AI 9 5-25-10 The Final two Battle it out
Wednesday night and another American Idol results show. I will so love those 30-minute result shows next season.
We had an hour to fill via a very long interview with the final three contestants and the video montages of their visits home. There was some blabber by the judges thrown in as well.
We also had a performance by Travis Garland. I will say it was an interesting performance but a freaking horrible vocal. Good heavens how anyone could think Travis could sing is a mystery. I would not even put him in the good-looking category yet there were those screaming girls in the pit.
I do not get the Justin Bieber craze either but at least he was singing in key. This performance was pre-taped.
In the end, Crystal and Lee are heading into the finals with Casey going home.
I enjoyed Casey’s final reprise of “Daughters” and it was a nice touch to grab the little girl. There was improvement in the vocals compared to Tuesday night but there were still multiple issues.
Season 9 has been a bust. Ronald will not be attending the Summer Idols tour but the exciting news is I have tickets to see Adam Lambert here in Portland on July 21 with Allison Irraheta as well. I love getting in on the pre-sale for tickets.
The finals are next week. I will be hoping for a Crystal win but after the manipulation of last evening by the producers expecting more next week I see Lee walking away with the crown.
Until next week…
Elliston, Ohio; Mount Prospect, Illinois; and Cool Texas are three towns seeing their heroes return. Who will bring it all the way home? This is the fight for the finale. This is AMERICAN IDOL!
Let us get right to discussing the performances while I leave my usual ranting and raving until the end.
Our contestants will be singing twice tonight, which includes a song of their choice and then a choice by the judges.
Casey James – “OK, it’s alright with me”
Casey is standing on the stage with his guitar singing poorly. Mr. One trick pony that does absolutely nothing to sell the number. The beginning of this song was rough with Casey remaining flat through the first half of the performance. The ending was strange and awkward to say the least. This was just a dull and terrible performance. I disliked the entire thing. Why is Casey even still standing?
Randy – This was all right for me but I wanted to hear something more exciting. This is not the time to play it safe.
Ellen – You needed to bring it home tonight but this was just okay.
Kara – It is hard when you pick a song people do not know especially at this point in the competition. You cannot make an unknown song your own because you are establishing it. (I would disagree with Kara because if the song is unfamiliar to your audience they have nothing to compare it to and therefore it would be original.) This did not work in your favor.
Simon – This is arguably the most important night in your life but this song will leave no lasting impression with the audience. This song is like a salad at dinner because you are hoping for something substantive to come. This sounded like you were playing for cash on the street. At least you sounded good.
Crystal Bowersox – “Come to my window”
I love this song and I love Crystal. I have no clue what our infamous judges were listening to but I thought this was a superb and passionate vocal. Crystal simply is an artist and she brought some soul to the song. My criticism is I felt the screaming at the end seemed over the top when a more simple lift to the voice would have been sufficient and she really did not need the harmonica. Crystal brought it home and she was spot on with the key.
Randy – I did not love the arrangement but what I did like was how you and your vocals rose above the problems with the song. I thought the song choice was good.
Ellen – I agree with Randy. This is the sort of artist you are striving to be. You were in your comfort zone. Melissa would approve.
Kara – I agree as well because you got a little lost in the arrangement. Your voice does not have the edge and rasp that Melissa’s does. Your vocals were good but you need to have a moment tonight.
Simon – I agree as well. This is not the best version of the song. Crystal what I like is you never compromise yourself as an artist; you have stayed true to you. I respect you a lot for that. You gave an honest performance and you made the right choice.
Lee DeWyze – “Simple Man”
I realize I am in the minority but I did not like this performance at all. I thought Lee butchered the song. Lee is never able to stay in tune fading in and out constantly. Do not even get me started regarding his mumbling of the words. ENUNICATE please!
Randy – The song choice was brilliant. I can hear you doing this type of album. I think you are starting to feel like you can win.
Ellen – You were like a baby lamb when we first met you and now you are a gazelle or an impala. (WTF?)
Kara – You did everything a contestant should do and showed us everything you had. Round one to Lee.
Simon – Your choice was right on the money. You crushed the other two.
Casey James – “Daughters”
Randy and Kara chose this song for Casey. All I can say is the performance is not terrible. Casey provides nothing new or special except perhaps being able to stay in tune just a little easier. On the other hand, Casey’s guitar playing is phenomenal.
Randy – I think this song fit Casey really well. (What else can you say?)
Ellen – This was beautiful.
Kara – I like how you showed more of your artistic and sensitive side because this is where you shine. We made the right choice with this song. (There is nothing like tooting your own horn!)You changed the song up where you needed to without straying too far from the original.
Simon – This was much better than the first performance but it was a lazy arrangement. The climax was a “quite limpy guitar solo.” I blame Kara and Randy for not giving you a chance for a bigger moment.
Crystal Bowersox – “Maybe I’m amazed”
Crystal was simply amazing. This was just an awesome performance. There was so much sincerity and emotion in the delivery of this song. The vocals were spot on and gave me goose bumps. Crystal was in the moment and free to lift her voice to the heavens. I especially love how she did not change the gender of the words. Crystal commanded the stage with only her voice.
Randy – The vocals were great and we have another contestant who is in it to win it.
Ellen – I could not have asked for more. You did it.
Kara – You did not change things up that much but you showed new parts of your voice we have not heard before. You also took a risk by not playing an instrument.
Simon – I was initially surprised by the song choice but now I get it. You have proven you have soul. You worked outside of your comfort zone and you may be thanking Ellen for putting you through to the finals.
Lee DeWyze – “Hallelujah”
I think this was a safe choice for Lee. I will give credit to Lee that his enunciation improved greatly but I was not bowled over by the performance. I found Lee to continue to fade in and out of the correct key. There were some incredibly sharp notes as well as some horrible flat notes as well. Lee was assisted greatly with the entrance of eight backup singers and the buildup of the band. Lee was connected but I think it is the song versus the singer. Lee is simply overrated. I would not have chosen this song as Tim sang this earlier in the season. I believe Tim’s version had much more emotional impact than Lee and I hated Tim as a contestant.
Randy – This is what I have been waiting for during the entire season, someone to throw down the gauntlet to win.
Ellen – There is not anything much to add other than that it was stunning.
Kara – You are what the show is all about. You started out in one place and ended up in another. This was epic and you owned the night.
Simon – You have proven that you are a great singer and person and I hope you make it into the final two.
The entire program ticked me off last night because the producers were doing everything in their power to promote Lee via his order in performing; the way Ryan was questioning him, the formatting of the judge’s comments bypassing any hint of what was not correct and what is up with providing him backup singers as well. The only other thing the producers could have done was use the video monitors flashing, “We want Lee to win so vote for him.”
Based on performance alone, Casey should go home and I will predict he is the one going but his fan base is strong which could spell trouble for Crystal.
A Lee and Casey finale will be pure torture where at least if Crystal is competing I have someone to support. There is no way I would ever spend money to purchase music from either Lee or Casey but I will be standing in line for Crystal.
I think the judges were shameful and if they are picking the songs then clearly song choice cannot be a criticism although I enjoyed Kara and Simon’s cat fight.
The filler in tomorrow’s results show will have to be the video montage of the contestant’s trips home. I am not excited about Justin Bieber as a performer. In addition, Perez Hilton will be around to pimp some boy singer, wow, I cannot wait for that performance –NOT!
Until tomorrow…
• In a conference call with reporters on Monday morning, Fox execs said they'll be tweaking 'American Idol' next season in response to viewer demand (Viewer demand my foot – I know they read my blog!) for more performance time and less stalling for time during results shows. That means that performance episodes will run 90 minutes and results episodes 30 minutes. Still no word on 'Idol's' other big change: a judge to take the place of the departing Simon Cowell. Peter Rice, entertainment chairman of the Fox Networks Group, said Fox will be spending the summer looking for Simon's replacement. As for the flagging fortunes of the show this year, Rice claimed that the show's 9 percent drop in viewership was "actually pretty good" compared to other TV shows. I am available for Cowell's job!
• 'Glee' is moving to 8PM Tuesdays just for fall, to help launch comedies 'Raising Hope' and 'Running Wilde.' The musical hit has landed the coveted post-Super Bowl timeslot. After that, the winter season will see 'Glee' move back to a post-'Idol' slot on Wednesdays. In other words, Gleeks won't have to endure a four-month break in the middle of the season, like they did this year.
Wednesday has come and gone while yet another American Idol “contestant” goes home with their dream shattered at their feet.
Wow how exciting it was “movie theme” week so the editors have put together an introductory video almost like the opening of a movie. While the producers have totally ruined this season the editors who put these videos together are excellent. Sad the producers could not take hints from the editors to provide more creativity in the actual execution of the program.
Thirty-seven million votes this week, the most for the entire season. This was a surprise given the drop in the ratings although they remain the champion in the coveted 18-49 age range. It appears I am now obsolete as I am outside of the show’s targeted audience.
Our first musical guest is Fantasia Barrino the former Idol winner from season three. Yes, the winner of the previous worst season of American Idol takes the stage during the reigning champion of worse season ever. I found it ironic especially given how Fantasia was in the bottom two during this same week of her season. The title of her performance song was ironic as well “Bittersweet”. Fantasia’s performance was okay and I was sad to see she has not lost any of her over the top facial expressions and movements, which irritated me during season three. The singing of the song was not the problem, the issue was the song itself, can we say the song was dull and went nowhere. Fantasia is releasing a new album (her last one was three years ago) which is why she is here pimping for it, color me surprised – NOT! I see Fantasia has been unable to learn how to speak correctly in six years and what was up with her hair, why must performers have their hair covering their eyes, ridiculous!
The Ford commercial using “Play the message in the box” was embarrassing and very uncomfortable to watch.
The next filler to pad an hour results shows is video footage of previous top three contestants flying home for a hero’s welcoming. Enough said so we will move right along.
Our four contestants are sitting center stage on the uncomfortable stools while their families are comfortable on the couches. Casey is safe and Ronald just shakes his head in amazement of how ridiculous it is that Casey is even still here.
Our second musical guest is Chris Daughtry in another ironic moment given Chris was eliminated this same week during season five. I enjoyed this performance and Chris knows how to put on a show.
Time to address the elimination with Lee sent to safety and the bottom two being Crystal and “Big Mike”. Ronald shakes his head while screaming at the television going postal on America because the two contestants who can sing are in the bottom.
Prior to learning who is going home, we have our third musical guest Bon Jovi taking the stage. One of my favorite bands and I am happy to see the aging performers can still kick it.
Time for the elimination at exactly 9:58 and “Big Mike” is heading home. My prediction was correct.
Season nine continues to amaze and anger me and with Crystal having given two spectacular vocal performances on Tuesday and ends up in the bottom three reaffirms my belief that America is tone deaf. I am sad because I still believe we will be left with a Casey and Tim final two and at that point I will not care who the American Idol is because I will not purchase either of their albums.
Until next week…
All of them came with a dream, dreams these four share but only one of them will see that dream realized. This is AMERICAN IDOL!
I will leave my rant about the show and the mentor until later. Let us get to the dish regarding the contestant’s performances wait I mean artists.
Lee DeWyze – “Kiss from a Rose”
Give me a break Seal has problems singing this song live and Lee wants to attempt this two weeks before the final. Is he an idiot? This entire performance was my fingernails down the blackboard moment of the evening. Mr. DeWyze could not even attempt the correct key, the falsetto fell flat, the verses were rough and he cannot enunciate to save his life. Poor Lee’s “deer in the headlight” look returned and the entire thing was torture to listen to and to watch.
Randy – I am looking to see who is in this for real. This was just okay. For me you did nothing new with the song and you were pitchy in some parts. This just did not work for me.
Ellen – I wish you had done more with it but you are so good. I loved it.
Kara – Last week was a great week for you but this is a step back. This is a tough song to sing. You sang in a different register and the arrangement seemed to lead to you losing your place. You are still great though.
Simon – I agree with Randy and this was like karaoke because you were trying too hard to sound like the origin. You should have the “contestant” t-shirt.
Michael Lynche – “Will You Be There”
“Big Mike” sounded fine except for that sharp note at the beginning. I can appreciate what he was trying to do with the song but I think the performance was over the top and bordered on being a little bit cheesy. This is not the finale so why did he get a gospel backup group.
Randy – I did not love it, it was just all right.
Ellen – I loved the sound of the choir but Mike your goal should be to win not just to be in the top three. You sounded good but predictable.
Kara – I want you to give me goose bumps again but you played it safe tonight.
Simon – I would have chosen a different song for you. You definitely gave a 100 percent and I felt like you meant it.
Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox – “Falling Slowly”
I love this movie and adore this song. The entire soundtrack is beautiful. Kris Allen performed an incredible rendition last year. I loved this performance overall and was seriously impressed with the arrangement. I liked how Lee and Crystal were facing each other with their guitars, which provided a connection to each other and the meaning of the song. Lee unfortunately was out of tune for the first third of the song but then somehow Crystal and Lee’s voices made a connection. The harmonies sounded perfect and they had a spectacular finish. I stood up and clapped because there was finally some good music during the program.
Randy – What a difference a few moments make. This is a great song, the performance was unbelievable, amazing, and I think it could be a hit right now.
Ellen – You are the new Captain and Tennille.
Kara – This was one of my favorite moments of the entire season. You both seem like artists and you had a lot of chemistry. This duet brought out the best in both of you.
Simon – I would not call this a good song I would call it a fantastic song.
Casey James – “Mrs. Robinson”
To mimic Randy oh what a difference a few moments make. We went from a soaring beautiful performance to crap! Casey’s voice wobbled quite a bit, i.e. let us stay in tune my friend and there seemed to be some strange accent he was trying to sing with. I thought the entire performance was ridiculous. Why is Casey still here, oh yes, he looks cute. On the other hand, Casey definitely is a musician given how he can play many instruments so well. I liked the mandolin.
Randy – I thought it sounded cool but I am not excited about the performance because you did not change anything about the song.
Ellen – I wish you had been given a “big-boy guitar”. I like the way you switched things up.
Kara – I think this was Casey fighting to stay in the competition. This is not where you are comfortable being up front and vulnerable. I think this was a good choice.
Simon – I do not think the song or performance had the substance required on this important night. It was lazy and simply another strange song choice tonight.
Crystal Bowersox – “I’m Alright”
While I do not like this song and felt, it was an odd choice I am in love with what Crystal did with the song. Crystal remains in a different league than all the other contestants. This was a spot on vocal. Crystal’s performance had sass and she was taking no prisoners. There was a smile on my face the entire time; it was candy for my ears! I sound like a broken record but we should just give Crystal the title and save ourselves two more weeks.
Randy – You are an artist. You switched it up and made it fit you. Nice job.
Ellen – You crystallized the song. You took the song and made it better.
Kara – I agree with Ellen and Randy. You are definitely an artist.
Simon – You are back in the game.
Michael Lynche and Casey James – “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman”
This was okay but definitely better than their individual solo numbers. Mike clearly did a better job than Casey did but I do not think their voices really blend well though. I did not think their harmonies quite matched but the individual solos within this duet were okay.
Randy – I liked the guitar playing. Casey you were a little rough but overall okay.
Ellen – Yes, I have loved a woman.
Kara – The duets tonight were better than the solos.
Simon – I think the “artist” t-shirts should go to the duets tonight.
Let the ranting begin. There was another hour of programming to fill and we had exactly nine minutes of music. Let me repeat myself nine minutes of music. What is wrong with this picture? The producers are making a bad situation even worse. There should be more music and less filler. While the duets were entertaining this is a competition for an Idol not a duo or group. Producers perhaps next year we can have two or three songs per contestant because after all they only get 90 seconds to sing.
Mr. Foxx and his gimmick of “artist or contestant” t-shirt was just ridiculous. Give me a freaking break. All of these performers are contestants until the winner is crowned. Artistry will come with time but prior to those moments there needs to be some basic singing ability Mr. Mentor. Crystal is a true artist and I am sad she requires this competition to shine her light on the world.
The time with the judges this week was effing stupid. I do not care whether Simon knows what “Free Willy”, “The Graduate” or even “Caddyshack” is all about. I did not find it necessary to have all the underlying sexual humor. Ellen we all know your sexual orientation and I love you but your joke was not required as a critic of the duet.
I only voted for Crystal last night and I managed to get in 1002 votes by the way.
Predicting a bottom two is hard because America seems to be voting on whom they like not on how well the contestants sing. Lee was the worst of the night but I think his fan base is strong. This totally bums me out.
I am therefore predicting a bottom two of “Big Mike” and Casey.
All the men can go home and let us just listen to Crystal sing for the next two weeks but I will not get my wish granted.
“Big Mike” has been in the bottom multiple times and I believe Casey has a stronger fan base so I am predicting “Big Mike” will be singing us off tomorrow night.
Until tomorrow…
Wednesday arrives so it is time for another elimination results show.
Crap, they have revived the group number and this was lame, lame, lame. We really need to pull out “The Lady is a Tramp” with Crystal being the only female – give me a freaking break. The contestants continue to lip sync poorly and the choreography is not worth mentioning.
Time for the Ford video and once again, I was underwhelmed with the execution. I did like the song from Plain White T’s though.
Filler for the episode continues as we have a drawn out video of what Tuesdays mean for the contestants and the only thing of any real interest to me is they actually have four stand in judges who only provide positive comments to the contestants, it seems this is setting them up for failure dear producers.
Time for results and Lee is safe. How surprising – NOT!
The first musical performance of the evening is Lady Gaga. This was not live but it was taped live on the Idol stage a month or so ago. Why did the producers wait to this week’s theme to play the video clip because Lady Gaga just screams crooner. I adore Lady Gaga and this performance. Lady Gaga always surprises with her choice of costumes and antics. This was one of her more subdued performances but then the next day the internet was buzzing because Fox edited her performance due to time constraints or at least that is their story. There would have been plenty of ways to shave off time from the hour results show without editing the performance. Lady Gaga is definitely a love her or hate her type of artist and I firmly fall in the first category.
We have to sit through more video of Harry being a mentor to fill up the hour as it blends into Harry performing. I really liked the performance. Harry Connick, Jr. is a very gifted artist indeed.
Harry then conducts the contestants into a medley of his songs, which was interesting but not spectacular.
The light bulb has gone on; Harry is pimping for his show on Broadway.
It is time for the elimination. Ryan breaks up the final four into two separate groups, which included Casey and Crystal on one side of the stage, while “Big Mike” and Aaron was on the other side. Ryan then asked Casey to make the decision about who was the bottom two which he refused to do.
Casey and Crystal are safe with “Big Mike” and Aaron up for elimination. “Big Mike” sings his heart out week after week yet he keeps ending up in the bottom. There is something seriously wrong with America where a contestant who can sing is in the bottom versus Casey who was freaking horrible and really has been horrible for the majority of his performances are safe.
Aaron is going home tonight. I am not disappointed in the results I am just shaking my head that Casey was not in the bottom.
It really pains me but I realize now Crystal will not be winning this competition although it might work out better for her in the end. The winner is going to come down to either Casey or Lee which is just plain sad and terrible.
I anticipate a top three of Crystal, Lee, and Casey and the contestants have not even taken the stage but I can recognize the warning sign.
Next week’s theme is music from the movies (a very broad topic indeed) with Jamie Foxx as a mentor. Ronald is just shaking his head.
Until next week…
We started with over 100,000 but this evening only five remain. Who will rise to the top? The good news is a superstar will be backing them up. This is AMERICAN IDOL!
We have five singers to hear and an hour to fill but the first contestant does not take the stage to perform until 15 minutes into the program, what is wrong with this picture?
Harry Connick Jr. was an excellent mentor and clearly, he enjoys this process to the point that he was a vocal coach, assisted with the interpretation, wrote the arrangements, brought his own band, and both conducted and played for each Idol contestant. I applaud this effort.
My complaint is the show seemed to focus more on Harry then with the contestants. The time spent on his comments about the process, his involvement, his inclusion in the introduction, and even in the performances took away from the contestants. I adore Harry, purchase his music, have attended some of his concerts, like what he said to the contestants yet it overkill to the detriment of the actual contestants.
I was laughing when Harry mentioned during his early clip if the contestants just sing the words and respect the melody they will be fantastic. I have been saying that from the beginning without any success.
Why was Sir Anthony Hopkins in the audience?
How cute we have Nancy and Tina Sinatra in the audience – NOT! They have a gift for Simon. Did we need to waste almost 5 minutes on this? I think not.
Let us just discuss the actual performances from the contestants as opposed to my babbling complaints about the show.
Aaron Kelly – “Fly Me to the Moon”
The beginning of the song was very good but then Aaron was on and off the actual tempo and it seemed to be all over the place. I thought he was having trouble with breath support and difficulties with his lower register. There were a couple of brilliant moments. The performance itself was boring because Aaron was very stiff and he did not seem to be having fun. Aaron’s diction was atrocious. Aaron could not sell the meaning or emotion of the song.
Randy – You are in it to win it, good job.
Ellen – I thought the piano was a little pitchy. I was worried about you Aaron but you surprised me. I did not hear any country in your voice. You pulled it off. It was a beautiful vocal.
Kara – It was good but last week’s was stronger because you came into your own. You will be here again next week. You need to learn about charisma and to fill up the stage.
Simon – I am with Kara. If Sinatra was a lion then you are a mouse. There was no conviction. Towards the end, the vocals were corny. The good thing is that people like you after you perform and you give a 100 percent so I will give you that.
Casey James – “Blue Skies”
My favorite part of the introductory video was Casey telling Harry he has listened to him his entire life. Let us tell your mentor you are old. I am not a fan of Casey’s but if he pulls something off, I have given him credit. This performance was a freaking train wreck from start to finish. When the number started Casey looked like a deer in the headlights. Casey without his guitar is scary. This performance demonstrates Casey is not a singer. The verification comes from the strained vocal, being off key, very sharp, and his vibrato was out of control. Casey was never on the melody and the band overpowered him. Casey has a range less voice. Casey needs to stick with guitar playing and leave the singing to others.
Randy – This was your worst performance ever. You were pitchy all the way through. You were out of your element. This did not work.
Ellen – I think it was a bad idea to have the piano on stage. You were stiff and there was no coolness or swagger. I agree with Randy.
Kara – You held some notes, I do not think I have heard you hold a note for more than two seconds but tonight you did. The problem though is your vibrato sounded like a lamb.
Simon – I have good news and bad news. The good news is the band was great and the bad is you were not. You looked a little embarrassed to be there, you were awkward. At least you have a booking for next week.
Crystal Bowersox – “Summer Wind”
Crystal looked stunning and the dress was fantastic. I thought Crystal looked a little uncomfortable though and this is clearly not her genre. I loved the performance anyway because Crystal is a technically flawless singer. The vocals were incredible and if I am listening to music this is what is important.
Randy – Great arrangement but this was a very subdued performance and you did not do anything new with it. It was okay but just a little sleepy for me.
Ellen – You seemed to be swallowing your words at the beginning but then you loosened up. You have so many different sides to you, which is very impressive.
Kara – This was out of your element but I liked it because your phrasing was great.
Simon – I would not have chosen this song for you, as it seemed indulgent. You have now had two weeks of just being so-so. The first half was too jazzy but it got better during the second half. If you survive, it has to be about winning and not just singing for yourself anymore. You need to nail it every week.
Michael Lynche – “The Way You Look Tonight”
I found this performance to be entertaining. “Big Mike” was in his element; he was smooth, comfortable on stage and had excellent vocal control. The ending note was fantastic. My only criticism is he had his eyes closed through the majority of the song. Mike if you are singing to your wife then let her see you. This was the best performance so far this evening.
Randy – This was an unbelievable arrangement and vocals. This is what I mean; you are in it to win it. “Big Mike” has thrown down the gauntlet.
Ellen – You are the most comfortable on stage. You looked the part and sounded the part tonight.
Kara – You found the drama of the song and took us on a journey. The great thing is you did not lose yourself.
Simon – This is a tricky night and you raised the bar. It felt like you listened and everyone was working together. Everything clicked.
Lee DeWyze – “That’s Life”
I really have not enjoyed Lee this season except for some rare performances. Lee was okay but I certainly did not love it has much as those on-site judges. There were some incredible sharp notes throughout the performance and many times Lee ran out of breath. I will give credit that his enunciation improved but still was not stellar. I agree Lee seemed a little bit more relaxed which is probably what helped him overall but he failed in reaching the glory note at the end. I will also say Lee gave up his guitar and was able to keep singing unlike Casey. This was not in any way the best performance of the evening though.
Randy – I was not sure this would work out but it did. I loved it.
Ellen – I was distracted by Harry’s Organ (really?). I think if this were the last night of performances you would have won.
Kara – I want to ask you a question – Do you think you can win? You need to go home and write 100 times, “I can win this”. This is the confidence you need because you can win this.
Simon – You should be thanking Harry because he brought out your confidence and personality. You gave it 110 percent and this was the best performance of the night.
As I indicated in my brief e-mail, I voted for Crystal and “Big Mike” only. I had predicted a Casey and Aaron bottom two with Casey heading home. We know how it turned out but I will save my comments for the results show blog.
Until next week…
The American Idol voters are idiots and it is time for Ronald to go postal on the whole group of them. There is something wrong when someone who can sing survives while Lee who could not hit the right note if it slapped him across the face survives. Season 9 will go down as the worst in Idol history.
We have another tension filled video introduction. I will give those editors their due because these have been the most interesting all season.
There were 33 million votes cast last night via phone and text yet America remains tone deaf.
Ronald is doing his happy dance, as there is no group number most likely because they could not find enough Shania songs, which would not have embarrassed our male contestants to sing. “Man I feel like a woman!” indeed – LOL!
Rascal Flatts are performing instead and thankfully, they put on a fantastic performance. Wow color me surprised because we have a musical guest that matches the theme and they can sing live. I have died and gone to paradise.
We then fill more time with some ridiculous interviews and footage about making the Ford commercial and then we had to watch the stupid vampire inspired commercial. Ford please demand your money back now!
Well it is time for more cross promotion marketing with an extremely too long video for ‘Shrek Forever After” with the contestants and Ryan. Please tell me that is not Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas on the Idol stage hawking their film, it is – what the hell – if I was them I would fire my agents for putting me in that position. Showing up for “Idol Gives Back” yes, trying to sell your movie, no.
Time for the elimination to begin as Ryan spends excessive time separating the contestants in groups of two before finally revealing the bottom three of “Big Mike”, Casey, and Siobhan.
Carrie Underwood shows up just to introduce a musical guest? What is wrong with this picture? Now I see she is promoting her concert tour because the next guest will be on the tour with her. It is time for Sons of Sylvia. I have never heard of them but they were good. Two guest artists who can sing, unbelievable.
We have yet a third music guest Lady Antebellum singing another country hit. Ronald is just happy the music guests are singing in key!
There is a fourth and final guest artist “Shakira” and Ronald just shakes his head, what the hell does she have to do with country. Well Rascal Flatts is performing with her and again Ronald just shakes his head in amazement. All I will comment about the performance is it did not suck!
Time to reveal the contestant heading home to night as Ryan sends “Big Mike” back to the couch to safety. This leaves Casey and Siobhan waiting for the hammer to fall. Siobhan is going home and Ronald stood up screaming at the television set using some extremely offensive expletives in interesting combination. America is freaking nuts as I have stated previously.
Siobhan leaves with grace and style reprising “Think” which she nails once again.
Next week Harry Connick, Jr. will be here to mentor the contestants using the Frank Sinatra songbook. I am anxious for this one – NOT!
I will be in Memphis next week so my blogs will be all after the fact. I have a business obligation next Tuesday night so I will not be able to watch the show or vote. I will be recording it and will still be able to comment on the performances.
There is only three more weeks of the season and I am honestly looking forward to it ending!
Until next time….
We have a paint salesman, a high school student, a glass blower, a mother, a father, and a construction worker. These six lives have been changed forever but only one can take the title. This is AMERICAN IDOL!
There was a total of 45 million dollars raised from “Idol Gives Back”. Hell Simon’s salary alone is 50 million a season and with him leaving Fox should be able to contribute quite a bit to up this amount because after all it is for charity.
The songbook of Shania Twain is the theme and Shania is the guest mentor. I do like Shania and I think she did an admirable job in mentoring because while not successful it appeared tonight the contestants were trying to win. She was at least able to put a fire in them.
The show moved along at a quick pace, which is a good thing, but there was still too much frivolous filler including Ryan, the judges, and some of the discussion with the contestants. My position remains the contestants should have more time to sing to allow for better arrangements and selection of the portions of the song to perform.
Let us move on to providing comments about the performances.
Lee Dewyze – “You’re Still the One”
While I believe, Lee was making an effort I just did not enjoy this near as much as the judges did. I thought the beginning was rough and he started flat. Lee’s control over his lower register was not strong. Lee could not hit the right notes either. The chorus had some improvement but still was flat. Lee’s enunciation sucked as well. I thought the entire performance seemed rushed. My real problem with the performance is Lee is still stiff and while he smiled he was not sell the message of the song. This is a love song after all, where was the love and tenderness. I also hated he could not give up the guitar as a crutch.
Randy – This is one of my favorite songs and I was a little worried at first and you did start out pitchy but by the middle, you found your sweet spot and made it your own.
Ellen – You did better than a good job because you always make every song your own, it was like your version. You could not look cuter. All aboard the Shania “Twain”.
Kara – Look how far you have because you sounded relevant and current. This is a love song and you may not have related to that part but you smiled at a couple of points so you were feeling it. Good job.
Simon – I agree with everyone. This was a perfect song. You made some weird faces.
Michael Lynche – “It only hurts when I’m breathing”
Michael had impeccable vocals and the falsetto ending was beautiful yet the entire performance left me cold. The performance simply did not move me. I found the entire performance to be forced with little or no emotional connection. I hate to borrow from the judges but this was just too old-fashioned.
Randy – You have found your niche on the show, you are in your zone as an artist. Great job.
Ellen – I was a tiny bit nervous about this but this felt like a Luther Vandross performance. You followed Shania’s advice. This was beautiful.
Kara – You always come from a place where the song relates to you. I appreciate your use of the original melody and you changed it enough without ruining it.
Simon – I did hear the Luther-ness of the performance, however, I thought it was a bit “wet”. It was as if you were acting out the words as if you were in a musical. This was just “a little bit girly.”
Casey James – “Don’t”
I was laughing when Casey said he chose a singing song. I agree Casey shows some sincerity yet the performance still fell flat for me. It seemed like the key was too high for him making a lot of the vocal sound strained. I was also disappointed Casey could not give up the guitar for an entire song. Casey is a brilliant guitar player but he cannot both play the guitar and sing at the same time.
Randy – This was the best Casey James performance ever, nice job.
Ellen – This was a great song and this was a beautiful performance. This was your best performance to date.
Kara – True artists show everything and you did that. You were raw and vulnerable and if you keep this up you will be at the front of this competition.
Simon – You received a much needed wake-up call last week. I agree with Randy that this was probably your best performance so far. You need to kiss this person behind me (you cannot even remember her name Simon).
Crystal Bowersox – “No one needs to know”
There was something a little off about this performance. The song was a little slow to start and there were some breath support issues as well. I really enjoyed the blue grassy arrangement and Crystal rallied by the end but this was not a stellar performance. I still enjoyed the entire performance and Crystal having an off moment is still better than the entire other contestants put together.
Randy – I liked the arrangement but it was not my favorite performance. I like the changes you made and appreciate the most country version so far this evening.
Ellen – There is nothing you cannot do. You have a great voice. This was not my favorite performance but that is like asking, “Which is my least favorite color of the rainbow.”
Kara – It is impossible for you not to be good. It was believable. You are still amazing.
Simon – The surprise is we do not like Crystal this week. I found the performance limp. This is like a coffee shop who hires a band, which the customers really do not want to hear while sipping their lattes. There was no connection and it was forgettable.
Aaron Kelly – “You got away”
I do not feel this was the proper song for Aaron especially since he has to change the words. I hated the entire performance. There were some very sharp notes throughout the entire song and he lacked breath support to reach the high notes. Aaron’s enunciation fell apart at the end as well. This was just a glorified high school variety show performance.
Randy – This is definitely your wheelhouse (WTF?). You did a good job.
Ellen – It is going to be a tough week because everyone is doing well. I think you showed a lot of maturity.
Kara – I agree with Ellen because it was as if Aaron felt the words. I noticed you changed one of lines from “when we make love and then we had a vague inappropriate discussion as to whether or not Aaron might have had sex.
Simon – You struggled the past couple of weeks but tonight you were like a different artist. This is the kind of record you should make. This felt sincere and believable. You did very well tonight.
Siobhan Magnus – “Any man of mine”
The vocals started out kind of rough but clearly, Siobhan was having fun and was really interacting with the audience. I did think though when she went out into the audience the vocals fell apart because of a breath control issue. The performance overall was fun to watch.
Randy – I loved it, especially the punk-country thing you have going on.
Ellen – What a way to pull the Shania “Twain” into the station. Fantastic.
Kara – Guess who is back.
Simon – I really liked the song but the screaming at the end was as if you were giving birth. If we had heard that note in isolation, it would have been disturbing.
The best I can say is the evening was not a total train wreck I was expecting but I still do not believe it was stellar. On the other hand, I did not want to turn off the sound so I have to consider this the best evening of the season so far.
I personally think the judges were full of it last night but some of the praise they gave to some and not to others might affect the results.
Predicting the bottom three is problematic. I am afraid Crystal is in trouble because of the judge’s comments but I cannot imagine this season without her. My prediction for the bottom three is “Big Mike”, Aaron and Lee.
I believe “Big Mike” is going home this week.
Until tomorrow…