Archive for April, 2009

American Idol – Final 5 (Results Show)

Good Evening, America! I don’t know about you, but I severely enjoyed the performances last night, especially Danny, Allison, and my Adam Lambert-Martin. (It almost makes me wanna be nice tonight. But not quite.) Jamie Foxx deserves credit for his work with the Idols. He was able to pull a performance out of Danny that I didn’t think was possible anymore. But enough with the blah, blah, blah. It’s time to see someone’s dreams shattered! This… is American Idol!

Seacrest tells us that we’ll have performances tonight from Jamie Foxx, Natalie Cole… and Taylor Hicks. (Well, there goes my good mood.) Seriously? Taylor Hicks? He was the least deserving person to EVER win this show. I disliked him then, and… well, that hasn’t changed.

Ford Music Video time! This week, it’s to “Energy” by The Apples. It features slow-motion running by our Idols and, of course, a Ford Fusion. I like the black and white filming with hints of color. But if they were going to do slow-motion running, I would have preferred a more “Baywatch” themed video. Mmmm hmmmm.

Group Sing time to “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and “I Got Rhythm”. Allison starts us off surrounded by her harem of guys. They missed a big chance here to have Paula choreograph another dance number ala “Swing Kids”… or they could have gotten some of last year’s contestants from “So You Think You Can Dance” to come out and play back-up dancers. That was a lot for the first 5 minutes of the show. That just means we’ll have lots of filler for the other 55 minutes. Joy. (There was some filler with a cake fight, and all I could think was “DON’T GET IT IN ADAM’S HAIR! NOT THE HAIR!”)

Results time! All 5 Idols are brought on stage. Matt is sent to the right side of the stage. (Uh-oh, I think Idol pulled a fast one and moved the Evil Final 7 Split to the Final 5.) Danny is sent to the left side of the stage. Allison is also sent to the left side of the stage. (I pick these two to be the safe group.) Kris is sent to stand by Matt. That means my Adam Lambert-Martin has to make the tough choice of which group is safe and which group is the bottom. He picks Danny/Allison and goes to stand by them (thinking they are the Top 3), but Seacrest moves him over to Matt/Kris and declares Danny/Allison safe. That means Adam is in… the Bottom 3??? WHAT??? This better be some cruel and horrible joke. I swear if my Adam is sent home…. Oh, let’s just say, Hell hath no fury like Stephen scorned.

Natalie Cole is here to perform “Something’s Gotta Give” from her album “Still Unforgettable”. If you remember, in the 90’s, she was “Unforgettable”, and now she wants everyone to know that she is still… unforgettable? I wonder if it takes anything away from the message if you have to remind people. Hmmm, ‘tis a puzzlement.

Taylor Hicks has come home to Idol. Whoever said that you can never go home again… I wish they had been right. Fast-forward.

Back to the results. Our Bottom 3: Matt, Kris, and Adam. One person is going back to safety. And that person is… Kris? Oh, someone is really testing my patience. I don’t think the Idol Producers realize the terror I will unleash upon the world if Adam is sent home.

Jamie Foxx takes the stage to perform his hit “Blame It”. I know this is his current release, but I would have preferred for him to pull out some Ray Charles and do “Georgia on My Mind”. Oh well, can’t always get what you want. Or so they say.

Back to the final results! Matt or Adam? Which one is safe? (Better be Adam.) After 47 million votes, Adam is… SAFE!!! Yay! Whew! That was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too close for my liking. So, Matt Giraud is going home, as he should, and as I predicted. As I told someone earlier today, everything works out like it should. We’re forced to listen to “My Funny Valentine” one more time, and if he had sung like this last night, it would have been even more clear cut that he was the one to go home. That was just painful.

Well, that’s our show for tonight. My heart rate is slowly returning to normal. I didn’t realize it, but for about 30 seconds there, I had stopped breathing. Idol, why do you like to torture me so? We’re now down to our Final 4. Again, I really like all of them, but if Adam doesn’t win… well, it won’t be pretty. Tune in next week for another set of possibly amazing performances with a Rock & Roll theme. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 5 (Performance Show)

Good Evening, America! It’s Tuesday night, and here we are again. Back to see which of our remaining wannabe’s will compete against my Adam Lambert-Martin in the finale… which is only a few weeks away. Now that we’re down to the Final 5, I can honestly say that I don’t dislike any of the remaining contestants, which could pose a problem for finding someone to ridicule tonight. (I’m sure I’ll manage though.) With Allison that last remaining female in the competition, it begs the question if she can charm America enough to let her into the “Idol Boys Club”. A lot is riding on tonight for several people. So let’s get on with it. This… is American Idol!

Tonight, our Idols take on the songs of the Rat Pack era. And to help them along the way is none other than Jamie Foxx. (If you haven’t seen “Ray”, you should. It’s amazing.) Before we move on with the show, I’d like to give you a bit of history. The “Rat Pack” was a group of popular entertainers centered around Humphrey Bogart. In the 1960’s, the group also included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. And it’s a little known fact that there were female “Rat Packers” including Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall, Angie Dickinson, Marilyn Monroe, and Judy Garland. So, now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Kris Allen is up first singing “The Way You Look Tonight” which was originally done by Fred Astaire. As Jamie Foxx correctly pointed out, Kris doesn’t try to compete with vocal histrionics. He sings right in the pocket where he’s comfortable, and with that goofy grin and soothing voice, he can win over anyone. Not a huge fan of him carrying around the mic stand. Just looks akward. I liked that the arrangement kicked up to a more jazzy feel for a bit before coming back down for the emotional end. His final note was a touch weak and off, but I’m willing to forgive that. It wasn’t phenomenal, but it was nice.

Allison Iraheta is second with “Someone to Watch Over Me” by the Gershwin Brothers. Allison looks lovely tonight in her black dress, and she is now 17 years old. Happy Birthday, Allison! (Here’s hoping you don’t get voted off.) Her rough and smoky voice is perfect on this song. This is a wonderful, bluesy version of the song, and it allows Allison to be tender and emotional, but you know she could still kick your butt. Allison knocked it out of the park tonight. There is nothing negative I can say about the performance. I heart her.

Matt Giraud is third with “My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers & Hart. (Constantine flashback! Constantine flashback!) This is a difficult song, and I don’t think Matt has the chops to pull it off without trying to show off. Plus, I think he looks idiotic in that fedora. (At least it hides that mole.) The start to the song isn’t the best. His lower register is not his strong suit. Matt does mostly well on a hard song. He shines on the high notes, but he’s distracting and sounds like Bea Arthur (God rest her soul) on the low notes. Overall, this was blah for me. Just blah.

Danny Gokey is fourth with (one of my favorites) “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Harold Arlen and the great Johnny Mercer. There’s a nice trombone lead in, and Danny takes the stage. Somewhere a wedding party is missing its Best Man. (Sorry Danny. I don’t like the suit.) Vocally, this is typical Danny, and I mean that in the best possible way. He pays amazing tribute to the original Mercer version… for most of the song. Then it kicks into Vaudeville stripper music. Danny needs a pole to dance around. Kara kindly offers hers. In the end, I loved it. Great song. Great performance. Well done. Nice to see the old Danny back.

Adam Lambert-Martin is closing the show with “Feelin’ Good” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. Adam looks as cute as ever in his suit. I love his entrance on the steps with the backlighting. (That’s a strut and a half.) Vocally, Adam is strong and sultry. The stripper music from Danny’s song has returned, and it works here. This is classic Adam: taking something we all know and making it new again. And his note at the end… there aren’t words. Wow. Just wow. He does not have a vocal equal in this competition. In my mind, the boy can do no wrong.

Well, that’s our show for tonight. I have to say, this was one of the better nights of the season. Now that we’re winding down to the end, none of the singers are bad. I don’t think I can do a Bottom 3 this week, because I really enjoyed 4 of the performances. So, in that spirit, I’ll say that I think Matt Giraud is going home tomorrow night. Will I be right? Will I be wrong? Will Adam lift the restraining order against me? Tune in and find out. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 7 (Results Show) Redux

Good Evening, America! Here we are again. No, it’s not déjà vu, we’re at the exact same place we were last Wednesday. 7 hopefuls vying for stardom, but someone must go home. Correction, this week 2 someone’s must go home. After last week’s use of the Judge’s Save, 2 of our wannabe’s will sing their swan song and exit stage left. Will there be tears? Will Paula end up as a big Pool of Abdul? Tonight could prove to be the most shocking double elimination in the most dramatic Rose Ceremony EVER. (Big sweeping hand motion.) Let’s find out. This… is American Idol!

Ryan wishes us all a Happy Earth Day and says that the finale will use all ‘green’ power. Ryan, that begs the question, what about all the other elimination shows? How is that power generated? In my mind, I see Megan Joy backstage, flapping her arms and making bird sounds while running as fast as she can on a giant hamster wheel hooked up to a generator.

The Group Sing this week is choreographed by Idol Judge, Ms. Paula Abdul. (I’ve been saying for weeks that they should have her do this.) Say what you will about her, but the girl can dance. The Idols are singing “Shake Your Body” by the Jackson 5 while decked out in outlandish 70’s attire. Danny and Anoop look like actual pimps, Lil is rocking the white boots, Adam Lambert Martin has invoked John Travolta. I’m so entertained right now, I could care less how bad they are lip-synching, and trust me, it’s pretty bad. The choreography is fantastic, and it’s easy to tell which Idols have natural dance ability and which ones don’t. This was fun and should be a lesson to the producers that if they are going to make us watch a Group Sing, the least they could do is entertain us.

Time for the Ford Music Video to the song “I’m Good, I’m Gone”. There’s a whole bunch of stuff going on: bakers, construction workers, dog washers. In the end, they all leave their day jobs and go to a café for open mic night where they are looking for singers. It was over pretty fast, and that was a good thing. After the wonderfully campy magic show, this was just a HUGE let down.

Results! Lil Rounds is first. She seems completely over it, and America does too, because after a little pomp and a little less circumstance, Lil is eliminated. Wow. I’m not shocked that she’s gone (totally expected that), but I’m shocked that she’s gone at 8:15. Lil Rounds sings herself out, and honestly, she looks relieved, and she sings better than she has in weeks. Definitely a classy way to go out.

Time for a Disco Medley. I’m sure it was lovely, and I’m sure you’d like to hear my thoughts on it, but I’m pressed for time. So… Fast Forward. Okay, a few comments. Freda’s performance was rough at best. Would have preferred to hear Kimberly Locke singing it. Thelma Houston looked like a cracked out Big Bird. Honestly, who dressed her? And was anyone else shocked to find out that KC (from KC & the Sunshine Band, not to be confused with Casey at the Bat) was white?

Back to the results. Kris Allen – safe. Adam Lambert-Martin – safe. (Yay!) Danny Gokey – safe. (No surprises so far.) Anoop Desai is the next member of our Bottom 3, as he should be. Down to Matt and Allison. One is safe, and the other joins Anoop for possible elimination. And the last person in our Bottom 3 is… Allison? Oh noooooooooooooooo! I don’t like this at all.

Supposedly David Archuletta performed, but for some reason my DVR refused to stop fast forwarding. It has a mind of its own.

The Moment of Truth. Anoop or Allison. (Please let Allison be safe.) After a record-breaking 45 million votes, the 2nd person going home tonight is… Anoop Desai!!! Yay! Wow, I totally called both eliminations tonight. I’m so good it’s scary sometimes.

The right people went home, but it was too close for Allison for my liking. We’re down to the Final 5, and that’s our show for tonight. So come on back next week to this locality, to have a heapin’ helpin’ of their hospitality. Idol that is. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 7 (Performance Show) Redux

Good Evening, America! After last week’s ‘SHOCKING’ (and by ‘shocking, I mean ‘not at all’) use of the Judge’s Save, two of our wannabe’s have to leave us tomorrow. But, that’s tomorrow. Tonight is all about singers trying to do their best, and my Adam Lambert-Martin shining above the rest. (Hey, that rhymed!) Without further ado, and mainly because I can’t think of anything else for my opening paragraph… This… is American Idol!

It’s time for you to put on your bell-bottoms, your glitter, and your platform shoes. It’s Disco Week! This could be an amazing night or a horrible fiasco. Either way, we’re in for some entertainment!

Lil Rounds starts the show with “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan. The judges have been whining for weeks that they want Lil to do some Chaka. Right off the bat, she seems a little off pitch. Not to preempt Paula’s future comment, but at least Lil looks good. This whole performance just screams, as does Lil, but the performance screams “too little, too late”. I think this is the last week we’re going to be seeing Lil Rounds and her Death Stares at the judges.

Kris Allen is second with “She Works Hard for the Money” by Donna Summer. Seacrest says this is a song about “a woman who has great work ethic”. Really? I thought it was about “a woman who was a PROSTITUTE”. I guess I was wrong. Though this song is from the Disco Era, Kris is taking us the cool acoustic guitar route. I like it. Definitely gives the song a different feel. You almost feel like you wanna like the little hooker who could. Kris didn’t do anything amazingly different with the vocals, but the arrangement and his performance were great.

Danny Gokey is third singing “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. Even though Danny’s not doing anything really new with the song, he’s making it sound distinctly “Danny”. Got a little sharp in a few spots on the verse, but I’m willing to overlook that. He definitely finished strong. A solid performance from Danny. As much as I loved him in the beginning, I feel like his star is getting dimmer as the weeks go on. It’s not out like Lil’s, but it’s definitely not shining as brightly as it once did.

Allison Iraheta is singing “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer. I’ll admit it, I love me some Donna Summer. (Yes, I’m sure you’re all shocked.) If I had my way, the finale would be a battle between Allison and my Adam Lambert-Martin. This week isn’t great for her theme-wise, but I’m interested to see what she does. Here’s another Donna Summer song that has had all the Disco stripped out of it, and again it works. This is pure Allison. She kept her edginess, and her flare, and I love it.

Adam Lambert-Martin is fifth tonight singing “If I Can’t Have You” by Yvonne Elliman. Week after week, Adam has never failed to amaze me with his performances. I’m sure a lot of people are expecting him to do something big and flashy, but with his wardrobe choice (rowr, by the way), this looks like it will be slow and emotional. The song starts off soulful with three spotlights aimed right at him, creating a minimalist effect which forces us to focus on just Adam and his performance. He reaches a dramatic part near the end, but the last note simply gave me shivers. Flawless. My Adam Lambert-Martin is flawless. And Kara, it’s “Saturday Night Fever” not “Saturday Night Live”. (When Paula flubs, it’s funny. When Kara does it, she just looks stupid.) Thanks to Seacrest, we have a new space on “Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion”: A Pool of Abdul! Love it!

Matt Giraud, running on borrowed time, is singing “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees. Instead of going for a cheesy rendition, this is very much a Justin Timberlake Disco performance. It’s a refreshing twist on a classic, and I loved his falsetto. Matt proved tonight that he did deserve to be saved last week. This might be the thing that keeps him around.

Anoop Desai, whose fashion choices the past few weeks have been questionable at best, closes the show with “Dim All the Lights” by Donna Summer. (5 bucks says that after all the Donna Summer tonight, her downloads increase on iTunes. Yes, iTunes. This blog brought to you by… iTunes.) Not a fan of the suit, or his child molester moustache. His voice was off pitch, and his performance (including the abrupt ending) was very ugh.

Well, that’s our show for tonight. The stand-outs for me, and honestly isn’t that the only opinion that matters, were Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, and of course my Adam Lambert-Martin. Thanks to Lil and Anoop, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind who should Hustle their way home tomorrow. Tune in then to find out. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel

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American Idol – Final 7 (Results Show)

Good Evening, America! It’s Wednesday night, and that can only mean that 5 minutes worth of programming will find a way to be miraculously stretched into an hour of your time. How do they do it you ask? Ancient Chinese secret, I say. But the truth? Filler. Lots and lots of filler. And somewhere in the midst of all the useless video montages and guest star performances, some unlucky wannabe will be reduced to tears. Sounds like fun, right? This… is American Idol!

I’ve decided that whoever is dressing Randy hates him more than Paula’s stylist hates her. Honestly, I mean, come on. What’s up with the ugly sweaters? Anyway, tonight while waiting for the results, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson are here to sing for us.

We go straight into the Ford Music Video to “Freeze Frame” where our Idols are gracing the covers of various magazines. Except for poor Matt Giraud. He doesn’t get to play in any reindeer games. Matt is forced to bop around like a dork. What’s the word of the week, kiddies? L-A-M-E. Can you say ‘lame’ boys and girls? I knew you could.

Our Group Sing this week is “Maniac” from the movie “Flashdance”. I can’t tell whether they are lip-synching or not, but this week I don’t care. This is too wonderfully cheesy not to love. The only thing that disappoints me is that they didn’t let Adam Lambert-Martin to go all Jennifer Beals and dance with a chair and have water poured on him. Maybe next time.

This week, as you all know, we are down to our Final 7, and for those of you who remember in years past, this is what I like to call “Evil Week”. This is the week where Ryan divides the Idols into two groups of 3, then makes the poor 7th person stand with which group they think is safe. It’s never fun for the 7th person, and it’s never fun for us, because this is usually the week where a front-runner gets unexpectedly booted from the show. (Jennifer Hudson, I’m looking at you.) I hate “Evil Week”.

Alison is the first person to stand. Ryan tells her that she’s safe. What? He’s not being evil this year. Oh, my world has spun off its axis. Well, at least she’s safe. Next up, my Adam Lambert-Martin. And he’s SAFE!!!! Ahhh, what a good night. Anoop stands up to get his results, and while Ryan reads his critiques, the camera pans to Randy yawning. Yes, Randy, those are my thoughts on Anoop as well. America must agree because Anoop is again in the Bottom 3. (Called it!)

Coming home to American Idol is Oscar and Grammy Winner, Jennifer Hudson!!! She’s here to sing “If This Isn’t Love”. It’s a great R&B song with some big Jennifer vocals at the end. If you like Ms. Hudson and you don’t have this cd, get yourself over to iTunes and download it right now. I’ll wait till you get back. You won’t regret it.

Back to the results. We’re about to finish out the Bottom 3. Kris and Lil stand. Appropriately, Kris is safe, and Lil is in the Bottom 3. (Called it!) Now to Matt and Danny. Danny is safe, and Matt rounds out the Bottom 3. (Called it again! Man, I’m good.) So, we have Anoop, Lil, and Matt. All of them deserve to be where they are. Time for someone to go back to safety, and that person is… Anoop? Well, shut my mouth and paint me red! Well, shoot the horse and slap me silly! Well, stomp on frogs and shove a crowbar up my nose! (Can you tell I’m shocked?) I didn’t see that coming.

It’s Miley time! As Tweens around the world pee their pants, Ms. Miley Cyrus takes the stage to sing her new song “The Climb” from “Hannah Montana: The Movie”. She looks very grown up and beautiful, which is such a nice change from her usual rebellious teenage skank look. Now, I’ll admit it, I like me some Miley. Not a huge fan of this song, but it’s growing on me. Could be because they are playing it at least 2X an hour on the radio.

Back to the results, and the eliminated Idol is… Matt Giraud? I didn’t see that coming either. I thought for sure that Lil was a goner. It’s time for Matt to “Sing for his Life”. He is sans piano tonight. The Judges are huddled together. This might be the first week where they are truly considering using the Judges Save. (I think last week was just for show.) Paula and Kara are standing and swaying. Matt messed up on the bridge again. There was a bit more passion behind his performance tonight, but vocally, I think he did better last night. The crowd is chanting “Save! Save! Save!” The other 6 Idols are pulling for him to stay. You can feel the excitement swell. (I’m so nervous, I could just spit!) Simon tells Matt that he doesn’t have a chance to win the completion, but in the end the Judges have chosen to… SAVE HIM! The crowd is on its feet! The other Idols mob him with excitement and hugs. Paula, unsurprisingly, is crying. What a night! Before the party can continue, Simon ruins everyone’s fun by reminding us that 2 Idols have to go home next week, and next week is also Disco Week.

Well, that’s our show… and what a show it was! Not only were Adam Lambert-Martin and Allison safe, but we got to see the return of Jennifer Hudson… and to top it off, Idol history was made with the first-ever use of the Judge’s Save, thus sparing Matt Giraud from going home. It was almost too much excitement for one 60 minute show. Before I sign off, I’d like to send big birthday wishes to Mr. Brady Powers and Ms. Lisa Almond! Join us back here next week when our Idols tackle Disco and learn to do the Hustle. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 7 (Performance Show)

Good Evening, America! It’s Tuesday night, and here we are. Back again for another round of potentially impressive performances. Before we begin, let’s take a moment to honor the elimination of Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre. Not because we’ll miss his performances. No. But because I’m going to miss my favorite target of completely biased criticism. Ready? Okay, that’s long enough. On with the show. This… is American Idol!

Tonight, our Idols will be doing “Music from the Movies”, and here to help our Idols is one of my favorite people in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino. (I loved the fact that he got to say “This is American Idol!) I’m a HUGE Tarantino fan, and as we can all remember, he was the most honest Guest Judge from any previous season. I’m interested to see what he does with our Idols tonight. My favorite music from movies would have to be the themes to “Jaws” and “Halloween”, and though I don’t think anyone will be doing that tonight, if any Idol could pull it off, it would be my Adam Lambert-Martin. To keep from running over time like last week, only two Judges will be speaking per contestant. Hmmm, should be interesting.

Allison Iraheta is singing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith from “Armageddon”. First off, I need to say that I hate this movie and despise this song. Not too happy with this song choice, but I have faith in her. Allison starts off soft and subdued, and I’m beginning to lose that faith, but as we get to the chorus, everything kicks up a notch, and I start to like it more. (Something is off with her voice tonight. I wonder if she’s sick.) Though this isn’t the best Allison performance, it was still good, and there’s no way she should go home.

Anoop Desai is singing “Everything I Do (I Do For You)” by Bryan Adams from “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”. You know, I remember liking this song, and Bryan Adams… then I grew up, and now I know better. Tarantino tells him he needs to “rough it up”, but I don’t think Anoop has that kind of edge. He has about as much edge as a dull spork. And I was right… BORING! (What’s he wearing? It’s like a suit jacket and a varsity jacket got together and made an ugly baby jacket. Ugh.) For a minute there, I thought the audience was booing him (as they should), but they’re saying “Anooooooop”. Hmmm, I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

Adam Lambert-Martin is singing “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf from “Easy Rider”. This is a perfect choice for Adam. I love that he’s gone back to his wild clothes and hair. He’s dangerous and dirty, but in a VERY good way. From the first note of the song, I’m already on board with this performance, and I know down in FL, my parents (who LOVE this song) are as excited as tweens at a Jonas Brothers concert. Words cannot express how much I LOVED this performance. My Adam was flawless, as always. If I wasn’t so interested in seeing the other songs he’ll do this season, I would say they should stop the show now and declare him the winner.

Matt Giraud is singing “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” by Bryan Adams from “Don Juan DeMarco”. Again with the Bryan Adams songs? I like the fact that he’s behind the piano. I feel it’s required for this song. I’m willing to give him a chance. So far, not bad. Then he got to the bridge and completely loses it. I looked away for a minute so I’m not sure if that was him singing or if he was strangling a cat. Would have been better if he had kept the core of the song like at the beginning. Not good Matt. Not good.

Danny Gokey is singing “Endless Love” by Lionel Ritchie from… you guessed it, “Endless Love”. Danny is keeping it simple and not overdoing it, which has the possibility of being boring, but so far it isn’t. As the song goes on, it becomes more emotional and powerful. Near the end, he starts straining more and more, and I think he may have pulled something. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t phenomenal either. The middle was much better than the beginning or the end. Still, he has nothing to worry about.

Kris Allen is singing “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from “Once”. A lot of people aren’t familiar with this movie, and it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this is a good song. It’s an incredibly emotional song, and the simpleness of it lends to the emotional credibility. The falsetto he achieves is amazing and just the right touch. Tonight was a good night for him.

Finishing the show is Lil Rounds with “The Rose” by Bette Midler from… you guess it again, “The Rose”. This is a great song, and at one point, I was able to play this on the piano. Not the song I would have picked for Lil though. Her song choices week after week are baffling me. It’s like she’s trying to be eliminated. The first part is bland and boring, and she’s having major pitch issues. It’s much better when she gets to the middle and goes all gospel on us, but the pitch issues remain. The last note could have been amazing, but she didn’t support it, and it fell flat.

Well, that’s our show for tonight. Another mixed bag of performances. We had the good (Alison, Danny, Kris), the amazing (Adam), and our soon-to-be Bottom 3 (Anoop, Matt, Lil). My money is on Matt being the first sent back to safety. Anoop and Lil should be very, very afraid. One of them is going home. Of course, I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Let’s find out together tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 8 (Results Show)‏

Good Evening, America!  It’s Wednesday night, and that means it’s once again time to gather and watch as one hopeful’s dreams are crushed and left to die in front of 30 million people.  Someone who has bared their soul for the entire country must now walk away without even a lifetime’s supply of Rice-a-Roni.  You can almost guarantee there will be tears.  Awww, it’s heartwarming when you think about it.  Let the dream crushing commence.  This… is American Idol!

 

Before we get to anything important, Ryan shows us a video of some guy from the year Simon was born.  If I didn’t know better, I would think it was Frankie Avalon. (You know, of Frankie and Annette.)  Whoever it is comes out to sing, and I still don’t know for sure who it is.  Ahh, thank you, Ryan.  It was Frankie Avalon.  (Yes, I am just that good.)  And this whole waste of 5 minutes was just to prove that Simon will be turning 50 soon.  Thanks, Idol.  There’s 5 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

 

For our Group Sing, the Idols are doing a song from the year American Idol was born, 2002.  They’re singing “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue.  (I played this cd constantly my senior year in college.)  If I didn’t know better, I would think they weren’t lip-synching tonight… I wonder if I could convince the producers to just let Adam and Allison sing and have the rest do backup vocals?  Oooh, Adam just flubbed some lyrics… Oh my, they are live!  I’d like to think that the reason for the live performance is because of my scathing review of last week’s lip-synch.  But just like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop… the world may never know.

 

Apparently just watching the Ford Music Video isn’t enough.  No.  The producers have decided that we need a behind-the-scenes look at it as well.  Is it just me, or do Adam and Allison look completely normal in their Vaudeville costumes?  Everyone else… not so much.  Now for the real music video to “Circus” by Britney Spears.  It’s like a magic show where Ford cars disappear and reappear.  What… a whirlwind.  This is the type of campy stuff that I expect from these videos.  It is truly camptastic, and I love it! 

 

Time for the results.  Adam Lambert-Martin, Kris Allen, and Anoop Desai are all asked to stand.  My Adam is, of course, safe!  (Yay!)  Kris is safe, but Anoop is in the Bottom 3.  I’m not shocked that Kris is safe, but Anoop had a good night last night.  Maybe his inconsistency finally came back to bite him?

 

Before more results, we are treated to Flo Rida’s sampling of a classic 80’s song.  Yes, to all those people who weren’t alive in the 80’s, he did not come up with this chorus on his own.  I do love his song “Right Round” as Brady can attest, because I scream it at the top of my lungs every time it comes on when we’re in the car together. 

 

Back to the results.  Who will be next to join Anoop on the Stools of Sorrow?  Danny is, not shockingly, safe.  Matt Giraud is also safe, as he should be after last night’s incredible performance.  Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre is blessedly the 2nd person in the Bottom 3!  (I’m loving these results so far!)  Allison and Lil are the last ones to hear their results, and for a change of pace, Allison is safe, and Lil, for the first time this season, is in the Bottom 3.  Now that our Bottom 3 is complete with Anoop, Pity Vote, and Lil, Simon ominously says that they may choose to use the Judge’s Save on one of them.    

 

Kelly Pickler, the darling of Season 5, has returned to American Idol to sing her latest hit for us.  Her newly acquired “assets” aren’t as obvious tonight as they were last season when she had just purchased them.  I kinda hate to admit it, but once I took the time to listen to the words, I actually like this song.

 

Here we are again.  The Bottom 3: Anoop, Lil, and Scott.  The person sent back to safety is… Lil!  Good.  I wasn’t ready for her to go yet.  Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for her that she needs to step up her game.  After the commercial, we find out that the person with the lowest number of votes is… Scott!!!  What?  I thought this day would never come!  Oh, the joy!  Before I can get too excited, Scott has to “Sing for his Life”.  Again, I think someone read my blog, because he is performing sans electric guitar and leather jacket.  While Pity Votes sings away, it looks like the judges are actually deliberating on whether to save him.  Until he attempted to hit that high note, that is.  Or maybe not, Simon says the vote is split 50/50.  (I’m on pins and needles here.  They better not save him.  There are more talented people still left in this competition.)  Paula and Kara (earning personal scorn from me) make a case for Pity Vote to stay.  Thankfully, Simon sends Scott packing.  As time runs out and the credits begin to roll, Paula takes a rare Season 8 spin on “Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion” and lands on a personal favorite of mine: Rambling Tears.   

 

Well, that’s our show tonight.  I’m sure most of you are thinking that I’m 100% excited about the results tonight.  And you’d be 99.9% correct.  As thoroughly happy as I am to see Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre leave the completion, reality has set in for me, and I know that I lost my #1 target for snarky comments and biased criticism this season.  Fingers crossed that someone else steps up (or falls down) next week, and I have a new victim for my wrath.  Let’s find out together.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

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American Idol – Final 8 (Performance Show)‏

Good Evening, America!  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I always thought the month of April meant Spring-like conditions.  If that were truly the case, I wouldn’t have had to walk to work in the snow this morning.  It’s not like it was a blizzard or anything, just flurries, but still… I think it gives me the rights to whine a bit.  And the only thing that will make it better is to see some wannabes that I don’t like pick horrible songs and sing them badly.  With that cheery thought, this… is American Idol!

Tonight’s theme is all about songs from the “Year You Were Born”, and by “you”, I mean the contestants and not the people reading this blog.  For 7 of these Idols, that means I get to hear songs from the 80’s.  (Yay!)  I’m quite excited about what this night will bring.  Now, if only we had Casey Kasem to introduce these classic hits, the night would be perfect.  But alas, we do not.

Danny Gokey is up 1st tonight with the 80’s version of the 60’s classing “Stand By Me”.  For the first half of the song, Danny sings a slow, torch-song version, then later kicks into a reggae-esque version, then finishes off with some pure 80’s sound.  It’s an interesting musical trip we just took, and overall, I liked it.

Kris Allen is 2nd with “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” by Don Henley.  When he was little, he wanted to be a taxi driver.  I can relate, because when my brother Barry was little, he wanted to be a ‘Mon Back.  (That is the person that stands on the back of the garbage truck motioning to the driving to go further in reverse while yelling “Mon Back… Mon Back”.)  Kris has added some trumpets to the arrangement, and he’s decided to play electric guitar in the mosh pit, though this version isn’t moshable in the least.  I’m a big fan of Kris, and he does have a great voice, but this performance was just very blah for me.  Just blah.

Lil Rounds is 3rd with “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner.  I’m loving this choice.  Much better than the Celine choice of last week.  In all honesty, Lil is no Tina Turner, but really, who is?  She doesn’t do a bad job, at all, but I feel like she’s fading as the weeks go on.  I don’t see the Lil I fell in love with anymore.  She’s definitely talented, and I want her to sizzle, but it’s been more of a fizzle.

Anoop Desai is 4th with “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper.  He apologizes for acting like a (fill in the blank with the nasty word of your choice) last week.  This song is a brave choice.  His sweater is distracting.  I love his performance, and his voice is tremendous.  Anoop is definitely the least consistent of the remaining Idols.  One week he’s great.  The next week he’s crap.  Anoop will have to work on his consistency if he wants to stay in the competition.  He should be safe this week though.

Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre is 5th with “The Search is Over” by Survivor.  I can’t even make snarky comments on his desire to be a train conductor or his love of all things spooky.  It was funny enough, as is.  I will give him credit for not hiding behind the piano this week, but his nasal voice isn’t doing anything to help this already annoying song.  It’s like someone said, “What can we do to make Scott seem hip, cool, and relevant?  I know!  Let’s put him in a leather jacket and give him an electric guitar!”  Sorry.  Fail.  Ooooh, that high note…. Ugh.  I want to commend him for trying, but no… I have to say tonight’s theme for Scott was “trying too hard”.     

Allison Iraheta is 6th with “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Rait.  I love this song, so I’ll forgive her for being the only 90’s song of the night.  I was so mesmerized by her performance that I forgot to type.  Let’s just say, she hit it out of the park.  This is the Allison I love.  The first 5 tonight could take a lesson from her. 

Matt Giraud is 7th with “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder.  This is also the Matt that I know and love.  This style is perfectly suited for him, and he really shines.  Maybe all it took was Allison to turn the night around?  Matt definitely has a lot of potential, and he showed it tonight.

Closing the show is Adam Lambert-Martin with “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.  This single spotlight is perfect for this song, and vocally he proves, once again, that he’s leaps and bounds ahead of the others in the Top 8.  There isn’t much I can say.  It was chilling.  He was flawless.

Well, that’s our show for tonight.  It was definitely a mixed bag.  The beginning of the show was up and down with good and not-so-good performances, but the last 3 saved the night.  Our Top 3 are easily Adam Lambert-Martin, Allison, and Matt.  The Bottom 3 would probably be Scott, Kris, and Lil.  Fingers crossed the Pity Vote finally goes home.  I guess we’ll find out together.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.  

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American Idol – Final 9 (Results Show)

Good Evening, America! I had thought about starting off tonight with a whole April Fool’s thing about how I was going to be nice and treat each contestant with decency and respect. But then I decided that was lame and you wouldn’t believe it anyway. Instead, I promise to be just as snarky to the contestants I don’t like and show favoritism to the one’s that I do. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, right? So, in that spirit, here we go. This… is American Idol!

Last night was definitely interesting. After coming off a huge previous week with the Motown theme, expectations were really high, and for most of the Idols, reality fell very short of that. But we won’t dwell on that. Bygones, as my good friend Richard Fish would say.

After some blah, blah, blah, we get to the Ford Music Video. This week our Idols are singing “Mixed Up” while their bodies are cut into three segments and mixed up, ala the opening theme of “Ugly Betty”. It’s incredibly creepy, which means I absolutely LOVE IT! This is the utter nonsense I’ve been waiting for. Thank you for finally delivering!

While we’re at, let’s do the Group Sing. This week, our Top 9 are lip-synching to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. Now that I know they’re faking it, I love watching how their mouths don’t completely match up with the words… or when their mouth is NOWHERE NEAR the microphone. (That bit of brilliance from Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre earned a large guffaw… and several rewinds.) This little insight has turned the Group Sing from something to endure to one of my highlights of the results show. Ahhh, good times.

There’s some filler-ific stuff, but it bores me, so I won’t bore you with it. Now it’s time for the results, and if anyone has remembered from previous seasons, this is when Ryan splits everyone into 3 groups of 3. One is usually the top, one is just safe, and the other is the Bottom 3. Let’s see what happens. Megan, Matt, and Kris (Group 1) are asked to move to the far side of the stage. Adam Lambert-Martin, Lil, and Allison (Group 2) are sent to the center of the stage. That leaves Scott, Danny, and Anoop (Group 3) on the near side of the stage. Now, with the way this is set up, I can’t see any one group being in the Bottom 3. It’s more like one person from each group would make up the Bottom 3. If that’s the case, I’m going to go with Megan, Allison, and Anoop being the Bottom 3…. though I’d really prefer for it to be Scott instead of Anoop.

Before we can get back to the results and see what shenanigans Seacrest is up to, David Cook, our reigning American Idol is here to sing his new song “Come Back to Me”. Nice to see that his Cougar… I mean his mom is in the audience. Just like old times. And it looks like David has sold 1 million copies of his first album. That’s great for him, but I still hate his hair. Just like old times.

Back to the results. We start with Group 1. Kris is safe. After some Seacrest trickery, Matt is also safe. (Oh, that Seacrest. Such a kidder.) That leaves us with Milkmaid Megan, who is… the first person in our Bottom 3. (That means it will be one from each group.) What the heck was up with her bird walk over to the stool? That went beyond quirky to just plain weird. Now to Group 2. Lil is safe. Allison, unfortunately, joins Megan in the Bottom 3. Down to Adam Lambert-Martin, who thankfully is SAFE! (Happy Dance!) Finally to Group 3. Danny is safe. That leaves us with either Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre or Anoop Desai as the last member of the Bottom 3. I’m hoping for Scott, but I have a feeling that it’s Anoop. And it is… Anoop. (Bah!) That means our Bottom 3 consists of Megan, Allison, and Anoop. (Please let Allison be safe!)

Time for a musical interlude courtesy of Lady Gaga and her smash hit “Poker Face”! She starts off like a young Phyllis Diller but dressed as an extra from “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Then she kicks into the fabulous dance version that has taken America by storm. Now, some of you may be wondering, “Who the eff is Lady Gaga?” If you love good dance music, then I suggest heading over to our good friend iTunes and downloading her cd “The Fame”. It’s a good time.

Back to our Bottom 3: Allison, Anoop, and Megan. Thankfully, Allison is sent back to safety. (Phew!) Between Megan and Anoop, Anoop is safe, and Megan is “Singing for Her Life”. Before I can even type the words on the page that the Judges won’t even consider using their save on her, Simon, however callously, says it for me. That means Megan will just be singing us out tonight. I’m sorry Megan; the tribe has spoken. It’s time for you to go.

Well, that’s our show tonight. And with all due respect to the Megan fans out there (I’m looking at you Miss Margie), it was time for her to go. I enjoyed her, and I’ll miss her. Next week, our Idols will be singing “Year You Were Born” songs. Since all of these kids are younger than me that means next Tuesday I may be getting some of the 80’s music I’ve been whining to hear. Fingers crossed! Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

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