It is snowing here is in St. Louis, and I am curled up with a blanket glad to be out of the elements. The show begins tonight with some hysterical footage of Ryan and Simon's limo ride to the auditions. Ryan is doing his educational shtick about Jacksonville and Simon interrupts him and tells him to talk normal. Apparently once a camera is turned on, Ryan just can't do that. After a tribute to Gary's favorite band Journey(yawn) we jump right in with the fun.
Josh Ulloa 22, loves to be compared to Justin from Season one. He enters the room with a whole lot of energy, but his version of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it on" is hard to take, even with the nice voice. He just has way too much going on with it. Simon compared it to Inspector Gadget. Randy says it was crazy, but entertaining. The judges must be in a good mood this early on because the send him on to Hollywood.
Sharon Wilbur 25,is one of those "odd" pet people (you know who you are) and brings Sasha her dog with her. She sings Superstar by Karen Carpenter, but she does the new R & B version (don't ask me who sings it). She apparently doesn't remember anything but the refrain, so she repeats it a couple of times. She has a nice voice, but she doesn't remember enough lyrics to prove to me that she will go very far. Simon, who is one of those dog people too, holds Sasha and says yes almost immediately. Randy agrees, and with that Paula fake makes out with Kara who almost has a wardrobe malfunction. Kara says she was under the impression it would be Simon trying to kiss her, not Paula. Simon just smiles.
Dana Morena screams a few bars and then tells Simon she would be happy to take direction from him. So he shows her how to leave the room.
Kaneswa Finne, an overconfident 16 year old moans an attempt at an Anita Baker song (Caught up in the Rapture of Love) that she renders almost completely unrecognizable. Simon tells her the song got progressively worse, and Kaneswa disagrees. Simon even brings the mom in to tell her how bad it was, but there is no convincing these two.
As if our beauty queen from a few nights ago wasn't bad enough, Jacksonville gives us Julissa Veloy, age 19. She dons a tiara, and actually tackles Whitney, and not completely unsuccessfully either (sigh). Simon told her she didn't make the song pretty, and there is something about her laugh that he doesn't like. When Randy passes over Paula to ask Simon for his vote, Paula walks out and Julissa talks her back in. I am not sure, but I think this is why she gets the golden ticket. The girl has a big voice but she is a little too kooky for top 12 material.
Darin Darnell (Mr. personality plus) works the room for the cameras. He apparently is a friend to everyone, and is proving he has got it all. Shortly before he goes in to audition his friend gets cut and Darin goes from top of the world to big stress and emotion. Oh, and he sings terrible. Once he starts crying, Simon stops him and tells him that he doesn't have the voice. Kara tells him if he can't hack the four of them, they just did him a favor because the road to success is paved with heartache.
Naomi Sykes comes in just like a wind-up toy and proceeds to beg Randy to see her friend who is crazy about him. Next is a slow-mo scene of Naomi's friend kissing Randy, who then invites her to sit on his lap for the audition. Not to be out done, Paula hops on Simon's lap and lonely Kara calls in Ryan to fill her lap. Now six people have to be tortured by yet another fool singing "Loving You". She can't believe she isn't good and cries. Kara (probably still feeling bad about last week) gets a group hug initiated.
Only 9 idol hopefuls were produced from Day 1, and Simon tells Ryan that Day 1 was mostly terrible.
Jasmine Murray 16, starts off day 2 with "Big Girls Don't Cry". She is absolutely beautiful, and has crazy potential. You can almost see Simon adding up the money he could make off of this girl in his head. Her sisters are waiting with Ryan to help her celebrate.
George Ramirez 18, another physics oddball with a terrible beard and a worse haircut has the best line of the evening. Simon asks him if he could do anything, where would he see himself in 11 years, to which he replies "in a simple house with nice floors, marble floors". This guy is either socially disabled or has a potential problem with sedatives.
Anne Marie Boskovich (great name, isn't it)is 24 and comes in a little star struck about Kara. The judges tell her to go back out and come in later with some confidence and a sense of her own stardom.
Next is T. K. Hash, who tried out last season and didn't make it. Simon makes sure to tell him that he doesn't remember him. He does the most overworked version of my favorite song "Imagine" and Paula tells him he sounds better this year, but that it was too much. They give the okay for Hollywood, and even though I hated what he did to my song, I think this guy is a worker with a good heart.
Michael Parrelli and his guitar is next, and maybe it's because of the repeated clips prior to each commercial break of him crying or his bandanna, but I can feel myself getting annoyed. He sings pretty well with his guitar, outside, before the audition, but Idol has already ruined him for me. His childish anxiety about not getting to hold his guitar is on my last nerve. Once he finally gets to the audition, I already don't care how he does. He sings a few bars and he is okay, but the judges think he needs to get a band. Simon doesn't think this competition is the right place for him.He starts begging and Simon sends him packing. When he comes out to his waiting family, his poor mom tries to comfort him and he gets all rude and says "Don't touch me". Ryan was like "that is your mom" (and gives a pretty good disgusted look).
We close with Anne Marie Boskovich coming back for he another try. She is made up and ready to sing. She nails "Bubbly" and they tell her to pack her bags for Hollywood. This girl is darling and talented, and I hope she does well.
After two days, Jacksonville only sent 16 on to Hollywood week. Tomorrow we will be in Salt Lake City.
I will not be tuning in until Friday my friends. I have bunco and the rep for the next two days (if we can get out of the driveway).I promis to blog about it all over the weekend.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Louisville-Kara gets mean
I have a nice glass of Pinot Noir, my note pad, and my PJ's on and I am ready to watch Wednesday's installation of the Idol auditions in Louisville Kentucky. (I was at Legally Blonde during the original airing, "Oh my God you guys", it was good!)Ryan shows us much footage of the most exciting 2 minutes in sports, and then the judges arrived, the boys looking terribly under dressed in comparison to Kara and Paula.
Tiffany Shedd arrives first, with her stage parents in tow, and proceeds to destroy "Hero" by Mariah Carey. She looks all strange with the blue eye shadow and a really bad dye job. The judges do not let her sing something else, so she sings "Because of You" in the lobby to a mom who can only be described as deaf. I almost choked on my wine.
Johanna Pacitti 23, has been trying to make it in this business since she left home at 16 and signed with A & M records. Something that didn't work out, but we aren't given the details of that. She impresses with "We Belong" and is sincerely moved that the judges "find her worthy". She sounds and looks great, but she is pretty emotional and this is just the beginning. I hope she can get a handle on all of that, because she has a great voice.
Mark Mudd, the unluckiest guy in Kentucky, almost died 5 times. He sings "White Lightening" (?) and Paula tells him it is not the right competition for him. He then makes a remark like "be careful" which the judges turn into some big threat drama.I think it was pretty silly for them to read threat into it.
Brent Keith Smith sang "I can't get enough of your love" and Simon told him he should have sang a more emotional song. Kara for some reason found this so embarrassing that she started to crawl under the table. Simon defends his comment saying he is just trying to give constructive criticism. I don't care because it give me time to enjoy this cutie's dimples for a little while longer. It was 4 yeses for this talented handsome man.
We then were subjected the montage of horror. Irene Argueloba's "Somewhere over the Rainbow", Obianiyu Omwurah, Wil Heuser, Ryan Benningfield (the Mr. Zebra guy with the childlike face paint) and finally a large Patrick Warner's impression of Michael Jackson (complete with the dance moves)all were sent packing after their tortuous audition's.
Matt Giraud, the dueling piano player, changes the mood after his audition. He picks a Gavin DeGraw song and he has a really unique voice. He is likable guy and I am anxious to hear him again.
Ross Bradley Plavsic is the nerd for the night. This bizarre Chinese character man taught himself to sing with physics or something.He has a scratchy throat that just kind of came up, and is not successful, despite drinking all of Paula's water through HER straw. Some of you who know me well, understand how disturbing this was for me. I couldn't even focus on his bad singing of "Love me Tender" after that.
Only 10 get through to Hollywood after day one, but thankfully day two starts off with Alexis Grace. She is a 21 year old stay at home mom. She sang Dr. Feelgood, and it was unexpectedly good. She gets positive comments and a golden ticket, despite Simon's reservations. Kara tells her that pink is not her color and not to wear it in hollywood. I thought this was a singing competition?
Aaron Williamson gets the judges all riled up. WOO! They don't care for his singing but they love the energy that he brought back to the room. (Well, all but Simon, he seemed mildly annoyed by the entire exchange). After a lot of unnecessary screaming, he slinks out of the room with a broken heart.
Rebecca Garcia from Churchill Downs has cheat sheet written on her arm,just in case her nerves cause her to forget the words to "Before he Cheats". She sings and dances pretty badly, and Kara stops her and says "you were voted the funniest in your class-so I get the joke". It was mean, because there is no way this girl is joking and Simon and Paula know it. She fights tears, and Simon tries to kindly kick her off the ledge by telling her "don't ever sing again, but I like you as a person". Like that nugget of kindness is going to make this poor girl feel better.
We then barely get to see the good auditions of Kris Allen (fantastic), Felicia Barton, (beautiful voice), Ryan(? it was too fast) Johnson (dreamy),and Shera Lawrence, who fakes out her family. She has a really interesting voice and a great smile.
We do get our manipulative tale of the evening in Laneshe Young. She has struggled with homelessness and poverty. Her confidence is infectious and she sings an original song (usually the kiss of death) called Natty and blows the judges away. She is absolutely original and I find myself pulling for her. (You see, if the contestants are TALENTED we don't need the extra manipulation.)
Have you noticed there is a bit of an Extreme Home Makeover theme to idol this year? Night one we had blindness, night two, a widower and a displaced family, night three a sick mother, and finally night four homelessness. Why all of this before we get to Hollywood where they may be eliminated in the first 5 minutes and ultimately forgotten?
All that being said, I am enjoying Idol more this season than last season. Kara has made all of the other judges raise their game. It is amazing how much more entertaining the show can be when the judges aren't bored. Tune in next Tuesday for Jacksonville Florida. You know I will probably watching it via Tivo the next day. I have St. Joan at the Rep Tuesday and bunco on Wednesday-so don't count on a timely blog, but I do promise to eventually deliver!
Tiffany Shedd arrives first, with her stage parents in tow, and proceeds to destroy "Hero" by Mariah Carey. She looks all strange with the blue eye shadow and a really bad dye job. The judges do not let her sing something else, so she sings "Because of You" in the lobby to a mom who can only be described as deaf. I almost choked on my wine.
Johanna Pacitti 23, has been trying to make it in this business since she left home at 16 and signed with A & M records. Something that didn't work out, but we aren't given the details of that. She impresses with "We Belong" and is sincerely moved that the judges "find her worthy". She sounds and looks great, but she is pretty emotional and this is just the beginning. I hope she can get a handle on all of that, because she has a great voice.
Mark Mudd, the unluckiest guy in Kentucky, almost died 5 times. He sings "White Lightening" (?) and Paula tells him it is not the right competition for him. He then makes a remark like "be careful" which the judges turn into some big threat drama.I think it was pretty silly for them to read threat into it.
Brent Keith Smith sang "I can't get enough of your love" and Simon told him he should have sang a more emotional song. Kara for some reason found this so embarrassing that she started to crawl under the table. Simon defends his comment saying he is just trying to give constructive criticism. I don't care because it give me time to enjoy this cutie's dimples for a little while longer. It was 4 yeses for this talented handsome man.
We then were subjected the montage of horror. Irene Argueloba's "Somewhere over the Rainbow", Obianiyu Omwurah, Wil Heuser, Ryan Benningfield (the Mr. Zebra guy with the childlike face paint) and finally a large Patrick Warner's impression of Michael Jackson (complete with the dance moves)all were sent packing after their tortuous audition's.
Matt Giraud, the dueling piano player, changes the mood after his audition. He picks a Gavin DeGraw song and he has a really unique voice. He is likable guy and I am anxious to hear him again.
Ross Bradley Plavsic is the nerd for the night. This bizarre Chinese character man taught himself to sing with physics or something.He has a scratchy throat that just kind of came up, and is not successful, despite drinking all of Paula's water through HER straw. Some of you who know me well, understand how disturbing this was for me. I couldn't even focus on his bad singing of "Love me Tender" after that.
Only 10 get through to Hollywood after day one, but thankfully day two starts off with Alexis Grace. She is a 21 year old stay at home mom. She sang Dr. Feelgood, and it was unexpectedly good. She gets positive comments and a golden ticket, despite Simon's reservations. Kara tells her that pink is not her color and not to wear it in hollywood. I thought this was a singing competition?
Aaron Williamson gets the judges all riled up. WOO! They don't care for his singing but they love the energy that he brought back to the room. (Well, all but Simon, he seemed mildly annoyed by the entire exchange). After a lot of unnecessary screaming, he slinks out of the room with a broken heart.
Rebecca Garcia from Churchill Downs has cheat sheet written on her arm,just in case her nerves cause her to forget the words to "Before he Cheats". She sings and dances pretty badly, and Kara stops her and says "you were voted the funniest in your class-so I get the joke". It was mean, because there is no way this girl is joking and Simon and Paula know it. She fights tears, and Simon tries to kindly kick her off the ledge by telling her "don't ever sing again, but I like you as a person". Like that nugget of kindness is going to make this poor girl feel better.
We then barely get to see the good auditions of Kris Allen (fantastic), Felicia Barton, (beautiful voice), Ryan(? it was too fast) Johnson (dreamy),and Shera Lawrence, who fakes out her family. She has a really interesting voice and a great smile.
We do get our manipulative tale of the evening in Laneshe Young. She has struggled with homelessness and poverty. Her confidence is infectious and she sings an original song (usually the kiss of death) called Natty and blows the judges away. She is absolutely original and I find myself pulling for her. (You see, if the contestants are TALENTED we don't need the extra manipulation.)
Have you noticed there is a bit of an Extreme Home Makeover theme to idol this year? Night one we had blindness, night two, a widower and a displaced family, night three a sick mother, and finally night four homelessness. Why all of this before we get to Hollywood where they may be eliminated in the first 5 minutes and ultimately forgotten?
All that being said, I am enjoying Idol more this season than last season. Kara has made all of the other judges raise their game. It is amazing how much more entertaining the show can be when the judges aren't bored. Tune in next Tuesday for Jacksonville Florida. You know I will probably watching it via Tivo the next day. I have St. Joan at the Rep Tuesday and bunco on Wednesday-so don't count on a timely blog, but I do promise to eventually deliver!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
San Francisco Auditions
I am going to start by saying that thank goodness this show was only an hour! It has been too long a day at the computer! I am going to launch right into the fun if it is all right with you, faithful readers.
What the heck was up with Tatiana Di Toro of San Juan? I am not sure what annoyed me more, her laugh or the hands clasped at her chest. Ryan was right, she looked like she was a pageant girl. I was hoping that her voice would be terrible, but it wasn't. She is going to be a HUGE drama queen in Hollywood, which is the only consolation for me. Gary and I are now arguing over how much air time they gave that audition, he thinks it was 3 minutes too long and wants me to poll you, my idol watching friends. Log in a post and let him know if you agree.
We then were subjected to some really odd beat boxing from Nick Reid and a pathetically boring "We built this city" by Juayu Yu.
Up next was the self proclaimed failed entrepreneur. Who admits this on national television? He sings "Stars" and it is not good. Simon tells him he hated all of it, the coat the hair color, etc. He tells Simon the hair color is his and that the carpet matches the curtains (or some horrible version of that) and this ends his idol dreams immediately.
Jesus Valenzuela brings in his little boys and sings a pretty pleasant "unchained melody" that his little boys think should earn him the gold ticket. Simon's "no" can't keep Jesus out, and our hard nose judge gets all soft on us and brings the littlest guy in for a hug.
Dalton Powell whimpers "oh baby baby" and I am not even sure what the point of airing that audition was.
James Smith provides an awkward moment when after his song Randy tells him to keep singing to Paula, she wants a baby.
Akilah Gholsten spends her pre-audition time butchering every anatomical term in the dictionary, and then blames her bad audition on not singing from both of her rectums. Everyone else is appalled, but Randy really wants an explanation. She rambles even as she walks off camera and makes up a few words for the road.
John Twiford, Allison Iraheta, and Raquel Houghton all sing snippets of their songs very well and go through to Hollywood without much air time or fanfare.
Annie Murdoch butchers "Summertime" and prompts Simon to tell her she looks drunk (and not just on a couple of bottles either).
Adam Lambert is fresh off of a year and a half in the touring cast of Wicked and nails his performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. Simon thought it was a little too theatrical, but he will do great in Hollywood. He looks impervious to pressure.
Our last singer of the night is our American story singer (we have a theme here, we close the show with the heartwarming story). Kai Kalama has had his life go on hold to care for a sick mother. He sings "Smoke gets in your eyes" and it is pretty darn good. Simon says to watch some video of him to practice confidence before Hollywood, and that he needs to work on not sounding like a "ship singer".
I am ready for the auditions to be over and to get to Hollywood, but we still have 4 or 5 cities left. Augh!
Tune in tomorrow and to my blog on Thursday (or later)....I would love to hear some early predictions!
What the heck was up with Tatiana Di Toro of San Juan? I am not sure what annoyed me more, her laugh or the hands clasped at her chest. Ryan was right, she looked like she was a pageant girl. I was hoping that her voice would be terrible, but it wasn't. She is going to be a HUGE drama queen in Hollywood, which is the only consolation for me. Gary and I are now arguing over how much air time they gave that audition, he thinks it was 3 minutes too long and wants me to poll you, my idol watching friends. Log in a post and let him know if you agree.
We then were subjected to some really odd beat boxing from Nick Reid and a pathetically boring "We built this city" by Juayu Yu.
Up next was the self proclaimed failed entrepreneur. Who admits this on national television? He sings "Stars" and it is not good. Simon tells him he hated all of it, the coat the hair color, etc. He tells Simon the hair color is his and that the carpet matches the curtains (or some horrible version of that) and this ends his idol dreams immediately.
Jesus Valenzuela brings in his little boys and sings a pretty pleasant "unchained melody" that his little boys think should earn him the gold ticket. Simon's "no" can't keep Jesus out, and our hard nose judge gets all soft on us and brings the littlest guy in for a hug.
Dalton Powell whimpers "oh baby baby" and I am not even sure what the point of airing that audition was.
James Smith provides an awkward moment when after his song Randy tells him to keep singing to Paula, she wants a baby.
Akilah Gholsten spends her pre-audition time butchering every anatomical term in the dictionary, and then blames her bad audition on not singing from both of her rectums. Everyone else is appalled, but Randy really wants an explanation. She rambles even as she walks off camera and makes up a few words for the road.
John Twiford, Allison Iraheta, and Raquel Houghton all sing snippets of their songs very well and go through to Hollywood without much air time or fanfare.
Annie Murdoch butchers "Summertime" and prompts Simon to tell her she looks drunk (and not just on a couple of bottles either).
Adam Lambert is fresh off of a year and a half in the touring cast of Wicked and nails his performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. Simon thought it was a little too theatrical, but he will do great in Hollywood. He looks impervious to pressure.
Our last singer of the night is our American story singer (we have a theme here, we close the show with the heartwarming story). Kai Kalama has had his life go on hold to care for a sick mother. He sings "Smoke gets in your eyes" and it is pretty darn good. Simon says to watch some video of him to practice confidence before Hollywood, and that he needs to work on not sounding like a "ship singer".
I am ready for the auditions to be over and to get to Hollywood, but we still have 4 or 5 cities left. Augh!
Tune in tomorrow and to my blog on Thursday (or later)....I would love to hear some early predictions!
Day 2-Kansas City
Okay,so I didn't do so well keeping my promise to update the blog on Thursday. I told you Wednesdays weren't so good for me. I will tell you that watching Idol via DVR went quicker than the previous night. Kansas City is the home of David Cook, and some of my pretty awesome aunts, uncles and cousins (including my little God daughter who is still too young to understand the draw of American Idol).
First up is Chelsea Marquardt, a darling blond who by all appearances seems to be the Idol package. She seems intelligent and sweet and incapable of grossly overestimating her talents, but she does. Simon said it sounded like a cat being thrown off the empire state building and Randy added that it was that, plus the sounds of sirens. Paula and Kara try to build her up a little, but she chalks it up to a bad song choice. Hopefully she will watch herself on the show before she puts herself through that again.
Ashley Anderson picks a Leona Lewis/Simon Cowell number and within the first line Simon was correcting her lyrics. I absolutely hated the bangs and the black eyeliner, but I thought her voice was fine and she went through quickly to Hollywood week.
Casey Carlson was up next and talk about a cutie. I loved her little dress and cowboy boots, her hair, and her darling little voice. She has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what happens to her when she starts working with a band.
After a few stupid human tricks we are presented with Brian Hettler, the opera (and I use that term loosely) trained bearded guy with the bizarre voice. Randy laughed through it. He tells them that people think he sounds like Josh Grobin, and then he sings and he doesn't sound anything like him. He isn't going to cry, but a whole lot of other people are happy to cry on camera, especially a young woman who screams "NO" in a hysteric fit that should only be reserved for loss of life. (I confess it sickly humored me and I watched it a couple of times).
After a few crappy auditions, enter James Michael Avane butchering Alison Krauss, Bill Vinson singing Reflection from Mulan(where do these people come from?), and my personal favorite, Deandre Hopkins butchering Amazing Grace.
Von Smith tells us a little more about his phlegm than I was interested in, and then sings the loudest version of Somewhere over the Rainbow in recent times. The judges send him through, but I don't see him sticking around long.
Lo and behold, Jason Castro has a baby brother. Michael Castro has a completely different voice and sense of style, but the failure to communicate well or get excited about anything is all Jason. He sings "In Love with a Girl" and cracks me up when Kara says he looks like he has a secret and he responds with "maybe I don't even know it".
We move then to a banana song from a man in a yellow suit.
Matt Breitzke, the laborer with a wife and son impresses with "Ain't no Sunshine". Randy isn't buying it, but the other 3 love him and he humbly takes his gold ticket out the door.
Jasmine Joseph sings Somewhere over the Rainbow in about 10 keys and as she realizes the judges aren't liking it, she slowly stops smiling and walks out.
Jasmine Paige-Furny, our small town girl from the land of Oz, lives with her 93 year old Grandma ("these are my crazy pills) and rocks out Crybaby. The judges love her.
India and Asia, the rapping sisters come on the scene next and sing and Ode to Randy about getting too big to go to the bathroom. Asia is not a singer, but her little sister India is a crack up and has a nice voice. They send her on to Hollywood.
Jamar Rogers sings a somewhat affected "California Dreamer" and has a great voice, but the cheek piercing is hard to look at. His best friend Donny Gokey is a grieving widower of one month. He sings Heard it Through the Grapevine and blows the judges away.
After Danny came Anoop-dog, singing with a soulful funky voice that was unexpected. Simon and Randy tell him to work out the wardrobe before Hollywood. I like the guy, he is smart and funny. I love to be surprised, and this one surprised me.
Time for KC best and worst, singing "Signed, Sealed Delivered".
Two cheerleaders do a show for Columbia Missouri native Andrew Lang. He sings My Girl and has a nice voice but is too theatrical for the judges. The cheerleaders cry, but Andrew takes it in stride.
Asa Barnes, a band teacher with a young daughter, sings "The way you make me feel", and although I personally thought it was out of his range, he is good. The judges like him and his voice and he sails through.
We always have the undiscovered star. Cue Michael Nicewater, whose own mother has tried to explain to him that he can't sing. We are tortured with the horror of an original song written to his mother, and despite Paula's loud groan, one to his Grandmother as well. Simon's laughter makes him cry.
Dennis Brigham dreamt that Simon thought he was the best of the day, and after jumping around singing "With You", Randy, Kara and Paula put him through. Simon was not amused.
Mia Conley is our Lovin You attempt for season 8. It is never a success. She tells the camera that God will get the judges and she will be a star anyway.
Thank God the last one up is Lil Rounds, the mother of three whose family has been displaced by a tornado. She sings All I do and is fantastic. She is classy, talented and reminds me of Melinda Dolittle with better stage presence and personality. I can't imagine she won't be in the top 10.
I will be back to type again in 2 1/2 hours my friends, and I will be exhausted but I will try not to let you down.
Tune in now....
First up is Chelsea Marquardt, a darling blond who by all appearances seems to be the Idol package. She seems intelligent and sweet and incapable of grossly overestimating her talents, but she does. Simon said it sounded like a cat being thrown off the empire state building and Randy added that it was that, plus the sounds of sirens. Paula and Kara try to build her up a little, but she chalks it up to a bad song choice. Hopefully she will watch herself on the show before she puts herself through that again.
Ashley Anderson picks a Leona Lewis/Simon Cowell number and within the first line Simon was correcting her lyrics. I absolutely hated the bangs and the black eyeliner, but I thought her voice was fine and she went through quickly to Hollywood week.
Casey Carlson was up next and talk about a cutie. I loved her little dress and cowboy boots, her hair, and her darling little voice. She has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what happens to her when she starts working with a band.
After a few stupid human tricks we are presented with Brian Hettler, the opera (and I use that term loosely) trained bearded guy with the bizarre voice. Randy laughed through it. He tells them that people think he sounds like Josh Grobin, and then he sings and he doesn't sound anything like him. He isn't going to cry, but a whole lot of other people are happy to cry on camera, especially a young woman who screams "NO" in a hysteric fit that should only be reserved for loss of life. (I confess it sickly humored me and I watched it a couple of times).
After a few crappy auditions, enter James Michael Avane butchering Alison Krauss, Bill Vinson singing Reflection from Mulan(where do these people come from?), and my personal favorite, Deandre Hopkins butchering Amazing Grace.
Von Smith tells us a little more about his phlegm than I was interested in, and then sings the loudest version of Somewhere over the Rainbow in recent times. The judges send him through, but I don't see him sticking around long.
Lo and behold, Jason Castro has a baby brother. Michael Castro has a completely different voice and sense of style, but the failure to communicate well or get excited about anything is all Jason. He sings "In Love with a Girl" and cracks me up when Kara says he looks like he has a secret and he responds with "maybe I don't even know it".
We move then to a banana song from a man in a yellow suit.
Matt Breitzke, the laborer with a wife and son impresses with "Ain't no Sunshine". Randy isn't buying it, but the other 3 love him and he humbly takes his gold ticket out the door.
Jasmine Joseph sings Somewhere over the Rainbow in about 10 keys and as she realizes the judges aren't liking it, she slowly stops smiling and walks out.
Jasmine Paige-Furny, our small town girl from the land of Oz, lives with her 93 year old Grandma ("these are my crazy pills) and rocks out Crybaby. The judges love her.
India and Asia, the rapping sisters come on the scene next and sing and Ode to Randy about getting too big to go to the bathroom. Asia is not a singer, but her little sister India is a crack up and has a nice voice. They send her on to Hollywood.
Jamar Rogers sings a somewhat affected "California Dreamer" and has a great voice, but the cheek piercing is hard to look at. His best friend Donny Gokey is a grieving widower of one month. He sings Heard it Through the Grapevine and blows the judges away.
After Danny came Anoop-dog, singing with a soulful funky voice that was unexpected. Simon and Randy tell him to work out the wardrobe before Hollywood. I like the guy, he is smart and funny. I love to be surprised, and this one surprised me.
Time for KC best and worst, singing "Signed, Sealed Delivered".
Two cheerleaders do a show for Columbia Missouri native Andrew Lang. He sings My Girl and has a nice voice but is too theatrical for the judges. The cheerleaders cry, but Andrew takes it in stride.
Asa Barnes, a band teacher with a young daughter, sings "The way you make me feel", and although I personally thought it was out of his range, he is good. The judges like him and his voice and he sails through.
We always have the undiscovered star. Cue Michael Nicewater, whose own mother has tried to explain to him that he can't sing. We are tortured with the horror of an original song written to his mother, and despite Paula's loud groan, one to his Grandmother as well. Simon's laughter makes him cry.
Dennis Brigham dreamt that Simon thought he was the best of the day, and after jumping around singing "With You", Randy, Kara and Paula put him through. Simon was not amused.
Mia Conley is our Lovin You attempt for season 8. It is never a success. She tells the camera that God will get the judges and she will be a star anyway.
Thank God the last one up is Lil Rounds, the mother of three whose family has been displaced by a tornado. She sings All I do and is fantastic. She is classy, talented and reminds me of Melinda Dolittle with better stage presence and personality. I can't imagine she won't be in the top 10.
I will be back to type again in 2 1/2 hours my friends, and I will be exhausted but I will try not to let you down.
Tune in now....
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Welcome Back!
Hello my Idol Friends! It seems like ages since last May when we crowned David Cook the 7th American Idol. As I wait for the auditions to begin, I am anxious to see how all of the format changes will reinvent one of my favorite shows. While Idol has been keeping most of the changes under wraps, the press surrounding Kara DioGuardi has been intense for the last week. It would appear that I am the only person who had not heard of the brilliant super star. The audition cities this year were Phoenix, Kansas City, Louisville, Jacksonville, East Rutherford, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and San Juan. Supposedly the focus will be less on horrible auditioning and more on Hollywood week, where the real drama is. They are going to have a top 36 instead of a top 24, and they will go back to the wild card pick for the judges. This allows an eliminated contestant a chance at the show. If you remember, Clay Aiken was a wild card pick.
As the hype builds and the crowds scream, “I am the next American Idol” I am on the edge of the couch ready to bring you the highs and lows of the season. “What a Wonderful World” plays in the background as we revisit memorable auditions from seasons past. All of this culminates in some pretty distraught junior high girls screaming in distress as David Cook is announced last year’s winner. I have to admit, it is pretty funny. As Ryan leads us through a series of teasers of the fun to come, I am completely aware that I am being manipulated and that I love it!
After some confirmation of Kara’s qualifications to judge (she writes for Jewel, Pink, Celine and Kelly Clarkson for goodness sake), we don’t waste any time doing exactly what Idol said they weren’t going to do. We see a pointless audition. Tuan Nguyen sings “The Way you Make me Feel” in several different keys, but adds to it some amazingly bad tap. Lest you think I am unqualified to judge this, you don't need to have a dancer in the family to know that this performance was uninspired. They send him and his very large hair away disappointed.
Emily Wynne-Hughes turned things right back around with her rendition of Heart’s Barracuda. Her performance was able to finally distract me from the gauges in her ears. Luckily, despite having more ink than Carly Smithson (if that is possible) she is as likeable as she is odd. She definitely beats season 7 rocker Amanda in talent. Paula actually predicts a top 5, but we know it is way too early for that.
Randy Madden, Phoenix’s own “pretend” rocker is crying before he ever gets to audition. He sings “Living on a Prayer” but Simon tells him it is a wimpy version and calls him a drama queen. Thank God this crybaby didn’t make it through.
J.B. Ahfua receives the gold ticket next, with his soulful r & b sound. Unfortunately he is followed up by Michael Gurr who is frightened, strange and completely unintelligible. I am noticing that the judges are a little kinder this season, although Randy has to hide behind his paper from time to time. Despite the promise of mostly great auditions, we are then subjected to Will Kunch’s “Mad World”, D.J. Bradley’s “It’s All Coming Back to me” and Shawn Vasquez’s “I’ll never Love this way again” and finally Aundre Caraway’s song “Cactus”, music and lyrics written spontaneously while moaning and laughing and bouncing around mid audition. The powers that be at Idol may want to consider drug testing.
We then meet Arianna Afsar, who has a million dollar smile and a great personality. She is almost a little too much sweetness, with her adopt a senior project, but once the she starts singing “Put your Record on” she has won me over.
Day 2 starts the second hour, and both Paula and Kara look gorgeous and perfectly at ease with each other. I think that Kara is a great addition for the panel and we are seeing a more lucid Paula, but this is a very long competition, so there is still hope for some crazy antics from our resident crazy girl. We open the day with Elijah Scarlett, 22, and the minute he starts singing I am remembering “Let my people Go” from last season. It is almost that bad. Paula even tells him he could do voiceovers for monsters. Leah Marie Golde is a high strung teenager that is crazy about Kara. (Really?) She is on key, but sings almost entirely through her nose and she is, in Simon’s words, “annoying”. She takes the
rejection with a smile.
Stevie Wright, age 16, is next and her take on “At Last” is something special. This girl is my favorite of the 2 hours and has crazy potential. Simon thinks she needs to get a little meaner. I will be shocked if she isn't in the top 36.
Michael Sarver, the roughneck on an oil rig is next, and although I haven’t heard the song, “Thank You” before and don’t really care if I hear it again, Michael has Simon’s likeability factor.
We are next treated to bikini girl who has a horrible audition but the boys put her through for her rear end. With this girl’s attitude, it is perfect that she makes it through only to be cut in a more humiliating and public fashion during Hollywood week. On a side note, I did enjoy Ryan’s awkward kiss.
I have no words about Sexual Chocolate.
Brianna Chiandra(?) attempts “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and “Killing Me Softly” and gets through strictly because they like her. I actually think she is pretty cute too. Let’s just hope she gets some vocal training before she comes to Hollywood. She at least sang better than bikini girl.
Deanna Brown blew the room away with her “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”. Her voice was sultry and original, and here is one that I think we will see in our top 10. She looks like she has been banging on doors for a while, so when the competition
gets tough, hopefully she won’t get all Brooke White on us and want to start songs over.
Cody Sheldon sang Wonderful World, and spoke of his horror film aspirations, but although he had a strong audition, I am not sure if he will be able to handle different genres of music. Alex Wagner-Turner sang “Baby Come to me” and while he sounded good if you close your eyes, I am reliving Chicken Little. Simon echoes my concern.
We are now treated to a brief montage of horrible singers attempting “Dead or alive”.
We close the evening with Scott MacIntyre, a sight impaired singer-musician who inspires the judges with his take on Billy Joel’s “And so it goes”. He sounds good, and he has a great back story, and let’s face it-Idol loves the original “American Story” to go with the music competition.
To all of you that have sent emails asking if I would resurrect Idol Chat now that I am in a new job, I thank you for the kind words. I will do my best with this thing, but while you can usually expect a post on Tuesdays, Wednesdays will be a little trickier for me. I will shoot for publishing the Wednesday show on Thursdays. I look forward to sharing the season with you, and if you are ever in the area, there is room on the couch. I am always looking for a little side drama to serve up with my idol opinions.
Who knows what cute little number will cause my Gary to get a big old foot cramp this year? Tune in tomorrow…
As the hype builds and the crowds scream, “I am the next American Idol” I am on the edge of the couch ready to bring you the highs and lows of the season. “What a Wonderful World” plays in the background as we revisit memorable auditions from seasons past. All of this culminates in some pretty distraught junior high girls screaming in distress as David Cook is announced last year’s winner. I have to admit, it is pretty funny. As Ryan leads us through a series of teasers of the fun to come, I am completely aware that I am being manipulated and that I love it!
After some confirmation of Kara’s qualifications to judge (she writes for Jewel, Pink, Celine and Kelly Clarkson for goodness sake), we don’t waste any time doing exactly what Idol said they weren’t going to do. We see a pointless audition. Tuan Nguyen sings “The Way you Make me Feel” in several different keys, but adds to it some amazingly bad tap. Lest you think I am unqualified to judge this, you don't need to have a dancer in the family to know that this performance was uninspired. They send him and his very large hair away disappointed.
Emily Wynne-Hughes turned things right back around with her rendition of Heart’s Barracuda. Her performance was able to finally distract me from the gauges in her ears. Luckily, despite having more ink than Carly Smithson (if that is possible) she is as likeable as she is odd. She definitely beats season 7 rocker Amanda in talent. Paula actually predicts a top 5, but we know it is way too early for that.
Randy Madden, Phoenix’s own “pretend” rocker is crying before he ever gets to audition. He sings “Living on a Prayer” but Simon tells him it is a wimpy version and calls him a drama queen. Thank God this crybaby didn’t make it through.
J.B. Ahfua receives the gold ticket next, with his soulful r & b sound. Unfortunately he is followed up by Michael Gurr who is frightened, strange and completely unintelligible. I am noticing that the judges are a little kinder this season, although Randy has to hide behind his paper from time to time. Despite the promise of mostly great auditions, we are then subjected to Will Kunch’s “Mad World”, D.J. Bradley’s “It’s All Coming Back to me” and Shawn Vasquez’s “I’ll never Love this way again” and finally Aundre Caraway’s song “Cactus”, music and lyrics written spontaneously while moaning and laughing and bouncing around mid audition. The powers that be at Idol may want to consider drug testing.
We then meet Arianna Afsar, who has a million dollar smile and a great personality. She is almost a little too much sweetness, with her adopt a senior project, but once the she starts singing “Put your Record on” she has won me over.
Day 2 starts the second hour, and both Paula and Kara look gorgeous and perfectly at ease with each other. I think that Kara is a great addition for the panel and we are seeing a more lucid Paula, but this is a very long competition, so there is still hope for some crazy antics from our resident crazy girl. We open the day with Elijah Scarlett, 22, and the minute he starts singing I am remembering “Let my people Go” from last season. It is almost that bad. Paula even tells him he could do voiceovers for monsters. Leah Marie Golde is a high strung teenager that is crazy about Kara. (Really?) She is on key, but sings almost entirely through her nose and she is, in Simon’s words, “annoying”. She takes the
rejection with a smile.
Stevie Wright, age 16, is next and her take on “At Last” is something special. This girl is my favorite of the 2 hours and has crazy potential. Simon thinks she needs to get a little meaner. I will be shocked if she isn't in the top 36.
Michael Sarver, the roughneck on an oil rig is next, and although I haven’t heard the song, “Thank You” before and don’t really care if I hear it again, Michael has Simon’s likeability factor.
We are next treated to bikini girl who has a horrible audition but the boys put her through for her rear end. With this girl’s attitude, it is perfect that she makes it through only to be cut in a more humiliating and public fashion during Hollywood week. On a side note, I did enjoy Ryan’s awkward kiss.
I have no words about Sexual Chocolate.
Brianna Chiandra(?) attempts “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and “Killing Me Softly” and gets through strictly because they like her. I actually think she is pretty cute too. Let’s just hope she gets some vocal training before she comes to Hollywood. She at least sang better than bikini girl.
Deanna Brown blew the room away with her “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”. Her voice was sultry and original, and here is one that I think we will see in our top 10. She looks like she has been banging on doors for a while, so when the competition
gets tough, hopefully she won’t get all Brooke White on us and want to start songs over.
Cody Sheldon sang Wonderful World, and spoke of his horror film aspirations, but although he had a strong audition, I am not sure if he will be able to handle different genres of music. Alex Wagner-Turner sang “Baby Come to me” and while he sounded good if you close your eyes, I am reliving Chicken Little. Simon echoes my concern.
We are now treated to a brief montage of horrible singers attempting “Dead or alive”.
We close the evening with Scott MacIntyre, a sight impaired singer-musician who inspires the judges with his take on Billy Joel’s “And so it goes”. He sounds good, and he has a great back story, and let’s face it-Idol loves the original “American Story” to go with the music competition.
To all of you that have sent emails asking if I would resurrect Idol Chat now that I am in a new job, I thank you for the kind words. I will do my best with this thing, but while you can usually expect a post on Tuesdays, Wednesdays will be a little trickier for me. I will shoot for publishing the Wednesday show on Thursdays. I look forward to sharing the season with you, and if you are ever in the area, there is room on the couch. I am always looking for a little side drama to serve up with my idol opinions.
Who knows what cute little number will cause my Gary to get a big old foot cramp this year? Tune in tomorrow…
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