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!