February 7, 2008A bittersweet momentI finally watched a few clips from the episode I missed Tuesday night. Obviously the standout is Asia'h Epperson, whose father passed away two days before her audition. Talk about a tear-jerker. I'm amazed she made it through "How Do I Live" as far as she did without breaking down. I was left crying at my desk. Grab some tissues and watch this one over again. I'm excited for her. Now I want her to win. February 6, 2008Mary would be proudI don't remember Danny Noriega from the previous season. I must've missed him because I would've remembered a voice like that coming out of a kid like him. He was almost Sanjaya-ish in looks when he walked into the room. But, man, that's where the comparison ended. His voice is incredible. I'm excited to watch Danny's progress. He'll either get squashed big-time or he'll surprise everyone. This leads me to ... yay! Auditions are OVER. Time for the good stuff. Hope you guys will stick around. Give me lots of feedback and possibly contribute some blog entries. Stay tuned for my chat with not-so-nerdy Michael Gregory. (That reminds me, I haven't watched that episode yet. I'll do it in the morning and get back to you.) Cheers! My beef with Amy DavisAmy Davis made it through but the Air Force pilot didn't (remember her? A few episodes back). I don't get it. They were both nervous, and frankly, I think Air Force girl's voice was better. I'm kinda bummed about that. What do y'all think? Apparently I dug the pilot. Headed to DollywoodAlesha Stelzl had to learn a Dolly Parton song in a matter of a few hours because the judges thought she sounded more like Dolly than Celine Dion. I'm impressed that Alesha pulled it off. She does have a Dolly quality to her voice. I don't think she'll even make it through the next round, but hey, she'll probably become a huge Dolly fan, anyway. Not many people can pull off Dolly; maybe Alesha could get a gig at Dollywood or something. With the Mandrell sisters. (By the way, you know how you have a go-to song in your head, the one you reach for when you just feel like humming a tune or singing a line or two? Well, mine is "Islands in the Stream.") Yes! The final audition showI just watched "the best of the worst" and my favorite Simon quote of the night was "Does he [God] have a returns policy?" He said this to the gal who sang "Hallelujah." Other fun quotes: Randy saying: "You sound kinda like a sheep or an animal." Simon saying: "It ended for me when the weird striptease started." And the guy responded: "I knew it!" Seriously? Then why'd you do it, weirdo? And when Simon said Diana Kim's name as Kiana Dim. For some reason it just made me laugh. Nerd dude from RadfordI got some news today that the Radford nerd from last night's audition, Michael Gregory, is actually the brother of Andrew Gregory ... the musician who has a "Gil Thorp" character named after him. You can see that story here. Turns out, Andrew sent an e-mail to our music writer, Tad Dickens, saying "my younger brother, michael, was just on american idol, posing as a nerd." So there you have it. People do fake it to make it. OK, so I didn't watch it yet!I missed the show last night. I know, what a terrible blogger I am. But a friend had a Mardi Gras gathering that I didn't want to miss. (The gumbo was fabulous, by the way.) Anyway, I've heard a few tidbits here and there this morning about some of the contestants ... in particular, the "weird eye" guy who sang a Queen song. (Thanks, K92.) So, I'm looking forward to watching it tonight and catching up. Did you watch? Please feel free to rant and/or rave about some of the contestants. Meanwhile, stay tuned... February 4, 2008More auditions...Last week when I realized there were more auditions this week, I was pretty annoyed. I feel like auditions are all the same after a while. I'm ready for the real competition to start. What do you think? Take my poll.
January 30, 2008Miami wrap-upTonight's show was a bit mellow. I don't know if it's me, getting a little tired of the audition process, or if it was just the level of talent. Even the bad auditions weren't all that bad. I think that was part of the problem. It was all just a little flat. I will admit, I thought this week was the end of the audition round. I was a bit deflated to hear that there are more next week. Feel free to make comments. If you're an avid fan of the show, let me know. E-mail me and maybe you can be a guest blogger. I welcome the help. 'This is uncomfortable'That was Paula's quote about Brandon Black, Miami's last contestant. She was spot-on. Just enough already. And I don't even have to sit through all those auditions. The girls brought it in MiamiThe boys brought the talent in Omaha, but the girls stepped up in Miami. The duo of Britney and Corless made it through. What's with the duos making it through to Hollywood this season? It's rare. Anyway, I love their bigger-than-life personalities. I don't think they'll go too far in the competition, but they'll be fun to watch. Single-mom Suzanne Toon (I thought she looked a little like Alicia Silverstone) was interesting. I think she could easily get lost in the fray. She'll need to make herself stand out. Ramiele Malubay. What a big voice for a small girl! That's all I have to say about that. Except for I wonder how annoyed she gets at being called "cute" and "adorable" ALL the time? Syesha Mercado sang an Aretha Franklin song. At first I didn't think she'd pull it off, but it wasn't bad. (Not that I'm an expert, mind you.) Syesha's dad just got out of rehab and they had a moment together on screen. Seemed a bit exploitive, but then again it is "American Idol." Go girls! Janis Joplin meets MiamiMiami brought with it a lot of Janis Joplin. I thought there'd be more Gloria Estefan. Janis is tough to sing. The meat market girl tried to sing some Janis and Simon likened her to a "Hungarian Janis Joplin." Then Julie Debela from "American Juniors" sang Janis. Aside from Julie's total weird persona, I thought her voice wasn't that bad. It was just the rest of her. Get some therapy, Julie. Figure out who you are. (She is 16, though.) January 29, 2008The boys brought it tonightI am a big fan of David Cook, the guy with a splotch of red hair. Anyone who can belt out Bon Jovi (and not the drunk karaoke versions I'm used to hearing) has my vote. Leo Marlowe is another favorite. He said "My mom always said she had a homecoming queen; she just wished it was one of her daughters." Awww.....we love Leo. And he's got a voice, too. LOL momentsAt the very beginning of the show, an obviously non-anorexic woman was sporting a t-shirt that said "I beat anorexia." (Note: I am not laughing at anorexia, I'm laughing at the shirt. That is all.) When Chris Bernheisel (the sweet little oddity that kicked off Omaha's auditions) said "I'm so happy I could burst and happiness is gonna go flying everywhere!!" (If I could, I would've dotted the "i's" with hearts.) And the fact he did a handstand during his performance. And the gifts he brought to the judges. And last but certainly not least, Chris' grandmother's hair. I was floored. Give the poor woman a comb, at least. Omaha was funTonight I watched the Omaha auditions at a friend's house. I recommend that, it's more fun. My friend Jenny makes me laugh with her sarcastic comments. She's an avid Idol fan. Tonight's funny remark was "What the hell happened to Grandma's hair?" when first contestant Chris Bernheisel left the show with his dad and grandmother. Seriously, though, grandma did need a comb. Overall, I thought the Omaha auditions went off without a hitch. Just the right combination of embarrassing attention-seekers and folks with actual talent. I found the contestants to be more sincere and I was happy the hour wasn't padded with too many back stories. Just straight-up auditions and Paula lunacy (more on her in another entry).
January 24, 2008And the elephant in the room ...Oliver Highman and his pregnant wife. The entire episode was framed around this dude and his wife. Turns out she went into labor the day he was supposed to audition, but they gave him another chance the next day. Oliver is a sweetheart, and I assumed he would make it through since they gave him so much air time. Alas, he did not. He had "weird falsetto," according to Randy. But, it didn't really matter to Oliver. He's got little Emma Grace to go home to. I think that's much better than Hollywood. Congrats to Oliver and his wife. In all, 23 people are going to Hollywood from Charleston. I will say, though, that the South was not a hotbed for talent. Off to HollywoodLet's talk about the folks who made it through. London Weidberg is the Charleston native who helped take care of her father when he was dying of cancer. They didn't spend a lot of time on her story, which was OK with me, and her voice was decent but she won't win the competition. Her house in Charleston won't be bad to return to, though. It's fancy. Sixteen-year-old Amy Catherine Flynn, "A.C., Amy Catherine, whatevs," got the go ahead to Hollywood, but not without a reality check from Simon: "A lot of people are going to find you annoying." "Fake and rigged"I didn't expect Josh Bolson to blow up the way he did. He seemed so sweet and innocent during his very bad audition. But once he was rejected he let go. Josh said this show is "fake and rigged," to which Simon seemed pretty peeved (hmm, wonder why?) and called Josh "rude and deluded." Josh, the next "World Idol," stormed away screaming that "American Idol" sucks. "It sucks! I'm the best! This is what you'll get in the South!" waaaaaaaaaa.......go away. The "owwwwww!" factorEnter Michelle and Jeffrey Lampkin, the brother and sister duo who actually made it through to Hollywood together. I think they surprised the judges with their very-good rendition of R. Kelly's "I'm Your Angel." They had some decent harmony going on, which agreed with Randy. Jeffrey is a little over the top (tie wrapped around his head, lots of snapping and saying "Owww!), but he's pretty good. In fact, Randy said yes to Jeffrey but not to his sister Michelle. The duo made it through together. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out. And who Jeffrey will annoy first in Hollywood. AI brought them togetherRandy Stark and Crystal Ortiz met on the "American Idol" message boards. Apparently the very talented and savvy Randy doles out advice on the audition process because he's done it before (OK, why would you take advice from a guy who auditioned and didn't make it?). Anyway, Crystal had been receiving this coveted advice from Randy and they finally met in person. Obviously his advice didn't help her b/c she did not make it (duh), but his fierceness melted her heart. Simon told them to check into a hotel. Ahh, young love. The South puts on a show ......but not necessarily a good one. First up was Raysharde, the "black Clay Aiken." He looked like one of the Jackson 5 and Simon likened him to a "70s cruise ship cabaret singer." Then we met DeAnna (the capital A is very important, according to her). DeAnna needs to work through some anger issues, which she kinda took out on her rendition of "Fancy." That was just the tip of the iceberg for Charleston. Charleston comments on the way ...I had an event last night so I'm catching up now ... looks like Charleston isn't gonna bring the talent, though ... January 23, 2008Watch the YouTube video of AlbertoI had to go back and watch Alberto Hurtado's audition. If you missed it, here it is. January 22, 2008Finally, a little stirring of the heartCarly Hennessy is by far my favorite. Apparently she tried out before and made it to Hollywood, but because of some Visa problems she was disqualified. Carly, I'm glad you're back. Not only do I dig the tattoos, but your voice was on. I'm always on the lookout for the rocker chick ... think Gina Glocksen from Season 6 and even as far back as Nikki McKibbin from the first season. Not many people can pull off Chaka Khan, even I know that, but man ... I'd say Carly came pretty close. I know where my vote is (at this point, anyway). Wednesday night auditions are in South Carolina. I can't wait. Those Southerners are sassy. I'm embarrassed to admit itBut David Archuleta's (another back story ... the kid with the vocal paralysis) smile reminded me of a young and very innocent Sanjaya Malakar's smile during auditions. I'll fess up. I thought Sanjaya was so cute when he auditioned. (I know! I know! I feel sick just thinking about it.) But, he was all shy and grinning with that sister of his. I had the same thought for David. I think Paula did, too. When Paula calls someone a "sweetheart," it's on. They'd even make fun of this guy at FloydFestThe end of tonight's show proved the best for me. For the past three episodes I've been waiting. Waiting for someone to really make me laugh -- not necessarily shock me -- just make me laugh. Alberto Hurtado, as predictable as it may be, was that guy tonight. The hippie flower child who was apparently way into fans decided that singing his own song would be the key. Has this ever worked? Has anyone sang their own song and made it to Hollywood? If so, please tell me because I can't remember. Back to Alberto. Simon said his song was the most depressing song he's ever heard in his life. I wasn't even listening to the words. I was just watching the movements. And the literal "heart on my sleeve." I was laughing. I think because this guy wasn't using gimmicks, and I really don't think he was doing it to just get on TV. He really thinks he's talented. And as awful as it sounds, that made me laugh tonight. After this I'm going to look up Alberto's MySpace page. If he doesn't have one yet, he will soon enough, I'm sure. Sorry, Blake, but Lady Liberty failed youBlake Boshnack has auditioned 10 times. Remember, he was dressed like the Statue of Liberty during Season 5 auditions? San Diego made his 11th attempt. Does this guy have nothing better to do? Does he not have a job? Even worse, his mom wants this more than he does. She reminds me of a pageant mom. Poor guy. The sad thing is he was actually not that bad tonight. And the only thing Simon could say? "You're the idiot that dressed like the Statue of Liberty." Yeah, give it up Blake. You and mom might want to consider counseling. It's a definite 'no' if you're singing a Whitney songCome on auditioners...even I know this. Don't try to pull off: Whitney Houston (the delusional duo of Christopher Baker and Monique Gibson are proof of this) And usually Aretha Franklin, but Samantha Musa did. Her sister accompanied her to the audition and actually made her way onto Simon's lap to help judge sister Sam's audition. Paula finally said something that sounded remotely industry-related: "You're naturally good." Again, another unanimous yes by all the judges. (Oh, and shout-out to my friend Erin in NYC: Samantha kinda resembles you....it's cool.) The emotional back story vs. the set-upFor regular viewers of the show, you know what the emotional back story is. Tonight's big one was single father Perrie Cataldo. His wife and the mother of his son recently passed away. He sang Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You." Paula dug it. Apparently Randy and Simon did, too. He got the unanimous thumbs up. Tonight's big set-up was Mariah Carey wannabe Valerie Reyes. You know, she said that folks walk by her and ask "Do you have Mariah Carey playing?" To which she answers: "No, it's just me." You know from the beginning she's not going to make it to Hollywood. In fact, after her rendition of some incomprehensible Mariah song, Simon says: "You sound more like Mariah Carey's CD left out in the sun." Duh. The Simon we know and love is back in San DiegoOK, I'm a little late because I had to TiVo the show tonight. But I'm at the halfway point now and here are some quick observances. Simon has come out with some nice zingers this evening, so far. For instance, his first quote of the night to Tetiana Ostopowych: "I don't think you're as good as you think you are." She made it through, though, with a yes from Simon. Another quote that made me laugh following the delusional duo of Christopher Baker and Monique Gibson: "No children will be laughing after that," following Michael's rendition of "The Greatest Love of All." Another quick observance so far. All of the yes votes have been unanimous. That's rare. Stay tuned for more ... January 17, 2008Final thought on season premiereWow, I must've been in a mood last night! Some definite weirdos came out of the woodwork for the Texas auditions. The one who stands out? And not for his talent, either. Brandon "Fingernail Guy" Green. Keeping your clipped fingernails in a bag is just weird behavior. And now 30 million people know this about him. But, whatever. He made it through. Wednesday's show did provide more entertainment than Tuesday's premiere, I must admit. But overall it just seems like something is lacking. (According to the ratings, I'm not the only who thinks that. Preliminary numbers show viewership was down 11 percent compared to last season.) Maybe it's the lack of talent. Maybe it's the fact that we know only a certain few go on to actually become big stars and usually they aren't the winners. (Remember Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard? Yeah, me neither.) Or it could just be that the format is getting old. Sure, it's fun to watch the freak show. Somehow I take comfort in the fact that those people are out there -- it makes me feel kinda normal. But the shock value has played out. Just like a recycled soap opera plot. Let's just get to the competition and hope some true talent comes out of it. January 15, 2008Can we just say ... "actressing"?The two-hour premier just wrapped up and I have to say, it sure took Simon a while to get mean. It took 45 minutes for Simon to let go of one of his mean-spirited quotes. "Nothing about that was right. You've got zero chance of winning," he told Udgeet "Udi" Sampeet after his rendition of a Barry Manilow song. From that point on, Simon's mean spirit stuck around. He likened one female competitor to Willem Dafoe as the Joker. Another as "possessed," and a few dudes were just "creepy" and one girl was "identical to a nightmare." Are these insults tamer than usual? Or is it just that we're used to them? Maybe it's just me, but there was no real "wow" factor here. Perhaps I'm just desensitized to this stuff by the 7th season, but I just didn't feel blown away by anyone -- good or bad. |
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
