Author: Mike Farley (Page 51 of 63)

Last night on “American Idol” the 10 remaining guys performed, and you could tell that most of them were terrified of the fact that the ladies pretty much blew them away last week. They would have to step up their game or face elimination, if not in the next two weeks, then surely when it’s just six and six left.

It’s always refreshing when the contestants take the judges’ advice and try to improve. Last night several of these guys came out of the gate and tried to wow America the same way that Lakisha, Stephanie and Sabrina did last Wednesday. Did they succeed? Some did, some were way off the mark, but most were somewhere in the middle.

Here is how it went down…..

THE GOOD

Phil Stacy kicked things off with John Waite’s “Missing You” and showed everyone that he has one of the best voices out of the remaining guys. It wasn’t flashy, but in a singing competition it was a good vocal performance. Randy said it was hot, Paula said Phil had great tone, and Simon said it was unoriginal but that Phil would sail through because he’s popular. My take? I think Simon secretly wishes he could sport the chrome dome the same way Phil and Chris Daughtry do.

Chris Sligh sang Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble” and for my money this kid is THE best male singer of the group. His awesome performance wasn’t a surprise, but the fact that dude has a cute wife probably threw America for a loop. Randy said Chris has a “big voice,” Paula said she liked it, and Simon said that Chris is a “very good singer.” This dude is going nowhere anytime soon.

Chris Richardson also came in prepared. He sang Jason Mraz’ “Geek in the Pink,” and quite honestly, he was better than Jason Mraz. Randy put it best, saying Chris was “in it to win it.” Simon even said it was the best performance of the night “by a mile.” Yeah, dude was entertaining, and did just enough vocally. Label this kid another dark horse.

THE IN-BETWEEN

AJ was off-key a bit and had this kind of feminine quality that I think just didn’t work. But again, this is a singing competition and dude did way better than last week. Randy admitted as much, and Simon said it was “nearly very good.” That’s about right.

Nick Pedro did a version of “Fever,” and it was more his style than what he sang last week. It was a little pitchy in spots, and Randy even said so, but it wasn’t too bad. Paula said she loves Nick’s tone, and Simon said it was a good vocal performance but that Nick lacked charisma.

Blake Lewis added his beat box/scat thing back into his performance this week, taking on Jamiroquai.
Randy said it was cool that Blake returned to his form, Paula said it was a good song choice, but Simon said it was off key in spots and not really original. He wasn’t bad, but Blake can do much better and everyone knows it.

Sundance Head brought down the house last night with his rendition of “Mustang Sally.” Dude showed why he made it this far, because he really does have a big voice. Randy and Paula said something to the effect of “Sundance is back,” but Simon admitted that he thinks Sundance can do even better. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get on this guy’s bandwagon. Plus, that song is one of the most played out in wedding band/hotel lounge history.

THE BAD

Jared Cotter wasn’t the worst of the bunch, but two of these guys have to go home on Thursday. He sang Marvin Gaye and was slightly boring and really just okay. Paula said Jared is a good looking kid, and that might keep him around, but Simon summed it up by saying it was like a “Love Boat” performance.

Sunjaya dressed like Michael Jackson and sang “All Dressed Up.” I think it may have been one of the worst performances ever on this show, period. Randy said Sunjaya is a nice kid, but that this was like a bad high school talent show. Simon said it was “ghastly” and used the words “weak” and “weird.” If this kid doesn’t go home this week, then our great nation has a serious problem evaluating talent.

Brandon Rogers, I thought you would go far in this competition. But I can’t give you props for that very mediocre version of “Time After Time.” I mean, that song is almost as played out as “Mustang Sally” and it sure as hell didn’t show your vocal range. The judges said as much, and Simon said he needs to come out and “wow” everyone if he wants to stick around. I have a feeling he may not.

So that’s it, the ladies sing tonight and, surprisingly, Antonella is still in this competition even though all kinds of naughty photos of her are circulating around the Internet. She must have a good attorney.
But she won’t last long with that vocal ability or lack thereof anyway.

As for the guys, I’m going with Sunjaya and Brandon to exit on Thursday…I don’t think Brandon should go but he may have done just poorly enough last night. Other possibilities are Jared, AJ and Nick.

See you all tomorrow….

Last night’s results show for “American Idol” sent four contestants packing, and there were a few surprises and a few not-so-surprises. The night started off with host Ryan Seacrest announcing some of the stars that will take part in the show during the season, including Diana Ross, Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and Barry Gibb. Can you say “Big Budget?”

Then we had to witness one of the most disturbing Idol moments ever–a group performance of Tears for Fears’ “Sowing the Seeds of Love.” Not only can I never listen to this song the same way again, I’m pretty sure that performance of it has scarred my inner being, causing a few of my brain cells to drop to the floor like sawdust from a workbench.

Then they took the first row of guys, most of which were awful on Tuesday night, and one by one Ryan let them know they were safe….Brandon, Sundance (are you kidding me?), Chris R, Nick, and Blake. Then when he got to the barefoot wonder, Paul Kim, Ryan was quick to say adios…none of that “after the break” crap, just “Paul, you are going home.” Then we had to endure Kim singing that Wham song again, and it was even worse last night. Maybe it’s because he was wearing shoes.

Then the girls went, and with six of them lined up and Antonella on the end, you had to know what was coming, right? Well, these producers are sneaky. All safe–Jordin, Stephanie, Sabrina, Leslie, Melinda and Antonella. Then Ryan went to the first girl in the front row, Amy Krebs, and sent her packing. Amy isn’t the worst singer this competition has ever seen, but you can’t say she was one of the better performers on Wednesday when she sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Then we were treated to a performance by Season 3 champ Fantasia. Damn, I forgot how that girl could wail. She put on a clinic for some of those other girls last night and even got a standing O from all three judges.

Back to reality…..five girls left, and Haley, Lakisha and Gina were all sent back to the pack. So it was between Nicole Tranquillo and Alaina Alexander. I was sure it would be Alaina but was wrong. Nicole and that Erykah Badu song in which you could barely make out the lyrics earned her a ticket back to Philly.

Finally, one more dude had to get a pink slip. All safe–Chris Sligh, Bald Phil, Jared, and AJ. Then it was between Sunjaya and Rudy. Ryan said that one of them had the lowest number of votes while the other was in the top 4. What??? Surely there were some forces of nature at work here that we weren’t aware of, or it’s those idiots who vote for the worst every week. Yeah, Sunjaya was safe….I mean, come on…that dude in the top 4? The other theory is he’s got that likeability factor that Kevin Covais had….just a good, humble kid. So Rudy got the heave-ho, and when he did that horrible Latin-inspired version of “Free Ride” to close out the show, I kind of felt like it was deserved.

We’re now down to 20. My favorites are Stephanie, Melinda, Sabrina, Jordin, Lakisha, Brandon, Chris S, Chris R, and Blake. And actually I’m going to say this right now….watch for Chris Sligh, he is my darkest of dark horses for winning the whole thing. Are you all on the phone to Vegas right now?

See you next week, when they will likely torture us with a group version of Squeeze’s “Pulling Mussels from a Shell.” I cringe in advance.

Adios!

Last night it was the ladies’ turn to show off their vocal wares. Most of the guys on Tuesday night looked like they were walking on egg shells the whole time, being careful not to mess up too much and just coast into next week. Lucky for them two guys and two girls will get voted off this week, and not four guys, because most of the ladies brought it Wednesday night.

Of course, what is “American Idol” without Ryan Seacrest taking shots at Simon Cowell? I mean, dude just doesn’t let up. He was ribbing Cowell about the night before when Simon and Chris Sligh were trading jabs. Who cares? Simon did call Ryan “obnoxious” and that’s all that needs to be said.

So here is the good, bad, and in-between recap of last night…..

THE GOOD

Stephanie Edwards, who is 19 and has the poise of someone who is 29, started off and was awesome. She put on a show and displayed a voice that is capable of taking her far. Randy said she set the bar, and Simon said it was the first performance so far of someone basically saying “I want to win this thing.” Exactly.

Sabrina Sloan, who I’ll admit to not remembering in the audition rounds, took on Aretha Franklin. That’s always a tough nut to crack, but she cracked it. Randy said “Now we have a competition,” Paula gave Sabrina a drunken standing O, and Simon said she was the best so far.

Melinda Doolittle also took on Aretha and was unbelievable. Like, winning it all unbelievable. This career backup singer has been thrust into the spotlight, and she isn’t going to let go of it any time soon.
Paula said as much, and Simon called Melinda an “incredible singer.” That’s strong praise from Mr. Cowell.

Lakisha Jones brought down the house at the end of the night performing a Jennifer Hudson tune from “Dreamgirls.” I kind of thought she was shouting, but my wife informed me that Lakisha performed the song to a tee. The judges all agreed, in particular Simon who boldly stated that the other 23 contestants should be booking a plane ticket home.

Jordin Sparks is only 17, but is another young competitor who doesn’t fear the big stage. She wasn’t the best of this bunch, but was good enough to land in this category. Simon said Jordin has been getting better and better as the rounds go by and that she may wind up surprising some people.

THE IN-BETWEEN

Leslie Hunt, a.k.a. the “dog walker,” was just pretty good. She was the first of three to take on Aretha Franklin, and the only one who didn’t do her song justice. She wasn’t awful, but as Randy said, the song was “too big” for Leslie. Simon said she looked like a “dog walker” who was out of her comfort zone, and that’s pretty much it.

Nicole Tranquillo sang an Erykah Badu song and kind of made it seem like she was singing in another language. It was more style than substance. Paula said Nicole hit the notes, but that’s about it. Simon called the performance “self indulgent and aggressive.” Agreed.

Gina Glockson is so full of herself that I really hope she gets voted off soon. She took on Celine Dion’s version of Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself,” and was pretty much shouting the whole time. Paula said it was the right song, but Simon said Gina didn’t hit the big note at the end, and he was right. Gina, however, told Ryan Seacrest that she gave her own performance a 12 out of 10. Hey Gina, SHUT UP.
You are just not that good.

THE BAD

Amy Krebs sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and was not bad vocally, but really had no flair at all. Randy and Paula said that Amy played it safe, just like the guys on Tuesday. Simon said that Amy was not memorable at all, and that she had the “personality of a candle.”

Antonella Barba showed why she really doesn’t belong in this competition anymore. This girl has gotten by on her looks for long enough, and last night she sang Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” like really bad karaoke. Randy said it was “not good” and pitchy, and Simon said that while Antonella is attactive, that song just didn’t work. The good news is that she will likely be reunited with her best friend soon.

Haley Scarnato also took on a Celine Dion song and while she wasn’t the worst of the evening, her performance was way less than memorable. Randy said it was just “okay,” Paula thought it was a bad song choice, and Simon declared that Haley looked like a 40-year-old singing in a hotel lounge (she’s 24). This girl is cute, though, and I think her looks will allow her to stick around for another week.

Alaina Alexander played it super-safe by singing The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket.” Randy said it was “not great” and pitchy, Paula said Alaina didn’t “go for it,” and Simon called it “a mess.” I’m going to say that Alaina may be heading home really soon.

Randy Jackson admitted at the end of the night that four guys should be going home instead of two guys and two girls, and while that is a fair statement to make, there were definitely at least two chicks who were bad enough to book a plane ticket home.

Me? I”m going with Antonella and Alaina. This is a singing competition and both of them had awful performances. For the guys, I slipped up by predicting one going home (Sundance Head) but I forgot that two guys will go home in each of the first three weeks of this round. So Sunjaya, you will soon be reunited with your sister.

Tonight is the painful hour-long results show. And if Ryan Seacrest starts jabbing at Simon again, I may just jump on a plane to LA and beat the crap out of him. See you all tomorrow with the recap….