Our Lives Would SUCK without Kelly!

Hey Y'all!

I've checked out of the blog the last two weeks due to major, impending deadlines. UGH! I've got to go back and watch the last 2 weeks of auditions. UGH! Anyway, I couldn't let this one past. Many major media outlets are reporting that our ORIGINAL AMERICAN IDOL BITCHES . . Ms. Kelly Clarkson has now broken the record for fastest rising single. The lead single off of her forthcoming album "All I Ever Wanted", My Life Would Such Without You, has moved to number 1 more quickly than any other song in Billboard history! Hooray! Personally, I LOVE this song, and have it on repeat on my IPod. In case you haven't seen the video, I am posting it below. Way to go Kelly!

By the way, embedding in youtube was disabled so click this link to watch the video!

NYC and Puerto Rico

The final night of AI auditions....then on to Hollywood!!!!!!
NYC and Puerto Rico. I'm hoping to see some Red Hot Ricans tonight (oh wait...that a DVD...I think).
Adeola...gave up her job to come to audition...I bet she is going to be bad....I'm right. This show is getting a little predictable this year.
Jorge Nunez - Cute guy...a little strange...beautiful voice...finally someone who is worthy to go through. (was that his boyfriend waiting for him....I think yes).
Jessika Baier - Simon said Awful - I thought she was pretty good. Better than many that went through...the trend continues.
Melinda Camille - Loves to dance naked...hmmmmmm...a life philosophy we should all embrace...excellent voice./\...and if it doesn't work out in Hollywood, she can always dance naked on the Sunset Strip.
Jackie Thon - energetic...but voice is not there. Does better on the second song..much better. ...Windows Collapse...and Jackie goes to Hollywood.
Joel Contreras - The guy-pod..no no no....
Nick Mitchell - not all that funny....and they send him to Hollywood...now this show is becoming a joke.
Kenny Hoffpauer....one to watch
kendall - another one to watch in Hollywood
Monique and her 9 year old brother - cute kid. Good voice...enough for Hollywood but wont make it into the top 36...almost didn't make it to Hollywood...Simon sent her through.
Alwxis Cohen - I thought she looked familiar - strange girl...but funny and entertaining in an idol kinda way. Maybe I can find her on Facebook!
Patricia Roman - Pretty girl with a good strong voice. I can see her in the top 36.
Simon said not good enough (What is up with these judges??????) they give her an extra 30 second chance. Paul says no..Randy says yes...she makes it through. I'm confused...I seriously have no idea what is up with the judges and what they are looking for.
I can tell you one thing...I'm glad the auditions are over...lets get on with the show!!!!
Next up - Hell's Kitchen

American Idol in S.L.UT.

American Idol in the City by a dead lake...or is it dead city by a lake....oh, I don't remember.....its Salt Lake City, Utah....my hometown!!!!
Have you ever seen so many white people in one spot?
David Osmond - with the patented Osmond perfect teeth...sad story of MS...cute guy...definitely a good voice...but needs to tone it down a lot!
Tara Mathews - the claim "the only goth"...hardly...SLC has always had a very large underground culture despite the stereotype image. Sings a song "Ill fly away" from one of my favorite movies...beautiful song sung horribly!!!!
Chris Kirkham w/ greg the rabbit. Why is this young guy hanging out with this old guy? hmmmmmm a little strange. He's got a good voice...but they never really give him a chance to sing. What was up with that? Especially after some of the people they have put through.
Montage of all the "happy" people. SLC is actually a very friendly place...
Frankie Jordan - from my new hometown - Hollywood. Either way...she is going to Hollywood!!!! They say YES - Relax... "Frankie goes to Hollywood"
Megan Corkrey - Strange voice....in some ways good...but other ways just weird...Judges say interesting..Simon says favorite auditions because she is different. Unanimous yes...
Commercial - Sneak Peek at Kelly's new CD...all I can say is WOW....Kelly is definitely BACK!!!
Austin Sisneros - Senior Class President - OK voice..not particularly strong. Poor song choice...maybe there is something there but I doubt it.
Taylor from Hurricane, Utah...Gateway to the Beautiful Southern Utah landscape...pretty voice, but not particularly storng.
Rose from Idaho - heartwarming story about losing her parents...as only American Idol can do without being overly cheesy. Liked the personality...but voice is probably not going to get her much further than Hollywood. My only fear is that she will end up one of the countless Homeless in Hollywood. Seriously...would you go back to Idaho? Sorry....just being honest (as Simon would say).....

Former Idols: Where are they now?

Hey Gang,

the link above takes you to an interesting article on EW online about a few of our former faves on Idol, like Michael Johns, Brooke White, etc., and a few former Idols more famous for inducing a "WTF" moment during the season.

Randy Jacksonville

Jacksonville:
Justin Guiarini - Joshue Ulloa - Great Blues voice, but don't know if he can do much more than the gimmick of this audition. Nice Personality. Simon says good but Gimmicky and Corny. 4 yeses...
Sharon Wilbur w/Dog Sascha - Pretty girl - Weak voice. She actually thinks she can sing. Simon and Randy say yes (you gotta be kidding me)...Paula says yes. (This show is beginning to lose credibility - what is going on???)
Kaneswa - confident..and yes nasaly and horrendous. Not sure a single note was on key. Nice girl though.
Haven't seen much I like so far.
The woman with the sash that sang Whitney (Julissa)....should never have made it through....are they that desperate this year. Bigger question - was she a girl or a drag queen. I'm seriously not sure.
Darin Darnell....seems like a nice guy but singing was painful.
Naomi Sykes - pretty girl...worse than Darin...she didn't think it was a joke? Puh-lease....we've seen this scenario played out too many times....I ain't buying it this time.
Simon says first day they were terrible - once again Simon is right.
Jasmine Bird - another prety girl - finally a good voice, a bit overdone with the inflections, but some potential here.
George Ramirez - 18, looks 43. Really Really bad. This guy can't be serious.
What a boring boring guy.
Ann Marie Boscovitz yet another pretty girl - They tell her to come back as a different person, herself.
TK - Cute guy. Auditioned before, didn't make it through. Good enough for Hollywood, but may have difficulties in Hollywood Week. Simon says NO...the others say yes.
Commercial Break - Same old AT&T commercial from the last two years (guy taking pictures with his daughter's stuffed animal.) It was cute the first 2000 times, its stale and old...you would think with the money they pay for these slots, AT&T would come up with something new.
Back to the show:
Guitarboy (Michael)...couldn't play guitar in the audition...meltdown. I thought he sounded pretty good. Simon said he would struggle. They all said no...they have put through people who were far worse. What is up with the judges this year?
Ann Marie redeux - Good. Don't know she has enough depth. They send her to Hollywood!!!
Only 16 people from Jacksonville make it through.

Three nights of Idol this week!

Hey Y'all! Don't forget - Idol will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week - 8/7central time! J and Rubbertoe - great reviews so far :)

Louisville Kentucky Auditions

11,000 contestants in the bluegrass state
Tiffany Shed - looks like a disaster...needs an eyeshadow coach...an a voice one as well.
Joanna Pesini(?)...pretty girl...good....not great....Paula says "worthy".....I'm not so sure. I don't see the star potential there.
Church hill downs looks like a beautiful place.

Next up...some guy named Mudd...just another idol freak...not bad but kinda scary in a "deliverance" kinda way.... Next up:
Brent keith Smith.....decent...some potential....but not so sure he can make it...Simon said "busterous"....I kinda agree. I don't see him going too far despite the cute dimples.
Dueling piano guy...Matt Giraud - I would say no....too Nasaly....no potential here....Kara and Paula like him....even Simon says he has a good voice. Even Randy says yes.....what do they see in him....4 for 4....Simon says he's like Eliot Yamin....I say....ah.....no.....
Next up Chinese character nerdy guy....he drank through Paula's straw...she looks completely grossed out...I would too.
10 made it through the first day....so far I haven't seen the next AI
Whoooo hooo.....Hell's kitchen Jan 29.....its not usually on til June.....Rubbertoe is loving life!!!!!!!!!
Alexis Grace.... good enough for hollywood...not sure if she's good enough beyond that...
Commercial....they have this McDonald's Iced Kona Macadamia nut coffee here that sounds incredible....I just never go to McDonalds in Hawaii.....but I just might have to.....
Aaron Williamson...whooooooooo! Great energy...just not such a great voice...but he sang one of my favorites: CCR "Have you ever seen the rain".......
Rebecca Garcia....just another idol joke.......notes on arm......just a big joke.....Rebeccan says no....she is just acting......
Kris all...felicia barton.....ryan johnson.....all sound good
Lenecia and her struggle through poverty....does she have the talent to turn her life around? After the break: Does her mom have 8-10 kids? You have to be kidding me.......man I already feel sorry for this girl......OK......a little one note wonder.....don't see much here.

Haven't seen the next AI yet.....still looking....we'll see......
Still a long way to go.....
Next week...Rubbertoe.....GOING TO HOLLYWOOD!!!!!...but that's just back home for me......Rubbertoe....OUT!!!!!!!!

San Francisco Auditions

Rubbertoe coming to you live from the north shore of Kauai.....I'm finally somewhere with a TV and finally able to see Idol...missed the first 2 shows.


So far...I don't know what to think of the new judge, maybe she'll grow on me.

The contestants: Jesus should not have made it through. Yes...cute boys and the family man story was nice, but he didn't sing all that well. (especially unchained melody - Simon's favorite song).
The guy with the ugly coat actually had a pretty good voice if he would have toned it down, he was way way WAY too over the top.
The first girl (giggly) shouldn't have made it through either, look for her to have an early exit.
Acquilla made me extremely nervous and agitated...even though she had a little bit of a Macy Gray sound to her voice...
Adam Lambert...Simon said it best "theatrical"...I like him but then again Hello.....I think he will be in the top 24 or 36 or whatever it is these days.
Kai's up next..wondering if he will be really good or really bad...commercial break...heart touching story backed up by IZ...nice voice but weak on the runs. Did Simon say Sh*tsinger or Shipsinger? But the question is...who is going to take care of his mother while he is in Hollywood or on the show?
We only get 1 hour?.....I feel cheated....but it is good to be back!!!
OK....long hike tomorrow....so its off to bed for rubbertoe.

Auditions - Night Two: Living It Up in KC

Welcome to night two of American Idol. Tonight, we are auditioning potential Idols in Kansas City, the home of our last Idol, David Cook. The following is a list of the folks who made it through and some initial thoughts of their auditions and sometimes their chances at success.


Ashley Anderson – Leona Lewis – despite the footsteps/footprints mess up – this girl has a very, very good voice.

Casey Carlson – Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” – Wonderfully fresh performance

Von Smith - Somewhere Over The Rainbow – BRILLS! If he can tone it down a touch he definitely has the pipes to stick around for a long while.

Michael Castro - the brother of The Cuteness . . . Gavin DeGraw “I’m in love with the girl” Kara called him ballsy . . . I call him the Cuteness II . . . nice voice. He'll be around for a while.

Matt B. – Welder - Aint no sunshine. Another big boy with an unexpected voice. I think he is iffy to make it through Hollywood.

Jessica Verne – Cry Baby Janice Joplin - Nice tone to her voice. I think she could be around for a while.

India/Asia – The look nothing alike sisters. They were very sweet and supportive of each other, but I'm not sure that India should have made it through. I don't think she'll be around for very long.

Jamar Rogers – Screamed but good solid chops. His problem might be adjusting his voice to a bunch of different styles of music.

Daniel Gokey - This is the performance Idol has been building up to all night long. They have seriously pimped this one out. And . . . . it was very much worth it. Daniel's wife died four weeks before auditions. His story is great, and is voice is beautiful. I think Mr. Gokey could be headed to the Top 12.

Anoop Desai - AKA "Anoop Dogg" - This guy has a bit of a Clay Aiken vibe to him. I'll be curious to see what he's like after a good makeover.

Andrew Lang - My Girl – Big Ole voice from a little bitty body – the introductory cheerleaders may have done him in . . . the said no to him . . . which makes it all the more confusing as to why the saidy yes to . . . .Dennis - did they seriously just let this guy through and reject Andrew????

Asa – Band leader – Another sweet story, and they let him through on his rendition of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" . . . I felt . . . underwhelmed.

Lil – Great Voice – I didn't quite get the other part of her name. She was the last performer of the night. And they seriously saved one of the best for last. They compared her to Fantasia and Mary J Blige . . . I would compare her to Season 3's best singer, Latoya London. I think this girl is a contender.

I know the review came a little late, but what did y'all think???

My "ones to watch" from Arizona

Look out for Scott McIntyre. He has got a great story and once he is in front of the piano, I think he will be a lock to make it to the Top 36. (That sounds wierd, but no Top 24 this year.)

I also think that Michael S. could be tough in Hollywood. He has got a different look and a solid voice.

I love the 16 year old guy who talked about how much the Idol experience could help his family. Josh -- What was his name?

Emily - the first girl with the funky hair - is great. I think she will be in the Top36.

Girl Stevie also sang really well and has a unique look. I expect to see a lot of her in Hollywood Week with a real chance to make it to Top 36.

Bikini girl. Seriously. I will give the girl a lot of credit because she made it to Hollywood, but I think that Hollywood will be the end of the road for her.

I know there were several others with great voices, but these are the folks who stood out to me. Looking forward to more from all of the singers who made it to Hollywood!

Good start to Idol! Welcome back readers and posters! Hope to hear from K and L soon. Rubbertoe is on vaction, lucky guy!

IDOL RETURNS!

Hey Y'all! Idol is back! And all I can say is, "Finally!". I forget how much I miss it until it is back. I am so thankful they only run the show once a year, otherwise, I might get burned out.

So, overall, I have to say, the first episode of the new season wowwed me! We are finally back to showing an equal number of good and bad auditions. I must say, that new judge, Kara Diogaurdi, hit it out of the park. I was a little worried about how she would fit in to the established idol mix. I need not have worried . . . . the transition was seemless.

I'm going to forego the complete wrap up, and only concentrate on the legitimate contenders.

1. Emily Hughes - Oooooooooh Barracuda! Wow! This girl has the unique look and the amazing voice to match! Hooray for Emily!

2. J D Ahfu - Absolutely beautiful voice. Probably won't translate to all of the different genres of the Idol Top 12, but, nevertheless, an amazing voice. Kind of reminds me of AJ Gill from Season One.

3. Arianna - 16 year old with a great voice and a better heart. She had a nice soulful edge to her voice.

4. Stevie Wright - The girl named after Stevie Nicks presented herself very well. She's got a nice soulful edge to her voice, and a precious "grandfriend" program to boot.

5. Michael Sarver - Big, hulking guy with a sweet soft voice. Very, very nice.

6. Bikini Girl - You just knew that Paula and Kara were going to hate this girl. The reality was that she didn't really need the bikini. Not the best voice in the whole world, but good enough to get her through without the gimmick. It cracked me up that she showed Kara attitude, and that Kara felt the need to sing, not once but twice.

7. Brianna - I only have "yes" written next to her name, otherwise, I have nothing. Does not bode well that I could not really remember her.

8. Deanna Brown - Aside from the aforementioned Emily, this girl was the only other person to really stand out for me. She's got something about her that I think could go far in this competition - not necessarily win - but go far. Nice soul to her voice.

9. Dork boy - I could not remember his name, but the unique and in tune tone to his voice sold me. Anyone can get a makeover, I hope he sticks around for a bit.

10. Scott McIntyre - What a great story. I worried that they were going to send someone through only because of his (dis) ability. However, the boy has got a very nice tone to his voice. I have a feeling that if he gets through the Hollywood round, and gets a chance to sit at his piano, he could be a threat.

I look forward to hearing about the talent in Kansas City.

What did y'all think of the return of Idol?!

Changes to the Idol Format

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/when-idol-becomes-idle--77

Some rumored changes to the idol format.

Personally I believe that extending Hollywood week back to two weeks and showing less train wrecks are welcome changes.

Shortening the results show to 30 minutes? Bad Bad Bad....I don't get enough idol as it is (even with Idol Tonight on TVGuide Channel)....don't shorten one of the nights.

As for less Theme Nights.....that's questionable. I was really hoping for Englebert Humpdink night this year.

A Sneak Peek at Season 8

USA Today has posted a story about Season 8 of American Idol. The very informative piece includes information about "format tweaks", and the predictions about this year's ratings. Of note, is the re-formatting of the "Top 24" weeks. It appears that this season, we will have a "Top 36", and each week the top male, top female, and next highest vote getter will move through to the "Top 12". At the end of three weeks, nine performers will have moved through, and we will be treated to a wild card show where the judges will pick the final three performers to move through to the finals. Which means that there will not necessarily be 6 guys and 6 girls in the Top 12. I kind of like this tweaking to the format. What do y'all think?

Carrie Underwood has a new boyfriend

....and all I can say is OOOOOOOOO Baby!

You go girl!

(Click title for the link)

The Dream Begins again

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/?cat=548

Little David v. Rocker David - the CD's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZZ3-T7nAPU


OK....I have to say that I think Lil' David's CD is far superior to Rocker David's. Although Rocker David's is a decent CD, there really isn't much that is outstanding on it. I think the best track is "Declaration". Little David hit a good one with "crush" and here is the next single "A little too not over you".

Kelly Clarkson Is Back!

Ms. Clarkson is back with the first single off her upcoming, as yet titled, fourth album. Her new single, "My Life Would Suck Without You" drops January 19th, 2009. As yet, no date has been posted for the full album. Early word on the CD is that Kelly is returning to the sound of "Breakaway" that catapulted her to international success. So, what do y'all think of the artwork for the single?