American Idle:Lowlights From Season 10

Another Idol Is Crowned

2011-05-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Finale on Technorati.

On Wednesday night, Ryan Seacrest finally got to tell America who their next Nashville Star is….oh, sorry, I meant who their next American Idol is! The winner was crowned after nearly two hours of pop performances, judges patting themselves on the back, and some nostalgic looks back on the high’s and low’s of the season. This year’s Idol winner didn’t get there easily; apparently we pop-obsessed Americans logged nearly three quarters of a billion votes over the course of the season, with more than 120 million last night alone. Imagine what we could accomplish as a nation if we could inspire that level of voting enthusiasm for ACTUAL elections! That’s a topic for another blog I suppose. Here’s how the big finale event went down, in case you missed it, or just want to relive it.

The Idols kicked things off with a rousing rendition of Gaga’s “Born This Way,” followed by James doing Judas Priest…..with Judas Priest. Pretty cool. Who says Idol isn’t for rockers? James sounded really strong and the band rocked out, but I could have done without the S&M / Biker Bar Halloween Costume he was wearing.

Next, they honored the judges starting with Randy. Or rather, with a montage of Randy’s really questionable fashion choices all season, with a soundtrack of “In It To Win It” in the background. I like Randy – he’s really fun, and I’m glad he put the “Dawgs” away for most of the season, but he needs a new mantra for next year. Please. I guess they’ll roast the other judges later in the show, because they broke away to Jacob Lusk, singing at the top of his game with Gladys Knight and Kurt Franklin. He sounded much better than I ever remember him during the season. After a short break, Casey Abrams arose from the Idol graveyard to sing “Fat Bottom Girls” with none other than Jack Black. This WAS a night of surprises! That was a truly inspired and brilliant pairing.

Next, the Ladies of Idol Season 10 performed a Beyonce medley that was markedly better than the final group performances of years gone by. Maybe this really was the best Idol season ever. The medley ended with an additional group member, Beyonce. Yes, actual Beyonce. See, more surprises.

Then, we were back to the judges. This time, it was a look back at some of Steven Tyler’s best moments. He really brought the crazy this season, right? Wow – watching all of his antics again was great fun. I really hope he comes back next year. That was followed by Haley, performing with the legendary, and apparently still living, Tony Bennett. Now, come on, where else can you get Tony Bennett, Beyonce, Jack Black and Judas Priest all in the same hour of television? This performance was followed by a rundown of JLo’s most memorable moments of the season, most of which seemed to involve her hair, and the millions of adoring fans and scattering of contestants who had crushes on her. You know, I’ve been a bit harsh on the judges this year, mostly because they acted so much more like a pep squad than like critics, but they have great chemistry and I genuinely hope all three are back together next year. The only staffing change I’m pushing for is for Randy to get a new wardrobe stylist.

JLo’s mini-roast was followed up by a performance by TLC, accompanied by the Idolettes, with a cameo by Lil’ John. Finally, one of the finalists was then given a chance to sing. Scotty sang “Live Like You Were Dying” with Tim McGraw. It was a top shelf pairing, maybe not as inspired as Casey and Jack Black, but a solid rendition of a wonderful song. I have to say that Scotty really held his own up there against the Nashville Uber-star. Impressive stuff.

Marc Anthony performed, with a little help from his wife, Ms Lopez, kind of like a modern day Sonny and Cher, except that JLo didn’t say (nor sing) a thing. She just shook her moneymaker around and looked pretty. My husband along with millions of other American men, was desperately pining for some sort of wardrobe malfunction, but alas, it was not to be.

Finally, it was the guys’ turn to perform en masse. They took on Tom Jones, with surprising aplomb. Even Scotty joined in the fun…as did Tom Jones. Actual Tom Jones. Apparently, it’s actually Sir Tom Jones now. I really like that Idol is trying to expand its demographic reach deep into the realm of Baby Boomers by incorporating Septuagenarian’s like Jones and Bennett. That’s bold.

In a true study of contracts, and an unintended pun on titles, Sir Tom Jones was followed by Lady Gaga, who was dressed like a character in a future Star Wars installment. Then, Lauren finally got her moment in the sun, singing Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”, with none other than Carrie Underwood. The young hopeful held her own pretty well against the former Idol winner and Country superstar, but it was clear that her vocal cords were not in fact, fully recovered. Thankfully, they held up well enough on Tuesday night, when it really mattered.

The evening rounded out with an encore performance by Beyonce, doing her best diva impression on her newest song. That was followed up by an appearance by Spiderman, accompanied by Bono and the Edge. Finally, we got Steven Tyler doing “Dream On.” I’m absolutely certain that I saw his outfit in a Chico’s catalog this week, but he really rocked the song out. It was a treat. Too bad we didn’t get to hear Randy play bass this year, since the other judges all had their moments in the sun. I’m sure he’s not upset about that at all – he doesn’t really like to self-promote much (stifling a laugh). This show had more performances than the actual Grammy’s! Oh yeah, and they announced the winner. I’ve never seen two more scared kids in my life. To nobody’s surprise, Season Ten’s Idol is Scotty McCreery. He looked genuinely overcome with joy and surprise, and Lauren was as graceful a runner-up as there ever was. No worries Lauren fans, she’ll surely be a staple on country stations for years to come.

So now it’s over. Season Ten has come to an end and we have crowned yet another Male Idol. I’m already excited about January…and Idol Season XI!

The Finale: A Country Showdown!

2011-05-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Finale Performances on Technorati.

“Tonight, you change lives.” That’s how Seacrest kicked off the Idol finale. Wow – we’re going deep this year! In all seriousness, it is a big deal for the two youngest ever Idol finalists who went head to head on Tuesday night. Both seem destined for Country stardom, but winning the Idol crown is still hard to beat as a launch pad. We learned that Lauren, already an underdog if you believe the odds makers, had another disadvantage tonight, in that she has strained her vocal cords. They even hauled out the Official Idol Doctor for those of us who think that strained vocal cords sounds like what you wake up with after a good night of karaoke. The Official Doctor assures us it is MUCH more serious than that, so serious in fact that they apparently drugged her up for the evening. Now, I understand her calm sense of grace and peaceful smile…..she’s on painkillers! Nice!

Scotty kicked things off with….wait for it….a Country Song!! Just kidding. Of COURSE he picked a country song. That’s the girl that brought him to the dance, he’s not going to shift gears now. He went with “Gone” and offered a really solid performance. Not his best work of the season, not even very memorable, but very safe and entertaining, which is all Scotty needed tonight.

Lauren followed that up with “Flat On the Floor.” Her stage presence was that of someone way beyond her tender years, and she sang it okay, although it did seem that she was holding back due to the aforementioned vocal strain. Overall it was good, but not memorable and I think Lauren needed to take risks in the finale to improve her odds.

The second round is usually the Idol creator’s choice, but again, they’re really shaking it up on Season Ten, so this year, we got to hear the Idols’ Idols’ picks for them. George Strait chose “Check Yes Or No” for Scotty. It showed off his baritone and old school Nashville style reasonably well, and he managed to keep his often-goofy stage antics to a minimum.

Lauren’s Country Idol is prior winner Carrie Underwood. She chose “Maybe It Was Memphis” for Miss Alaina. Lauren sounded pretty solid and it was a match for her vocal range, but her stylist unfortunately chose a get-up that just screamed Tennessee’s Junior Miss Pageant, with glitter eye shadow and all. Again, a little too safe I fear to bring it home for Lauren.

Speaking of poor style choices, Seacrest went to Randy for the first judge’s commentary of the night. He was brief and mostly complimentary all around, but did give the slight edge to Scotty for Round one and Lauren for Round two. JLo agreed with Randy, because that’s what they do. Thanks RanLo. Tyler gave both rounds to Lauren, but only because she “is prettier than Scotty.” Hmm…maybe her stylist’s pageant-esque choice helped her after all!

So, the final song for the Idols is to be a song written specifically for them, that each Idol would release as their first single, should they win. Before we heard that though, we got Taio Cruz and a band of neon-lit robot drummers (or were they startroopers?) singing something that I’m sure will be Number One on iTunes within the week. I didn’t like it, confirming once more that I’m too old to be the target demographic for this show.

To introduce the final original songs, Jimmy Iovine (Best Idol Mentor ever) told each contestant why that song was picked for them. He seemed genuinely excited about the song they chose for Scotty, “I Love You This Big.” I wasn’t as sold on it as Jimmy, but again, it was a good, solid and very safe performance for the country crooner. Randy said he was brilliant and “in it to win it”, blah blah blah…I was unable to concentrate trying to figure out where on earth Randy bought that suit? Seriously! JLo also loved it though, so maybe it was really good and I am just grumpy tonight? Not that I thought it was bad, it just seemed like he was phoning it in and not really finale-worthy.

The last song of the night was “Like My Mother Does” chosen for Lauren. It was a real crowd pleaser. Jimmy eluded to the fact that it was chosen to really solicit emotional appeal (and votes) from all the mom’s out there. The judges unanimously gave the final round to Lauren, who the producers clearly want to give a fighting chance, given the much better song choice on her behalf. Tyler even said that she was always his pick for Idol – and then added, “hands down.” Pretty bold prediction Steven.

Scotty went into the night as a 1:5 favorite (over Lauren’s 3:1 odds), and I think that through the first 2 rounds, she didn’t do anything to narrow that gap. I agree that the third round went to her, but don’t know if it was enough to shift such a large fan base in the final hours. Scotty was consistent and authentically himself, which may have been all he needed. My kids love Lauren and made me promise to vote for her at least twice, so maybe my votes will be the ones to put her over the top! Tune into Fox (http://www.americanidol.com/) on Wednesday night to find out for sure. It promises to be a star-studded and suspense-filled finale for sure! For me, I found myself saying “good”, “safe” and “solid” a lot, but nothing blew me away. None of the songs brought me to tears (and yes, sadly, that has happened before). Were the Finale performances as strong this year as in some other years? Was it anti-climatic after a season so rife with talent and surprises?

Photo: Fox.

An Oddsmaker's Take on This Year's Idol Finale...

2011-05-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Countdown to the Finale on Technorati.

So, we’re down to the final countdown. The American Idol Season Ten Finale airs tomorrow night on Fox. Check here for local listings and pay attention! The finale will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week, rather than Wednesday and Thursday as per usual (http://www.americanidol.com/).

Who will win the big event? How will it all go down tomorrow night? I stay up at night worrying about these and other burning questions (plus, how I’ll pay for my kids’ college and weddings, but that’s a topic for another article altogether). I have my own thoughts about who America (or at least American Teenagers) will choose as their American Idol, but I thought I’d reach out and see what the pros had to say on the topic. Did you know that American Idol is an enormous Vegas event? Apparently, it is one of the largest Events in the Entertainment Book, or non-sports betting. Imagine laying down hundreds trying to predict how America’s ever-fickle-under-20-set will vote on any given night? How maddening!

I solicited the help of Richard Gardner, Sportsbook Manager for Bodog, an online gaming giant and trusted source for information and odds for major sporting, cultural and entertainment events all over the world (www.bodog.com).

Sorry Lauren fans, but Bodog has Scotty as a 1:5 favorite, with Lauren trailing in 3:1 odds of winning the Idol Title. So, here were my Questions and Answers with Richard.

Q: I’ve seen the Bodog odds on who will win and they look like a landslide to me. In your expert opinion, what do you feel is driving the dramatic spread between the two hopefuls, given that both contestants appeal to the Country Music demographic and to younger voters?

Richard -“Scotty is a clear favorite here at 1/5 and has been very consistent and likeable which is important in a contest that is voted upon by the public while Lauren has been in the bottom 2 or 3 quite often near the end of the season and lacks some confidence. What also plays into him being such a heavy favorite is that most likely when James Durbin was eliminated the majority of his votes went to Scotty. But if we have learned anything in the history of this show is that the favorite does not always win and would not be surprised if Lauren won even as a significant underdog.”

Q: This is the first finale I can remember where the final Idol wannabe's are so alike in terms of music genre and style. How do you think this will impact viewership and number of votes? Do the odds makers weigh in on those data points, or just on choosing the winner?

Richard -“I don't think it will really affect anything too much, the finale is the finale and will surely be watched by everyone who has been watching the show all season and then some. However, when doing odds on something like this predicting how the public will vote is much more important than what the judges say or how we think they actually did in their performances.”

Q: Idol ratings and voting was slightly down last season and there has been much brouhaha over the new judges and re-energizing of the Idol brand this year. What changes have you seen this season in level of interest as it relates to the sportsbook?

Richard -“By far the biggest bet event this Season in my experience in this business as far as entertainment betting, and I agree that it is correlated to the raise in the viewers and voting.”

Interesting, so the Pros have Scotty taking home the title in a landslide, but leave the door open for an upset. They confirm that the casting and production changes made this year have driven more money to voting, as I suspected from this year’s ratings.

So what will we see on Tuesday night? Each of the singers will get to perform three songs. First, they’ll sing a tune of their own choosing. Next, Simon Fuller, the show’s creator, will weigh in and select a song for each Idol. Finally, the Finalists will sing the newly created Idol songwriter’s number, which will be released as the winner’s first single. It should be a great night, although it may sound a bit more like The Next Nashville Star, than American Idol, given the country orientation of both of this year’s finalists.

For me, I’ll say that I think both of the contestants are likeable, talented and wholesome American kids. Neither were my favorite to be sure, but I only voted a few times. As of now, I believe Scotty will win, but I’m sure they’ll both have successful Nashville careers, no matter how it all goes down. The finale performances always have a few surprises though and certainly the producers can manipulate us a bit with song choices, so it is not over until it’s over. Be sure to watch it all unfold on Fox!

Photo: Newsday.

The Final Three Bring It Home...

2011-05-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 3 Perform on Technorati.

So, we’re down to the final three on American Idol Season 10. This week, Lauren, Scotty and Haley got to take road trips and we were treated to some highlights of their visits with hometown fans…plus, a few songs. Actually, did anyone else notice that the shots of the Idols’ hometown fans were sparse at best this year? What gives? Where were the thrilling stadium shots filled with legions of loyal fans? Maybe I’m just getting cynical in my old age.

On Wednesday night’s 90-minute show, it all went down. We saw the homey highlights and three songs from each Idol. Each contestant chose a song for themselves, with a little help from Beyonce, followed by a song choice from the ubiquitous Jimmy Iovine, and then finally, a song chosen by the judges. The night kicked off with Scotty singing, wait for it, a country song (“specifically, Amazed”). Beyonce seemed worried that he wasn’t comfortable in the higher end of his range, but Scotty said, “no Ma’am.” He wanted to shake it up a bit. It wasn’t bad, but he definitely shines in the songs featuring his signature baritone and should stay there now that we’re so close to the finals. Nevertheless, Tyler and RanLo showed him nothing but mad love….shocker!

Next up was Lauren, who performed Faith Hill’s song, “Wild One,” with such poor phrasing that she couldn’t really finish some of the lyrics. Too bad – country should have really been her genre. The judges must have been listening to something else, because they still managed to give her praise. Where is Simon when you need him?

Haley wrapped up Round 1 with Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be.”

That’s right – go big or go home sister! So, this week, Haley’s a rocker. OK – I’ll go with it. Now, purists like my brother were probably ticked off that she had the nerve to desecrate and “pop up” that which is most sacred, but I give her props for showing some nerve and doing something different. Also, she managed to contain her growling reasonably well and (naturally), received big love from the judging panel. I may catch some flack for this, but I’m giving Round 1 to Haley, as did the judges.

The next circuit of song choices was courtesy of Jimmy I.o.vine. Scotty was given “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” and seemed really happy with the gift Sir Jimmy had bestowed upon him. It was vintage Scotty all around, weird faces and all, but he sounded great, and the song perfectly showed off his range. Everyone agreed; zero controversy. Scotty is apparently also “In It To Win It.”

Jimmy’s choice for Lauren was “If I Die Young,” which again showed her voice to its best advantage, proving that Jimmy is truly the best Idol Mentor ever. I hope he comes back next year. I personally thought her performance was a bit boring and flat, but the vocal was good. Again, the judges seemed unwilling to be anything but cheerleaders for the young singer. Lauren actually had a little mid-song stumble that Simon NEVER would have let slip. The judges all mentioned it, but seemed to give her a pass, and in fact, gave her props for such a quick recovery. Those guys are so nice! Really.

Jimmy’s final song pick of the night was “Rhiannon” for Haley. Wow – hard to be objective now because that is by far, the best Fleetwood Mac song ever. She did the opening verse beautifully, but then the producers put a giant fan on her, which clearly distracted her as she sped up into the body of the song. The whole windy thing was VERY Stevie Nicks (gauzy, flowey, witch-like dress and all), but I ended up not loving the performance overall. The judges all totally ate it up though.

The judges had a split decision on who took Round 2 with Tyler giving it to Lauren, and RanLo giving it to Scotty. Sorry Haley. I say it went to Scotty.

Before we got to hear Round 3, the Judges’ Pick, we were treated (subjected?) to the debut of Beyonce’s new Video. It seemed to be some sort of post-apocolyptic feminist anthem about girl power, albeit one that was shot in the style of a Playboy photo shoot. Okay Sascha Fierce. If you say so. I did not like it one bit, but I’m sure it will be a number one hit.

Then it was back to the singing competition, with Scotty kicking it off with “She Believes In Me.” I thought that was an L-A-M-E song choice, but the judges all patted themselves on the backs for choosing it for him and for his delivery of it.

They chose “I Hope You Dance” for Lauren, which seemed pretty safe to me. She sounded fine, but it was a totally pageant-worthy performance, complete with a typical Miss America gown. JLo loved it though and said it gave her “goosies”, while Randy just had to tell us what great friends he and LeAnn Womack were before telling us how good she was. Tyler aptly rounded out the praises.

Wednesday’s last performance was from Haley, doing Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know.” That seems a little unreasonable. They chose total softballs for Scotty and Lauren and then socked Haley with a really hard song to sing, replete with raunchy lyrics and all. I thought she struggled a bit but again, the judges called it amazing and gave her props, focusing their praise mainly on the chorus, since she flubbed the verses a bit.

Tyler gave Round 3 to Haley, while Lauren got the applause from Randy and JLo.

For me, I’d say that overall, the night went to Scotty, with Haley and Lauren both potentially in some trouble. Given that scenario, I’d prefer to see Lauren go home, so we don’t have a totally country finale. Also, Haley has grown on me a bit. It will be an interesting night on Thursday for sure: don’t miss it: (http://www.americanidol.com/)!

Photo: Fox

Vegas Weighs In On American Idol Finals

2011-05-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed posting last week. What a week in idol! James???!!

It was a very busy week for me at home and work and I had planned to take one day off, then Blogger went down for an extended period of time and just completely wrecked any posting plans I did have! Who is more reliable than Google? Both surprising and disappointing. I only hope whatever they were patching or upgrading is now fixed for good.

Anyway, I received some info today from a source in Vegas who does sports publicity. He shared the latest Vegas odds on who will win Idol Season 10, courtesy of Bodog. Here you go:

Odds to Win American Idol Season 10

Scott McCreery 1/2

Haley Reinhart 7/2

Lauren Alaina 7/2

Surprising, right? Now obviously, this isn't an exact science, but truth often follows money so I found it interesting on many fronts. First off, while Haley's trajectory seems to be improving, I still see a TON of negative chatter about her on the blogs and in other social media outlets. I am surprised to see her tied with Lauren, who seems to be on a bit of a downward spiral. I did expect Haley to get a bit of a bump due to Lauren and Scotty splitting the Country Contingent voting bloc.... I definitely did not expect to see such a dramatic spread between Scotty and the other two Idols.

This week's performance show will feature recaps of the Idols hometown visits. Each Idol will also perform 3 songs: one chosen by Jimmy I.o.vine, one chosen by the Pep Squad (aka, the Judges' Panel), and one more chosen by the Idols themselves. What do you think we'll hear? What do you think about the Vegas odds? Stay tuned for the week ahead!

Photos: Fox.

Top 5 Results Recap: One More Hopeful Goes Down

2011-05-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 5 Results Show on Technorati.

After a particularly long introductory montage, Ryan Seacrest kicked off the Idol results show this week, announcing that 60 Million votes were cast on Wednesday for this week’s performances. After some quick bantering with the judges, the Idols did their weekly group number to “Happy Together.” I can honestly say that I’ve heard better renditions of that song in my living room, enthusiastically performed by my 5 and 6 year-old daughters. Thankfully, it was short. It actually made the Ford music video that followed sound pretty good by comparison. Lady Antebellum performed next, and showed the Idols how it’s done.

Ryan continued to promise us results, but we were 23 minutes into the 60-minute show, and still no closer to knowing who would go home. Finally, at the 26-minute mark, Ryan sent James to a remote corner of the stage. Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be….the next victim was Lauren, who was sent to a different region on the vast Idol stage…oh, the drama!

After some shameless promotion Fox’s upcoming season of Hell’s Kitchen, JLo and her extensions performed her new club hit, dressed in a blinged-out version of MC Hammer’s pants from 1992. Her performance frightened me on many levels, but my kids liked it and my husband tried to pretend he wasn’t desperately hoping for a wardrobe malfunction. Don’t worry – I’m onto him.

Finally we were back to the results and learned of Jacob’s fate – sort of. He was sent to join Lauren. A now very unhappy Lauren now, I’ll add. Next, we saw Haley join James, in what I can only hope is the “safe” group. That left Scotty, who joined Haley and James in what Ryan finally revealed as the TOP 3. So, the bottom 2 were Jacob and Lauren, and then we learned that the road ended this week for Jacob.

While I give props to Ryan for trying to add some drama this week to the results, I don’t think anyone was surprised by this, right? In my humble opinion, he should have gone home a couple of weeks ago. I admire all the contestants for all their hard work and the courage to follow their dreams, but I won’t shed any tears about not hearing Jacob’s crazy overdone vocal gymnastics anymore. Sorry big guy!

Check out FOX (http://www.americanidol.com/) for more recap information and details about the Top 4 Performance Show next week. Only 3 more weeks to go before we crown the first Idol not blessed by Simon Cowell! It should be interesting- be sure to tune in.

Photo: FOX.

The Top 5 Perform Old and New Classics

2011-05-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: The Top 5 Perform on Technorati.

The Top 5 Perform Classic Pop Songs, Both Old & New

Ryan introduced the judges on Wednesday evening’s show and for a minute, I thought that Randy was dressed like a grown-up this week…until I saw the POLKA DOTS on his suit sleeve. Maybe they’re on the lining of the jacket and he has the sleeves rolled up? Thanks Randy; now I’m going to focus on that all night instead of the singing. Where pray tell would you go to buy a men’s sport jacket with polka dots on the sleeve? Jennifer must have an engagement at church following this taping, because she’s definitely wearing her Sunday best and Tyler, always one to bring the the crazy, is dressed like Mick Jagger meets Wham from 1982. Wow! Ok, enough fashion talk, its go time! Seacrest brought out the idols and reminded us that the finals are only 3 weeks away! This week, the Idols took on 2 songs – one current hit and then a second, old school hit, with Sheryl Crow as the mentor-of-the-week, along with the ever-present Jimmy Iovine.

James kicked off the evening with “Closer to Edge.” Not his best work, but he has legions of voting fans. He sounded authentic and clear on what kind of artist he’d be, so naturally he solicited nothing but high praise from the Pep Squad (sorry, the judges). Tyler called him, “Ready for Freddy”, JLo was feeling it, and Randy once again quipped that “James is in it to win it.”

Next up was Jacob, sporting yet another Carlton-worthy outfit (Fresh Prince, circa 1990). He chose “No Air” for his first performance of the night. I’ve said all I need to say about Jacob in prior posts. I just can’t be objective about the guy. I don’t love that genre of music, but I’ve heard Jordan Sparks sing it and she does it better in my opinion. JLo gave him faint praise but surprisingly, Randy trashed him and the song choice. Tyler rounded it out with lukewarm praise.

Lauren next covered Carrie Underwood’s “Flat on the Floor”. Those are big shoes to fill, but she did a good job and I could really see her releasing a song like that in the future. Oh, and my 5 year old loved it. I mean, loved it. Since she is closer to the average voting age than I am, I am assuming this means Lauren got a lot of votes. The judges roundly agreed.

Scotty was next with “Gone”, which showed his vocal range better than some prior week’s choices. He sounded good, but his stage antics once again reminded me of Alfred E. Newman, of MAD Magazine fame, who looks alarmingly like Scotty. Tyler said “he danced with he devil”…in a good way. JLo was “so excited!” Randy brought it all home and said we were “sitting at concert Scotty.” Safe.

Haley was the last Idol to perform a current song before they went back to the 60’s, with Gaga’s heretofore unreleased song, “You and I.” That’s actually showing some Kahunas! I don’t know the song since it’s unreleased, and I haven’t yet been lucky enough to score Gaga tickets, but she sounded good, and the song definitely felt authentic for her. Strong choice Haley! The Pep Squad all seemed concerned that the audience (aka, voters) might not rally behind a song they didn’t know. I disagree, and thought it was an amazing song for her. But, truth be told, I don’t know half the songs on this show, because I’m 44, not 24, and don’t listen to much Top 20.

Next, it was time for the Idols to bring back the olden days (aka my childhood). James kicked us off with 1970’s, “Without You.” It was good to see his softer side again, even if it was a tad boring and pitchy. Poor James balled through the entire song. What was that about? The judges and the girls in the audience lapped that up for sure. I found myself trying to listen to Randy’s commentary and figure out why James was so tearful, but I kept getting distracted with possible glimpses of the polka dot arms again! Jeez.

Next, showing us that he could kick it old school too, was Jacob with his second pick of the evening, “Love Hurts”. It was much better than his usual mush, and the judges responded well. Ok…next!

Lauren chose “Unchained Melody” for her walk down memory lane. Oh Simon, where are you when I need you most? Other Cowell fans will note that it was his favorite song and he was brutal with anyone who took it on and showed it less than the respect it deserved. Lauren, or her Idol stylists, chose to dress her like a 1970’s pageant queen for the rendition (complete with signature Charlie’s Angels wings and waves), which made it hard for me to take it seriously. I’ll just say that the song was bigger than her and leave it at that because I like Lauren and no matter how much anyone criticizes her on this particular performance, she’ll be 100% safe this week. JLo seemed scared to say anything bad, and Randy and Steven were very complimentary in a nonspecific way.

Scotty chose wisely and did, “You Were Always On My Mind,” which was a dead hit song choice for him, really showing the texture of his voice and his tenderness. He seemed pitchy at times, and the song didn’t build to the momentum that I would have liked, but that kid can sing. He knows who he is, and who he isn’t. Good for you, Scotty! Tyler dug him too.

Ok, I know I need to get off this, but I just got a glimpse of Randy’s OTHER arm and there are NO polka dots! Did I dream them? No, there they are on the left arm alone…that’s just weird, right? I’m sorry – I promise I won’t bring up “dot-gate” again. Really.

Haley brought the show home with the evening’s final performance of “House of the Rising Sun.” Haley’s been up and down for me this season, but this was her performance of the season. She started off a cappella, and continued with a great arrangement, which really demonstrated her vocal control and range. How soon can I download it on iTunes? She definitely wants to win this gig. The Pep Squad gave her a standing O, and Randy said she slayed it with the best performance of the night. No other judge disagreed. Ok, I know I said I’d get off the whole polka dot thing, but when Randy stood up, I noticed that NOT ONLY are there dots on his left sleeve, but on the right lower front panel of the jacket. For real. I just can’t seem to look away. Enough about that, it’s onto predictions.

Will they do Bottom 3 when there are only 5 left? I cannot recall how they’ve handled it this late in past seasons. I’ll just rank all 5 in order of who I thought rocked it and who botched it:

Best – Haley

Next Best – Scotty

Tie for 3^rd – Lauren and James

Bottom – Jacob

I’m sure I’ll take some hits for putting James anywhere but the top, but that’s just how I heard it last night. I really hope it is Jacob’s time to go but stay tuned to FOX Thursday night to find out for sure (http://www.americanidol.com/).

Photo: FOX.

Top 6 Results Show....Idol says Adieu to One more Contestant

2011-04-29T03:33:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 6 Results Show on Technorati.

Idol kicked off on Thursday night as usual, with the Idols all lined up and Ryan telling us how hard it is to let someone go and teasing us that “A lot of fans are going to be disappointed with the nights’ results” ….Oh, the tension. JLo looked lovely in red, Steven Tyler was dressed as someone going to a Halloween party…as Steve Tyler, and Randy was wearing some sort of high tech pocket protector that I still haven’t figured out. The judges have stylists, right? I think someone’s asleep at the wheel.

Now, back to the music, which kicked off with an especially long (and particularly bad) medley of the idols singing Carole King songs in what I’m sure was meant to be an homage to the songwriting icon. After a short break, this was followed by yet another Ford commercial featuring the idols, this one to “Our House” by Madness. Again, does this stuff really sell any Fords? Finally, we got some real music with Crystal Bowersox performing one of her latest. For those or is who loved her last season, she didn’t disappoint at all. Her band rocked it out too.

We were further teased before the actual results with some Q&A for the Idols from their biggest fans. I guess they’ve got to fill up the hour somehow. Each Idol was brought to center stage for a recap of their last night’s performance, together with the individual judges’ comments, and Iovine’s take. Haley was the first victim, and she was safe. Our next victim was Scotty, who was also…oh snap! He was sent back to the couch and we had to wait to hear his results – such intrigue!

Lauren was called up to center stage next, and was then promptly sent back to the waiting couch with Scotty. Casey was put through the vices next and although Iovine predicted he’d be safe, he also told him definitively to stop that crazy growling. Here, Here Jimmy! I think we’re all pretty done with that by now, right? Ok, in spite of Jimmy Iovine’s prediction of safety for Casey, he was also sent to the waiting couch with Lauren and Scotty. Is this the Bottom 3? It’s all too confusing to me.

James was then called up to see Seacrest and we learned that he’s safe with Haley.

That leaves Jacob, who is joined on the stage by the 3 on the couch, and we were told that Lauren is safe. They went to commercial break pretty quickly, but this means that Jacob, Scotty, and Casey must be the Bottom three this week.

Before the final results, the incredibly likeable Bruno Mars sang a new incredibly likeable song. Now, that’s a pop star – take note Idols! His incredibly large band sounds great too – it looks like the entire population of some small island….what fun! But then it was time for the fun to end, at least for one of the Idols. First, we learned that Jacob’s safe – uh oh! That means that either Casey or Scotty has had their swan song. So we’re told that it was Casey’s week to go, but he didn’t seem nearly as broken up or surprised as Randy did. He went out with “I Put a Spell On You,” and had as much fun with his exit song as I’ve ever seen on the show.

I’m a little bummed because I’m a fan, but I can’t say that I’m too surprised. I think Casey’s jazz focus is not the stuff that pop dreams are made if, and his weird angry growling was getting a little old. He was always creative and fun to watch though, and for that, I’ll miss him.

We’re down to the Top 5 with only a few more weeks to go….and Jacob is STILL hanging on! Does he have like 10 fans that just vote nonstop or is it possible that he really has untold legions of sadly tone-deaf fans? I just don’t get it at all, but I can’t wait to see what happens!

Tune into FOX to get more recap info and breaking news about next week’s show: http://www.americanidol.com/.

Photo: FOX.

The Top 6 Perform the Carole King Catalog

2011-04-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: The Top 6 Perform on Technorati.

Wednesday night, the Idols took the stage and took on Carole King, a living legend. I was psyched about the song choices of what I believe is one of the best songwriters of the 20^th century. My only concern was whether the Idols would stick to her oft-overplayed standards, or delve deeper into the portfolio and make some risky and less known choices. It was a fun evening for sure with some interesting twists. Here’s how it all went down…

Seacrest kicked things off by sharing, somewhat inexplicably, that Babyface is the mentor this week. Hmm…didn’t see that coming. Will.i.am was just starting to grow on me. “Will.i.am.not.here” I guess….disappointing.

Also, we were told that each Idol would sing a solo as well as a duet with another Idol. They’re really pulling out all the stops in Season 10! The performances started off with Jacob, doing “Oh No, Not My Baby,” in typical understated Jacob style….ok, so maybe not so understated! He was dressed a little like Carlton from the Fresh Prince, circa 1990, and now that I think of it, he danced a bit like Carlton too! The Pep Squad (aka Judges), naturally dug him. Especially Randy, who was dressed a bit like a Carlton sidekick.

Next we got Lauren’s solo effort of the night – “Where You Lead.” During her rehearsal, Iovine surprised her by bringing in her idol, Miley Cyrus. My ears are still ringing from my 6-year-old’s screaming over that stunt. Laruen’s performance was certainly fine, but I just thought she lacked any truly unique or interesting. Maybe she’s suffering from a lack or real star quality. The Pep Squad didn’t seem to watch the same performance as me however, because they all loved it. Randy tried to criticize her a bit, but then backed out of it midstream and just cheered her on. laurn had trid to up the ante on her performance by flirting with a smitten boy in teh audience. Ryan brought him up on stage to meet Lauren, but then one of the producers must have screamed into his earpiece and reminded him that Lauren is underage so Ryan backs off the plan. Whew – Idol decency crisis averted.

Our first duet of the evening was Casey and Haley doing, “I Feel the Earth Move. ” It was very cruise ship-esque and I found myself wishing Master Cowell had been there to say so….Certainly the rest of the judges said nothing of the sort.

Scotty was next with a very slowed down and understated version of “You’ve Got a Friend.” I’m sort of done with his schtick, but it was one of his best performances and sounded great, in a 1970’s Andy Williams TV special sort of way. He seemed less like a caricature of himself this week and I pretty much dug it. Of course, the three judges did too.

We were then promised a softer, gentler side of James Durbin. Ever the skeptic, I thought it may be sarcasm in Ryan’s reference, but no. He did dial it down a bit and went with “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” with “no marching band and no flaming piano,” in his words. He still rocked it out quite a bit – it was hardly a lullaby. James is consistent and this performance was a winner. The judges seemed focused on trying to outdo one another complimenting him. Randy even went so far as to predict James the winner, AND came up on stage and hugged him. What I wouldn’t give to watch just one episode of this show with Simon in my living room….Oh well.

Since no soloist would ever voluntarily follow that lovefest, we were back to a duet of Scotty and Lauren. Ryan tired desperately to drum up some Idol scandal by suggesting that those two had something going on, but they weren’t having any of it. Why is Ryan obsessed with Lauren having a crush? He should leave the poor girl alone. Their performance of “Up On the Roof” did not send me over the moon, but maybe I’m just grumpy? It seemed sweet but lame.

Casey was up next with “Hi-De-Ho”, seemingly a perfect song choice for him. Even his angry growling sounded in context within the song. It was one of his best performances in my opinion. At the very least, he had a blast and it gave the idol producers a chance to bring back out the blond bombshell sax player. Aside from JLo telling him to “get loose”, the judges offered only praise.

Haley chose “Beautiful” and sang it well, but I’m not sure I’ll remember it in 2 days or rush to download it. There was just nothing magic about it, and this late in the game, she needed to bring magic every time. Steven Tyler said he “saw God” and JLo called it “beautiful and amazing.” Randy dared to almost offer some criticism, but was quickly shut down.

The closer of the night was James and Jacob doing a duet of “I’m Into Something Good.” What a Felix and Oscar moment that was. It was corny and – amazingly – Steven Tyler did not dig it. They didn’t even bother to get the other judges’ opinions.

With the judges apparently trying to keep everyone and all of the Idols being pretty consistent, predictions are going to be tough again this week. I’d say that Scotty and James are 100% safe, and that everyone else is vulnerable. I’d like to see Jacob, Lauren and Haley in the Bottom 3, with Jacob going home, but I’m not sure that Casey is totally safe, and we may even get Lauren in the Bottom 3 tonight. It will definitely be a suspenseful recap show tonight on Fox. Check here for local listings and scheduled performances: http://www.americanidol.com/.

Photo: today.msnbc.nbc.com

Top 7 Results Recap....Goodbye to One More Idol!

2011-04-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 7 Results Show Recap on Technorati.

Who went home this week on Idol? That was the big question on everyone’s mind on Thursday night for sure. The talent this year is relatively strong, and this week, like many others this season, was a tough one to predict. I’m not at all confident about my picks from last night to be honest. The show started off with some group performances by the Idols, which were far less impressive than Wednesday’s solo efforts, and some gentle ribbing of Jacob, who the group proclaimed a “Diva.” Then, fairly quickly we were on to the actual results. Here’s how it went down…

Casey and Jacob were the first to receive judgment, and we learned that while Casey is safe, Jacob was sent to the seats of shame and landed in the bottom 3. Even my 6 year old, who loves everyone on the show, thought that was the right choice.

David Cook, the Season 7 winner, debuted his first single from his latest album. I was a huge fan of his the year he won, but thought his performance on the show was pretty weak, and in the current season, would not have gotten him past the first few weeks.

Next, we were given a glimpse into the lifestyles of the Idols, which apparently includes loads of spa treatments, bowling, and baseball games. I want in! Right after they were reminded how incredible their lives had become, three more Idols were called to learn of their fate and possible departure. Oh those Idol producers are so cruel! Lauren, James, and Stefano were then called to center stage and we find that Stefano joins Jacob in the Bottom 3.

It was time for the remaining Idols, Scotty and Haley, to pay the piper. I wasn’t too surprised to hear that Haley rounded out the Bottom 3, and Scotty was sent back to safety. Almost immediately however, before Haley could even get over to the seats of doom, she was sent back to the glorious couch with Lauren, James, Casey and Scotty. It seemed like they didn’t want the audience to get too comfortable with her in the bottom yet again? But maybe that was just the wine talking…

It’s all down to Jacob and Stefano, but before we could find out who’s dream was ending, we had to endure some new song about aliens by Katy Perry and Kanye West. Maybe we could vote Katy Perry off? Normally, I’d love that, but to be honest, I’m pretty much over Stefano and Jacob and won’t shed too many tears for the departure of either one.

With 52 million votes cast this week, Stefano apparently didn’t garner enough support from America’s teenaged voting public to make it another week. He did not seem surprised and there was no false remorse or shock expressed by the judges either. His final song didn’t do anything to make me think twice either. Sorry Stefano! Jacob – consider yourself lucky….and on notice!

Just before the show closed, King Ryan shared that next week, the Top 6 would be doing the songs of Carole King. What an amazing songbook for the remaining youngsters. I can’t wait to hear what they do! Stay tuned to FOX for more information on next week’s show, and video of this week’s performances (http://www.americanidol.com/).

Photo: Fox.

The Top 7 Perform Songs They Actually Know!

2011-04-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: The Top 7 Performance Recap on Technorati.

There’s just something about that guy Ryan Seacrest. I think he’s really going places. Kidding of course – King Seacrest is by far the biggest star Idol has ever produced….and had the best line of the night, and possibly the season, but we’ll get to that later. The show opens up tonight with this season’s Idol castoff’s doing a group number and reminding us exactly why they were the ones to go. I’m glad to see that Paul is continuing to rock the rose-embroidered suit. I love that guy.

Scotty’s kicking things off for us tonight with “Swinging,” the Leann Rimes tune. He’s really cheesing it up tonight with the facial expressions and the performance. I don’t think it’s his best work, and surprisingly the judges (AKA the “Pep Squad”) do call him out a bit on song choice. Maybe this is a harbinger of things to come? Maybe the judges will actually judge this week instead of just cheerleading for everyone? Such high drama!

So James is up next with Muse’s “The Uprising” but in typical Idol style, the arrangement inexplicably includes a marching band drum corp. There’s that, and James is wielding the mic stand around like a cattle prod or riding crop and wearing what looks like some sort of post-Apocalyptic soldier’s outfit. Oh, the theatrics. JLo loves it, or at least loves the theatrics and the screeching. Randy gives him nothing but love. Tyler loves the get up and calls it “Mad Max meets Storm Troopers on Melrose.” Where does he get this stuff? Admittedly, he does sound good if oyu like that kind of music and he’ll be 100% safe.

Haley is up next with Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep” and has decided to do it dressed like Betty Boop. Ok. She sounds good and even manages to work in a bit of her signature growling and yodeling, and while I think her performance is a bit stiff, her vocals were some of her strongest. The judges are dying to keep at least one female in the hunt, so they are very complimentary of her all around.

Fourth at bat tonight is Jacob. I’m guessing he’ll do something mellow and really subdued tonight. NOT. Not surprisingly, he goes with the Luther Vandross song, “Dance With My Father.” The judges ramble on about how great and emotional his performance was, but then Randy actually offers some criticism. Pray tell? Did the Pep Squad drink some grumpy juice today? They think he should have brought more to the party. I couldn’t agree more.

Casey is next; I’m not sure that landing the 5^th slot bodes well for him but we’ll see. He does Maroon 5’s “Harder To Breath.” So, I am an unabashed Casey fan and that is one of my favorite 21^st century tunes, and I did not love it. I’m guessing that means a lot of others didn’t either. He seems to scare JLo little bit by walking right up to her singing in her face, and then he kisses her. For real. So naturally, she loved it. Randy gives him mad props. Tyler says something really profound, but we cannot hear it because the decency police bleep it out. Interesting. Even Ryan gets onboard the Casey train and (briefly) sports an Amish beard to look like Case. And then, he utters Idol’s best line EVER, “Is this what it feels like to be a man?” Clearly the producers have decided that since they’ve used their one-and-only save on Casey, they need to keep him around for a while and make it count. I totally love that Ryan throws himself under the bus to boost Casey’s street cred. Nice work.

Stefano is our penultimate performer tonight and chooses Ne-Yo’s hit, “Closer” with a fair amount of swagger. The judges all eat him up. I didn’t love it, but I don’t get his whole Boy Band appeal at all. Enough about him, I’m bored already.

Finally, Lauren closes out the evening with Sarah Evan’s “Born To Fly,” and a fiddler. It’s ok, but she seems overwhelmed on the stage and under-confident. The judges give her a good pep talk instead of actually critiquing her, but I think she lost a bit of her luster tonight .

Predictions are going to be tough this week, but here goes. I think James and Lauren are totally safe. I’m going out on a limb and guessing that Casey and Haley could both be safe too, which would give us an intriguing bottom 3 of Stefano, Scotty, and Jacob. If that is how it plays out, then I think Jacob will have hammed it up through his last song on Idol. I’d be totally happy with that result. I could also see Casey, Haley and Stefano bringing up the rear, with Casey going home. Or even Stefano going home. What do you think? I’d honestly be fine if any of those singers departed us at this point. Tonight should be interesting! Stay tuned to FOX to see what happens: http://www.americanidol.com/.

Top 8 Results Show Recap

2011-04-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Top 8 Results - April 14 on Technorati.

It’s country night on Idol….Oh wait, no it’s not, I’s just Lauren and Scotty opening up the results show with a country duet. Tonight we find out who goes home after Wednesday evening’s movie soundtrack performances. I thought it was a rocky night for many of the Idols so we’ll see how this goes down. We’re also served up a heaping of Rihanna and Kelly Clarkson for good measure.

Ryan tells is it was a big week for voting, which is no surprise given Pia’s somewhat shocking exodus. Surprise eliminations always seem to drive large voting numbers.

I’m looking forward to getting some results but first we hear Casey and Haley do a jazzy throwback duet, which while not my taste in music, does a surprisingly good job of highlighting both of their strengths. The newly crowned “Most Beautiful Woman in the World” and her 2 co-judges give them a standing ovation and love it. Too bad that neither of them did as well last night (at least not in my humble opinion). But, now we’re down to business and all set learn the fate of Casey, Haley, Scotty and Lauren. First, we learn that Scotty is safe, as is Lauren. Did anyone NOT already know that? We then learn that Casey’s ascot and jazzy approach to the movie song list was a winner with voters and that Haley is the one in the bottom three.

The Idols have some good fun with Rob Reiner, who called Casey “Seth Rogan’s bass-playing, younger brother.” Is Rob Reiner reading my blog? Uncanny! Then, there’s a surprisingly good country duet (“Don’t You Wanna Stay?”) between Kelly Clarkson and some cowboy-hat wearing singer I don’t recognize. I believe his name is Jason. I really need to pay more attention. This is followed by the 4 of the remaining Idols, Paul, James, Stefano and Jacob, doing a medley of Simon and Garfunkel. Something is wrong with the sound apparently, which is too bad because they sound great! Even Jacob doesn’t annoy me and in that medium, Paul cannot move around as much as usual. I like it!

But, now according to Ryan, we have to face the fire…the four impromptu band members receive their fates, and while James is safe, Stefano is in the Bottom Three. That leaves us with Jacob and Paul, with Paul rounding out the Bottom, and Jacob surely praising the heavens above for his good fortune.

So who will it be? Haley, Stefano or Paul? I’m anxious to find out but first we have to sit through Rihanna performing her latest. It’s not bad, but I’m distracted by her bozo-red hair and cirque du soleil-style back-up dancers.

Ryan reminds us that only girls have gone home this season and teases us that Haley will follow in their footsteps. But – she is safe! One of the Idol heartthrobs is going home. Will it be Paul or Stefano? It turns out that it is Paul’s week to go home. The rose-embroidered suit was perhaps not quite as lucky as he has hoped. My theory is that the cougars just didn’t vote as much as the teeny-boppers this week. What do you think? I think Stefano should not get too comfortable.

It’s a sad departure, with Paul and JLo both tearing up. I know a lot of my friends are sad too – Paul seemed to have a big fan base in the over-40-female demographic. Personally, I really liked him during auditions and Hollywood week, but he has not been a favorite of mine throughout the performance weeks. I hope I don’t get my cougar card pulled for saying so! I wish him well and I’m certain he’ll have some sort of recording career. I definitely look forward to seeing what mayhem ensues next week; stay tuned to Fox for more news and a heads-up on next week’s theme: http://www.americanidol.com/.

The Top 8 Perform: Movie Madness Week

2011-04-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Movie Madness Week on Technorati.

Where to start? After last week’s all-around stellar performances, I had high hopes for this week. Our night starts off with Jennifer being honored as People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Woman award….She looks lovely as always tonight, except for the odd piece of garbage-shaped tulle affixed to the hem of her dress. I don’t get it. Sitting next to her, Steven Tyler looks like he is trying to give J. Lo a run for her money as the world’s most lovely lady. What IS that he’s wearing?

Ok, onto the performances. We open up with Paul doing “Old Time Rock ‘n Roll.” I cannot hear that song without thinking of Tom Cruise sliding through the living room in his tidy-whities…Uh oh, I hope this doesn’t inspire Paul to jig incessantly all over the stage. We quickly learn that it DOES inspire him to haul out yet another rose-embroidered suit. Good Lord – how many does he have? I really want to like him and the song, for real. Sadly, I do not. He just always sounds to me like he’s about to get laryngitis. The judges disagree with me though and fawn all over him. What do I know?

The second singer of the evening is Lauren, who chooses “The Climb”. On the plus side, there’s a REALLY GOOD chance she sings this better than Miley Cyrus. Jimmy and Will.i.am both are quick to point this out as well and coach her on using the song to steal Pia’s voting bloc. This brings sweet Lauren to tears and Will.i.am quickly course corrects and sells it to her that she should “invite” Pia’s voters to follow her. Jimmy, mumbles something about that being semantics, but I’m actually glad that Will.i.am is there to keep the cynicism in check. She gives the mentors their prediction and does sing it (marginally) better than Miley so naturally, the judges give her nothing but acclaim. Actually, Tyler says something vaguely creepy, but it’s intended to be a compliment.

Next up is Stefano who dares to sing “End of the Road.” He tells us that this week he’s going to be a great singer by becoming a real performer. He does this by wearing a hipster hat in his video package. Hopefully, he’ll be able to also keep his eyes open. He does in fact incorporate a reasonable amount of emotion and his song is better than usual, but I’m still not a fan. He’s a little flat, and it’s just not my style of music. He really plays to the teenage girls in the audience, flexing his guns as much as physically possible while belting out Boyz 2 Men. However, Randy says he slayed it and that it was his best vocal, and Steven and Jennifer seem to agree.

Scotty’s up next and he’s doing….wait for it…it’s a shocker…a country song (“I Cross My Heart”)! Seriously? I like that he’s clear on who he is as an artist, but I wish he’d be more creative and take something else and turn it into a country song. He actually teases us with this, doing “Everybody’s Talking” for Will and Jimmy, but then reverts to form. Jimmy and I are both disappointed. It’s a good enough performance but it’s totally safe and a bit ho-hum. All the parents in the audience adore him, and so does Tyler. JLo. tries to be critical, but just don’t seem to have it in her. Randy’s a fan.

Casey is really going old-school Hollywood and is bravely sporting an ascot. Bold choice. As for song choice, he first picks a Nat King Cole tune, which Jimmy warns him is way too small for the Idol Stage. Casey then tries on “In the Air Tonight” on for size, and it sounds great. Lo and behold though, he goes back to Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy” against the mentors sometimes-better judgment. He brings back the big bass for good measure. It sounds a bit like a serial killer, playing a great bass, singing Nat King Cole. My husband said “Wow” like 4 times, but then again, he likes Jazz, and for that matter, any music more than about 50 years old. The judges ALL love it and give him a standing ovation, and then proceed to try and talk America into liking it. I’m not sure. I love Casey and it wasn’t my favorite. Plus, I don’t think the little 15 year-old hipsters that actually pull out their iPhones and vote, will get it either.

Our next victim is Haley, who tries on Blondie for size. Specifically, she chooses “Call Me.” I think it’s her weakest performance yet, but she’s wearing stripper boots, so naturally Tyler tries to stick up for her. JLo agrees with Randy but resists saying anything too negative, because she’s all about the girl power. I bet she’s in trouble.

Jacob comes out and is appropriately chastised by the judges for preaching to the audience last week – I love it. Jimmy reminds him that he shouldn’t insult his audience, when he hasn’t even made a record yet. He concedes and looks to take on “Dream the Impossible Dream.” The mentors veto that choice and suggest “Bridge Over Troubled Water. Ok, I’m no Jacob fan and that is one of my all time favorite songs so I’m cynical at best, but the dude pretty much rocks it! Of course, there is the standard over-singing and vocal gymnastics, but that’s just his thing. It seemed more approachable to me this week. All the judges dig him too. I still think he could be in trouble.

James is last up with “Heavy Metal”, again against the mentor’s better judgment. They strongly caution him against it, but James sticks to his guns and does squeal his way through the Sammy Hagar gig. It’s definitely not my cup of tea, and I’m not sure there are a ton of true metal-head Idol voters, but what do I know? He is in tune though for the most part, and the studio crowd seems to dig him, as does Ms. Lopez. Randy gives him mad props, and of course Tyler, this year’s Ellen, agrees, because he can ever apparently say anything mean.

So, how to predict the results this week? It’s really tough. Here’s how I see it going down…Lauren and Scotty are totally safe. James is most likely safe as well. I see Haley in big trouble and Stefano, Jacob, Paul, and Casey on the bubble. If my life depended on picking the bottom 3, and again this is not my least favorite 3, but just who I think will get the least votes, I’d say it will be Jacob, Haley and Casey. I think Haley’s going to be voted off the island. What do you think? Tune in to FOX tonight to learn for sure!

Top 9 Results Show: Another Elimination Shocker!

2011-04-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Elimination Shocker on Technorati.

It was another high drama elimination show on Idol. I’m not sure that my frail constitution can take any more of this! The first thing I notice is that J.Lo looks as if she was also styled by Gwen Stefani this week – she’s dressed like MC Hammer. After the judges’ intro, they kick things off with an Idol medley comprised of several songs we should now be glad they didn’t choose to sing last night.

Then, we’re treated to a video package of Russell Brand as this week’s “charisma coach”. They should consider adding him as a judge for Season 11 – he’d really ring a lot to the group. However, the Idols performances on Wednesday night didn’t suggest that they listened to him much.

Ok, right to results; Stefano, Lauren and Casey are called to center stage. Ok, I know I’ve said this before, but tonight, Stefano is definitely wearing a Members’ Only Jacket. Bold choice. Lauren is declared safe, as is Casey. Stefano is the first in the bottom three.

We get a break from the suspense of the results while Constantin Maroulis, the original Idol Rocker, performs “Unchained Melody.” He does is like he’s doing Eddie Vedder doing “Unchained Melody.” Maybe something is wrong with the sound because I can barely hear the first part of the song. Then again, maybe my husband just turned down the sound to save himself – we’ll never know. Once again, I’m grieving the loss of Simon, because we all know this is his all time favorite song, and I’d pay money for his take on this version. There’s a bit of witty banter with Seacrest and then they show us Gwen Stefani’s time with the Idols this week. This segment answers a lot of questions from last night – it would have been good to see it then, right? She looks great but somehow manages to make all the idols look like bad 80’s throwbacks. Haley might be an exception – she actually looked good on the performance show.

Back to results; we get Paul, Scotty, and Pia back to center stage. First, Scotty is sent back to the safety seats. And wait, another surprise – Paul is sent back to safety and Pia is in the bottom three. I almost dropped my wine! Wow. Looks like we’re in for a wild ride.

Next, the Idols get some media training from a true expert….Harvey Levin of TMZ! This really is great TV. There I actually a twisted wisdom to this bit and I love how the one TMZ guy calls Stefano out for being boring, even on his Twitter page. If you are on one of America’s Top Rated Primetime shows and you can’t find 140 characters worth of something interesting to say once or twice a week, you have a problem. I’m just sayin’. My favorite line of that night may be wen Harvey asks he Idols who they are dating, and Casey says, without missing a beat, “Your Mom.” I love that kid.

Back to business- we’re down to James, Haley and Jacob. One of them will round out the bottom three. We learn that it is Jacob! Wow – this is a night of many surprises! Jacob, really? Am I dreaming? Jennifer seriously looks like she is going to cry. It’s ok Ms. Lopez, they cannot send both Jacob and Pia home.

Next came what was definitely the highlight of the night for me, if not the season. Ryan warns us that “we might not be ready for this.” Boy, truer words were never spoken. Out pops a shirtless Iggy Pop, making even Steven Tyler look youthful. I didn’t see that coming. I’m embarrassed for him, but I do want t know what kind of flat iron he uses. That’s some smooth hair. Seriously, at what point do rock stars need to figure out that we don’t want to see their saggy used-to-be-six-packs? His very high-energy performance tests the judges’ poker faces to the limits. He actually sits down in the middle of he song to catch his breath! It’s just beyond awesome.

Ryan reminds us of Jacob’s self-righteous prediction last night about singing “man In the Mirror”, but sends him back to safety anyway. We’re stunned to learn that Pia is going home and the Stefano, the luckiest man in America, is safe. Pia is barely holding back tears; Jennifer is not controlling her emotions nearly as well and looks visibly shaken, and “shocked and angry”. Randy is “incensed”, even “gutted”. Tyler accuses the voting public of a lack of passion. Ryan chastises us again for not voting enough to save Pia. I think they are as genuinely shocked as I am.

What a night of surprises. I like Pia. She wasn’t my favorite contestant. I think she sings too many ballads and I cannot really see myself downloading a bunch of her songs, but her vocal range and talent are undeniable. Plus, she’s gorgeous right? She’s near perfect pop-star material. I really saw her in the final 3. I think she got robbed, going home before Stefano and Paul, but what do I know? What do you think? Did you see that one coming?

Top 9 Perform: The Idols Take On Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame Classics

2011-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 9 Perform on Technorati.

So, the Idols are rockers tonight. It should be a good week for James and Casey especially. We’re treated to Steven telling us all about the Hall of Fame and its mission, patting himself on the back as an inductee. The honor is well deserved on his part, just it feels a little cheesy that someone else didn’t give him the accolades.

The show raises may questions for me. Why is Randy wearing pleather? Why is Will.i.am a Rock ‘n Roll mentor? Where is Gwen Stafani? Why are the Idols all dressed like it’s 80’s week? Hopefully, most of these deep mysteries will be solved.

They bring out the Idols, who are doing their best to build their street cred as actual rockers, by wearing mall fashions. First up is Jacob, who tells us he’s doing “Let’s Get It On.” Jimmy is ecstatic and he sounds pretty good in his quick riff, but wait. There’s a twist; he changes his mind and goes with Michael Jackson’s “Man In the Mirror” instead, much to Jimmy’s dismay, and mine as well. I really dig Marvin Gaye and thought he could have rocked that. “Man in the Mirror” wasn’t bad, but it was not memorable to me. The judges and the audience love him though, so maybe I’m just not keen on Jacob.

Second up is Haley who’s doing Janis Joplin. I think that could be a strong choice for her. She does “Piece of My Heart” and proves that it’s really in her wheelhouse. I think it’s one of her strongest performances yet, even if she does go a bit overboard with the gravelly voice thing. The panel thinks she is awesome.

Next, we’re treated to the vocal stylings of Casey, who opts for CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” And, he’s bringing back the “Big Base.” I should love it – it’s got a mandolin and everything (or is that a ukulele?) But to be honest, I think it’s just so-so. Randy, pointing out of course that he’s a fellow base player, digs it. Steven and Jennifer call him a true musician. Am I just grumpy tonight? Another mystery I can only hope will be solved by the end of the 90 minutes.

Then Lauren does “Natural Woman,” one of my all time favorite songs. Tonight, she’s dressed less like one of Bravo’s Real Housewives, and more like Janet Jackson, circa 1983. She sounds good but somehow forgettable. I like her; I just think she could have done more with this tune. Steve says she’s not a little girl anymore, and I’m getting a little creeped out, Jennifer calls her amazing, and Randy tells her it was a difficult song and she did a good job.

Ryan promises us a very different James. He says he’s going to slow it down with “Why My Guitar Gently Weeps”. That’s a ballad, right? Didn’t we get enough of those last week? Still, we haven’t really seen the softer side of James yet, and it’s a great song choice for him. He even throws in a vintage Durbin scream at the end for good measure. The experts agree that it was a calculated risk that paid off.

Scotty is on deck now and taking on Elvis, specifically “That’s Alright Mama.” Scotty promises to try to tap into his inner bad boy and not the “Country Scotty.” It still sounds pretty country to me, but his voice is really well suited for the range of the song, and he tries to limit the corny Elvis faces for the camera, at least a little. Ryan allows a bunch of girls to rush the stage….interesting. All the judges give him props.

Pia promises to really bring the attitude and power tonight on Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” If I close my eyes, she sounded amazing. She just didn’t really bring much energy to the actual performance. She was also sporting sort of a Snookie poof, and a weird 80’ jumpsuit thing, so even though she’s a beautiful girl, closing my eyes was a good call. Jennifer and Randy both gently call her out on the performance issue, but Tyler loves her.

Our penultimate performer is Stefano, doing “When a Man Loves a Woman.” It starts off pretty weak, but then he decides standing up might help, and it brings a lot more power to the tune. Jennifer thought he really brought it, but Randy was kind of lukewarm. Steven agrees with Jennifer, while I’m firmly in Randy’s camp.

Finally, Paul is going to bring it home for us with “Fulsom Prison Blues.” He’s going to try hard to channel some of that Johnny Cash craziness. I’m glad to see that he’s left the rose-embroidered suit at home this week, although he does bring back his stage jig. It’s good though – this is absolutely his bailiwick. All the judges thought it was a great way to end the show.

Predictions are going to be TOUGH this week as everyone was actually on top of their game. I really think Stefano, Jacob, and Casey (sorry guy!) should be in the bottom 3 and Stefano should go home this week. But, that probably won’t happen.

If I break it down, I’m pretty confident that Jacob, Scotty, Lauren, James and Pia will be totally safe. Paul has been in the bottom in the bottom before, and Casey, Stefano and Haley are no strangers to the dreaded perches either. My guess is that Paul, Casey and Haley will actually be the bottom 3, and Haley will go home. I’m not as confident as I’d like to be on this, but there you have it. I think that voters just don’t like her attitude even though her voice is good and she did a great performance last night. I’m still holding out hope that Stefano will go home, but I think teenage girls voters eat that guy up. What do you think? Watch the results on Fox tonight and check out more recap details here: http://www.americanidol.com/.

Photo: Fox.

The Top 11 Perform Again...A Night of Neverending Ballads

2011-03-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 11 Perform Again on Technorati.

The Top 11 Redux begins with a montage of last week’s show with a prophetic pre-results Casey saying they will not use the save – it’s too early. Ryan takes us through all the drama that was last week’s results show, and then, we’re ready to get started.

The Idols come out and the first thing I notice is that Paul is AGAIN wearing his Rose-embroidered suit. Somebody should really take that guy shopping. Maybe it’s a lucky token, like the stuff superstitious athletes wear over and over.

Jennifer looks lovely tonight but I did notice that her earrings seem to get bigger with every week. Maybe she’ll be able to hula-hoop through them by the finale? I think I could slide the current ones pretty far up my leg, and that’s saying something! Also, Ryan has something odd going on tonight with his whole hair and make-up combo. What is happening behind the scenes here? Ok, back to business…

I have high expectations for what Jimmy can do with these kids this week, as I adore Elton John’s entire catalog. But first, we get to see the young idols glam it up with the stylists at the fashion shoot…yada yada yada.

Finally, Scotty is up first. He does “Country Comfort” very authentically, and I love the slide guitar. I really like that Scotty is totally just himself. More than almost any other contestant, he knows exactly who he is as an artist. (Uh oh – I sound like Randy). I’m not a country fan but I really respect his commitment and his vocal talent. The judges agree.

Naima is next with a reggae version of “I’m Still Standing”. Hmm….bold choice. OK – she introduces the song and dedicates it to troubled folks out in the world, but she does it in a Jamaican accent. Why? Maybe she’s thinking that adding a British accent worked for Madonna? I give her props for trying it, but she’s really cheesy. J.Lo and Randy didn’t dig it either, saying it was corny. Steven begs to differ and says something like “boom shakalaka laka baby.” Wow, I just can’t get enough of him.

Next up is some songwriter who has something to do with a Coca-cola commercial that I believe Idol is crowdsourcing. Maybe? I don’t really know because my daughter wanted to debate the merits of Justin Beiber, and I just couldn’t let that go, so I was distracted. Alright, back to the singers.

Onto Paul who goes with “Rocket Man.” Nice. One of my top 3 Elton tunes. He’s really in his element on this kind of song, with his guitar. I wanted so badly to love it as much as the young girls in the audience do, but I’ll give it’s a little off. I did like that he steered clear of his stage jig, which was a plus. Randy is a bit lukewarm on it as well. They all agree that he has to take it farther, and then – Steven comments on the suit! Awesome! I love that he got called out on wearing the same thing 3 times now, but it is a little ironic coming from Tyler, who’s wearing yet another slightly metallic leopard print.

Pia is next and shares with us that she’s totally comfortable getting glam. Is there anyone out there who hasn’t already figured that out? She already looks like she could own a Vegas stage. As for song choice, she chooses yet another ballad, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” but I think it’s a good choice. Jimmy advises her to take it somewhere between “Fergie and Axl Rose”. How would that sound? Seriously? Like P!nk maybe? Pia sounds more like Celine than P!nk, but she’s good and they give her the full choir just for good measure. Tyler adores her and digs the rendition. So do the others. She’s not going anywhere and can get used to getting glammed. By the way, I don’t usually pay attention to the mini-interviews backstage after each break but I caught Pia’s and she told us that she’s doing “River Deep, Mountain High” next week. Spoiler alert! Does that mean Tina week?

Stefano, the comeback kid, decides to take on “Tiny Dancer.” Yes, another ballad. I don’t love it, but what do I know. I think you have to be a teenager to fully appreciate his charms. He ends stronger than he started, and you have to give him credit for kissing up to Jennifer with the hand squeeze at the end. Naturally, she applauds him. Randy thanks him for keeping his eyes open and Steven says his voice is “sweet.”

Lauren is all sorts of glammed up this week. She really has a Real Housewives’ vibe working. She’s going with “Candle in The Wind” in a very stripped down country-western way with a piano that sounds terrific. The judges eat her up, she’s so cute and Randy tells her it was one of her best performances. Steven and Ms. Lopez are also on board the Lauren train.

Next is James, indulging us with “Saturday Night’s Alright.” Good choice for him. He’s really trying to bring home this year’s bad-boy title by tossing the mic stand, climbing on the piano, using pyrotechnics and throwing in his signature scream on the last note. He’s pulling out all the stops. Tyler loves it – it’s totally in his wheelhouse. Randy and “Hoops” Lopez both concur. Ryan calls him fearless, but then quickly regrets it when James makes reference to a possible Pepsi moment with the stage fire and his hairspray. Ryan rapidly has to dance around the P-word and remind us that Coca-Cola is the main sponsor of Idol. I’d truly have loved to be in the production booth at that moment. Great TV.

Thia tries for “Daniel” and Jimmy wisely coaches her to sing from her heart and get in touch with the poignant lyrics. I’m no fan of hers, and while I think it’s a little safe and boring, it’s spot on pitch-wise, and she is visibly trying to connect with the song. J. Lo says it was beautiful. Randy’s feedback was mixed – saying that it was a good song choice, but safe and pitchy (I didn’t hear the pitch problems myself, but I didn’t play with Journey and Mariah, so I’ll take his word). Steven says unenthusiastically that she sang it well.

Casey’s up next. No pressure, right? He’s got to prove that the judges didn’t waste their one-and-only save on him last week. He picks “Your Song” which is one of my all-time faves. Oh, and he gets his beard trimmed. He no longer looks like Zach Galifianakis. It’s tender and powerful and notably, on key. The judges all pat themselves on the back for saving him and give Casey his due for the performance. I think Casey’s back!

Jacob is next and Ryan prepares us for a “softer, gentler Jacob.” I remain skeptical because I don’t think it’s physically possible for him to sing anything restrained. He chooses “Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word,” the Mary J. Blige version. She even shows up in his practice studio to cheer him on. Jimmy warns about over-dramatizing the song, securing his spot for me as Idol’s Best Mentor Ever. I wouldn’t say that it was restrained, but it was restrained for Jacob. The judges adore him.

Oddly, they’ve given Haley the pimp spot tonight. I’m really curious what she’s bringing, because she’s been in trouble before. Not surprisingly, she shares how at home she feels getting the glam treatment, like she’s finally being treated as she’s always deserved. She does “Benny and the Jets,” undoubtedly my favorite Sir Elton number. She really gives it her all, and while I thought it was a little cartoon-y, it certainly had its moments and the judges are all enthralled. Randy calls it the best performance of the night. Tyler says, she “sings sexy.”

Okay, so Bottom 3 is a tough call tonight. I think Pia, Lauren, Scotty, and James are totally safe. I think the audience will rally behind Casey for his dramatic improvement and I’m betting that Jacob and Paul both have loyal enough standing fan bases to stick around for another couple of weeks. That leaves Haley, Naima, Thia and Stefano.

I’m going with Stefano, Naima and Thia, because I think Haley showed dramatic improvement and I believe there’s an advantage to going last. I’m not totally confident though this week. Paul could be on the bubble too. Honestly, nobody was terrible, which makes it really tough to choose. I’m going out on a limb and guessing that Naima and Stefano will need to pack up and move out of the plush Idol crib. Tune into Fox Thursday night to find out for sure.

Top 11 Part Deux: The Idols to Take on Elton!

2011-03-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol This Week on Technorati.

Wow! That's all I can say about Idol's dramatic results show last week. Here's how it went down according to the official site: http://www.americanidol.com/recaps/season_10/mar_24/.

On the heels of that dramatic spectacle, we've learned that this week, the Idols will take on the always dramatic Elton John and his catalog of music spanning almost 4 decades of work. That may pose problems for a few of our frequently-challenged contestants. Not only because many of this year's idol wannabe's were born long after Elton's golden period and may only be familiar with his relatively bad 80's pop ditties, but also, thanks to last week's use of the "Honorary Jennifer Hudson Save" of Casey Abrams, two idols will be voted off this week, leaving us with the final 9. How do you think it will all go down? I believe that Naima, Haley, Thia, and Casey will be in trouble (I say confidently without knowing anything about their song choices).

Haley has been in the bottom of the pack for awhile now with the voting public and Elton's catalog may prove troublesome for her. She really needs a Carol King week, or maybe a Christina Aguilera week to regain some footing. Or, she needs to continue wearing hot pants and hope that the men in the television audience are motivated to pick up the phones. Good luck with that. In the meantime, we can only hope she chooses the right song. I'd recommend "Honky Cat", but what do I know?

I'm personally not a Naima fan and even though she was not in last week's bottom three, she's no stranger to that realm. I'm struggling trying to think of an Elton song that would work for her, but remain curious. She's always entertaining; I'm just not always sure it is in the way she intends it. My advice is please, for the love of God, do not pick "Circle of Life".

I think that Thia gets a lot of votes from younger fans who can relate to her, and they vote in droves (unlike those of us firmly ensconced in our middle age trappings and too high on wine to accurately text or dial by the time the show ends). However, those young voters also tend to listen to the judges who continue to be lukewarm on Thia. I think she'll be tempted to take on another ho hum ballad this week and that will not help her along. God forbid she chooses "Crocodile Rock" and receives a rant from Randy playing the part of Simon, this year's "mean judge", harkening back to John Stephen's sad take on that song in the 3rd season.

I am a totally unabashed Casey fan, even though I was not in love with his last 2 weeks' performances. That said, I was totally shocked when he was voted off last week, and then promptly saved by the judges. He is really going to need to connect with voters this week, because Ms. Lopez et al cannot save him again. Hopefully, I can stay awake (and sober!) long enough to log in some votes for him this week. I believe he appeals to older Idol fans who just don't vote as much. Thinking about what he'll sing is fun and I really hopes he chooses "Take Me To The Pilot" or "Levon". Fingers crossed Casey.

As for Scotty, Pia, Jacob, and James, I think they'll all do well this week. Scotty apparently has an enormous fan base, based on what I see on Twitter, other blogs and online polls, and should be in his element as many of these songs lend themselves to a stripped down country vibe (maybe "Your Song" or "I Guess That's What They Call It the Blues"). Pia has an amazing voice and should waltz through any one of a number of Elton tunes, but she does need to beware of becoming predictable and choosing yet another ballad. Simon would definitely not let her get way with that, reminding me once again why I miss him. I'd really like to see her try "Nikita", but I fear we're in for a "Candle in the Wind" moment. James will do a rocker take on one of Elton's 70's tunes - hopefully "Benny and the Jets" or "Saturday Niht's Alright for Fightin'". It's not totally in his wheelhouse but unless he really hoses it up, he should do fine as he also seems to have a lot of loyal fans (if you believe what you read elsewhere online). Jacob will undoubtably take on a big emotional production and as usual, show no restraint at all. I envision "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"with lots of vocal gymnastics, but we'll see.

That leaves us with Lauren, Stefano, and Paul. Paul is quirky and is actively courting the cougar vote, as indicated by his fancy cougar pin last week - thank you Ryan for pointing that one out. He should do well on early-era EJ tunes, but what he really needs is a Rod Stewart week to shine. I really liked him when this all started off, but I'm growing tired of his constant jigging around the stage and his barely there voice. I wonder if he's losing his luster with other viewers as well? I think Lauren is an incredibly likable candidate for this year's Idol. Lean on talent perhaps, but rife with moxie, stage presence and pop idol cuteness. You can't count her out at this stage and as long as she stays away from the dreaded "Crocodile Rock" or "Philadelphia Freedom" or, worse yet, "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart", she should be completely fine. Maybe she should try "I'm Still Standing". Stefano is not my favorite contestant and he's been up and down in the competition so far, but he's cute enough to keep getting votes from tweenager's across America, and vocally, I can see him doing any number of Elton tunes well. I'd love to hear "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", but now that I think about it, maybe that's a more appropriate choice for Casey given his fate last week. Barring any major vocal catastrophe, Stefano should be safe for another week.

I can't wait to tune in and see what they deliver for us this week. Last week's not-exactly-an-elimination show was a great twist and made the season a lot more interesting. Tune into FOX on Wednesday to see what happens.

Top 11 Elimination Show Shocker!

2011-03-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: Top 11 Elimination Show on Technorati.

It was a big night on American Idol for anyone who didn’t catch the action. Here’s how it went down. They kicked off last night’s results show with some nonsense from Mark Antony and teasers about the upcoming performances from Sugarland and Jennifer Hudson . The Idols then performed a Motown number…badly, except for James Durbin. Then, lo and behold, Stevie Wonder himself graced us with his presence. Pretty cool. Steven Tyler did yet another secret product placement for Chico’s women’s wear, sporting multiple animal prints and the latest trends in jewelry layering. He actually wears woman’s wear pretty well. Like an oddly hot, but slightly masculine, Bea Arthur. Weird, right? Anyway, it’s his birthday so Stevie sings to him, and they presented him with a cool Warhol-ish painting.

Ok, back to the couches of dread…by the way, the idols ALL looked amazing last night, like they’re dressed for a bunch of Vegas weddings! First up, Scotty, Pia, and Lauren were called into the spotlight. Ryan tried to tease us, but we’ve watched this show before so we’re not totally naïve….they’re safe (of course). Then before more results, we’re treated to a new song by Sugarland – something about uh oh and glue. They sounded good in their uniquely twangy way, but I can’t help but think their last album made a lot of money, so why isn’t she dressed better? I know that at least Hudson will bring us some fashion tonight because she is showing off her new Weight Watchers body. You go girl…Next we were subjected to the week’s contestant video package – it seemed to be about wrestling and general mayhem at the Idol Mansion. I’m not sure that it made any of the Idol wannabe’s more appealing, but maybe that’s just because I’m not a WWE fan?

Next it’s back to results, with James and Paul at center stage. Seacrest tried to tell us they’re not safe, toying with us yet again, but the joke’s on us, because then came Hulk Hogan to tell us they both ARE safe, but Ryan isn’t. Some really terrible fake-punching ensued, and at least now I get the wrestling tie-in from the video segment. I personally think Idol just jumped the shark. What about you? The Hulk? For real? The one thing about this stunt that was actually funny is just how puny Ryan looks next to Hulk. The good news is that Paul and James are now safely cradled in their tour-worthy safety seats.

The next victims were Jacob, Thia, and Stefano. They don’t keep us in suspense long on Jacob – he’s safe. Both Thia and Stefano are in the Bottom 3.

The last Idols, Naima, Haley and Casey were called up. Naima is told she is safe, completely blowing my prediction (and my faith in the American electoral system!). Then we got our first REAL shocker of the season – Haley is safe too and Casey is in the Bottom 3. Wow – did not see that coming. I agree that last night, Haley was better than before, and that Casey wasn’t as good as usual, but seriously? My husband was ecstatic by the way as he’d much rather look at Haley’s legs for the next few weeks than Casey’s mug (I earlier said he looked like Seth Rogan, but now I’m thinking more Zach Galiflanakis. Do you agree?)

Ok, so the lowest votes this week were for Thia, Stefano, and Casey. Who will get to take their summer off? Who will go on tour? Who else will they haul out on stage tonight to relieve our boredom? Oh wait, they introduce a couple of Nascar people whom I totally don’t recognize as a stall tactic. Then, out comes Idol’s own Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson, for whom the “Judges’ Save” was invented after she got robbed several seasons ago. She had an odd look on her face throughout her performance, like perhaps she was still bitter about the fact that back in her day, there was no “save” option. But, other than the grimace, she looks completely gorgeous and sounds amazing. By the way, she also makes Ryan look puny but that may be because of her 8-inch heels.

Back to the results, Ryan sent – NO WAY – IT CAN’T BE – he sent Thia back to safety. Truly unbelievable! I’m again reminding myself that when I make predictions, I need to keep in mind that it’s primarily 14 year olds who know how to text fast enough to actually vote multiple times. Of course, all those teens and tweens love Thia, no matter how lukewarm the judges are on her. Aye yi yi…

So, last night’s big loser was Casey, or was it? We’re then told that Stefan is safe and that means that Casey had to do a sudden death sing-off for the judges and hope for their mercy. He picked “I Don’t Need No Doctor” and doesn’t even get through the first verse, when the judges stopped him, saying “we know who you are Casey” and USE THE SAVE! I genuinely thought Casey was going to hyperventilate. He barely keeps it together, he’s so overcome with gratitude. Ms. Lopez schooled him on what she thought happened and coached him to “just be the musician that you are, and don’t bring any antics” or something like that. That actually sounded like good advice – rock on J. Lo.

Anyway, there you have it – nobody went home, so next week, we’ll have the Top 11, Part Deux. That means however that 2 people will go home next week so everyone better step it up! Casey included. I know I’ll be there to see it all go down. How about you?

For more recap information, thoughts and weekly updates, check out another favorite site, American Idol Net at: http://americanidolnet.com/.

The Top 11 Take on Motown!

2011-03-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol: The Top 11 Perform on Technorati.

Doesn’t Detroit already have enough problems? OK, in all seriousness, the idols did well last night! I’m going to have to focus almost all my rants on their fashion choices, on the judges and on Ryan. So, let’s start there…Jennifer is dressed like Rachel from Glee tonight. Steven is obviously wearing a woman’s shirt from Chico’s – maybe they’re a new sponsor? Randy is proudly sporting a Bill Cosby cardigan. Nice. Finally, after plenty of nonsense, they haul out the Idols.

First up is Casey with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. Here’s what we know – he’s quite a character. The judges love him and comment more on his uniqueness than on his actual singing, which wasn’t that great actually. Not bad, just not his best.

Next is Thia who warns us in advance that it’s a tough week for her…uh oh. She chooses “Heatwave”. The good news is that she looks gorgeous. She’ll end up on a Disney show before long, I promise. Unfortunately, it’s a very karaoke performance but J. Lo gives her props for finally letting loose a little. The general consensus seems to be that she did better this week but still needs to dig deeper.

Jacob is up next – this should really be his week, right? He does “You’re All I Need to Get By” and is reminded by Jimmy Iovine to show restraint. I guess that was his version of restraint? Steve Tyler storms the stage and hugs him, so I guess he liked it. The judges all dug him, and I have to admit he was good. Seacrest wants to be certain he’ll stick around so he invites the entire front row, that’s right, the whole front row, to come up and hug Jacob.

Poor Lauren has to follow that and goes with “You Keep Me Hanging On”. She’s good enough, but nothing I’d really remember. The stylists have her dolled up like a younger version of one of Bravo’s Real Housewives. Randy calls it swagger. The panel really likes her apparently. She’s safe.

Stefano is the next victim and before he sings, Ryan warms the crowd to him by highlighting his adorable mom who cooked pasta for everyone at the Idol Mansion. Stefano loves his mom….and her cooking….and the mansion. He’s a good boy – we get it. As for singing, he chooses “Hello”, the Lionel Ritchie classic. Stefano was awesome last week, right? Sadly, the old Stefano is back. He over sings the ballad a bit, and closes his eyes for most of the last half of the song (even though Iovine told him not to do so). The judges call him out for not connecting (code for not keeping his eyes open).

After the break, Ryan introduces Gordon Ramsey and asks him to review Stefano’s mom’s pasta. He trashes it, officially proving that with Simon gone, he is the biggest meanie on Fox….and that’s saying something!

Now that the audience is feeling very awkward about that whole exchange, they haul out Haley who has been flat-ironed beyond all recognition to sing “You Really Got a Hold on Me”. I don’t totally dig her performance but she’s definitely better than the last 2 weeks and has her blues-y growl back. The judges are ecstatic, but I’m not sure the audience agrees.

Scotty is next and admits that he was way too country to listen to Motown growing up, but he decides to do a take on “For Once In My Life”. We all knew this would be a rough week on him…but you know what? He’s great and totally transforms that Stevie gig into a valid country tune. I give him credit for staying authentic and for staying on key. He should leave the dancing to the others and sit still, but he sounds good. A friend of mine pointed out that he’s a dead ringer for Alfred E. Newman from MAD magazine – totally. Now, I’ll never get that out of my head. Tyler compares him to Glen Campbell and the other judges give him thumbs up too. Safe.

We have the ever-lovely Pia taking on Stevie Wonder too, but opting for “All In Love Is Fair”, fully utilizing her 3-octave range. It’s not my style of music, but her vocal talent is undeniable. The judges are appropriately awestruck but do call her out on being a little boring. Randy quips, “You cannot live on ballads alone”. Amen to that.

Paul is stoked to do Motown and goes with “Tracks of My Tears”. That actually seems like a great choice for him, and he’s going to do it as an acoustic jam with his guitar. OK, big fan. I like almost any big song stripped down to an acoustic moment with a guitar. I’ll say this – the guitar seems to limit his normal desire to do a jig, so that’s a plus. Unfortunately, he’s pitchy and the back-up singers suck some of the coolness out of it. Randy wants him to “bring the tender”. Tyler calls him a true original “like Dylan” (that’s a stretch, right?). I like how Ryan points out that Paul is wearing an actual cougar pin. For real? Yes, he’s really stomping for that voting bloc!

Naima does “Dancing in the Streets” which seems like a natural choice for her. Spoiler alert – she gives us a heads up that she’s going to incorporate some African Dance. Bold choice. Also, she may be wearing the biggest bell-bottoms ever. She’s going big tonight. Steven says she was “E to the Z to the Tweedly Dee” Whatever that means…Randy and Jennifer say something too, but I’m still working out in my head what Steven meant?

James is in the final slot and goes with Stevie Wonder’s “Living in the City”. He delivers a version very reminiscent of Adam Lambert, but with some of Paul’s signature jig thrown in for good measure. Jenny-from-the-block can’t contain herself, and calls him serious business. Randy isn’t having any of it – he thought it started rough but finished amazing “once he got in the pocket”. Tyler loves him.

Tonight is tougher for me to pick, because unlike previous weeks, nobody was flat out terrible. They were all actually pretty good. For sure, Pia, Jacob, Scotty, Lauren, and James are safe. My guess is that Casey, Stefano, and Paul will be too. That leaves Naima, Haley and Thia in the bottom three, or at least that’s how I’d rank them. I could see Stefano in the Bottom too, (thus, likely saving Thia). I think Naima is going home. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking and if I predict it enough weeks, it will eventually happen. What do you think? A few other sites I read say it’s Haley’s turn to go. Tune in to Fox tonight to find out on the Elimination show: http://www.americanidol.com/.

Photo: Fox.

Top 12 Results Show: A Night of Lees, Peas and Pleas

2011-03-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Top 12 Results Show on Technorati.

Last night’s Idol Elimination Show started with the very Glee-esque Top 12 group number; a mash-up of “Born to Be Wild” and “Born This Way”. I’m not sure we’ll ever again experience Steppenwolf and Lady Gaga collaborate in such fashion! Then, we moved onto the always-obligatory Ford Video which, this week, consisted of the Idols trying to cover “Val Kilmer” whilst hocking the latest Ford model. Does this really sell any cars? Our third product placement of the night involved Seacrest pitching the Idol 10^th anniversary CD. Ryan proceeds to go all Oprah on us and tells the audience there’s a CD under each seat. The crowd goes wild….sort of! Not exactly the same reaction as when Ms. Winfrey gave away those trips to Australia last year. Ok, enough snake oil, let’s get to some actual results….

Nope, not apparently until we struggle through this week’s “contestant package”, which seems to be an odd montage about foreign languages, pets and accents….just weird. I guess voting isn’t what they’re expecting this season and they need to be sure that we’re really getting to KNOW the contestants as individuals. Thanks Fox – I think we just care about the singing (and of course, any tawdry scandals, because we are Americans after all).

Finally, we’re onto actual results, but wait, it’s St. Patty’s Day so we have to break into Irish folk music as a momentary tease first….ok, we’re back. Whew – I was concerned that Paul McDonald was going out come out and do a jig!

Jacob, Lauren and Casey are first called to the stage. That seems like a waste of caloric activity for Lauren and Jacob, who are naturally safe and sent immediately back to their seats. Casey is left, and Seacrest stalls by asking Tyler what is in the “goop” he referred to last night. This prompts some concern from the Idol indecency squad….but thankfully, it’s all good. Tyler does not earn himself the dreaded delay and we learn that Casey is also safe.

Next up are Haley and Paul. Ryan asks Haley again about what kind of artist she’d be and she stumbles through an answer that basically translates to “I don’t know”. They talk of Paul’s illness, and he seems to have received remarkably. That’s not the only good news tonight for Paul, who is also declared safe, making Haley the first in the bottom 3.

Lee Dewyze performs and while he sounds good on his fairly bland new song, it still makes me wonder why Crystal Bowersox didn’t win last season? Am I alone or did you think her recently released album totally rocked?

OK, back to the business of breaking hearts…Scotty, Pia and James are called to center stage. Snoozefest- all 3 are safe and sent back to the safety seats.

Now, Stefano and Naima join Seacrest in the spotlight, where we’re not surprised to learn that Stefano is safe and Naima is in the bottom 3. I love that Naima totally calls out the judges and shares that she hates the word “pitchy”. We do too Naima – I think your stock just went up!

Finally, Karen and Thia face the music. Thia is safe (because it is after all the 15 and under’s who vote in this race), so Karen joins Naima and Haley in the hot seats as the night’s bottom three. So far, my half-hearted predictions from last night are looking good!

But now, its time for a commercial break and then of course the Black Eyed Peas perform (I cannot really call it “singing” right?) so the idols have an appropriate amount of time to sweat it out before learning of their fate. The Peas debut their new song, which I did not love and then, good grief! It’s yet another commercial break. Fox sells more ad time on this show than I do on my web page! Jeez!

OK back to our bottom three where Ryan sends Naima back to the safety seats….blowing my prediction for this week. Haley is also safe with Karen (potentially) going home. Karen sings for her supper, and in an outright plea to the judge to save her, she chooses Mariah Carey’s “Hero”. It’s not “muy bueno” at all even though she throws in some Spanish for good measure. Unfortunately, it comes off as more of a party trick, and if it were me, I’d probably just try to sing in key (but what do I know?)

The judges chat for a second, while Seacreast tries his best to make poor Karen cry. Randy shares that they’re not saving her tonight, but adds that it is not unanimous, subtly letting America know that Jenifer really is the nicest judge yet and tried her best to save her….or at least, that’s my guess.

Next week the Top 11 will sing, and the elimination show will give us the Top 10, and the year’s Idol Tour participants. I think there are a few folks who desperately need to step it up, or they’ll have to start making plans now for theme park jobs this summer! What do you think? Tune in next Wednesday to see for yourself! Want more Idol chatter? Check out American Idol Net for even more recaps, predictions, news and goings-on: http://americanidolnet.com/.

Top 12 Perform: Birth Year Hits from This Season's Dirty Dozen

2011-03-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Article first published as American Idol Top 12 Perform on Technorati.

Idol started off last night with the judges announcing that they’ll be donating iTunes download proceeds to the American Red Cross for the Japan crisis (oddly dressed in fashions from their own birth years s a nod to the night’s theme). Sometimes I’m proud to watch this show, but then last night’s episode actually started and I changed my mind. It was pretty much a hot mess right? Bad song choices, bad arrangements and bad Seacreast antics (cleaning Haley’s face, for real?)

Naima (1984) kicked it off with “What’s Love Got to Do With It”. Wow – Taking on Tina – many have tried, and most have died. She starts off rough and by the end, it sounds a bit like we’re at a Jamaican All-inclusive resort taking in the free dinner show. It’s not my cup of Jah, but Tyler loves it! JLo and RJa don’t let her of the hook on the pitchiness (I guess it IS back this year!).

Paul (1984) follows up with Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”. He sounds EXACTLY like Macy Gray singing Elton John and still can’t seem to resist the urge to do his weird chicken dance. He’s definitely hoarse and I give him a break, as Jennifer does. Randy does not, and calls him out for being pitchy, but oddly, compares him to Ray LaMontagne. Steven still digs him. No worries for Paul; he’ll use his magic smile get lots of cougar votes.

Thia (1995) opts for Vanessa Williams’ “Colors of the Wind”. Of course she does – she’s an ideal Disney star. She looks and sings just like Pocohantas, but doesn’t bring anything new to the song. Randy tries to keep it real and calls it pageant-y and boring, but the crowd won’t hear it. They love her. Unfortunately, Steven and Ms. Lopez both agree.

James Durbin (1989) is next. It’s not really going to help his bad boy rocker image that they’re showing a montage of incredibly cute baby pix featuring him cuddling his dolls. His mom says he used to sing to them “in perfect pitch”…Too bad that trait is not still with him as he take on Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You”. First off, I’m done with the scarf tail – please lose it. Secondly, while he’s not horrible, there is nothing new about his version and Simon would surely be hauling out his theme park or karaoke references at this point. Even Tyler calls him out on the dolls issue and warns him not to get too pop. Jenny from the Block loved it. Randy says “tastefully done” but is obsessed with James’ boots, so that must be distracting him. He’s safe because lots of others were way worse.

Haley (1990) does Whitney Houston – uh oh. Has she never watched this show before? They annihilate anyone who tries Whitney. She is predictably horrific and the lyrics are flat out incomprehensible. Just as I notice her lipstick is smeared all over her chin, Ryan comes over to wipe her face and clean it off. It’s a first on Idol – Ryan really does have more jobs than anyone else in America. Randy is concerned that she doesn’t know who she is and Steven tells her to go more Blues-y next time….if she’s around.

Next up is Stefano (1989) who goes with Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”. Go Stefano! I’m not normally a fan but he rocked it. The judges fawn over one another trying to out-compliment each other.

Pia (1988) goes with another Whitney tune, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”. Why is she dressed like Hans Solo? Her singing is flawless and she looks beautiful (albeit in an 80’s time capsule kind of way). I’m sure she’ll be safe, but I’d never download that song. Would you? She’ll need to break out of that mold if she wants to go the distance. For now, she’s the favorite.

Scotty (1993) chooses “Can I Trust You With My Heart” by Travis Tritt. “Stay Country, Stay Me” is his motto. Let me say once again that I don’t get the whole country thing, but he’s in tune, doesn’t jam up the melody, and doesn’t distract us with absurd dance moves. So, he’s safe in this crowd. He’s not goin’ anywhere, y’all…. Jennifer gives him props, Randy does too, while OF COURSE reminding us that he worked with Travis, and Tyler gives him a lukewarm thumbs up as well.

Karen (1989) looks like JLo if she did an Austin Power movie, but sings “Love Will Lead You Back”….badly. She’s in trouble and reverts to singing in Spanish, which worked for her in week 1, but not now. The judges inexplicably go easy on her.

Casey (1991) and his bass take on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. He is quirky and unique and a little scary. I can only imagine Kurt Cobain seizing in his grave that his song is on AI, but I digress… I notice he’s wearing an ascot – bold choice Case. Tyler says he has the “goop” and is crazy and talented at the same time, JLo once again calls him sexy, and Randy, whilst reminding us yet again of all the great artists he’s worked with, manages to give him a side-handed compliment too. I dig Casey, but not tonight – sorry.

Lauren (1994) informs us she has the flu and she must be medicated because she’s acting like she just shared a bong of Salvia with Miley Cyrus. She sings Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One” which definitely suffers from her illness, but its still good enough to keep her safe on this sad night. The panel loves her.

Jacob (1989), our final victim, is in the clutch spot. He disses his mom’s singing, which probably won’t help his popularity, but my guess is that he has fans to spare right now. He’s takes on Heart’s “Alone”, which he certainly Jacob-izes extensively. Randy gives him at least 3 yo’s and Steven and JLo echo the love vibe. Maybe he’s a singers’ singer because I thought he was way over the top, bordering on annoying.

Predictions tonight are tough because honestly, there was more bad than good. I’m guessing that Naima, Haley and Karen will be Bottom 3, and Naima will go home. What do you think?

American Idol Elimination Show –Now We Are 12...

2011-03-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

I’m embarrassed to admit that I won’t be at my snarky best today, primarily because the show was lame last night (for me at least?), and I honestly feel asleep! I can’t believe it! That’s on at what, 8 PM EST? That really says something about my 1) age, 2) energy level 3) commitment to Season 10! Thus, this post will be very brief and only focus on the parts of the show that I actually saw, which included Adam Lambert’s performance and Diddy Dirty Money’s gig. Also, of course, the actual elimination.

I went out on a limb this week with a firm prediction about the Bottom 3 AND the contestant to be voted off, and amazingly, I guessed right. Maybe this was totally obvious? What do you think? Was Ashton the right choice to be sent home? I definitely think so! I'm pretty sure the judges agreed expect that poor Jennifer really looked like she was going to cry when she delivered the bad news. Maybe she's just too nice to be a judge? Then again, Ellen Degeneres did it and is there anyone on the planet nicer than her? Don't think so, but this is not the time to get into the relative merits (or lack thereof) of Ellen's judging ability...I digress.

Have a great weekend everyone and I promised to be back, wide awake and ready to rant next week for the Top 12 Performance Show.

Top 13 Extravaganza?

2011-03-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

Article first published as American Idol Top 13 Extravaganza on Technorati.

This is it. The boys and girls combined and we’re working towards narrowing down for the all-important tour. Last night’s show bordered on lame for me. Am I alone? I just can’t fathom sitting through a 3 hour concert featuring ten of these kids, although there are a couple I’d go see as solo acts. The theme for Wednesday night’s show was “The Idols’ Idols”; each contestant chose a song from their musical idol with poor Jimmy Iovine as the mentor this week, along with a motley crew of esteemed producers.

So let’s dive into the performances, thoughts and/or rants about them, and predictions for who will be crying to David Cook’s debut of “Don’t You Forget About Me” on Thursday night (http://www.americanidol.com/).

Lauren starts off and shares that her idol is Shania Twain; she sings “Any Man of Mine”. It was as good as any karaoke performance, but certainly not any better. Wow, the judges agree with me, and Lauren looks stunned. I’m sure she’s surprised since they’ve done nothing but fawn all over her until now.

Casey hauled out Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help From My Friends”. They’re pulling out the whole backup choir pretty early in the season this year! He rocks it out, but it’s not the best I’ve heard him this season. Jenny from the block calls him “important”. Randy reminds us that it’s Idol Season 10: The Remix!! Steven calls him a rainbow of talent and a plethora of passion. Interesting.

Ashton, this year’s diva in training, tells us that Diana Ross is her (hair) idol. Actually, Randy told her that last week, and she was smart enough to take his advice and at least secure his support. She certainly proved that she can look like Diana, but sadly, NOT sing like her. Randy gave her a pass and Steven and J.Lo both seemed so enchanted by her hair that they didn’t notice her singing.

Paul’s idol is Ryan Adams, an Indie singer/songwriter, in keeping with his whole quirky thing. He is however dressed like an extra from Sargent Pepper, and he’s flat, and all in all, a little off, right? Steven loves him and his voice but agrees that he was pitchy and should pick a better song. J.Lo admits that she doesn’t know who Ryan Adams is (one more reason for me to make fun of her). Randy tries his best to get him votes by supporting him and Seacrest gets in the act and attempts to copy his chicken dancing.

Lovely Pia tells us her idol is Celine Dion. She chose “All by Myself”, which is only a song Celine covered. So now Pia covers Celine covering it….but she does so really well. She should decorate her room in the Idol mansion because she’s not going anywhere.

Next up was James doing Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed”. He does his rocker best to amp it up a la Adam Lambert, and he’s pretty good, if a bit rough on the higher register. Randy loves him and somehow manages to work in once again that he worked with Journey. OK – we get it; you were famous before Idol – we just didn’t know it! Steven and Jennifer really like him too.

Haley opted for LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue”, which surprises me. I was expecting Aguilera or Joss Stone, or some other blue-eyed soulstress. She is dangerously close to a wardrobe malfunction, but manages to keep it together. She does not sound great though. Randy agrees with me, but the other judges are under her spell and only give her praise. Maybe I’m just not a yodeling fan?

Jacob’s idol is R. Kelly – shocker! He believes he can fly…and the full choir agrees with him! He starts off a bit sketchy but finishes strong. All the judges love him and Randy again proposes that Season 10 is the Best. Season. Ever. They lavish their praise accordingly. For me, he’s way over the top.

Thia Megia sang “Smile” and she’s ok, until she surprises us by picking up the pace in her song, and completely losing her key. The judges agree that her soft, sweet quiet intro was better. Thia begs us, the voting public, to keep her alive. I’m not sure she’ll make it, but younger contestants tend to fare well because it’s the tweens amongst us who actually vote.

Stefano chooses Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”. I just can’t be objective about this guy. He’s so sweet and cute, but I don’t get his vocal appeal. The judges seem mixed in their reviews, but again, my guess is that the not-yet-driving set who actually votes will keep him around.

Karen went with Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love”, but sounds so-so to me. I am actually missing Simon who would surely have pointed out that she brought nothing new to the song and was not relevant.

Scotty McCreery goes out on a limb (ok, not at all) and does Garth Brooks’ classic, “The River”. It’s ultra low, on key, and a great anthem for Garth fans. I don’t get the Scotty thing, but he is not going anywhere anytime soon. The judges utterly adore him and he’ll get a lot of votes from inside the coasts.

Last up, Naima, the wildcard in the clutch position, tells us that she idolizes Rihanna, but not until Ryan reminded us one last time that she was a janitor. She is sort of flat and karaoke-esque and then breaks into a weird reggae / rap moment followed by some Beetlejuice-inspired dancing, but it may just be quirky enough to keep her around. I can’t tell if I like her or I’m just curious what she’ll do next, but I can tell you that my six year old thought she was “soooo funny”.

So, what do you think? Who will be in tonight’s hot seats? My guess is that James, Casey, Scotty, Pia, Lauren, Paul, Stefano, Thia, Naima, and Jacob will be safe. Karen, Ashton and Haley will be in the bottom 3, and Ashton will get voted off the island tonight. Do you agree?

American Idol Elimination Show – Narrowing Down the Top 24

2011-03-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

I first published this article as American Idol Elimination Show: Narrowing Down the Top 24 on Technorati.

Last night’s show on Fox started with Seacrest reminding us that American Idol is a juggernaut, and that there were 40 million votes logged for the Idol wannabes. I suspect the new online voting pushed that total way up. The buzz on the show this year is hardly momentous, but I digress. Check here for recap and photos: http://www.americanidol.com/.

I love that Steven Tyler is wearing a fuchsia puffy shirt, like he’s channeling a pop music pirate; maybe Jack Sparrow?

They start with the guys. It’s a good thing we’ve already voted because their interview package didn’t serve some of them well. Stefano/ Brett, I’m talking to you. Seacrest does a good job of getting down to business and shares the first results. Scotty is IN, and Clint is NOT. Possibly his bad attitude during Hollywood week didn’t play well with America. Jovony and Jordan are also ousted. Now, they volley to the girls and show their interview package, which is much better except that I think Lauren T. just threatened us if we voted her off? I’m a little bit scared.

Pia and Lauren A. are the first girls to secure Top 12 slots. Next we learn that Ta-Tynisa isn’t in and neither is Julie. Sorry Ladies. So long to Ashton and Kendra too, but Karen gets the nod and joins Scotty, Pia, and Lauren A. in the safety seats.

Back to the guys; am I the only one getting dizzy? Jacob is in – no shock. I’m happy for him but surprised by the weird grunting noise he just made. Naturally, Casey – who is doing his best impression of Seth Rogan tonight – made it in too. See ya Tim!

Now to the girls; Lauren T., Thia, and Naima are brought forward. Bye bye Naima and Lauren T. Thia gets a safety seat.

The guys’ turn again; Brett and Paul step up. By the way, whose hair is bigger – Brett’s or Ashton’s? I can’t tell, but for some reason it is much more distracting on Brett. Paul is in, but Brett, not so much.

Haley and Rachel are up next; Haley makes the cut. Rachel was bad last night but I do feel for her – she’s been hanging around since Season 6! James and Stefano are the last to learn their fate. I think we all knew that James, this year’s Adam Lambert, wasn’t going anywhere. So Stefano will have to hope for a Wild Card slot.

The judges announce their Wild Card picks. With14 people left, the judges select 6 lucky ones to go again in a sudden death sing-off. Then, they’ll agree on an unspecified number to move forward. What? Maybe NOT a Top 12?

Ashton, already fully embracing her inner Diva, took on Jennifer Hudson. I don’t love her but she sounds good. Not Jennifer Hudson-good, but strong. The judges must have signed some sort of NDA because their comments are quizzically noncommittal.

Stefano? He does Smoky. It doesn’t rock my world, but J. Lo looks like she is going to cry, and he may go on.

Next Up, Kendra tried to put a sexy spin on Georgia on My Mind. The chorus was good but it seems like she should have chosen a higher key. I’ve noticed a trend that all the aspiring Idols are trying to make the Guinness Book of World Records with the length of their last note. How about just singing in tune?

Jovany predictably sings a Jon Secada tune. He throws some Spanish lyrics in the mix, which worked for Karen. We’ll see. I’m not a fan, but I have to admit he is in tune and his last note isn’t an endurance exercise, which is refreshing. Jennifer is again acting as if the judges’ verdict is top secret.

Next they choose Naima and I’m very surprised they’ve gone with her over Lauren T., who they loved last night. She really brought it on the Hathaway tune. Even Randy, this year’s mean judge, cracks a smile. Steven Tyler is literally reduced to tears.

OK – the last one to sing for their supper is Robbie. I am shocked that it’s not Clint or Tim. I guess they need at least one “sensitive ballad man’ in the mix. Pan to the safety seats where we learn that all of the Top 5 Girls have a crush on him; they’re completely bawling throughout his song. Was that a Members’ Only Jacket? Maybe those tears were for fashion.

Finally, time for the judges’ decision...wait – great news. The judges are still laboring over this nearly impossible task, giving us time for a sneak peak of J. Lo’s new video. Good thing they had that clip handy just in case. It actually features 3 Jennifers. I’m more than a little scared of Empress Jennifer, and Fly Girl Jenny looks like she could kick my butt too, but J. Lo wearing the silver spider web suit circa Britney 2004 looks cool. Seacrest likes her abs. I’ve already forgotten this song. Its time for the judges‘ decision; Little Diva, Ashton, is the first one to go through. Next is Stefano and surprise – they are putting ONE more through. Hmm… that means there will be an uneven number of guys/gals and a Top 13! Remix indeed! Naima is the final choice.

So Season Ten’s Top 13 are six guys including Casey Abrams, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, and James Durbin. Plus, seven girls, including Pia Toscano, Karen Rodriguez, Haley Reinhart, Thia Megia, Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, and Ashton Jones. I thought this was the year of the boys?

With the exception of Stefano instead of Clint / Tim, I think they got it right. I would have preferred to see Lauren T. go over Ashton, but I get it. Naima ss the true wild card, both in terms of being Number 13, and by being the most quirky and unpredictable. I don’t know about “Best Season Ever”, but it seems comparable to other years in talent, and I admit that I look forward to watching it all go down over the next 11 weeks or so. Darn, we didn’t get a goofy Glee-inspired Group number., but thankfully, we can look forward to next week!

Top 12 Girls Perform

2011-03-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

This article was first published as American Idol: Top 12 Girls on Technorati.

Were those really the Top 12 female singers in America? I find that dubious at best. Wednesday night, Fox aired the Top 12 Girls; you can check out a recap here: http://www.americanidol.com/. So, let’s get down to business on this latest crop of Idolettes. The line between the good and the should-have-tried-out-for-Top-Model is pretty clear here to me.

The judges were of course back in rare form last night too! Madame Lopez was dressed like a backup singer in a 1975 Elton John Concert (with the Farrah hair to match!) and Steven Tyler seemed to grow a few extra feathers in his mane. What are those things? Randy continues with his “Mean Guys” tour this year, taking Simon’s place as the judge who’s job it is to put these kids in their place when he’s “not feeling it” (which seems to be the new “pitchy”). All in all, I’d have to admit that he went really soft on most of the gals, but it was clear who all the judges thought would be around in the coming weeks for them to build some rapport with, and who they could dismiss pretty readily.

As for the actual singing, and who is likely to stick around…Pia, “I’ll Stand By You” for sure! Somehow, you weren’t on my radar until now. My bad! You really brought it last night and wrapped up the otherwise-flat show in style. I hope you’re not a one trick pony, but I’m sure you’ll stick around long enough for us to find out – you’re safe. For me, the only other passable performances were from Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina, Karen Rodriguez, Lauren Turner, and Kendra Chantelle. That’s a total of 7 gals, so my guess is that Pia, Thia, and Lauren A. will be safe, with Haley and Kendra in a nail biter ending in tears for at least one of the blue-eyed soul sisters. Then the judges will save either Lauren T. (who does also remind me of Bette Midler, but sadly of a 50-year old version of the Divine Miss M.), or Karen Rodriguez (I think we know which one Jennifer will vote for!) I don’t even know where to start with just how bad Rachel Zevita was. She was channeling Dita Von Teese, if Dita were trying out for Broadway! Naima Adedapo really did sound like a lounge singer, and a so-so one at that, plus she looked a bit like Carmen Miranda, which cannot help at this stage. She’d really benefit from the Idol Stylists who get their hands on the contestants once we whittle down to the Top 12. Alas, she probably won’t get that chance. How sad was it to hear Julie Zorrilla open her mouth, when she LOOKED so predictably gorgeous. Bad song choice Julie – you should know better than to take on Kelly Clarkson at this part of the competition. Ta-Tynisa Wilson was at her leggy best, but just flat-out abysmal (as well as flat), and I wasn’t feeling Ashton Jones, the Diva-in-Training, last night either. That said, Ashton is the only true R&B singer in the bunch so she may stick around and upset someone. That would mean curtains for both of the R&B wannabe’s – Kendra and Haley - or the kiss of death for Lauren T.

Tonight Fox airs the Elimination Show and we’ll find out or sure who the Top 5 Boys, Top 5 Girls and 2 Judges’ Wild Card picks will be. Hopefully, we’ll get some silly Seacrest banter and at least one mock-able group number featuring all of the Top 24!

Be sure to check back next week for my Idol soapbox report.