There was no Michael Buffer to open the show tonight—instead we were greeted with the two Davids standing nose to nose, on a pitch black stage, dressed head to toe in white, and Ryan building up the anticipation for what is sure to be two hours of painful duets, silly time fillers, and a general waste of everyone’s time while we await the results of last night’s record vote.
According to Ryan, over 97 million votes were cast last night for our Davids—breaking the previous record by 20 million votes, tonight was sure to be filled with lots of action—and maybe even a little music.
BTW: In the final tally, the Idol decision wasn’t very close for one David received 56% of the vote, while the other David got 44%. Pretty much a butt-kickin’ at least where I come from!
How about a Little Music to Soothe the Soul?
The first number of the night was a Top 12 sing along version of “Get Ready”—they sounded better than they looked in their all white outfits and flanked by some of the dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance” of season’s past. It was a bit awkward seeing some of the former Idol wannabes on stage again—like the skunk-haired, rock’n roll nurse Amanda and former pole dancer David Hernandez, as well as Brooke, Jason, and the rest of the cast offs from earlier in the season.
A Duet by the Finalists
When we came back from commercial, the Davids joined forces to sing a song for the masses. The song selected was “Hero” by Nickleback and not to take anything away from Archie singing talents, but Cook out sang him on this song—mostly because it fit Cook’s voice and style more than Archie’s.
Shameless Movie Plug
Ryan talked about all of the great musical mentors that helped the Idols through the weeks and then asked the guys about their spiritual mentor—who just happened to be Mike Meyers in his new movie role of “The Love Guru”. The boys were treated to a private viewing of the movie followed by a little one-on-two time with the Guru. It was all pretty much a waste of time…but they have two hours to burn, so what better way to do it than to fill the time with senseless filler.
Celebrity Duet #1
The first Idol/Celebrity duet was delivered by Syesha Mercado who teamed with Seal on “Waiting for You”. Syesha got to showcase the stage presence she waited too long to develop and exploit during the season, but looked great in a nice gold, wrap dress and certainly held her own with Heidi Klum’s other half.
Return of the Dreads
Jason Castro was invited back to the stage to deliver what turned out to be the high-point of his season, the singing of the Leonard Cohen classic, “Hallelujah”. I’m pretty sure that if Jason records an album in the near future, that song will certainly be one of the tracks—it might be the only one that is any good, but it will help him sell a few extra copies.
Medley—Girl Style
Dressed in sexy red outfits, the final 6 female singers were put together to sing a medley of Donna Summer songs starting with “She Works Hard for the Money”. Brooke White and Kristy Lee Cook got the first ‘solos’ and both did a nice job when they were in the spotlight. The same can’t be said for Amanda and Carly who took the lead next and a bit of a rough time keeping up with the other girls.
When the dust of that song settled the girls introduced Ms. Summer herself who hit the stage and sang “Stamp Your Feet” accompanied by the six Idols and select members from the SYTYCD troupe.
Then things slowed down while Donna sang the unforgettable intro to “Last Dance”—which brought back some serious memories of a fine late ‘70’s cinematic classic starring a young Bruce Jenner. Of course I am referring to “Thank God It’s Friday!” The best part of the song was the final few bars when Donna turned the vocals over to Syesha who brought it home like she should have done so many Tuesdays throughout the competition.
A Very Special Duet
Enjoying a bit of redemption from getting booted from the show a bit prematurely, the Idol producers provided an opportunity for Carly Smithson and Michael Johns to sing a duet. For some unknown reason they were forced to sing “The Letter” by Joe Cocker—a song that doesn’t really lend itself to being sung as a duet, but this is Idol and just about anything can (and will) happen. I like the song (“The Letter”), but it was not a good song for these two voices to sing together. When they sang solo, they sounded good, but when they sang together, it was almost embarrassing—and I really liked both of these contestants and felt they should have been allowed to stay awhile longer…guess I was wrong!
A Look Back
As he did during the “Idol Gives Back” show, Jimmy Kimmel was asked to come on stage and insult various members of the show both past and present. No one was safe from Jimmy’s salty attack—not Season 6’s Sanjaya and Chris Sligh, Ryan, Randy, Paula, or Simon…but it wasn’t funny, so I’ll spare you recap.
It’s the Boys Turn
Michael Johns, David Hernandez, Jason Castro, and Chikezie kicked off the boy’s version of the usual medley. They sang Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69” and then they brought the Davids put to join them on a touching version of “Heaven”. Archie struggled to keep his eyes open, but sounded ten times better than any of the other boys—with the exception of Cook.
Bryan Adams joined the boys on stage—that dude die not age well! The whole gang sang “I Thought I’d Seen Everything”—a somewhat catchy tune, but it was no Donna Summer disco hit!
The final song in the medley was “Somebody”.
If it were a contest between the girls medley and the boys, the girls would be crowned the champs—the boys didn’t bring it at all which is somewhat disappointing since the boys group included the two finalists.
Looking Good with the Beards
David Cook redeemed himself by teaming with the boys from ZZ Top on “Sharp Dressed Man”—Paula and the rest of the crowd was lovin’ it! And David looked very comfortable alongside the legends of honky-tonk rock—he even showed some fancy footwork during the guitar solo.
Trivia: Can you name the only member of ZZ Top who doesn’t sport long facial hair?
Odd Pairing of the Night (so far)
Brooke White and Graham Nash from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young performed a duet of “Teach Your Children”. Both singers sat on stools strumming guitars and tried their best to sing together—but Brooke was way out of her league and Graham seemed to know it because he tempered his lovely tenor voice so as to not over power Brooke who was clearly overmatched.
Tweeners Get Ready
David Archuleta wasn’t the only teen heart throb to hit the stage tonight. He had to share the stage with the Jonas Brothers—that randy trio who have all of the teenage girls swooning…when Archie isn’t making their hearts skip a beat on Tuesday performance nights. The Johas boys sang their hit single, “S.O.S.”—a catchy little tune that had everyone in the audience jumping up and down enjoying the show.
Guest Artist
OneRepublic (sans Timbaland) performed their smash hit, “Apologize”. David Archuleta joined the group onstage for the second verse and actually sounded good singing something a little closer to his age—although he still had trouble keeping his eyes open…but I guess that’s what big time singers do when they are really digging deep into their emotions to deliver a powerful song.
Final Night to Wear the Crown
Reigning American Idol, Jordin Sparks, took one last turn across the Idol stage as THE American Idol and sang “One Step At a Time” which I liked a lot better than “No Air”—the song she sang on elimination night several weeks ago with Chris Brown. While Jordin was busy singing on the stage, the Idol cameras caught a shot of last year’s runner up, Blake Lewis, who was singing right along with Jordin just itching for another chance to beat box-it up on the stage.
Idol Royalty Returns
American Idol winner turned Country music superstar, Carrie Underwood graced the stage on yet another finale. Backed by her band, Carried brought the crowd to their feet with a rousing rendition of “I Don’t Even Know His Last Name”—another in the long line of songs that pretty much puts to rest any myths that might still linger about Carrie being an innocent country girl who done made good!
The Top 12 Perform
Ryan brought out the top 12 for one last time on the Idol stage. The ladies dressed were all in lovely black dresses with one exception: Amanda was in black pants and a leather vest. The girls sang George Michael’s “Faith” followed by the boys, who were looking rather dapper in black evening attire as they sang “Father Figure”. Then the entire group got together for a spirited version of “Freedom”—which all seemed to be leading up to a surprise visit from Mr. George Michael himself (as a little birdie told me was going to happen earlier today).
And sure enough as the Idols finished up their singing, George strolled down the stage stairs, took his place on center stage, light dimmed, and sang “Praying for Time”—not for your votes, but for your downloads! It was a pretty song, but a bit melancholy given the tenor of the show to this point.
Ryan thanked George for his appearance and then allowed George (or GM as Ryan called him) to plug his first American tour in 17 years which kicks off in San Diego, CA soon.
Your American Idol Revealed
Ryan assembled the Davids on stage and asked the judges for their final thoughts—which were less than memorable—with the exception of Simon who admitted that he was a bit unfair to David Cook last night and publicly apologized to him…which is obviously too late to change the voting results, but it showed that Simon is actually human.
And the winner is…David Cook! And then my DVR quit! Can you believe it?—first Cook wins (YES) and then I paid the ultimate price because Fox put too much fluff into tonight’s show! Oh the injustice!
So with another season in the books and an unlikely Idol winner ready to take on his new life as Season 7 American Idol, it is time to bid all of you a fond farewell—until next season, of course, which will be back on the air in just over six months.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…I just won’t be blogging about it—although if anyone cares to chat about other shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” which premiers tomorrow night, I would be happy to share my thoughts with you…
So until we meet again, have a great summer, fall, and start to winter!
Charlie
Your Trivia Answer
ZZ Top drummer, Frank Beard, doesn’t have one—quite ironic, eh!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Idol Worship - Finale Part 1 (5/20/08)
Tonight was the first of a two-night finale and the last chance for the Idol finalists to secure your votes and the right to be named champion of Season 7 of American Idol.
The Idol producers tried to instill a bit of drama to the proceedings by painting a prize fighter motif the likes of which we haven’t seen since the last Mike Tyson – Lennox Lewis bout—they even brought out Michael “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” Buffer to introduce the final competitors.
And those competitors were the Davids—Cook vs. Archuleta…youth vs. experience …balladeer vs. innovative rocker…you get the idea.
Ryan brought of the contestants, announced that David A. won the coin toss after last week’s show giving him the option of going first or second—he chose second, and then asked the judges what the boys need to do tonight. As usual, Randy and Paula offered nothing while Simon told them they need “a desire to win and you have to hate your opponent”—and then the boys ignored Simon and gushed over each other.
Finally Some Singing!
Round 1: Industry legend Clive Davis picks the songs
For David Cook, Clive selected the U2 anthem, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. And for David Archuleta, Clive chose “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Sir Elton John. To help the boys learn their songs, Idol brought back Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Fifteen minutes into the show, David Cook took to the stage for the first performance of the night. His version of the U2 classic was similar to other Cook classics—he started off mellow and built to a nice crescendo. Without his trusty guitar around his neck, Cook ventured around the stage and finished up on the catwalk behind the judges. Randy liked Cook’s work, Paula played with the song title and told him that he “may not have found what your looking for, but we sure have”, and Simon finished off the judging by calling the performance “phenomenal”. Looks like Cook’s put a little pressure on young David A.
Sitting on the stairs at the back of the stage, Archuleta squinted his eyes and tried his darndest to provide a little originality to the great Elton John/Bernie Taupin classic. Archie did a nice job of singing the song, he even added a few runs that made it somewhat enjoyable, but his dance moves were very awkward—he can be thankful that “So You Think You Can Dance” doesn’t begin until Thursday. Randy called the performance “flawless and unbelievable molten hot”, Paula said she had chills up and down her arms and played with the lyrics again saying “the sun is never going down on you”. Simon acted as though he was going to rain on the Archuleta parade by reminding everyone how easy it would to get too wrapped up in the emotion of the night, but then surprised everyone by saying that it was David A.’s best performance of the season and then declared Round 1 for Archie—who was in tears on the stage.
New Songs
Round 2: Songwriter’s Choice
David Cook selected “Dream Big” by Emily Shackleton and David Archuleta chose “In this Moment” by Ryan Gilmore—don’t worry if you haven’t heard of either of these songs because no one has…they were part of a group of ten songs written for Idol and the winner will record their choice as they first release.
Cook grabbed his guitar and rocked out to his song. The song had a nice sound for him—he gave it a bit of an edge, modulated the rhythms, and sang very clean. Randy hated the song, but like David’s performance; Paula credited him for helping us get to know an unknown song; and Simon called it what it was: “a lightweight song”. He liked the end, but didn’t think it sounded like a winning moment—which I’m sure made Emily Shackleton feel good. He said that Cook did well for what he had—which is kind of like Paula’s “you look really great tonight”.
No big surprise with Archie’s song—it was a ballad that gave the teenage finalist the opportunity to close his eyes and sing his little heart out. Like Cook’s song, this wasn’t a great song, but Archie sang it well—although I was getting a little nauseas listening to the sugar sweet lyrics…”I want to be in this moment”…OMG! Can’t anyone write a song that actually sounds like a pop song and not something you’d hear at a funeral?! Randy wasn’t crazy for the song, but he pulled out his “you could sing the phonebook” complement and Paula essentially echoed Randy’s words. Simon thought Archie picked the better song and then gave Round 2 to him—more tears from Archie and a look of utter fear crossed his face.
Someone’s Last Song
Round 3: Contestant’s Choice
For his final song of the evening, David Cook decided on “The World I Know” by Collective Soul—a song he has never performed before while David Archuleta recycled “Imagine” by the great John Lennon.
Cook grabbed his acoustic guitar and gave his all for your votes. I wasn’t familiar with the song, but I kind of liked it—it was a bit mellow, but had an obvious emotional feel to it—as Cook finished, he was holding back the tears. Randy gave him props, Paula babbled on and gave him a standing O. Before giving his critique, Simon told everyone that he thought Cook was one of the nicest contestants and then said his song choice was bad—he should have went with “Billie Jean” or “Hello”. But Cook said he agreed to an extent with Simon, but said he opted to go new vs. retread and was happy with his decision—what was he supposed to say?
So with everything pointed toward an Idol crown, Archuleta stood at center stage, squinted, and sang to his legions of fans. The crowd loved the song and so did Randy who anointed Archie the best singer of the season and the American Idol. Paula claimed to be speechless—probably the most sensible thing she has said all season. With tears filling his eyes and a look like he was going to wet his pants on his face, Archie listened as Simon confirmed that David A. leveled David C. with a knockout punch in Round 3.
With three rounds of singing in the books and the voters at home feverishly dialing for their favorite David, Ryan led the finalists off the stage and introduced Season 2 champion, Reuben Studdard who sang “Celebrate Me Home” against a backdrop of Season 7 highlights. It was probably the best performance of the evening and one that showed that Idol winners actually have talent.
So if the American public votes the way the judges saw it, there should be little mystery when Ryan announces the winner at the end of tomorrow’s two-hour finale which will serve as a reunion of sorts for the contestants who were booted from the show during the season.
Tune in tomorrow to see more filler than a hot dog factory and maybe even a few guest stars you wouldn’t expect to see at an Idol finale. There might even be some memorable songs being sung—you just never know what is going to happen when you combine Fox, American Idol, and a fickle public.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
The Idol producers tried to instill a bit of drama to the proceedings by painting a prize fighter motif the likes of which we haven’t seen since the last Mike Tyson – Lennox Lewis bout—they even brought out Michael “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” Buffer to introduce the final competitors.
And those competitors were the Davids—Cook vs. Archuleta…youth vs. experience …balladeer vs. innovative rocker…you get the idea.
Ryan brought of the contestants, announced that David A. won the coin toss after last week’s show giving him the option of going first or second—he chose second, and then asked the judges what the boys need to do tonight. As usual, Randy and Paula offered nothing while Simon told them they need “a desire to win and you have to hate your opponent”—and then the boys ignored Simon and gushed over each other.
Finally Some Singing!
Round 1: Industry legend Clive Davis picks the songs
For David Cook, Clive selected the U2 anthem, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. And for David Archuleta, Clive chose “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Sir Elton John. To help the boys learn their songs, Idol brought back Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Fifteen minutes into the show, David Cook took to the stage for the first performance of the night. His version of the U2 classic was similar to other Cook classics—he started off mellow and built to a nice crescendo. Without his trusty guitar around his neck, Cook ventured around the stage and finished up on the catwalk behind the judges. Randy liked Cook’s work, Paula played with the song title and told him that he “may not have found what your looking for, but we sure have”, and Simon finished off the judging by calling the performance “phenomenal”. Looks like Cook’s put a little pressure on young David A.
Sitting on the stairs at the back of the stage, Archuleta squinted his eyes and tried his darndest to provide a little originality to the great Elton John/Bernie Taupin classic. Archie did a nice job of singing the song, he even added a few runs that made it somewhat enjoyable, but his dance moves were very awkward—he can be thankful that “So You Think You Can Dance” doesn’t begin until Thursday. Randy called the performance “flawless and unbelievable molten hot”, Paula said she had chills up and down her arms and played with the lyrics again saying “the sun is never going down on you”. Simon acted as though he was going to rain on the Archuleta parade by reminding everyone how easy it would to get too wrapped up in the emotion of the night, but then surprised everyone by saying that it was David A.’s best performance of the season and then declared Round 1 for Archie—who was in tears on the stage.
New Songs
Round 2: Songwriter’s Choice
David Cook selected “Dream Big” by Emily Shackleton and David Archuleta chose “In this Moment” by Ryan Gilmore—don’t worry if you haven’t heard of either of these songs because no one has…they were part of a group of ten songs written for Idol and the winner will record their choice as they first release.
Cook grabbed his guitar and rocked out to his song. The song had a nice sound for him—he gave it a bit of an edge, modulated the rhythms, and sang very clean. Randy hated the song, but like David’s performance; Paula credited him for helping us get to know an unknown song; and Simon called it what it was: “a lightweight song”. He liked the end, but didn’t think it sounded like a winning moment—which I’m sure made Emily Shackleton feel good. He said that Cook did well for what he had—which is kind of like Paula’s “you look really great tonight”.
No big surprise with Archie’s song—it was a ballad that gave the teenage finalist the opportunity to close his eyes and sing his little heart out. Like Cook’s song, this wasn’t a great song, but Archie sang it well—although I was getting a little nauseas listening to the sugar sweet lyrics…”I want to be in this moment”…OMG! Can’t anyone write a song that actually sounds like a pop song and not something you’d hear at a funeral?! Randy wasn’t crazy for the song, but he pulled out his “you could sing the phonebook” complement and Paula essentially echoed Randy’s words. Simon thought Archie picked the better song and then gave Round 2 to him—more tears from Archie and a look of utter fear crossed his face.
Someone’s Last Song
Round 3: Contestant’s Choice
For his final song of the evening, David Cook decided on “The World I Know” by Collective Soul—a song he has never performed before while David Archuleta recycled “Imagine” by the great John Lennon.
Cook grabbed his acoustic guitar and gave his all for your votes. I wasn’t familiar with the song, but I kind of liked it—it was a bit mellow, but had an obvious emotional feel to it—as Cook finished, he was holding back the tears. Randy gave him props, Paula babbled on and gave him a standing O. Before giving his critique, Simon told everyone that he thought Cook was one of the nicest contestants and then said his song choice was bad—he should have went with “Billie Jean” or “Hello”. But Cook said he agreed to an extent with Simon, but said he opted to go new vs. retread and was happy with his decision—what was he supposed to say?
So with everything pointed toward an Idol crown, Archuleta stood at center stage, squinted, and sang to his legions of fans. The crowd loved the song and so did Randy who anointed Archie the best singer of the season and the American Idol. Paula claimed to be speechless—probably the most sensible thing she has said all season. With tears filling his eyes and a look like he was going to wet his pants on his face, Archie listened as Simon confirmed that David A. leveled David C. with a knockout punch in Round 3.
With three rounds of singing in the books and the voters at home feverishly dialing for their favorite David, Ryan led the finalists off the stage and introduced Season 2 champion, Reuben Studdard who sang “Celebrate Me Home” against a backdrop of Season 7 highlights. It was probably the best performance of the evening and one that showed that Idol winners actually have talent.
So if the American public votes the way the judges saw it, there should be little mystery when Ryan announces the winner at the end of tomorrow’s two-hour finale which will serve as a reunion of sorts for the contestants who were booted from the show during the season.
Tune in tomorrow to see more filler than a hot dog factory and maybe even a few guest stars you wouldn’t expect to see at an Idol finale. There might even be some memorable songs being sung—you just never know what is going to happen when you combine Fox, American Idol, and a fickle public.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Idol Chatter - Elimination #10 (5/14/08)
With only seven days left in Season 7, we took a giant step tonight toward naming the newest American Idol, but first we had to eliminate one of the three remaining finalists. Who didn’t receive enough of your votes to sing next week?
Would it be this year’s fan favorite, David Archuleta? If so, that would be two years in a row where America has selected a teenager as their Idol.
Or perhaps America went with the only person who challenged KLC for supremacy of the bottom three, Syesha Mercado. Would America ignore the judge’s comments from last night and vote for the multi-talented actress/singer from Florida?
Did America go with the rocker in the group? Is David Cook going to have the opportunity to do what Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry couldn’t?—wear the Idol crown while staying true to his rock roots.
Wait no longer to find out whose dreams were dashed tonight and who still has the opportunity to sing at the Kodak Theatre for the title of THE American Idol.
Group Sing
The last three Idols started off the big show with a rousing rendition of the MacFadden and Whitehead disco-era classic, “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”—a clever song choice by the show’s producers. But unfortunately the Idols didn’t get the message that they were supposed to sound good because they all suffered a bit; probably from nerves or maybe it’s just that we’re looking for a solo artist and the producers insist on having them sing as a group every elimination night—note to the producers, it’s a lame way to treat your Idol finalists, so eliminate it starting next season.
Product Placement
It would also be nice if they would get rid of the always annoying Ford commercial on Elimination Night. This week’s edition involved the Idols clowning around and lip syncing to Los Lonely Boys’ “How Far is Heaven”—I’m not sure, but these commercials sure make me feel as though I am in HELL!
Former Idol Takes the Stage
Before Ryan could reveal who didn’t get enough of the more than 56 million votes cast last night for the final three Idols, he introduced former American Idol winner, Fantasia who hit the stage looking like a cross between Ronald McDonald, Carrot Top, and Bozo the Clown. As for her singing, I’m not exactly sure how she won Idol. She screamed whatever the song was that she was supposed to sing. The only good thing about it was the three backup singers/dancers that accompanied her on stage. They sounded good, had some hot moves, and looked great doing it.
As Fantasia was wrapping up her scream fest, the Idol cameras caught a shot of Simon who had a look of utter disbelief on his face and when the song mercifully ended, he looked over at Randy and Paula and said what I can only imagine was something to the effect: “What the bloody hell was THAT?!”
David Archuleta Takes a Trip Home to Utah
Ryan asked David Archuleta to join him on stage first. But before he could learn his fate (like there is any mystery!), we had the opportunity to check out a video package of David’s trip back home in Murray, UT. His first stop was a pep rally where the cheerleaders from his high school greeted him—I’m sure before Idol they didn’t even know his name. Then it was on to a TV interview with the local Fox affiliate—lame questions by the Fox anchors was followed by a visit to David’s current high school where he performed “Imagine” for his adoring public, the mayor of Murray proclaimed the day David Archuleta Day, and then he sang the National Anthem at a Utah Jazz playoff game.
With all of the fun behind him, did he make it to the finals? We weren’t told because the producers decided to roll another video of David chronicling his Idol journey.
And when the video ended, instead of telling David A. if he made the finals or not, Ryan sent him to the couches and invited Syesha out to take a look back on her week in Sarasota, FL.
Syesha Gets the Rock Star Treatment in FLA
Syesha’s trip to the Sunshine State pretty much mirrored David’s trip to Utah—she visited her old high school stomping grounds, met local dignitaries, was mobbed by crazed fans, spent some time with the family and the as an added bonus, she rode in a helicopter which looked pretty cool. And then she bawled like a baby—which might come in handy in her career on Broadway.
We were then treated to a recap of Syesha’s time on Idol which reminded us that despite her regular visits to the bottom three, she actually is a very talented singer and deserving of a place in the final three—the final two? That is up to the voters.
David Cook is Shown the Time of His Life in Missouri
Prior to heading back to the greater Kansas City, MO area, David Cook informed us that he didn’t intend on auditioning for Idol this year. He actually went to Omaha to lend moral support to his brother, Andrew, who was there to sing for the judges and a chance to go to Hollywood—instead the Idol producers told David that he would be auditioning as well and the rest is history.
When David got to KC it was pouring rain so he did what any Idol would do, he delivered the weather forecast on the KC Fox affiliate. Then he rushed off to sing for a huge crowd at "KC Live" in the new Kansas City Power and Light District (thanks, Bouk for the tip), took a limo ride to his hometown of Blue Springs, MO, surprised his former elementary music teacher (who got him started in music), marched in a huge parade with his brother, and threw out the first pitch at a KC Royals game. All in all, David was ecstatic to do all of the things he grew up dreaming about doing.
Dreams Come True for Two and Die for…
With the Final 3 holding hands on center stage, Ryan added even more stress and pressure to the situation by asking the judges for some final thoughts…which was a waste of time until we got to Simon who admitted to liking all three, but saying if the final turns out like he hopes, we’re in for a “humdinger”.
Then Ryan read the names of the two finalists: David Archuleta and David Cook.
No one was surprised by the results—neither of these guys ever visited the bottom three (until last night) and it would have been a shame to watch one of them leave after they built such strong followings over the course of Season 7.
Syesha, for her part, took the news very well—she didn’t shed a tear, thanked everyone for their support, and grabbed the mic from Ryan so she could sing “If I Ain’t Got You” for America one more time.
Humdinger Ahead!
The finals are set and it’s David vs. David; mano a mano; the young vs. the mature; the crooner vs. the rock innovator…it should be a great final. I am looking forward to seeing both of these guys sing one more time for your votes and the opportunity of becoming YOUR American Idol.
BTW: If you go back and read my Idol preview from March 11th, you’ll note that I correctly predicted that David A. would be in the finals, Syesha would be the darkhorse in the Final 12 with a good chance at making the finals, and that David Cook had a good shot at being the last man standing provided he continued working his special magic on what initially look like odd song choices.
Tune in next week to see what the Davids sing, the comments they receive from the judges, and my interpretation of the events of the night.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Would it be this year’s fan favorite, David Archuleta? If so, that would be two years in a row where America has selected a teenager as their Idol.
Or perhaps America went with the only person who challenged KLC for supremacy of the bottom three, Syesha Mercado. Would America ignore the judge’s comments from last night and vote for the multi-talented actress/singer from Florida?
Did America go with the rocker in the group? Is David Cook going to have the opportunity to do what Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry couldn’t?—wear the Idol crown while staying true to his rock roots.
Wait no longer to find out whose dreams were dashed tonight and who still has the opportunity to sing at the Kodak Theatre for the title of THE American Idol.
Group Sing
The last three Idols started off the big show with a rousing rendition of the MacFadden and Whitehead disco-era classic, “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”—a clever song choice by the show’s producers. But unfortunately the Idols didn’t get the message that they were supposed to sound good because they all suffered a bit; probably from nerves or maybe it’s just that we’re looking for a solo artist and the producers insist on having them sing as a group every elimination night—note to the producers, it’s a lame way to treat your Idol finalists, so eliminate it starting next season.
Product Placement
It would also be nice if they would get rid of the always annoying Ford commercial on Elimination Night. This week’s edition involved the Idols clowning around and lip syncing to Los Lonely Boys’ “How Far is Heaven”—I’m not sure, but these commercials sure make me feel as though I am in HELL!
Former Idol Takes the Stage
Before Ryan could reveal who didn’t get enough of the more than 56 million votes cast last night for the final three Idols, he introduced former American Idol winner, Fantasia who hit the stage looking like a cross between Ronald McDonald, Carrot Top, and Bozo the Clown. As for her singing, I’m not exactly sure how she won Idol. She screamed whatever the song was that she was supposed to sing. The only good thing about it was the three backup singers/dancers that accompanied her on stage. They sounded good, had some hot moves, and looked great doing it.
As Fantasia was wrapping up her scream fest, the Idol cameras caught a shot of Simon who had a look of utter disbelief on his face and when the song mercifully ended, he looked over at Randy and Paula and said what I can only imagine was something to the effect: “What the bloody hell was THAT?!”
David Archuleta Takes a Trip Home to Utah
Ryan asked David Archuleta to join him on stage first. But before he could learn his fate (like there is any mystery!), we had the opportunity to check out a video package of David’s trip back home in Murray, UT. His first stop was a pep rally where the cheerleaders from his high school greeted him—I’m sure before Idol they didn’t even know his name. Then it was on to a TV interview with the local Fox affiliate—lame questions by the Fox anchors was followed by a visit to David’s current high school where he performed “Imagine” for his adoring public, the mayor of Murray proclaimed the day David Archuleta Day, and then he sang the National Anthem at a Utah Jazz playoff game.
With all of the fun behind him, did he make it to the finals? We weren’t told because the producers decided to roll another video of David chronicling his Idol journey.
And when the video ended, instead of telling David A. if he made the finals or not, Ryan sent him to the couches and invited Syesha out to take a look back on her week in Sarasota, FL.
Syesha Gets the Rock Star Treatment in FLA
Syesha’s trip to the Sunshine State pretty much mirrored David’s trip to Utah—she visited her old high school stomping grounds, met local dignitaries, was mobbed by crazed fans, spent some time with the family and the as an added bonus, she rode in a helicopter which looked pretty cool. And then she bawled like a baby—which might come in handy in her career on Broadway.
We were then treated to a recap of Syesha’s time on Idol which reminded us that despite her regular visits to the bottom three, she actually is a very talented singer and deserving of a place in the final three—the final two? That is up to the voters.
David Cook is Shown the Time of His Life in Missouri
Prior to heading back to the greater Kansas City, MO area, David Cook informed us that he didn’t intend on auditioning for Idol this year. He actually went to Omaha to lend moral support to his brother, Andrew, who was there to sing for the judges and a chance to go to Hollywood—instead the Idol producers told David that he would be auditioning as well and the rest is history.
When David got to KC it was pouring rain so he did what any Idol would do, he delivered the weather forecast on the KC Fox affiliate. Then he rushed off to sing for a huge crowd at "KC Live" in the new Kansas City Power and Light District (thanks, Bouk for the tip), took a limo ride to his hometown of Blue Springs, MO, surprised his former elementary music teacher (who got him started in music), marched in a huge parade with his brother, and threw out the first pitch at a KC Royals game. All in all, David was ecstatic to do all of the things he grew up dreaming about doing.
Dreams Come True for Two and Die for…
With the Final 3 holding hands on center stage, Ryan added even more stress and pressure to the situation by asking the judges for some final thoughts…which was a waste of time until we got to Simon who admitted to liking all three, but saying if the final turns out like he hopes, we’re in for a “humdinger”.
Then Ryan read the names of the two finalists: David Archuleta and David Cook.
No one was surprised by the results—neither of these guys ever visited the bottom three (until last night) and it would have been a shame to watch one of them leave after they built such strong followings over the course of Season 7.
Syesha, for her part, took the news very well—she didn’t shed a tear, thanked everyone for their support, and grabbed the mic from Ryan so she could sing “If I Ain’t Got You” for America one more time.
Humdinger Ahead!
The finals are set and it’s David vs. David; mano a mano; the young vs. the mature; the crooner vs. the rock innovator…it should be a great final. I am looking forward to seeing both of these guys sing one more time for your votes and the opportunity of becoming YOUR American Idol.
BTW: If you go back and read my Idol preview from March 11th, you’ll note that I correctly predicted that David A. would be in the finals, Syesha would be the darkhorse in the Final 12 with a good chance at making the finals, and that David Cook had a good shot at being the last man standing provided he continued working his special magic on what initially look like odd song choices.
Tune in next week to see what the Davids sing, the comments they receive from the judges, and my interpretation of the events of the night.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Idol Worship - The Final 3 Sing Thrice (5/13/08)
Before launching into tonight’s show review, let me set the stage for you so you will know what to expect as the final three Idol wannabes vie for your votes and place in next week’s finals.
Each of the remaining contestants (David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, and David Cook) will have the opportunity to sing three songs. The first song will be selected by one of the Idol judges (Paula, Randy, or Simon), the performers themselves will pick the second song, and the final selection will be made by the Idol producers.
Now that you know what the process is going to be, let’s check in to see how each of the Idols did on their three performances.
Round 1: Judge’s Choice
Paula selected “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel as her judge’s pick for David Archuleta—and David closed his eyes, licked his lips, and sang yet another ballad for what seems like the umpteenth time this season. I said it before that David has a fine voice (Randy says he could sing the phone book), but he’s just a bit boring always singing songs that seem more appropriate for a funeral parlor than the Idol stage—I mean this guy is 17! But it doesn’t matter what I say because the judges love this guy. Randy claimed David was “dope” and “in it to win it” during performance number one and Paula called the performance a “pure and stunning performance”. Simon was the voice of reason on the panel saying it was “a bit predictable…it was good, not outstanding.”
Randy was in charge of picking Syesha’s first song and he went with the Alicia Keys tune, “If I Ain’t Got You”. Syesha was excited to sing a song by one of her favorite artists—and I have to give Randy props for picking a song that at least had a bit of a pulse. Syesha looked beautiful in a floor length, sparkly cocktail dress and sang like she needed to (sing) in order to breath. Randy noted that Syesha sang her heart out and was “peaking at the right time”—I couldn’t agree more. Paula babbled on and complimented her look—been there done that, Paula! Simon thought it was a nice performance but wished out loud that Randy would have picked something that would have forced her to change it up a bit and not just sing it like the original. Randy defended his decision and said that she changed up a number of notes…yeah, yeah, whatever Mr. Producer Man!
David Cook’s fate was in the hands of Simon who picked the Roberta Flack classic, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which on the surface seemed a bit odd. But it was obvious Simon wanted to challenge David to make the song his own—to try to add some originality like he has done so many times before. I was a bit surprised to see David hit the stage without his guitar or any other prop other than the microphone and his voice. But with the orchestra supporting him he made the song sound very current. It was a bit stiff in the beginning, but when he hit the bridge, you could tell it was a David Cook song. The audience loved it, but what did the judges think? Randy tried to out Simon Simon by saying he should have picked a song that wasn’t so old—like that even makes sense, Dawg! Hasn’t Randy said throughout Season 7 that it doesn’t matter when the song was written as long as it sounds current?—no need to answer because we all know Randy was just being a tool. But Paula added some reason to the mix by saying that it isn’t about Randy and Simon, it’s about David Cook and she now had a second favorite singer of that song—and for once, Paula actually made sense. Simon, predictably, liked the performance going so far as to say it was one of his best performances to date. Simon claimed that Round 1 went to the team of “Cook and Cowell”.
I couldn’t agree more with Simon. David C. was the best of the first round followed by Syesha with David A., but there are two more rounds to go so anything can happen. Next the Idols sing a song of their choosing.
Second Round: Dealer’s Choice
Young David picked “With You” by Chris Brown. He wanted to try something a little new and up tempo, but before he could start the song, there was some awkward moments getting David ready to perform. David wasn’t sure what to do once Ryan introduced David’s song and then directed him to take his place on center stage. And when he finally made his way there, he looked even more uncomfortable singing a song that was clearly not in his comfort zone—plus his dance moves looked a bit off-putting. But at least he kept his eyes open for most of the song—until the final few bars when he closed them for the big finish. Perhaps we should get him some toothpicks for the finals—provided he makes it to next week (like that won’t happen). Randy wasn’t sure it was the right song for our 17-year-old crooner. Paula thought it was a good choice and then gave him a quick pointer about how to sing up tempo songs—like you don’t hold the notes as long….DUH! Simon compared the performance to a “Chihuahua trying to be a tiger”—calling it “awkward” which was kind considering what I’m sure he was really thinking. I don’t think David did himself any favors trying something so radically new, but I’m sure he is going to make it to the finals because America loves him regardless of what and how he performs.
Syesha chose “Fever” by Peggy Lee and to help create the right atmosphere, she had a chair set up on stage for her to do her thing—and did she do it. She strutted around the chair, sat on it with her back to the audience, meandered over to Ricky Minor who joined her on stage playing the double bass, and vamped across the stage essentially auditioning for a role on Broadway—because it is unlikely that she will win Idol, but she certainly has a future on the stage putting her acting and singing skills to good use. Randy thought the song selection was “interesting” and saying she sang it “amazingly well”. Paula was equally perplexed because the song didn’t show who Syesha is—uh, Paula, if you read the sentence I wrote leading up to Randy’s comments, you’ll learn what the rest of the world already knows: winning Idol isn’t really in Syesha’s plans—especially after that PG-13 (at best) performance. Simon said that she will “probably regret your choice of song tomorrow morning” because she had a chance to do something contemporary and instead did a “lame cabaret version of the song”. Oops! I guess the producers of Chicago are going to be auditioning Syesha earlier than they expected.
So what would David Cook pick for himself? That’s the burning question after the previous contestants did such a poor job. David went with “Dare You to Move” by a group called Switchfoot. I am not familiar with the song, but the audience seemed to know it and I trust David will make me like it by putting his special touch on it. After listening to the song, I can honestly say that I wasn’t a big fan of it, but I know that it represents the type of song that David will record when he becomes a big rock star—if not the Idol winner. Randy actually is familiar with the song and the group, but didn’t think David did very well. Paula was bummed that the song didn’t really get going until the end (again, I have to agree with Paula—that was the problem with this song). Simon didn’t say much except that no one stood out in Round 2.
With no clear winner of this round, we moved on to the Idol’s third performance of the evening.
Final Round: The Producers Choose the Song
For David A.’s final song of the night, he performed Dan Fogelberg’s “Longer”—another in a long line of ballads that appear to be the only type of song that young David can perform. He did a nice enough job, but my hair wasn’t set on fire. He tried to switch up the melody a bit, but not enough to really make the song sound anymore contemporary than a trip to the dentist’s office. Randy found the song choice interesting and then said he was “in the zone”—WHAT?! There was nothing special about it, Randy, are you sure you aren’t pulling a Paula and judging David on a song he has yet to perform? Paula liked it, but Simon thought the song and lyrics were “absolutely horrible” saying they were all gooey and more appropriate for a 90-year-old…but he put young David at ease by saying he definitely did enough to make the finals—my second DUH! of the night.
Would the song chosen for Syesha be better? I’ll let you be the judge. She sang “Hit Me Up” by Gia Farrell which is an up tempo number that again allowed Syesha the opportunity to move around the stage and show a little personality—unfortunately I don’t think she is going to do enough to overcome the David’s to make the finals, not even by channeling a little Beyonce in her stage moves. Randy thought it was a decent song choice, but it was just “awright for me”. Paula noted that the song was on the “Happy Feet” soundtrack which will certainly make my little boy happy, but it didn’t really make it for Paula—who said it may not have been enough to get her into the finals. Simon said it was better than the previous song, but that she probably peaked last week with the Sam Cooke song.
David Cook had the final performance of the evening and the producers went with the Aerosmith power ballad, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”. David was standing center stage surrounded by the string section from the Idol orchestra. David delivered a fine performance, but had some pitch problems in the early part of the song. But like almost every other David Cook number, once he hits the bridge, he really brings it home—he’s like a good closer in baseball, he knows how to shut the door on the competition. Randy called it a “very predictable” song selection—which is irrelevant because David had nothing to do with which song he was going to sing; Paula welcomed him to the finals; and Simon called it “one of the great songs of all time” and then declared David C. the winner of the night.
Next Steps: Where do we go from here?
With all of the performances in the books, it’s up to America to decide who sings next week—but I’ll do the honorable thing and give you my bottom three, so you know that you are voting for the right people! Just kidding, of course, because there are only three, so they are all in the bottom three…which, by the way, will be the first time for both the Davids this season whereas Syesha practically OWNS the bottom three having been there so many times over these many weeks.
Check in tomorrow to get the official word on who the two finalists for Season 7 will be. As always, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Each of the remaining contestants (David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, and David Cook) will have the opportunity to sing three songs. The first song will be selected by one of the Idol judges (Paula, Randy, or Simon), the performers themselves will pick the second song, and the final selection will be made by the Idol producers.
Now that you know what the process is going to be, let’s check in to see how each of the Idols did on their three performances.
Round 1: Judge’s Choice
Paula selected “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel as her judge’s pick for David Archuleta—and David closed his eyes, licked his lips, and sang yet another ballad for what seems like the umpteenth time this season. I said it before that David has a fine voice (Randy says he could sing the phone book), but he’s just a bit boring always singing songs that seem more appropriate for a funeral parlor than the Idol stage—I mean this guy is 17! But it doesn’t matter what I say because the judges love this guy. Randy claimed David was “dope” and “in it to win it” during performance number one and Paula called the performance a “pure and stunning performance”. Simon was the voice of reason on the panel saying it was “a bit predictable…it was good, not outstanding.”
Randy was in charge of picking Syesha’s first song and he went with the Alicia Keys tune, “If I Ain’t Got You”. Syesha was excited to sing a song by one of her favorite artists—and I have to give Randy props for picking a song that at least had a bit of a pulse. Syesha looked beautiful in a floor length, sparkly cocktail dress and sang like she needed to (sing) in order to breath. Randy noted that Syesha sang her heart out and was “peaking at the right time”—I couldn’t agree more. Paula babbled on and complimented her look—been there done that, Paula! Simon thought it was a nice performance but wished out loud that Randy would have picked something that would have forced her to change it up a bit and not just sing it like the original. Randy defended his decision and said that she changed up a number of notes…yeah, yeah, whatever Mr. Producer Man!
David Cook’s fate was in the hands of Simon who picked the Roberta Flack classic, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which on the surface seemed a bit odd. But it was obvious Simon wanted to challenge David to make the song his own—to try to add some originality like he has done so many times before. I was a bit surprised to see David hit the stage without his guitar or any other prop other than the microphone and his voice. But with the orchestra supporting him he made the song sound very current. It was a bit stiff in the beginning, but when he hit the bridge, you could tell it was a David Cook song. The audience loved it, but what did the judges think? Randy tried to out Simon Simon by saying he should have picked a song that wasn’t so old—like that even makes sense, Dawg! Hasn’t Randy said throughout Season 7 that it doesn’t matter when the song was written as long as it sounds current?—no need to answer because we all know Randy was just being a tool. But Paula added some reason to the mix by saying that it isn’t about Randy and Simon, it’s about David Cook and she now had a second favorite singer of that song—and for once, Paula actually made sense. Simon, predictably, liked the performance going so far as to say it was one of his best performances to date. Simon claimed that Round 1 went to the team of “Cook and Cowell”.
I couldn’t agree more with Simon. David C. was the best of the first round followed by Syesha with David A., but there are two more rounds to go so anything can happen. Next the Idols sing a song of their choosing.
Second Round: Dealer’s Choice
Young David picked “With You” by Chris Brown. He wanted to try something a little new and up tempo, but before he could start the song, there was some awkward moments getting David ready to perform. David wasn’t sure what to do once Ryan introduced David’s song and then directed him to take his place on center stage. And when he finally made his way there, he looked even more uncomfortable singing a song that was clearly not in his comfort zone—plus his dance moves looked a bit off-putting. But at least he kept his eyes open for most of the song—until the final few bars when he closed them for the big finish. Perhaps we should get him some toothpicks for the finals—provided he makes it to next week (like that won’t happen). Randy wasn’t sure it was the right song for our 17-year-old crooner. Paula thought it was a good choice and then gave him a quick pointer about how to sing up tempo songs—like you don’t hold the notes as long….DUH! Simon compared the performance to a “Chihuahua trying to be a tiger”—calling it “awkward” which was kind considering what I’m sure he was really thinking. I don’t think David did himself any favors trying something so radically new, but I’m sure he is going to make it to the finals because America loves him regardless of what and how he performs.
Syesha chose “Fever” by Peggy Lee and to help create the right atmosphere, she had a chair set up on stage for her to do her thing—and did she do it. She strutted around the chair, sat on it with her back to the audience, meandered over to Ricky Minor who joined her on stage playing the double bass, and vamped across the stage essentially auditioning for a role on Broadway—because it is unlikely that she will win Idol, but she certainly has a future on the stage putting her acting and singing skills to good use. Randy thought the song selection was “interesting” and saying she sang it “amazingly well”. Paula was equally perplexed because the song didn’t show who Syesha is—uh, Paula, if you read the sentence I wrote leading up to Randy’s comments, you’ll learn what the rest of the world already knows: winning Idol isn’t really in Syesha’s plans—especially after that PG-13 (at best) performance. Simon said that she will “probably regret your choice of song tomorrow morning” because she had a chance to do something contemporary and instead did a “lame cabaret version of the song”. Oops! I guess the producers of Chicago are going to be auditioning Syesha earlier than they expected.
So what would David Cook pick for himself? That’s the burning question after the previous contestants did such a poor job. David went with “Dare You to Move” by a group called Switchfoot. I am not familiar with the song, but the audience seemed to know it and I trust David will make me like it by putting his special touch on it. After listening to the song, I can honestly say that I wasn’t a big fan of it, but I know that it represents the type of song that David will record when he becomes a big rock star—if not the Idol winner. Randy actually is familiar with the song and the group, but didn’t think David did very well. Paula was bummed that the song didn’t really get going until the end (again, I have to agree with Paula—that was the problem with this song). Simon didn’t say much except that no one stood out in Round 2.
With no clear winner of this round, we moved on to the Idol’s third performance of the evening.
Final Round: The Producers Choose the Song
For David A.’s final song of the night, he performed Dan Fogelberg’s “Longer”—another in a long line of ballads that appear to be the only type of song that young David can perform. He did a nice enough job, but my hair wasn’t set on fire. He tried to switch up the melody a bit, but not enough to really make the song sound anymore contemporary than a trip to the dentist’s office. Randy found the song choice interesting and then said he was “in the zone”—WHAT?! There was nothing special about it, Randy, are you sure you aren’t pulling a Paula and judging David on a song he has yet to perform? Paula liked it, but Simon thought the song and lyrics were “absolutely horrible” saying they were all gooey and more appropriate for a 90-year-old…but he put young David at ease by saying he definitely did enough to make the finals—my second DUH! of the night.
Would the song chosen for Syesha be better? I’ll let you be the judge. She sang “Hit Me Up” by Gia Farrell which is an up tempo number that again allowed Syesha the opportunity to move around the stage and show a little personality—unfortunately I don’t think she is going to do enough to overcome the David’s to make the finals, not even by channeling a little Beyonce in her stage moves. Randy thought it was a decent song choice, but it was just “awright for me”. Paula noted that the song was on the “Happy Feet” soundtrack which will certainly make my little boy happy, but it didn’t really make it for Paula—who said it may not have been enough to get her into the finals. Simon said it was better than the previous song, but that she probably peaked last week with the Sam Cooke song.
David Cook had the final performance of the evening and the producers went with the Aerosmith power ballad, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”. David was standing center stage surrounded by the string section from the Idol orchestra. David delivered a fine performance, but had some pitch problems in the early part of the song. But like almost every other David Cook number, once he hits the bridge, he really brings it home—he’s like a good closer in baseball, he knows how to shut the door on the competition. Randy called it a “very predictable” song selection—which is irrelevant because David had nothing to do with which song he was going to sing; Paula welcomed him to the finals; and Simon called it “one of the great songs of all time” and then declared David C. the winner of the night.
Next Steps: Where do we go from here?
With all of the performances in the books, it’s up to America to decide who sings next week—but I’ll do the honorable thing and give you my bottom three, so you know that you are voting for the right people! Just kidding, of course, because there are only three, so they are all in the bottom three…which, by the way, will be the first time for both the Davids this season whereas Syesha practically OWNS the bottom three having been there so many times over these many weeks.
Check in tomorrow to get the official word on who the two finalists for Season 7 will be. As always, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Idol Chatter - Elimination #09 (5/7/08)
The Final Four Idols kicked off Elimination Wednesday night with a very “Up with People” version of the Steely Dan classic, “Reeling in the Years”. For the most part, the Idols seemed tentative when their solo opportunity came—that is until David Cook got his chance. He again showed that he is the real deal—he may not win, but he is definitely ready to hit the studio, record an album, and perform for thousands of adoring fans in an auditorium near you.
But I don’t want to show my hand as far as who my favorite is…so let’s move along and see how we spent our hour with Idol tonight.
Performance Night Recap
Last night the Idols had a very up and down night with David A. getting mad props on both performances, David Cook and Syesha getting mixed reviews from the judges, and Jason proving that his time on Idol may well be up as he picked bad songs, forgot his lyrics, and generally sang poorly.
Ryan informed us that over 51 million votes were cast last night for the remaining four Idols—and not one from me!
Elimination Process
Up first to learn his fate was young David Archuleta. David strutted to center stage (if you can call his slump-shoulder amble a strut), had a chat with Ryan that went on a little too long for my tastes, and then was ushered to the safe haven of the sofa.
While on his way to the couch, Ryan informed us that like in years past, the final three will head to their hometowns for the usual rock star treatment: getting keys to the city, performing at their high schools, spending a bit of time with their families, doing radio interviews, etc. etc.
So who will join David A. on the couch? Before we found out, we watched a video of the Final Four taking a quick trip to Las Vegas—which included a flight in a custom 737 jet, fighting their way through a throng of adoring fans at the MGM Grand, having a red-carpet make over, and then watching a performance of “Love”, the Cirque du Soleil show featuring The Beatles hits from VIP seats.
Back in Hollywood for Safe or Sorry Time
David Cook was invited to the stage to find out what the fans thought of his previous night’s performances. Ryan did the usual: recapped the judges comments from last night, asked the judges what he needs to do provided he makes it to the Top 3, and then gave him the good news—that he could take a seat next to the other David.
So with only one slot left and two Idols remaining, Ryan asked Syesha and Jason to come on out…but it wasn’t going to be that easy, we still had almost 36 minutes of show left, so we went to commercial and the Idols are left to sweat it out.
Paying the Bills
The soundtrack for tonight’s Ford commercial was courtesy of Johnny Cash. The Idols lip synced “Ring of Fire” while playing the role of bull fighters fending off a wild Mustang. I will be so glad when we don’t have to watch these lame commercials anymore.
Questions from the viewers
Likely to go down as one of the most (if not THE most) worthless segments the Idol producers came up with this season—and hopefully scrap for Season 8. All you need to know is there were a number of bad questions and even worse responses.
Entertainment for the Evening
In an effort to salvage the night, Ryan introduced Maroon 5 who sang “If I Never See Your Face Again”—which could be the exit song for the unlucky Idol leaving the show tonight. While Adam Levine (lead singer) and his band got the crowd going with their catchy little tune, the Idols stood on the side of the stage looking bored, scared, shell-shocked, and generally uninterested in the performance or anything else for that matter.
With the fortunes of Syesha and Jason still hanging in the balance, Ryan brought out Season 4 runner up, Bo Bice (or Bob Ice as he is sometimes referred—thanks, T!). With his trade mark long, rocker-style hair and playing an electric guitar, Bo sang a song that kept repeating the line “I need a witness” which is off his new album, “See the Light”. I have no idea what the name of the song was, but if you are really interested, I suppose you could go to www.bobice.com – I would, but I don’t really care (how’s that for honest!).
Who’s In and Who’s Going Home?!
With Jason and Syesha standing next to him, Ryan reminded Jason what an awful night he had last night on the stage; then he turned his attention to Syesha who was praised by Simon and Paula but slayed by Randy. A little chit-chat followed and then Ryan let Syesha know that she will be joining the David’s in the Idol Final 3.
America sent Jason packing and I would be surprised if anyone with a pulse didn’t see it coming—including Jason. As we watched Jason’s journey on Idol and listened to big Reuben Studdard sing “Celebrate Me Home” we were all reminded that at one time Jason actually was one of the more interesting and talented members of the Top 12—but those fond memories faded quickly when we came back to real life and had to listen to him try to sing “I Shot the Sheriff”…thank goodness my DVR cut him off before I was forced to relive the misery of watching him butcher Bob’s classic.
Next Week
When we meet again, there will only be three Idols singing for your votes. If past years are any indication of how the show will be run, the Idols will have three chances to convince you to cast your votes for them and propel them into the Finals. The songs will likely be selected in the following fashion:
The Idol will select a song they performed at some time during the show
One of the judges will pick a song they feel will best represent the Idol’s singing abilities
Legendary record producer, Clive Davis will use his vast knowledge of young talent to identify a song that is indicative of the type of song they should record once they win Idol
Tune in next Tuesday to see how the Final 3 do under the white hot spot light of the Idol stage—or wait for me to watch and I’ll tell you what you missed.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
But I don’t want to show my hand as far as who my favorite is…so let’s move along and see how we spent our hour with Idol tonight.
Performance Night Recap
Last night the Idols had a very up and down night with David A. getting mad props on both performances, David Cook and Syesha getting mixed reviews from the judges, and Jason proving that his time on Idol may well be up as he picked bad songs, forgot his lyrics, and generally sang poorly.
Ryan informed us that over 51 million votes were cast last night for the remaining four Idols—and not one from me!
Elimination Process
Up first to learn his fate was young David Archuleta. David strutted to center stage (if you can call his slump-shoulder amble a strut), had a chat with Ryan that went on a little too long for my tastes, and then was ushered to the safe haven of the sofa.
While on his way to the couch, Ryan informed us that like in years past, the final three will head to their hometowns for the usual rock star treatment: getting keys to the city, performing at their high schools, spending a bit of time with their families, doing radio interviews, etc. etc.
So who will join David A. on the couch? Before we found out, we watched a video of the Final Four taking a quick trip to Las Vegas—which included a flight in a custom 737 jet, fighting their way through a throng of adoring fans at the MGM Grand, having a red-carpet make over, and then watching a performance of “Love”, the Cirque du Soleil show featuring The Beatles hits from VIP seats.
Back in Hollywood for Safe or Sorry Time
David Cook was invited to the stage to find out what the fans thought of his previous night’s performances. Ryan did the usual: recapped the judges comments from last night, asked the judges what he needs to do provided he makes it to the Top 3, and then gave him the good news—that he could take a seat next to the other David.
So with only one slot left and two Idols remaining, Ryan asked Syesha and Jason to come on out…but it wasn’t going to be that easy, we still had almost 36 minutes of show left, so we went to commercial and the Idols are left to sweat it out.
Paying the Bills
The soundtrack for tonight’s Ford commercial was courtesy of Johnny Cash. The Idols lip synced “Ring of Fire” while playing the role of bull fighters fending off a wild Mustang. I will be so glad when we don’t have to watch these lame commercials anymore.
Questions from the viewers
Likely to go down as one of the most (if not THE most) worthless segments the Idol producers came up with this season—and hopefully scrap for Season 8. All you need to know is there were a number of bad questions and even worse responses.
Entertainment for the Evening
In an effort to salvage the night, Ryan introduced Maroon 5 who sang “If I Never See Your Face Again”—which could be the exit song for the unlucky Idol leaving the show tonight. While Adam Levine (lead singer) and his band got the crowd going with their catchy little tune, the Idols stood on the side of the stage looking bored, scared, shell-shocked, and generally uninterested in the performance or anything else for that matter.
With the fortunes of Syesha and Jason still hanging in the balance, Ryan brought out Season 4 runner up, Bo Bice (or Bob Ice as he is sometimes referred—thanks, T!). With his trade mark long, rocker-style hair and playing an electric guitar, Bo sang a song that kept repeating the line “I need a witness” which is off his new album, “See the Light”. I have no idea what the name of the song was, but if you are really interested, I suppose you could go to www.bobice.com – I would, but I don’t really care (how’s that for honest!).
Who’s In and Who’s Going Home?!
With Jason and Syesha standing next to him, Ryan reminded Jason what an awful night he had last night on the stage; then he turned his attention to Syesha who was praised by Simon and Paula but slayed by Randy. A little chit-chat followed and then Ryan let Syesha know that she will be joining the David’s in the Idol Final 3.
America sent Jason packing and I would be surprised if anyone with a pulse didn’t see it coming—including Jason. As we watched Jason’s journey on Idol and listened to big Reuben Studdard sing “Celebrate Me Home” we were all reminded that at one time Jason actually was one of the more interesting and talented members of the Top 12—but those fond memories faded quickly when we came back to real life and had to listen to him try to sing “I Shot the Sheriff”…thank goodness my DVR cut him off before I was forced to relive the misery of watching him butcher Bob’s classic.
Next Week
When we meet again, there will only be three Idols singing for your votes. If past years are any indication of how the show will be run, the Idols will have three chances to convince you to cast your votes for them and propel them into the Finals. The songs will likely be selected in the following fashion:
The Idol will select a song they performed at some time during the show
One of the judges will pick a song they feel will best represent the Idol’s singing abilities
Legendary record producer, Clive Davis will use his vast knowledge of young talent to identify a song that is indicative of the type of song they should record once they win Idol
Tune in next Tuesday to see how the Final 3 do under the white hot spot light of the Idol stage—or wait for me to watch and I’ll tell you what you missed.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
American Idol - The Final 4 Sing Songs from the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame (5/6/08)
Welcome to the Idol Final Four and a night that is sure to separate the wheat from the chaff (a process I actually did during the summer of 1983 while working a job at the University of Nebraska Agronomy Department—but I digress. Tonight the Idols have a wide range of songs from which to select for they have the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame “songbook” at their disposal. Song choice is definitely going to be a big issue with the judges, but it’s the voting public that makes the decisions, so let’s see what the Idols did for your votes.
Leading off the show, David Cook(ed) up a saucy version of “Hungry Like the Wolf”. It was an odd song choice, but one that I thought he worked hard to make his own. David has made a name for himself during the season by taking songs that seem far from his wheel-house and making them unforgettable. I am not sure he did reach that level tonight, but he’s a star and at this point in the show, he can’t really do much wrong. When the judges had their turn, Randy called the performance “just good”, Paula said he left her with a “big appetite”, and Simon called it a “copycat” because he didn’t think David did enough to the song, however he thought David did enough to get through to next week.
Dressed in a very sparkly, silver sequined mini, Syesha gammed it up with a sexy performance of the Tina Turner classic, “Proud Mary”—once again showing a side of her personality that will play well when she is ultimately kicked off the show in favor of starting her career on Broadway. Syesha was joined on stage by Ricky Minor and select members of the band and she electrified the audience. It was a split decision when judgment was levied—Randy gave her props for “being in the zone” at just the right time, but Simon called it a “bad, shrieky version of Tina Turner”. Just a so-so start for Ms. Mercardo, but she has another song to win your votes.
In what was an obvious mistake, Jason tried to channel Bob Marley while performing “I Shot the Sheriff”—unfortunately for Jason the only thing that his performance had in common with Mr. Marley was the hair. The arrangement was odd, his voice sounded very weak, and his energy was obviously lacking. It appeared as though he may have given up on his dreams of becoming the next American Idol. Randy called it a mess, Paula tried to compliment him by crediting him for performing for the audience (like duh, Paula, that’s what he’s supposed to do!), and Simon said the performace was “utterly atrocious”—he then went on to say it was like a “first round massacre…I don’t know what your were thinking” to which Jason said: “Bob Marley!” Rhetorical question, Jason—meaning you weren’t supposed to provide an answer. Perhaps Paula and Jason are sharing pharmacists.
David Archuleta selected “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. David is definitely a capable singer, but he just doesn’t look the part of a pop star and certainly not the American Idol. While the rest of the performers (even Jason) dress like “stars in the making”, David showed up on stage in an ill fitting t-shirt and black trousers—he’s young and needs some help with his look. As far as his singing, it was good, but I didn’t think it was great. Randy was over the moon for David’s performance, Paula continued the love fest, and Simon said that he “could have whistled the song and sounded better than the last song” and then said it was “the best performance (of the night) so far”.
So based on the judges comments, you’d have to say that David A. is in first place, followed closely by David Cook, with Syesha holding down third, and Jason in last—it would be misleading to say fourth place because he doesn’t deserve to be ranked after he stunk it up!
Round two kicked off with David Cook singing “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. As he has done so many times before, David made this song which is almost 40 years-old sound like it was written this year. If this guy doesn’t win Idol, sell millions of records, and have an awesome recording career something is just not right in the world. Randy and Paula thought he was great and Simon said “welcome back, David Cook”--‘nuff said!
Syesha’s second song choice was “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. For this performance, Syesha was dressed in a floor length gold evening dress. It wasn’t a great song selection for her, she tried to do too much with it and she resorted back to her old ways of being a torch singer vs. the fun performer she has become over the past several weeks. Randy wasn’t down with the song—he thought the arrangement was wrong and Syesha sang it poorly. Then Paula brought Syesha to tears by complimenting her for singing such a powerful song, and then Simon agreed with…Paula! which really started the water works.
Jason stuck with the Bob’s and chose “Mr. Tambourine” by Bob Dylan. Jason pulled up his old trusty stool, strummed his guitar, and then did the unforgivable—he forgot the lyrics! Maybe Jason has decided on a post-Idol career as a contestant on another Fox ratings grabber, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”! Whatever is going on inside those dreads (if, in fact, there is ANYTHING!), it hasn’t been Jason’s night. When he finished singing, Randy asked him how he thought he did to which Jason said “I forgot a couple of lines” and Simon put the nail in the proverbial coffin by instructing him to “pack your suitcases”.
David A. closed the show with an Elvis classic, “Love Me Tender”—a song he said he didn’t really know...really?! How can these guys NOT know an Elvis song? When it came time to sing, David worked off of a very odd arrangement of the song that sounded nothing like the King—and he closed his eyes throughout the performance. For some reason, Randy loved it, Paula called it one of his best performances, and Simon said “you didn’t beat the competition, you CRUSHED the competition”—I guess Simon and I are not seeing eye-to-eye tonight which can only mean one thing: nothing! David A. is safe at least until the Finals.
But you know who isn’t safe? Syesha and Jason…or at least neither of them should sleep too soundly tonight in anticipation of tomorrow’s elimination show.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Leading off the show, David Cook(ed) up a saucy version of “Hungry Like the Wolf”. It was an odd song choice, but one that I thought he worked hard to make his own. David has made a name for himself during the season by taking songs that seem far from his wheel-house and making them unforgettable. I am not sure he did reach that level tonight, but he’s a star and at this point in the show, he can’t really do much wrong. When the judges had their turn, Randy called the performance “just good”, Paula said he left her with a “big appetite”, and Simon called it a “copycat” because he didn’t think David did enough to the song, however he thought David did enough to get through to next week.
Dressed in a very sparkly, silver sequined mini, Syesha gammed it up with a sexy performance of the Tina Turner classic, “Proud Mary”—once again showing a side of her personality that will play well when she is ultimately kicked off the show in favor of starting her career on Broadway. Syesha was joined on stage by Ricky Minor and select members of the band and she electrified the audience. It was a split decision when judgment was levied—Randy gave her props for “being in the zone” at just the right time, but Simon called it a “bad, shrieky version of Tina Turner”. Just a so-so start for Ms. Mercardo, but she has another song to win your votes.
In what was an obvious mistake, Jason tried to channel Bob Marley while performing “I Shot the Sheriff”—unfortunately for Jason the only thing that his performance had in common with Mr. Marley was the hair. The arrangement was odd, his voice sounded very weak, and his energy was obviously lacking. It appeared as though he may have given up on his dreams of becoming the next American Idol. Randy called it a mess, Paula tried to compliment him by crediting him for performing for the audience (like duh, Paula, that’s what he’s supposed to do!), and Simon said the performace was “utterly atrocious”—he then went on to say it was like a “first round massacre…I don’t know what your were thinking” to which Jason said: “Bob Marley!” Rhetorical question, Jason—meaning you weren’t supposed to provide an answer. Perhaps Paula and Jason are sharing pharmacists.
David Archuleta selected “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. David is definitely a capable singer, but he just doesn’t look the part of a pop star and certainly not the American Idol. While the rest of the performers (even Jason) dress like “stars in the making”, David showed up on stage in an ill fitting t-shirt and black trousers—he’s young and needs some help with his look. As far as his singing, it was good, but I didn’t think it was great. Randy was over the moon for David’s performance, Paula continued the love fest, and Simon said that he “could have whistled the song and sounded better than the last song” and then said it was “the best performance (of the night) so far”.
So based on the judges comments, you’d have to say that David A. is in first place, followed closely by David Cook, with Syesha holding down third, and Jason in last—it would be misleading to say fourth place because he doesn’t deserve to be ranked after he stunk it up!
Round two kicked off with David Cook singing “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. As he has done so many times before, David made this song which is almost 40 years-old sound like it was written this year. If this guy doesn’t win Idol, sell millions of records, and have an awesome recording career something is just not right in the world. Randy and Paula thought he was great and Simon said “welcome back, David Cook”--‘nuff said!
Syesha’s second song choice was “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. For this performance, Syesha was dressed in a floor length gold evening dress. It wasn’t a great song selection for her, she tried to do too much with it and she resorted back to her old ways of being a torch singer vs. the fun performer she has become over the past several weeks. Randy wasn’t down with the song—he thought the arrangement was wrong and Syesha sang it poorly. Then Paula brought Syesha to tears by complimenting her for singing such a powerful song, and then Simon agreed with…Paula! which really started the water works.
Jason stuck with the Bob’s and chose “Mr. Tambourine” by Bob Dylan. Jason pulled up his old trusty stool, strummed his guitar, and then did the unforgivable—he forgot the lyrics! Maybe Jason has decided on a post-Idol career as a contestant on another Fox ratings grabber, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”! Whatever is going on inside those dreads (if, in fact, there is ANYTHING!), it hasn’t been Jason’s night. When he finished singing, Randy asked him how he thought he did to which Jason said “I forgot a couple of lines” and Simon put the nail in the proverbial coffin by instructing him to “pack your suitcases”.
David A. closed the show with an Elvis classic, “Love Me Tender”—a song he said he didn’t really know...really?! How can these guys NOT know an Elvis song? When it came time to sing, David worked off of a very odd arrangement of the song that sounded nothing like the King—and he closed his eyes throughout the performance. For some reason, Randy loved it, Paula called it one of his best performances, and Simon said “you didn’t beat the competition, you CRUSHED the competition”—I guess Simon and I are not seeing eye-to-eye tonight which can only mean one thing: nothing! David A. is safe at least until the Finals.
But you know who isn’t safe? Syesha and Jason…or at least neither of them should sleep too soundly tonight in anticipation of tomorrow’s elimination show.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Idol Chatter - Elimination #07 (4/30/08)
The goal tonight was to get down to the Final 4 Idols. So who would it be? After last night’s mostly mediocre performances, they could very well have eliminated not one, but two of the Idols and no one with two working ears would complain.
Kicking off the elimination show, the remaining five Idols sang a little tribute to Neil Diamond and his wonderful songbook. If this was supposed to serve as a preview of the type of performances the Top 10 Idols will put on during the annual Idol Summer Tour, you might want to go to Disney instead. The Idols sounded off their game—with the exception of David Cook who was channeling Neil, but for the rest of the Idols and especially Brooke, it was embarrassing to think they were in the Final Five.
The medley of Neil Diamond songs included “Cracklin’ Rose”, “Song Sung Blue”, and “Hot August Nights”—and all I can say is some of the Idols must have smoking crack, I was blue watching their sorry performance, and I was looking forward to saying good-night to one of the Idols; I just hope America didn’t pull any surprises with their voting like they have in two of the last three weeks.
Returning Idols
After watching the remaining Idols struggle to entertain, Ryan found a couple of former Idol wannabes who just happen to be sitting in the audience. Constantine from Season 4 and Gina from Season 5 were there to promote their Fox Reality show, American Idol Extra. Before leaving them to enjoy the rest of the show, Ryan pleaded with Constantine to do his famous pout—creepy.
And with Ryan walking and talking toward the judges, we caught a glimpse of Ace from Season 4 who was sitting with his brother—who was a permanent fixture in the audience when Ace was busy breaking hearts.
There was also a Kristy Lee Cook sighting—don’t these guys have anything better to do? It’s essentially the equivalent of college-aged kids hanging out at their former high school—acting the part of the BMOC (Big Man on Campus).
Elimination Time
We were “treated” to a quick recap of the previous night’s performance, which was both painful and cringe worthy.
Before Ryan brought out the first Idol to learn their “safe or danger” fate, he tried to put to rest the Paula snafu from last night when she attempted to critique the two songs sung by Jason Castro…the problem: he had only performed one! That’s our Paula! You can imagine the water cooler discussions going on in every office this morning—and if you can’t, just pretend.
Safe or Sorry
Jason was invited to join Ryan on the stage. Ryan repeated the judge’s comments from last night and then sent Jason to the safety sofa.
David Archuleta strolled to the stage and Ryan did his thing with the judge’s critiques. No big surprise, David was safe.
Before throwing it to commercial, Ryan teased us with next week’s theme: Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Then he reminded us that one of the three remaining Idols—Brooke, Syesha, or David Cook will be going home tonight.
Shameless Fox Plug
We were reminded that after Idol crowns their Season 7 champion on May 21st, Fox’s other ratings juggernaut, “So You Think You Can Dance”, premiers their fourth Season. If you haven’t watched the first three seasons, you should tune in to see some really awesome talent.
More Eliminations…
Ryan asked David Cook to come out and learn that America got it right and voted him to safety.
So if you are doing the math at home, you know that there are only two Idols left—and only one safety spot. Out walked Syesha and Brooke, judges comments repeated, small talk with the bottom two, and then…they were both sent to the couch because Ryan had a little professional entertainment in store for everyone.
Guest Singing Sensation
British singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield graced the stage and performed “Pocket Full of Sunshine”. The song had Paula shaking her grove thing, but Simon looked positively bored—I think he may have been working on a hangnail. When the performance was over, Ryan made meaningless chit-chat with Natasha asking her about her start in the business—which was not all that inspiring. But Natasha was a big hit with the contestants—especially David A. who she sat next to on the couch, gave him a couple of kisses, and then dashed his hopes of being his prom date by reminding the world that she has a boyfriend.
Filler Phone Calls
As with all the previous elimination shows, Ryan opened the lines for America to ask their silly questions. The only one that was of mild interest was from British lady named Tara who now lives in Petaluma, CA. She wondered if Simon remembered his first kiss. He turned a lovely shade of red as he recalled that special moment all those many years ago when the precocious nine-year-old future Idol judge shared a special smooch at the bottom of his garden back in England with the very caller who posed the question, Tara. What are the odds?!
More Entertainment
This week’s guest mentor, Neil Diamond, took to the stage and performed his new song, “Pretty Amazing Grace”. Not exactly the next “Sweet Caroline”, the song just never got going for me. But watching Neil do his thing on stage was pretty amazing—especially when you consider this guy could just as easily be collecting a Social Security check sitting in his basement and listening to any number of his hits from his storied career.
A quick shout out to Neil’s mother who was in the audience was followed by a plug for his new album which “drops” on May 6th—that’s next Tuesday for the calendar-challenged out there.
Before leaving the stage, Neil encouraged the Idols to NOT listen to what Simon says—which got a few cheers.
The End of the Road—and our Final Four
Final judgment for one of the bottom two was swift—it was Brooke. Not real surprise—she lasted several weeks longer than she probably deserved, but that didn’t stop Brooke from crying a river. And then she had the stage to herself—and pulled a Brooke: she forgot the words…again! It looks like America got this elimination right.
The Final Four Idol wannabes in order of how they should finish are:
David Cook
David Archuleta
Syesha Mercado
Jason Castro
Tune in next Tuesday as these four take on songs from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame—which in itself is an interesting theme. It promises to be a very exciting and entertaining night of action.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
Kicking off the elimination show, the remaining five Idols sang a little tribute to Neil Diamond and his wonderful songbook. If this was supposed to serve as a preview of the type of performances the Top 10 Idols will put on during the annual Idol Summer Tour, you might want to go to Disney instead. The Idols sounded off their game—with the exception of David Cook who was channeling Neil, but for the rest of the Idols and especially Brooke, it was embarrassing to think they were in the Final Five.
The medley of Neil Diamond songs included “Cracklin’ Rose”, “Song Sung Blue”, and “Hot August Nights”—and all I can say is some of the Idols must have smoking crack, I was blue watching their sorry performance, and I was looking forward to saying good-night to one of the Idols; I just hope America didn’t pull any surprises with their voting like they have in two of the last three weeks.
Returning Idols
After watching the remaining Idols struggle to entertain, Ryan found a couple of former Idol wannabes who just happen to be sitting in the audience. Constantine from Season 4 and Gina from Season 5 were there to promote their Fox Reality show, American Idol Extra. Before leaving them to enjoy the rest of the show, Ryan pleaded with Constantine to do his famous pout—creepy.
And with Ryan walking and talking toward the judges, we caught a glimpse of Ace from Season 4 who was sitting with his brother—who was a permanent fixture in the audience when Ace was busy breaking hearts.
There was also a Kristy Lee Cook sighting—don’t these guys have anything better to do? It’s essentially the equivalent of college-aged kids hanging out at their former high school—acting the part of the BMOC (Big Man on Campus).
Elimination Time
We were “treated” to a quick recap of the previous night’s performance, which was both painful and cringe worthy.
Before Ryan brought out the first Idol to learn their “safe or danger” fate, he tried to put to rest the Paula snafu from last night when she attempted to critique the two songs sung by Jason Castro…the problem: he had only performed one! That’s our Paula! You can imagine the water cooler discussions going on in every office this morning—and if you can’t, just pretend.
Safe or Sorry
Jason was invited to join Ryan on the stage. Ryan repeated the judge’s comments from last night and then sent Jason to the safety sofa.
David Archuleta strolled to the stage and Ryan did his thing with the judge’s critiques. No big surprise, David was safe.
Before throwing it to commercial, Ryan teased us with next week’s theme: Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Then he reminded us that one of the three remaining Idols—Brooke, Syesha, or David Cook will be going home tonight.
Shameless Fox Plug
We were reminded that after Idol crowns their Season 7 champion on May 21st, Fox’s other ratings juggernaut, “So You Think You Can Dance”, premiers their fourth Season. If you haven’t watched the first three seasons, you should tune in to see some really awesome talent.
More Eliminations…
Ryan asked David Cook to come out and learn that America got it right and voted him to safety.
So if you are doing the math at home, you know that there are only two Idols left—and only one safety spot. Out walked Syesha and Brooke, judges comments repeated, small talk with the bottom two, and then…they were both sent to the couch because Ryan had a little professional entertainment in store for everyone.
Guest Singing Sensation
British singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield graced the stage and performed “Pocket Full of Sunshine”. The song had Paula shaking her grove thing, but Simon looked positively bored—I think he may have been working on a hangnail. When the performance was over, Ryan made meaningless chit-chat with Natasha asking her about her start in the business—which was not all that inspiring. But Natasha was a big hit with the contestants—especially David A. who she sat next to on the couch, gave him a couple of kisses, and then dashed his hopes of being his prom date by reminding the world that she has a boyfriend.
Filler Phone Calls
As with all the previous elimination shows, Ryan opened the lines for America to ask their silly questions. The only one that was of mild interest was from British lady named Tara who now lives in Petaluma, CA. She wondered if Simon remembered his first kiss. He turned a lovely shade of red as he recalled that special moment all those many years ago when the precocious nine-year-old future Idol judge shared a special smooch at the bottom of his garden back in England with the very caller who posed the question, Tara. What are the odds?!
More Entertainment
This week’s guest mentor, Neil Diamond, took to the stage and performed his new song, “Pretty Amazing Grace”. Not exactly the next “Sweet Caroline”, the song just never got going for me. But watching Neil do his thing on stage was pretty amazing—especially when you consider this guy could just as easily be collecting a Social Security check sitting in his basement and listening to any number of his hits from his storied career.
A quick shout out to Neil’s mother who was in the audience was followed by a plug for his new album which “drops” on May 6th—that’s next Tuesday for the calendar-challenged out there.
Before leaving the stage, Neil encouraged the Idols to NOT listen to what Simon says—which got a few cheers.
The End of the Road—and our Final Four
Final judgment for one of the bottom two was swift—it was Brooke. Not real surprise—she lasted several weeks longer than she probably deserved, but that didn’t stop Brooke from crying a river. And then she had the stage to herself—and pulled a Brooke: she forgot the words…again! It looks like America got this elimination right.
The Final Four Idol wannabes in order of how they should finish are:
David Cook
David Archuleta
Syesha Mercado
Jason Castro
Tune in next Tuesday as these four take on songs from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame—which in itself is an interesting theme. It promises to be a very exciting and entertaining night of action.
Until then, I will continue watching TV so you don’t have to…
Charlie
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