Posts Tagged Alexis Grace
American Idol – Finale (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on May 20, 2009
Good Evening, America! This is it! The Final Showdown! In a little over 2 hours we’ll find out which person, Adam Lambert-Martin or Kris Allen, will be crowned this year’s winner! I know I’ve been obsessing the past few months about this show… and my favorite contestant, and I’m sure some of you are ready for it to be done. I can promise everyone that it will all be done after tonight… well, after tomorrow morning, because I know at work we’ll either be having mini celebratory dances or a bitch-fest. But after that… all done. Promise. Till then, on with the show. This… is American Idol!
I’m beyond nervous and excited. If I could fast-forward through time and just get to the results, I would. I’m not one for delayed gratification. At all.
Seacrest tells us that just under 100 million votes came in, bringing our season total to a record-setting 624 million votes. (I can personally account for 500 of those votes last night. My fingers about fell off by the time I was done texting. No matter the outcome tonight, thanks to all who voted for Adam yesterday. It is greatly appreciated.) We are treated to clips of the Judges’ sage comments throughout the season: Randy constantly saying “For me”, Kara saying “Honey” and “Sweetie”, Paula and her jumble of words thanks to Paula’s Wheel of Random Emotion, and Simon rarely paying attention. Honestly, I wish they would have shown how many times Kara said, “here’s the thing”.
Seacrest brings out the finalists, and they are both dressed in white. (Needless to say, Adam Lambert-Martin pulls it off better.) We join Mikalah Gordon live in Conway, Arkansas with Kris’s fans. (Mikalah appears to have stolen Lisa Rinna’s lips.) In San Diego for Adam, we have the amazing Carly Smithson. Love her accent!
Our Top 13 kick off our 2 hours of filler performances with “So What” by Pink. Per usual, they are dressed in their Up With People white outfits. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_with_People) I love this song so much! Not their performance of course, but the song in general. The choreography is hysterical, and it seems more like the rejects from a show choir than our Top 13. (They could take a lesson from the cast of “Glee”.) This does not bode well for the group performances on the tour. They are having a great time together, so I guess that makes up for some of it… but not all.
David Cook is here to perform “Permanent”. If you haven’t heard, David Cook’s brother recently lost his battle with cancer. “Permanent” will be available on iTunes after the show, and all the proceeds will go to ABCSquared, which is a cancer foundation. It’s a good song. Everyone should go download it. For a little over $1, we can all do something to help in the fight against cancer.
Now it’s time for the annual Golden Idol Awards, one of the most mean spirited awards on TV. The first award is for Outstanding Male. Without evening seeing the nominees, I knew this would go to Norman Gentle. He strips off his outfit to reveal his shorts and shiny shirts and sings “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” one more time. This was funny the first few times. Now, not so much. I believe his 15 minutes are official up.
Our first Pro/Am duet of the evening is Queen Latifah and Lil Rounds with “Cue the Rain”. It’s better than we’ve seen Lil since the early rounds. Lil needs to be part of some Destiny’s Child-like girl group, because she sounds so much better when she’s singing with someone else. Their harmonies are excellent.
2nd Pro/Am collaboration is Jason Mraz with Anoop Desai and Alexis Grace singing “I’m Yours”. I really wish Kris had done this during the season or this had been his duet tonight. I need to say how much I hate Anoop’s poor attempt at growing facial hair. And Alexis looks like the love child of Tinkerbell and a hooker. The performance itself is wonderful. Oh, and the other also-rans join them for back-up vocals.
Now we have “The Journey of Kris Allen”. Since I’m sure most of you watched this season, I’ll spare you (and myself) the details. Our 3rd Pro/Am song is Kris Allen and Keith Urban (Mr. Nicole Kidman) with “Kiss A Girl”. They sound amazing together, and are rocking their guitars. What a great duet.
Our Tops Girls sing “Glamorous” by Fergie. Meghan Joy reminds us exactly why she got kicked off when she did. Before too long, our girls are joined by Fergie herself for a rendition of “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. (Oooh, black hair. Didn’t expect that.) Then our Idols depart the stage for the Black Eyed Peas to sing their new single “Boom Boom Pow”. This song has really grown on me.
Back to the Golden Idol Awards. This time for Best Attitude. Again, this goes hands down to Bikini Girl, Katrina. She struts onstage in her bikini, and she bought two new toys since the last time we saw her. Bikini Girl gets to sing “Vision of Love” one more time, and it’s worse than her audition, if that’s possible. (I strongly dislike this girl. She makes me want to set her on fire.) But before it can get any worse, Kara appears onstage behind her, surprising her, and joins her on the song, proving once and for all that Kara can sing it better. All Bikini Girl can do is stand there and looks stupid in her bikini. (That may be her only marketable skill.) During the final note, Kara unbuttons her dress revealing her own bikini. Apparently, Simon/Randy/Ryan bet Kara she wouldn’t wear a bikini on the show, and since she did, they have to donate a lot of money to her favorite charity. For once, I actually like Ms. Dioguardi. (I’m sure the feeling will pass.)
We’re at the halfway mark, and I’m starting to get really nervous. Our 4th Pro/Am song is “Time After Time” with Allison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper. So very cool. They both sound wonderful, and it’s very cool that Cyndi is playing some sort of lap guitar. It only gets better on their chorus harmony. It’s gorgeous, and it’s inspired. Love it!
Danny Gokey time. He’s singing “Hello”. I got bored and began texting, and the next thing I know Lionel Ritchie is onstage singing “Just Go” with Danny Karaoke. They transition into “All Night Long”, and I will pay attention to this. No matter how much time goes by, I still love this song.
Adam Lambert-Martin is singing “Beth” by KISS. He’s got a very KISS-like outfit on, and it suits him. The song is subdued and absolutely wonderful. Just when I think it’s over, KISS is dropped from the ceiling in a waterfall of fire and sparks. How cool is that! They do “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Night”. This might be the best Pro/Am collaboration of any Idol season. They blend so well. It’s perfection. I’m honestly speechless. This is just too cool for words. I had to watch it again. Adam’s note at the end was flawless. Loved it!
Carlos Santana is performing “Black Magic Woman”… all by himself. Are we to assume that Carlos Santana is just too cool to be forced to perform with any Idols? Oh, no, I’m mistaken, there’s Matt Giraud… and his hat. The other Idols take the stage to sing “Smooth”, my favorite Santana collaboration song EVER. (Big sweeping hand motion!) Note to Danny Karaoke, please no crotch thrusting. This is a family show. (Oh, there’s Heather Locklear! I heart her!)
The final Ford Music Video is “I Will Remember You” by Kris and Adam. It shows clips from all the previous videos. It sounds amazing. This should be put as a single on iTunes. Then David Cook surprises Adam and Kris with their own 2010 Ford Fusion Hybirds. Very nice.
Steve Martin (not me, the other one that stole my name and is constantly trying to steal my spotlight) is here, but he’s forced to perform with Megan Joy and Michael Sarver. Hey Idol Producers! What did Steve Martin ever do to you, huh? The performance is okay, but “rough” would be the best way to describe the whole thing.
Our Top Guys take the stage now to sing “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”. The answer to most of you would be NO. Rod Stewart (Did I ever tell you that my mom used to date Rod Stewart?) joins the Idols to sing “Maggie May”. Is it just me, or is Rod Stewart drunk? Paula, thoughts? You’re the expert here. (I kid.)
I’m watching the show live tonight so that I find out who is our American Idol when it happens. After having the DVR for so long, I forgot how much I loathe live TV. This is killing me.
Our last Golden Idol Award is for Outstanding Female. Raise your hand if you didn’t know this would go to Tatiana Del Toro. No one? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Love that she stole the microphone and ran off and kept shrugging off the stage hands while continuing to sing. Oh, at least she was always entertaining. (She totally reminds me of the diva in the show choir on “Glee”.)
Before we get to the results, we get an Adam/Kris duet to “We Are The Champions”. Such an appropriate song for tonight. And I love, love, LOVE that they brought out the remains of Queen to play and the gospel choir to sing back up. Another truly inspired and amazing performance. Before it ends, Kris and Adam join hands, teach the world to sing, give everyone a Coke, and peace is declared in the Middle East! I knew this show was powerful, but wow! For once, I’m not mad at all about all the filler while we wait for the results. This was a helluva show!
This is it! The moment of truth! (I can’t take it. My heart is beating out of my chest. I think I’m going to vomit.) After nearly 100 million votes, the winner of American Idol 2009 is… Kris Allen?? Coffee House Kris? You’ve got to be effing kidding me!! Seriously? This isn’t a joke? For once, I honestly have no words… or at least no words that I can type here. (It’s a moment like this that I’m glad I never throw away old or chipped glasses. I’ll be right back. I need to go outside to scream and break something.) The anger and disappointment I feel right now has eased slightly due to the tapestry of obscenities that I have woven that will forever hang over Ohio. All day long, I had a feeling this was going to happen. I kept saying that America wasn’t ready to vote for someone like Adam, that Kris was the safer vote for conservative Middle America, and if Adam lost, tonight’s result had nothing to do with who was more talented or deserving. Usually, I enjoy being right, but this isn’t one of those times.
Well, that’s our show for tonight and for the season. I think I’m going to have to take a lesson from my Adam Lambert-Martin and be happy for Kris. It’s not that I dislike him. That’s not it at all. He’s a very talented singer, and we’ll be able to enjoy watching him perform at coffee shops all across the country. (I kid.) It’s just my opinion that someone else should have won *cough* Adam *cough*, and since this is my blog, it’s only my opinion that counts. I know that Adam will have a phenomenal career, and maybe by not winning, this will give him the chance to make the album he wants to make. (Also excited for Allison’s cd!) Ooooh, I just realized the upside to all this: Kris has to release that craptastic song “No Boundaries” and Adam doesn’t! Ha ha ha! In conclusion, thanks to all of you who followed along this season, and extra thanks to those of you who voted for my Adam Lambert-Martin. As much as I threatened to never watch the show again if Adam lost, I know I was lying. I’ll see you back here next Spring. 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.
American Idol – Final 11 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 17, 2009
Good Evening, America! Here we are, back again for another week. We’re down to our Top 11 Finalists. Last week we said good-bye to… two people. Can’t quite remember who they were. Must not have been that important. I know one of them looked like he had two dead black caterpillars squished on his forehead in the shape of eyebrows. Oh well, bygones. Life goes on. So, without further ado… This… is American Idol!
Tonight, on our second week of completion, it is St. Patrick’s Day. And nothing says St. Patrick’s Day like… Country music? Huh? Okay, whatever. I know for many of you, country music isn’t your thing. At all. (I’m looking at you, Mom.) I’ve even heard that the only way to get through two hours of country music on Idol is to, and I quote, “Get some ear plugs and get DRUNK!” (Again, I’m looking at you, Mom.) But, of course, I’m a good boy, and I wouldn’t know about such things. Anyway, Randy Travis is here to mentor our Idols. This should be interesting. Grab your girl, your dog, and the keys to your pick-up truck. Here we go!
Resident Roughneck, Michael Sarver is our first singer of the night with “Ain’t Goin Down Till the Sun Comes Up”. If any of our Idols is suited for this genre, it’s Michael. This song has a heckuva lot words in a short order, so I’m impressed that he memorized them all. Unfortunately, this was not a good performance, and Michael Sarver is no Garth Brooks. It was bland and boring, and I would have rather listened to the guy on the harmonica the whole time instead of Michael mumbling quickly.
Next up is Allison Iraheta singing “Blame It on Your Heart”. This girl could sing the phone book, and I’d listen. Her voice gives a great rock edge to the song. You can tell she’s having fun, and her passion for this competition comes through in her performance. Nothing more to say. It was a solid performance.
Kris Allen is singing “To Make You Feel My Love”, another Garth Brooks song, though technically it was written and recorded by Bob Dylan first. He is minus his guitar this week. Kris is going for the vulnerable boy next door vibe. He has a wonderfully smooth voice, and this gave us the opportunity to truly focus on his talent. He’s not currently one of the front-runners, but Kris isn’t one to be ignored.
Singing 4th tonight is Lil Rounds. Since I heard it was Country Week, I’ve been most interested to see Lil’s performance. She’s singing “Independence Day” by Martina McBride. This song calls for subtlety as well as a big voice, both of which Lil can do. She’s out of her comfort zone, and it shows. Not her strongest performance, but she should have no trouble during tomorrow’s elimination.
My night is that much better, because it is time for Adam Lambert. (I won’t even try to appear impartial when it comes to him.) Adam is singing “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, but this isn’t anything like the version you heard in “Walk the Line”. I can easily see where a lot of people won’t like this, but it is pure Adam, and I love it. I never would have imagined hearing this song that way, but it works, black nail polish and all.
And my night just got worse. It’s time for Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre to sing “Wild Angels” by Martina McBride. Let’s face it; Scott is a mediocre singer, but an amazing piano player. It’s really bad how little I care about listening to him. I was texting all through his performance, and then I realized I had to rewind it so I could listen to him and critique it. Then I realized that no I don’t, it’s my blog, and I can skip over him if I want to. Apparently, the audience enjoyed it. Blah. I’m sure it was a wonderful Hallmark moment.
Alexis Grace is singing “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, which was done last season by America’s Sweetheart Brooke White. This is an amazing song, and, for me, Alexis adds the right emphasis at the right time. She really nailed the heartbreaking tone of the song. It wasn’t her usual hard edge, but I appreciated the variety.
Danny Gokey is doing “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. I appreciate this song because there’s a shout out to Cincinnati in the first verse. Though he may have stumbled over the words with Randy Travis in rehearsal, the same cannot be said for his performance. There were a few notes that were slightly flat, but once he hit his stride in the chorus, it became another amazing Danny performance. His enthusiasm and spirit are contagious, and when he’s having a good time, you can’t help but have a good time too.
Needing a strong week, Anoop Desai is singing “You’re Always on My Mind” by Willie Nelson. This is an iconic song, and it’s hard to not compare his version to the original. From the first few notes, it was easy to tell that this was the Anoop we’ve been waiting to hear. It’s a slow song, but boring it was not. He infuses the song with emotion and gravity. Anoop will be sticking around for another week.
Megan Joy (didn’t her last name used to be Corkrey), who was hospitalized this week with the flu, is singing “I Go Walking after Midnight”. She’s turned this isn’t a bluesy jazzy number. Huge improvement after the incredulous performance that was last week. Like Adam, this was pure Megan, and again this worked. It was like Amy Winehouse meets Bjork. Loved the dress, not the dancing.
Closing the show is Matt Giraud with “So Small”. Just like Pity Vote, he’s using the piano. Matt has changed up the song just enough to suit him. If he keeps going the way he is, he’s on his way to becoming the new Michael Buble. The arrangement works in the chorus/bridge section. He does hit some bad notes throughout, but none so bad as his last note. Like I said last week, don’t go so high, please.
So, that’s our show for tonight. Congrats to all the non-country fans who made it through these past 2 hours. My favorites tonight were Adam, Danny, and Anoop. Hopefully in the bottom we’ll find Michael and Scott. This early in the voting portion of the season, it’s hard to tell what America is thinking. I guess we’ll find out together tomorrow. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
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American Idol – Final 13 (Results Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 11, 2009
Good Evening , America! We’re back again for another night. But this time, it’s not to unfairly judge contestants I don’t like. No, tonight, we’re here to say good-bye to two of our wannabe hopefuls. Two contestants who have clawed and fought their way to get this far in the competition have to go home tonight without a recording contract, without being part of a tour that will play to half-full arenas around the country, and without a year’s supply of Rice-a-Roni. (It’s the San Francisco Treat!) Yes, tonight is elimination night. And this… is American Idol!
Ryan tells us there were 33 million votes last night, and I can honestly say only 11.5 million of those were from me voting for Adam. Kanye West (the self-proclaimed greatest artist of our generation) and Kelly Clarkson (Yay!) will be performing live for us tonight. Before we get to the results, Ryan tells us about the new rule called “The Judges Save”. In a nutshell, this means that the Judges have the power to save one contestant (up until the Top 5) from elimination. They can only do that once during the season. The week it is used, no contestant will be eliminated, but the following week, two contestants will go home. Hopefully, this will help keep American Idol from being strictly a popularity contest, and allow it to again be the talent competition it once was. (A rule like this could have saved my Season 1 favorite, Tamyra Gray, from going out 4th and allowed her to go head-to-head with my girl Kelly in the finals.)
Ahh, time for filler. This time in the form of the first group sing of the finals – a medley of songs from The Jackson 5. I have to admit, I’ve been severely looking forward to this. Mainly to see what is done with the choreography for one specific contestant. (I won’t say who, but I’ll give you one guess.) All in all, it wasn’t bad, and I’ll refrain from making any truly nasty comments.
Oooh! I have to comment on something last night, and I have to thank my friend Halle for bringing it to my attention. I’m sure you all saw that Alexis’s phone number to call was 1-866-436-5736 instead of being 1-866-436-5713 even though she was the 13th contestant. I just assumed it was because Idol didn’t have the use of 5713, that some other company did. You have no idea! I can’t tell you what it is, but I will say for you to not call that number from work, and don’t let your children call it. It is not a family-friendly number… if you get my drift. I have to wonder how many people accidentally called 5713 without thinking. I can only imagine Sanjaya’s poor little crying girl dialing it by accident and crying all over again while she listened. Ha ha!
Yay! It’s time for the Ford Music Video. (The only filler I like on results night. It’s always so cheesy, you just have to love it.) This time our Idols are singing “We Will Rock You” while being super-imposed on buildings as a Ford car drives through the empty streets of LA. Okay, so this wasn’t cheesy and fun, but I have hope for the rest of the season. Fingers crossed!
Finally, time to start the results. First up, Michael Sarver. ( Blah.) He’s safe. (Double blah.) Next, Allison Ireheta. She, too, is safe. (Yay for that!) Jasmine Murray is sent to the center of the stage to wait for further instructions. Matt Giraud is safe. Kris Allen and Megan Corkrey are both told to stand up. Kris is safe, but Megan is sent to stand with Jasmine. (Oooh, the tension is building.) One is safe, the other is going home. Without much fanfare, Megan is safe, and Jasmine is in danger of elimination if the Judges don’t save her. (Fat chance of that.) While she sang poorly, the judges decided not to save her, and Jasmine becomes the first casualty of the Finals. Can’t say I’m too broken up about it. She has a lot of potential. She’s just not ready yet.
Here to delay the results, Kanya West is singing “Heartless”. I’m not a big fan of his, but I love this song. (Okay, fast-forward.) Back to the results. First up, Scott “Pity Vote” MacIntyre. Of course, he’s safe. (I’ll keep my comments and impersonations to myself.) Next is Alexis Grace. She and her naughty side are here for another week. Danny Gokey, without a doubt, is safe. Anoop Desai, on the other hand, is sent to the center of the stage. (I give him credit for knowing he was headed there.) Adam Lambert is safe, and all is right with the world. Jorge Nunez and Lil Rounds are asked to stand, but Lil is safe, and Jorge is sent to stand with Anoop. At this point, I’m okay with either of those guys going home. They weren’t going to win, so they might as well go home now. (You know, till this moment, I didn’t realize how short Jorge was. I mean, for crying out loud, he’s shorter than Seacrest, and that’s short.)
Before we can find out who’s leaving us, Kelly Clarkson, our original American Idol, is here to sing her new hit song “My Life Would Suck Without You” from her new hit CD “All I Ever Wanted”. You can download her new cd on iTunes. Go to www.americanidol.com/iTunes for more details. (Tonight, this blog is brought to you by iTunes.) I heart Kelly and this song so much! I love the fact that she’s still real-sized.
Back to the moment of truth. Anoop or Jorge? Jorge or Anoop? After 33 million votes, Anoop is safe to sing another week. Now the Judges can pretend to think about their decision while Jorge sings. Not surprisingly, the Judges send Jorge packing. Again, not too broken up about it.
Well, that’s our show for tonight. No real drama. The 2 people I wanted to go home are still around for another week. Thankfully, the 3 people I wanted most to stay are here as well. Tune in next week when our Top 11 take on some new selection of songs. Who will rise? Who will fall? Who will fall down? Let’s find out together. Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.
American Idol – Final 13 (Performance Show)
Posted by S. J. in American Idol, Season 8 on March 10, 2009
Good Evening, America! Well, here we are again. Back for another round of snarky comments, hysterical antics, and pure entertainment… and that’s just my blog. For Season 8, this year’s batch of finalists look to be one of the show’s strongest yet. There are a few questions that remain to be answered: Will the men continue to outperform the women? Will any of the Wild Card choices emerge as a real contender? And will Kara DioGuardi start a sentence without the phrase “Here’s the thing…”. Let’s find out together, shall we? This… is American Idol!
We’re going to start off slow this year, and I promise to try not to hate anyone right away. (Oops, too late.) Since there are 13 Finalists instead of 12, 2 people will be eliminated tomorrow instead of just one. (And here I thought FOX would try to stretch out the show for another week of huge ratings.) Tonight’s theme is all about the music of Michael Jackson, and if the tabloids are to be believed, he could use all the royalty money he can get from tonight. If he shows up tomorrow night to sing, we can at least be thankful that our contestants are a little too old for him. (Oops, did I say that?)
Lil Rounds (one of my early favorites) is first up tonight. Her strong R&B vocals can help set her apart from a field full of strong pop singers. She’s singing “The Way You Make Me Feel”. Her confidence is immediately evident. She can play to the camera, use the stage, and work the audience all at the same time. (And it looks like she and Paula have the same stylist.) Her vocals were amazing, and she changed the song up just enough to keep it interesting. Go on, girl!
Scott “I’m only here out of pity” MacIntyre is up next. Yes, there it is, I admit it. I don’t like him. (And yes, I know that makes me a jerk.) I think he’s an adequate singer, but I truly believe that if he weren’t visually impaired, he never would have made it this far in the competition. Yes, he’s a nice guy. Congratulations. But that doesn’t make him an amazing singer, and soon we’re all going to see that he’s in over his head. Tonight, Scott is singing “Keep the Faith” while playing the piano. He did a fine job. Hopeful message. Blah. Let the pity votes start rolling in.
Danny Gokey (another one of my early favorites) is 3rd. He’s got more momentum and sympathy than any other contestant coming in tonight, but he also has the talent and charisma to back it up. Danny is singing “P. Y. T.”. Already, I love that his glasses match his shirt. He’s got enthusiasm to spare, and it’s infectious. Love the fact that he brought the judges and the audience in for back-up vocals. The vocals were brilliant! This was a stellar performance!
Michael Sarver is 4th. I’m still not sure how he made it to the Top 13. For the life of me I just can’t figure it out. He’s another genuinely nice guy, and of course, he’s doing a sensitive song, “You Are Not Alone”. Michael has a decent voice, but even his natural smile won’t be enough to propel him to the finals. Passion, smashion. I give him a few weeks… tops… before America gets bored. I know I am already.
Jasmine Murray is our next wannabe vying for your vote. She had a lot of hype during the audition rounds, but she stumbled horribly during the semi-finals. This is her chance to prove that she’s supposed to be here. Jasmine is singing “I’ll Be There”. She’s a good vocalist, but the performance overall was quite boring. Jas is sweet, but that does not a superstar make.
Kris Allen is the 6th contestant to sing tonight. He’s flown under the radar, but if he keeps up with his vocals and his guitar, he could be a dark horse in the competition. He’s singing “Remember the Time”. Kris has the voice and the looks to sell records. The guitar definitely helps him, and it helps us forget some of those sour notes. Right now, I like, not love, him. I think he’s a contestant that will grow on me.
Allison Iraheta (another one of my early favorites) is young, but that voice? Wow! Anyone that is 16, and can take on Heart the way she did, deserves for everyone to stand up and take notice. First off, I have to say how much I love her hair. She’s singing “Give In To Me”. Allison has an authentic rocker girl vibe and gives off a Joan Jett-esque feeling. Love the gravelly voice. Love the passion and energy. She will be one to watch.
Anoop Desai, one of the most likeable guys this season, is next. He was the last minute addition to our finalists that brought us from 12 to 13, and I’m very thankful for that. Tonight, he’s singing “Beat It”. (Ugh, not a smart choice.) Anoop is comfortable with the stage, and he’s a good singer. Not amazing, but good. I wasn’t overly impressed with his performance at all, but I know he’s going to get by this week on his charm.
Jorge Nunez is the Hispanic David Archuleta of this season. He definitely has potential to do well. It’s nice to see Jorge brought his Jerry Curl to the finals. (Never leaves home without it.) He’s singing “Never Can Say Goodbye”. Unlike David Archuleta, Jorge is usually interesting to watch, but not tonight. And his singing was very blah for me. I’m not exactly contradicting what I said a few sentences ago… I did say it was potential. And he threw that potential out the window.
Megan Corkrey is next. Her jazzy nature is another breath of fresh air among the predominately pop contestants. She’s singing “Rockin’ Robin”. I’m not sure this was a smart choice for her. (I so love her tattoo sleeve.) Her performance seemed very karaoke, but not in a good way. I do love her personality and her voice, but I was just hoping for more. In the end, it was very Megan though.
Adam Lambert (another of my early favorites) is our 11th performer of the evening. His performance style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and he may have to learn some vocal subtlety, but I absolutely love him. He’s singing “Black and White”. This song is very Adam. His performance and vocal pyrotechnics are definitely on display tonight, and there is nothing subtle about it. He screeched through a few notes, but I’m willing to forgive it. He was over the top, and he owned the stage, and I LOVED IT!
Matt Giraud is next. He didn’t get a lot of screen time during the preliminaries, and during the semi finals, he wasn’t one of the contestants that was easily remembered. Matt has his work cut out for him to make a big impression with America. He and the piano are singing “Human Nature”. He’s whined again and again that he’s better with his piano, and I have to agree. Definitely more memorable with the piano. That is, until he sang like a girl at the end. He’s a talented performer, and if America can remember to vote for him, he may be around for a few more weeks.
Alexis Grace (the last of my early favorites) is here to close the show. (Does anyone else think her dad may have the ‘munchies’… a lot?) Alexis and her hooker heels are singing “Dirty Diana”. For a tiny little pixie of a girl, she sure does have a lot of power in her voice. She was a bit over the top in places, but not in a good way. Overall, she was great, and she has nothing to worry about this week.
Well, that’s our show for tonight. This could be a heckuva season. To conclude, I want to join in with Paula’s advice for the millionth time and suggest that we should ‘take it all in’! Tune in tomorrow night to find out which two of our wannabes will be heading home early. By now, you know the drill… Same Steve Time. Same Steve Channel.