THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

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

IDOL IS BACK!!!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

TOP 13 - This is American Idol and this is ME!

This is American Idol....and THIS is ME! Rubbertoe in 20 seconds: I love theme parks, and spicy food...I love to shop in thrift shops and collect really bad albums based on the album covers. I'm left-handed and I love beer! First up...Dexter...was it me? I couldn't understand a word he said in the five things about him. This is not his best performance. It seems really flat to me. Not impressed with him out of the gate. The judges were right....how do you make the song YOURS? Second up - Malaya. She's 5'2"....that's about right...because standing next to Ryan she's about 3 inches shorter. Wow...this performance is horrible. How horrible....like, this would be bad for a high school talent show. The judges were WAY too nice on her. Third - Kristen - Who is she? 5 things we don't know about her...lets name one thing that we DO know about her. Beautiful Disaster? Lets just call this one...yet another disaster. Wow...what is going on tonight....three truly horrendous performances to start the show. Fourth - Ben Briley. Folsom Prison Blues - Don't love this one either....its like Cash on Meth. Great song choice...but he destroyed it....way too spastic. I'm all for making it his own...but this version didn't work at all. Ben than the first three...but that isn't saying much tonight. Fifth up - C.J. wow...he's way off key as well. I love CJ...I think he's cute and charming...but this wasn't his best. Sixth - MK. First off...I love MK's mom and friend...or whoever they are. She needs to drop the backwards baseball cap though. The performance?...a little weird. I didn't know the song. I liked the kinda jazziness to it...but her affect was flat like the others. Seventh- Majesty. Wow...she's 21? I thought she was like 15, but tonight she showed greater maturity. This was a good performance. I think one of her best. Best performance of the night so far. I loved the up tempo jazziness. Eighth - Jena. She's got a certain tone to her voice that I really like. She's got beautiful eyes..but tonight...way too much eyeshadow. Not the best performance of the night, but better than most. Ninth - Alex. He certainly keeps up his quirkiness. He is either going to grow on me....or I'm going to grow tired of him quick. I don't know which. tonight...I'm a fan. Tenth - Jessica. We've seen this type of performer before. Good Voice, but lacking the charisma to make it far in the competition. She's also got the opposite problem of Majesty. She's comes across as a little too old for the competition. Tonight though...I thought it was one of the best vocal performances. 11th - Emily. At least she sang in tune for the most part. Kind of boring song. Didn't really do much to establish her as any kind of contender. I agree with Keith...it was ying without the yang. 12th - Sam. Sam....you let me down slightly tonight. He's one of my favorites..but this wasn't his best. It wasn't bad, but he's capable of so much more. THAT was a safe, taking no risk performance, that was just too vanilla. 13 - Caleb gets the pimp spot. Not surprised. I think its clear that Caleb is the one to beat. Vocal was great. He has a great high range. He also put on a performance tonight...something that almost everyone else lacked. Far and away the best of the night. HE is in it to win it. Rubbertoe's ranking tonight Caleb Majesty Jessica Alex Sam Jena MK Ben Emily CJ Dexter Kristen Melaya Rubbertoe's bottom 3: Dexter, Kristen and Melaya America's bottom 3: CJ, Kristen, Emily Going home first: Kristen.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Top 13 Results Nite


Results show: 

First off: Malayah? Really? She's just so freaking wacky. Then Ben. White guy with guitar? Emily, of course, since Jlo mentioned her latina-ness earlier. So good to see Alex made it. Jessica -- yes! Alabama has one in. Dexter -- now Alabama has two. Caleb -- had to have that dude. Majesty -- she's cute and spunky. MK, so good to see her make it by vote and not judge choice. Then Sam -- hmm, sure is a lot of white guys up here, America. 

WILD CARDS: First up, CJ. Love this guy. I think he was overcome with emotion. It was messed up. But the crowd loves him. 

Jena -- I have never gotten her. But Idol really wants her. They even let her bring out a piano? This is much better than what she sang the other nite. But the audience acts like it's the Second Coming. 

Spencer -- Eye candy, but kind of a soulless performance. Like a frat version of Jack Johnson or something. 

Bria -- Her gums freak me out. I think it started off OK, but she had to melisma the F out of it, and it went off the rails for me. 

Kristen? This weak white girl? I hated this song before and she's laming it up even further now. PS, 1992 called and they want their pants back. 

So, they pick Jena, no surprise. Then KRISTEN? WTF? I'm speechless. 
Thank God they picked CJ. Alabama has three LOL.

So we have our Top 13. Do you think they picked the right singers this season? I think yes and no. But I can't wait to read your take on it!


Dr. L & K out!

Top 30 Boys Nite

The Olympics have really thrown us off. We watched boys Nite and Results tonight back to back.


Boys nite: let's see if they are any better than the lackluster girls. Since we are watching/writing this on Thursday, in reality the Top 10 has already been decided. 

1. Caleb (meatloaf jr.) -- Already the boys have knocked the girls off the stage. This guy is a natural. It remains to be seen if he has subtler shades to his performances, but he does the rock thing well.

2. CJ Harris -- 1st of the Alabama Triad!!! Nice soulful rendition. Dr. L said maybe he has found his niche. Roll Tide!!! I love that he had a root canal and never mentioned it. Some people don't have to bitch to get by.

3. Emmanuel -- you know he would make it. Definitely entertaining, but a little spastic in his performance. Voice was all over the place, too. Harry keeps it real. I agree with Jlo that this was not the best song choice. He does have a good spirit.

4. Sam -- a Berkeley kid. I love this David Gray song. So far the boys have been way better than the girls. This was a little shaky on takeoff, but smoothed out. 

5. George -- seems like he was having trouble breathing on the front end. Another case of the nerves, I guess. Have a lot of Idols done this song? I don't really remember it. This was a whatev performance for me.

6. Dexter -- I don't know about his outfit -- got some moobs going on. He seems really genuine. Nice tone to his voice. I like that there is no diva action here, and he has a good connection with the audience. 

7. Alex -- I like that Idol is promoting the oddball singers this year. I like this guy, but I wonder if he will connect to middle America? He has a nice voice that doesn't rely on screaming, and that's rare on Idol. 

8. Malcolm -- good song choice. I think he really connected with this one. A little sharp in spots, but it was good.

9. Ben (gumbo) -- Dr. L said the boys in general are just more listenable. I resent the blatant Tennessee Vols promotion LOL. He did a good job. I am wondering what he will do on later theme weeks. 

10. Spencer -- an energetic performance, but maybe a little forced? His vocal was not great tonight but he's one of the cute boys so he should stick around. 

I love how all the boys hugged each other -- the girls were a little more catty LOL. Now, onto the results show.

The Top 30, Girls Nite

Sorry this is a bit late. And most of them are gone! But here goes:

So a lot of new stuff this season. They're going to try and mentor these contestants from Day One -- is this how they do it on the Voice? This week, the Top 30 get The Dawgfather, Randy Jackson, and a wall-full of Idol's behind the scenes power players, Rickey Minor, vocal coaches, stylists, etc.
Spiritual advisors? Probably the best idea Idol had in a while.
Then, to top it off, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry are on hand to show these newbs how they did it back when you had to rely on raw talent LOL.

I'm curious how this will play out: there are 15 girls but only 10 will get to sing? This is a new and especially inventive kind of torture, Idol. I wonder how the girls who don't get called will react? One thing I am impressed with is, we have seen most of these girls. No secret hidden plants like in seasons past.

Side note: Jlo looks awesome, doesn't she? Harry looks like the mature serious one. And what is on Keith's shirt?

1. First up: Majesty. Adam loves her song choice. I love this song, too. But when she gets on stage, she seems swallowed up. Dr. L asks, what is the guitar for? It seems like a security blanket. Her singing was not great. I know she is capable of better, but maybe it was nerves. They want her to go forward, so they act like she did well. But it was the song, not her, that had people moving.

2. Kristen: looks more star-ish than Majesty? Still just as shaky sounding. I don't know this song, and I don't know if it was a good choice? The judges are softballing these guys. Maybe I'm not hearing something -- I'm going to adjust the EQ on the TV.

3. Brianna: best voice so far -- was it my TV? Dr. L did not dig the fashion choice. Still kind of a rough performance. Say, does anyone else think the new stage looks like a glass-top stove? Maybe appropriate LOL. Harry gives some good advice about the trap of vocal triple-axels.

4. Hey this Idol Live thing is cool! It's like how it is when you are really there. Randy runs up and chats with the judges. One unrealistic thing, though: in a real commercial break, EVERY one, Jlo gets her makeup touched up. Not this time.
Jena: I've heard that she is a sort of an Idol fave this season. She does seem to have the goods. Not in this performance, though. This was an odd song choice. The non-rocking-ness of Ricky Minor cannot be overstated. So why attempt it? Dr. L thought it was too theatrical. I thought it was warbly. Harry calls her out on being clueless about the song's meaning.

5. Bria: She looks better without the lipstick thing. She has a bigger voice, stands out from the others thus far. Harry keeps it real saying she shouted it, however. There were moments that were really good, but it was killed by the overdone moments.
 Dr. L says color her unimpressed so far.

6. Marielle: the girl who really wants to be Miley, IMO. Adam tries to rein her in a little.  Hearing her tonight, maybe she needed the speed for some smoke and mirrors? Doing a lame Katy Perry song. Could be me, but this was a bad choice. This was the most karaoke of the nite. But you have to  give her props for actually PERFORMING the song and not just standing there.

7. Jessica: we have been rooting for her since she's from Alabama LOL. Also, she's had a kind of a rough ride so far. She was nervous like all the rest. Keith give a shout-out to Slapout! I think they were dead-on with the criticism. They could all lose the guitars (literally and figuratively), and try to connect with the song and the crowd.


8. Emily: hearing them react to the song choice makes me realize all these girls suffer from doing what they think they want, and not what they need to do. She wants to rock it out? She doesn't do a terrible job, but not a great one either. They JUST said they liked her softer moment in Hollywood. Dr. L liked her performance, but I thought this was another bad song choice.

9. MK: Great song choice - very believable. Like the other girls - the nerves showed, but it was a heartfelt performance. Really connected to the song and the audience.

First we find out who gets saved Ben or Neco....millions of votes! and after the vote it is...Ben Briley! didn't see that coming, but congrats Ben.

10. Malaya:  Big voice, big personality and she chose a song she really loves  - it might be too old for her?  Was stomping around a lot on stage - they will want to work on that with her if she stays in. Maybe channel her energy in other parts of her performance.

I wonder if Malaya and Marielle might cancel each other out if they both stay in the competition.

Revealing the top 10...and 3 wildcards

First person through - Melaya Watson aka Tuba Girl. #2 - Ben Riley (Not in my top...but I suspected he would go through. #3 - Emily Parise - I'm pretty sure I didn't predict this one. #4 - Alex Preston aka Quirky guy #5 - Jessica Muse #6 - Dexter Roberts #7 - Caleb Johnson #8 Majesty Rose aka Disney Channel Chick....#9 ....after the break.....(I can't believe that AI is going to double down on the Spencer drama two nights in a row). Who do they think they are fooling? #9 MK....and OMG....surprise surprise surprise....last one through to the top 10 is........oh wow....Sam Wolf...I actually AM surprised.... Wild Card - First up to sing is CJ Harris. It wasn't his best in my opinion...he seemed to be straining a lot. I hope he makes it through though. Next up - Jena. Very good performance. I think that one is going to propel her through. Third up - Spencer Lloyd - this time with the guitar. Not a great performance...but he is just so damn cute....he's in. I can't imagine AI passing him up. Fourth - Bria Anai - She wants it...maybe it was just the song....but she sounded like someone who isn't going to lie down...she's fighting to stay alive. And the Final Wildcard chance.......Kristen O Conner. - I didn't love her performance, but I think the powers that be in AI like her and want her on the show.... I'm guessing Jena, Spencer and Kristen. The results: Jena, Kristen and......wow....CJ Harris. I am so shocked the Spencer didn't make it. I had him pinned for the top 3. I'm going to need to rethink my Idology. I'll be back with my top 13 rankings

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Rush Week Girls

My first impression: I hope this isn't the new set. It looks very amateurish...the whole thing has the feel of a telethon telecast. It seems to be lacking the usual professional look of the show. 15 girls...but only 10 get to sing. 5 go home without even getting to sing for America. Kinda harsh!!!! First up: Majesty - "Happy"... She's a little too "Disney Channel" for me. She's got a good voice, but just comes across a little too immature personality wise. 2. Kristin O'Connor - Doing an Adele song. Kinda boring performance. I don't think it was a great song choice for her. 3. Brianna Oakley - "Warrior" Demi Lovato - Nice vocal..but again...a little bland for me. I liked her better than Kristin though. 4. Jena - She feels really uncomfortable to me. She has great high range though. 5. Bria Ana - "The girl with the lips" - Doing "Wrong side of a love song" - Good performance. I thought she had a nice mix of a strong vocal and a good stage presence. Harry thought she "shouted" it. 6. Marriale - "Roar" - The first part was horrible. It got better as it moved into the chorus, but not much better. There is something about her that just really bugs me. I thought this was the worst performance of the night. 7. Jessica - There is something about her that just feels too staged. 8. Emily Piriz - Adam told her to sing more aggressively. This was great advice because I think the song worked for her, but only because of the aggressiveness of it. 9. M.K. Nobilette - "All of Me" - She has a pretty voice but it was just nothing exciting for me. Judges called it simplistic and effortless. I was underwhelmed. 10 - Melaya - "Tuba Girl". Doing "Hard Tomes". She sings with a lot of passion and energy...but for me, she is another too "Disney channel-ish" for me. Overall - I'm not entirely impressed by this lot of girls. I would have to rank the top girls - Majesty, Brianna, Jena, Bria Ana and Melaya. I think America is going to disagree entirely - I think they will pick Majesty, Jessica, Mk, Melaya and Brianna. Anyway....not a great night...but its good to be back. Rubbertoe.....out!

Rush Week Guys

First up, Caleb Johnson - Wow...I have not been a huge fan of his, but tonight, he blew it away and I am beginning to understand why he is in the top 10. I thought his performance tonight was better than every one of the girls from last night. Excellent!!!! 2. CJ Harris - Good..but hard to follow Caleb. I have been a fan of his from the beginning. 3. Emmanuel - He's got a great voice, but I don't think America is going to embrace someone who is so flamboyant. It will be interesting to see. 4. Sam - Wow...he's giving Caleb a run for his money. He is a shoo-in for the top 5. 5. George Lovett - I honestly have no memory of him..and his performance tonight is probably why. It did nothing for me. He is not going on beyond tonight 6. Dexter Roberts - "This old boy" - He's good and he's different than the rest of the guys. I think he will make the top 5. He's also different than most of the past years, country guys...a little more hard core country, even more than OMG...I can't remember his name...(The "Baby lock the doors and turn the lights down low" winner from three years ago...oh yeah...Scotty McCleery. 7. Alex Preston - I don't know what to think of this guy...he's a little too quirky for me. He's unigue enough that I think he can go through to the top 5, but I have a feeling that he is going to be one that gets on my nerves real quick and goes further than he should. Three spots left....we all know one of the ones will be Spencer. I suspect that they are going to put him through 10th...to try to raise drama...but there is no question that he will go through. 8. Malcolm - He's been one of my favorites from the beginning...This performance was not his best though...and I think it was completely the wrong song for him and it didn't properly showcase his voice and I'm afraid that it sealed his doom tonight. 9. Ben Briley - This one kinda surprises me....I think there were better people left in the top 10. I don't think he should go through...but the AI southern vote might put his through. 10. Idol....you are soooooo transparent anymore....do you think ANYONE fell into your attempt at drama here? I saw this coming a mile away. Guitar or no guitar? No Guitar....I think that was smart, because it allowed him to expand on the image that we have of him so far. Not the best vocal, but a fun performance...and his good looks are going to propel him into the top 5...that is an absolute guarantee Rubbertoe's Top 5: Sam, CJ Harris, Alex Preston, Caleb and Spencer America's Top 5: Caleb, Spencer, Sam, Alex and Ben (I guess I think America and I only disagree on one).....I'm anxious to see. One thing is for sure....this group of guys is sooooooo much stronger than the girls. Rubbertoe....out!

Rubbertoe checking in

Hey Guys.....I've been watching but couldn't get on the site until now....I'll post my thoughts on the top 30 later tonight..... So far I've been very happy with the season. I think there is some great talent out there....and a couple people who bug me already!!!!!