The World According to S.J.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America!  We’re down to the Final 3, and part of me says I couldn’t care less.  I don’t know if I’ve ever been this apathetic about who wins.  I know who I don’t want to win.  (I’m looking at you, Stepford Archuleta.)  This week, our wannabes will be singing 3 songs.  1 chosen by the judges, 1 chosen by the producers, and 1 chosen by themselves.  (Or in the case or the Tween Dream… his father.)  So, let’s get down to it.  This… is American Idol!

First up, David Archuleta.  Paula has chosen “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel.  He starts off solo and soft, and then the orchestra joins in.  After this many weeks, he can’t help closing his eyes, but he did the same thing during his run on Star Search so I shouldn’t be too surprised.  Of course, he sang it well, but he is boring and emotionless for me.  (Say it with me, “Down with Archuleta!”)

Next, we have Syesha.  Randy has chosen “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.  (Great song)  This song is perfectly suited to Syesha’s range and vocal style.  I’m not sure what happened to her, but in the past 3 weeks, she finally learned how to show personality and emotion while singing.  It’s made all the difference in her performances.  This was no exception.  Good job, girl!

The last singer for our first round is David Cook.  Simon has chosen “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack.  He’s decided not to really change it up, but that’s okay because it’s a phenomenal song.  It’s definitely out of his comfort zone, and it lets us see how far he can reach.  (Either that’s his mom in the audience, or David has his first Cougar.  You decide.)  He did an amazing job, and I liked how it developed an edge to it at the end. 

Back again, it’s everyone’s favorite little robot.  This time, he chose “With You” by Chris Brown.  (He looks a little lost.  Has he been hanging out with Jason Castro before the show?)  I absolutely love this song, but I’m not sure Davie has the edge or the life experience to make this believable.  It’s kinda like watching an 8 year old sing “Baby Got Back”.  Or me in a pair of red leather cowboy boots.  Cute, but doesn’t really work. 

Syesha has returned, and she’s chosen to sing “Fever” by Peggy Lee.  This is a hot song, and the chair promises a hot performance.  Our cute little actress has turned into a sultry seductress.  She used her lower register well, and on the big notes, she showed restraint by not going over the top.  (Oh look!  It’s Justin Guarini and Rebecca, the fake Walker, from Brothers & Sisters!) It did lean toward the cabaret side of things, but I think it showed her range better than Archuleta’s attempt at being a playa.

Closing out the second round is David Cooking, singing “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot.  It started a little flat, off-key, and dead.  Once it kicked into gear, it got progressively better, but I don’t think he ever found the right pitch.  It was rough.  Yeah, I think that’s the best way to put it. 

For our third round, the producers have chosen the songs.  Davie gets to sing “Longer”.  It’s another predictable, life-affirming, feel-good ballad.  Blah.  I must say, he does sing the prettiest music to slit your wrists to. 

Syesha’s producer’s choice song is “Hit Me Up”.  If her career as a recording artist doesn’t go anywhere, with that hip action, she could do quite well on “Dancing with the Stars”.  The judges seem to be totally against her getting into the Finals.  Personally, I’d like to see a David Cook/Syesha finale.  Unfortunately, I think a gaggle of 12 year old girls may have more to say about that than I do.  Whatever happens, Syesha should be proud of the progress she has made this season. 

David Cook is closing the show with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”.  Ugh.  I’m still not ready for this or the Titanic song to come back.  He’s doing much better this time around.  David’s hitting the right vocal and emotional notes.  I thoroughly enjoyed that.  What a way to close the show! 

That’s our show for this evening.  First, I just want to ask that we get Clive Davis back next year to choose the 3rd round songs.  The producers’ choices sucked out loud.  Second, I agree with Simon… David Cook won the night.  I’m not sure how much that means though.  Lil’ Davie could have an army of voters, and it could be between Syesha and Cook as to who goes home.  One thing I can say with certainty: someone named David will be in the Finals of American Idol.  Call me crazy, but that’s what I believe.  Tune in tomorrow night to see how it all goes down.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America!  Here we are!  The results for the Final 3!  Tonight, we find out whether Syesha will be joining one of the Davids in the finals or whether it will be an all David finale.  (Perish the thought.)  We have an hour of filler to get through, including trips back to everyone’s hometowns.  So, on with the show.  This… is American Idol!

Here to waste some time… I mean to entertain us… is our Final 3 singings “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”.  Archuleta is really playing to the audience.  Isn’t that right, boo?  (See, it’s ridiculous when I say it too.)  This is a very “Up with People” performance.  If this were an All-State Talent Show from 1974, I’m sure that performance would have been great.  But since it isn’t, it wasn’t.

We go immediately to the Ford Music Video set to the song “Heaven”.  Our Idols visit a fortune teller where they all see glimpses of what fame and stardom could be for them.  Funny enough, in all of them, they are driving Ford cars.  Nothing against the Ford Motor Company, but if I ever hit it big, I would probably hire a driver.  (Do you hear that Britney?  Hire someone to drive you around.  As Smokey the Bear would say, “Only you can prevent stupid car accidents.”) 

Coming back home, our 3^rd American Idol, Fantasia is here to sing “Bore Me”.  (With a song title like that, I’m guessing she watched this season of Big Brother.)  I much prefer Fantasia doing this style of music compared to what she released on her first cd.  Girl, now that’s how you work a stage.  Something you could always say about Fantasia, she was never boring when she performed. 

On to the drama.  Stepford Archuleta is the first one to hear his fate… or not.  Now we have to suffer through Davie’s homecoming.  To sum it up quickly, there were about a kabillion girls screaming for David, and he got overwhelmed and started crying like one of them.  (If he said ‘gosh’ one more time, I was going to reach through the tv and stab him.)  Hey Mr. Mayor, nice handlebar moustache.  (That just screams, ‘Trust me with your city.’) 

Next up, Syesha, who headed back home to Sarasota, FL.  (Which happens to be where my family is, and where I’m headed tomorrow!)  The whole city showed up to see her, and one woman tried to shove her baby off on Syesha.  (That is not responsible parenting.)  Syesha performed on the grand terrace of Ca d’Zan, the mansion of John Ringling, the creator of Ringling Bros. Circus.  (I’ve totally been there.) 

Finally, we follow David Cook as he heads home to Blue Springs, MO.  Wow, he definitely has a diverse fanbase.  And it turns out, I was wrong last night, that was his mom in the audience and not a Cougar after all.  My bad.  Sorry. 

After 54 minutes of filler, it’s finally time for the results.  (I’m still sticking with my prediction that someone named David will be in the finals.  I have a very strong feeling about that.)  After 56 million votes, America has decided that the two people going head to head in the finale are David Archuleta (booooooh!) and David Cook.  (As much as I hoped for a different result, we all saw this coming weeks ago.  Sorry Syesha.)  That’s our show for this evening.  I’m begging all of you, here and now, please vote for David Cook next week.  I can’t stress this enough.  Yes, he and I have had our differences, but now we have a common enemy.  So, next Tuesday, take out your phones and help us crush the Tween Dream.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America!  Here we are… slowly stumbling towards the end of the season.  We’re down to the Davids… and two other people who won’t be in the finale.  Because Brooke was voted off the island last week, I don’t have to worry about voting an obscene number of times tonight.  (Makes getting through the show so much faster.)  Tonight, our wannabes are doing songs from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  (A.k.a. someplace they will never be.)  Let’s get on with it.  This… is American Idol!

David Cook is starting the show tonight with “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran.  (I love this song.  Actually, I love anything from the 80’s.)  He’s not doing anything new or different with the song, which is fine.  It’s great the way it is.  But the reason this was fun was because of the song… not because of him.  It seemed like he just learned the words and spurted them out.  There was nothing special about this at all.  I expected more from him.

Syesha is up next with “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner.  (Yay!  One of my all-time favorites!)  She’s got a very Tina-esque outfit tonight.  Syesha started out sultry and slow, just like she’s supposed to… and then she kicked it into gear and worked out the dance moves!  She’s no Tina, but that was good and that was fun.  Good job, girl!

Jason Castro is third with “I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley.  (Look, there’s Carly!)  I don’t know why I’m surprised that he’s singing something by Bob Marley.  For the first time in weeks, he’s putting some effort into his performance.  It’s not the bland mess we’ve gotten used to.  It wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, but it was soooo much better than his last few.

Stepford Archuleta is here to finish off the first round.  He’s singing “Stand by Me”.  (Ugh.  I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.)  Of course, he has the vocal ability to do this and do this well.  (I really wish that when he closes his eyes next time, one of the Mosh Pit would reach out and trip him.  Now that would be funny!)  So, good job.  Whatever.  I’m so over him.

David Cook is back to start the second round with something by The Who.  (Sorry.  I only half pay attention when he’s speaking.)  This song is much better suited for David.  Much closer to something I could see on his cd.  (Not that I would buy it.)

Syesha returns to sing “A Change Has Got to Come” by Sam Cook.  Uh-oh, Diva Syesha has returned.  Girl, you know you’ve never been good at the whole singing while standing still thing.  (Her Oscar dress is lovely, though.)  She decided to push for the big notes, and it worked.  They were powerful and amazing.  Unfortunately, in the softer sections, her performance was not supported by her lower register.    Thankfully, it’s all made better by “Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion” which lands on “Dueling Tears” as Syesha and Paula attempt to drown the Mosh Pit.  

Jason Castro is third in our second round with “Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan.  (For those of you who don’t know, this song is a code about drugs, and Mr. Tambourine Man is the drug dealer.  Listen to it again if you don’t believe me.  Hmmm, first he sings a Bob Marley song.  Then he sings “Mr. Tambourine Man”.  Does anyone else see a theme here?)  Uh-oh!  He forgot the words.  If we weren’t running late on time, he totally could have pulled a Brooke and started over.  I think this was Jason’s swan song.  If he gets saved after tonight, those are the most powerful blue eyes EVER!  (Big sweeping hand motion.) 

David Archuleta, the Tween Dream, is closing the show with “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley.  Seriously?  Seriously.  Okay, too annoyed to actually watch, but I’m sure this is how it went.  Good vocals.  Blah, blah, blah.  Eye contact with the audience.  Blah, blah, blah.  People clap.  Girls swoon.

So, that’s our show for this evening.  Overall, I really wasn’t impressed.  The Davids came out on top once again.  Syesha solidified her 3rd place finish.  And Jason Castro sealed his own fate.  If there is a Kristy Lee Cook Duo, it will be Syesha and Jason.  (But I think even Syesha and Jason know that by now.)  So, tune in tomorrow to find out which one of them goes home.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America!  Here we are.  The Quarter Final Results.  One of the singers we’ve come to know and loathe… oops, I mean love… has sung their last song in the competition.  They will join the 5 others who must make do with merely being on the tour.  (Except Brooke of course… because she’ll have a record deal.  And that’s my own deluded reality, so don’t ruin it for me.)  I’m tired, so let’s quickly make our way through the filler.  This… is American Idol!

Before we get to any semblance of results, our Final 4 are here to sing for us with “Reeling in the Years”.  This just has mediocre written all over it.  At least the Muppet Idol remembered his words tonight.  Too bad Syesha couldn’t remember her blocking though.  (Because, as you could see, those were some complicated dance steps.)  That was not enjoyable at all.  (Oh look!  There’s Judge Judy and Carly Smithson!)  Well, there’s 3 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.

Now, on to the results.  First up, David Archuleta.  He does a good job of faking being nervous, but of course, he’s safe.  (Honestly, as I’ve said before, I don’t know why they just don’t let him start on the couch at the beginning of the night.  I think it insults our intelligence to try to make us think he may be in danger.)  Next is David Cook.  He joins the other David on the Safety Couch.  (Again, you don’t have to be part of the Psychic Friends Network to know that that was how it was going to go down.)  That leaves Syesha and Jason as our Kristy Lee Cook Duo.  (Raise your hand if you’re shocked.  Anyone?  Yeah, me neither.)

Time for the Ford Music Video to “Ring of Fire” where our Idols pretend they are matadors.  I love love LOVE Syesha in her outfit.  She’s hardcore!  Stepford Archuleta looks weak.  Is it wrong that I was rooting for the car to hit him?  Castro kind looks like a deer caught in headlights.  If that were a bull, it would have torn him a new one. 

Phone call time again.  (I’m growing tired of this.)  Here’s what we learned:  David Cook has a scary stalker in Pittsburgh, Jason Castro’s biggest challenge is overcoming being a burnout, and Simon is a little pissy that he hasn’t been knighted by the Queen but would settle for being James Bond.

Okay, we’re down to the end.  (Yes, I skipped over a lot, but you didn’t miss anything.  Trust me.)  Jason or Syesha?  Syesha or Jason?  Will Syesha skate by once again or will Jason’s big blue eyes cause her luck to run out?  The blue eyes aren’t as powerful as our resident stoner thought, because he’s goin’ home!  Syesha has rightly made it into the Final 3! 

Well, that’s our show for this evening.  America completely got it right this week.  It was time for Jason to go home, and I think even he knew that, or maybe he didn’t.  (With the way his eyes looked tonight, you can’t tell what he thought was reality or just a hallucination.)  Now we’re down to the semi-finals.  Next week, expect lots of filler from when our Idols go home to visit their families and are awarded keys to the city.  Then they’ll be singing 3 songs each.  Should be an ‘interesting’ week.  You know where to see it.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America!  After last week’s shocking results, I’m not sure what to expect tonight.  Already, I’m not too excited that the theme is Neil Diamond.  (Yawn.)  But, who knows… this could be as surprising as the Mariah Carey week.  With this show, you never can tell.  We’re down to the Top 5, so things are getting intense.  Soon, we’ll find out whether David or David wins it all.  Well, I guess there’s nothing left to do but to get on with it.  This… is American Idol!

This week, our Idols will be doing 2 songs each.  The only good thing about that is that it means there is less time for useless filler.  They’ll each be judged after their second performance. 

First up, Jason Castro is singing “Forever in Blue Jeans”.  This music is perfect for Jason.  It’s easy.  It’s mellow.  He’s ready for his starring gig at Central Perk.  It wasn’t awful.  It wasn’t great.  Mainly it was just bland.  If he were standing outside the subway, I would definitely toss him a few coins. 

David Cook is next singing “I’m Alive ”.  (Most of the songs we hear tonight, I’m sure I’ve never heard before.)  This one is at least better than Jason’s.  (Is it me, or do the songs seem extremely short?)  I would call this David Cook-lite.  It wants to rock, but then it realizes that it’s a Neil Diamond song, and stops just short of being cool.

Brooke White is doing “I’m a Believer”.  She’s our third Idol to use the guitar this evening.  (This song gives me Shrek flashbacks.)  Definitely a step out of Brooke’s comfort zone, but it seemed to work for her.  (With this song and that background, I kept waiting for Scooby, Shaggy, and the Gang to come running by during a chase scene.)  She had energy and bounce, but I have a feeling she’s going to get slammed for this performance.  (I better start dialing now.)

Up next, the other David is singing “Sweet Caroline”.  (Is anyone shocked at all with his two song choices.  Anyone?  Yeah, me neither.)  Technically, he’s singing this very well, but he’s taking all the cheesy fun out of it.  (And I swear to God, if the mosh pit doesn’t start waving their arms in synch, I’m going to hop up on that stage and chop off all their hands with a chainsaw.  I think the sight of them waving bloody stumps out of synch would be much less distracting.)

Syesha is last for our first round.  She is singing “Hello Again”.  Girlfriend needs to be worried.  She was in the Kristy Lee Cook Duo last week, so she needs a big week to ensure her safety.  The problem with Syesha is that she always starts out well, showcasing her vocal abilities admirably, but she can’t help going for notes and runs that are beyond her.  Overall, she does well, but if she toned down the ‘diva in training’ bit, she would be amazing.

And, I don’t even know what to say about Paula critiquing both of Jason Castro’s songs when he had only sung one.  There just aren’t words.

Jason Castro is back with his second song “September Morn”.  (Do you hear that Paula?  This is his second song.)  Actually, I think this one is a big improvement over his last one.  It was slow and soft, but this one seemed to have emotion.  I’m not saying I loved it or it was great.  It was safe, and he doesn’t seem to be trying anymore.  (I’m not sure if his big blue eyes are going to be enough to save him this week.)

David Cook’s second song is “All I Really Need is You”.  He definitely changed the arrangement, and it worked for him.  He made a Neil Diamond song sound contemporary and interesting.  I have to give him a lot of credit for this performance.  (Still doesn’t mean I like him.)

Brooke White is back with her second song “I Am I Said”.  She’s using the piano this time around.  She’s off to a good start, and by that I mean she remembered her words and didn’t have to start over.  This is the Brooke I know and love.  She’s connecting emotionally with the song and the audience, her vocals are on, and I thought it was wonderful.  She should definitely be safe this week.  (I’m still going to call a lot just to make sure.)

David Archuleta is back to sing the song we all knew he’d choose, “America”.  (And if you go to one of my past blogs, I’m sure you’ll see that I totally called it.)  This song was made for his brand of over-acting.  There is nothing subtle about this song or his performance.  It’s meant to be over the top, and David delivers there.  (I hate to say it, but I would rather see David Cook win this than him.)

Syesha is here to close the show with “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime”.  Definitely a fun song, and it’s good to see more of her personality again.  (So tired of her standing and over-singing a ballad.)  Of course, she had to go for the big note at the end, but this time she hit it.  I would love to see more of this type of Syesha than the other. 

Well, that’s our show for this evening.  It was just all over the place, wasn’t it?  Taking part in our Kristy Lee Cook Duo this week will most likely be Jason Castro and Syesha.  Jason for his performances.  Syesha for her lack of popularity.  Who goes home is anyone’s guess.  But you know where to go to find out.  Same Steve Time.  Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! Another week down, and another future star has to go home. It was an… “interesting” show last night. Definitely not my favorite week, and I blame a lot of that on the theme. We’re getting down to the end, so I hope they have some pretty stellar things left to close the season. But, before we get to the rest of the season, we have to get through tonight. Who will stay? Who will go? Let’s find out together. This… is American Idol!

Did everyone spot Kristy Lee Cook in the audience? Is she here because she gets free tickets or because she misses being part of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio… now Duo? So, there were 45 million votes last night… hmmm. I promise that I was only about 1 million of those. Tops.

The Top 5 are here to do a tribute to Neil Diamond. (I almost want to fast forward now.) The choreography is cheese-tastic. That’s pretty much the only thing saving this from being, as Simon would say, a nightmare. It’s still not good. Not by a long shot. No one’s mics are at the same volume level, and it makes the performance seem haphazard and like something right out of a high school talent show.

There’s Gina and Constantine! (I know Mom is happy to see Constantine.) They are doing a show on FOX Reality. (I don’t think I have FOX Reality, but, honestly, I don’t need to watch any more reality TV than I already am.) And just to clear the air about the Paula rumors… she is not being replaced. She is here to stay. According to Simon, the judges sat in on the rehearsals yesterday and took notes on both of their performances then. When the judges were asked after the first round last night, Paula got flustered and read her notes she had made on both performances from earlier during rehearsals. Believe it or don’t, but that’s the gospel according to Simon.

On to our results. First up, Jason Castro. Safety Couch or Kristy Lee Cook Duo? (Unless his big blue eyes have more power than I think, he should be in the Kristy Lee Cook Duo.) Somehow, he is safe. (Here I am guessing again, but I believe that puts Syesha and Brooke in danger now.) Next is David Archuleta, the Tween Dream. (Honestly, they should just let him start the show on the couch and stay there.) Of course, he is safe. (Shock of all shocks.)

Back to results. David Cook is called out to the center of the stage. (Unless something dramatic is happening, he’ll be safe and Brooke and Syesha will have to wait till after the musical performances to learn their fate.) Nothing dramatic, he is safe. Now, it’s down to the two girls. One will be the last woman standing. (Crossed fingers for Brooke, but I’ve come to terms with her not winning.)

I love Natasha Bedingfield, but I’m fast-forwarding. (It’s a fun song though.) Ugh, back to the phone calls. Things we learned: Paula is a giver, Paula and Randy are going to do another music video but this time he’ll be an animated Dawg, and Simon was macking on girls at an early age. Time for the Ford Music Video to “Catch the Wind”. It’s a high-five fest of an episode of Idols Give Back where they use magical powers to “greenify” the world. (I think this is in response to the environmentally unfriendly video they did a few weeks ago where they dumped paint all over the Los Angeles River.) Now to Neil Diamond. (Fast forward.)

Back to our results. Syesha or Brooke. Brooke or Syesha. (This time last week, I thought it was going to be Syesha leaving us, and I was wrong. She’ll probably skate by again.) The person leaving us this evening is… Brooke. Bah! Not at all what I wanted to happen, but I knew it was going to happen soon. As I said, I had already come to terms with it. And thank you America for at least allowing my goal of her making it to the Top 5 to come true. (Now, I’ll just wait patiently for her cd to come out.)

Well, that’s our show for this week. Come back next week for our Rock n Roll Hall of Fame show… and also to see what Paula does next. (Maybe we can bring Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion out of retirement?) Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! We’re down to the Final 6, and the competition is tougher than ever. Kristy Lee Cook was sent packing last week, and in her honor, we’ll still continue the tradition of having the Kristy Lee Cook Trio. (It seems only appropriate to do so.) Tonight, our Idols will be singing the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. For those of you who don’t know, he is the man behind such Broadway hits as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats (ugh), Phantom of the Opera, and Evita. This should be an interesting night for song choices. (I’m looking at you David Cook.) So sit back, grab your Playbill, and enjoy the show. This… is American Idol!
 
Syesha is our first Idol of the evening. She’ll be singing “One Rock and Roll Too Many”. (Definitely not what I thought she would choose.) The song starts out very Fosse-esque with her on top of the piano. It quickly turns into a jazzy kind of thing, and her vocals were spot on. One word… Personality. (My only question is where has this personality been the last 3 months? Did she sign a contract with the Idol producers agreeing not to be likeable till tonight?) She showed more real emotion than she ever has, and this could be the performance that keeps her around for another week or so.
 
Jason Castro is second, and he’s singing “Memories” from ‘Cats’. (I thought that would be a song David Archuleta would do.) I don’t really have a good feeling about this. The first part started out well, but then he went flat, and it continued downhill from there. The original of this song is waaaaaaaaaaay out of his vocal range. This version didn’t hit the right emotional notes for me, and it all felt kinda blah and very weak. (Oh, look! There’s Courtney Cox!)
 
Brooke White is third with “You Must Love Me” from Evita. (Oh, look! There’s Betty Buckley from the Original Broadway Cast of Cats.) This is one of my favorite songs from Evita. She started off well, and then flubbed the words, and decided to start over. (Don’t know if they’ll be as forgiving since she’s done this before.) That might have done the trick, because she’s connecting with the song more this time around. (Or that could be fear.) Her vulnerability showed. Unfortunately, I think her nerves got the best of her vocals. Overall, I still thought it was wonderful. Having said that, Brooke needed a big performance this week to stick around, and I have a feeling this might have been her swan song.
 
David Archuleta is next with “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera. (Wow, I’m not good at picking out their song choices this evening.) He’s taken this Diva’s Lament and turned it into a Boy Band Diddy. Vocally, it works for him, of course. This kid could sing the phone book, and people would clap. (I don’t mean me… just people.) As I said last week, I’ve gotten bored with him. No matter what I say or do, this season is going to come down to a finale between the Davids. Blah.
 
Carly Smithson is our next-to-last performer singing “Jesus Christ Superstar” from… oh, never mind, I’m sure you can guess. This is a big song, and she’s got a big ol’ voice to go with it. She rocked out, and it was phenomenal! This was her strongest performance in a several weeks. (Love the t-shirt!)
 
David Cook is here to close the show. (I’m not sure how he gets to close the show more than any other artist.) He’s singing “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. (Crap! I was so close with this song choice… right show, wrong song.) As usual, it was a good vocal performance. I have to give him credit for stepping out of his comfort zone, but I would have preferred that he do the rock version of “The Phantom of the Opera”. If I have to listen to him, I’d rather her his gritty rock thing.
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I think the members of the Honorary Kristy Lee Cook Trio will be Syesha, Jason, and Brooke, and I have a bad feeling that Brooke will be the one to go home. (I voted again, and again, and again, and again… to try to prevent that from happening.) I guess all we can do is wait till tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! Here we are… in just 60 long minutes we’ll find out who will be our Final 5. For one person, this will be their final curtain call. Take a bow. The show is over. It’s time for you to go. This… is American Idol!
 
Before one of our Idols’ dreams of stardom is shattered, they are here to perform “All I Ask of You” with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Hmmm, I guess I never realized that our Final 6 was composed of 3 guys and 3 girls. Nothing of significance there. Just something I noticed.) The girls definitely have better harmony than the guys. This song was never meant to be done by an ensemble. As a result, it was nice, overall, but kinda bland. Sir Andy (as he asked me to call him) really felt for Brooke last night. As did I.
 
Our Ford Music Video comes early in the show this evening. It’s to “Tainted Love”, and was a kind of fusion of comic books and Grand Theft Auto. Have to admit, I did love our Idols dressed as Pop Star Gangsters. Oh so glam!
 
Tonight, instead of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio, we will be having the Kristy Lee Cook Duo. (Is this because we are getting down in numbers or because no one besides Jason and Brooke are actually in danger? You decide.) First up, the Davids. (I dubbed them that last night. I think Seacrest reads my blog.) Obviously, they are safe. (For a few days anyway… until they have to work with Neil Diamond. Hmmm, maybe it would be better to get kicked off tonight.)
 
Since it’s all about Broadway this week, we get a peek at what shows some of our Idols have done. Diana DeGarmo (from Season 3) was in Hairspray. Fantasia (the winner of Season 3) starred in The Color Purple. As did last season’s LaKisha Jones. Tamyra Gray (one of my favorite Idols of all time) is on her 2nd Broadway show… this time as Mimi in Rent. (Note to self… plan trip to NYC to see Tamyra.) Clay Aiken (runner up in Season 2) is in Monty Python’s Spamalot. (Take a look David Archuleta… this is you in 5 years. Seriously.)
 
I’m so excited for this next performance!!! The winner of Britain’s X-Factor, Leona Lewis, is here to sing Bleeding Love. (Currently my favorite song from my current favorite album) I don’t know what there is to say about this. All of our Idols could take a lesson from her. Especially on what to do if you plan to just stand there and sing. She’s spectacular. She’s flawless. (Loved the columns of fire!) If you haven’t downloaded this cd from iTunes, go do it now. (I’ll wait till you get back.)
 
Back to the results. Syesha and Brooke White. (I have a feeling as to how this will go, but I’ll wait for Ryan to verify it for me.) After the vote, Brooke is… safe!! What?! Can you say that again? I think I just hallucinated. (I knew voting 50 times would be worth it!) Syesha is our first member of the Kristy Lee Cook Duo, and she doesn’t seem too pleased when Paula tells her she should be used to it by now. Hey, the truth hurts. (Still doing the Happy Dance about Brooke!) Next up, Carly and Jason. (If there is any justice, Jason will join Syesha, because Carly knocked it out of the park.) After the vote, Jason is… safe. What? This is like bizarro night. (I had come to terms with Brooke and Jason being in the Bottom 2, and neither one is.) All I can say is that Syesha better be the one to go home.
 
Now we’re down to it. Syesha or Carly. Carly or Syesha. One stays and one goes. (I really hope Syesha goes.) After the nationwide vote (that would be 38 million of them)… Carly… is leaving us this evening. Seriously? Seriously! You’ve got to be kidding me. This is just as shocking as Michael Johns leaving a few weeks ago. (I am not pleased.) Okay, now all I can say is that she better get a record deal. (Do you think she was voted off because she’s not American?)
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I’m not sure what to say. I’m still stunned. Yay that my Brooke stayed (I know a lot of people are not as happy as I am.), and my dream of her making it to the Final 5 was realized, but boo that Carly had to go home. And now we all have to deal with Neil Diamond Week next Tuesday. (Ugh) Oh well, this show is full of surprises. Tune in next week for a few more. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! I know some of you are still shocked that Michael Johns left us last week. But in the immortal words of Richard Fish… bygones. We have to move on, because it’s Tuesday yet again, and that means our Top 7 are here to perform a whole new crop of songs for us. Hold on to your seats… it’s going to be a painful night. This… is American Idol!
 
You may be wondering why I said it was going to be painful. Let me explain. Has there ever been a person you severely disliked? Someone whose voice made you cringe? If you have, then you’ll understand where I’m coming from. For me, that person is Mariah Carey… and, unfortunately, tonight our Idols will be singing all Mariah songs. After this episode, I think I’ll have a pretty clear picture of what Hell is like.
 
Our first performance of the evening comes from the Tween Dream, David Archuleta. He and his leather pants will be singing “When You Believe”. (Huge shock at the song choice.) Technically, he sang amazingly well, as always. But for me, the song was boring. I didn’t feel any real emotion coming from him. It was like Stepford Archuleta took over for the evening.
 
Next up, Carly Smithson is singing “Without You”. This is closer to old-school Mariah, which back in the day, I was a fan of. (This was before the diva ego and the screeching.) Carly has toned down the song a bit to better fit within her range. She still strains on the bigger runs and was a bit hesitant in the beginning, but overall it was good. Not great, but good.
 
Syesha will be gracing us with her version of “Vanishing”. (I have a feeling that the piano/singer combo will be popular this evening.) Wow, Syesha has a big ol’ voice, doesn’t she? Other than some minor pitch problems, there isn’t anything negative I can say about her performance. This was a big week for Syesha.
 
Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, is next with “Hero”. It’s the Dynamic Duo, Brooke and the Piano. (Hoping the band doesn’t join in.) She’s toned down the big notes to suit her interpretation. It’s simple. It’s subtle. Her version gives me a brand new appreciation for this song.
 
Next we are “treated” to Kristy Lee Cook singing “Forever”. I’m shocked at how easily this song transformed into a country ballad. The beginning sounded more like moaning and mumbling than singing. I hate to admit it, but after some whininess, the end was good, and overall this worked for her.
 
Of all the Idols, I’m most interested to hear David Cook this evening. I’m not sure how he’s going to pull out a rock version to “Always Be My Baby”. (Oh, look, there’s Ramiele!) I’m kinda impressed with this arrangement. Not as impressed with his vocals as the beginning of the song. David added some intensity and layers to his vocals at the end that made the song a winner for him.
 
Closing the show is Jason Castro singing “I Wanna Cry”. He, Brooke, and David Cook are the ones that had to change the songs the most this week to fit their identities. (And for a Mariah-hater, that is a very good thing.) I loved this interpretation. The emotion came through, and his vocals were able to shine more than usual.
 
And even though we’re running late, Paula takes a moment to spin Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion, and she lands on “Inane Babbling”. Well, other than having to hear Mariah 7 times, the night wasn’t painful at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. (I probably shouldn’t put that down on paper, because I know it is going to come back to haunt me.) That’s our show for this evening. I’d have to put Carly, Kristy, and Syesha in the Bottom 3. (Just a safe bet, don’t you think?) Tune in tomorrow night for cruel and unusual punishment when Mimi herself will be “singing”. Who will stay? Who will go? Only one way to find out. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! We survived Tax Day and Mariah Carey night, but she’s back this evening to torture us with a song. (Honestly, isn’t one of the Idols leaving enough pain for one night?) After the performances, I’m not sure who is going to be sent home. Let’s find out together. This… is American Idol!
 
The Final 7 are singing one of the most overplayed songs of all time… “One Sweet Day”. When this song came out, I really wanted to like it because of Boyz 2 Men, but Mariah ruined it for me. It’s been 12 years, and I still hate it.
 
Now to the results. Who’s safe? Who’s in the Bottom 3? First up, Jason Castro, whose big blue eyes and charming personality have kept him safe so far, is asked to start a group on the left. (That means this is my least favorite week of the year. I hate when he splits them up like this. The Bottom 3 are never the ones we expect.) David Cook is sent to the group on the right. (Until we see David Archuleta, we’re not going to be sure which group is safe.) Carly Smithson is in the group on the left. (Have a bad feeling about the group on the left.) Kristy Lee Cook is in the group on the right. (Seriously?)
 
Before we have to hear Elliot Yamin, we get the Ford Music Video to “I Want to Break Free”. This week, our Idols are pale, unhappy marionettes living in a cubicle world. (If I didn’t work for such a great company, I might have a comment on this.) Now, it’s time for Elliot Yamin. (Would you look at that… I accidentally hit the fast forward.) Again, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Elliot for the loss of his amazing mother.
 
Back to the results. Here we are so far. Left Group: Carly and Jason. Right Group: the Cooks. Syesha is next, and she is sent to the group on the left. (Now, more than ever, I’m thinking that the Left Group is the Bottom 3, but I’m always shocked at the results during this week, so who knows?) Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, is sent to the group on the right. (Crossing my fingers that the Right Group is safe.)
 
Time for Phone Calls with the Idols. Here’s what we found out. Kristy Lee cannot buy back her barrel horse, the Judges are old, David Cook is single, and Paula & Simon most resemble Opposites Attract (and she’ll never be Forever his Girl). Mariah Carey is here to perform “Bye-Bye”, which is not to be confused with “Bye-Bye-Bye” by N*Sync. (How funny is that… my finger accidentally hit fast-forward again.)
 
Again to the results. Here’s what we have. Left Group: Syesha, Carly, and Jason. Right Group: David Cook, Kristy Lee Cook, and Brooke Cook. (Sorry, got carried away.) All that’s left is for Ryan to tell David Archuletta that he is safe and make him choose a group to stand with. (Most evil part of the night.) David, of course, is safe. Uh-oh, Ryan just pulled a trick on us and had David Cook switch with Syesha. That means that the Left Group is our Bottom 3 this evening. (Crap. I told you I didn’t like this week.)
 
So, it’s Kristy, Brooke, and Syesha in the Bottom 3 this week. The person going back to safety immediately is Syesha. (Very, very bad feelings about this now.) Kristy Lee or Brooke? (Please don’t let it be Brooke.) After the nationwide vote, the person staying for at least another week is… Brooke!!!! (Whew! That was close. I guess my 21 votes last night helped after all.) Kristy Lee Cook is leaving us this evening. She’s survived the Kristy Lee Cook Trio way too many times, and her time is finally up. (Still shocked that it didn’t happen after disaster of the first Beatles’ week.) Props to her for sitting on the table and singing to Simon. If you gotta go, that’s the way to do it.
 
That’s our show for tonight. That was way too close for my liking. My nerves are still on edge. I know Brooke won’t win the show, but I’d really like for her to make the Top 5. Well, another week down, and another Idol gone. Next Tuesday, the Idols will be performing the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. (Anyone wanna take bets now that David Archuleta does something from Joseph and the ‘Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ or ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’?) Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Performance Show

Good Evening, America! This is going to be a big week for Idol. Tonight, we have the performances from our Top 8. Tomorrow, we have Idol Gives Back (starting at 7:30), and then on Thursday, we have our results. By the time Friday rolls around, we’ll be all Idoled out. But for now, let’s see what our wannabes have in store for us. This… is American Idol!
 
Before we get started, there are two things I’d like say. First, I want to thank everyone the reads my blog every week. I truly appreciate it. Second, everyone should run out and purchase the Leona Lewis cd “Spirit”. It came out today, and it’s amazing. Leona Lewis won the British show X-Factor (which is another Simon Cowell production). She reminds of Whitney (without the crack) and Mariah (without the ego). You can download it on iTunes (which is what I did, while I drank a Coke and sent a text on my AT&T Wireless phone). Leona’s first single, “Bleeding Love”, is phenomenal.
 
Tonight’s theme is inspirational songs. (Bah. Boring. But I’m sure David Archuleta is totally excited.) First up in the Spot of Death is Michael Johns doing “Dream On”. It’s another rock song, but, for me, this Aerosmith song doesn’t really fit his “persona”. It starts a little flat (okay, a lot flat), and there were parts at the end that were a little too high-pitched screechy for my taste, but overall it was pretty okay. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts. (When Randy questions the song choice, Michael goes into a Borat-like, “I came to this wonderful country with a dream,” speech. Backstage, Kristy Lee Cook is fuming over the show’s bias towards immigrant patriotism.)
 
Syesha is our second performer of the night singing “I Believe” by our 3rd season Idol Winner, Fantasia. (This was written by one of my favorite Idols, Tamyra Gray.) She starts off soft and low, and then when the choir joins in, she really goes for it, but I’m not sure it went. I agree with the judges. It lacked that heartfelt emotion. Syesha, I know Fantasia Barino, and you miss are no Fantasia.
 
Jason Castro is singing a unique version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. I’ll say it again, he needs to impress this week. This version of the song is pure Jason. It’s subtle and understated allowing the message to come front and center. Jason is able to stretch for some notes that he hasn’t gone for in a few weeks. It was simple, and I loved it!
 
Next up is Kristy Lee Cook. She’s singing “Anyway” by Martina McBride. I’ve gotten bored with her. (Not Martina McBride, she’s great. I mean Kristy.) She should have gone home weeks ago, but since she didn’t, I guess I have to talk about her performance. Hmmm, nice things I can say… the choir blended much better with Kristy than they did with Syesha. Her vocals were strong overall, and I didn’t hate it. It was her best performance by a long shot. Ugh, that nearly took all the nice I had left.
 
David Cook is singing “Innocent”. He says that everyone has a good side. I beg to differ. I know several people that are evil to the core. (And, no, I’m not talking about me.) I’ve been waiting for weeks for David to stumble… and this is finally the week. (That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy his performances the past two weeks, because I did.) His vocals during the verses were weak, and his super-smug ego came back in full-force during his performance. (Didn’t he look like a wounded puppy after the judges had their way with him?) I know my David bashing is not popular with my readers, but I’m sorry, something about him just rubs me the wrong way.
 
Carly Smithson is next with “The Show Must Go On” by Queen. This wasn’t her best performance. It started off really well, but near the middle of the song, she became extremely pitchy and starting screaming and straining. At the end, she oversang, and the performance came off angry and not very inspirational. Uh-oh. Unless she gets a lot of votes, her show might not go on.
 
David Archuleta, the Tween Dream, is our next-to-last singer of the evening. (This week of weepy, feel-good ballads was made for him.) For his inspirational song, he has chosen “Angels”. He’s playing the piano while he sings, but, unfortunately, the band drowns out his piano playing, so I can’t comment on that. His voice, as usual, was nearly flawless. For me, this arrangement never completely got off the ground. It was fine, but it wasn’t the Robbie Williams version. However, if David continues to stick to this type of song, it’s gonna be hard for anyone to beat him in the end.
 
Brooke White, in the Pimp Slot tonight, is singing “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. This song is perfectly suited to her voice and her style. Brooke connects with the song and the audience. When she sings, you can believe what she’s singing. It wasn’t show-stopping, but it was wonderful and a perfect way to end the night.
 
Hmmm, not the best week overall. Pretty rough, actually. I’m not saying these people will get the most votes, but the three that I thought did the best were David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and Brooke White. For the Bottom 3, I’d have to go with Syesha and Carly, and it wouldn’t be the Kristy Lee Cook Trio without Kristy Lee Cook. (Even if she did a pretty okay job tonight and doesn’t actually deserve to go home this week.)
 
That’s our show for tonight. Tomorrow is Idol Strikes Back, so I will not be blogging. (Even I think it would be mean and wrong to criticize a charity event.) I’ll be back on Thursday for our results. Who will stay? Who will go? Only time and an hours worth of filler will tell. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.

Results Show

Good Evening, America! So, we survived over 2.5 hours of Idol Strikes Back last night. There were some amazing performances (Heart and Fergie!), some funny bits (Miley Cyrus and Billy Crystal), and a lot of great charities that were highlighted. But now, the good feelings are over, and it’s time to send another wannabe packing. Who will stay? Who will go? Let’s find out. This… is American Idol!
 
Because the show ran over last night, and good number of people never saw the performance, our Top 8 are here to perform “Shout to the Lord” one more time. Definitely some great harmonies, and I love any song where the Idols sing with a big choir. Last year, one of my favorite parts of Idol Gives Back was when they had celebrities singing and dancing to “I Will Survive”. This year, we have a new crop of celebrities including Dr. Phil, Ricki Lake, Selma Blair, and Cat Deeley (from So You Think You Can Dance) lip synching to “I’m a Believer”.
 
Now, to our results. Safety Couches or part of the Kristy Lee Cook Trio? First up, Brooke White, America’s Sweetheart, who rushes Ryan through to her results, is SAFE! (Yay! Great night already!) David Cook, who stumbled a bit on Tuesday, is safe. (Not a huge shock.) David Archuleta, our presumptive American Idol Winner, is, of course, safe.
 
As a break from results, we have our current American Idol, Jordin Sparks, with Chris Brown singing “No Air”. This is an amazing song. Actually, Jordin’s whole cd is pretty impressive. (In case you didn’t know, you can download it on iTunes.) It seems like people do know how to download, because her first two singles have had over 1 million downloads each. Definitely deserved.
 
Time for the Ford Music Video to the tune “I Just Want to Celebrate”. Our Idols have decided to ruin their good-guy images by dumping paint all over the Los Angeles River. Don’t they know that that’s illegal and harmful to the environment? I think Al Gore needs to have a very long talk with each and every one of them.
 
Next up for results is our Muppet Idol, Jason Castro. He’s safe too. (Not surprised.) That means we have four Idols left and 3 stools open. Kristy Lee Cook is… safe? What? (Oh Ryan, you are a tricky little devil.) This leaves Syesha, Carly Smithson, and Michael Johns as the Bottom 3. (Hmmm, interesting.) After some more filler and a special appearance by Barack Obama, Ryan jumps right to it and sends Michael Johns back to Australia. He adds to the pain by reminding everyone how last year they didn’t eliminate anyone during Idol Gives Back week, obviously giving Michael a bit of hope (you could see it in his eyes), but then Ryan crushes that hope by telling him that he is indeed going home. (If that weren’t so mean, I probably would have laughed.)
 
Well, that’s our show for this evening. I did not expect it to go down that way. Syesha or Kristy should have gone first, but they’ll go at some point, so I have no worries. Tune in next week when our Top 7 will take on a whole new genre of songs. (And David Archuleta will sing a ballad, and David Cook will do a rock cover.) Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.