American Idol 7 - Hollywood Week - 2/12/08

We are finally getting closer to having a competition and being able to vote. It is elimination time to get to the top 24.

We learn that a total of 164 contestants out of 7 cities were given the golden ticket to La LA land (i.e. Hollywood). Hollywood auditions will be different this year. No group numbers and no eliminations on the first two days. If the contestant gets a yes from all the judges they are given a free pass to the last day of eliminations but if they get a no they get a second chance. Day three will be the bloodbath leaving only 50 contestants standing for a chance at the top 24 spots.

No group numbers, what is the meaning of this? I loved those group numbers because you really got to see the contestants good, bad, and really really ugly! I lost half my fun of watching those train wrecks.

As is usual we don’t have time to see everyone but some chosen few selected by the producers which means there better be some great talent in all the contestants we haven’t heard since if I heard it once I heard it a hundred times that this season has the best talent of any season!

Brooke White, the person who has never watched an “R’ movie. Brooke is one of the contestants who played an instrument (keyboard) and sang “Beautiful”. I liked this audition much better then her original one. She showed great musical skill and she was perfectly in tune. I wasn’t wowed but she didn’t irritate me which is always a plus. Simon tells her she has great potential and compares her to Carly Simon and Carole King. It is a yes from all judges so Brooke is safe until the final day.

We get three quick auditions with Lorena Pinot, Amy Flynn and Leo Marlowe all who weren’t given a free pass.

We then get 5 quick auditions of contestants who chose to play an instrument for their first audition to very bad results. Alisa Dixon plays guitar and totally butchers “Unwritten.”. Simon indicates she sounds like an angry girl in her bedroom screaming. Michael Sanfilippo also plays the guitar to horrid results. Alyssa Coco plays the piano but is cut off my Simon almost immediately. Shaun Barrows also plays the piano. Finally Jake Mellema goes for the drums. I actually liked his vocals but his drumming was another story.

David Hernandez was up next sans any instruments. He chooses “Love the One you’re with” and he totally nailed the number. This was a great audition, the tone of his vocals was great, his pitch was spot on and his enunciation was perfect. I actually enjoyed listening to him and they let him go on for quite awhile. Simon indicated it was the best they had heard that day, you were comfortable on the stage; Randy indicated I loved it from note one, and Paula was cheering him during his performance. David gets the free pass.

Amanda Overmyer, our Goth rocker nurse is next. Amanda we learn was in a serious automobile accident one week before her arrival in Hollywood. She was air lifted from the scene and has 12 staples in her head and several cracked ribs. Amanda goes with “Light my Fire” and again this was much better then her original audition. She rocked and it wasn’t even an imitation. I totally loved the performance. Paula, I adore you; Randy you are a throw back, you have the whole 60’s Janis Joplin vive, you are different, but Simon while he liked her he warned her not to be so one note, i.e. he knows how every song will sound. Amanda does get a free pass.

Our next montage is some contestants who do not follow Simon’s advice about “don’t forget lyrics” but do anyway. They are quick and you don’t really get to hear much.

The last contest of the first day is Ghaleb, the Latin lover with the thick accent. Once again we get a clip of him trying to come on to all the women. Ghaleb goes with “Everything I do, I do it for you” and I am sure Bryan Adams felt some electric shocks, the performance sucked big time. It was dull and I thought he was off key. He also chose to use a guitar. Paula advised him that she did not like the audition, he shouted not sang. I was not impressed. Simon compared him to a singing waiter. It is a no from all the judges but he gets his second chance.

Josiah Leming (the young 18 year old living out of his car) is up first on the second day. Josiah indicates he is more comfortable with his keyboards because he knows what to do. I think he has a very nice voice but there were a couple of off key notes. I think his original audition was better. Randy thinks he has a cool attitude and votes yes. Paula feels there is something magical about him, you make people smile, girls love you, and boys think you are cool. Simon states this is the audition I am going to remember.

We then get some quick auditions from Danny Noriega, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, Michael Johns, and David Cook. They all get a free pass to the last day.

We are then presented with a quick montage of other contestants trying out to Bryan Adams. It was so quick I couldn’t keep up with the names.

The last contestant of the second day is Kyle Ensley (our future governor). Kyle was not good and way too over the top. The judges get into a snit in discussing the results and Simon walks out.

Day two comes to an end with a total of 48 contestants getting a free pass and the remaining contestants have to try again.

On the start of day three the contestants are told there will be eliminations, if the judges feel they have a chance they will be back for the final round on day 4 but if not they are headed home. All contestants will come on stage in groups of 10 and each will sing for a few moments sans music.

Suzanne Toon and Perrie Cataldo two of our single parents are eliminated.

We spend way too much time with Amy Flynn who must have well do parents because her vocal coach is there but clearly not helping her because she gets the boot.

We then get some quick montages of all the eliminations ending with Ryan advising 40 have performed so far but only 4 have made it to the final round.

Another round of quick auditions, Kristy Lee Cooke, Jeffrey Lampkin (I had to laugh because he sang the song Motormouth Mabel sings in Hairspray Big, Blond and Beautiful), Angela Martin (another single mom) and Kyle. Angela is sent home the rest get their final chance.

Day three ends with almost 100 people sent packing.

For the final round of auditions the contestants will have the band and 3 back up singers to assist with their auditions. They had 200 songs to choose from and all were up late practicing.

David Archuleta who is 16 goes with Bryan Adams “Heaven”. I thought David also sang a home run. He had a great sound, was on key, and seemed to have great confidence. Randy indicates he is totally impressed; it was the best he’s heard yet. Paula mimes a hug with her yes and Simon indicates he is young, good looking, and has a good voice what more do you need. David has a shot for the top 24.

Kyle is shown next. He goes with “You Raise Me Up.” This was probably his best audition. He has a good voice but I am not sure he can make it all the way. Simon apologizes to Kyle for walking out and states it was a very good little audition, Randy likes it but Paula calls it safe. Kyle makes it through.

Jeffrey Lampkin goes with “A Whole New World” and he blows all of his good will. It was a total train wreck. All we hear is Paula saying it fell apart. Jeffrey is going home.

Joey Catalano breaks down and his audition was pure torture.

Sayesha is shown next who is suffering from some type of problem so she is not talking to save her voice. You would never have known it when it came time for her audition. Sayesha was hot; I think it was one of my favorites I have seen so far. Randy states she is the one to watch; you could sneak up and win it all; Paula indicates she gave the performance of her life; and Simon states she did it. Sayesha has a shot to the top 24.

Michael Johns our Australian is next and chooses “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I almost lost my dinner at the song choice but unbelievably Michael pulled it off. It was totally spot on but yet not an imitation. Michael hit every note, I actually got chills. Simon states it was the best audition of the day. Randy indicates I was a fan and I am still a fan. Paula says yes.

Carly Smithson goes with “Alone” and is pretty good; it was okay but no wow for me. She gets a yes from all judges with Simon indicating she has confidence.

Asia’h is next (the wonderful individual who auditioned even as her father was lying dead in a morgue). I will admit she sounded better then her original audition but again I wasn’t wowed but the judges let her through with Simon indicating best by a mile, brilliant.

Brooke Helvie (our beauty queen) is next and she goes with “Unchained Melody” which is a totally wrong song choice since it is one of Simon’s favorites. Brooke was totally off and the butchered high note was my fingers down the chalk board moment of the note. Brooke gets a yes from Simon but a no from the other judges, Brooke is going home.

Our final contestant on day 4 is Josiah. Poor Josiah, you can tell how young and immature he is because he has a hard time choosing a song, was uncomfortable with the band, etc. He was a total whining teenager which is too bad because I really like his voice. Poor Josiah does not take up vocal coach Debra Byrd’s offer of help. This was a very bad choice on his part.

We learn he is performing on less then 2 hours of sleep. Josiah steps up to audition and asks the band to leave, oh my indeed. Josiah goes with “Stand by me”. It was not good, he lost a lot of his credibility, and he must be right about needing his keyboard because he held the mike like without it he would collapse. I think I saw one of my favorites heading home. Randy says it was his worst performance yet, Paula thinks it was the wrong choice in saying no to the bad, and Simon is not impressed because if you are going to dismiss the band you had better be sure you are going to deliver. Yet somehow the judges’ still pass him through.

We are at the end, 50 contestants are left standing and tomorrow they get to ride the elevator and walk the walk to find out their fate.

I can’t wait to see who is in the Top 24!

Until tomorrow...