Posts Tagged Dean Martin

American Idol – Final 5 (Performance Show)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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