American Idol S15 The End…Or Not?

9 04 2016

And the winner is…….

I’m just kidding. There are 2+ hours of filler before we find out who wins the very last spot as an American Idol.

President Obama made a speech at the beginning in a pitch to get people to vote and exercise their rights as citizens to vote in elections.

The opening number included Idol contestants from previous seasons. My mind instantly went to one Idol who will there be in spirit, Michael Johns. His death was so sad. The song started with the top 3 of this season and then moved out of to the broader focus that included all the contestants from this season. Then more contestants. I recognized Nick Fradiani, Diana DeGarmo, Katharine McPhee, Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, (was that David Archuletta, too, next to him), Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Allison Iraheta, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks, Ace Young, James Durbin, Carly Smithson, Jasmine Trias (from season 3 who wore a flower in her hair), Bo Bice, Scotty McCreery, and Caleb Johnson. I am sure there are others I will see and be shocked at how much they’ve changed (like Bo Bice).   Tonight I believe more often than not we will be saying to ourselves, “Oh yeah, whatever happened to” fill in the blank.

Brian Dunkleman, the co-host of season 1, joined as a surprise guest, a nice book-end to the beginning of Idol history. But the jokes he continued making got old and they didn’t get many laughs in the audience. Awkward.

Trent and La’Porsha teamed up to sing “It Takes Two” by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston with pictures of their journey this season playing behind them.

Season 10 and 11 judge Steven Tyler began a series of retrospectives of their participation in Idol. Later Nicki Minaj shared her wishes. Notably absent was diva Mariah Carey.  Ellen DeGeneres sent a video.

Former seasons 8 and 9 judge Kara DioGuardi performed and I wished she hadn’t. She is a better songwriter than singer.   Also among the people in this medley segment were Colton Dixon from season 11; a duet with season 1’s Justin Guarini and season 6’s Jordin Sparks; season 2’s Kimberley Locke; Tamyra Gray (season 1); Allison Iraheta (season 8); Larry Platt from season 9 (“Pants on the Ground” song fame but was never a contestant); finally ending with Pia Toscano (season 10). Sanjaya was spotted in the audience in a “Where’s Sanjaya” segment.  Glad he didn’t sing.

When Kelly Clarkson was visiting a few weeks back as a mentor, since she was pregnant and it was unlikely she could attend the show, she pre-recorded a montage of all her most popular hits. It showcased why we love her and the show that served as a gateway to all the music she brought to our lives. The medley ended with the song that started it all, “A Moment Like This.”

Male Idol rockers did a medley of songs. The members included Bo Bice from season 4 (the biggest physical appearance change I have seen yet this evening); Caleb Johnson from season 13; Constantine Maroulis (season 4); James Durbin (season 10); and Chris Daughtry (season 5).

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood (season 4) joined forces to sing “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” originally by Stevie Nicks featuring Tom Petty (Tom Petty actually wrote the song). I wish Carrie would have had a crossover rock career. When Carrie sang rock songs on Idol season 4, they were my favorite and had me looking at her like a winner.

Next was a country medley of songs starting off with Diana DeGarmo (season 3); Skylar Laine (season 11) who wasn’t sounding so great; Kree Harrison (season 12) who I loved during her season also sounded not so great either (you were pitchy dawg). They were then joined by the boys are of country Bucky Covington (season 5); Ace Young of season 5 (who is married to Diana DeGarmo); and confusingly Constantine Maroulis (season 4). Constantine filled in for Josh Gracin who declined their invitation because he didn’t want to sing a medley of covers with other contestants (per his report on tasteofcountry.com). Then Lauren Alaina (season 10) and Kellie Pickler (season 5) came on stage. Lastly Scotty McCreery (season 10) came out.

Harry Connick Jr presented a very emotional segment along with his friend, Marley Fletcher, from The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in the heart of the 9th Ward in New Orleans to sing “What a Wonderful World.”

He then introduced some of the best singers Idol has had on center stage.   Katharine McPhee (season 5) and Casey James (be still my heart from season 9) singing a duet; Carly Smithson (season 7) doing a solo; Clay Aiken (season 2) doing a solo; Ruben Studdard (season 2) and Amber Holcomb (season 12) doing a duet; and finishing up with Jessica Sanchez (season 11) in a solo of ‘The Prayer” where the others joined at the end.

Jennifer Lopez sizzled up the stage with her new song “Ain’t Your Mama.”   I would have loved to see that in person. That was stellar. And she ended with “Let’s Get Loud” to get Idol pumped up, the perfect halftime song. This whole thing left me breathless.

Season 3 ladies Latoya London, Fantasia, and Jennifer Hudson performed a trio “Bridge Over Troubled Water. Jennifer Hudson sang a solo of her song from Empire “Remember the Music.” Brandon Rogers (season 6), Clark Beckham (season 14), George Huff (season 3), Danny Gokey (season 8), and Elliott Yamin (season 5) banded together to sing a medley of Motown hits.

Fantasia came back to do some of her song, “Ugly.” Latoya London (season 3) came back on stage with Taylor Hicks (season 5) “Knew You Were Waiting for Me” by Aretha Franklin and George Michael. Season 11 Joshua Ledet took the stage; wow he looks fantastic. He sang “It’s a Man’s World” by James Brown. He rocked that stage!   And more Idol joined in. Candice Glover (season 12) and Melinda Doolittle (season 6) along with a variety of other Idols including many of the season 15 contestants to sing “Joy to the World.” Even Harry Connick Jr was up dancing.

A tribute to David Bowie was done featuring Idol winners Phillip Phillips (season 11), Lee DeWyze (season 9), Nick Fradiani (season 14), David Cook (season 7) and Kris Allen (season 8) which included Bowie’s hits “Starman” from 1972, “Rebel Rebel” from 1974, and “The Jean Genie” from 1972.

Next was a playback of the worst or funniest auditions or moments during the early years with Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Ryan Seacrest including that awful Simon and Paula kiss. Randy and Paula came on stage and of course you were just waiting for Simon to make a “surprise” appearance. Paula and Randy gifted Ryan with the American Idol sign that Ryan will put it on his nightstand. Simon didn’t have a black T-shirt on. He dressed up for the occasion. Fatherhood looks good on him. And just when you thought the surprises were over out pops the non-surprise, William Hung who performed “She Bangs.” He ultimately released an album which sold 200,000 copies and made it to number one on Billboard’s Top Independent Album chart. He now works for the LA Sheriff’s Department as a technical crime analyst. Ryan Seacrest did a little dancing with him on stage.

Contestants throughout the 15 years shared how much they loved doing the Ford video segments. Trent and La’Porsha received keys to their cars for this year.

Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood sang her song “Something in the Water.”   She got tearful when talking to Ryan Seacrest.

Now it is time to learn who is the winner is of the very last American Idol. The winner is TRENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just as shocked as he was. With everyone chanting La’Porsha’s name in the audience the night before I felt certain the win was hers. He deserves it just as much as she did but I thought it was hers. I thought Trent was going to pass out. Jennifer pointed to Keith as if she was saying, “you called it.” Jennifer looked shocked and Harry looked shocked too and mouthed “wow” to Jennifer. Trent was sweet when he said that La’Porsha pushed him during the competition.

Ryan Seacrest then signs off the show by saying, “We say to you from Hollywood, goodnight America.” The room goes dark and you hear him say “for now.”   For now? What the hell does that mean? Do they think in 10 years from now, they’ll bring back like X-Files for a limited event? Let American Idol die in peace and go out on a high. They weren’t going out on tour for that very reason so what makes them think bring the show back is “going out on a high?”

I heard later on during the Twitterfest that the producers were going to shop the show to another network. If this is true, it is a mistake. American Idol is forever associated with Fox Broadcasting and to try to resurrect it as the same show or anything that has the name American Idol even if it is in a different format, is just a mistake. American Idol had a great run but like all things, they come to an end, and so should this.

Thank you American Idol for the many years of entertainment; you will live on in television legend.  Guess I will need to get back to blogging about other things, too.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol, TV shows

American Idol S15 Philadelphia Auditions

22 01 2016

The City of Brotherly Love was the next stop in the Idol audition tour and on hand to help screen the people auditioning was Clay Aiken who should have won Idol in Season 2.

Jennifer Lopez knew the mom (Brenda K. Starr of the late 1980’s hit song “I Still Believe”) of the first contestant, Gianna Isabella, a 15-year-old student from Jackson, NJ. She chose “House of The Rising Sun” as her song. She has a beautiful voice but the breaths she took were very loud and distracting and didn’t seem to be in natural spots in the song. Perhaps that was from nerves. She made it through.

Derek Huffman was not so great at Clay Aiken trivia (getting every single question wrong). He chose “Angel” by Shaggy to sing (and brought in karaoke music with him versus having musical accompaniment by Idol staff). Unfortunately he was no better singing. Keith gives the boom box a yes, but it is a no for the singing. He doesn’t handle the rejection well.

Country boy Isaac Cole chooses to sing his a cappella song with his guitar (he may need to look up the definition of that phrase, but that sends Keith into a fit of laughter). The song is “Love Like Crazy” by Lee Brice. He has potential for the future, but right now I don’t think he is ready, especially for the level of talent in the competition this year. I know Harry is going to get him on the fact that he does not speak with a southern twang but is singing with one. Jennifer liked him. Harry liked him, but pointed out exactly what I anticipated he would say about the twang. Keith feels like he is a work in progress. He is close to being ready but not quite. Despite all that, he gets the nod of approval from all three judges. He is going to get eaten alive during Hollywood week.

Sara Sturm from Centreville, Virginia picked “Lips Are Moving” by Meghan Trainor for her audition. It was a fair audition. She was flat on a lot of her notes. She also had a lot of wonderful notes. Jennifer liked it. Keith liked her confidence and felt it was one of his favorites that day (wow that must have been a bad audition day). Harry thinks she is adorable. She is through to Hollywood.

Ellis Banks wants his spot in Hollywood. What walked through the audition door was not the person who walked into the auditorium. My immediate reaction was this was a callback to the days when they showed the weird acts that came through who knew they couldn’t make it through to Idol but hoped for some national attention for other things. Keith asked him what “thong” he was going to pick. Obviously this kind of auditioning does not make Keith happy. He chose Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” The judges were having fun with it though. It was a no for all of them, but Jennifer told him he had a sweet spirit.

Perceived airhead (or high) Jenn Blosil chose “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons on the piano and not the guitar she brought in to the audition. My first perceptions of her presentation of herself were so off from her actual talent. She has SUCH an unique voice and I think she is one of the first contestants that sang that song over all these years where it sounded good during an audition. She put her own spin on it. Jennifer said she finds her very interesting, compelling almost, and she liked it a lot. Keith said there is a good storytelling quality about her voice and has an easy presence about her. Harry said he wasn’t expecting the voice to come out the way it did based on her quirkiness. She is going to Hollywood.

Harrison Cohen decides to sing an original song called “No Time.” He is interesting but those “seduction” eyes have to go. They are creepy and he uses them too much.   Keith liked the song and Jennifer liked the Latin undertones. Harry thinks he is talented but is he the powerhouse bookend to Kelly?  He says yes along with the other two.

The last contestant featured was John Arthur Greene who had a tragic story about playing cops and robbers with his brother when they were young. The guns were always not loaded in the house (grew up on a farm around guns all of his life), but for some reason that night they were. He held his brother and him die. (I can’t even imagine that pain). He chose Keith Urban’s song “I Wanna Love Somebody Like You.” He is currently working in the Broadway show “Matilda.” Harry is a no, but Jennifer and Keith are yes votes and he is through to Hollywood.

Next up: Little Rock and Denver Auditions (Again)


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol, TV shows

American Idol S15 Atlanta Auditions

9 01 2016

(I know the Atlanta and Denver auditions were in the same show, but I’m splitting them up because the blog was just too long).

And so it begins….the beginning of the end of a 15-year run on American Idol. There will be surprises galore this season. Back of the judges panel are my favorite three judges: Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr. While some will argue that the original three judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell were the best, I prefer the constructive criticism that is given to the contestants versus the ridicule that left some contestants baffled as to what went wrong with their performance. I have been blogging about American Idol in one forum or another (including on the Fox 26 Houston blog site) since season 2 of the show when I first began watching.

If you are a newcomer to my blog, there is just one thing you need to know. My goosebumps never lie. Music truly rocks my soul. My mother had a beautiful opera voice and had auditioned for the NY Met, but didn’t make it. Because of her influence, I have been singing my whole life. I went to music school and my last public performance was at Hamman Hall at Rice University here in Houston. Stage fright got the best of me, my recital bombed, and I decided that this field was not my career path. My vocal coach was going to do a road trip and asked me to come along to be her background singer, a compliment that was not lost upon me, but the idea of being on the road, in gross motel rooms, singing in smoky environments (because there were no smoking bans in bars back then) just didn’t appeal to me. My childhood had been unstable and I decided to keep my stable day job. That didn’t mean, however, I gave up singing, writing songs, and challenging myself. My stage fright, however, has never left me. When I see singers crash because of stage fright on Idol, my heart truly feels empathy for them.

The first stop begins in Atlanta. Michelle Marie has been waiting to audition on Idol since she was 4 years old. She is 15 years old and is from Daytona Beach, Florida. Her song choice is “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes. I got goosebumps when she sang the opening “Blue” inflections. Jennifer thought it was pretty. Harry thought she did a good job with a song that is technically difficult to do. Keith loved it too. She is through.

Some of the previous contestants came to do screening judging on the audition part of the tour including Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Taylor Hicks, Lee DeWyze, and Kris Allen. I am not sure if that was a gift or a curse for them.

Showing off classic country is 18-year-old Josiah Siska from Dacula, Georgia. Singing Johnny Cash’s “Riders in the Sky” in the key of Johnny Cash, this big old deep bass voice came out of this young man. It was interesting, but I am not sure he would make it far in the competition; he would need to learn how to change “theme” weeks into a range he could sing and people would enjoy. Harry got up and did hand clapping and sound effects for him. Keith loved his voice. Harry said they have never heard anything like him yet. Three yesses.

Lindita is a 26-year-old personal trainer who was ridiculed her entire life for being obese. They would say, “She has a great voice but she is fat.” She decided to make lifestyle changes and dropped 150 pounds in preparation for her audition. She also married her own personal trainer. She is from Kosovo. She sang “This is a Man’s World.” Goosebumps! Jennifer says to Keith that she has soul. I loved it. Harry thinks she is a powerful singer. Jennifer and Keith loved it. Keith thought she had too many runs, but she will learn to cut some of that out. She receives three yesses.

Billy Bob Evett, 25 years of age from Punta Gorda, Florida, is a self-described honky-tonk man who is quite the Jennifer Lopez fan. He picks a Waylon Jennings song. He is another contestant with a deep bass voice. He was a lot of fun but it was not as good as Josiah. Keith likes him as a person but felt the singing wasn’t strong enough (the pitch was all over the place). Jennifer and Harry agreed.

Fifteen-year-old Lee Jean, from Bluffton, South Carolina, sang “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran. Immediate goosebumps for me. His voice is so pure. I think when he added the guitar his voice went off pitch quite a bit. My suggestion would be to lose the guitar so he can concentrate on the vocals. Jennifer wants to squeeze him he is so cute (and she loves his talent). Harry thinks he has a tremendous amount of talent. The singing-in-tune part needs a lot of work which is doable. Keith loves his tone and has a singer/songwriter quality about it. They all give him a yes.

Sylvia Lee Walker, a 16-year-old that likes to talk (A LOT), from Rayle, Georgia got a standing ovation from Keith for her tales of her life that were told at the speed of light. Her song choice: Yodeling. And at the end of that Keith did a “mind blown” reference and collapsed in a ball of laughter. Jennifer and Harry thought it was awesome. Keith thought she had an amazing accent and he could listen to her stories all night long. Keith said she is entertainer as a person, but this was a singing competition and her pitch was all over the place. Jennifer thought she would be a lot of fun at Hollywood week but she also was a no.

Joshua Wicker, age 25, is the creative director at his church. His wife is 3 weeks away from her due date of their first child. He decides to sing, “Stay” by Rihanna. Oh my gosh. From the first note, I had goosebumps. I don’t think it was from the ice on my foot either. Jennifer said it was an interesting voice with a lot of pretty colors. Harry said it was compelling and that is all he cares about. Keith thought he sang it like he wrote it which is the highest compliment you can give someone who didn’t write a song. Three yesses. And three weeks later their daughter Branch was born.

This adorable couple with a new baby are both auditioning. First up is Alex Sasser, a 23-year-old worship leader from Raleigh, NC. She sings Bruno Mars’ song “Count on Me” while playing a ukulele. She is cute and has a sweet voice. Harry thought she had a pretty voice but it was just not passing it at all. Keith felt it was just too light for him as a performance. Jennifer needed to hear more of a compelling voice. It’s a no from all three. Jordan Sasser was next up. He chose Celine Dion’s song, “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.” He too is a worship leader at his church. He is definitely the stronger voice in the couple. I got some goosebumps. He has a nice face and a nice smile, too. Jennifer thought it was really good. Harry thought he is incredibly talented and smart. Keith thought it was great. Three yesses. What was sad to me is that I think she really believed she was the better singer in the family and it wasn’t just a joking around in the package before the singing. When she left she blamed Jordan for dancing around with the baby which made the judges not like her singing as much because it was distracting the judges. She says to him that she has never been good enough—she’s sat and watch him follow his dream and it’s heartbreaking. He looked shocked at her words. But he reassured her how proud he was of her and that he loved her. He really is the better singer Alex. It wasn’t the distraction of your baby in the room. And no offense, but you are a worship leader and we just witnessed one of the seven deadly sins:  Envy.

 


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol, TV shows

American Idol Season 12 Top 5 Perform

21 04 2013

I can say I am 100% confident that a girl will win American Idol this year. And if I can be so bold, two ladies will occupy the top 2 spots. All kidding aside, there are some camps who believe that some of the less talented boys got through Vegas week to make sure that there would be a girl winner this year.

I only got to watch the first round of the top-5 performance night before I had to run to work, then a sick kid, more work, and here I am on Saturday just now watching it. How I managed to stay away from the spoilers of who went home is beyond me.

Tonight are songs from the year the contestant was born; second round is songs from divas. And the performances were dedicated to Boston in light of the bombings there (and here we are, on Saturday, and they have been caught, one dead, one captured). Jimmy would give back-stage critiques after the judges had their say.

Candice Glover


Song 1:  “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul from 1989

I thought she was nuts when I heard the song choice but I absolutely adored it. The people who have been most successful on Idol are the ones who, while on the show, we’re able to take songs and make it sound like an entirely different song. Candice has the ability to do that. People who just turn songs into covers with no changes are singers, not artists. Candice is an artist. I loved that Keith indirectly insulted Paula by saying he did not realize this was a good song. Jimmy did not like her song choice.

Song 2: “When You Believe” by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

I got goosebumps! Enough said. Mariah was very emotional about the performance.

Candice

Candice Glover

Janelle Arthur


Song 1: From 1989 Vince Gill “When I Call Your Name”

I don’t know the original at all. I was bored. She may be a singer and a performer, but not an artist. This was always my problem. I would not ever let my walls down. I could sing, but I never had the ability to emote. But Janelle does better with her guitar. All the judges liked it except Keith. Keith’s opinion matters here because he is the country artist. Jimmy agreed.

Song 2–Dolly Parton “Dumb Blonde”

Again I have never heard this song. This was better than her first song. It did not require much pulling from her emotional base. It was upbeat and fun. Keith did not like the song choice.

Janelle

Janelle Arthur

Kree Harrison


Song 1 from 1990 “She Talks To Angels” by Black Crowes

I really like Kree because she can crossover into genres. I did not think this was her best performance though. I felt like she was very tired. I still think she will be in the top 3. Nicki and Mariah had an exchange where Nicki told Mariah to “simmer down sir.” Jimmy did not think it was strong enough.

Song 2: Celine Dion “Have You Ever Been In Love”

Her lower range is tough. When she ventures past her speaking voice range, she does well. Her last note wavered in and out of pitch. But I liked that she pushed her voice to its full vocal range.

Kree

Kree Harrison

Angie Miller


Song 1 From 1994 “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders

At the beginning of the song she was singing the words but not feeling them either regardless of her dedication to Boston. I think because she made the song faster it did not allow for the heartfelt emotion that should have been felt with every word. Maybe if she did the first verse slower, and then picked up the tempo it would have been better. And can we please have a performance by her that does not include the dry-ice effect on stage? It is getting old. Whether it is Angie or Amber who makes it into the top 3 will be interesting. Amber is the better singer, but she is not connecting with the audience for some reason. Angie was a bit pitchy when she made the key change in this song, but no one is voting the girl from Boston home so she will be safe. No one made any criticisms either. Even Jimmy liked it.

Song 2: “Halo” by Beyonce

I think this was much better than her first song. Exceptional! Fantastic song choice. She really pushed herself in that song. Her risk paid off.

Angie

Angie Miller

Amber Holcomb


Song 1 From 1994 MARCH 17??? My birthday but definitely not birth year! Mariah Carey “Without You”

Amber, I love you, but this was absolutely the wrong song choice. At some points it seemed like the notes were just under where they should be. I did not feel the emotion of the song either, the desperation that is required on this–I would rather be dead than live without you. Part of that is her age and the lack of experience of feeling a love that deep. Teenagers think they have loved so deeply that they could just die when it is gone, but they lack the emotional maturity to really understand that. Perhaps you should have thought about God and how you would feel not having His love as I know you have deep church roots. Nicki felt what I was feeling. It was a gutsy choice to try with Mariah. Jimmy agrees with Nicki.

Song 2: Barbra Streisand “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life”

SHE KILLED THIS SONG! I think she is going to be in the bottom 2 because of her first song was not great.

Amber

Amber Holcomb

I think Janelle is going home not because she is not good, but she is no longer in the same league as the rest of these ladies.

RESULTS SHOW

What? Clay Aiken is on? As usual, I fast-forward through the group number. With few exceptions, I don’t like them. He sounds as great as he always has. I do understand now what Jimmy was saying about Kree now that the previous performance was shown. Latoya London is in the house.

Clay

Clay Aiken

Fantasia–I love her haircut (for me!) That was fantastic!

Fantasia

Fantasia performs

Whoa, Amber is safe!!!!!! Janelle is in the bottom. But will they use the save?  It was 2 for using the save and 2 against so she does not get a second chance.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Season 12 Baton Rouge Auditions

30 01 2013

The next stop on American Idol‘s talent tour was Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana. It brought out an eclectic group of individuals. And the alpha-dog battle between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey has calmed.  Thank God!

An injured Megan Miller hobbled her way in and into the hearts of the judges. She was on her way to surgery but wanted to audition before she did. Instead of trying to vie for attention, she used her temporary disability in a humorous fashion which delighted the judges. She is Miss Greater Baton Rouge. She delivered an Etta James song like a professional. Why do people think these 1980-like headbands are cool? They really are not. It’s so Olivia Newton John.

MeganMiller

Megan Miller

Charlie Askew was a great surprise. He reminds me of Clay Aiken, someone who likely will undergo a big transformation style-wise if he makes it to the top 10. His voice sounds a lot like Chris Colfer (Glee). He sang “Breakthrough” by Queen, and then “Nature Boy” by Nat King Boy. I thought “Nature Boy” was better. Charlie has a very interesting, big voice for such a petite-sized young man. He is quite unique. Keith mentioned something about a vagenda. The only time I’ve heard the word “vagenda” used was in the TV show “Fringe.” Unless it is a different spelling and Australian slang, it means: “Using your feminine wiles to accomplish evil ends.”

CharlieAskew

Charlie Askew

Nominations have been done with mixed results now. Sylvia Assel nominated her granddaughter, Maddie Assel. I found Sylvia much more interesting. Exactly how much magic dust has she inhaled? Sylvia tells Ryan, “I want to kidnap you and take you home with me.” Maddie sang, “Oh! Darling” by The Beatles. Her vibrato is borderline annoying, but if she tames that just a little bit, she’ll do well. She, too, is unique.

MaddieAssel

Maddie Assel

Of course, there is a string of auditions that do not go well at all. The young lady with the purple glasses needs some anger management classes.

I like Paul Jolley‘s spirit. He did well with Rascal Flatts’ “Don’t Let Go.”

PaulJolley

Paul Jolley

Chris Barthel was nicknamed “Mushroom.” He has now ruined “If I Had You” by Adam Lambert. He was quite entertaining with his dance moves. Keith Urban was laughing so hard he was crying. “I like the keys that song was in.” Perhaps Chris’ calling lies in comedy. When Nicki was running her fingers through his hair, he says, “Nicki you are awesome!” Mariah’s face was priceless. After receiving 4 “no” responses, he says to Ryan, “I met four awesome people including you.” Who was Chris leaving out?

ChrisBarthel

Chris “Mushroom” Barthel

You know you are getting old(er) when the doctors could be as young as your own children. Dr. Calvin Peters, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, came in confident. He pulled off a difficult Maxwell song. It was as smooth as silk.

CalvinPeters

Dr. Calvin Peters

Out of the next contestants, Michelle Montezer (what is UP with those headbands!), Breanna Steer, and Brandy Hotard, I liked Breanna’s voice the best. They are all through to Hollywood.

MichelleMontezer

Michelle Montezer

BreannaSteer

Breanna Steer

BrandyHotard

Brandy Hotard

Alissa Griffin was just horrid.

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard Nicki Minaj ask the contestant if they have a boyfriend. This is not “The Dating Game.” Firefighter Dustin Watts did a wonderful job with Garth Brooks’ “She’s Every Woman.” I like the tone in his voice.

DustinWatts

Dustin Watts

The last contestant usually has a backstory that is shared to move the audience. Burnell Taylor was no different. His home was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but they moved to Baton Rouge. It was a lesson learned about what is important in life. He slayed “I’m Here” from the movie “The Color Purple.” He had a wonderful voice. I didn’t think he was the best voice in the competition, but he also had a great stage presence. Keith was having a blast with him. Randy, Keith and Mariah gave him a standing ovation. He made Mariah cry. Keith said, “Somewhere there is a spotlight waiting for you to walk into it.”

BurnellTaylor

Burnell Taylor

A total of 35 people made it through to Hollywood. Next: San Antonio


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol, Fox Shows, TV shows

American Idol Top 8 — Songs of the Cinema

14 04 2011

When American Idol first started this season, I chalked up the judges not giving constructive criticism as them trying to get comfortable in their new roles. A few weeks in, Jennifer Lopez began giving really great advice to all the contestants. Randy chimed in with the occasional outright criticism about how he didn’t like it, but no real advice on how to make things better. Steven Tyler is jazzed just to be there. That period of constructive criticism did not last very long; now all we see week after week is a love fest. I know there is a discrepancy between what they hear in the audience versus what we hear on the television (and at times Simon would come back and say how something was horrible or better after he listened back to it later), but it cannot be that much. What exactly is in their drinks and why do they keep dubbing out comments (I experienced this on Directv and a friend on Comcast said the exact same place was dubbed out on theirs). The judges need to do their job–judge. It is not pleasant. It is not easy. But Scotty doing an Elvis song last week was excruciatingly painful for me to listen.

Tonight it was “Songs of the Cinema.”

Paul opens for the show with another loud outfit. It does set him apart in the style department, but this is not Project Runway. He chooses “Old Time Rock N Roll” by Bog Seger. He stated that every time he goes out there, he imagines he is doing his encore. I think he needs to dial it back a bit and think about just performing a good show. Paul seems like a happy, upbeat, pleasant individual–the kind of person I like to hang out with. The question is this: Would I spend my very tight budget in this hard economic times on music he makes after Idol? My answer would be no.

Anyone can sing a Miley Cyrus song better than Miley Cyrus. She has a good recording voice, but every time I have seen her perform live, I cringe. Jimmy Lovine tells Lauren that she sang the song “The Climb” from The Hannah Montana Movie better than Miley Cyrus. Again, not hard to do. Lauren has a good voice, but she was all over the place. I had such high hopes for Lauren when I saw her at the audition. This was better than Paul, but still no goosebumps.

If American Idols of days past have learned, never ever sing a song that talks about “leaving”, “goodbye” etc. Stefano wants to take it to the next level with another ballad, this time from Boyz II Men. Singing “End of the Road” might just seal his fate as the person who goes home this week.

I cannot comment about Scotty. I just do not like country music. Scotty has a good voice and people like him despite him sounding exactly the same on every song. I went to get my dinner at this time.

Presenting “Nature Boy” or “In the Air Tonight” to Jimmy Lovine and why-am-I-here Will.i.am, they tell him to go with Phil Collins. Casey sticks to his guns and does “Nature Boy.” While I am partial to the Celine Dion version, I was not sure, at first, if I liked it or not. I listened to the song later without watching him and I enjoyed it a great deal more.

Haley needed to go home weeks ago. From seeing Nigel Lythgoe’s reaction to her a few weeks ago when they panned the camera over to him, I think he is her biggest fan and might explain some of what is going on with her. I feel insulted as a woman the way she acts–slutty. Singing “Call Me” by Blondie from American Gigolo did not help her cause with me one bit. It was a blonde mess. This must be the year of Idol grunting: Casey does it and Haley does it. In order for Haley to win me over, she needs to: 1) get through this week and 2) dress simply and sing without all the gimmicks. Let me hear your natural voice.

Someone found the guts to say what needed to be said: Jimmy Lovine. He told Jacob not to lecture the American people. Jacob appeared to take this to heart. I was worried about Jacob’s choice: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. After Clay Aiken did an amazing job on this song, it was bound to be compared to it. I tried very hard to judge it just on its own merits. If I closed my eyes and just listened to the song, I enjoyed it a great deal.

Closing the show was James Durbin singing Heavy Metal, a Sammy Hagar song that he was doing for Cole from Make-A-Wish. On the guitar was Zakk Wylde from Ozzy Osbourne’s gang. I love James and have him in the top 2 spots on the show. This performance was not his best, but it was a crowd-pleaser. James just loves being a rock star and brings in the whole audience.

My top 3 (in order): Casey, Jacob, James

My bottom 3 (in order): Paul, Stefano and Haley with Haley going home (my wish) but I think this might be the “End of the Road” for Stefano.

Who are yours?


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : American Idol