach Medley
Let's just say you hate the cheesy choreography but love the singing. This one should be right up your alley. The contestants just stand in a row and sing, and all the songs are Burt Bacharach classics. Oh yeah, Hal David classics too! You don't want to forget about him! It's hard to go wrong with such good material, and the Top 5 here pull it off admirably. Sit back and enjoy the music.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Perhaps "comedy" is too strong a word, but when Justin Guarini and RJ Helton are singing "This Guy's in Love With You" you can hear one of the girls off to the side say something like "I feel like it's just silly now that I'm doing this here."
Best Part: "Anyone Who Had a Heart," where Kelly Clarkson and Tamyra Gray get the spotlight.
9. Season 8, Group 3 - "Hot N' Cold"
Yep, this one we just saw a few weeks ago made the list. Was it unbelievably corny? Of course it was! That's what made it so great! It stands head and shoulders above the crappy other group sings we've been given this season. Yes, it was almost certainly lip-synched, but with choreography like that how can it not be a classic?
Cheesy But Fun: Where do I begin? Ryan standing right in the middle of the action when it starts? The women's permanent smiles? The synchronized leg-
crossing? Nathaniel Marshall really getting into the lyrics? The camera panning down to find the singers on the couch turned to face it? Ah, heck, they're all winners.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Two words: Scott MacIntyre. OK, OK, I don't want to make fun of the visually impaired, but it's obvious he's at a disadvantage here. If I'm being serious, he does a pretty good job considering his handicap.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Jorge Nunez. The guy can't even lip-sync properly. Alex Wagner-Trugman often looks lost too.
Best Part: I'd have to say the first chorus when we get to see the guys' entire leg-crossing, finger-snapping routine.
8. Season 6, Top 12 - Supremes Medley
It's hard to say what makes this one so appealing. Could it be another case of "the more the merrier"? Could it be that The Supremes had some great songs? Could it be that these contestants were such a fun bunch? Perhaps it's all of the above. All I know is that I've always loved the medley they did for Diana Ross Week.
Cheesy But Fun: During "Stop! (In the Name of Love)" the girls are paired up with guys whose job is to stand there and act aloof.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Chris Sligh. Chris admitted that during the group numbers he was often trying hard to stay focused on the choreography, and it's pretty obvious that he's in a "zone" here. He misses a turn during Blake Lewis' solo line, and you can see him in the background with a blank look on his face during Jordin Sparks' solo in "Baby Love."
Best Part: Musically I'm partial to "Baby Love." Comedically I'm partial to Chris Sligh's standoffishness toward Stephanie Edwards.
7. Season 4, Top 5 - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Sometimes a great song is all that's needed to make a great group performance. While I love the larger group performances, there's a special charm to the smaller ones too. They allow you to hear the individual voices better and usually represent the best of the season's talent. You can argue that Anthony Fedorov and Scott Savol here don't deserve to be mentioned as such, but regardless of what you think of those two, this quintet sounds incredible together. Bo Bice in particular owns.
6. Season 2, Top 3 - Love Songs Medley
Speaking of smaller group numbers, I've always liked this one too. While it may seem like little more than a medley of three adult contemporary hits, it reminds you of the old days when "Idol" was a more innocent show. Back then these three aspiring singers didn't realize what big stars they already were. Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke were certainly one of the most memorable Top 3's ever, and this was the moment they had the stage all to themselves.
Best Part: The Peaches & Herb classic "Reunited." I'm not sure what, but Clay and Ruben seem to be laughing about something when Kimberley starts singing the verse. This display of camaraderie only adds to the enjoyability.
5. Season 2, Top 5 - 1960's Medley
Let's just be honest here: music was better in the 1960's. The decade seemingly offers something for everyone stylistically. This fact wasn't lost on the arrangers of this medley, as it runs the gamut of '60s pop from Stevie Wonder to Gary Puckett to The Mamas and The Papas to Aretha Franklin to Lulu to Little Anthony and The Imperials. Overall, it's five and a half minutes o' pure gold.
Cheesy But Fun: Kimberley Locke and Trenyce do symmetrical arm choreography on "You'll Never Get to Heaven."
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Poor Josh Gracin. He just couldn't stay on pitch anymore at this point. He hangs in there on his solo as best he can though.
Best Part: Just because it's my favorite song of the bunch, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" with Ruben Studdard leading the way is pretty dang cool.
4. Season 5, Top 4 - Elvis Presley Medley
Within an hour America would be shocked to learn that Chris Daughtry was going home, but for the time being the King needed a tribute medley. Elvis Presley was many things, among them a sex symbol, a pop culture icon and an American legend. Most importantly though, he was an artist whose hits still hold up well 30 years after his death. Season 5 didn't have very many group sings, and the ones it did have were mostly lackluster and overchoreographed. On this one our Top 4's leashes are given some slack and they turn a simple medley into a celebration.
Cheesy But Fun: The guys all quickly turn toward Katharine McPhee on the line "Go cat (Kat) go!" in "Blue Suede Shoes." She obliges with a sexy dance.
Unintentional Comedy Alert: Seriously, Katharine? Melismafying "Burnin' Love"?
Awkward Contestant to Watch: The house backup singers are obviously participating on this one, and Taylor Hicks doesn't seem all too enthusiastic about his pantomimed role as a Jordanaire.
Best Part: Taylor tears it up at the end on "Burnin' Love." I don't care what anyone says, America got it right with him.
3. Season 6 Finale, Top 6 Girls - Gladys Knight Medley
I'm not a big fan of group sings that include a "special guest," since I think "American Idol" should be about the contestants. After all, they're getting perhaps their only moment in the limelight. This is a rare case where the guest actually works. In a year where the soulful divas ruled, it was only fitting that they brought in one of their musical ancestors. Gladys Knight's voice clearly has some wear and tear on it, but she can still muster up the passion.
Cheesy But Fun: The girls all pull an imaginary train whistle rope and go "whoo-whoo!" Jordin Sparks in particular seems to get a kick out of it.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: Gina Glocksen. The Celine Dion rocker chick got no rhythm!
Best Part: "Midnight Train to Georgia" is still a great song after all these years, and this medley wouldn't have been complete without it. Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones get to sing with Gladys on her signature song, and you can see the admiration on their faces. They're sharing the stage with a legend and they're loving it. Isn't that the true beauty of this show? That we're watching dreams come true? Man, I miss Melinda. She had a way of brightening up any stage she set foot on.
2. Season 3, Top 12 - Soul Medley
This thing is so saturated with fun that it almost spills off your monitor and messes up your keyboard. Seriously, you can even hear them laughing at parts. These kids are truly having a blast out there. I always want to watch this one over and over because it's so irresistible. Try not to tap your feet when you watch it. Ha! You can't do it, can you?
Intentional Comedy Alert: One of the guys (I think Matt Rogers) yells "oh, play it Steve!" in the middle of "Soul Man," just like in the Sam and Dave original.
Awkward Contestant to Watch: John Stevens gives it his best effort, but it's obvious this stuff doesn't come naturally to him.
Best Part: Hard to pick, but the highlight may be the end when everyone gets in on "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."
1. Season 6, Top 7 - "I'm Alright"
There's no unintentional comedy or awkwardness to smile at in this one. The fact of the matter is that this is the only group sing that's ever deeply moved me with its beauty. Yeah, I'm a sap, but so what? This performance is perfect in every way. I realize this is the third item from the oft-hated-on Season 6, but I love Season 6 and this is my list. The contestants were much more likable then than they have been since, and this performance only confirms that ever more in my mind. Just watch it and take it all in. It's fantastic.
If you're still in favor of eliminating the group numbers after seeing all that, you officially have no soul. On an otherwise sad night where we have to say goodbye to someone the group sing lets us see the contestants together one final time doing what they dream of. There's a lot we could dispose of on "Idol" (like that new Judges' Save rule), but the group numbers don't belong anywhere near the dumpster.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Top 13 Results - Bye Bye Boredom
Tonight we say goodbye to two people. It won't be easy, as we've grown so attached to them over this long-unfolding process, but we'll have to find a way to cope.
Ryan tells us that last night brought in 33 million votes, the most ever at this point in competition. If that's true it's because the power dialers are the only ones still watching. Of course, there's also the whole issue of there being an extra contestant this time, so...yeah.
Is it just me, or is it getting old hearing Randy boo Simon everytime he's introduced? Simon does deserve to be booed with the way he's runing this show into the ground, but it just seems like a poor attempt at humor when the Dawg does it every week.
So this twist we've heard about, what is it? Well, look at these faces: Tamyra Gray, Michael Johns, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry. What do they have in common? They were all shocking eliminations! They're introducing a new rule this year: The Judges' Save. Up until the Top 5 the judges can save an eliminated contestant. They can only do it once, it has to be unanimous, and two will go home the following week. Well OK, that's not as bad as the judges picking who goes home, but I'm still not a fan of it. Ryan asks Simon if it means Chris Daughtry could've won, and Simon says yes. Ummm, no it doesn't. Chris Daughtry was eliminated in the Top 4, as was Tamyra Gray. Whatever. It's all part of their continual ploy to convince us America got it wrong with Taylor Hicks.
If they'd saved Michael Johns last year, it means Brooke White would've gone home the next week, since she was in the Bottom 2 with Kristy Lee Cook. As someone who hated Michael and loved Brooke I would've been pretty angry had that happened. Watching that massively overrated Australian get eliminated was one of the few highlights of last season, so I hate this new twist already.
They introduce us to the Idols' new mansion. It has everything, including a bowling alley, a steam room, a pool, a theater and a basketball court. They're living the life, all right. I just hope they have enough time to practice their singing with so much to do.
Group sing! It's a Jackson 5 medley which includes "I Want You Back" and "ABC." Scott, not surprisingly, looks like a mannequin most of the time (even more so than our beloved mannequin from last year, Kristy Lee), and Jorge clearly loses the words at one point. That was fun, but not one of the best they've ever done. Which group number is the best? Hmmm. Good question! Stay tuned to this blog over the weekend and you may find out!
Hey, Nate Marshall's audition is shown during the commercial! Nice to see it now that he's gone and it can't possibly help him build a fanbase. Hmmmm, he sang "Proud Mary" just like Danny Noriega. The similarities end there, of course. Well, actually...
The Ford commercial is set to "We Will Rock You." Boring. The visual is just pictures of the Idols reflected on buildings and cars. Nothing really happens here.
Time for some results! Dim the lights, here we go.
Michael Sarver is safe. Of course! Who isn't going to vote for a good ol' boy from the country of Texas?
Allison Iraheta is safe. Whoo! One of the people I would've voted for!
Jasmine Murray has to come down to the center of the stage. Ryan doesn't say she's in the Bottom 3 though.
Matt Giraud thinks he's going to center stage next, but he's told to go back to his seat, because he's safe.
Kris Allen gets a huge round of applause, and Ryan tells him to stay standing. Megan Joy Corkrey stands too. Kris is safe, so Megan's joining Jasmine. Whoo! Go Kris! Fodder for the victory!
So which one is leaving us? Megan or Jasmine? The safe person is...Megan. No surprise there. Vote for the Worst was behind Megan, and Jasmine really had no fanbase. Jasmine is eliminated for the time being. Of course, while she's singing "I'll Be There" the judges are deliberating about the finality of this result. As if they're going to waste the one-time save on her.
So Randy, now that she's sung for us again are the judges going to save her? Nope. She's going home. Of course. Jasmine tears up, and Ryan tells her how good she is. Carrie Underwood's "Home Sweet Home" is introduced as we see a montage of Jasmine's journey.
Did I call it or what? I referred to her as Leah LaBelle Part II in my preview of the Top 13. She's going to join old Leah as the only contestant to fail to get the public's vote three straight weeks. Well OK, it's not exactly the same, as the public had no vote on the Wild Card show, but you know she wouldn't have made it if they did. Jasmine is also a lot like Leah in that she was a kid who just wasn't ready. Are you paying attention, producers? This is yet another example of why the return to the old Semifinal format was a disaster. You get contestants nobody wants.
Now it's time for Kanye West, here to perform his new single! It's some piece of overproduced garbage called "Heartless." I'm surprised there's room for two egos as big as his and Simon's in the same room. One day in fifteen years I'll pull out this tape and laugh about the fact that this crap was once popular.
Scott MacIntyre is safe. We all know it wasn't because of his singing.
Alexis Grace got the pimp spot, so no jaws drop when she's announced safe.
Danny Gokey is safe of course, because Paula already told us he's going to the finale.
Anoop Desai already knows he's going to center stage after last night's criticism.
Adam Lambert, the other guy in the finale, is safe.
Jorge Nunez stands up and has to stay there. Lil Rounds stands up and has to stay there. Who's joining Anoop? Like there's any question. Jorge!
Anoop and Jorge. So which one is leaving? We'll find out after Kelly Clarkson performs!
Oh come on! Anoop has a huge fanbase! If he goes home it'll be a true shocker. I was thinking Jorge having all of Puerto Rico behind him would be to his advantage, but I guess it's not enough to overcome a boring style and the judges being harsher with him than he deserves. Jorge seems like a nice guy, but I want to see more from Anoop, so I hope Jorge's leaving us.
Ryan introduces Kelly by saying they plan to have a former Idol back each week. So next week it's Taylor Hicks, right? After all, he has a new album to promote. Ryan chats with Kelly, who seems happy about being back on "Idol" despite supposedly having a poor relationship with the show. She says she feels like she's going to be judged again, and that her album has a little bit of every genre on it. The new single is "My Life Would Suck Without You." She sounds a little under the weather tonight. Her voice has definitely gotten grittier over the years. It's probably related to all the high notes she loves to hit. Fun song, even if the vocals are a bit strained.
So we're back to Anoop and Jorge, and Anoop is...safe! Yep. Told ya! Nice-but-way-too-old-fashioned Jorge gets to sing again while he wonders if the judges might save him tonight. What a surprise that they don't.
Now that we've lost two more, it's power ranking time again:
11. Megan Joy Corkrey. The Vote For the Worst pick always goes home in 11th Place.
10. Anoop Desai. He's on borrowed time unless he steps up his game. He reminds me of Chris Sligh, another 10th Placer. There was a lot of hype, but he failed to live up to it in the Finals.
9. Allison Iraheta. She's gotten this far based on performing well, but I'm still not sure if she has the fanbase to save her if she screws up.
8. Kris Allen. He can coast along by singing well, but he's probably got the same fanbase problem.
7. Michael Sarver. I know I had him at 4th Place earlier, but I think he'll be the new VFTW pick after Megan and end up in 7th Place, another spot that often spells doom for their picks.
6. Scott MacIntyre. People will be tired of him by this point.
5. Alexis Grace. This is a guy's year, after all.
4. Danny Gokey. 4th Place is the shocker spot.
3. Lil Rounds. Syesha Mercado Part II.
2. Adam Lambert. See my comments from last week.
1. Matt Giraud. I think he has enough positives and few enough negatives that he'll end up taking the whole thing. Of course, his boring personality could end up being a factor.
This season might not be as crappy as I thought, but they'd better not introduce anymore twists. Check back this weekend for what I hope will be a fun post!
Ryan tells us that last night brought in 33 million votes, the most ever at this point in competition. If that's true it's because the power dialers are the only ones still watching. Of course, there's also the whole issue of there being an extra contestant this time, so...yeah.
Is it just me, or is it getting old hearing Randy boo Simon everytime he's introduced? Simon does deserve to be booed with the way he's runing this show into the ground, but it just seems like a poor attempt at humor when the Dawg does it every week.
So this twist we've heard about, what is it? Well, look at these faces: Tamyra Gray, Michael Johns, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry. What do they have in common? They were all shocking eliminations! They're introducing a new rule this year: The Judges' Save. Up until the Top 5 the judges can save an eliminated contestant. They can only do it once, it has to be unanimous, and two will go home the following week. Well OK, that's not as bad as the judges picking who goes home, but I'm still not a fan of it. Ryan asks Simon if it means Chris Daughtry could've won, and Simon says yes. Ummm, no it doesn't. Chris Daughtry was eliminated in the Top 4, as was Tamyra Gray. Whatever. It's all part of their continual ploy to convince us America got it wrong with Taylor Hicks.
If they'd saved Michael Johns last year, it means Brooke White would've gone home the next week, since she was in the Bottom 2 with Kristy Lee Cook. As someone who hated Michael and loved Brooke I would've been pretty angry had that happened. Watching that massively overrated Australian get eliminated was one of the few highlights of last season, so I hate this new twist already.
They introduce us to the Idols' new mansion. It has everything, including a bowling alley, a steam room, a pool, a theater and a basketball court. They're living the life, all right. I just hope they have enough time to practice their singing with so much to do.
Group sing! It's a Jackson 5 medley which includes "I Want You Back" and "ABC." Scott, not surprisingly, looks like a mannequin most of the time (even more so than our beloved mannequin from last year, Kristy Lee), and Jorge clearly loses the words at one point. That was fun, but not one of the best they've ever done. Which group number is the best? Hmmm. Good question! Stay tuned to this blog over the weekend and you may find out!
Hey, Nate Marshall's audition is shown during the commercial! Nice to see it now that he's gone and it can't possibly help him build a fanbase. Hmmmm, he sang "Proud Mary" just like Danny Noriega. The similarities end there, of course. Well, actually...
The Ford commercial is set to "We Will Rock You." Boring. The visual is just pictures of the Idols reflected on buildings and cars. Nothing really happens here.
Time for some results! Dim the lights, here we go.
Michael Sarver is safe. Of course! Who isn't going to vote for a good ol' boy from the country of Texas?
Allison Iraheta is safe. Whoo! One of the people I would've voted for!
Jasmine Murray has to come down to the center of the stage. Ryan doesn't say she's in the Bottom 3 though.
Matt Giraud thinks he's going to center stage next, but he's told to go back to his seat, because he's safe.
Kris Allen gets a huge round of applause, and Ryan tells him to stay standing. Megan Joy Corkrey stands too. Kris is safe, so Megan's joining Jasmine. Whoo! Go Kris! Fodder for the victory!
So which one is leaving us? Megan or Jasmine? The safe person is...Megan. No surprise there. Vote for the Worst was behind Megan, and Jasmine really had no fanbase. Jasmine is eliminated for the time being. Of course, while she's singing "I'll Be There" the judges are deliberating about the finality of this result. As if they're going to waste the one-time save on her.
So Randy, now that she's sung for us again are the judges going to save her? Nope. She's going home. Of course. Jasmine tears up, and Ryan tells her how good she is. Carrie Underwood's "Home Sweet Home" is introduced as we see a montage of Jasmine's journey.
Did I call it or what? I referred to her as Leah LaBelle Part II in my preview of the Top 13. She's going to join old Leah as the only contestant to fail to get the public's vote three straight weeks. Well OK, it's not exactly the same, as the public had no vote on the Wild Card show, but you know she wouldn't have made it if they did. Jasmine is also a lot like Leah in that she was a kid who just wasn't ready. Are you paying attention, producers? This is yet another example of why the return to the old Semifinal format was a disaster. You get contestants nobody wants.
Now it's time for Kanye West, here to perform his new single! It's some piece of overproduced garbage called "Heartless." I'm surprised there's room for two egos as big as his and Simon's in the same room. One day in fifteen years I'll pull out this tape and laugh about the fact that this crap was once popular.
Scott MacIntyre is safe. We all know it wasn't because of his singing.
Alexis Grace got the pimp spot, so no jaws drop when she's announced safe.
Danny Gokey is safe of course, because Paula already told us he's going to the finale.
Anoop Desai already knows he's going to center stage after last night's criticism.
Adam Lambert, the other guy in the finale, is safe.
Jorge Nunez stands up and has to stay there. Lil Rounds stands up and has to stay there. Who's joining Anoop? Like there's any question. Jorge!
Anoop and Jorge. So which one is leaving? We'll find out after Kelly Clarkson performs!
Oh come on! Anoop has a huge fanbase! If he goes home it'll be a true shocker. I was thinking Jorge having all of Puerto Rico behind him would be to his advantage, but I guess it's not enough to overcome a boring style and the judges being harsher with him than he deserves. Jorge seems like a nice guy, but I want to see more from Anoop, so I hope Jorge's leaving us.
Ryan introduces Kelly by saying they plan to have a former Idol back each week. So next week it's Taylor Hicks, right? After all, he has a new album to promote. Ryan chats with Kelly, who seems happy about being back on "Idol" despite supposedly having a poor relationship with the show. She says she feels like she's going to be judged again, and that her album has a little bit of every genre on it. The new single is "My Life Would Suck Without You." She sounds a little under the weather tonight. Her voice has definitely gotten grittier over the years. It's probably related to all the high notes she loves to hit. Fun song, even if the vocals are a bit strained.
So we're back to Anoop and Jorge, and Anoop is...safe! Yep. Told ya! Nice-but-way-too-old-fashioned Jorge gets to sing again while he wonders if the judges might save him tonight. What a surprise that they don't.
Now that we've lost two more, it's power ranking time again:
11. Megan Joy Corkrey. The Vote For the Worst pick always goes home in 11th Place.
10. Anoop Desai. He's on borrowed time unless he steps up his game. He reminds me of Chris Sligh, another 10th Placer. There was a lot of hype, but he failed to live up to it in the Finals.
9. Allison Iraheta. She's gotten this far based on performing well, but I'm still not sure if she has the fanbase to save her if she screws up.
8. Kris Allen. He can coast along by singing well, but he's probably got the same fanbase problem.
7. Michael Sarver. I know I had him at 4th Place earlier, but I think he'll be the new VFTW pick after Megan and end up in 7th Place, another spot that often spells doom for their picks.
6. Scott MacIntyre. People will be tired of him by this point.
5. Alexis Grace. This is a guy's year, after all.
4. Danny Gokey. 4th Place is the shocker spot.
3. Lil Rounds. Syesha Mercado Part II.
2. Adam Lambert. See my comments from last week.
1. Matt Giraud. I think he has enough positives and few enough negatives that he'll end up taking the whole thing. Of course, his boring personality could end up being a factor.
This season might not be as crappy as I thought, but they'd better not introduce anymore twists. Check back this weekend for what I hope will be a fun post!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Top 13 - It's Fine Being Artistic, But Not on This Show
Well, the King of Pop's songs are this week's theme, so let's get down to business.
There's a new entrance where the judges all walk out from center stage. Based on what Ryan says after the judges are seated, Simon came up with the idea. I guess Simon wants the spotlight on himself instead of the contestants. Big shocker. Randy says any of the 13 could win. Get a clue, Randy. Simon has too many voters eating out of his hands. Kara says these kids could be on the radio so they have to make sure they sound good. Well it's up to America, isn't it? If America likes how they sound, then what do you care? Simon says two are going home tomorrow. Good. That's two fewer boring contestants to sit through next week.
First is Lil Rounds. She talks about how her hometown of Memphis, TN, has a lot of great things, among them barbecue. Barbecue? In the south? She and Anoop must have a lot to talk about. Her song choice is "The Way You Make Me Feel." She overperforms it a bit, pointing to her high heels on the line that mentions them, and her voice is a little annoying at times. Still, she's very confident on stage, and this is really good even though I won't be voting for her. I'm more impressed by her vocals than I was in the Semifinals. Randy says she made the song new again. Kara hopes we get to hear her on the radio. Paula compliments her makeup and calls her a force to be reckoned with. Simon says it was good, but a lazy song choice. I say it was well-done, but I can live without Lil.
Scott MacIntyre talks about his musical background, and we learn that his sister is visually impaired too. There's no family history of it or anything, so it's an odd coincidence that they're both that way. I guess if you have some sort of handicap it's comforting to know that another family member deals with the same thing. His song is "Keep the Faith," and he performs it at the piano, of course. His voice cracks several times and sounds off-key during the chorus, and the big falsetto note he hits in the middle is terrible. In addition to being boring, the poor vocals do this one in. Kara likes the hopeful message he delivered. Paula points out the song's composer in the audience. Simon hates the song because he doesn't know it. Scott says he was trying to be artisitc, which Simon says is fine for something other than this show. What? Is this show still "the search for a superstar," or is it now "the search for a one-album wonder"? Based on past winners' record sales the latter may as well be true. Randy thinks the performance was too safe. Whatever. Scott's not going anywhere because of his tunnel vision.
We learn that in Danny Gokey's house growing up they sang about everything. Perhaps not surprisingly, they don't mention his dead wife at all during the intro clip. I guess they were aware of the backlash that was developing. He sings "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," and while the vocals are strong, the whole thing comes off as a bit corny. Danny can't pull off the whole soulful charmer routine, and letting the audience sing the "na-na-na-na" is tacky. He does this sort of angry growling thing, which I'm sure Alex Wagner-Trugman would've been attacked for. He shows us he can sing, but it's weird. Paula says he's on his way to the finals. Simon says the vocals were brilliant and he reminds him of Michael McDonald, but the dancing is hideous. Sounds like the same stuff you hated about Taylor Hicks, Simon. Danny interrupts and says he wanted a dance teacher but never got one. Randy loves it all, and Kara says he has joy when he steps onstage. He'll be safe, as I'm sure a look at the script would confirm.
Michael Sarver visits his oil rig and family. Aren't his kids so cute? We find out that he grew up without a father, so that made him want to be the best dad he can be. Isn't he a great guy? He sings "You're Not Alone," and he still reminds me of Josh Gracin for some reason. He starts out sounding pretty good, but he eventually gets lost in the middle, starts missing notes and does his childlike exuberance thing. It's not as bad as I was expecting, but it's too amateurish to me. He has a likable personality, but not a great voice. Simon says he made up for his weak voice with passion and heart. Randy says he returned to his R&B swagger. Kara says he showed her he really can sing, Paula says he picked a good song that allowed him to color it up. They show a shot of his daughter while showing his phone number. Could it be any more obvious that he's part of the "cast"? Just wait until Kris Allen comes on and they throw him under the bus. He's the only one who isn't one of their hand-picked contestants.
Jasmine Murray, the one who made the Top 13 despite no one really liking her, chats with Ryan about the glam squad, and how she gets to keep the clothes they pick out despite our being in a recession. They show cute kids in her intro clip, I assume her nieces and nephews. Her version of "I'll Be There" sounds pretty good, but the belting is too nasal and the slow pace makes it boring. She still comes off as amateurish. Randy namedrops Mariah Carey and says it was pretty good. Kara thinks a half key down would've been better for her voice, but she sold it. Paula says there were some bad moments and some brilliant ones. Simon says it was a good attempt, but the big notes troubled her. I hope she goes away soon, because I don't think anyone really cares about her.
Kris and Allison are arm-wrestling when they show them coming up before the commercial. When Kris looks away Allison grabs his arm with her free hand and wins. I guess when you're fodder you have to amuse yourself anyway you can.
I can almost imagine one of the producers watching this show on a big screen in some secret lair petting a white cat, nervously hoping to see if Kris Allen will screw up and the judges throw him under the bus sufficiently. "This infiltrator wasn't part of the plan!" We find out he's been married for five months, so I guess that means he was a newlywed during Hollywood week. He's doing "Remember the Time" with the guitar. His voice seems too echoey. Is this a sabotage mix? I just realized I don't know a lot of these songs. I get a phone call in the middle and have to miss most of this, but it's actually pretty cool from what I see. Go Kris! Win it for the underdogs! Kara says the girls love him and that she's happy to see him with his guitar. Hmmm, semi-pimping. Paula says he's engaging with the guitar and kind of "adorable sexy." Simon says it was interesting and the vocals were OK, but the song didn't suit the guitar, and he's not sure he would've brought the wife out so early. His wife looks uncomfortable in audience after that remark. Randy says it was kind of cool and Jason Mraz-y. I hope he stays, but I won't be surprised if he doesn't. At least the judges gave credit where it was due.
We finally learn what Allison Iraheta's heritage is: Her parents are Salvadorian. She started singing at a Latin shopping center and knew she wanted to do "Idol" at age nine. Dressed like a rocker chick, complete with leather hoodie, she sings "Give in to Me." It's pretty good, though her voice sounds weird in spots. Still very powerful, though. Paula says it was good, and she knows we'll be seeing a lot more of her. Simon says it was good, that she knows what type of artist she is, and that he likes her confidence. Randy calls her one to watch. Kara advises her to keep being a rocker girl. Allison makes weird faces while Ryan gives out her number. I hope she sticks around too, just because she came into this looking like fodder.
The judges really haven't given a bad review to anyone tonight. Maybe they're trying to make it hard to predict the two going home.
Ryan chats with Anoop Desai about being the last one in the Top 13, and he just says he was surprised and all that. Whoopity-doo. We learn that his parents were actual immigrants from India, and that they've taught him a lot about Indian culture. It's funny to think that the only child of the first generation in America decided to pursue a career as an R&B singer. He sings "Beat It," but the problem is that it seems like more of a crowd-pleaser song than a vocal showcase. His voice drops out a few times and sounds weak on parts of the chorus. He sings with a sneer most of the time, which I guess is supposed to give it "attitude" or something. The whole thing is just weird. I want to like Anoop everytime he performs, but he keeps disappointing me. Paula thinks Jacko owns the song and that it sounds karaoke coming from someone else. Simon calls it horrible. Randy says it was the wrong song choice. Anoop replies that he hopes he can show what he's got next week. Kara says he didn't do enough variation on anything and she didn't feel connected to him. Ryan asks Simon if they regret making it a Top 13, and Simon says based on that, yes. Man, don't tell me they're throwing Anoop under the bus! I'm not worried for him though. He's got a huge fanbase.
Jorge Nunez says his family broke apart after his grandfather died, and being on "Idol" is hopefully going to make them feel better. He's doing "Never Can Say Goodbye." There's a lot of belting and glory notes here, but vocally it's pretty good. I don't have much to say except it was decent. Randy says the song was a little old-fashioned and he wants to see something more challenging. Kara says he needs more emotion. Paula says she didn't feel he was himself. Jorge says it fit his voice better than other choices, and that he didn't want to sing "Bad." Simon of course quips that he did anyway, and adds that it was corny and out of his depth. Poor Jorge. I thought he did alright.
Megan Joy Corkrey is our resident font analyst, who says her friends and family pushed her into doing this. She says she's never been onstage except in choir, which anyone can do. She tried out for musicals and solos but never made it. Gee, I wonder why? I wouldn't have anything to do with your lack of vocal talent, would it? They make you feel sorry for her again by bringing up her divorce, and we get the obligatory teary moment when she talks about her son. She's doing "Rockin' Robin" tonight. This is a fun, catchy song that doesn't require a lot of range, so I guess it suits her well. Instead of twirling she's slinking this time. Her voice still annoys me with its weird affected jazz-isms, but somehow, to my utmost shock, she actually pulls off the glory note at the end! Wow. I didn't know she was capable of that. This is her best performance, but that's not saying much. Kara says she injected her personality into the performance. Paula likes her quirky and unique tone, but says she felt disconnected. Simon says it was a stupid song choice and a clumsy, awkward performance. Wow, is he just now noticing how bad she is? Randy says the song choice didn't allow her to be Megan. Chef Gordon Ramsay is in the audience, but we can't hear what he says when he tries to talk. Trying to cross-promote that crappy "Hell's Kitchen" show, eh?
Adam Lambert sings "Black and White," and starts out sounding kind of like Jacko himself. This song mentions being out with a girl and not being afraid of sheets, which makes it an odd choice for Adam. It was clearly written from the perspective of a straight black man. Of course, Michael Jackson himself is questionable on both counts, so maybe it's not a big deal. Adam adds an Axl Rose touch to it and starts to camp it up on the bridge. The phrasing is awkward at points, but his stage performance skills make up for any vocal blemishes. Paula says that never in AI history have we ever seen someone so comfortable and seasoned onstage, which makes Adam start tearing up. She adds that she sees him running all the way to the end. So Adam beats Danny in the finale? Thanks for giving it away, Paula! Simon says it was in a totally different league to everything else tonight. Randy once again reminds us that Adam is the most current contestant they have and all that. I guess if he got away with telling David Archuleta he could sing the phone book each week last year he figures he can get away with mentioning how current Adam is each week this year. Kara says Adam hit notes she didn't know existed. Wow, now he's being credited with reinventing the nature of sound? Kara also hopes Michael Jackson is watching. It'd be weird to allow "Idol" to do your songs and then not watch, but old MJ's eccentric enough that it wouldn't surprise me.
Matt Giraud does "Human Nature," and we finally get to hear him at the piano. His voice is drowned out by the piano at times, and he still oversings a bit, but somehow he makes it work. The vocals aren't flawless, but overall he pulls it off. I'm getting tired of recapping here, so I don't have much to say about it. I'm still not a fan. Randy says it was a good performance and that he's got the Robin Thicke/Justin Timberlake thing jumping off. Kara says she hopes to see him many many weeks. Paula's blown away. Simon says it was very good. Matt still has no personality, but I know he's going to be here a while.
Whoa, there's one more! I was thinking Matt was the last one. My brain is still in "12" mode. Ryan tells us we need to grab a pen and paper for her special number, because Alexis Grace is closing the show. It's OK, Ryan. I'm not voting for her. We learn that her father is a musician who passed on his love of music to her, and she cries about missing her daughter again. She sings "Dirty Diana" and slurs the words a little at first. She gets it together and starts belting out some big-time notes. "IDOLS 36"? That's an odd number to see on the screen. Her herky-jerky moves are really distracting. It's like watching a robot programmed to "act soulful." The final glory note is definitely off. Impressive from a singing standpoint, but not my thing. Kara says "you're a naughty girl and I liked it." Kinky! Paula tells her to watch the oversinging. Simon says it was over the top and probably not as good as she thought it was. Randy says it was good but not great, and he liked the attitude. I say whatever. She got the pimp spot so we know she'll be safe.
My performance ranking:
Lil (8.5 out of 10)
Adam (8 out of 10)
Kris (7.1 out of 10)
Alexis (7 out of 10)
Jorge (6.9 out of 10)
Allison (6.5 out of 10)
Danny (6 out of 10)
Matt (5.9 out of 10)
Megan (5 out of 10)
Jasmine (4.9 out of 10)
Anoop (4.5 out of 10)
Michael (3.5 out of 10)
Scott (2 out of 10)
Ryan tells us that tomorrow there'll be a change to the rules that affects the entire face of the competition. He asks Simon if we'll like it. Simon tells us he's not sure, because it has to do with the judges. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh-oh. I already know what's going on here. They're going to do it "X-Factor" style. Now the judges will be deciding who goes home out of the Bottom 2. As if this season weren't already the most blatantly manipulated, they decided to pull this crap with us. I'm not even going to vote now. Well OK, I did try to vote for Kris, Allison and Anoop, but I got busy signals each time. Hopefully they won't be in the bottom.
Prediction
Bottom 3: Kris, Allison, Jasmine.
Going home: Kris, Jasmine.
Even though Kris and Allison both did well, I don't think either one has a large fanbase, so they'll probably be forgotten by many voters. The judges don't care about Kris, so he's leaving for sure, and given a choice between Allison and Jasmine, they have to keep the one who's proven her worth, which would be Allison. If they do this new elimination method I'm not going to vote at all. If they don't abandon it I'm not even going to watch next season. I won't be watching your crappy American X-Factor either, Simon. Keep "American Idol" the way we all loved it or I'm out of here.
Ergh. The thought of them ruining this show is making me sick. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out that the twist isn't as bad as we thought, but I doubt it.
There's a new entrance where the judges all walk out from center stage. Based on what Ryan says after the judges are seated, Simon came up with the idea. I guess Simon wants the spotlight on himself instead of the contestants. Big shocker. Randy says any of the 13 could win. Get a clue, Randy. Simon has too many voters eating out of his hands. Kara says these kids could be on the radio so they have to make sure they sound good. Well it's up to America, isn't it? If America likes how they sound, then what do you care? Simon says two are going home tomorrow. Good. That's two fewer boring contestants to sit through next week.
First is Lil Rounds. She talks about how her hometown of Memphis, TN, has a lot of great things, among them barbecue. Barbecue? In the south? She and Anoop must have a lot to talk about. Her song choice is "The Way You Make Me Feel." She overperforms it a bit, pointing to her high heels on the line that mentions them, and her voice is a little annoying at times. Still, she's very confident on stage, and this is really good even though I won't be voting for her. I'm more impressed by her vocals than I was in the Semifinals. Randy says she made the song new again. Kara hopes we get to hear her on the radio. Paula compliments her makeup and calls her a force to be reckoned with. Simon says it was good, but a lazy song choice. I say it was well-done, but I can live without Lil.
Scott MacIntyre talks about his musical background, and we learn that his sister is visually impaired too. There's no family history of it or anything, so it's an odd coincidence that they're both that way. I guess if you have some sort of handicap it's comforting to know that another family member deals with the same thing. His song is "Keep the Faith," and he performs it at the piano, of course. His voice cracks several times and sounds off-key during the chorus, and the big falsetto note he hits in the middle is terrible. In addition to being boring, the poor vocals do this one in. Kara likes the hopeful message he delivered. Paula points out the song's composer in the audience. Simon hates the song because he doesn't know it. Scott says he was trying to be artisitc, which Simon says is fine for something other than this show. What? Is this show still "the search for a superstar," or is it now "the search for a one-album wonder"? Based on past winners' record sales the latter may as well be true. Randy thinks the performance was too safe. Whatever. Scott's not going anywhere because of his tunnel vision.
We learn that in Danny Gokey's house growing up they sang about everything. Perhaps not surprisingly, they don't mention his dead wife at all during the intro clip. I guess they were aware of the backlash that was developing. He sings "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," and while the vocals are strong, the whole thing comes off as a bit corny. Danny can't pull off the whole soulful charmer routine, and letting the audience sing the "na-na-na-na" is tacky. He does this sort of angry growling thing, which I'm sure Alex Wagner-Trugman would've been attacked for. He shows us he can sing, but it's weird. Paula says he's on his way to the finals. Simon says the vocals were brilliant and he reminds him of Michael McDonald, but the dancing is hideous. Sounds like the same stuff you hated about Taylor Hicks, Simon. Danny interrupts and says he wanted a dance teacher but never got one. Randy loves it all, and Kara says he has joy when he steps onstage. He'll be safe, as I'm sure a look at the script would confirm.
Michael Sarver visits his oil rig and family. Aren't his kids so cute? We find out that he grew up without a father, so that made him want to be the best dad he can be. Isn't he a great guy? He sings "You're Not Alone," and he still reminds me of Josh Gracin for some reason. He starts out sounding pretty good, but he eventually gets lost in the middle, starts missing notes and does his childlike exuberance thing. It's not as bad as I was expecting, but it's too amateurish to me. He has a likable personality, but not a great voice. Simon says he made up for his weak voice with passion and heart. Randy says he returned to his R&B swagger. Kara says he showed her he really can sing, Paula says he picked a good song that allowed him to color it up. They show a shot of his daughter while showing his phone number. Could it be any more obvious that he's part of the "cast"? Just wait until Kris Allen comes on and they throw him under the bus. He's the only one who isn't one of their hand-picked contestants.
Jasmine Murray, the one who made the Top 13 despite no one really liking her, chats with Ryan about the glam squad, and how she gets to keep the clothes they pick out despite our being in a recession. They show cute kids in her intro clip, I assume her nieces and nephews. Her version of "I'll Be There" sounds pretty good, but the belting is too nasal and the slow pace makes it boring. She still comes off as amateurish. Randy namedrops Mariah Carey and says it was pretty good. Kara thinks a half key down would've been better for her voice, but she sold it. Paula says there were some bad moments and some brilliant ones. Simon says it was a good attempt, but the big notes troubled her. I hope she goes away soon, because I don't think anyone really cares about her.
Kris and Allison are arm-wrestling when they show them coming up before the commercial. When Kris looks away Allison grabs his arm with her free hand and wins. I guess when you're fodder you have to amuse yourself anyway you can.
I can almost imagine one of the producers watching this show on a big screen in some secret lair petting a white cat, nervously hoping to see if Kris Allen will screw up and the judges throw him under the bus sufficiently. "This infiltrator wasn't part of the plan!" We find out he's been married for five months, so I guess that means he was a newlywed during Hollywood week. He's doing "Remember the Time" with the guitar. His voice seems too echoey. Is this a sabotage mix? I just realized I don't know a lot of these songs. I get a phone call in the middle and have to miss most of this, but it's actually pretty cool from what I see. Go Kris! Win it for the underdogs! Kara says the girls love him and that she's happy to see him with his guitar. Hmmm, semi-pimping. Paula says he's engaging with the guitar and kind of "adorable sexy." Simon says it was interesting and the vocals were OK, but the song didn't suit the guitar, and he's not sure he would've brought the wife out so early. His wife looks uncomfortable in audience after that remark. Randy says it was kind of cool and Jason Mraz-y. I hope he stays, but I won't be surprised if he doesn't. At least the judges gave credit where it was due.
We finally learn what Allison Iraheta's heritage is: Her parents are Salvadorian. She started singing at a Latin shopping center and knew she wanted to do "Idol" at age nine. Dressed like a rocker chick, complete with leather hoodie, she sings "Give in to Me." It's pretty good, though her voice sounds weird in spots. Still very powerful, though. Paula says it was good, and she knows we'll be seeing a lot more of her. Simon says it was good, that she knows what type of artist she is, and that he likes her confidence. Randy calls her one to watch. Kara advises her to keep being a rocker girl. Allison makes weird faces while Ryan gives out her number. I hope she sticks around too, just because she came into this looking like fodder.
The judges really haven't given a bad review to anyone tonight. Maybe they're trying to make it hard to predict the two going home.
Ryan chats with Anoop Desai about being the last one in the Top 13, and he just says he was surprised and all that. Whoopity-doo. We learn that his parents were actual immigrants from India, and that they've taught him a lot about Indian culture. It's funny to think that the only child of the first generation in America decided to pursue a career as an R&B singer. He sings "Beat It," but the problem is that it seems like more of a crowd-pleaser song than a vocal showcase. His voice drops out a few times and sounds weak on parts of the chorus. He sings with a sneer most of the time, which I guess is supposed to give it "attitude" or something. The whole thing is just weird. I want to like Anoop everytime he performs, but he keeps disappointing me. Paula thinks Jacko owns the song and that it sounds karaoke coming from someone else. Simon calls it horrible. Randy says it was the wrong song choice. Anoop replies that he hopes he can show what he's got next week. Kara says he didn't do enough variation on anything and she didn't feel connected to him. Ryan asks Simon if they regret making it a Top 13, and Simon says based on that, yes. Man, don't tell me they're throwing Anoop under the bus! I'm not worried for him though. He's got a huge fanbase.
Jorge Nunez says his family broke apart after his grandfather died, and being on "Idol" is hopefully going to make them feel better. He's doing "Never Can Say Goodbye." There's a lot of belting and glory notes here, but vocally it's pretty good. I don't have much to say except it was decent. Randy says the song was a little old-fashioned and he wants to see something more challenging. Kara says he needs more emotion. Paula says she didn't feel he was himself. Jorge says it fit his voice better than other choices, and that he didn't want to sing "Bad." Simon of course quips that he did anyway, and adds that it was corny and out of his depth. Poor Jorge. I thought he did alright.
Megan Joy Corkrey is our resident font analyst, who says her friends and family pushed her into doing this. She says she's never been onstage except in choir, which anyone can do. She tried out for musicals and solos but never made it. Gee, I wonder why? I wouldn't have anything to do with your lack of vocal talent, would it? They make you feel sorry for her again by bringing up her divorce, and we get the obligatory teary moment when she talks about her son. She's doing "Rockin' Robin" tonight. This is a fun, catchy song that doesn't require a lot of range, so I guess it suits her well. Instead of twirling she's slinking this time. Her voice still annoys me with its weird affected jazz-isms, but somehow, to my utmost shock, she actually pulls off the glory note at the end! Wow. I didn't know she was capable of that. This is her best performance, but that's not saying much. Kara says she injected her personality into the performance. Paula likes her quirky and unique tone, but says she felt disconnected. Simon says it was a stupid song choice and a clumsy, awkward performance. Wow, is he just now noticing how bad she is? Randy says the song choice didn't allow her to be Megan. Chef Gordon Ramsay is in the audience, but we can't hear what he says when he tries to talk. Trying to cross-promote that crappy "Hell's Kitchen" show, eh?
Adam Lambert sings "Black and White," and starts out sounding kind of like Jacko himself. This song mentions being out with a girl and not being afraid of sheets, which makes it an odd choice for Adam. It was clearly written from the perspective of a straight black man. Of course, Michael Jackson himself is questionable on both counts, so maybe it's not a big deal. Adam adds an Axl Rose touch to it and starts to camp it up on the bridge. The phrasing is awkward at points, but his stage performance skills make up for any vocal blemishes. Paula says that never in AI history have we ever seen someone so comfortable and seasoned onstage, which makes Adam start tearing up. She adds that she sees him running all the way to the end. So Adam beats Danny in the finale? Thanks for giving it away, Paula! Simon says it was in a totally different league to everything else tonight. Randy once again reminds us that Adam is the most current contestant they have and all that. I guess if he got away with telling David Archuleta he could sing the phone book each week last year he figures he can get away with mentioning how current Adam is each week this year. Kara says Adam hit notes she didn't know existed. Wow, now he's being credited with reinventing the nature of sound? Kara also hopes Michael Jackson is watching. It'd be weird to allow "Idol" to do your songs and then not watch, but old MJ's eccentric enough that it wouldn't surprise me.
Matt Giraud does "Human Nature," and we finally get to hear him at the piano. His voice is drowned out by the piano at times, and he still oversings a bit, but somehow he makes it work. The vocals aren't flawless, but overall he pulls it off. I'm getting tired of recapping here, so I don't have much to say about it. I'm still not a fan. Randy says it was a good performance and that he's got the Robin Thicke/Justin Timberlake thing jumping off. Kara says she hopes to see him many many weeks. Paula's blown away. Simon says it was very good. Matt still has no personality, but I know he's going to be here a while.
Whoa, there's one more! I was thinking Matt was the last one. My brain is still in "12" mode. Ryan tells us we need to grab a pen and paper for her special number, because Alexis Grace is closing the show. It's OK, Ryan. I'm not voting for her. We learn that her father is a musician who passed on his love of music to her, and she cries about missing her daughter again. She sings "Dirty Diana" and slurs the words a little at first. She gets it together and starts belting out some big-time notes. "IDOLS 36"? That's an odd number to see on the screen. Her herky-jerky moves are really distracting. It's like watching a robot programmed to "act soulful." The final glory note is definitely off. Impressive from a singing standpoint, but not my thing. Kara says "you're a naughty girl and I liked it." Kinky! Paula tells her to watch the oversinging. Simon says it was over the top and probably not as good as she thought it was. Randy says it was good but not great, and he liked the attitude. I say whatever. She got the pimp spot so we know she'll be safe.
My performance ranking:
Lil (8.5 out of 10)
Adam (8 out of 10)
Kris (7.1 out of 10)
Alexis (7 out of 10)
Jorge (6.9 out of 10)
Allison (6.5 out of 10)
Danny (6 out of 10)
Matt (5.9 out of 10)
Megan (5 out of 10)
Jasmine (4.9 out of 10)
Anoop (4.5 out of 10)
Michael (3.5 out of 10)
Scott (2 out of 10)
Ryan tells us that tomorrow there'll be a change to the rules that affects the entire face of the competition. He asks Simon if we'll like it. Simon tells us he's not sure, because it has to do with the judges. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh-oh. I already know what's going on here. They're going to do it "X-Factor" style. Now the judges will be deciding who goes home out of the Bottom 2. As if this season weren't already the most blatantly manipulated, they decided to pull this crap with us. I'm not even going to vote now. Well OK, I did try to vote for Kris, Allison and Anoop, but I got busy signals each time. Hopefully they won't be in the bottom.
Prediction
Bottom 3: Kris, Allison, Jasmine.
Going home: Kris, Jasmine.
Even though Kris and Allison both did well, I don't think either one has a large fanbase, so they'll probably be forgotten by many voters. The judges don't care about Kris, so he's leaving for sure, and given a choice between Allison and Jasmine, they have to keep the one who's proven her worth, which would be Allison. If they do this new elimination method I'm not going to vote at all. If they don't abandon it I'm not even going to watch next season. I won't be watching your crappy American X-Factor either, Simon. Keep "American Idol" the way we all loved it or I'm out of here.
Ergh. The thought of them ruining this show is making me sick. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out that the twist isn't as bad as we thought, but I doubt it.
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