It's the show we've all been waiting for! Finally after a great season we will find out who the American Idol of Season 8 is! YAY! Here's my play by play and reactions from moments throughout the show.
I LOVED the intros of the judges! These people have one of the best jobs on the planet so they deserve to be put on blast every once in a while. What did you say? Sweetie, for me for you it was exuberant brilliance! :-) LOVE IT.
Next up is a group performance, and can I just say THANK GOD they did not lip sync it! The top 13 perform Pink's "So What" dressed in all white. Basically it can't get any better than this for me because its my favorite musical artist and my favorite TV meshed into one faboosh performance! :-) I do have to say that these group numbers sound like "Kids Bop" sometimes... but they are still fun.
Then, last year's winner David Cook performs. To be honest, I fast forwarded through this performance (love me some DVR!) He's aight for me dawg... but I was more interested in Kris/Adam. I do think it showed some strength for him to perform so soon after his brother passed away... and its cool that the proceeds from the song will go to cancer research. David always has been a nice guy.
Ryan then introduces the Golden Idol Awards. At first I rolled my eyes because in year's past this whole award thing has been a useless filler in the show... but this time I have to say that I actually enjoyed the awards. This first one, for Outstanding Male went to Nick Mitchell/Normund Gentle... and I have to say that I totally got played by him. When he came up there in an American Eagle sweatshirt and jeans I immediately commented on his outfit, finding it ridiculous tha the would wear that sort of outfit on the show. But that tricky Nick was one step ahead of us, ripping off the street clothes to perform his memorable song. Although he has deifnitely sounded better, I'm glad that they gave Nick some camera time. He was a fun addition to this year's season.
The first "celebrity" performance of the night features one of my favorites... Queen Latifa! She is awesome! I love that she's a big girl and she was ROCKIN' that skin tight outfit. I'm sure there will be criticism... but I give her mad props. I don't give mad props for the song choice. Never heard of this "Cue the Rain". I'm not the only one, am I? Plus, Lil Rounds... well meh. I'm over her. Still.
Next up is Jason Mraz! Awesome! a Jason Mraz and Kris Allen duet is perfect! They've been calling Kris "Jason-Mrazy" all season... so we finally get to see them together!!! YAY! ..... ummm .... wait. Is that Anoop? And Alexis? No Kris? What? I'm confused. You brought Jason Mraz on the show for a performance with Anoop and Alexis?!?! Sheesh Idol. So far this show has been great... but this is strike one.
Next up we see Kris's back story and then he comes out to duet with country star Keith Urban! They perform Keith's new single called "Kiss a Girl" This duet REALLY worked. Kris did a great job at sliding from the low register up to high notes as Keith Urban does often on his songs. Listening to this performance made me think that Kris could release a mainstream pop version of this country tune and it could be very successful for him. It's a great fit for him! I've always said that Adam could sing any song that the other contestants performed and do it better... but I think my theory was finally proven incorrect. Something about Adam performing "Kiss a Girl" just doesn't sound like a good idea. :-)
When the five girls came out next and performed "Glamorous" I thought they looked like the Pussycat Dolls up there! Maybe they should have performed "When I Grow Up"! This performance definitely reminds us all why Megan and Jamsine got voted out... (yikes). Then Fergie emerges to sing "Big Girls Don't Cry" and she reminds us why she too isn't a contestant on American Idol (that was a low blow... sorry Fergie...). Then I think there was some performance by the Black Eyed Peas singing some song called "Boom Boom Pow" or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention to the performing because I was too distracted by the human-like beings in black and white that were dancing around the stage. Ummm... WTF?!? Cool outfits! I couldn't stop looking at them. Although at one point I did enjoy watching Fergie almost trip and fall in those 12.5" heels!
More Golden Idol Awards... for this one its "Best Attitude" and of course our winner is Katrina Darrell, a.k.a. "Bikini Girl". In my opinion, this part of the show gave us two of my favorite moments of the entire night! First of all, as Bikini Girl walks on stage we can all see that she has had some "enhancements" since her first appearance on the show... and to this Ryan says "I was going to ask you 'What's New' but I'm pretty sure I already know the answer". GENIUS! Thank you Ryan! :-) The next memorable moment is when Katrina takes the stage to sing her song, and she is horrible (as expected). Part way through Kara comes out from behind and totally upstages her! The looks on Katrina's face were priceless! I thought we were going to see a bitchslap right then and there. Then, Kara totally takes me by surprise and rips off her dress! Now Kara is not only upstaging Katrina with her voice but also with her body! SHE LOOKED GOOD! :-) Way to go Kara. You earned major cool points from me for not being afraid to do this on live TV.
Following the bikini maddness, Allison Iraheta performs with Cyndi Lauper! At first I thought that "Time After Time" was a little too slow and I would have much enjoyed her rocking out... but towards the end, I appreciated the performance because it really did showcase Allison's vocal talent. The girl can sing, and I hope that she gets some opportunities out of this experience to do some awesome stuff!
Next up is the contestant I was waiting all night for!!!! Danny Gokey!!!! PSYCHE! :-P Danny takes the stage to perform "Hello" and all I can think is that David Cook owned this song last year and Danny has no business singing it. Then... (*gasp*) Lionel Richie is actually there and comes out to perform some song that I don't know. I'm asuming its Lionel's new sing that he is pimping on the show to hopefully get a download or two on iTunes. Then... thankfully...the duo breaks out some "All Night Long". I'm surprised at how great Lionel still sounds! I guess he isn't that old... but it just seems like artists who go away for a bit always seem to sound a bit rough when they come back... and he didn't sound rough at all. You go on Lionel!
Next up, Adam appears on the mini-stage behind the judges and he is is glam-rocked out! He's got on some ridiculously-high heeled boots, a lot of leather, and some interesting shell/wing things on his shoulders. He's got on the guyliner, the sparkles, the whole nine. He performs the KISS ballad "Beth" and I'm thinking in my head "is KISS really going to be here?" To me, that just seems un-doable... to get KISS to agree to be on American Idol. But then again, Gene Simmons did guest host a couple seasons ago. Sure enough... "Beth" ends and "Detroit Rock City" begins as KISS is lowered to the floor on a platform with fireworks a blazing! Adam and Kiss perform that song and "Rock and Roll All Night", and it was PHENOMENAL! I literally said "Who cares if he even wins now?"... he has totally stolen the show. That is a performance that people are going to be talking about. It was a perfect fit for Adam, as he has always liked to mix audio and visual to make a great performance. Who better to do that with than KISS? That was one of the best moments in Idol history!
Next, Carlos Santana takes the stage to perform "Black Magic Woman" with Matt Giraud starting out on the main vocals (and sounding a bit rough... which I hate to say because I love Matt). Then the rest of the finalists join him on stage in black and red and perform "Smooth". I almost forgot about Scott McIntyre until I saw him out there dancing with the other contestants... you GO Scott. In the great words of Paula Abdul... you go "dance like there's no tomorrow". :-)
Ryan introduces the last Ford music video of the year featuring the song "I Will Remember You". Where is this download?!? The song sounded great and I would love to have the Kris/Adam duet! Pretty awesome. Then David Cook shows up to "surprise" the finalists with cars. I wasn't surprised that they got cars... but I was surprised that they chose to do this again this year. On Survivor Ford usually gives away a vehicle but they didn't this year because they were afraid how the public would percieve them for giving away vehicles when Ford is in such trouble nowadays. Why wouldn't this apply to Idol too?
Who knew that Steve Martin played the banjo or had an album coming out? That's craziness. At first I thought they were setting us up for a bad joke. The only thing worth laughing at was Megan Joy's singing! Poor Michael Sarver that his moment in the spotlight was shared with someone who cannot harmonize if her life depended on it.
Next, all the male contestants take the stage in suits and sing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?". To answer that for a couple of you... YES! :-) Then, Rod Stewart comes out and sings "Maggie May". For the first time all season I think someone on the show was mre drunk than Paula! Rod was totally sauced and you all know it. The way he was slurring his words and stumbling around. Sheesh Rod!
Then we have our final Golden Idol Award for Outstanding Female. As soon as Ryan reads the category, I start clapping and chanting "Tatiana!" You knew it was going to be her. And I also said "I hope she sings Saving All My Love AGAIN"... and she did! LOL. I love that she made fun of herself saying "C'mon Simon, I know you want to hear this song for a FOURTH time"!!! Honestly, props to her for making fun of herself in this segment.
Finally! The duet we've been waiting all night for!!!! Adam and Kris singing together. There are so many songs that would be awesome for them together... and what do they choose? "We Are the Champions"! GREAT CHOICE! The song was a great fit for both their voices. As they walked back to the mainstage and the lights came up on the band members from Queen, by reaction was "Get the F*CK out!" Seriously? Queen? That is just amazing. What a fantastic moment! This finale has been jampacked with such great collaborations and moments. Without a doubt, hands down, this has been the best American Idol Finale that there has been in all 8 seasons. And we haven't even gotten to the results yet!
After a commercial break, we return to Ryan and the accountant letting us know that there were 100 MILLION VOTES! That's pretty awesome! There is no mention of how many votes separated the contestants though... which makes me question... what it not as close as I thought it would be? If it was hella close you KNOW they would have said something about it... hmmm...
Then Ryan makes the announcement... and the winner is.... KRIS! WOW!!!!!! Kris's immediate reaction of his jaw dropping is probably the same reaction of many people around the country. The underdog actually pulled this one off! I really am happy for him... and his cute wife and family.
I do have to say that I was a little underwhelmed by Kris's reaction to the news... I would have thought he would have been a bit more expressive. All he could say was "are you friggen kidding me?".... and saying that "It should be Adam". C'mon dude! I want more from you than that. I wish they would have brought his wife up sooner... because those final few seconds of the show where we saw them hugging and Kris showing a little bit of emotion is all I needed. I guess that not all finals can have emotional results like Kelly, Carrie, and Jordin. But even last year David Cook shed a tear or two! C'mon Kris! It was pretty anti-climatic for me.
So there you have it folks... the recap of the finale show. Later today I'll post more of my reaction to the win. Come back to read more later!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
I'm having second thoughts...
Gosh people...
I just don't know...
The more I think about it, the more I think Kris really MIGHT pull this one out! I'm not trying to play the "on the fence" role... I am just honestly having difficulty feeling confident in a prediction. I said Adam, but a lot of people are behind Kris. I think he's just the likeable, easy choice.
I'm seriously on pins and needles waiting for the finale! T-minus 2 hours and 51 minutes til it starts... and T-minus 5 hours before the result is actually read. I may get an ulcer.
I just don't know...
The more I think about it, the more I think Kris really MIGHT pull this one out! I'm not trying to play the "on the fence" role... I am just honestly having difficulty feeling confident in a prediction. I said Adam, but a lot of people are behind Kris. I think he's just the likeable, easy choice.
I'm seriously on pins and needles waiting for the finale! T-minus 2 hours and 51 minutes til it starts... and T-minus 5 hours before the result is actually read. I may get an ulcer.
More ramblings about the final two...
So, as you'd expect, my mind keeps over analyzing the finale tonight. There are so many ways this could go! (well... actually only two. I'm an idiot.) Honestly, I think Ryan will tell us tonight that this is one of the closest finals in Idol history (if not THE closest). I can't wait to hear how many votes separated Adam and Kris.
The day after I always like to check out dialidol.com and "the buzzmeter" at latimes.com to see what other people are thinking. Both of these websites show virtual dead heats with the two contestants. Dialidol is showing a miniscule lead by Kris... and the experts at the LA Times have voted 10-8 in favor of Adam. It's just too close to call.
Here are a few concepts that have been rolling around in my brain:
1. Kris is what this competition is really all about. Let's face it. American Idol works in the first place because its a competition to discover America's undiscovered musical talent. The entire success of the show is based on Kelly Clarkson winning season one and going from a girl that used to scoop ice cream to being a superstar. You can tell from the audition clips of Kris that he was just a small town guy that had a good voice and was probably encouraged by friends and family to try out. He didn't have the confidence to be a superstar, and he needed an experience like this to build his confidence. In terms of the most heart-warming story, Kris wins hands down. He's a humble guy who found success through this show... and THAT is the original intention of American Idol in the first place.
2. Kris NEEDS to win more than Adam. I think no matter what the result is, Adam will move on to do something in entertainment. To him this was probably a great platform to move his career in the direction he wanted. Adam could move on to do more theatre, acting, hosting, etc... He's more "iconic" and recognizeable. If Adam is runner-up tonight, I think tomorrow he will look at all of his options and make the most of what he can for his career. Now if Kris is the runner-up tonight, I think once gets off his ride on the Idol Machine that he will go "holy crap... what do I do now?". This guy was just chillin with his new wife in Conway, AR a few months ago... not assuming he'd be anywhere near this type of celebrity status and it will be difficult for him. For these reasons, I think Kris needs to win, because he will need the help and assistance from 19 Entertainment to lead him in the proper direction and start a viable career.
3. Adam is a producer's nightmare and dream come true all in one. If I were a producer of Idol, I would be scared to have Adam as a winner representing the show... because you know that once this show is over and he is protected 24/7 by Idol "handlers" that he is going to get EATEN ALIVE by the paparazzi! They are going to attack him relentlessly until we know every ounce of his personal life. Being the first gay idol would be cause for them to pull out all the stops on him. It's dumb to me... but having picture of Adam kissing another guy seem to be news to many. It's not like they are publicizing picture of Kris kissing his wife. Oh well. For a young person who was basically an unknown to the world 6 months ago, I hope that Adam will be strong enough to deal with the instant celebrity that comes along with American Idol. The TMZ's and Perez Hilton's will pull up every ounce of dirt they can on him. He'll have to watch his every step. On the flipside of that... there is the saying that "even bad PR is still PR", so having an icon like Adam just brings more notice to the American Idol brand.
4. Will the contestants' hometowns force the "Katharine McPhee Effect" on Adam? I think Kris has an advantage over Adam in terms of where they are coming from. Kris is from a smaller town in central Arkansas and Adam is from Hollywood/San Diego. No offense to Arkansas, but Kris Allen has GOT to be the hottest most note-worthy thing to happen there in quite sometime. I'm sure everyone knows about Kris and everyone there is rooting for him. Adam, on the contrary, being from Southern California will not have the hometown pride effect going on. It reminds me of season 5 when we saw Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks in the final. Taylor was from Alabama and he had billboards, banners, special TV segments, EVERYTHING possible that Alabama could do for him. He came home to Birmingham to a champion's welcome. Katharine McPhee, on the other hand, went home to.... Sherman Oaks, CA (*imagine the losing horns from The Price Is Right here). To those of you unaware, its a suburb of LA, just to the north. She had a welcome party at her old high school and it paled in comparison to Taylor's welcome back. I'm wondering if Adam will suffer from this same type of situation. His trip back to San Diego seemed cool on the clips... but when you think of rousing the entire city to support you, I doubt that ALL of San Diego is behind Adam. It's just too hard to do. But I guarantee you that ALL of Conway, AR and the surrounding cities are behind Kris. After all... its the midwest, and they love rising-to-success stories in the midwest. I guess we'll see tonight with the results.
That's all... enough ramblings for the moment. :-) Maybe more later!
The day after I always like to check out dialidol.com and "the buzzmeter" at latimes.com to see what other people are thinking. Both of these websites show virtual dead heats with the two contestants. Dialidol is showing a miniscule lead by Kris... and the experts at the LA Times have voted 10-8 in favor of Adam. It's just too close to call.
Here are a few concepts that have been rolling around in my brain:
1. Kris is what this competition is really all about. Let's face it. American Idol works in the first place because its a competition to discover America's undiscovered musical talent. The entire success of the show is based on Kelly Clarkson winning season one and going from a girl that used to scoop ice cream to being a superstar. You can tell from the audition clips of Kris that he was just a small town guy that had a good voice and was probably encouraged by friends and family to try out. He didn't have the confidence to be a superstar, and he needed an experience like this to build his confidence. In terms of the most heart-warming story, Kris wins hands down. He's a humble guy who found success through this show... and THAT is the original intention of American Idol in the first place.
2. Kris NEEDS to win more than Adam. I think no matter what the result is, Adam will move on to do something in entertainment. To him this was probably a great platform to move his career in the direction he wanted. Adam could move on to do more theatre, acting, hosting, etc... He's more "iconic" and recognizeable. If Adam is runner-up tonight, I think tomorrow he will look at all of his options and make the most of what he can for his career. Now if Kris is the runner-up tonight, I think once gets off his ride on the Idol Machine that he will go "holy crap... what do I do now?". This guy was just chillin with his new wife in Conway, AR a few months ago... not assuming he'd be anywhere near this type of celebrity status and it will be difficult for him. For these reasons, I think Kris needs to win, because he will need the help and assistance from 19 Entertainment to lead him in the proper direction and start a viable career.
3. Adam is a producer's nightmare and dream come true all in one. If I were a producer of Idol, I would be scared to have Adam as a winner representing the show... because you know that once this show is over and he is protected 24/7 by Idol "handlers" that he is going to get EATEN ALIVE by the paparazzi! They are going to attack him relentlessly until we know every ounce of his personal life. Being the first gay idol would be cause for them to pull out all the stops on him. It's dumb to me... but having picture of Adam kissing another guy seem to be news to many. It's not like they are publicizing picture of Kris kissing his wife. Oh well. For a young person who was basically an unknown to the world 6 months ago, I hope that Adam will be strong enough to deal with the instant celebrity that comes along with American Idol. The TMZ's and Perez Hilton's will pull up every ounce of dirt they can on him. He'll have to watch his every step. On the flipside of that... there is the saying that "even bad PR is still PR", so having an icon like Adam just brings more notice to the American Idol brand.
4. Will the contestants' hometowns force the "Katharine McPhee Effect" on Adam? I think Kris has an advantage over Adam in terms of where they are coming from. Kris is from a smaller town in central Arkansas and Adam is from Hollywood/San Diego. No offense to Arkansas, but Kris Allen has GOT to be the hottest most note-worthy thing to happen there in quite sometime. I'm sure everyone knows about Kris and everyone there is rooting for him. Adam, on the contrary, being from Southern California will not have the hometown pride effect going on. It reminds me of season 5 when we saw Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks in the final. Taylor was from Alabama and he had billboards, banners, special TV segments, EVERYTHING possible that Alabama could do for him. He came home to Birmingham to a champion's welcome. Katharine McPhee, on the other hand, went home to.... Sherman Oaks, CA (*imagine the losing horns from The Price Is Right here). To those of you unaware, its a suburb of LA, just to the north. She had a welcome party at her old high school and it paled in comparison to Taylor's welcome back. I'm wondering if Adam will suffer from this same type of situation. His trip back to San Diego seemed cool on the clips... but when you think of rousing the entire city to support you, I doubt that ALL of San Diego is behind Adam. It's just too hard to do. But I guarantee you that ALL of Conway, AR and the surrounding cities are behind Kris. After all... its the midwest, and they love rising-to-success stories in the midwest. I guess we'll see tonight with the results.
That's all... enough ramblings for the moment. :-) Maybe more later!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
THE FINALS! Top 2 Performances
This season has FLOWN BY! I can't believe that in 26 hours from now we will have a winner and have to wait 7+ months before Idol is back on TV! I'm already starting to get a little bit sad about it.
I do have to say that in 8 seasons of Idol, there have been very few finals where I would be happy if either contestant won. Tonight is one of those finals. I of course have LOVED Adam the entire season and think that he has mad skills. At the same time I think Kris is the perfect underdog story... not being featured in any audition shows, and then working his way, very creatively, all the way to the finals. Both are great candidates, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us for their final performances.
(And can I just add how ECSTATIC I am that Danny is NOT in the final two! YAY!)
All week, people have been asking me who I think is going to win this thing. Especially since I've been touting my perfect prediction record. All I've said is that I need to watch the performances before I make any prediction. As much as everyone has been saying that Adam is a shoe-in, I think this thing is a lot closer than anyone expects... It all comes down to the final performances and who has those "moments". I can't wait to watch and find out! Let's get this review started!
The all important coin-flip and Kris wins... chooses to go second. SMART choice!
And Ryan.... thanks for the heads up that the show will go long.... we know you won't announce the winner until a minute and a half before the show is over, so thanks for making sure we don't miss it. :-)
Adam Lambert- "Mad World"
Good choice for the repeat song... although deep down I really was hoping for "Tracks of My Tears" I really think THAT song was the turning point where the majority of America started to realize what an amazing singer he is. For me, I almost think that the first time he sang it was better... and not because there was much difference in the vocal performances, but rather the production of it. The first time with the beaming blue light with Adam seated in that chair was just so haunting and memorable. I agree with Simon that the coat and dry ice was just a little too much... a little theatrical. Still good though... but we knew it'd be good.
Kris Allen- "Ain't No Sunshine"
This is a GREAT song choice for Kris. The week he performed this was a standout performance for him for sure. Choosing to be on stage alone with the piano instead of with the other accompaniment like last time was a SMART choice. It put the focus on him, and really showed what an artist he is. I'm not sure what was different about it tonight, but when the camera first panned to him sitting at the piano I thought "he's an ARTIST". He really has come far. On the finale show when you sing a song you've already done, its hard to stand out... but I think he really did. It was better than before.
Round one goes to KRIS. (BTW... I typed this statement before Simon said it... LOL)
Now its on to Simon Fuller's choice...
Adam Lambert- "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Very interesting song for Adam. It's bluesy and when I think of the blues, I don't think of Adam. He's too happy to sing the blues. This song was weird for me. Maybe its because I'm not used to hearing this song performed in this slow bluesy-rock kind of way... and I'm only used to hearing it performed by R&B soul singers. Plus, I don't know if many people will recognize it performed in this fashion. I completely disagree with Kara's and Paula's comments that it was his best performance ever. I've heard much better weeks by him. I think they were just saying it to say it. Better than "Tracks of My Tears"? Better than "Whole Lotta Love"? I don't think so. The judges comment that I do agree with is Randy when he says that Adam can "sing his face off". That he can. And he proved he could with this song.
Kris Allen- "What's Goin' On"
What better song for an acoustic rock/pop artist to sing? Kris rocked out this performance if you ask me. It's CRAZY... because again, this performance really made me think that Kris is a credible artist with a career ahead of him. It finally has clicked for me tonight. With these two performances, I think people will connect more with this performance versus Adam, kind of like they connected with "Heartless" last week. It was fun and catchy... Clearly the judges didn't agree...
Round two is a draw for me.
Now it's time for the this year's single. "No Boundaries", co-written by Kara (surprise! not....) I've said in several reviews this season that if Adam would have sang a song by another contestant that he would have blown the other person out of the water. Well know, with Adam singing the same song as another contestant we will put that theory to the test. Going into this I am already a little nervous for Kris because we know that Adam can sing things flawlessly. It all depends on the song.
Adam Lambert- "No Boundaries"
I can't really comment on the performance until after I hear Kris sing it... I will say about the judges comments that Randy was right (there were some pitchy moments), Kara wouldn't say anything bad about it (because its her song), Paula says there aren't adjectives and then uses forty of them to describe Adam, and Simon puts it into perspective bringing up the entire season and that Adam has brought a lot to the show.
Kris Allen- "No Boundaries"
I will say this about Kris... you could tell in his eyes that he was giving everything in his being to sing the crap out of that song. Unfortunately I think it was this forcefulness that caused some super sour notes in the performance. I agree with Randy saying that the song fits Kris more than it fits Adam. With Kris it felt more natural. Adam's performance was too theatrical (surprise!) and after-school-specialish. Judging the two performances side-by-side, you have to give this round to Adam though. Kris's performance was just too strained which caused too many sour notes.
Round three goes to Adam.
SO.... recapping.... one round goes to Kris, one round to Adam and one is a tie. GREAT! This makes my prediction really easy.
Realistically... I think if Kris was going to win, he needed to come out and win all three rounds tonight. He needed to sway any voters who were on the fence that he is THE choice. I don't think he came out strong enough to do that. Plus with all of Danny's votes up for grabs this week, he needed to draw people in enough to make them pick up the phone for him instead of Danny. I think there is no question that Danny getting eliminated was the best thing that could happen for Kris. As my previous post with the voting maps showed, Kris is going to pull in all the conservative votes that may have been split between him and Danny in the past.
In regards to Adam, he didn't wipe the floor with Kris like he could have. He definitely left himself a little vulnerable tonight. But... I think with the way the judges comments went that Adam has the edge. Plus, I think Adam has people paying attention to American Idol like no other contestant in season's past. Sure there is watercooler talk about "who's going to win Idol?" every year... but this year its been "what do you think about that Adam Lambert?". Sure he's a love him or hate him contestant... but I think there are many, many people that love him.
Plus... let's be real... if we can elect a black man President, we can vote in a gay American Idol Winner. It's about time.
So there you have it folks... My official prediction is that Adam Lambert will win Season 8 of American Idol. I would love to hear your input. Feel free to leave comments! And THANKS FOR READING!
I do have to say that in 8 seasons of Idol, there have been very few finals where I would be happy if either contestant won. Tonight is one of those finals. I of course have LOVED Adam the entire season and think that he has mad skills. At the same time I think Kris is the perfect underdog story... not being featured in any audition shows, and then working his way, very creatively, all the way to the finals. Both are great candidates, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us for their final performances.
(And can I just add how ECSTATIC I am that Danny is NOT in the final two! YAY!)
All week, people have been asking me who I think is going to win this thing. Especially since I've been touting my perfect prediction record. All I've said is that I need to watch the performances before I make any prediction. As much as everyone has been saying that Adam is a shoe-in, I think this thing is a lot closer than anyone expects... It all comes down to the final performances and who has those "moments". I can't wait to watch and find out! Let's get this review started!
The all important coin-flip and Kris wins... chooses to go second. SMART choice!
And Ryan.... thanks for the heads up that the show will go long.... we know you won't announce the winner until a minute and a half before the show is over, so thanks for making sure we don't miss it. :-)
Adam Lambert- "Mad World"
Good choice for the repeat song... although deep down I really was hoping for "Tracks of My Tears" I really think THAT song was the turning point where the majority of America started to realize what an amazing singer he is. For me, I almost think that the first time he sang it was better... and not because there was much difference in the vocal performances, but rather the production of it. The first time with the beaming blue light with Adam seated in that chair was just so haunting and memorable. I agree with Simon that the coat and dry ice was just a little too much... a little theatrical. Still good though... but we knew it'd be good.
Kris Allen- "Ain't No Sunshine"
This is a GREAT song choice for Kris. The week he performed this was a standout performance for him for sure. Choosing to be on stage alone with the piano instead of with the other accompaniment like last time was a SMART choice. It put the focus on him, and really showed what an artist he is. I'm not sure what was different about it tonight, but when the camera first panned to him sitting at the piano I thought "he's an ARTIST". He really has come far. On the finale show when you sing a song you've already done, its hard to stand out... but I think he really did. It was better than before.
Round one goes to KRIS. (BTW... I typed this statement before Simon said it... LOL)
Now its on to Simon Fuller's choice...
Adam Lambert- "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Very interesting song for Adam. It's bluesy and when I think of the blues, I don't think of Adam. He's too happy to sing the blues. This song was weird for me. Maybe its because I'm not used to hearing this song performed in this slow bluesy-rock kind of way... and I'm only used to hearing it performed by R&B soul singers. Plus, I don't know if many people will recognize it performed in this fashion. I completely disagree with Kara's and Paula's comments that it was his best performance ever. I've heard much better weeks by him. I think they were just saying it to say it. Better than "Tracks of My Tears"? Better than "Whole Lotta Love"? I don't think so. The judges comment that I do agree with is Randy when he says that Adam can "sing his face off". That he can. And he proved he could with this song.
Kris Allen- "What's Goin' On"
What better song for an acoustic rock/pop artist to sing? Kris rocked out this performance if you ask me. It's CRAZY... because again, this performance really made me think that Kris is a credible artist with a career ahead of him. It finally has clicked for me tonight. With these two performances, I think people will connect more with this performance versus Adam, kind of like they connected with "Heartless" last week. It was fun and catchy... Clearly the judges didn't agree...
Round two is a draw for me.
Now it's time for the this year's single. "No Boundaries", co-written by Kara (surprise! not....) I've said in several reviews this season that if Adam would have sang a song by another contestant that he would have blown the other person out of the water. Well know, with Adam singing the same song as another contestant we will put that theory to the test. Going into this I am already a little nervous for Kris because we know that Adam can sing things flawlessly. It all depends on the song.
Adam Lambert- "No Boundaries"
I can't really comment on the performance until after I hear Kris sing it... I will say about the judges comments that Randy was right (there were some pitchy moments), Kara wouldn't say anything bad about it (because its her song), Paula says there aren't adjectives and then uses forty of them to describe Adam, and Simon puts it into perspective bringing up the entire season and that Adam has brought a lot to the show.
Kris Allen- "No Boundaries"
I will say this about Kris... you could tell in his eyes that he was giving everything in his being to sing the crap out of that song. Unfortunately I think it was this forcefulness that caused some super sour notes in the performance. I agree with Randy saying that the song fits Kris more than it fits Adam. With Kris it felt more natural. Adam's performance was too theatrical (surprise!) and after-school-specialish. Judging the two performances side-by-side, you have to give this round to Adam though. Kris's performance was just too strained which caused too many sour notes.
Round three goes to Adam.
SO.... recapping.... one round goes to Kris, one round to Adam and one is a tie. GREAT! This makes my prediction really easy.
Realistically... I think if Kris was going to win, he needed to come out and win all three rounds tonight. He needed to sway any voters who were on the fence that he is THE choice. I don't think he came out strong enough to do that. Plus with all of Danny's votes up for grabs this week, he needed to draw people in enough to make them pick up the phone for him instead of Danny. I think there is no question that Danny getting eliminated was the best thing that could happen for Kris. As my previous post with the voting maps showed, Kris is going to pull in all the conservative votes that may have been split between him and Danny in the past.
In regards to Adam, he didn't wipe the floor with Kris like he could have. He definitely left himself a little vulnerable tonight. But... I think with the way the judges comments went that Adam has the edge. Plus, I think Adam has people paying attention to American Idol like no other contestant in season's past. Sure there is watercooler talk about "who's going to win Idol?" every year... but this year its been "what do you think about that Adam Lambert?". Sure he's a love him or hate him contestant... but I think there are many, many people that love him.
Plus... let's be real... if we can elect a black man President, we can vote in a gay American Idol Winner. It's about time.
So there you have it folks... My official prediction is that Adam Lambert will win Season 8 of American Idol. I would love to hear your input. Feel free to leave comments! And THANKS FOR READING!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Familiar Battle?
So... Just my personal thoughts here... but I think the competition for the final two is going to be similar to a fight for the top honor that recently happened:
I think this is going to be a classic red states vs. blue states battle! We've got the big city guy versus the small town boy. West Coast versus Mid-west. Edgy versus Wholesome. Gay versus Straight. Liberal versus Conservative.
And just like that other famous election, I think this one will also be close! Only time will tell!
I think this is going to be a classic red states vs. blue states battle! We've got the big city guy versus the small town boy. West Coast versus Mid-west. Edgy versus Wholesome. Gay versus Straight. Liberal versus Conservative.
And just like that other famous election, I think this one will also be close! Only time will tell!
"A Big Ding-Dong"- Final 3 Results Show
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
After watching the results show I couldn't be any happier! What a SHOW! Here are a few highlights for me:
-Alicia Keys... Let's be real... is it possible to be any more gorgeous and poised? I love her and she looked AMAZING!
-Dancing/singing kid from Africa... mmm... not so much. Sure its cool that he learned the words in 1 week, but i still couldn't understand it. And did anyone else catch that the vocal track for the song made the backup singers sound like they had accents from Africa too? but clearly the camera showed them and they were like average American backup singers. Random!
-Jordin Sparks!!! OK, maybe it was because I listened to that new single of hers easily 50+ times yesterday (it is ROCKIN'! Check it out on iTunes)... but I thought this performance was FIERCE! She came out and rocked that stage that she never had before. We've always known her to be the cutesy you're-on-my-heart-just-like-a-tattoo girl... but last night she came out on that stage with passion in her eyes and she proved that she's a great singer and artist! I really think this single and next album could be great for her!
-Katy Perry's cape! Ummmm... when Katy Perry's performance started and she was wearing that cape that clearly said "Adam Lambert", but Rich and I looked at eachother with dropped jaws. A) That's pretty awesome that someone already in the industry loves a contestant enough to make him part of her wardrobe... and B) I find it crazy that the producer's would let her wear that, showing preference to one contestants... but then again these are the same producers that released official pictures to Entertainment Weekly so that they could do a cover story on Adam Lambert even before he has won the show! Craziness! Katy's performance? Well she really struggles singing live... we also saw this on the Grammy's.... but Katy is smart because she knows she has to make up for it in other areas so she had crazy costumes and backup dancers with big feather fans and money falling from the sky. I give her credit for playing that up.
The Homecomings: As you read in yesterday's post, I was upset that we didn't get to see more of the trips home, so I was glad that tonight they actually shows us this video. Here are some of my favorite moments:
Favorite moment of Danny's homecoming: Seeing Jamar! He totally got snubbed from being a part of the top 36... but I started to formulate a hypothesis about Jamar while I was watching Danny's homecoming. Maybe the judges purposely left Jamar out of the group so that he didn't have to compete against Danny, knowing that Jamar would try out again the following year? Because you KNOW that if Jamar comes back there will be this big story about him during the audution process about how he got cut, but he's coming back a better person, blah blah blah.... I am willing to put money on it now that it will happen. I guess we'll have to wait 'til 2010 to see if I'm right.
Favorite moment of Kris's homecoming: Kris's parents! Gosh they are just so proud of their son... as they should be. They seem like good people and its nice when good things happen to good people. As I said yesterday, these homecomings make the contestants' rise to stardom REAL. We saw during Kris's video that this is really REAL! It's making a huge difference in his life and the life of his family. I can't imagine the pride they were feeling as their son took the stage in Conway Arkansas in front of those thousands and thousands of people. They were bawling, and I would have been too.... I'm so happy for him and for them.
Favorite momet of Adam's homecoming: The kids at the performing arts school! How cute were they!?!? Especially that little boy that asked "How did you get so good at singing and dancing?" SO CUTE! Can you imagine being one of those kids and knowing that Adam was once in your shoes? What an inspiration! And it had to have been so cool for Adam to go back to his roots and be an inspiration to those kids. :-)
Now on to the results... I really felt that Adam and Kris were the deserving two of being the finalists... and AMERICA AGREED! I do have to say that when Ryan read of Kris's name first I was pretty damn shocked. I didn't see it coming that he would be called first... but then again, after it happened, I realized they did that so that it came down to Danny and Adam, the two that everyone though were going to be in the final from week one. There was about 2% of me that was scared that Danny made it through past Adam, but thankfully the other 98% of confidence was correct.
I honestly couldn't be happier with this final. If you look back at the top 13 contestants, it is clear that Kris and Adam are the best out of the bunch. They were the most creative... the most exciting... the most entertaining. They took more chances... and they had more "moments"... I couldn't be happier with this final.
I love when there is a final two that I truly would be happy if either contestant won. I believe the only other year this has happened was season six when I would have been happy with either Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis winning. Every other season I wanted one more than the other (Kelly over Justin, Fantasia over Diana, Carrie over Bo, Katharine over Taylor, Cook over Archuleta... and well... Ruben and Clay... I didn't really care for either so it didn't matter, LOL). Even though I have consistently loved Adam throughout the season, I wouldn't feel cheated if Kris came in and took the title away. I think either are very deserving.
So... as Simon said... next week is going to be "a big ding-dong" of a finale! I certainly can't wait!!!
I am hoping in the next couple of days I can do some posts leading up to the finale to get all of you pumped up for next week! So be checking back periodically! :-)
What are your thoughts on the final two? Danny's elimination? The streaker at Adam's homecoming? LOL. Click below to post a comment! :-)
After watching the results show I couldn't be any happier! What a SHOW! Here are a few highlights for me:
-Alicia Keys... Let's be real... is it possible to be any more gorgeous and poised? I love her and she looked AMAZING!
-Dancing/singing kid from Africa... mmm... not so much. Sure its cool that he learned the words in 1 week, but i still couldn't understand it. And did anyone else catch that the vocal track for the song made the backup singers sound like they had accents from Africa too? but clearly the camera showed them and they were like average American backup singers. Random!
-Jordin Sparks!!! OK, maybe it was because I listened to that new single of hers easily 50+ times yesterday (it is ROCKIN'! Check it out on iTunes)... but I thought this performance was FIERCE! She came out and rocked that stage that she never had before. We've always known her to be the cutesy you're-on-my-heart-just-like-a-tattoo girl... but last night she came out on that stage with passion in her eyes and she proved that she's a great singer and artist! I really think this single and next album could be great for her!
-Katy Perry's cape! Ummmm... when Katy Perry's performance started and she was wearing that cape that clearly said "Adam Lambert", but Rich and I looked at eachother with dropped jaws. A) That's pretty awesome that someone already in the industry loves a contestant enough to make him part of her wardrobe... and B) I find it crazy that the producer's would let her wear that, showing preference to one contestants... but then again these are the same producers that released official pictures to Entertainment Weekly so that they could do a cover story on Adam Lambert even before he has won the show! Craziness! Katy's performance? Well she really struggles singing live... we also saw this on the Grammy's.... but Katy is smart because she knows she has to make up for it in other areas so she had crazy costumes and backup dancers with big feather fans and money falling from the sky. I give her credit for playing that up.
The Homecomings: As you read in yesterday's post, I was upset that we didn't get to see more of the trips home, so I was glad that tonight they actually shows us this video. Here are some of my favorite moments:
Favorite moment of Danny's homecoming: Seeing Jamar! He totally got snubbed from being a part of the top 36... but I started to formulate a hypothesis about Jamar while I was watching Danny's homecoming. Maybe the judges purposely left Jamar out of the group so that he didn't have to compete against Danny, knowing that Jamar would try out again the following year? Because you KNOW that if Jamar comes back there will be this big story about him during the audution process about how he got cut, but he's coming back a better person, blah blah blah.... I am willing to put money on it now that it will happen. I guess we'll have to wait 'til 2010 to see if I'm right.
Favorite moment of Kris's homecoming: Kris's parents! Gosh they are just so proud of their son... as they should be. They seem like good people and its nice when good things happen to good people. As I said yesterday, these homecomings make the contestants' rise to stardom REAL. We saw during Kris's video that this is really REAL! It's making a huge difference in his life and the life of his family. I can't imagine the pride they were feeling as their son took the stage in Conway Arkansas in front of those thousands and thousands of people. They were bawling, and I would have been too.... I'm so happy for him and for them.
Favorite momet of Adam's homecoming: The kids at the performing arts school! How cute were they!?!? Especially that little boy that asked "How did you get so good at singing and dancing?" SO CUTE! Can you imagine being one of those kids and knowing that Adam was once in your shoes? What an inspiration! And it had to have been so cool for Adam to go back to his roots and be an inspiration to those kids. :-)
Now on to the results... I really felt that Adam and Kris were the deserving two of being the finalists... and AMERICA AGREED! I do have to say that when Ryan read of Kris's name first I was pretty damn shocked. I didn't see it coming that he would be called first... but then again, after it happened, I realized they did that so that it came down to Danny and Adam, the two that everyone though were going to be in the final from week one. There was about 2% of me that was scared that Danny made it through past Adam, but thankfully the other 98% of confidence was correct.
I honestly couldn't be happier with this final. If you look back at the top 13 contestants, it is clear that Kris and Adam are the best out of the bunch. They were the most creative... the most exciting... the most entertaining. They took more chances... and they had more "moments"... I couldn't be happier with this final.
I love when there is a final two that I truly would be happy if either contestant won. I believe the only other year this has happened was season six when I would have been happy with either Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis winning. Every other season I wanted one more than the other (Kelly over Justin, Fantasia over Diana, Carrie over Bo, Katharine over Taylor, Cook over Archuleta... and well... Ruben and Clay... I didn't really care for either so it didn't matter, LOL). Even though I have consistently loved Adam throughout the season, I wouldn't feel cheated if Kris came in and took the title away. I think either are very deserving.
So... as Simon said... next week is going to be "a big ding-dong" of a finale! I certainly can't wait!!!
I am hoping in the next couple of days I can do some posts leading up to the finale to get all of you pumped up for next week! So be checking back periodically! :-)
What are your thoughts on the final two? Danny's elimination? The streaker at Adam's homecoming? LOL. Click below to post a comment! :-)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
SEMI-FINALS! Top 3 Performances
Wow... this season really has flown by. I guess it hit me as there were only three contestants walking on to the stage last night. It seems like just yesterday that we were covering our ears from Tatiana's laughter... or laughing at the ridiculous Normund Gentle. But those memories are behind us and its time for the TOP THREE!
So a few general feelings about this episode:
-Every other top 3 show the contestants have always performed three songs. This season they really are changing things up with the four judges and not having enough time... so I'm sure this is why they only did two songs. Kinda makes me sad though because I really liked hearing more songs from the contestants and we've been cheated. PLUS... the more songs they sing, the more singles they can release to iTunes... so they are losing out on money!
-They didn't let us see very much of the contestants when they went home!!! I hope they are saving this footage for tonight... but it made me sad because I really like to watch that stuff. It really brings the whole rise to stardom thing into perspective.
OK... on to this weeks performances.
Danny Gokey- "Dance Little Sister" (Paula's Choice)
OK.... don't know if I missed this song when it originally came out, but I certainly didn't know it and I don't think that many other people did either. I think that pick could really hurt him tonight. You have to be able to connect with your audience and its really hard to connect on a song that no one has heard of. And that sax solo in the middle was awkward. If you want to see a good instrument solo in the middle of an Idol performance, watch Blake Lewis's "You Give Love A Bad Name".... now THAT was a good solo choice! In terms of Danny's singing, I think Danny did well. He's good at what he does... and it fit his vocal tone. Very Michael MacDonald-ish. If Danny has a career after this, it will be on adult contemporary radio singing Michael MacDonald like songs. He's not exciting enough to actually have a long standing career in pop music. I think the judges comments were a little inflated. It wasn't that awe-inspiring. I'm glad that Kara was real when she said "are we going to remember that performance tomorrow?" I think not.
Kris Allen- "Apologize" (Randy & Kara's Choice)
When I heard this song choice, I thought FANTASTIC! You could tell Kris thought so too when he read the text message. Great song... fits what Kris will probably do if he gets an album. I really think Kris did well with this performance. He did change it up a little bit here and there instead of being a completely karaoke performance. Did he make it completely Kris Allen? No. Not like other songs like "Ain't No Sunshine"... but he still did well. What crack was Paula smoking tonight when she said that he had one "bum note"? I certainly didn't hear it. I'm thinking maybe Paula just doesn't know the song and one of the odd notes caught her off guard. I do have to say that what Simon said to Kara has to rank up there with one of my favorite quotes of this whole season: "You can't choose a song for him and then blame him for doing the song". VERY TRUE! I think Kris did well with this... BUT... it wasn't "outta the park". Hopefully song two will be.
Adam Lambert- "One" (Simon's Choice)
In my opinion "One" is one of the best songs ever written. Powerful in both lyric and songwriting. The original by U2 if fantastic... the remake with U2 AND Mary J Blige is even more fantastic. I love that Simon said he personally called Bono to ask permission! :-) When I heard that Simon picked this for Adam, I was thrilled. It was a song that Adam could take and really have "a moment" with. Do I think he had "a moment"? Not to the extent I hoped. Not to the extent of a Carrie Underwood "Alone" or a David Cook "Billie Jean". There were fantastic notes and great phrasing... but I think he almost changed it up too much this time around. It also seemed rushed to me. "One" is a song where the original is easily 5 minutes or more so I think cutting it down to a minute and a half really compromised the greatness of the song. I am excited to hear the full iTunes version of the song though. OK... and Kara... there have been rumors that you may not be around for next season... and you making smartass comments to Simon is not going to help your cause any. Saying "I guess your theory maybe wasn't proven"... that was just plain stupid because it had NOTHING to do with Simon's point about your song choice for Kris. Kara is quickly becoming the queen of bad math AND stupid comments! But... back to Adam.... Compared to the others, Adam wins round one hands down... but I really wanted a bit more at this point.
ROUND TWO! Contestant's Choice!
Danny Gokey- "You Are So Beautiful"
Are you serious Danny? Out of all the songs you could have chosen you choose this sappy crap? BOO! Any credit that I gave you in the first review (which wasn't much) I take back. This was a boring, sappy choice if you ask me. And Joe Cocker? PREDICTABLE! So I'm back on the anti-Danny train. Surprise Surprise! That being said... I had my "WTF? Moment Of The Week" with the judges comments! They all prasied him like a musical god for this performance! I guarantee you that if you would have given this song to Kris OR Adam that they would have given a better performance of it. It really isn't that hard of a song to sing really. Simon's comment about it being a "vocal masterclass?" Kara calling it "stunning"? Paula saying it was "magic"?" I didn't get any of that. BORING, EASY and PREDICTABLE is what I could call it.
Kris Allen- "Heartless"
What a refreshment after Danny's ball of crap!!! Kris picked a song that NO ONE could have predicted! Who would have ever expected Kanye West? Not me... thats for sure. As soon as he said that was his choice, it got me excited. Excited to see what he would do with it and how it would change it up. To me... this performance was Kris's "moment". It was what he needed. It makes him current. It makes him relevant. It proves his creativity. It proves his talent. I would buy this on iTunes (in fact... I will tonight when it is released). What I like even more about this performance is that it was just Kris and his guitar! At this point in the competition it really showcased that he is a credible artist. Kris doesn't need the whole she-bang from the band and accompaniment. There are artists today that make millions and could NEVER do that! (ahem... Britney... *cough*... Kanye...) I'm glad that Randy said it was better than the original! It was! If this doesn't get Kris into the final... I'm not sure what would have.
Adam Lambert- "Cryin'"
This song choice was interesting to me. We know that Adam excels at rock songs, but after Rock Week last week, I personally would have liked to see something different from him. BUT... to Adam's credit... he could really afford to play it safe this week. If he would have picked a song that WASN'T rock... taking a chance on something different... it may have backfired on him. With it being final three, and coming in as the clear favorite, he didn't need to do anything more than he did. Did I love the performance? Not really actually. I liked it... but I think my standards and expectations for Adam are so high that I want to be blown away. ALSO... I was TOTALLY distracted by the over powering backup vocalist. Did anyone else notice this?!?! She was WAY too loud... they needed to adjust those levels... or just not have backup at all. Adam can handle it on his own. I was SOOOO glad that Simon made his comment about not assuming Adam is safe tonight... because he DOES deserve to be in the final, and people need to make sure they vote. I know I tried to vote but it was busy constantly.
This week's ranking:
1. Kris Allen
2. Adam Lambert
3. Danny Gokey
That ranking probably surprised you... but Kris really blew me away with the Heartless performance, and I really am rooting for him to make the finals. I also tried voting for Kris but his line was also constantly busy. Hopefully that means he will make it through. We'll see.
Who's going home: There is SOOOO much pressure for this pick! My record so far is FLAWLESS! With these three it is possible that any of them could be there in the final two... unlike past years (last year you knew Syesha wasn't going to beat out either of the David's... and Season 3 you knew that Jasmine wasn't going to beat out Fantasia or Diana). I would like to think Adam is a shoe in... so is going to be Adam and Danny or Adam and Kris. Personally, I really hope its Adam and Kris. Kris has made this competition exciting. He has changed up songs and kept us on our toes. Danny has been boring and hasn't broken out of his little confortable box. Also... I don't want to be rude, but let's be real about this situation (as we should be real in the final three): Would Danny have been as appealing to the general public if he first wasn't introduced to us with the story about his wife? That immediately drew us to him. Kris on the other hand didn't have that backstory and wasn't even featured at all in the preview/audition weeks. He had to work for all the credit and fan-dom that he has in this competition... and he worked hard. He deserves it.
I hope America agrees with me.
For this reasoning... my prediction is that Danny will go home this week. Please let me be right!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Rock Week: Top 4 Performances
So this week HAS to be good, right? It's the top FOUR! :-)
Well... the show starts off with Ryan breaking some interesting news. First of all... there was not a proper rehersal tonight. First thing I thought of was the day I went to the live show and there were all the people there for the dress rehersal... and if I would have been there tonight with tickets for the dress rehersal and it didn't happen, I would have been HEART BROKEN!
Next up... Ryan tells us the performers will be singing duets?!?! Really??? an Idol first to sing duets NOT during the finals. This should be interesting.
Next we get to see the video package about Slash. Slash talks??? Really? I guess I never heard him speak... just play guitar. It will be interesting to see what he has to say about the contestants. To me it seems like people like Slash and Jamie Foxx would almost consider themselves "above" American Idol... so I find it interesting that they are mentoring this season.
So we start the night off with...
Adam Lambert- "A Whole Lotta Love"
Was there any question that Adam was not going to knock this one out of the park? We knew from semi's singing "Satisfaction" that Adam's voice lends itself well to this. I do have to say that I never expected to hear Zeppelin on Idol ever... and if anyone was going to do it, I'm glad it was Adam. He did it justice. And Compared to other weeks, I think it actually was a little less "over the top"... which was good. It was more subdued.... resting more on vocals than performance. Like Paula said, Adam is a whole lotta perfect. Vocals are flawless. He is at a whole different level than the other three remaining singers.
Allison Iraheta- "Cry Baby"
Allison really turned my opinions of her around last week (enough for me to rank her first!) so will she keep it going tonight? Well.... hmmm.... At first the song choice seemed logical, but I agreed with Randy that it may not have been good for her. The lower register and verses were kinda boring, but her voice shined during the chorus. Too bad the only lyrics in the chorus are "Cry, cry baby".... Would have liked to hear a bit more in her higher register. My favorite part of Allison's segment was during her judging when she said she didn't want to sing Piece of My Heart because "it has been done on the show so many times...". WHAT?!?! Since when did singing songs that have been done on the show a million times influence your song choice Allison? It certainly didn't for the first 90% of the competition!
"Renegade"- Kris Allen & Danny Gokey
Simon says Danny was better than Kris? NO WAY! Kris's sound lent itself so much better to that song. I definitely didn't think it was a great performance by either to be honest.... but I think this performance did expose Danny's vulerability... he looked uncomfortable with this sort of song if you ask me. Not that it is a surprise. If it was gospel week he would have looked like Adam up there.
Kris Allen- "Come Together"
It's interesting what Kris did with this song, taking the rhythym and slowing it down a couple beats.... It definitely gave it a true rock vibe. I hate to buy into Kara's overusage of the term this season, but Kris did have some good rock "swagger" with this performance. It shows that he is mulit-faceted in my opinion. He can come out and sing a gentle poppy tune and win all the ladies over.... or he can come out a bit harder and rock it. I liked it... and do give him props for still playing guitar this week. I feel bad because the judges comments seem like they are setting him up for elimination this week... and I truly believe that he doesn't deserve to go home yet. He's the most current of all four. I felt bad to see the dejected look on Kris's face... because he's had way too many good weeks to feel bad about this week. I just hope it wasn't the nail in his coffin.
Danny Gokey- "Dream On"
WHY did the crowd like this or go crazy for him??? The first part was OK.... I'll give him that much. but the end was HORRIBLE! The scream sounded like a mixture of Gollum from Lord of the Rings and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz (especially at the end when she's melting). I'm glad that Simon called him out on it. But I'm glad that Danny sang this song because he showed that he is NO WHERE near as good as Adam. You all know that if Adam would have performed Dream On that he would have hit that end note with perfection. If this is a singing competition, then we need to reward the singers... and Danny clearly couldn't sing that song. If you're gonna pick Dream On, you know you have to hit that note. Your bad, Danny.
"Slow Ride"- Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert
Definitely an interesting song choice. I expected more of a glam rockish song choice, instead of this harder song.... but it worked for them. The thing that made this duet better than the other is that they actually had chemistry together. They worked to sing this song together... unlike Kris and Danny who were just each singing their own parts. Adam and Allison looked good and sang good. I'm actually looking forward to seeing them perform together on the tour now.
This week's ranking:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
Who's going home: Yikes... here's where it gets tough everyone. Well... we know one thing... Adam is safe. He's not going home. Now the other three is kinda a toss up. We know Allison's fanbase isn't as strong as others because she's been in the bottom more than another other contestant left. Now with Danny, he was easily the worst of the night, but he's NEVER been in the bottom... so clearly he does have the fanbase. Kris has consistently done well until being in the bottom three last week... and we know he has the female fanbase (Tweens and Cougars always vote!) And I think any female fanbase that Matt Giraud may have had before would get transferred over to Kris.... So this is really really tough. I truly believe that it will come down to a couple thousand votes.
My hope is that it will be Danny.... and the signs are pointing to Kris... but my gut is saying Allison because she's been in the bottom three so many other times. I guess we will have to wait and see!
Now... to end this post... I'll leave you with a good laugh. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6wiYAJjaGo
Well... the show starts off with Ryan breaking some interesting news. First of all... there was not a proper rehersal tonight. First thing I thought of was the day I went to the live show and there were all the people there for the dress rehersal... and if I would have been there tonight with tickets for the dress rehersal and it didn't happen, I would have been HEART BROKEN!
Next up... Ryan tells us the performers will be singing duets?!?! Really??? an Idol first to sing duets NOT during the finals. This should be interesting.
Next we get to see the video package about Slash. Slash talks??? Really? I guess I never heard him speak... just play guitar. It will be interesting to see what he has to say about the contestants. To me it seems like people like Slash and Jamie Foxx would almost consider themselves "above" American Idol... so I find it interesting that they are mentoring this season.
So we start the night off with...
Adam Lambert- "A Whole Lotta Love"
Was there any question that Adam was not going to knock this one out of the park? We knew from semi's singing "Satisfaction" that Adam's voice lends itself well to this. I do have to say that I never expected to hear Zeppelin on Idol ever... and if anyone was going to do it, I'm glad it was Adam. He did it justice. And Compared to other weeks, I think it actually was a little less "over the top"... which was good. It was more subdued.... resting more on vocals than performance. Like Paula said, Adam is a whole lotta perfect. Vocals are flawless. He is at a whole different level than the other three remaining singers.
Allison Iraheta- "Cry Baby"
Allison really turned my opinions of her around last week (enough for me to rank her first!) so will she keep it going tonight? Well.... hmmm.... At first the song choice seemed logical, but I agreed with Randy that it may not have been good for her. The lower register and verses were kinda boring, but her voice shined during the chorus. Too bad the only lyrics in the chorus are "Cry, cry baby".... Would have liked to hear a bit more in her higher register. My favorite part of Allison's segment was during her judging when she said she didn't want to sing Piece of My Heart because "it has been done on the show so many times...". WHAT?!?! Since when did singing songs that have been done on the show a million times influence your song choice Allison? It certainly didn't for the first 90% of the competition!
"Renegade"- Kris Allen & Danny Gokey
Simon says Danny was better than Kris? NO WAY! Kris's sound lent itself so much better to that song. I definitely didn't think it was a great performance by either to be honest.... but I think this performance did expose Danny's vulerability... he looked uncomfortable with this sort of song if you ask me. Not that it is a surprise. If it was gospel week he would have looked like Adam up there.
Kris Allen- "Come Together"
It's interesting what Kris did with this song, taking the rhythym and slowing it down a couple beats.... It definitely gave it a true rock vibe. I hate to buy into Kara's overusage of the term this season, but Kris did have some good rock "swagger" with this performance. It shows that he is mulit-faceted in my opinion. He can come out and sing a gentle poppy tune and win all the ladies over.... or he can come out a bit harder and rock it. I liked it... and do give him props for still playing guitar this week. I feel bad because the judges comments seem like they are setting him up for elimination this week... and I truly believe that he doesn't deserve to go home yet. He's the most current of all four. I felt bad to see the dejected look on Kris's face... because he's had way too many good weeks to feel bad about this week. I just hope it wasn't the nail in his coffin.
Danny Gokey- "Dream On"
WHY did the crowd like this or go crazy for him??? The first part was OK.... I'll give him that much. but the end was HORRIBLE! The scream sounded like a mixture of Gollum from Lord of the Rings and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz (especially at the end when she's melting). I'm glad that Simon called him out on it. But I'm glad that Danny sang this song because he showed that he is NO WHERE near as good as Adam. You all know that if Adam would have performed Dream On that he would have hit that end note with perfection. If this is a singing competition, then we need to reward the singers... and Danny clearly couldn't sing that song. If you're gonna pick Dream On, you know you have to hit that note. Your bad, Danny.
"Slow Ride"- Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert
Definitely an interesting song choice. I expected more of a glam rockish song choice, instead of this harder song.... but it worked for them. The thing that made this duet better than the other is that they actually had chemistry together. They worked to sing this song together... unlike Kris and Danny who were just each singing their own parts. Adam and Allison looked good and sang good. I'm actually looking forward to seeing them perform together on the tour now.
This week's ranking:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Allison Iraheta
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
Who's going home: Yikes... here's where it gets tough everyone. Well... we know one thing... Adam is safe. He's not going home. Now the other three is kinda a toss up. We know Allison's fanbase isn't as strong as others because she's been in the bottom more than another other contestant left. Now with Danny, he was easily the worst of the night, but he's NEVER been in the bottom... so clearly he does have the fanbase. Kris has consistently done well until being in the bottom three last week... and we know he has the female fanbase (Tweens and Cougars always vote!) And I think any female fanbase that Matt Giraud may have had before would get transferred over to Kris.... So this is really really tough. I truly believe that it will come down to a couple thousand votes.
My hope is that it will be Danny.... and the signs are pointing to Kris... but my gut is saying Allison because she's been in the bottom three so many other times. I guess we will have to wait and see!
Now... to end this post... I'll leave you with a good laugh. Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6wiYAJjaGo
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Rat Pack Week: Top 5 Performances
It's down to business now... we go from seven to five, and that is a huge cut. I was super sad to find out earlier today that the contestants were only going to sing one song. Every other season they sing two songs at this point in the show. Supposedly the producers were afraid that the show would go long again if they tried to do ten songs in an hour (shoulda thought about that when you added a fourth judge!). Anyway.... let the reviews begin!
Kris Allen- "The Way You Look Tonight"
Kris got some mad crazy props from Jamie Foxx! That's for sure. Not really sure if I agree.... but must have been cool to hear that from a superstar. Someone else I don't agree with is Randy.... saying that this was Kris's best performance all season!!! Seriously Randy?!?! This performance wasn't even close to "Ain't No Sunshine" or "Falling Slowly". Honestly, I think this is one of Kris's weakest weeks. The song had some pitchy parts to it, and frankly it was kind of boring. I really like Kris when he mixes stuff up and does his acoustic, poppy versions of songs. When he does that, it makes him a relevant artist. Tonight, I think he got lost in trying to be something he's not. I agree with Kara that Kris is a "dark horse" in the competition. If anyone can steal the 2nd place slot from Danny, it's Kris. I certainly hope he does.... but he's not going to with performances like this.
Allison Iraheta- "Someone To Watch Over Me"
So its no surprise reading my past blogs that I'm not a fan of Allison. During Kara's critique she said that Allison won over some new fans tonight... and I AGREE 100%! Tonight she won me over BIG TIME!. It was the first week that her interview didn't annoy me.... and then she comes out on stage (looking the best she's looked all season) and gives a flawless performance. I partly agree with Randy's comment that it sounded a bit like Pink (but disagree when he said "but you had 7,000 more octives"... Pink has an amazing range, Randy!) This week is really a turning point for me with Allison. For the first time, she made me think that she deserves to be at this level of competition. And... I'm actually looking forward to downloading this from iTunes. With it getting down to just a few contestants left, we all know that there are a few contestants "on the brink" of elimination (and their names are not Adam or Danny). Being at risk, Allison needed to do something amazing tonight.... and she did. Hands down.
Matt Giraud- "My Funny Valentine"
Oh Matt.... Matt Matt Matt Matt MATT! This was the big week for you! If you make top four, then Idol gets to come to Kalamazoo! And how cool would that be. Well... I'm sorry to say, for the hometown boy, that I don't think Idol will be making the trip to Michigan this year. The song was SUPER pitchy. When he was in the low register, it was... well... bad. The final note was REALLY good... but it wasn't enough to win over the whole performance. I agree with Randy that he picked the hardest song of the night. The range of that song is fierce... but unfortunately I think it exposed that Matt's range is not. Usually I'm on Simon's side.... but tonight, I disagree that Matt's performance was "brilliant". It left me wanting more. A lot more.
Danny Gokey- "Come Rain or Come Shine"
OK.... so its not a word I like to use to critique people often.... but tonight, out loud to the TV, I called Danny a "douche". He is! He has this cocky sense of entitlement that is turning me completely off. I can't even look at his face anymore. That cocky smile of his is smiliar to a painted on smile of a scary-looking clown. Ewww! And... I love that during his pre-interview with Jamie that he said he "wasn't going to change it up much"..... hmmm... maybe because you NEVER do Danny. Bring me something interesting just once, please. Kara said that the ending was the most creative he's been all season.... well that doesn't take much! This performance was oversung just like most of his previous performance. I'm so ready for Danny to go home.... but unfortunately, there are enough dumb Americans out there that he's not going home anytime soon.
Adam Lambert- "Feelin' Good"
OK... so historically, this song is one of those "kiss of death" songs. If you look back at contestants who have sang this in the past... they have gotten eliminated. But this time, there is NO WAY Adam will be leaving. Let's talk song choice: PERFECT fit for Adam. Performance: Fun with the entrance on the stairs. Vocals: What we come to expect from Adam. Overall.... this is another great performance from Adam. It hasn't topped a few others as his best in my mind, but consistently great. I'm excited for next week when the Idols will sing TWO songs so I can hear him twice in one night. Once is not enough!
This week's ranking:
1. Allison Iraheta (I know folks... shocker!)
2. Adam Lambert
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
5. Matt Giraud
Who will be in the bottom two: Matt & Kris, I think.... Danny & Adam are too strong, and Allison did too well tonight (not to mention she's the only girl left... so any "girl power" votes will go to her).
Who will go home: The judges saved him two weeks ago... and American saved him last week. This week, I think it will take a miracle to save him. As sad as it will be to see the Kalamazoo boy leave... I think its hasta la vista Matt.
Kris Allen- "The Way You Look Tonight"
Kris got some mad crazy props from Jamie Foxx! That's for sure. Not really sure if I agree.... but must have been cool to hear that from a superstar. Someone else I don't agree with is Randy.... saying that this was Kris's best performance all season!!! Seriously Randy?!?! This performance wasn't even close to "Ain't No Sunshine" or "Falling Slowly". Honestly, I think this is one of Kris's weakest weeks. The song had some pitchy parts to it, and frankly it was kind of boring. I really like Kris when he mixes stuff up and does his acoustic, poppy versions of songs. When he does that, it makes him a relevant artist. Tonight, I think he got lost in trying to be something he's not. I agree with Kara that Kris is a "dark horse" in the competition. If anyone can steal the 2nd place slot from Danny, it's Kris. I certainly hope he does.... but he's not going to with performances like this.
Allison Iraheta- "Someone To Watch Over Me"
So its no surprise reading my past blogs that I'm not a fan of Allison. During Kara's critique she said that Allison won over some new fans tonight... and I AGREE 100%! Tonight she won me over BIG TIME!. It was the first week that her interview didn't annoy me.... and then she comes out on stage (looking the best she's looked all season) and gives a flawless performance. I partly agree with Randy's comment that it sounded a bit like Pink (but disagree when he said "but you had 7,000 more octives"... Pink has an amazing range, Randy!) This week is really a turning point for me with Allison. For the first time, she made me think that she deserves to be at this level of competition. And... I'm actually looking forward to downloading this from iTunes. With it getting down to just a few contestants left, we all know that there are a few contestants "on the brink" of elimination (and their names are not Adam or Danny). Being at risk, Allison needed to do something amazing tonight.... and she did. Hands down.
Matt Giraud- "My Funny Valentine"
Oh Matt.... Matt Matt Matt Matt MATT! This was the big week for you! If you make top four, then Idol gets to come to Kalamazoo! And how cool would that be. Well... I'm sorry to say, for the hometown boy, that I don't think Idol will be making the trip to Michigan this year. The song was SUPER pitchy. When he was in the low register, it was... well... bad. The final note was REALLY good... but it wasn't enough to win over the whole performance. I agree with Randy that he picked the hardest song of the night. The range of that song is fierce... but unfortunately I think it exposed that Matt's range is not. Usually I'm on Simon's side.... but tonight, I disagree that Matt's performance was "brilliant". It left me wanting more. A lot more.
Danny Gokey- "Come Rain or Come Shine"
OK.... so its not a word I like to use to critique people often.... but tonight, out loud to the TV, I called Danny a "douche". He is! He has this cocky sense of entitlement that is turning me completely off. I can't even look at his face anymore. That cocky smile of his is smiliar to a painted on smile of a scary-looking clown. Ewww! And... I love that during his pre-interview with Jamie that he said he "wasn't going to change it up much"..... hmmm... maybe because you NEVER do Danny. Bring me something interesting just once, please. Kara said that the ending was the most creative he's been all season.... well that doesn't take much! This performance was oversung just like most of his previous performance. I'm so ready for Danny to go home.... but unfortunately, there are enough dumb Americans out there that he's not going home anytime soon.
Adam Lambert- "Feelin' Good"
OK... so historically, this song is one of those "kiss of death" songs. If you look back at contestants who have sang this in the past... they have gotten eliminated. But this time, there is NO WAY Adam will be leaving. Let's talk song choice: PERFECT fit for Adam. Performance: Fun with the entrance on the stairs. Vocals: What we come to expect from Adam. Overall.... this is another great performance from Adam. It hasn't topped a few others as his best in my mind, but consistently great. I'm excited for next week when the Idols will sing TWO songs so I can hear him twice in one night. Once is not enough!
This week's ranking:
1. Allison Iraheta (I know folks... shocker!)
2. Adam Lambert
3. Kris Allen
4. Danny Gokey
5. Matt Giraud
Who will be in the bottom two: Matt & Kris, I think.... Danny & Adam are too strong, and Allison did too well tonight (not to mention she's the only girl left... so any "girl power" votes will go to her).
Who will go home: The judges saved him two weeks ago... and American saved him last week. This week, I think it will take a miracle to save him. As sad as it will be to see the Kalamazoo boy leave... I think its hasta la vista Matt.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Idol Prediction: Disco Week
So I've been super swamped in life and work lately and didn't have a chance to write a recap! I apologize!!! But just wanted to post quickly before the results show here and give my predictions! Had to get them down on here... because so far this season I'm on a roll... so...
Lil is going home for sure...
the other spot could be Anoop or Matt (and I'll even go out on a limb and say MAYBE Allison).... but I think it will be Anoop because Matt's fans will have voted a lot to save him after the judges saved him last week. We'll see. I mean... he did sing "Stayin' Alive", so its gotta be good for something. It can't be his swan song. That would just be punishment to sing "Stayin' Alive" on your way out....
We'll see if I'm right in a bit!
Again... to all the loyal readers, I'm sorry I didn't get to post. Until next time.... :-)
Lil is going home for sure...
the other spot could be Anoop or Matt (and I'll even go out on a limb and say MAYBE Allison).... but I think it will be Anoop because Matt's fans will have voted a lot to save him after the judges saved him last week. We'll see. I mean... he did sing "Stayin' Alive", so its gotta be good for something. It can't be his swan song. That would just be punishment to sing "Stayin' Alive" on your way out....
We'll see if I'm right in a bit!
Again... to all the loyal readers, I'm sorry I didn't get to post. Until next time.... :-)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Songs of the Cinema: Top 7 Results
Damn, I'm good.
:-)
We'll get back to that later.... lol!
Tonight's results had its ups (like Paula's boobs pushed UP in that dress!) and its downs (like the downturn in performances by the special guests).... but all in all, it will be the most talked about results show in a really long time.
First... can I say that this week FINALLY had a really good group song? I know "Maniac" isn't a song everyone would prefer to hear in a group sing-a-long... but I thought it actually was pretty good. It ws good for three reasons:
1) No lip syncing! YAY!
2) No Scott
3) No Megan
When you take Scott and Megan out of the equation, the Idols actually sounded pretty darn good together! :-) Plus, I liked that they gave each of the Idols their own part of the song to sing. It did seem like they were featuring Matt though. Hmmmm.... maybe they were bringing attention to him for a reason? lol. I do have to say though... that after watching that group song, it did make me a wee bit more excited for the American Idol tour this summer. I said after the atrocity that was last year's tour that it would take me a lot to go to this year's... but I think Adam alone is enough to get me there. Add in a side of Kris, and I'm sold!
The guest performances??? Umm. Not impressed. OK, so I know Jennifer Hudson can sing. And I actually do like her first single "Spotlight".... but this song she sang tonight was horrible! Whichever agent or manager told her to release this as her next single should be fired. I wasn't drawn into the performance at all.... It didn't make me want to go to iTunes and purchase it. And let's be real folks... these stars do the show for publicity which leads to sales!
Miley? I really do like this song (yes... I know its a cheesy inspirational song, but I do like it). The performance was SOOOOO WEIRD though!!! Was I the only one that thought she was high on drugs? I mean seriously! The glassy eyes were out of control! Whenever the camera would do the famous Idol sweep from one side of the stage to the other she would just look blankly straight ahead and not into the camera at all! There was absolutely no connection there. And sour notes. And a dress that didn't fit her (size wise or personality wise). Plus... get that damn hair out of your face girl! Sheesh! You're on Idol wearing a ball gown and you're gonna let your hair fall in your face like you're wearing a tshirt and jeans?!?! whatever.
So.... here's some more Idol insider scoop that you may not know. Neither Miley or Jennifer were there tonight. In fact, I'm almost positive that Jennifer Hudson taped her performance the week before I went to the show (three weeks ago) and Miley taped her segment the week I was there (two weeks ago). The tapings were done either after the results shows those weeks.... or after the dress rehersal tapings with the live audience.
How do I know this??? Well first of all, when I was at the show I heard about them taping Jennifer Hudson's performance the week before... and did get a little rumor from another person that Miley was taping the same week I was there. So tonight, when it said they were performing, I paid close attention. If you notice, first of all the stage is completely clear.... no contestants (that would give it away). Plus, I noticed that the four people sitting in the judges seats are NOT THE JUDGES! I promise you. If you have DVR, go back and check. From behind they look like Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon.... because they are stand-ins, hired to look like them! :-) There are a couple times when the camera does that famous "Idol-sweep" across the stage, and when they come around the circle you can see the front side of the "Randy" and "Kara" and it is OBVIOUSLY not them. Plus.... let's be real... if Jennifer was singing in front of the judges, the producers would cut in shots of the judges looking on, so "proud" of thier Idol alum. And I would take a good guess that they would want them to make comments about how far the contestant has come. None of that happened.
And if that wasn't enough to convince you.... how about all of that fog on the stage for Miley's performance that mysteriously dissapears when they shoot over to Anoop and Lil sitting on the stools. FAKE! I love that I got to go to the show though, because now I can totally pick out the fake elements when they happen.
OK.... so on to the biggest deal.... the results.
Can I be honest that I was a little sad for Anoop. He did really, really well last night. One of his best, no doubt.... but the kid still can't get a break! I'm glad he was the first one sent to safety though..... because I wouldn't have wanted to see him go through standing in the bottom two AGAIN!
The other two in the bottom two were no shock: Lil and Matt. I think almost everyone you ask who watches the show could have told you that was going to happen.
Then.... what happens?!?! Matt is the lowest vote getter and must sing for his survival. (Note to readers: I TOTALLY owned this in my write up of last nights recap and predictions.... I TOTALLY said that was going to happen. Yeah... I'm a B.A.)
I think the moment was absolutely right for the judges to use the save. Matt sang better... the crowd was chanting incessently. It was perfect. Plus... let's be real.... Matt IS worthy of the save. I agree that he's not going to win.... but he's much better than he was this week.
(side note: wtf was up with Paula and Kara standing and singing along with Matt?!?! That was hella awkward!)
Here's one thing that I will almost guarantee: Unless Matt completely bombs next week, there's no way he's going home.... even with two people leaving next week. Because of all the awareness this will bring him and the show for being "the chosen one"... all the people that love matt are going to rally behind him and vote vote vote!
With two people going home, it really makes things interesting. I think Lil will be one for sure...and I guess it depends on the performances. The second person could be Matt... Anoop.... Allison.
OK... my eyes are literally closing... so I better head to bed. Happy reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!!
:-)
We'll get back to that later.... lol!
Tonight's results had its ups (like Paula's boobs pushed UP in that dress!) and its downs (like the downturn in performances by the special guests).... but all in all, it will be the most talked about results show in a really long time.
First... can I say that this week FINALLY had a really good group song? I know "Maniac" isn't a song everyone would prefer to hear in a group sing-a-long... but I thought it actually was pretty good. It ws good for three reasons:
1) No lip syncing! YAY!
2) No Scott
3) No Megan
When you take Scott and Megan out of the equation, the Idols actually sounded pretty darn good together! :-) Plus, I liked that they gave each of the Idols their own part of the song to sing. It did seem like they were featuring Matt though. Hmmmm.... maybe they were bringing attention to him for a reason? lol. I do have to say though... that after watching that group song, it did make me a wee bit more excited for the American Idol tour this summer. I said after the atrocity that was last year's tour that it would take me a lot to go to this year's... but I think Adam alone is enough to get me there. Add in a side of Kris, and I'm sold!
The guest performances??? Umm. Not impressed. OK, so I know Jennifer Hudson can sing. And I actually do like her first single "Spotlight".... but this song she sang tonight was horrible! Whichever agent or manager told her to release this as her next single should be fired. I wasn't drawn into the performance at all.... It didn't make me want to go to iTunes and purchase it. And let's be real folks... these stars do the show for publicity which leads to sales!
Miley? I really do like this song (yes... I know its a cheesy inspirational song, but I do like it). The performance was SOOOOO WEIRD though!!! Was I the only one that thought she was high on drugs? I mean seriously! The glassy eyes were out of control! Whenever the camera would do the famous Idol sweep from one side of the stage to the other she would just look blankly straight ahead and not into the camera at all! There was absolutely no connection there. And sour notes. And a dress that didn't fit her (size wise or personality wise). Plus... get that damn hair out of your face girl! Sheesh! You're on Idol wearing a ball gown and you're gonna let your hair fall in your face like you're wearing a tshirt and jeans?!?! whatever.
So.... here's some more Idol insider scoop that you may not know. Neither Miley or Jennifer were there tonight. In fact, I'm almost positive that Jennifer Hudson taped her performance the week before I went to the show (three weeks ago) and Miley taped her segment the week I was there (two weeks ago). The tapings were done either after the results shows those weeks.... or after the dress rehersal tapings with the live audience.
How do I know this??? Well first of all, when I was at the show I heard about them taping Jennifer Hudson's performance the week before... and did get a little rumor from another person that Miley was taping the same week I was there. So tonight, when it said they were performing, I paid close attention. If you notice, first of all the stage is completely clear.... no contestants (that would give it away). Plus, I noticed that the four people sitting in the judges seats are NOT THE JUDGES! I promise you. If you have DVR, go back and check. From behind they look like Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon.... because they are stand-ins, hired to look like them! :-) There are a couple times when the camera does that famous "Idol-sweep" across the stage, and when they come around the circle you can see the front side of the "Randy" and "Kara" and it is OBVIOUSLY not them. Plus.... let's be real... if Jennifer was singing in front of the judges, the producers would cut in shots of the judges looking on, so "proud" of thier Idol alum. And I would take a good guess that they would want them to make comments about how far the contestant has come. None of that happened.
And if that wasn't enough to convince you.... how about all of that fog on the stage for Miley's performance that mysteriously dissapears when they shoot over to Anoop and Lil sitting on the stools. FAKE! I love that I got to go to the show though, because now I can totally pick out the fake elements when they happen.
OK.... so on to the biggest deal.... the results.
Can I be honest that I was a little sad for Anoop. He did really, really well last night. One of his best, no doubt.... but the kid still can't get a break! I'm glad he was the first one sent to safety though..... because I wouldn't have wanted to see him go through standing in the bottom two AGAIN!
The other two in the bottom two were no shock: Lil and Matt. I think almost everyone you ask who watches the show could have told you that was going to happen.
Then.... what happens?!?! Matt is the lowest vote getter and must sing for his survival. (Note to readers: I TOTALLY owned this in my write up of last nights recap and predictions.... I TOTALLY said that was going to happen. Yeah... I'm a B.A.)
I think the moment was absolutely right for the judges to use the save. Matt sang better... the crowd was chanting incessently. It was perfect. Plus... let's be real.... Matt IS worthy of the save. I agree that he's not going to win.... but he's much better than he was this week.
(side note: wtf was up with Paula and Kara standing and singing along with Matt?!?! That was hella awkward!)
Here's one thing that I will almost guarantee: Unless Matt completely bombs next week, there's no way he's going home.... even with two people leaving next week. Because of all the awareness this will bring him and the show for being "the chosen one"... all the people that love matt are going to rally behind him and vote vote vote!
With two people going home, it really makes things interesting. I think Lil will be one for sure...and I guess it depends on the performances. The second person could be Matt... Anoop.... Allison.
OK... my eyes are literally closing... so I better head to bed. Happy reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Songs of the Cinema: Top 7 Performances
Quentin Tarantino is the mentor for this week of Songs from the Cinema. Quentin kinda bugs me... and when we're talking abou the show running over on time did we really need a 4 minute video introduction of Quentin Tarantino and his movies? I don't think so.
Speaking of going over on time... this week we only get to hear two judges per contestant. To me, that's not fair. Let's be real: Everyone waits to hear what Simon's opinion is, and I feel bad that some of the contestants won't get to have a Simon critique. It can really make or break a performance... and I think Simon really, truly has a strong effect on people's votes. I guess we'll see with the results if it really makes a difference or not. Hopefully during the results show they will ask Simon what he thought about the contestants he didn't get to comment on.
On to the performances!!!!
Allison Iraheta- "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
OK... Allison is obviously not reading my blog. She picks yet ANOTHER song that has been done on Idol a bajillion times! UGH! Performed four times in the past including last season by David Cook. Ridiculous. In other news.... she looks better this week, thank goodness. Also.... Is it just me or was this a super awkward arrangement? I know that every week they have to take a 4 or 5 minute song and cut it down to a minute thirty or two minutes.... but with some songs you don't even notice it. This arrangement seemed like it cut to forty different parts of the song so abruptly. So we've talked about song choice, fashion and arrangement... I guess I should talk about the performance. It was OK... but I'm still "meh" about Allison. Parts of it I think sounded like she was congested. The last note was decent... but the rest was "just alright for me dawg".
Anoop Desai- "Everything I Do I Do It For You"
First thoughts: oh great.... another ballad by Anoop. But... Anoop really surprised me with this performance! In fact... I think it was probably his best to date. He changed up enough of the song to make it interesting... and the parts he changed up were really good. I agree with Kara that he put a lot more emotion into this performance than he had in weeks past. This performance will definitely be enough to get Anoop through to the next round... and it may just be the first song of Anoop's that I will purchase from iTunes.
Adam Lambert- "Born To Be Wild"
I was a little hesitant at first... I wasn't sure if Adam was going to be able to switch up Born To Be Wild and give it his signature touch. Even through the first 30 seconds of the song, I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away. Then... true Adam kicked in and yet again he knocked another performance out of the park! The ending to that song??? UH-MAZING! That was the true meaning of "singing your face off". No one else can do that!!!! I think that is the true sign of someone deserving of the title of American Idol: Adam could have sang ANY of the other songs performed tonight and done them well.... but no other contestant could have song "Born To Be Wild" and come close to touching Adam. I'm so excited to get to the weeks when the contestants start singing two songs per week so that I can hear 2 Adam performances!
Matt Giraud- "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"
OK... so I don't like the song... the original single I mean. So when I heard Matt was singing it, i was initially worried. The beginning of the performance was great... just Matt and the piano. Then, as it went on, I unfortunately had to agree with the judges that I think Matt tried to do a little too much with the song. There certainly were sour notes in there. I'm a little scared for Matt this week. We know that he's been in the bottom a couple of times... so his fan base obviously isn't as strong as some others... and as we're getting down to fewer and fewer contestants Matt cannot afford to give a less-than-stellar performance... and this week he did.
Danny Gokey- "Endless Love"
Danny sans glasses? Hmmm.... odd.... Song choice? Predictable. Another ballad sang just like the original arrangement. Nothing different. Danny is getting SO BORING to me! I agree with Simon one hundred percent when he says that he needs to do something where he can make the song his own. For once Danny it a super sour note too... usually thats one area you can bank on with Danny. *yawn*
Kris Allen- "Falling Slowly"
This is a great track from the little known movie "Once". My gut was that this could be a risky choice because the song and the movie will not be recognizable by most (although this song DID with the Oscar for best song from a movie two years ago!). I give him props for this song choice (ahem.... Allison.... take note). When it comes to the judges comments... I 100% agree with (dramatic pause, a`la Ryan Secrest.....)...... Kara! This was "a moment" for Kris. I think it was a dramatic song and he gave an emotion-filled performance. The range of this song is crazy too... it starts super low and yet he hit those high notes well. Kris continues to sail through, in my opinion. Probably the biggest shocker of the season to me.... at the beginning of semi's I wouldn't have ever thought he'd last thing long, but he'd doing what he's got to do to make it through each week!
Lil Rounds- "The Rose"
OK.... first of all... it is not obvious that the producers think that Lil is going to go home? So much so that they give her the pimp spot for the night.... AND make sure with this judges-taking-turns deal that Simon gets to comment on her? Hmmmm... Let's be real. Lil is not as good as everyone hyped her up to be in the past. She's boring! I do give her some credit this week for taking The Rose and giving it a gospel twist... but that's only one part of it. The other part is hitting the notes and she didn't deliver. She missed several notes.... and the runs she did were very sub-par. It's Lil's time to go home if you ask me... but a sinking feeling in my stomach makes me feel that she's not going to.
Speaking of going over on time... this week we only get to hear two judges per contestant. To me, that's not fair. Let's be real: Everyone waits to hear what Simon's opinion is, and I feel bad that some of the contestants won't get to have a Simon critique. It can really make or break a performance... and I think Simon really, truly has a strong effect on people's votes. I guess we'll see with the results if it really makes a difference or not. Hopefully during the results show they will ask Simon what he thought about the contestants he didn't get to comment on.
On to the performances!!!!
Allison Iraheta- "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
OK... Allison is obviously not reading my blog. She picks yet ANOTHER song that has been done on Idol a bajillion times! UGH! Performed four times in the past including last season by David Cook. Ridiculous. In other news.... she looks better this week, thank goodness. Also.... Is it just me or was this a super awkward arrangement? I know that every week they have to take a 4 or 5 minute song and cut it down to a minute thirty or two minutes.... but with some songs you don't even notice it. This arrangement seemed like it cut to forty different parts of the song so abruptly. So we've talked about song choice, fashion and arrangement... I guess I should talk about the performance. It was OK... but I'm still "meh" about Allison. Parts of it I think sounded like she was congested. The last note was decent... but the rest was "just alright for me dawg".
Anoop Desai- "Everything I Do I Do It For You"
First thoughts: oh great.... another ballad by Anoop. But... Anoop really surprised me with this performance! In fact... I think it was probably his best to date. He changed up enough of the song to make it interesting... and the parts he changed up were really good. I agree with Kara that he put a lot more emotion into this performance than he had in weeks past. This performance will definitely be enough to get Anoop through to the next round... and it may just be the first song of Anoop's that I will purchase from iTunes.
Adam Lambert- "Born To Be Wild"
I was a little hesitant at first... I wasn't sure if Adam was going to be able to switch up Born To Be Wild and give it his signature touch. Even through the first 30 seconds of the song, I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away. Then... true Adam kicked in and yet again he knocked another performance out of the park! The ending to that song??? UH-MAZING! That was the true meaning of "singing your face off". No one else can do that!!!! I think that is the true sign of someone deserving of the title of American Idol: Adam could have sang ANY of the other songs performed tonight and done them well.... but no other contestant could have song "Born To Be Wild" and come close to touching Adam. I'm so excited to get to the weeks when the contestants start singing two songs per week so that I can hear 2 Adam performances!
Matt Giraud- "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"
OK... so I don't like the song... the original single I mean. So when I heard Matt was singing it, i was initially worried. The beginning of the performance was great... just Matt and the piano. Then, as it went on, I unfortunately had to agree with the judges that I think Matt tried to do a little too much with the song. There certainly were sour notes in there. I'm a little scared for Matt this week. We know that he's been in the bottom a couple of times... so his fan base obviously isn't as strong as some others... and as we're getting down to fewer and fewer contestants Matt cannot afford to give a less-than-stellar performance... and this week he did.
Danny Gokey- "Endless Love"
Danny sans glasses? Hmmm.... odd.... Song choice? Predictable. Another ballad sang just like the original arrangement. Nothing different. Danny is getting SO BORING to me! I agree with Simon one hundred percent when he says that he needs to do something where he can make the song his own. For once Danny it a super sour note too... usually thats one area you can bank on with Danny. *yawn*
Kris Allen- "Falling Slowly"
This is a great track from the little known movie "Once". My gut was that this could be a risky choice because the song and the movie will not be recognizable by most (although this song DID with the Oscar for best song from a movie two years ago!). I give him props for this song choice (ahem.... Allison.... take note). When it comes to the judges comments... I 100% agree with (dramatic pause, a`la Ryan Secrest.....)...... Kara! This was "a moment" for Kris. I think it was a dramatic song and he gave an emotion-filled performance. The range of this song is crazy too... it starts super low and yet he hit those high notes well. Kris continues to sail through, in my opinion. Probably the biggest shocker of the season to me.... at the beginning of semi's I wouldn't have ever thought he'd last thing long, but he'd doing what he's got to do to make it through each week!
Lil Rounds- "The Rose"
OK.... first of all... it is not obvious that the producers think that Lil is going to go home? So much so that they give her the pimp spot for the night.... AND make sure with this judges-taking-turns deal that Simon gets to comment on her? Hmmmm... Let's be real. Lil is not as good as everyone hyped her up to be in the past. She's boring! I do give her some credit this week for taking The Rose and giving it a gospel twist... but that's only one part of it. The other part is hitting the notes and she didn't deliver. She missed several notes.... and the runs she did were very sub-par. It's Lil's time to go home if you ask me... but a sinking feeling in my stomach makes me feel that she's not going to.
My Ranking for the week:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Kris Allen
3. Anoop Desai
---------------
4. Danny Gokey
5. Allison Iraheta
6. Matt Giraud
7. Lil Rounds
Who will be in the bottom three? I think it will be Lil, Matt and Allison. Allison because she was the first performer of the night, plus she has been in the bottom three before. Lil & Matt because they didn't have strong weeks, and when you're up against Adam, Kris and Anoop who DID have strong weeks, I think there's no way they could overcome those three (or Danny who obviously has some sort of fanbase who enjoys boring performers).
Who will go home? Yikes. This one is tough. As much as I don't want to say it, I think it could be Matt. If it is, I think there's a strong possibility that the judges could use the save. I think that under pressure Matt would deliver a strong performance that could convince them to use it. Plus.... let's be real.... it's getting down to the wire with only this week and next week to use the save. The judges will have to use it at some point or there was no reason to even have it. They will use it just to use it.
I guess we will have to wait and see!!!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Songs From The Year You Were Born: Top 8 Results
OMG... I feel like there is so much that needs to be said about Wednesday night's results show! It's going to be hard to contain it all in one post! :-)
Let's start with the group number. OMG! Were the producers reading my blog?!? Did they finally see how aggrevated I was with the lip syncing??? THANK YOU Idol for bringing back the live group song.
With that said... (dramatic music...)... halfway through the number I said "maybe they should stick to lip syncing!" LOL! Not really... but they did sound pretty bad together on some notes. I'm going to chalk that up to song choice though. As much as the judges harp on the contestants for song choice, the judges really should take the same advice. Out of all the songs in 2002, this song was the best choice? Hardly. Don't get me wrong... its a fun song to dance to if you're out at a club... but not a song to feature vocalists. I thought some parts of it were good though (Matt, Adam, and actually, I kinda liked Allison singing this song...).
One of the highlights of the show for me though was during this group number when it came time for Adam's solo bit, and they gave him the lyric "There's a dark secret in me"... I was literally LOL'ing. :-) I am sure Adam was too... as I'm sure he found humor in that.
I liked the Ford Music Video this week too. Probably the most fun one of the season so far with the Magic Show theme. I also liked that you could see Matt's personality during the making-the-video clip. He's a funny guy! I bet he keeps the group laughing when everyone's hanging out.
So then Adam comments on Simon's standing O... and he's exactly right, I've never seen Simon willingly give a standing ovation to anyone in the eight years I've been watching the show. Pretty awesome!
The mayor of Kalamazoo is in town, which I think is pretty cool that Ryan calls it out and gives him a chance to stand up. I can't remember that happening for any previous contestant, so pretty cool that Kalamazoo gets represented like that!
So on to the results: Adam is safe (duh!) And then its between Kris and Anoop. To be honest, I really had a bad feeling that it was going to be Kris in the bottom three because the way the producers set it up.... and the fact that the judges gave Kris bad reviews last night. I had a feeling it was going to be a shocker. Thank goodness it wasn't. Anoop is pulled down first... and he really couldn't have been to surprised. He's starting to appear in the bottom three often.
Next up: Performance by Flo-Rida. I actually thought it was gonna suck worse than it did. He wasn't bad. He's one guy you don't see much of even though his songs are all over everywhere all of the time. He seems like a nice guy despite the tough exterior.
Ryan calls out results again, and Danny is safe. I hate that he seems to have this sense of entitlement. I want him to be in the bottom three so bad. He has this smug-like attitude like he knows he's going to be safe. bah!
Matt is up next... poor Matt. Last week Ryan played with his emotions... telling him to take a seat (dramatic pause....) on the couch! Then this week he has to deal with the stress (dramatic pause...) of being in the competition again next week! Just give Matt a break already!
Scott is in the bottom three. (duh!)
Allison and Lil are left. It should be Lil... but my gut is telling me its going to be Allison because she's been in the bottom three before. My gut is wrong again, and its Lil. Too bad she's in the bottom.... but it had to happen sometime. At least she was wearing a cool shirt!
Ryan says that he's sending someone back to safety, and its Lil. WHEW... we're one step closer to Scott being gone.
Next up, a performance by Idol alum Kellie Pickler. I've heard the song "Best Days Of Your Life" before this show, and I actually really like the song... and think it could be a big single for Kellie. She didn't sing it so well though... thats for sure. If this really was Idol, I think Randy wouldn't be "feelin' it dawg"... and i think Simon would say it was "complete rubbish". Let's be real about Kellie's look though. She looked (as Perez Hilton would say) Faboosh! The dress, the hair, the makeup... all good in my opinion! It really is funny to think of how Kellie was on Idol a few years ago, and to know now that she is a legitimate country artist that has a following. She's still cute as a button... I love to hear her talk. I especially love when Ryan tells everyone that her concert at the Staples Center sold out in two minutes and then she immediately says to the audience "I hope y'all can come!". IT'S SOLD OUT KELLIE. We can't come.
So its down to elimination time: Only 30,000 votes separate them. It seems like a lot... but when you're dealing with 34 million votes, that is so small. Take the 34 million and divide that by the 8 contestants that are left and each would get 4.25 million votes (of course we know that some receive many more than others) Let's say that they only received 3 million a piece which is probably pretty acurate... then 30,000 is just 1 percent! THAT'S CLOSE!
OK... enough math... this reading is supposed to be fun...
The verdict is Scott! YAY! It was his time for sure.
But wait... he gets to sing for safety! (yeah right...)
I felt kinda bad that they didn't give him the guitar to sing again. It seems that they would let you perform the song just as you did before in order to make it comfortable for the contestant. Oh well... It would give him a chance to focus on his vocals and maybe he'd hit the notes he missed Tuesday, right? Ummm.... no. Some of the notes (like the high one.... and the last one...) were worse than he performed them before!
So the judges decision would be easy, right? It's a no. Wait.... you're thinking about it??!? Simon says its "a whole different ball game?!?!" WHAT?!?! There's no way.
The other thing Simon says is that 2 people want him to stay and 2 people want him to go. Well then, DUMBASSES, its a NO because it has to be UNANIMOUS! The whole point of unanimous is that all four judges agree.
Basically the next minute and a half are filled with unneeded banter... and Simon finally mans up to the judges table and let's Scott know its the end of the road. Thank goodness!!!! If they would have used the judges save this week, you KNOW that Adam would have been voted off next week and they'd have no save to use.
I'm starting to wonder if it will even get used? I guess we'll only know in the next two weeks!
Let's start with the group number. OMG! Were the producers reading my blog?!? Did they finally see how aggrevated I was with the lip syncing??? THANK YOU Idol for bringing back the live group song.
With that said... (dramatic music...)... halfway through the number I said "maybe they should stick to lip syncing!" LOL! Not really... but they did sound pretty bad together on some notes. I'm going to chalk that up to song choice though. As much as the judges harp on the contestants for song choice, the judges really should take the same advice. Out of all the songs in 2002, this song was the best choice? Hardly. Don't get me wrong... its a fun song to dance to if you're out at a club... but not a song to feature vocalists. I thought some parts of it were good though (Matt, Adam, and actually, I kinda liked Allison singing this song...).
One of the highlights of the show for me though was during this group number when it came time for Adam's solo bit, and they gave him the lyric "There's a dark secret in me"... I was literally LOL'ing. :-) I am sure Adam was too... as I'm sure he found humor in that.
I liked the Ford Music Video this week too. Probably the most fun one of the season so far with the Magic Show theme. I also liked that you could see Matt's personality during the making-the-video clip. He's a funny guy! I bet he keeps the group laughing when everyone's hanging out.
So then Adam comments on Simon's standing O... and he's exactly right, I've never seen Simon willingly give a standing ovation to anyone in the eight years I've been watching the show. Pretty awesome!
The mayor of Kalamazoo is in town, which I think is pretty cool that Ryan calls it out and gives him a chance to stand up. I can't remember that happening for any previous contestant, so pretty cool that Kalamazoo gets represented like that!
So on to the results: Adam is safe (duh!) And then its between Kris and Anoop. To be honest, I really had a bad feeling that it was going to be Kris in the bottom three because the way the producers set it up.... and the fact that the judges gave Kris bad reviews last night. I had a feeling it was going to be a shocker. Thank goodness it wasn't. Anoop is pulled down first... and he really couldn't have been to surprised. He's starting to appear in the bottom three often.
Next up: Performance by Flo-Rida. I actually thought it was gonna suck worse than it did. He wasn't bad. He's one guy you don't see much of even though his songs are all over everywhere all of the time. He seems like a nice guy despite the tough exterior.
Ryan calls out results again, and Danny is safe. I hate that he seems to have this sense of entitlement. I want him to be in the bottom three so bad. He has this smug-like attitude like he knows he's going to be safe. bah!
Matt is up next... poor Matt. Last week Ryan played with his emotions... telling him to take a seat (dramatic pause....) on the couch! Then this week he has to deal with the stress (dramatic pause...) of being in the competition again next week! Just give Matt a break already!
Scott is in the bottom three. (duh!)
Allison and Lil are left. It should be Lil... but my gut is telling me its going to be Allison because she's been in the bottom three before. My gut is wrong again, and its Lil. Too bad she's in the bottom.... but it had to happen sometime. At least she was wearing a cool shirt!
Ryan says that he's sending someone back to safety, and its Lil. WHEW... we're one step closer to Scott being gone.
Next up, a performance by Idol alum Kellie Pickler. I've heard the song "Best Days Of Your Life" before this show, and I actually really like the song... and think it could be a big single for Kellie. She didn't sing it so well though... thats for sure. If this really was Idol, I think Randy wouldn't be "feelin' it dawg"... and i think Simon would say it was "complete rubbish". Let's be real about Kellie's look though. She looked (as Perez Hilton would say) Faboosh! The dress, the hair, the makeup... all good in my opinion! It really is funny to think of how Kellie was on Idol a few years ago, and to know now that she is a legitimate country artist that has a following. She's still cute as a button... I love to hear her talk. I especially love when Ryan tells everyone that her concert at the Staples Center sold out in two minutes and then she immediately says to the audience "I hope y'all can come!". IT'S SOLD OUT KELLIE. We can't come.
So its down to elimination time: Only 30,000 votes separate them. It seems like a lot... but when you're dealing with 34 million votes, that is so small. Take the 34 million and divide that by the 8 contestants that are left and each would get 4.25 million votes (of course we know that some receive many more than others) Let's say that they only received 3 million a piece which is probably pretty acurate... then 30,000 is just 1 percent! THAT'S CLOSE!
OK... enough math... this reading is supposed to be fun...
The verdict is Scott! YAY! It was his time for sure.
But wait... he gets to sing for safety! (yeah right...)
I felt kinda bad that they didn't give him the guitar to sing again. It seems that they would let you perform the song just as you did before in order to make it comfortable for the contestant. Oh well... It would give him a chance to focus on his vocals and maybe he'd hit the notes he missed Tuesday, right? Ummm.... no. Some of the notes (like the high one.... and the last one...) were worse than he performed them before!
So the judges decision would be easy, right? It's a no. Wait.... you're thinking about it??!? Simon says its "a whole different ball game?!?!" WHAT?!?! There's no way.
The other thing Simon says is that 2 people want him to stay and 2 people want him to go. Well then, DUMBASSES, its a NO because it has to be UNANIMOUS! The whole point of unanimous is that all four judges agree.
Basically the next minute and a half are filled with unneeded banter... and Simon finally mans up to the judges table and let's Scott know its the end of the road. Thank goodness!!!! If they would have used the judges save this week, you KNOW that Adam would have been voted off next week and they'd have no save to use.
I'm starting to wonder if it will even get used? I guess we'll only know in the next two weeks!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Songs From The Year You Were Born Week: Top 8 Performances
Figures.
Twice this season my DVD hasn't worked correctly.
Then... the night when EVERYONE'S DVR across America effs up, and my DVR actually worked and taped the whole thing! Miracles do happen folks. :-)
I didn't get to watch the show last night or vote... because I was at a conference for work, but luckily I got to catch up on it this morning and on my lunch hour. :-) Here's my take on last night.
Danny Gokey- "Stand By Me"
OK... this is one of the things that bugs me so much about themes when there is a year involved. DON'T PICK A REMAKE! "Stand By Me" was not from the year you were born. In my opinion, Danny's a cheater. Overall though... he sang it well... but we know he can sing it well. This week I give him another "Meh." Nothing exciting. Same old Danny.
Kris Allen- "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"
I agree with the judges that this song doesn't do very much melodically. It's very one-toneish. I didn't like him in the crowd either. Kris was someone who was slowly building momentum... and starting to build himself a strong place in this competition. I think with this performance he stopped his forward motion. I don't think its enough to get him eliminated... but it certainly means he has to worth THAT much harder next week.
Lil Rounds- "What's Love Got To Do With It"
It was actually pretty humorous to me because it was the first time since Lil's been in the finals that after she was done I actually liked the performance. Then the judges hated it. LOL. It didn't blow me away, but I did think it was a very good vocal, and it felt pretty natural... not like she was trying to be someone she's not (a`la Celine last week with that unconfortable dress and equally uncomfortable weave!) I thought she looked good... and sounded good. Because of the judges pans of it... and the fact that Americans are sheep and they follow the herder (the judges)... we could see Lil appear in the bottom three tonight.
Anoop Desai- "True Colors"
I give Anoop props for taking a song that is a female signature song and giving it his touch. I still was pretty bored though. I guess Adam is really spoiling me this season... he's so exciting that in comparison he makes plain vocalists (albiet good vocalists) seem boring. Let's face it. Anoop is going home in the next few weeks. This could be the week.
Scott MacIntyre- "The Search Is Over"
Scott with an electric guitar? AWK-WARD! It wasn't a complete mess... but you can definitely tell that he's more comfortable behind the piano. I think it may have something to do with sitting too... it just looked odd to have Scott standing while performing. I don't mean to be rude... (Simon's famous line...) but let's be real about Scott's song choice. A song that features the lyrics "Now I look into your eyes... I can see forever... The search is over you were with me all the while".... it was a bit uncomfortable for me. I do give him props for not singing one of the biggest hits of his birth year though... the predicatble "You're The Inspiration" by Chicago... I thought he was a shoe-in for that one.
Allison Iraheta- "I Can't Make You Love Me"
AAARRGHH! Allison! Why do you always pick songs that have been done over and over on Idol... and done WELL by previous Idols. This song has been performed in three previous seasons of Idol, and in my opinion, most well-done by Season 2's Kimberley Locke. It's like when she picked "Alone" by Heart... from the start I was hating it. She needs to pick different songs. She's talked about what a fan of the show she is, so she has to know these songs have been performed numerous times. In fact, 2/3rds of her songs are repeats... including all three of the last songs. Errr.... I'm sorry Allison... but you can't me me love you.
Matt Giraud- "Part Time Lover"
First of all... I love the shirt in the audience that said "The Giraud Squad". I WANT ONE! :-) Second of all... I think Matt looked the best he's looked all season. GREAT look! The song choice was pretty spot-on too. I like that he started slow and then sped it up. Towards the end I was getting a little over all the runs.... but at this point he's got to show his chops or he'd gonna be called boring and be sent home. I know that the show was running late, so the judges didn't have time to comment much... but I was surprised that they didn't say anything about him not being behind the piano/keyboard. Unlike Scott, I don't think it was awkward at all for Matt. He did a good job... almost to the point where you forgot about it.
Adam Lambert- "Mad World"
Adam is a production team's dream come true. When he picks songs like he does, and performs them in the way he does, it's easy for Idol's production to stage him well, and they did that again last night. The dark stage with bright blue lights on him were super dramatic, and the perfect fit for that song. At first, the glare was so much it almost looked like he was sitting on a glowing box! Adam is just such a professional. Whether it is a demure performance, or one where he's rocking all over the stage... he does everything with professionalism. If you notice... after each of his performances he turns around and thanks Ricky Minor and the band. A true professional. AND... can I just say that I LOVED his look last night! For once, it didn't seem too "put-on". It seemed natural... like if he was going to the movies or the mall he'd look that way... and I think he looked the best he's looked all season. Was it my favorite performance of his? No. Hard to be "Tracks of My Tears" and "Black or White".... but it was still great... and WAY better than the competition.
This weeks ranking:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Matt Giraud
3. Kris Allen
4. Lil Rounds
5. Anoop Desai
6. Allison Iraheta
7. Danny Gokey
8. Scott MacIntyre
Who should be in the bottom three? Scott for sure... and in my opinion, Danny (for not doing anything creatively...) and Allison (for singing over-sung songs).
Who will be in the bottom three? This is a tough one to call this week. Scott for sure... but other than Scott I think it could be Lil.... and maybe even Kris... simply because the judges slammed both of them. The other two in addition to Scott will be two of the following: Lil, Kris, Allison or Anoop.
Who's going home?: Scott... It's your time buddy. One thing is good about your departure this week. You will always have someone to blame: PAULA. She's the one that told you to get out from behind the piano.
Twice this season my DVD hasn't worked correctly.
Then... the night when EVERYONE'S DVR across America effs up, and my DVR actually worked and taped the whole thing! Miracles do happen folks. :-)
I didn't get to watch the show last night or vote... because I was at a conference for work, but luckily I got to catch up on it this morning and on my lunch hour. :-) Here's my take on last night.
Danny Gokey- "Stand By Me"
OK... this is one of the things that bugs me so much about themes when there is a year involved. DON'T PICK A REMAKE! "Stand By Me" was not from the year you were born. In my opinion, Danny's a cheater. Overall though... he sang it well... but we know he can sing it well. This week I give him another "Meh." Nothing exciting. Same old Danny.
Kris Allen- "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"
I agree with the judges that this song doesn't do very much melodically. It's very one-toneish. I didn't like him in the crowd either. Kris was someone who was slowly building momentum... and starting to build himself a strong place in this competition. I think with this performance he stopped his forward motion. I don't think its enough to get him eliminated... but it certainly means he has to worth THAT much harder next week.
Lil Rounds- "What's Love Got To Do With It"
It was actually pretty humorous to me because it was the first time since Lil's been in the finals that after she was done I actually liked the performance. Then the judges hated it. LOL. It didn't blow me away, but I did think it was a very good vocal, and it felt pretty natural... not like she was trying to be someone she's not (a`la Celine last week with that unconfortable dress and equally uncomfortable weave!) I thought she looked good... and sounded good. Because of the judges pans of it... and the fact that Americans are sheep and they follow the herder (the judges)... we could see Lil appear in the bottom three tonight.
Anoop Desai- "True Colors"
I give Anoop props for taking a song that is a female signature song and giving it his touch. I still was pretty bored though. I guess Adam is really spoiling me this season... he's so exciting that in comparison he makes plain vocalists (albiet good vocalists) seem boring. Let's face it. Anoop is going home in the next few weeks. This could be the week.
Scott MacIntyre- "The Search Is Over"
Scott with an electric guitar? AWK-WARD! It wasn't a complete mess... but you can definitely tell that he's more comfortable behind the piano. I think it may have something to do with sitting too... it just looked odd to have Scott standing while performing. I don't mean to be rude... (Simon's famous line...) but let's be real about Scott's song choice. A song that features the lyrics "Now I look into your eyes... I can see forever... The search is over you were with me all the while".... it was a bit uncomfortable for me. I do give him props for not singing one of the biggest hits of his birth year though... the predicatble "You're The Inspiration" by Chicago... I thought he was a shoe-in for that one.
Allison Iraheta- "I Can't Make You Love Me"
AAARRGHH! Allison! Why do you always pick songs that have been done over and over on Idol... and done WELL by previous Idols. This song has been performed in three previous seasons of Idol, and in my opinion, most well-done by Season 2's Kimberley Locke. It's like when she picked "Alone" by Heart... from the start I was hating it. She needs to pick different songs. She's talked about what a fan of the show she is, so she has to know these songs have been performed numerous times. In fact, 2/3rds of her songs are repeats... including all three of the last songs. Errr.... I'm sorry Allison... but you can't me me love you.
Matt Giraud- "Part Time Lover"
First of all... I love the shirt in the audience that said "The Giraud Squad". I WANT ONE! :-) Second of all... I think Matt looked the best he's looked all season. GREAT look! The song choice was pretty spot-on too. I like that he started slow and then sped it up. Towards the end I was getting a little over all the runs.... but at this point he's got to show his chops or he'd gonna be called boring and be sent home. I know that the show was running late, so the judges didn't have time to comment much... but I was surprised that they didn't say anything about him not being behind the piano/keyboard. Unlike Scott, I don't think it was awkward at all for Matt. He did a good job... almost to the point where you forgot about it.
Adam Lambert- "Mad World"
Adam is a production team's dream come true. When he picks songs like he does, and performs them in the way he does, it's easy for Idol's production to stage him well, and they did that again last night. The dark stage with bright blue lights on him were super dramatic, and the perfect fit for that song. At first, the glare was so much it almost looked like he was sitting on a glowing box! Adam is just such a professional. Whether it is a demure performance, or one where he's rocking all over the stage... he does everything with professionalism. If you notice... after each of his performances he turns around and thanks Ricky Minor and the band. A true professional. AND... can I just say that I LOVED his look last night! For once, it didn't seem too "put-on". It seemed natural... like if he was going to the movies or the mall he'd look that way... and I think he looked the best he's looked all season. Was it my favorite performance of his? No. Hard to be "Tracks of My Tears" and "Black or White".... but it was still great... and WAY better than the competition.
This weeks ranking:
1. Adam Lambert
2. Matt Giraud
3. Kris Allen
4. Lil Rounds
5. Anoop Desai
6. Allison Iraheta
7. Danny Gokey
8. Scott MacIntyre
Who should be in the bottom three? Scott for sure... and in my opinion, Danny (for not doing anything creatively...) and Allison (for singing over-sung songs).
Who will be in the bottom three? This is a tough one to call this week. Scott for sure... but other than Scott I think it could be Lil.... and maybe even Kris... simply because the judges slammed both of them. The other two in addition to Scott will be two of the following: Lil, Kris, Allison or Anoop.
Who's going home?: Scott... It's your time buddy. One thing is good about your departure this week. You will always have someone to blame: PAULA. She's the one that told you to get out from behind the piano.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Top 5 Idol Lies
Hey everyone!
After being at the show this week... and seeing the "fake boo's", I came across this article and thought it was particularly intriguing. So I'm passing on the link in case anyone wants to check it out. I especially love the added "lies" at the end of the article in the poll. I votes for "You could sing the phone book". :-) LOL
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29920601/
Happy reading!
After being at the show this week... and seeing the "fake boo's", I came across this article and thought it was particularly intriguing. So I'm passing on the link in case anyone wants to check it out. I especially love the added "lies" at the end of the article in the poll. I votes for "You could sing the phone book". :-) LOL
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29920601/
Happy reading!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
My trip to American Idol!
It happened.
I, Matt Eickhoff, super-fan of American Idol actually got to go to a taping of the show! I LOVE LOS ANGELES! :-)
This blog post will be my best attempt to let you all into the behind-the-scenes world of American Idol. There is SO much to remember that I am sure I will forget something. I wish I would have had a notepad and pen to take notes! I couldn't even text myself because they took our cell phones... sheesh! So I'm doing this all from memory folks.
First, some fun facts... then a play-by-play of the experience.
Bet you didn't know: American Idol tapes right next door to Dancing With the Stars! As we were getting in line, we realized there were two lines of people, one for Idol and another for DWTS. The funny thing about it... Idol is a FOX show, DWTS is an ABC show, yet both of the shows tape at the CBS Studios!!! Craziness.
Bet you didn't know: The judges (Randy, Kara, Paula, Simon) all go back stage during EVERY commercial break... and come back out just in time. I guess I just thought once they were out there and seated they were out there the whole time. They probably don't want to be bugged by everyone.
Bet you didn't know: The studio is SO small!!! Words cannot describe. On TV they make it look so huge, but it isn't at all. The seats are only about 12 rows deep, and the "pit" where people stand in front only has about 40 people in each side (on TV it looks like 100+!). I would say, that there were 300 people in the studio MAX. Made it even cooler to be a part of the experience.
Bet you didn't know: (some of you may know this one) They tape a practice run of the show right before the live show. Our line of people was divided into a line of people there for the rehersal and people for the live show. The rehersal is just like the live show, only no comments from the judges. During this taping is when they tape the small clips that are played back at the end of the show when the run the phone numbers again. Some of you may have noticed that during those clips the singer did a different riff or was standing in a different place then when they performed it live on the show, and this is why.
Bet you didn't know: The audience is directed to boo when the judges make bad comments about the contestants... and to cheer when they make good comments. The dude that preps the audience for the show came out and told us to do that. To me, it was weird, but it definitely make sense. Because, for example, if Simon tells Megan that her performance was "complete rubbish" and many of the audience members agree, they don't want us applauding Simon and make Megan feel horrible. It's still a bit weird to me, because when we boo Simon plays it up like we weren't instructed to do so... Let's face it. Simon is right most of the time, so they gotta prep the audience to be on the side of the contestants.
Bet you didn't know: When the judges and Ryan make comments about "watching the show back" and comparing how it was on TV to how it was in the audience... it REALLY DOES make a difference. It's SO loud in the small studio with the band and everything, that it does sound much, much different. I'm sure most of you have experienced this by going to a concert and the performer sounding much different than they do on TV or on CD. The same thing comes into play at Idol. There were parts of the song I completely missed... like the ending riff of Adam's performance... because the crowd was already on their feet cheering loudly that we couldn't hear it. Watching it back, that riff was amazing!
So on to the play-by-play. This is how the day went:
7:30am: Wake up and start making my sign to take to the show. Although I really do like Adam, I felt like I needed to represent the hometown boy and make a sign for Matt. I made a sign that said "Kalamazoo [heart]'s Matt" with a picture of the Michigan mitten and a big star on Kalamazoo. I thought he'd appreciate the hometown shoutout.
8:45am: It's time to figure out what I'm going to wear to the taping... which may not seem like too much of a daunting task... but the ticketing company specifically says on the ticket that you must follow the dress code rules or you may not be let in! The rules: no t-shirts, no sweat-shirts, no jeans, no white clothing, no logos, no flip flops, no shorts..... SHEESH! A lot of rules! I finally decide to wear what I wore to Deal or No Deal and call it a day.
9:40am: I pick up my friend and co-worker James and and we head down to Hollywood to get in line. Lauren and Rich will also be joining us later, but both were at work. Luckily for James and I it was Cesar Chavez Day here at CSUN, so we got the day off of work! PERFECT! Even though we have tickets, they are "not guaranteed" so I wanted to get down there as early as possible to stand in line and make sure we get in the door!
10:45am: After some heavy traffic due to construction, we make it to the CBS Studios. We park and walk a couple blocks to get in line. I was assuming the line would already be long, but when we show up there's only about 40 people in front of us. I start to get really excited.
12:00pm: James and I pass the time by playing some games on his iPhone. Finally, we have our first interaction with an actual employee of the show. He comes out to break our line up into three groups... one for Dancing with the Stars, one for the Idol rehearsal and one for the Idol live show. We move to the Idol live show line and are only about 10 people back now! YAY!
1:45pm: A couple of people, looking official, walk up to the line and begin talking to those of us near the front of the line. They say they are from the TV Guide Channel and are taping a segment for their show "Idol Tonight". It's a game called "Idol Branium"... basically like the board game Cranium but all about American Idol. They ask for a volunteer to play, and of course my hand shoots up immediately. Cranuium + Idol = Matt Domination! They pick me to play and start to set up the scene. Basically we are going to play an unscramble game. They are going to give big letters to other people standing in line and I have to unscramble them, spelling out the name of an Idol contestant... from ANY year of Idol. I get a little nervous, but an Idolfan freak like me should be able to handle it.
2:00pm: The camera crew for the segment shows up, as well as the super-cute hostess. We get a game plan down, and the taping begins. Little did I know that she was going to give me clues as to who the person is. The clues were that the contestant was from season 5... and that they helped Chris Daughtry write lyrics to his debut song "It's Not Over". DUH. EASY. I look at the letters and know immediately it is Ace Young. I move the people around, and I win! :-) Unfortunately there weren't any prizes involved... but it was still pretty cool to be a part of it. We had to do a couple takes of different parts of it (and pretend like it was the first time we did it, of course... gotta love TV) but it took only a few minutes and it was over! They told us it is going to air on "Idol Tonight" in 2 weeks. Its on Wednesdays right before the results show on the TV Guide network.... so check it out if you get the chance! I'll be on TV! :-)
2:15pm: Lauren arrives with lunch! YAY! James and I were HUNGRY! Wendy's had never tasted so good. :-) Thanks again Lauren!
2:22pm: Simon Cowell drives by us in his super nice convertable... everyone standing in line on the street could see it was him turning into the studio, so they were cheering for him. Pretty cool!
2:30pm: Another camera crew shows up, this time for "American Idol Extra"... a show on the Fox Reality Channel. Basically they wanted people to hold up signs and shout out messages for thier favorite contestants. They brought pre-made signs for people to hold up... but I didn't need a pre-made sign! I had my own! lol... (and might I add their signs were way crappier than mine!) So I got recorded again giving a shout out to Matt... saying that everyone back in Kalamazoo is rooting for him. I'm not sure if he will actually get to see it or not... but still cool.
3:00pm: The rep from the show comes out and starts to let people back into the studio lot to wait in the holding area. One problem... Rich is still on his way from work! We fibbed a bit and told him he went to the bathroom. He asks us to stand to the side and will need to wait for Rich to get there. As I'm on the phone with Rich... we're worried that he might not make it because of ridiculous L.A. traffic. I'm stressin'.... but trying to still stay excited. Luckily the guy from the show radioed back to a girl in the holding area and told her that he had four people that were still coming in, and we were just waiting for one in the bathroom. He told us that once Rich arrived we could head back and still be in our original spot in line. He was a really nice guy, and I appreciated that. Actually, I can't think of anyone that wasn't nice there. The staff was all pleasant. Which they should be! I would be in a pleasant mood if I worked for Idol too!!!
3:30pm: After what must have looked like the longest bathroom break ever (lol) Rich arrives, running down the sidewalk to get here. Whew! I was so happy were all together and we were going to make it in!!! Pretty awesome. We walk back to the holding area and past the VIP parking spaces for the celebrities of both Idol and Dancing With the Stars. It was pretty cool to see "This Space Reserved For: ______" and see names like Randy Jackson, Julienne Hough, Lil' Kim, etc. We kept walking to the holding area and we were given our admission patch. We were to stick it on our pants by our thigh. At this point, it became apparent that we were going to be in "the pit"... the standing room area that is down by the stage. Pretty darn cool... yes... although we'd be on a feet the whole time. After this we had to hand over our cell phones to security and were given a ticket to pick them up at the end of the show.
We wait in the holding area with a whole group of high school freshmen. They were dropped off by a school bus. I talked with one of the girls and she said that her teacher is friends with the stage manager, so she got the hookup to bring her whole class. Pretty cool teacher if you ask me!!! :-) The kids took up all the seats on the provided benches, so unfortunately the four of us had to stand (which wasn't fun, knowing we'd also be standing through the entire show). I wanted to boot some of the kids off... but played it nice. We waited here for a good 45+ minutes... during the waiting, a 50-ish year-old woman walked around passing out stickers that said "Anoop Troop" for any Anoop fans. Pretty funny I thought.
4:25pm: After the ticket holders with seats are ushered in, finally all of us in the pit get to walk to the studio. We walk through the back... and finally we enter through the side... and THERE IT IS! The OFFICIAL American Idol stage! :-) The neon lights... the giant video screens... the spiral staircases... it was pretty awesome. Besides being taken aback by how small it was, it was a great feeling to know we actually made it in! We took our places in the pit, on the side next to Simon. We were all asked to cram into an area lined off my tape on the floor. Pretty much packed in like sardines, but I certainly didn't care.
4:40pm: The audience prep guy comes out to get us hyped up for the show. He picks a couple people out to do a dance on the stage. I totally would have loved to get up there and volunteer, but he picked a guy who it was his birthday. Damn birthdays....
4:45pm: Now the celebrities start to show up in the audience. Sitting front and center (as many of you probably saw) was Mandisa from season 5 and actor David Spade... interesting combo. lol. Also in the audience were Neil Patrick Harris (DOOGIE!), Carnie Wilson (Yeah Wilson Phillips!), and Lisa Rinna with husband Harry Hamlin. Justin Gaston (Miley Cyrus's boyrfriend) was also there... which was interesting because a couple ladies we were talking to in line heard that Miley was doing a surprise performance. With her BF there, it seemed apparent... but didn't happen.
4:50pm: At this point, the audience prep guy also informs us about the fake boo'ing and applauding... and tells us that we have to be overly excited throughout the whole show. If people from the show find that we aren't being energetic, they could take us out. There will be no problem with me being energetic! :-)
4:55pm: They announcer brings out all 9 contestants to the stage and the crowd goes wild!!! :-) It was cool to actually see them live in the flesh. I proudly hold up my sign for Matt to see and he immediately sees me! He smiles big.... points and me and waves.... then.... he HELD UP HIS HAND AND POINTED TO KALAMAZOO ON HIS PALM! :-) SOOO awesome! That's how we do it in Michigan! :-) Definitely a highlight for me! It was worth it to make the sign.
4:59pm: The director of the show is calling for Ryan and he is no where to be seen. We can see the clock counting down by the second in the back of the studio and there is less than a minute with no Ryan. The director is like shouting for him to get out on stage! Finally, with seconds to spare, Ryan emerges up top by the band and runs down the spiral staircase to take his spot. By the time he hits the floor, the camera's are rolling for his dramatic opening....
5:00pm: ...and with a "THIS......... is American Idol", the show begins! The audience dances during the theme song and the judges have their over-the-top entrance. The crowd goes wild of course.
(now that the show has started, I'll stop with the times... lol)
Ryan announces the theme 'Top iTunes Downloads"... which I had seen from doing some research before the show. What I didn't know is that the theme should have been called "Sing Whatever The Hell You Want". I don't know about you, but last time I checked iTunes didn't exist in the times of Bob Marley and Wild Cherry. Anyway....
After some banter between Ryan and the judges (where Kara continues to overuse the word "artistry") they announce Anoop is the first to perform. During Anoops video package, I look over at the judges and Kara sees me. I smile and she gives me a wink. Pretty cool! :-)
Anoop performs Usher's "Caught Up", and from my perspective I thought he did pretty well actually. Maybe it was just because it was a fun song and one that made me want to dance. That combined with the adrenaline of the show, and being in the pit... I was feelin' it! Then the judges panned it. I was confused. Then I watched his clip back last night and I understood why. It wasn't all that good. I guess I was caught up in the moment. Ha ha... I made a funny.
It was very hard to hear the judges comments too.... I'm not sure if its just because of where we were standing... but it was like straining to hear what they said.
First commercial break after Anoop... and the judges immediately get up and leave and go backstage. I still find this kind of odd. The audience prep guy does some interviewing of audience members and gives out an iPod Touch to a kid that came all the way from Florida with his family. Pretty cool.... Seconds before the show is coming back to air, the judges make their way back to their seats. And action!
It's now Megan's turn. She's singing a Lauryn Hill/Bob Marley song. At this point, many of us in the pit kind of turned our heads slightly diagonally to the side like a dog does when its confused. I could tell many of us were like "this is a top download?". That started the confusion amongst the pit and the audience as to what songs were eligible for this week. Meh.... whatever.
Megan's performance was, just as Simon described, pretty boring. I'm not sure if she was having an off night, but even in the studio she came across as very disconnected. Her little "but my fans will like it..." line at the end is getting kind of old. I really have wanted to like her, but after seeing her live in the audience, I'm kinda over it. Several of the other contestants interacted with the crowd and she came on, sang, and went off. Meh.
Next up is Danny. He had his little interview segment on the stools with Ryan right in front of us! During commercial he talked with some of the high schoolers in the pit with us... mainly the girls that were fans of his. He seemed nice... but it was almost like "canned nice". Like "put on a show nice". I still give him credit for talking with them though. She seemed very uncomfortable in his outfit as he kept adjusting himself and checking to make sure he looked alright.
Danny's performance was good.... but I'm still getting bored with him. He's doing what we know he can do every week. I just want something a little different. The Rascal Flatts song was a good choice for him though.
Ryan introduces Allison from in front of the judges desk, and then walks down the steps right by the pit. Lauren is standing out the outer rim of the pit and as Ryan comes by she smiles big. He extends his hand out to shake her hand, and Lauren went in for the hug!!! :-) It was awesome! Lauren got a hug from Ryan Seacrest! You have to know that Lauren is a HUGE Ryan fan.... mainly because of his radio show out here in L.A. She listens to him every morning. So for her to get a hug from him, it was awesome. The look on her face was priceless! LOVED IT. Definitely a highlight of the night!
Allison's performance was pretty decent... although the outfit WAS hideous. It's funny the judges commented on it, because I thought it as soon as she walked out on the stage. The high school boys in the pit by us really like her... so maybe thats where a lot of her fanbase is.
As we go to commerical, the back screen opens up and the crew wheels out the grand piano. Must be time for Scott to perform. They also usher Scott's family into the front row right behind our pit. This is when I realize that they have been shuffling the "friends and family" to this front row on both sides throughout the whole show. This explains how they can always get good footage of the family during the performance.
Scott performs alone with no help from Ricky Minor and the band and I think it was probably the smartest decision he's made in the competition so far. He did well... and this solo version mixed it up a bit, giving him some originality. The performance itself was pretty good too. But... my favorite part was watching his family behind me. They really are super proud of him. His mom especially was geting very emotional... I think because he was singing a song by the legendary Billy Joel, AND doing it solo. His sister (also blind) was also very moved by the performance. When Paula made her comments about being so proud of him, his family was also beaming with pride. SO cool to see that. Definitely the most touching moment of the day for me. I haven't even been that big of a Scott fan, but it was cool to see him do so well and have such great loving support from his family.
Another commerical break... more iPod's given away.... and next up is Matt. He is also interviewed by Ryan right in front of us on our side of the stage. Pretty cool! He looks down at me, and remembers me from earlier with the sign and he gives me "hey" head nod. Pretty cool. :-) Then... they have him perform on the it on the OTHER side. Darn... would have been cool to be in his pit. Oh well.
In terms of his performance.... I actually liked it, although I don't think it was his strongest. It kinda reminded me of the Coldplay he did before. He still sang it very well though... just could have picked a better song. I was really hoping he would have picked "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake... because its a dramatic song... plus he has a JT vibe about him. I completely disagree with what Kara said about picking a genre though. He can be rock when he wants to and R&B when he wants to if you ask me! There are several established musicians that have crossed those boundaries... off the top of my head I think of Janet Jackson singing the rock-ish "Black Cat" and then doing R&B songs like "That's The Way Love Goes". It can be done. Look at all the country crossovers like Shania Twain or Taylor Swift! Also examples of not being pigeonholed into a certain genre. Let Matt do what he wants and see what the public thinks. With that said... I think he could be in trouble tonight.
Next Up is Lil Rounds... how cute is her family?!?! Seriously? I love the hug to Randy. Randy hug + Lil's tears probably equals safety this week. I didn't like the song choice at all though. Celine? really? I 100% agree with Simon's suggestion of "One" by U2 as a great choice. Not many people know the Mary J. Blige version of that song, so she could have rocked it out without being a copycat. Which brings me to another point... when Kara and Randy were suggesting that Lil sing a Mary J or Mariah song, I think it is almost setting Lil up for other bad critiques because I can hear them saying in that case that she would be too "copycat" and not showing who "Lil really is". So, what gives?!?!
It's time for another commericial and at this point I am about to jump out of my skin because Adam is up next and I can't wait to hear what he has to unveil to us this week. Also at this point, some people from the audience got up to leave, so Rich got asked if he wanted to be a seat-filler. Pretty awesome! Relief from the standing... plus, he was right behind the judges... so if you check out the show, you can see Rich in the background during Adam's performance. My question is though: who on earth would leave the show right before Adam is coming out to perform? Idiots!
Back from commercial and Adam takes the stage to sing Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music"... (again... was this iTunes top download in 1976? What? This theme is confusing me...). As the song starts, the crowd is already up on thier feet dancing. You can definitely tell that collectively as a group, the audience had the most support for Adam. Some of the high school boys shuddered when Adam was shaking his hips... lol... but to be expected from pre-pubescent straight boys (same boys screaming their faces off for Allison, of course). But other than those boys, the crowd was digging the performance. So much so, that it was often difficult to hear parts of the song because the crowd was cheering. It was nice to be able to watch back the clip later to hear all his riffs. Everything that has been said about Adam in terms of his comfort level on stage and the way he commands a performance is even more true in person. It's like you can feel the energy in the room while he's up there. Pretty awesome. I definitely plan on downloading this from iTunes when it's released tomorrow. :-)
Now, judges comments. I know one thing is for sure... I'm not letting Kara do my taxes anytime soon. She is HORRIBLE with numbers! First it was the "six words" that were actually 8 words last week... and now she says "Studio 57"?!?! I was laughing so hard and how ridiculous that comment was. So many people in the audience were looking at eachother going "57? Isn't it 54?".... LOL. Rich said that from his seat he saw her turn around and say to the audience "54! I'm sorry!". LOL.
After the judges comments, they pan to a quick intro of Kris before the commercial and he is sitting on the steps right in front of us. Let me state this for the record: Kris is MUCH more attractive in person that he is on TV! When I looked over at him, I was like "shoooooooot!". :-) Maybe it was how he was dressed or the facial hair coming in... but he was definitely cute. But I in no way let that influence my opinion of Kris or his singing.... ;-)
Kris takes the stage at the keyboard, and gave what I consider to be the best performance of the night. Kris earned hardcore bonus points from me with this performance. It showed that he's not just a guitar guy.... plus it showed that he can take a song and make it his own. I'm buying this from iTunes too. Kris is really making a run for this! He's a dark horse for sure, but he did come with a bit more confidence this week, as Simon said. Not concietedness or cockiness... but confidence. It was nice to see. Before I thought he'd be one of the first 4 to go home... but now I see him in the final 4, for sure! If he can keep delivering solid performances, he will continue to rise on this show.
The judges wrap on Kris's comments.... and they run the phone number video. As this is going on, the contestants join Kris on stage, and they all come up to him giving him hugs and high fives on a great performance. Pretty cool to see that they are supportive of eachother. As Ryan does the closing of the show, I hold up my sign and Matt points at me again. :-) Yay.
The show is over... but we are asked to stay for a bit because they need to tape a couple additional things. First is an acceptance speech for some reality TV award that Idol won... and they have the judges do the segment. Paula is the only one to talk, although they do fight over it for a bit because they all want Simon to do it and he refuses to. Paula does a great job though... reading from the tele-prompter! :-)
Next is a quick commercial that looks like they will play tonight before "Lie To Me"... telling people to stay tuned for the results show. Ryan does this one, and its done in one take. Such a professional. lol.....
And with that.... the taping is over and they tell everyone to leave the studio. We walk outside and collect our cell phones... and I sit down on the benches to rest my feet and back after standing for the past 5+ hours.
We walk back towards the parking structure... and we were right by a mall called The Grove, so we decided to walk over and have some dinner. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (deelish!). After dinner we were leaving and sitting in the lobby were a husband and wife that looked familiar. At first I thought they were someone from Michigan because I knew they were from my past... but then I realized they were Bam Margera's parents April & Phil from "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" on MTV! Another glance back...and there was Steve-O! :-) They must have just gotten out of the Dancing With The Stars taping. I asked them for a picture and they were very nice to oblige! Lauren got one too. Pretty cool.
Then in other reality TV excitement... in the center of The Grove was a performance by The Ballas-Hough Band.... which for those of you that don't know, includes Mark Ballas and Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars!!! So we watched them for a few. I tried to get some pictures... but they didn't turn out well on my cell phone. Still cool! It was a reality TV filled day!
And with that... my American Idol experience concluded. I went home to find that my DVR DIDN'T TAPE IDOL AGAIN, which was depressing... but thankfully the clips were online (mjsbigblog.com). But it was probably all the better because i never would have stayed awake through the whole episode... I was out on the couch in no time flat from a tiring day. :-)
To wrap up... my predictions for tonight:
The bottom three: Megan, Matt & Anoop
Going home: It's tough... because Megan does have some sort of strong fan base out there. I really hope its her.... but I have a feeling it could be some bad news with Matt or Anoop. But my gut is saying its Megan's turn to go. I think there were other people out there who were fans of her that may have been unimpressed with her last night, just like me.
I know I definitely enjoyed the show... and will never look at American Idol the same now that I know what it's like behind-the-scenes!
I, Matt Eickhoff, super-fan of American Idol actually got to go to a taping of the show! I LOVE LOS ANGELES! :-)
This blog post will be my best attempt to let you all into the behind-the-scenes world of American Idol. There is SO much to remember that I am sure I will forget something. I wish I would have had a notepad and pen to take notes! I couldn't even text myself because they took our cell phones... sheesh! So I'm doing this all from memory folks.
First, some fun facts... then a play-by-play of the experience.
Bet you didn't know: American Idol tapes right next door to Dancing With the Stars! As we were getting in line, we realized there were two lines of people, one for Idol and another for DWTS. The funny thing about it... Idol is a FOX show, DWTS is an ABC show, yet both of the shows tape at the CBS Studios!!! Craziness.
Bet you didn't know: The judges (Randy, Kara, Paula, Simon) all go back stage during EVERY commercial break... and come back out just in time. I guess I just thought once they were out there and seated they were out there the whole time. They probably don't want to be bugged by everyone.
Bet you didn't know: The studio is SO small!!! Words cannot describe. On TV they make it look so huge, but it isn't at all. The seats are only about 12 rows deep, and the "pit" where people stand in front only has about 40 people in each side (on TV it looks like 100+!). I would say, that there were 300 people in the studio MAX. Made it even cooler to be a part of the experience.
Bet you didn't know: (some of you may know this one) They tape a practice run of the show right before the live show. Our line of people was divided into a line of people there for the rehersal and people for the live show. The rehersal is just like the live show, only no comments from the judges. During this taping is when they tape the small clips that are played back at the end of the show when the run the phone numbers again. Some of you may have noticed that during those clips the singer did a different riff or was standing in a different place then when they performed it live on the show, and this is why.
Bet you didn't know: The audience is directed to boo when the judges make bad comments about the contestants... and to cheer when they make good comments. The dude that preps the audience for the show came out and told us to do that. To me, it was weird, but it definitely make sense. Because, for example, if Simon tells Megan that her performance was "complete rubbish" and many of the audience members agree, they don't want us applauding Simon and make Megan feel horrible. It's still a bit weird to me, because when we boo Simon plays it up like we weren't instructed to do so... Let's face it. Simon is right most of the time, so they gotta prep the audience to be on the side of the contestants.
Bet you didn't know: When the judges and Ryan make comments about "watching the show back" and comparing how it was on TV to how it was in the audience... it REALLY DOES make a difference. It's SO loud in the small studio with the band and everything, that it does sound much, much different. I'm sure most of you have experienced this by going to a concert and the performer sounding much different than they do on TV or on CD. The same thing comes into play at Idol. There were parts of the song I completely missed... like the ending riff of Adam's performance... because the crowd was already on their feet cheering loudly that we couldn't hear it. Watching it back, that riff was amazing!
So on to the play-by-play. This is how the day went:
7:30am: Wake up and start making my sign to take to the show. Although I really do like Adam, I felt like I needed to represent the hometown boy and make a sign for Matt. I made a sign that said "Kalamazoo [heart]'s Matt" with a picture of the Michigan mitten and a big star on Kalamazoo. I thought he'd appreciate the hometown shoutout.
8:45am: It's time to figure out what I'm going to wear to the taping... which may not seem like too much of a daunting task... but the ticketing company specifically says on the ticket that you must follow the dress code rules or you may not be let in! The rules: no t-shirts, no sweat-shirts, no jeans, no white clothing, no logos, no flip flops, no shorts..... SHEESH! A lot of rules! I finally decide to wear what I wore to Deal or No Deal and call it a day.
9:40am: I pick up my friend and co-worker James and and we head down to Hollywood to get in line. Lauren and Rich will also be joining us later, but both were at work. Luckily for James and I it was Cesar Chavez Day here at CSUN, so we got the day off of work! PERFECT! Even though we have tickets, they are "not guaranteed" so I wanted to get down there as early as possible to stand in line and make sure we get in the door!
10:45am: After some heavy traffic due to construction, we make it to the CBS Studios. We park and walk a couple blocks to get in line. I was assuming the line would already be long, but when we show up there's only about 40 people in front of us. I start to get really excited.
12:00pm: James and I pass the time by playing some games on his iPhone. Finally, we have our first interaction with an actual employee of the show. He comes out to break our line up into three groups... one for Dancing with the Stars, one for the Idol rehearsal and one for the Idol live show. We move to the Idol live show line and are only about 10 people back now! YAY!
1:45pm: A couple of people, looking official, walk up to the line and begin talking to those of us near the front of the line. They say they are from the TV Guide Channel and are taping a segment for their show "Idol Tonight". It's a game called "Idol Branium"... basically like the board game Cranium but all about American Idol. They ask for a volunteer to play, and of course my hand shoots up immediately. Cranuium + Idol = Matt Domination! They pick me to play and start to set up the scene. Basically we are going to play an unscramble game. They are going to give big letters to other people standing in line and I have to unscramble them, spelling out the name of an Idol contestant... from ANY year of Idol. I get a little nervous, but an Idol
2:00pm: The camera crew for the segment shows up, as well as the super-cute hostess. We get a game plan down, and the taping begins. Little did I know that she was going to give me clues as to who the person is. The clues were that the contestant was from season 5... and that they helped Chris Daughtry write lyrics to his debut song "It's Not Over". DUH. EASY. I look at the letters and know immediately it is Ace Young. I move the people around, and I win! :-) Unfortunately there weren't any prizes involved... but it was still pretty cool to be a part of it. We had to do a couple takes of different parts of it (and pretend like it was the first time we did it, of course... gotta love TV) but it took only a few minutes and it was over! They told us it is going to air on "Idol Tonight" in 2 weeks. Its on Wednesdays right before the results show on the TV Guide network.... so check it out if you get the chance! I'll be on TV! :-)
2:15pm: Lauren arrives with lunch! YAY! James and I were HUNGRY! Wendy's had never tasted so good. :-) Thanks again Lauren!
2:22pm: Simon Cowell drives by us in his super nice convertable... everyone standing in line on the street could see it was him turning into the studio, so they were cheering for him. Pretty cool!
2:30pm: Another camera crew shows up, this time for "American Idol Extra"... a show on the Fox Reality Channel. Basically they wanted people to hold up signs and shout out messages for thier favorite contestants. They brought pre-made signs for people to hold up... but I didn't need a pre-made sign! I had my own! lol... (and might I add their signs were way crappier than mine!) So I got recorded again giving a shout out to Matt... saying that everyone back in Kalamazoo is rooting for him. I'm not sure if he will actually get to see it or not... but still cool.
3:00pm: The rep from the show comes out and starts to let people back into the studio lot to wait in the holding area. One problem... Rich is still on his way from work! We fibbed a bit and told him he went to the bathroom. He asks us to stand to the side and will need to wait for Rich to get there. As I'm on the phone with Rich... we're worried that he might not make it because of ridiculous L.A. traffic. I'm stressin'.... but trying to still stay excited. Luckily the guy from the show radioed back to a girl in the holding area and told her that he had four people that were still coming in, and we were just waiting for one in the bathroom. He told us that once Rich arrived we could head back and still be in our original spot in line. He was a really nice guy, and I appreciated that. Actually, I can't think of anyone that wasn't nice there. The staff was all pleasant. Which they should be! I would be in a pleasant mood if I worked for Idol too!!!
3:30pm: After what must have looked like the longest bathroom break ever (lol) Rich arrives, running down the sidewalk to get here. Whew! I was so happy were all together and we were going to make it in!!! Pretty awesome. We walk back to the holding area and past the VIP parking spaces for the celebrities of both Idol and Dancing With the Stars. It was pretty cool to see "This Space Reserved For: ______" and see names like Randy Jackson, Julienne Hough, Lil' Kim, etc. We kept walking to the holding area and we were given our admission patch. We were to stick it on our pants by our thigh. At this point, it became apparent that we were going to be in "the pit"... the standing room area that is down by the stage. Pretty darn cool... yes... although we'd be on a feet the whole time. After this we had to hand over our cell phones to security and were given a ticket to pick them up at the end of the show.
We wait in the holding area with a whole group of high school freshmen. They were dropped off by a school bus. I talked with one of the girls and she said that her teacher is friends with the stage manager, so she got the hookup to bring her whole class. Pretty cool teacher if you ask me!!! :-) The kids took up all the seats on the provided benches, so unfortunately the four of us had to stand (which wasn't fun, knowing we'd also be standing through the entire show). I wanted to boot some of the kids off... but played it nice. We waited here for a good 45+ minutes... during the waiting, a 50-ish year-old woman walked around passing out stickers that said "Anoop Troop" for any Anoop fans. Pretty funny I thought.
4:25pm: After the ticket holders with seats are ushered in, finally all of us in the pit get to walk to the studio. We walk through the back... and finally we enter through the side... and THERE IT IS! The OFFICIAL American Idol stage! :-) The neon lights... the giant video screens... the spiral staircases... it was pretty awesome. Besides being taken aback by how small it was, it was a great feeling to know we actually made it in! We took our places in the pit, on the side next to Simon. We were all asked to cram into an area lined off my tape on the floor. Pretty much packed in like sardines, but I certainly didn't care.
4:40pm: The audience prep guy comes out to get us hyped up for the show. He picks a couple people out to do a dance on the stage. I totally would have loved to get up there and volunteer, but he picked a guy who it was his birthday. Damn birthdays....
4:45pm: Now the celebrities start to show up in the audience. Sitting front and center (as many of you probably saw) was Mandisa from season 5 and actor David Spade... interesting combo. lol. Also in the audience were Neil Patrick Harris (DOOGIE!), Carnie Wilson (Yeah Wilson Phillips!), and Lisa Rinna with husband Harry Hamlin. Justin Gaston (Miley Cyrus's boyrfriend) was also there... which was interesting because a couple ladies we were talking to in line heard that Miley was doing a surprise performance. With her BF there, it seemed apparent... but didn't happen.
4:50pm: At this point, the audience prep guy also informs us about the fake boo'ing and applauding... and tells us that we have to be overly excited throughout the whole show. If people from the show find that we aren't being energetic, they could take us out. There will be no problem with me being energetic! :-)
4:55pm: They announcer brings out all 9 contestants to the stage and the crowd goes wild!!! :-) It was cool to actually see them live in the flesh. I proudly hold up my sign for Matt to see and he immediately sees me! He smiles big.... points and me and waves.... then.... he HELD UP HIS HAND AND POINTED TO KALAMAZOO ON HIS PALM! :-) SOOO awesome! That's how we do it in Michigan! :-) Definitely a highlight for me! It was worth it to make the sign.
4:59pm: The director of the show is calling for Ryan and he is no where to be seen. We can see the clock counting down by the second in the back of the studio and there is less than a minute with no Ryan. The director is like shouting for him to get out on stage! Finally, with seconds to spare, Ryan emerges up top by the band and runs down the spiral staircase to take his spot. By the time he hits the floor, the camera's are rolling for his dramatic opening....
5:00pm: ...and with a "THIS......... is American Idol", the show begins! The audience dances during the theme song and the judges have their over-the-top entrance. The crowd goes wild of course.
(now that the show has started, I'll stop with the times... lol)
Ryan announces the theme 'Top iTunes Downloads"... which I had seen from doing some research before the show. What I didn't know is that the theme should have been called "Sing Whatever The Hell You Want". I don't know about you, but last time I checked iTunes didn't exist in the times of Bob Marley and Wild Cherry. Anyway....
After some banter between Ryan and the judges (where Kara continues to overuse the word "artistry") they announce Anoop is the first to perform. During Anoops video package, I look over at the judges and Kara sees me. I smile and she gives me a wink. Pretty cool! :-)
Anoop performs Usher's "Caught Up", and from my perspective I thought he did pretty well actually. Maybe it was just because it was a fun song and one that made me want to dance. That combined with the adrenaline of the show, and being in the pit... I was feelin' it! Then the judges panned it. I was confused. Then I watched his clip back last night and I understood why. It wasn't all that good. I guess I was caught up in the moment. Ha ha... I made a funny.
It was very hard to hear the judges comments too.... I'm not sure if its just because of where we were standing... but it was like straining to hear what they said.
First commercial break after Anoop... and the judges immediately get up and leave and go backstage. I still find this kind of odd. The audience prep guy does some interviewing of audience members and gives out an iPod Touch to a kid that came all the way from Florida with his family. Pretty cool.... Seconds before the show is coming back to air, the judges make their way back to their seats. And action!
It's now Megan's turn. She's singing a Lauryn Hill/Bob Marley song. At this point, many of us in the pit kind of turned our heads slightly diagonally to the side like a dog does when its confused. I could tell many of us were like "this is a top download?". That started the confusion amongst the pit and the audience as to what songs were eligible for this week. Meh.... whatever.
Megan's performance was, just as Simon described, pretty boring. I'm not sure if she was having an off night, but even in the studio she came across as very disconnected. Her little "but my fans will like it..." line at the end is getting kind of old. I really have wanted to like her, but after seeing her live in the audience, I'm kinda over it. Several of the other contestants interacted with the crowd and she came on, sang, and went off. Meh.
Next up is Danny. He had his little interview segment on the stools with Ryan right in front of us! During commercial he talked with some of the high schoolers in the pit with us... mainly the girls that were fans of his. He seemed nice... but it was almost like "canned nice". Like "put on a show nice". I still give him credit for talking with them though. She seemed very uncomfortable in his outfit as he kept adjusting himself and checking to make sure he looked alright.
Danny's performance was good.... but I'm still getting bored with him. He's doing what we know he can do every week. I just want something a little different. The Rascal Flatts song was a good choice for him though.
Ryan introduces Allison from in front of the judges desk, and then walks down the steps right by the pit. Lauren is standing out the outer rim of the pit and as Ryan comes by she smiles big. He extends his hand out to shake her hand, and Lauren went in for the hug!!! :-) It was awesome! Lauren got a hug from Ryan Seacrest! You have to know that Lauren is a HUGE Ryan fan.... mainly because of his radio show out here in L.A. She listens to him every morning. So for her to get a hug from him, it was awesome. The look on her face was priceless! LOVED IT. Definitely a highlight of the night!
Allison's performance was pretty decent... although the outfit WAS hideous. It's funny the judges commented on it, because I thought it as soon as she walked out on the stage. The high school boys in the pit by us really like her... so maybe thats where a lot of her fanbase is.
As we go to commerical, the back screen opens up and the crew wheels out the grand piano. Must be time for Scott to perform. They also usher Scott's family into the front row right behind our pit. This is when I realize that they have been shuffling the "friends and family" to this front row on both sides throughout the whole show. This explains how they can always get good footage of the family during the performance.
Scott performs alone with no help from Ricky Minor and the band and I think it was probably the smartest decision he's made in the competition so far. He did well... and this solo version mixed it up a bit, giving him some originality. The performance itself was pretty good too. But... my favorite part was watching his family behind me. They really are super proud of him. His mom especially was geting very emotional... I think because he was singing a song by the legendary Billy Joel, AND doing it solo. His sister (also blind) was also very moved by the performance. When Paula made her comments about being so proud of him, his family was also beaming with pride. SO cool to see that. Definitely the most touching moment of the day for me. I haven't even been that big of a Scott fan, but it was cool to see him do so well and have such great loving support from his family.
Another commerical break... more iPod's given away.... and next up is Matt. He is also interviewed by Ryan right in front of us on our side of the stage. Pretty cool! He looks down at me, and remembers me from earlier with the sign and he gives me "hey" head nod. Pretty cool. :-) Then... they have him perform on the it on the OTHER side. Darn... would have been cool to be in his pit. Oh well.
In terms of his performance.... I actually liked it, although I don't think it was his strongest. It kinda reminded me of the Coldplay he did before. He still sang it very well though... just could have picked a better song. I was really hoping he would have picked "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake... because its a dramatic song... plus he has a JT vibe about him. I completely disagree with what Kara said about picking a genre though. He can be rock when he wants to and R&B when he wants to if you ask me! There are several established musicians that have crossed those boundaries... off the top of my head I think of Janet Jackson singing the rock-ish "Black Cat" and then doing R&B songs like "That's The Way Love Goes". It can be done. Look at all the country crossovers like Shania Twain or Taylor Swift! Also examples of not being pigeonholed into a certain genre. Let Matt do what he wants and see what the public thinks. With that said... I think he could be in trouble tonight.
Next Up is Lil Rounds... how cute is her family?!?! Seriously? I love the hug to Randy. Randy hug + Lil's tears probably equals safety this week. I didn't like the song choice at all though. Celine? really? I 100% agree with Simon's suggestion of "One" by U2 as a great choice. Not many people know the Mary J. Blige version of that song, so she could have rocked it out without being a copycat. Which brings me to another point... when Kara and Randy were suggesting that Lil sing a Mary J or Mariah song, I think it is almost setting Lil up for other bad critiques because I can hear them saying in that case that she would be too "copycat" and not showing who "Lil really is". So, what gives?!?!
It's time for another commericial and at this point I am about to jump out of my skin because Adam is up next and I can't wait to hear what he has to unveil to us this week. Also at this point, some people from the audience got up to leave, so Rich got asked if he wanted to be a seat-filler. Pretty awesome! Relief from the standing... plus, he was right behind the judges... so if you check out the show, you can see Rich in the background during Adam's performance. My question is though: who on earth would leave the show right before Adam is coming out to perform? Idiots!
Back from commercial and Adam takes the stage to sing Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music"... (again... was this iTunes top download in 1976? What? This theme is confusing me...). As the song starts, the crowd is already up on thier feet dancing. You can definitely tell that collectively as a group, the audience had the most support for Adam. Some of the high school boys shuddered when Adam was shaking his hips... lol... but to be expected from pre-pubescent straight boys (same boys screaming their faces off for Allison, of course). But other than those boys, the crowd was digging the performance. So much so, that it was often difficult to hear parts of the song because the crowd was cheering. It was nice to be able to watch back the clip later to hear all his riffs. Everything that has been said about Adam in terms of his comfort level on stage and the way he commands a performance is even more true in person. It's like you can feel the energy in the room while he's up there. Pretty awesome. I definitely plan on downloading this from iTunes when it's released tomorrow. :-)
Now, judges comments. I know one thing is for sure... I'm not letting Kara do my taxes anytime soon. She is HORRIBLE with numbers! First it was the "six words" that were actually 8 words last week... and now she says "Studio 57"?!?! I was laughing so hard and how ridiculous that comment was. So many people in the audience were looking at eachother going "57? Isn't it 54?".... LOL. Rich said that from his seat he saw her turn around and say to the audience "54! I'm sorry!". LOL.
After the judges comments, they pan to a quick intro of Kris before the commercial and he is sitting on the steps right in front of us. Let me state this for the record: Kris is MUCH more attractive in person that he is on TV! When I looked over at him, I was like "shoooooooot!". :-) Maybe it was how he was dressed or the facial hair coming in... but he was definitely cute. But I in no way let that influence my opinion of Kris or his singing.... ;-)
Kris takes the stage at the keyboard, and gave what I consider to be the best performance of the night. Kris earned hardcore bonus points from me with this performance. It showed that he's not just a guitar guy.... plus it showed that he can take a song and make it his own. I'm buying this from iTunes too. Kris is really making a run for this! He's a dark horse for sure, but he did come with a bit more confidence this week, as Simon said. Not concietedness or cockiness... but confidence. It was nice to see. Before I thought he'd be one of the first 4 to go home... but now I see him in the final 4, for sure! If he can keep delivering solid performances, he will continue to rise on this show.
The judges wrap on Kris's comments.... and they run the phone number video. As this is going on, the contestants join Kris on stage, and they all come up to him giving him hugs and high fives on a great performance. Pretty cool to see that they are supportive of eachother. As Ryan does the closing of the show, I hold up my sign and Matt points at me again. :-) Yay.
The show is over... but we are asked to stay for a bit because they need to tape a couple additional things. First is an acceptance speech for some reality TV award that Idol won... and they have the judges do the segment. Paula is the only one to talk, although they do fight over it for a bit because they all want Simon to do it and he refuses to. Paula does a great job though... reading from the tele-prompter! :-)
Next is a quick commercial that looks like they will play tonight before "Lie To Me"... telling people to stay tuned for the results show. Ryan does this one, and its done in one take. Such a professional. lol.....
And with that.... the taping is over and they tell everyone to leave the studio. We walk outside and collect our cell phones... and I sit down on the benches to rest my feet and back after standing for the past 5+ hours.
We walk back towards the parking structure... and we were right by a mall called The Grove, so we decided to walk over and have some dinner. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (deelish!). After dinner we were leaving and sitting in the lobby were a husband and wife that looked familiar. At first I thought they were someone from Michigan because I knew they were from my past... but then I realized they were Bam Margera's parents April & Phil from "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" on MTV! Another glance back...and there was Steve-O! :-) They must have just gotten out of the Dancing With The Stars taping. I asked them for a picture and they were very nice to oblige! Lauren got one too. Pretty cool.
Then in other reality TV excitement... in the center of The Grove was a performance by The Ballas-Hough Band.... which for those of you that don't know, includes Mark Ballas and Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars!!! So we watched them for a few. I tried to get some pictures... but they didn't turn out well on my cell phone. Still cool! It was a reality TV filled day!
And with that... my American Idol experience concluded. I went home to find that my DVR DIDN'T TAPE IDOL AGAIN, which was depressing... but thankfully the clips were online (mjsbigblog.com). But it was probably all the better because i never would have stayed awake through the whole episode... I was out on the couch in no time flat from a tiring day. :-)
To wrap up... my predictions for tonight:
The bottom three: Megan, Matt & Anoop
Going home: It's tough... because Megan does have some sort of strong fan base out there. I really hope its her.... but I have a feeling it could be some bad news with Matt or Anoop. But my gut is saying its Megan's turn to go. I think there were other people out there who were fans of her that may have been unimpressed with her last night, just like me.
I know I definitely enjoyed the show... and will never look at American Idol the same now that I know what it's like behind-the-scenes!
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