Smoke and Mirror(ball)s

Just watched the Finale, in a kind of a novel way: Dr L is away in the Central Time Zone at a conference, and was still in the air when Idol was on live in her area.
So I played the DVR of the show while we talked on Face Time, and I held up the phone so she could see/hear it. It actually worked really well. Didn't the show zip by, at only an hour?

All in all we thought Candice did better on the night. Her first song came off as a little more current, though Kree's was beautiful. Candice's 2nd, the single, was a little more upbeat in the chorus, while Kree's was kind of a downer all the way through LOL. Both were just kind of 'whatev' performances, as many Idol Single performances are. It's not the singers' fault.
Kree did a great job on her final song, but I think Candice picked a better one, and the a capella part at the beginning was a nice confident move.

Whether any of this adds up to votes is a mystery to me. I think Idol perhaps wants Candice to win, given the pimp treatment she got with the fireworks and light behind her songs; Kree's productions were a little more subdued, if you don't count the mystical 'angel wings' floating behind her on the first song. You would think Kree would be easier to market, but we don't know the totals that have been coming in for either of them.

The crowd seemed to cheer louder for Kree when Ryan asked them who they wanted to win, but it could have been my ears or TV.

I'm going to say Candice wins it. I've been wrong all season, though, and I really thought Angie would be here tonight, so what do I know? I can't wait to see who wins this one, though. I was so proud that, for once, we didn't have to hear all about the medical conditions that seem to plague Idols as they limp into the Finale year after year. Flu, blown out vocal cords, appendicitis or whatever Phil Philips was dying of last year -- this year, it was just two really great singers, who don't have to make any excuses at end of the day. They put their cards down and played the best hand they had.

Idol Tickets! That I couldn't use :(

I actually got an email today from Idol @ 1:30 PM saying I had tickets to the finale!
Unfortunately, Dr L is out of town, and I wasn't sure I could get together with anybody on such short notice.
That, combined with the fact that even if I magically teleported to the studio @ 1:30, it would still be iffy that I would get in; on non-Finale weeks, if you don't get in line by 12:30, you might not make it.
I image for the Finale, a lot of celebs that don't normally use their VIP vouchers will show up and bump
out the rabble.
It would have been nice to be there, though!

--K

The toughest cut

Idols go Home! This is traditionally where one Idol never really comes back. Let's see who it is!

Jimmy picks Round One, Judges pick Round Two, and the Idol "Production" picks Round Three.

Tonight the Battle of the Boobs has shifted to Mariah's tummy, but I think technically Nikki showed more cleavage skin. 

1st Round: 

Kree -- Jimmy picks Perfect.  This is a miss from the start for me. I think Kree hated it. Dr. l said it was Aiight. Keith gives a non-comment, I'm assuming he's trying to dodge making a negative out of it. The other judges also throw softballs at her. She's in the KOD spot so it must have sucked in rehearsals, too.

Candice: so this means Angie will close out the night. I think there's some kind of formula that says whoever is in the Pimp Spot on Top 3 night will be in the finale.

Candice continues her interesting streak of taking a rock song and kind of R&B'ing it. This was much better than Kree. Kind of shouty at the end for me, but OK. Judges love it. I wonder if we're seeing bus treads on Kree en route to a Candice/Angie Finale?

Angie: doing Sir Elton. Why didn't she play the piano on this one? She does a nice job, but I still get a Disney Cruise vibe from her. Better than Kree though, no doubt. It's like the joke about the two guys in the woods that get surprised by a bear. As they run away, one guy stops to put on his sneakers. The 2nd guy says, that won't help you outrun the bear. The 1st guy says, I don't have to outrun the bear -- I just have to outrun YOU. The judges felt like Angie outran Kree, too.

2nd Round: 

A-ha! They're switching up the order tonight. So we have no idea who will be in the pimp spot. 

But first, the visit home. Candice looks like she had a great time. Boy, the South looks so nice, I miss it sometimes. 

Candice is doing a song I've never heard. Dr. L says if she has one styling criticism this season, it's that all the girls' boots look ridiculous. This was just Aiight for me. This was the second KOD spot, and she kind of deserved it. Boy, Mariah never really lands the plane, does she? It was one of those non-critiques. Nikki almost tears up, it was sweet. Randy is reading shit Nigel wrote for him all night. It was all overtaken by emotion, however.

Next up, Angie and her lumberjack brother. First, we see her trip back to MA. They really play up the Boston Strong stuff, Idol would never miss a chance to capitalize on that. You have to give it to her fans, though, she had a hell of a turnout. Remeber, by contrast, Katherine McPhee? She couldn't fill a mall parking lot. 

Side Note: I never noticed before what a big melon head Angie has. For some reason you can really tell it in the home footage. 

These judges songs have been pretty forgettable thus far. She does OK, for a generic pop anthem. Maybe has the edge on Candice so far. She definitely has star power, the look, the swag, and the ability.

So Kree goes home. I forget what a sad backstory she has, it had to be tough. I think she wins for the sheer number of folks in the concert crowd. Another emotional visit! 

This Rascal Flatts song sounds like a perfect fit for her. Playing to the base, and there's no other country girls left. Holy shit, the Idol crowd loves her. Keith was the super-emotional one this time, and how could you not be? I think now it's a free-for all. Anybody could win this thing.

Round Three:

We see the Top Seven Losers in the crowd. Wow, lazaro looks like a cheeky punk, doesn't he?

First up, Angie. At the piano. This was forgettable for me until the chorus. I gained a little life, but it wasn't a solid as the first two for me. Dr. L has fallen asleep so it's just me hanging on the DVR tonight LOL. The judges are clearly going to just throw praise or neutrality tonight. 

Kree: this song is definitely in her ballpark, if not necessarily a dead-on hit. She does a great job considering. Side note: Idol must be employing every fiddle player in Hollywood, I think I saw a new one tonight. This was a little too attitude-y, kind of a Kellie Pickler vibe. She has a nice humble moment before the break. I think her fan base loves her no matter what. 

So the Pimp spot is Candice. This is without a doubt the biggest song of the night. I was worried when it began because it's so old. But she blew it out like she was Shirley Bassey or something. It wasn't perfect, but holy shit, after all these weeks of killing her voice, the fact that she could pull this off was incredible. She really deserves to be in the finale. But who will join her? 

If I have to make a call (Dr. L is still asleep), I think it will still be Candice and Angie. I think the weak first song will hurt Kree. Angie had three consistent songs, and Candice had the super atom bomb at the end. So I think Kree will go home. 

Of course, part of me knows Kree has a total lock on the Country vote, which has consistently been a powerhouse block for Idols for a decade. So, if Kree holds out and Candice goes home, I'll be disappointed, but not surprised in the least.

BTW -- I got tickets AGAIN for Idol, and we were psyched to go, but Dr. L can't make it due to a work conflict. So we'll have to give the tickets up this time. But Dr. L hasn't got an email yet this season, so we're still holding out for the Finale...

Finale - Angie and ?????

Before getting onto the performances...a couple things stand out. It seems pretty clear that it is going to be a Kree/Angie performance. The comments directed to Candice seem to be directed toward reassuring her that "she is going to be fine" and that "no matter what happens....you will have a career". I still believe that Candice is the best of the bunch, but Kree has the Country vote and Angie has the young tween vote and the AI pimping push. It also seems clear to me that AI really wants Angie to win, primarily because she is the easiest one for them to market. I actually think that Kree and Candice will do better if they don't win. If Candice were to win, I think she would become another Ruben...AI doesn't know how to market a singer like Candice. They COULD market Kree, but I think Kree will do better ala Kelly Pickler than she would with the AI Carrie Underwood push. So...lets take a minute and talk about the homecomings. As usual, This is AI at its best. All three of the homecomings were incredibily moving. I love how they showed really all three of them coming from very little. Did y'all notice the cop playing with his phone during Angie's performance? Like he was sooooo not interested. One last thing before the performances....so they showed the top 10 in the crowd. It was kinda interesting seeing them again. You realize WHO you have forgotten already. I forgot all about the blond latin kid that I liked so much in the beginning when he sand in Spanish. I also found it interesting that probably 4 of the 5 guys are gay...which is a higher proportion than in years past...don't know what that says...just found it interesting. So as for the performances. Round 1 - Jimmy called it for Angie. I actually would have given it to Candice...and I think the judges agreed Round 2 - Jimmy called for Kree. I agree. I thought Kree was completely in her element on this song. Angie was also really good. It was the first time that I really felt that she was comfortable on stage not sitting at the piano, which is exactly what the judges focused on. I thought Candice was weakest. Round 3 - Angie, back at the piano. I have to admit that Angie was definitely on tonight. I don't LOVE Angie...I dunno...there is something about her that bothers me. She seems a little fake and cut-throat and pretentious..and I don't connect emotionally with her. But tonight...I have to say that for the first time I can understand what some people see in her. Kree - nice performance, but it was a little flat for me. It didn't feel in her comfort zone for me. Candice - I'm not sure what to think. Somewhere....seemed very old fashioned as a choice....and it felt a bit staged and manipulative, but not in the way that one would think...it felt not like they wanted to use to to propel her into the finale, but as a send off...I dunno. The judges swooned, but it felt weird to me...maybe its just me...who knows. While I would love to see a Kree/Candice finale. I truly believe it will be Angie/Kree. From what I've read, Angie's twitter followers are more than double Kree and Candice put together....so Angie is probably definitely in and maybe is already the ordained winner. We'll find out tomorrow!!!!!

Our Trip to Idol Top Four Results Night! (L-o-ong)

Here's a play-by-play of our trip to the Idol Results Show tonight:

We parked at The Grove, which I highly recommend if you come see Idol. It's easy in and out and around the corner to the CBS lot on Beverly. There you begin your wait in the sun LOL. Bring some drinks and snacks, unless you want to buy them off the street vendors who are making a killing off the Idol line every week. The ticket says arrive at 3PM for the 5PM show, but unless you get there early (we got there around 1PM) you won't get in. 

You stand in line until roughly 3:30-4PM. The Idol PAs come by and verify your ticket and how far you are in the line -- we were about 50 people back. Depending on the "VIPs" that show up, you may or may not get in. They threatened us with that possibility, since tonight two busloads of FOX interns AND high school students came in ahead of us. So all our tickets were relegated to "seat filler" status, even though on a normal day we'd have gotten in no problem. But we knew, at 50 back, we would get in. 200 back, you never know.

So eventually we were herded into the lot, they took away our phones but we got to sit next to the studio in the shade. We saw Will.I.Am's dancers come by as we waited, as well as Candice and Amber's family. Little did we know Will.I.Am was leaving as we arrived! More on that later.

So about five minutes until 5PM we got called in, the first group. When you're a seat filler, you usually get pretty good seats, even though it's a gamble if you'll get in at all. We were stage right, one row up from the first tier rail. It's always funny to see the Idol stage in person, it's so much smaller than you would imagine. There was a layer of mist pumped over the stage so the lights would look good. On TV you might not even notice it, but it's like a light smog LOL.

The guy working the crowd was pretty funny. After he got us on our feet, practice clapping and shouting, we learned that Will.I.Am would be performing, as well as David Cook and last night's mentor, Harry Connick Jr. Sounded pretty good to us! We saw Nigel wandering about, with about four or five massive bodyguards for him, and I assume, the judges. They were just behind the judges table. 

Then the show began. The video segments you see on TV are displayed on the big oval screen in the back of the Idol stage. Then Ryan, Mariah, Randy, Nikki and Keith came out. Dr. L laughed that Mariah sashayed any time she walked, and never quickly. She's on these massive heels, it's funny. The sound was really weird tonight, all the speaking mics were very low. But the music sounded great.

The first number was a Great Gatsby production with all the remaining girls and some dancers. Watching it back at home, it actually sounded better in the room. When they cut to the Summer Tour video, everyone stayed on stage chatting, and the techs swooped in to start cleaning up, applying fresh makeup, etc. It was funny how many guys spent the whole break sweeping.

The girls assembled on the sofa of Doom, and I was struck by how much they seemed to really like and support each other. In particular, one PA brought out some jewelry, and started to put a necklace on Angie, but she hopped up and put it on Kree, herself. It just seemed like a friendly gesture we have not seen on other Idol seasons. There was no "clique", no two or three girls that huddled away from another, and it was that way all night. Handholding, pats on knees, words of encouragement. 

The judges, on the other hand, spent time chatting amongst Mariah, Randy, and Keith, but almost none of them spoke to Nikki. The tween girls in the pit area LOVED Nikki, and screamed her name on every break. Others in our side of the crowd yelled at Mariah mostly, but also had love for the Dawg. Keith got up every single break and talked to people in the crowd. Mariah didn't get up often, but she turned around FAR more than JLo ever did, and waved, smiled, blew kisses, took pictures of fans. It seemed genuine, and I was pleasantly surprised. 

Then we were back. Side note: it used to just be Ryan that has a teleprompter, but now EVERY SINGLE CAMERA that is on stage has words on it. I could see lyrics on the camera that the Idols sang into. It was bizarre.

So Ryan shows the Ford video. As it played he turned to a stagehand, who said "five minutes", and Ryan ran backstage, and techs and PAs flitted about. They all scurried back just in time. When Ryan led in the Jimmy/recap segment, it was interesting, Candice spent the whole time looking back at her family. 

As the clips played, the Idols would laugh, or squeeze each other's arms, or pat their shoulder, etc. Lots of support. When they cut to the next break, the stagehands, techs, PAs ran onto the stage and set up Cookie's band equipment in a frenzy. It was pretty impressive. If you see the show, and consider how big his band, and then Ray Chew/Connick's band is later, it was impressive how fast they could get set up and disappear by the next break. 

When they came back, Cook watched himself onscreen and it took me a second to realize it was him. He's got some new pseudo Rockabilly up-do that looks a bit different. He played his new song, and it sounded great! Side note: it's fun to watch Keith during all these music numbers, he gets into it LOL. Head bobbing, shoulders popping back and forth. He's a very supportive musician. Ryan had a chat with Cookie and then we cut to break.

On this break, Cook talked to Randy, Keith and Mariah, and a few fans. During this time it took a while to clean up the stage, and the Stage Manager (can't recall her name but she's been there for years) got us to clap for them, they really were busting ass. It took so long that when we came back from break, the camera was on Ryan facing towards the crowd, and he introduced "Will.I.Am", though there was still some band shit onstage! No musicians…

They of course cut to a VIDEO of Will.I.Am, which we learned had been recorded just before we all came in. I guess it was such a massive undertaking there was no way to do it live. But since I think Will.I.Am kind of sucks, it was OK with me. If you watch the show, there's a quick shot at the end and there are people in the crowd, but no judges, and the room's only about half full. The Magic of Television LOL.

The stagehands etc. swoop in and assemble a big-ass band setup for Connick. 

It's kind of funny, but the girls have been sitting on that sofa for a LONG time now. Side note: Nikki brushes her hair a LOT. any time the camera isn't rolling. I swear that can't be her real hair, right? 

One of Connick's pianos broke the stage! It fell through the floor. They fixed it, but there was a moment of wtf in the room.

We come back live to Ryan with a group of giddy teen girls talking about some Idol Fun Pack bullshit. The response in the room was tepid, but the girls were very stoked to be onstage, and Ryan was sweet with them before and after. Then Harry Connick sings. It's really a good performance, kind of restrained, but very smooth. The crowd dug him. His guitar player was fantastic. After the song, and the usual Gay Panic joke from Ryan, we cut to commercial. 

The stagehands swooped in, cleaned up. Harry spoke to everyone, but did not linger like Cookie did. Spent more time with Keith than anyone. Everyone showed a lot of respect for the older black gentleman who played guitar for Connick, and spoke with him and shook his hand. Ryan came over, and for the only time of the night, spoke briefly, but intently, with Nikki. Why, you ask?…

When we came back live, Ryan is talking to the Idols. It's Results time! He throws over to Nikki, and then it became clear why he spoke with her on the break: he set her up to have something to say here. 

And the Result lighting kicks in. Boy, it gets freaking dark when Kieran dims the lights. Angie is safe, then Candice. Ryan cuts to the inevitable tension-building commercial. Then EVERYONE comes up onstage, one at a time. The girls all huddle up at the "three lucky stools" area. Randy, Nikki, Keith, Nigel, they all talk to them. Mariah sashays over, and I swear, it looked like she wasn't going to make it back to the judges table in time, she moves so SLOW! But when we came back from the break, you'd swear no one had moved.

They drop the bomb on Amber. It hits Candice so hard she sort of stumbles over to hug her, too soon. It hits Amber as she's watching her "journey" onscreen. She pulls it together to sing, and actually does all right considering. As she's singing, Ryan drags her dad out of the crowd. Amber loses it. Everyone is pretty emotional. The end credits music plays, and the Crowd Guy asks us all to sit silently. 

It's kind of awkward, but we all just look on as the cameramen, the judges, the family members all pile onto the stage and shoot the footage you'll see next week when they talk about Amber leaving. Everyone tries to console Amber, but damn, she's heartbroken. She really takes it hard. After a few minutes, we start to file out. 

Now it's time to head to the cell phone pickup line. We walked out with Candice's family, and saw Angie's mom. She was literally right next to us. A funny moment: a little girl who had just picked up her phone wanted a picture with Angie's mom, and she said "sure honey, take it quick before CBS sees you!" She took the pic, and sure enough, a hard-ass CBS security guy walked over and barked "no pictures on the CBS lot!" It was kind of hilarious.

We walked back to the Grove and had dinner at La Piazza -- yum! Then picked up our car. Note: if you eat at the Grove and get your ticket validated, it saves you $6 on parking for Idol! It was well worth it. 

We had a good time! Looking forward to next week.  

Dr. L and K out! 

When I Was Your Giraffe

Idol Top Four REDUX: 

I'm curious to see if the girls who came up short last week will "bring it" 

this week. Part of me thinks they KNEW no one was going home, and saved their voices LOL. We'll see. (BTW -- Dr. L and I will be at the RESULTS SHOW tomorrow night, so we'll get to see in person!!! We'll give you the behind-the-scenes dirt)

Mariah is still rocking the boobs and teetering like she had a couple Xanax. Nikki is rocking some kind of Yellow Submarine - meets - Cleopatra outfit with a dark wig. Keith has an awesome TOP GEAR Stig shirt.

The Idols all look great. Funny how they all get slimmer as the weeks go on. The theme this week is Songs from 2013 (are there even four good songs so far this year?) and Standards, which is actually like every week at Idol. Harry Connick is a mentor! He's awesome.

HMM -- Angie up 1st in the KOD spot. Rihanna Diamonds. I don't know this song, but then I could not care less about Rihanna. Would you love it if you love the original? I was actually liking it until the shrieking bum note. Is the contest killing her voice? I think she knew it was kind of a miss. The judges all wade in with low key slams against her. 

Amber -- doing Pink. Harry likes her, even if she forgets the words. Too bad on the night she was stiff. This is a weird song choice -- Dr. wondered if she was behind the music. Idols do this all the time: pick these "busy" songs that take too much air to power through. I would say that was only slightly better than Angie. And that's not saying much. The judges jump on her too. They want her to have fun! AND be stellar. Yet, these songs aren't stellar, right? Mariah predicts her 2nd song will be beyond stellar -- is that Interstellar? 

Candice -- doing Bruno Mars. I like that she sort of goes into left field for some of these choices. Personally, I don't care if she changed the gender or not -- this was a far better song than the first two. She has such a pleasant, emotional voice. The judges love it. I don't know if she can win, but I think she's my favorite.

Kree -- doing a FarmBot song. Harry loves her. Dr. L says this year no hot Fiddle Guy, but warm Guitar Guy? She's playing to the base. I have to say, she seems more emotionally invested this week. Maybe not as powerful as Candice, but a good second. Judges give praise, but nobody was jumping up and down. They trot Harry out to bolster her -- are they hoping to get her to the Finale?

1st Round I'd say it was Candice, Kree, Amber and Angie.

Angie: doing Someone To Watch Over Me. Harry was encouraging, but it sounded like it was Aiight. She looks great. Boy, old songs are so much better than the shit today, huh? Even if they sound old-fashioned. Which she does. This could be a plaintive song, but she makes it into a Miss America performance by the end. Good last note -- sometimes that's all America needs. Better than the 1st performance. Judges give back-handed praise. Maybe she is a Broadway Disney Princess. Nikki cracked me up with the Q-Tip thing. 

Amber -- My Funny Valentine. Harry calls her out on being clueless on the song meaning. I think he helped -- this was a far more effective performance than Angie's. Great vocal, she looked amazing. She's really got what it takes to be a star. Dr. L thought it was beautiful. Everybody gets emotional -- she definitely deserves to make it to next week. But will she?

Candice -- doing Billie Holliday. Harry gives a big "fuck you" to the 14-year-olds who vote on Idol. This is a grown-up song -- who else here could sing this? She's had the two closest to "moments" of the night. She gets a standing O. Maybe it would be better if she goes home -- then we'll get the album she needs to make, not some pop bullshit Nigel wants the winner to. 

Kree -- Stormy Weather. Harry lays it on the line with her like all these Idols -- lay off the melisma bullshit. It's a shame she had all that orchestra, it was a much more powerful song when she did it for Harry. Her voice was very pretty, but I guess she couldn't help herself but do all the runs. Harry makes some great faces as the judges throw him under the bus. When he comes up on the panel it was hilarious. 

The Idols come back from break with a harlot choir. What is this? I felt like I DVR'd part of another show. 

2nd Round: I'd say Candice, Amber, Kree and Angie. Who should go home -- Angie. 

Only 1 is definitely inittowinit

Round 1 - Current Songs Best by far - Candice. She was the only one who looked confident, professional and current. No one was even close to her tonight. Second place - Kree. She did a great job with the Carrie Underwood Song. I agree with Randy that this is the avenue that Kree should pursue Third - Angie. I actually liked it more than the judges gave her credit for. I DID agree that she seemed disconnected and artificial, but she looked gorgeous and I thought her vocals were really good for Angie Fourth - Amber. WHAT happened there? She looked nervous, her vocals were not good. I love me some Amber, but tonight...that was just not good. Round 2 - Standards Blech....really? I love standards, but if AI is trying to be current and hip, why do they keep going back to these old fashioned themes. Angie - Playing the family card tonight....first round talks about how much she loves her family and then dedicates this round to her mom...who sang this song to her. Ok....spare me Angie. (Big afro guy was missing from the string group). Something else was missing.....any excitement. Angie took this song nowhere. Amber - Wow....I hated everything about that performance...and the judges gave her a standing ovation. I didn't like the look. She looked horribly old fashioned. I hate it when contestants repeat songs that they have already done. There were parts of the song that were just screechy and off key. I didn't think this was even close to when she performed it before. Lots of tears....probably will help her, but I don't think enough. I think Amber is a goner. Candice - Perfect vocal. Candice was at the top of her game tonight. She is the only one tonight who is inittowinit. Kree- Wow...first time I've seen Kree dressed sexy and looking like a performer. Ah....big afro violin guy spotted....maybe I just missed him before. Kree looks uncomfortable though. Definitely not the seasoned professional like Candice. Round 2- Candice, Kree, Angie, Amber Big Winners tonight - Harry Connick and Candice. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Harry as a Mentor. He should be a judge next year if they can get him. But of the 4, Candice was far and away better than the rest. Followed by Kree, Angie and Amber. Sadly...Amber wrote her go home ticket tonight...and not go home for a top three homecoming. Amber needed a big night to keep her out of the bottom where she has been consistently. This week it definitely ends for her.

Someone Left My Cake Out In The Rain

Top 4 Night

Amber, Angie, Candice and Kree -- Dr. L said Amber looked great, but the leather pants weren't doing Kree any favors. Nikki mouthed "Hi Mom" which was sweet. Mariah battles rumors of being replaced by JLo by whipping out her boobs -- good move. Keith has an awesome redneck fish shirt on -- love it.

The Idols go to LA Children's Hospital. 

Up first: Amber in the KOD spot -- doing Celine --  usually the a capella opening brings some electricity to the performance, but for me it kind of went nowhere, and lasted too long. I thought she did better once the song started proper, but Dr. L liked the beginning too. She really looks like a star. The judges love it, so Clive is probably salivating at the chance to make her some new Whitney. 

Candice is doing Drake? How is this a good idea? A lot of Idol voters won't know this song, but I could hear this on an R&B station. She kind of over-melisma'd it, though, and Nikki makes a comment to this effect. Randy agreed, but Mariah's boobs disagreed. Vocally, she -should- be safe, but vote wise, she might be in trouble.

Kree - doing Hurts So Bad. She's such a pro, this doesn't seem like a competition, just a performance on a show. However, this song choice was pretty crap. It doesn't do her any favors, when this is a do or die week. Curious, the judges are throwing the two most powerful chicks on the show under the bus tonight. Also interesting, how did they pick these songs on the same night? I guess their 2nd sings of the night might be bomb-tacular, but this was odd. Keith says she should shred it up, but Kree always looks like she could be knitting while she sings. 

Angie: Doing Jessie J? Dr. L suggested that the Idols are now believing their own hype and choosing what I think Simon would have called "indulgent" songs. I don't know what it is about Angie, but I find her boring in a kind of overwrought way. She wants to bring drama, but it all feels so contrived. Amber still did the best. The judges act like they loved it, so it's clear they want the two young, thin girls to go head-to-head in the finale. I don't think it will happen, but Idol sure does.

Side Note: Keith demonstrating how to be "looser" would make the best Spaz avatar ever. And #Grandma was a pretty serious ploy for votes, wasn't it?

Duet: Kree and Amber do Rumor Has It. Amber is becoming the better performer, but I liked that Kree shook it a little bit at times.

Angie and Candice: what is this song? Miley Jr. doesn't quite have the pipes Candice does, but she does a pretty good job. I think this ended a little better than the previous duet. The crowd went nuts. Oh, it's a Rihanna song. Jesus, I know nothing of modern music. So much of it seems so lame, LOL. 

2nd songs: are these supposed to be one hit wonders? 

Amber does a classic, MacArthur Park. How the fug are these one hit wonders? Donna Summer had a bajilion hits. Idol is run by fools.

She looks like an Orange Push-Up. This was not as good as her first performance. Too old of a song, and the lyrics forced her to do too many vocal gymnastics. She's a great performer, but I don't know if this deserved the praise they gave her. #inittowinit makes me crack up every time I see it pop up in the corner. JIMMY SPEAKS THE TRUTH! He didn't dig it.

Candice: a song by the BeeGees? Again, not a "one hit wonder" if these are by massively successful groups, morons. She does a nice Urban Contemporary version of the song. I could easily hear this on the radio. I don't know how that equates to votes, but I'd listen to it. They give her lots of advice for next week -- will she make it?

HA! They pulled Jimmy up on stage to clock him! 

Kree: OK, this IS a one hit wonder, wtf happened to Procol Harum? I think this was a bad idea. This song seems stuck in some other generation, and what the hell is it even about? She looks great, sounds great, but I can't divorce this song from The Big Chill in my mind. They praise her to the skies, but so far the closest "moment" of the night was Amber's 1st, and all the rest are also-rans.

Angie: Julie London? Way to stay relevant, Idol. Angie's MOTHER might not have even been born when this song was a hit. A little over-enunciation going on, but she gives it all she's got. She's pretty, and her voice is good, but she seems like a Pop-bot to me, so I can't get too excited about her. She's like a Miley Cyrus clone. Randy blows his wad praising her, which really cements that Nigel wants her or Amber to win. 

I think Kree might be in trouble. Amber might be in the B2 with her, but they gave her more love show she will probably stay.  They announced a "surprise twist" -- so this might be the week they have to keep all four in, to make up for not using the save. I don't know if you read about Idol's dilemma, but the scheduled an extra week that they have to fill with crap now. So, maybe no-one goes home?

Cuz, I'm your lady!

So listening to Keith tonight....I decided to rate them on three different criteria - vocals, song choice and performance. First up: Amber. Wow...best performance from her so far. For me...that was a perfect 10 in each category. She looks beautiful. I'm loving the hair. It was the perfect song choice that allowed her to show off her incredible range. She took a classic Celine Dion song and made it modern and current. I loved the simple beginning and how she allowed it to build (30) Candice - Vocal. There is very little I can fault here. Candice was on vocally like she always is (10). Song Choice was not great. I'm not sure that Drake is a well enough known artist and unless the song is incredible, picking a little known artist is going to hurt you at this point (7). Performance...I agreed with the judges here. Candice has a tendency to pick songs and perform them in an old-fashioned way. She already suffers from looking older than the others. The adult contemporary/R&B crowd is not the voting bloc for this show (6). Overall-- (23) Kree - Vocals...not up to her usual. There were points where I felt she was off key and parts that were under her range. (7). Song Choice - I disagreed with the judges here, I thought this was a great song choice for her...the bluesyness coupled with the country played right into her vein (9). Performance - weak. She talked in the intro about dancing and rocking out. I saw neither. She didn't look comfortable (5). (21) Angela - The judges loved it...for me it was just an eh...performance. Vocal was pretty hot (9). Song Choice...I thought it was a little boring (5). Performance - Angie is very good behind the piano. I think the judges got it right here. (10). (24). Randy was waaaaaay overboard. That was no way near the best performance of the night. Round 1.....Amber (by far), followed by Angie and Candice (neck and neck)...Kree in the rear. Round 2 - ONE HIT WONDERS Amber- Vocals - Not as good as the first one. Parts of the lower register were out of her range. However she did great on the long notes and the runs. (8). Song Choice - I thought it was a perfect choice for her (10). Performance...she still needs to work on a little. As the judges say, she has come a long way, but her dancing/stage presence is something that she can work on (8). (26). BTW...I loved the look when Nikki called her Angie. It was almost like "EW...I hate that bitch!"...but maybe I'm wrong???? Candice - Emotion. Vocals..again, not up to her first (9). Song Choice. I didn't think this was a great choice for her. It wasn't a vehicle that let her show off her abilities and the melody is not one that can carry it on its own. (7). Performance. Nikki was right...less old fashioned, so it was good for that and she comes across very professional and comfortable (9). (25). The Judge/Jimmy fight was just weird and left Candice in an uncomfortable position. You could see her saying "Hello....Hello....its my turn here....cmon guys!" Kree - Better than Round 1, but still not up to Kree (8). Song choice was good, but not perfect (8). Performance - again good...but not Kree's best (8). (24). Keith is right when he talked about "middle ground" songs that don't allow Kree to shine. Angie - Vocals. Angie sounds awesome tonight (9). Song Choice...I don't think it was great. At this stage they have to be smart and stand out. Choosing an old fashioned song like this is not going to propel Angie where she needs to be (6). Performance. Angie did a great job with the material (9). (24). Round 2 - Amber, Candice, Angie, Kree. Wow...I'm sooooo annoyed by Randy tonight. What is with his gushing over Angie tonight? Even Nikki. Even if you thought Angie was the best of the night (which I obviously did not.....she was definitely no where near the overwhelming best of the night as Randy would have you believe. His over the top praise reeks of desperation. Is it that AI doesn't see any of them as especially marketable, but believes that Angie is their best hope? Rubbertoes final score: Amber (56), Candice (48), Angie (48), Kree (45). Bottom 2 - Is going to be Kree and Candice. Going home....SURPRISE TWIST (which really isn't a surprise at all......NO ONE. Surprised? Hardly. Everyone knows that currently the season is supposed to end May 16....but with only 4 contestants, that would put the finale on May 9. This being the YEAR OF THE WOMAN. There will be hometown visits for all four and tomorrow night we will be treated to an endless night of Ryan attempting to tease us...and all of us knowing all too well that no one is going home. If someone DOES go home..it will be Candice...although it should be Kree

I'm Every Woman

Just kidding, nobody did Chaka. But why not? What was the theme tonight? Divas? And something else. Song from the year you were born? That's the first round.

The Battle of the Boobs continues, this salvo fired by Nikki. Double barreled.

Dr. L said she loves how casual Keith is every night. 

First up, Candice: she's doing what you're supposed to do to win -- make a well known song your own, and turn in a good performance doing it. Straight Up actually sounded kind of cool here. She's probably in no danger in the KOD spot here. Nikki said she sang it like a BOSS, lol.

I like the new feature where Jimmy gives his snarky comments on the break. 

Janelle -- Vince Gill made her stop crying. Will she be crying tomorrow because of him? This was perhaps an appeal to hard-core Country fans, to snake away some votes from Kree? It was a little too much tear-in-your-beer for me. It was kind of Whatev for Dr. L. She has a pretty voice, but I disagreed with the judges, that the "comfort" was what she should be going for. It didn't have a "wow" factor for me. Keith spoke da truth. Jimmy agreed!

Holy crap these Idols are making me feel old. Kree was born in 1990? Jeez.

OK, She Talks to Angels, Black Crowes. Pretty smart song choice for crossover votes, I think. This is what i meant about Janelle going the other route, this was more pop. But she does what Candice does, which sets them apart. Not the best performance ever, but good enough to cement her top 2-3 status. Judges squabble but they basically agree she's moving up.

Angela was a fat baby like me! Hee! Her mom's voice sounds eerily exactly like her.  She's dedicating Stnad By You to Boston -- I forget she's from there. She did a good job, but like Nikki, we didn't feel the need to stand for that. Watching hr, I did think that someday she could be a pop star. If she can get a little personality injection, she could make it. Randy cracks a good joke about the judges and Jimmy being a "Top 5" group LOL. Jimmy basically calls Angie a drama queen.

Amber: doing Harry Nillson's I Can't Live (if Living Is Without You) -- not really Mariah's, but how would these kids know? Kelly did a better version. Amber had to start in such a low key it was almost inaudible. She made the key change all right. It was kind of pageant-y for me, but Dr. L liked it better. Keith makes a cringe-worth Amber alert joke. Nikki basically agreed with my view of the performance. Jimmy too!

Round Two -- DIVA time!

Candice: doing a Disney Mariah/Whitney song. She shows she has the real pipes to take on one of these songs. Oh shit, the choir descends from heaven in fog behind her. She's making Mariah cry! It's hard to be critical of real, sho 'nuff talent. She has it. Kids voting across the country will respond to this song. The judges are all gobsmacked. She looks lovely, I think she's our favorite.

Janelle: doing a lesser-known Dolly Parton song. This was a mistake, especially coming after Candice; this was like a Top 10 level performance. Nothing about this is in the same league with the other performances. I think she's going home. Why didn't she do Jolene? It was a nice thing Nikki said, keeping janelle's eye on the future. She can definitely be a Country star.

Kree: doing Celine. A great, powerful version, but somehow not as far into the stratosphere as it should have been. I think Candice still has the edge. This is like two competitions in one: the battle between Candice and Kree, The battle between Amber and Angie, and Janelle is kind of the odd one out.

BTW, isn't it amazing how the stylists start to get dialed in about this point in the competition? And then there was Angie's dress. WTF was that?

Angie's doing Halo. I wish I was playing Halo. I'm not a fan of Beyonce, but this was a pretty good performance. She still lacked the oomph that Beyonce is able to bring to it -- is it soul? Maybe she has no soul. I don't agree with Keith -- I don't disagree she has a great voice, but I wish there was some kind of spiritual connection with her singing that I get with Candice, a little with Kree, and never with Angie.

Amber: doing Babs. Incredible. This was one of those pure, transcendant performances like when Candice did the Cure last week. I was worried it would be too old when it began. After a couple of seconds I didn't care -- it was everything that was missing from Angie's songs. I was riveted. I don't think I've held Amber in this much respect before. She could be the dark horse and win this thing. 

To me, it's Candice, Kree/Amber (a tie between these two), Angie, Janelle. Janelle goes home.

Thank GOD there was no Lazaro this week, right?

Girl Power

Round 1: - Songs from the year of your birth Candice - Straight up. She does a different version...different from the acoustic one that was such a hit a couple of years ago. Her version is much more Jazzy. I have to agree with Jimmy on this one. Although it was awesome Jazzy and vocally, I don't think it did her any favors. It was too subdued and I don't think it will sell well with the voters. Janelle - Does some Vince Gil song. Great choice, kinda throw back country, but I don't think her vocal was all that great. I've heard better from her Kree - Black eyed peas. Again...I agree with Jimmy. The vocal was awesome, but it was not the type of showcase song that the contestants need to propel them ahead at this point. I think that they are resting a little too much on their laurels and not going for the juglar. Angie - Double whammy for her here. First, she capitalizes shamelessly on the Boston tragedy by dedicating the song "I'll stand by you" to the city of Boston. Who wouldn't love that like a basket of baby puppies? Second, as much as I'm not a big fan of hers, she slayed it. Amber - Can't live....not Amber's best. Key was too low for her for most of the song. Not until she reached the power ballad ending did she bring it on. Wow...the judge's loved it, except Nikki. As much as I LOVE Amber, that didn't do it for me. (Ranking: Angie, Kree, Candice, Amber, Janelle) Round 2 - The Divas Candice- Taking on Mariah and Whitney...wow, if anyone can do it, Candice can. Wow...that was awesome. I could see this as the Idol crowning song. Best of the night so far. That is how you do a DIVA song! Janelle - Takes on Dolly. I have been waiting for this from the beginning of this season....but of all the great Dolly songs, she chooses "Dumb Blonde"...serious? Janelle has such a great throwback Dollyness to her, but this song did not allow her to showcase it at all. This was the poor choice that will send this Dumb blonde home. I honestly don't know what she was thinking. Kree - Celine Dion. Kree did good, but I have to say it...the song was too big for her. She Almost was able to pull it off, but didn't quite do it. Angie - Beyoncé. Once again...as much as I hate to admit it, Angie did a great job. Her vocals are not at the same level as Kree and Candice, but I think that AI WANTS her to win because she is the easiest to market. Amber - Barbara Streisand. Angie hit a home run with "Funny Valentine" early in the season...but she has to be careful at this stage coming across too old fashioned for the average AI voter. She sang it beautifully though. Ranking Round 2: Candice, Angie, Kree, Amber, Janelle) Best of the night: Candice...followed very closely by Angie (However, Angie will be the top vote getter because her songs were much more modern and will resonate more with the voters. Third place tonight - Kree. Bottom 2 will be Janelle and Amber. While Janelle should be going home, she won't. The Country vote for AI is too strong and will pull her through. Unfortunately Amber is going home tomorrow. Too bad that the Judge's save is gone.

Idol still has a pulse!

Idol Top Six --

First off, a recap of Urkel getting the boot. Nikki displays what seems to be a rare moment of emotion. Idol edits it to make it seem like it was a shocker that he left, but it was by design that the dudes would all fold. Little did they think the tenacious gay male/Vote For The Worst vote would carry Lazaro so far.

Angie is up first in the KOD spot. Anyone who had a heart? She has a nice tone to her voice, and looks better every week, but this is kind of a half-invested performance. I felt like I was transported back to the 70s FM radio, and not really in a good way. Judging: Keith recycles the first shirt of the year. He felt the same as we did, there was no passion. Nikki agrees, then Randy piles on. Mariah makes the nonsensical comment that she wishes she'd sing a song she wrote -- on Bacharach Theme Night.

This show is STILL two hours? This is just an insult, Idol, people don't have all the time in the world.  We DVR it and speed thru and it's still too long. We counted 7 minutes of commercials at one point!

Amber -- reveals a terrifying habit of shrimpsicles. Good lord, she's singing Say A Little Prayer For You? She looks great, and this is a little better than Angie. It wasn't as ridiculously good as Nikki made it sound, but she does have star power. SIDE NOTE -- did you catch Mariah touching Randy's arm and looking at his watch? I think she was sick of Nikki LOL.

Prediction: after listening to these long-winded judges, I can see a finale where two singers perform for 10 minutes and the judges gab on for the other 110 minutes.

Sir Anthony Hopkins makes a kind of horndog comment about the "birds"?

Lazaro absolutely BUTCHERS Close To You. True, he may be cute doing it, but this is like a baby seal with a bloody carcass hanging out of its mouth. Plus, he's dressed like The Riddler -- what's with that outfit? That was possibly the worst performance I have ever heard on Idol. Nobody booed when Randy said it was horrible. Mariah couldn't shut up trying to softball the negative comments. Nikki is my hero for skipping this bullshit. If Lazaro doesn't go after this, then the fix is in.

Kree gets into the spirit of the night in her 70s-seafoam-green Anne Murray polyester top. She does the brave thing no one has done yet this season and actually sing a capella for a moment so we can hear how crystal clear her voice is. There's really scant competition for her at this point in terms of sheer ability. But does she have the votes? 

BTW, I love Randy's slightly disturbing Mario spangle pin.

Janelle -- time-warps in from Sonny & Cher to bring us What Do You Get When you Fall In Love? She looks good, has a nice tone to her voice. It really makes me wonder what the competition would have been like if all the guys this good had been allowed to compete? It was kind of a laid-back arrangement and sort of sweet, but I'm afraid all these songs are putting me to sleep.

Candice -- here's who Kree is in danger from. Don't Make Me Over. I had a couple of goose-bump moments in this one. Gets a standing O, and deserves it. Lazaro should slap himself for standing on the same stage as  her. I hope to God she gets some kind of R&B contract out of this Idol trip, so I can buy that CD. Dr. L said she wishes we had been there to hear it live.

ROUND TWO -- songs the Idols wish they had written. 

Angie makes the stupid decision to go with an obscure song. It sounds like a kind of Fundie song, however, so maybe she's a genius and I'm the dumbass. Jesus might help save her this week on that one. They loved it, and she showed real emotion. They give her some good advice for once. I think she's barely holding on, though, in the onslaught of Candice/Kree/Amber. It's her and Janelle at the bottom of the girls.

Amber -- doing Beyonce. Kind of floundered until the chorus. These Idols never learn, just because they like a pop song, it isn't always good to sing it. it's kind of too busy to show off her voice, and the key is all over the place. I think her personality carries this song further than it deserves. I totally disagree with Keith, I think it was a near-miss. She's got a future, though, and charisma for days.

Oh no. Lazaro is going to take a dump on Robbie Williams? In all honesty this is a MUCH better song choice for his voice. Not remotely his best vocal, but a far cry from the train wreck earlier. Kind of a weak finish to an aiight performance. The judges are so over him it's hilarious. They can't even bring themselves to praise anything here, because it might mean a girl leaves instead.

Kree -- Help Me Make It Through The Night. Wow. She is getting better every time out. Very pretty, almost understated performance. She's the real deal. I could almost like Country music if it's like this again.

Janelle -- doing Garth. She really did a good job. Nice clear vocal, not super-badass like Kree but authentic. The audience didn't like Randy or Nikki's weak praise. She SHOULD be safe from getting the boot, but who knows. If Lazaro stays it will be at her expense. 

Candice -- holy crap, a Cure song! Love the Cure, I didn't know Adele had done a version of Love Song. In my book, this was transcendent. From first to last, this was a "moment". I had given up hope that we would have them again on Idol. This was an incredible, jazzy, bluesy arrangement. She was so totally invested, it blew everyone else off the stage. 

It's Candice and Kree's show at this point, and Lazaro should be history. I think Janelle will be joining him in the bottom 2.

Top six, but a three girl race

Angie looks incredibly hot....and the judges hit it right on....her voice is great, but there is no passion there. Amber - Wow....the makeover crew is on this week. Amber looks A-MAZ-ING! She needs to work on her choreography skills a little but her voice was incredible. Say a little prayer...I'm not sure why she isn't getting the votes that she should. Lazaro - Wrong on every level. Starting with the stylists...big miss here. That suit was horrendous. This WAS Lazaro's worst performance ever...it was in a key too low for him, it was off-key most of the song...just awful. Kree - What the world needs now. The acapella beginning did not work for me. I really didn't love the arrangement of the song at all. Funny...I disagreed with everything that Mariah said...she liked the arrangement and the beginning....oh well. I did like her hot brother from the pipeline! Janelle - stylists back on again...Janelle looks hot hot hot! Too much hokey play with the crowd and judges though. Too silly. I think the performance was good, but would have been better if she had focused on the singing and not the theatrics. Candace - Vocal performance was incredible....ranked right up there with Amber. Candaces problem is she looks older and doesn't have the same youthfulness about her that the others have. Very soulful and heartfelt performance. Round 1 Amber and Candace by far Kree Janelle Angie Lazaro Angie - MUCH better performance. Back at the piano and she looked much more comfortable and showed the passion that was sadly lacking in the first. Angie just made this a three horse race. Amber - her look is very young and hip. Vocal performance wasn't as good as the first though. However, it got much better in the second half. That song could not be an easy one to sing. Lazaro - Look once again is horrible. Vocal is as bad as the first one. Strange thing is that Lazaro has enough fans that all he had to do was put out a "C" performance and he would have made the top 5. However, both performances were so bad, I cannot see him sticking around. I think even his hard-core fans are going to have to admit that he doesn't belong here any longer. Kree - Classic Country performance. Even though it came across old fashioned....I loved it. A buckle-polisher. Janelle - Garth Brooks, the Dance, Wow...her performance is off on this one. She looks pensive and uncomfortable and the TuTu dress is all wrong. This one wasn't good and put her back down in the competition. Mariah has NEVER heard this song? Really...that seems strange...one of Garth's most popular songs. Candace - Does Adele's version of the Cure...I was WONDERING when they said Candace takes on the cure. I LOVE Adele's version, but I think Candace out Adeled Adele on this one. Awesome. Round 2 Candace Angie Kree Amber Janelle Lazaro Top one of the night - Candace, followed closely by Amber and Kree. Going home for sure, Lazaro. Angie still has a shot, but at this point its a three girl race to the finish.

Why Idol Sucks

Just read this great article from The Daily Beast:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/04/american-idol-sucks-this-season-here-s-seven-reasons-why.html

-- and I thought it encapsulated everything I've been thinking about what has been wrong with Idol the past few years, but this year especially.

It's amazing to me that 19 Entertainment has such a golden goose here, generating MILLIONS for them, and they seem to have their heads so far up their asses that they can't keep it alive. Sure, it's still the number SIX show on television, but how many years was it number one?

I think greed, complacency, and lack of fresh blood in the inner workings here (I'm looking at you, Ryan -- you have too many jobs to pay attention to any of them, sir) are leading to Idol's demise.

-- K

Rock And Roll All Nite, or The Day The Music Died?

IDOL ROCKS OUT! An oxymoron on par with "military intelligence", but at least we won't hear as many prom-night ballads tonight. How can it STILL be two hours long? They should do this on a curve, give us credit for the torture we have already endured. This should be 1-1/2 hours tops.

Last season Idols sighting in the crowd! Josh and Holly! Nicki is dressed like somebody's Stepford Wife PTA meeting sex fantasy, right? Strange.

Hey, is Burnell wearing Dil's leather jacket from The Crying Game? Oh, and tonight is the episode where the other Idols make fun of each other. In my dream world, Idol would be more like the film Series 7:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251031/

Holy shit -- Urkel is singing You Give Love a Bad Name. No audio at the start -- I can hear the bus coming for you son. His dance moves alone make it worth it LOL. That kick at the end! The judges are dying laughing. Why do they boo Randy? This season is officially a parody of Idol. I've sung this song better in my car.

Lazaro and Queen? Oh, a duet with Angie. Jesus, he sucks at this -- and once again didn't learn the lyrics! He actually makes her seem rocker-y, and in reality she's as hard-core as Marie Osmond. I love the snarky slam Nicki gives Lazaro on the lyrics thing. She and Randy throw Lazaro under the bus. But even when they complain it's so softball.

Kree: she's actually nice? So she can out-sing almost everyone left, AND she actually gives a shit about the little people? She's singing Janis. Dr. L wanted to know, didn't MamaSox sing this better a couple of years ago? Kree looks good, and she can sing, but this was not 100%. And with her performing in the 3rd spot tonight, they knew she needed to be buried in the middle. I'm guessing nobody will bring it with a genuine "rawk" vibe tonight. The judges all act like they love her, but Keith could tell she was holding back. She reveals she has a pinched nerve -- so maybe that's it. LOL -- Nicki says she's "outta here" -- shit like that has a way of coming back to haunt Idols.

Side Note: The HD quality of FOX LA tonight is terrible! Fox has to be the cheapest network on the air, do they really think we can't tell?

Next duet: Burnell and Candice, doing Baby Wrote Me a Letter. This was FAR better than the other slop duets tonight. When Mariah gave her non-comment, she reminded me that her one talent this year as a judge is to pick VASTLY better alternative song choices. Too bad it wasn't a rock song. They should let her pick the songs each week. 

Side Note: HD is back. Dr. L just noticed Keith is wearing a Duane Allman shirt. Props! Holy crap, we just realized we have over an hour left of this.

Jenelle: Dr. L hates her bizarre bronze-ish jacket. This is an ill-conceived take on a Billy Joel song. And once again, a basically lifeless performance. I could hear this at a county fair, but then I could keep walking to the pig races or get a corn dog or something. Nicki hints that middle America is voting for Jenelle -- she may be right. Mariah loved her vibrato, but to me it sounded really warbly. 

Lazaro -- they make fun of his PeeWee's Playhouse wardrobe. Another Queen song mumbled to death? I gove him credit, he delivers it with more power and authenticity than I could have expected. It's off-key in several places, but he almost lands the plane. The key problems derailed what could have been a really superior performance. They still have to give him ups for not crashing and burning. It was his week to bring it or go home, in my book, and he earned another shot. Keith is so funny with the matador comment.

The Gem and the Holograms trio (Amber, Jenelle, Kree) doing another Billy Joel song. Is it me or do they sing it like it's in a foreign language they don't speak? Sounded like they forgot some of those foreign words too. Nicki likes the Zombie Apocalypse Slut look Amber is rocking.

Candice: funny clip with her and Burnell. Another injury? Doing Satisfaction? She has the pipes but this is another one of those Idol-does-a-Bing-Crosby-Variety-show-from-the-70s arrangement. Mariah gives the bald-faced appeal to keep her in so we can hear whatever her magical "true" song is. Sadly, when Idol does these theme weeks, it kills momentum for all but the 1-2 contestants who thrive in it.

Amber: she's schizophrenic? And narcissistic? And Burnell is a horn-dog for her. She's doing Heart. This should have been Candice, right? She has a bigger voice than I thought, though. Nice outfit change. What a pretty girl. Hm - She can't seem to get out of her head the whole song -- wandering around the stage, scowling sometimes in concentration, then smiling? She delivered a really good vocal, but it was a weird performance for me. Still, best of the night. 

Angie: Barbie on Crack? Burnell is really funny when he relaxes. An Evanescence song? How does she get the "modern" song? Is this even in the same competition? Wind/Smoke machine? Holy shit -- they pulled out all the stops. She does a good job, but -- stack the deck much? Idol has really made it clear who the TCO must be -- it's like the rest of the pack sang Herman's Hermits or something. It does really seem like she's comfortable with this genre, or at least she made the most of it. The most authentic "rawk" performance of the night, but perhaps because it's more of an emo rock song? I had to crack up that the wind machine almost blew her top off LOL. 

Who's in trouble? I think Burnell, Candice and Lazaro? 

Motown quickie

OK....so I had a work function last night and so I just got done watching the show. The results have aired but I haven't seen them. I'm going to post a quick short review of last nights Motown show. Best of the night - Kree and Amber Close Third - Janelle, I loved her take on the song 4. Devin - His voice is flawless. I didn't love the falsettos although Nikki did. 5. Burnell - I LOVE him more and more every week. His mannerisms are a little distracting but I LOVE his voice 6. Candice - Good vocals but came off a bit old fashioned for me 7. Angela - She was out of her element and it showed 8. Lazaro - Better than last week, but still by far the worst America's bottom 3: Angela, Devin and Burnell Going Home: Devin (unfortunately), but I predict the judges will save him. Now....I'm going to watch the results and read Dr L and K's review!!!

The Tracks of My Tears (after my ears bled)

TOP EIGHT -- Motown night. A little trivia for movie fans -- Oz the Great and Powerful was filmed there (Detroit). How was that even possible? It's because Sam Raimi is from there. Go figure.

KOD spot -- Candice. This is almost like a lion stalking a wounded gazelle, if the gazelle is a great singer but too old and in a non-pop style and the lion is the Idol Powers that be who want a young pop singer to win.I think they're setting Candice up to fail so the big singers will drop out, and not overshadow TCO.

Not the best performance ever. Dr. L pointed out the direction, thus far, of this episode sucks. Sloppy camera work, Ryan blowing the intros to the package with Smokey, and then this kind of rambling bluesy forgettable performance.

Janelle -- and Kree! A duet. Interesting. This arrangement was kind of all over the place, but their voices sound nice together. Nice power note at the end. Nicki gives lots of love to Kree, and maybe she's right about her outshining Janelle. That's the danger when two Idols go on at the same time.Funny how they cut them slack when they f up a lyric on these duets, AND they want a girl to win, and then they'll cut their throat when they want to at other times.

Lazaro -- this kid reminds me of Samuel L Jackson from Unbreakable -- one good blow from the REAL record Industry, and he would shatter. He looks better this week, and sounds far more confident. Its fun to see how Idol works with his "Frankie Valli"-ish look every week. Randy seems amused that this schtick is still going, headed for the inevitable fail. Note to Lazaro -- work on cooler costumes or something, your forehead looks like it's going to sweat away.

Side note -- how did they color-coordinate Nicki and Mariah tonight? It's like pumpkin red. I do like Keith's shirt. He always has some catchy saying. 

Janelle solo --  I don't know if I totally agree with Smokey on how to mod the song. It's like, it shows off her voice, but it kid of kills the melody of this great song. SHe sounds fine, but the song itself was kind of whatev. The judges give her the tongue bath, so they want her to stay on a few more weeks. Nicki praises her guitar work, but to me it was pretty weak. Randy bestows the In It To Win It so we KNOW Nigel wants her to make the top 4-5. 

Tin Tin (Devin) -- is Mariah answering a fucking text? God, the world is going to shit LOL. We are slaves to our damn phones. Back to the music: Smokey schools Devin on his timing. Performance -- hey he got the pumpkin red memo. His delivery -- it sounds like a generic faux-R&B performance from a kid his age. Lots of useless melisma, and very little soul. Technically, not bad, but so cookie-cutter IMHO.

Keith sort of calls him on his robotic performance,but soft-balls it. Of course, Nicki loves it, because she's only capable of inauthentic performances herself. 

BTW, how do you guys take the comments like Mariah made here, that she hopes we "get" it? I think we know what we like, and this isn't akin to understanding Abstract Expressionism. Just sing the songs, fools! We buy the music, so we're the experts LOL.

The Oreo Supremes: surprisingly good in moments. Candice of course excels here, and the harmonies were nice. If they work on this it could be really good on the tour. I like the buff & polish they put on Angie's leg's LOL.

Urkel (Burnell) -- Smokey tries to take him to school. He seems intimidated. On the night, nice outfit, but he looks stiff in it. Is that a skull tie thingy? Maybe a Jaguar hood ornament. God, I truly hate his weird phrasing. Nice voice, but this sounds like  a gimmick. Maybe his original music can make it work, but I'm so distracted by it I can never get taken away by the song. Nicki's faces when Keith speaks are worth it, though.

BTW-- Ryan's tie -- how long will the purple tie trend continue? It seems like it has been for a million years. 

TCO -- Angie. Holy crap, the session with Smokey and Jimmy sounded like ass. What a terrible arrangement. On the night -- she sounded better on the Supremes thing. This was a bad song choice, to me. An odd, forced painful performance. These are my favorite comments from Nicki all season thus far, however -- she totally spoke the truth. Angie could be in trouble.

Amber -- doing Stevie. They should seriously call this Wonder Idol, so many contestants return to this well. Oh Lord -- she's doing the Miss America version of this song. Is she ahead of the beat? She has a nice voice, but I think this song is too old for her. It kind of came alive towards the end, and maybe it's enough to save her. I don't know -- who is voting for her? They are seriously pimping her in the judging, so they want her to stay, but would they use the Save on her? I have a feeling one week they may have to. 

The boys trio -- Sugar Pie Honey Bun? HA, these dudes totally throw each other under the bus on the negative criticism. I think there was enough suck to go around, but Burnell and Devin wanted to make sure it wasn't THEM. 

Kree -- in the pimp spot. OK, maybe she's the real TCO. This damn show was so long I almost forgot who we had left to hear. Jimmy and Smokey love her. Doing Aretha -- Good God Almighty, finally a real, honest-to-goodness performance, no apologies needed. She can really sing. I felt like what Nicki said earlier, that a Pro had flown in to sing with the Idols, is really true. This is Kree's contest to lose, as far as ability, but does she have the votes? It's funny, the judges sort of give half-hearted praise, all but Nicki. How is it she is the voice of reason? 

Who is in the B3? If there was a God, it would be Angie, Devin and maybe Janelle.

But Amber is probably in trouble again,  and Candice? I don't know if the craptacular group performance will hurt Lazaro but there was an uncomfortable closeup on him when he APPEARED to forget his lyrics. Maybe he didn't but with all the bus-throwing, America might blame him. Still, I don't think he'll go home, and Candice will.