American Idol - the top 12

I wasn't gonna blog tonight due to time constraints, but I have been so blown away by some of the performances tonight that I just had to get my thoughts down in writing.

Syesha Mercado - Yeah, she was pitchy to start but she was also the first performer on the new stage. I liked the arrangement too. I still think she's one of the best singers, but I'm really worried about her based on this performance.

Chikezie - for the first time tonight, I was really impressed with him. Now if they could just get him into some better outfits! You can't be a rocker in an argyle sweater and a sweatband watch!

Ramiele - Boring, ordinary, and forgettable. She's a good singer, but this song didn't show it. I'm still not a fan, and I think she should probably go home this week.

Jason Castro - OK, so the song was forgettable, but he is one of the most talented in the group. He has a great voice, and I think he may be the only contestant who can give David A. a run for his money, but he needs to hit one out of the park SOON.

Carly Smithson - WOW. OK, so she's been singing that song every week for years, so it should be good. But I loved the arrangement, and she finally got a chance to really show her talent. Hm... she could challenge David A. too, but she's got to keep it up every week.

David Cook - Elanor Rigby is one of my least favorite Beatles songs, but David's arrangement was fantastic too. I finally believe that he could be a real rocker, not just a wanna-be. I still don't like the drugged-out eyes look.

Brooke White - Yep, she picked the perfect song for her voice. And it's so cool to see these people playing and singing. This year is truly a talent competition, not just a singing competition.

David Hernandez - Hm... it's just a very ordinary, amusement park-ish performance. It's just not a song that really showcases his voice. I still don't think he's the worst tonight, but I can see why he's towards the bottom of DialIdol currently.

Amanda Overmeyer - She should be singing Sgt Pepper's, but I'll have to fast forward through some commercials to find out if I'm right. OK, she's singing a song I've never heard of -- at least not by name. It's a good, solid performance... actually, it's pretty good. I'm getting a bit tired of her voice, but I love the way she made the song her own. (Or, if she didn't change it up, then she picked a brilliant song for her style.)

Michael Johns - He's my least favorite of the guys -- he's had some really awful performances in past weeks -- and while this week's performance was better, it was still ordinary and boring. He needs to go home soon.

Kristy Lee Cook - I'm still amazed that she made the top 12, but I guess there are a lot of country fans out there -- look at Carrie Underwood and even Kellie Pickler. Her country version of "Eight Days A Week" is actually damn good. Wow, I can't believe none of the judges liked it! I hate country, and I don't really like that song either, but I liked that version better than the original, and I thought the performance was great.

David Archuleta - Once again they've saved the best for last. This is a Beatles song I actually like, and I'm a bit disappointed that he chose to do the Stevie Wonder version. And he's stumbling over the words all over the place! That's his age and inexperience showing. He's lucky he has such a huge fan base. If he does that again in a later week, he'll be gone.

So, based on the performances tonight, I have to say that David A. will NOT win, because I suspect he will have another slip-up in future weeks. I wasn't so sure he could hold that front-runner spot all the way to the end anyway.

So who can win it? Jason Castro can, but he needs to do something amazing in the next week or two. David Cook can if he continues to give stellar performances like tonight's. And probably the best shot right now is Brooke White, who keeps giving solid, consistent performances. She also has a great personality and a unique sound, which makes her memorable every time she sings. That counts for a lot.

As for who's going home this week, it will probably be Syesha or David H, who had the weakest performances of the night and have had weak performances over the last few weeks as well. I'd rather see Ramiele go, but I think Syesha's time is up.

American Idol top 8 girls

It's Wednesday! Time for the final 8 girls to perform on Idol as we whittle them down to six tomorrow night. Let's hope they have better song choices than the guys did last night!

Asia'h is up first tonight, singing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Didn't we hear her do this before? She sure does have a lot of spunk and energy. Good way to start off the show. She did it so well that it almost seemed like a "safe" choice, but we all know Whitney is not easy to sing! Probably not as good as Paula felt, but I think Simon was a bit hard on her.

Kady Malloy is up next. She certainly does need to redeem herself from last week, when she should have gone home -- and it doesn't look like she's gonna. She does Queen's "Who wants to live forever" and once again, it's boring and pitchy. She's flat from just about start to finish! Unless she gets the support of VoteForTheWorst, she's certainly going home this week. What??? Paula thinks this was her best performance to date? Wow, the past weeks must have been REALLY bad.

Speaking of VoteForTheWorst, up next is Amanda Overmeyer. At least she picked a song more suitable for her voice this week, Joan Jett's "I hate myself for loving you". But for some reason she just looks really uncomfortable on stage this week. Meh. Better than last week, but certainly not her best performance. Wow, Simon loved it? Interesting.

Next up is Carly Smithson, singing "I Drove All Night". It's a pretty good song choice for her with some big, powerful notes right in her mid-range that let her belt it out. She got a little screechy on the highest notes, but it was probably her best performance so far.

Kristy Lee Cook, another one who should probably go home this week, is up next singing Journey. That scares me. Holy vibrato, batman! Of course she gives it her country twang too, and then she can't hit the high notes. Poor song choice, mediocre execution. She should go home this week too.

Sixth up tonight is Ramiele, who apparently doesn't have (or want to share) a truly embarrasing moment, so she shares some boring childhood story. (But really, why do they ask the contestants to share their most embarrasing moments? And why would anyone want to answer that in front of 30 million people?) I'm not blown away by Ramiele this week -- she's just a touch flat at times -- but I guess I've never really been blown away by her. Still, it's another good, solid performance. Wow, you know it's bad when Paula starts off by saying "you have a beautiful face."

Next up is Brooke White, singing Pat Benetar. It's a good fit for her voice, and I like the stripped-down version with just acoustic guitar. This is probably the best we've seen from her so far. After that performance, I'm finally convinced that she deserves to be here, and should be in the top 12. Simon loved her choice too.

Syesha Mercado is last to perform tonight. She's my early favorite, but she really needs a breakout performance. She picks another Whitney tune and does a very nice job with it, although still no goosebump moment that I was hoping for.

Watching the recap... Asia'h wasn't as good as I would have hoped; Kady was just as bad as I had expected; Amanda was boring and mediocre; Carly finally impressed me; Kristy was forgettable yet again; Ramiele was solid but nothing stellar; Brooke was original and impressive; and Syesha sounded like a pro, but showed nothing extraordinary.

It should be cut and try this week, with Kady and Kristy Lee going home as they were by far the worst tonight, although Amanda is right there with them -- not sure how the judges could think she was one of the best of the night! But even Asia'h or Syesha could be in danger.

American Idol top 8 guys

It's Tuesday night -- that means it's time for another session of Idol liveblogging! Tonight's the last chance to make the top 12 and move on to the "big stage", as Ryan puts it. It's 80's night tonight, so it should be a good one!

First up is Luke Perr.. er, Luke Menard. Everyone expected him to be gone last week, so it's no surprise that he starts off very shaky. Man I hope he goes home this week! Paula is in rare form this week, babbling on and on and on... it's only an hour show this week, Paula! Uh oh! Simon just gave him the golden blessing -- he said there's no way he makes it through to the top 12 and can't possibly win. That makes him a shoe-in for VoteForTheWorst (as if he wasn't bad enough already).

David Archuleta is up next... and apparently has to pee. Is that his secret weapon? He's singing AND playing Another Day In Paradise. If you watched the show, you don't need me to tell you that he is absolutely amazing. Wow. He makes some great changes with the melody that make it seem like he's been performing this song for 15 years. Randy just thinks it was "nice" but I'm not really sure what was wrong with it. Simon does make a good point that he needs to pick an up-tempo song sooner rather than later. But there's no doubt he's still the one to beat.

Ugh... it's time to sit through another performance of this year's Sanjaya, Danny Noriega. Boy, he is flaming hard tonight! Work it, girl! He does Tainted Love in kind of a cross between the original and Marilyn Manson's version. The vocals actually aren't bad, but the performance as a whole is just so ridiculously over the top. There goes Paula again... what is she on? He has GOT to go.

David Hernandez is fourth to take the stage tonight. He gives a solid performance, but it's not his best and he doesn't really do anything original wth it. Hm. I still like him... still probably in the top three guys, but he may not have the one of the best performances tonight.

Apparently there are some technical difficulties, so Michael Johns is going on next. Will that change the voting phone numbers for DialIdol.com? He's singing Don't You Forget About Me, one of my favorites. It's too bad he can't carry a tune in a bucket. Just because you're from "down under" doesn't mean you have to sing down under every note! Man this guy has got to go too... whch sucks because only two can go home this week. By far his worst performance of the competition.

After the break is David Cook, another wanna-be rocker who should go home sooner than later, playing guitar again tonight. He's doing a rock version of Lionel Richie's "Hello". (I wonder if this was someone else's cover of this song, like when Chris Daughtry did Live's version of I Walk The Line?) He was just ok last week, but I think he's even worse this week. The judges seem to like it, but they seem to like everything tonight. Even Simon's gone to the dark side! But apparently it really was an original arrangement, at least as far as the judges know.

Jason Castro lives up to his reputation of awkward interviews, before launching into a great rendition of Hallelujah. I didn't know this was an 80's song... I only know it from the Shrek soundtrack. I like the way he intentionally gets a little ahead of the beat at times, giving it a sense of urgency. It wasn't clear to me if Randy really liked it or not, but Simon loved it. I liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as Simon thought.

Last up tonight is Chikezie, doing yet another ballad. What's with the song choices tonight? Haven't the guys learned yet that BALLADS ARE BORING AND FORGETTABLE! It's a very safe performance, although he changes it up a bit at the end. It's actually pretty good, and luckily for Chikezie, there were three or maybe four people who were far worse tonight.

Overall... wow, I'm not sure what Randy was listening to when he says the song choices for the guys were far better this week. I honestly thought most of the guys were worse this week, whether it was bad song choices or just poor performances. The weakest performance of the night clearly goes to Michael Johns, followed by either Luke Menard or maybe David Cook. Unfortunately Danny Noriega actually wasn't one of the worst tonight, and, coupled with support from VoteForTheWorst, will ensure him a spot in the top 6.

American Idol round 2 - top 10 girls

Time for another night of Idol liveblogging, although apparently Blogger has a scheduled outage at 9pm Eastern, so I'll take that time to give Little Miss a bath.

Carly Smithson kicks off the show singing Heart's "Crazy On You". It's a great song choice for her, although she did have a few pitch problems. I can't believe how Simon gushes over her -- I think she's good, but not THAT good. But maybe Simon's right and she just hasn't picked the right song to truly showcase her voice.

Wow, Syesha can imitate a crying baby dead on! She does a twist on "Me and Mrs. Jones", changing it to Mr. Jones. I'm a little worried because this song just doesn't showcase her fantastic vocal talents. It COULD, though -- if you've ever heard Daryl Hall sing this song, you know what I mean. She does an admirable job but it's just not a good song choice -- as Randy says. (That's one point!) She's still my favorite though.

Up next is Brooke White, also playing guitar tonight. She picks another great song, although it's really no surprise she would pick Carly Simon. Once again she does a respectable job, but I wasn't blown away. I do think, as Simon has said about others, that playing an instrument detracts from the vocal performance. I think singers are worrying too much about their playing and let their vocals slip. *Ding* -- score two for Marc as Randy echoes my words yet again about song choice. (We won't score another point for Paula repeating what Randy said.) OK, now Simon says it too, so I don't feel nearly as original. :)

Ramiele Malubay is fourth tonight. At least her hula dancing is better than Sanjaya's!! Her song choice is awful -- there are only two very short segments that really showcase her powerful voice. She's also very pitchy in spots. It's such a boring song, too ... the melody just repeats over and over again. The judges all echo the same sentiments, but they all like her as a singer overall. Still not one of my faves though.

Well I had to take a break there to play with Little Miss a while and then get her into bed, but now I'm back to the DVR to finish up.

Next up is Kristy Lee Cook. For a self-professed tomboy, she sure does clean up nice! As usual, she gives a good, solid performance, but she's still forgettable. Hmm... she does have maybe one hint of some power there in the middle. Randy says it really well when he says he was looking for "some breakout moments"... points to Randy for saying what I've been trying to put into words! Simon makes a good point too, that it's not clear what type of singer she really is and could probably "make a statement" if she finds her genre.

After the break is Amanda Overmeyer. I caught part of her performance live the first time around, so I already know what I have to say. She picks a great song, "Carry On Wayward Son", but what happened to her?? She sounds AWFUL! She's terribly flat all through the first verse, and she knows it -- it even looks like she might cry! It only gets marginally better as she goes on. She must be sick or something. The hair is hideous too! You know it was bad when Paula leads off by complimenting her dancing! It's a shame too, because I really like her. I hope she's safe because she's still one of the best 4 or 5 girls.

Alaina Whitaker is gonna sing Hopelessly Devoted To You? Uh oh! But first, a little insight into Alaina's obsessive-compulsive eating habits. LOL! She does a decent job, without too much country twang, except when it comes to the high notes which she overshoots. Ouch. Once again, a good performance, but nothing memorable.

Next up is Alexandrea Lushington. She sings a Chicago tune and it's just awful. She can't find the pitch to save her life. It doesn't get any better when she tries to change it up either. Wow, what is with these song choices tonight? Wow, she knows exactly how bad it was too. Simon probably says it best when he calls it "boring". Too bad because I liked her last week.

Kady Malloy is our next performer, and once again she picks the absolute wrong song for her voice, Heart's "Magic Man". (With all those 70's songs to choose from, did they really have to pick two Heart songs?) It's not bad, but it's too low for her and she doesn't have a chance to shine at all. Randy calls it an "interesting" song choice, and Paula mentions the trouble with the low notes (*ding* another point for me).

[Side note: I'm watching the DialIdol stats now and I'm VERY concerned about Syesha, who's currently shown in second-last place. Uh oh!]

Last up tonight is another of my favorites, Asia'h Epperson. It's interesting that she makes the connection between performing as a cheerleader and performing on Idol. She seems to be the only one who realizes that you can't just get up there and sing, you need to PERFORM too. Unfortunately she picks an awful song for her range, Celene's "All By Myself" -- way too low for her. She completely misses one of the early high notes... I wonder if she's sick??? But WOW, she really belts it out at the end! Fantastic ending. Randy does mention that she was sick. Simon thinks the song is too big for her, but I have to disagree. I think that ordinarily, she would've been able to pull that off.

Boy, what a let-down overall! Watching the recap, I have to say Carly actually had one of the better performances! It's always hard to tell with the very first performance of the night. I still like Syesha, Asia'h and Amanda, despite less-than-stellar performances by all of them. So who's going home this week? Based on this week's performance alone, it should probably be Amanda and either Alexandrea or Kady. But based on past performances, I think Amanda and possibly Alexandrea will be safe for another week. That leaves Kristy Lee and Alaina, both of whom were forgettable tonight, joining Kady in my bottom three.

American Idol round 2 - top 10 guys

No time to do a full liveblog tonight, so I'll just give a quick recap of each performer.

Michael Johns - I really haven't been all that impressed with Michael, ever. (Have I? Check my previous posts.) He's terribly inconsistent, and tonight was one of his worst. I'm not sure what people like so much about him. Is it the accent? Funny that Paula calls him "consistent". As usual, Simon's spot on and Paula is... well, Paula.

Jason Castro - When he started out, just him playing guitar and singing, I was really impressed. He reminds me a little of Jason Mraz or John Mayer. Certainly one of the top 4 guys. Randy is right, though... the vocals alone weren't that strong, but I like him as a performer overall.

Luke Menard - I found him very forgettable and ordinary tonight. I mean he's good but nothing special. Meh.

Robbie Carrico - His voice sounds very much like Chris Daughtry's but not quite as good or distinct, and he's also lacking Chris's personality. It was a solid performance, but I wasn't blown away. I wouldn't be disappointed or surprised if he goes home this week or next.

Danny Noriega - I so want this guy and his Jennifer Aniston hairdo to go home! OK, he gave a solid performance, but again there was nothing special.

David Hernandez - He was one of my Hollywood favorites, and he gives another very good performance. He doesn't just sing the song, he performs it! It's far from ordinary. He had one or two pitchy notes but the performance was great overall. Without a doubt one of the top four guys, and the judges all gave him rave reviews. I'm SO glad to see Simon eat his words!

Jason Yeager - I thought he had an excellent but forgettable performance last week, so I'm glad to see him come out rocking this week. I liked it better than Randy... I thought it was far better than last week, and I do like him. I think he's still worthy of the top six.

Chikezie - This week is far better than last week, but he looks like Gary Coleman in the layered polo shirts and red Chuck Taylors. I wouldn't be sad to see him go, but he'll probably stick around. I do love his attitude, ripping on Simon! He's a quick wit!

David Cook - David's out to prove that he's a real rocker, complete with electric guitar. Another good performance but I just don't see anything special in him. I could see that performance in any bar any weekend. He is a decent guitar player, though. He's probably top 6 material, but probably not top 4.

David Archuleta - David gives another brilliant performance tonight, for any age. He's obviously the clear favorite right now, but can he win the whole thing? We've seen what happens with the early favorites in the past, most noteably Chris Daughtry. Can he hold on till the end? My prediction is that he'll finish third or fourth.

So, based on tonight's performances, the worst two were Michael Johns and Luke Menard. However, I think Michael will be safe for another week. This is a tough one... based on overall performances, I'd say it should be Luke and either Danny or Chikezie to go home, but I'm a bit worried about Jason Yeager, mostly because of the judges' comments. I guess if I had to pick two based on everything (all performances, judges' comments, audience reation, and personality), I'd predict Luke and Jason to go home this week.

The top three guys are easy -- David A., David H., and Jason C. The fourth, fifth, and sixth are quite a bit tougher. Michael Johns has a big following despite his mediocre performances. Danny is also a big crowd favorite, and Chikezie is the only African-american in the group which gives him a built-in following, because we all know that Idol voters vote along color lines. Then you've got your two rockers, David Cook and Robbie, and I don't think there's room for both of them in the top six -- the question is whether either of them is good enough to beat out Michael, Danny or Chikezie.

p.s. I'm a bit worried about Jason Castro since DialIdol currently has him at the bottom of their rankings! Not good!

American Idol - girls top 12

Hello again Idol fanatics! I'm back for another night of Idol liveblogging (albiet 2 hours delayed), one eye on the TV, the other on DialIdol.com, and the fingers furiously typing (and occasionally rewinding) away!

Based on DialIdol's stat's today, no huge surprises -- my four favorites are listed in DialIdol's top 5, with Danny Noriega being the only surprise.

So here we go... Kristy Lee Cook is up first. The girl sold her horse to audition for Idol! That's crazy. Her voice is just ok, but she's got good stage presence and great facial expressions -- although maybe a bit over the top at times. For the first one of the night, she's not bad. Hmmm... Randy doesn't like her. Maybe I was just blinded by her "shine", as Paula put it.

Joanne Borgella is up next. Although it's very early in the voting, DialIdol puts her in last place currently, so I'm really curious to see how she does. She starts out pretty strong, although the song's a little low for her in parts. And actually, although her voice is a little shaky at times, I think she gives a very solid performance. Randy seems to agree with me, but Simon hated it. I'm a bit surprised -- I thought she was better than Kristy.

Up next is Alaina Whitaker. I remember liking her in her first audition round. She's got a strong voice, and probably the best performance so far, but I don't hear anything unique in her voice. I'm kind of on the fence about her.... on one hand, she sounds like a very good amusement park singer (I've worked with some as good as her)... on the other hand, she's got a great voice and that "x factor" could come out somewhere along the way. All three judges like her too.

Rocker chick Amanda Overmeyer is our fourth singer tonight. Her hairdo looks like a bad Elvira, but her voice is strong as always.... although she doesn't seem very comfortable with the scatting. Actually, there's really not much to this song, so it's hard to tell if she has any real talent -- she basically screamed her way through the song. Hmmm. I agree with Simon, though... the song wasn't the greatest, but she's good and she's got a great personality. She'll probably stick around for a while just based on her image.

During this commercial break, I should mention that I got to meet Ryan Seacrest not too long ago! He was at the Redskins vs. Cowboys game and I am in the Redskins marching band (yes, the Redskins have a band!)... and because of rain, our pregame show was cancelled so we were all hanging out in our locker room when someone said Seacrest was out in the tunnel area! A bunch of people took pictures with him and even some video, and he was very friendly and funny, even hamming it up and sending out special messages for the guy with the video camera. Amazing -- I thought he might be a real jerk. But I guess that's how he got to where he is today.

Fifth up tonight is Amy Davis. I don't remember seeing her before tonight either, but her early auditions sound pretty good. But YIKES... she starts out way off pitch and doesn't get much better. The performance reminds me of a pagent performance -- good, but very robotic. The judges get it exactly right -- pitchy, boring, nothing engaging, cabaret, dull. DialIdol puts her currently in the bottom three -- no surprise there.

Next is the girl who probably got the most airtime of anyone, Brooke White. I thought she was good, although I was never overly impressed. She does have a bit more unique voice than some, although not as unique as someone like Amanda, which means she can actually sing any kind of music. She's good and solid... maybe a bit much vibrato for a pop song, but generally very good, and she has good stage presence too. I think she could do really well in the competition if she picks the right songs.

Alexandrea Lushington is up next, singing Spinning Wheel. Great song, and she certainly gives an energetic performance, but I thought the ending was awful. Maybe she's sick too, because she goes into this weird falsetto. Randy and Paula like it a lot more than I did, and Simon disliked it more than I did. I thought it was a good performance with average vocals.

Checking DialIdol again, Joanne is still in last place... although at this early stage, the margin of error is still so big that she could still end up anywhere in the final ranking. I'm very surprised, though. Was everyone else really that much better than her?

Next is Kady Malloy. She's a recording studio assistant? She should know how to sing then. Wow, she does a GREAT Britney! She sings Groovy Kind Of Love, and although it's clear that she is a very good singer, she almost sounds too affected, like she's trying to sound like someone else. I'm not sure that's really her normal, natural singing voice. I like the little things she does to change up the song a bit, but she also hits a few really sour notes near the end. I agree with Randy and Paula, she needs to turn it up just a little bit and really let loose. I do hope she stays around for a few weeks -- she's currently in the bottom three in the DialIdol stats... but it's still early.

Asia'h Epperson is up next. She's the one who gave the emotional first round audition a few days after her father passed away, so it was hard to tell if she was really good or not. She comes out and gives probably the best performance so far tonight -- certainly the most energetic. She also has a very distinct voice, and that could work very well for her. And Simon agrees with me as usual, saying it was the best of the night. (Where are my royalties?)

Our tenth performer tonight is Ramiele Malubay. She's currently in first place in DialIdol's stats (and has been all night). I was never really impressed with her, and I remember wondering why she made the top 24, so I'm REALLY interested in this one. The song starts out very dull, boring, and even a bit strange -- not quite the "mysterious" sense I think she was going for. I don't like the way she purposely hangs behind the beat on many of the phrases. I will admit that she has a much more powerful voice than you would expect, but I wasn't blown away or anything. Wow, the judges just gush over her. I guess that's why she's doing so well in the voting.

Just two singers left to go, and it looks like Joanne could end up with one of the two worst performances of the night. (I still think she was better than Kristy though!)

Next is my favorite girl from the Hollywood round, Syesha Mercado. Man, she gives me goosebumps within the first three notes! She has a great range too. Wow! Best performance of the night by a mile! I can't believe it's not Randy's favorite. Yes, there were a few pitchy spots, but I thought she was great overall. She was the only girl I really liked from Hollywood, and she's still my favorite -- top 4 material for sure.

The last performer tonight is everyone's favorite Irish lass, Carly Smithson. Interesting that they made a point of talking about her previous record deal -- something the news outlets picked up as the "big controversey" this week. (There's no rule that contestants can't have had records or record deals previously, just that they can't currently be under contract.) Her performance is ok but pretty ordinary, and very flat in a few places. I'm not impressed at all. Hmmm... so apparently she's sick too, but apparently Randy is absolutely deaf. There is no way that was the best vocal of the night, let alone the whole top 24!! Randy! Dog! I've lost all respect for you. Yep, once again Simon is right -- if this was the first time I was seeing her, I think she'd be completely forgettable.

So that's it for another night of liveblogging Idol! As they recap the singers, I think Amy Davis clearly had the worst performance of the night. I mean they couldn't even find a recap clip where she was in tune! The ones that really impressed me tonight were Alexandrea, Asia'h and Syesha. Add to them Amanda, Brooke, and either Ramiele or Carly and you have your top six, at least in my mind. Personally I think the talent on the guys' side is better, although the top three girls are probably better than the top three guys. As always, Simon is exactly right -- at this point there are three really good guys and three or four good girls. But anybody could really turn it on and show that "x factor" any given week. So stay tuned!

American Idol top 12 guys

So here it is, the first real week of Idol and the first time we get to see all of the guys perform. As usual, I'm more than 2 hours delayed, but I'll stick with the liveblogging format anyway.

First up is David Hernandez, my Hollywood-round favorite, singing "Wait Till The Midnight Hour". He's good, but I'm not as impressed as past performances. It's fairly bland and he had one really flat note at the end. Simon got it right when he said he didn't hear anything distinct.

Oh, while I have a chance, I should remind you to go to DialIdol.com and download their American Idol auto-dialer! I find it more interesting to watch the stats than really using it to vote, because I know my votes really don't make THAT much difference.

Next up is Chickezie. Yeah, just Chickezie, like Cher or ... um... right. Wow, based on the first few notes, I wonder how he made it into the top 24. He's certainly not good enough to go by just one name. Maybe it just started too low, because it got a little better by the end. And the outfit is awful. (Oh, Simon just said that too.)

Next is rocker wanna-be David Cook. He's singing "Happy Together". He starts off pitchy and doesn't get much better. DialIdol puts him in the bottom 4 right now, and I'm not surprised. The ending got interesting, but then the arrangement ended on a major chord which was just WEIRD! Not David's fault in this case. The judges seemed to really like it, despite the shaky start, but I don't really agree. Hmm... he's managed to work his way up to the middle of the pack on DialIdol now (10:54pm EST).

Jason Yeager is up next. What's with the blonde patch? Is he a Blake Lewis wanna-be? Jason goes WAY back, singing "Moon River". Never would've picked him as a crooner, but he's actually good. Boring, but good. Which is why he's currently in the bottom 3 on DialIdol. He's got a really good voice, but he's totally forgettable.

Wait a second... is Moon River a 60's song?

Next is Robbie Carrico. I guess I vauguely remember him from the first-round auditions, but don't remember seeing him in Hollywood at all. He's good, but I'd love to see more power from him. His voice is somewhere between Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry, although he's not as good as either one... at least not yet. I'm sure he'll be around for a while.

David Archuleta is up next, singing "Better Shop Around". It's a bit low for him, but he does a fantastic job. Wow. It's absolutely amazing to think this kid is only 17. Unfortunately, he won't win, because he's TOO good. Just like Paris Bennett, who was also only 17 and fantastic, people will become acustomed to him being fantastic and one day he'll have a minor slip. He sure is funny, though.

Next is Danny Noriega. Bring that 'tude, girl... er, boy.... er, something. I'm not sure why he ever made the top 24 -- maybe to add diversity? He does an admirable job on Jailhouse Rock, although his dancing (if you can call it dancing) took a little bit away from the singing. I'm amazed, DialIdol puts him in the top 4 right now... although in these early weeks, the accuracy isn't very high and he could still end up anywhere in the bottom 10.

Luke "pretty-boy" Menard is up next. I don't think we've seen him at all this season. If we did, he's totally forgettable. And apparently he's totally forgettable this time too, as he's in last place on DialIdol (and has been all night) -- and I haven't heard a note yet. Maybe the fact that he looks a little like Orlando Bloom will save him? Yep, it's a boring, forgettable performance. What's with all the ballads tonight? Haven't these guys ever seen this show before? (Hey, there goes Simon stealing my lines again!)

Self-professed Ellen look-alike Colton Berry is our ninth performer of the night, singing another Elvis song. His pitch is all over the place, and overall his tone is just dull. He shows some hints here and there of having some power in his voice, but he needs to grow FAST in order to stay around for more than a few weeks. I think Randy was generous with his comments, but as always Simon is spot on -- he's a good singer, but not good enough to be a star.

Next up is Garrett Haley, another one I don't remember ever seeing in the early rounds... and I think I'd remember this freak. Ryan even made a point of mentioning the lack of camera-time. He has a very high voice and a good vocal range, but picks a ballad that doesn't showcase that at all. Yet another very forgettable ballad. Actually, it was worse than forgettable -- it was downright bad. Which is why he's currently in the bottom two on the DialIdol stats.

Next is Jason Castro, another contestant I don't remember seeing before tonight. He's actually gonna let him play guitar on stage, which I think is awsome, even if this is a "singing" competition. Not only is he a decent guitar player (not that he's playing anything difficult), but he sounds good too, plus he makes an effort to make the song his own. That was actually a very good performance -- possibly the second-best of the night after David A. Now I see why he's currently 3rd in DialIdol voting... and I haven't seen Michael Johns yet. Hmmm... Randy doesn't like the changes he made to the vocal line... and Simon's repeating me again! (Fox 5, if you want to hire me for Idol Chatter, I'm available!!! And I certainly know what I'm talking about more than Jack Diamond does!)

Aussie Michael Johns is the last performer tonight. He's certainly gotten a lot of airtime already this year. Michael sings Light My Fire, complete with flame backdrop. I actually think this is a horrible performance -- certainly not the best we've seen from him, and we've seen a lot better renditions of this song from other Idol contestants. But he certainly has a lot of energy and a very strong voice. Randy compares him to Michael Hutchins??? Not anywhere close! Wow, even Simon likes him. They must've really heard something different in the studio than I heard on TV. I mean he wasn't the worst of the night, but he certainly wasn't the best, and I'm very surprised that DialIdol shows him in second place currently.

So at the end of the first night, we have two distinct groups -- memorable or forgettable. My personal tops were David H., Jason C., Robbie, and of course David A. I also think David Yeager has a lot of potential, he just needs to choose better songs. And of course Michael Johns has a lot of stage presence, despite his shaky performance tonight. That leaves six that should be going home some time in the next three weeks: Chickezie, Garrett, Danny, Luke, Colton, and David Cook -- although I think David C. and David Y. could easily trade places.

What do you think?

The Idol top 24 selection show

Although I already know the top 24 list, I'm still wondering what happened to some of my early favorites and if maybe they made it into the top 50 without being shown during the Hollywood round.

No real surprises during the first half of the show, other than how many people made it through that I don't remember EVER seeing. The biggest surprise to me was that Simon doesn't like David Hernandez. I thought he was fantastic! So there it is -- the one Simon says can't possibly win!

I'm also disappointed, although not that surprised, that Josiah didn't make it through. He did bomb his final audition, which shows he can't sing anything they throw at him, so maybe it's for the best. We could see him again on a future season though -- he's only 16.

And the there's nerd-boy Kyle. What?!?! Simon thinks he should have been in the top 24?? Over Josiah? I guess that's Simon just fishing for ratings, looking for this year's Kevin "Chicken Little" Covais or Sanjaya! Wow.

So, not much to comment on from the top 24 selection show. I only remember seeing about half of the finalists perform before the Hollywood round, and there are at least six or seven in the top 24 I don't remember ever seeing! Do they have any shot at winning? A lot of prior contestants have complained that lack of air time early on hurts them when the public starts voting.

So for now, I guess I have to stick with the four favorites I mentioned yesterday: David H., David A., Syesha, and Amanda. Of those four, David A. has the best shot at winning because of the age factor and growth potential. But to be honest, I suspect the winner will NOT be one of those four, but someone I just haven't noticed yet. I'm sure I'll have a much better feel after the first round when we get to see all the contestants perform.

American Idol hollywood round and Top 24

Well due to a family emergency and a rough week in general, I'm still playing catch-up with our tv watching this week. I half-watched the Hollywood Week episode while doing some work, but couldn't really pay attention, so tonight it's time to rewatch it. But looking at the top 24 list, I see I didn't do too well with my audition-round predictions. Here are the people I mentioned by name in previous posts.

Angela Martin - She's the single mom whose daughter has Rett Syndrome. I didn't think she was the greatest singer, so I'm kinda glad she didn't make the top 24, but I'm curious to see exactly what happened.

Beth Stalker - I don't remember her first audition offhand, but I know she stood out to me even though the judges weren't that impressed. I guess she didn't stand out in Hollywood either.

Samantha Musa - Hmm... I'll be interested to see what happened to her and why she didn't make it.

David Archuleta - No surprise he made the top 24.

Angelica Puente - She was one with a great voice but a bad case of nerves.

I realize this might be pointless since I'm already three days behind the air date, but I do want to make some comments as I watch anyway.

Brooke White is one who did make the top 24, but I haven't been overly impressed with her so far. I'll be interested in seeing what she does later in the show.

Jake Mellema, the drummer/singer - great wedding singer, but not an American Idol.

David Hernandez - I don't remember seeing his first round audition, but I'm VERY impressed with him. He's the first guy we've seen in a long time who adds little vocal treatments like runs and growls, like many of the best women do (Kelly Clarkson and Katherine McPhee come to mind). I would've been shocked if he didn't make the top 24.

Amanda Overmyer - I haven't quite decided yet if I like her or not. No surprise that she made the top 24 -- she has fantastic stage presence. And she does have an unmistakably unique voice, which has done well for people like Fantasia and Taylor Hicks. Top 12 for sure, but I doubt she can win.

Josiah Leming - He's the brit-punk singer. I really like him, and I'm really surprised to not see his name in the top 24, especially given the judges' comments. What happened??

Danny Noriega and Ramiele Malubay - They featured short clips of these two back-to-back, and I see they're both in the top 24, but I wasn't impressed with either one! I can't see how either one of them was better than Josiah, but I guess I'll keep watching to see what happened on the final day. Maybe it's a race thing and Idol is looking to boost the diversity of the final 24?

The next two up were Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, and once again I saw nothing memorable from either of them. They're both good singers, but they both had some pitch issues. Once again, I'm surprised to see them in the top 24, especially given some of the people who didn't make it.

David Cook's another who made the top 24. I wasn't overly impressed by his first performance, but he probably had the best rendition of "Everything I Do" of any of the guys.... although the next one featured, Robbie Carrico, sounded even better.

So at the end of the first two days, we still haven't seen any of the five people I mentioned from the first audition rounds! What's up with that??

There's finally a post-cut interview with Angelica Puente, but we never did see her sing in Hollywood.

Now they're finally featuring Angela Martin. As if her backstory wasn't sad enough, she also lost her dad shortly before Hollywood. And given her final a capella auditon, I'm actually surprised she didn't make it through -- ESPECIALLY with nerd-boy in the back row going on!

Now we're up to the final day of Hollywood auditions. Maybe we'll actually see some of my top picks, even though they didn't make it into the top 24.

Here's David Archaleta again. He was fantastic in the audition rounds, and he delivers another goose-bump performance here. Still, I don't think he's as good as David Hernandez, but the judges keep throwing in that "so amazing for 17" line, which has helped people like Jordin Sparks and Paris Bennett.

Syesha Mercado - VERY impressive final performance, especially given the condition of her voice. I'm glad to see she made the top 24. I agree with Randy -- she's one to watch.

Here's Michael Johns again. I wasn't impressed the first time, but I've never seen anyone actually do a GOOD rendition of of Bohemian Raphsody. I'm still a little surprised he made the top 24 -- I don't think he's nearly as good as the judges thought. I guess we'll see. Carly Smithson's final performance was also much better than her first. She's really good, but still somewhat ordinary. I don't think she can win unless we see some big spark or goose-bump moment.

The last contestant to be featured is Josaih Leming, and it's clear why he didn't go on. He's probably just too young and inexperienced. I'm glad the judges put him through anyway, but I'm not quite as surprised now that he didn't make the top 24.

So that's it for the Hollywood auditions... now all that's left is to whittle the group down to 24. Looking through the list, I'm amazed at how many names and faces I don't remember seeing in this episode! I'm sure we saw some in the first rounds and I just don't remember, but they'll show clips during the selection show. But for now, my top picks have to be David Hernandez, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, and Amanda Overmeyer, in that order. (I guess that means I do like Amanda after all!) Of course there could very well be someone else in the top 24 we didn't see tonight that is far better than any of those four, but it's late, so the selection show will have to wait another night! And I promise I'll keep the next blog post shorter!

American Idol auditions - Nebraska

There's not much to blog about in these first round auditions, since we see so few of the people who actually make it through, but one girl did blow me away tonight -- Angelica Puente. Obviously she was nervous, and the judges are right that she was a bit to "mimicy", but I think the judges were a bit harsh. The girl can blow! If she gets her confidence up, she could be a front-runner. She could definately fall into that "shows the most improvement" category, plus she's got the "sob story" of her father being so strict. Keep an eye on this girl!

Idol San Diego auditions

I wasn't even going to bother blogging about these first Idol audition shows because they normally show so many awful singers, but one singer tonight really grabbed my attention -- Samantha Musa. I thought she was amazing. I did not expect that voice to come out of her at all! And she's cute to boot. My only concern is that she may be TOO good at this point, or maybe not unique enough. The ones who impress us from the beginning tend to get ordinary and we expect perfection every week, then they either have a minor slip-up or the fans get complacent and they end up voted out. But she is certainly one to watch this season!

The other guy who impressed me was David Archuleta. He's got a great voice for only 16, nevermind the fact that he overcame partial vocal paralysis! He's got three things working in his favor already: a good voice, the age factor ("fantastic for your age" is a comment the judges love to throw out), plus the sob story. He could do well if he makes it through Hollywood.

I only wish we got to see more than 5 or 6 people who actually get to go on each week!

And this season's American Idol winner is...

Wow, it's been a while since I've blogged, huh? Well it's Idol season, so I'm planning to start liveblogging again, at least when we get to the REAL shows, not these crap audition shows.

With that being said, we may have already seen this season's winner -- Angela Martin. She's not the greatest singer, but she has the story. You see Angela is a 26-year-old single mom whose daughter has Rett Syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder.

Basically, the winner and runner-up of American Idol has either been:
a) the person with the best sob story (Fantasia)
b) the person Simon says can't possibly win (Taylor, Clay, Bo, and Blake), or
c) the person who comes in fairly unnoticed and shows the most growth (Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood, Diana DeGarmo, and of course Kelly Clarkson)

In fact the only Idol winner that doesn't fall into one of these categories is Reuben Studdard, and we're still not sure how he managed to win (or, more accurately, tie) season 2.

We've seen the sympathy vote help some other less-than-steller contestants too, like season four's Anthony Federov (who doctors said would never sing again after a tracheotomy) and Kellie Pickler ("What's calamari?"). The sympathy vote may have even helped Chris Daughtry in some respects, with his story of supporting his wife and her two kids (although his talent alone should have been enough to win the whole thing).

So have we seen the next American Idol already? Personally I don't think Angela's voice is strong enough to win, but if she makes it through Hollywood, I guarantee she'll be a finalist, and probably finish in the top 5. (Oh, and apparently Washington Post writer Lisa de Moraes agrees -- see the last paragraph.)

Of all the others tonight (which I'm only partially watching), the only one who stood out to me was Beth Stalker. I was amazed when Simon said she wouldn't stand out -- so maybe she is this year's contestant that Simon says can't win! If anybody's "ordinary", it's Chris Watson, the one who said he wants to be a legend.

Anyway, I'll be watching Idol on DVR for the next 4 weeks but after that, I'll be back to liveblog!

American Idol top 10 recap

It's Tuesday -- time for another evening of Idol liveblogging! Tonight's guest is Gwen Stefani and apparently the contestants will be singing both No Doubt songs and songs from artists who inspired No Doubt.

First up is LaKisha singing Donna Summer's "Last Dance". She's wearing a flowered mu-mu that makes her look far heavier than previously, but her voice is strong as always. It's nothing spectacular, but she has good energy and stage presence. The judges all comment on her hip outfit (???) and give her praise for the vocals.

Chris "Fro Patrol" Sligh is up next, singing The Police. Gwen comments on Chris's difficulty staying with the beat, which we've seen in past performances. And even now on stage, he's still ahead and wants to rush the song. This is far from his best performance. The judges are pretty rough on him too.

Gina Glocksen singing... crap, I know the song but I can't come up with the title or artist right now. She's lookin pretty hot tonight, but her voice sounds really rough -- it's clear she's sick. She still does a great job of staying on pitch. She's a trooper, and she gets a great response from the audience. The judges all say it's her best performance to date -- even Simon!

After the commercials, break out the earplugs... it's Sanjaya and Haley!

Sanjaya's singing Bathwater by No Doubt and comes out sporting a HIDEOUS mohawk. It starts off very weak -- as if Sanjaya is capable of anything else -- but the chorus isn't half bad. Oops, he stumbles over the words there. SOMEBODY SEND THIS BOZO HOME, PLEASE! Crap, even my two-year-old daughter wants me to turn the tv off. Oooh, he gives the camera the bedroom eyes at the end. Randy's "speechless" -- LOL! Sanjaya gets the comeback of the night though, saying Simon's "just jealous" that he couldn't pull off the mohawk. Simon basically gives up on Sanjaya, knowing that the voters will do whatever they want.

Haley's singing True Colors. When she starts, the performance reminds me a lot of Kat McPhee's breakout performance on "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", but whether she can accomplish the same thing remains to be seen. Nope, there's no big goosebump moment. Randy doesn't like it, but I disagree -- I actually think it was one of her better performances. It was elegant, not campy like most of her previous performances. I agree with Simon: "sweet but forgettable".

Next up is Phil Stacey. Thankfully they've put him in a hat again this week. It's another Police song, "Every Breath You Take". His voice sounds a lot like Sting's so this is a great fit for him. (I think I said this before this season, didn't I?) So far this is probably his best performance to date. I only wish he had more energy on stage. Yes, it's a ballad but it's an up-tempo ballad! Randy and Paula think it's "pretty good" and Simon actually gives him the best comments of the three!

Melinda is singing Donna Summer. Gwen knows immediately just how good she is: "I'd wish you luck but I don't think you need it," she says. They gave her a great, mature but modern hairstyle this week. She rips off another stellar performance. How in the world was this girl singing backups?? The judges love it as always. I'm still worried that she'll be the shocker to get the boot with 4 or 3 left, like Chris Daughtry last year. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Blake's singing The Cure's "Love Song". I love this song and I can't wait to see what Blake does with it. He has a great, pure voice. This is probably the best he's been too. It looks like everyone's in it to win it tonight -- except Sanjaya and maybe Haley. No beat-boxing tonight either -- interesting choice, but I think it's the right one. Paula gushes over it and says its risky and original -- how was that original? I thought it was pretty much a note-perfect rendition. Simon says he's the best guy, and I agree. Actually, I've been saying that since the first week.

Jordin's singing No Doubt's "Hey Baby". I think she can rock this! Wow, what a horrible outfit! She's a bit shaky in the beginning, and pitchy on the chorus, but it's a tough song to sing. I definitely like whe she holds the notes out and adds a little soul to it, though! Hmm... I wasn't blown away, but it was pretty good. The judges seem to like it a little more than I did.

Chris R. chooses "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Gwen comments on his "vocal olympics". She actually has pretty good insight into the contestants. He's a bit flat throughout, and a few notes are completely off. Probably one of his worst performances... until he gets to the final chorus and takes the melody up, then he gets a bit stronger. Simon's dead on -- he's the only one who noticed the vocals were weak, especially in the middle.

So that's it for another week of Idol. Once again Melinda and LaKisha were far ahead of anyone else, but for me Phil and Gina gave the surprise breakout performances of the night. Who's going home? Probably Chris Sligh based on tonight's performance -- unless the universe suddenly rights itself and Sanjaya goes home, that is!

Liveblogging

It's Idol night!

It's Tuesday night... that means it's time for more Idol liveblogging! Tonight's "British Invasion" night. Let's see what the top 11 have in store for us tonight.

Haley Scarnato - Tonight's performance is certainly a lot better than we've seen the last few weeks. I wouldn't say it was great, and it got a little pitchy around the end, but it certainly wasn't terrible. She certainly had a lot more energy and passion than previously.

Chris Richardson - Chris goes with a ballad this week, supposedly to showcase his voice. He does well, but sounds a bit like a crooner to me... and we all know what happens to crooners on Idol! He's not bad, but it's not nearly as good as his up-tempo songs. Actually, it's pretty boring... my wife just let out a snore next to me! Wha...?? Oh, sorry, dozed off for a second. I must've slept through the good parts, because the judges seem to really like it.

Oh no!! We just lost our Fox feed! Both normal and HD are a black screen! Ok, it's back... but we're still in commercial.

Stephanie Edwards - I still think she's one of the best singers in the competition, but she has to do something to set herself apart and not seem so "ordinary" and forgettable, otherwise she's going home very soon. The performance was very strong, although it got a little weird for me at the end. Randy says it was pitchy and I agree. She could be in danger this week, if Sanjaya doesn't go home.

Blake Lewis - Blake brings a little of the beat-boxing back this week... but what a hideous outfit! He hits the high notes, but just barely... I actually think he would've sounded better in falsetto. The beat-boxing isn't as good as it's been in the past. Maybe he's trying too hard to put it into each song. Well Paula really seems to have enjoyed it! It's not my favorite performance from Blake, but it's still darn good. Randy and Paula seem to like it a lot more than I did.... even Simon likes it! I must be off my game this week.

LaKisha Jones - I don't know this song, but this is the powerful voice that LaKisha's become known for. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for her to really give me goosebumps. She's good, but she just doesn't do it for me. Well, the ending was almost there. I think it was better than Simon gave her credit for, though. But again, maybe my ears are just off tonight.

Phil Stacey - Some people look good bald, but I must say, Phil is NOT one of those people. But hey, hey comes out rocking this week and he sounds GOOD! I think this is the best we've seen from Phil so far. My 2-year-old is ROCKING OUT on the couch and singing along too! Hmm... last year Taylor was her favorite, so maybe Phil is the one to watch out for this year? OK, maybe not.

Jordin Sparks - "I who have nothing" is a great song for Jordin. Now this one gives me chills. It is a little slow, almost dragging, but it's still fantastically powerful. I think Jordin just made this a three-girl competition! The whole audience is standing. Wow, I forgot that she's only 17! Simon says the song was too depressing.... maybe next week she should sing "The sun will come out tomorrow"?

Sanjaya Malakar - OK, here comes that goofus Sanjaya. Oh. My. God. Are girls really that crazy about Sanjaya that they cry over him? Crap, he's so awful that he's certain to stick around another week. OK, I hate to admit this, but that might actually be his best performance so far. And apparently Randy agrees. Of course that's really not saying much -- it's still a suckfest.

Gina Glocksen - Boy, I never realized just how big a HEAD Gina has! Oh, she mentioned blogs! OK, I'm sorry I just said you have a big head, Gina! I still love you. Maybe Ryan just has a teeny head. Ooh, Gina's doing "Paint It Black".... all I can think of is Ryan Star doing PIB during Rock Star: Supernova. She's a little shaky, but still good, and the song certainly fits her style. I certainly don't agree when Simon says "there were moments of complete torture." It wasn't that bad! I actually thought it was pretty good.

I do love Simon's comment about good singing being "what this competition should be about," because it's clear this year that that isn't what it's about.

Chris Sligh - Chris meanders through the audience as he sings... a little campy for my taste. OMFG, did you see that sign, "BRINGING CHUBBY BACK"? ROTFLMAO! OK, where was I? Oh yeah, Chris is wandering around and trying to sing. For an up-tempo song, this song is amazingly boring -- not at all what we've come to expect from Chris S. The judges seemed to like it though, so who knows. And we finally have our catch-phrase for this season -- FRO PATROL!

Melinda Doolittle - So they save the best for last again this week. Looks like it's Melinda's turn to do a ballad too. I'm actually looking forward to hearing a softer side of her voice. It starts off solid but boring, but she brings it home in the end as expected. She really is a spectacular singer. Hey, there goes Simon stealing my words again!

Well that's it! Time to fire up DialIdol and start voting! Let's see if we can finally get rid of Sanjaya this week! Unfortunately I'm afraid it could be Stephanie going home tomorrow, or maybe even Phil, even though I really enjoyed his performance tonight. But for me tonight, Jordin gets the best performance of the evening.

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So, let's try out this Technorati thing... do I need to do anything else to get my blog to show up?
Liveblogging

It's time for the Idol top 12!

It's finally here -- American Idol's top 12! As always, there are a few disappointments, namely Sanjaya and Haley who stole spots from far more deserving people. But hey, every season has to have its "Chicken Little" on tour, right? Besides, it's not like Sundance or Sabrina had a chance of winning it all.

Tonight's Diana Ross night. I wonder how the guys will fare, especially considering how rough they've been so far.

Brandon Rogers - Once again, Brandon picks a song that showcases his "pretty boy" voice, but no "wow" factor. I was going to say it was a very "safe" pick before that terrible crack... and then he FORGETS THE WORDS TOO! It's happened before to people, but Brandon's already on the bubble. He might survive this week, but don't expect him to stay around long. Then again, the first spot of the night is always a bad one for the forgettable performers.

Melinda Doolittle - She starts off a bit safe, but Melinda's powerful, star-quality voice shines no matter what she sings. She is miles apart from everyone else in the competition -- I don't know if there's anything she can do to NOT win this show.

Chris Sligh - I don't care for this arrangement at all, but the song really showcases his voice in a way we haven't seen before. He's a much better singer than I realized! Not at all what I would have expected from him, but it's very good. The judges all hammered him for the arrangement, which I agree with, but I still think the performance itself was worthy of some praise!

Gina Glocksen - I guess we won't hold it against Diana Ross for making up words. (OK, so technically "pronunciate" is a word, but I do not think it means what she thinks it means.) Gina picks a great song with Love Child and gives it her own edgy sound.... and does a fairly good job of enunciating too. I think she was better than the judges felt. Maybe the sound system in the theater is off tonight -- they're obviously having some problems with mics after each song, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Sanjaya Malakar - Diana says people care about Sanjaya... is that why he's still around? Oh my god, he looks like a cross between Diana Ross and Justin Guarini!! And he is just as awful as in previous weeks... although he does seem to have more confidence this week. LOL... Randy's a riot -- "hair idol". And did Simon just call Diana Ross a whale? No, that's "wail", as in "shriek in horror".

Haley Scarnato - Haley basically butchers "Missing You", even having problems with the words -- plus she's wearing the most hideous dress I've ever seen! At least she KNOWS that she was awful, unlike Sanjaya.

Phil Stacey - His practice tape looked pretty good... let's see what he's got when he gets on stage. It starts very boring, but in the chorus his voice gets a chance to shine, plus a nice little vocal inflection thrown in for good measure. If only he didn't look so damn goofy. I suspect once Sanjaya and Haley are finally gone, Phil will get VoteForTheWorst's support just based on his look!

LaKisha Jones - She certainly performs the song well, but I'm not blown away. Personally I don't see what people have been raving about with her -- she's good, but she's no Melinda. She's my pick for the surprise early exit, like around the final 6 or 5.

Blake Lewis - I'm already impressed by the fact that Blake tweaked the arrangement himself. I like the footwork too, and he has so much confidence on stage. It's not nearly his best vocal performance -- in fact it kinda reminded me of a high school talent show performance. He changed it up, but it almost made it cheesy rather than "new". Maybe if he had thrown some beat-boxing in... But he'll still be still safe for a few more weeks.

Stephanie Edwards - She's got some pitch problems tonight, and there's nothing in the song to really wow me. She was at the bottom in last week's DialIdol predictions, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the bottom two or three this week.

Chris Richardson - I love Chris's voice when he's taking on the alternative hip-hop style songs, but I'm not sure it works with Diana Ross. He still gives a good, solid performance... actually, I really like some of the vocal runs he threw in, although he could drop the falsetto stingers. He's still my favorite guy.

Jordin Sparks - She gives a good performance but sounds nervous from start to finish, and her last note is pretty flat. I have no idea what Randy was listening to because I didn't think that was anywhere near as good as Melinda or LaKisha, or even Chris R. How weird.

So, who goes home this week? Obviously it SHOULD be Sanjaya or Haley, but Brandon and Stephanie are also in danger. Being first up and forgetting the words could really hurt Brandon, and DialIdol currently has him last, but those predictions seem to change pretty dramatically when the west coast votes start coming in.

Idol girls final night - 8 become 6

Well, here we are -- the last girls-only show! It is a shame they continue to split the contestants 50/50 because it's clear this year that the girls are better than the guys. Anyway, let's see what the girls have this week.

Jordin Sparks - There were quite a few pitch problems, although she finished strong. I don't think it was as good as Randy and Paula thought, though. She has a lot of growing to do to win the competition, but she could probably make the top 12.

Sabrina Sloan - Sabrina has impressed me every week. Tonight's performance doesn't have the same energy and a few pitch problems here and there, but still an excellent performance overall.

Antonella Barba - For the first time since Hollywood, Antonella actually isn't half bad! Of course she's still awful compared to some of the others. But she's HOTTTT, so that could carry her far. And of course there's VoteForTheWorst.com, which is still supporting her. Unfortunately that means she'll make the final 12 and another deserving girl won't.

Haley Scarnato - Once again, she's just ok this week. She's good, but there's nothing really special about it. Randy puts it into "dog-eeze" by saying there's no "yo" in it. I agree with Simon too -- she hasn't made a big enough impression. She's one who is certainly in danger of going home.

Stephanie Edwards - She has impressed me every week too, and this week is no different -- another very strong performance. Not note-perfect, but very good.

LaKisha Jones - I haven't gone crazy for her the way the judges have the last few weeks, although she's certainly worthy of the top 6. Tonight she takes on Whitney Houston and actually does a darn good job! Probably the best performance so far tonight. Now somebody put some sleeves on that woman!

Gina Glocksen - I'm glad to see Gina take on something a bit edgier this week with Evenescence. She hasn't had the greatest performances, but it certainly locks her in for the rocker vote, so I think she'll be safe again this week. She had a few pitch problems right at the end, but overall it was a really good performance.

Melinda Doolittle - Last up is the powerhouse of the group, and she comes out swinging tonight! She's in it to win it, and unless something really strange happens this season, there's no doubt she'll be in this year's finale. She brought down the house tonight!

So who's going home from the girls? This one's REALLY tough... Antonella and Haley are certainly most deserving to go, but Antonella may be saved by the VFTW vote. I think it will be Haley and Jordin to go this week, although Gina and Sabrina could also be in danger. I guess we'll find out tomorrow night!

NOW GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR THE BEST!

Idol top 8 guys

Well, here we are, the last week before the guys and girls start performing together. Tonight we see the top 8 guys and get rid of two more -- HOPEFULLY the worst two, although anything can happen. Here's how tonight's performances went down.

Blake Lewis - Blake sings 311's "All Mixed Up". I love 311, and I can't believe these three supposed pop mouguls don't know the song! It's the perfect song for him, and he is excellent again this week. He is one of my two favorite guys.

Sanjaya Malakar - Singing John Mayer, "Waiting on the world to change". John Mayer is one of my favorite artists, which is why it's even harder for me to listen to him butcher it. The pitch is all over the place, and the hair tonight is AWFUL! I agree with Randy that it's a little better than last week, but he's still terrible. It's too bad that VoteForTheWorst.com is gonna jump behind him... so PLEASE, PEOPLE, DOWNLOAD THE DIALIDOL.COM DIALER AND VOTE FOR THE SINGERS WITH TALENT!

Sundance Head - Singing "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. Wow, from bad to worse! You can hear better renditions of this song in any bar on any Saturday night. Randy and Paula must be completely deaf because that was awful.

Chris Richardson - Tonight we see the softer side of Chris. He's my favorite guy right now, but this performance really concerns me. He's solid and on pitch, but he's also forgettable. I'm also disappointed to see him stray from the alternative hip-hop he's been choosing the last few weeks, although Randy seems to like the fact that he's changing things up. I sure hope he stays around.

Jared Cotter - I really liked him last week, and he picks another good R&B song this week, this time from Stevie Wonder. You can tell he's right at the top of his range, but he gives a solid performance. He could go home just based on the goofy looks, but I think he'll make the top 6.

Brandon Rogers - Brandon gives another good, solid performance, but nothing particularly special. He's certainly far better than Sundance or Sanjaya, but who knows what will happen this week. I agree with Simon -- he could be in trouble.

Phil Stacey - Phil goes soft this week too, and YIKES! He was one of the better guys, but this song starts off very pitchy and weak. It gets a little better as it goes on, but not much. But I think he has enough fans that he may survive.

Chris Sligh - Chris comes back strong this week, getting back to his blues-rock roots. An excellent performance overall! I'm really not sure what Paula was listening to this week. I thought he was one of the best two or three this week.

So who's going home? Well the two who most clearly deserve to go home are Sanjaya and Sundance. However, with VFTW.com and the rest of those a$$holes who insist on voting the worst ones through just for comedy value, who knows what will happen. I suspect one of the two will go home. After that, Phil, Jared, Brandon, or even Chris Richardson could be in trouble.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR THE GOOD SINGERS!

Idol top 10 girls

It's Wednesday, that means it's time for more Idol! Tonight it's the top 10 girls. I only got to see the first six last week, and it looks like they're going in reverse order this week, so the first five will be new for me. Let's see what they got!

Gina Glocksen - I heard some good things about her performance last week. She's got a strong voice, although the dress just doesn't fit her persona. I like her, but I'm not convinced that she'll make the top 6. OK, I agree with Simon's fashion advice -- that's scary!

Alaina Alexander - Meh. Totally ordinary and a lot of pitch problems. But she's hot, so who knows!

LaKisha Jones - I can't hear "Midnight Train to Georgia" on Idol without thinking of Paris Bennett... and she's not even half the singer Paris was. It was good, but certainly not spectacular.

Melinda Doolittle - I liked her from the audition rounds... let's see what she's got tonight. Wow, "My Funny Valentine"... the song makes her sound very mature. It started somewhat boring, but I think she's good enough that it doesn't matter. She just has an amazing voice! I really wish I had seen her performance last week. I'm not gushing like Simon, but she is REALLY good.

Antonella Barba - She was just awful last week, but of course picked up the support of VFTW. And she's almost as bad this week... pitch all over the place. She actually hit the high notes surprisingly well. I agree with Randy... as soon as they said she was doing Celine, I knew she was in trouble.

Jordin Sparks - I guess they're not going in exactly reverse order from last week... I wonder why. Once again she's very good, but I think she's oversinging this song just a bit... too many runs. Just sing the melody and let your voice shine!

Stephanie Edwards - Great performance. She has such a strong voice and she's such a natural on stage. A little trouble on one note there, which is a bit surprising... probably just got emotional. She's certainly one of the top three or four girls.

Leslie Hunt - This song starts a little low for her, but she does have a good, sultry voice. There wasn't really much to that song to really show off her talent, but it was enjoyable.

Haley Scarnato - Didn't see her last week either... how'd she get to sing so late tonight? Whitney Houston is WAY too big for her. It was bad karoke to me. If she was "so much better" this week, she must have been awful last week! She should be going home this week.

Sabrina Sloan - Another great, powerful performance... now if she could just stop sucking on the freakin mic! Definitely one of the three best ladies.

So, there you have it! I actually think the girls were somewhat ordinary this week, as compared to the guys who were ten times better than week one. My top four would be Melinda, Sabrina, Stephanie, and Jordin. Going home? Two of these three: Haley, Alaina, and Antonella, with Gina possibly at risk too.

A quick check of DialIdol.com puts Leslie at the bottom and (ugh) Antonella in the top 4 vote-getters! Let's hope that changes as the night goes on!

Idol top 10 guys

Well it's Idol night again, and I still haven't had time to watch the second half of the first girls' show! In fact I haven't even watched the results show! Hopefully I'll get to watch them at some point, but for now it's time to continue with tonight's performances and my real-time recap.

Phil Stacey - Singing "Missing You" by John Waite. Great song, and he makes it sound more like a Police song than the original. (Of course the guitar riff sounds just like "Every Breath You Take" too.) That was a very strong performance and he's got a good, unique voice. Paula likes his tone and so do I.

Jared Cotter - Singing "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. This is a BIG song to take on, but I think he does a respectable job. His tone and his ad-lib riffs remind me a lot of Daryl Hall.

A.J. Tabaldo - Sorry, don't know this song. It started a little boring (although I love the orchestration), but he really turned it on when the tempo picked up. Great tone, great pitch, and I like the falsetto too. He reminds me a bit of Boyz II Men. I don't really remember him from last week, though, so he could still be in danger.

Sanjaya Malakar - He's still around?!?! Wow, I knew Sundance was saved by VoteForTheWorst, but how the hell did Sanjaya survive? (I heard Paul Kim went home but I never did hear the other guy to get the boot!) This song fits his voice well, but we know crooners don't do well on Idol. And the getup is horrible! He sounds weak -- almost timid. Sorry, he's a nice guy but he needs to go home.

OK, I had to go to americanidol.com to see which other guy went home last week. Rudy Cardenas, huh? That's too bad -- he had a decent voice and was certainly better than Sanjaya and Sundance. But it's no huge loss. I didn't think he'd be in the top 6.

Chris Sligh - Don't know this song either. It's a solid performance, but not stellar. I was actually expecting more from him. Hm... the judges actually liked him more than I did. Maybe I missed something.

Nick Pedro - He's got a good, almost "old soul" voice, but he doesn't make this song very memorable. I hope he sticks around, but I'm worried about him too.

Blake Lewis - Will we see any beat-boxing tonight? Great song! He had a few pitch problems here and there, but it's a good performance, and the beat-box skatting is great. Nice falsetto too! Like Taylor's harmonica, Blake could have the "hook" that takes him far into the finals.

Brandon Rogers - Hm... never been a big fan of "Time After Time". No real problems, but a very safe, boring, ordinary performance -- which is basically what Randy said too. He should probably go home this week, after two dull performances in a row.

Chris Richardson - I don't know this song either (not my genre), but I like the performance. Once again, he really reminds me of Maroon 5. (I should have guessed it's a Jason Mraz song.)
I REALLY like his voice tonight. I agree with Randy... he could be the guy to beat.

Sundance Head - Let's see if he can redeem himself from last week. Mustang Sally is one of those songs that just about anyone can sing fairly well, but it does suit his voice well. Boy, I was thinking it was a fairly ordinary performance until he hit that screamer of a note! What a turn-around. But is one good week enough to get him into the top 6?

So, my picks for this week... well, Sanjaya will probably get the support of VFTW, but will it be enough to save him? I sure hope not! My picks for the bottom three would be Sanjaya, Brandon, and Nick. My favorites tonight were Chris R. and Blake, and rounding out my top 6 would be Phil, Chris S., Sundance (based on tonight alone), and either Jared or A.J.

Idol top 12 girls, part 1

OK, I realize people on the east coast already know which women (and guys) are going home this week, but I'm just getting around to watching last night's ladies' performances. Actually, I got to see a few of them last night and was very impressed with what I heard, but now I get a chance to really watch and listen.... and of course blog.

By the way, I found out my wife's cousin knows Antonella and worked with her best friend who auditioned with her in New York. (They both made it to the Hollywood round.) Antonella also goes to Catholic U in DC, so she's being treated like the "hometown favorite" around here, with lots of hype on the Fox evening news.

Anyway, on to last night's performance show and my reviews:

Stephanie Edwards - I'm really impressed with her. She actually reminds me quite a bit of Tamyra Gray, both in her vocals and her looks. She's a total natural on stage, and far better than any of the guys from last night. And of course the judges have nothing but good things to say about her too.

Amy Krebs - So far she's just been "meh". At least she looks a lot better tonight than in her audition clips, but the song's just ok -- ordinary and a little pitchy. The judges all said basically the same thing.

Leslie Hunt - From the audition clips, I really don't like her voice at all, but she did pick a song that works for her tone. And dude, she looks and even sounds a bit like Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson) from Studio 60! It was actually better than I expected... I actually think she was better than Randy and Simon gave her credit for. I don't know if she was "great", but she was pretty good.

Sabrina Sloan - Wow, this girl has got a powerful voice! She said she needed the perfect song, and I think she picked it. My only complaint is that she sings right on top of the mic so we can't see her mouth at all. But that was a fantastic performance! I'd love to say she's the one to beat, but it's really too early to tell.

Antonella Barber - I heard some of her performance last night, and to be honest, I'm not sure I can stand to sit through it again tonight! She was off-key from start to finish. She's got a very pretty voice, but she just butchered that song. It's no surprise that VoteForTheWorst.com is behind her.

Jordin Sparks - She's got quite a voice for a 17-year-old! I think she picked a great song to suit her voice, and it's more sultry than "sugary". And when she took it up in her register, WOW -- goosebumps. I like her a lot. I think Randy's right -- she can handle just about any song out there. That could be a real help for her in future rounds. She'll certainly be in the top 6.

Well that's the first six, and even though the results are already announced, I guess I should stop here and head to bed. More tomorrow!