Idol Final - And the Winner is...

The night we have all been waiting for has finally arrived--tonight we find out who America chose to be their American Idol. Will it be the eyeliner wearing Idol wannabe from Southern California or will America chose as their Idol the under the radar flying Southern charmer? Whoever it is received the majority of the more than 100 million votes cast last night (a record number of votes!)


So sit back and read what happened over the two-plus hours of the Idol finale--and, yes, you can thank me for watching TV so you don't have to one last time this season.


To start the night, Ryan introduced the judges which took over 5 minutes to complete as we watched clips of the judges delivering their special brand of critique. Randy was shown talking mostly about himself; Kara kissing would-be Idols off with terms of endearment; Paula playing the word of the day game; and Simon not being able to hear what is happening on the stage. The first in a series of time wasters.


Next up was a quick check in with first Mikalah Gordon who was with Kris' fans in Conway, AR and then with Carly Smithson who was hanging with Adam's peeps in San Diego.



Eight minutes into the show, the entire Idol Top 13 donned white outfits and sang P!nk's "So What". About the only thing entertaining about the performance was watching a group of mostly pop singers trying to get all "street" with the somewhat edgy song.


David Cook was welcomed to the stage to perform his new song "Permanent". David sounded great accompanied by someone from his band on the Idol Baby Grand. When he finished singing, Ryan spent some time chatting with David about the recent loss of his brother to cancer. Idol is going to put this song on iTunes and all proceeds will go to a fund for finding a cure for cancer.


In what has become an Idol finale staple, Ryan took his place behind a podium and began to dole out awards to Idol wannabes who didn't make it to the big stage. The best part of the skit was reuniting the Idol fans with Nick Mitchell--aka Norman Gentle who reprised his rendition of "And I'm Telling You".


In an effort to get things back into a more legitimate place, Ryan introduced Lil Rounds and Queen Latifah who were there to sing a duet of the Queen's "Cue the Rain". Lil was looking good in a black and white top with black stretch pants and 6" heels, but Queen Latifah still drawrfed her in what looked like a black pant-jumpsuit and rather high heels herself. The girls sounded great and it was a pleasure to see Lil back on the stage singing something in her wheelhouse.


The next group sing featured Anoop "Dogg" Desai and Alexis Grace singing "I'm Yours" with Jason Mraz. Just as the trio was hitting their stride, the rest of the Season 8 Finalists joined them on both sides of the stage.


To help us catch our breath from all of the excitement through the first 35 minutes of the two plus hours of the Finale, we traveled back in time to follow Kris Allen's Idol journey. Kris auditioned at the Louisville, KY tryouts. What stood out to the judges was his humble nature--something that is certainly going to take him far...especially if he finds himself wearing the Idol crown in about 90 minutes.


After traveling down memory lane, we were brought back to the present time and were treated to Kris and Keith Urban dueting on "Kiss a Girl". Listening to Kris sing with one of the best male voices in Country music, it was pretty obvious that the 23-year old Idol is destined to be a superstar. There has been some question about whether he has been versatile enough to win the title, but watching Kris slay Keith's song with Keith I was sold--and will probably buy his album when it comes out later this year (or whenever they it's released).


. The five female Idol wannabes--Megan Joy, Alexis Grace, Lil Rounds, Allison Irahetta, and Jasmine Murray warmed up the stage for Fegie by singing her song, "Glamourous". Then the Duchess joined them on stage and sang "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)" before the rest of the Black Eyed Peas entered the staged and entertained with "Boom Boom Pow".


Back to the Golden Idols (the aforementioned mock awards show that Ryan is passing off as comedy)--BTW: I'm pretty sure they stole the "Golden Idol" from my blog name. Ryan presented the award for "Best Attitude" to Bikini Girl who strolled across the stage in her trademark bikini which was filled out a bit more than during her audition. After receiving her award from Ryan she took the mic and "sang" her version of "Vision of Love" only to be joined by a similarly bikini-clad Kara DioGuardi.


Half-way through the show, Ryan welcomed Allison Irahetta and Cyndi Lauper to the stage as they sang "Time After Time". Allison sounded great and Cyndi still possesses one of the most unique voices in the music industry--kind of a mix between Rod Stewart's whiskey sound with a Valley Girl from the '80's. Together they blended nicely and could probably have a hit if they decide to add the song to Allison's album which she will no doubt record within the next year.


Ryan spent the next few minutes interviewing Kris Allen's parents who were just as humble and unassuming as their son.


In the spirit of fair play, Ryan made his way to the other side of the aisle to chat it up with Adam's parents.


And then he introduced Danny Gokey who we found seated on the Idol steps at the back of the stage. With what looked like a couple of 5 O'clock shadows, Danny lent his wonderful voice to Lionel Richie's "Hello" and then brought out the man himself to duet on "Just Go" before slipping into "Dancing on the Ceiling"--Lionel's wildly popular Jamaican-inspired song from the mid-80's. I have always been a big Lionel Richie fan dating back to his days as the front man for the Commodores, but I have to give the edge tonight to Danny. Danny sounded so good--I guess I'll be buying his album too!


You know, we're almost an hour and fifteen minutes into the show and we have seen, nor hear little from Idol front-runner, Adam Lambert! But I have a feeling that is about to change as Ryan just introduced the video package taking us on Adam's journey to the finals. We first met Adam at the San Francisco auditions and as the weeks went by, Adam's star flew higher and higher. I, along with millions of others watching the show, have every expectation that Adam is going to be a huge recording star whether he wins tonight or not.


To give America the opportunity to watch this consummate performer do his thing one more time, we found Adam dressed in black leather from head to toe, wearing something that resembled metal shoulder pads, and KISS-style boots. With an outfit like that, you better believe he was going to sing something from one of the greatest Arena Rock bands of all time. First Adam soloed on "Beth" and then was joined on stage by KISS--I'm not sure if Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace were behind the makeup, but whoever they were, they did it up right on "I'm Gonna Rock and Roll All Night" with Adam taking center stage. It was truly a spectacle worth watching.


How do you follow up a legendary group like KISS? Well, for starters you invite Carlos Santana to the Idol stage and turn him and his guitar loose on "Black Magic Woman". Matt Giraud sang a few bars of the song and then was joined by the rest of the Idol cast on "Smooth".


After watching the final Ford music video of the season and witnessing Kris and Adam receive the gift of their own Ford Fusion Hybrids, we were treated to an interesting musical number by Megan Joy and Michael Sarver and accompanied by funnyman and banjo expert, Steve Martin. The song was called "Pretty Flowers" and was written by Steve himself and can be found on his new album.


When we returned from commercial we found the Idol boys assembled on stage and singing Rod Stewart's '70's anthem, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". As you can probably guess, the next performer coming to the stage is none other than Mr. Rod Stewart himself. Rod sang "Maggie May" and the camera found celebrities dotted throughout the Kodak who were singing along with him. Unfortunately, Rod was one and done--as soon as he finished the song, he exited the stage without any fanfare.


Which left time for Ryan to "entertain" us with another round of the Golden Idols. This time the category was "Best Female"--and the winner was Tatiana Del Toro the Idol Wannabe who just missed the Top 13. In what was obviously a staged event, Tatiana ran from security as they tried to keep her from the stage, but as she did during her time on Idol, she used persistence and an annoying "can do" attitude to make her way to the stage for one last rendition of "Saving All My Love for You"--and then Ryan sent us to commercial.

When we returned, Adam and Kris were standing together and sang "We Are the Champions" accompanied by Queen. It was a moving performance and fun to watch the two finalists play off of each other knowing that regardless of whose name was to be read in the next few minutes, these guys as well as the rest of the Idol finalists are indeed champions. Out of over 100,000 who auditioned there were but 13 who made it to the Idol stage and out of those 13 only Kris and Adam remain standing--so calling them champions is quite accurate.

But enough of all of this filler stuff, let's find out who received enough votes to call themselves THE American Idol!

With nearly two hours of the finale in the rear view mirror, Ryan gathered Adam and Kris onstage one last time and was handed the envelop with the voting results safely tucked inside--seen only by the folks from Telescope (the outfit who verifies the voting process).

Ryan asked for the lights to be dimmed for the last time during Season 8 and announced Kris Allen as the winner of the show. No one looked more surprised than Kris--Adam was gracious and gave Kris a big hug before moving to the side of the stage to join the rest of Idol cast offs. Kris admitted that he felt Adam deserved to win the title--but I think that was only because he knew he was going to have to perform the lame song that Kara co-wrote for the Idol winner.

So, as we watch Kris perform the last song of Season 8, I thank you for joining me on the journey we have all taken with our Idols and congratulate Kris and all of the rest of the Idol finalists for a great season.

Until next season, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Final Two Perform for the Crown

Thousands of would-be Idol wannabes dreamed of singing for your votes, but only two Idols remain standing and tonight is the night when they sing for your votes and the chance to call themselves "Season 8 American Idol".

It's down to arguably the greatest Idol performer in the history of the show vs. one of the steadiest artist of the season...it's California vs. Arkansas...it's Adam Lambert vs. Kris Allen.


With celebrities and former Idol contestants scattered throughout the Kodak Theatre, Adam and Kris were ready to put on a show for the ages. Tonight they will sing three songs: their favorite from the season, a selection made by Idol creator, Simon Fuller, and a single written by Idol judge, Kara DiGuardio. It promises to be a night filled with awesome performances, so let's check out the action.

• Up first is San Diego native, Adam Lambert singing "Mad World"--the song that most of us missed the first time around due to Idol running long. Adam came out dressed in a 7/8 length leather coat and walking down the Idol stairs set up at the back of the stage. To further set the mood of the song, there was smoke pumped onto the stage and with the eerie blue lighting, an air of mystery was created giving Adam a perfect stage from which to deliver his pitch-perfect vocals. Randy gave Adam an "A+" for the performance--as well as the long coat and the fog. Kara said he "rocked it tonight". Paula told him he did "a brilliant job". Simon said he thought it was a little "over theatrical"--which seemed a bit odd because he took exception with a similar comment from Randy a few weeks ago. In the end it is difficult to find much fault with this performance.
• How would Kris answer Adam's body punch? For his first round look, Kris rocked a white T-shirt and charcoal vest. Kris chose to sing "Ain't No Sunshine" and opted to accompany himself on the Idol baby grand. As he did the first time around on this classic, Kris started out strong and only got stronger. Randy began by referencing the NBA playoffs and, specifically the Lakers. He then went on to credit Kris for singing beautifully and giving everyone a glimpse into what type of album he will record soon. Kara and Paula blathered on about nothing much. Simon confessed to originally not thinking America got it right last week by putting Kris into the finals (over Danny), but said after listening to Kris tonight, he agreed with the voters.

And with two songs sung and eight judges comments given, Simon proclaimed Kris the winner of Round 1.

On to Round 2 and Simon Fuller's song choices.

• For Adam Lambert, Simon selected "Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. Adam chose a silver two-piece suite accented with a sea-foam tie and white shirt for his Round 2 performance. Flanked by a couple of guitar playing members of Ricky Minor's Idol band/orchestra, Adam lent his theater-trained vocals to the song and the crowd absolutely loved it especially when Adam climbed into his upper register. When he finished, the crowd noise was such that Randy struggled to be heard, but when he finally was able to cut through it, he said that Adam "sang his face off!". Kara thought it was Adam's best performance of the season. Paula went a few steps further saying it was the best she has ever heard him sing and then called him "iconic". Simon chipped in by reassuring Adam that he is "100% back in the game" after that strong performance.
• Mr. Fuller chose "What's Going On" for Arkansas-native, Kris Allen. Keeping with his down-home look, Kris pulled on a long-sleeved gray T-shirt and jeans, grabbed his acoustic guitar and was joined on stage by Ricky Minor on bass, a bongo player, and a box player to sing the Marvin Gaye classic. Kris slowed down the song a bit and, for my money, matched Adam's awesome performance earlier in the round. Randy thought Kris' performance was "a little light for this room". Kara credited Kris for helping America gain a conscience. Simon said it sounded like three friends getting together in their room playing a song and thought it was too light for a night like this.

Simon gave Round 2 to Adam by "a million percent"--sorry for the math!

• With a final chance to win your votes, Adam hit the stage to sing "No Boundaries", the song co-written by Kara. Adam chose a black jacket with some bedazzling highlights on the left shoulder and a pair of white and black jeans. Adam has been given credit for being able to sing any song and make it sound good--and he needed every bit of that ability because the song pretty much was a mess. Randy pulled the "you can sing the phone book", but he didn't like the performance and even saying it was a little pitchy at times. Kara said it was "an honor to have you sing a song (I) wrote". Simon said "I am not going to judge that song, I'm going to judge you"--and then went on to say "I believe we have found a world-wide star in you".
• Kris took to the stage in a black Member's Only-looking jacket and gave his interpretation of "No Boundaries". Trying his best to rock what amounts to a song wreaking of desperation, Kris resorted to dragging the microphone stand around the stage in an effort to breathe life in to this train wreck of a song. As Kris moved to the familiar spot on the stage where the Idols go to receive their judge's comments, you could tell he didn't like the song. Randy said the song fit Kris' style a bit better than Adam's--which wasn't much of an endorsement. But then Kara said she wasn't going to judge him on the song--her reason: because the key was too high...how about the song being terrible?! Simon said his best performance was the first song and then he credited Kris for deserving to be on the stage tonight.

So which Idol did enough to earn your votes and join the elite 7 previous Idol winners? My vote based on the season as well as tonight goes to Adam. I think Kris is an amazing performer, but Adam has been the presumptive American Idol pretty much since week 1 or 2 of the Finals.

Tune in tomorrow and find out how America voted--it's scheduled for a 2-hour finale, but Ryan warned us that they are going to run long, so prepare your DVR to catch every minute...or read my blog after it happens.

Remember, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Chatter - The Final Two are Determined

A night after the three remaining Idols sang twice for your votes, it's time to find out which two will continue their journey toward Idol history and the honor of wearing the Idol crown for the next 12 months. Over 88 million votes were cast last night for Adam, Danny, and Kris--and, according to Ryan, a mere one million votes separate two of the Idols. Talk about drama!

In a departure from normal Elimination Night activities, the evening started off with a not-so-subtle commercial for Ben Stiller's new movie, "A Night At the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian". That was followed by the usual Ford music video. And then Alicia Keys was welcomed to the stage to talk about her role on a charity that benefits an African cause. Alicia in turn introduced a young man from Africa who performed a fun little number--a copy of which you can download on iTunes if you so desire.

Fourteen minutes into the show, Ryan asked Danny to join him on stage. Danny said he felt unsure about his fate, but there was no doubt that he had a good time last week when he visited Milwaukee to get the hometown hero treatment. During his visit he was reunited with his best bud in the whole world, Jamar, who was one of the final contestants cut as the judges reduced the field to 36 oh so many weeks ago. As Danny made his way through town to perform for his hometown fans, emotions started to get to him and he allowed a few tears to flow. He called it bitter sweet, but how would the votes make him feel?

Ryan asked for the lights to be dimmed and then ran through last night's songs and judge's comments and then sent Danny to the couch to wait for the other finalists to be put through the paces.

Ryan invited Kris to join him on stage and then we watched as Kris returned to Conway, Arkansas. Like Danny, Kris did radio and TV with local stations, was whisked around town in a super-stretch limo, and then Kris reunited with his rather large family. It was a pretty emotional time for him and his family as you can imagine. Kris also found time to perform a few mini concerts in and around Conway.

As he did with Danny, Ryan walked through Kris' performances and what the judges had to say about them. When he was done, Ryan asked Kris to take a seat next to Danny and wait just a little longer to find out who's going home.

And the wait is going to be extended because Jordin Sparks was due to take the stage and sing her latest song, "Battlefield". Jordin rocked the stage in a black mini adorned with lots of studs that gave it a nice sparkle. The song was alright, but I don't think it will find it's way on to my iPod any time soon.

Thirty seven minutes into the show, Adam joined Ryan on stage and they chatted about his visit to San Diego--Adam's hometown. Adam spent the day doing local TV and radio shows, signing anything that people put in front of him, and generally rushing around being a superstar. One of Adam's stops was the theatre groups where he got his start in San Diego. While there, Adam shared many words of wisdom with the young performers who want to be the next Adam Lambert. His next stop was his former high school and then a concert hall where he sang the National Anthem in front of a gigantic American flag.

Back on the Idol stage, Ryan did his thing and then asked Adam to join the other amigos on the couch for yet another commercial break followed by a performance by Katy Perry.

Before Katy sang "Waking Up in Vegas", Danny pleaded with Ryan to let the guys (and America) know the results. But unfortunately, it isn't up to Ryan, so the boys were treated to Katy dressed in an Elvis-inspired white leotard complete with colorful rhinestones and over sized collar. I'm not sure the song was all that great, but it was fun watching Katy work the stage along with the dancing girls dressed like Vegas Showgirls in the background.

Finally, after 55 minutes of mostly wasted time, Ryan told us that Kris was the first finalist! Based on Kris' expression as well as that of the judges, I'm pretty sure no one expected Kris' name to be called. So with Adam and Danny leaning on each other for support, Ryan told Adam that he was the other finalist. That means, of course, that Danny is going home--not a loser, but rather a top 3 finalist and someone who has a very bright future ahead of him.

As we said goodbye to a true Idol, we were reminded of what a great story Danny has brought to the Idol stage. Until tonight, Danny had never been in danger of going home, but alas, when you have three very talented singers and only two spots for them, someone is going to be the odd-man out and tonight, that man was Danny.

Tune in next week and watch Adam and Kris duel for the coveted title "Season 8 American Idol". It promises to be a great finals.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - Three Idols with Two Songs Each

With one week separating us from crowning the Season 8 American Idol, it is time to see how the three remaining Idol wannabes stacked up in what amounts to a round robin singing contest. All of the fat has been trimmed and we are left with the cream of the Idol crop: Adam, Danny, and Kris--aka the Three Amigos.

BTW: For trivia purposes, tonight's episode is the 300th in Idol history. And with that, let's get the show on the road.

Tonight's format: the boys will sing two songs--the first one is selected by the judges, the other is the singer's choice.

• Up first is Wisconsin native, Danny Gokey singing "Dance Little Sister" by Terrence Trent D'Arby as selected by Paula Abdul. The first thing anyone who has watched Danny perform these past several weeks will notice is that instead of building up momentum throughout the song, Danny let it fly from the first note. At one point a sax player joined Danny on stage and had a bit of back and forth with Danny--kind of a do-whop version of Dueling Banjos. Randy thought the performance was "dope". Kara gave credit to Paula on a good song selection, but found fault in Danny's dance steps. Paula pulled out the "I'm a choreographer" card and said Danny performed well and sounded good doing it. Simon reminded the girls that it is a singing contest, but found the dancing "desperate" and thought the saxophone bit was unnecessary. He went on to criticize the song selection--which isn't Danny's fault. Overall, Danny's first song received mixed reviews from the judges.
• Kris was next and during his trip home to Arkansas received a text message from Randy and Kara who selected "Apologize" by One Republic as his judge's pick. We found Kris seated at the Idol Baby Grand and within a few notes, it was obvious that Randy and Kara made the right selection for Kris. As the weeks have rolled on, I have become a big fan of Kris'--which is something I didn't think possible after the first couple of performances. Randy was impressed with Kris' performance saying this is the type of song that he could record and have a successful career. Kara was a disappointed because Kris didn't do something more special with the song. Paula mumbled a few unimportant things that were mostly forgettable. Simon took task with Paula's backwards compliment and then went after Kara for improperly critiquing Kris on a song she selected. Kara got all defensive and asked Simon how many songs he has interpreted. Oh Kara, it might be time for you to find another job on Tuesday and Wednesday nights! Again, the judges were all over the place on their praise or lack thereof for Kris.
• Let's see what Adam does with Simon's selection of "One" by U2. Adam took to the stage shadowed in blue light and accompanied by a piano player. Simon said this is one of his favorite songs and that he had to get Bono's permission for Adam to sing the song--and thank goodness he did. Adam tore it up! Randy liked the interpretation although he wasn't wild about the liberties taken with the melody. Kara rambled on and on, but essentially she gave credit to Adam for a great performance. Simon called the song choice (HIS choice) "brilliant"--and then gave Adam two "brilliants" for his performance. He also said if Adam doesn't find himself in the finals next week, something is wrong. Sounds like America has an assignment to complete!

With Round 1 complete, it is obvious that Adam was the clear winner. As for the other two finalist, I would rate Kris slightly ahead of Danny. But anything can happen in Round 2 when the Idols have their choice of song to sing.

• As was the case in the first round, Danny Gokey kicked off Round 2. For his second song of the night, Danny chose "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker. Accompanied by a string quartet and a guitar player and seated on a stool on center stage, Danny went back to what got him to this point in the contest--a controlled build of a song that took full advantage of his singing range...and left out the dance moves that the judges so hate to see and love to criticize. It was an interesting arrangement blending a tiny bit of Rock with some R&B and Gospel. Overall, I thought it was a moving performance. Randy keyed in on Danny's ability to sing crediting him for having "mad vocals". Kara thought it was "stunning, stunning". Paula called it a "beautiful performance". Simon said it was a "vocal master class" although he didn't think the song required the special arrangement. Without benefit of hearing Kris and Adam in Round 2, I'd say Danny put himself very close to gaining a spot in the Finals next week.
• But Kris Allen might have something to say about that. For Kris' second song, he went with "Heartless" by Kanye West--not a song I would have picked for him, but Kris has earned a reputation for being able to sing just about any song. He started out the song with a few bars of acapella before strumming his acoustic guitar and picking up the pace of the song. As I listened to the song, I was impressed that Kris was able to sing the song and stay on beat because the tween girls in the audience were all over the place clapping on and off the beat. Randy called Kris' version "better than the original". Kara thought it was "bold, brave, and fearless"--and she couldn't let go of his underwhelming (in her mind) performance of "Apologize" in Round 1. Simon confessed to having written Kris out of the competition after the first song, but said that after hearing "Heartless", he said Kris is back in the contest.
• Rounding out the singing portion of the show, Adam hit the stage and sang "Crying" by Aerosmith. Before hearing a single note, I, along with millions of Idol viewers, had a feeling this was going to be a performance to remember. It wasn't much of a stretch to think that Adam would be able to channel his inner Steven Tyler on this classic rock anthem, but to actually see it was something special. Adam essentially sealed his spot in next week's final. Randy called him a "rock star" and said he should be make a rock album. Kara and Paula said pretty much nothing. Simon said he wasn't going to "suck up like the other three" and instead reminded everyone that it isn't a given that Adam is going to "sail into the finals"--it doesn't really matter what the judges say if the voters don't cast their ballots.

So with six performances in the can and the numbers scrolling along the bottom of my TV screen, it's time to predict who is moving on to the finals and who is going home one week short of a chance to fulfill their dream of becoming THE American Idol for Season 8. As much as it pains me to say goodbye to any of these three talented young men, I believe Adam and Danny will accumulate enough votes to sing in the Finals. That leaves Kris as the odd man out, but I wouldn't worry too much about Kris, he'll tour with the other members of the Idol Top 10 this summer and land a record contract which will be bought and downloaded by every tween-age girl in America making Kris--or rather his record company quite a bit of money.

Tune in tomorrow night to see how the voting goes. Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to.

Peace!

Idol Chatter - Who Get's Rocked Off the Show?

A night after the four remaining Idols got their Rock on, one of them will be sent rolling out the door...but which one? Was Adam's stay in the B3 a wake up call for America? Will Danny face elimination after never being in the B3? Will Allison's ride end after finally getting a chance to sing in her comfort zone? Or will the rising star of Idol, Kris, be sent packing? I don't know the answer, but by the end of this blog entry, we all will, so read on...

Before the actual elimination process begins, we are subjected to the usual lame Ford commercial, but in what appears to be a change of strategy, the group sing actually sounds like it is live and not merely lip synced.

This week the Idols hit the stage with last night's mentor, Slash, to sing a rousing rendition of "School's Out for Summer". While the performance wasn't great, it was certainly much better than previous week sing-a-longs. After the song, Ryan chatted it up with Slash and inquired about his soon-to-be-released album--but there was some secret about who was on the album that Slash wasn't willing to let us in on, so I pretty much tuned out and we were sent to commercial.

Like clockwork, we're 13 minutes into the show and it is time to visit with the Idols on the Elimination Stools. Ryan went down the line asking silly questions like whether Kris felt he deserved to be here, if Adam enjoyed singing a Led Zeppelin song, how Danny felt about the final note of his song, and what got into Allison that made her talk back to Simon last night. In order the answers were: Yes, yes, he laughed, and just chatty.

As it turns out, Ryan was simply stalling to give Paula enough time to get into position to perform! Yeah, you read that right, Miss Abdul dusted off her pop girl image and hit the Idol stage for the first time ever and sang "I'm Just Here For the Music" off her new album. I wasn't a fan of the song, but watching Paula dance around the stage with a bunch of 20-somethings chasing her around was entertaining.

When we returned from commercial, Ryan introduced Gwen Stefani and her band mates--better known as No Doubt. They rocked the stage to "Just a Girl". It was a pretty frantic performance which verged on strange when Gwen hit the small catwalk behind the area where the judges normally sit and did a few push ups. Odd indeed! The best part of song was when it finally ended.

Another 20 minutes have passed since our last time check and we still don't know who's safe and who's in trouble. Ryan did tell us that over 64 million votes were cast last night, so they may still be sorting out how many each Idol received. To buy a little more time, we were "treated" to a retrospective of homecomings for the Final 3s from Idol seasons past. Could've done without that video bit.

Finally, 35 minutes into the show, the elimination process started. Ryan assembled the remaining four Idols on the stage and did his normal performance show recap for each of the Idols (not dissimilar to the Idol Worship!) and then sent Kris to safety which means many things, including that my prediction from last night was accurate--sort of! I predicted that Kris would be going home, but I thought it was because he was going to be eliminated, instead he's going home to a heroes welcome because he is in the Final 3.

While Danny, Adam, and Allison sweat out the rest of the results, Ryan reminded us that it was just three years ago that Chris Daughtry was eliminated before he could have the usual Final 3 homecoming tour. Despite his earlier than most expected elimination, Chris has done fairly well for himself--winning awards and selling tons of albums. To showcase his success, Daughtry took to the stage to debut their new single "No Surprise" off their new album. To add a cherry to an already sweet night for Chris and the boys, Kris Allen presented him with a plaque recognizing the band selling over 5 million copies of their first album.

With all of the guest performances over, it was finally time to find out who the other two members of the Final 3 are and who's Idol dreams have turned into a nightmare. The next person invited to head home for a celebration was Adam. That left Allison and Danny on the stage...and Ryan wasted little time letting them know that Allison is going home...for good. And that means Danny joins Kris and Adam in the Final 3--an all-boys affair.

After walking through Allison's Idol adventure via the magic of videotape, Ryan handed her the microphone and she sang for her fans one last time on the Idol stage. With tears staining her checks, she belted "Cry Cry Baby" and shared some special moments with the judges getting hugs from Paula and being accompanied by Kara. I have a sneaking suspicion this isn't the last we will hear from this talented 17-year-old singer.

And with that the Final 3 is set. Tune in next Tuesday when Idol airs their 300th episode starring Adam, Danny, and Kris. It promises to be a great show.

As usual, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to.

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Final Four Get Their Rock On!

A week after seeing the season's favorite land in the Bottom 3, the remaining four Idols get to work with Guns 'n Roses guitarist, Slash, as they add their special brand of pop singing to some rock classics.

In addition to singing as solo artists, tonight the Idols will do something never seen before on the Idol stage--they are going to sing duets! I'm not sure what the Idol producers are thinking, but upon first hearing Ryan tell us of the plan, I was a bit surprised that they would do something so un-Idol like. But then again, this is Season 8 and they need to do something to set this season apart from the previous 7. So let's see what Slash can do with the Idols as they duet for your votes and a chance to be in the Final 3.

• Leading off the show was Adam who chose "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. Adam hit the stage with his trademark black nail polish and eyeliner and dressed in black jeans and black studded leather jacket. He looked the part of a rocker and he sounded like one as well. You might say that putting him in the B3 last week woke the sleeping dog--something the other contestants might not be so thrilled to learn. The Dawg called the performance "hot"; Kara went on and on about him making a rock album with classics from the '70's and the glam-rock of the '80s...you get the idea. Simon thought his stage presence was "a little understated"...kidding! He loved it as did everyone who heard it.
• 17-year-old Allison, with a fresh 'do courtesy of Adam's stylist, went with the Janis Joplin classic "Cry Baby"--a song that seems well-suited for her voice. One note into the song, I was convinced that she deserved to remain in the competition, but it will be up to the voters. Want to hear what the judges said? Well, off the bat, Randy said he didn't "love the song choice" whereas Kara thought Janis was the right artist, but "Piece of My Heart" would have been better. She also asked Allison if she was nervous--to which Allison said, "I'm always nervous". Simon liked the performance, but thought it was very much a "sound alike". After Simon finished with his critique, Allison started defending her song choice--to which Simon said, "just beg"...sounds like someone doesn't think she will make it to next week. As noted earlier, it's up to the voters--pick up the phone if you want to see her remain as the only girl left in the competition.
• The first ever Idol duet featured Kris and Danny singing "Renegade" by Styx. They started acapella before the band kicked in and then the rocking began. Both Idols sounded good in the beginning, but when they sang together, it was clear that Danny's voice was more distinctive as well as more powerful compared to the vocals of Kris. Randy thought it was a good collaboration especially the harmonies. Simon said Danny was better than Kris which wasn't a popular comment for either singer. Not that anyone asked me, but I'd have to say that Idol duets aren't a good idea--I say give the Finalist the opportunity to sing two songs alone, cut out the pre-song packages, and they will still be able to get the entire show in the hour allotted by Fox.
• With a chance to redeem himself (based on Simon's comment), Kris Allen channeled his inner Beatle and sang "Come Together". During his mentoring session with Slash, Slash loaned Kris his guitar which was a thrill for the Arkansas native. By the time he made it to the stage, Kris had his own guitar with him and commenced to jam with the band. Kris did a nice job with the song, tweaking it a bit to make it more "Kris-like". Randy picked up on it not being something from Kris' wheel-house, but he was impressed with the guitar playing. Kara didn't feel the performance, saying he appeared to be "trying too hard". Paula said the song had his "signature all over it". Simon didn't like the performance, he compared it to "eating ice for lunch...quite a boring song and a bit of a jam" session (I guess Simon is channeling a bit of me in his comments!). Things are not looking good for the Idol dark horse, but as mentioned before, it's your votes that put them through to the next round, not Simon's critiques.
• Rounding out the solo performances, Danny Gokey went with Aerosmith's "Dream On". The song is a fairly obvious choice for Danny's style because of how it builds naturally--which has become a Danny signature. Sporting yet another pair of glasses, a purple shirt, and pinstriped black pants and matching vest, Danny got the crowd going with his vocals. There was one part of the song where it sounded like he was doing a little scatting and his final note was a little scary, but otherwise it was a typical Danny performance--strong vocals. Randy thought it was just "awright" and credited him with a "valiant effort". Kara thought he tried a little too hard to add swagger to his act. Paula didn't think it was the right song, but did a little cheer leading for him just the same. Simon agreed with the other judges plus compared the final note to something you might hear from a horror film. But he finished by saying that Danny should be safe. Before giving out his numbers, Ryan reminded everyone that Danny is the only Idol who hasn't been in the Bottom 3 this season--a statistic that pretty much will be thrown out tomorrow as there will only be one Idol NOT in the B3 whether they share voting results in that manner or not.
• With time running out on the show, Ryan welcomed Allison and Adam to the stage to duet on Foghat's "Slow Ride". Allison started things off and sounded good...until Adam joined her on stage and reduced her to little more than a backup singer. Don't get me wrong, Allison certainly has the chops to sing this genre of song, but Adam is just so much better than her and everyone else left in the competition. As they ended the song and the crowd went wild, the judges offered their thoughts on the performance. Randy suggested they duet on their albums after Idol. Kara said they "pushed each other to be better". Paula said they "were in sync with each other" and agreed they should do a song together. Simon said they won the battle of the duets tonight...and then the recording ended! But never fear, I learned my lesson and set my DVR to record Fringe, the show that follows Idol. Fortunately, the only thing that you missed if you didn't think ahead was the recap of the performances with their phone numbers.

So it's time to make some predictions. Let's start with the easy one: Adam is safe! The other three will be in jeopardy of NOT being safe--even Danny. But the one Idol who will not be invited back to sing for you next week will be...Kris Allen. He was weak in the duet with Danny and his solo wasn't strong enough to punch his ticket to the Final 3.

Tune in tomorrow to see what happens to our Idols and to enjoy a performance by Chris Daughtry. It promises to be an exciting night filled with drama.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Chatter - Another Idol Sent (Rat) Packin'

A night after channeling Frank, Dean, and Sammie, the Idols are set to face the music--aka the voter counts to find out how they fared with the American voting public and whether they had a slot in the Final Four.


Before kicking off the elimination show Ryan asked Simon for his thoughts on last night's performace show. Simon said it was the best Final 5 show ever! And I think there are a lot of people who agree with him.

Ryan also introduced the night's guest entertainers who happened to be Natalie Cole, Season 5 American Idol, Taylor Hicks, and last night's mentor, Jamie Foxx.


Now that you have the rundown of the show, let the lip synching begin...the Idols lent their lips to a couple of jazz/scat numbers including "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing" and "I Got Rhythm".


After they finished the medley we were sent to commerical break and then treated to some behind the scenes footage of a food fight at the Idol Mansion. Oh the fun these kids have when they aren't being judged by Randy, Kara, Paula, and Simon. But would the fun continue when the elimination process begins?


Twelve minutes into the show, the reason for tonight (and every elimination night) is finally here. Ryan invited the five remaining Idols to center stage and began the painful process of ending one of their dreams by recapping Matt's night with the judges.


With tears forming in his eyes, Ryan gave Matt an opportunity to tell everyone how he felt he did last night. When he was done, Ryan asked him to stand on the right side of the stage--that is right if you are facing the audience; if you are watching on your couch at home, it would be on your left.


Next on the block was Danny who was asked how he has dealt with past critiques from Simon regarding his performing style. Danny said he watched other people's style, but wouldn't name names...any guesses as to whom he is referring? When the light banter was over, Danny was sent to the opposite side of the stage--that would be the left side if you facing the audience and your right if you are watching from home...hope that helps!


Allison was Ryan's next victim. He did the normal dance by reminding everyone about the judge's comments and then sent her over to stand next to Danny.


Kris went through the same process and was asked by Ryan whether he feels he's "in it to win it". Like a good Idol contestant, Kris answered in the affirmative. And for his honesty, he was asked to join Matt--which, if you are keeping track of at home, Matt (and now Kris) are on the right side of the stage if you are facing the audience; the left if you are watching from home...is that "joke" getting old yet? :)


To screams of joy, Ryan turned his attention to Adam. When he was done doing his thing, Ryan pulled Adam down stage a few feet and then did the "Final 5 thing" where he asks him with which group he thinks he belongs. After a few moments of hesitation, Adam said based on last night's performance, he walked over to Danny and Allison....but not so fast, Adam. Ryan took Adam by the arm and led him over to Matt and Kris because the three of them, including Adam made up the Bottom 3! A bit shocking, but as Simon said, with only five contestants left, someone has to go.


So let me recap what just happened...Danny and Allison have secured their place in the Final Four while Adam, Kris, and Matt are left to sweat out the rest of the show to find out if they will be around another week or going home to rest before taking part in the Idol tour this summer.

But before we are able to find out how America spent their votes, Ryan brought out Natalie Cole to entertain the audience with a performance of "Something's Gotta Give" from her Unforgettable album and recorded by Frank and Sammie from the Rat Pack.


While the Bottom 3 Idols chatted amongst themselves back stage, Taylor Hicks hit the stage with his trademark salt 'n pepper hair more salt than pepper, broke out the moves that won over America three seasons ago and sang his song "Seven Mile Breakdown". It was a spirited performance and one that we all came to expect from the leader of the Soul Patrol, but it seemed a bit misplaced on Rat Pack week. I guess this was the only week Taylor could get out of his Grease committment.

After chasing Taylor off the stage, Ryan brought the B3 out and sent Kris to safety leaving Adam and Matt to ponder their Idol future. And before they can find out who's going home, Jamie Foxx was introduced and rocked "Blame It"--another song/performance that doesn't quite fit the week's Idol genre, but I guess if 19 is going to ask Mr. Foxx to lend his expertise to the Idols, they have to let Jamie do his thing for the fans and sell some records.

For the record, I didn't get the song. It had a nice beat, but it sounded like Jamie was singing into one of those boxes that makes your voice sound electric. I guess I'm not his audience. Oh well, the song is over and now we can find out who the final member of the Final Four is.

After Jamie finished, he and Ryan talked about his mentoring experience with the Final Five. On more than one occassion, Jamie implored the viewing audience to support "these cats" regardless of who is eliminatied tonight because he thinks these five Idols are "some of the most talented performers (he) has been around in 10 years". Coupled with Simon's praise from earlier in the evening, these Idols are going to have trouble getting their ever growing heads through regular door jams.

But enough of that stuff, are you ready to find who's going home? So am I, so here goes....

A very nervous looking Matt and a surprisingly calm looking Adam found themselves on center stage waiting to learn the results. Ryan asked for the lights to be dimmed and then said that Adam got more of the 47 million votes than Matt and therefore Adam is the final member of the Final Four. So Matt's Idol run is finally over, but not before he won over millions of fans and showed the world that he deserved to be in the Idol Final 5.

So as we say goodbye to the Michigan native, we prepare ourselves for what is sure to be a great final three weeks of the competition that will decide who wears the crown of American Idol for Season 8.

Tune in next week, when the Final Four sing Rock and Roll songs under the watchful eyes and ears of Slash.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Fantastic Five Go Rat-Packin'

We're down to the Final 5 Idols and at this point in the contest, it's anyone's game to win....wait, scratch that, we all know we are but three weeks away from crowning Adam as the Season 8 American Idol. But since Fox has already sold ad time for the next three weeks, we will continue to be entertained by the Idols as they sing for second place.

Tonight the Idols selected songs made famous by the Rat Pack--Frank, Dean, and Sammie. To help the Idols capture the era and sound, Idol asked Jamie Foxx to mentor the Top 5. Foxx's resume is filled with comedy, big screen, and music, so he was a great choice to help the kids this week.

• Leading off the show was Kris Allen who donned a skinny tie and steel blue suit. Kris chose a wonderful Frank Sinatra classic, "The Way You Look Tonight" and without hearing him sing a note, I knew it was going to be a great selection. Kris slowed the tempo a bit in the beginning which allowed the audience to hear and enjoy every run. About half-way through, he picked up the pace and he sounded simply awesome. Randy said it was his best performance of the season; Kara keyed in on his technical capabilities; Paula called him a "sophisticated gentleman" and a "crooner"; Simon thought it was "a little bit wet" (which we learned is the opposite of being dry) and compared him to "taking a well-trained spaniel for a walk" and then went on to say he didn't think Kris could win the competition. Duh! If you read my intro, Simon, you'd know Adam is going to win; the rest of the Final 5 are just trying to not spike themselves and get a recording contract.
• Allison, who turned 17 yesterday, selected "Someone to Watch Over Me". Jamie noted that Allison is too young to be in love, so he gave her a tip on how to perform the song and remain believable which would be a challenge if Allison didn't sound like a 40-year-old lounge singer--and I mean that in a good way for all of your Allison fans. Randy said Allison looked like Britney Murphy, sounded like Pink (but with more octaves), and was dope to boot! Kara rambled on about who knows what and then said Allison deserves to be in the finals--really, Kara?! Simon wasn't convince either because he asked Allison if she thinks she could win and then predicted she could be in trouble tonight--primarily because he didn't feel she was commited to the song. Kara and Randy stood up for her, but I am going to side with Simon--Allison has been in the B3 a number of times and she will likely find herself there again come tomorrow night, which isn't all that shocking since 60% of tonight's performers will make up the B3. The big question is whether she will get enough votes to live to sing another day...stay tuned....
• Matt Giraud, aka the Cat with Nine Lives, was next and went with the Jazz standard "My Funny Valentine". Before hitting the stage, Matt told Ryan that he has been waiting for this week because of his love of Jazz--a class he got a B in while studying music at Western Michigan. When he hit the stage, Matt was wearing his trademark JT lid and dudded out in a nice blue suit and tie--he looked the part and sounded like he walked off a Vegas stage with The Pack. Randy didn't think it was a great performance and gave him a "6 out of 10"; Kara said he lacked the emotional connection to the song--Matt didn't agree with her assessment and neither did Paula. For his part, Simon disagreed with Randy which shocked everyone--including Matt! He said it was the only truly "believable, authentic" song of the night; he even said he "heard a little Nat King Cole" in the performance. Sounds like Simon wants Matt to stick around another week which would justify the controversial Judge's Save from a couple of weeks ago.
• In the penultimate position, Danny Gokey sang "Come Rain or Come Shine". Jamie got all up in Danny's grill during their session together which helped Danny really feel the song. But would it translae to the stage? Looking quite slick in a black suit, skinny black tie, and french cuffs, Danny was welcomed to the stage with the help of one of Ricky Minor's trombone players. As has been his style, Danny started the song in a somewhat mellow fashion and built the song over the 90 seconds, finishing with the power that we have all come to love during these finals. The crowd loved it and kept the Dawg from getting his comments out, but when the crowd finally settled enough for him to be heard, Randy said Danny is the only one (so far) who could make a record of standards. Kara complimented Danny's creativity with the melody. Paula called it "stellar". And Simon echoed Kara's comment about Danny having a "Rat Pack swagger". He called the performance "outstanding", the arrangement "superb", and offered a "special thank you" to Jamie Foxx for bringing out the best in Danny.
• And the performance that all of America has been waiting for is finally here. Adam Lambert went with "Feeling Good" and promised to give it a bit of a Rock edge. One week after performing a song from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, Adam was wearing a white suit remenicient of that worn by Tony Manero. Adam started out the song walking down the Idol steps which were aglow in red. When he made his way down to center stage, the audience was all fired up and loving every second of the performance. When he finished, the audience (and Paula) were just getting started. Randy thought it was a "little too theatrical"; Kara thought it was "sleazy" and "over the top", but she really liked it!; Paula called him "our Michael Phelps"; and Simon took exception to Randy's comments about it being too theatrical, comparing it to complaining about "a cow mooing". He pretty much gave the crown to Adam--as have the rest of us and then said Adam's entrance was the best of the season and then forbid Ryan from using those stairs again.

With all five performances in the bag, it is now time to predict who is going to find themselves in danger of going home tomorrow. I've already said that Allison will be one of the three members of the bottom three--the others will be Matt and Kris, but only because Danny and Adam are likely untouchable until the finals when one of them is going to have to go. And speaking of going home, I believe Allison has performed for your votes for the final time.

And with that, I bit you adieu. Tune in tomorrow when we find out who will make up the Fantastic Four. Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Chatter - Two Must Go!

It's Elimination night and no one is safe from exiting the show after the judges used the first ever Judge's Save last week to extend the Idol career of Matt Giraud. We start the evening with seven Idols, but by the time you finish reading this entry, there will be but five vying to join Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Cook, and the other who came before them. I'm predicting double the tears of a normal elimination show and to help the tears along, Idol has invited last year's runner-up, David Archuleta, to sing one more time on the Idol stage.

A night after singing Disco songs as solo artists, Ryan brought on the Idols to shake their groove things while lip-syncing to "Shake Your Body Down (to the Ground)" by The Jackson 5--dance steps courtesy of Idol judge and famed choreographer, Paula Abdul. As far as elimination night group sings go, it was alright, but they have to get rid of the lip-syncing--this is a singing contest and the Idols should be allowed to sing. But it's over now, so I'll just have to let it go because there is so much more to report from the show--we're less than 10 minutes into the 60 minute snooze-fest.

At minute 14, Ryan asked to dim the lights and then he had Lil Rounds stand up to get the recap from last night (not good) and learn her fate (even worse). Ryan escorted her to the far end of the stage and then dropped the bomb--that her Idol journey ends right here, right now. Wow! I'm not shocked that she is gone--I predicted it during last night's show and I pretty sure Lil knew it was going to happen as well, but to be booted so early in the show has to be a huge blow to the ego. If it's any consolation for all of you Lil Rounds fans, she sounded the best she has since the first week of the finals. The judges all offered Lil encouragement as she moves on to new things--including the Idol tour this summer. Hopefully Lil finds herself, hooks up with a record company, and puts out a killer R&B album. She's got mad singing chops, she just forgot to use them the last several weeks.

So with a half-dozen Idols sitting nervously on the sofa, Ryan introduced Disco Diva, Freda Payne to sing "Band of Gold". Looking quite nice in her sparkly floor-length dress, Freda pretty much made a mess of the song--I'd say she's lucky America wasn't voting for her survival on Idol because she would be sharing a ride home with Lil.

Once Freda was done butchering her song, she introduced Thelma Houston who looked pretty much like Big Bird in a yellow frock and Jason Castro-inspired dreadlocks piled upon her head. Like Freda, Thelma didn't sound that great as she performed her Disco-era anthem, "Don't Leave Me this Way". It appeared that she couldn't hear the band, the background singers, or herself for that matter--not good.

Let's see what KC of KC and the Sunshine Band can do with "Get Down Tonight". Looking a little chunkier than in his heyday and wearing a bright--and I mean BRIGHT, red shirt, KC was flanked by four dancers/back up singers who helped him sound a whole lot better than he really did. Nice move, KC, draw attention away from your has-been vocals and "steal" the night from the Disco re-treads.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a big fan of Disco-era songs, but after watching those three destroy their most famous songs, I'm rethinking my allegiance to that genre of music.

Back to the elimination process and the darkened studio. Ryan asked Kris to stand up and quickly sit back down because America still likes him. Adam was next and after chatting with Ryan about his decision to rework the fast-paced song into a power ballad, he took a seat--no big shock. Danny was also safe and lives to sing another song and try to impress Simon next week.

As happened last week, Anoop found himself in the Bottom 3--which has turned into a B2 with Lil's early exit. The final member of the B2 was going to be either Allison or Matt. Would judge's favorite Allison be sent to the stools or would Matt be facing double jeopardy? Ryan did his thing and quizzed Allison on her choice to make crazy changes to her song--she felt she had to to avoid the dreaded Karoake label. Ryan also asked Matt if he made the most of being saved by the judges last week--he said "yes"...but what was he supposed to say?!

After building up the drama, Ryan finally announced that the second member of the Bottom 2 was...Allison! That's right, America saved Matt and put Allison in danger of being sent home. Talk about drama--and a bit of an upset. But just because she is in the B2 doesn't mean she's going home...or does it?! We'll have to wait to find out after Archie sings a little song for his fans.

Looking even younger than he did last season when he made it all the way to the final 2, David had the tweens in the crowd clapping and singing along with him as he smiled his way through "A Little Too Not Over You" which was definitely not written by David's English teacher. When he finished, he and Ryan shared a hug and some mindless chit-chat. David sounded out of breath as he told his adoring fans he was headed to the UK for some concert gigs and then he offered some advice for Anoop and Allison before we were mercifully sent to commercial.

When we returned from commerical, Ryan told Anoop that he didn't receive enough of the record 45 million votes and he is going home. I think the only person surprised at this turn of events was Anoop who, if nothing else, is one confident Tar Heel. As is the Idol custom, Ryan gave Anoop the microphone to sing one last time on the Idol stage. Anoop looked rather casual with his hand in his pocket as he delivered an irony-filled version of "Dim All the Lights"--and quite well at that.

And because Idol managed their time better tonight than in recent weeks, we got the chance to watch Lil and Anoop's Idol journey which reminded everyone of why these two made it as far as they did on America's #1 show.

Now there are five Idols fighting it out for a chance to wear the Season 8 Idol crown. Tune in next Tuesday to hear what songs they sing for your votes and a chance to make it one step closer to their dream.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Final 7 Hit the Disco

One week after the Idol judges saved Matt Giraud from elimination, the Top 7 Idols take to the stage with the added pressure of not only singing Disco songs, but knowing that two Idols will be sent packing tomorrow night.

• With precious little time to waste, Ryan started the performance show by introducing Lil Rounds. Lil chose to sing Chaka Kahn's "I'm Every Woman". Lil poured herself into a black jumpsuit that was very reminsent of an outfit you saw in the Disco-era movie, "Thank God It's Friday". As I listened to Lil sing for her Idol life, I was struck by the fact that she finally started incorporating some of the judge's comments--going with a true R&B song that should be perfectly suited for Lil's vocal stylings. Unfortunately, the judges didn't feel it--Randy thought it was all over the place, Kara still isn't sure what type of artist Lil is trying to be, Paula thought Lil was "hot tonight, but didn't hit the boiling point", and before Simon could offer his comments, Lil said she had fun...and then Simon said she likely won't be around next week. Cue the boos, but I agree with Simon (and the rest of the judges). Lil should pack her extensions and fancy clothes tonight because she is definitely going home tomorrow.
• Kris Allen was next and made a very strange song selection, "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer. As Kris made his way to the stage, Ryan assured us that we were going to like it...and I must admit Kris caught my attention with his toned down version. He was joined on stage by a couple of bongo players, Ricky Minor on the bass guitar, and his own acoustic guitar. It was an interesting interpretation that the audience seemed to enjoy. Kara had trouble breaking through the hootin' and hollarin', but when she did, she gave him serious props for the arrangement. Paula thought it had a "Santana feel" and complimented him for "shopping in the women's department"--what? Simon called it a "complete polar opposite" performance to Lil's. He thought it was original and anything but Karaoke. Randy broke it down and said Kris is "ready for the big time" because he knows who he is. Fine marks for the Arkansas native.
• Danny chose to sing one of the greatest songs of the '70's, "September" by the elements (Earth, Wind, and Fire). Danny hit all of the right notes from an R&B/Disco perspective, but about half-way through he went all gospel on us and that's when I thought he caught fire and slammed it into another gear. His dancing left a little something to be desired, but he can sing and I thought he did great. Randy thought Danny turned the song into something he could really deliver. Kara called him an "incredible vocalist" and said his pitch is right on, but cautioned him that it may not have been memerable...what is she talking about?! Paula said he has "one of the sexist voices" ever--that's our Paula, always there with an inappropriate comment to keep things interesting. Simon agreed with everyone else's comments (including Paula's?), but said he didn't get any star performance out of Danny--he said it was a bit clumsy. Danny is definitely no Adam, but he can sing!
• Dressed in a bedazzled black leather dress with a white jacket, 16-year-old Allison Iraheta sang Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". In an attempt to make the song more her own, Allison started out lounging on the Idol stairs behind the stage. After about 16 bars, she got to rockin' and the crowd really enjoyed it. The judges all thought she did a nice job--Randy said it was a bit "indulgent", Kara thought it was the right song, Paula said the final note was the perfect capper to the song, and Simon said it was "brilliant".
• A very dashing Adam Lambert dressed in a black suit and with his hair swept up in a pompadour similar to that worn by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever put his special spin on "If I Can't Have You" from the SNF soundtrack. Adam slowed the song down significantly from the original version and pretty much slayed it like he does every week. Randy said Adam is "ready right now"--meaning he is set to record...duh! Kara was all gaga over his performance, his look, and his abilities. Paula "felt his pain, his vulnerability" and said he would be in the finals--along with Danny who she predicted earlier in the show. Simon didn't go quite as crazy, but still found it memorable and the vocals "immaculate".
• With irony dripping from the stage like syrup on pancakes, Second Chance Matt picked "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees. Doing his best impersonation of Justin Timberlake, Matt gave everything he had in his performance to make sure the judges (and the voters) feel good about last week's Judge's Save. Randy didn't care for the song selection, but said Matt can sing--and then he said Season 8 has the best singers ever. Kara was happy that Matt brought Disco back for the night. Paula compared Matt's song selection to her bowling game--sometimes it's gutter balls, other times it's strikes...and she felt tonight was a strike. Simon called the performance "desperate" and said it lacked originality. Matt may be in a bit of trouble come tomorrow night.
• Putting a wrapper on Disco night, Anoop Dogg Desai serenaded us with his take on "Dim All the Lights" by none other than the Queen of the Disco floor, Donna Summer. Anoop was styling in a pink cardigan with a pink and blue striped tie, but I'm not sure it was his best performance of the season. Randy wasn't a fan of the arrangement, but thought Anoop sounded good. Kara said it was a great song choice and "could be on the radio". Paula complimented Anoop on his look and said he sounded good. But Simon agreed with me and said it was "mediocre at best" and then dropped the "worst performance" bomb. Sounds like there might be a bit of rift between Mr. Crabby Pants and the new judge.

For the second week in a row, we were treated to seven performances, but this week only five Idols will survive once all of the votes are counted. Who's in danger? Read on and find out...

As happened last week, the bottom three will be made up of Lil Rounds (going home), Matt Giraud, and Anoop Desai. Joining Lil on the Greyhound bus out of town will be...Matt Giraud. And it looks like the recipent of the first ever Judge's Save won't last another week.

Tune in tomorrow to see how things fall out once they tally up the phone calls and text messages. As an added bonus, David Archuleta will perform for your pleasure.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Chatter - Someone's Gotta Go, Right?!

It's Wednesday night and that means that by the time you are done reading this entry, we should be down to a six-pack of Idols. That's right, it's Elimination Night on Idol and you can thank me for saving you an hour of your life by watching the show while you do whatever it is you do on Wednesday nights.

In the event you decide to read not watch what happened, you missed Miley Cyrus (OK, "missed" may be a bit strong) and former Idol contestant and Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson perform while the seven remaining Idols sweated it out on the Idol couch.

For the group performance, the Idols lent their lips to the '80's club standard, "Maniac" from the Flashdance soundtrack. There were no Jennifer Beals sightings, but Allison did her best to channel the Flashdance look by wearing purple stretch pants and Matt did a little Michael Jackson twirl as the Idols (finally) ended the song.

As often happens on Elinination night, the Idol producers pack the show with time wasting events. This week we followed the Idols as they attended the world premier of 17 Again, the Zac Ephron/Matthew Perry remake of about a million"back in time" movies including Big, 13 Going on 30. and Like Father, Like Son. But this one is different!--really! If you want to find out for yourself, hit the multiplex on Friday because I am not likely to make it there for you.

At the 16 minute mark, Ryan asked Allison to stand up and face the music. He ran through Paula and Simon's comments from last night, built a little lame drama, and then told her she was safe. Adam was put through the usual Elimination Night treatment before he was invited to sit back down. Anoop, as predicted (by me), was ushered to the Bottom 3 stools where he was to be joined by two more Idols in due time.

While Anoop wondered what he has to do to remain in the contest, Ryan introduced former Idol finalist and Grammy award winner, Jennifer Hudson. Before she could hit the stage, we watched a retrospective of all of Jennifer's success starting with her turn on Idol. When she finally graced the stage, she was flashing a huge engagement ring and sang "If This Isn't Love" off of her first album which included a spelling bee (L O V E) and instructions to "put your hands up" to which the audience did--but I'm not sure they needed the encouragement because, like the Idols who preceeded her, Jennifer sounded awesome and very Grammy worthy.

In an effort to find playmates for Anoop, Ryan asked Kris and Lil to stand up. While Ryan rehashed the comments that Randy made after Kris' performance last night, Simon spoke up and said Kris was "brilliant"--which may or may not be too late. Then he turned his attention toward Lil and they chatted a bit about her exchange with Simon at the end of the performance show. Nothing new was offered or explained and in the end, Kris was asked to take a seat...on the couch and Lil was sent to the stools.

The final pair of Idols, Matt and Danny rose from their comfy seats and Ryan ran through the normal drama before he sent Matt to join Lil and Anoop meaning that Danny was safe--as expected.

BTW: For those keeping track at home, I was three for three in picking the B3 this week! Anyone want to go to Vegas?! :)

Ryan gathered the B3 to center stage, asked the judges if the voters got it right--Paula and Kara hemmed and hawed before Ryan sent Anoop to safety meaning the end of road is coming for either Lil or Matt. Anybody's palms getting sweaty? Well take a minute to gather yourself because up next is Billy Ray's little girl herself performing for your pleasure, but not your votes--which is a good thing because I'm not sure she would be able to out sing any of our Idols.

I could only make it through about a minute of her performance before fast forwarding to the end of the song, but before Ryan sent us to the break, he asked Simon if the judges would consider using the Judge's Save for either Matt or Lil. Simon said they might for one of them, and he added a bit of drama and mystery to the situation by saying that the person on whom they would use the safe might be a bit surprised...but he stopped short of saying which Idol might benefit from the judge's clemency. It's starting to read like an Agatha Christie novel, isn't it!

After 54 minutes of mostly wasted activities, Ryan told Lil she was safe and that Matt was the one who received the fewest votes this week--I was a bit shocked, but Matt was completely taken by surprise. But before he had time to process the news, Matt was given the microphone and another chance to remind the judges why he is in the competition. So sans piano, Matt reprised his previous night's performance of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" As Matt tried valiantly to sway the judges, the only swaying that seemed to be happening was Paula, Kara, and Randy moving from one foot to the other behind their judges table.

Matt finished the song, the judges huddled, and Simon started down the "you're probably not going to win the contest..." line before the rest of the judges interceded by pleading with Simon to use the coveted save...which he did! Meaning that no one if going home tonight, but two people are going home next week...and to add serious insult to injury, he told them that next week is...wait for it: DISCO NIGHT!

So break out your polyester pants, platform shoes, and gold medallions and get ready for some Night Fever! It is going to be like Studio 54 in Studio 57...you have been warned.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Top 7 Go to the Movies

Hello and welcome to American Idol--the show where unknown singers perform songs with the hope that you will call or text your approval in the form of votes in an effort to be named Season 8 American Idol. Tonight the Idols chose songs from the cinema and were mentored by that musical icon, Quentin Tarantino...yep, you read that correctly, the Idols are going to get singing tips from none other than the man who brought you such silver screen hits as "Pulp Fiction", "Resevoir Dogs", "Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2" and other such RomComs.

Quentin is no stranger to the Idol scene as he logged time during Season 2 back when they used to employ guest judges on performance night. During his intro, Quentin informed us that he is going to leverage his skills as a movie director to guide the Idols through their preparation for tonight's big performance show.

Before getting to the actual performances it should be noted that because of last week's timing snafu where most of us missed Adam's performance, this week the Idols will only receive critiques from two judges at a time meaning that not everyone will be the beneficiary (or butt) of Simon's comments. Should make for an interesting show...

And speaking of the show, here come the Idols...

• Up first is Allison who selected Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armagedon. In recent weeks Allison's style choices have garnered more attention than her powerful vocals and as I look at her in an oversized black top and red and black pinstriped leggings, I have a feeling if time weren't an issue, she might receive more unflattering comments. As for the singing, I didn't feel it, but my opinion doesn't really count as far as the official Idol show goes. Paula was the first judge to weigh in and called her "authentic" and Simon said she was "the girls only hope left in the competition". He went on and wrapped her in compliments normally saved for front-running Adam Lambert, so I guess I don't know much...oh well, at least I have this blog...take that Mr. Cowell!


• Anoop Dogg hit the stage next and shared his version of "Everything I Do For You" from Robinhood: Prince of Thieves and recorded by Canada's own Bryan Adams. Quentin encouraged Anoop to dig deep when performing the song. As he has done before when performing his signature ballads, Anoop seemed a bit sleepy--at one point he paused so long, I thought they might need to set an alarm clock to get him going again. This time it was Randy and Kara's turn to offer their thoughts. Randy thought he did a really good job and Kara agreed. She thought it was "one of the best vocals of the night"...really, Kara?! Two performers in and Anoop has already landed the "best vocal of the night" comment?! I guess Kara subscribes to the "go early or go home" theory.


• Next up was Adam Lambert who selected "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf and from the Easy Rider soundtrack. Before hitting the stage, Quentin gave Adam his seal of approval calling him a "rock star" and then Adam and his eyeliner exploded on stage and got the crowd all excited--I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what Adam performs anymore, the crowd, the judges, and, most importantly, the voters love this guy and with good reason. If he doesn't win this silly little contest, the fix will most certainly be in. Paula called him "brave" and heaped piles of compliments on him. Before Simon told Adam how great the song was vocally, he encouraged him to learn to express himself a bit more--oh, humor from Mr. Salty-Dogg!...and then Simon took it all back by saying "it was a bit like watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show"--which wasn't a compliment. Simon went on to say the performance wasn't as good as last week's--you know, the one most of us missed, but we get it, Simon, keep him humble and continuing to strive for the elusive perfect performance.


• Piano man, Matt Giraud, picked the second Bryan Adams song of the night--"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" from Don Juan DiMarco. When it came time to perform, we were treated to Matt sitting comfortably at the Idol baby grand and accompanied by Ricky Minor and the Idol Orchestra--who set up shop on the stage for the evening. Matt had a bit of rough start to the song, he hit the bridge strong, but his growling vocals never really got the chance to soar. Unfortunately he didn't exactly sound like the Matt we have grown to love (and expect). Randy called the performance "interesting" saying Matt was all over the place with the melody. Kara sensed that Matt struggled with doing a rock song or an R&B tune and his vocals suffered. While Kara was sharing her thoughts, we were able to see Simon making funny faces and goofing with Paula--no doubt he is showing his displeasure with tonight's reduced judging role as well as his pretty much being annoyed by Kara and her meandering and pointless critiques. Either way, Matt may be in trouble come tomorrow night's elimination show.


• Channeling Lionel Richie, Danny Gokey chose "Endless Love" from the movie of the same name. Before his mentoring session with Mr. Tarantino, Danny said this was the one song that he connected with the most on the show this season--which says something because he has sung some pretty personal and emotional songs. Danny was joined on stage not only by the Idol Orchestra, but also a lovely harp player. He sounded a bit rough in the beginning, but as Randy likes to say, he worked it out. Paula thought he gave his usual strong performance. Simon also said he sounded good, but was disappointed that he did such a straight up version and thought it was a little "boring", but also said that he understood the emotional connection with the song and couldn't fault him for singing it the way he did. When all is said and done, I'm fairly certain Danny will garner enough votes to sing another week.


• Rising star, Kris, chose "Falling Slowly" from the movie Once--if you haven't heard of the song or the movie, you're in good company because neither have I. But that shouldn't matter because Kris sang it with such passion and emotion, I quite enjoyed it. There were even a few tears shed by one of his family members. Randy broke out the "pitchy" card--What?!, but Kara thought it was one of Kris' best performances which says something because he has had some killer performances these past few weeks.


• Closing out the show, Lil Rounds chose Bette Midler's "The Rose". Quentin encouraged her to commit to the entire song and promised she'd hit a home run if she did so. Lil tried to blend her R&B sound with some Gospel, but in the end it was a pretty pedestrian performance. Paula was fairly positive in her praise for Lil's performance, but Simon thought she missed the mark and wasn't "the singer we met 7 or 8 weeks ago". Lil tried to offer her thoughts, but then was cut off by my DVR for the second week in a row...but this week I thought ahead and set it up to record the next show on Fox, "Fringe", just in case things went long again. The only thing those of you who weren't fortunate enough to plan ahead like me missed was Lil trying to convince Simon (and herself) that she is an R&B singer and not doing such a good job of it, unfortunately.
  

And with that, the performance part of the show ended and now it is my turn to predict who is going to be in the bottom three once all of your votes are tabulated and who is going home tomorrow night.

Before doing that, let's talk about who is safe:

• Adam - untouchable (and deservedly so)
• Danny - not the strongest performance tonight, but still a favorite to challenge Adam for Idol supremacy
• Allison - strong endorsement from Simon puts her in near-Adam territory

That leaves Kris, Anoop, Lil, and Matt to battle out for a place out of the B3 and next to the other three. And speaking of the B3, I believe we'll see:

• Lil - she's lost the judges and the voters aren't far behind
• Anoop - a strong performance, but not enough to keep him from joining Lil
• Matt - too many mis-steps over the past few weeks to save him from B3 territory

So that means that Kris is likely safe and will be around next week to sing for your votes. Not coming back will be Lil who just hasn't found her groove since week one of the Finals.

And if my prediction is accurate, that will leave Allison as the only girl left amongst the Final 6 Idol contestants...

Tune in tomorrow night to see how things unfold. Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Chatter - And then there Were 7

Tonight we say goodbye to another of our beloved Idols, but before doing so, I have to tell you, I am still miffed about Fox wasting so much time during last night's show that those of us who recorded the show and then watched it sans commercials missed Adam Lambert's performance. From what I understand, it was something to behold--even Simon gave him a standing ovation! Hopefully Fox's timing issues don't affect Adam's vote totals--remember Ryan gives out the phone numbers after the Idols perform...if by some reason Adam finds himself in the bottom three and is forced to sing for his Idol life, I'm guessing the judges are going to use their Judge's Save. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.

But that was last night, let's move on to tonight and the elimination show. Set to perform tonight, not for your votes of course, is Season 5's Kellie Pickler. Anyone remember the last time Kellie graced the Idol stage as a former contestant? Well if you do, you remember that Ryan made some very awkward comments about how Kellie spent her money--she said on shoes, Ryan "suggested" something a little higher on the anatomy. Oh Ryan, you should save your silly innuendo-filled comments for Simon--they go over so much better.

OK, so the show begins and Ryan introduces the judges as normal then he and Paula have more fun at Simon's expense--they show a photo shopped picture of Simon babysitting Paula and then introduce a song from Simon's birth year (1959)...none other than Frankie Avalon singing "Venus" from what looks like a clip from American Bandstand. Then they switched back to today and Frankie emerged from the back of the stage and finished the song in front of the judges. It was pure magic...not really, but at least it delayed the group lip-sync...but not for long as Ryan introduced the remaining Idols who looked almost as uncomfortable performing as a group as I was watching it.

Ready for some more time wasting? Fox "treated" us to a behind-the-scenes look at how the Idols make their clever little Ford videos--OMG! These things are awful. Can't they just cut the show to about 10-15 minutes and let us know whose dream is over?!

Over 18 minutes into the show and the elimination process FINALLY begins! Ryan started by asking Adam, Kris, and Anoop to stand up. Before telling them of their fate, Ryan gave Randy, Kara, and Paula a chance to comment on Adam's performance last night since they didn't get a chance to do so because Simon "spoke" for all of them with his standing O. They agreed that Adam was "da bomb!" and then Ryan told Adam to sit down--he is safe! Anoop wasn't quite so fortunate...the Dogg was sent to the bottom 3 stools and Kris (one of my picks for B3 land this week) joined Adam in the safety zone.

The rest of the Idols are going to have to wait a bit longer to learn how they stacked up in the vote count because it was time to welcome Flo Rider to the stage. If you don't know who Flo Rider is, don't feel bad--neither do I, but apparently he is a hip and happening rapper/singer who, in Ryan's words, is "no stranger to the top of the charts". Must be good, but not my cup of tea--I must be getting old! I did know the song, however, which was a remake/remix of "Spin Me Right Round" by Dead of Alive.

Sixteen more minutes and it's time to find out who else is in the B3. Ryan spoke with Danny, recapped his performance and the judges comments, and then told him to sit back down! Matt stood up next and Ryan ran through the usual BS and tried to fool him into thinking he was in the B3, but Ryan messed up the gag before finally spitting out that Matt was safe. Scott was next and he went through the same shtick and then Ryan sent him over to Anoop and the dreaded stools.

With two of the three spots filled, Ryan turned to the remaining Idols, Allison and Lil. He told Allison she was still in the competition and Lil was in jeopardy of going home. As Lil made her way to the stools, Ryan asked Simon if he would consider saving any of the three Idols. Simon said yes, but left open the question as to which one (or two) out of Anoop, Scott, and Lil.

When we returned from commercial, Ryan introduced Kellie Pickler who charmed the crowd and playfully flirted with Simon and Randy at the judges table while singing "The Best Days of Your Life"--a song she co-wrote with her BFF, Taylor Swift. I didn't think Kellie sounded all that good, but she is fun, has a wonderful personality, and is adorable as ever. After she finished, Ryan chatted with her for a minute or so and then booted her from the stage and brought over the B3.
Ryan started by sending Lil back to the couches leaving Anoop and Scott to sweat it out over the commercial break.

At minute 52 or so of the telecast, Ryan told Anoop and Scott that only 30,000 votes separated them and then he lowered the boom on...Scott! He then handed Scott the microphone and told him to sing for his Idol life. Scott didn't have a chance to grab his guitar which probably will help him especially as far as Simon is concerned. While Scott sang, the Idol judges huddled to discuss whether they were going to use their Judge's Save--Ryan informed us that if they don't use it tonight, they only have three more weeks in which to do so.

With my interest peaked, Scott finished his song (much better tonight!) and Ryan turned to the judges--and, more specifically, to Simon who told Scott that the judges were split: two of them think he should stay, the other two believe he should go home. While the judges deliberated a little more, Scott pleaded with the them to give him another shot...but it wasn't going to happen as Simon made the final decision and told Scott it was the end of the road.

So we are down to seven Idols vying for the coveted crown of American Idol. Tune in next week when the Magnificent 7 sing their hearts out in hopes that you call and text enough to keep them around another week.

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!

Idol Worship - The Idols Sing their Age

It's Tuesday night and that can only mean one thing--I'm watching eight would-be pop stars sing for your votes. This week our Idols get to pick songs released the same year they were born--or as I like to say: my college years!

As anyone who watches Idol (or better, reads this blog) knows that the number one thing our talented Idols struggle with is song selection. So tonight should be interesting--I'm not a betting man, but I would definitely like to know the odds in Vegas for how long it will take for the judges to complain about poor song selection and then to rattle off the song the Idols SHOULD have chosen. Again, why don't they just tell them what to sing and then focus on the performance?! Redundant, I know. Anyway, let's see what songs they pick and how they perform them.

• The first performer of the night is also the oldest of our remaining contestants, Danny Gokey who was born in 1980. Danny kept with the country theme for which he has drawn strong praise from the judges and did his version of Mickey Gilley's version of the Ben E. King classic, "Stand By Me". Danny did the first part of the song accapella and then went into a bit of scat followed by an R&B feel. Randy said he didn't care for the arrangement, but loved Danny's vocals. Kara complimented Danny for making the song his own. Paula said he set the bar so high that the rest of the contestants are going to have to run to catch up to him. Simon said the begining was good, the middle lazy, and the end terrific--overall score: Great!


• Born in 1985 in Jacksonville, AR, Kris Allen took the stage next. Before singing his song, we learned that Kris' dream job as a child was to be a taxi driver. I'm pretty sure that isn't happening after your Idol success, Kris. But how would he do with Don Henley's "All She Wants to Do is Dance". Kris took a page out of Matt Giraud's playbook and performed his song on the mini stage to the right of the judges table and amongst his adoring fans. Kris gave the song a little jazzy feel--and Kara picked up on it as well. She felt he went with a Jazzy-Funk style and missed the mark. Paula thought he did a nice job of transforming a one-note song and giving it a melody that played to his likability. Simon wasn't quite so nice calling it indulgent, saying he appeared to be a guitar player trying to sing, and was a "stupid, stupid" song selection! I guess it only took two performances to get to the song selection zinger! If you had #2, pick up your prize on the way out!


• Let's see what Lil can do with her choice of song from her birth year 1984. Lil danced her way onto the stage in Tina Turner style and asked the musical question: "What's Love Got To Do With It?" I've never been a big fan of the song and Lil's performance didn't change that feeling. Paula kicked off the judging and let Lil know that she needed to step up this week and didn't--she even went so far to say it sounded Karaoke...Miss Paula is getting a bit salty now isn't she! Simon went further and called it a "ghastly, copy-cat version". While Paula and Simon argued about who gave the better critique, Randy stepped in and said Lil needs to start listening to the judges. Kara poured even more salt onto the gaping wound saying Lil sounded bad at the low end and neededto take a leap to higher things--something she hasn't done in a long, long time.


• Still riding high from watching his North Carolina Tarheels massacre the Spartans of Michigan State in last night's NCAA championship game, Anoop "Dogg" Desai went back in time to 1986 and chose Cindi Lauper's "True Colors". A week after finding himself in the bottom three for, as Kara said, accepting a frat boy bet to sing hip-hop, Anoop was back in his sweet spot singing a ballad. Dressed in a Kelly green striped sweater and seated on a stool on the stage, Anoop was back to performing like the great singer that he can be. Randy, Kara, and Paula were all impressed with his performance, crediting him with taking control of the song instead of letting the song control him. Simon, as usual, summed up everything by calling Anoop a "singing yo-yo" meaning one week he's up, the next he's down. Well this week he was up and Simon noted that Anoop did what Lil can't: make a song his own.


• Half-way through the Idols and next up was 23-year-old Scott MacIntyre who was born in 1985 and said when he was younger, he wanted to be a train engineer. But Scott's mad piano skills likely have put that dream to bed which is ironic because tonight Scott appeared on stage not seated at a piano, but standing on center stage with an electric guitar in hand. To entertain the crowd, Scott chose "The Search is Over" by Survivor. Kara and Paula were both surprised that Scott ditched the piano in favor of the guitar, but their surprise only masked their disappointment as the song and the style weren't Scott. Simon said the singing was atrocious, the guitar playing not much better, and said he needs to get back to the piano where he is much better.


• Allison, the youngest Idol contestant, chose Bonnie Raitt's 1992 hit "I Can't Make You Love Me"--one of my favorite songs of all time. As I awaited her first note, I wondered if Allison's big voice would be able to mellow enough to add the necessary warmth needed to really deliver the song. Paula thought she added some tenderness to the song and kept the arrangement the same, but delivered in a very Allison style. Simon liked the performance, but said Allison needs to develop more of a personality. Randy agreed with Simon on both parts--sounded good, needs to get America to love her. Kara simply said "let's go make a record".


• Born in 1985, Michigan native, Matt Giraud went with Stevie Wonder's "Part Time Lover"--not a song I would have selected for Matt, but this guys has talent, so I was interested to see how he would put his special spin on it. He started out strong, channeling his inner Justin Timberlake and just go stronger. The judges were short and sweet with their praise: Randy - "vocally one of the best of the night", Kara - "incredible on every level--unbelievable", Paula - "two words, Standing O", and Simon - "a million times better than last week, well done".


• Adam Lambert was in the usually enviable position of closing the show tonight, however since Fox ran long and my DVR stopped recording before his performance, I was forced to go to You Tube to search for his performance and the only one I could find was audio-only version--I can't tell you if he was wearing eye liner, had his nails painted goth-black, or was wearing his hair in an 80's perm. What I can tell you is Adam's song choice from 1985 was "Mad World" by Tears for Fears and from the sound of the crowd on the recording I heard, they loved him. It's really academic at this point in the contest as to what the judges think about Adam--they love his originality, how current he makes every song sound, and the risks he takes to be an artist, so I'll make the educated guess that they were kind to him, Ryan gave out the number to call to vote for him, and the show ended with a recap of everyone's performances plus their respective numbers. If anyone saw/heard something different, please add your comments below.

So with all eight performances out there for all to see and hear, it's time to talk about who's in trouble come tomorrow's elimination show. I predict that Kris, Lil, and Scott will find themselves questioning their song selections and performances once Ryan sends them to the B3 stools. And the Idol whose journey has reached its end will be Lil Rounds who took too many punches from judges tonight to survive another week.

Tune in tomorrow to see how close I am in my prediction as well as the usual Elimination night time wasting stuff--you know, group sing, Ford commercial, special guest singers, blah-blah-blah!

Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don't have to...

Peace!