American Idol – Final 7 (Performance Show) Redux
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 21, 2009
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
American Idol – Final 7 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 15, 2009
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.
American Idol – Final 7 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 14, 2009
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.
American Idol – Final 8 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 8, 2009
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.
American Idol – Final 8 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 8, 2009
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.
American Idol – Final 9 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on April 1, 2009
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.
American Idol – Final 9 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 31, 2009
Good Evening America! Here we are. Back again for another week of performances. After last week’s not-shocking-at-all elimination of Michael Sarver, I’m ready to see what our contestants do this week. We’re one step closer to the finale and one step closer to getting rid of Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre. (He was in the Bottom 3 last week. Good job America! Keep up the good work!) So, without further rambling (in this paragraph anyway), on with the show. This… is American Idol!
Tonight, our Idols can sing any song they want, as long as it’s a popular download on iTunes. Hmmm, can you be any more vague? This theme isn’t truly shocking at all, because if we’ve learned anything from American Idol, it’s that this show is best enjoyed while downloading songs from iTunes and drinking an ice-cold Coca-Cola.
Anoop Desai is our first Idol of the evening, and he’ll be singing “Caught Up” by Usher. I applaud his choice for going to back to something with high energy, but there isn’t a ton of range in this song, and he doesn’t really get the chance to showcase his vocal skills. I’m a big fan of this song, just not him singing it. There are points where it seems like he’s getting it, but then he goes back to looking lost. Uh-oh.
Megan Joy is second, and she’s singing “Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Lauren Hill/Bob Marley. I truly hoped she would do some Amy Winehouse or Duffy tonight. Now, I don’t think Megan is going to win this thing, but I do find her enjoyable and quirky, and I am rooting for her. There’s nothing wrong with her performance, but, unfortunately, there isn’t anything spectacular about it either. For me, it’s easily forgettable.
Danny Gokey is third, and he’s singing “What Hurts the Most” by Rascal Flats. I love this song, and Danny’s taking it easy and low-key at the beginning, building into the chorus where he can go to powerful and emotional. Very nice. This was definitely one of his best performances of the season, and this is exactly the type of music he should do.
Allison Iraheta is next with “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. Love, love, LOVE the song choice, though I must say I’m not likin’ the outfit, but something about adding the guitar to the ensemble makes it all begin to grow on me. The first verse is subdued, but in true Allison fashion she supports her vocals amazingly well. During the chorus, however, she started to shout the song. It wasn’t bad, it was good, but it wasn’t the brilliance we’ve come to expect from Allison.
Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre is 5th tonight with “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel. My brother seems to think that Pity Vote looks like Paul Walker tonight. He must be referring to a different Paul Walker, because Barry, not even on Paul Walker’s worst day. No. Just no. Back to the song, and I have to say… of all the Billy Joel songs, he pick’s this one? First of all, I’m shocked that this is even considered a “popular download” on iTunes. Second, he says that he’s “stripped things down” a little, which should be a nice change from the wacky, upbeat stuff he’s done so far… What’s that? This sounds like all his other performances? Yeah, I thought so too. Oh, and I hate his hair tonight.
Matt Giraud is singing “You Found Me” by The Fray. The start of the song was a bit shaky, but the raw growl to his voice I do like. This was not a great performance for him. Instead of trying to sound like himself, he tries to sound like the original singer, and it comes off uncomfortable and just ugh. People may say that the judges were too harsh, but as much as I like Matt, I think they were spot on.
Lil Rounds is next, and she’s singing “I Surrender” by Celine Dion. If someone had had me make a list of 10 singers I thought she might choose from tonight, Celine would not have been on that list. You know the judges aren’t going to like this… no matter how well she sings. And of course, she does sing well… extraordinarily well, as always. Lil did get to show us the vocal powerhouse that she is, but I would have liked to have seen that in a different song… one with a personality.
Adam Lambert-Martin is up next with “Play that Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. Every week, I anxiously wait to see what he’s going to pick and how he’s going to change the song. Tonight is no different, and Mr. Lambert-Martin did not disappoint. I love how Adam’s slowing down on the verse just to kick into gear for the chorus. This is fun, and we definitely needed some fun tonight. And Kara, just for future reference, it’s “Studio 54” not “Studio 57”.
Kris Allen is closing the show with “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. I enjoy that he’s left the guitar at home and is using the keyboard. I love this song, and I’m loving his version of it. This is an amazing arrangement. It truly shows off the emotion of the song and sets him up as a real contender for the Top 5. Well done.
Well, that’s our show for tonight. And what an “interesting” night it’s been. Our Top 3 tonight would have to be Adam Lambert-Martin, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen. Residing in the Bottom 3 would be Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre, Megan Joy, and a toss-up between Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai. Though I love her, I won’t be shocked if Allison Iraheta makes a cameo in the Bottom 3 this week. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 11 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 18, 2009
Good Evening, America! Who knew that Country Week would cause some of our front-runners to falter and some of our also-rans to shine brightly? Can you say “Leveling the Playing Field”? (I knew you could.) The results tonight should be interesting, to say the least. Who is safe? Who is going home? I’m on pins and needles, so let’s get on with it. This… is American Idol!
Last night, we had over 31 million votes. Just like last week, only 11.5 million of them were me voting for Adam Lambert. (Gotta love unlimited texting!) Ryan reminds us of the Judge’s Save, hinting that it may need to be used tonight. Is he serious or just doing the usual Seacrest tease? Only time will tell.
Before we can get to any results, it’s time for the group sing. Our Top 11 is singing “Trouble” with Pity Vote at the piano, which frees everyone else up to do choreography, so that’s good I guess. The band is so loud, you can’t hear the piano at all. On purpose? Hmmm. The choreography, though quite simple, seems to cause a few of our Idols a bit of trouble. One week, instead of dreadful choreography, I’d like to see them play a game of Musical Chairs while singing. I’d watch that.
It’s time for the Ford Music Video. (Please be cheesy! Please by cheesy!) This week, they’re singing “Here is Goes Again” while hurling water balloons at each other on the back-lot of the FOX studios. This is the type of pointless nonsense that I’ve come to expect from the videos. They haven’t quite reached the level of ridiculousness that I want, but thank you for not disappointing me. Then there was some sappy stuff about Jasmine and Jorge and some other blah. I got bored and hit fast-forward.
Finally, it’s time for some results. The person who is eliminated tonight will not get to participate in the cross-country glee-fest also known as the Idols Summer Tour. Danny is first up, and of course, he’s safe. After a fake set-up, Lil is also safe. Anoop, one of the strongest from last night, is safe. (So far so good. I’m okay with these results.) Now, it’s time for Allison and Michael to stand together. Color me shocked, because both of them are in the Bottom 3. I totally expected Allison to be safe. Wow, I didn’t see that coming at all. Of course, all day I’ve been saying that Michael would be in the Bottom 3. That was just a given. But Allison? Wow.
Instead of more results, we are “treated” to Brad Paisley singing his new single. (No offense to the Brady Paisley fans out there, but Fast-Forward.)
Okay, back to the results. Next up, is Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre, who disappointingly enough is safe. Blah. Megan Joy, our resident flu patient, is safe. (If you look at the couch, the last people to get their results are Adam and Alexis. That’s never a good sign.) Matt Giraud – safe. Kris Allen – safe. Now we’re down to Alexis Grace and Adam Lambert. Not good. I like both of them, and I thought they were sure things for the Final 5. The last person in our Bottom 3 tonight is… Alexis!!! Yay! Adam is safe! (Ahhh, all is still right with the world.) Before our Bottom 3 can get too nervous, Allison Iraheta is sent back to safety. Yay! This is good news too. (One step closer to Michael Sarver being gone.)
Before we continue with the results, it’s time to celebrate Carrie Underwood’s induction into the Grand Ole Opry as well as listen to her duet with Randy Travis. Since I do love me some Carrie Underwood, I’ll attempt to not fast-forward. (Not so sure what I think of her dress… mainly I have problems with the bow in her hair. Blaire Waldorf she is not.) Carrie and Randy will be singing “I Told You So”. As always, Carrie has a beautiful voice, but I got bored, so Fast-Forward.
Now we’re down to our Bottom 2. Alexis or Michael? Michael or Alexis? If there’s any justice in the world, it will be Michael packing his bags and hittin the bricks. After the nation-wide vote, the person leaving us tonight is… Alexis Grace? What? You’re kidding, right? On a night where Michael should have killed, he stumbled horribly, and now he gets to bore us for another week while Alexis has to “Sing for her Life”? That’s right, as Seacrest reminds us; the Judges get one Save the entire season. So based on this performance, they’ll decide whether to save Alexis or not. (No pressure there.) Alexis, my dear, good luck, and don’t eff it up. As she begins to sing, the Judges huddle right in front of her. (Not intimidating at all.) Unfortunately, the pressure is too much for Alexis, and she falters and cracks her way through “Jolene”. I can see the writing on the wall a mile away, and Simon tells us it was good, but not good enough. (Harsh!) And so, Alexis is leaving us.
Well, that’s our show for tonight. I’m happy that my 3 favorites are safe to sing another week, but I’m sad that Alexis had to go home. It should have been Michael Sarver, and I think even he knows that. Ugh. Now that we have Country Week out of the way, what will our theme for next week be? Let’s find out together. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.