THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

<i><b>THIS</b> is AMERICAN IDOL!</i>

IDOL IS BACK!!!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

THIS is how you do it

Just a quick reminder for Lil:

The Top 9: Kris & Adam provide a little Itunes love

THIS is American Idol
Here comes the shameless judge and host propping . . . And here are our Top 9!
The theme is any song that is a “popular download on itunes” . . . whatever that means. . .
The Idols visit with Seacrest at the radio station . . . Tomfoolery ensues . . .
1. Anoop – He’s doing some Usher song . . . I didn’t hear the song title . . . seriously, Anoop . . . Usher, as in Ursher got the voice that make ya booty go smack? He has the background singers doing the urban hip hop thang at the beginning . . . What is he wearing? His vocals aren’t bad . . . a little flat in places . . . I think he’s a wee out of his league with this performance. I already think he’s in trouble. Randy thinks he picked up his swagger and thought his vocals were really, really good . . . huh? Kara thinks he played it too safe with the Usher song, and that frat guys dared him to sing it. Paula likes that he went back to the playful side, but thinks his stage presence needs work. Simon thought it was a complete an utter mess. CHUCH, Simon! CHURCH!
2. Megan – Is doing Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill . . . this could be interesting . . . “Turn Your Lights Down Low” . . . Megan Joy loves this song and thinks the judges will “feel” her. I like the quirkiness of her voice, but her stage presence is terrible. She’s just kind of meh for me. Kara thinks she’s in trouble. Paula thinks she needs to take them by surprise and dig deep. Simon thinks the song was boring, indulgent, and monotonous, and thinks she’s in trouble.
3. The Gokey – He’s chosen, “What hurts the most” by Rascal Flatts . . . I loathe this song . . . it is nasal and over the top . . . he’s gonna have to work hard to sell me on this one. He’s a thousand times better than he was the last two weeks. He pulled the chorus off this time so much better than when he did Jesus Takes the Wheel . . . the night has officially STARTED. Paula would hit repeat in her car. Simon thought it was his best performance of the competition. Randy feels like tonight’s show starts right here. Kara thinks he moved everyone in the room emotionally.
4. Allison – She’s busting out the guitar with “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. . . This could be AMAZING or SCARY . . . I’m hoping for wonderful . . . I love how she looks! WOW . . . just WOW . . . that is authentic awesomeness! Amazing! I love her! Randy loved her vocals but thought she was ahead of the beat . . . but didn’t like her look (stupid man). Kara thinks the rock in her comes out no matter what she wears, but thinks her outfit is distracting. Paula thinks her vocal prowess rivals those twice her age. Simon can’t ignore the outfit . . . and thinks she shouted the song. I respectfully disagree with the judges . . . except Paula. I think she was great.
5. Scott – “Just the way you are” by Billy Joel . . . Oh sweet lord . . . does he have to sound OLD every week . . . I hope I’m wrong . . . He looks better . . . He sounds better. . . much better vocal tonight. Kara thinks he stripped it down well. Paula is most proud of Scott of all the contestants that have graced the Idol stage. Simon thinks it was his best performance by a mile. Randy says one of the best of the night . . . there have been five . . .
6. Matt Giraud – Picked a song that was for him . . . You Found Me by The Fray . . . Allison and I got it right! The beginning is real rough . . . he’s too growly . . . and screaming a bit . . . and the falsetto . . . yikes . . . Just yikes . . . Paula loves that he went for a contemporary song, but he aborted the things they love most about him. Simon thinks he should be happy because they didn’t get it this week. He thought it was uptight and not authentic. Randy thought it wasn’t him. Kara thinks he’s a better artist than this . . .
7. Lil Rounds - She has chosen “I Surrender” by Celine Dion. This is a HUGE SONG. MASSIVE VOCALS . . . She looks good, but the first part is just meh . . . This was not painful because the vocals were bad. It was painful because it was a horrible rendition of the original. Randy thinks it was the wrong song choice. Kara was also surprised by the song choice. Paula agrees. Simon thought it was a wedding performance. They’re pimping Lil with those kids . . . cheap move, Idol . . . cheap move.
8. Adam – This week he’s going the opposite and doing Wild Cherry’s “Play that funky music” . . . This could be AMAZING or AWFUL . . . He looks good, and had continued the toned down makeup. It’s completely cheesy, but his vocals are spot on. Love him or hate him, but he takes chances and he nails it. NAILS IT. I wouldn’t have chosen this song for him, but he just NAILED IT! Even dripped in Velveeta, the boy RULES. Paula thinks he is true genius. Simon thought he was brave and original. Randy thought he worked it out. Kara can’t wait to see him every week.
9. Kris – Y’ALL KNOW THIS IS MY BOY . . . and he is singin one of my FAVORITE SONGS . . . “Ain’t No Sunshine”. . . As I said about Adam last week . . . There are no words . . .Jus t WOW! Randy thought he was in the zone, baby. Kara said THAT IS ARTISTRY! Paula dittoed the comments. Simon thought it was his best performance.
We’ve come to the end of another week . . . I’ll be back soon with rankings and predictions.

AI - These Judges were on Crack tonight!

Anoop does Usher - I saw Usher a couple months ago...and THAT was no Usher. I'm not even sure what it was. It sounded like the crowd was booing him...(even though they were saying ANOOP!) Simon was right...it cameover as a "wannabe". There's 0% chance I would ever download that one.

Megan - Bob Marley?..hmmm...I'm not sure. Wow....that was really good. Sounded very contemporary...this could be a hit today. Did the judges hear the same song I did? This is definitely one of the worst calls the judges have ever made.

Gokey - Can he step it up tonight? He has hit a plateau over the last couple of weeks. He is going to tone it down tonight..Not a good idea when he really needed to step it up. I would say this was two rungs down from his plateau. Once again, the judges are on crack. They are watching a different show than I am.

Allison - No doubt. She didn't sound very good in the interlude...I'm ascared.
Her Hair is horrendous! Allison....what happened? This week was just not good.
It was like no doubt on Quayludes. No energy tonight.

Scott - Billy Joel. OK...commerical break but what I am going to say is that being a HUGE Billy Joel fan, I'm really gearing up for hating what Scott is going to do. I'm going to be open minded....but......er.......OK...if I'm being honest. It was better than the last couple of weeks, but he did not do the song justice. It reminded me of a guy at a high school talent competition. (and if I'm being really honest...his sister kinda freaks me out).

Matt - Ok...this guy has really kicked it up the last two weeks...and yet was in the bottom 3? (I think Allison and J predicted this one - The Fray). Started off really weak. But when it got to the rockin part he sounded much better. Not as good as the last couple weeks...but better than most tonight. Judges were wrong again for the most part.

Lil - She looks beautiful in the prelude. . Don't love her look on the show tonight though. Stylist got this one wrong. Trying to give here a little Whitney look. Power Ballad...good song choice...but I'm not sure she pulled it off well. It was good...but certainly not Diva Fabulous.

Adam - Play that funky music....I'm afraid its going to involve too much over the top screaming....let's see. Actually...he didn't overdo it. The only criticism I can say is he is a bit too polished and is so much better than everyone else that it actually could hurt him.

Kris - Wow....stepped it up tonight. I nominate him for Entertainer of the week....Right up there with Adam in terms of vocals.

Best of the night: Adam and Kris by a mile....followed by Megan

Worst of the night: Anoop and Scott

Rubbertoes bottom 3: Anoop, Scott and Allison

America's bottom 3: Anoop, Lil and Matt

Going home this week: Anoop.....


Surprisingly....not a good show tonight. I thought absent Adam and Kris, everyone was levels below the top 9 last year.

Where are they now?




Boston.com has published a story on previous Idol winners and contestants. Interested in a little where are they now. Click on the above link to check it out.

A Little Taste of Predictions

So, Allsion and I were sitting around yesterday at work . . . talking about Idol . . . as we should have been, right? Anyway, we were talkinga bout this week's theme of "Top 100 on Itunes". We were excited about the fact that this week's show would be somewhat current. That conversation, of course, led to thinking about what each contestant would sing. Below, I'm gonna list our thoughts.

1. Kris - Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"
2. Matt - Matthew Nathanson - "Come on Get Higher" OR The Fray's "You Found Me"
3. Danny - The Fray's "You Found Me" -

** We think that Matt and The Gokey may scrap over The Fray

4. Adam Lambert - Carrie Underwood's "Home Sweet Home" - Y'all just know he would rock out some G&R

5. Lil Rounds - Any one of three Beyonce songs on the list . . . Sweet Lord, we hope she stays away from "Single Ladies"

6. Allison - WE WANT PINK'S "SO WHAT" . . . a second place thought to Adele's "Chasing Pavements"

7. Megan - Katie Perry's "Hot n Cold"

8. Scott - We also think Mr. McIntyre will fight for The Fray or perhaps Matthew Nathanson.

9. Anoop - Strangely, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is on the Top 100 . . . I don't know why. The judges talked about Anoop rockin it out again . . . WHY? . . . But we think there is a distinct possibility he may choose this old school song.

What do y'all think?

Monday, March 30, 2009

Performer of the Week

I haven't really run this past anyone as yet, but in celebration of our 13,000th hit . . . Thanks, people! I thought we could start a new weekly posting . . . Performer of the Week. In my thinking, "Performer of the Week" can be the best performance of the week OR the performer who was the most improved (think KLC singing "Anyway" last year) . . . I'll get us started with what I thought was the best performance of last week. . . Adam Lambert singing "Tracks of My Tears" . . . seriously, for me, hands down the best performance of the entire season thus far. Click the link below to revisit the Lambert Magic.

EW's Idolatry: Lambert Love Loosed









EW's weekly vlog series "Idolatry" has been posted. In this week's webisode, they discuss last week's performances and elimination. It's a good episode this week. They are lovin up some Adam Lambert and smackin down some Megan Joy and some Scott. Make sure you watch it until the very end to see who they would like to join Adam in the Top 3.






Thursday, March 26, 2009

I am back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so I have not been involved so far this season but I am digging in now for the duration!
Bottom 3
Scott
Mike
Megan

Megan goes home!

Will blog in more detail next week!
Ttown Idol Fan "VERY OUT"!

Idol Confirms Lip Sync

Just a quick post, I felt some validation on my lip sync theory when Idol admitted the group numbers use pre-recorded singing. Click on the header above for a link to an MSNBC article about it (there's a good NY Times article about it as well where they interview Justin Guarini, who opposes the practice). I wonder if they'll do it live tonight, or have Ryan address it in one of those "Idol damage control" moments, or sync on like nothing happened.
-- K

A pretty good night Mo(town) or Less

So this year is shaping up to be very interesting. What looked to be a Danny v. Adam sure bet is changing week to week. I still think it will be, but there are some other contenders. Danny is beginning to fade...Matt is starting to peak (I just don't know if he has it in him to win). Allison is hot every week (But I don't think she has a strong enough voting base) and Kris has an outside chance (and I picked him #12? What was I thinking?)

Last night: The obvious two - Allison and Adam. I'm gonna haveta give Allison the edge tonight. Who woulda thunk that the rocker girl would not only nailed motown but left most of the others in her dust. This 16 year old sings way beyond her years.

Adam - What can I say that hasn't already been said. The guy is a pro, in a league of his own in this competition. He is the complete package. Last night sporting a Mario Lopez look his stripped down vocal was flawless.

HUGE SPACE

Matt - I have to give him his props. This guy who looked like a mediocre "will get lost in the crowd" guy has begun to rise. He's smart and listens to the judges and as a result has made a strong back to back two weeks. I don't think he has it in him to win though..but lets see if he continues to grow.

Kris - Watching and listening last night I kept thinking "Jason Castro". He sounded like him....his mannerisms were like him. Give the boy some dreads and there you have it. He's not going to win...but he could make the top 5.

BIG BIG SPACE

Lil - I hated the hair last night. Dress was Fab. I get it...she was doing the whole motown retro thing. I have to agree with the judges here. On a night that SHOULD have been her night, Lil picked the wrong song. It was a good performance, but not great and she could have knocked this one out of the park...this could have been her moment (hey...isn't that a great name for an Idol song "This could be my moment"...maybe I'll have to enter the songwriter competition. Hey...it can't be any worse than "This is my now!)

Danny - I was irritated by him last night. The guy has a good voice, but he's kinda dumb and lacks stage precense. His corny interplay with the backups was just silly. In the interlude, Smokey tells him that he shouldn't have the back-ups do the delivery line...he agrees and says that Smokey knows what he is doing and he listens to what he has to say...and then he goes out and doesn't take the advice. This is a pattern with him. He doesn't listen to the judges, he's a little cocky with their criticisms and I think this ultimately is going to hurt him. He's good...but he's not so good that he doesn't have to listen to anyone. The last two weeks have been a slide for him. He's still a favorite for the top 2 but if he keep it up, he could leave by 3 or 4.

Mo Space

Megan - The look was great. Her stylist was on tonight. The song was too big for her and rushed. Simon says she's in trouble. I don't think so. I think being the only pretty blonde female left, she's safe for a while.

Anoop - Not good Dog. It was OK vocally, but amateurish in performace and actually quite boring.

Scott - Piano man getting left in the dust by Matt. Scott's days are numbered. Even his sympathy voters are dropping off.

Sarver - What can I say. Have I mentioned that this guy shouldn't have been in the top 12, let alone the top 10? He's a big dweeb with an ego that overpowers his voice. Last night was one big cheeseball and the judges finally rightfully gave him a boot.

Rubbertoe's bottom 3: Anoop, Scott and Sarver

Who will America boot: This year is difficult and here's my analysis.
It should be Sarver, but a combination of sympathy from the severe criticism by the Judges and those pesky "Phil Stacey" voters will keep him around to antagonize us another week.
Scott - Has enough Underdog voters to continue on
So I'm going to have to say Anoop...with an outside chance of Megan.
Anoop, ultimately doesn't have the fan base and although he shouldn't go home yet, I think he's in the Dogg house.

Rubbertoe.....out!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Adam's Night!: L/K's review and picks

Here's our thoughts in order of how we ranked them tonight! Our weekly picks and America's picks are at the end.

Adam: Favorite of the night! And the ONLY one who had a moment on the show - wow -that was fantastic! He was totally channeling Chris Isaak and I completely HEART that! The show might as well have been over after he sang, we forgot that Gokey and Allison still had to follow him.

Matt: Great piano and interpretation of "Let's get it on"! Loved it! Smooth and soulful :)

Anoop: Beautiful! So sweet!

Kris: He is really at his best when he can play guitar and sing.

Allison: Best girl of the night - she really belted that one out. Some wacky wardrobe things going on.

Gokey: Really good performance -but thought it was really about the middle of the pack. He does get the crowd going. K was thinking it was hard for him to not look like a douche for defying the mentor's suggestion on how to sing the song. Following Adam had to be tough - looks like a spastic clown.

Lil: Looked great - but song choice issue for me. She did seem like she was screaming the song - it seemed like she said 'heatwave' about a thousand times! Her blowing the performance this week is similar to Sarver blowing his performance country week.

Scott: Song choice??? He seems to have a problem with that. The judges seemed to go out of the their way with the criticism of his performance. I wasn't sure about the pink pants.

Sarver: Ummm, just no. Poor dude. He seems to have a big heart and wants to do well. I was distracted by the flip-flops during his meeting with Smokey. K says passing the mike hand to hand during the song does not qualify as a performance.

Megan: That was just horrid! I am so over the quirky thing - it just sounded affected to me tonight. The swishy dance is getting on my nerves. Her hair/makeup artist gets props though! K and I have predicted that the forcefield of quirkiness would dissipate after a few weeks - I think we are here!


America's bottom three: Scott, Sarver, Megan.
Sarver to go home.

L/K bottom three: Scott, Sarver, Megan.
Sarver goes home.

Gotta go download Adam's song on Itunes now..... :)

The Top 10: J's Rankings

So, Motown turned out to be a much better night than I expected . . .

Here are my rankings . . .

1. Adam Lambert - The boy provided us with a Zack Efron laced IDOL MOMENT . . . we only get these moment every so often, and tonight was the night.

(HUGE MASSIVE SPACE)

2. Allison - She delivered with Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Allison brought it tonight, and benefitted from the pimp spot.

(Small Space)

3. The Gokey - Danny headlines the group of three that were better than the rest. His vocals were spot on, and I liked seeing him have fun with the back-up singers.

Tie 4. Kris and Matt - I couldn't decide between these two guys. Matt had the better performance, but Kris had the better vocals. Both of these boys were just wonderful tonight. I still think that at least one of them will be an Idol spoiler for the Top 4.

(HUGE SPACE)

6. Anoop - Good song choice for Anoop Dogg, but the vocals were just the tiniest bit off . . .

7. Lil Rounds - I had her ranked lower than 7th, but I moved her back up. I originally thought she was such a major disappointment because she should have had HER moment tonight, but just based on tonight's performances she was just a bit better than . . .

The bottom three

8. Michael Sarver - He did a decent job on this song . . . that btw I thought should have been sung by the Gokey.

9. Scott McIntyre - On the positive side, he did a MUCH better job this week than the first two. He had a better energy tonight. That being said, he is out of his league in this group of singers. He needs to go soon. . . .

10. Megan Joy - I hate putting her last because I like her, but she does not belong in this competition. Her Bjork inspired performances belong in a tiny little jazz club . . . not on the Idol stage.

J's bottom three: Michael, Scott, and Megan
America's bottom three: Michael, Scott, and Megan

Eliminated: Megan

The Top Ten: Adam Lambert . . . Nothing More to Say

Tonight, the music of motown, and THIS is American Idol.

I am VERY worried about this night because I think it should be great and therefore I feel like it could be a disaster . . . D. I. aster

What are they wearing . . . Kara looks good and Simon is Simon . . . but Randy and Paula have taken a trip to the land of bizarre.

Lets do a little chitty chat with the judges . . . and introduce OUR Top 10. Let's go to Detroit, and meet the Motown Folks . . . Oh Smokey Robinson . . . step away from the botox . . . step back, baby.

Smokey Robinson is their mentor for this week . . . and we get a preview of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" clearly the group number this week. . . . And here we go . . .

2. Kris A. - He's singin "How Sweet It Is" . . . Y'all know I HEART him . . . And Smokey HEARTED him :) I just love this boy's voice . . . so clear and clean, and I love that he brought in the guitar. Ok, I'll stop gushing. Kara loves that he did Kris. Paula thought he was great. Simon thinks he's having a good competition. Randy thinks he's hit his zone.

1. Matt G is first and he's singing "Let's Get It On" . . . this should be realllllllllllly good. I'm crossing my fingers for him. Strangely, this boy is starting to look like someone who could not just go far in this competition, but someone who could actually win. He's very, very good. I'm tickled for him. That was great. Randy loves him, dog. Kara thinks there are some girls (and boys :) that are going "Yeah". Paula thought he showed a sexy cool vibe. Simon thought it was a brilliant choice of song, and it was a cool performance.

3. Scott McIntyre - he's singing "You Can't Hurry Love" . . . I'm really not sure about this . . . Smokey thinks he brought it up to date . . . He's picked it up a bit this week . . . He's got a bit more energy . . . His vocals don't compare to Matt and Kris, but his piano skillz cannot be denied. Simply amazing. Paula thinks he brought something different by bringing the background vocalists up to the piano. Simon did not think it was a very good song choice and that it was a mess. Randy agrees with Simon and thinks he is a better singer than that. Kara thinks he brought tempo tonight, but wasn't crazy about the liberties he took with the melody.

4. Megan Joy - is singing "For Once In My Life". . . Smokey thinks she's "original" . . . Let's see how it goes . . . I think this girl has a great quirky voice, but it was very strange . . . very strange. Randy thought it was a train wreck. Kara thought it was the wrong song. Paula thinks she looks stunning, but it was not the right song for her and was confused. Simon thinks she looks good, but sang horrible. She's got some trouble comin her way . . .

5. Anoop Dogg - He's singing "Oh Baby Baby" - Anoop has chosen wisely here I think . . . the slow jam is his vibe. . . . um, maybe I was expecting too much . . . I thought it was good, but I didn't love it. Kara thought that overall it was hard to do and it was a pretty good job. Paula thinks he has a new found confidence, and that his phrasing and falsetto were sweet. Simon thought it was a great vocal, but thought he looked asleep. Randy thought it was the serious Anoop Dogg.

6. Michael Sarver is up next and he's singin "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" . . . Smokey told him to pound it a little more . . . He sounds a little mechanical through the first part of the song . . . like he's reading direction . . . 1. growl here, 2. riff here, 3. touch audience hands here. . . Paula thinks it was a tough performance. Simon couldn't wait for it to end. Randy thinks it is an unbelievable song and it was too big for him. Kara thinks it's not about singing but about artistry . . . er, um. . .

7. Lil Rounds - She's gonna sing "Heat Wave". . . I've gotta echo the words of Allison here . . . good song, but of all the songs she had to choose from . . . really? Why did she choose this song . . . I just don't get it. . . She looks great, and she sounds good, but . . . I'm not quite sure . . . she sounds slow or just a little behind the rhythm . . . I'm not sure. This is a performance she should have knocked out of the park, and she's just not. Randy liked the back end, but not the front end. Kara thinks she looks great, but stayed too true to what the song was. Paula disagrees she owned the song. Simon thinks she did an authentic tribute but thought it was the wrong song.

8. Adam - He's singing "The tracks of my tears" - Smokey was proud of him . . . There are no words . . . Kara thought it was one of the best of the night. Paula thinks he's in his own league. Simon thought it was THE BEST of the night.

9. The Gokey - He's singin "Gettin Ready" - PERFECT SONG CHOICE . . . Folks, I think we've got our finale . . . Danny v. Adam . . . . That was Brilliant! He was great! Paula thinks he is indentifiable . . . . Simon thought it was clumsy and amateurish . . . Randy thought it was dope . . . Kara loved his personality, and thought it was good . . . but not great.

10. Allison - She's singin "Papa Was A Rollin Stone" . . . Again PERFECT SONG CHOICE . . . I like this girl and would love for her to have a moment . . . I LOVE HER. That was a GREAT VOCAL! Randy thought it was dope. Kara thinks that she is from God. Paula has a mustache and thinks she is awesome. Simon thinks she is a survivor, and that she had a great performance.

I'll be back with rankings soon . . . this could be a tricky week. . . . .

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

2009's Top 3 Revealed!

The Three Horsemen of The Idolpacalypse made this prediction on Leno last night.
What do you think about their picks? Kinda predictable - and so they will probably be wrong :)
--K

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Lip Sync Idol?

Not that this is an earth-shattering conspiracy, but have any of you noticed the lip-sync going on during the group numbers the last couple of weeks (and maybe even further back this season)? L and I have been watching this show since the first season, and I can't recall the group numbers being anything other than live, albeit cheesy, performances. I searched for corroborating evidence to post here, and while I couldn't find a HQ video to post (there is one crappy quality vid of last night's group-sing on YouTube - but it's hard to make anything out) I did find some interesting things.

First, I am not alone in being suspicious of the lip-syncing; click on the header above for a link to the brief LAist article on the subject. But several Idol sites mention the too-clean sound (and conspicuous lack of "breathing"), and the occasional audio-visual flub where one of the contestants is clearly not singing in time. If any of you TiVo the show, go back and check it out, apparently Michael Sarver did an especially poor job last week.

Second, while this subject has popped up on the official Idol Forums, the threads have been deleted! If you Google the subject, you get links to the Forum posts, but to the deleted threads; when you click on the "cached" link, the posts come up, and even reference the deletions of previous threads.

I, for one, would rather see the craptacular group numbers sung live. I don't think anyone is claiming the actual performances are lip-sync'ed in any way, just the group ones. It's one thing to have Kanye West AutoTune his way through a travesty of a fake performance on Idol, and another for them to perpetrate what is essentially a "fake" preview of the Idol Tour every week (which is mainly why I always thought they had the group numbers).

What do you guys think? Check out the recordings if you have 'em and weigh in.

-- K

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Week 2 The Results: Alexis will no longer Grace us with her presence.

THIS is AMERICAN IDOL

Let’s do a review of last night’s festivities

And here is my favorite cheestasticness of the week . . the idol group number . . .they’re singing
“Trouble”. And thank the Lord above they have placed Scott at the piano. Strangely, Adam Lambert looks quite comfortable singing the line “The men are gonna love you and the women are gonna hate you” . . . Hmmmmmm. Sorry, anyway, I would say that was one of the better group numbers of the season.

We’re back with the kids on the couch talking about the Ford Focus Video Shoot . . . Let’s sit back and watch the Ford Focus Cuteness, shall we . . . And Ryan shot something over Simon’s head soaking the woman behind him . . . er, um . . . Let’s take a look at last week behind the scenes. . . They’re showing us some candid moments of the departing contestants. They all heart each other . . . Let’s talk to the contestants about how they’re doing. Alexis on Jasmine and Michael talking about his daughter . . . I believe this family story will keep him in for a while. . . AWWWWWWWW! Let’s check in on Megan’s health status

Let’s do the results! They’re gonna pull out the bottom 3!

Danny is clearly SAFE!

Lil Rounds is also clearly SAFE!

Anoop Dogg is up next and he is SAFE!

Allison and Michael are standing up together . . . this could throw a kink in my bottom 3 . . .
Allison is IN THE BOTTOM 3 . . . Michael is also in the Bottom 3! And we’re gonna head to a commercial break so we can absorb the shock . . . I like it when they mix up the way they get single out the Bottom 3 . . .

And after Brad Paisley croons a country tune, we’re back for more results . . .

We’re back and Scott is SAFE . . . duh

Megan Joy is up next and she and her flu ridden body are SAFE . . .

Matt G is up next and he is SAFE. . .

My boy Kris is up next . . . Y’all know I heart him and he is SAFE! Hellz Yeah!

Alexis Grace and Adam Lambert are next up . . . one of them will go to the Bottom 3 . . . Randy called Alexis Allison that can’t be good for her . . . and it’s not . . . Adam is SAFE and Alexis is in the Bottom 3!

One of them is getting sent back to safety . . . Allison is sent back to safety . . . I’m very surprised by that . . . Alexis and Michael are the Bottom 2 . . . who will be going home . . .

And we’re back to visit with Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis . . . Why does she look like Minnie Mouse . . . anyway they’re gonna sing their new single . . . and sit on the loser stools . . . I tooooooooooooooooooooooooold you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Simon says that they would consider saving one of the contestants . . . Hmmm . . . I wonder which one it is . . . Alexis, duh

Quickly, this brings up an interesting question . . . If Alexis is the one to go, and they save her then next week they would have to eliminate two people. That would mean they would go from 11 to 9. However, they are supposed to send the Top 10 on the tour . . . Would they only send 9? Would they send all 11? What would they do? Just curious.

Here come the results . . . after the nationwide vote of over 31 million . . . Michael is SAFE! Alexis Grace has been eliminated . . . or has she . . . let’s wait for the judges to deliberate . . . No pressure, girl. You’re singing for your life. She did a better job tonight than last night . . . are they gonna save her . . . nope, they are going to let her go home. She’s not on the tour. I didn’t think she was great last night, but I didn’t think she would be booted out this early.

And we’re done for another week and have 50 years of Motown to look forward to next week . . .

EW Review: "Opry-tunity Knocks"



EW has provided us with their weekly review of the performance night. Good, detailed review by Mr. Slezak. Check it out. Opry-tunity Knocks

GOO (Grand Ol' Opry)

Hey ya'll! In honor of Grand Ol Opry week - since DrL/K (thanks DrJ!!!) are NOT country fans in any way, shape or form - we have some guest blogging comments from country fans A/Z - who are visiting us during their Spring Break! (We will chime in with our thoughts too!)

In order of appearance on last night's show:

Sarver: A/Z: 'Rushed the song, jumbled the words a bit, a fair job - maybe a 6 out of 10'.
DrL/K thought what appeared at first to be an okay performance started looking worse and worse as every other contestant out-sang him.

Alison: A/Z: 'What was all the growly stuff? Too 'rockish' and didn't like her outfit'
DrL/K:We just didn't care for it and we didn't know the song.

Kris: A/Z: 'This a GREAT version of the Garth Brooks song! Very good!'
DrL/K: We really thought Kris did a great job too - we didn't know this song, but it was great to listen to.

Lil: A/Z: 'Not as bad as we thought it might be - but she didn't seem to hit the highs and lows like Martina would'
DrL/K: Bad song choice for her, arrangement didn't show off her big voice - so basically forgettable. Beautiful color on her - that dress! and fabulous makeup and hair :)

Adam: A/Z: 'Most bizarre song I have ever heard on American Idol!
DrL/K: Well, we thought bizarre song choice - even though we really like Adam! It was like he was asking to be in the bottom 2 for Wednesday, but he should pull through. DrL thought he might need some cortisone cream for the 'burning'.

Scott M: A/Z: 'This is a huge Martina song - he wasn't awful, but kind of off pitch at points. Z disagreed with A and said he actually liked the song.
DrL/K: This was just another clone of last week's performance. Don't see him doing anything different for better/worse - so eventually this will just get kind of old.

Alexis: A/Z: 'That was some weird vocals! thought it was awful'
DrL/K: Like Sarver, just one of the only ones who really sounded country and ironically it kind of made the song boring and forgettable. K says compared to the other blonde on the show - she is devoid of any kind of sex appeal. DrL thinks that all the 'dirty it up' talk is getting kinda disturbing....

Danny: A/Z: 'Thought he should have sung a Vince Gill song. it was like sitting in a boat and waiting for it to pull out....finally chorus was pretty awesome!'
DrL/K: Take that jacket back to Old Navy IMMEDIATELY! He turned in another okay performance and pulled it out at the end, but that dentist coat was distracting. Don't care for the song.

Anoop: A/Z: 'Wow! Best of the entire night!! Perfect pitch, gorgeous tones!'
DrL/K: In contrast with Gokey - he defied the expectations and poor performance of last week, and turned in a performance that left the judges talking about his singing without a word about his rainbow hoodie. Loved it!

Megan Joy: A/Z: 'Weird jazzy twang - what's up with the finger jig and the swishy dance?'
DrL/K: Another odd performance that is in danger of having the same pitfall as Scott M - is she going to sing every song the exact same way, the exact same moves, every time? Agree with Rubbertoe here that she is headed quickly into one-hit wonder land! She did babe-it-up with the dress - so not going anywhere for now!

Matt G: A/Z: 'Loved it!!! Totally different arrangement - sounded really, really good!'
DrL/K: Seems like his years of playing gigs have turned him into the most natural entertainer on the show. And it comes down to song choice - which he seems to be making consistently good ones. We thought it was like being at a mini-Matt concert.

A/Z wanted to give their bottom three just for fun:
Alison, Megan Joy, Sarver. They pick Sarver to go home.

DrL/K: Our bottom three: Alexis, Sarver, Adam. We pick Sarver to go home.

America's bottom three: Alexis, Sarver, Megan Joy. Sarver will go home. Just don't think a girl will go home tonight - with the Top 10 being mostly guys.

Country Fried Idol: Suprisingly Yummy

I'm getting these in a little late. I'm reviewing them in the ranked order that I put them in for the night.

1. Kris – I didn’t catch the name of this song . . . Y’all know I love this boy . . . But I don’t think anyone can deny that he kinda knocked this one out of the park . . . nice connection with the camera, very stripped down intimate vocals . . . that was impressive.
2. Matt G. – Again, ugh, I didn’t get the title of the damn song – Now this is how you play the piano and sing on the Idol stage . . . the boy’s got some charisma and his vocals are much better tonight . . . I’m impressed, more so than I ever thought I would be.
3. Anoop Dogg – “You were always on my mind” – Wow . . . just Wow . . . His vocals were spot on, and he is so much better than last week. Very, very good. My only criticism is I think he could have stripped the song down even more than he did. That being said, he was simply wonderful.
(SPACE)

4. Adam Lambert – Wow . . . he is getting more and more over the top each week . . . I love that he is comfortable enough to be himself . . . here we go with a middle-eastern “Ring of Fire” . . . I believe the judges are going to think this is a “self-indulgent” performance . . . I kind of dig it . . . I think he’s found a version of this song that allows him to participate in country week without straying from his comfort zone.
(HUGE SPACE)

5. Allison – “Blame it on your heart:” - Better than Michael, but she’s losing some of the notes in her lower register. .. and seems to be a bit out of breath at times . . . however, she’s got a great voice and ended the song very well.

6. Danny - He’s singing “Jesus Take The Wheel” – Oh Danny, what are you wearing? I think Adam Lambert may be helping him pick out his clothes . . . I hate to sound repetitive in these comments, but this is a VERY AWKWARD performance. I mean, he kicked it into gear in the chorus, but the beginning parts of the song were just plain strange for me.

7. Lil Rounds – “Independence Day” – This started a little shaky for me . . . She’s on key, but it just sounds a bit awkward . . . probably just a confusing mix of her R&B self and country week. Awkward shakiness continued throughout the song, but the ending was very good. Not her best . . .
8. Megan – “I go walking after midnight” – I like this girl’s voice, but somebody needs to teach her how to perform on a stage . . . she just looks . . . to use a familiar word . . . AWKWARD . . . I have a feeling that American Idol audience is not going to get her voice, and that she will be gone soon. I, however, kind of like her quirky edge. She’s got the flu and she’s been to the hospital . . . that may save her tonight.

9. Michael Sarver – “Did He Do It” – Definitely a Josh Gracin vibe here. I like him as a person, but I don’t particularly care for him as a performer. He’ll be around for a while, but this is just ok for me.

10. Scott McIntyre - Again I didn’t quite catch the Martina McBride song he’s singing – I know this is going to be politically incorrect, but I find it a bit distracting to watch Scott. If I look away from the TV, I get a better perspective on his performance. This is a somewhat more engaging performance than last week . . . however, he needs to stay out of the falsetto range. I still didn’t think it was great.
(Space)

11. Alexis Grace – “Jolene” – I do not like this rendition of this song. She played the dramatics up, but she was ALL OVER THE PLACE VOCALLY. Those pitchy falsetto notes in the middle were not good. I did not love her tonight.
I think we’ve got a competition folks. I was very impressed that there were no awful performances . . . some awkward ones, but nothing horrible.

My Bottom Three: Michael, Scott, and Alexis
America’s Bottom Three: Michael, Allison, and Alexis
Eliminated: Allison

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The not so Grand "ole opry"

The not so Grand "ole opry"

The not so Grand "ole opry". After last week where most of the performances were really really good. Tonight, the vast number of the performances were not all that great.
The run down:

Michael Sarver - Bad song choice - "Ain't going down". Although this is one of my most favorite Garth Brook songs, it is not one that you should try to do in this competition. He should have done "Calling Baton Rouge" if he wanted do an upbeat Garth song. Can you say Super Cheesy performance? Did he sing it or gasp it?...after this performance I would say he's going down when the sun comes up. This performance actually made Josh Gracin sound good. Sarver shouldn't be in the top 12 and this performance proved it. He's there simply because he appeals to the middle America crowd who liked his story and because the Idol Machinery super-hyped him in the early rounds.

Allison - "Blame it on your heart". Another one of my favorite Country songs. Decent performance. I actually would have liked to have seen her put a little more of an edge on it. I felt that she was holding back too much. Vocals were good but I think she is capable of more...and we've seen it from her.

Kris - Does another Garth song (This one I don't know). All I can say is....OK....?
It was good. Enough to get him through but nothing spectacular about it. But the song wasn't really intended for that.

Lil Rounds - She looks great tonight. "Independence Day" - another great song...not sure it is a great choice for her though. Somewhat weak in the beginning but she pulled it through in the chorus. Not her genre and it showed...but at her worst she still better than most at their best.

Adam - "Ring of Fire" . Loved the segment with he and Randy Travis. Interesting version of the song. Man can he hit the high notes. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites of his. But it was certainly unique and worlds better than Sarver.

Scott - "Wild Angels" - This was actually one of his better vocals. I enjoyed his performance here. I liked this one better than the judges did. I thought Paula and Kara were actually quite patronizing towards him. Treat him the way you would treat any other performer.

Alexis - "Jolene" by Dolly Parton - Great Great Song. Maybe I'm too critical because I LOVE Dolly..but I found this performance very weak. I didn't really love the arrangement. I thought it ruined the song.

Danny - Doing Carrie Underwear - "Jesus take the wheel"...shouldn't we have guessed he would do this one? He demonstrated that he is no Carrie Underwood. Extremely weak until the chorus. The chorus was good but he should have done so much better this week than he did. It was just aiiight.

Anoop - "Always on my mind" - Best vocal of the night. Understated and soulful.
He did what the other people did not do and that is, he controlled the vocals in the verse and brought it out in the chorus.

Megan - "Walking after midnight" - She looks really good. She's certainly got a unique sound...but I'm starting to wonder if she is a "one hit wonder"....She's got that great "Squirrel Nut Zipperz" sound...Amy Winehouse-"y". But how long can that carry her through?

Matt - "so small". He did a nice job with switching up the arrangement. One of the better ones of the night. He pulled this one out.

So ranking in the order of the night from top to bottom: Anoop, Allison, Matt, Kris Megan, Scott, Danny, Lil, Adam, Alexis, Sarver.

So there you have it. My Bottom 3: Alexis, Sarver and surprisingly Adam

America's bottom three: Alexis, Lil Rounds, Megan

Who should go: Sarver.
Who goes home: This is tough this year....I'm going to have to say Alexis.

(late) Pre-Picks for Season Eight

Although we missed a week (we got it half right!), here are our pre-picks for how Season Eight is going to play out:

13. Jasmine
12. Jorge
11. Kris
10.Allison
09.Michael
08. Megan
07.Scott
06.Matt
05.Anoop
04.Alexis
03.Lil
02.Lambert
01.Gokey

Although the judge "save" may make this a crazy season to predict!

-- K

Jason Castro and Urinals

Idol collector cards

Idol" production company FremantleMedia and trading card publisher Upper Deck are launching a new line of trading cards featuring images of past and current contestants as well as the judges and host of the Fox singing competition. The 138-card line is set to debut April 21.


Say it ain't so!!!!!

This means one more thing I am going to have to start collecting which will just clutter up my house more.

....but I gotta have em.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_en_tv/tv_american_idol_trading_cards

Jorge and Jasmine set the record straight


Entertainment Weekly has posted a couple of video interviews. Both Jasmine and Jorge, last week's departing contestants, spilled their Idol guts to the folks at EW. Click the link to check out the vids.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Interesting EW Article on Idol


Check out this article about the gayness of Idol from EW. Knowing how Rupert Murdoch and Fox feel about the issue, I don't foresee Idol coming out of the closet very soon, even though the Idol closet is pretty crowded! What do you think?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Quick Picks for the Plot Twist and the Elimination

Hey Y'all!

Here are some quick thoughts and quick picks for tonight's broadcast.

First up, I predict Kelly Clarkson will be FANFREAKINGTASTIC!

Now that my talk of Ms. Clarkson is out of the way. . . Here are my predictions . . .

My Bottom 3: Jasmine, Jorge, and Anoop
My Picks for America's Bottom 3: Jasmine, Jorge, and Allison

My Pick for the Big Twist: The judges will make the Idols sing for their supper and will pick the two departing contestants themselves.

My Pick for who will leave: Jorge and Jasmine.

I think tonight's pick is tough. Based on last night's performances, Anoop should really go home. However, this boy has got a cult following, and he ain't going anywhere for a hot minute. I don't think Allison deserves to be in the bottom 3 . . . However, she is the person in the middle of the pack who I think will find herself surprisingly in the Bottom 3.

What do y'all think?

Quick Picks from L & K

Sorry this is so rushed, y'all, but we have been so busy I only have time to make a quick post.
L and I thought some people showed they were in it to win it last night, and some made bizarre song choices that could spell doom for them - although what's the deal with the new twist? More Sing Yourself Out Of Jail cards?

Rankings from last night:

Adam (by miles)

Gokey
Lil
Scott

Alexis
Matt
Megan
Michael
Jasmine
Kris
Jorge
Allison
Anoop

Who should go home: Anoop and Allison (though I don't think they will)
Who will go home: who knows? If it's up to America, maybe Jorge & Allison?
If they do a sing-off, do they do the same songs?
This show seems to be as much about personality as singing ability, sometimes more, so even though Anoop sucked last night he may survive.
I thought Kris looked about as professional as a frat boy singing at a Spring Break luau but people seem to like him, too.
Was it me or did Megan's performance of Rockin' Robin seem almost weirdly surreal?
What an odd night. Adam blew the roof off the place, though, that much is clear.

-- K

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

An EXXXciting first round

1. Lil Rounds - "The day you let go of your dreams is the day you let go of your life".
She could be a top 40 star today - her take on the song made it sound like her hit, not Michael's.
2. Scott - OK...when he came out with his brother guiding him...it was a little strange. Just keeping it real but it seemed almost ventriloguist-like. Don't get me wrong...I love the fact that his brother is there for him and such a support and I love the fact that he's giving it his best shot. It just seemed a little bit weird. Performance was decent. He's better when he keeps it in his mid range. The high notes were a little off.
3. Danny - Very good vocal performance. Stage presence was very awkward though. He was trying way too hard. (Simon agrees)
4. Michael Sarver - Wow...AI is really pushing the Oil Rigger storyline. He picked a good song to show off his voice, but I found his performance incredibly "Vegas Cheesy" (Simon Disagrees). (Maybe he will perform well on Engelbert Humperdink night).
5. Jasmine -OK...Jasmine's sister is super HOT! Wow...Jasmine hit this one out of the park. Great song choice for her...a young performer doing a young MJ song.
(I'm suprised how underwhelmed the judges are towards her...very lukewarm).
6. Kris Allen -He's a cute guy and the stylist did well with his look tonight. Vocal performance is very flat though. Song choice I think did him in here, it did nothing to showcase the qualities of his voice. Not very good. (Simon says he should have hidden the wife for a couple of weeks - I thought it was great advice...Kris' wife looked extremely annoyed).
7. Allison Iraheta - Stylist has given her a little more of a hard look than I would have at this point in the competition. Performance was a little dark which may have worked a few weeks in, but I think this is extremely risky for week 1.
8. Anoop - What is with the member's only jacket? I'm not sure I like what the stylists did with him here. "Beat it"....ooooo...big risk, not sure I would have taken this challenge. Comes across very karaoke. Sorry. I like Anoop, but I think this was a HUGE mistake. (You know its bad when Paula disses you).
9. Jorge -arrangement of song was strange..had some latin beat to it, but it should have had a little more latin rythm to it. His "swaying" is strange too. Mixed performance...when it was good it was very good, but some parts weren't very good.
10. Megan - Looks extremely hot tonight. Stylists did a GREAT job with her.
Strange song choice. I understand WHY she chose it, but I'm not sure it worked. It worked enough to move her further on...but verged on talent show "cute".
...My Idol - Gordon Ramsey is in the crowd.
11. Adam Lambert- In a league of his own. Completely a pro on stage with a vocal range that is probably the best in any season of Idol. The only thing is, he may be too polished and too much of a pro for Idol. This could go to his head and bite him eventually. The best of the night by far. Paula predicts a Gokey/Lambert finale.
12. Matt - Dueling Pianos...Matt. V. Scott. Matt won the battle...but I think will lose the war. Falsetto at the end was painful.
13. AleXXXis - Gets the lucky 13 slut...er...slot. sorry....the AI 866 screw---er mess-up has my mind unfckused..unfocused. Stylists did a good job with her. She's got an edge to it, but not over the top like Alison. Excellent performance with "Dirty" Diana...anyone...everyone catch the irony here?
Will she get screwed by the change in the number?

What is the big change in the rules of the show? We'll find out tomorrow....


Top 3 of the night: Adam Lambert, Gokey and Alexis
Bottom 3: Anoop, Sarver, Alison
Who should go home: Anoop and Sarver
Who will go home: This one is tough. I'm going to say Jasmine and Matt. (I was going to say Jorge, but I think there may be enough latin voters push him through).
This is definitely an interesting round.

Rubbertoe....out!

Top 13 Perform Michael Jackson: It's not as BAD as you thought . . . A couple of PYT's (Pretty Yikes Things)

Its a HUGE stage!

It's a HUGE entry for the judges!

It's a HUGE entry for Ryan Seacrest!

THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

Early on we find out that two of our Idols will be going home tomorrow night. Tonight, they are singing the songbook of Michael Jackson . . . this could be disasterous.

Here we go . . .

First up is LIL ROUNDS! She should flow right through this one . . . She's singing "The Way You Make Me Feel" . . . should be a good choice for her. I'm not really clear on what she has growing out of her left shoulder . . . She's got good presence with the camera. Oh, and they've got a little run way thing up to the judges . . . I like it. She's definitely got soul. She's definitely nervous. Probably won't be her best performance, but it was rock solid. Good start.
Randy: Put a whole new spin on it and made it new . . . baby
Kara: Everyone should be saying "Uh-Oh"
Paula: Gives props to the "glam squad" and thinks she is a force to be reckoned with
Simon: Good, but disappointed in the song choice, and hates what she is wearing.

Second, SCOTT MCINTYRE . . . He's singing "Keep the Faith" . . . I"m not familiar with this song. BUT HE"S AT THE KEYBOARD!!!! He's already sounding a thousand percent better. He's lacking a bit of umph at times, and he's bordering on boring. Oh no, the falsetto . . . The ending is much better. Not a great vocal performance, but he is MUCH better with the piano.
Kara: Thought he was great behind the piano
Paula: Thinks it is magical seeing his instrument and his fingertips . . . er . . . um . . .
Simon: He hated it because nobody knows it.
Randy: Thought it was good and very safe. He wants more sparks.

Third, Danny Goeke . . . He's singing "PYT" . . he better be good because this could be oh so cheesetastic! LOVE THE OPENING! He looks good, and he's pullin out the soul. He needs to watch some of the screaming but otherwise he sounds great. I'm placing him just a teeeny tiny bit above Lil Rounds in my rankings. Brillz!
Paula: Got a little teary eyed and predicted that he was on his way to the finals
Simon: Thought the vocals were brilliant, but thought the dancing was hideous
Randy: Thought it was all good and passionate
Kara: Thinks he has joy when he steps on the stage.

The Seacrest just tweeted on the Twitter that Elizabeth Hasselback is in the audience . . . ugh.

Fourth, Michael Sarver. . . He's singing "You're not alone" . . . he better be good to follow Goeke. Uh-oh . . . he better pick this shizz up . . . He's reminding me of Josh Gracin from Season 2. . . Oh, this is not great . . . not bad, but not great . . . He has no idea what to do on that stage. If he stays there going to have to work on that. Good ending note, and last half of the performance. He's fourth so far for me.
Simon: Doesn't think he's the best vocalist . . . but thinks he made up for it with heart.
Randy: Thinks he's one of the best tonight . . . um . . .
Kara: Thinks that tonight showed her that he really can sing, and brought his game.
Paula: Thinks the song was instinctually perfect, and thought he sounded lovely.

Fifth, Jasmine Murray. . . She's singing "I'll Be There" . . . oooh, she's redoing Michael and Mariah . . . she better be DAMN GOOD. What is she wearing? Did we have pastel day with the glam squad? She's sticking to the melody which the judges always like on these types of songs . . . she's going between really good and really boring. Good ending to the song. She's gonna have some trouble because she was in the middle of the pack . . . just aight for me.
Randy: Thinks she did a pretty good job.
Kara: Thinks she has great stage presence, but maybe she should have gone a half key down
Paula: Thinks she has tremendous composure and poise, but had some bum moments.
Simon: Thinks it was nice, but a little bit robotic.

Sixth, Kris Howell, He's singing "Remember the Time" . . . and he's got his guitar. I like this boy. His voice sounds good, and the guitar is a nice touch. He has a surprising amount of soul. Very bum note in the middle of the song . . . he's going to suffer because the song is not terribly dynamic, but I thought his vocals were spot on.
Kara: The girls love him . . .er, um . . . she loves the guitar, a few bum notes, but likes him
Paula: Thinks he's engaging, adorable, and sexy kind of . . .
Simon: Thinks it was interesting, a bit clumsy, ok vocals, should have kept the wife hidden.
Randy: Thinks it was interesting with the guitar and the vocals. He liked it.

Seventh, Allison Iraheta. . . she's singing "Give into Me" . . . I'm not familiar with this song . . . She is reminding me hardcore of Gina from Season 6! I have high hopes for her. I'm kind of loving this interpretation of this song. It's a little awkward at times and screechy, but I'm kind of digging it . . . first half better than the second half.
Paula: Thinks she's a rockstar and doin it since she was 2.
Simon: Thought she was great
Randy: Thinks she's one to watch in the whole thang
Kara: Thinks she is ridiculous . . . in a good way.

Eighth, Anoop Dogg . . . He's singing "Beat It" . . . This has the potential to be absolutely, positively HORRIBLE . . . unless he reworks it . . . I have a bad feeling about this. He would have done better off to have picked a different song . . . His vocals are ok. He's workin the stage pretty well. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be . . . still very karoke. A little Yikes for me.
Paula: She thinks he shouldn't have done the song . . . karoke
Simon: Thought it was horrible
Randy: Did not think it worked for him.
Kara: Didn't see him do any variation on the original, and was disconnected to him.

Ninth, Jorge . . . He's singing, "Never Can Say Goodbye". Again, I'm not that familiar with this song. My initial reaction is that he better pick it up or he's in trouble. He's gonna have to work on his stage presence. Big stage. . . no movement. His vocals are pretty good, but I would say that the song is about a half step high for him . . . he's straining to hit some of these notes.
Randy: Has mad love, but thinks it was old fashioned.
Kara: Thinks that he was not connected to the song.
Paula: Has mad love for him, but thinks he deserves to be on the stage.
Simon: Thinks it was corny, and he was out of his depth.

Tenth, Megan Joy . . . She's doin "Rockin Robin" . . . I'm not sure what to think . . . It's kind of cheesetastic . . . It's kind of corny, but I kind of dig the edge she's bringing to it. Her voice sounds great. Very weird song choice, but I thought she made the most of it.
Kara: Thinks she has a way of putting her signature on everything she sings.
Paula: Likes the quirky and unique tone to her voice, but felt disconnected.
Simon: Thought it was a stupid song choice, and thought the whole performance was clumsy
Randy: Thought the song choice did not allow her to really be Megan
And for some reason they asked Gordon Ramsey who didn't have a mic.

Eleventh, Here comes Adam Lambert . . . and his guyliner . . . He's singing "Black and White" . . . I think this is a GREAT SONG CHOICE for him. He's got a great stage presence. He has so added his own Adam touches to this song . . . he does border on the scream sometimes, but he is BRILLZ!
Paula: Thinks that Never in the history of AI have we ever seen someone so seasoned . . . He's crying . . . I HEART HIM . . and would do very evil things to him. . . .sorry about that.
Simon: Thought it was in a totally different league from everything else.
Randy: Thinks he is the most current . . . the most right now . . .
Kara: Hopes Michael Jackson is watching tonight.

Twelfth, Matt Giraud . . . He's got a cryin dad like Kat McPhee . . . He's singing, "Human Nature" . . . this should be good. He's at the piano which will serve him well. I think this will keep him in for another week. He's been doing very well . . . until he hit those horrible falsettos . . . ugh
Randy: Thought it was a good performance with a couple of pitch spots
Kara: Thinks he's talented
Paula: Was blown away
Simon: Thought it was very good.

Thirteenth, Alexis . . . I have high hopes for this girl . . . so many contestants with children this year . . . She's singin "Dirty Diana" . . . should be a good performance . . . SHE IS ROCKIN . . . more so than I thought she could . . . I have the feeling that she might be the best with a band and not as a solo artist . . . just a thought . . . She was awesome!
Kara: You're a naughty girl and I liked it.
Paula: Wants her to watch her oversinging
Randy: Thought it was good but not great
Simon: Doesn't think it was as good as she thinks it was . . .

I worry for her with the change in numbers.
Tomorrow night, a change in the rules that could alter the competition.

I think they are going to do an X Factor thing and have the bottom 3 sing for their survival.

I thought this was a GREAT show . . . much better than I thought it would be considering the theme.

Rankings soon!

Quick Early Picks

Quickly . . . here are my rushed pre-picks

13. Matt
12. Jorge
11. Jasmine
10. Megan
9. Michael
8. Anoop
7. Allison
6. Adam
5. Alexis
4. Scott
3. Kris
2. Danny G
1. Lil Rounds

Monday, March 9, 2009

13 contestestants is x-rated unlucky for AI

This week American Idol will have 13 contestants singing for your vote. The problem is that American Idol doesn’t own the phone number 1-866-436-5713 (1-866-idols-13). According to mjsbigblog the phone number if called isn’t G rated.

So what does this mean? Could this have something to do with the “Big Twist” that we have all heard and speculated about or will American Idol find a way to buy the number from the Hot and Horny girls before Tuesday nights voting window opens? Leave your thoughts and let’s speculate some more on this.

Idol Stars- where are they now? TV Guidge Channel

So...I was flipping channels the other night and ran across this program. It was actually quite good and fun to watch. Hosted by Chickese.
Its worth a view. Link provides the listing



http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/idol-tonight/199034


And....Wh-hoo. My second favorite TV show returns to the air on Wednesday.

Idol Tonight - Hosted by Justin Guarini and Kimberly Caldwell.


http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/idol-stars/tv-listings/292755

Friday, March 6, 2009

Ranking the top 13

So I guess its time to go out on a limb and predict the order of the finish of the top 12....er.....13:



13. Chris Allen (He could go further because he is a cute guy. May get the young girl vote)
12. Jasmine Murray ( I like Jasmine. She's a cute girl. But ultimately the competition is too strong for her to go very far in the competition).
11. Alexis Grace (She's an unknown for me. She could become a dark horse)
10. Jorge Nunez (Ultimately the male competition is going to do Jorge in. His charming personality is only going to get him so far)
9. Matt Giraud (Look for an early exit for this Dueling Piano guy. He could even go sooner than #9)
8. Anoop Desai (Anoop is interesting on many levels, however there are too many better male performers and he lacks the charisma of the stronger performers)
7. Michael Sarver (Michael should be eliminated much soon, however, he is going to be this years Phil Stacy/Josh Gracin - someone who goes further than his talent deserves but has a voting base that votes solely based on their "Story")
6 Allison Iraheta (Could go further, however, I'm not sure how strong she is. She was great in the top 36 round, but I'm not sure that she has the support to go much further than midway)
5. Scott McIntyre (What can I say without sounding completely politically wrong. Scott is a decent guy, but certainly not talented enough to even get to the top 5. I would put him around #10 except for the Forrest Gump/Taylor Hicks vote. I'm afraid he might even go higher over some more qualified performers)
4. Megan Joy (Another tough one. She could get as high as #4 but also could get voted off a lot sooner. I'm not sure how strong she is. I think she will be in the top 5 based on her look, if not her voice. She's easily the best looking female in the crowd)
3. Danny Gokey (Any of the top 3 could win this thing. Danny is going to get a lot of sympathy votes, a lot of votes based on his voice and a little bit of backlash that could hurt him. Danny's worst fear is it coming down to him and Scott McIntyre)
2. Adam Lambert (its unknown how hurt Adam will be by the whole gay thing. He may also be a little too Broadway for this competition. Adam's worst nightmare is a Gokey/Lambert finale)
1. Lil Rounds (Looked incredibly strong during the top 36. She has the voice and the charisma to win it all. Lil is helped by the fact that there hasn't been a true Black Diva that has won it all. However, she could be hurt by being too polished and too talented as some in years past. Lil Rounds greatest fear is a McIntyre or Gokey finale).

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I'm going to rank them in the order I think they did:


Megan - Doing the Cherry Tree song that McPhee did back in Season 5. She looks incredible and does a great performance. But someone has to work with her on her strange coregoraphy.

Anoop Dogg - My perogative. Weak in spots but overall he showed off the qualities of his voice.

Braddy - Not the best song choice for him and a little over the top, but this guy has one of the best voices in the competition.

Tatiana - Man...I hate her...but if you are basing it soley on the performances tonight, she was one of the better ones. But as the judges pointed out, she has sung this song before.

Jasmine - a little low for her range, but overall the song really showcased her voice.

Matt Giraud - Its all about song choice...and this was a good one for Matt
(although he's doing some Taylor Hicks moves which frighten me)...funny....Again Simon says what I am thinking...we must be in some cosmic zone.

Von Smith - Doing his best "Malcolm in the middle" look. Start of the song was weak and too high for his range, but he brought it on at the end. Not enough, though, to get him through.

Jessie - Picked a song out of her lower range and sounded flat at least half of the song.


So who should go through: Megan, Braddy and Anoop
Who is going to go through: Megan, Anoop and Jasmine

Is Rubbertoe right?
First one through - Jasmine
Second through - Megan
Third -Matt
and theny they pull a shocker and put Anoop through as well....that was shocking.
...but sad to say they eliminated probably the best or second best voice in the competition, proving that AI is not just a competition about the best singer....but we all knew that...and we love AI anyway....!

Wild, Wild Predictions for the Wild Card Round




So, tonight we get a wild card show. Last night we found out that 8 of our ditched Idols will get a second chance at fame and glory. Each of the judges presented two people who will perform tonight. The following were our lucky idols: 1) Von, 2) Jasmine, 3) Ricky, 4) Megan, 5) Tatianna, 6) Matt, 7) Jessie, and 8) Anoop Dogg.


I agree with Rubbertoe that the judges WILL, if at all possible, put through at least 2 girls. These were some interesting choices. I think that Ju'not and Felecia from week 3 were noticeably absent. It's difficult to pick these before hearing the performances because all we have to go on is the judges previous comments. That being said, I'm going to give you my picks and then talk about who I think could pull an upset.


Based on their prior performances AND the judges previous comments, I think the judges will pick: 1) Megan, 2) Jasmine, and 3) Anoop.


Now, I think a few of our wildcard idols could pull upsets. I believe that Von, screaming not withstanding, has one of the cleanest clearest voices on this year's Idol stage. If he reigns himself in and picks the right song, he just might find himself in the Top 12.


Next, I think we shouldn't count out Jessie with the Bette Davis eyes. Jessie has that smokey, jazzy voice that these judges seem to be leaning towards this season. That being said, I think that if Jessie goes through that Megan will not. They have very simialr sounds and I think that it will be one or the other.


Finally, I think that Matt G. could stumble into the Top 12. He chose to sing Viva La Vida in Week 2. . . and really should have chosen differently. That being said, he has a very

distinctive voice and the judges seem to very much like him.


I have not mentioned Tatianna or Ricky. To be honest, I don't remember anything that Ricky has done, and I just don't think that Simon will allow Tatianna's drama to be injected into the Top 12.


However, this is Idol, and the unexpected sometimes happens. Check back later for more predictions, and a review of tonight's show. Let us know what you think!

Top 36 Round 3: The Not So Shocking Results









Thisgroup is finding out which 3 will make the TOP 12!



Paula thinks that this final group is AMAZING! Paula appears to be a teeny tiny bit loopy tonight.



And now a “how they got here” montage.
Here comes the group number . . . I’ve missed what they are singing . . . Oh yeah, it’s Katie Perry’s “Hot and Cold”. I do love this song, but wow, could this be more, er, um, Kids Incorporated. I REALLY hope Paula is not choreographing these routines. However, as y’all know, I do love a good group number.



And let’s take a look back at last night. . .



Nathaniel has no headband tonight. Jorge is overwhelmed by his chance. Felecia looks cute. Ju’not had an asthma attack. And good luck to all of you.



Here comes decision time . . .
Lil Rounds stands up and is THROUGH TO THE TOP 12!



And back to results . . . Arianna, Taylor, Alex, Kendall, and Scott stand up . . . one of them, duh, is through to the TOP 12! And we’re back . . . Arianna’s NOT in the Top 12. Taylor’s up . . . and she’s NOT in the Top 12. Alex is up, and he is NOT in the Top 12. It is now between Kendall and Scott . . . hmmmm, I wonder . . . after the vote . . . Scott is THROUGH TO THE TOP 12!
Is it just me or is the sound off on the program tonight? Just a question.



So, they’ve put through the two obvious choices . . . and now we’re down to the third position. Who will it be?



Nathaniel and Kristin are up next . . . and clearly they are OUT!



Felecia and Von are standing up . . . without Jorge . . . what does that mean? America voted and they are OUT!



We are down to Jorge and Ju’not . . . one is THROUGH and one is OUT . . . and JORGE IS THROUGH TO THE TOP 12!



And now to the WILD CARD SHOW! NEXT!

There are THREE spaces left . . . who will go through to the Wild Card Round . . . 8 will come back.



Randy’s up first . . . and he’s gonna pick . . . Von Smith! Hooray! Kara’s up next with . . . Jasmine Murray glad she’s back! Paula’s up next with someone from the first round . . . Ricky Braddy! I’m glad they picked him! Simon is up next with a favorite from the audition round . . . Megan! Yay!

So far we have: 1. Von, 2. Jasmine, 3. Ricky, and 4. Megan.
Here comes Randy with our next choice . . . HOLY SHIT! Tatianna. ARE YOU FRACKIN KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?! ZOMG! Kara’s up next with a bluesy, soulful, Matt! I HEART MATT! Paula’s up next with a last minute change . . . JESSIE and her Bette Davis Eyes! Finally, Cowell’s gonna give the last spot to ANOOP DOGG! HOLLA!

The final list is : 1) Von, 2) Jasmine, 3) Ricky, 4) Megan, 5) Tatianna, 6) Matt, 7) Jessie, and 8) Anoop Dogg

So, we’ve got our Top 9 and our eight wild cards to fill the final three . . . tomorrow our TOP 12 will be complete.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Breaking down the wildcard statistics

So surprisingly, but not so surprisingly, the most wildcards came from Round 2.
I remember thinking it was a strong group when I saw the line-up but I thought that Round 1 overall had better performances.

From Round 1 (3): Braddy, Anoop and Tatiana
From Round 2 (4): Jasmine, Matt, Megan, Jessie
From Round 3 (1): Von Smith

Before hearing them sing I am thinking its going to come down to 5.
I'm going to rule out Jessie, Tatiana and Von Smith. I think they are the weakest of the 8.
I think Braddy and Anoop are the two strongest...the third is a toss-up between Matt, Megan and Jasmine. I'm going to rule out Matt because they aren't going to pick 3 guys. That leaves Megan and Jasmine. Close call, but I am going to give the edge to Megan based on comments from the judges that they felt that Jasmine's time is not now.

So prior to singing my predictions: Braddy, Anoop and Megan.

OK some more stats and I'm rethinking my predictions.

The 9 seated finalists: Six men (Scott, Jorge, Adam, Michael, Chris and Danny) Three women (Lil Rounds, Alexis and Allison).

There is no way AI is going to give 2 of the final 3 spots to men and have it 8 men, 4 women.

2 of the final three slots are going to go to women, making it 7-5.
That said I am going to say: Jasmine, Megan and Braddy.

We're down to the wildcards

So...."Creative" coreography so as to not single out Scott...but when he gets in the top 12...they can only do that for so long. Probably the worst group number I've seen. What was that song?

Down the the nitty gritty...Lil Rounds is the first one through....duh!
Next up...five contestants including Scott....who goes through?....another duh...after the break. AI isn't even trying for drama tonight. Its as if they just want to get the 3 up there and then announce the wildcards.
Scott goes through...and I'm sorry...it may not be the most politically correct thing to say, but I see a Forrest Gump/Taylor Hicks syndrome beginning here.
Even those who like Scott have to admit that he is not one of the best singers in the competition. Its nice that he's in the top 12, but if he lasts longer than 7 or 8...it won't be because of talent.
Ju'not and Jorge are the down for the final seat before wildcard...if its Jorge...I'm 3 for 3 tonight. Good...fake out by Ryan...not after the break...but now...its Jorge.


Wildcards:

8 people:

Randy's pick: Von Smith (looking like a butch lesbian tongiht)

Kara: Jasmine - looking beautiful (YEAH!!!!)

Paula: Braddy - looking HOT (WH-HOOOO!!!!!!)

Simon: Megan (Simon said first show....wasn't she the second round?)

Anoop? After the Break? He's coming back for sure....

Back to Randy: Tatiana (I thought it was going to be Nick/Normound. The one we love to hate.

Kara: Matt Giraud

Paula: Jessie

Simon: Anoop (I was having doubts)

I think the judges got it right...I'm going to give it a little more analysis...but my initial reaction is they got it right.

Top 36 Week 3: Predictions

Alright, so it's time for predictions. I'm torn in all kinds of directions. My Top 3 will not be America's Top 3 for sure. I think the one thing we can all agree on is Lil Rounds. She was far and away the best of the evening. She didn't really need the pimp spot they gave her.

Scott McIntyre is clearly going to get the top male vote . . . no doubt. However, he was not my top male vocalist . . . I think both Jorge and Von have better voices than he does. However, I think once he gets behind a keyboard he is going to be golden.

That leaves the third spot. This is a battle royale of mediocre to good contestants. I think that Felecia, Jorge, Von, and Ju'not all have a legitimate shot. However, due to placement in the line up, I think that this comes down to Jorge and Felecia. I'm giving the edge to Jorge because they pimped him out sooooooo much last night.

My personal Top 3: Lil Rounds, Felecia, Von/Ju'not

Who America will put through: Lil Rounds, Scott, and Jorge

Predicting the Predictable

Seriously, how did Idol come up with the lineups for the last three weeks?
It got easier each time to see who they (TPTB) did/didn't want to go through: you get The Boot either by Doom Spot (1st or 2nd, though people get lost in the middle as well) or by back-handed compliments (calling Alex Clay? Wha--?);
or you get the Idol Halo either by Pimp Spot (Lil Rounds is gonna "Melinda Doolittle" her way to #3 or #4 this year, wait and see) or outright pimpage from Simon (Blind contestant Scott was thusly anointed last night).
So all that remains is, who is going to get the #3 spot, and who will come back as Wild Cards.

So here are L & K's predictions for results:

America's Top 3:

Lil (except a couple places) Rounds
Scott (I can see the Top 12 clearly)
Ju'not (Ju Not going to have a top 12 without an african-american male!)

Our Top 3:

Lil
Jorge
Ju'Not

Special note for producer plant (and former Nashville Star contestant - wait, didn't they mention that?) Kristen MacNamara. When she played off her "Nikki McKibbin-esque" purple streaks as a hairdresser mistake: man, I hate it when that happens! You go in, ask for a "Carrie Underwood" interchangeable blonde 'do, and they give you faux rocker streaks! I hope she got a refund. If she makes it another round it's proof the show is rigged.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

First up Von Smith singing Marvin Gaye. He looks great but song starts off out of his lower range...all I keep thinking is how I would rather hear Clay Aiken do this song. It was just aiight for me...funny...Simon makes the comparison to Clay as well...and the judges loved it more than I did.
Taylor Vaifuana - from Hurricane Utah (Beautiful Red Rock Southern Utah Country)
"If I got you" - good once it got to the chorus...but the first part of the song was majorly weak. Not an Idol winning performance...decent enough but not great.
Alex Wagner Trugman - says he's a bit dorky...he is a little. Sings Elton John -Wow...I thought he would have done much better. Performance verged on painful. I think he is trying in parts to sound like Elton John.
Arianna -The winner takes it all. Runs are really really bad...and way too many. She's got a voice, which she shows on the long notes, its just too bad that she tried to "fancy it up" too much.
Ju'not Joyner - He has a nice quality to his voice, but the performance was just blaise'(is that how you spell it?).
Kristen - Karoke Host - She looks kinda freakishly pornstar tonight. "give me one rason" She did better with this Traci Chapman song than I expected...she's got a good bluesly tone to her voice and hit the high note on top of it. I don't think this performance is going to get her through...but hey she didn't embarass herself here.
Nathaniel Marshall - Facepierce Boy/Drama Queen singing Meatloaf. I have to say that his personality has grown on me. I actually enjoyed his performance, but didn't find it the vocals all that great.
What's with the Nathaniel Push? He definitely got the air time tonight.
Felicia Barton - got cut in Hollywood but took Pacitti's spot. Says she's going to prove she deserves to be here. Love her look and attitude. Some of the runs are off, but I would say vocal is the best so far this evening. I think she showed that she deserves to be here.
Scott MacIntyre - Mandolin Rain. Parts were really good...other parts were a little off. The Judges all talk as if he is already through. (I'm still waiting to see how they are going to use him in the group number tomorrow....).
Kendall Beard - "This one's for the girls" -She looks like a Country Singer. But she is no Martina McBride. Pretty girl but voice is just not there.
Jorge Nunez - "Don't let the sun go down on me". I'm not really sure what I think...when it was good it was really good....but there were times where is just seemed a little strange. Loved the emotion though...I have to vote for him just because he is so adorable.
Up last....Lil Rounds - "Be without you" - She's grogeous. Looks completely at ease. Vocals are great. I'm calling this one right now...Lil Rounds in the Top 5 for sure.

Overall the show was not a great one again....Group 1 was by far better than groups 2 and 3

Best of the night: Lil Rounds by FAR (Best performance of the 36)
Best of the rest: Felicia Barton and Jorge
Who Will Go through: Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds, and I'm torn between Felicia and Jorge. I'm going to say Jorge but if he doesn't make it through he's back as a wild card.

Other Wild Cards - Nathaniel and maybe Von Smith

Top 36 Round 3: Lil Rounds gonna go on for round and round and round.


THIS is American Idol.



Here come the peeps, and it looks like Lil Rounds is in the pimp spot.

1. Von Smith – He’s the screamer from the early rounds. He’s singing “You’re All I Need” by Marvin Gaye. . . Some of you may recall that Kelly Clarkson knocked this one out of the park in Season One. . . Let’s see . . . The screamer is showing some nice restraint in this song, but it comes off a little soul-less . . . the ending was very, very good. . . all that being said, he has a lovely voice, and has got a shot at the Wild Card round. All the judges loved him, and Simon thinks he reminds him of Clay Aiken.

2. Taylor V. – Young Taylor is singing, “If I Aint Got You” by Alicia Keys . . . this is risky . . . Ms. Alicia has such a distinctive voice. She has a lovely voice, but for some reason, its just not striking the right chord with me. I’m not sure why. She was a little awkward on stage, and is showing her age. I don’t think she’s going through. Ahhhh, I had forgotten that she sang this song in Hollywood. Kara thought she was good but it left her cold. Paula felt the same way. Simon thought she was not memorable. Randy thought it was boring.

3. Alex Wagner-Trugman – He’s the dorky one from the early rounds. He’s singing, “Well I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” by Elton John. He’s starting off a little awkwardly and SHOULD NOT DANCE. This is not good. It’s not horrible, but it is definitely not good. No. No. No. Here come the judges. Paula thinks he gave us our money’s worth, and she had fun watching him. Simon thinks he is like a little hamster trying to be a tiger. Randy thinks it was crazy in a buckwild sort of way. Kara thinks he does him . . . he’s Alex. He’s also going home . . . so he can do him.

4. Arianna Afsar – She’s about to sing “Winner Takes All” by Abba. It’s the first Abba song ever performed live on Idol. Hmmmm . . . I’m not really sure about this one. Her voice is good and she’s got some nice runs, but it sounds kind of awkward. . . . until she hits the high notes . . . except the last one. Simon thinks it was horrible. Randy thinks she tried to do more with it vocally than was there. Kara thought she was too dark and went against her personality. Paula thinks that sometimes its better to stick to the melody. She’s NOT going through, but I have a feeling that she’ll be back for the Wild Card round.

5. Ju Not Joyner – He’s singing the Plain White T’s “Hey There, Delilah” . . . I think he did this in Hollywood . . . I hope I’m wrong. He shouldn’t do the same song again. I like his rendition of this song . . . Randy thought it was good restraint, Kara thinks he has ridiculous pipes, Paula reminds us that he sang the same song in Hollywood, but she liked it. Simon thought it was better than he thought it was going to be. He’s got a shot . . . depends on the competition . . . better shot at the Wild Card.

6. Kristen McNamara – She was a part of the quartet of drama in Hollywood. She’s singing, “Gimme One Reason” by Tracy Chapman . . . She’s definitely got a strong voice. She needs some fashion advice . . . she looks a lot older than she is. Again, she’s got a great voice. Kara thinks she looks better . . . er . . . and thinks she has a great voice, but questioned the song choice. Paula thought the Kelly Clarkson she picked in Hollywood showed off her voice better. Simon complained about her fashion, but thinks she has a good voice. Randy agrees with Simon and isn’t sure who she is. I’m not sure who she is. I am sure that she won’t make the Top 12.

7. Nathaniel Marshall – He called himself the drama queen. Tonight, he is singing, “I Would Do Anything For Love” by Meat Loaf . . . better work it, girl. Early on, he’s workin a wheel of cheese. I think his voice is solid, but this song should be bigger and over the top, and he’s toned it down waaaaaaaaaaay too much. Simon thought it was slightly excruciating, but people will remember him. Randy likes him, but questions the song choice. Kara thinks he has a voice, but thinks he’s got to change some things to be taken seriously. Paula loves him and remembers that he did an acoustic version of Disturbia during Hollywood, but thinks he needs to be wiser with his song choice. I’m not sure . . . I strangely think there’s a shot he could get through.

8. Felecia Barton – She didn’t make it at first, and then someone got kicked out, and now she’s back. She’s singing, “No one” by Alicia Keys. Let’s see what she does with her second chance. One bum note notwithstanding, she was perfect. Brillz! Brillz! Brillz! Paula thinks that everything happens for a reason, and that she has a great gift. Simon thought was the first half was better than the second half, and is not as enthusiastic as Paula. Randy thought it was hot. Kara thinks she was a wee bit pitchy, but really noticed her tonight.

9. Scott – the unforgettable blind guy. I worry about him without the piano, but I think barring a disaster, he’s going through. He’s singing, “Mandolin Rain” by Bruce Hornsby . . . I don’t really know this song. Oh yeah, I remember. I didn’t think it was spectacular, but the Idol Machine has pimped him enough for that performance to get him through. Randy thinks there were some problems, but that the good parts were GREAT. Kara thinks that he moves mountains when he sings. Paula thinks that he is a genius at the piano, and one of Idol’s finest. Simon wasn’t crazy about the song, but he’s growing on Simon because he’s starting to believe in himself. In a sea of forgettable people, he’s going to remember him.

10. Kendall Beard – She’s singing “This One’s For The Girls” by Martina McBride. Maybe her dad will do the alligator dance if she gets through. The low range is a little rough. . . but the high notes are much better. I’ll give her this, it was uplifting and fun. It was a solid performance, but she’s out of her league tonight. Kara thinks she’s got a big personality and picked the right song, but thinks she was pitchy. Paula gives her the prize for the best outfit, but hopes she enjoyED it. Simon thinks she did the right thing tonight, but couldn’t wait for it to end. Randy liked the song choice, but didn’t think it was her best vocal performance. She’s out of her league in this group.

11. Jorge Nunez – He’s singing “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by Elton John . . . Um, did he see the finale last year . . . could be risky . . . very, very risky. Absolutely beautiful voice. I thought he was great. There is something quite awkward about his accent with the song, but his voice was absolutely wonderful. Paula is SO proud of him, and wants to squeeze him. Simon thinks he has a good voice, and should be who he is. Randy thinks that it was really, really good . . . dude. Kara thinks he was born to sing. I think, at this point, he and Felecia are fighting for third . . . because . . . look who’s coming next.

12. Lil Rounds - Oh Lord, Lil is singin, “Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige. Girl looks FIERCE! She has got a great stage presence. A-MAZ-ING! Simon says BRILLIANT. Randy agrees with Cowell, and thinks she kept her swagger on. Kara thinks she is a powerhouse . . . girl. Paula thinks she is first class, and thinks we’ll see her for many more . . . er, um . . . lil rounds. Girl is through to the next round . . . no doubt.

And we’re through another round of the Top 36. I think that Lil Rounds and Scott are definitely through, and I think that Jorge, Felecia, and possibly Von are fighting for the third spot. I’ll be back soon with the rankings.