American Idol 7 - 3/26/08 And There are now 9

Well another results show over and done an one contestant's hope stomped to the ground.

My predictions for the bottom 3 were not that hot but I did make the right selection on who was going home.

I still do not like the hour result shows because they have to put in too much filler. I am also not a fan of the viewer answering call section. First of all it ticks me off that the west coast is screwed and then people ask really lame questions.

I have to say I actually enjoyed the group number and surprisingly everyone sounded really good especially Ramiele, she had some great notes at the opening of the number. Brooke should absolutely never dance again, she looks ridiculous when she is trying to remember the routine and after singing her solo part she had trouble getting back into place.

The Ford commercial last night was fairly classy, I think it has been the best one since they started this shameless plugging of a product for cash. It helped that they used one of my favorite Cheap Trick songs.

Kimberly Locke was looking hot last night and she has really grown as a performer as well. I didn't really like the dress but outside of that it was great to see her again. It reminded me I need to copy her CD's to my Ipod.

There were way too many video fillers including the long commercial for Itunes, please!

After 30 million votes Mr. Chikezie was sent packing. It is so interesting to me that Syesha totally out sang Ramiele but Syesha was in the bottom 3. I was actually surprised that Jason ended up in the bottom 3 because I figured his cute factor and those eyes would have had all those mosh pit girls texting until their fingers bled. Who is voting for Ramiele?

Next week Dolly Parton is paying a visit. I am sure Kristy Lee is thrilled to be back for another week. It will be interesting if we are going for straight country or more bluegrass when Dolly shows up. I can see the train wreck now. What will David Cook and Michael Johns do to rock up the country beat?

I can't wait!

Until next week...

American Idol 7 - 3/25/08 - The Top 10

“This … is American Idol! I totally love when I hear Ryan announce the opening of the show, it gets me psyched. I hope after last week’s abysmal entertainment the game will be stepped up since we no longer have to worry about song selection from the Lennon/McCartney song book.

Before I get started with my comments I just have to say what was up with Paula’s outfit? Give me a break? Is this a left over choice from her recent video shoot? I was laughing out loud with those fingerless black elbow length gloves and all the bling. Apparently her stylist was asleep at the wheel.

I can’t go another week without saying how much I hate the mosh pit and those screaming girls and how the producers get them to shout, wave, etc. It is distracting and totally unnecessary.

Our theme tonight is songs from the year the performer was born. These kids haven’t had must luck with song selection. I just have a bad feeling about this theme.

Ramiele Malubay – Born 1987

Good heavens what is this girl wearing? Ramiele looks ridiculous, what was she thinking. I even hate the boots especially with those stupid high waited shorts. Can the girl comb the hair out of her eyes?

Ramiele chose “Alone”. I have to digress here; this song needs to be removed from the selection list. It is overdone and usually not in a good way. These kids just don’t pay attention. This song will now always be compared to Carrie Underwood; this was the song which put her in front runner status. Never pick songs tied to former contestants or winners because you will be forever compared to them.

This performance was not good. The beginning was horrible and for a moment I thought Amanda was back because all I heard was mumbling. Ramiele was so soft you couldn’t hear her. It did not help with the band overpowering her. The transition to the chorus was my fingers now the chalkboard moment and what was with that shrieking. Oh yes she was trying to be heard above the band and backup singers. Ramiele really needed to pull one out of the hat and this performance was not good. It is sad because she does have a good voice but she has totally blown her chances.

Randy – I realize you are under the weather but it was not the right song choice for you, it was pitchy, all over the place

Paula – it is good we have heard how big your voice is, I give you credit because you are really sick, you are a big talent

Simon – it was not as bad as Randy indicated, the first part was okay, the middle was a little “shouty”; you were appalling last week and got through so this performance should get you through again

Jason Castro – Born 1987

Oh it is Jason’s birthday! Isn’t that special! Jason looked pretty good tonight and I see he is back to sitting with his guitar.

Jason has gone with “Fragile”. This performance was just okay, there was nothing special. It was way too safe and Jason really didn’t sell the song. I think he is way too young to really understand this song. The rather heavy handed guitar playing butchered how truly melodic and delicate this song is and there was a whine to Jason’s voice that irritated me. In addition his enunciation sucked as well. This was just the same old, same old.

Randy – I love this song and I think it was a good song choice for you. It didn’t do anything vocally for you; it was alright, pleasant, nice.

Paula – you are true to who you are, there was nothing different, no wow, it was a little safe

Simon – you have had two bad weeks and it is time you started taking this a little more seriously, it was like something you would hear outside of a subway station, clumsy and laid back. You have the potential to win but not if you keep performing like this.

Syesha Mercado – Born 1987

Syesha was looking hot, great outfit but I liked her hair in the video much better than that ratty afro.

Syesha has chosen “If I Were Your Woman”. Wow! That was one out of this world performance. Syesha showed the world what a powerful voice she truly has. Her vocals were crystal clear as was her enunciation. Her voice was passionate and very much textured. This performance gave me goose bumps and I actually stood up and clapped. Who knew she could sing this well?

Randy – good moment, it is the best I ever heard you sing including your audition, stellar, I am loving it, blazing hot

Paula – this is the moment where you became the dark horse to win, pitch perfect, brilliant, your upper register was beautiful, fantastic

Simon – best so far this evening, I don’t think the ending was as good as Randy thinks, I think this song stretched your limit. (This is one time I totally disagree with Simon – that number rocked!)

Chikezie – Born 1985

Chikeze’s outfit was good. Thankfully he has toned it down a bit. Chikeze has gone with “If Only For One Night”.

This performance was boring on the other hand except for losing his pitch in several spots I believe this was the first time where I really liked the vocals. What I believed help me is Chikeze was able to sell the emotion of the song. His delivery was very heartfelt. I think it was a good choice for him to do this ballad but it was very safe but after last week’s atrocious performance I think he needed this. I still haven’t had the moment where I go wow I understand why he is here.

Randy – Syesha’s song came across young, you were old school, I didn’t love it, not hip and cool, boring

Paula – I disagree, it was a good throw back, you upped the tempo, great job with texture of your vocals.

Simon – you sang it well but the performance was cheesy, you need to show originality not copy the original, I miss your personality

Brooke White – Born 1983

I see Brooke is back behind the piano tonight and what is up with that dress, it was totally unflattering to her, did you see her when the contestants came out at the beginning, oh my goodness.

Brooke chose “Every Breath You Take” and I totally hated this performance. I can give her the mess up at the beginning and starting over but what was up with that arrangement. It just did not work for me. It was better than last week but I think Brooke really has problems both singing and playing. The band coming in didn’t help. It wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t brilliant, it was just okay. Brooke can sing better than this.

I love this song but come on people this is a song about a stalker. The only time this song was ever used appropriately was when it was used in “All My Children” when Brooke English was held captive by a stalker. People just don’t get what this song is about but I digress.

Randy – interesting song choice, the front part was okay but the bridge and chorus didn’t work, the arrangement was off, it was okay, just alright

Paula – much better than last week, you are unique and you have your niche, you are consistent, great

Simon – better than last week, I totally agree with Randy, it would have been better if the band had not come in at all but good enough to give you another week.

Michael Johns – Born 1978

Michael went with a Queen medley of “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions”. I was laughing when he started. I will give Michael kudos for performance, these songs are not really singing songs but they are arena rock songs to get the audience going and Michael definitely proved once and for all that he can perform and entertain. It was a totally awesome performance because he showed star power, he was confident and the tech show with the lights helped as well, you could see him in a stadium. Michael was hot. The vocals though weren’t that strong but at least he wasn’t shouting but let the power of his voice reach the money notes. Clearly the mosh pit loved him.

Randy – finally you believe in yourself and used your big voice, your best performance on the show

Paula – you found the right song, it was your shining moment, I am proud of you

Simon – this is the first time I have seen star potential, tonight you got it right, you were confident and performed well, the only memorable performance of the night so far

Carly Smithson – Born 1983

Carly’s outfit was much better tonight, thankfully. I am not sure I liked it but anything is better than that horrible outfit from last week, I am still having nightmares about it.

Carly has chosen “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. For me this was the perfect song choice. I thought Carly performed it brilliantly. I totally enjoyed the performance and I thought she showed vocal power, range and emotion. Even that horrible overwrought ending with the sharp notes worked because she didn’t let it affect her, she just performed. All singers mess up but the key is not to let it affect you and Carly showed this to perfection. Carly also for the first time really worked well with the band and the back up singers. It was like they had performed together for years. I was totally digging the whole thing.

Randy – I liked it but didn’t love it, I didn’t like the sharp note at the end

Paula – totally was disgusted with Randy, she loved the ending, it showed Carly is willing to stretch herself and try new things, you can do no wrong

Simon – something didn’t quite work for me, you were tense, uptight, part of it was very good but you need to lighten up

David Archuleta – Born 1990

David, David, David you are young that is very clear and those distracting yelling girls in the mosh pit have to go, they overpowered you more than the band.

David went with “You’re The Voice”. Interesting song choice, it was written by David Foster who was on a couple of weeks ago with Katherine McPhee. I love trivia. This is the type of song Celine Dion would sing.

I liked that David chose a song with an up-tempo beat but come on there were better song choices from 1990. The vocals were for the most part okay although he had a bit of trouble sustaining some of the notes outside of the last note, which was pure perfection. David needs some help with performance skills, his dancing was a bit distracting and don’t get me started on the crazy facial expressions but those girls in the mosh pit loved them. I think David could really blow us away if he could just pick the right songs.

Randy – it was a strange song choice but you can sing, very nice

Paula – you could sing the phone book and we would love you

Simon – you sang it well in parts but I didn’t like the performance, it was like one of those ghastly theme park performances with annoying little creatures running around, I don’t think you picked that song yourself, it wasn’t you.

Kristy Lee Cook – Born 1984

How disgusting I have been working for the same company longer than Kristy has been alive. Oh my!

Kristy Lee actually looked great tonight, I even enjoyed her outfit. Kristy is smarter than I give her credit as well, what a shamelessly great song choice when you know you are at the bottom of the heap. Kristy has chosen “God Bless the USA”.

I have to digress here. I am probably the only one who remembers that this was the big finale song from the Season 2 concert tour with Ruben and Clay along with Mr. Military Josh Gracin. I have never been a fan of this song and I thought it was a cheesy finale number than and it is a totally cheesy number to chose but it will so make Kristy safe this week, damn it.

Kristy’s performance wasn’t actually too bad, there were still parts which were a little flat but her pitch was better than usual, not perfect just better. It was a schmaltzy performance which will win her big fans. It was truly the best performance she has provided since the show began.

Randy – there were some pitchy spots but it was a very nice performance

Paula – it was a good song choice, very poignant, your voice sounded better but watch the pitch, you are growing as a performer

Simon – it was your best performance by a mile, it was the most clever song choice in years, it will keep you in the competition

David Cook – Born 1982

I graduated from college in 1981 so I have been out of school longer than he has been alive. These kids are making me feel old.

David has chosen “Billie Jean”. It was an interesting song choice as it was just the 25th anniversary of the “Thriller” album. This is the best song from that album and who would have thought it could be improved upon. I had never heard the cover they talked about but it doesn’t matter. David totally sold this song. The arrangement was great and I just found the song so hauntingly beautiful. The way David built to the money note was nothing short of total brilliance. I loved this and David proved he is an accomplished performer.

Randy – you are the most original, bold contestant we have ever had, you might be the one to win the whole thing, it was blazing, molten hot

Paula – you blew me away, it was smart, brave and you are willing to stretch the boundaries, brilliant

Simon – it was very brave, it could have been either insane or amazing, and that was amazing


This show was better than last week’s but only by a little. I grow ever more annoyed by the mosh pit and those swaying arms and constant screaming. Give it a rest!

Outside of David Cook, Michael Johns, Syesha, and Carly the performances were blah to bad.

I totally powered voted last night and managed to get in 435 votes. Carly in the bottom 3 last week scared me so she got 125 votes, David, Michael, and Syesha got 100 each and Brooke got 10 votes.

Given that we appear to be still in the personality versus talent contest picking a bottom 3 and who is being kicked out is getting harder.

I am going out on a limb and predict a bottom 3 of Ramiele, Chikezie, and Brooke. My prediction on who will be kicked off is Chikezie.

Until tomorrow….

American Idol 7 - 3/19/08 - And now there are 10

Mr. Ronald was doing a very big happy dance last night when Amanda Overmyer was eliminated which means she won't be in the Concert tour, yeah!

The queen of I can't enunciate a single word will no longer haunt my nightmares but on the other hand, America, Carly in the bottom 3 are you out of your minds? Clearly America is not voting for talent. The fact that Ramiele wasn't in the bottom 3 is crazy given her performance on Tuesday.

It is interesting though that Kristy Lee has that many fans that she survived another week.

I guess this is one of the reasons we watch to see what crazy things America will to.

The big announcements of this year's mentor's were interesting and such a variety. The mentors will be Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Neil Diamond.

Can I say am I totally psyched about Andrew Lloyd Webber. This is a composer who writes some very tough songs to sing. The contestants should call me about song selection because I will be able to pick the perfect songs for each contestant which will showcase their talent (I just love when they do the musical theme nights, although Andrew has written many songs never intended for musical theater).

I think Mariah will be the weakest mentor, it is not that she isn't talented, she of the 7 octave range which of course will put the men standing at a disadvantage but I am not sure she should be providing them with advice because currently outside of Celine I can't imagine another singer who can over do it than Mariah.

The opening group number was horrible and they couldn't put together a better selection of choices then "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here, There and Everywhere" and "Because". David Archuleta had a big pitch problem when he started along with Brooke and Chikeze. Do not even get me started on Amanda who also looked incredibly uncomfortable last night during the group number. There were so many better songs to choose from.

Tonight's Ford Commercial was better than last week's.

The dragging out of the results show to an hour is just a recipe for more commercials and filler videos. Even the plug for Idol gives back was a big commercial in reality.

I didn't like Kellie Pickler during Season 5 and I still don't like her. If I have to hear her sing "Red High Heels" one more time I will scream. There was someone who sang the song during an audition this year. Kelly had some severe pitch issues and don't get me started on the ending note. I will give her credit she has learned some good performance skills since she was on the show.

I am also hating the stupid question and answer period with the viewing audience. The west coast is screwed anyway because I have some great questions to ask they would never answer on the air. I am not sure I really care if Paula is a good kisser or not!

My choices this week for the bottom 3 was clearly off since I only got one right and the elimination totally surprised me but at least it was the result I was dreaming of but didn't think would actually happen.

Until next week…..

American Idol 7 - The Top 11 - 3/18/08

Last night’s episode of American Idol has gotten to be one of the worst. It was the strangest evening.

I said it last week and I will say it again, having the same theme two weeks in a row is a stupid idea and I was proven right.

In addition the contestants have apparently not been reading my blog or truly watched the show. Song selection is critical and there were some really stupid ones last night but more on that later.

I also have to get on my soapbox on this theme issue, Ryan advised us the Beatles were back by popular demand and all I can say is “What the &*^%!). I do not know one person who was happy about it and if the blogs were any indication no one in cyber land was happy. Who are these demented souls who demanded this? Come forth let yourself be known so the rest of us can shame you into submission. I am getting off my soapbox now.

Amanda Overmyer

I will be upfront, I don’t get her, I don’t like her and Amanda has to go. I guess she was right when in her video she said she was going to throw some black eye liner on and my question is there any left in any store, give me a break. Amanda just looks stupid.

Amanda has chosen to do “Back in the USSR” which I suppose is a good song choice because it has only one octave so doesn’t need much range which Amanda clearly does not have. Once again the woman was shouting versus singing, she started off really rough and was not in synch with the band at all. The only words I could understand from her were the title of the song, everything else was mumbled! She is one note Amanda and although she wants everyone to understand what they would get if they bought a ticket to her concert; I was thinking it would be a cold day in hell before I spent money to attend a concert where Amanda was the only performer. It would be utter torture.

Randy – perfect song choice for you, it started a little pitchy but it got better, I would give it 7 out of 10 (7 out of 10 my foot it deserves a negative number score)

Paula – it was pitchy and the your timing was off, you were a head of the beat but when you connect you are authentic and unique, I would love you to do a vulnerable ballad (I would love you to just be able to enunciate the words just once)

Simon – it was what it was, it was predictable, a bit of a mess in parts, you need to do something to surprise the audience like David Cook did, you are in danger of being boring.

It totally rocked when Simon told Amanda “her concert tickets weren’t on sale yet”!

Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy actually looked really good last night. I loved the outfit and she had on some killer boots but if I hear her talk about those damn horses again I will throw up and oh how touching that she looks at photographs every night and how cute her dog is named August, “oh Ryan don’t make me cry before I have to perform”. Hopefully you can tell my words are dripping with sarcasm.

Kristy chose “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” because she liked the title. Why would you choose a song you have never heard, give me a break. This was a total mess. The girl was flat for most of it although she did hit the power note. I hated the arrangement of the song and the band was totally overwhelming her. Kristy clearly did not understand the song and wasn’t able to sell it. There was absolutely no fun or emotion during the performance and don’t get me started on her weird eye movements.

Randy – I love this song, it was an interesting arrangement, I wanted more emotion, it was boring and safe.

Paula – you look gorgeous, it was a little safe, you need to make it more interesting

Simon – you need hypnosis to make yourself a better performer, you are like musical wallpaper, you remember it but there is no impact, it was better than last week.

David Archuleta

David has chosen “A Long and Winding Road”. I have to admit this song has sentimental value to me, it was my class song when I graduated from high school in 1977 (yes I know it ages me and I am not in the demographics this show is after) and I have always loved this song and the sentiments behind it.

David chose the absolute perfect song for him. This performance was truly brilliant, every note, every word was clear and pure. There was so much emotion and tenderness he was able to sell the song for one so young. David took command of the stage. This kid can really, really sing. I realize it was a safe song but after last week’s abysmal performance he had to come back. I still think David has to get out of his comfort zone but I would challenge anyone to say this was not a totally spine chilling performance.

Randy – David brought the hotness back to his game, it was safe and you should have added some runs, it was brilliant, very nice

Paula – it was the most exciting and wonderful performance, such purity, you rose above the adversity

Simon – last week it was a mess, this week you were amazing, you sold the song, it was a master class in performing

Michael Johns

Michael chooses “A Day in the Life”. This was not a good song choice when you can’t really sing the entire song which by the way I love. I wasn’t happy about the arrangement and it was strange how they condensed the song. Poor Michael could not hit the money note and he was in and out of pitch quite a bit. What is up with these stupid dance movements, just because it worked for Taylor Hicks doesn’t mean the audience will continue to buy such antics. When David connected with the song he was very good but overall it was not a good night for Michael.

Randy – it wasn’t one of your best performances, it wasn’t the right song choice, you have a big ole voice and you should just sing and show it off

Paula – you were great in dress rehearsal, then she was mumbling about the ear piece and not being used to listening to the monitor, blah, blah, blah

Simon – it was a mess, the song is too complicated to compress into a minute and a half, you didn’t sell it, you need to nail the song, it was not good enough

Brooke White

Oh my god no, what is that totally unattractive and unflattering ugly yellow dress doing on this stage. I don’t care what the title of her song choice is, that was a hideous mess and the stylist should be fired immediately. Brooke I am here for you I could do a 100 percent better job in dressing you.

Brooke has gone with “Here Comes the Sun”, how predictable. It was not a good song choice for her even if she is Miss Mary Sunshine. I hated the entire performance including the start when she was sitting on the stairs and what was up with the little twirl as she was coming center stage. Oh my heavens was that a woo-woo. There was no wow for me but rather a thank god it is over moment. She lost me with the dress and the performance bored me to tears.

Randy – the performance was awkward, you never connected with the song, not hot

Paula – you make me smile, I love the yellow dress (clearly your Prozac has kicked in then), I really admired your lower tones, you need to pick something more challenging, a song not so safe

Simon – the performance was terrible from song choice to the horrible dancing, you lacked conviction

Brooke I believe you are a sincere person but you don’t have to keep saying the judges are right about your terrible performance, you do want the viewing audience to vote for you. Just stand there and listen. No one is that friggin’ nice.

David Cook

David is getting better and better each week. He looked great and the outfit totally worked. Note to the producer’s I hate that background and the lighting was too harsh.

David chose “Day Tripper”. This was a very good song choice and a rocking performance. David can bring it home, he was so comfortable on the stage and he works really well with the back up singers. David’s enunciation improves week by week as well and in this performance I understood every word. Amanda needs to take some lessons from David. I totally loved the talk/box thing in the middle; it worked smoothly with the performance. There was just so much joy and fun in David’s performance. Unless he totally screws up I think he may be the dark horse in this race to the finals.

Randy – it is like a David Cook concert every week.

Paula – you are ready to sell records, the voice box was cool, and then she mumbled something about a Geiko commercial which I didn’t understand

Simon – it wasn’t as good as you think it was, you looked smug and the voice box was stupid, you lost the element of surprise, it was predictable

Carly Smithson

Carly you look ridiculous, that top has got to be the worst thing I have seen in a long time. Is she pregnant and trying to hide it? The color was ghastly and that ugly ruffle rose thing around the collar was hideous as well. Once again the stylist needs to be fired and you can hire me.

Carly chose “Blackbird”. This is a song I adore but I don’t think it was the right one for her. The problem for me is every time I hear a song which was also performed in “Across the Universe” I start comparing it not to the Beatles version but to the performers in this movie. Evan Rachael Wood totally made this song work in the movie where for me Carly didn’t really sell it. Don’t get me wrong, technically it was a flawless singing performance, every note on key, the phrasing was great but there wasn’t an emotional connection or at least I didn’t see it in Carly. It was a solid performance but not as good as last week.

Carly I am okay with the tattoo’s but come on, isn’t it a bit cheesy to put a 7 on your fingers because you are in Season 7, give it a rest will you.

Jason Castro

Jason has gone with “Michelle”, please god no. He has to tell us he didn’t know “ma belle” was French, give me a break.

I thought this was a terrible choice of song and Jason just butchered the French. My French is pretty rusty after 31 years and I was always better at writing than speaking although I managed to pass all my courses with flying colors at the Sorbonne but Jason was truly uncomfortable with the French, why choose a song when you can’t pronounce the words, it’s the French which make’s that song so perfect. Jason’s voice was just a little too nasally for me as well. He was not very comfortable on stage and was disconnected from the material. I don’t think he understood what the song was about. I was not wowed and found myself drifting away while he was performing.

Randy – it was a good choice, interesting arrangement, the performance was subdued, you weren’t connected to the song, just alright

Paula – you are charming and the girls love you (the women too according to a friend of mine and the bloggers), you were disconnected, you are not quite as comfortable if you don’t have your guitar, the song wasn’t as intimate as it should be

Simon – It was strange, if this wasn’t on TV but just the radio I would have turned it off, your face sold the song, you are charming but not obnoxious

Syesha Mercado

Syesha was looking hot. I loved the new “do” and the outfit looked great on her.

Syesha went with “Yesterday”. This is a scary song choice but overall I thought she did a spectacular job. I did enjoy the arrangement and the use of just the guitar and a few strings. I think she nailed the number and was able to sell the emotions. There were a couple of times she over sold it but she has a great tone to her voice and she was singing in key. Since she didn’t have to compete with the full band we were able to really hear her sing and her voice most definitely soared.

Randy – very, very good performance

Paula – your vulnerability sets you apart, you need to work on connecting more with the eyes

Simon – your best performance so far, not incredible but you chose the best song and you sold it, it should keep you in the competition

Chikeze

Finally Chikeze found an outfit I can live with, it wasn’t bad just okay.

Chikeze chose “I’ve just seen a Face” and once again I immediately thought of Jim Sturgess’s version from “Across the Universe” and this one fell flat for me. It was not a good song choice for Chikeze. This was just a stupid mess of a performance. The harmonica was not needed and distracted from the vocals and exactly what type of song was he trying to pull off, he was all over the place. I hated the whole thing from beginning to end. It was a waste of my time. I might also add Chikeze’s enunciation gets worse week by week.

Randy – there were good parts and bad parts, I liked the past part better than the slow, the harmonica was strange

Paula – you are showing who you are, your voice is pure, you were on pitch, I love it, you did it again

Simon – it started okay, the harmonica was atrocious and then it turned into Acky, Breaky Heart, it was like a lot of different artists and not as good as last week, it was gimmicky.

Ramiele Malubay

Ramiele your outfit sucked the big one but at least the hat kept your hair out of your eyes. Don’t get me started on the stupid hat.

Ramiele went with “I Should Have Known Better”, come on this is not a song to choose to try and stay in the competition. It is begging for bad comments and a trip home! I totally hated this performance as well. Ramiele’s voice was very weak at the beginning and the band was not helping her at all. I thought her phrasing was horrible and she had some severe pitch problems as well. The one surprising thing is that she appeared more at ease on the stage and seemed to be having a fun but the vocals just weren’t there. She hit some power notes but it came so late in the performance it didn’t create a wow moment for me. This was totally karaoke.

Randy – I liked it, you had confidence

Paula – better than last week

Simon – it sounded like Chikeze on harmonica, I like you but it sounded amateurish, it didn’t show off her abilities.

As previously indicated last night’s show was a disaster and I hope the producers have learned never to repeat a theme night twice in a row. Last week was bad enough but this week the contestants were sucking related to song selection. I hate to do this but I have to go for the cheap joke and say “I Should Have Known Better” summed up the whole entire episode.

I got a late start on voting because I had a class last night so I only had an hour and 15 minutes to vote after watching the show on tape. I only managed 270 votes. The David’s Carly, and Syesha each got 50, Michael and Brooke each got 25 while Jason got 10 and Chikeze and Ramiele each got 5.

As far as I am concerned based on performances every one but the two David’s’, Carly and Syesha should be in the bottom.

At this point I am not convinced we are at the talent part of the competition for voting so choosing the bottom 3 is more challenging so I am just hazarding a guess.

The bottom 3 will be Kristy, Ramiele, and Syesha.

Amanda should be there but I don’t think I can be that lucky.

I will once again predict that Kristy will be heading home to Oregon after tonight. There could be a surprise elimination but I hope not.

American Idol 7 - 3/12/08 - And Now There are 11

Our first big elimination episode of Season 7. I hate the hour long result shows but we are stuck with them for awhile.

Can we tell Fox, stop with the cross promotions, it is getting ridiculous starting with the "Horton Hears A Who" opening to the show, give me a break! Oh no, Jim Carrey in the audience in a partial "Horton" costume, I would fire my agent for getting me involved in a contract requiring this type of promotion. I will give them some credit for the joke "about the elephant in the room" but making fun of what you are doing and then continue to do it, is not funny!

Well so much for a mentor announcement, instead we are told viewer and e-mails have given us a second week of Lennon/McCartney song book choices, they weren't that successful this week, I just can't imagine another week. I guess poor Michael Jackson seriously needs some cash since he owns the majority of the rights to the song use.

We get a medley by the Top 12, I normally enjoy group numbers but there were some not so good moments. Jason really hit a bad note when he was starting off at the stop of the stairs and don't even get me started on Amanda, the woman was flat, flat and she has a terrible enunciation problem. David Archuleta was much better with "Can't Buy Me Love", song selection my boy.

How will we drag out the reveal for an hour, oh clips. We get a montage of last night performances, as if I could forget them?

Oh heaven help me, Sanjaya was in the audience.

I just about threw up when Ryan started with the eliminations asking "Who will get the Ticket to Ride", no! no! no!

Syesha is our first contestant into the bottom 3. Well I am 1 for 1 on my prediction.

More filler, the bottom 3 will be singing, if America didn't like them the night before what has changed?

Oh our first Ford commercial, I totally did not like it, the political theme, come on, it was just way too forced.

Well more cross promotion in the guise of video clips on how being on American Idol has affected them and it is included in clips from the movie premiere of, yes you guessed it, "Horton Hears A Who".

Can I say how much I hated the Q&A by viewers? First the questions were lame and it sucks because those of us on the West Coast will never be able to call in because the live show occurs 3 hours earlier then we see the show.

Kristy Lee Cook is the second contestant in the bottom 3. 2 or 2 now.

My honey, Katherine McPhee comes out to sing "Something". Katherine was looking hot, hot, hot. I loved the outfit, killer shoes. She looked quite beautiful. She has lost weight. I guess married life agrees with her. I still think she should have won Season 5 - who is Taylor Hicks?

Give me a break, enough with Jim Carey and the "Horton Hears A Who".

David Hernandez completes the bottom 3. Yeah 3 for 3 on my prediction. I am never totally right on the bottom 3.

Syesha is sent back safe which means Kristy and David had the lowest votes.

Oh no, David was sent packing before Kristy let alone Amanda. That just sucks. I guess I am going to have dig in to more power voting. I will be home next week so I will have access to 4 phones for voting!

David is sent packing with Ruben singing "Celebrate Me Home". Not a clever choice of song if you ask me. I do like this song and by the way, this is one of the numbers I sang with Clay Aiken during his Joyful Noise Tour at the Rose Garden (sorry I couldn't resist)!

Interesting elimination.

Well next week it starts all over! See you then...

American Idol 7 - The Top 12 Perform - 3/11/08

We are finally here, the Top 12 are performing and one of them will be the next American Idol. I really liked the new opening credits. I am not sure about the set itself, although I do like ultra modern. I am sure it will grow on me except for the mosh pit. The one thing I really liked is the band’s new space over the stage.

Was it just me or was there a technical glitch when they were opening the American Idol sign for the top 12 to come through, it was awfully slow and noticed the contestants were somewhat hesitant to come through it.

I am stoked for tonight’s performances along with the songs of Lennon and McCartney which are some of the best. The one’s they used in “Across the Universe” were sung well by that cast and let’s hope we don’t see a lot of butchering of these great melodies. Song choice will be key!

Syesha Mercado

Syesha was looking hot tonight. I was digging the whole ensemble including those kicking boots. I adored the hair do and accessories.

Syesha chose “Got To Get You Into My Life” which is a weak song choice for her. Oh my god, her first note was atrocious. That was a very rough start, she was soft and tentative. It must be nerves. At the time she reached the chorus she seemed to work it out but she seemed to be holding back. I don’t think she was having much fun. It was barely okay for me. This is not a good start. Nerves may yet be the killer tonight.

Randy – nice arrangement, reminds me of Earth, Wind & Fire, it started out rough, pitchy but by the middle you were better, this is a fun song, you are thinking too much when you sing, just before the big note you were off pitch, you need to loosen up

Paula – you are a very good singer, there were pitch problems but mid-way through you found your zone

Simon – it was better than alright, great choice of song, you looked very nervous, better then last week.

Chikezie

Oh no, what is up with that outfit, he totally cannot pull off that look, did he steal Blake Lewis’s sweater when he was there last week. The tie so clashed with the rest of the outfit.

Chikezie went with “She’s A Woman”. He starts off sitting with three members of the band who had a banjo, fiddle and tambourine. I did not like the start of this song but after he got up and the band kicked it for a funkier beat I warmed up to the performance. I think Chikezie had to shout quite a bit to be heard over the band but for the first time I saw some real joy and energy in his performance. Chikezie was selling the song. I have never been a fan of Chikezie but I will give him credit for taking a risk and for the most part making it work. This was probably my favorite performance he has given. On the other hand, he has to stop with the crazy Taylor Hicks type dance moves. Those were just silly.

Randy – I was thoroughly entertained, loved the arrangement, who knew you had that falsetto, you “smashed it”.

Paula – this is what I meant at the beginning of the show, risk taking that worked, it started with an “O Brother Where Art Thou” vibe meets rock and the reward paid off

Simon – I am surprised to say I agree with Randy and Paula, you looked drunk when you were dancing but you changed within a week, you took control of the stage and were unique, terrific.

Ramiele Malubay

Will the girl get the hair out of her eyes; it is just ticking me off. That has got to be the most stupid dress I have seen in awhile, I hated it and it wasn’t doing much for her either.

Ramiele chose “In My Life” which is a beautiful song. I thought the arrangement was way too plodding, this was like watching a murder in slow motion. Vocally Ramiele was excellent, she had a clear pure tone, she was on pitch but that stupid arrangement was killing the melody. Ramiele also seemed to be somewhat tentative in her vocals and performance; I didn’t see a lot of joy. She is falling from grace very quickly.

Randy – it was kinda of pretty but also kinda boring, it just laid there

Paula – you look lovely, it was a pretty safe song, you are an amazing singer and you need to take advantage of it, just go with the melody, you were holding back

Simon – I was bored to tears through the whole thing, it was a dreary song choice, it was forgettable, I expected a lot better because you are better

Jason Castro

Jason, Jason, Jason please do not become a one trick pony. There is poor Jason sitting on the stage with his guitar. Jason has chosen “If I Fell”. I was not fond of this performance at all. It was weak, it was hard to hear him and his breathing and facial expressions were a killer. When Jason realizes he didn’t get a note right, watch his face, it looked like he was trying to pass a gall stone. Jason couldn’t reach for the high notes and the back up singers were really doing the lead vocals and he playing harmony. This is not a good choice as a singer and this was not a good choice of song. This was really a let down for me.

Randy – it liked it, I didn’t love it, I love the song but didn’t like the switching of the melody

Paula – I disagree with Randy, you are special, unique, I feel your heart as does the audience feel the connection, you don’t need riffs/runs because of the emotional connection to the music

Simon – last week you were incredible, this performance was like a student in his bedroom at midnight, it was boring, I am a big fan but you need to choose brilliant songs, good enough to stay not to win

Carly Smithson

Carly was hot tonight. I loved her outfit, the toned down makeup worked and even her tattoo was not distracting to me.

Carly went with “Come Together” which was a perfect song choice. I totally loved this performance. Carly has great control. She was pitch perfect and hit every note. Carly had energy and she had the audience in the palm of her hand. This was by far my favorite performance of the evening so far.

Randy – I loved it, loved your strength and confidence, stellar performance

Paula – it was like watching someone who was already a star, amazing

Simon – week after week you’ve chosen the wrong song until now, this was like 6 years ago in the same week when Kelly Clarkson surged to the top of the pack.

David Cook

David looked great in that outfit, loved the jacket. I wonder where I could find one like it. David chose “Eleanor Rigsby”, interesting song choice.

I have to say I hated the video background and those lights were way too bright. David started off very rough, that first note was a killer and not in a good way, he mumbled a bit but about a third of the way in it started working, each note built on the next. I totally loved the arrangement and the twist he had on the song. There was true raw rock appeal in that performance. The ending notes were totally soaring. David took command of the stage and he sold the number.

Randy – you can definitely rock out on Idol, it started rough, pitch issues but by the chorus you were rocking, you let go

Paula – you are the dark house, a thoroughbred horse, fantastic, like a front man

Simon – I thought it was brilliant, Paula is right, if this remains a talent contest vs. a popularity contest you could win

Brooke White

I hated Brooke’s outfit, please. Brooke has gone with “Let It Be”. Brooke is playing the piano and singing. I am not sure it worked. I would have liked it better if she had just sung. I thought her voice sounded scratchy or strained. I didn’t feel this at all. Watching Brooke it appeared she was having trouble singing and playing at the same time and then trying to decide where she should be looking. She was on key thankfully and clearly the song was moving her so she was able to sell the song. I think what I wanted was a big finish; it should have started out slow and then built to a big ending. This was just performed on one level. It was pretty good karaoke.

Randy – not your best performance but you have conviction, it was a heart felt performance, this dawg is a fan

Paula – you have found your niche, you feel it in your heart, the emotional connection

Simon – again one of the best performances of the night, it was a brilliant choice of song, you are believable, great

David Hernandez

Oh my, what is David thinking, his outfit was just a little too 1980’s for me. David goes for “I Saw Her Standing There” which is a pretty good fun song.

David started the performance up behind the judges and then jumped down and ran for the stage. This didn’t work for me. What is going on here? David’s performance is way to maniac and what is up with those eyes and stiff movements, for someone who is a stripper you would think they could move a little bit more gracefully but I digress. I thought David’s vocals were off; he couldn’t hit the high notes and left it to the back up singers. I just didn’t see any fun in the performance. It was not good.

Randy – you’ve got a big voice but this was too over done, you lost me at the jump

Paula – I love your voice but agrees with Randy you over did it, you need to scale back, you are a brilliant singer

Simon – no, no, no, it was corny, verging on desperate, it was a little bit like a rabbit in the headlights, not a strong performance.

Amanda Overmyer

Good heavens, what is up with that outfit and the overpowering beads, come on? This is getting repetitive and boring. At least they toned down the make up.

Amanda goes with “You Can’t Do That” which was a surprising song choice but as usual was Miss One Wrong Note. I am not sure what world Amanda was in but she was not in the same place as the band, she tried to catch up but didn’t. She was friggin’ mumbling so I couldn’t understand what she was saying but on the other hand she was screaming so loud I didn’t really care. I don’t get her, I don’t like her and she needs to go but quick.

Randy – it was a great Southern rock version of the song, loved it

Paula – you were smiling and having fun, I was blown away

Simon – not as good as last week, I couldn’t understand 30% of what you were saying as you were slurring your words, it was a bit “shouty”, it is a good thing you are in the competition, you are a breath of fresh air (given me a *&^% break)

Michael Johns

Michael went with “Across the Universe”. I love this song. Now I don’t quite think it was the right song choice and it doesn’t measure up to either the original or how it was done in the recent movie of the same name, loved that version of this song. It is on my IPod; however, Michael still was in good voice, there was a note about half way through that was very sharp but overall he was selling the emotion of the song. Clearly his personal reason for the song selection was motivating his performance. It was a strong vocal performance but there was nothing wowing me about it. He is going to have to show more because he can’t win on the eye candy vote for long.

Randy – not your best performance, good, okay, a little sleepy

Paula – I disagree with Randy, it takes inner strength and confidence to just sing and you sang it brilliantly

Simon – I agree with Randy, it was a little monotonous, it was solid, good, I am still a big fan but I am frustrated because we haven’t heard what you are capable of

Kristy Lee Cook

Kristy looked ridiculous in those shredded jeans and that sparking top, this isn’t a disco my girl. Kristy is going with “8 days a week”. I kinda of liked the arrangement but unfortunately the tempo was too fast for Kristy, she was not keeping up with the band and it was causing her to be flat, flat, flat. Kristy was giving it her all but she is just not vocally capable of making this work. One other note of criticism, stop tapping the mike, it irritates me to no end. I want to be able to support my home state contestant but this performance has got to be the worst so far tonight.

Randy – I liked parts of it and the idea of it but vocally you forced some runs that didn’t work, I am torn, half and half

Paula – I didn’t enjoy it, I didn’t get it, don’t take our advice literally (oh my god this has to have been really bad for Paula to be so blunt)

Simon – it was horrendous, you sounded like Dolly Parton on helium, it was very brave but foolish, it was like being at a ghastly country fair

David Archuleta

I realize he is young but he doesn’t like the Beatles because they are old, he should be shot for that comment alone. Okay he is a kid I will let it roll off my back but what he needs is a good kick in the rear.

David really couldn’t choose a song until he heard “We Can Work It Out” because he remembered the Stevie Wonder version. And Stevie is new music? At least he is not playing an instrument.

Poor David, he looks like he could faint while he was walking down those stairs, his nerves are really getting to him. Oh no, he forgot the lyrics and couldn’t cover (I guess he is sorry he mentioned his embarrassing moment of forgetting the song and his mother had to come to his rescue). Well that threw David off, he doesn’t know what to do, and he is wondering all over the place and then forgets more of the lyrics. Now I am feeling bad about my earlier comments. This performance is just a mess but I can see all those grandmothers and young girls trying to help him out. David is a great singer; he just chose the wrong song and being so young totally choked up. This was by far his worst performance. David at least found some of the melody, when he was on it was okay.

Overall the show wasn’t a total train wreck but I wasn’t totally impressed either. Carly and David Cook were my favorites of the night with most of the others falling in the middle while Kristy, David Hernandez, and especially Amanda were in the bottom.

I did take to the phones to vote because I have to get rid of Amanda. The lines were pretty busy but I was a voting fool between my hotel phone and my cell phone. I was able to vote until 12:10 a.m. I got in a total of 347 votes. Carly and David Cook got 75 each, Michael got 50 as did David Archuleta (okay I am a softie), Brooke, Ramiele and Syesha got 25 each, David Hernandez got 10 as did Jason Cook and I gave Chikezie 2 votes.

My predictions for the bottom 3 are Kristy Lee Cook, David Hernandez and Syesha. There is no doubt in my mind that Kristy will be the first contestant to hear the new goodbye song by Ruben.

Tonight’s elimination round should be interesting as we were teased with an announcement of who the mentors will be this season. In addition my girl Katherine will be singing!

I am totally pumped for the rest of the season!

AI 7 - The Top 12 Revealed - 3/6/08

Last night the final 12 were revealed, one of who will be our Next American Idol.

The show started out with a performance by Blake Lewis. I loved the performance. I have his CD and I liked this song. I enjoyed that Chris Sligh was in his band.

They really dragged out the results show with too many clips and the comments of the judges.

I am happy about the top 12 except for Amanda and Chikeze but I can't have everything.

I was also back to 3 out of 4 predictions correct as to who was eliminated. Luke Menard, Kady Malloy, Danny Noreiga, and Asia'h Epperson.

Now the fun begins, we will have a new set, I am sure a few surprises and next week the Top 12 will be handling the songs of Lennon/McCartney, a catalog rich with great music. I can only hope the contestants have learned how important song selection really is.

I will guess that unless Amanda is really going to try something different she will go with Hey Darling or Helter Skelter so she can stay in her one trick pony routine!

Our Top 12 is therefore:
David Cook
David Archuleta
Jason Castro
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Chikeze
Brooke White
Sayesha Machado
Ramiele Malubay
Carly Smithson
Amanda Overmyer
Kisty Lee Cook

I can only hope that Amanda and Chikeze are kicked off first because it is only the Top Ten who get to go on the concert tour but I suppose nothing can be as bad as he who should not be named from last year!

Until next week…

AI 7 - Semi-Finals Round 3 - The Women - 3/5/08

Last night the final 8 women stepped on the stage to have that one last chance to make it to the top 12.

We are stuck in the 80’s and the contestants’ most embarrassing moments which quite frankly were completely lame, lame, and I shall say it again lame!

After last week’s disappointing performances these women better give me some powerful performances if they want to inspire me to vote this week!

Asia’h Epperson

Oh my god, are those purple leggings she has on with that pink looking bodice as a top. Girl this is not “Flashdance”.

Asia’h chooses “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”. Oh please not Whitney, do these contestants not watch prior shows. You can’t outdo Whitney. At least this is one of the easier Whitney songs.

First off what is up with that damn head-bobbing, it was annoying, distracting and she will need a chiropractor by the time the competition is finished. The band and back-up singers were overpowering her. I had to strain to listen to her voice. I think the vocals were okay but her voice is a little thin and she was having breath control problems. As to the performance, outside of the friggin’ head-bopping she seemed to be having fun so she was selling the number. This was just barely okay for me.

Randy – I recorded this number with Whitney (give it a break, we know you have industry credentials), it is a tall order but you proved you should be here, hot

Paula – I must admit I wasn’t sure you could pull off these big songs, you nailed it, you really nailed it

Simon – I am not quite as thrilled, at best it was second rate Whitney, you couldn’t sing the big note at the end

Kady Malloy

Why is Kady still here? She so should have gone home last week. Her earrings sucked and her clothes were wrinkled, what is up with that, they don’t have steamers in a studio, give me a break!

Kady goes with “Who Wants to Live Forever”, a Queen song, what is up with the song choices. Of all the cool female 80 songs, she picks this one! Oh my, her voice is so flat she could iron her clothes, this is totally awful, I want to escape and can’t. This is my fingers down the chalkboard moment so far. Please put me out of my misery. Surprise she finally hit a note and at least it is the power note at the end, a little too late my dear because frankly I don’t give a damn at this point. Kady just stood there and sang, she seemed to have no joy, and like this was the last thing in the world she wanted to be doing.

Randy – very interesting song choice, it was pretty good, you have problems with the smaller notes, you can’t quite get there

Paula – your best performance to date (EXCUSE ME!), I have to disagree with Randy, it is with the smaller notes where the tenderness/softness of your vocals come, it is magic

Simon – definitely better than last week but my problem remains you have no personality, you are like a robot when you sing, no emotion, like the Stepford Wives, you may be in trouble

Amanda Overmyer

At least Amanda toned down the hair and outfit. She actually looked okay. Amanda has chosen “I hate myself for loving you.” The band and back up singers were way overpowering her. In addition I still can’t understand a single word she said, she mumbles. Simon indicated Kady is robotic, I thought Amanda was totally robotic throughout this performance, it was as if she had no confidence, she cooled down the Taylor Hicks style of dancing thankfully. I just do not get her and I found nothing I liked about the performance.

Randy – this is the Amanda we love, the whole bluesy-rock vibe, well done

Paula – right song, you found your niche

Simon – this was fantastic, it was the perfect song and you absolutely nailed it, it was by far my favorite female performance of the competition so far (what the *&^%, is he crazy or high tonight, did he get Paula’s cup my mistake?)

Carly Smithson

Carly was looking exceptionally hot last night, she is a beautiful woman. Carly went with “I Drove All Night”. This was a great song choice for her and she totally pulled it off. It was a spectacular vocal performance. She was able to belt, she hit every note, and there was pure power and beauty in her vocals. In addition she was able to sell the potency/passion of the number. I got chills. This was by far my favorite performance of the evening.

Randy – you keep smashing it every week, I loved it, very good, great performance

Paula – you are a dependable dawg (Paula you can’t pull off being Randy and you so stuck your foot in your mouth), totally your niche, there are not enough adjectives to describe how great this was

Simon – I didn’t like the song choice, it is not a great song, you are a million times better then this song

Kristy Lee Cook

Kristy looked good this week. Kristy has chosen “Faithfully”. I liked the beginning of the number much better than the end. I liked how they gave it a countrified feeling but about half way through that seemed to disappear and her voice got kind of shrill and I think she was shouting more than singing. It was a disappointing ending.

Randy – naturally we have to hear about his love for Journey (yeah I get it), I love this song, I am very happy, it is a great song, I liked the country twang sound, you worked it out

Paula – this could be a country hit for you right now, you look great, love your positivity (what the hell)

Simon – I liked the country influence but you are still forgettable which is a big problem at this stage; at best I can see you coming in tenth.

Ramiele Malubay

Ramiele get the hair out of your eye, it is distracting to say the least. I almost fell out of my chair when I heard her song choice “Against All Odds”, tell me it isn’t so. This girl clearly has not watched the last 6 seasons of this show. Why does anyone not realize this song is a curse for AI contestants, there is not one contestant who has performed this song who has made it to the final two. I did not like Ramiele during her audition. She won me over in Hollywood and during the first semi-final round but after last week and this song choice she is losing her luster.

I did not like the performance. Ramiele was actually on-pitch through out and she does have a great tone to her voice but her phrasing sucked and she had horrible breath control. In addition her enunciation was not good which always loses points with me. This was barely okay karaoke for me.

Randy – another big song choice, pretty good vocal, you are thinking to much when singing, just go for it, have more confidence in your talent

Paula – you have a beautiful face, innocent, pure voice, there is texture in your voice, you deserve to be in the top 12

Simon – it was good but a bit old-fashioned, I didn’t hear the big money note, it was predictable and I am not jumping out of my chair

Brooke White

Brooke has gone with “Love Is a Battlefield”. This is an interesting song choice. Brooke is sitting at the edge of the stage singing to a single guitar but at least she is not playing, apparently having listened to the judges from last week.

I am not sure I really like this folksy arrangement. I will give Brooke chops for attempting this and just singing. There is a nice tone to her voice. The beginning was a bit rough and then she seemed to be okay in the middle and then it broke apart towards the end. I feel kind of lackluster about the performance, Brooke attempted something different and I give her credit but overall I just can’t say I loved it.

Randy – I liked it, I really liked it, very interesting

Paula – (let’s get over this throwing your credits in your face, I don’t care if you choreographed the video or not, this competition is not about your past glories) good choice but I wish you would have used the band more

Simon – I disagree, it worked because you didn’t have the band, you brought an original take on the song, it was unique, great performance

Sayesha Machado

I thought Sayesha looked exceedingly hot; does she have great legs or what? I didn’t like the outfit though. Oh no, not another Whitney song. Unfortunately Sayesha chose “Saving All My Love for You”. My oh my what are we in for? Generally her vocals were okay. I think she had some problems with the tempo and she didn’t hit the big notes, she was just under and was sharp. I really like Sayesha but she was hurt by song choice. She does have a great sounding tone to her voice over all. It was not the best way to end the show.

Randy – good, good

Paula – sophisticated, lovely

Simon – a bit predictable but good

Apparently we were running out of time, if the judges would get over themselves we might have had more time.

As far as I am concerned Carly walked away with the show last night. The rest of the performances didn’t really resonate with me.

I think Syesha and Asia’h are going to be canceling each other out eventually and who knows there may be a surprise exit tonight.

Outside of Carly I wouldn’t care if all the other women were voted out tonight.

It was a lackluster night of voting for me, Carly got 100 votes while Sayesha, Kristy, and Ramiele each got 25.

My guess for eliminations are Kady (please, please) and Kristy.

Until tomorrow…

AI 7 - Semi Finals Round 3 - The Men - 3/4/08

We are up to the final week of semi-finals with Thursday being the big announcement of the Top 12 one of whom will be the next American Idol.

After last week’s lackluster performances definitely by the ladies and some of the men, the contestants will need to shine.

Why did they take the time to show Denise Richards in the audience? Don’t tell me she is going to be in a Fox show.

Surprisingly the theme is songs of the 80’s, once again hear the sarcasm in my voice. Do not even get me started on the video clips of the contestants’ most embarrassing moments.

Luke Menard

Did I hear right, Luke has chosen to sing “Wake Me up before You Go Go”. I admit I adore this song but come on with all the hits of the 80’s he chooses this one. It will be a miracle if he can pull it off. In addition what have we learned, do not sing songs that reference leaving, you do not want to leave this competition. Luke has managed to scrape by because of his eye candy looks; it is the only reason why he could have made it after his first performance.

Luke’s performance was unfortunately a train wreck. He was totally off tempo with the band from the first note and spent the rest of his couple of minutes trying to catch up. He had some horrible pitch issues but to his credit, he did hit the money note of the song. Luke’s movements were utterly ridiculous and I don’t think he appeared very comfortable on the stage. He can add this performance to his most embarrassing moment versus his sister dressing him in a tutu and tights. By the way, it might have been better if he wore that costume for this number.

Randy – it started rough, you had several pitch problems, you were ahead of the band, and it was a surprising choice of song, okay, alright

Paula – I was surprised by the song choice, I have to pull a Randy and say I choreographed George Michael’s tour, I loved your interpretation, and I loved it

Simon - I didn’t like it, it was weak, a bit girly, you have no chance of making it through and you can’t win.

David Archuleta

Oh my on top of cute he can play the piano too, I hate him, just kidding. David chose “Another Day in Paradise.” I didn’t like the choice in song nor the arrangement. The vocals were okay, not as great as they have been. There were some really sharp notes in there and it was so plodding, there was no joy for me. I thought David was a bit stiff as well. This was his weakest performance in the semi-finals. So far the men are not providing much excitement.

Randy – it was like watching a concert, interesting song choice because it didn’t show off your voice, it was good, a couple of pitch problems.

Paula – I adore you, so there were a couple of bum notes, you are perfect in your imperfection (what the hell does that mean?), you have a wonderful sensibility, keep it up

Simon – it wasn’t as good as last week, it would have been better if you stayed at the piano, it was all so gloomy, you need to lighten up, you will make it through to the next round, probably the final two, but you occasionally need to show your fun side.

Danny Noriega

I actually fall into the category that likes Danny but even given that this was a scary performance. I liked Danny’s outfit and I liked the purple highlights (it would be hypocritical to say otherwise because I had purple highlights a few years ago) but what is up with the hair over the eyes, it is totally distracting.

Danny went with “Tainted Love”, now this is one of my all time favorite songs, I have it in record format, CD, and I uploaded it to my IPod. I totally hated the strange arrangement of the song. It started out a bit sharp but overall the vocals were okay. It was a poor song choice. Danny however is a good performer, he had the audience in the palm of his hands, and there were many members of the audience which stood up during the performance. On the other hand, his ridiculous hip movements had to go, come on Danny, only Elvis could pull that off. This was definitely a step down from last week.

Randy – it started rough but by the end it got better. I liked the arrangement, but I need to see more confidence, not in attitude but vocally. You were a little shy on the vocals.

Paula – you are a bright light with a sensitive and spicy side (and this means what?), you are true to you, great vocals, you look fabulous

Simon – I didn’t like it, it was horrible, absolutely hated it, and nothing about it was good.

David Hernandez

Poor David, I probably wouldn’t want to be him this week with all the news articles on the internet about his recent job as a stripper in a gay club. I really don’t care but somehow I think that controversy was rattling him. In addition borrowing a phrase from Danny, his embarrassing moment included TMTH (too much too handle). I did not have to hear about the contents of his nostrils.

I actually like David’s choice of song, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”. Remember Meatloaf performed the song first before Celine. I thought it was an interesting arrangement. I personally thought David did an awesome job with the song vocally as well as selling the emotions of the song. He did hit the money notes. There were some sharp notes from his lower register. The one thing David has which some of the other performers don’t is his ability to really work well with the band and back-up singers. It was like they have been performing together for years.

Randy – nice song choice for your big voice, you have a tendency to over shoot the note (sharp), I liked it

Paula – you are getting into your groove, finding your niche, you are becoming a very good performer, and you have some of the best vocals of the group

Simon – it wasn’t as good as last week but you have secured a place in the finals

Michael Johns

Michael is going with “Don’t You (Forget about Me”. I totally love this song and it was used in a rocking great movie. In addition how clever to use a great titled song about remembering me, i.e. get those fingers dialing!

This was an incredibly great song choice for him and I totally loved the arrangement, it was fresh yet provided memories of the original. Michael commanded the stage and his vocals were spot on. There were a couple of sharp notes but he is such an accomplished performer it didn’t faze him a bit. My only issue is he did something I hate which is use the mike stand as a toy but luckily he did it only once in the entire performance. So far this has been my favorite performance of the night.

Randy – rambled about how David reminds him of Michael Hutchence of INXS (excuse me but the song was done by Simple Minds). This was so you, very nice

Paula – I am so glad you are defining yourself as an artist. It was the perfect song, it showed strength in your lower register, so what if there were a couple of bum notes, you have great presence.

Simon – I liked it but did not love it. I really think you have great talent but you have found the perfect song where you can have your moment. I prefer you with the soul songs rather than rock but I really like you and I think you will do well.

David Cook

David chose “Hello” by Lionel Ritchie, which is an okay song but made better by an awesome music video. David chose to use his guitar which in the end worked. The introduction was pretty rough but after that moment this was a truly brilliant performance. The arrangement of this song was fantastic; who knew such a soft ballad could be turned into an awesome rock song. David pulled off something totally unique. This performance just became my favorite of the night. All I can say is wow!

Randy – it was like an Emo version of the song, loved it, it would be great as a single, brilliant

Paula – I love it when you take the stage because it is always a surprise, it was fabulous, I loved how you changed it up, and it could be a hit today

Simon – it was a brave thing you did and I loved it, you took a risk, we will see you next week

Jason Castro

Jason heard the judges last week about just singing and leaving his guitar behind but I am not sure it helped him with his performance. It did allow him to concentrate on his vocals but again he was not successful. I thought he had a very rough start and his tempo was off quite a bit. Jason had some breath control issues and can we talk about that horrible ending, those notes were atrocious. It was my fingers down the chalkboard moment of the evening. I think he has a pretty good voice, it isn’t strong enough to win though but without his guitar he didn’t know what to do. The performance was dull. I don’t think he sold the song.

Randy – this song has a great degree of difficulty, I give you props for that, you did a pretty good job, it was nice

Paula – it sounded effortless and showed your beautiful vulnerability (whatever the hell that means), I loved your phrasing, you are unique

Simon – Jeff Buckley’s version is one of my favorite songs, this performance was absolutely brilliant. It was arguably one of my favorite performances of the night; you just get better and better. (This is one of the rare times where I have to disagree with Simon).

Chikezie

I am not a fan of Chikeze and tonight didn’t make me a fan. What is up with his always taking songs and changing the title and words, we have “All the Woman that I Need” versus the original “All the Man that I Need.”. I totally hated this performance. I thought it was cheesy at best. The vocals were pretty rough at the beginning although they improved. I was just completely bored by the performance. There was no wow or any power notes to show me what he might be as a singer. The best I can say is this is the first time Chikezie’s choice of outfit didn’t send me screaming in horror.

Randy – interesting choice of song, you did a good job, tough song choice for me

Paula – vocals sounded good

Simon – I don’t think it worked, it was okay in places but it felt like cabaret, this was not a smart choice


I think David Cook stole the show out from everyone else. Michael Johns was second with David Hernandez next.

Once again I did not spend two hours voting because I was under whelmed by the performances as a whole.

I think David Archuleta is safe so I didn’t bother voting for him. I gave David Cook 75 votes, Michael Johns and David Hernandez got 50 votes. Since I believe Danny might be in trouble I provided 25 votes to his tally.

There is no doubt in my mind Luke Menard will be going home tonight. The other pick is harder. My personal choice is Chikezie but I am not confident about it. Danny is a possibility and as much as I think he should stay David Hernandez is vulnerable this week as well.

We do have way too many David’s in this season’s competition.

I will just go with Luke and Danny and see where the chips fall.

Until tomorrow…