Before I get to the recap, I want to have a moment of silence for the passing of a legend of 80's film, Corey Haim. Yes folks, one of of the dynamic duo, Corey (Feldman) & Corey (Haim) passed away of an apparent accidental drug overdose early this morning. He will be missed....
It was like the Bizarro Jerry episode of Seinfeld (#137 or the 3rd episode of the 8th season for all you nerds out there) last night....Everything was all mixed up. Let me explain.
What was going on with Ryan? In a very uncharacteristic move Ryan recycled his opening lines by repeating the rather blaise catch phrase of "So this is ladies night!" Apparently he's been around Randy "Hand Full of Phrases" Jackson too long and it's starting to have an adverse effect on him. Poor Ryan. I just hope that he snaps out of it before he pulls a "Dunkleman."
Then there was Ellen sitting on Simon's lap, nuzzeling him as if his manly field of exposed chest hair and man boobs somehow turns her on. What struck me as funny abouyt the whole thing was that Ellen was basically mocking Kara's behavior this season and Kara had no idea and thought it was all very funny! And she's giving advice to singing contestants and attempting to "guide" them as they begin their careers? Seems a bit bizarro to me.
Since the show was crammed into 1 hour (thank the Lord!) we were mercifully spared the indignity of slogging through more pointless video packages or uncomfortable interview segments and instead, we were launched straight into Sweeden's Yodeling Idol. Or at least that's what it sounded like when Katie hit the stage. Holly crap! What has happened to Katie? Well, the Judges happened that's what. They have so thoroughly filled her head with contradictory and impossible to achieve advice that her head is close to exploding. Of course she doesn't really know what kind of artist she wants to be yet and even if she did, artists are allowed to go outside their comfort zone and expected performances to try other things to broaden their abilities and song/performance catalogue. Unfortunately for Katie, the Judges feel that a 17 year old girl who has never performed on a stage like Idol before is somwhow supposed to turn into Taylor Swift in a matter of weeks. To quote the wise old sage Former President George Bush senior, "Not Gonna Do It!"
Katie decided to try and take the Judges advice and come off younger. To achieve this Katie chose Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway." Katie also dressed a bit younger but it was her vocals that needed to sell the transformation and she just didn't have it last night. The song was pitchy and all over the place in parts. None of the Judges really cared for it and neither did I. It's really too bad because I think that she will one day be a star but her time is almost up on Idol after that performance.
From yodeling we quickly transition to a capella for Siobhan. Yes folks, that "Funny Little Thing" was at it again. This time she switched up the arrangement of The Animal's "House of the Rising Sun." But before she sang a note Ryan visited with her to find out why she chose the song. To add to her legend of weirdness, Siobhan dedicated the song, which for those who have never really listened to the lyrics - it's about a prostitute, to her Father because it's his favorite song and he used to sing it to her all the time. How sweet! What is in the water down there on the Cape? Creepiness aside, Siobhan's rendition blew Janell Wheeler's out of the water. For all the damage that the Judges have caused to Katie, they have had no effect on Siobhan. As Randy pointed out, "Keep not listening to us! Because that was hot!"
Selecting Brandi Carlile's "The Story," Lacey launched the first blow to Katie's chances. For all that she has done wrong up to this point in the competition, Lacey came out looking like the champ ready to defend her belt. Sitting on the edge of the stage, Lacey gave her best performance at the most critical time. Will it be enough? I have no idea but she certainly reminded me of why I liked her to begin with.
Hot on her heels was Katelyn with her High School misic class performance of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move." Considering what's at stake I would not in a million years have choosen that song. My notes state "this arrangement sucks and so does this performance." I was actually hoping for the Earth to move and swallow up the band and her casio keyboard which I don't think was even plugged in. If Katelyn has simply sat on the steps of the stage with someone accompanying her on the acoustic guitar it might have worked but her attempt to "not be so corny" turned out to be an over the top cheesefest. Everything was a mess except the vocals. But even the vocals couldn't save the performance. Katelyn probably has enough fans as well as enough good feelings from last weeks "The Scientist" to get through but with Idol, one never knows. I still feel that she deserves to make the Top 12 but if she does she needs to focus and make better song choices.
Delivering what could very well be the knockout punch to Katie's chances of making the Top 12, was Didi's performance of "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac. To quote Ellen, "Yes in-Didi!" Looking great and sounding great for the first time since her audition, Didi had the wow moment that she needed at the right time. After being brutalized by the Judges last week she didn't let it mess with her head. Instead she bounced back with a brilliant song choice and arrangement and then nailed the vocals.
After Didi's brilliant performance I was all smiles until Paige took the stage and committed a homicide. Now I know that the kids today use this term differently but when I say that Paige Killed it up on stage, I don't mean it in the good way. I mean it exactly as it sounds - she absolutely killed the song. It's dead and burried and should never be sung on Idol again. At least not in the way that Paige decided to perfor it. When the song you select to sing when your spot in the Top 12 is on the line is called "Smile" and you walk on stage dressed all in black with sorrow in your eyes and perform a funeral dirge you clearly have no idea what you are doing at your time on the show has come to a catastrophic and Hindenburg style end. Simon summed it up perfectly "Horrible choice; 1974 Holiday Inn performance where people are sitting at the bar eating peanuts." Okay, I didn't really get that last part either but it somehow seems to fit....
In a scene eerily reminiscent of how Adam Lamber owned the stage last season and made you forget what other songs ahd been sung, Crystal Bowersox not only onwed Tracey Chapman's "Just Give Me One Reason," she made the song better. With her bluesy/smokey vibe and electric guitar, Crystal reinforced her position as a front runner to win the show. Nobody else on the Girls side (Siobhan, Lilly and Katelyn have come close but aren't there yet) has been able to do what Crystal has done. Or on the Guys side for that matter! What's she's done is show everyone what she's all about and give then a glimpse of what type of album she would put out if she wins. I can see why Simon is pimping her to the media because right now, she is the cream of the crop.
Closing out the show was Lilly with a very good version of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces." Sporting a tiny guitar (mandolin) Lilly showed off her vocal control with her funky version of Patsy's standard. As Kara said, she somehow managed to make the song current and contemporary. Lilly is another one who is comfortable with who she is has a clear vision of the type of artist she intends to be. It also help that she has delivered strong vocals each week which is something that has been lacking from both the Guys and Girls.
So as I see it, Crystal, Lilly and Siobhan are a lock and will quickly take their place on one of the "safe stools" provided that's how they break out the Top 12 this season. Didi, Lacey and Katelyn will have to sweat it out with Katie and Paige to see who makes up the final three for the Girls. As this is Idol and anything can happen (see Ryan Starr, John Stevens, Scott Savol, Bucky Covington, Haley Scarnato, Sanjaya, Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malubay, and Megan Joy) and sometimes the bizarre happens (if the previous list doesn't convince you then google Paula Abdul and American Idol and watch a few clips of her best moments).
The Guys hit the stage tonight at 8 so tune in and come back here tomorrow for the recap.
~E
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Happenings in the World of Idol
Happy Tuesday everyone. Have you been enjoying the teaser spring weather? I hope so because it isn't going to last -- much like an in-tune note from 95% of this seasons contestants!
Tonight the remaining 8 Girls will be making a last ditch effort to win over fans and earn enough votes to squeak into the Top12. In all fairness, there really aren't 6 spots open for the girls because Crystal pretty much has a lock on one. Simon was on Leno last night and he voiced his opinion that Bowersox is the one to beat. Here's a clip for your viewing pleasure:
So that leaves 5 spots for the remaining 7 Girls to fight over. Based on the performances thus far it would appear that Lilly, Siobhan, Katelyn and Paige have the inside track on 4 of the 5 spots, with Katie, Lacey and Didi battling it out for the final spot. Which one will earn the final spot? Will there be any big surprises? Will anyone have that "moment" that Simon has been imploring them all to strive for? Tune in tonight at 8pm to find out.
In trying to keep everyone as informed as possible with regard to former Idol contestants still making news - some good (Carrie Underwood) some bad (Chikeze) I bring you the second week of Where Are They Now?
Scott MacIntyre:
Scott is set to release his debut album, Heartstrings on the 11th. The album features 12 original tracks all written by Scott. Here are the track titles:
1. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
2. Valentine
3. Heartstrings
4. Never Tired
5. Autumn Leaves
6. One Time Too Many
7. Stars
8. In Her Eyes
9. The Sun Still Shines
10. View from Above
11. I'll Take Tom (MySpace Breakup Song)
12. Wedding Song
For those of you who just haven't been the same since Scott was eliminated last year and have been suffering from withdrawal or just want to own Scott's autograph, the first 300 pre-orders will receive a personalized signed copy of the disc. Go here www.scottmacintyre.com/ to order your's today. I'm sure there are still plenty of signed copies still available.
Danny Gokey:
Acording to iTunes, Danny Gokey's album, Big Pile of Sh^t, oops, my bad I meant to type My Best Days, was the third best selling album of last week behind Jason Derulo's self titled album and Lady Antebellum's Need You Now. Way to Gokey, Danny. I won't be purchasing it but if you like what the Gokey brings, then by all means, get it while it's hot.
Kimberly Caldwell:
The seventh place finisher on Season 2 of Idol appeared on Ellen today to sing her new single Mess of You. Here's a clip!
Jason Castro:
For all you laid back, tree hugging, strumming your guitar by the fire, pot loving, fools out there that have been wondering where your spokes person disappeared to, he was spotted (after a half-hearted and somewhat meandering search) on last night's special episode of "The Bachelor." Castro was a musical guest for the wedding and performed his new single, That's What I'm Here For. As an added bonus he also sang a version of Over the Rainbow. I did not watch the show nor have I ever watched the show but at least the song title explains why he was on the show...here's the clip:
Adam Lambert:
Last season's runner-up was in Australia recently and performed an acoustic version of Whataya Want From Me on the morning show Sunrise. Here's the video:
That's it for today. While there is other former Idol news, it just didn't make the cut for this week's segment.
Until tomorrow!
~E
Tonight the remaining 8 Girls will be making a last ditch effort to win over fans and earn enough votes to squeak into the Top12. In all fairness, there really aren't 6 spots open for the girls because Crystal pretty much has a lock on one. Simon was on Leno last night and he voiced his opinion that Bowersox is the one to beat. Here's a clip for your viewing pleasure:
So that leaves 5 spots for the remaining 7 Girls to fight over. Based on the performances thus far it would appear that Lilly, Siobhan, Katelyn and Paige have the inside track on 4 of the 5 spots, with Katie, Lacey and Didi battling it out for the final spot. Which one will earn the final spot? Will there be any big surprises? Will anyone have that "moment" that Simon has been imploring them all to strive for? Tune in tonight at 8pm to find out.
In trying to keep everyone as informed as possible with regard to former Idol contestants still making news - some good (Carrie Underwood) some bad (Chikeze) I bring you the second week of Where Are They Now?
Scott MacIntyre:
Scott is set to release his debut album, Heartstrings on the 11th. The album features 12 original tracks all written by Scott. Here are the track titles:
1. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
2. Valentine
3. Heartstrings
4. Never Tired
5. Autumn Leaves
6. One Time Too Many
7. Stars
8. In Her Eyes
9. The Sun Still Shines
10. View from Above
11. I'll Take Tom (MySpace Breakup Song)
12. Wedding Song
For those of you who just haven't been the same since Scott was eliminated last year and have been suffering from withdrawal or just want to own Scott's autograph, the first 300 pre-orders will receive a personalized signed copy of the disc. Go here www.scottmacintyre.com/ to order your's today. I'm sure there are still plenty of signed copies still available.
Danny Gokey:
Acording to iTunes, Danny Gokey's album, Big Pile of Sh^t, oops, my bad I meant to type My Best Days, was the third best selling album of last week behind Jason Derulo's self titled album and Lady Antebellum's Need You Now. Way to Gokey, Danny. I won't be purchasing it but if you like what the Gokey brings, then by all means, get it while it's hot.
Kimberly Caldwell:
The seventh place finisher on Season 2 of Idol appeared on Ellen today to sing her new single Mess of You. Here's a clip!
Jason Castro:
For all you laid back, tree hugging, strumming your guitar by the fire, pot loving, fools out there that have been wondering where your spokes person disappeared to, he was spotted (after a half-hearted and somewhat meandering search) on last night's special episode of "The Bachelor." Castro was a musical guest for the wedding and performed his new single, That's What I'm Here For. As an added bonus he also sang a version of Over the Rainbow. I did not watch the show nor have I ever watched the show but at least the song title explains why he was on the show...here's the clip:
Adam Lambert:
Last season's runner-up was in Australia recently and performed an acoustic version of Whataya Want From Me on the morning show Sunrise. Here's the video:
That's it for today. While there is other former Idol news, it just didn't make the cut for this week's segment.
Until tomorrow!
~E
Friday, March 5, 2010
What if God was one of us...would he/she have voted for Jermaine?
Ryan opened the show by letting us all know that over 27 million votes were cast after the Top 20 had performed. 27 million votes? Really? When I heard that total I started to wonder if there had been devine intervention on behalf of Jermaine. Maybe, just maybe his heavenly homeboy knew he was in trouble and ushered him to safety. Then Ryan announced that Danny Gokey was in the house and I thought, "that can't be a coincidence can it?" I'd have to wait for a few minutes though to find out. Oh the suspense.....
Because first American Idol had to torment the viewing audience with yet another Group Song. Note to American Idol producers: We, the viewing audience, the addicted masses, the iTunes purchasing demographic, the ad revenue driving cash cow at who's teet you suckel, demand once and for all that you end this bombastic campaign of torture and Milli-Vanilli/Ashley Simpson inspired lip sync farce. Who the heck do you think you are fooling? The majority of these contectants have been unable to sing in tune while standing still or sitting on a stool so what makes them think that we believe for one second that they can suddenly perform flawlessly whilst running around the Idol stage? Come on!
And who is dressing Katie Stevens? Lisa Turtle from Saved By the Bell? "Like Oh My God."
Because first American Idol had to torment the viewing audience with yet another Group Song. Note to American Idol producers: We, the viewing audience, the addicted masses, the iTunes purchasing demographic, the ad revenue driving cash cow at who's teet you suckel, demand once and for all that you end this bombastic campaign of torture and Milli-Vanilli/Ashley Simpson inspired lip sync farce. Who the heck do you think you are fooling? The majority of these contectants have been unable to sing in tune while standing still or sitting on a stool so what makes them think that we believe for one second that they can suddenly perform flawlessly whilst running around the Idol stage? Come on!
The Black Eyed Peas didn't deserve what happened last night. The viewing audience didn't deserve it either. Shiny black spandex pants Haeley? Who's jacket are you borrowing Aaron - you look like Marty McFly from Back To the Future 2!
And who is dressing Katie Stevens? Lisa Turtle from Saved By the Bell? "Like Oh My God."
Finally Ryan dimmed the lights and got to the results. First up was the Guys back row. It came down to Toderick and John with John getting the ax. John didn't seem nearly as upset as Casey was at his being voted out. Pehaps Casey was infected by the "Purple Haze." No big loss in my opinion and probably should have happened last week.
After the commercial break it was the Guys front row turn in front of the firing squad. When it was just Jermaine and Andrew left Ryan brought them to the middle of the stage to amp up the drama. Jermaine was sporting the missing half of Michelle's gloves from the previous night which really completed his Pee Wee Herman outfit. Andrew looked as if he'd just watched someone kill a puppy. And when all the votes were counted my concerns/fear were put to rest. Call it what you'd like, "A smoting," "Being called back to the flock," whatever you want to call it it was the right call. Jermaine wasn't going home without running his mouth though. In a speach reminiscent of Mayor Menino, Jermaine butchered the rules of grammar while proclaiming "In God ther is no failure." And for you there is no sucess. NEXT!
To bring us into the second half of the show Danny Gokey returned to the Idol stage for the first time since his fourth palce finish last season. Sporting a fo-beard, his signature glasses and the same t-shirt he wore last season, Danny debuted his new single, "My Best Days." Perhaps it was a trick of the lighting or the camera but on several occassions it appeared that Danny was stuffing his trousers with a roll of dimes....Anyway, apparently Danny has gone Country. Who knew? As most of you know I'm not a huge Gokey fan but I will say this. At least he was in tune. After performing Danny chatterboxed Ryan into submission. It's only his first album and he's already on the cocaine....Celebrity Rehab here I come!!! Say hi to Nikki McKibbin for us!
Anywhoo....I did enjoy that Ellen was trying to book Danny for her other show during Idol. Not that's a savvy businesswoman.
Sorry about that. It's lunchtime and I'm hungry and the commercial aired at this very point in the show last night.
The girls back row was on the chopping block first. Ryan managed to put one over on Lilly, his first such gag of the season! Way to go Ryan. That gag never gets old. It all came down to Didi and Michelle though. After what seemend like 30 seconds of suspense building and the entire Jeopardy theme, Michelle was given the bad news and didn't take it too well. Fighting back tears and cursing Jermaine under her breath for stealing the other half of her gloves, Michelle finally accepted her fate.
Cut to the Judges tabele as Ryan has the front row stand. What the %^*& are Kara and Simon up to this year? It's starting to really annoy me. Stop touching each other or get a room! Simon then says that "it's very obvious who's going home." Ryan, looking perplexed asks Simon, "To who?" And Simon responds with a shoulder shrug and a smug retort, "To the viewing audience." Well judging by the vote cast in our little contest, it wasn't that obvious because it was down to Haeley and Lacey and almost everyone who cast votes last night thought that these 2 were the 2 going home. Angering Vote for the Worst fans everywhere, Haeley was kicked to the curb and for the first time all season, wasn't smiling. Before we had to endure what turned out to be a much more entertaining version of "The Climb, " Ryan and Debbie the stage manager got into a bit of a spat over the airing of the idiotic video package of all the contestants favorite moments as determined by some clown in the control room. Roll footage.....no thank you!
So there you have it. And here are the new standings in the contest:
David -- 6 (All 4 correct last night)
Yolanda -- 5 (3 correct last night)
Scott -- 4 (3 correct last night)
Eric -- 4 (All 4 correct last night)
Kristen -- 3
Jon -- 3 (Feel better now Dawg?)
Emily -- 3
Lois -- 3
Betty -- 2
April -- 2
Shannon -- 2
Mary M. -- 2
Jeff -- 2 (New guy is on the board!)
Mary W. -- 0
Margret -- 0
~E
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Not exactly a (lip) trilling night of performances
Last nights show was surprising on 2 fronts. The first being that I was uplifted and encouraged by the performances of Katelyn, Crystal, Siobhan and Lilly. The second being that the rest of the Top 10 Girls stage time had me looking forward to the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg commercial from the previous week instead of focusing on their performances. When a commercial for an extremely delicious but horrifically fattening candy is more appealing then the blaise song choices and lackluster performances of "America's" Top 10 Girls, you know there is a problem. Listen up Fox and 19 Entertainment or whatever you are called; it may be time to rethink the selection process. It may be time to seriously consider selecting quality singers instead of putting who you feel has the more interesting back story. Or trying desperately to make the group as diverse as possible. How about just selecting the Top 24 best singers in the bunch no matter their gender, backstory, or or commercial appeal. Sure I understand that there is a great deal of money invloved but look at Kelly Clarkson (since we heard some of her music last night it is only appropriate) as an example of what can happen when you go with talent over everything else. I don't know of anyone who watched the show in Season 1 who said to themselves, "wow, this girl is so commercial!" Last time I checked she's doing alright in the money making department and has a few awards to boot!
Getting back to the performances. I am baffeled at the continued inability of both the Guys and Girls to select songs that don't make them sound like they are 40 year old seedy lounge singers off the Vegas strip. My goodness people, what decade/century are you living in or for that matter, were born in? Under what circumstances does someone who is 17 years old or 22 years old look at a catalogue of songs and say to themselves, "this song from 1964 is perfect! I'll sing it exactly as it is written and perfom a carbon copy of the clip I saw on YouTube from when it was performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965!" Here's a helpful hint contestants since the Judges don't seem to be able to clearly or cohearently point you all in the right direction - Study clips of David Cook, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry, or any other Idol contestant that either a) took a song everyone knows and has heard a million times and rearranged it in a subtle way to make it their own or b) found another artists rendition of said song and perform that version - just make sure to credit the artist! Make use of Ricky Minor and the band and seek advice and guidance when setting the arrangement, he has a wealth of knowledge. Just don't be afraid to tell the band to take it down a notch it is a singing competition afterall. And last but not least, sit down, think about what type of record you'd be proud to make, and pick some songs and arrange them to fit your intended style. If you need immediate examples, look to Crystal and Lilly as they have the inside track on this so far. If you need historical evidence, study clips of Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry or Carrie Underwood - 3 artists who knew who they were and knew what type of music they wanted to perform.
Now it's time for me to give my 2 cents about each performance.
First I want to direct your attention to the start of the show. As the camera was panning back from the stage I noticed one of the stage managers/producers was on stage pumping up the audience to yell and clap louder. Such pandering isn't necessary is it? I hope not. Unless the opening comedy act was truely boring. Yes folks, there is an opening act for these shows and it is usually comedy.
Second I'd like to disect what Randy "Valentine's Day Sweater Gift" Jackson said about Tuesday night's show. And I quote "Guys were hot last night. They had fire in their eyes." I'm not doctor but it might be time for Mr. Jackson to get his eyes and ears checked out because that statement made about as much sense as Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh.
In yet another move that shows that Ellen is getting more comfortable and was a good choice as Paula's replacement, she let the contestants know that "song choice is everything." Sadly, she would have to repeat that throughout the evening.
Kara and Simon, "sitting in one seat..." Perhaps a vortex is created by Simon's unbuttoned shirts (as Ryan pointed out it is a severly plunging neckline) that causes Kara's chair to be pulled closer and closer to his each time he sits down. Otherwise it's just plain weird and creepy that they sit so close together.
Fresh out of the hospital and onto the Idol stage was Crystal "Meth?" Bowersox. I kid! I kid! Referring to herself as a "tough cookie" Bowersox, whose condition was not revealed but is thought to have been caused by diabeties complications, wow the Judges and the viewing audience with a "going to church" version of Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Long as I Can See the Light." Ryan was correct when he started the show by stating "it Is On!" Crystal once again proved that she is a force in the competition despite the fact that she has a twin brother that as she put it "is a square, but I love him!" Randy, Ellen, and Kara all praised her "truth," "natural talent," and "that she's not "trying to be anyone else," while Simon (ye of the 2 story tall trailer) thanked her for "not playing the sympathy card" and stated that much like with Kelly Clarkson (there's that name again!), could very well be the "moment we realized we have a serious artist here."
Haeley "The Singing Goat" Vaughn ambled on stage next sporting one of her "homemade" hair accessories. I wonder if she made the ones that Katie has been wearing? Before she sang we got to peek into her life and learn that she's a "bubbly happy person"; she's pretty nervous on stage; and this weeks song lyrics mean a lot to her. She then proceeded to sing "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. To quote Nigel Powers, "There's only 2 things I hate in this world; People who are intolerent of other people's cultures and Miley Cyrus." He actually said the Dutch but it works better with Miley Cyrus. What the Judges failed to say accurately was that the song choice could have worked if she had any idea what the song actually meant or had the ability to convey any emotion other than exhuberent. Ellen nailed it when she stated that she "just memorized the lyrics." I kept asking myself, "why is this girl even on the show?" I couldn't come up with a single plausable response. Simon then stated that he wasn;t going to make it any worse than it already was. He then called it a "complete and utter mess" and "in theory it should work" but the irony of it was that "when she should have been climbing but in reality you fell off." That left Ryan to ask "what good did that do?"
Lacey was up next with Six Pence None the Richer's "Kiss Me." Her video package started off with ehr apologizing for her performance last week which I tought was sweet. What would be sweeter though is if she gave me one of her refurbrishing projects. I want to like Lacey. I think that she cool, has nice style and I kinda dig her voice. Unfortunately, her performances don't roll my socks up and down. Which is really bumming me out. While this week was better than last on many fronts I was a thrilled with the performance as Big Mike was - he was really gettin jiggy with it! Again, Simon summed it up perfectly when he said she "is taking part in the competition instead of actually showing who she is as an artist." If Lacey makes it through she really needs to find the right song and wow us next week. But that's a big if.
Katie, Katie, Katie. I'm embarassed for you as well. Here's a little advice Katie. No matter how much the judges want you to sound younger, you aren't going to so tell them that you have a smokey older sounding voice and that they should just live with it. What you need to be able to do going forward, if you go forward, is perform the songs in a manner that gives the appearance of youthfulness. How you do that in 90 seconds without acting like a clown I have no idea. But that is your goal. Kara suggested you use your experiences but when you're 17, how many experiences can you pull from? Anyway, Katie sang "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rea and while it wasn't terrible, it was frustrating. As my wife said, "there's something bothersome about her vocals." I agree. Something just isn't clicking. There is a disconnect there that I just can't put my finger on.
What can I say about Didi's performance of "Stand By Me" by Bill Withers that wasn't said last night. Well how about that I actually liked it! I like Didi and I think that she has a teriffic voice. Is she great on stage? No. Can she be great on stage? Yes. Was David Archuleta a train wreck each week on stage? Hell yes! He seemend to get by. Lay off Judges! Only Ellen gave her constructive criticism. If Didi wasn't too upset to get Ellen's meaning I'll spell it out for her - find a song by a particular artist that you want to do and then find the right song for your vocal stylings, abilities, identity and then work with the band to craft an arrangement that suits your talents or find an arrangement of the song by another artist that can give you ideas on how to play with the instrumentation or lyric sequence. Should I start charging for this awesome advice?
Okay, I own several pairs of fingerless gloves but who in their right mind wants to own a pair of "just fingers" gloves? Sure I've seen the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian wearing them but they are pretentions a-holes. Is that the vibe you are going for Michelle? Disregard the fact that Randy (and I've mentioned this before the Dawg wore a purple on purple on purple suit that made him look like Barney or Grimace) thought you looked hot but do laugh at the cameraman's inability to find Vera Wang in the audience and instead focus on the first slightly Asian looking woman he/she could find! Lose the fingerlets and the look would have been nice. The look didn't fit the song however so it was like a walking juxtaposition. Michelle's video clip informed us all that she works with a children as a church choir director. Michelle then stated that she was going to rally switch things up this week. Because as the Judges said, she needs to take risks. What does Michelle do? She decides to sing "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed. Ryan, Randy, Ellen, Kara and Simon were all snowed by her selecting a "rock" song with Kara going so far to praise her for taking risks. For everyone who didn;t already know, Creed is a Christian Rock band from Tallahassee, FL. How is it considered a risk for a church choir director to sing a Christian Rock song? Please, someone tell me because I can't fathom it. Personally I thought the whole thing was a flamming bag of dog poo that I was forced to stomp out with my bare feet. Is essence - not cool!
Lilly is the f'ing bomb! That is all I really need to say but I'll say more. So far for me, she is the cat's pajamas! I loved everything about her performance of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come."
Katelyn is a bit of a techno nerd it seems. I think that ups her coolness factor a few notches in my book. What also ups her coolness factor? Her performance last night. Way cool! I was a bit miffed to learn that she had no idea that her version of Coldpaly's "The Scientist" was almost identical to Natasha Beddingfield's but then again, I didn't know she had a version of the song either. For everyone's viewing pleasure here is a clip:
With that being said, I still thought she brought it last night. If she can keep choosing song wisely and finding interesting arrangements then she could go far in this thing.
Paige "Picture Pages" Miles and her Crayola Crayons was up next and suffice it to say, it came up about 20 Crayons short of a 64 box. Paige has an amazing voice and seems comfortable on stage. She just can't pick the right song. If she figures that part out she could be dangerous. Singing Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away" which was co-written by Kara, Paige did a nice job with the vocals but as Kara pointed out, she didn't connect with the meaning of the song. And that connection goes a long way to getting votes. Just ask Adam Lambert!
Siobhan rounded out the night with "Think" by Aretha. The Funny Little Thing did it again this week. My actual notes stated this: DAMN! Who knew she had that kind of vocal prowess to nail every big note in that song. I was sure that I was about to witness a disaster akin to the sinking of the Titanic when her song oice was revealed but I was wrong. I loved how she said she figured out how to hit the note by "singing Kelly Clarkson (I know!) in the shower a few months ago." I also loved it when Ellen said "they say don't take on such a big song. They also siad don't mix sleeves with a blanket but look at the Snuggie." I couldn't think of a better way to sum it up myself. Thanks Ellen!
I'm off to order a Snuggie/Slanket. Tune in tonight at 8pm for the results to see if your favorite stays or is voted off in another outbreak of "the Crazies!"
~E
Getting back to the performances. I am baffeled at the continued inability of both the Guys and Girls to select songs that don't make them sound like they are 40 year old seedy lounge singers off the Vegas strip. My goodness people, what decade/century are you living in or for that matter, were born in? Under what circumstances does someone who is 17 years old or 22 years old look at a catalogue of songs and say to themselves, "this song from 1964 is perfect! I'll sing it exactly as it is written and perfom a carbon copy of the clip I saw on YouTube from when it was performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965!" Here's a helpful hint contestants since the Judges don't seem to be able to clearly or cohearently point you all in the right direction - Study clips of David Cook, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry, or any other Idol contestant that either a) took a song everyone knows and has heard a million times and rearranged it in a subtle way to make it their own or b) found another artists rendition of said song and perform that version - just make sure to credit the artist! Make use of Ricky Minor and the band and seek advice and guidance when setting the arrangement, he has a wealth of knowledge. Just don't be afraid to tell the band to take it down a notch it is a singing competition afterall. And last but not least, sit down, think about what type of record you'd be proud to make, and pick some songs and arrange them to fit your intended style. If you need immediate examples, look to Crystal and Lilly as they have the inside track on this so far. If you need historical evidence, study clips of Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry or Carrie Underwood - 3 artists who knew who they were and knew what type of music they wanted to perform.
Now it's time for me to give my 2 cents about each performance.
First I want to direct your attention to the start of the show. As the camera was panning back from the stage I noticed one of the stage managers/producers was on stage pumping up the audience to yell and clap louder. Such pandering isn't necessary is it? I hope not. Unless the opening comedy act was truely boring. Yes folks, there is an opening act for these shows and it is usually comedy.
Second I'd like to disect what Randy "Valentine's Day Sweater Gift" Jackson said about Tuesday night's show. And I quote "Guys were hot last night. They had fire in their eyes." I'm not doctor but it might be time for Mr. Jackson to get his eyes and ears checked out because that statement made about as much sense as Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh.
In yet another move that shows that Ellen is getting more comfortable and was a good choice as Paula's replacement, she let the contestants know that "song choice is everything." Sadly, she would have to repeat that throughout the evening.
Kara and Simon, "sitting in one seat..." Perhaps a vortex is created by Simon's unbuttoned shirts (as Ryan pointed out it is a severly plunging neckline) that causes Kara's chair to be pulled closer and closer to his each time he sits down. Otherwise it's just plain weird and creepy that they sit so close together.
Fresh out of the hospital and onto the Idol stage was Crystal "Meth?" Bowersox. I kid! I kid! Referring to herself as a "tough cookie" Bowersox, whose condition was not revealed but is thought to have been caused by diabeties complications, wow the Judges and the viewing audience with a "going to church" version of Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Long as I Can See the Light." Ryan was correct when he started the show by stating "it Is On!" Crystal once again proved that she is a force in the competition despite the fact that she has a twin brother that as she put it "is a square, but I love him!" Randy, Ellen, and Kara all praised her "truth," "natural talent," and "that she's not "trying to be anyone else," while Simon (ye of the 2 story tall trailer) thanked her for "not playing the sympathy card" and stated that much like with Kelly Clarkson (there's that name again!), could very well be the "moment we realized we have a serious artist here."
Haeley "The Singing Goat" Vaughn ambled on stage next sporting one of her "homemade" hair accessories. I wonder if she made the ones that Katie has been wearing? Before she sang we got to peek into her life and learn that she's a "bubbly happy person"; she's pretty nervous on stage; and this weeks song lyrics mean a lot to her. She then proceeded to sing "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. To quote Nigel Powers, "There's only 2 things I hate in this world; People who are intolerent of other people's cultures and Miley Cyrus." He actually said the Dutch but it works better with Miley Cyrus. What the Judges failed to say accurately was that the song choice could have worked if she had any idea what the song actually meant or had the ability to convey any emotion other than exhuberent. Ellen nailed it when she stated that she "just memorized the lyrics." I kept asking myself, "why is this girl even on the show?" I couldn't come up with a single plausable response. Simon then stated that he wasn;t going to make it any worse than it already was. He then called it a "complete and utter mess" and "in theory it should work" but the irony of it was that "when she should have been climbing but in reality you fell off." That left Ryan to ask "what good did that do?"
Lacey was up next with Six Pence None the Richer's "Kiss Me." Her video package started off with ehr apologizing for her performance last week which I tought was sweet. What would be sweeter though is if she gave me one of her refurbrishing projects. I want to like Lacey. I think that she cool, has nice style and I kinda dig her voice. Unfortunately, her performances don't roll my socks up and down. Which is really bumming me out. While this week was better than last on many fronts I was a thrilled with the performance as Big Mike was - he was really gettin jiggy with it! Again, Simon summed it up perfectly when he said she "is taking part in the competition instead of actually showing who she is as an artist." If Lacey makes it through she really needs to find the right song and wow us next week. But that's a big if.
Katie, Katie, Katie. I'm embarassed for you as well. Here's a little advice Katie. No matter how much the judges want you to sound younger, you aren't going to so tell them that you have a smokey older sounding voice and that they should just live with it. What you need to be able to do going forward, if you go forward, is perform the songs in a manner that gives the appearance of youthfulness. How you do that in 90 seconds without acting like a clown I have no idea. But that is your goal. Kara suggested you use your experiences but when you're 17, how many experiences can you pull from? Anyway, Katie sang "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rea and while it wasn't terrible, it was frustrating. As my wife said, "there's something bothersome about her vocals." I agree. Something just isn't clicking. There is a disconnect there that I just can't put my finger on.
What can I say about Didi's performance of "Stand By Me" by Bill Withers that wasn't said last night. Well how about that I actually liked it! I like Didi and I think that she has a teriffic voice. Is she great on stage? No. Can she be great on stage? Yes. Was David Archuleta a train wreck each week on stage? Hell yes! He seemend to get by. Lay off Judges! Only Ellen gave her constructive criticism. If Didi wasn't too upset to get Ellen's meaning I'll spell it out for her - find a song by a particular artist that you want to do and then find the right song for your vocal stylings, abilities, identity and then work with the band to craft an arrangement that suits your talents or find an arrangement of the song by another artist that can give you ideas on how to play with the instrumentation or lyric sequence. Should I start charging for this awesome advice?
Okay, I own several pairs of fingerless gloves but who in their right mind wants to own a pair of "just fingers" gloves? Sure I've seen the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian wearing them but they are pretentions a-holes. Is that the vibe you are going for Michelle? Disregard the fact that Randy (and I've mentioned this before the Dawg wore a purple on purple on purple suit that made him look like Barney or Grimace) thought you looked hot but do laugh at the cameraman's inability to find Vera Wang in the audience and instead focus on the first slightly Asian looking woman he/she could find! Lose the fingerlets and the look would have been nice. The look didn't fit the song however so it was like a walking juxtaposition. Michelle's video clip informed us all that she works with a children as a church choir director. Michelle then stated that she was going to rally switch things up this week. Because as the Judges said, she needs to take risks. What does Michelle do? She decides to sing "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed. Ryan, Randy, Ellen, Kara and Simon were all snowed by her selecting a "rock" song with Kara going so far to praise her for taking risks. For everyone who didn;t already know, Creed is a Christian Rock band from Tallahassee, FL. How is it considered a risk for a church choir director to sing a Christian Rock song? Please, someone tell me because I can't fathom it. Personally I thought the whole thing was a flamming bag of dog poo that I was forced to stomp out with my bare feet. Is essence - not cool!
Lilly is the f'ing bomb! That is all I really need to say but I'll say more. So far for me, she is the cat's pajamas! I loved everything about her performance of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come."
Katelyn is a bit of a techno nerd it seems. I think that ups her coolness factor a few notches in my book. What also ups her coolness factor? Her performance last night. Way cool! I was a bit miffed to learn that she had no idea that her version of Coldpaly's "The Scientist" was almost identical to Natasha Beddingfield's but then again, I didn't know she had a version of the song either. For everyone's viewing pleasure here is a clip:
With that being said, I still thought she brought it last night. If she can keep choosing song wisely and finding interesting arrangements then she could go far in this thing.
Paige "Picture Pages" Miles and her Crayola Crayons was up next and suffice it to say, it came up about 20 Crayons short of a 64 box. Paige has an amazing voice and seems comfortable on stage. She just can't pick the right song. If she figures that part out she could be dangerous. Singing Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away" which was co-written by Kara, Paige did a nice job with the vocals but as Kara pointed out, she didn't connect with the meaning of the song. And that connection goes a long way to getting votes. Just ask Adam Lambert!
Siobhan rounded out the night with "Think" by Aretha. The Funny Little Thing did it again this week. My actual notes stated this: DAMN! Who knew she had that kind of vocal prowess to nail every big note in that song. I was sure that I was about to witness a disaster akin to the sinking of the Titanic when her song oice was revealed but I was wrong. I loved how she said she figured out how to hit the note by "singing Kelly Clarkson (I know!) in the shower a few months ago." I also loved it when Ellen said "they say don't take on such a big song. They also siad don't mix sleeves with a blanket but look at the Snuggie." I couldn't think of a better way to sum it up myself. Thanks Ellen!
I'm off to order a Snuggie/Slanket. Tune in tonight at 8pm for the results to see if your favorite stays or is voted off in another outbreak of "the Crazies!"
~E
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
It's starting to feel like the a high school high jump competition
In week one the expectations for the Top 12 Guys were very high. As they stood on stage before their very first Idol stage performance, you could actually feel the jitters and nerves of Jell-O right through the television. It was expected that there would be nerves and that some of the contestants would not perform up to our standards or the judges but the level of crapitude (did I just invent that word or did I hear it somewhere?) that we witnessed was perhaps one of the worst overall first performance nights in the history of the show.
Week two dawned with the hope that the contestants would have found a way to channel their nervousness or stage freght or whatever into positive energy. Or at the very least they could simply just picture the audience in their nickers. The belief and hope was that everyone would walk out on that stage to perform and show the voting world what type of artist they intend to be and why they were selected as contestants in the first place. While it wasn't a resounding success there were rays of hope. Several of the contestants still appeared to be feeling the effects of the Idol stage much like Superman when he is near kryptonite or when he was forced to "Kneel Before Zod!"
After two weeks the Guys competition can be likened to a high school high jump competition. If any of you has ever witnessed one of these competitions you will get the picture. For those of you who have never had the pleasure let me paint the picture for you. Unlike in the Olympics where the greatest althelets in the world are competing, high school track is vastly different. Thus, when watching the high jump competition the bar usually starts out at roughly 5 feet to 5 1/2 feet. Each contestant gets 3 chances to clear that height before the bar is raised by at minimum a 1/4 inch. So consider that week one on the Idol stage is the starting height and each week the bar is raised and unfortunately, some of the contestants won't be able to clear the bar.
Back to week one on the Idol stage. In my opinion, nobody cleared the bar cleanly and nobody cleared the bar on their first attempt. In fact, several of the contestants not only didn't clear the bar, they also missed landing on the mat. While I don't necessarily agree with the ousting of Tyler and Joe, American felt that they didn't clear the bar on any of their three chances (or in Idol speak their 90 seconds of performing) and therefore, were not around for week two.
Week two dawned with the hope that the contestants would have found a way to channel their nervousness or stage freght or whatever into positive energy. Or at the very least they could simply just picture the audience in their nickers. The belief and hope was that everyone would walk out on that stage to perform and show the voting world what type of artist they intend to be and why they were selected as contestants in the first place. While it wasn't a resounding success there were rays of hope. Several of the contestants still appeared to be feeling the effects of the Idol stage much like Superman when he is near kryptonite or when he was forced to "Kneel Before Zod!"
After two weeks the Guys competition can be likened to a high school high jump competition. If any of you has ever witnessed one of these competitions you will get the picture. For those of you who have never had the pleasure let me paint the picture for you. Unlike in the Olympics where the greatest althelets in the world are competing, high school track is vastly different. Thus, when watching the high jump competition the bar usually starts out at roughly 5 feet to 5 1/2 feet. Each contestant gets 3 chances to clear that height before the bar is raised by at minimum a 1/4 inch. So consider that week one on the Idol stage is the starting height and each week the bar is raised and unfortunately, some of the contestants won't be able to clear the bar.
Back to week one on the Idol stage. In my opinion, nobody cleared the bar cleanly and nobody cleared the bar on their first attempt. In fact, several of the contestants not only didn't clear the bar, they also missed landing on the mat. While I don't necessarily agree with the ousting of Tyler and Joe, American felt that they didn't clear the bar on any of their three chances (or in Idol speak their 90 seconds of performing) and therefore, were not around for week two.
The show started off with all of the Guys lined up across a darkend Idol stage looking reminiscent of the poster for the "Usual Suspects."
Ryan informed the audience that the switch was due to Crystal Bowersox getting ill and having to be taken to the hospital. At roughly 10am the Guys were informed of the issue and graciously agreed to switch nights. Another switcheroo took place at the Judges table where Randy "Mr. Rogers" Jackson and Ellen "Conquering the Judges Table One Seat At A Time" DeGeneres flipped seats so that Randy and Simon bookend the table with Ellen and Kara in the middle (oh the jokes that could be made here....). Ryan and Ellen then partook in some humorous banter about American Gladiator and Bewitched as well as Ryan's appearance on Ellen's show where they shared a bed together due to Ellen being felled by a very bad back and some serious pain meds. I also noticed that the Red Coke Cups were back in place of the Vitamin Water Zero cups.
"Big" Mike Lynche was the first to try and raise the bar from last week. And raise the bar he did - at least for himself. Looking cool and comfortable of stage is a black on black 3 piece suit with pocket square, Mike performed James Brown's "It's a Man's World" like he was a member of the Rat Pack - which he isn't nor is he talented enough to really be mentioned in the same sentence but what can you do. Randy gave him a standing o and rightfully so if your Randy Jackson. Did he really deserve that kind of reaction? Probably not. While he was far and away better this week than last, he still has a long way to go to advance beyond just making the top 10. With what he has done thus far, he won't make it much beyond 10th place. But for this week, Mike easily cleared the bar (it's still set pretty low folks so don't run to the gift shop and purchase a Big Mike slanket just yet!) and set it higher for everyone who was to follow. Apparently all those Aaron curls he does when getting warmed up are starting to pay off.
John "Should Just Sing in Korean" Park followed Mike and to para-reference another James Brown song "He Ain't Got Soul (Seoul?) And He's Super Bad." His performance? of "Gravity" by John Mayer reminded me a lot of Lil Rounds from last season. She had all this potential but just couldn't figure out the Idol stage or how to select the song to best showcase what type of artist she wanted to be. Unless second rate copycat was the type of artist she was striving to be! I agree with Simon. John is looking at a early return to his pals in "Purple Haze" after clearly faulting for a second week.
Casey "Bucky Covington's Better Looking Brother" James hit the stage with his electric blue electric guitar and tackled "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Before he performed we got to see his video package and the only thing I really took away from it was "What's In the Box?" "Oh, What's In the Box?!?"
Casey's performance for me was no where near as good as Bo Bice's who's vocals are far better suited for the song. Bo also possessed a more polished stage presence and performance swagger than Casey has demonstrated to date. Were the vocals better than most of the contestants to date? Sure but there is more to it than just vocals. When your guitar skills outweigh your vocals on a song, it's time to choose a different song. Also, did anyone else wonder if Casey picked the song because of the lyrics? Here's a sample of what he sang: "I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn. I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn. Am I the only one who noticed? I can't be the only one who's learned!" Is it just me or does that sound like he's referring to his fellow contestants? None of the Judges seemed to enjoy the performance, not even the the Cougar.
On a side not, the Judges have been offering up much more pointed criticism this season. Even if the criticism is more contradictory or flip-flops more than the Republican Party and/or Mitt Romney!
Alex "Vomit Bag" Lambert took his turn at raising the bar with his rendition of John Legend's "Everybody Knows." Looking like he just stepped out of the Spring Urban Outfitters catalogue (Mullet aside), Alex seemed to have his vomiting and nerves in check. He also shook that pesky zombie stare from last week. While he still lacked what Simon called "that killer instinct" he chose a good song for his abilities and actually had a much more comfortable and clean performance. The Judges gave Alex useful and constructive feedback as well as needed encouragement. The kid has potential, that's undeniable. Is he a dark horse? Don't ask Siobhan because she couldn't teel you! Hopefully going forward Ales learns his songs in human language and not in his "made up language" otherwise he'll continue to not finish the lyric and not convey the true meaning or any meaning of the verses he sings. Besides, does he really want to go through life with a vocabulary like Randy Jackson? Alex raised the bar for himself considerable next week and here's hoping he continues to do so.
Toderick "Ike Turner" Hall pirouetted onto stage next with his "Ike Turner" version of Tina's "What's Love Got To Do With It." Jacked up by his pre-performance push-ups, Toderick proceeded to beat the crap out of yet another tune in the name of "switching it up like you wanted." Calling out the Judges for conflicting advice is not exactly a good idea, even if it is 200% (argh, Randy's infecting my brain) accurate. Regardless, there is a time and a place to make a song totally your own and it's time to just sing Toderick. Because with a smooth voice like that (and sounding an awful lot like D'Angelo last night) he needs to just sing, use the stage and play to his strenghts (great observation on both counts Ellen!). Otherwise he'll never raise the bar, he'll just be singing in one.
It had finally come to the point in the evening that I was dreading. The point when I would be forced, for the sake of this blog, to listen to Jermaine "Kid N' Play" Sellers. Not only that, but I was apparently going to have to endure seeing him in a dinosaur onesy and hear him whine about the Judges not liking his song last week. What else did we learn about Jermaine? He's an old spirit. God is is homeboy. He's not Picasso yet. And he uses a steam mask to open up his vocals. He also looked like the love child of Eddie Murphy's Norbit character and Urkel. Going with that ultra current hit "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, Sellers stunk up the joint for a second week. The performance had as much life and The Adventures of Pluto Nash. The Judges were not pleased. Ellen was at a loss for words. Kara told him to look at the lyrics and try to decipher their meaning. Randy thought it was better but far from great and Simon was frustrated and disappointed. Would it be too much to ask that he doesn't get a third week on the show? Please!?!
Singing James Morrison's "You Give Me Something," Andrew "Breakin 2 the Electric Boogaloo" Garcia didn't "give us anything." It was if he was asleep on his stool. Now I'm frustrated and disappointed because he has so much potential to wow us each week. So far though he hasn't found his rthym with his song selection and really needs to step up his game.
Aaron "Peeping Tom" Carter, I menan Kelly followed Andrew. Aaron is big into photography because the "camera doesn't lie." No it doesn't. SO if the old addage is tru that the camera adds 10 pounds and 5 years then Aaron must weigh about 50 pounds and be 11 years old in real life. Taking a stab at singing a song ("My Girl") that is 20 years older than he is, Aaron takes a giant step backward from his performance in week one. Aaron tried his best to cover the fact that the song was out of his league by using the stage and going country with it but it just didn't work. And that last note? I thought someone was making tea and it had finally boiled. Ellen was spot on again when she called it "forgettable."
Tim "Abercormbie & Fitch" Urban hit the stage next wih "Come On Get High" by Matt Nathanson. As first I didn't recognize the song choice but once he got going I realized what it was. It was actually a good choice for Tim considering he doesn't really have any singing talent. Which was pointed out again by Ellen who was on fire last night. Asking him if he could act was priceless! And I doubt that Glee would hire him unless the part didn't involve singing. Simon was the only one whliked the performance. Granted what he was comparing it to was a flaming bag of dog poo! Perhaps one of Tim's four brothers or five sisters can sing?
Rounding our the Guys last night was Lee "Pants On Th Ground" DeWyze. Lee chose a song that probably very few people recognized but was perfect for his vocal abilities. "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder was right in Lee's wheelhouse and the former paint salesman who made lots of bad choices in high school (who didn't!) did a pretty decent job with it. Lee took a current (well more current than most of the others) song that he knew he could handle and although he was pitchy, he was as Simon declared, "Head and shoulders above everyone else." Lee needs to contact General Larry Platt and buy one of the belts he was selling at the Grammy's so he doesn't have to keep pullin up his drawers next week. Perhaps then he will be more comfortable on stage. Lee once again raised the bar for himself and for the remaining Guys. Now it's up to them to figure out how to get over it.
Overall not a very enjoyable show but better than week one.
Girls go tonight at 8pm provided that Crystal has recovered from her 3 nicotine patch overdose! She doesn't want to ruin her "Crest White Strip" smile!
~E
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Just to mix things up....
It appears that Crystal Bowersox's illness will prevent her from performing tonight. The producers have decided to have the Guys sing tonight and the Girls sing tomorrow night. Crystal has been hospitalized wth an unreported illness. Get well soon Crystal!
As a result, the Tim, Alex and Jermaine horror train will rattle on through the station one day early. Let's all pray for a miracle improvement in their vocal abilities.
Enjoy the show!
~E
As a result, the Tim, Alex and Jermaine horror train will rattle on through the station one day early. Let's all pray for a miracle improvement in their vocal abilities.
Enjoy the show!
~E
Voting Poll and Other News
Good afternoon everyone. I trust that everyone has recovered from last weeks results show and has come to grips with the fact that Tim, Alex and Haeley will be punishing us with their rather experimental vocal stylings for at least another night. You may want to invest in a pair of ear plugs of at the very least, keep the remote handy for quick muting.
As the title of this post suggests, I have been trying to arrange it so that we can vote right on this blog for who we think is going home. Many hours have been invested in finding a poll widget that is compatable with Blogger. You might notice that a poll is currently up on the site but it is one that I am not happy with nor does it appear to provide the functionality that I desire (i.e. ability to track who voted for who and keep the results secret until after the results are all in). The only poll that I found that offers the level of functionality that we need costs $200. Sadly, I don't have a couple of Benjamin's lying around that I can invest in this blog.
Where does that leave us? Well, it would appear that for at least another week you will need to e-mail me your votes. I know, I know, it's so low tech! I am in the process of researching other widgets that might allow for voting buttons or some other type of data gathering widget that does what we need it to do. We can also try the poll that is up on the blog now but as I stated, it does not have the functionality that we really need.
In other news I have noticed that "ColdHeartedSnake" is now a follower of the site. If this cleaver moniker belongs to one of you, please let me know because this blog is open to the entire blogisphere and it would be quite a feat if we had an outside follower already. Unless of course it is actually Paula Abdul! I also encourage everyone to signup to follow the blog as it will allow me to instantly notify you all when new posts are available for viewing.
A new project called "Takin Over Hollywood" starring former Idol castoffs Kristen McNamara, Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell and Tatiana "Psycho Drama Queen" Del Toro. I have embedded a clip for your viewing pleasure. Not much is available regarding the project but there is an e-mail address at the end of the clip if you want to be adventerous and find out more.
Danny Gokey's CD "My Best Days" officially dropped today. He's "Not My Bag...Baby" so I won't be checking it out but if anyone does, let us know your thoughts.
In other former contestant news, Anoop and Matt G. will be going head to head in a new Oreo Cakesters ad campaign. There is also a contest associated with the campaign so if you want to enter, head over to http://www.nabiscoworld.com/oreo/cakesters/jingle.aspx
"We Are The Fallen" fronted by former contestant Carly Smithson will drop their debut album, Tear the World Down on May 11th.
Bucky Covington has a new single out as well, It's called "A Father's Love." Good for Bucky.....
Elliot Yamin was in Chile on Saturday when the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit. He was there to perform at a music festival. He is okay but is running low on his Type 1 diabetic insulin. Hopefully he makes it out before he runs out of insulin.
And finally, Carrie Underwood received 6 ACM nominations. The reigning Perfomer of the Year will be trying to defend her title again this year. Go Carrie!
Well, that's all for now. Don't forget to watch tonight at 8pm on Fox. It a 2 hour show so remember to set your DVR's to record a few minutes past 10pm.
Update:
I forgot to mention that Chikezie Eze was arrested the other night and booked on felony identity theft. He was busted while attempting to purchase cologne at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. That's just plain sad.
Didi Benami could also be in a bit of trouble. Information posted on her MySpace page links her to Jason Reeves a friend and songwriting partner of Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. Playing favorites are we Idol judges and producers? Considering that they allowed "Big" Mike to continue on the show after violating the confiedntiality agreement but booting Chris Golightly for maybe/maybe not being under contract with the boy band Dream 5.
Simon Cowell is apparently engaged to Mezhgan Hussainy, a make-up artist on the show. Who know if this is true or not but what I can tell you is that if the picture of the ring is not a fake then she will need an assistant to help her drag that rock around all day - it's huge, just like his ego and his 12,000 sq. ft. mansion!
And one final bit of news, Adam Lambert is scheduled to return to the Idol stage in the spring. No specific date has been released as of yet.
~E
As the title of this post suggests, I have been trying to arrange it so that we can vote right on this blog for who we think is going home. Many hours have been invested in finding a poll widget that is compatable with Blogger. You might notice that a poll is currently up on the site but it is one that I am not happy with nor does it appear to provide the functionality that I desire (i.e. ability to track who voted for who and keep the results secret until after the results are all in). The only poll that I found that offers the level of functionality that we need costs $200. Sadly, I don't have a couple of Benjamin's lying around that I can invest in this blog.
Where does that leave us? Well, it would appear that for at least another week you will need to e-mail me your votes. I know, I know, it's so low tech! I am in the process of researching other widgets that might allow for voting buttons or some other type of data gathering widget that does what we need it to do. We can also try the poll that is up on the blog now but as I stated, it does not have the functionality that we really need.
In other news I have noticed that "ColdHeartedSnake" is now a follower of the site. If this cleaver moniker belongs to one of you, please let me know because this blog is open to the entire blogisphere and it would be quite a feat if we had an outside follower already. Unless of course it is actually Paula Abdul! I also encourage everyone to signup to follow the blog as it will allow me to instantly notify you all when new posts are available for viewing.
A new project called "Takin Over Hollywood" starring former Idol castoffs Kristen McNamara, Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell and Tatiana "Psycho Drama Queen" Del Toro. I have embedded a clip for your viewing pleasure. Not much is available regarding the project but there is an e-mail address at the end of the clip if you want to be adventerous and find out more.
Danny Gokey's CD "My Best Days" officially dropped today. He's "Not My Bag...Baby" so I won't be checking it out but if anyone does, let us know your thoughts.
In other former contestant news, Anoop and Matt G. will be going head to head in a new Oreo Cakesters ad campaign. There is also a contest associated with the campaign so if you want to enter, head over to http://www.nabiscoworld.com/oreo/cakesters/jingle.aspx
"We Are The Fallen" fronted by former contestant Carly Smithson will drop their debut album, Tear the World Down on May 11th.
Bucky Covington has a new single out as well, It's called "A Father's Love." Good for Bucky.....
Elliot Yamin was in Chile on Saturday when the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit. He was there to perform at a music festival. He is okay but is running low on his Type 1 diabetic insulin. Hopefully he makes it out before he runs out of insulin.
And finally, Carrie Underwood received 6 ACM nominations. The reigning Perfomer of the Year will be trying to defend her title again this year. Go Carrie!
Well, that's all for now. Don't forget to watch tonight at 8pm on Fox. It a 2 hour show so remember to set your DVR's to record a few minutes past 10pm.
Update:
I forgot to mention that Chikezie Eze was arrested the other night and booked on felony identity theft. He was busted while attempting to purchase cologne at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. That's just plain sad.
Didi Benami could also be in a bit of trouble. Information posted on her MySpace page links her to Jason Reeves a friend and songwriting partner of Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. Playing favorites are we Idol judges and producers? Considering that they allowed "Big" Mike to continue on the show after violating the confiedntiality agreement but booting Chris Golightly for maybe/maybe not being under contract with the boy band Dream 5.
Simon Cowell is apparently engaged to Mezhgan Hussainy, a make-up artist on the show. Who know if this is true or not but what I can tell you is that if the picture of the ring is not a fake then she will need an assistant to help her drag that rock around all day - it's huge, just like his ego and his 12,000 sq. ft. mansion!
And one final bit of news, Adam Lambert is scheduled to return to the Idol stage in the spring. No specific date has been released as of yet.
~E
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