The promos leading up to tonight's auditions featuring the "twin" cities of San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York, New York (fraternal, no doubt) lead me to believe that some kind of gawd-awful disaster happened during the auditions, and I was terribly curious to see what that was. (And yes, it wasn't the hook/promo that got me to watch the show when I wouldn't otherwise, they had me at hello.)
Turns out (surprise!) it was nothing. The hotel/place at which they were holding auditions had some sort of sunscreen mounted up against the windows so that Paula didn't get too pruned, and at one point those screens very dramatically collapsed (putting no one at risk). Whatever.
I had read earlier news pieces this summer (noted last night) that San Juan was a huge disappointment and had all but decided to tune it out...I liked that they included it as an audition city and wondered what was "up."
A whopping 9 contestants got put through to Hollywood, which is our smallest number yet from any locale. Was there any talent from PR? YES, in the form of Jorge Nunez, who I really thought was great. He got to do 2 songs (“My Way” in Spanish and “What a Wonderful World” in English) and I was swooning before he was done.
I also liked Monique Garcia Torres who brought her little brother along for support and sang “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes followed by “I Turn to You”...wonder how Hollywood will treat her? Hope she can stand up and deliver?!
Other than these fine folks, I was struck mostly when that big boat finally took off from behind the office/hotel suite where auditions were being held...did you notice?! Do you think they knew about the filming?
I was also left wondering about the 26 people let through from NYC and wondering why they relegated that group to essentially a 30-minute segment....interesting.
On to Hollywood Week!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Golly Gee, It's Salt Lake City
I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's audition show --Shiny! Happy! People! -- but did find myself wishing for auditions to be over....kinda tired of the whole thing, and ready for bed. So tonight's post will be a bit short. And I've already read that Puerto Rico was a "huge disappointment" so maybe I'll wash my hair tomorrow?! LOL, no chance :)
The Osmond audition at the top of the hour was a great show-opener, although I'm wondering why Donny (or Marie) don't just pony up the cash for David to cut a demo??? Why the parading in front of Idol? I thought his voice was terrific and didn't understand why they weren't kinder to him....he won't last past Hollywood, that was clear. But I was reminded that the Osmond name was King in the 70's... and not today. There isn't an Osmond out there with a Billboard-charting single that I'm aware of.....
Other than him, only a couple of other contestants stood out, and not because I think they are Top 12 material. We had back-to-back young moms in Frankie Jordan and Meghan Corkrey, and both were infectious contestants...and the final story with Rose Fleck was heartbreaking. But these ladies will have to Bring It to Hollywood to earn my vote for singing (they already have it for just being them).
On to the last of AI8 auditions...
The Osmond audition at the top of the hour was a great show-opener, although I'm wondering why Donny (or Marie) don't just pony up the cash for David to cut a demo??? Why the parading in front of Idol? I thought his voice was terrific and didn't understand why they weren't kinder to him....he won't last past Hollywood, that was clear. But I was reminded that the Osmond name was King in the 70's... and not today. There isn't an Osmond out there with a Billboard-charting single that I'm aware of.....
Other than him, only a couple of other contestants stood out, and not because I think they are Top 12 material. We had back-to-back young moms in Frankie Jordan and Meghan Corkrey, and both were infectious contestants...and the final story with Rose Fleck was heartbreaking. But these ladies will have to Bring It to Hollywood to earn my vote for singing (they already have it for just being them).
On to the last of AI8 auditions...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Where Florida Begins...Auditions from Jacksonville
We traveled south tonight to the place "where Florida begins." Auditions from Jacksonville brought us introductions to 6 Hollywood hopefuls along with a handful of colorful characters including the first-ever appearance on Idol of a golf cart (off-road, at that); a true Mr. Split Personality; lap dances all around; and a physics student who's wildest dream includes a house with marble floors.
Whew!
Of the six singers we met tonight headed for Hollywood, I'd say two have The Stuff to maybe continue their Idol journey beyond next week, two had better bring the A Game to impress, and two are Hollywood Cannon Fodder.
Hollywood Hello Means Goodbye....I am obviously wrong about this since Terrence "T.K." Hash is widely rumored to make the Top 50 in Hollywood, but despite his boyish good looks and charm, I found him to be pretty generic. Same can be said for Sharon Wilbur who brought her shih-tzu to the audition....breaking out the Carpenters brought a smile to this coming-of-age-in-the-70's gal, and she did inspire a raucous Girl Make Out session, but seriously....can she win this thing? I don't think do.
Hollywood Has to Impress...The self-proclaimed Justin Guarini lookalike tile layer Joshua Ulloa definitely has some musicality but sadly it was lost in too many runs, affectations and body tics. I wonder what he could do if he just SANG. And I'm also wrong on this one since she is also widely rumored to make the Top 50 but Anne Marie Boskovich just seems to lack the confidence to survive a brutal week in Hollywood....could that explain why she has been waiting tables in Nashville and trying to make it into the music business? I guess the same was said for Kelly Clarkson....okay, maybe she can do it. But I just didn't get why they made her leave and change clothes and put on make up and come back....seems like that was all just drama for the cameras (they knew immediately she could sing). Annoying. Okay, I'll grant you that maybe I'm annoyed with the judges and not her....but I'll hold off on my membership application to the Anne Marie Fan Club until Top 12 week.....
Speaking of Top 12....Okay, it's WAAAYYY too early to even think about this, but tonight's best shots for at least advancing past Hollywood week IMO were Julissa Veloz and Jasmine Murray. I know that "Miss Florida Latina USA" Julissa had more than enough confidence and a very annoying laugh, but I actually thought her take on Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" was one of the best to be attempted on Idol in recent memory. I tell ya, Confidence is King in this business, and she's got it. Also not lacking in that was sweet 16-year-old Jasmine Murray from Mississippi who traveled to Jacksonville with her equally stunning sisters and Mom to audition. Her take on Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" was great, and as Simon put it, her look and sound are "commerical"....which speaks volumes in this business. Maybe I'm overstating her potential, but I liked her, and look forward to seeing what she (and her entourage, 'cause you know they're going along !) can bring to Hollywood.
What did you think? Did Kara borrow that dress from Paula's wardrobe? Were you struck by the fact that Simon remembered no one from the first day of Jacksonville's audition, and does that speak volumes about what Florida brings to Hollywood? Or did the Sunshine State shine tonight?
Whew!
Of the six singers we met tonight headed for Hollywood, I'd say two have The Stuff to maybe continue their Idol journey beyond next week, two had better bring the A Game to impress, and two are Hollywood Cannon Fodder.
Hollywood Hello Means Goodbye....I am obviously wrong about this since Terrence "T.K." Hash is widely rumored to make the Top 50 in Hollywood, but despite his boyish good looks and charm, I found him to be pretty generic. Same can be said for Sharon Wilbur who brought her shih-tzu to the audition....breaking out the Carpenters brought a smile to this coming-of-age-in-the-70's gal, and she did inspire a raucous Girl Make Out session, but seriously....can she win this thing? I don't think do.
Hollywood Has to Impress...The self-proclaimed Justin Guarini lookalike tile layer Joshua Ulloa definitely has some musicality but sadly it was lost in too many runs, affectations and body tics. I wonder what he could do if he just SANG. And I'm also wrong on this one since she is also widely rumored to make the Top 50 but Anne Marie Boskovich just seems to lack the confidence to survive a brutal week in Hollywood....could that explain why she has been waiting tables in Nashville and trying to make it into the music business? I guess the same was said for Kelly Clarkson....okay, maybe she can do it. But I just didn't get why they made her leave and change clothes and put on make up and come back....seems like that was all just drama for the cameras (they knew immediately she could sing). Annoying. Okay, I'll grant you that maybe I'm annoyed with the judges and not her....but I'll hold off on my membership application to the Anne Marie Fan Club until Top 12 week.....
Speaking of Top 12....Okay, it's WAAAYYY too early to even think about this, but tonight's best shots for at least advancing past Hollywood week IMO were Julissa Veloz and Jasmine Murray. I know that "Miss Florida Latina USA" Julissa had more than enough confidence and a very annoying laugh, but I actually thought her take on Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" was one of the best to be attempted on Idol in recent memory. I tell ya, Confidence is King in this business, and she's got it. Also not lacking in that was sweet 16-year-old Jasmine Murray from Mississippi who traveled to Jacksonville with her equally stunning sisters and Mom to audition. Her take on Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" was great, and as Simon put it, her look and sound are "commerical"....which speaks volumes in this business. Maybe I'm overstating her potential, but I liked her, and look forward to seeing what she (and her entourage, 'cause you know they're going along !) can bring to Hollywood.
What did you think? Did Kara borrow that dress from Paula's wardrobe? Were you struck by the fact that Simon remembered no one from the first day of Jacksonville's audition, and does that speak volumes about what Florida brings to Hollywood? Or did the Sunshine State shine tonight?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Idol Does Lou-vul
According to Idol Producer Patrick Lynn, Louisville was selected for the first time as an audition city this year because of it's potential for a wide variety of musical talent, including country and rock artists, due in part because of it's proximity to Nashville and Atlanta. In fact, Kentucky has never produced an Idol winner. Did luvable Lou-vul deliver the goods this year?
Um, I'm not convinced. By my count, we met 5 Hollywood-bound hopefuls with backstories and 4 more very briefly. The four from whom we heard just a few notes (Kris Allen, Felicia Barton, Ryan Johnson and Shera Lawrence) all looked talented and interesting, so I'm hoping to learn more about them later on.
Compelling Louisville contestants included Joanne Pacita, one-time A&M recording artist ("it just didn't work out") who certainly got Simon's attention. (It's obvious when he falls in luv with a contestant....he gets all googly-eyed and doesn't say anything except "yes"... which pretty much happens whenever a PYT with even a smidge of talent enters the room.) At least they didn't hide her previous record contract this time (A la Kristy Lee and Carly last season), but you do wonder why it didn't work out, don't you? She certainly looks the part and seems nice enough, but we'll have to see how far THAT gets her in Hollywood.
Apparently, golden ticket getter Brent was once a contestant on Nashville Star, although my DVR went out during this part of the tape so I didn't see any of his performance, although I'm guessing he can sing. The very Elliot-sounding Matt Giraud was cute and I love me a piano player. What I don't love is that Simon told him he didn't believe in himself....either you have no confidence or you are over-confident on this show, it seems.....
Course Alexis Grace and her daughter were adorable, can't believe she tackled Aretha and came out unscathed.....I'm glad she's headed to CA for more airtime. Last but not least, tonight's obligatory tear-jerker show-ender involved single-parenthood, poverty and hardship in a bad way, but somehow Laneshe Young has emerged at the tender age of 18 with a gorgeous smile, beautiful voice, and creativity that insure we'll see more of her this season, I predict (top 12?)
Random thoughts: are we seeing less of Ryan this season? Was Ross really the Super Nerd they pimped, or was that label suitable for Paula with her horn-rimmed glasses and librarian hair bun? And what happened to the librarian the second half of the hour when she was literally busting out? Was Rebecca Garcia, voted Most Humorous, really singing, for real? and was the "22 horses and a donkey" Simon's rudest comment yet this season?
Um, I'm not convinced. By my count, we met 5 Hollywood-bound hopefuls with backstories and 4 more very briefly. The four from whom we heard just a few notes (Kris Allen, Felicia Barton, Ryan Johnson and Shera Lawrence) all looked talented and interesting, so I'm hoping to learn more about them later on.
Compelling Louisville contestants included Joanne Pacita, one-time A&M recording artist ("it just didn't work out") who certainly got Simon's attention. (It's obvious when he falls in luv with a contestant....he gets all googly-eyed and doesn't say anything except "yes"... which pretty much happens whenever a PYT with even a smidge of talent enters the room.) At least they didn't hide her previous record contract this time (A la Kristy Lee and Carly last season), but you do wonder why it didn't work out, don't you? She certainly looks the part and seems nice enough, but we'll have to see how far THAT gets her in Hollywood.
Apparently, golden ticket getter Brent was once a contestant on Nashville Star, although my DVR went out during this part of the tape so I didn't see any of his performance, although I'm guessing he can sing. The very Elliot-sounding Matt Giraud was cute and I love me a piano player. What I don't love is that Simon told him he didn't believe in himself....either you have no confidence or you are over-confident on this show, it seems.....
Course Alexis Grace and her daughter were adorable, can't believe she tackled Aretha and came out unscathed.....I'm glad she's headed to CA for more airtime. Last but not least, tonight's obligatory tear-jerker show-ender involved single-parenthood, poverty and hardship in a bad way, but somehow Laneshe Young has emerged at the tender age of 18 with a gorgeous smile, beautiful voice, and creativity that insure we'll see more of her this season, I predict (top 12?)
Random thoughts: are we seeing less of Ryan this season? Was Ross really the Super Nerd they pimped, or was that label suitable for Paula with her horn-rimmed glasses and librarian hair bun? And what happened to the librarian the second half of the hour when she was literally busting out? Was Rebecca Garcia, voted Most Humorous, really singing, for real? and was the "22 horses and a donkey" Simon's rudest comment yet this season?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Summer of Lullaby in San Fransisco
Coincidentally, today's Word of the Day on dictionary.com is "pandiculation" (\pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn\) which is a noun meaning, "an instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning." How would they know I would be experiencing pandiculation while watching the San Fransisco auditions for Season 8 of American Idol?
For a city so invigorating, so captivating as the City By the Bay is, how could tonight's talent be so sparse (only 12 golden tickets, compared to 27 in Phoenix and 26 in Kansas City). I know, the editors tried to spice it up with some Kara-Simon drama, but it wasn't all that. This was Idol-Lite, folks, and after a full day of inauguration excitement I guess I'm relieved. Kind of.
From my notes, we met only 11 of tonight's auditioners, 7 of whom were passed on to Hollywood (meaning there are 5 folks from San Fran we'll meet when we get Hollywood). Of those 7 we'll see in Hollywood, two were surely sympathy tickets: Tatiana from Puerto Rico and Jesus Valenzuela. Okay, they weren't terrible singers, but it was clear there was more to their Hollywood vote of confidence than just performance. Tatiana's psychic-psycho laugh didn't seem to scare the judges at all, and even Simon admitted that she "didn't get through on her vocals" as if that were okay (like Bikini Girl got through on vocal alone? Plu-ease.) Jesus was pleasant enough, and his 2 boys were indeed adorable, but I think he'll be eaten alive in Hollywood (although I won't enjoy watching that).
The two best of the night (IMO) were the last 2: Adam Lambert and Kai Kalama. I agree that Adam has some theater stuff in there, no question....but he didn't come across as totally Theater to me, and I found his personality to be endearing and sweet. My 'tweener and I agree he's a cross between Joe Jonas and Zac Efron, and for that reason, I think we'll see more of him past Hollywood....
Kai is in SERIOUS need of a makeover, but imagine what they could do for him! Remember David Cook's Hollywood days? No one gave him a serious look .....if Kai cut his hair and got a good shave, those pearly whites would sparkle and his warm personality would shine through even more....I liked him and his Mom, too.
Other than the above, the hour was spent taking a break from inaugural coverage and pointing out the Full House "house" to my daughter and discussing the relative architectural merits of the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa, the Mackinaw Island bridge in Michigan, Tower Bridge in London and the Golden Gate in terms of spans, methods of construction, etc....and wondering what Randy really meant with his comment about Paula "just wanting a baby". Most awkward Idol Judge moment to date? I think so!
Do you think Kara is fitting in? Have you seen anyone audition yet who you think could win this season?
For a city so invigorating, so captivating as the City By the Bay is, how could tonight's talent be so sparse (only 12 golden tickets, compared to 27 in Phoenix and 26 in Kansas City). I know, the editors tried to spice it up with some Kara-Simon drama, but it wasn't all that. This was Idol-Lite, folks, and after a full day of inauguration excitement I guess I'm relieved. Kind of.
From my notes, we met only 11 of tonight's auditioners, 7 of whom were passed on to Hollywood (meaning there are 5 folks from San Fran we'll meet when we get Hollywood). Of those 7 we'll see in Hollywood, two were surely sympathy tickets: Tatiana from Puerto Rico and Jesus Valenzuela. Okay, they weren't terrible singers, but it was clear there was more to their Hollywood vote of confidence than just performance. Tatiana's psychic-psycho laugh didn't seem to scare the judges at all, and even Simon admitted that she "didn't get through on her vocals" as if that were okay (like Bikini Girl got through on vocal alone? Plu-ease.) Jesus was pleasant enough, and his 2 boys were indeed adorable, but I think he'll be eaten alive in Hollywood (although I won't enjoy watching that).
The two best of the night (IMO) were the last 2: Adam Lambert and Kai Kalama. I agree that Adam has some theater stuff in there, no question....but he didn't come across as totally Theater to me, and I found his personality to be endearing and sweet. My 'tweener and I agree he's a cross between Joe Jonas and Zac Efron, and for that reason, I think we'll see more of him past Hollywood....
Kai is in SERIOUS need of a makeover, but imagine what they could do for him! Remember David Cook's Hollywood days? No one gave him a serious look .....if Kai cut his hair and got a good shave, those pearly whites would sparkle and his warm personality would shine through even more....I liked him and his Mom, too.
Other than the above, the hour was spent taking a break from inaugural coverage and pointing out the Full House "house" to my daughter and discussing the relative architectural merits of the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa, the Mackinaw Island bridge in Michigan, Tower Bridge in London and the Golden Gate in terms of spans, methods of construction, etc....and wondering what Randy really meant with his comment about Paula "just wanting a baby". Most awkward Idol Judge moment to date? I think so!
Do you think Kara is fitting in? Have you seen anyone audition yet who you think could win this season?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kansas City 2009
I totally enjoyed tonight's episode featuring auditions from David Cook's hometown of KC, MO...and not only because there were lots of mentions of him :) but because I think it's truly a slice of Middle America and we got to see a little bit of everything. I especially like the montage thing they are using this year to collect "bad" singers in the same song...so we can giggle in 3 minutes and get on (and poor Stevie Wonder, do you think he would giggle after tonight's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" montage? I wonder....)
AMAZING commercial featuring David Cook. In fact, I got me some Idol Shivvers. My hubby came home late, and I made him watch only 3 minutes of tonight s 2-hour show and they were those featuring DC. Kudo's to AI for such an amazing and compelling reminder of why we watch!
As with last night, we saw a nicer Simon, less interested in humiliating people and more interested in just moving things along, which I think is good. Paula was lucid again (yay!) and Kara and Randy did their thing.
Did we see the American Idol 2009 from tonight's auditions? If we did, it would be in the form of Danny, the 28-year-old music teacher who had recently lost his wife to a heart ailment. Gosh, I like him, not only for his incredible back story, but also for his soulful vibe and cool resemblance to Robert Downey Jr. :) I look forward to seeing his Heart and Soul in Hollywood!
I also give runners-up to Ashley Anderson who did Simon's "footsteps" proud; Lil Rounds from Memphis, the tornado survivor with 3 kids who reminded me of Fantasia and LaToya (sorry, same season!) all rolled into one! Wow! Those are some names to be associated with...and I think we'll like what we see from her in Hollywood.
Also a major runner-up was Anoop-"Dawg", the "didn't expect that" grad student with the geeky look....I hope he comes to Hollywood with some style to match that awesome soulful sweet vibe he put out.
I must mention Jason's bro Michael Castro and while adorable and obviously talented, I don't think he will survive Hollywood and maybe it's because he's just not that into Idol....Kara thinks he has a secret, and I have to wonder if it's that he thinks Idol is full o' crap!
Funniest parts tonight, for me, were Simon's comments, although more subtle than usual...I loved how he told Chelsea at the top of the show that she sounded like a "cat jumping off the Empire State Building"...LOL. I had to visualize that to fully appreciate it. I also laughed when Simon asked the singer who wasn't very good, "Just to be clear, the first records you bought were Paula's?" CLASSIC.
I had time to consider tonight the backdrop behind the auditioners which shows the American Idol winners. They have added David Cook and strategically positioned him to be exactly where the eye falls when one is watching the show. In other words, he gets the "pimp" spot. He is flanked by Carrie (to his left) and Jordin (to his right). Great company! In the wings are Taylor and Rueben....just interesting. What do you make of it?
Season 8 is off and running!
AMAZING commercial featuring David Cook. In fact, I got me some Idol Shivvers. My hubby came home late, and I made him watch only 3 minutes of tonight s 2-hour show and they were those featuring DC. Kudo's to AI for such an amazing and compelling reminder of why we watch!
As with last night, we saw a nicer Simon, less interested in humiliating people and more interested in just moving things along, which I think is good. Paula was lucid again (yay!) and Kara and Randy did their thing.
Did we see the American Idol 2009 from tonight's auditions? If we did, it would be in the form of Danny, the 28-year-old music teacher who had recently lost his wife to a heart ailment. Gosh, I like him, not only for his incredible back story, but also for his soulful vibe and cool resemblance to Robert Downey Jr. :) I look forward to seeing his Heart and Soul in Hollywood!
I also give runners-up to Ashley Anderson who did Simon's "footsteps" proud; Lil Rounds from Memphis, the tornado survivor with 3 kids who reminded me of Fantasia and LaToya (sorry, same season!) all rolled into one! Wow! Those are some names to be associated with...and I think we'll like what we see from her in Hollywood.
Also a major runner-up was Anoop-"Dawg", the "didn't expect that" grad student with the geeky look....I hope he comes to Hollywood with some style to match that awesome soulful sweet vibe he put out.
I must mention Jason's bro Michael Castro and while adorable and obviously talented, I don't think he will survive Hollywood and maybe it's because he's just not that into Idol....Kara thinks he has a secret, and I have to wonder if it's that he thinks Idol is full o' crap!
Funniest parts tonight, for me, were Simon's comments, although more subtle than usual...I loved how he told Chelsea at the top of the show that she sounded like a "cat jumping off the Empire State Building"...LOL. I had to visualize that to fully appreciate it. I also laughed when Simon asked the singer who wasn't very good, "Just to be clear, the first records you bought were Paula's?" CLASSIC.
I had time to consider tonight the backdrop behind the auditioners which shows the American Idol winners. They have added David Cook and strategically positioned him to be exactly where the eye falls when one is watching the show. In other words, he gets the "pimp" spot. He is flanked by Carrie (to his left) and Jordin (to his right). Great company! In the wings are Taylor and Rueben....just interesting. What do you make of it?
Season 8 is off and running!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tuesday Night's Season Premiere Episode Recap
I admit, I did clear tonight's family calendar for the Idol opener. Didn't make the kids cook their own dinner (yet) but did shush everybody a number of times and put a hold on on family calls and emergencies. And wasn't disappointed!
The Idol franchise opened Season 8 with 4 and a half minutes of very powerful television. For those who missed it, 'twas a montage of winners, losers, and also-rans (And Elliot's mom, love her), but my favorites were the Winning Moments of all 7 previous Idol winners.....each had their own story, but the message was clear: this show changes lives and makes dreams come true. Powerful stuff! Grand Canyon!
This show's auditions were from Phoenix AZ, home to 106 degree temps and Jordin Sparks. Since it's 3 degrees here as I write, that doesn't sound so bad :) but I know it was hot. The new judge, Kara, was impressive...her bio was amazing, and I actually liked her. They didn't really show much of her commenting, so I wonder if it's like the first week of camp where everyone is friends, until people really get to know each other.....but I reserve judgement. Bikini Girl brought out a little venom which was fun, more on her later....but Kara can stay, IMO.
I don't want to give too much "press" to the bad people cause there is no point, but for recap's sake we'll just mention the Micheal Jackson wanna-be Twan; the "tremensely" untalented "Drama Queen" Randy; X-Ray ("Cactus, or whatever your name is"as Simon put it); Kara's Biggest Fan, complete with pink cowboy hat; and Sexual Chocolate. Okay, enough said.
Who impressed me? Well, we have a couple of folks who did simply because they didn't look anything like they sounded. This includes the Oil Driller Guy from Day 2, Micheal Sarver, AKA the Complete Opposite of Ryan Seacrest. Sure, he's a family man who happens to be employed in the 5th most dangerous occupation in the world, but dude can also carry a sweet tune. I found myself hearing a soulful Elliot Yamin in his voice...and wondering....is this sensitive roughneck going any farther than Hollywood? Dare I get attached?
You also had to be a bit taken back by the fright film teen, who's eyelashes were longer than my Malibu Barbie and was almost as pretty...he actually could sing, and with the right hair and make-up....teen sensation! Move over, one of the Jonas Bros! I was also very surprised by Alex "out of the closet" Tugman (forgive me if I've not got the names exactly right). He looked NOTHING like he sounded, and all I can say is, he must have spent lots of time in that closet listening to Clay Aiken records.
Who impressed in a good way? The same contestants who impressed you, I would guess: first of all, Stevie Wright, AKA Ms. Born With It, who's "At Last" prompted Paula to comment that she has Kelly Clarkson strength...I would imagine being named after one of rock/pop's greatest vocalists carried some pressure, but Stevie seems to have done okay. I also enjoyed J.B., who reminded me of David Archuleta a bit, but didn't get much backstory (we only know that his family is 'struggling'). The bright 16yo Arianna Afsar, when she's not befriending senior citizens, must be practicing her vocal chops cuz she was enjoyable (and Simon provided one of the funniest vocal quips of the night when suggesting that if Paula ever comes to AZ, Arianna could help her out...LOL). Even though she made it through, I won't comment on Bikini Girl cause I just don't have the energy, but will give mention to Brianna "I love you!" who was so cute but likely won't last long, to Lonely Girl Deanna, who had a Nora Jones vibe but no one to celebrate with when she got her Golden Ticket, and to Scott, who's rendition of "And So It Goes" was like no other I've heard....we'll see what happens with you!
LOVED the montage to Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive"....I'm a sucker for cheesy stuff like that, and isn't this why we love American Idol? I've decided that the next job I want is to be in film editing so I can splice together stuff like this. What fun, eh? What, you say, sitting through days and hours and weeks and months of auditions just to get 3 seconds of funny/good/memorable/heartbreaking footage? Sure :)
So, there you have your American Idol Season 8 opener! Would love to hear what YOU thought of it!
The Idol franchise opened Season 8 with 4 and a half minutes of very powerful television. For those who missed it, 'twas a montage of winners, losers, and also-rans (And Elliot's mom, love her), but my favorites were the Winning Moments of all 7 previous Idol winners.....each had their own story, but the message was clear: this show changes lives and makes dreams come true. Powerful stuff! Grand Canyon!
This show's auditions were from Phoenix AZ, home to 106 degree temps and Jordin Sparks. Since it's 3 degrees here as I write, that doesn't sound so bad :) but I know it was hot. The new judge, Kara, was impressive...her bio was amazing, and I actually liked her. They didn't really show much of her commenting, so I wonder if it's like the first week of camp where everyone is friends, until people really get to know each other.....but I reserve judgement. Bikini Girl brought out a little venom which was fun, more on her later....but Kara can stay, IMO.
I don't want to give too much "press" to the bad people cause there is no point, but for recap's sake we'll just mention the Micheal Jackson wanna-be Twan; the "tremensely" untalented "Drama Queen" Randy; X-Ray ("Cactus, or whatever your name is"as Simon put it); Kara's Biggest Fan, complete with pink cowboy hat; and Sexual Chocolate. Okay, enough said.
Who impressed me? Well, we have a couple of folks who did simply because they didn't look anything like they sounded. This includes the Oil Driller Guy from Day 2, Micheal Sarver, AKA the Complete Opposite of Ryan Seacrest. Sure, he's a family man who happens to be employed in the 5th most dangerous occupation in the world, but dude can also carry a sweet tune. I found myself hearing a soulful Elliot Yamin in his voice...and wondering....is this sensitive roughneck going any farther than Hollywood? Dare I get attached?
You also had to be a bit taken back by the fright film teen, who's eyelashes were longer than my Malibu Barbie and was almost as pretty...he actually could sing, and with the right hair and make-up....teen sensation! Move over, one of the Jonas Bros! I was also very surprised by Alex "out of the closet" Tugman (forgive me if I've not got the names exactly right). He looked NOTHING like he sounded, and all I can say is, he must have spent lots of time in that closet listening to Clay Aiken records.
Who impressed in a good way? The same contestants who impressed you, I would guess: first of all, Stevie Wright, AKA Ms. Born With It, who's "At Last" prompted Paula to comment that she has Kelly Clarkson strength...I would imagine being named after one of rock/pop's greatest vocalists carried some pressure, but Stevie seems to have done okay. I also enjoyed J.B., who reminded me of David Archuleta a bit, but didn't get much backstory (we only know that his family is 'struggling'). The bright 16yo Arianna Afsar, when she's not befriending senior citizens, must be practicing her vocal chops cuz she was enjoyable (and Simon provided one of the funniest vocal quips of the night when suggesting that if Paula ever comes to AZ, Arianna could help her out...LOL). Even though she made it through, I won't comment on Bikini Girl cause I just don't have the energy, but will give mention to Brianna "I love you!" who was so cute but likely won't last long, to Lonely Girl Deanna, who had a Nora Jones vibe but no one to celebrate with when she got her Golden Ticket, and to Scott, who's rendition of "And So It Goes" was like no other I've heard....we'll see what happens with you!
LOVED the montage to Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive"....I'm a sucker for cheesy stuff like that, and isn't this why we love American Idol? I've decided that the next job I want is to be in film editing so I can splice together stuff like this. What fun, eh? What, you say, sitting through days and hours and weeks and months of auditions just to get 3 seconds of funny/good/memorable/heartbreaking footage? Sure :)
So, there you have your American Idol Season 8 opener! Would love to hear what YOU thought of it!
We're Here! American Idol Season 8 Premieres Tonight!
Set your DVR and pop your popcorn, the day we've been waiting for has finally arrived. I, for one, will be in front of my television watching to see a few things....is there anybody good coming through the door (reportedly, there are a few, and mostly guys this year). What is the new judge Kara like, and what does she offer? Do she and Simon get along? Do she and Paula get along? What is Paula wearing? What is Randy's new catch phrase? What color is Ryan's hair? And all such critical matters :) Ah, Idol, how I've missed thee!
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