[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
I want to apologize if this final Idol Chatter seems less detailed or that I'm a bit distracted, because I'm going to be simultaneously editing my Romeo and Juliet movie that my students and I finally finished today. But I'll try to keep the quality up for all 1 of you that actually reads this. And why shouldn't I? It's the finale! So let's get to it...
7:00: Wow, really? Lee and Crystal both auditioned in Chicago. Pretty cool. AND they just showed a clip of them both at the auditions. They both sat like... 2 chairs away from each other in the waiting room (like, Lee--person--Crystal). How serendipitous. It's almost like LOST...
7:01: "This... is American Idol!" If last night's performances mean anything, Crystal has this in the bag. But Lee has a huge fan base. But I actually think I'm rooting for a Crystal win, just so we have something a bit different to toss into the winner's circle. Not to mention her "winner song" is better anyway.
7:03: Lee seemed to have a bigger applause. And there's Randy with another weird suit-and-tie. Aw... Simon on his very last night of Idol. Oh well.
7:04: Interesting... they're (Crystal/Lee) in school girl/boy outfits.
7:05: The Top 12 are all singing together. Well, that makes sense now. They're singing "School's Out For Summer." I wish... a few more days. To quote Usher, "OMG." I just saw Siobhan in a school girl outfit. I think that about makes this the best finale ever just for that. Oh, and hey, Alice Cooper!
7:12: Here's Kris Allen, last year's surprise winner. I figured he would be singing the song that plays all the time on the radio (which I actually really like). This one's not all that bad, though.
7:15: Now a Tribute to Simon! That was funny.
7:18: Now Siobhan is singing!... with Aaron. Bleh. Way to ruin something good. It's actually not all that bad. And now the original singers of this song comes out (the Bee Gees). And they're incredibly nasally. Well, the one of them that's singing is. The other one just seems to be lip syncing to, well, nothing. It's like he's lip syncing to the other guy standing right next to him. It's almost humorous.
7:26: Big Mike's singing now.
7:28: And now Dane Cook is performing a song set to Simon's greatest insults (actually, the song is completely his insults). Haha... great Abe Lincoln joke. Hey! It's the "I Am Your Brother!" guy!
7:34: Lacey's up singing "Beautiful" with... that other girl whose name I don't remember. The girl whose last name sounded like Panini. Oh, and there's Katie... Hell, it's just the Top 6 girls. And there's Christina Aguilera.
7:42: And now Ricky Gervais is on via Satellite. He's funny.
7:47: Now Lee's singing... with the other Top 6 Guys.
7:53: And now Crystal is performing. (I know, I know... terse comments). And she's singing Alanis' "Ironic." I used this song to teach my students about irony... because nothing in the song is actually ironic. And speaking of Alanis...
8:01: And now Carrie Underwood is performing.
8:04: And now Lee and Crystal are gonna get some surprise cars. And now the last Ford Music Video.
8:07: And Casey is performing.
8:14: Here's a "Medley of Hits" from Chicago (the band) with Lee.
8:18: Another Simon video.
8:21: Hell yeah! Pants on the Ground! I almost forgot all about this. Epic! William Hung comes in for the "feat"!
8:28: And another Simon video. And Paula's back! I wasn't sure if Paula was gonna cuss him out or say nice things. That was really kinda awkward.
8:35: This is pretty cool. All the past winners are coming together to sing. Where's David Cook, though? Oh, that's cool. A bunch of other past contestants.
8:44: The Top 12 are singing.
8:55: Lee and Crystal sing with Joe Cocker.
9:01: And now it's time for the winner! The winner of American Idol 2010 is...
9:02: Lee! Despite Crystal doing better last night, I completely saw this coming. And I'm happy either way. This was a true underdog story, and Lee did deserve to win (but I think they both did, really).
9:05: Poor Lee. He can hardly get through the song from crying.
Final Thoughts: Decent season overall. It wasn't the best I've seen, and the contestants were pretty lame on the whole (a few notable exceptions, obviously). But I'm satisfied with the results. I would have been happy with either Crystal or Lee winning, for different reasons for both. So... yeah! That's it for now. If I decide to do this again next season (if I even watch next season... no Simon...)... I guess I'd see y'all then!
Showing posts with label idol chatter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label idol chatter. Show all posts
5.25.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #14: The Top 2 (Finale).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Wow, have I really not blogged anything since last Wednesday? Sorry about that, guys. It's been a muy hectic week or so. Anyway, this is it, people. The last performance night of the season! It's down to Lee and Crystal! I think they sing three songs tonight each... and I can't wait. This should be awesome. They both need to bring it tonight! Let's do it!
7:00: Cool little intro video here.
7:01: "This is their final chance... and THIS... is American Idol!"
7:03: Aw... Ryan just had to remind us this is Simon's last week on the show. You know, random thought, but I've just been wondering if Crystal's boyfriend is gonna propose to her on the show, especially after her hints earlier on in the season.
7:04: Alright, here's the 3 songs: Their favorite performance of the season that they did, a producer's choice, and the song they'll release if they win (which I don't think Kris Allen did last season, because last year's song SUCKED).
7:08: Lee's up first! He's singing his song from Inspirational Week, which is "The Boxer." I always thought this was a good performance, but it was never my favorite of his. It's still excellent, though.
7:10: Randy says it's a great way to start it off, though he needs to get more energy. Ellen is very proud of him and thought he did better this time than the first. Kara agrees with Randy. Simon wanted more passion and excitement.
7:12: Now getting right into Crystal. She's doing "Me and Bobby McGee" from Billboards Week. Again, this is another great one. But what are we to expect at this point?
7:15: Randy thought it started a bit slow, but it really picked up at the end. Though I certainly hope her album isn't like that. Too country for me. Ellen thinks she's really compelling on stage. Kara loved it. Simon says this brought him back to the time when they absolutely loved her (as she's been having a rough last few weeks).
7:21: Executive Producer's choice for Lee is "Everybody Hurts." Another slow one. Not picking any of his fun rock songs? Strange. Excellent, excellent vocals, though. Much better than his first performance.
7:23: Randy: "That was definitely better." Ellen thinks he pulled back a bit too much. Kara said it wasn't a perfect vocal, but that's what she loves about him. Simon says it was an excellent song choice, and he knows he's nervous, but he wants a 10 out of 10 for that last performance, because he knows he's capable.
7:29: Crystal is singing "Black Velvet." Again, I'm already liking this more than the first one. This has a very blues feel, which is perfect for Crystal. Lee, you really better knock the next song out of the park, because this is fantastic. Probably one of my favorite Crystal performances... ever.
7:31: Randy: "This is what I'm talkin' about!" Ellen: "That was fantastic." She gives her a standing ovation. Kara: "That's what tonight's all about." Simon was conflicted because he doesn't care for the song, but he says she took the song and "absolutely nailed it."
7:37: Alright, let's hope this song doesn't suck like last year's. This is "Beautiful Day." Um, this isn't even an original song. This is a U2 song. And I hate U2. In fact, my hate for U2 began with this song. And Lee isn't doing all that well with it. Having some pretty rough vocal issues. So... yeah. The end here isn't that bad... but the majority of it was... not great. Sorry, Lee.
7:40: Randy says pretty much everything he's said before. Ellen loved how he took the audience's energy, but didn't say much about the song itself. Kara says he got a bit swallowed by the song, but that he still deserves to be here tonight and has grown the most over the show. Simon says he made the most of it, but that Lee is exactly who this show was designed for and he genuinely wishes the best for him.
7:48: What? They have 2 different finale songs? She's singing "Up to the Mountain." Not sure I've heard this one. Sorry about this one, Lee, but I think Crystal definitely destroyed you tonight. This is a great vocal, and she's doing really (really) well. Wow.
7:50: Randy: "THIS is what this show is about." Says this is one of the best performances on this show. Ellen cannot compare Crystal to any contemporary artist out there right now, and I can totally agree with that. Crystal is nothing like anybody else out there, and she's definitely not the typical Idol (she's not a "pop" star). Kara says she was completely, emotionally invested in that song. Crystal wishes Simon good luck on his future endeavors. Simon says that was the best song/performance of the night and then "Since this is the last critique I'm ever going to give, let me say... that was outstanding."
7:54: The Recap. Lee's first song was... alright. His second song was better. His last song was... well, his first song was better. Crystal's first song was alright. Her second song was great. Her final song was... wow.
7:56: A Tribute video for the season with a song sung by the British Idol winner (it's the song that played after every "Goodbye" video. Siobhan sighting! Sorry... anyway...
Final Thoughts: I think Crystal's totally gonna win, but you can never tell... especially after last season. I'd become a Lee devotee in the last few weeks, rooting for him over Crystal. But after tonight, Crystal definitely outplayed Lee pretty hardcore. Sorry, Lee, but I'm going for Crystal now. She'd be the most unique winner ever. So we'll see tomorrow!
Wow, have I really not blogged anything since last Wednesday? Sorry about that, guys. It's been a muy hectic week or so. Anyway, this is it, people. The last performance night of the season! It's down to Lee and Crystal! I think they sing three songs tonight each... and I can't wait. This should be awesome. They both need to bring it tonight! Let's do it!
7:00: Cool little intro video here.
7:01: "This is their final chance... and THIS... is American Idol!"
7:03: Aw... Ryan just had to remind us this is Simon's last week on the show. You know, random thought, but I've just been wondering if Crystal's boyfriend is gonna propose to her on the show, especially after her hints earlier on in the season.
7:04: Alright, here's the 3 songs: Their favorite performance of the season that they did, a producer's choice, and the song they'll release if they win (which I don't think Kris Allen did last season, because last year's song SUCKED).
7:08: Lee's up first! He's singing his song from Inspirational Week, which is "The Boxer." I always thought this was a good performance, but it was never my favorite of his. It's still excellent, though.
7:10: Randy says it's a great way to start it off, though he needs to get more energy. Ellen is very proud of him and thought he did better this time than the first. Kara agrees with Randy. Simon wanted more passion and excitement.
7:12: Now getting right into Crystal. She's doing "Me and Bobby McGee" from Billboards Week. Again, this is another great one. But what are we to expect at this point?
7:15: Randy thought it started a bit slow, but it really picked up at the end. Though I certainly hope her album isn't like that. Too country for me. Ellen thinks she's really compelling on stage. Kara loved it. Simon says this brought him back to the time when they absolutely loved her (as she's been having a rough last few weeks).
7:21: Executive Producer's choice for Lee is "Everybody Hurts." Another slow one. Not picking any of his fun rock songs? Strange. Excellent, excellent vocals, though. Much better than his first performance.
7:23: Randy: "That was definitely better." Ellen thinks he pulled back a bit too much. Kara said it wasn't a perfect vocal, but that's what she loves about him. Simon says it was an excellent song choice, and he knows he's nervous, but he wants a 10 out of 10 for that last performance, because he knows he's capable.
7:29: Crystal is singing "Black Velvet." Again, I'm already liking this more than the first one. This has a very blues feel, which is perfect for Crystal. Lee, you really better knock the next song out of the park, because this is fantastic. Probably one of my favorite Crystal performances... ever.
7:31: Randy: "This is what I'm talkin' about!" Ellen: "That was fantastic." She gives her a standing ovation. Kara: "That's what tonight's all about." Simon was conflicted because he doesn't care for the song, but he says she took the song and "absolutely nailed it."
7:37: Alright, let's hope this song doesn't suck like last year's. This is "Beautiful Day." Um, this isn't even an original song. This is a U2 song. And I hate U2. In fact, my hate for U2 began with this song. And Lee isn't doing all that well with it. Having some pretty rough vocal issues. So... yeah. The end here isn't that bad... but the majority of it was... not great. Sorry, Lee.
7:40: Randy says pretty much everything he's said before. Ellen loved how he took the audience's energy, but didn't say much about the song itself. Kara says he got a bit swallowed by the song, but that he still deserves to be here tonight and has grown the most over the show. Simon says he made the most of it, but that Lee is exactly who this show was designed for and he genuinely wishes the best for him.
7:48: What? They have 2 different finale songs? She's singing "Up to the Mountain." Not sure I've heard this one. Sorry about this one, Lee, but I think Crystal definitely destroyed you tonight. This is a great vocal, and she's doing really (really) well. Wow.
7:50: Randy: "THIS is what this show is about." Says this is one of the best performances on this show. Ellen cannot compare Crystal to any contemporary artist out there right now, and I can totally agree with that. Crystal is nothing like anybody else out there, and she's definitely not the typical Idol (she's not a "pop" star). Kara says she was completely, emotionally invested in that song. Crystal wishes Simon good luck on his future endeavors. Simon says that was the best song/performance of the night and then "Since this is the last critique I'm ever going to give, let me say... that was outstanding."
7:54: The Recap. Lee's first song was... alright. His second song was better. His last song was... well, his first song was better. Crystal's first song was alright. Her second song was great. Her final song was... wow.
7:56: A Tribute video for the season with a song sung by the British Idol winner (it's the song that played after every "Goodbye" video. Siobhan sighting! Sorry... anyway...
Final Thoughts: I think Crystal's totally gonna win, but you can never tell... especially after last season. I'd become a Lee devotee in the last few weeks, rooting for him over Crystal. But after tonight, Crystal definitely outplayed Lee pretty hardcore. Sorry, Lee, but I'm going for Crystal now. She'd be the most unique winner ever. So we'll see tomorrow!
5.19.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #13.2: The Top 3 (Results).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
It's time for the results show where Casey finally gets voted off. Seriously, if anything other than that happens, I'll probably stop watching Idol. Granted, I thought about that anyway with Simon leaving after this season. Anyway, moving on.
8:00: Over-dramatic intro.
8:02: Oh great... Justin Beiber... a 14-year-old boy (I think) who looks and sounds like he's 7 and sings about true love and how he's finding the one for him. You know, I've never seen as big of a mismatch in a song than Justin Beiber and Ludacris. Yeah...
8:03: Ryan is talking to the contestants about how their lives have changed since the show.
8:08: Believe it or not, I actually prefer Ryan interviewing the contestants and having the judges talk to the contestant rather than having a million guest performers. This has been interesting.
8:13: Oh joy! The Ford Music Video! *snore*
8:14: The "Going Home" videos... by that, I mean when the contestants return to their hometowns. First up is Casey returning to Texas. Of course, all they show are females. And... Casey signed a dachshund. Huh. I've never understood why people ask famous people to sign things that are gonna be washed off anyway (pets, babies, boobs, etc.).
8:23: Turban spotting! I don't mean middle eastern headwear... but Tim Urban! Anywho... moving on.
8:24: Now, some new guy named Travis Garland who is apparently better than Justin Timberlake. I've seen this guy for only 10 seconds or so and... he's no Justin Timberlake. Good God, is this guy cheesy. He makes 90s boy band dance moves look classy. This is almost so bad it's hilarious. And is it just me, or does this guy kinda look like a Lawrence brother (remember them)? I think what made it hilarious was that he kept the straightest, most serious face while performing the most ridiculous dance moves. Anyway, it's over and... Yeah... that was... um... yeah.
8:32: Going to Ohio with Crystal now with her "Going Home" video. Well, that answers my question. A guy just had Crystal sign his chest, and when she said "you better bathe," his response was "Oh, this is getting tattooed on, baby" (and say that in your best gay voice). So... is that one woman going to get Casey's signature tattooed onto her dog?
8:36: We did get to hear some original songs from Crystal during that video, and it was really good. If that's what's to be expected from an album, I can't wait.
8:37: Now going home to Chicago with Lee. We get to see the infamous paint store... just a glimpse, anyway. Lee didn't get to sign any washables (except a baseball jersey, but I suppose that doesn't have to be washed). Aw, Lee's crying as he's singing.
8:46: My day is now complete. I get to listen to Justin Bieber do not one, but a mishmash of two of his songs. Seriously, they should stop going after Obama. I think this kid is the one who forged his birth certificate. How can anybody believe this kid is older than 8? Yet he claims he's like... wtf, 16? Trust me, I've taught 14-to-17-year-old Freshmen for a year. This kid is not 16. And... oh joy! More cheesy dancing! Fun Fact: I just went to Google to see how old he was (as I thought he was 14) and typed in "how old is." I didn't even have to finish the sentence, and the first 2-3 choices I was given was Justin Bieber. Apparently other people don't believe him, either.
8:53: Finally, some results. And the first person in the Finale is...
8:54: Lee. Heck yeah!
8:55: And joining Lee in the Finale is... Crystal... who can't believe she's safe (or is unsure). Which means Casey is going home. No surprises there, obviously.
8:56: And now for his Goodbye Song. He's doing "Daughters" again from last night. I actually like this performance. He's really relaxed, going through the audience, shaking hands. He picked up some random little girl (who I'm sure he knows or is related to) and sings with her in his lap.
8:58: The Goodbye Video. Can you imagine it? Casey almost didn't even make the show. He had to take his shirt off to even make it to Hollywood. And he ended up in the Final 3. Though I saw his potential from even his first audition.
Final Thoughts: Next week should be awesome. Lee and Crystal will be a great finale. It can really go either way and I'll be happy, but I'm actually kinda rooting for Lee at this point. See y'all next week!
It's time for the results show where Casey finally gets voted off. Seriously, if anything other than that happens, I'll probably stop watching Idol. Granted, I thought about that anyway with Simon leaving after this season. Anyway, moving on.
8:00: Over-dramatic intro.
8:02: Oh great... Justin Beiber... a 14-year-old boy (I think) who looks and sounds like he's 7 and sings about true love and how he's finding the one for him. You know, I've never seen as big of a mismatch in a song than Justin Beiber and Ludacris. Yeah...
8:03: Ryan is talking to the contestants about how their lives have changed since the show.
8:08: Believe it or not, I actually prefer Ryan interviewing the contestants and having the judges talk to the contestant rather than having a million guest performers. This has been interesting.
8:13: Oh joy! The Ford Music Video! *snore*
8:14: The "Going Home" videos... by that, I mean when the contestants return to their hometowns. First up is Casey returning to Texas. Of course, all they show are females. And... Casey signed a dachshund. Huh. I've never understood why people ask famous people to sign things that are gonna be washed off anyway (pets, babies, boobs, etc.).
8:23: Turban spotting! I don't mean middle eastern headwear... but Tim Urban! Anywho... moving on.
8:24: Now, some new guy named Travis Garland who is apparently better than Justin Timberlake. I've seen this guy for only 10 seconds or so and... he's no Justin Timberlake. Good God, is this guy cheesy. He makes 90s boy band dance moves look classy. This is almost so bad it's hilarious. And is it just me, or does this guy kinda look like a Lawrence brother (remember them)? I think what made it hilarious was that he kept the straightest, most serious face while performing the most ridiculous dance moves. Anyway, it's over and... Yeah... that was... um... yeah.
8:32: Going to Ohio with Crystal now with her "Going Home" video. Well, that answers my question. A guy just had Crystal sign his chest, and when she said "you better bathe," his response was "Oh, this is getting tattooed on, baby" (and say that in your best gay voice). So... is that one woman going to get Casey's signature tattooed onto her dog?
8:36: We did get to hear some original songs from Crystal during that video, and it was really good. If that's what's to be expected from an album, I can't wait.
8:37: Now going home to Chicago with Lee. We get to see the infamous paint store... just a glimpse, anyway. Lee didn't get to sign any washables (except a baseball jersey, but I suppose that doesn't have to be washed). Aw, Lee's crying as he's singing.
8:46: My day is now complete. I get to listen to Justin Bieber do not one, but a mishmash of two of his songs. Seriously, they should stop going after Obama. I think this kid is the one who forged his birth certificate. How can anybody believe this kid is older than 8? Yet he claims he's like... wtf, 16? Trust me, I've taught 14-to-17-year-old Freshmen for a year. This kid is not 16. And... oh joy! More cheesy dancing! Fun Fact: I just went to Google to see how old he was (as I thought he was 14) and typed in "how old is." I didn't even have to finish the sentence, and the first 2-3 choices I was given was Justin Bieber. Apparently other people don't believe him, either.
8:53: Finally, some results. And the first person in the Finale is...
8:54: Lee. Heck yeah!
8:55: And joining Lee in the Finale is... Crystal... who can't believe she's safe (or is unsure). Which means Casey is going home. No surprises there, obviously.
8:56: And now for his Goodbye Song. He's doing "Daughters" again from last night. I actually like this performance. He's really relaxed, going through the audience, shaking hands. He picked up some random little girl (who I'm sure he knows or is related to) and sings with her in his lap.
8:58: The Goodbye Video. Can you imagine it? Casey almost didn't even make the show. He had to take his shirt off to even make it to Hollywood. And he ended up in the Final 3. Though I saw his potential from even his first audition.
Final Thoughts: Next week should be awesome. Lee and Crystal will be a great finale. It can really go either way and I'll be happy, but I'm actually kinda rooting for Lee at this point. See y'all next week!
5.18.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #13: The Top 3 (Personal/Judges Picks).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Well, we're down to the Top 3, and it's a pretty pointless week. We all know Casey is going home tomorrow. Though... I wonder what they're doing tonight? I don't think they said last week. I wonder if it's Producers/Judges picks. Shouldn't that be coming up soon?
7:00: Ryan: "This... is the fight for the finale. And this..." Contestants: "Is American Idol!" Hey. A differentiation.
7:03: Hey, I was right! One song chosen by them, one song chosen by the Judges. Casey is singing... crap, I missed it. Give me a moment. Oh, it's "OK, It's Alright With Me" by Eric Hutchinson.
7:04: He has a very Rob Thomas feel here. Nothing overly impressive here, but it's a fun song. Hopefully the judges chose a bigger song for him.
7:05: Randy: "The funny thing about that lyric... That song was just kinda alright with me, too." He says you can't do that kind of safe song at this point. Ellen stumbles over her words, but agrees with Randy. Kara didn't think the song worked in his favor. Simon thinks he's lucky to have two song choices and compares it to the salad of a dinner, as he hopes there's something better to come. He said it was a dud song choice, though he did sound good.
7:11: We're back, and Crystal's up! She's singing "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge. She has a harmonica rigging on her... and an acoustic guitar. Should be fun.
7:12: The thing I love about Crystal is that I can't see how American Idol could pop-ify her. They managed to turn even heavy rockers into more pop-rock (like David Cook or Daughtrey). But with her voice and style alone, I just can't see them messing her up. Anyway, it was good.
7:14: Randy didn't like the arrangement, but he liked her vocals. Ellen really liked it. Kara agrees. Simon agrees. Yup.
7:21: Lee's up! And I believe he'll be doing some Lynyrd Skynyrd. Which song? "Simple Man."
7:22: The song's just starting, and I have to say... sorry, Crystal... despite your incredible uniqueness and great voice, I think I've officially shifted my vote to Lee for the win. Still, you know you'll get a contract, and I'll still listen to your album (And I'm talking to her like she's reading this...). Anyway, this is really good.
7:24: Randy says it's a brilliant song choice, and he did a great job. And he sees that Lee believes he can win this. Ellen agrees. Kara agrees. She says "Round 1 goes to Lee." I agree with that, too. Simon thought the other performances have been OK, but that one was "absolutely on the money." And he didn't just win round one, he crushed the others.
7:31: Time for some judges choices! Kara and Randy chose for Casey, and now we get to see the videos of them back home (partially, anyway). Casey's home in Texas. He's singing "Daughters" by John Mayer. Yeah... don't care too much for John Mayer, but mostly for his voice, so I might go with it. Let's see...
7:32: It's alright so far. Again, nothing spectacular. A couple vocal issues. It was OK. I actually think I liked Casey's choice better.
7:34: Of course Randy thought this fit him. HE CHOSE THE SONG. Ellen agrees with Randy. As does Kara. Simon's laughing crazy about something. Simon thought it was much better than the first one, but thought it was a lazy arrangement. But he thought he sounded very good on it... despite not having the "Wow" factor.
7:41: And we're back. Get to take a look at Ohio with Crystal, where we also get to hear what Ellen chose for her. She's singing "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. Let's see...
7:43: This is really good. Let's change that to "great." I actually this was a better song choice than what Randy and Kara chose. Or maybe it's just Crystal. Great stuff right there. Good job Ellen and Crystal!
7:44: Randy: "We got somebody else in it to win it!" Ellen loved it. Kara thought she took some great risks, and it paid off. Simon said he was kinda surprised when he heard the song choice, but now he gets it. He thought it was terrific. I concur.
7:51: Simon chose "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen... which I believe has already been sung this season (by Tim), but alright. Let's see! And I'm sure Simon is gonna say it was a great song choice by the end of it :P .
7:52: Wow... this is already better than Tim's rendition (which doesn't say much... though that was a really good one). Amazing. Simply amazing.
7:54: Randy says Lee just threw down the real gauntlet. Unbelievable. Ellen: "Stunning. Just... stunning." Kara: "Lee, you are what this show is all about." She said he just owned the entire night. And, of course, Simon had nothing but good things to say.
7:57: The Recap. Casey was OK and... OK. Crystal was OK and... great. Lee was great and... epically great.
Final Thoughts: Lee was brilliant tonight. Now he just has to do that again next week, and he has this in the bag. Who would have thought 12 weeks ago that Lee DeWyze was pretty much gonna win the whole thing? Casey's gone tomorrow... no real pondering about it. See y'all then.
Well, we're down to the Top 3, and it's a pretty pointless week. We all know Casey is going home tomorrow. Though... I wonder what they're doing tonight? I don't think they said last week. I wonder if it's Producers/Judges picks. Shouldn't that be coming up soon?
7:00: Ryan: "This... is the fight for the finale. And this..." Contestants: "Is American Idol!" Hey. A differentiation.
7:03: Hey, I was right! One song chosen by them, one song chosen by the Judges. Casey is singing... crap, I missed it. Give me a moment. Oh, it's "OK, It's Alright With Me" by Eric Hutchinson.
7:04: He has a very Rob Thomas feel here. Nothing overly impressive here, but it's a fun song. Hopefully the judges chose a bigger song for him.
7:05: Randy: "The funny thing about that lyric... That song was just kinda alright with me, too." He says you can't do that kind of safe song at this point. Ellen stumbles over her words, but agrees with Randy. Kara didn't think the song worked in his favor. Simon thinks he's lucky to have two song choices and compares it to the salad of a dinner, as he hopes there's something better to come. He said it was a dud song choice, though he did sound good.
7:11: We're back, and Crystal's up! She's singing "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge. She has a harmonica rigging on her... and an acoustic guitar. Should be fun.
7:12: The thing I love about Crystal is that I can't see how American Idol could pop-ify her. They managed to turn even heavy rockers into more pop-rock (like David Cook or Daughtrey). But with her voice and style alone, I just can't see them messing her up. Anyway, it was good.
7:14: Randy didn't like the arrangement, but he liked her vocals. Ellen really liked it. Kara agrees. Simon agrees. Yup.
7:21: Lee's up! And I believe he'll be doing some Lynyrd Skynyrd. Which song? "Simple Man."
7:22: The song's just starting, and I have to say... sorry, Crystal... despite your incredible uniqueness and great voice, I think I've officially shifted my vote to Lee for the win. Still, you know you'll get a contract, and I'll still listen to your album (And I'm talking to her like she's reading this...). Anyway, this is really good.
7:24: Randy says it's a brilliant song choice, and he did a great job. And he sees that Lee believes he can win this. Ellen agrees. Kara agrees. She says "Round 1 goes to Lee." I agree with that, too. Simon thought the other performances have been OK, but that one was "absolutely on the money." And he didn't just win round one, he crushed the others.
7:31: Time for some judges choices! Kara and Randy chose for Casey, and now we get to see the videos of them back home (partially, anyway). Casey's home in Texas. He's singing "Daughters" by John Mayer. Yeah... don't care too much for John Mayer, but mostly for his voice, so I might go with it. Let's see...
7:32: It's alright so far. Again, nothing spectacular. A couple vocal issues. It was OK. I actually think I liked Casey's choice better.
7:34: Of course Randy thought this fit him. HE CHOSE THE SONG. Ellen agrees with Randy. As does Kara. Simon's laughing crazy about something. Simon thought it was much better than the first one, but thought it was a lazy arrangement. But he thought he sounded very good on it... despite not having the "Wow" factor.
7:41: And we're back. Get to take a look at Ohio with Crystal, where we also get to hear what Ellen chose for her. She's singing "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. Let's see...
7:43: This is really good. Let's change that to "great." I actually this was a better song choice than what Randy and Kara chose. Or maybe it's just Crystal. Great stuff right there. Good job Ellen and Crystal!
7:44: Randy: "We got somebody else in it to win it!" Ellen loved it. Kara thought she took some great risks, and it paid off. Simon said he was kinda surprised when he heard the song choice, but now he gets it. He thought it was terrific. I concur.
7:51: Simon chose "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen... which I believe has already been sung this season (by Tim), but alright. Let's see! And I'm sure Simon is gonna say it was a great song choice by the end of it :P .
7:52: Wow... this is already better than Tim's rendition (which doesn't say much... though that was a really good one). Amazing. Simply amazing.
7:54: Randy says Lee just threw down the real gauntlet. Unbelievable. Ellen: "Stunning. Just... stunning." Kara: "Lee, you are what this show is all about." She said he just owned the entire night. And, of course, Simon had nothing but good things to say.
7:57: The Recap. Casey was OK and... OK. Crystal was OK and... great. Lee was great and... epically great.
Final Thoughts: Lee was brilliant tonight. Now he just has to do that again next week, and he has this in the bag. Who would have thought 12 weeks ago that Lee DeWyze was pretty much gonna win the whole thing? Casey's gone tomorrow... no real pondering about it. See y'all then.
5.12.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #12.2: The Top 4 (Results).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Time for the results show. You know, 55 minutes of unnecessary performances and 5 minutes of results. With Big Mike being the only person to get a "Contestants" shirt last night after an "Artist" shirt, I'm pretty much thinking he's gonna go home. Him and Casey in the bottom with Big Mike finally saying adieu.
8:00: Awkward almost-over-dramatic intro.
8:01: No real "This... is American Idol!" Oh well. So who is performing tonight? Bon Jovi... Fantasia... Daughtry. I really only care about one of those, and it ain't Fantasia (who gave such a stupid, painfully awful performance a season or two ago... I can't stand her).
8:03: And, of course, they start the show with her. Ow. My ears. Fantasia's voice hurts my ears. I've never understood the love for her. To me, she's God-awful. And I'm not exaggerating. I think she's freakin' terrible and insanely grating. I want to stab pencils into my ears right now, no lie. I've never wanted to scream "Shut the Fuck Up!" at my TV before... I'm just gonna turn the volume down. Sorry, I can't listen to this.
8:07: Did she just say "This album is much soul"? And then "I've done stuff with Mariah Kelly"? Did Mariah Carey and R. Kelly merge together?
8:11: OMG! The Ford Music Video! Who's excited? I know I'm not!
8:13: They're showing clips of previous Top 3 contestants going back to their hometowns to get parades and stuff... I'm assuming to rub in the fact that whoever goes home tonight doesn't get a parade (or a key to the city). And probably because they don't have enough stuff for this season to fill an hour, so they show footage from previous seasons.
8:16: Love Casey. In asking what Casey would like if he were to go back home, one of the things he says is "To hear a bunch of people say y'all would be nice." That's great. Then again, I think it's weird when people don't say y'all.
8:17: Getting to some results. Everybody stands up. He talks to Big Mike and Casey first. Then Lee and Crystal. And...
8:19: Casey is safe and in the Top 3. I guess Big Mike's going home. But... is there gonna be a Bottom 2? If so, who is in it with Mike?
8:24: Daughtry is performing now. One of the most popular contestants never to win. I actually enjoy Daughtry. I mean, I don't go out of my way to listen to him, but if he comes on the radio or something, I don't change the station.
8:34: Back with more results! Big Mike! This scares me... He better not follow this up with "You're safe" and/or "you're in the Top 3." Those would be the most painful and disappointing words this season.
8:35: Whew... going to Lee now. You know, it's kind of annoying when they ask him questions, because they make it sound like they're ending sentences with awkward adverbs.
8:36: Moving on to Crystal. And I have to say, I love her penguin shirt. The next person safe is...
8:37: Lee! I got scared there for a sec, because Ryan started back to Big Mike again. But then he was like "Hang tight for a minute."
8:42: And we're back with another performance... Bon Jovi. Time to go back to ignoring stuff (nothing against Bon Jovi... I just usually ignore the performances regardless unless they're interesting, and Bon Jovi doesn't really interest me).
8:52: Back to the results. The person in the Top 3 with Lee and Casey is...
8:53: Crystal. No brainer there. Big Mike's going home... again, called that.
8:54: The Goodbye Video. Get to see more of his baby stuff... and his save... and him picking people up... and all that stuff.
8:56: The Goodbye Song. And he's just going for what he sang last night. I suppose Willy has been Freed? (buh dum psh).
Final Thoughts: Not really at all surprised by tonight. It's down to the Top 3 of Casey, Lee, and Crystal. Casey will go next week, and it'll be the Final 2 of Lee and Crystal, with really either up to win it. For once, I would be happy with either one of them winning. But I'm getting ahead of myself. So I'll see y'all next week!
Time for the results show. You know, 55 minutes of unnecessary performances and 5 minutes of results. With Big Mike being the only person to get a "Contestants" shirt last night after an "Artist" shirt, I'm pretty much thinking he's gonna go home. Him and Casey in the bottom with Big Mike finally saying adieu.
8:00: Awkward almost-over-dramatic intro.
8:01: No real "This... is American Idol!" Oh well. So who is performing tonight? Bon Jovi... Fantasia... Daughtry. I really only care about one of those, and it ain't Fantasia (who gave such a stupid, painfully awful performance a season or two ago... I can't stand her).
8:03: And, of course, they start the show with her. Ow. My ears. Fantasia's voice hurts my ears. I've never understood the love for her. To me, she's God-awful. And I'm not exaggerating. I think she's freakin' terrible and insanely grating. I want to stab pencils into my ears right now, no lie. I've never wanted to scream "Shut the Fuck Up!" at my TV before... I'm just gonna turn the volume down. Sorry, I can't listen to this.
8:07: Did she just say "This album is much soul"? And then "I've done stuff with Mariah Kelly"? Did Mariah Carey and R. Kelly merge together?
8:11: OMG! The Ford Music Video! Who's excited? I know I'm not!
8:13: They're showing clips of previous Top 3 contestants going back to their hometowns to get parades and stuff... I'm assuming to rub in the fact that whoever goes home tonight doesn't get a parade (or a key to the city). And probably because they don't have enough stuff for this season to fill an hour, so they show footage from previous seasons.
8:16: Love Casey. In asking what Casey would like if he were to go back home, one of the things he says is "To hear a bunch of people say y'all would be nice." That's great. Then again, I think it's weird when people don't say y'all.
8:17: Getting to some results. Everybody stands up. He talks to Big Mike and Casey first. Then Lee and Crystal. And...
8:19: Casey is safe and in the Top 3. I guess Big Mike's going home. But... is there gonna be a Bottom 2? If so, who is in it with Mike?
8:24: Daughtry is performing now. One of the most popular contestants never to win. I actually enjoy Daughtry. I mean, I don't go out of my way to listen to him, but if he comes on the radio or something, I don't change the station.
8:34: Back with more results! Big Mike! This scares me... He better not follow this up with "You're safe" and/or "you're in the Top 3." Those would be the most painful and disappointing words this season.
8:35: Whew... going to Lee now. You know, it's kind of annoying when they ask him questions, because they make it sound like they're ending sentences with awkward adverbs.
8:36: Moving on to Crystal. And I have to say, I love her penguin shirt. The next person safe is...
8:37: Lee! I got scared there for a sec, because Ryan started back to Big Mike again. But then he was like "Hang tight for a minute."
8:42: And we're back with another performance... Bon Jovi. Time to go back to ignoring stuff (nothing against Bon Jovi... I just usually ignore the performances regardless unless they're interesting, and Bon Jovi doesn't really interest me).
8:52: Back to the results. The person in the Top 3 with Lee and Casey is...
8:53: Crystal. No brainer there. Big Mike's going home... again, called that.
8:54: The Goodbye Video. Get to see more of his baby stuff... and his save... and him picking people up... and all that stuff.
8:56: The Goodbye Song. And he's just going for what he sang last night. I suppose Willy has been Freed? (buh dum psh).
Final Thoughts: Not really at all surprised by tonight. It's down to the Top 3 of Casey, Lee, and Crystal. Casey will go next week, and it'll be the Final 2 of Lee and Crystal, with really either up to win it. For once, I would be happy with either one of them winning. But I'm getting ahead of myself. So I'll see y'all next week!
5.11.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #12: The Top 4 (Movies).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Whoo! It's "Songs of the Movies" tonight! I'm excited. I wonder if any of them are gonna sing that one song from the Kevin Costner Robin Hood since Crowe's Robin Hood comes out on Friday. I so hope not.
7:00: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: I was wondering how they were going to pad the hour. Ryan just said they would be singing their solos, but they'll also be paired up to do duets. I'm wondering why they haven't started having them sings 2 songs yet. I'm sure that'll be next week.
7:03: Because Jamie Foxx's music isn't annoying (that was sarcasm), they have him back for the second year in a row as a mentor.
7:04: Ha, that's awesome. Jamie Foxx challenged the contestants to a type of T-Shirt contest. He had 2 shirts, "Contestant" and "Artist," and they have to prove themselves to see which one they are, and he gives them that shirt.
7:05: Lee's up first! And he's doing... Kiss From A Rose by Seal from Batman. And Foxx is getting right into his face... he did that last season, too. He gives Lee an "Artist" shirt.
7:06: He was kinda rough at first until he got into the refrain, then it picked up. But he's still a bit rough. Not Lee's best so far. It was alright.
7:08: Randy didn't think he did anything with the song and it was just OK. I can agree with that. Ellen agrees, but still says he's so good. Kara thought it was rough, too, but still thinks Lee is great. Simon's with Randy, and calls him (of the T-Shirt thing) a "Contestant."
7:10: Oh Em Gee. Lee will be doing his duet with Crystal! That's gonna rock.
7:14: Big Mike's up. I wonder if he's gonna sing something like "I Believe I Can Fly" from Space Jam. Wait... or maybe "Hero" from Spider-Man. Wait...
7:15: He's singing "Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson from... Free Willy. Big Mike singing a song about a whale. Too easy... Anyway, Jamie Foxx wasn't impressed.
7:16: It's alright. It's... well, it was Mike. What else can be said? It wasn't a slow-tempo ballad. It was more mid-tempo... and it was alright.
7:18: Randy didn't love it and just thought it was alright. Ellen agreed. Kara agreed (she wanted goosebumps and didn't get them). Simon's never heard of Free Willy (Simon: "What's Free Willy about?" Mike: "Well, it's about a whale..." Simon: "I can't connect what you just did to a whale named Willy." Kara: "The song's not about a whale." Simon: "Is it about a willy?" LOL). No comment.
7:26: Holy crap! Crystal and Lee singing "Falling Slowly" from Once. This is effing epic. I just got goosebumps. This is the performance of the season right here. I'm downloading that immediately.
7:28: Randy loved it. Ellen loved it. Kara: "One of my favorite moments of the entire season." Simon: "I don't know if I'd call that a good song. I'd call that a fantastic song." Absolutely amazing.
7:33: Casey is singing "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkle from The Graduate. Jamie Foxx wants Casey to seduce him. Casey ends up with an "Artist" shirt.
7:35: Not bad. Of the solo performances, this one is the best thus far (sorry Lee). I've enjoyed it.
7:37: Randy wonders why he chose the song. Everybody points to Kara (who has been flirting with Casey all season). Funny. He thought it was a cool, laid back version of the song. Ellen wished he would have gone a bit further with the song, but enjoyed it. She then passes it to Mrs. Robinson (Kara). Kara says he's fighting to stay in the performance and likes it. Simon begs her to tell him what the movie's about (he knows, but he's teasing her). Simon thought the performance was a little lazy and didn't have the substance for this important night for him.
7:44: Crystal's up now. She's singing a song from Caddyshack. Uh huh. She's singing "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins. He gave her an "Artist" shirt, but I think just barely... strangely enough.
7:45: Has a kind of blues sound to it, just a bit. She's doing pretty well with it. This has taken over Casey's as the best solo performance, but I figured it would. I enjoyed it.
7:47: Randy liked how she switched it up. Ellen actually thinks she just made that song better. Kara agrees with Ellen. Simon's never heard of Caddyshack, either, apparently. But he says Crystal's back in the game.
NOTE: Ryan just said Casey and Big Mike's duet was to Bryan Adams... dear God, no... they're doing it. They're actually doing it. They're gonna have a skinny white guy and a large black man sing Robin Hood's "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" to each other. I think just the match-up of those two singing that to each other make it all forgivable, though.
7:52: And... alright, I guess not. They're singing "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" from Don Juan Demarco. Damn. There went comedy gold. Anywho, this doesn't hold a candle to Lee and Crystal. This is good. Better than either of their solos. Yikes, that duel note there did not sound good, though.
7:55: Randy loved the guitar playing and, despite starting off with shaky vocals, he liked it. Ellen: "Well, as a matter of fact, yes I have loved a woman." LOL. Kara: "The duets tonight were incredible. They were better than all of the solo performances." I agree. Simon agrees, as well.
7:56: The Recap. Lee was... alright. Mike was... alright. Casey was... fun. Crystal was... really good. But the duets freakin' rocked. I'm still hyped about that "Falling Slowly" performance.
7:58: Jamie Foxx thought it was a great night and enjoyed it. I miss Harry Connick Jr.
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 2 will be Big Mike and Casey... who knows which will be going, though? Probably Big Mike.
Whoo! It's "Songs of the Movies" tonight! I'm excited. I wonder if any of them are gonna sing that one song from the Kevin Costner Robin Hood since Crowe's Robin Hood comes out on Friday. I so hope not.
7:00: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: I was wondering how they were going to pad the hour. Ryan just said they would be singing their solos, but they'll also be paired up to do duets. I'm wondering why they haven't started having them sings 2 songs yet. I'm sure that'll be next week.
7:03: Because Jamie Foxx's music isn't annoying (that was sarcasm), they have him back for the second year in a row as a mentor.
7:04: Ha, that's awesome. Jamie Foxx challenged the contestants to a type of T-Shirt contest. He had 2 shirts, "Contestant" and "Artist," and they have to prove themselves to see which one they are, and he gives them that shirt.
7:05: Lee's up first! And he's doing... Kiss From A Rose by Seal from Batman. And Foxx is getting right into his face... he did that last season, too. He gives Lee an "Artist" shirt.
7:06: He was kinda rough at first until he got into the refrain, then it picked up. But he's still a bit rough. Not Lee's best so far. It was alright.
7:08: Randy didn't think he did anything with the song and it was just OK. I can agree with that. Ellen agrees, but still says he's so good. Kara thought it was rough, too, but still thinks Lee is great. Simon's with Randy, and calls him (of the T-Shirt thing) a "Contestant."
7:10: Oh Em Gee. Lee will be doing his duet with Crystal! That's gonna rock.
7:14: Big Mike's up. I wonder if he's gonna sing something like "I Believe I Can Fly" from Space Jam. Wait... or maybe "Hero" from Spider-Man. Wait...
7:15: He's singing "Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson from... Free Willy. Big Mike singing a song about a whale. Too easy... Anyway, Jamie Foxx wasn't impressed.
7:16: It's alright. It's... well, it was Mike. What else can be said? It wasn't a slow-tempo ballad. It was more mid-tempo... and it was alright.
7:18: Randy didn't love it and just thought it was alright. Ellen agreed. Kara agreed (she wanted goosebumps and didn't get them). Simon's never heard of Free Willy (Simon: "What's Free Willy about?" Mike: "Well, it's about a whale..." Simon: "I can't connect what you just did to a whale named Willy." Kara: "The song's not about a whale." Simon: "Is it about a willy?" LOL). No comment.
7:26: Holy crap! Crystal and Lee singing "Falling Slowly" from Once. This is effing epic. I just got goosebumps. This is the performance of the season right here. I'm downloading that immediately.
7:28: Randy loved it. Ellen loved it. Kara: "One of my favorite moments of the entire season." Simon: "I don't know if I'd call that a good song. I'd call that a fantastic song." Absolutely amazing.
7:33: Casey is singing "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkle from The Graduate. Jamie Foxx wants Casey to seduce him. Casey ends up with an "Artist" shirt.
7:35: Not bad. Of the solo performances, this one is the best thus far (sorry Lee). I've enjoyed it.
7:37: Randy wonders why he chose the song. Everybody points to Kara (who has been flirting with Casey all season). Funny. He thought it was a cool, laid back version of the song. Ellen wished he would have gone a bit further with the song, but enjoyed it. She then passes it to Mrs. Robinson (Kara). Kara says he's fighting to stay in the performance and likes it. Simon begs her to tell him what the movie's about (he knows, but he's teasing her). Simon thought the performance was a little lazy and didn't have the substance for this important night for him.
7:44: Crystal's up now. She's singing a song from Caddyshack. Uh huh. She's singing "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins. He gave her an "Artist" shirt, but I think just barely... strangely enough.
7:45: Has a kind of blues sound to it, just a bit. She's doing pretty well with it. This has taken over Casey's as the best solo performance, but I figured it would. I enjoyed it.
7:47: Randy liked how she switched it up. Ellen actually thinks she just made that song better. Kara agrees with Ellen. Simon's never heard of Caddyshack, either, apparently. But he says Crystal's back in the game.
NOTE: Ryan just said Casey and Big Mike's duet was to Bryan Adams... dear God, no... they're doing it. They're actually doing it. They're gonna have a skinny white guy and a large black man sing Robin Hood's "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" to each other. I think just the match-up of those two singing that to each other make it all forgivable, though.
7:52: And... alright, I guess not. They're singing "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" from Don Juan Demarco. Damn. There went comedy gold. Anywho, this doesn't hold a candle to Lee and Crystal. This is good. Better than either of their solos. Yikes, that duel note there did not sound good, though.
7:55: Randy loved the guitar playing and, despite starting off with shaky vocals, he liked it. Ellen: "Well, as a matter of fact, yes I have loved a woman." LOL. Kara: "The duets tonight were incredible. They were better than all of the solo performances." I agree. Simon agrees, as well.
7:56: The Recap. Lee was... alright. Mike was... alright. Casey was... fun. Crystal was... really good. But the duets freakin' rocked. I'm still hyped about that "Falling Slowly" performance.
7:58: Jamie Foxx thought it was a great night and enjoyed it. I miss Harry Connick Jr.
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 2 will be Big Mike and Casey... who knows which will be going, though? Probably Big Mike.
5.05.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #11.2: The Top 5 (Results).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
The intro video showing more funny HCJ... then goes right back into the overly dramatic stuff. I think tonight, again, the Bottom 3 will be Aaron, Casey, and Mike, with Aaron going home (though possibly Casey, if we want another angering shocker).
8:01: "This... is... AMERICAN IDOL!" Interesting new emphases... trying to switch it up a bit, Ryan?
8:02: Lady GaGa performs tonight. Assuming she's performing "Alejandro," that will probably be the 3-4 time I've heard that song today. There's only so much of it I can take...
8:03: The Top 5 performing a medley of Sinatra songs. Let me take this time to pose a question to myself: Why do I do a live blog for the results show? Nobody cares how I thought the bajillion and one guest performers did. They just want to know results. But I suppose doing an American Idol post with only about 5 lines wouldn't be all that interesting. So for prosperity's sake, I shall continue on. Hell, there are only a few more, anyway. Oh, and the medley is alright. Lee's been getting quite a bit of cheering. I'm starting to think he's actually gonna overtake Crystal for the win. What an underdog story if it happens.
8:09: Hells to the yes! Next week will be "Songs of the Cinema"! They'll be doing songs from movies! That'll be awesome. Anyway.
8:10: Ryan: "Are you ready... for the world premier... of the new... Ford Music Video?" No, actually... I really couldn't care less. Though they're singing Plain White T's, I believe... I haven't heard this song in a while, but it's a good one.
8:11: We get a video on how Tuesdays have changed for the contestants... before they got on the show and after they got on. And...
8:12: Did they just say 7 AM was early? Pfft... and did they just call a tequito a burrito? Get your Mexican (or at least Tex-Mex) cuisine right.
8:14: Getting to some results. He talks to the contestants for a minute.
8:15: Lee stands up first. He goes to the center of the stage. I think tonight might actually be the night when Ryan does the "choose which group you think you should be standing with" thing that's so mean. I'm guessing he'll do it to Aaron.
8:18: Or not. Lee's safe. I guess he's not gonna do it this season? Huh. Oh well. But yay! Lee's safe!
8:22: And we're back with Lady Gaga... because when I think Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga is the first to come to mind. And... she's singing Alejandro. Blah. Though she's starting off with Bad Romance? Interesting. No comment on the whole thing, really. Interesting outfit, I suppose? Yeah.
8:32: And we're back... again. But instead of doing any more results, we get to see some behind the scenes with HCJ and his humor. I can go with that. And, yeah, he's funny. And he's gonna sing now. No offense to the type of music or HCJ, who seems like a super awesome guy, but I'm just not a fan of crooner-type music. So... I can give a pass on this. Not that it's bad or anything. It's not, and everybody there is incredibly talented. I just don't care for it.
8:38: HCJ stops singing after the song ends (duh) and addresses the audience. Pretty cool and different. He makes an Ellen joke... and then announces that he'll be accompanying the contestants in singing some of his songs. And so far, most of them are doing even better than last night. For instance, Casey's few seconds of singing here are miles better than his whole performance last night.
8:42: HCJ tells the story of when he first met Sinatra. Fun story.
8:48: Finally getting back to some results. Crystal stands up. She moves to the far side of the stage.
8:49: Big Mike stands up. He stands on the near side of the stage. Aaron stands up. He better not join Crystal...
8:50: Thank God. He joins Big Mike. Casey stands up. Go join Crystal... and... yeah, he goes over to Crystal. BASTARD! He's doing the "choose a group" thing, making Lee choose. Lee refuses to pinpoint the safe group. Good for you, Lee. But the Bottom is...
8:51: Mike and Aaron. That means Casey and Crystal are safe along with Aaron. I suppose that means Aaron is finally going home?
8:55: I have to be honest... I won't be hurt with either of them going, but I want it to be Aaron. And it's...
8:56: Aaron! About damn time. Now we get the Goodbye Video.
8:58: And now we get the Goodbye Song. And he's just singing what he sang last night. Because people liked it enough the first time to vote you through, right? Bleh.
Final Thoughts: I'm glad Aaron is finally gone. Next week is the Top 4 of Crystal, Lee, Casey, and Mike singing Songs of the Movies. I hope it's as awesome as I hope. We'll see. See y'all then.
The intro video showing more funny HCJ... then goes right back into the overly dramatic stuff. I think tonight, again, the Bottom 3 will be Aaron, Casey, and Mike, with Aaron going home (though possibly Casey, if we want another angering shocker).
8:01: "This... is... AMERICAN IDOL!" Interesting new emphases... trying to switch it up a bit, Ryan?
8:02: Lady GaGa performs tonight. Assuming she's performing "Alejandro," that will probably be the 3-4 time I've heard that song today. There's only so much of it I can take...
8:03: The Top 5 performing a medley of Sinatra songs. Let me take this time to pose a question to myself: Why do I do a live blog for the results show? Nobody cares how I thought the bajillion and one guest performers did. They just want to know results. But I suppose doing an American Idol post with only about 5 lines wouldn't be all that interesting. So for prosperity's sake, I shall continue on. Hell, there are only a few more, anyway. Oh, and the medley is alright. Lee's been getting quite a bit of cheering. I'm starting to think he's actually gonna overtake Crystal for the win. What an underdog story if it happens.
8:09: Hells to the yes! Next week will be "Songs of the Cinema"! They'll be doing songs from movies! That'll be awesome. Anyway.
8:10: Ryan: "Are you ready... for the world premier... of the new... Ford Music Video?" No, actually... I really couldn't care less. Though they're singing Plain White T's, I believe... I haven't heard this song in a while, but it's a good one.
8:11: We get a video on how Tuesdays have changed for the contestants... before they got on the show and after they got on. And...
8:12: Did they just say 7 AM was early? Pfft... and did they just call a tequito a burrito? Get your Mexican (or at least Tex-Mex) cuisine right.
8:14: Getting to some results. He talks to the contestants for a minute.
8:15: Lee stands up first. He goes to the center of the stage. I think tonight might actually be the night when Ryan does the "choose which group you think you should be standing with" thing that's so mean. I'm guessing he'll do it to Aaron.
8:18: Or not. Lee's safe. I guess he's not gonna do it this season? Huh. Oh well. But yay! Lee's safe!
8:22: And we're back with Lady Gaga... because when I think Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga is the first to come to mind. And... she's singing Alejandro. Blah. Though she's starting off with Bad Romance? Interesting. No comment on the whole thing, really. Interesting outfit, I suppose? Yeah.
8:32: And we're back... again. But instead of doing any more results, we get to see some behind the scenes with HCJ and his humor. I can go with that. And, yeah, he's funny. And he's gonna sing now. No offense to the type of music or HCJ, who seems like a super awesome guy, but I'm just not a fan of crooner-type music. So... I can give a pass on this. Not that it's bad or anything. It's not, and everybody there is incredibly talented. I just don't care for it.
8:38: HCJ stops singing after the song ends (duh) and addresses the audience. Pretty cool and different. He makes an Ellen joke... and then announces that he'll be accompanying the contestants in singing some of his songs. And so far, most of them are doing even better than last night. For instance, Casey's few seconds of singing here are miles better than his whole performance last night.
8:42: HCJ tells the story of when he first met Sinatra. Fun story.
8:48: Finally getting back to some results. Crystal stands up. She moves to the far side of the stage.
8:49: Big Mike stands up. He stands on the near side of the stage. Aaron stands up. He better not join Crystal...
8:50: Thank God. He joins Big Mike. Casey stands up. Go join Crystal... and... yeah, he goes over to Crystal. BASTARD! He's doing the "choose a group" thing, making Lee choose. Lee refuses to pinpoint the safe group. Good for you, Lee. But the Bottom is...
8:51: Mike and Aaron. That means Casey and Crystal are safe along with Aaron. I suppose that means Aaron is finally going home?
8:55: I have to be honest... I won't be hurt with either of them going, but I want it to be Aaron. And it's...
8:56: Aaron! About damn time. Now we get the Goodbye Video.
8:58: And now we get the Goodbye Song. And he's just singing what he sang last night. Because people liked it enough the first time to vote you through, right? Bleh.
Final Thoughts: I'm glad Aaron is finally gone. Next week is the Top 4 of Crystal, Lee, Casey, and Mike singing Songs of the Movies. I hope it's as awesome as I hope. We'll see. See y'all then.
5.04.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #11: The Top 5 (Frank Sinatra).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
For what is probably the third time, my internet decides, right before I have to start the live blog, to not function properly. Thankfully, however, it's up and operational now. Anyway, we're down to the final 5... and it's Frank Sinatra night. Prepare for a bunch of "That was so old fashioned" comments. And Harry Connick Jr. is the mentor. I think Siobhan would have done amazing this week... oh well.
7:00: Harry Connick Jr.: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: Wow... usually when Ryan asks "Who's your favorite?" to the audience, it's just a jumbled reply of "I really can't understand any of it." But pretty much everybody was screaming "LEE!" Wow.
7:03: No, Harry... It's MYRIAD WAYS. Not "myriad OF ways." The "of" is built in. OK, I'm done.
7:05: Interesting. Harry Connick Jr. (hereon in redubed HCJ) is not only mentoring for the contestants, but writing their compositions (how the band is going to play the songs, etc.). So if the judges have any complaints to how the song sounds, they only have the mentor to blame.
7:11: Aaron is up first. Oh wow, I'm already disliking it. He just started singing a note and it made my ears hurt. And then HCJ was like "What you're singing doesn't make sense" (key-wise). And that's just the rehearsal video with the mentor. He's doing "Fly Me To The Moon." Here's goes the real thing.
7:13: Ick... the actual performance isn't faring well, either. He's really pitchy. It sounds terrible. Imagine a Jonas Brother trying to do Sinatra... and doing it horribly (like, even for a Jonas Brother). You'll get a general idea of what this is like.
7:15: WHAT? Randy said he did a really good job. Are you kidding me? Ellen makes a joke about HCJ's piano playing. She thinks he really pulled it off. WHAT? Kara didn't think it was as strong as last week (which was also horrendous)... and says that he'll be back next week? I certainly hope not. Simon is more with Kara. He says if Sinatra were a lion, Aaron was a mouse... but people seem to like him. These judges are crazy. That was awful.
7:22: We're back with Casey. And apparently last week, his friend called him up for a 50-dollar gig and was unaware Casey was on Idol. Funny. HCJ is a jokester. And he likes Casey's groove. Oh, and he's singing "Blue Skies."
7:24: I'm liking this one so far. Typical Casey bluesy feel. Overall, really good. Not the typical Casey.
7:25: Randy thought it was his worst performance... yeah, these judges are crazy. Ellen makes another HCJ joke. But she thought his performance was very stiff. Kara says he sounds like a lamb with his vibrato. Simon didn't think he was fantastic and thought he was embarrassed/awkward. And HCJ chimes in and says that Casey did better in rehearsal. Interesting. But hey, I'm so glad they're getting the opinion of the mentor. They're listening to me!
Note: Maybe I just wasn't listening very closely (as I was typing this up). I'll give them the first note was pitchy and off, and he does have the lamb vibrato. But I didn't think it was all that bad. But then again, I guess I might not have been fully focused on the song.
7:33: Random Anthony Hopkins sighting. Wow... horribly shameless Coca-Cola plug. Anyway, Crystal is up. She'll do great, I'm sure. She's singing "Summer Wind."
7:34: She looks fantastic in the dress, first of all. But her singing is even more fantastic. But what else is new?
7:36: Randy thought it was OK, but sleepy. LAME. Ellen thought she needed to loosen up more, but that overall she's really impressive. Kara: "It's out of your element, but I kinda liked it." Simon thought the second half of the song was better, but that's she's only had 2 OK weeks. Bleh. Whatevs, yo.
7:43: Big Mike is up. He should do well tonight. This seems right up his alley. Let's just hope I can actually care. But he's saying it's a "dancing" song, so I have hopes. He's doing "The Way You Look Tonight."
7:44: Vocally good, as usual. But it's still one of those 'mid-tempo' songs. And I'm not really tempted to get up and dance (no worries). But I do give him credit that it's one of his better performances as of late... and probably one of the better ones of the night. But it's been a pretty mediocre night, so that doesn't say all that much.
7:47: Randy loved it ("Mike is in it to win it"). Ellen says he seems to have the most comfort on stage... and she thought the whole thing was really good. Kara says he did everything right. Simon essentially just said Mike's was the best performance of the night. Let's just hope that the next performance blows them all out of the water.
7:54: Lee! He's singing "That's Life." HCJ says Lee reminds him of a new and improved version of him. And he loves him. HCJ is hilarious.
7:55: Starting off really well. And it's continuing very well. I'll go so far as to say this is the best of the night... saving the best for last.
7:56: Randy loved it. Ellen was distracted by Harry's "organ" (instrument). She says that if this was the last night of performances, he would have just won the whole thing. I can agree with that. Kara asks Lee if he thinks he can win. He says yes, and she says he can win this thing. Simon says that HCJ managed to help bring out Lee's personality and that it was, by far, the best performance of the night. For once tonight, I agree with the judges. Man, HCJ should be the mentor every week (just for his humor).
7:59: The Recap. Aaron is still bad. I still don't think Casey is pitchy... though he is lamb-ish. Crystal is still really good. Big Mike is good. Lee is excellent.
Final Thoughts: I'm thinking a Bottom 3 of Aaron, Casey, and Mike, with Aaron going home (runner-up leaver, Casey). We'll see.
For what is probably the third time, my internet decides, right before I have to start the live blog, to not function properly. Thankfully, however, it's up and operational now. Anyway, we're down to the final 5... and it's Frank Sinatra night. Prepare for a bunch of "That was so old fashioned" comments. And Harry Connick Jr. is the mentor. I think Siobhan would have done amazing this week... oh well.
7:00: Harry Connick Jr.: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: Wow... usually when Ryan asks "Who's your favorite?" to the audience, it's just a jumbled reply of "I really can't understand any of it." But pretty much everybody was screaming "LEE!" Wow.
7:03: No, Harry... It's MYRIAD WAYS. Not "myriad OF ways." The "of" is built in. OK, I'm done.
7:05: Interesting. Harry Connick Jr. (hereon in redubed HCJ) is not only mentoring for the contestants, but writing their compositions (how the band is going to play the songs, etc.). So if the judges have any complaints to how the song sounds, they only have the mentor to blame.
7:11: Aaron is up first. Oh wow, I'm already disliking it. He just started singing a note and it made my ears hurt. And then HCJ was like "What you're singing doesn't make sense" (key-wise). And that's just the rehearsal video with the mentor. He's doing "Fly Me To The Moon." Here's goes the real thing.
7:13: Ick... the actual performance isn't faring well, either. He's really pitchy. It sounds terrible. Imagine a Jonas Brother trying to do Sinatra... and doing it horribly (like, even for a Jonas Brother). You'll get a general idea of what this is like.
7:15: WHAT? Randy said he did a really good job. Are you kidding me? Ellen makes a joke about HCJ's piano playing. She thinks he really pulled it off. WHAT? Kara didn't think it was as strong as last week (which was also horrendous)... and says that he'll be back next week? I certainly hope not. Simon is more with Kara. He says if Sinatra were a lion, Aaron was a mouse... but people seem to like him. These judges are crazy. That was awful.
7:22: We're back with Casey. And apparently last week, his friend called him up for a 50-dollar gig and was unaware Casey was on Idol. Funny. HCJ is a jokester. And he likes Casey's groove. Oh, and he's singing "Blue Skies."
7:24: I'm liking this one so far. Typical Casey bluesy feel. Overall, really good. Not the typical Casey.
7:25: Randy thought it was his worst performance... yeah, these judges are crazy. Ellen makes another HCJ joke. But she thought his performance was very stiff. Kara says he sounds like a lamb with his vibrato. Simon didn't think he was fantastic and thought he was embarrassed/awkward. And HCJ chimes in and says that Casey did better in rehearsal. Interesting. But hey, I'm so glad they're getting the opinion of the mentor. They're listening to me!
Note: Maybe I just wasn't listening very closely (as I was typing this up). I'll give them the first note was pitchy and off, and he does have the lamb vibrato. But I didn't think it was all that bad. But then again, I guess I might not have been fully focused on the song.
7:33: Random Anthony Hopkins sighting. Wow... horribly shameless Coca-Cola plug. Anyway, Crystal is up. She'll do great, I'm sure. She's singing "Summer Wind."
7:34: She looks fantastic in the dress, first of all. But her singing is even more fantastic. But what else is new?
7:36: Randy thought it was OK, but sleepy. LAME. Ellen thought she needed to loosen up more, but that overall she's really impressive. Kara: "It's out of your element, but I kinda liked it." Simon thought the second half of the song was better, but that's she's only had 2 OK weeks. Bleh. Whatevs, yo.
7:43: Big Mike is up. He should do well tonight. This seems right up his alley. Let's just hope I can actually care. But he's saying it's a "dancing" song, so I have hopes. He's doing "The Way You Look Tonight."
7:44: Vocally good, as usual. But it's still one of those 'mid-tempo' songs. And I'm not really tempted to get up and dance (no worries). But I do give him credit that it's one of his better performances as of late... and probably one of the better ones of the night. But it's been a pretty mediocre night, so that doesn't say all that much.
7:47: Randy loved it ("Mike is in it to win it"). Ellen says he seems to have the most comfort on stage... and she thought the whole thing was really good. Kara says he did everything right. Simon essentially just said Mike's was the best performance of the night. Let's just hope that the next performance blows them all out of the water.
7:54: Lee! He's singing "That's Life." HCJ says Lee reminds him of a new and improved version of him. And he loves him. HCJ is hilarious.
7:55: Starting off really well. And it's continuing very well. I'll go so far as to say this is the best of the night... saving the best for last.
7:56: Randy loved it. Ellen was distracted by Harry's "organ" (instrument). She says that if this was the last night of performances, he would have just won the whole thing. I can agree with that. Kara asks Lee if he thinks he can win. He says yes, and she says he can win this thing. Simon says that HCJ managed to help bring out Lee's personality and that it was, by far, the best performance of the night. For once tonight, I agree with the judges. Man, HCJ should be the mentor every week (just for his humor).
7:59: The Recap. Aaron is still bad. I still don't think Casey is pitchy... though he is lamb-ish. Crystal is still really good. Big Mike is good. Lee is excellent.
Final Thoughts: I'm thinking a Bottom 3 of Aaron, Casey, and Mike, with Aaron going home (runner-up leaver, Casey). We'll see.
4.28.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #10.2: The Top 6 (Results).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Well, thank God Idol Gives Back is over. I don't have to deal with all that... humanitarian stuff again. Still, there's gonna be a bunch of country performances tonight, which I'm not looking forward to. But still. Getting to it. Prediction: Again, as I said last night, I figure the Bottom 3 will probably be Aaron, Mike, and either Casey or Siobhan... with Aaron going home. So we'll see.
8:00: Cue overly dramatic intro video.
8:01: Did Ryan say "This... is American Idol!"? I really wasn't paying attention. Oh well.
8:02: Lame. Instead of doing the cheesy group performance, they kick it off with a band. Rascal Flatts. I'm actually OK with this. Rascal Flatts is about as close as I'll get to country without wanting to vomit. However, this performance seems like... he seems bored. There's no emotion to it. And the lyrics seem forced, like he can't fit them in with the music.
8:09: Behind the scenes of the Ford Music Video. Interesting. They're supposed to be vampires. Casey actually makes for an amazingly cool vampire. As does Siobhan. I could so see a vampire movie made with Casey and Siobhan. Though Crystal's blood-red eyes are crazy, too.
8:11: Pretty cool (though cheesy) video. And Siobhan, despite her falling out of my singing graces, is still a really hot vampire.
8:12: Now they get to see to do voice acting stuff for Shrek Forever After. And now they get to see the movie.
8:15: And now Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas are on stage. Wow... Antonio has aged.
8:17: Finally, getting to some results. Siobhan stands up. She heads to the far side of the stage.
8:18: Aaron stands up. He moves to the center of the stage. Big Mike stands up. He stands on the near side of the stage. So... 3 groups?
8:19: Lee stands up. Lol... Ryan says "Was it hard to make such a well known song your own, Lee?" And it took me a minute, because I thought he say "your only." Anyway, he joins Siobhan on the far side of the stage.
8:20: Casey stands up. He joins Big Mike.
8:21: Crystal stands. I can only assume she'll be joining Aaron. Yup. I don't like Crystal standing with Aaron (for either implication... the strongest and weakest singers next to each other?).
8:22: Siobhan walks with Ryan back to the couches. And... HOLY CRAP? Big Mike, Casey, and Siobhan are the Bottom 3? Seriously, holy crap. I mean, I figured 2 of those were gonna be in the bottom with Aaron, but... Aaron is safe and all THREE are in the Bottom? Blasphemy...
8:27: So, next week will be the songs of Frank Sinatra. Should be full of comments like "This performance felt so old-fashioned." Anywho...
8:28: Did they bring in Carrie Underwood just to announce another band called Sons of Sylvia? Talk about vampires. These guys look like they should be doing alternative punk or goth metal or... emo music or something. But... I'm not sure what this is. It doesn't have that country twang (in either their voices or their instruments). And he has an electric violin, which is always cool. And another guy playing an... electric mandolin? I'm not sure I've ever seen that before. I just googled these guys, and they're considered a country trio, but this is not country. Or maybe they just found their least country-sounding song. This is just... strange. I'm not sure how to categorize this. I'll be looking more into these guys. And if they have a similar sound as they did here in most of their songs, I might have actually found a "country" band I can stand.
NOTE: I'm not sure how my mom could have gone from being a hippie to being how she is now. I called her to make sure what I had listened to was not country music, and she agreed with that, but thought it was weird... mostly because of how the singers looked. In fact, she declared that she didn't like it at all mostly because the guys looked strange, ignoring their, you know, singing and/or musical abilities. Anyway... enough about my parental unit.
8:36: We're back with another band, and this is Lady Antebellum. This song is incredibly over-played on the radio and gets on my nerves. And it's everything that annoys me about country music. A depressing story. Talks of whiskey. And the twang in both voice and instruments. So I'm gonna ignore it.
8:44: And... another performance. Rascal Flatts and... Shakira? Alrighty then. Mmm... her hips sure don't lie. You can be a Gypsy all you want... and you can travel on over to my place. Gimme a peek at your She-Wolf. And... yeah, I'm running out of puns and/or innuendo.
8:48: Getting back to the results. I'm sure he's gonna send one person back to safety. I figure Siobhan is safe tonight, and... I was halfway through typing "Mike will be going home tonight" when Ryan says "Mike, you are safe." WTF? This means Casey or Siobhan is going home?! BEFORE AARON? Double-You Tee Eff, Mate?!
8:54: Getting to it. See, THIS would be the night for the Save. But no, that had to waste it on Mike. Lame. Anyway, the person going home tonight is... Siobhan!? Wow. I so did not see that coming. Siobhan was supposed to make it into the Top 4 at the very least. I mean, I haven't been big into Siobhan's singing for a few weeks now, but still... she's miles ahead of Aaron and Mike. And she's hot... Oh well.
8:55: The goodbye video.
8:56: The goodbye song. She's singing "Think." Good. One of her really good ones. And that was great.
8:58: Siobhan gives Simon a hug. Aww. This was the biggest goodbye to a contestant thus far... and a much deserved one.
Final Thoughts: Shocking... truly. And I'm sure Travis and I will have a lot to say about it on the next Demented Encyclopedia... so... stay tuned for that, as well! And I'll see y'all next week.
Well, thank God Idol Gives Back is over. I don't have to deal with all that... humanitarian stuff again. Still, there's gonna be a bunch of country performances tonight, which I'm not looking forward to. But still. Getting to it. Prediction: Again, as I said last night, I figure the Bottom 3 will probably be Aaron, Mike, and either Casey or Siobhan... with Aaron going home. So we'll see.
8:00: Cue overly dramatic intro video.
8:01: Did Ryan say "This... is American Idol!"? I really wasn't paying attention. Oh well.
8:02: Lame. Instead of doing the cheesy group performance, they kick it off with a band. Rascal Flatts. I'm actually OK with this. Rascal Flatts is about as close as I'll get to country without wanting to vomit. However, this performance seems like... he seems bored. There's no emotion to it. And the lyrics seem forced, like he can't fit them in with the music.
8:09: Behind the scenes of the Ford Music Video. Interesting. They're supposed to be vampires. Casey actually makes for an amazingly cool vampire. As does Siobhan. I could so see a vampire movie made with Casey and Siobhan. Though Crystal's blood-red eyes are crazy, too.
8:11: Pretty cool (though cheesy) video. And Siobhan, despite her falling out of my singing graces, is still a really hot vampire.
8:12: Now they get to see to do voice acting stuff for Shrek Forever After. And now they get to see the movie.
8:15: And now Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas are on stage. Wow... Antonio has aged.
8:17: Finally, getting to some results. Siobhan stands up. She heads to the far side of the stage.
8:18: Aaron stands up. He moves to the center of the stage. Big Mike stands up. He stands on the near side of the stage. So... 3 groups?
8:19: Lee stands up. Lol... Ryan says "Was it hard to make such a well known song your own, Lee?" And it took me a minute, because I thought he say "your only." Anyway, he joins Siobhan on the far side of the stage.
8:20: Casey stands up. He joins Big Mike.
8:21: Crystal stands. I can only assume she'll be joining Aaron. Yup. I don't like Crystal standing with Aaron (for either implication... the strongest and weakest singers next to each other?).
8:22: Siobhan walks with Ryan back to the couches. And... HOLY CRAP? Big Mike, Casey, and Siobhan are the Bottom 3? Seriously, holy crap. I mean, I figured 2 of those were gonna be in the bottom with Aaron, but... Aaron is safe and all THREE are in the Bottom? Blasphemy...
8:27: So, next week will be the songs of Frank Sinatra. Should be full of comments like "This performance felt so old-fashioned." Anywho...
8:28: Did they bring in Carrie Underwood just to announce another band called Sons of Sylvia? Talk about vampires. These guys look like they should be doing alternative punk or goth metal or... emo music or something. But... I'm not sure what this is. It doesn't have that country twang (in either their voices or their instruments). And he has an electric violin, which is always cool. And another guy playing an... electric mandolin? I'm not sure I've ever seen that before. I just googled these guys, and they're considered a country trio, but this is not country. Or maybe they just found their least country-sounding song. This is just... strange. I'm not sure how to categorize this. I'll be looking more into these guys. And if they have a similar sound as they did here in most of their songs, I might have actually found a "country" band I can stand.
NOTE: I'm not sure how my mom could have gone from being a hippie to being how she is now. I called her to make sure what I had listened to was not country music, and she agreed with that, but thought it was weird... mostly because of how the singers looked. In fact, she declared that she didn't like it at all mostly because the guys looked strange, ignoring their, you know, singing and/or musical abilities. Anyway... enough about my parental unit.
8:36: We're back with another band, and this is Lady Antebellum. This song is incredibly over-played on the radio and gets on my nerves. And it's everything that annoys me about country music. A depressing story. Talks of whiskey. And the twang in both voice and instruments. So I'm gonna ignore it.
8:44: And... another performance. Rascal Flatts and... Shakira? Alrighty then. Mmm... her hips sure don't lie. You can be a Gypsy all you want... and you can travel on over to my place. Gimme a peek at your She-Wolf. And... yeah, I'm running out of puns and/or innuendo.
8:48: Getting back to the results. I'm sure he's gonna send one person back to safety. I figure Siobhan is safe tonight, and... I was halfway through typing "Mike will be going home tonight" when Ryan says "Mike, you are safe." WTF? This means Casey or Siobhan is going home?! BEFORE AARON? Double-You Tee Eff, Mate?!
8:54: Getting to it. See, THIS would be the night for the Save. But no, that had to waste it on Mike. Lame. Anyway, the person going home tonight is... Siobhan!? Wow. I so did not see that coming. Siobhan was supposed to make it into the Top 4 at the very least. I mean, I haven't been big into Siobhan's singing for a few weeks now, but still... she's miles ahead of Aaron and Mike. And she's hot... Oh well.
8:55: The goodbye video.
8:56: The goodbye song. She's singing "Think." Good. One of her really good ones. And that was great.
8:58: Siobhan gives Simon a hug. Aww. This was the biggest goodbye to a contestant thus far... and a much deserved one.
Final Thoughts: Shocking... truly. And I'm sure Travis and I will have a lot to say about it on the next Demented Encyclopedia... so... stay tuned for that, as well! And I'll see y'all next week.
4.27.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #10: The Top 6 (Shania Twain).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
Besides the fact that it's my 10th week doing this live blog, I'm really not looking forward to tonight. Sure, we're Tim-less (though we still have Aaron)... but it's Shania Twain music. Seriously? Shania Twain? It's just like... "Elvis! Beatles! Shania!" So... which one of these doesn't fit? On top of country music, it's Shania Twain music (honestly, nothing against Shania... it's country in general that irks me). Hopefully nobody will actually sing it, you know, country. Anywho, let's get on with it.
7:00: "THIS... is American Idol."
7:04: Surprise, surprise... Shania's the mentor for the week, as well. Though it's funny that she says she'll feel responsible if they do bad considering it's her music AND she's mentoring.
7:05: I so want one of the guys to sing "Feel Like A Woman." Anywho, Lee is up first. He's singing "You're Still The One." I'm already digging it from the mentor video.
7:06: I'm actually really enjoying it. It doesn't sound country whatsoever. He made it sound more alternative rock, which is what I hope almost everybody does. Yup, I liked it.
7:07: Imagine that, Randy thinks a song is "one of the greatest songs ever written." What song DOESN'T he say that about? Anyway, he thought he did pretty good. Ellen thinks he did more than pretty good (and likes how he makes songs his own). Kara thinks his voice alone makes songs relevant (so is she calling Shania old and irrelevant?). Simon thinks it was the perfect choice for him.
7:15: Big Mike's up next. He's singing "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing." And... he's going back to ballads. Again. Mike, I love your voice, but I'm tired of how you're using it, man.
7:16: As usual, he's singing well. And it doesn't really sound country. But... I'm just finding it hard to actually care. He's staying in this safety zone and has yet to go out of it. He hasn't done anything to blow me away for a very long time, because his songs sound exactly the same week to week.
7:18: Randy loved it, of course, and loves how he doesn't love that safety zone. Ellen loved it, too. Kara likes how Mike can connect with his songs. Thank you, Simon, for telling us that "wet" is the opposite of "dry." But he clarifies that he means Mike was a bit girly with the song... which, yeah, it was a Shania Twain song. And Shania is crying... yeah.
7:25: Casey is up next. He says he's gonna change it up a bit. He's singing "Don't!"
7:27: And... his sounds the most country so far. But he's actually focusing on his singing more than his guitar playing, which is different. And... it's pretty good. One of his better vocals.
7:29: Randy says it's one of Casey's best. Ellen agrees and thinks it IS the best. Kara liked his vulnerability in this performance. Simon thinks last week was a good wake-up call and that this was his best performance so far. He also suggests that he comes down and kisses Shania... and while he doesn't kiss her, he does give her a hug.
7:35: Crystal is up! Awesome. She's singing "No One Needs To Know." Aw... I think Crystal wants a marriage proposal.
7:36: Ha, I love the "Big Band" feel of song. All it's missing is the dude blowing into a big jar. Sure, it's sounds country, but Crystal can make me love anything. And she's hitting some awesome high notes. I swear, if Crystal doesn't win this...
7:38: Randy didn't think it was his favorite performance, but he liked that somebody actually did something that sounded country. Ellen agrees. Kara agrees ("It's impossible for you not to be good."). Simon thought it was limp and thought it felt like a coffee shop performance. He also calls it a forgettable song (and apologizes to Shania). And Ryan's talking to the boyfriend ("A little pressure?" *whistles*).
7:46: Aaron is singing "You've Got A Way." Sure, this is right up Aaron's alley, but I still doubt I'll like it. I'm not sure I've ever really cared much for Aaron outside Hollywood Week. I've actually cared for Tim more than Aaron.
7:47: Vocally decent, but still the bottom of the barrel of the contestants. And he's having quite a few pitch problems. Are you kidding me? He just got a standing-o.
7:48: Randy thought he did really good. Ellen liked it. Kara agrees with Ellen. Simon thinks that last few weeks, he's really struggled, but tonight he was like a different artist. He thinks he did really well. Blah. So far, everybody (according to the judges) have done amazingly well, and they aren't sure how tomorrow is gonna turn out. But Siobhan is up next!
7:54: She's singing "Any Man Of Mine." And... she's doing a country twang with her voice. I'm not sure how I'm gonna like that.
7:55: Love the look, though. Siobhan, you need to stop trying to sing in your low register. That's where you struggle. I apologize for this, Siobhan... this isn't even close to your strongest, and I'm gonna say what Simon probably will... it's sounds awfully karaoke. And her scream there at the end held on a bit too long... though the whole end portion of the song was better than the whole thing altogether. But as I said last week, then end can't save the whole.
7:57: But... Randy loved the whole thing. Simon: "Way to pull the Shania 'Twain' into the station." Gotta love puns. Kara: "Guess who's back?" Simon really, really liked the song, but thought the screaming went on a LITTLE too long (almost like she was going into labor/giving birth). I guess I'm crazy, then.
7:59: The Recap. Lee was awesome. Big Mike had good vocals, but is boring. Casey was really good. Crystal was fun. Aaron was... Aaron (to me, anyway). Siobhan was loved by the judges, but only moderately liked by me (until the end).
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 3 will be Big Mike, Aaron, and either Siobhan or Casey, with Aaron going home. But we'll see.
Besides the fact that it's my 10th week doing this live blog, I'm really not looking forward to tonight. Sure, we're Tim-less (though we still have Aaron)... but it's Shania Twain music. Seriously? Shania Twain? It's just like... "Elvis! Beatles! Shania!" So... which one of these doesn't fit? On top of country music, it's Shania Twain music (honestly, nothing against Shania... it's country in general that irks me). Hopefully nobody will actually sing it, you know, country. Anywho, let's get on with it.
7:00: "THIS... is American Idol."
7:04: Surprise, surprise... Shania's the mentor for the week, as well. Though it's funny that she says she'll feel responsible if they do bad considering it's her music AND she's mentoring.
7:05: I so want one of the guys to sing "Feel Like A Woman." Anywho, Lee is up first. He's singing "You're Still The One." I'm already digging it from the mentor video.
7:06: I'm actually really enjoying it. It doesn't sound country whatsoever. He made it sound more alternative rock, which is what I hope almost everybody does. Yup, I liked it.
7:07: Imagine that, Randy thinks a song is "one of the greatest songs ever written." What song DOESN'T he say that about? Anyway, he thought he did pretty good. Ellen thinks he did more than pretty good (and likes how he makes songs his own). Kara thinks his voice alone makes songs relevant (so is she calling Shania old and irrelevant?). Simon thinks it was the perfect choice for him.
7:15: Big Mike's up next. He's singing "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing." And... he's going back to ballads. Again. Mike, I love your voice, but I'm tired of how you're using it, man.
7:16: As usual, he's singing well. And it doesn't really sound country. But... I'm just finding it hard to actually care. He's staying in this safety zone and has yet to go out of it. He hasn't done anything to blow me away for a very long time, because his songs sound exactly the same week to week.
7:18: Randy loved it, of course, and loves how he doesn't love that safety zone. Ellen loved it, too. Kara likes how Mike can connect with his songs. Thank you, Simon, for telling us that "wet" is the opposite of "dry." But he clarifies that he means Mike was a bit girly with the song... which, yeah, it was a Shania Twain song. And Shania is crying... yeah.
7:25: Casey is up next. He says he's gonna change it up a bit. He's singing "Don't!"
7:27: And... his sounds the most country so far. But he's actually focusing on his singing more than his guitar playing, which is different. And... it's pretty good. One of his better vocals.
7:29: Randy says it's one of Casey's best. Ellen agrees and thinks it IS the best. Kara liked his vulnerability in this performance. Simon thinks last week was a good wake-up call and that this was his best performance so far. He also suggests that he comes down and kisses Shania... and while he doesn't kiss her, he does give her a hug.
7:35: Crystal is up! Awesome. She's singing "No One Needs To Know." Aw... I think Crystal wants a marriage proposal.
7:36: Ha, I love the "Big Band" feel of song. All it's missing is the dude blowing into a big jar. Sure, it's sounds country, but Crystal can make me love anything. And she's hitting some awesome high notes. I swear, if Crystal doesn't win this...
7:38: Randy didn't think it was his favorite performance, but he liked that somebody actually did something that sounded country. Ellen agrees. Kara agrees ("It's impossible for you not to be good."). Simon thought it was limp and thought it felt like a coffee shop performance. He also calls it a forgettable song (and apologizes to Shania). And Ryan's talking to the boyfriend ("A little pressure?" *whistles*).
7:46: Aaron is singing "You've Got A Way." Sure, this is right up Aaron's alley, but I still doubt I'll like it. I'm not sure I've ever really cared much for Aaron outside Hollywood Week. I've actually cared for Tim more than Aaron.
7:47: Vocally decent, but still the bottom of the barrel of the contestants. And he's having quite a few pitch problems. Are you kidding me? He just got a standing-o.
7:48: Randy thought he did really good. Ellen liked it. Kara agrees with Ellen. Simon thinks that last few weeks, he's really struggled, but tonight he was like a different artist. He thinks he did really well. Blah. So far, everybody (according to the judges) have done amazingly well, and they aren't sure how tomorrow is gonna turn out. But Siobhan is up next!
7:54: She's singing "Any Man Of Mine." And... she's doing a country twang with her voice. I'm not sure how I'm gonna like that.
7:55: Love the look, though. Siobhan, you need to stop trying to sing in your low register. That's where you struggle. I apologize for this, Siobhan... this isn't even close to your strongest, and I'm gonna say what Simon probably will... it's sounds awfully karaoke. And her scream there at the end held on a bit too long... though the whole end portion of the song was better than the whole thing altogether. But as I said last week, then end can't save the whole.
7:57: But... Randy loved the whole thing. Simon: "Way to pull the Shania 'Twain' into the station." Gotta love puns. Kara: "Guess who's back?" Simon really, really liked the song, but thought the screaming went on a LITTLE too long (almost like she was going into labor/giving birth). I guess I'm crazy, then.
7:59: The Recap. Lee was awesome. Big Mike had good vocals, but is boring. Casey was really good. Crystal was fun. Aaron was... Aaron (to me, anyway). Siobhan was loved by the judges, but only moderately liked by me (until the end).
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 3 will be Big Mike, Aaron, and either Siobhan or Casey, with Aaron going home. But we'll see.
4.21.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #9.2: The Top 7 (Results/Idol Gives Back).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
It's here, ladies and gentleman. Idol Gives Back. The moment Ryan Seacrest hasn't shut up about all season. Oh, and somebody's gonna get eliminated. I'm thinking Aaron.
7:00: They're starting big, aren't they? Less than 10 seconds in, and they show a video of Obama and Lady Obama... and Obama quoting Randy and saying "Y'all my dawgs." Epic. Can you imagine Lincoln standing up, freeing the slaves, and ending it with "Be free. Y'all my dawgs!"
7:03: Ryan is pimping every single one of the show's sponsors. And then he passes it off to Queen Latifah at the other Idol stage.
7:04: The Top 12 are all back together and singing. I haven't really dug many of the group performances this season, but this one's pretty good so far. And... HOLY CRAP SIOBHAN THAT SKIRT IS LIKE... sorry. I think I got that under cont... OMG LACEY THAT SKIRT IS LIKE... ahem, sorry. Seriously. Can either of those skirts be any shorter? No, that's a request. Can you please make them shorter? ...Please? Do as the song says... keep my dream alive.
7:07: Jennifer Garner is talking about... some backwoods town that lives in poverty. And they're interspersing footage of shacks and trailers with large, plantation-sized mansions.
NOTE: I just want to take this time to say that I'm really not all that cynical about Idol Gives Back. I know I've been making jokes all season, and I know I have made (and will continue to make) jokes about it tonight. I appreciate what Idol Gives Back does for those in need. I just find it a bit... interesting... to see those shows where rich celebrities come on and beg the average American to give money to the aforementioned poor people, when said celebrities could probably give twice as much money to said poor people than the people they're trying to involve... if that makes sense.
7:13: Ryan was just talking with Victoria Beckham and two kids who... had an education and are doing better thanks to public school? I think I missed something, because I'm not sure how that connected with getting money as much as it had to do with, you know, just having a good teacher and students not having an idiot mentality in the classroom.
7:17: Cap'n Sully! I really won't beef with this guy. He's pretty cool.
7:18: Russell Brand and Jonah Hill being (scriptedly) funny, making jokes about everybody they couldn't get to work a telephone panel.
7:20: Black-Eyed Peas are now singing "Rock That Body." I kinda feel bad for that third guy in Black-Eyed Peas. Everybody knows Fergie and Will.I.Am. But who's the middle-aged Jacob Black? Oh, and this song sucks. I like BEP, but this performance is just... bad. Like, really really bad. Remember that one contestant a while back on Idol... the one with the lisp that I absolutely couldn't stand? I actually kinda miss her right now.
7:24: Oh, it's over. That felt like it took forever.
7:28: I just missed all the Africa stuff because my phone rang. But I'm sure there will be more later.
7:32: I think we're finally getting to the results. And George Lopez is gonna be fake-hosting the show. I love George Lopez.
7:34: He has them all stand up... and then sit down. He goes over to judge the judges. He's riffing on the judges, starting with Randy. This is epic. BURN on Kara. Wait, Kara has a nude magazine picture? And moving along to Ellen... not that great as expected, but we're up to Simon. He sends him back to England... but since there's a big cloud of volcanic ash keeping people from traveling, he has to stay. OH, Ryan came back and called George "Erik Estrada."
7:39: The Ford Music video. At least this one is visually cool.
7:40: Now we're really at the results. Crystal and Casey are up first, joining Ryan at center stage. One of them is in the Bottom 3... and that is...
7:41: I'm just calling it with Casey. Yup. Well, I'm pretty sure I did call a Bottom 3 of Aaron, Tim, and Casey, so I'm right so far.
7:42: Aaron and Lee are up now. If one of them is in the bottom, I'm saying Aaron (obviously). And the one in the Bottom 3 is...
7:43: Aaron. Now I just need Tim in the Bottom and I will have called it. And then Aaron going home. Switching back over to Queen Latifah who is introducing Jeff Beck and Joss Stone with a choir. They're doing "I Put A Spell On You." This is really cool. It makes the Peas performance look... well... either way, it was still terrible. But that was awesome.
7:47: AH! JUSTIN BEIBER. I have to go punch a puppy or something now.
7:52: The Secretary of the U.N. is talking now. Now Morgan Freeman is on stage, and he begins by saying "Hello. I'm Morgan Freeman." How awesome is that? He's talking about the public school system and how it needs to change. You're preaching to the choir, brother.
7:57: Am I really that cynical after only almost one year of teaching? It's no reading program that causes literacy issues with today's youth. It's the fact that most of them are lazy and would much rather just watch the movie than read the book (which I hear every single day--"Can't we just watch the movie instead of reading this crap?" I even put the subtitles on during Romeo and Juliet to help them understand what was being said, and I got a couple complaints about words daring to be in the same general vicinity as a video screen). They see reading as boring, hard, unenjoyable, and overall pointless to their everyday lives and/or futures. And no reading program is gonna change that. It's just gonna force them to do something they don't wanna do, which will just reinforce how much they dislike doing it. The change has to come from the home and parents.
8:00: I've never really cared for Alicia Keys. And she's being awfully pitchy tonight. And I actually prefer Jay-Z's part of "Empire State of Mind." I actually nearly dislike the song because of Alicia Keys' part, as I find it annoying. So changing up the song to be nothing but her part of the song... I didn't care for it.
8:04: Josh Groban. Yup.
8:08: Going back to Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. And after a string of fake celebrities, they actually show Slash... and Tatiana from a previous season... who is actually looking really good these days. And Jim Carrey! And he runs away.
8:11: Going back to Queen Latifah... the next act is gonna be... Carrie Underwood. Country music. Time to go back to ignoring the show.
8:16: Oh, it's over. Now Ryan's back talking with Ellen... who was with David Arquette about something to do with feeding people.
8:20: Now something about Malaria. I've really stopped paying attention to this show for now. Enough with the pathos. Let's just get to some results so I can get on with my night.
8:25: Surprise... another video. Ryan sitting down with Bill Gates. Yes. Bill Gates... asking for other people to support stuff with their money. I take a deep breath and continue to say nothing.
NOTE 2: I'm really not dogging on celebrities or rich people's philanthropic ventures. That's all fine and dandy. But I'd at least like some kind of comment from these people that is something like "we'll match whatever is donated."
8:29: Wanda Sykes is on now talking about how Simon plays with his nipples when he's bored. Alrighty. At least she's commenting on what I feel to be one of the strangest things on the show of which I've commented before (the Goodbye Video and Goodbye Song).
8:31: Back to the results! Siobhan, Mike, and Tim join Ryan on stage. You know, part of me wants this to be shocking so at least this 2-hour show would have been worth sitting through. But I know it'll be Tim joining them in the bottom. Still...
8:33: Siobhan is safe. So it's down to Big Mike and Tim. Big Mike is stiff safe and Tim is in the bottom... so yeah, I predicted this yesterday. Now all we need is for Aaron to go home.
8:34: Hey. David Cook. And... the excitement goes away as soon as Ryan says the word "Ethiopia." I literally just yawned. No kidding. Holy crap... that's something I didn't know. Apparently girls in Ethiopia can be married off as young as 5. And others are sent into the sex trade (well, that one wasn't really as shocking).
8:36: For a second, I thought the guitarist next to David Cook was Charlie from LOST. My initial thought was "David Cook's in Drive Shaft now?" I'm such a nerd.
8:42: Eek... skeleton girl. This is almost so bad I want to laugh, but then I'd go to Hell. "She's the weight of a newborn baby. She has pneumonia AND full-blown AIDS. She could have had a normal life with her mother... but her mother died during childbirth." This is really disturbing and depressing. Oh, but they returned later after giving the girl medicine, and the girl has gained normal weight and is fine (except for the whole AIDS thing). Alrighty then.
8:47: Annie Lennox is now singing. She's wearing a trademark "HIV Positive" shirt. She's not HIV Positive, but it's a shirt advertising the help of patients with the disease. I'm pretty sure that's the worst advertisement shirt ever. I mean, can you imagine a nerd's closet? "This is my shirt that says 'MUGGLE' on it, for my Harry Potter moods. Right next to that I have my '+1 Shirt' shirt, for when I'm feeling into D&D. Oh, and there's my 'HIV Positive' shirt. The other ones are epic, but that one really helps me get the ladies."
8:56: With only 4 minutes left, of course we're not going to the final results. We're going to an all-star band doing Stairway to Heaven. Mary J. Blige, Orianthi, Travis Barker, Randy Jackson... and probably somebody else I missed. I've never liked MJB, but she's actually not annoying me here.
9:01: And now that we're officially into overtime, we'll still ignore the results and go into yet another poverty video with Simon. Why not just do what most other shows would do? Put the extra stuff online to build more traffic to their website and just get to the results already.
9:04: And... Hobo Ben Affleck? I was really going to give another snarky comment about how, being 4 minutes overtime, we were going to commercial. But then they gave us a video of Ben Affleck with a scruffy beard and a ratty gray hoodie. Huh.
9:09: We come back with Queen Latifah who introduces Sir Elton John... who is going to be talking about AIDS. A gay, British, singing knight talking about a sexually transmitted disease. I smell sitcom!
9:11: Now he's singing. Imagine that. Another performance instead of the results. Holy crap, I *just* realized what song this was. It's sad that I didn't catch it until it got to the refrain, mostly because it's used in Moulin Rouge. I really wanna watch Moulin Rouge now.
9:21: Oh joy... next week is gonna be country with Shania Twain and her music. Anyway, on to the results. And one person is safe. And that person is... FUCK ME. Aaron?! That means Casey or Tim is going?! And that person is...
9:22: Tim! Tim is finally going home? You mean, Tim starts getting good and Aaron sucks hard... and NOW Tim is going home? America, you confuse me so much.
Final Thoughts: Results shows are convoluted to begin with, but this Idol Gives Back was nearly painful to get through. Part of me is somewhat glad it was Tim, because at least that made it worthy of watching for 2 hours for that surprise. But at the same time, I think Tim deserved better than a rushed goodbye. His video was overshadowed by ending credits, and he didn't even get the pleasure of singing his Goodbye Song. Lame. After all season with the ups and downs of Tim and the controversy surrounding him, THAT was his goodbye? I feel let down. Anyway... see y'all next week. I'm outta here!
It's here, ladies and gentleman. Idol Gives Back. The moment Ryan Seacrest hasn't shut up about all season. Oh, and somebody's gonna get eliminated. I'm thinking Aaron.
7:00: They're starting big, aren't they? Less than 10 seconds in, and they show a video of Obama and Lady Obama... and Obama quoting Randy and saying "Y'all my dawgs." Epic. Can you imagine Lincoln standing up, freeing the slaves, and ending it with "Be free. Y'all my dawgs!"
7:03: Ryan is pimping every single one of the show's sponsors. And then he passes it off to Queen Latifah at the other Idol stage.
7:04: The Top 12 are all back together and singing. I haven't really dug many of the group performances this season, but this one's pretty good so far. And... HOLY CRAP SIOBHAN THAT SKIRT IS LIKE... sorry. I think I got that under cont... OMG LACEY THAT SKIRT IS LIKE... ahem, sorry. Seriously. Can either of those skirts be any shorter? No, that's a request. Can you please make them shorter? ...Please? Do as the song says... keep my dream alive.
7:07: Jennifer Garner is talking about... some backwoods town that lives in poverty. And they're interspersing footage of shacks and trailers with large, plantation-sized mansions.
NOTE: I just want to take this time to say that I'm really not all that cynical about Idol Gives Back. I know I've been making jokes all season, and I know I have made (and will continue to make) jokes about it tonight. I appreciate what Idol Gives Back does for those in need. I just find it a bit... interesting... to see those shows where rich celebrities come on and beg the average American to give money to the aforementioned poor people, when said celebrities could probably give twice as much money to said poor people than the people they're trying to involve... if that makes sense.
7:13: Ryan was just talking with Victoria Beckham and two kids who... had an education and are doing better thanks to public school? I think I missed something, because I'm not sure how that connected with getting money as much as it had to do with, you know, just having a good teacher and students not having an idiot mentality in the classroom.
7:17: Cap'n Sully! I really won't beef with this guy. He's pretty cool.
7:18: Russell Brand and Jonah Hill being (scriptedly) funny, making jokes about everybody they couldn't get to work a telephone panel.
7:20: Black-Eyed Peas are now singing "Rock That Body." I kinda feel bad for that third guy in Black-Eyed Peas. Everybody knows Fergie and Will.I.Am. But who's the middle-aged Jacob Black? Oh, and this song sucks. I like BEP, but this performance is just... bad. Like, really really bad. Remember that one contestant a while back on Idol... the one with the lisp that I absolutely couldn't stand? I actually kinda miss her right now.
7:24: Oh, it's over. That felt like it took forever.
7:28: I just missed all the Africa stuff because my phone rang. But I'm sure there will be more later.
7:32: I think we're finally getting to the results. And George Lopez is gonna be fake-hosting the show. I love George Lopez.
7:34: He has them all stand up... and then sit down. He goes over to judge the judges. He's riffing on the judges, starting with Randy. This is epic. BURN on Kara. Wait, Kara has a nude magazine picture? And moving along to Ellen... not that great as expected, but we're up to Simon. He sends him back to England... but since there's a big cloud of volcanic ash keeping people from traveling, he has to stay. OH, Ryan came back and called George "Erik Estrada."
7:39: The Ford Music video. At least this one is visually cool.
7:40: Now we're really at the results. Crystal and Casey are up first, joining Ryan at center stage. One of them is in the Bottom 3... and that is...
7:41: I'm just calling it with Casey. Yup. Well, I'm pretty sure I did call a Bottom 3 of Aaron, Tim, and Casey, so I'm right so far.
7:42: Aaron and Lee are up now. If one of them is in the bottom, I'm saying Aaron (obviously). And the one in the Bottom 3 is...
7:43: Aaron. Now I just need Tim in the Bottom and I will have called it. And then Aaron going home. Switching back over to Queen Latifah who is introducing Jeff Beck and Joss Stone with a choir. They're doing "I Put A Spell On You." This is really cool. It makes the Peas performance look... well... either way, it was still terrible. But that was awesome.
7:47: AH! JUSTIN BEIBER. I have to go punch a puppy or something now.
7:52: The Secretary of the U.N. is talking now. Now Morgan Freeman is on stage, and he begins by saying "Hello. I'm Morgan Freeman." How awesome is that? He's talking about the public school system and how it needs to change. You're preaching to the choir, brother.
7:57: Am I really that cynical after only almost one year of teaching? It's no reading program that causes literacy issues with today's youth. It's the fact that most of them are lazy and would much rather just watch the movie than read the book (which I hear every single day--"Can't we just watch the movie instead of reading this crap?" I even put the subtitles on during Romeo and Juliet to help them understand what was being said, and I got a couple complaints about words daring to be in the same general vicinity as a video screen). They see reading as boring, hard, unenjoyable, and overall pointless to their everyday lives and/or futures. And no reading program is gonna change that. It's just gonna force them to do something they don't wanna do, which will just reinforce how much they dislike doing it. The change has to come from the home and parents.
8:00: I've never really cared for Alicia Keys. And she's being awfully pitchy tonight. And I actually prefer Jay-Z's part of "Empire State of Mind." I actually nearly dislike the song because of Alicia Keys' part, as I find it annoying. So changing up the song to be nothing but her part of the song... I didn't care for it.
8:04: Josh Groban. Yup.
8:08: Going back to Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. And after a string of fake celebrities, they actually show Slash... and Tatiana from a previous season... who is actually looking really good these days. And Jim Carrey! And he runs away.
8:11: Going back to Queen Latifah... the next act is gonna be... Carrie Underwood. Country music. Time to go back to ignoring the show.
8:16: Oh, it's over. Now Ryan's back talking with Ellen... who was with David Arquette about something to do with feeding people.
8:20: Now something about Malaria. I've really stopped paying attention to this show for now. Enough with the pathos. Let's just get to some results so I can get on with my night.
8:25: Surprise... another video. Ryan sitting down with Bill Gates. Yes. Bill Gates... asking for other people to support stuff with their money. I take a deep breath and continue to say nothing.
NOTE 2: I'm really not dogging on celebrities or rich people's philanthropic ventures. That's all fine and dandy. But I'd at least like some kind of comment from these people that is something like "we'll match whatever is donated."
8:29: Wanda Sykes is on now talking about how Simon plays with his nipples when he's bored. Alrighty. At least she's commenting on what I feel to be one of the strangest things on the show of which I've commented before (the Goodbye Video and Goodbye Song).
8:31: Back to the results! Siobhan, Mike, and Tim join Ryan on stage. You know, part of me wants this to be shocking so at least this 2-hour show would have been worth sitting through. But I know it'll be Tim joining them in the bottom. Still...
8:33: Siobhan is safe. So it's down to Big Mike and Tim. Big Mike is stiff safe and Tim is in the bottom... so yeah, I predicted this yesterday. Now all we need is for Aaron to go home.
8:34: Hey. David Cook. And... the excitement goes away as soon as Ryan says the word "Ethiopia." I literally just yawned. No kidding. Holy crap... that's something I didn't know. Apparently girls in Ethiopia can be married off as young as 5. And others are sent into the sex trade (well, that one wasn't really as shocking).
8:36: For a second, I thought the guitarist next to David Cook was Charlie from LOST. My initial thought was "David Cook's in Drive Shaft now?" I'm such a nerd.
8:42: Eek... skeleton girl. This is almost so bad I want to laugh, but then I'd go to Hell. "She's the weight of a newborn baby. She has pneumonia AND full-blown AIDS. She could have had a normal life with her mother... but her mother died during childbirth." This is really disturbing and depressing. Oh, but they returned later after giving the girl medicine, and the girl has gained normal weight and is fine (except for the whole AIDS thing). Alrighty then.
8:47: Annie Lennox is now singing. She's wearing a trademark "HIV Positive" shirt. She's not HIV Positive, but it's a shirt advertising the help of patients with the disease. I'm pretty sure that's the worst advertisement shirt ever. I mean, can you imagine a nerd's closet? "This is my shirt that says 'MUGGLE' on it, for my Harry Potter moods. Right next to that I have my '+1 Shirt' shirt, for when I'm feeling into D&D. Oh, and there's my 'HIV Positive' shirt. The other ones are epic, but that one really helps me get the ladies."
8:56: With only 4 minutes left, of course we're not going to the final results. We're going to an all-star band doing Stairway to Heaven. Mary J. Blige, Orianthi, Travis Barker, Randy Jackson... and probably somebody else I missed. I've never liked MJB, but she's actually not annoying me here.
9:01: And now that we're officially into overtime, we'll still ignore the results and go into yet another poverty video with Simon. Why not just do what most other shows would do? Put the extra stuff online to build more traffic to their website and just get to the results already.
9:04: And... Hobo Ben Affleck? I was really going to give another snarky comment about how, being 4 minutes overtime, we were going to commercial. But then they gave us a video of Ben Affleck with a scruffy beard and a ratty gray hoodie. Huh.
9:09: We come back with Queen Latifah who introduces Sir Elton John... who is going to be talking about AIDS. A gay, British, singing knight talking about a sexually transmitted disease. I smell sitcom!
9:11: Now he's singing. Imagine that. Another performance instead of the results. Holy crap, I *just* realized what song this was. It's sad that I didn't catch it until it got to the refrain, mostly because it's used in Moulin Rouge. I really wanna watch Moulin Rouge now.
9:21: Oh joy... next week is gonna be country with Shania Twain and her music. Anyway, on to the results. And one person is safe. And that person is... FUCK ME. Aaron?! That means Casey or Tim is going?! And that person is...
9:22: Tim! Tim is finally going home? You mean, Tim starts getting good and Aaron sucks hard... and NOW Tim is going home? America, you confuse me so much.
Final Thoughts: Results shows are convoluted to begin with, but this Idol Gives Back was nearly painful to get through. Part of me is somewhat glad it was Tim, because at least that made it worthy of watching for 2 hours for that surprise. But at the same time, I think Tim deserved better than a rushed goodbye. His video was overshadowed by ending credits, and he didn't even get the pleasure of singing his Goodbye Song. Lame. After all season with the ups and downs of Tim and the controversy surrounding him, THAT was his goodbye? I feel let down. Anyway... see y'all next week. I'm outta here!
4.20.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #9: The Top 7 (Inspirational).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
We're finally down to the Top 7 and... it's also (finally) Idol Gives Back... well, tomorrow, anyway. Hopefully we won't have to hear about it again after tomorrow. So let's get to it.
7:00: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: It's "Inspirational Songs" night... I bet pretty much everything I own that Big Mike will be singing a slow song. This week's mentor is Alicia Keys.
7:04: Casey's up first. He's singing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. I like this song. This should be perfect for him.
7:05: Doing well. Didn't take him long to get into a mini guitar solo. But the singing is really good. He seems to be having fun with it. Didn't take as big of a vocal range as last week or the week before (I forget which at the moment. I think the week before). But still pretty good. I liked it.
7:06: Randy thought it was good, but not his best. He wants him to step out of his comfort zone. I can agree with that. Ellen says he's consistently good, but he needs to be great. Kara says he's made himself like everybody else tonight. Simon didn't think it was particularly inspiring and there was little originality.
7:13: And we're back with Lee! He's singing "The Boxer" by Simon Garfunkel. I think this is a pretty good choice for him and his journey on idol.
7:14: A couple minor rough notes, but nothing killer. Overall a really good vocal. Nothing much else to say. Wasn't too crazy about it, but it was good.
7:16: Randy thinks he's a great artist and that he'll have a great career. Ellen thought it was a beautiful song choice and thinks he's getting better and better. Kara said Lee just had his true "moment." Eh... I'm not sure I agree with that. Simon thought it was the best of the night, despite it only being the second song in. But the difference between him and Casey is staggering. I knew this was gonna happen with this song when it was halfway through... that the judges were going to adore it, despite me not melting over it. I mean, I really liked it, but I don't think it was the best thing he's ever done.
7:23: Huh... because that was coincidental. On inspirational night, they have Cap'n Sully (the guy who landed the plane in the harbor a while back). Anywho... Tim's up singing some Goo Goo Dolls with "Better Days."
7:24: He's continuing with his good performance streak here. The vocals are slightly shaky at times, but I think he's doing overall pretty well with it. Nothing fantastic, but good.
7:25: Randy thought it was OK. Ellen compares him to the soup of the day (sometimes you like it, sometimes you don't), and she didn't like it. Kara thought he's found himself, but didn't perform it to his best. Simon thought if this had been his first performance, they might be impressed, but they were actually let down (imagine that... being let down by Tim). And I have to say... I kinda was, too.
7:28: Continuing on with Aaron. Wow, Tim and Aaron back-to-back. I don't think my heart can take it. OH! And Aaron is singing "I Believe I Can Fly." That's the inspirational song to end all inspirational songs. This outta be... excuse me while I go throw up.
7:29: Archuletta, you are not. Vocals are... alright. But the song should not be a song that any American Idol should ever sing. I mean, it was an inspirational song sung by a guy who peed on an underage girl written for Michael Jordan in a movie he acted in with Bugs Bunny, for crying out loud.
7:30: Randy thought he did good with such a big song. Ellen: "There was a brief time in the 70s when I believed I could fly." Lol. But she thought he handled it well. Kara thought it took time, but by the end he got there. Simon judges this in two parts. First, knowing Aaron and liking him. Second, hearing it on the radio and how he would have turned it off. I kinda agree with both Kara and Simon. The song wasn't that good, but it did get good there at the very end. However, you can't save a terrible song by how you end it. If a song isn't good all the way through, it isn't made a good song by having a good final note (as opposed to movies where the ending can make an entire movie--see: Saw... no pun intended).
7:37: Siobhan is up. Come on, Siobhan. Make it good this week. She's singing "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey.
7:38: Vocals are really good. She didn't go for a screamer this time again, but she did hit a nice high note. Not my favorite of hers, but still pretty good.
7:40: Randy thought it was just OK. Ellen disagrees as she loved it. Kara thought that it was technically well sung, but doesn't think this is a musical (um... k). Simon agrees with Randy... and thinks Siobhan's little plastic butterflies on her outfit look like leaves. I can see where they're coming from (performance-wise). Again, it's not my favorite, but it was good... which seems to be the real theme tonight.
7:47: Big Mike is up... and apparently he has a playbook of songs, and he's choosing a song from this playbook tonight. He's singing "Hero" by Chad Kroeger (the Spider-Man song).
7:48: Fine, Mike, prove me wrong by singing a song with more of an uptempo. Granted, is about mid-tempo, but still. But I'm liking it... mostly because it's not some slow, sappy ballad. But it was good vocally, too. (I guess I lose only half my stuff?)
7:50: Randy thought he held his own. Ellen thought he did great. Kara didn't like it, thought it was all over-the-place and unrecognizable. Simon thought he sang it pretty well, but it was inspirational night and the song was about Spider-Man (lol... I love that he mentioned that).
7:55: Crystal is singing "People Get Ready" by The Impressions (?). And for the first time ever, she's singing without an instrument.
7:56: Starting off a capella. Great vocals, as per usual. Sorry I'm a little lacking in words on the performances tonight. Just not all that much to say. And... Crystal started crying at the end of the song? Interesting.
7:58: Randy gave her a standing ovation. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara loved it. Simon thought THAT was inspirational and happy to see some emotion there (and that it was in a completely different class from the rest of the night). Crystal explains that she started crying because she saw her dad in the audience.
8:00: The Recap. Casey was Casey... again. Lee was really good, as usual. Turban was... disappointing? I can't believe I'm saying that. Aaron was just... not good. Siobhan was alright... good vocals. Big Mike finally does something besides a slow ballad, and it's just alright, but I liked it. Crystal was excellent. Did they re-film Crystal's ending? I'm pretty sure she ended in tears, and her recap didn't have that. Anywho... tomorrow is Idol Gives Back! Shocker. I swear, Ryan hasn't even mentioned it all season...
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 3 will be Aaron, Tim, and... maybe Casey? But I think Aaron is going home.
We're finally down to the Top 7 and... it's also (finally) Idol Gives Back... well, tomorrow, anyway. Hopefully we won't have to hear about it again after tomorrow. So let's get to it.
7:00: "This... is American Idol."
7:02: It's "Inspirational Songs" night... I bet pretty much everything I own that Big Mike will be singing a slow song. This week's mentor is Alicia Keys.
7:04: Casey's up first. He's singing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. I like this song. This should be perfect for him.
7:05: Doing well. Didn't take him long to get into a mini guitar solo. But the singing is really good. He seems to be having fun with it. Didn't take as big of a vocal range as last week or the week before (I forget which at the moment. I think the week before). But still pretty good. I liked it.
7:06: Randy thought it was good, but not his best. He wants him to step out of his comfort zone. I can agree with that. Ellen says he's consistently good, but he needs to be great. Kara says he's made himself like everybody else tonight. Simon didn't think it was particularly inspiring and there was little originality.
7:13: And we're back with Lee! He's singing "The Boxer" by Simon Garfunkel. I think this is a pretty good choice for him and his journey on idol.
7:14: A couple minor rough notes, but nothing killer. Overall a really good vocal. Nothing much else to say. Wasn't too crazy about it, but it was good.
7:16: Randy thinks he's a great artist and that he'll have a great career. Ellen thought it was a beautiful song choice and thinks he's getting better and better. Kara said Lee just had his true "moment." Eh... I'm not sure I agree with that. Simon thought it was the best of the night, despite it only being the second song in. But the difference between him and Casey is staggering. I knew this was gonna happen with this song when it was halfway through... that the judges were going to adore it, despite me not melting over it. I mean, I really liked it, but I don't think it was the best thing he's ever done.
7:23: Huh... because that was coincidental. On inspirational night, they have Cap'n Sully (the guy who landed the plane in the harbor a while back). Anywho... Tim's up singing some Goo Goo Dolls with "Better Days."
7:24: He's continuing with his good performance streak here. The vocals are slightly shaky at times, but I think he's doing overall pretty well with it. Nothing fantastic, but good.
7:25: Randy thought it was OK. Ellen compares him to the soup of the day (sometimes you like it, sometimes you don't), and she didn't like it. Kara thought he's found himself, but didn't perform it to his best. Simon thought if this had been his first performance, they might be impressed, but they were actually let down (imagine that... being let down by Tim). And I have to say... I kinda was, too.
7:28: Continuing on with Aaron. Wow, Tim and Aaron back-to-back. I don't think my heart can take it. OH! And Aaron is singing "I Believe I Can Fly." That's the inspirational song to end all inspirational songs. This outta be... excuse me while I go throw up.
7:29: Archuletta, you are not. Vocals are... alright. But the song should not be a song that any American Idol should ever sing. I mean, it was an inspirational song sung by a guy who peed on an underage girl written for Michael Jordan in a movie he acted in with Bugs Bunny, for crying out loud.
7:30: Randy thought he did good with such a big song. Ellen: "There was a brief time in the 70s when I believed I could fly." Lol. But she thought he handled it well. Kara thought it took time, but by the end he got there. Simon judges this in two parts. First, knowing Aaron and liking him. Second, hearing it on the radio and how he would have turned it off. I kinda agree with both Kara and Simon. The song wasn't that good, but it did get good there at the very end. However, you can't save a terrible song by how you end it. If a song isn't good all the way through, it isn't made a good song by having a good final note (as opposed to movies where the ending can make an entire movie--see: Saw... no pun intended).
7:37: Siobhan is up. Come on, Siobhan. Make it good this week. She's singing "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey.
7:38: Vocals are really good. She didn't go for a screamer this time again, but she did hit a nice high note. Not my favorite of hers, but still pretty good.
7:40: Randy thought it was just OK. Ellen disagrees as she loved it. Kara thought that it was technically well sung, but doesn't think this is a musical (um... k). Simon agrees with Randy... and thinks Siobhan's little plastic butterflies on her outfit look like leaves. I can see where they're coming from (performance-wise). Again, it's not my favorite, but it was good... which seems to be the real theme tonight.
7:47: Big Mike is up... and apparently he has a playbook of songs, and he's choosing a song from this playbook tonight. He's singing "Hero" by Chad Kroeger (the Spider-Man song).
7:48: Fine, Mike, prove me wrong by singing a song with more of an uptempo. Granted, is about mid-tempo, but still. But I'm liking it... mostly because it's not some slow, sappy ballad. But it was good vocally, too. (I guess I lose only half my stuff?)
7:50: Randy thought he held his own. Ellen thought he did great. Kara didn't like it, thought it was all over-the-place and unrecognizable. Simon thought he sang it pretty well, but it was inspirational night and the song was about Spider-Man (lol... I love that he mentioned that).
7:55: Crystal is singing "People Get Ready" by The Impressions (?). And for the first time ever, she's singing without an instrument.
7:56: Starting off a capella. Great vocals, as per usual. Sorry I'm a little lacking in words on the performances tonight. Just not all that much to say. And... Crystal started crying at the end of the song? Interesting.
7:58: Randy gave her a standing ovation. Ellen thought it was beautiful. Kara loved it. Simon thought THAT was inspirational and happy to see some emotion there (and that it was in a completely different class from the rest of the night). Crystal explains that she started crying because she saw her dad in the audience.
8:00: The Recap. Casey was Casey... again. Lee was really good, as usual. Turban was... disappointing? I can't believe I'm saying that. Aaron was just... not good. Siobhan was alright... good vocals. Big Mike finally does something besides a slow ballad, and it's just alright, but I liked it. Crystal was excellent. Did they re-film Crystal's ending? I'm pretty sure she ended in tears, and her recap didn't have that. Anywho... tomorrow is Idol Gives Back! Shocker. I swear, Ryan hasn't even mentioned it all season...
Final Thoughts: I think the Bottom 3 will be Aaron, Tim, and... maybe Casey? But I think Aaron is going home.
4.14.2010
Idol Chatter: The Live Blog #8.2: The Top 8/9 (Results Show).
[I wanted to do this last season, but I got the idea a few episodes too late. I do admit, I watch American Idol. I really didn't start until a couple years ago, though (my mom was a much bigger fan). Similar in style to the Live Survivor Blog over at Blog Cabins, Idol Chatter (pun and all) will be a play by play of the episodes and what I think of what's happening. For those that don't know, just continually refresh this page to get new updates as the show goes on.]
It's time for the results! OK, so it's time for like... 3 performances and about 10 seconds of results. But Big Mike was saved last week, so that means 2 people are going home tonight. And hey, Adam Lambert is singing tonight, which should be fun (unless he's singing his overly played song from the radio). Anyway, I think the Bottom 3 tonight are gonna be Aaron, Andrew, and (maybe) Katie, with Aaron and Andrew going home.
8:00: The overly dramatic recap (they're even doing operatic choir symphony-esque music.
8:01: "This... is American Idol."
8:02: Apparently Brooke White is back tonight, too... and some other guy I don't think I've ever heard of.
8:03: Haha... Ryan called Simon "SiCo" (read: Psycho). That's great. Anyway, the Top performers... well... perform. They're doing an Elvis medley. Not blown away by it, really. It just seems like everyone is being held back from their full potential on this group performance.
8:10: Oh, sorry... I just completely ignored the Ford music video. Getting to the results.
8:12: Casey stands up first. Aaron stands up, too. Andrew stands up. This worries me. All three guys move to the center of the stage. This worries me more.
8:14: Holy crap, that was fast. He just straight-up told Andrew he was gone. And Aaron is safe! Lame! That kinda worries me, too. Well... at least I was half right with Andrew being gone. Really, though, that was the only one I was sure of. I knew if two people were going tonight, one of them had to be Andrew.
8:16: He just finished singing his goodbye song.
8:21: Ryan pimps out Idol Gives Back yet again. I'm gonna take this time to surf the internet.
8:25: OK, getting back to... performances. Brooke White and some guy named Justin Gastin (sp), the former being a previous contestant and the latter the star of an internet show. Surprise, surprise, Brooke White starting off at the piano. This performance isn't blowing me away, either. Though at least they're not using voice modifications or anything. That Justin guy is either just really into the song or super nervous, because his mic hand is shaking like crazy.
8:34: Back to the show. Let's get to some results. Ryan asks for the entire bottom row to join him on stage. This should be interesting. Lee's being spoken to first (such passivity in that sentence!). Next is Siobhan. Katie. Big Mike... who gets a big applause (no pun intended). Crystal... who also got a big applause. Tim... with decent applause.
8:38: Crystal is safe. Siobhan is safe. Ryan tells Lee that he had sung the song Chris Daughtry sang the week he was eliminated... then makes him walk with him. But he's safe. This leaves Tim, Mike, and Katie.
8:43: Next week the contestants will be choosing "Inspirational Songs" with a mentor of Alicia Keys. And speaking of mentors, Adam Lambert is now singing... you guessed it... the incredibly over-played "What Do Ya Want From Me?" But at least it seems he's changed it up a bit here. Maybe it'll be better than the radio version. I like the spiraling green smoke. Oh yeah, this is definitely better than the radio version. At least... until the song picked up to sound just like the radio version, but sung live. Awesome light show, though. I expected him to do one of his famous "big notes" (like Siobhan) there at the end, but he toned it down. Oh well.
8:53: Alright, back with Tim, Mike, and Katie. One is going to safety right now. That person is... Tim. I'm guessing Big Mike to go home? It would make sense. Matt went home the next week after he was saved last season. And the person leaving is...
8:55: Katie? Huh. And Big Mike was apparently not even in the Bottom 3. Well, I was 2 for 3 with the bottom. Poor Katie. She's trying to sing "Let It Be," but is choking up too much to get through the song... well, to get through it well, anyway.
8:58: The goodbye video for both contestants leaving.
Final Thoughts: I'm not hating who went home. No ultimate surprises here. Maybe Aaron will go next week? We'll see. So... yeah. See y'all next week for "Inspirational Songs" week, which has the amazing potential to be incredibly cheesy. Oh, and how can I forget? Idol Gives Back is next week, as well. Later!
It's time for the results! OK, so it's time for like... 3 performances and about 10 seconds of results. But Big Mike was saved last week, so that means 2 people are going home tonight. And hey, Adam Lambert is singing tonight, which should be fun (unless he's singing his overly played song from the radio). Anyway, I think the Bottom 3 tonight are gonna be Aaron, Andrew, and (maybe) Katie, with Aaron and Andrew going home.
8:00: The overly dramatic recap (they're even doing operatic choir symphony-esque music.
8:01: "This... is American Idol."
8:02: Apparently Brooke White is back tonight, too... and some other guy I don't think I've ever heard of.
8:03: Haha... Ryan called Simon "SiCo" (read: Psycho). That's great. Anyway, the Top performers... well... perform. They're doing an Elvis medley. Not blown away by it, really. It just seems like everyone is being held back from their full potential on this group performance.
8:10: Oh, sorry... I just completely ignored the Ford music video. Getting to the results.
8:12: Casey stands up first. Aaron stands up, too. Andrew stands up. This worries me. All three guys move to the center of the stage. This worries me more.
8:14: Holy crap, that was fast. He just straight-up told Andrew he was gone. And Aaron is safe! Lame! That kinda worries me, too. Well... at least I was half right with Andrew being gone. Really, though, that was the only one I was sure of. I knew if two people were going tonight, one of them had to be Andrew.
8:16: He just finished singing his goodbye song.
8:21: Ryan pimps out Idol Gives Back yet again. I'm gonna take this time to surf the internet.
8:25: OK, getting back to... performances. Brooke White and some guy named Justin Gastin (sp), the former being a previous contestant and the latter the star of an internet show. Surprise, surprise, Brooke White starting off at the piano. This performance isn't blowing me away, either. Though at least they're not using voice modifications or anything. That Justin guy is either just really into the song or super nervous, because his mic hand is shaking like crazy.
8:34: Back to the show. Let's get to some results. Ryan asks for the entire bottom row to join him on stage. This should be interesting. Lee's being spoken to first (such passivity in that sentence!). Next is Siobhan. Katie. Big Mike... who gets a big applause (no pun intended). Crystal... who also got a big applause. Tim... with decent applause.
8:38: Crystal is safe. Siobhan is safe. Ryan tells Lee that he had sung the song Chris Daughtry sang the week he was eliminated... then makes him walk with him. But he's safe. This leaves Tim, Mike, and Katie.
8:43: Next week the contestants will be choosing "Inspirational Songs" with a mentor of Alicia Keys. And speaking of mentors, Adam Lambert is now singing... you guessed it... the incredibly over-played "What Do Ya Want From Me?" But at least it seems he's changed it up a bit here. Maybe it'll be better than the radio version. I like the spiraling green smoke. Oh yeah, this is definitely better than the radio version. At least... until the song picked up to sound just like the radio version, but sung live. Awesome light show, though. I expected him to do one of his famous "big notes" (like Siobhan) there at the end, but he toned it down. Oh well.
8:53: Alright, back with Tim, Mike, and Katie. One is going to safety right now. That person is... Tim. I'm guessing Big Mike to go home? It would make sense. Matt went home the next week after he was saved last season. And the person leaving is...
8:55: Katie? Huh. And Big Mike was apparently not even in the Bottom 3. Well, I was 2 for 3 with the bottom. Poor Katie. She's trying to sing "Let It Be," but is choking up too much to get through the song... well, to get through it well, anyway.
8:58: The goodbye video for both contestants leaving.
Final Thoughts: I'm not hating who went home. No ultimate surprises here. Maybe Aaron will go next week? We'll see. So... yeah. See y'all next week for "Inspirational Songs" week, which has the amazing potential to be incredibly cheesy. Oh, and how can I forget? Idol Gives Back is next week, as well. Later!
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