In It To Win It, The Way We Spin It

Idol top five, one current, one classic...

Hannibal Lecter in the audience?

And Kelly Preston, who Charlie Sheen says "shot herself" in his house in the 90s.

Randy with the grasp of the obvious... "You got to TRY to win, yo"
Dr. L said Sheryl Crow used to diss Idol, she must have come around this season.

James: One Step Closer by 30 Seconds to Mars,
KOD spot -- but he isn't going anywhere, is he?
Maybe I'm crazy but I'm not hearing the "greatness" in this song. Is he on key? Was the mix right?--on our TV it sounded like the music was way lower than James.
Judges shamelessly pimping, though. Steven wasn't clapping at first, if you pause just after the explosions went off....

JLo is wearing Granny clothes!

Jacob: Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown (does anyone REALLY like them? I am not a fan of either of them, so I'm biased).
Yep, his version sucks just as much as Jorbacca's. Dr. L said it was "awkward", and uncomfortable to watch as well as hear.
Hmmm -- Randy throwing Jacob under the bus. Obviously #2 tonight is the REAL KOD spot.

JLo has been so funny this season, talking over Randy's dissenting opinions.

Lauren: Flat on the Floor by Carrie Underwear. Lauren says she can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Iovine and Crow tell her to forget performing and just sing, LOL. She'll just stand and stomp her foot.
Good choice of song, best of night so far. Sounded like an actual performance! She does have control problems, however, she was out of breath in some runs and missed some big notes. I wonder if the Spanx is killing her lung capacity like it did Carly Smithson?
Judges pimping the $hit out of it. Looks like they want a Lauren/James finale.
Dr. L said, "Man, she's an old-looking 15."

Scotty the Potty: "Gone", Montgomery Gentry. Jeez, sounds like one of those fateful songs you sing the night you're voted off... but he won't be.
Howdy Doody is running and jumping around, ha. Dr. L says "he's trying to give it all he's got." I just see his ridiculous face and think I'm being Punk'd. He did all right with the song but he has almost no upper register.
Second best so far, got to give him that.
Judges give him tongue-bath. Dance with the Devil? My Devil has bigger balls than that. JLo LIKES him growling? Somewhere, Casey just puked a little in his mouth.

Haley: Unreleased Lady Gaga song "You and I": Translated as, no one will know it.
A "moment"? We liked the song, but she performs it EXACTLY like she's done every other song, squinting, smiling, waving her left arm, growling. She did all right, but this could have been Top 13 night, forgettable. Dr. L wonders why she didn't sing part of it a cappella?
Judges throw her under the bus like Jacob. Love how they let Iovine encourage her to pick the song then rake her over the coals once it's too late.

Another ten-minute commercial break, and...

James 2nd: "Without you", Harry Nilsson. Dr L says, "everybody sings this song!" James has been consistently one of the most emotional contestants. A very heartfelt performance! The polar opposite of the marionette shit we get from Scotty.
We love how seriously he takes this, it really does seem like his competition at this point. Not the best vocal here but it's true, gives 110% every time.

Jacob 2nd: Nazareth "Love Hurts". The idea doesn't sound as crazy when he starts. Pretty good -- and then he brings it on to Jesus and it goes off the rails. If he could have kept it like the 1st part, genius. But he can't help himself.
Steven calls him on it, then JLo points out a screwup -- the de-pimpage continues. He looked good in his suits tonight, Dr. L says.

Lauren 1-1/2: "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Bros. In Simon's day, possibly the most oversung song on Idol. She says it's her parent's song; they seem more like "Achy Breaky Heart" people to me. Good idea to pick the recognizeable song though -- unlike some other blondes on this show. They said she had to interpret it her way: obviously, she has no freaking idea what this song is about. Sounds totally swallowed up by the song. Nerves? Dress looks like she's signing on a Greek cruise ship in 1967.
I almost fell asleep in the middle. She "checked out," Dr. L said. But will they pimp it?--
ooh, JLo gives her true feelings away: "nothing to judge there", followed by some scripted comments from Nigel. You got it right the first time. But they want her to stay in. She consistently gives about 65%.

Scotty 2nd: "Always on My Mind", by the KING. Iovine says what we're all thinking: Scotty can't out-sing anyone that's left, he just has to out-Scotty them. Dr. L liked it, thought it was "really beautiful". I wasn't jumping up & down, but was nice to hear somebody come out and just sing a song, and not try to blow anyone's head off.
Jlo busts out the "artist" card. Randy carries it. Then Scotty's cute Granny comes on! Idol, you just cranked Florida up to 11 voting for this kid.

Haley 2nd: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. Cool choice! Wow, wish she had done the whole thing a cappella. Got a little growly, but overall pretty dang good. This really was the right mix of blues, rock, "sweet n sour n raspy" soul for her. She really does have a nice voice.
Is Randy's jacket like a big domino? Now they're praising the crap out of her. If this were the Simon days, I would say they are damning her with faint praise, so her base voters feel complacent.

Will they go for a Bottom 2 or Bottom 3?

our B2: Jacob, Lauren

America's B3: Jacob, Haley, Lauren
OR
B2: Jacob & Haley, either way, Jacob goes home.

-- K

Then there were five

First up James - James is definitely in it to win it!!! Performance was awesome...vocals were a little pitchy and I think too much interaction with the audience makes it a little cheesey...but over song#1 - 8

Jacob - Doing Chris Brown/Jordin Sparks duet??? I don't like the sound of this.
Wow....that was absolutely hor-ri-ble. I don't know what Jacob was thinking....he tried to Diva Jordin and it soooo did not work on any level - 3

Lauren - Hmmmmm I don't know. Usually doing an ex-Idol song is death for the Idol wannabes. Lauren looks great and sounds ok....even better....hot fiddle guy is back....that guys is way super HOT!!!...but this is really Carrie Underwood-lite. I don't think the song choice did her any favors. It was just ok -6

Scotty - He's trying to show a little personality....and he achieves that...but the vocals were worse than normal. Scotty did what he needed to do to appeal to his base and scores points for showing a little energy in the performance. -7


Hailey - Wow....the cheesy girl that I put out of the competition weeks ago is improving every week. She did a Lady Gaga song that I am not familiar with and it was great. I completely disagree with the judges....completely. -7

Round 1 - Goes to James....followed by Hailey, Scotty, Lauren and Jacob.


Round 2 -

James - James is working the sympathy factor with the kid and better life card.....
The lower range is definitely James' weakness. Wow...the tears in his eyes are definitely going to win him some votes....7 (15 total)

Jacob- doing Nazareth? Oh boy.....this is going to be strange. Don't know who sabotaged Jacobs songs tonight....but wow....this is Jacob at his best....so much better than his first song - 7 (10 total).

Lauren - singing Simon Cole's favorite "Unchained Melody"....this could be great. Wow...she looks absolutely STUNNING. The lower range is definitely her weakness as well. Good....but she is capable of much much better...still waiting for her to really bring it. - 7 (13 total)

Scotty - This is classic Scotty...and the vocal is clearly better than the first song - 7 (14 total)

Hailey - Wow...this song is made for her. I love love love that she has dropped the cheesyness and she is really making a strong run for the finish - 9 (16 total)

Rubbertoe rankings:

1. Hailey #2
2. James #1
3. James #2
4. Hailey #1
5. Scotty #2
6. Lauren #2
7. Scotty #1
8. Jacob #2
9. Lauren #1
10. Jacob #1

By the night:

1. Hailey
2. James
3. Scotty
4. Lauren
5. Jacob

A very close one tonight between James and surprisingly Hailey.
Rubbertoes bottom 3 - Scotty, Jacob and Lauren - Going home Jacob
America's bottom 3 - I'm convinced America will get it right...Scotty, Lauren and Jacob....Jacob goes home.

Say goodbye to a Diva.

The Top 5: The Present and the Past . . . Could Haley Really Have the Best Performance? Answer is a Resounding Hellz Yeah!

THIS is AMERican Idol!


The judges didn't walk in tonight. . . interesting. . . and JLo has a flower in her hair . . . Why do I think that it would look better on Steven?

Here are our Top Five! Certainly not the Top 5 I would have originally envisioned.

Who is in it to win it? - Randy Jackson

Hell, I missed the theme . . . but I think they are singing twice. It appears that Sheryl Crow is the mentor . . .

1. James - "Closer to the Edge" by Thirty Seconds to Mars . . . LOVE IT! I have a bit of a crush on Jared Leto . . .just a little bit. Anyone remember He looks amazing! Amazing harmonies from my James. A large high note that kind of went south . . . but overall, a very solid performance . . . it's what we expect from James. Good Job.

Steven - Good Job
JLo - couldn't hear what she said
Randy - I think he loved it

2. Jacob - Lawd in the mornin, I need this boy to go home . . .let's see what he does tonight . . . he is singing, "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown . . . please sing from your gut and not from your nose . . . PLEASE! Nevermind . . . not gonna happen . . . dreadful beginning . . . he's still pitchy . . . although no one in the building seems to get that . . . honestly, I'm not sure if he has actually hit a note on key yet . . . NOT GOOD PLEASE RECOGNIZE!

JLo - That flower looks like a growth . . . she thinks it is important for him to pick better songs . . . NOT RECOGNIZING
Randy - Thinks he picked the wrong song and is KIND OF RECOGNIZING
Steven - He's waiting for him to find a niche . . . sort of RECOGNIZING

3. Lauren - She is singing "Flat on the Floor" by Carrie Underwood. She needs to BRING IT! I want to love this girl, but she hasn't brought it to me yet. She might be bringing it . . . let's see. She looks better tonight. She is struggling a bit with the high notes, but this is better performance. I believe her a bit more with this performance than I have throughout the competition.

Randy - Thinks this is the direction for her
Steven - Thinks it's simply as good as it gets
JLo - Thinks she "ate that up"

4. Scotty - Damn it! Didn't hear what he is singing, but sounds like something entitled "Gone" . . . Here comes typical Scotty . . . Clearly, it is called "Gone" . . . It's got a little more fire than Scotty usually brings. As per usual, he is def on pitch. Still looks like Howdy Doody . . . He is performing better tonight. A little cheesy, but good job.

Steven - Saw him dance with the devil tonight
JLo - Thought he owned the stage tonight
Randy - Felt like he rocked the stage

5. Hailey - She's doing an unreleased GaGa song . . .is that smart? Guess we'll see. She got to speak to GaGa . . .pretty cool. Am I the only one who is surprised that this girl is still around and has gotten better each week? Her voice isn't the best of the bunch, but she definitely knows how to perform. I do love her growls, and she is working this song. It is not the best vocal of the night, but def the most dynamic performance.

JLo - She's not sure that Jimmy gave her the best advice.
Randy - Not sure it was that great of a song
Steven - had a call and I couldn't hear him

6. James - "Can't Live Without You" - I'm on the phone, but this sounds amazing. He can't match Kelly Clarkson from season one, but this is amazing. He is crying at the end.

7. Jacob - "Love Hurts" . . . Typical Jacob . . . screaming, not as good as the first . . . This baby boy needs to go! STOP SCREAMING!

The phone call stopped me from hearing the reactions.

8. Lauren - "Unchained Melody" . . . This could be an Idol moment or an Idol disaster . . . Girl looks beautiful . . . A bit of a hitch in the beginning of the song . . . She seems to still have issues with her lower register, but her upper register is amazing. I think the problem that I'm having is that when she could take major chances with the song, she shies away. . . but her voice sounded good.

JLo - Thought she sang it beautifully
Randy - Thinks she sang like a bird
Steven - Thinks she is ripe

9. Scotty - "Always on My Mind" . . . sounds like the same ole, same ole, but I hope it's different. He's giving an understated performance . . . which I think is needed for this song . . . he is keeping himself under control. Very lovely performance.

JLo - Thinks he is a well rounded artist
Randy - Thinks if it ain't broke don't fix it
Steven - Thinks it was a beautiful rendition of the song.

10. Hailey - "The House of the Rising of the Sun" . . . Sheryl seems to dig it . . . I love the acapella beginning . . . really showcases her voice. I'm REALLY loving this song. This song is convincing me to vote for Hailey tonight. Wow . . . just Wow! In-freakin-credible.

Randy - Best performance of the night
Steven - Sweet and sour and raspy
JLo - Thinks that song has never been sung like that before.

The rankings:

Haley #2 (by a hair)
James #2
(Huge Space)
Scotty #1
Lauren #2
Scotty#2
Lauren #1 (by a hair)
Haley #1 (by a hair)
James #1
(Infinity)
Jacob #1
Jacob #2

My Bottom 2: Jacob and no one . . . but I have to choose . . . Lauren
America's Bottom 2: Jacob and ugh, I don't want to choose . . . I say, surprise, James
Going Home: JACOB . . . JACOB . . . JACOB . . . MOTHA FUCKAS IT BETTER BE JACOB . . . I feel like I am embodying RT and his hatred for Paul . . . JACOB

Check y'all tomorrow.

Little Tasters Point Game: The Top 6

Ok, so here is where we sat before last night's results . . .

J = 39 points
RT = 29 points
Dr.L&K = 26 points

Last night's results . . .

J = two of the bottom three correct and the eliminated contestant = 5 points
RT = two of the bottom three correct = 2 points
Dr.L&K = two of the bottom three correct = 2 points

Updated Points

J = 44 points
RT = 31 points
Dr.L&K = 28 points

See you next week.

Idol Tricks

Just saw this article about how Idol used Pia to try and undercut The Voice. I did think it was a little odd Pia popped RIGHT up on a rival network so soon after her Idol run.

Little Tasters Game: Major Point Update

Ok, Little Tasters, I've gotten a wee bit behind on the game, but I think I'm back on course. You'll have to check my math, but I think I'm on target. Here's where we stood at last count.

1. J = 30 points
2. RT = 19 points
3. Dr.L&K = 13 points

Final 9: (Jacob, Stefano, Pia) Pia

J = 1 of bottom 3 correct = 1 point
RT = 2 of bottom 3 correct = 2 points
Dr.L&K= 2 of bottom 3 correct = 2 points

Final 8: (Paul, Jacob, Stefano) Paul

J = 2 of bottom 3 correct = 2 points
RT = 3 of bottom 3 correct and eliminated contestant! = 6 points
Dr.L&K = 2 of bottom 3 correct and eliminated contestant! = 5 points

Final 7: (Stefano, Hailey, Jacob) Stefano

J = 3 of bottom 3 correct and eliminated contestant = 6 points
RT = 2 of bottom 3 correct = 2 points
Dr.L&K = 3 of bottom 3 correct and eliminated contestant! = 6 points.

** None of us got the picks from our original lists correct during these three weeks **

Updated totals:

J = 39 points
RT = 29 points
Dr.L&K = 26 points

Let's see what happens tonight . . . and sorry I got behind on the game :(

The Top Six: Please Stop the Duets

Ok, so I'm kind of reporting from the dark again . . . but not really. I was unable to watch the show last night because of the storms in Alabama . . . I was on the phone with the mother. She is fine . . . made it through the night.

So, today, thanks to our friends over at Idol Blog Live, I listened to the live versions of the performances. I will provide a brief synopsis with my rankings . . .

1. James - The acapella beginning was amazing . . . far and away the best of the bunch.
(Huge Space)
2. Scotty - As per usual, I don't like his music, but he is pitch perfect.
(SPACE)
3. Haley - I'm surprised as anyone that I've grown to love this girl. I thought she tore up the ending of the song, and was steady in the beginning
(Very Close)
4. Lauren - I thought she did a good job. She was steady throughout . . . I just thought Haley pushed herself a little further than Lauren.
(MASSIVE SPACE OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS)
5. Casey - He spoke the majority of the song . . . or should I say growled. I'm not sure what else to say . . . the only reason he isn't last is because he was on pitch . . . when he sang .
6. Jacob - He, unfortunately, did not remain on pitch. There was one very long drawn out off key note that sent him to the bottom of my list.

Duets

I thought all of the duets were pretty subpar. I'm ranking these according to how well they sounded together.

1. Haley/Casey - I thought their harmony was just slightly better than . . .
2. Lauren/Scotty - I thought they were good but flat in parts
3. Jacob/James - There are no words for how bad this was

My Bottom Three: Lauren, Casey, and Jacob
America's Bottom Three: Lauren, Casey and Jacob
Going Home: Casey

I think I'm going out on a limb by picking Lauren in the bottom three and Casey to go home . . . but ya gotta take chances in this crazy game called Idol. :) Now, I get to go read the other reviews and update the points game. :)

Six Pack

Jacob:
great job, actually sang instead of diva'ing out. Jimmy SAID he was doomed, and he's in the KoD spot, so he probably is. That is an "interesting" outfit. Whoever is styling these guys is hit or miss this season.

Lauren:
so boring. Thanks Randy, for backing us up on that. WTF is JLo saying? She didn't hear the same song we did. Nigel's scripted BS, to keep her in. Where was the BIG note they talked so much about? Never heard it after the rehearsal footage. Meanwhile, they are praising her for over-singing, who else would they say this to? Blatant pimping.

Casey/Hailey:
so cute! Did Steven just bust them re: being a couple? They did better with the duet last week.

Scotty:
Not going anywhere, though it about killed him to "de-Scotty" the song. Sounded pretty good, seriously; but hell, he had the London Philharmonic onstage with him, so why wouldn't he. Smart, most recognizable song of the night (barring the Casey/Hailey duet).

James:
WOW. On its own page, The James Durbin Show. Outstanding. This is how all the contestants should bring it, and with diversity too.

Lauren/Scotty: why is Ryan pretending they're hooking up? Ms. Thang wouldn't be caught dead with Howdy Doody in the real world. Usually they sound better than this.

Casey:
Liked it, very entertaining. Nobody does the jazzy stuff like this but him. But will America keep him in for this deviation from Pop? We always crack up when he slaps the hands of the fans who reach up during the performance. I can't think of another contestant who seemed so do mildly deranged who made it this far.

Hailey:
It was okay. She has a good voice, but it wasn't a "moment". Maybe all she has to do is beat jacob at this point, but there's no way this will get her through next week if she's still here. If Idol success were based on who I'd want to have a beer with, she'd be up there, I think.

James/Jacob:
best duet of the night. Funny how divergent our critique is from RT's! I guess I just don't care for Lauren Alaina. It's like, maybe she has one of the best race cars on the track, but she never shifts into top gear.

our ranking:

James
(alternate universe sized space)

Casey
Scotty
Jacob
Hailey
Lauren

our B3: Jacob, Hailey, Lauren

America's B3: Jacob, Hailey, Casey
Jacob goes home.

Six in the city

Abbreviated blog tonight from Rubbertoe:

I thought that they all did pretty well tonight...however, the best of the night by a landslide: James Durbin.

My other in the top 3 would be Lauren Alaina and Hailey who continues to surprize me. Hailey has dropped the cheesyness that so enveloped her early performances. She seems to get better every week...however....too little too late.

Rubbertoe's Bottom 3: Scotty, Jacob and Casey. Although they all were pretty good as well.
Scotty did what Scotty does.....Jacob started a little weak, but killed it in the end...and Casey was Casey...you either dig him or you don't....I just don't, but I was never a Taylor Hicks fan either.

Duets - Scotty and Alaina were awesome.....Hailey and Casey (Hmmmmmmm)....were good too. James and Jacob....not so much.

Rubbertoes bottom 3 - Scotty, Jacob and Casey....my heart says that Casey should go home
America's bottom 3 - Jacob, Casey and Hailey....Jacob goes home

The VOICE

J says this show is the Bizzomb, but Dr.L and I have not had a chance to check it out yet. If you click on the title above, there's a link to an article with some interesting comparisons to Idol. What do you think? Is there a new guilty pleasure out there in TV land?

--K

F#@king Great, Man

Scotty - Swingin' - that was kinda silly - to select for the 21st century song! And, does it count if someone remade the song? The original was from 1982..and should have stayed there! His country choices slant to the corn of a Billy Ray Cyrus tune…ugh. K thought this felt like the pick of somebody who is over-confident.

James - Uprising - WOW! Loved it!! That was so good! K says he thought James did better than some of the "performance night" celebs. Those were some incredible high notes. Great song choice! K said they obviously feel like he & the song are strong enough to save the pimp spot for someone in danger...

Ohh, I heart u Steven Tyler! He has the best quips every night.

Haley - Adele tune - K thought this was the best she has sounded all season! Great song choice. It is a really good fit for her range - DrL loves the Adele version, so it was harder to think about Haley singing it, but she did well. K thinks she should put a tack in her shoe to keep her from smiling on every dang song.

Jacob - Dance with my father - Looking sharp in his shiny suit! Not my fave performance of Jacob's - but he did an okay job. I would have preferred if he would have done a softer version. I don't care for him when he gets all gospel-y. K says when Jacob sings it winds up being all at one level - cranked up to 11.

Casey - Maroon Five tune - That was priceless! OMG! I was gonna say that he was doing the stalker-y version of this song which I was totally loving, but that kiss was hilarious! Loved it - he definitely made it his own. Gotta love the spunkiness of this dude. K loved that everyone with the fake Casey beard looked Amish. He vows to use the screencap of bearded Ryan in some hilarious photochop.

Stefano - Neo tune - Much better job this week - he showed he can control his voice and not do all the herky-jerky stuff - at least in the beginning of the song. Not too sure about the dancing! (J - that was an interesting observation you made! Hadn't thought about that). K busts out laughing whenever Stefano pronounces anything with the "err" sound in it: "ya herrrd" "werrrd". He did it in the very first verse tonight. Rhymes with "turd"...

Lauren Alaina - Born to Fly - Hmm, not so much - I think she didn't put her all into it. I wish she could punch it up a bit. Where were her big notes?? K says that was no less of a phoned in performance that Scotty's, but there was a lot more pizazz around it (i.e. Idol doesn't want her to go). Every week (after, when was it? week two? When the judges DARED to mildly criticize her and she about shit herself) the judges try to gently coax a bolder performance for her, mollycoddle her to bring her latent talent out. To quote Steven Tyler, F#*K that. Let her bring it or go home.

Rankings:

James
Casey

Haley

Lauren Alaina

Stefano

Jacob

Scotty

DrL&L Bottom Three:
Stefano, Jacob, Scotty

America's bottom Three:
Haley, Jacob , Stefano - Stefano goes home

Who's the unlucky of the seven?

First let me say...AWESOME night!...I though they were all pretty good tonight. I loved the impressions that each contestant gave of one another (I don't remember them doing that before....)

Here are my Rankings starting with the Best to Worst (I just read J's blog and can't believe who much we differ this season...much more than years past....and thanks JAY for coming around on Paul....he was even worse than usual tonight)

1. James - Incredible tonight. I loved his mix of theatrics with vocals and the rock. I'm not sure if it will sell with America but he's consistent week after week.

2. Hailey (SHOCKER). I'm not a Hailey fan...I've been ragging on her from the beginning. But she is getting better and better and I thought she did an incredible job tonight.

3. Lauren - OK maybe I'm biased. She still hasn't risen to the level that we know that she can...the level we saw at the beginning...but she looked gorgeous and her vocals were good. She needs some stage presence and some confidence to propel her. If she is going to win it all, she is going to have to kick it to the next level

4. Stefano - Vocals were only so so....however, his performance was second best only to James. He owned the stage tonight. He is in danger of going home, but I think he is safe tonight, simply because I think his performance earned him those extra votes to save him

5. Casey - Second half of the song was good, but the first half was very weak. It sounded as if he was talking the song rather than singing it. Casey is capable of better. I love Maroon five, but this song did nothing for Casey.

6. Jacob - It was good...but only so so. I think he got thrown off from the beginning. He is capable of bigger and better.

7. Scotty - Worst Scotty performance of the season. It was weak and rather corny. It was particularly bad when he sang the verse an octave lower. I know what he was trying to do, but it came off weak.

Rubbertoe's bottom 3- Casey Jacob and Scotty - Scotty would go home....However, America loves Scotty too much so he is safe.

America's bottom 3 will be Stefano, Casey and Jacob - Jacob goes home.

The Top Seven:

It all starts NOW!

I'm back, bitches!!!!!

It's America's Top 7!!!!

THIS is AMERican Idol!!!!!

Ok, so I've gotten over the fact that my favorites are gone. I only have one favorite left . . . James. I'm hopeful for my boy tonight. This is the first season in all ten that I'm down to one this early. Please, Lord, please, let him do well. :)

Tonight's theme is music of the 21st century. OMG! You mean they are actually gonna sing current music! And here comes the deleted Idols . . . including my Pia . . . who will be on Dancing With The Stars next week . . . although I don't watch that show . . . Check my flow, uh!

I LOVE Paul, but he sounds awful . . . yes Rubbertoe, I'm willing to admit that . . . :)

Is this Idol's way of trying to stretch seven singers into an hour and a half

1. Scotty - He is clearly a front runner now . . . ugh . . . let's see what he has for us tonight. He is singing, "Swinging" by LeeAnn Rimes . . . .SHOCKING! It's easy to forget that thidss boy is 17 years old. As per usual, Mr. Scotty is pitch perfect . . . I wish it was my cup of tea, but not so much. I will say, this is the first week when I think he is kind of boring. He is completely on pitch, but his choice of song is boring. If the judges are at all with it they will hit him up for being boring . . .

Steven - Wants him to boot scoot it a bit more
JLo - Didn't think he brought out the big guns
Randy - Thought he was very "safe" and um, "boring"

2. James - Ryan, calm down . . . Can I interrupt and say that I want Jacob gone . . . ok, I'm back. He is singing "Uprising" by Muse . . . I'm not sure I know this song, but I love that he is singing a Muse song . . . LOVE MUSE. Don't be boring, biggun! He's like a straight-ish version of Adam Lambert . . . He has definitely brought the drama tonight. He is pitch perfect . . . even with his screams. However, I will say, this is not my fav performance of his. I think it's better than Scotty, but he's screaming too much.

JLo - Already thinks it will be theatrically the best performance of the night.
Randy - Loves his "metal" thing
Steven - wants him to stay "out of his closet" and thinks it was "crazy good"

3. Haley - Oh Lord, she's gonna sing Adele. . . . I LOVE Adele . . . I'm worried about this one . . . She is singing "Rolling in the Deep" . . . I Know this Song . . . Adele is going to be difficult for Haley. I'm just not sure about this choice . . .it's bold. To quote Paula Abdul, "she looks amazing". Surprisingly, she sounds pretty good. I'm a little stunned by how good this rendition is. She was spot on and pitch perfect . . . well done, Ms. Haley.

Randy - Thinks she chose a perfect direction for her
Steven - Thought she was slow at the start, but brought it on in the middle
JLo - Thought she brought a little bit of Haley to it at times . . .

4. Jacob - trying to convince everyone that he is not a DIVA . . . try again . . . He is singi "Dance With My Father" by Luther . . . I feel about this the same way I feel about Scotty . . . this is a great song, but not out of his comfort zone. If he doesn't change it, he could be in trouble. Apparently I am biased . . . but he is once again singing straight out of his nose. Ugh. I feel like I'm Rubbertoe commenting about Paul . . . Ugh. I think I'm making the exact same commentary about him every week. I think he is hitting bad notes throughout the performance until the end. VOTE HIM OFF!

Steven - Thinks that he lost the track but "his daddy was up there listening to him"
JLo - Thinks emotionally it was a beautiful a performance
Randy - Thinks vocally it was good but didn't make him jump up and down

A commercial break between each singer? Really? . . .

5. Casey - He singing Maroon Five "Harder to Breathe" . . . This is an AWESOME song. I'm really hopeful for this performance. He's playing guitar. This could be an Idol moment . . . I keep hoping for an Idol moment. LOVE the beginning. He's not quite as pitch perfect as the rest of them, but this is a GREAT performance. He is channelling Adam Levine nicely. I'm discovering that Casey is a strange mix of Taylor Hicks and Blake Lewis. . . nice job on this one.

JLo - Thinks Casey has "soft lips" :)
Randy - Thinks it is always about "surprise, surprise, surprise"
Steven - Thinks that he is already a "cult hero" . . . and he cursed. :)

6.Stefano - Does anyone else think that he is trying to hard to be a s "straight boy" . . . tonight he is singing "Closer" by Ne-Yo . . . . this could be wonderful or disaster . . . the beginning is boring . . . and a little off key . . . This is a little bit of a disaster. . . .as in, unless, Lauren destroys her song, there is no doubt who is going home . . .

Randy - Thought he smoothed it out
Steven - Didn't say much
JLo - Thought he had his swag going on . . .

WHAT WERE THEY WATCHING?

7. Lauren - Rubbertoe's girl is UP! I want to believe in her, but I haven't quite gotten it yet. Tonight she is singing, "Born to Fly" by Sarah Evans. She's doing this same country Kelly Pickler thing she always does . . . .she sounds good, but not great. I like her, but am still not convinced to love her.

Steven - Thinks she has a great swagga
JLo - Wonders why she doesn't sing the big notes like everyone else
Randy - Yo . . . thinks JLo is right on target . . . .

My initial rankings:

1 Casey
2. James
3. Haley
4. Lauren

5. Scotty

6. Jacob
7. Stefano

My bottom three: Scotty, Jacob & Stefano
America's Bottom Three: Stefano, Haley, & Jacob
Going Home: Stefano

Can't wait to hear my west coasties opinions . . . .

Idol Behind the Scenes!

DrL&K have just gotten home from the Top 8 Elimination night! Whew…a long afternoon and evening, but it was worth it! We will do our best to give you all a play-by-play as we remember it. (Idol doesn't allow cell phones in the studio, so we are relying on our memories).

Interesting tidbit!: The show is filmed at the CBS Television City studios even though it is a Fox program. This is located near The Grove in LA, off Beverly Blvd. We parked and walked over to wait in line - got there about 3pm. We waited in a long line that stretched from the "Genesee" gate. A smart street vendor sold sodas for $1 and "closed toe shoes" for $10; don't ask me why but Idol would kick you out if you wore open toe shoes (and they checked -- OFTEN).

About 4:00 we were let in the gate. We walked past the parking area for Dancing With the Stars. And we stood here for another 30 minutes or so, behind a plastic chain next to reserved parking spaces, between the bungalows and the Star Waggons (where Randy, JLo & Steven chill before the show).

First celeb sighting of the day, Bruno Tonioli from DWTS - friendly, smiling, blowing kisses to the women in the line. He needed to get to his car and walked around like he didn't know which one it was. Finally, he said "oh, you know how it goes - I get a different one every week!" This week's car was a black Mustang convertible. We also saw Carrie Ann Inaba's parking spot and if that was her car…poor thing drives a green Honda! Not quite as fancy as the Mustang.

By 4:15 or so we were in the shade beside the building.
Idol Family Sightings!
While we were waiting, we started to notice a group of people filing in from the other side of the studio. DrL recognized Casey's mom first - then realized it was the family members coming through. Casey's mom and dad seemed to be super laid back and friendly. We saw Jacob's mom (?) or family members. We saw Stefano's mom, and James' mom. She was carrying a canvas sign with James' name painted on it in "rocker" font. James' family was there too - and his little nephew - who was adorable!! The lil' dude (I'm guessing around 5 or 6 years old) had on black pants with little black vest. His hair was gelled up and he had a bandana tied around his wrist and one on his back pocket. He was carrying a sign that said 'Go Uncle James!' As he walked by us, he said to his mom "i'm so nervous!" - SOOO cute!! Those were the most recognizable family members - I feel sure we probably saw the others, but I couldn't be sure. One family I know we didn't see was Lauren Alaina's - (I was really hoping to see her mom's wacky hair-do up close….)

As 5:00 drew near we were sweating bullets -- would we make it? The PA said they would try to get us all in, if we wanted to be "seat fillers", and that this meant we might have to split up. Dr. L & I told ourselves we would if need be. The female PA said this was not a bad deal, because seat fillers were often seats of celebs who didn't show up.They started bringing us in @ 4:50 or so, and only took 1/3 of our group. We could hear the crowd inside already cheering for something. Another group went in 5 minutes later. Since we were near the end, we thought we were screwed. At literally 4:59 they ushered us in, to a dark area underneath the bleacher seats. Things were getting really loud in there. Jimmy Iovine walked in, right beside us, and disappeared into the stage area.

We could hear the countdown, and see the video from the opening of the show through cracks in the set. A stagehand took pity on us and led us to the area under/behind the stage where the post-performance "mirror confessional" happens after each Idol sings. Just to the left of this is a monitor, and we watched Ryan open the show. Scotty and Lauren sang their duet, and holy crap, Scotty's voice booms with the bass from the speakers inside. They sounded great! - but, audience applause was not quite as loud as we might have thought. Then it was time for the 1st commercial. They rushed us to one side of the stage -- then decided it would be better to go to the other.

We entered, directly beside the stage. It is much smaller than you might imagine. It was crazy with activity. We walked right past Pia Toscano, down on the front row. Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight was there, and of course Skeletor (Marc Anthony). Dr. L spotted Chaka Khan, and later we realized Anita Baker was there as well. Wild. We had no idea where we were going - just following an usher from one side of the stage to the other! We were led up to an area just behind the cameras, a little above Ryan's teleprompter. They were EXCELLENT seats! Everybody had to look right at us for the camera to see them, so it was like they were performing just for us, ha.

We mostly saw the back of the judges' heads - but they turned around a few times to wave & smile at the crowd. JLo is stunning in person - just absolutely beautiful - (not crazy about that gold dress though). There were girls above us that were yelling constantly for Steven Tyler to turn around, and he did once, but he mostly stayed focused on the show. Randy was laughing and having a good time - he had on some electric blue shoes….interesting!
Side note, you could really see Randy and Steven snapping fingers and getting into the music. Cool.

In between segments of the show a PA gave away lots of swag. They especially treated the little kids with signs well.

The Idol hopefuls were sitting on the blue couches - restless and joking around some during the various parts of the show. In the YELLOW dress, it was easy to notice how distracted Lauren Alaina is during the whole show - she really doesn't pay much attention to everything! She sort of half-heartedly clapped along - and she seemed to really be looking around the audience a lot. (I wondered if she was trying to see who all was cheering for her!).

Haley & Casey Duet
We haven't watched the TV version yet, but this was GREAT in person! They harmonize really well. They were really having fun, and the audience loved it. Haley made less of the goofy moves - and she looked really cute in the lace dress. I think they got the largest applause of the night.

James/Jacob/Paul/Stefano
Fun medley of Simon & Garfunkel tunes! Those four sound really good together. I think the younger members of the audience didn't quite know what to do during that though…

Ms. Kelly Clarkson & Jason Aldean
I don't know who he is, and had not heard that song - but WOW!! what a great duet and I would love to get that single! Our Ms. Kelly looked fantastic and she sings just as clear as a bell - I had goosebumps!! During the break she was happy, smiling and running all over the stage in those high heels. She ran down to the judges' table and gave Randy a huge hug - it was so sweet! She had her photo taken with all three judges. Randy made a point of introducing her to them, and seemed like he didn't want her to rush off -- but the show had to go on.

Rihanna
What a performance! LOVED it! I didn't know that song either (California King Bed) - but it was great. The crowd was really going crazy too! Her dancers were fantastic, and she looked beautiful. After the song, she went over to the Idol hopefuls and hugged each and every one of them. She also hugged all the judges and had her picture taken with them. She seemed incredibly friendly, despite what some gossip rags say.

Other things we noticed: The main stage (manager? director?) lady was hilarious, mostly making jokes about how SLOW the judges were about getting back in their seats/getting ready for the show to start after each commercial. It really is incredible how many people flood onto then off the stage on breaks, literally to the last second.

Nigel was EVERYWHERE, running around dressed nattily, shmoozing with all the guests, the judges, the contestants. When Casey was sent back safe to the couch he fist bumped him.
When Hailey was sent to the Danger Stools, Ryan made a point of joking/consoling her as we went to commercial, like a "not again" kind of a gesture.

When it was coming down to the final segment, Paul Stefano and Hailey all made a trip over to the couch and got hugs. I don't know if what they say is true about Hailey and Casey, but I did notice her hanging around him quite a bit, more than she spent with Lauren by a long shot LOL.

When the word came down it was Paul getting the boot, it was not like any great shock to the room. A woman beside us had asked who we picked this week, and we said if it was up to us, Paul. She agreed. When his name was called, she nodded at us in a kind of knowing way.
Paul didn't seem that bummed out at the time. As they played his "Idol Journey" package, audience members screamed his name, clapped, general support. After the show ended everyone came out (judges, contestants, Nigel) and got on stage with him. The biggest hug Paul got by far came from the new band leader, Ray Chew. In fact, another member of the band spent a lot of time with Paul. It really seemed like he was well liked by the musicians on the show.

I don't know what happened to Ryan -- he got the F out of there quick-like once the cameras stopped rolling.

Then, it was over. Everyone made their way out below the stage, except the "special" people (all the celebs, the Idols, judges) who exited into a big meet & greet area on stage left. We only caught a glimpse of it, then we were back into the subterranean tunnel and onto the CBS lot.

Later, as we went back to The Grove to get some dinner before we retrieved our car, we saw James' family walking in behind us. We waited for them and told them how much we liked James, and they seemed really grateful to hear praise for him. His (brother? cousin?) made a point of showing off James' nephew, the cute kid in the rocker garb. They seemed nice.

We had so much fun!

Dr. L & K

TheTop 8: In the Dark Again!!! Ugh!

Ugh! I didn't get to watch all of Idol last night. Someone from school had the nerve to call me during Idol last night . . . the NERVE! So, I saw Haley, Jacob, and James and the review of the contestants. In addition, I listened to the studio versions of the songs . . . so, I have no rankings, but I have a bottom three and an elimination.

Might I just say, I don't have him in America's bottom three, but I still don't get the big deal about Jacob. His last three notes were AMAZING, but the rest of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" sucked. He was all over the place . . . PITCHY, PITCHY, PITCHY! I don't get the judge's love affair with Jacob. Now, I'll climb off the soap box.

What I heard . . . Jacob, not so much, Haley sucked . . . please don't do Blondie, and James was AMAZING!

From the review: My Bottom Three: Jacob, Haley, and Stefano

America's Bottom Three: Paul, Haley, and Stefano

Going Home . . . I haven't read the Lil Tasters reviews, but I assume I'm on the island of unpopular opinion . . . .Stefano

I guess we'll see. :)

Dr L & K @ Idol Tonight!

Dr. L & I will be in the Idol crowd tonight for the Top Eight Results show! I would live-blog it but the ticket said they will confiscate our phones before we go in :0

So we will have to give you the report when we get back (we enjoyed it so much when Rubbertoe did this in seasons past).

We are especially excited because Season One Winner (and still the best) MS. KELLY CLARKSON will be performing tonight, probably doing a duet with Jason Aldean of their hit single "Don't You Wanna Stay".
Rihanna is also supposed to be there, and we'll see which contestant gets the boot (hopefully one of the deserving boys).

If you read this beforehand, watch for us live, J! We'll actually get to see the results in real time for a change, we always get the recorded delay here in Cali.

So we're very excited, and we'll share the dirt when we get back to Long Beach tonight!!!

--K

Can Kermie survive another week?

First up - Kermit. Proving once again that vote for the worst is right and that this guy shouldn't have even been in the top 12 let alone the top 8. The guy is a complete freak and he doesn't even sing well. He prances around the stage singing poorly...and yet...the judges see some need to keep this guy around. He needs to go and he needs to go now. The guy is absolutely horrible.

Lauren - Good but not over the top great. I'm still waiting for the Lauren we saw in the auditions to come back.

Stefano- You know I love me some Stefano...but why choose a group song to sing solo? Stefano's downfall has been choosing bad songs. He does have one of the better voices...but just makes bad choices. The vocal was good..but I don't think the song choice did him any favors.

Scotty - should have song Everybody's talkin at me....much better song choice than George Strait. Scotty was outsung by the backup singers in this song. Scotty gets the super idol pimping this season.

Casey - Casey chose Nat King Cole over Phil Collins....go choice...anyone over Phil Collins is a good choice. I actually liked the song a lot...but it is not going to win him many votes. Too old fashioned....but the saving grace...I don't think Phil Collins would have gotten him many votes either.

Hailey - For once Hailey actually sang the song instead of screaming it. She hit all the right notes and for once her performance didn't come off as complete cheeseball. I'm not a Hailey fan, but tonight it was good.

Jacob - Did what Jacob does. Good song choice for him but I think his predictable performances are going to doom him in the end.

James - I'm not a fan of the genre...but James was excellent at what he did. He is definitely the performer of the bunch.


Rubbertoes bottom 3: Paul, Stefano and Lauren

Picking America's bottom 3 is going to be tough this week...who has the strongest voting bases? I'm beginning to believe that it will be the rocker v. the country crooner in the finale....
I think America's bottom 3 are going to be based on strength of fan base and song choice that didn't do people any favors.

1. Paul - I HAVE to believe that Paul will be in the bottom 3. He was the only bad one of the night and the freaky guy can't have that many fans out there.
2. Jacob - I think his fan base cannot be that strong either and he continually does the same basic thing week after week
3. Stefano - AI tried to give him major pimping to keep him on the show, but it isn't going to be enough to keep him out of the bottom 3...and it remains to be seen whether the pimping saves him at all this week.

Who goes home....either Stefano or Paul....but once again I'm predicting Paul. Eventually America will get this one right.

Fuck You, Iovine, I'm Singing Tone Loc, "Ace is in the House" from Ace Ventura

Alabama's Own Paul -- Jimmy and Will.I.Am might be having a blast rehearsing but they were suggesting some crazy shit to sabotage his ass. Love that Will.I.Am pointed out the absurdity of pimping up that song. K thinks this was a carnival freak performance, combined with the Death Slot, that bodes ill. L says it was energetic, but doesn't know if he "did anything" with it.

Lauren -- Iovine dares speak the truth about Miley! Props. Will.I.Am is becoming our favorite. K hates this song, but OF COURSE she outsang Miley on it. On her worst day, she could. Still ahead of the song, but good. Outfit probably age-appropriate, but looks weird because she looks prematurely old. L says makeup was great, and outfit was cute. Great job, seemed more comfortable.

OMG, Lauren's mom looks like a truckstop floozy.

Stefano -- I have a theory Idol dresses the contestants they have a target on in "casual" outfits. Stefano looks like he's on his way to meet his buddies at the Mall. We'll see. K thinks it was another Stefano run-of-the-mill performance, fair vocals ruined a little with his Flatbush-esque phrasing. L just thinks it's silly, too staccato when he sings. It's not that he CAN'T hold a note, he just WON'T.

JLo said shit! Most Beautiful Potty Mouth.

Scotty -- Jimmy thinks he fucked up by picking the George Strait song. His fans wouldn't care if he keeled off the right side of his stool and barked like a hound dog. K says he liked the other song better, and Scotty had some bum notes for a change, but it won't matter a rat's ass, this kid is Top 4 bound. L says he selected a more recent song because he's playing to his base. He knows he needs to work it to win.

Has JLo been drinking? She's laughing, cursing. Even DARED to say Scotty wasn't great tonight.

Casey -- what's with the Henry Higgins getup? A freakin' ascot? Wow. Jimmy thought Casey was committing Idol hari-kiri by doing Nature Boy. K says loved it, he will remember this performance, whereas In The AIr Tonight would have probably been middle-of-the-road bland and forgettable. L says she likes performances that suck you in like this, she loved it too. But will America?

JLo is reading shit off her screen! Yeah, she's loaded.

Hailey -- K hates that she can't help smiling in every damn song! Started okay, descended into shrill pitchy crap. She checked out 30 sends before the song ended. L is tired of her swinging that left arm around! Gonna hit the guitar player. She thinks Haley concentrates too much on the words/performance and is never into the song.
Side note: every week, Haley keeps true to the Idol Haleys by slutting it up as she feels the votes slipping. The purple hooker boots and the song about prostitution were a good fit.

JLo makes drunken rant in support of girl power. Still reading from some panel on the table. Who writes it?

Jacob -- Iovine takes Jacob to SCHOOL about the mirror comment. Jacob is the Anti-Casey, in that he totally caved and went with Jimmy/Will.I.Am's choice over his own. He doesn't look happy doing it...K says they were right, this was perhaps the best of Jacob's performances, though it was no match for the version Clay did, as L reminded me. Working the Jesus vote -- will it help?

James (Tenacious) D -- man, this is the week to spit in Iovine/Will's face! Take that, Mr. Man! K says James blew the muthafuckin ROOF off the sucka! METAL!!! Incredible that they got Zack Wylde to shred on the song. Great. L says loved it!
Side note -- so funny to see the polo-shirt wearing audience members looking confused as hell as to how to move during his performance.

James
Casey
(massive Led Zeppelin-sized space)

Lauren
Jacob
Scotty
Stefano
(Jimmy Iovine's Ego-sized space)

Paul
Hailey

Our bottom three: Stefano, Paul, Hailey, Paul's (Porter Waggoner on Acid) goes home

America's B3: Stefano, Paul, Jacob, Stefano goes home.

This article from TMZ is pretty interesting: according to their spies on the inside, Pia never stood a chance anyway, topping out at best somewhere in 5th/6th.
and according to the poll there,


(as of 4:25 PST on 4/12) it looks like Durbin is the favorite -- but by the slimmest of margins! Scotty's really close. If it's meaningful at all, it shows James has almost twice the percentage of Casey, the nearest competitor below Scotty.
What do you think?

-- K

just in case anyone wanted to zoom in on my "idol secret ingedients" photochop

You might not be able to read all the antipsychotic labels, the Turd Polish, etc :)

--K

Pia Schmia

Ok...I am going to weigh in here and I might disagree a bit.

While I am shocked and disappointed that Pia was voted off this early, I don't find it to be the biggest shock in AI history that many people do. Face it.....Pia was predictable and bland. She has to accept part of the blame herself for not bringing any performance to her performances. Hell...even Scotty has a better stage precense.

I don't find Pia getting voted off as shocking as Jennifer Hudson or Daughtry in seasons past.

I do find it interesting that in what was supposed to be a girls year, that there are only two girls left and one of them is Hailey. I fully expected Pia/Lauren in the finale though and her getting voted off really blasts the competition wide open.

I don't see Scotty in the finale...then again, who would have seen Taylor Hicks in the final?

I still think this is Laurens to lose

What a Crock of Shit

Yeah, we are totally feeling J's rant. What the fuck, America? You can't even blame it on Idol (you can, but more on that in a sec) as much as the fucking idiots voting out there. I have read article after article saying the tween female vote is responsible for this mind-boggling season, and the past few. One by one, the Idol girls get assassinated early and the cute factor outweighs the talent in most of the Idol boys. Hard to argue with that, the way it's shaping up. But PIA? Damn it. She was too good, I guess.

Back to how Idol should take part of the heat for this: yeah J, damn right, Steven, JLo and Randy ought to be kicking themselves HARD for WASTING the save on Casey. I swear to God, if you look back at the moment they used it to save Fozzy, the camera cut to the remaining contestants, and Pia had an odd look on her face. At the time, I was thinking "they should have saved that for her, or James, or hell, even Lauren" and I think many of the contestants flashed that thought, too. Well, now it's come back to bite them on the ass. Good job, morons. Might as well give it to Alfred E Newman (Scotty) now.

--K

WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!

I just had to write a little post here to sound off a bit on what the hell just happened on Idol. They didn't just vote off a good singer. They voted off the singer who was the most consistent week in and week out . . . the person who should, in my opinion, have been standing as the winner at the end of the Idol journey. Last night was a possible first in Idol history. A night, in my opinion, where everyone was solid. There were no bad performances last night . . . so, in theory . . . or in reality, ANYONE could go home. This elimination completely changes the outlook for Idol. It makes Scotty a serious contender for the crown. It shows that there is NO clear frontrunner. I am SO PISSED right now I can hardly type. Yes, yes, I understand it's just a television show . . . but it's one that we invest our time in 6 months per year. . . I hope the judges are kicking themselves for saving Casey two weeks ago. WHAT THE FUCK . . . that concludes this rant for now.

Shot a man in Reno - so he'd stop singin' on Idol

Okay Idol, let's get to rockin'!

Jacob - Man in the MIrror. K says it is interesting that RockNRoll week happens when he is the last man of color. His version was okay, but the performance was kind of weird. DrL says - thought there were a couple of flat notes here and there, but overall not bad. It was really great that he chose a song that he felt most comfortable singing - echoing Randy's point. Wow that one of the songwriters was singing with him!!

Haley - Piece of My Heart - the perfect match of a song for her voice! Great choice and performance for her. Might not have smiled as much…but she was having fun. Always performs the same way, no matter what the song. That being said - She really seemed to be comfortable up there and for once, all the stomping around fit this tune. LOVED the Gwen Stefani styling!

Casey - Have you ever seen the rain? K says this was a pleasant performance, but kinda low key - after the first two. This song had the potential to be karaoke, but Casey found a way around that. The upright bass was awesome! Loved this!

Lauren - Natural Woman - okay..so Ms. Kelly set the bar really high for anyone else to perform this song, but Lauren did a super job! K says it was one of his favorite Lauren songs. Loved her interpretation of it. Again, loving the Gwen style!

Side note: Todd in the crowd!!! Todd is God!

James - While my guitar gently weeps - Wow! K says that was the first authentic performance of the night of real rock-n-roll (blues, soul, etc.). Went from really understated, emotional and then powered on up to that awesome note at the end. That was a chance worth taking - loved it!

Scotty - That's alright mama - K says interesting that Scotty is juxtaposed against James, as he thought this was the most inauthentic and contrived performance. Nobody commented, but he effed up the lyrics! DrL just couldn't quit giggling at the silly moves he makes. WHAT was that demonic look he gave there at the end of the song??

Pia - River Deep Mountain High - after Ryan's comment, DrL was really worried that she was going to sing 'Walk on the Wild Side'…. that little mini explosion behind her was almost too weak compared to her voice! It was much more uptempo - but I am looking for her to get out and move a bit more - and maybe a contemporary uptempo tune.

Stefano - When a man loves a woman - K says the first part of the song owned him, but he got it back during the 2nd half of the song. DrL wondered if it was too old of a song for him - he was a bit pushy with it. K says he was surprised at his range - he really took it up there.

Paul - Folsom Prison Blues - DrL loved it! What a great way to end the show. K says that Paul being considered good is from a universe where Sanjaya could be good - he's more of a novelty. Can't hold a note to save his life.

DrL&K Rankings:

James

Pia

Lauren

Paul

Haley

Jacob

Casey

Scotty

Stefano



DrL&K's bottom three:

Casey, Stefano, Scotty
Stefano goes home


America's bottom three:
Haley, Stefano, Jacob

Jacob goes home in a shocker! It's about time for a guy to go....
Looking forward to a fun results show tonight!!

Its time for Kermit the frog to be voted off

Jacob - Man in the mirror. He started off very pitchy but we definitely delivered as it progressed. Thought he probably earned some mid-America votes for saying that he didn't want to sing "lets get it on" because it was about "doing the nasty" and it just isn't him...but yet....interesting, he was doing those hip thrusts with the back-up singer.

Haley - Doing a poor impression of Janice. At least when Janice screams she does so melodically...Haley just screamed. Haley has this cheesyness to her....I don't know what the judges heard.

Casey - picked a great song...Casey sounds very John Fogetry...I'm not a Casey fan but he's been good the last couple of weeks.

Lauren - Takes on Aretha...the Queen...and although she is no Aretha...she did a really good job with the song. I liked the Country vibe she gave it....countrol.

Question: Why does Christian Slater look like a friggin bobble head. He looks freaky sitting behind them nodding his head on every comment...plus he looks like is is higher than a kite.

James - A softer side of James. Wow....the song really showed off what a great voice he actually has. He took the risk and it paid off.

Scott - Scotty is starting to remind me of a combination of Howdy Dowdy....Woody from Toy Story with a touch of Curious George. I like the fact that he took it up tempo. He isn't as good as the true singers this season, but he's got just a good enough voice and his dorky personality to move him along for a little while longer.
I don't like the way that he holds the microphone though....

Pia - Wow...Pia is definitely the front runner here. I stand by my Pia/Lauren finale....(so does Christian Slater's daughter). I kinda understand what the judges are saying about Pia needing to study some true performers to take it to the next level...

Stefano - When a man loves a woman...he's just so cute. He said it was going to be a big week for him...I'm not so sure...more like a big weak. I thought the vocals were good, but I don't know that it was a great song choice for him

Paul - It is WAAAAAY past time for this guy to be gone. How he even made the top 12 is beyond me. I think Vote for the Worst is really influencing the vote here.


Rubbertoes bottom 3 - Paul, Haley and Scotty

America's bottom 3 will be very different: Paul, Stefano and Jacob

Going home: Paul....please God....please......

The Top 9: One HELL of a Heavenly Night!

THIS is AMERican Idol!

"It's Go Time" - Ryan Seacrest

How do we have 90 minutes of show with 9 contestants . . . and why do the girls get styled and not the boys?

Rock and Roll is the theme tonight . . .

Here are OUR TOP 9!

Will.I.Am is in the house.

Paul
Pia
James
Scotty
Haley
Lauren
Stefano
Casey
Jacob

1. Jacob - He is singing, "Man in the Mirror" . . . Lord in heaven let this boy come out of his nose. He's going against what the mentors thought. If he ends up in the bottom three it will be because America wasn't ready to look at themselves in the mirror . . . He sounds like his throat is full . . . and as per usual he is a little pitchy . . . though no one will mention it, I'm sure. The middle of the song picks up and he sounds better. I wonder if anyone will mention that he picks these same types of songs like they always say to others . . . we'll see. Overall a pretty good showing.

Steven - Thinks he brought another little piece of himself to the party
JLo - Thinks something . . . she liked it, but I didn't quite get her comments.
Randy - Thinks he did him

2. Haley - She is singing, "Piece of My Heart" . . . this could be an idol moment or it could be a disaster. This could be Haley's moment to move into the top group or to solidify her bottom three status. Good start for Haley. This may be the first time I've heard Haley connect with a song. She's getting a little overly screechy at times, but overall I'm quite impressed with her performance. Good work, Ms. Haley.

JLo - Thinks she is a contender
Randy - Thinks she did her bluesy, souly, thing with this song
Steven - Couldn't find nothing wrong with that . . .

3. Casey - He is singing, "Have you ever seen the rain" He's playing the bass . . . I kind of love that. . . I could do without the electronic rain. He's giving a little Jason Castro vibe tonight. He is giving it that Casey vibe . . . a little too screechy at times, but definitely on key. It wasn't my favorite of his, but def better than Nirvana. Kind of boring, but good all around.

Randy - thinks he did "well" justice to the song . . .
Steven - thinks he is a true musician
JLo - thinks he is exactly where he belongs . . .

4. Lauren - She is singing, "Natural Woman" . . . I don't have to remind Little Tasters that Kelly Clarkson blew this shit away in Season One . . . I wish her luck. She even has herself done up a little Kelly like . . . It's a little like Kelly lite . . . she's got all of the notes, but I'm not sold yet. . . and then she hits it during the middle of the song. She did the song proud. Good for you, Lauren.

Steven - Thinks that tonight she is a natural born woman
JLo - Thinks she is amazing
Randy - Thinks she picked one of the more difficult songs, but he's not jumping up and down.

5. James - I missed what he is doing, but it's by the Beatles and he's slowing it down. I love the change of pace from him . . . reminds me of when Lambert would slow it down. He's actually showing off his voice However, and I hate to say this, but it's a bit on the boring side. The scream at the end picked it up because it was on key, but it was a strange performance for me. Still the best of the night by a hair, for me.

JLo - She's becoming like Paula . . . I'm not really sure what she said, but she liked it.
Randy - He loved seeing the true emotional side.
Steven - thought the brought the emotion

6. Scotty - He is singing, "That's all right momma" . . . of course, it's Elvis. Did anyone else think the combination of country and rock would be "cock" . . . maybe it's just my dirty mind. :) Scotty said this was going to be different from his usual performance, but it still really sounds Scotty like. His vocals, as per usual, are spot on . . . and frankly, not quite as annoying as usual. A mighty decent performance tonight from Scotty . . . mama.

Randy - Scotty is in it to win it
Steven - Thinks he brought Elvis into the house
JLo - Thought she felt a little bit of flava in that performance.

7. Pia - and Ryan says our girl is taking a walk on the wild side . . . She's singing "River Deep Mountain High" . . . This girl has a nack for singing the right song. This song could be an Idol moment . . . Y'all know I love her. She's doing the Celine Dion version of this song . . . As per usual, she is pitch perfect and bringing the energy. I'm impressed. She gets better each week. Simply Stunning!

Steven - He thinks she murdered it.
JLo - She thinks she sees greatness and wants her to start researching the great performers.
Randy - Thinks she showed that she can do the uptempo.

8. Stefano - He is singing "When A Man Loves A Woman" . . . I think if he doesn't bring it, he may be done. He's too far up in the upper register for my taste, but he is singing it well. He's closing his eyes too much, but his vocals are spot on. Man, it's been a good night.

JLo - Thought it was beautiful
Randy - Wasn't jumping up and down . . . he liked it but didn't love it
Steven - Thinks he has a great range that he needs to keep playing with.

9. Paul - He is singing, "Folsom Prison Blues" . . . interesting choice. As I sit on the island of unpopular opinion . . . I love my boy, Paul. Man, he is ripping up that guitar. His vocals are especially good tonight. I thought that was one of the best of the night. Excellent job, Mr. Paul.

Randy - He has three words, "I LOVED IT"
Steven - thinks he is a perfect imperfect boy
JLo - thought it was the perfect way to end the show.

I have to add an aside here . . . my 85 year old grandmother just hung up with me so that she could start voting for Scotty and Paul. I love her. :)

Overall, I think this was the best show of the season. They all did a great job. I think it's going to be very close in the voting. We may have some surprises coming tomorrow.

My Bottom Three: Stefano, Casey, and Jacob
America's Bottom Three: Jacob, Haley and Casey
Going Home: Jacob (In a SHOCKER!)

I could be totally off . . . anyone outside of Scotty and Pia could be in the bottom three . . . But that's what I'm going with . . .

Little Tasters Point Game: An Attempt At An Update

Ok Little Taster's, I'm going to make an attempt at an update based on last week's strange results show.

Here's where we sat before the results show

J = 20 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 12 points

This week's results:

J = 2 out of bottom 3 (2 points), 1 out of 2 going home (3 points), 1 out of 2 in the original picks (5 points) = 10 points

Rubbertoe = 2 out of bottom 3 (2 points), 1 out of 2 going home (3 points), 0 out of 2 from the original picks (0 points) = 5 points

Dr.L & K = 1 out of bottom 3 (1 point), 0 out of 2 going home (0 points), 0 out of 2 from the original picks (0 points) = 1 point

New results:

J = 30 points
Rubbertoe = 19 points
Dr. L&K = 13 points

I used the picks for #10 and #11 on the original picks. Please let me know if I got it wrong . . . I think I figured it correctly . . . one point each for bottom three picks, three points each for correctly guessing the departing contestant, and five points for getting the original pick correct.

Sorry, Rubbertoe . . . . I knew I'd miss something . . .

Looking forward to tonight!

The Top 11: Working it Rubbertoe Style

Much like Rubbertoe last week, I am operating a bit in the dark. I was unable to watch the show and the damned thing didn't record. So, I had to go and listen to the studio versions of the Elton John songs our Top 11 performed last night. I realize that these recordings are definitely not the same as listening to them live, but it's the best I can do. So, I listened and tried to envision how good or how bad they came across on stage. So, here are my rankings . . .

1. Pia
2. Casey
3. James
4. Scotty
5. Paul
6. Lauren
7. Haley
8. Stefano
9.Jacob
10. Thia
11. Naima

Therefore, according to my flawed listening, my bottom 3 is Jacob, Thia and Naima . . . however, here is what I am GUESSING America's bottom 3 will be . . .

Thia, Naima, and Stefano. . . assuming they do a traditional bottom 3. Since two are going home, my picks are Naima and Stefano.

We shall see if, being almost blind, I have any inkling of what America will do.

Idols Top 11: Pitchy seems to be the hardest word

Elton John week! Please let some of these songs be good....

Scotty - Country Comfort brilliant song choice, and could probably have a hit with that. Would be interesting to see how it does on ITunes this week. He's in the #1 spot, but I don't think he's going anywhere.

Naima - Im still standing - reggae version. Hmm, not sure about the accent?! Actually better than we thought it would be, stayed in tune. K says - now that Naima has made it to the tour, it seems like the de-pimping has begun (see judges' response to her performance).

Paul - Rocket Man I liked Paul's interpretation of the song, but can see that he is probably getting lost in the competition. K - says "I stand by my conviction that Paul is a far cooler guy off stage than he has ever been onstage at Idol".

Pia - Don't let the sun go down on me. K thought the super power note was good note on the song. He liked it better than Paul's song, but she didn't have a moment with it like she could have. I didn't like the choir behind her, that took me out of the song. It was beautiful song though!

Stefano - Tiny Dancer - Once again, Jimmy Iovine hates Stefano! K says - of the singers that have an affected style (Scotty, Paul, Stefano) - he would MUCH rather hear Scotty and Paul continue on in the competition. Not that he did a bad job, even when he is good - don't like the way he sings. All I can think of is 'hold me closer Tony Danza', not my fave performance so far. He is definitely improving week to week - lots of charisma and enthusiasm.

Lauren Alaina - Candle in the Wind - K says Jimmy either loves her, or has been told to love her! She can have a pretty voice, but she always seems to be ahead of the music. She was thinking about performing, and that took her out of the song. She acts like the teenager that she is. LOL Steven Tyler - we LOVE you!!

James - Saturday Night's Alright - Whoooo! I would hate to follow James tonight - that was a fun performance. Good voice control in addition to the dancing around. K says it is always enjoyable to watch him. He worries that people might assume he is a front-runner and might not be voting for him. He is very consistent - you don't ever feel like he is just half-assin' it .

Thia - Daniel. Heartfelt performance and I liked the arrangement of the song. K says - she did what Stefano shot for, and maybe missed. However, don't know if it is enough to keep her in the competition. I am guessing she will still be in the bottom three.

Casey - Your Song - That was exactly what he needed to do this week - the beard trim, the more understated performance - he really has a clear, sweet voice. I know he was probably tempted to do the growly thing - but this was much better. I hope he will continue along this path. Loved it!

Jacob -Sorry seems to be the hardest word - What is he doing in Heaven Can Wait? He's getting closer, but that arrangement pushed him to do that over-the-top stuff. Much preferred the first part of the song to the 2nd half.

Haley - Bennie & the Jets - didn't like that it started off all loungey…if it had been more funky throughout - it would have come off much better. K says - they want her to go - (see the over pimpage via the judges!) Complete cognitive dissonance on that one. Not sure how THAT was the best performance of the night.

Rankings:

James
Casey
Pia
Scotty

Jacob
Paul

Lauren Alaina
Thia
Naima
Stefano
Haley


Our bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Stefano and Haley go home

America's bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Stefano and Haley go home

Scotty - Is he a one trick pony? Well...Scotty did what Scotty does. It was a lackluster performance, but he played to his base. He played the "Grandma" card and it will pay off for him again. Rubbertoe 1-10 (5)...AI 1-10 (7)

Naima - Looked great in the gold dress. "I'm still standing"...one of my favorite EJ songs...but not sure how the Reggae is going to work...I liked it more than I thought I would...but I didn't love her fake Jamaican accent. I'm afraid this could very well be the end for Naima. RT (6) AI (3)

Paul - Vocals are horrible...he needs to enunciate. Paul demonstrated clearly why he is the pick of "Vote for the Worst" RT (2) AI (3). This could be the end of Paul,

Pia - Wow...the Scarlet dress is beautiful on her. Don't let the sun go down....Clay did this song incredbily in season 2. After hearing Pia...I have to say that Clay OWNS this song...it was ok, but nothing special. RT (6) AI (8)

Stefano - Tiny Dancer. My favorite EJ song...Stefano did well in the chorus...not so much on the verse. However, I think he did well enough to survive.
RT (7) AI (6)

Lauren - I'm still waiting for Lauren to live up to the Lauren of the early weeks.
and I'm still waiting. It was good...I liked the country vibe she gave Candle in the wind...but she needs to kick it up a few more notches. RT (8) AI (8)

James -Awesome. Showed exactly how it should be done. RT (10) AI (10)

Thia - Daniel...good song choice. I thought this was one of Thia's better performances. I'm not a fan...and I don't think she has any "it" factor...but better than many tonight. RT (6) AI (5)

Casey - A Million times better tonight. Tonight was actually the first time that I actually liked him. RT(9) AI (9).

Jacob - Good Job....I can't stand the faces that he pulls...but he did a good job tonight of not completely overdoing it. RT (7) AI (7)

Haley - Benny and the Jets...oooo...this could be a disaster. Wow...completely cornball.


Rubbertoe's bottom 3 - Paul, Naima, Haley

America's bottom 3 - Paul, Naima, Haley

Wow....America gets it right...and no judges save to screw it up this week.
Haley lives yet again...

Going Home...Paul and Naima

Little Tasters Point Game: What The Fuck Addition

Hey Little Tasters . . . I think the title says it all.

I can't believe American actually got it kind of right, and then were brutally rebuffed. Not really surprised that Casey was saved, but was VERY surprised that America voted him out.

Here's what our standings from last week looked like.

J = 18 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 11 points

Here's this weeks results

J: 2 out of bottom 3 correct (Thia/Stefano) = 2 points
Rubbertoe: 0 out of bottom 3 correct . . . Rubbertoe was operating in the dark this week.
Dr.L/&K: 1 out of bottom 3 correct (Stefano) = 1 point.

Updated results:

J = 20 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 12 points

Hopefully we'll be better next week . . . two will be eliminated.

Motown Night: The good, the bad, and the weird

Alright, let's get this thing started...

Casey - Heard it through the grapevine
Very spirited performance. Gets too excited toward the end of the song, but he kinda-sorta tried to follow the producer's advice. About 65% of the way getting to a good performance, but then got derailed with some of the screechy stuff he does each week. Week after week - they seem to over-pimp the first spot as a buffer…wondering if spot #2 is the new #1 spot - as far as who TPTB want to get voted off?

Thia - Heatwave
She definitely stepped it up a few notches - i am constantly surprised that she sounds so mature when she sings. Great that she broke from the ballads. K says it was the move she had to make to stay in, but anytime he hears these songs, cant help but have shades of "Crocodile Rock" a'la …(J who was that guy??)

Jacob - can't wait to see if he can pull it back like Jimmy Iovine suggested….wacky movements when he sings, the diva certainly came out. Much better! so glad he controlled it at least until the end. K says much more like a performance rather than a gymnastic routine.

Lauren Alaina - loved her hair straight! The beginning was really good, but then she sort of ran out of steam, and kind of coasted till the end of the song. All that walking around took the wind out of her and she couldn't recover. K says they are working hard to keep farm-bot barbie in the competition.

Stefano - I will be deferring to K to review this song…I just loathe it. K says "I feel like we just got punked" - he is so delusional that he thinks he is some great singer with the 'i love you' at the end. Laughably worst of the night….

Haley Scarnato - mum, I mean Haley Lee Cook, or Haley whatever! LOL with the shorts, the stylists have been on notice to babe her up! Side note: nice douchebag moment by Ryan embarrassing poor Stefano's mom with the food critique by Gordon Ramsey of all people!! Arghhh! K says - "Legs -check, Cleavage - check, Hooker hair and outfit - check, BUT sane, competent performance - fail." She did perform a miracle however, which was to rival Stefano's absurd rendition of Motown. Too growly!

Scotty - how 'bout that leaning into the camera there at the end! LOL - Yikes, Steven comparing him to Glen Campbell! In a bizarre way - Scotty defied K's expectation that this was gonna crush him. Thought it was impossible for him to find anything Motown to sing, but he managed to pull the country gizzards out of the this song….but that doesn't mean it was good.

Pia - Wow! K says he must have been on Jr Idol for the last hour or so - until Pia came on stage. That was a beautiful performance! Right on with Steven's comment :) The de-pimpage is clear: she's leaving too many of the other competitors in the dust.

Side note: Out of control - pointing out Pia's ass - WTF, Ryan?? Please reign it back in a bit.

Paul - his backup singers were from the "Village of the Damned" . For K it didn't suck as much as last week, but that's like saying getting your ass kicked is better than being shot - it is still painful. L was pleasantly surprised with the performance - I like that the guitar limits some of the weird, jerky dance moves. I love all the tenderness - like what Randy was saying!

Side note: with the cougar joke, Ryan is now gleefully treading over into lunacy. If you catch him grinning and looking downstage @ Randy? you know he knows it too.

Naima - Started out pretty well, and then got kind of repetitive. What happened to the sort of funky reggae part that was initially there? She seemed like she was going through the motions to hurry to get to the dance part..which to me seemed weirdly tacked on. K thought that rather than just singing the song, she feels compelled to add on stuff to give it flava - as unnecessary as the bagpiper last year for Lee Dewyze.

James - Wow! way to end the night - love that song! Only genuine rock-n-roller in the bunch. Would loved to have been in the audience for that part of the show.

So another performance night is complete. On to the rankings:

Pia
James

Jacob
Lauren Alaina
Naima
Thia
Paul
Scotty
Casey
Haley
Stefano

DrL&K's bottom three:

Casey, Haley, Stefano
Stefano goes home

America's bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Haley goes home

Looking forward to results night!

Idol House is HAUNTED!!!

(Click on title above to link to the TMZ story)

This season just gets stranger & stranger.

Picking in the dark

So I had to go to a work event last night and haven't seen the show yet.....I have it on DVR but probably won't get a chance to watch before the results show in time to post here...so I'm shooting in the dark based on what I believe America's voting pattern to be.


America's bottom 3: Paul (because I have to believe that America cannot embrace this freak.....he hasn't been in the bottom 3 yet, but I have to believe that he's been hovering very close)
Haley - because I think she's been in the bottom 3 every week...but I think she'll live to see another day
Naima - because I think America just does not get her......

Going Home: Naima....not because she deserves to go home...but because she doesn't fit the AI mold.....

The Top 11: Idol Is Livin For The Motown

THIS is American Idol . . .

Who will make it into the Top 10?

It's Motown night. Don't get me wrong, I love Motown music, but I was hoping for new, more contemporary themes. C'mon producers make Idol more contemporary.

Why is JLo in a sparkly bridesmaid dress?

And Mr. Tyler is in JLo's backup outfit... or is it the other way around?

Here are our Top 11!

1. Casey - He's singing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". Here's hoping he recovers from last week's D-I-saster. I'm starting to agree with Rubbertoe. He is very Taylor Hicks. The screeching is back in the beginning . . . strangely . . . and I'm not sure how Casey is accomplishing this . . . I'm bored. He's picking it up a bit in the second half of the song, but he still isn't making me jump out of my seat.

Steven - He thinks that he is the perfect entertainer . . . um . . .
JLo - She doesn't think there is anyone out there like him right now.
Randy - He thinks he is a true original.

2. Thia - Might I just say that they are clearly pulling the Idol favoritism by putting this girl in bad positions every week. I'm not thrilled with Thia, but they don't want her around. She is singing "Heat Wave" . . .this could be a bit of a train wreck. I hope she proves me wrong. Strong start . . . this song seems to be in the right range for her. However, when she goes high she kind of loses it. I'm slightly less bored than last week . . . better effort.

JLo - She thinks it was great to see her let loose.
Randy - He thinks that she took a chance, but thinks she can dig deeper
Steven - He thinks she took a step out.

3. Jacob - He is singing "You're All I Need to Get By" . . . once sung by the OG Idol, Ms. Clarkson. I'm not excited by Jacob. Again, I hope he proves me wrong. He is definitely more restrained in the beginning . . . I still don't like his voice. This is a much better performance from him . . . they got him to tone it down . . . Why is Steven on stage?

Randy - Yo, He thinks that Barry Gordy is somewhere saying, "Oh My God"
Steven - He thinks he did it.
JLo - She was moved and thinks he made her beg . . .

Ok y'all, he ain't that good . . .

4. Lauren - She is singing "You Keep Me Hangin On" . . . Oh Lauren, I want you to recapture what I hear was your magic from the early rounds. I'm loving her hair flat-ironed (Ok, I will try and control the gay) - I'm loving the beginning . . . she's keeping the pace up nicely. Ok, that was much better than I've heard before. That performance could make me a believer.

Steven - He thinks she ripped that song a new beauty mark
JLo - She thinks she threw her head and her neck into it
Randy - He thinks she's got her swagga on high.

5. Stefano - Lionel? Really? We're in the commercial break, and I'm hoping he's not singing . . . anything I can think of. He is singing, "Hello" . . . was there any doubt . . .He's NEVER heard this song . . . this could be wonderful or cheesetastic. The beginning is dripping with cheese . . . his vocals are spot on . . . pitch perfect, but I think the fact that he hadn't heard the song before is making it ring false. I'm sure I'll be on the island of unpopular belief for this opinion.

JLo - She thinks his intensity is coming from the wrong place.
Randy - He thinks the connection is missing
Steven - He thinks he "ramped up" too soon

6. Haley - in the commercial break . . . I already like her better with the straight hair . . . She is going to sing, "You Really Gotta Hold On Me". Ok, not a bad beginning for Ms. Haley. There are some technical difficulties here during her performance. She is much better this week.

Randy - He thinks that she got better by the middle of the song.
Steven - He thinks she doesn't look a day over fabulous
JLo - She thinks she has effortless control in her voice.

7. Scotty - What the hell is he gonna sing? He's singing "For Once In My Life" . . . hmmmmm . . . I guess we'll see . . . Oh Sweet God. His voice is, as always, pitch perfect . . .my complaint is that he can't seem to get out of that same limited range. I did not love that arrangement . . . it was kind of yikesy for me.

Steven - He thought it was beautiful
JLo - She thought it was a great version of the song . . . but didn't think it was his strongest
Randy - He thought he was taking and chances and saying, "yo".

8. Pia - "All In Love Is Fair" - She's got the dramatic going on . . . She's got what Stefano didn't . . . a connection to the song. Damn, girl can hit the notes. It's not my favorite song choice, but damn she is turning it out.

JLo - She loved it but wants her to own the stage.
Randy - He loved that she incorporated more falsetto
Steven - He thinks she is the star in this American Idol universe

9. Paul - He is singing, "Tracks of My Tears" . . . I'm hopeful, Lambert did it up right a few years ago . . .this is already better than the previous two weeks. He made a smart move by bringing out the guitar. I'm happy with my Paul.

Randy - he liked that he did his thing with the guitar.
Steven - He thought it was very different in a Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan way.
JLo - She thinks he is the complete package.

10. Naima - She is singing, "Dancing In The Street" . . . she better bring it or it could be time for her to go. I'm scared . . . The vocals are already better than usual . . .I'm a little unclear on the dancing . . . but, the vocals were great.

Steven - I'm not sure what he said. She ate the stage.
JLo - Gave her goose bumps
Randy - Thinks all of her showed up tonight

11. James - He is singing "Livin for the City" - Good song for him. And boy is WORKING the stage. He's keeping his pitch going nicely . . .THIS is a nice performance. VERY VERY GOOD, sweet baby. :)

JLo - Thinks he is serious business
Randy - Thought it started a little bit rough but thought it was unbelievable when he hit his pocket.
Steven - Thinks sometimes it takes being a little crazy to make a difference in this world.

My Rankings

James (by an almond sliver)
Pia

Lauren
Naima
Paul
Jacob
Haley
Thia
Stefano
Scotty
Casey

My Bottom Three: Stefano, Scotty, and Casey
America's Bottom Three: Haley, Thia, and Stefano
Going Home: Stefano (in a slight shocker)

Little Taster Idol Game: Week 2

Hey Little Tasters! It's time to update the points game!

Let's review our scores from last week:

J = 11 points
Dr.L/&K = 9 points
Rubbertoe = 8 points

Here's how we did this week.

J - 2 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (2 points) and Karen predicted to go home in the original picks (5 points) = 7 points

Dr.L/&K = 2 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (2 points) = 2 points

Rubbertoe = 3 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (3 points) and predicted Karen to go home (3 points) = 6 points. Perfect week for Rubbertoe! Congrats!

New standings:

J = 18 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 11 points

I think I did it right this week, but let me know if I made a mistake . . . I could be having an Oops, I did it again moment.

See y'all next week.

Idol Top 12: WhatItIsNess

Hey y'all! Better late than never - here's the DrL/K recap of last night's event:

First off, we must point out that JLo is rocking something that the trendy circles are calling the 'Glunge' look…..glamour outfit + grunge hair (basically, teasing and frizzing the shit out of it) - ugh!!

First up - Naima 1984 (a great year, BTW! I miss you highschool). I liked the arrangement of the song - but K thought it took a personal song and made it into a kind of angry global anthem = Not so much. She had a kind of shaky start, but understandable with those funky boots traversing the staircase. She was placed in the KOD spot, but Idol needs her on the tour.

Side note: Randy, um that shirt is made from recycled upholstery!

Paul (1984) - takes on Elton John. Okay, his voice was shaky. K likened it to the intensity of Fruit-Stripe gum, i.e. weak and becomes bland and flavorless quickly. K said applying the Rubbertoe test - this is something he would never, ever want to hear again. For the RIGHT songs - Paul is great, but for this contest not really working.

Thia - CUTE as a little girl! Adorable pictures. Vanessa Williams song. Pretty solid performance, sounded the prettiest so far. K thought it was boring. DrL thought - too many ballads, she is gonna need to mix it up a bit to stay in.

Durbin (1989) - Bon Jovi tune. Pitchy and the song choice?? K says never that great of a song when it was new - not his best performance. L thought he needed to rock on out a bit more.

Haley - Could we PLEASE ban Whitney songs from Idol?? Yikes on the red lipstick mishap. Hey - what was up with Jimmy Iovine's "work ethic" comment to Haley??? Interesting….
K says worst performance of the night. Idol should help contestants steer clear of songs with rapid-fire lyrics. L is never clear on exactly WHAT she is saying/singing - can't recognize the songs.

Stefano (1989) - cover of Simply Red covering Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes (both great!) Like him, at least this kid gives 100% each performance! His downfall - he still thinks riffs trump melody and misses the part about the song telling a story. Iovine was a bit upset with him not taking time to get the lyrics right in rehearsal.

Pia (1988) - Another Whitney tune….but great! Not her personal best, but far better than anyone else. Miles above in voice and total package appeal. DrL was excited to see the outfit she wore to highschool graduation on the Idol stage (wish I could still wear that now!)

Scotty (1993) Iovine and Don Was had a great impact on him this week. He really seemed to develop his range. He and Pia are in it to win it. DrL thought it was better than Pia, but K disagrees.

Karen (1989) What was up with Judy Jetson hair and outfit!! J and Rubbertoe - LOVED both of your takes on her look as well - LOL!! Off key in the beginning of her song, clearly underpowered on this classic Taylor Dayne tune.

Casey (1991) NIrvana - loved the spirit of this, and that he tried it, but it confirmed you just really can't do THAT song on Idol. Weird, demented performance.

Lauren Alaina (1994) Melissa Etheridge - a great song, but Lauren just doesn't get it . The stylists are still not doing her any favors. She looked great during her sit-down with Iovine - why can't they let her look that on stage? K noted the judges were all reading from something on the monitors on the desk in their critique: producers REALLY want Lauren Alaina to stay in the competition. LOL that her mom has been getting extensions and makeovers each week too!

Jacob (1987) Alone - classic Heart tune. Pitchy all over the place, kind of tired of the vocal gymnastics, needs to learn where his range ends and build to that. Sounded bad - he shouldn't make fun of his mom's singing so quickly.

Here's our rankings (didn't seem like a 'big space' kind of week, because no one was really spectacular):

1. Pia
2. Scotty (island of unpopular opinion, but L thought 1 & 2 should be reversed)
3. Stefano
4. James
5. Thia
6. Naima
7. Jacob
8. Lauren Alaina
9. Casey
10. Haley
11. Karen
12. Paul

DrL/K's bottom three:
Haley, Karen, Paul
Paul goes home ( but that won't happen for a few weeks)

America's bottom three:
Thia, Karen, Haley
Haley goes home

Looking forward to the results show tonight!