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Just when I was fearing the worst, America stepped up its game last night much the way the “American Idol” finalists stepped up theirs on Tuesday night. They got it right for a change. It kicked off with another awful group number, Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5.” Can someone please stick a fork in these group numbers? They are just, um, not very entertaining. That’s too nice…they are bordering on pure agony, okay? Anyway, straight to business. Michael Johns, safe. David Archuleta, safe. Carly…a moment of Ryan Seacrest making her dangle, then safe. Commercial break….and oddly enough, Syesha Mercado was in this commercial for some technical institute, and I did a double take…like maybe it was one of those “Saturday Night Live” commercials, but it was real! She is, after all, an actress when she isn’t a finalist on the biggest show in America. Then they took some callers, and the best question was when some woman asked Simon why he apologizes after criticizing someone. Simon smiled and replied “I like you!” Then the Clark Brothers performed…these kids have some mad skills on their instruments, but that singer is scary….like he was shouting the entire song. Okay, back to what we came here for….David Cook, safe, after he assured America that his hospital visit the night before was purely precautionary and that it was blown out of proportion. Dude has high blood pressure is all. Ramiel, Bottom 3. Hooray, America knows what it’s doing! Kristy Lee Cook, who held a piece of paper that said “Bottom 3,” practically willed herself there, and she was right. Wow, America, nice work. Then they did some profiles of Idol alum from Nashville, since Dolly Parton was the theme of this week. Bucky Covington, Phil Stacey and Bo Bice were each featured, and are all having nice little careers after the show. I know Carrie Underwood is a mega-star right now, but I still think Bo was ROBBED. Syesha, safe, which meant Brooke or Jason. Jason, safe, Brooke to the Bottom 3. So it was down to Ramiel, Kristy and Brooke. But first Dolly Parton performed her new single, “Jesus and Gravity.” If you don’t like Dolly Parton, there is seriously something wrong with you….she is one of the most infectiously happy performers I’ve ever seen, and she spreads that to the audience. Okay, finally the grueling hour was coming to a close. Brooke, back to safety…..holy crap, America is smart! Mrs. Mike had predicted Ramiel earlier in the hour, and she has not been wrong yet. And she’s still not wrong…Kristy, safe, Ramiel, you’re outta here. You know, she has a nice voice but this competition is heating up and she just doesn’t have the mad skills of some of the others remaining. Here are my power rankings: 1. David Cook I still like Brooke more than Carly, though America may not agree….but hey, that’s why they play the games. See you all next week… |
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So after dumbass host Ryan Seacrest told America that “American Idol” was being postponed due to some writer’s strike, pulling a fairly predictable April Fool’s joke, it was on to business. For a split second though, I forgot it was April 1, and thought “Awesome, I can go back to watching the Mets/Marlins game,” but no dice. The mentor this week was Dolly Parton, and the remaining nine contestants were asked to sing something from Dolly’s catalog. This could go a few different ways for these singers, and you might expect just a few of them to do well. But what happened was that many of them stepped up their game, some in surprising fashion. Here we go…. THE GOOD David Cook came clean before his performance, saying that some of his previous arrangements (more…) |
 George Michael has a new album coming out this Tuesday, Twenty-Five, and for the first time in almost two decades, he will be coming to the US for a 20-city tour beginning June 17 in San Diego. For more information, please visit www.georgemichael.com. Pop/rock powerhouses Maroon 5 and Counting Crows will hit the road together this summer beginning July 25 and running through October 4. In addition to the two bands, Sara Bareilles and Augustana will split support duties. The Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis kicks off May 2, and some of the confirmed acts are Lou Reed, My Chemical Romance, Santana, Disturbed, Seether, Finger Eleven and Fergie. For more information, go to www.thebealestreetmusicfestival.com. Fall Out Boy was all set to make history by performing in Antarctica (more…) |
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Remember how bad Ramiel was on “American Idol” Tuesday? Remember how I wrote yesterday that she was just about a lock to go home? Well, she wasn’t even in the bottom 3 in last night’s results show. I know there are always surprises, but geez. Anyway, here is how the show went down. 30 million votes, blah blah blah. Group song, blah blah blah. Recap of Tuesday, blah blah blah. Chikezie, bottom 3….I didn’t think he was all that bad but apparently America did. Brooke White, safe. Carly Smithson, safe. Then a break, blah blah blah. David Archuleta, safe. David Cook , and we find out he didn’t arrange that cool version of “Billie Jean”…it was in fact Chris Cornell, who Ryan Seacrest had to mention called in to the show and said he loved Cook’s version of his version. Anyway, David, very safe. Syesha Mercado, Bottom 3. What? She was amazing on Tuesday, so America in my mind right now is not a great judge of talent. Michael Johns, safe. “Idol Gives Back,” blah blah blah. Dolly Parton mentoring next week, blah blah blah. Then Season 2’s Kimberly Locke performed her song, “Fall.” She looked great and has an incredibly powerfull voice, but this song was as bland as a plain potato. The music industry suits need to start letting real songs back in instead of formulaic crap, or it’s all going to blow up in their faces. Then they took some phone calls….and this was pretty funny last night, as one of the callers asked Simon Cowell if he thought it would be easy for her to eventually take Ryan Seacrest’s job. Then another caller asked David Archuleta why he picked that awful song, “You’re the Voice,” on Tuesday. Back to the results. Ramiel, safe. Here we go….I mean, she’s cute and all, and has a decent voice…but better than Syesha? No way. Did Danny Noriega call 5000 times to vote for his pal? Kristy Lee Cook, safe…and that was no surprise, because she really did a very smart thing by grabbing all the red state votes with “God Bless the U.S.A.” What’s that, Ryan Seacrest? Lee Greenwood also called in and said he loved it? Lee also says thank you for the royalty check. Oh, and if Dolly Parton is the mentor this coming week, can we assume country music theme? If so, Kristy just got another free pass. So it was Jason Castro in the bottom 3 along with Syesha and Chikezie, but he was almost instantly sent back to safety. So down to Syesha and Chikezie. Mrs. Mike said Chikezie, and she said it as soon as he was sent to the bottom 3. Well, she has been right for 2 weeks in a row, so no reason to doubt her, and she called it AGAIN. So no more Chikezie on Idol, but I know this guy is going to find a recording niche as a young Luther Vandross type. So now, my power rankings for the remaining nine: 1. David Cook There you go….eight more weeks of Idol, or maybe nine if you include “Idol Gives Back”…remember, last year no one was eliminated on that show. See you next week, I’m going back to watching the NCAA tournament tonight. |
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Last night’s “American Idol” featured the Top 10 finalists, and with it only being 90 minutes, it’s like Fox handed me change back from a $20 bill. Good stuff. Anyway, the contestants had to sing a song from the year they were born, and most of them really stepped up their game. But it’s also worth mentioning this…..that it had to make most of us feel REALLY OLD seeing years like 1987 and 1990 come up. Anyway, here is the recap… THE REALLY GOOD That sound you just heard was David Cook stamping his ticket to superstardom. He closed out the show last night with a grungy version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” What, you say? Just how far can Mr. Cook push the envelope with his song choices? Well, he saw the ball coming and hit it clear around the world. It was that good, and dare I say one of the best performances I’ve ever seen on the show. I’m getting goose bumps thinking about it. I turned to Mrs. Mike and said, “There is your winner,” and then the judges agreed with me. Randy said “You might be the winner” and used the term “molten hot.” Paula said it was brave and brilliant. And Simon, who rarely uses such words, uttered this one: “Amazing.” This is clearly David’s competition to lose. THE GOOD Syesha Mercado was born in 1987, and sang Stephanie Mills’ “If I Were Your Woman,” and it was, for me, her best performance yet (more…) |
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Pop/rock band Augustana will release their new album, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, on April 29. And if you missed their performance at SXSW last week, fear not, because you can watch some of the show on www.crackle.com, or get there through the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/augustana. The Samsung Sound Check series of free private concerts will kick off March 27 with Ne-Yo performing at House of Blues in New Orleans. Other acts in the series are Jimmy Eat World in Charlotte on March 30, Gym Class Heroes in Chicago on April 10, Paramore in Houston on April 29, and Sean Kingston in Las Vegas on May 14. A limited number of tickets will be available through radio promotions, street teams and online registration. In advance of their new album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, Counting Crows will head out on tour (more…) Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Rap and Hip Hop and Country and Concerts Comments: None |
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Last night, I was fortunate enough to catch Willie Nelson in concert at The NorVa, in Norfolk, VA. It was the second time I’d seen him there, and although it wasn’t quite as long a performance as the last time he came ’round, it was still just as good a time. There were, however, a few bittersweet moments, such as when he broke out “Good Hearted Woman,” introducing it with the words, “Let’s do one for Waylon!” Ah, the late Mr. Jennings: how he’s missed. And the absence of Johnny Cash is felt even more strongly. As such, I thought I’d go ahead and offer up an artifact from the past that never fails to make me smile: Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and their ol’ buddy Kris Kristofferson teaming up to sing their version of Jimmy Webb’s “The Highwayman.” Just listen to that crowd scream as each gentleman takes the mike for their respective verse…
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Last night’s “American Idol” results show proved one thing….that you shouldn’t always indulge yourself, thinking you are indulging your fans in the process. More on that in a bit. First, they announced the mentors for this season….Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Neil Diamond…pretty diverse bunch, no? Then the remaining 11 did their second Beatles medley in as many weeks. It was watered down, bland, and none of them looked like they were having any fun whatsoever. Okay, on to the results. Brooke White, safe. Carly Smithson, Bottom 3. What????? I know Simon thought it was a bad song choice (”Blackbird”), but come on…she wasn’t worse than 8 other contestants. David Archuleta, safe. Michael Johns, safe. Then a break, then a video about shooting the latest Ford commercial. Okay, really, this show should and could be 30 minutes instead of 60. David Cook, safe. Kristy Lee Cook, Bottom 3….well, duh. Jason Castro, safe. Ramiel Mallubay, safe. Then Ryan Seacrest took some phone calls…..how’d you like to be one of the judges or contestants who have to answer some crazy fan’s question on national TV on the spot? I think I would start coughing uncontrollably so as to bow out. Then Idol alum Kellie Pickler sang her new single, “Red High Heels.” The song was bland and boring, like most Country radio is, but Kellie looked great….and her boobs were not out in front this time for all to see. I have to say, I like her a whole lot more as an artist than Carrie Underwood. Then after a 5-minute clip about the upcoming “Idol Gives Back” episode that featured former contestants Elliott Yamin and Fantasia (season 3 champ!), it was back to business. Syesha Mercado, safe. Chikezie and Amanda….Chikezie, safe. Amanda, Bottom 3. So the Bottom 3 was Carly Smithson, Kristy Lee Cook and Amanda Overmyer. Carly looked like she absolutely didn’t belong, and she was sent back to safety first. Then, so was Kristy AGAIN, as Amanda was eliminated. Mrs. Mike called it two weeks in a row. Here is my thought…first of all, Amanda went first, and that’s never a good thing unless you are a contender to win it all. Then, she sang “Back in the USSR,” and she proved that the same type of song at the same tempo week after week is not smart, because it makes you one-dimensional. The judges kept warning her about that. Amanda, though, made some comment that she gets 90 seconds to entertain America each week and she wants them to have a glimpse into what her live concert would be all about. Yeah, about that Amanda…..you’ll get to try and start proving it as of today because you are no longer an “Idol” finalist. Meanwhile, Kristy Lee Cook keeps pulling this MacGuyver act. She has not had a good performance since her rendition of “Amazing Grace” in the initial audition, but she is clearly getting votes based on her All-American good looks. Hey America, what is WRONG with you? Oh well, that’s why they play the games. Speaking of which, it’s NCAA tournament time…so I won’t tell your boss that you are faking being sick to watch basketball all day. See you next week… |
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Too much of a good thing can be too much of a good thing. Much the same way that your second doughnut does not taste nearly as good as the first one, two straight weeks of “American Idol” contestants singing Beatles songs was a bit, say, watered down? Or maybe they all just chose the wrong songs. However you slice it, last night was a bit disappointing. Let’s go to the recap…. THE GOOD David Archuleta was very good last night, and back to form, but I was not nearly as impressed as Simon Cowell was. David sang “The Long and Winding Road” and it was about an 8 out of 10 on my Archuleta scale. Randy said David was back to his game but that it was a bit safe, Paula said David is identifiable, and Simon said that while last week David’s performance was a mess, this week he was “amazing.” Seriously, I was practically insulted by that…but still, this kid is really good. David Cook was once again “amazing”…sorry, Simon. He sang “Day Tripper” and strapped on his guitar (more…) |
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Last night’s “American Idol” results show came down to a bottom 3 of Syesha, Kristy Lee Cook and David Hernandez. Simon Cowell thought that America got the voting “spot on,” and I can’t say I disagree with him or with America. Nice going. Anyway, before that we were tortured with an hour-long show. They talked about next week being another Beatles week…which is never a bad thing. But first, a Beatles medley by the remaining 12. As you might expect, it was excruciating. Then, pretty early on, it was on to the results. Carly Smithson, safe. Michael Johns, safe. Jason Castro, safe. Syesha, bottom 3. Then, after Simon said she belonged there, Syesha seemed genuinely pissed off. Ryan Seacrest handed her the microphone and had her perform, even though there was a 2 in 3 chance Syesha was staying. After the break, Chikezie, safe. Amanda Overmyer, safe. David Cook, safe. Then Kristy Lee Cook in the bottom 3. Yikes, I just realized there are two people with the last name “Cook” in this thing. Well, probably not for long! After Kristy did her horrendous version of “8 Days a Week” again, they invited Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee to perform George Harrison’s “Something” along with producer/pianist David Foster. Note that after Kat lost her record deal because her pop/R&B album, um, sucked balls, Foster swooped in and is producing her next project. Look, she is very easy on the eyes, but still is not the greatest vocalist in the world…but Foster will do his best to try and polish that turd. Then it was back to business. David Archuleta, safe. Brooke White, safe. Down to David Hernandez and Ramiel. Ramiel, safe, but probably barely. David Hernandez, after telling Ryan the Bottom 3 doesn’t mean the Bottom 1, sings his ridiculous version of “I Saw Her Standing There” again. So it was down to this: Syesha, Kristy, and David H. Syesha was the first sent back to safety, and I was happy for her, because she is clearly better than the other two, or at least she was this week. Then Kristy was told she was safe, prompting this response from Hernandez: “Wow.” Um, dude, get over yourself….not only was America disappointed to find out you once worked as a stripper in a gay bar, but you were AWFUL on Tuesday night. I mean, it was one small notch above Luke Menard. So that’s it…we’re down to the final 11, and I’m going to offer my power rankings based on overall talent and on this past week’s performances: 1. David Cook What do you all think? Let me know, and I’ll see you next week….. |
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Why do I say “baker’s dozen?” Because there are 12 contestants remaining on “American Idol,” meaning the finals began last night. But host Ryan Seacrest keeps trying to hog the camera and the attention, like he’s the thirteenth contestant or something. Dude has been pretty low-key lately, but now he’s become annoying again, and the banter with Simon just makes everyone uncomfortable….dude, EAAAA-SY. With that, let’s talk about the performances. The producers finally cracked the code to open The Beatles’ catalog, and with those songs, you know you’re at least going to be entertained. Here we go…. THE GOOD Chikezie gave the performance of his life. I mean, his version (more…) |
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Songs like “Watermelon Crawl” will make you go out and kill. Enjoy!
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Road Warriors 55 Coldplay’s fourth album is due out this summer, and the band’s first planned tour dates are expected to be for the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan on August 9 and 10, in Tokyo and Osaka, respectively. Other acts at the fest will include The Verve, Sex Pistols, Panic at the Disco and Alicia Keys. The B-52’s are hitting the road in support of their latest, Funplex for a short spring tour beginning April 23 in Boston. The album streets on March 25. Yaz has apparently re-united for the release of a B-sides and rarities set called In Your Room. The duo, which features Alison Moyet and Erasure’s Vince Clarke, plans on playing a few shows to support the release as well—US dates will be from July 7-17. For more information, check out www.myspace.com/yazooofficial. Dave Matthews Band is back in the studio (more…) |
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Last night’s “American Idol” results show was a grueling hour long, but at last, we are down to the final 12. As they have been doing the last few seasons, they had 12 seats and filled them one by one, slowly working their way to who was being eliminated this week. But first, last season’s runner-up, Blake Lewis, performed his new single, “How Many Words.” As you would expect, it was heavy on the beatboxing. But the song’s chorus absolutely soars. Then, after giving some love to Paula Abdul for having the #1 song on iTunes right now, it was on to the lengthy recaps of the last two nights. Finally, Ryan Seacrest faced the guys and started to swing the axe. First up, David Cook, who sang that great version of Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello” on Tuesday. Seacrest said he spoke to Ritchie, who admitted he loved David’s version of the song. Cook was (more…) |
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Last night, the ladies took the stage on “American Idol” and for the most part, were a bit disappointing when compared to the guys the night before. Simon Cowell said it at the end of the show, and he’s absolutely right. Still, a couple of them stood out and should have no problem advancing this week. Here is how it went down…. THE GOOD Amanda Overmyer is back. No more light-socket hair, ridiculous outfits or over-the-top-sausage-fest classic rock. Amanda sang Joan Jett’s “Hate Myself For Loving You,” and it was maybe her best performance on the show to date. She even looked really good. I’m telling you people, this girl is a rock star if she holds it together. Anyway, Randy said “that’s the Amanda we know and love,” Paula said she picked the right song, and Simon said it was “fantastic” and one of his favorites of the first few rounds so far. And remember, dude was not a fan last week. Brooke White did an acoustic (more…) |
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