After Wednesday's show it was hard to pin down who would be going home, so it comes as no surprise that it would have been a surprise to discover who that unlucky individual might be. However none of us saw it coming that a contestant considered a frontrunner, a fan favorite AND judge darling would be sent a'packing.
I was actually okay with the bottom three, even though it contained one of my personal favorites (Jacob.) I felt that of the performances the night before, these results were on target.
Stefano failed to really "bring it" the way I had hoped. I keep thinking that he hasn't fully defined his brand yet but I'm coming to the conclusion that his overblown, overdone style *is* - indeed - his brand.
Pia, though extremely talented, continued to bore me even with an uptempo number. To be fair I'm not really a big fan of big song divas anyway - and aside from a few choice songs have nothing much to do with the Mariahs and the Whitneys of the world.
So even if that piece of cheesecake is the best cheesecake on the planet, if you're lactose intolerant you're not going to order it.
(I do like Celine, but Pia is no Celine. She simply doesn't have the charisma, and I generally don't care for people who take themselves *too* seriously. Celine is a goof and a ham, which is what makes her fun to watch.)
I figured Jacob would end up in the bottom three for three very distinct reasons:
1. He went first. The curse of first has felled many a contestant, especially on nights where other finalists stepped it up and made their performance count.
2. There was nothing really special about his performance to make it overcome the curse of first.
3. His snarky, "If I end up in the bottom three," comment was unnecessary and off-putting. It's a little too early in the game to get that cocky, honey.
In fact when he rounded out the bottom three I grew concerned that his comment had been the kiss of death.
Instead he was sent to safety which left Pia standing alone with Stefano - which, of course, was writing on the wall for any long-time viewer of Idol. A dramatic TV moment was about to occur.
While I didn't personally care for Pia's style, I definitely didn't think it was time for her to go home. I figured she'd go all the way to the end like the equally talented but equally boring Carrie Underwood from Season 4. I was never a fan of Carrie because she, like Pia, had all the steak without the sizzle. Yeah she was good but there was nothing there to whet my appetite, and if you're going to earn a title like "Idol," you need that lil' sumthin-sumthin'.
Everyone likes to drive home that American Idol is a singing competition, but the show is not called American Singer. It's called American Idol.
It takes more than a great voice to be an Idol. Sure there are Idol type folks like Elvis, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder or Mariah Carey who had or have great voices. But there are also those like - oh I dunno, spitballing here - Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, James Brown and Lady Gaga that all had *distinctive* voices with rock star swagger and marketing savvy to make up for the rest. There are also the Madonnas, Britney Spears and Justin Biebers of the world who make up for any vocal shortcomings with nifty marketing.
It takes star quality that sets one apart, and that is many times independent of the quality of the voice. A great voice in the style of someone else doesn't make you a star. I was lurking around the Idol message boards last night and someone made a comment that really kind of nailed it: Everyone can compare Pia to Celine all they want to, but there's already a Celine.
But I held out hope that if Pia had been open to the idea of stretching her wings and learning from the experience she could have grown like Carrie did and gone on to be quite successful in her own right.
It wasn't abandoning the ballads that did her in. Ballads were a safety zone for her that would have inevitably got her booted anyway for not bringing anything special to the table. Like I've said before, having a great voice and hitting those glory notes lose their effectiveness if that's all you're going to do week after week.
Personally I don't know how or why she went from front runner to castoff so quickly. It ultimately happens year after year, and there's really no rhyme or reason for it other than other folks - for whatever reason - are getting the votes to keep them in the game.
Which, by the way, I've decided to change Stefano's name to Teflon, because absolutely nothing sticks to this guy. He's not reaching or connecting with me the way I had hoped he would but he's definitely got a campaign to keep him in the game when some other folks who seemed to have more fans/judge support (Casey, Pia) get led to the chopping block. I almost felt sorry for him, he looked as though he was suffering through survivor's guilt.
Maybe her fans thought she was safe because the judges always heap loads of praise on her. Maybe by their assumption she'd be around a while it lulled her fans into a false sense of security.
Either way, what's done is done. Many are outraged the "save" was used on Casey but let's face it folks. This is the way Idol has always worked. Even if a save was employed she may not have made it to the finale anyway, it may have only saved her skin for a few more weeks at best. I'm still not convinced Casey will win after his fortuitous save, and I *like* Casey.
The good news is that these kids don't have to win. As Tony nominated Constantine proved last night, you can find your niche in the world even without the top title.
Which, btw... I liked his controversial version of "Unchained Melody" even though I know somewhere Simon Cowell was jabbing his eardrums out with an ice pick. And I know it makes some of you folks feel all dirty the way he "leers" at the camera but I have about six years worth of Constantine "leering," "smirking" and otherwise "mugging" to catch up on after I feel prey to it in Season 4.
I like it... I like him... and I thought it brought some "rock" to an otherwise Rock-Lite Rock and Roll Hall of Fame week. The only problem I had was his over-styled hair. I like the dirty rocker boy look as much as the next gal, but I want silky locks to run my fingers through.
Is this really so much to ask?
Another bone of contention: As much as I like Skynyrd, "Sweet Home Alabama" is not a group number. It's a rock jam. They should have gone with this:
In fact, "Rock" week had a severe lack of the Rolling Stones... so you know what that means. Time for another Artist Theme Week.
Maybe then James will sing "Paint it Black." (A girl can dream.)
Speaking of rock, Iggy Pop brought his shirtless and... unique... style to the Idol stage for the first time on elimination night.
Which... I just... I don't... I can't... um... yeah.
And that's all I have to say about that.
So to sum up... I'm not brokenhearted about Pia's departure. Shocked, sure, but it was bound to happen with this crop of hopefuls. And it's going to keep happening as more and more fan/judge favorites hit the road one by one in the coming weeks. No one, with the exception maybe of Scotty, is safe.
Let's all just take a deep breath and put it in perspective. Without Idol we wouldn't have known who Pia was - and thanks to her placement in the top 11 she will get to tour across the country this summer so her fans can still enjoy her as part of the Idol family.
Beyond that, she's now free to pursue new opportunities.
It's all good.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
American Idol Season 10 Top Nine Perform Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
I came into tonight with much trepidation, and I somehow suspected that the rock and roll music used to introduce the theme of the night (things like, go figure... Sweet Emotion) were, at best, misleading. This group, aside from James and *maybe* Casey are not rockers. Like we discussed on my wish list blog, there were hundreds of inductees and thousands of songs that could have been chosen to fit this particular theme. Since song choice remains a point of contention with me for our Season Ten finalists, I wasn't especially optimistic.
Overall it was a good show. These were solid performances that make it hard to pick which finalists will actually make the bottom three. The problem is I didn't *love* it. There's only one performance I was really excited about, but those I was looking forward to disappointed me and those who I didn't expect much from surprised me.
It was a weird night.
Jacob started out the night with a song change from the sexy Get Busy anthem "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye to the more noble "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Smart move - he ran the risk of being hokey and inauthentic with the Marvin Gaye classic. He did well because he generally always does well. But unlike Motown night he didn't blow me away. Being in the first position meant he had to and he just didn't make the impression I feel he needed to make. This could mean the first trip to the bottom three for our favorite male diva.
Haley actually picked one of the songs I wanted to see her sing with "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin. For the most part she gave me chills with her more authentic performance that I felt was a definite window inside the artist she truly wants to be. It's a performance where she abandoned the sex kitteny stuff for legitimate emotion AND her growl added to rather than detracted from the vocal. It fit, it made sense... but she also fights the tide going early in this show where other girls (especially fan favorites) maybe made more of an impression. If she does end up in the bottom three, it won't be because her performance wasn't good enough to keep her out. If anything, it'd be bad timing.
Casey returned to his roots by bringing out his bassy to deliver a more mellow version of CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." The only thing this performance was missing was a set of steel drums, an ocean breeze and a nice margarita. I loved how it felt Casey-fied, and I hope that his fans didn't mistake the praise he got as a reason to get lazy with the voting push to keep him out of the bottom three. He's obviously got a legion of fans who forgave such missteps as "Smells Like Teen Spirit," so I think his placement in the bottom three and possible elimination had little to do with his not having support. Last week proved his fans weren't willing to let him go. But they have to keep the momentum going, and we won't know until tomorrow if has.
Lauren took on some Aretha Franklin, which was quite ballsy of her. I had wanted her to avoid anything that required any real depth or emotion because she's a bit of the cotton candy of this bunch. To my surprise she did fairly well given the material she chose, and dug deep to deliver a performance that I never would have expected from her given her Idol journey thus far. Having done so she may be fresher in the memory of the voters than Haley, who simply had the misfortune of performing early on.
Admittedly I gave James a blank check this week to pick whatever song he wanted to sing. I guess I never expected a ballad, or else I might have advised against it. It seemed like a wasted opportunity. When else this season is he going to have access to the gritty rock stuff we've never seen on Idol before? I wanted something a little dark and sinister, like "Paint it Black" or something more theatrical like Alice Cooper. Instead I got treated to yet ANOTHER Beatles tune from James. And a slow one. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. He was my one chance to actually see some ROCK on R&RHOF night, and I felt somewhat cheated.
HOWEVER...
It was shrewd of him to lay himself bare and show another side of himself as a performer. While it was slow, it was still authentic to who he is and better yet - he got to do a song that meant something to him. You could feel that by the tender vocal performance that was far deeper and richer than his normal "glory" note. This gave him one of his best vocal performances of the season so far, and even though it was a ballad my ballad-hating hubby did NOT fast forward through it and - even more miraculous - even liked it.
I think it just adds another color to his palette that proves he's in this thing for the long haul. I wasn't sold on him before they hit the finals, but now he's a contestant I look forward to seeing every week. No one is as surprised by this as me, and it really kind of maybe makes me like him more.
Like I had wanted, Scotty picked an Elvis song. Unlike the one I chose for him (a ballad) he decided to do something more uptempo and ran the very real risk of being hokey or corny by digging up some kind of half-baked Elvis imitation. He's still quite green as a performer and that manifests itself in awkward ticks, which he fell prey to as he attempted to bring a little rock to the stage. I thought it sounded great, but he has some work to do in order to refine his performance. Having said that, Scotty has a pretty staunch fan base that consistently keeps him in the top three over on the Dial Idol prediction site. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't make it to the top three, especially since he attempts to grow each week.
Pia came through on her promise to sing "River Deep, Mountain High." It was uptempo, it was a song I loved... but imagine my surprise when I was still *bored* by her... I guess it was a performance? I didn't buy it and it made me miss BOTH Celine and Tina Turner. Pia sings. She sings amazingly well. But when it comes to a performance she still has a lot to learn - which might be why she opts for the safer ballad route. She's safe, because her fans aren't going to let her go anywhere, but if she goes back to the ballads and stops pushing herself and following JLo's very astute and needed advice, she's not doing herself any favors to become the artist she wants to be.
American Idol is a turbo-charged training ground that she needs to utilize to the fullest, or else she'll fall the wayside just like the other wannabe divas who came before her.
When I heard that Stefano wanted to do a "romantic" song I immediately knew we were going to be "treated" to yet another ballad on a night when I wanted to see how people could rock. Or at least do pop. Then of course he does the almost hackneyed "When a Man Loves a Woman," so I immediately know he's going to make it all Broadway; overblown and overdone.
To my surprise he started out the performance the way I have been *begging* him to do. A spotlight... and just his voice tenderly singing a song to the millions of women just waiting for him to live up to the potential of his good looks. But of course he had to go and "Stefano" it and blew his chance to make it really, truly special. This performance lands him in my bottom three. He just doesn't have the "it" factor like some of the other performers, and I think that will be his undoing in the very near future... if not this week then at least before the top 7.
Paul took the pimp spot with a rousing version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." I have long been on the fence with Paul. I love his voice, but watching him perform can be a bit of a train wreck. He's either spastic or inappropriately cheerful, and the best I could hope for was that he would put an instrument in front of him and otherwise occupy his nervous energy so I wouldn't be subjected to the discomfort of watching him flail about the stage.
I was even more concerned with Jimmy and Will.i.Am both advised him to sing the song like he was out of his mind - which I felt might have been like putting a match to a powder keg when it comes to the near manic style we've seen thus far from Paul.
Imagine my surprise when Paul gave me THE performance of the night. For the first time since we started I felt like I saw who he really was as a performer and I enjoyed everything about it. It was authentic and "right in his lane." He involved the crowd, which I love, and most important he had FUN. THIS is how you perform. This is what I want to pay money to see.
I can hear anyone sing on the radio... but when it comes to a concert I want to see a *show.* Thanks to Paul, I think this year's Idol tour could be just that - and it doesn't have to just rest on the shoulders of the more seasoned and interesting James and Casey.
So... picking the bottom three at this point is a coin toss. No one had a performance *worthy* of the bottom three (unless you count Stefano, and that was only by a hair.)
All I can hope is that my Jacob and Casey can escape the bottom three or going home altogether.
But I'm worried. I won't lie.
Only elimination night knows for sure... and I hear that Constantine will be making an appearance. That fangirly squee you hear resonating from Texas will be from me.
So get out your earplugs and wrap your crystal. That's the only warning you're going to get.
Overall it was a good show. These were solid performances that make it hard to pick which finalists will actually make the bottom three. The problem is I didn't *love* it. There's only one performance I was really excited about, but those I was looking forward to disappointed me and those who I didn't expect much from surprised me.
It was a weird night.
Jacob started out the night with a song change from the sexy Get Busy anthem "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye to the more noble "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Smart move - he ran the risk of being hokey and inauthentic with the Marvin Gaye classic. He did well because he generally always does well. But unlike Motown night he didn't blow me away. Being in the first position meant he had to and he just didn't make the impression I feel he needed to make. This could mean the first trip to the bottom three for our favorite male diva.
Haley actually picked one of the songs I wanted to see her sing with "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin. For the most part she gave me chills with her more authentic performance that I felt was a definite window inside the artist she truly wants to be. It's a performance where she abandoned the sex kitteny stuff for legitimate emotion AND her growl added to rather than detracted from the vocal. It fit, it made sense... but she also fights the tide going early in this show where other girls (especially fan favorites) maybe made more of an impression. If she does end up in the bottom three, it won't be because her performance wasn't good enough to keep her out. If anything, it'd be bad timing.
Casey returned to his roots by bringing out his bassy to deliver a more mellow version of CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." The only thing this performance was missing was a set of steel drums, an ocean breeze and a nice margarita. I loved how it felt Casey-fied, and I hope that his fans didn't mistake the praise he got as a reason to get lazy with the voting push to keep him out of the bottom three. He's obviously got a legion of fans who forgave such missteps as "Smells Like Teen Spirit," so I think his placement in the bottom three and possible elimination had little to do with his not having support. Last week proved his fans weren't willing to let him go. But they have to keep the momentum going, and we won't know until tomorrow if has.
Lauren took on some Aretha Franklin, which was quite ballsy of her. I had wanted her to avoid anything that required any real depth or emotion because she's a bit of the cotton candy of this bunch. To my surprise she did fairly well given the material she chose, and dug deep to deliver a performance that I never would have expected from her given her Idol journey thus far. Having done so she may be fresher in the memory of the voters than Haley, who simply had the misfortune of performing early on.
Admittedly I gave James a blank check this week to pick whatever song he wanted to sing. I guess I never expected a ballad, or else I might have advised against it. It seemed like a wasted opportunity. When else this season is he going to have access to the gritty rock stuff we've never seen on Idol before? I wanted something a little dark and sinister, like "Paint it Black" or something more theatrical like Alice Cooper. Instead I got treated to yet ANOTHER Beatles tune from James. And a slow one. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. He was my one chance to actually see some ROCK on R&RHOF night, and I felt somewhat cheated.
HOWEVER...
It was shrewd of him to lay himself bare and show another side of himself as a performer. While it was slow, it was still authentic to who he is and better yet - he got to do a song that meant something to him. You could feel that by the tender vocal performance that was far deeper and richer than his normal "glory" note. This gave him one of his best vocal performances of the season so far, and even though it was a ballad my ballad-hating hubby did NOT fast forward through it and - even more miraculous - even liked it.
I think it just adds another color to his palette that proves he's in this thing for the long haul. I wasn't sold on him before they hit the finals, but now he's a contestant I look forward to seeing every week. No one is as surprised by this as me, and it really kind of maybe makes me like him more.
Like I had wanted, Scotty picked an Elvis song. Unlike the one I chose for him (a ballad) he decided to do something more uptempo and ran the very real risk of being hokey or corny by digging up some kind of half-baked Elvis imitation. He's still quite green as a performer and that manifests itself in awkward ticks, which he fell prey to as he attempted to bring a little rock to the stage. I thought it sounded great, but he has some work to do in order to refine his performance. Having said that, Scotty has a pretty staunch fan base that consistently keeps him in the top three over on the Dial Idol prediction site. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't make it to the top three, especially since he attempts to grow each week.
Pia came through on her promise to sing "River Deep, Mountain High." It was uptempo, it was a song I loved... but imagine my surprise when I was still *bored* by her... I guess it was a performance? I didn't buy it and it made me miss BOTH Celine and Tina Turner. Pia sings. She sings amazingly well. But when it comes to a performance she still has a lot to learn - which might be why she opts for the safer ballad route. She's safe, because her fans aren't going to let her go anywhere, but if she goes back to the ballads and stops pushing herself and following JLo's very astute and needed advice, she's not doing herself any favors to become the artist she wants to be.
American Idol is a turbo-charged training ground that she needs to utilize to the fullest, or else she'll fall the wayside just like the other wannabe divas who came before her.
When I heard that Stefano wanted to do a "romantic" song I immediately knew we were going to be "treated" to yet another ballad on a night when I wanted to see how people could rock. Or at least do pop. Then of course he does the almost hackneyed "When a Man Loves a Woman," so I immediately know he's going to make it all Broadway; overblown and overdone.
To my surprise he started out the performance the way I have been *begging* him to do. A spotlight... and just his voice tenderly singing a song to the millions of women just waiting for him to live up to the potential of his good looks. But of course he had to go and "Stefano" it and blew his chance to make it really, truly special. This performance lands him in my bottom three. He just doesn't have the "it" factor like some of the other performers, and I think that will be his undoing in the very near future... if not this week then at least before the top 7.
Paul took the pimp spot with a rousing version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." I have long been on the fence with Paul. I love his voice, but watching him perform can be a bit of a train wreck. He's either spastic or inappropriately cheerful, and the best I could hope for was that he would put an instrument in front of him and otherwise occupy his nervous energy so I wouldn't be subjected to the discomfort of watching him flail about the stage.
I was even more concerned with Jimmy and Will.i.Am both advised him to sing the song like he was out of his mind - which I felt might have been like putting a match to a powder keg when it comes to the near manic style we've seen thus far from Paul.
Imagine my surprise when Paul gave me THE performance of the night. For the first time since we started I felt like I saw who he really was as a performer and I enjoyed everything about it. It was authentic and "right in his lane." He involved the crowd, which I love, and most important he had FUN. THIS is how you perform. This is what I want to pay money to see.
I can hear anyone sing on the radio... but when it comes to a concert I want to see a *show.* Thanks to Paul, I think this year's Idol tour could be just that - and it doesn't have to just rest on the shoulders of the more seasoned and interesting James and Casey.
So... picking the bottom three at this point is a coin toss. No one had a performance *worthy* of the bottom three (unless you count Stefano, and that was only by a hair.)
All I can hope is that my Jacob and Casey can escape the bottom three or going home altogether.
But I'm worried. I won't lie.
Only elimination night knows for sure... and I hear that Constantine will be making an appearance. That fangirly squee you hear resonating from Texas will be from me.
So get out your earplugs and wrap your crystal. That's the only warning you're going to get.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
American Idol Top Nine Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Wish List
I almost hesitantly do this blog given how badly things went awry during EJ night and how wide-the-EFF-open the next theme night happens to be.
Yes, I realize that I did kind of step into it by asking for a theme night not centered on any one artist. Lesson learned... be careful what you ask for.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began inducting members as far back as 1986 and the choices are as varied as you can imagine. Good news for folks like Scotty there are some country icons available like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, and I wouldn't even *know* where to start with James given the wide range of actual rockers available.
Though Journey remains to be snubbed by the R&RHOF, other favorites of mine made the list. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Who, the Eagles, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac join folks like Rod Stewart, Prince and Bob Seger on this rather comprehensive list of available artists that span the past six decades.
This one is going to be fairly hard to call and I'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn picking a specific artist much less a song.
But I'm up to the challenge. So here we go.
First up is Pia... who sealed her fate by promising to do "River Deep, Mountain High." Since Ike & Tina were inductees I likely would have picked this singer's song with a trademark "wall of sound" for our balladeer anyway. After years of going to drag shows I have a preference for the Celine Dion version - which has the kind of impressive vocal performance Pia will be shooting for anyway.
Truthfully, this is the only song that she could sing that has even a remote chance of winning me back at this point.
The great thing about R&RHOF week is that for the Idols who have already demonstrated to us who they are it's a lil easier to pick the songs I would like them to sing... even if I'm not completely sold on them yet. Such is the case of Haley.
The two songs I wanted to give Lauren (one because of it being remade later into a country hit) I ended up having to give back to Haley because they just fit her better.
I mean... after the Janis comparison we've heard from Steven - how could we not give her a Janis tune? Although "Me & Bobby McGee" is my favorite, I can see Haley doing her gravely, growly thing through:
Another where she could strut her sexy stuff and it fit appropriately:
I ended up giving Lauren Bonnie Raitt. But not just ANY Bonnie Raitt. Just like "Candle in the Wind" was the deal-breaker last week, anyone who sings "I Can't Make You Love Me" this week - especially given the wealth of great songs they could have chosen - will get an automatic zero.
Instead I think Lauren should return to the fun with:
I also can see her being impish and young with something like:
James can pretty much do whatever he wants from this particular theme. Acts like AC/DC, Metallica, Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper alone open the possibilities up endlessly. I'm going to follow the advice I gave to Jimmy last week and let the man just do his thing with one caveat:
I think he should go out of his way to break away from the Adam Lambert comparison by avoiding songs that Adam did on Idol. This includes:
And:
Other than that, I'm pretty well open. (And I'm actually pretty excited to see what he does next.)
For Jacob I think he needs to go back and dig out those old rock and roll roots with serious gospel ties. I know this one has been done before on Idol but I think Jacob is significantly signature in his style he can pull it off:
And my own personal favorite that just makes me happy whenever I hear it... which is why I want to hear Jacob put his own spin on it:
Paul is another very stylized performer this season, and I'd like to see him do something that sets him apart from the very obvious comparison to Rod Stewart. A song I think he could pull off:
In fact, I think I'd even give him:
As one of our more eclectic and unpredictable finalists, Casey could literally do *anything*. I may end up giving him the same carte blanche I gave James.
Although... wouldn't mind seeing him do something like...
This could be Scotty's week in that he can show us his stuff with an Elvis tune (which I've been waiting for since we learned he was an Elvis enthusiast.) The urge might be strong to allow him to "perform," but I think he should play to his strength - and his female fans - with a love song that fits his country vibe.
Another option, take the Dylan tune that has been made by artists like Adele and, most notably for this Idol, Garth Brooks:
We know it's been cleared for Idol in the past, but again I think Scotty is fairly stylized that he can put his own unique spin on it without making it a karaoke version of someone else.
Speaking of...
I have no idea what Stefano will sing because I really have no sense of him as an artist yet (which I think is what bugs me most.) This is probably where the rubber meets the road and gives him that final chance to show us what makes him stand apart, other than being just another good looking guy with a good voice.
(And can I say I thought his performance with the guys on elimination night was one of his better performances? Get that boy behind an instrument more often!)
Since he's got that kind of Broadway show tunes thing going for him I kinda want to see him do something like...
As you can see, the possibilities are endless - both to have a really great, exciting show, or yet another ballad heavy snoozefesty dud.
I'm going to try my best to stay optimistic and say I'm cautiously looking forward to Wednesday.
**fingers crossed**
Yes, I realize that I did kind of step into it by asking for a theme night not centered on any one artist. Lesson learned... be careful what you ask for.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began inducting members as far back as 1986 and the choices are as varied as you can imagine. Good news for folks like Scotty there are some country icons available like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, and I wouldn't even *know* where to start with James given the wide range of actual rockers available.
Though Journey remains to be snubbed by the R&RHOF, other favorites of mine made the list. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Who, the Eagles, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac join folks like Rod Stewart, Prince and Bob Seger on this rather comprehensive list of available artists that span the past six decades.
This one is going to be fairly hard to call and I'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn picking a specific artist much less a song.
But I'm up to the challenge. So here we go.
First up is Pia... who sealed her fate by promising to do "River Deep, Mountain High." Since Ike & Tina were inductees I likely would have picked this singer's song with a trademark "wall of sound" for our balladeer anyway. After years of going to drag shows I have a preference for the Celine Dion version - which has the kind of impressive vocal performance Pia will be shooting for anyway.
Truthfully, this is the only song that she could sing that has even a remote chance of winning me back at this point.
The great thing about R&RHOF week is that for the Idols who have already demonstrated to us who they are it's a lil easier to pick the songs I would like them to sing... even if I'm not completely sold on them yet. Such is the case of Haley.
The two songs I wanted to give Lauren (one because of it being remade later into a country hit) I ended up having to give back to Haley because they just fit her better.
I mean... after the Janis comparison we've heard from Steven - how could we not give her a Janis tune? Although "Me & Bobby McGee" is my favorite, I can see Haley doing her gravely, growly thing through:
Another where she could strut her sexy stuff and it fit appropriately:
I ended up giving Lauren Bonnie Raitt. But not just ANY Bonnie Raitt. Just like "Candle in the Wind" was the deal-breaker last week, anyone who sings "I Can't Make You Love Me" this week - especially given the wealth of great songs they could have chosen - will get an automatic zero.
Instead I think Lauren should return to the fun with:
I also can see her being impish and young with something like:
James can pretty much do whatever he wants from this particular theme. Acts like AC/DC, Metallica, Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper alone open the possibilities up endlessly. I'm going to follow the advice I gave to Jimmy last week and let the man just do his thing with one caveat:
I think he should go out of his way to break away from the Adam Lambert comparison by avoiding songs that Adam did on Idol. This includes:
And:
Other than that, I'm pretty well open. (And I'm actually pretty excited to see what he does next.)
For Jacob I think he needs to go back and dig out those old rock and roll roots with serious gospel ties. I know this one has been done before on Idol but I think Jacob is significantly signature in his style he can pull it off:
And my own personal favorite that just makes me happy whenever I hear it... which is why I want to hear Jacob put his own spin on it:
Paul is another very stylized performer this season, and I'd like to see him do something that sets him apart from the very obvious comparison to Rod Stewart. A song I think he could pull off:
In fact, I think I'd even give him:
As one of our more eclectic and unpredictable finalists, Casey could literally do *anything*. I may end up giving him the same carte blanche I gave James.
Although... wouldn't mind seeing him do something like...
This could be Scotty's week in that he can show us his stuff with an Elvis tune (which I've been waiting for since we learned he was an Elvis enthusiast.) The urge might be strong to allow him to "perform," but I think he should play to his strength - and his female fans - with a love song that fits his country vibe.
Another option, take the Dylan tune that has been made by artists like Adele and, most notably for this Idol, Garth Brooks:
We know it's been cleared for Idol in the past, but again I think Scotty is fairly stylized that he can put his own unique spin on it without making it a karaoke version of someone else.
Speaking of...
I have no idea what Stefano will sing because I really have no sense of him as an artist yet (which I think is what bugs me most.) This is probably where the rubber meets the road and gives him that final chance to show us what makes him stand apart, other than being just another good looking guy with a good voice.
(And can I say I thought his performance with the guys on elimination night was one of his better performances? Get that boy behind an instrument more often!)
Since he's got that kind of Broadway show tunes thing going for him I kinda want to see him do something like...
As you can see, the possibilities are endless - both to have a really great, exciting show, or yet another ballad heavy snoozefesty dud.
I'm going to try my best to stay optimistic and say I'm cautiously looking forward to Wednesday.
**fingers crossed**
Friday, April 1, 2011
April Giveaway! It's Hipster Cool for the Ustream Crew
This month's giveaway is dedicated to the faithful crew who attend Hal Sparks' Ustream broadcasts each week. It's hip, it's fun and it includes some of the things that make hanging out twice a week so great.
First, of course, is our host Hal Sparks. He's an actor. He's a comedian. He's a radio host. But he's also a pretty awesome musician/singer/songwriter. His band, Zero 1, came out with an independently produced self titled CD in 2007 that features such fan favorites as "Mad Season," "Pretty Parasite," "Indian Summer" and "She Waits."
You can download the tunes via Amazon and iTunes, but in this prize package you will receive the Zero 1 CD (which you can take to a show and have Hal sign,) valued at $7.99.
One of Hal's favorite companies is Threadless - a Chicago based company that pioneered the concept of "crowdsourcing". Threadless allows artists to submit their designs and the community votes on those to list for sale. Hal can regularly be seen sporting these hip, cool T-shirts during his Ustream broadcasts and always promotes their product as a company he can believe in.
This prize package contains a $25 Threadless gift certificate so you can have a hipster cool T-shirt for your very own.
Though it hasn't been released yet in paperback, my novel "Comic Squad" is a fun and adventurous romp that really is the baby conceived by Mr. Geevie and myself. It mixes our sometimes quirky humor along with a story I really feel means something, the theme being everyone can be their own hero. I wrote the story before I joined the Hal Sparks community all those years ago, but rewrote it with the inspiration to include a significant part for Hal himself that would take the character from a Zero to a Hero over the course of the book.
When this book becomes available for sale by the end of April it will be priced at $10.99, and you will get an autographed copy of "Comic Squad" by *both* Steven and me.
Don't let its being listed as a kids book throw you. It was written with the same kind of vibe of 80s kids movies I grew up watching (although, ironically, it was not based on Monster Squad, since I never saw that back in the day.) I tried to infuse the fun, the humor and the heart of the late, great John Hughes in a tale that could reach out to the kid in all of us. Anyone who has read a comprehensive list of my work will tell you "Comic Squad" is their favorite. (And probably a welcome reprieve if you've taken on the heavier task of reading the dark drama "Dirty Little Secrets.")
You can read a sample chapter here.
Exclusive to the paperback is the first chapter to the next book in the series, which gives you a little extra sumthin'sumthin. ;)
Rounding out this prize package is a $20 Barnes and Noble Gift eCard - where you can now buy my titles for your Nook.
This brings your total prize package to over $60.00. (Special thanks to Mary and to Linnea for their suggestions. :) )
HOW TO ENTER:
For each comment below your name will be entered into the drawing. For additional entries, link this blog on your Twitter using the hashtag #geevietakeson #giveaway. For Facebook entries, become a fan on my official fan page and leave a comment on this wall posting.
Your name will be entered for each entry method, and you can enter as many times as you'd like all throughout the month. The entry cutoff date is April 29, 2011.
The drawing will be held live via my Ustream channel on April 30th.
Thanks for playing and good luck!
First, of course, is our host Hal Sparks. He's an actor. He's a comedian. He's a radio host. But he's also a pretty awesome musician/singer/songwriter. His band, Zero 1, came out with an independently produced self titled CD in 2007 that features such fan favorites as "Mad Season," "Pretty Parasite," "Indian Summer" and "She Waits."
You can download the tunes via Amazon and iTunes, but in this prize package you will receive the Zero 1 CD (which you can take to a show and have Hal sign,) valued at $7.99.
One of Hal's favorite companies is Threadless - a Chicago based company that pioneered the concept of "crowdsourcing". Threadless allows artists to submit their designs and the community votes on those to list for sale. Hal can regularly be seen sporting these hip, cool T-shirts during his Ustream broadcasts and always promotes their product as a company he can believe in.
A special about Threadless on MSNBC from Threadless.com on Vimeo.
This prize package contains a $25 Threadless gift certificate so you can have a hipster cool T-shirt for your very own.
Though it hasn't been released yet in paperback, my novel "Comic Squad" is a fun and adventurous romp that really is the baby conceived by Mr. Geevie and myself. It mixes our sometimes quirky humor along with a story I really feel means something, the theme being everyone can be their own hero. I wrote the story before I joined the Hal Sparks community all those years ago, but rewrote it with the inspiration to include a significant part for Hal himself that would take the character from a Zero to a Hero over the course of the book.
When this book becomes available for sale by the end of April it will be priced at $10.99, and you will get an autographed copy of "Comic Squad" by *both* Steven and me.
Don't let its being listed as a kids book throw you. It was written with the same kind of vibe of 80s kids movies I grew up watching (although, ironically, it was not based on Monster Squad, since I never saw that back in the day.) I tried to infuse the fun, the humor and the heart of the late, great John Hughes in a tale that could reach out to the kid in all of us. Anyone who has read a comprehensive list of my work will tell you "Comic Squad" is their favorite. (And probably a welcome reprieve if you've taken on the heavier task of reading the dark drama "Dirty Little Secrets.")
You can read a sample chapter here.
Exclusive to the paperback is the first chapter to the next book in the series, which gives you a little extra sumthin'sumthin. ;)
Rounding out this prize package is a $20 Barnes and Noble Gift eCard - where you can now buy my titles for your Nook.
This brings your total prize package to over $60.00. (Special thanks to Mary and to Linnea for their suggestions. :) )
HOW TO ENTER:
For each comment below your name will be entered into the drawing. For additional entries, link this blog on your Twitter using the hashtag #geevietakeson #giveaway. For Facebook entries, become a fan on my official fan page and leave a comment on this wall posting.
Your name will be entered for each entry method, and you can enter as many times as you'd like all throughout the month. The entry cutoff date is April 29, 2011.
The drawing will be held live via my Ustream channel on April 30th.
Thanks for playing and good luck!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
And the Geevie Takes On March Giveaway Winner is.....
Drumroll please...
Congratulations!
Taking suggestions for the April Giveaway to go along with my novel Comic Squad.
Gift cards, merchandise? You let me know and I'll let viewers choose the next giveaway prize package.
(I don't have another copy of Escape from Halcatraz... not sure if I can get another.)
Congratulations!
Taking suggestions for the April Giveaway to go along with my novel Comic Squad.
Gift cards, merchandise? You let me know and I'll let viewers choose the next giveaway prize package.
(I don't have another copy of Escape from Halcatraz... not sure if I can get another.)
American Idol Season 10 Top 11 Perform Elton John
You will note that none of the top 11 paid any heed to my kind advice, and though I didn't *forbid* it, the absolute most overplayed, over-hyped EJ song of ALL time was chosen and performed in this overwhelming YAWNER of an episode.
Maybe I came into the whole thing just expecting too much. So much talent and yet with this crop it's proving to be a crapshoot week after week.
Only a handful really understand the concept of a performance, the rest is just nationally televised karaoke that always leaves me yearning to hear the original track (or at least a better version than we were treated tonight.)
It's sad. So sad.
It is, in fact, a sad sad situation.
And it's getting more and more absurd.
With that said, and with Simon gone, this is my Painfully Honest Critique of the Top 11 Redux.
First up was Scotty, which is where I had wanted him on Motown night. He's got a following and there's no way he's not making it to at *least* the top five... but I tire a bit of the judges praising him so much on his steadfastness to his genre while meanwhile skewering the likes of Naima, who at least made "I'm Still Standing" *interesting*.
Taking a country song and making it country... not so interesting. (And am I the only person who had never heard that song before? I would have rather seen him take a more well known song and tried to flip that to country... kind of like what I advised him days ago with "Your Song" but WHATEVER.)
In fact, the judges flip-flopped on so much of their advice (except for Steven, who seems to find the good in anything) that I was the one feeling dizzy. This was especially true for Pia, but we'll get to that in a minute.
But at least the judges were *trying* to find a reason why the first two songs of the night left the audience wanting more.
If Naima had taken my advice with "Circle of Life," who knows? The exotic flavor might have worked.
Again... WHATEVER.
Paul came out and chose "Rocket Man," and I was fairly okay with that. EJ should be his comfort zone since they both have a similar singer/songwriter vibe. And Paul chose a song that he'd performed in the past, so in a way he was "playing it safe" and doing what so many have come to love him to do.
The problem is, at this stage in the game especially, I'm wondering what else is in his repertoire - if indeed anything else is. The judges think that he should push himself a little harder and stretch himself but it's entirely possible what we've seen is really all there is. It could be that he's just a simple singer/musician like the likes of James Taylor and Bob Dylan before him.
Which is *fine.* Not my cup of tea overall... but no one can argue people *can* carve out this niche for themselves if that's their vibe. I don't think, at this point, that we're going to see much more from Paul than he's already given us.
All he can do is follow Scotty's lead until the judges decide that's not good enough anymore because other people actually do listen to their critiques (when given) and attempt to grow.
One of those who has yet to prove to me has this ability is Pia. I very nearly screamed out loud in utter frustration when she opted - ONCE AGAIN - to do an indulgent ballad to - ONCE AGAIN - show us she's the queen diva of the ballads this season.
So been there.
So over it.
Like someone else noted, this is where you lose the wow factor. We've seen you belt out the schmaltz. What else ya got?
And here's the rub... whether it's my utter frustration with her at this point or not... she actually *didn't* do that great of a job. George Michael, probably one of the most amazing voices in pop music, turned out a superior cover (with Elton) that was actually what I yearned to hear after ... scratch that... during her performance.
If I had been scoring these contestants I'd have given her an automatic zero and accuse her of being like Scotty and Paul... just another one trick pony who can do that one trick really well - but it's not something I'm going to shell out money to buy an album for or see a concert of.
At least Scotty and Paul have more than one tempo.
The thing that pisses me off about Pia is that I *know* she can stretch her wings and she just refuses to. This is what the judges were trying to say last week but kind of backed away from this week, which shame on them. They're not helping her by not calling her out on it. She's playing it safe, and every week she does so my tolerance of it slips a notch.
She has promised to do "River Deep Mountain High" next week. As one of my favorite songs, I'm excited to hear it and it may be enough to earn her way back into my good graces.
But I will believe it when I see it.
Stefano is another contestant I just have lost faith can grow any more in the competition. I keep begging that he dig deep and find his inner sex appeal and learn how to connect with what could have been his core audience (i.e., the women.) Instead Scotty, Paul and even Casey have learned what I'm beginning to suspect he never will. He keeps bringing this big, overblown performance to the stage each and every week until they just run together in one big confusing ball of mess. He needed to strip it all away and just sit on a stool or on the steps and *sing* from his heart.
Instead we got "Tiny Dancer" with Broadway indulgence.
He did decide to end his performance by reaching out, literally, to JLo in a pretty suave move that could save his ass if he ever decided to own his own sexual magnetism. Instead he played it safe and sucked up to the judge when he should have been doing that to the audience.
I just don't know if it will be enough.
Lauren sang "Candle in the Wind." I *hate* "Candle in the Wind." My husband brought it up last week when we were tossing around possible tunes and I rejected it out of hand, lumping it up there with "Endless Love" as one of those songs that just should never, ever be sung anywhere in my presence *E*V*E*R.
So I muted her.
I had to. For the safety of my TV.
I didn't even watch the performance - that's how bad an offense I consider choosing that song to be. I read somewhere that she once again smiled her way through what is probably one of the most maudlin songs in the known universe. It was first written to memorialize Marylin Monroe and her tragic demise, then once again to honor Princess Di after HER tragic demise... both of which shocked the world to the core. The sentiment is sad. The words are sad.
DON'T SMILE.
These youngsters could benefit much from an acting class. That's all I'm saying. They don't understand if you don't feel the words you sing there is no way you can touch others with the song you sing. This was done wrong by a following contestant, and done right with a contestant beyond that.
But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'm just going to say it - thank God for James Durbin. This kid brings excitement to the table almost every single week. He didn't do "The Bitch is Back" like I had impishly wanted (but knew it wasn't going to happen.) He did do something rock-ish and over the top with "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting." It wasn't as exciting as his performance last week but his going Hendrix on the grand piano was a neat little effect we've yet to see from Idols past. The kid owns the stage and knows who he is, so Jimmy Iovine needs to just give him the freedom to figure out how and what he's going to do. He's got that innate sense of what works on a creative level; let the boy do his thing. It's not just Idol when he's up there... and that's a good thing, for him and for us.
Earlier in the evening when I saw things going so seriously awry I thought to myself the only way it could get worse was if Thia sang "Daniel."
Me and my big mouth.
Whoever sang the song was up to extra scrutiny with me because I *do* have a very strong emotional connection to this song. My first husband's name was Daniel and I knew fairly early on in our relationship if he ever left or died that would be how I remembered him. We played it at his funeral in 2003. The words have always had a special poignancy to me but even more so after he died. In the hands of Thia, who does *not* have the kind of depth necessary to sell a song like that, it was nothing more than limp karaoke.
I just... I can't even...
Casey took the advice I had saved for Stefano and applied it to his performance, which - unlike Thia - I could connect to and feel emotionally. It was a necessary step back that showed the audience that he could have a little heart in addition to all the craziness. "Your Song" isn't one of my favorite EJ tunes (I can't get past the lyric "if I was a sculptor, but then again.. no...") but he did it justice, especially with that tender high note at the end.
I'm glad to see even with Jimmy's horrible advice (to change everything) Casey stayed true to himself with his performance AND his appearance. The reason he ended up in the bottom three is the reason a lot of season favorites go from never being in the bottom three to being booted off entirely. His audience thought he was safe. He doesn't have to change who he is, he has to GO BACK to who he was before the Nirvana misstep.
(Although my feelings won't be hurt if he ever decides to ditch the beard.)
That being said tonight's performance was much improved over the last couple of weeks, but I think I would have liked to see him play an instrument and show yet another layer of THAT.
Since Pia greedily nabbed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," the song I had wanted for last week's superstar Jacob to sing, I was unsure how much he could Jacobfy "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." What I didn't expect was the way he embodied the song. The man looked absolutely tortured by the heartbreaking lyrics and sold me all over again on this song simply by the emotion he conveyed.
THIS is how it's done, people. That is a master class in connecting the words to the emotion... rather than just hitting some notes in key. And that note at the end? I still have chills. This kid has got it and then some. As last week proved anyone can go home at any time, so I hope that doesn't happen with Jacob. He's a master at what he does and deserves to be on that stage all the way to at LEAST the top 3.
Haley closed the show with "Bennie & the Jets." I don't know much more than the first 30 seconds or so because she's another I just can't connect to and didn't dig the arrangement of that song at ALL. By this time I was fairly over EJ night on Idol as a whole and kinda sorry I didn't choose that time to go make dinner or something, thinking my husband had it easy he could just go back and zip through all the boring performances.
Which were all but maybe three or four.
This is why I don't like theme songs that center on one particular artist. Give me genre night any ol day of the week. Broadway. Disco. Country. ANYTHING.
As for who will go home? It won't be who *needs* to go home by simple math. Stefano's and Thia's fans will likely save them from the bottom three this week since they were there last week, which means people like Naima could end up there instead.
At this point as long as it's not Jacob, James or Casey - who at least bring a little spice to the show - I'm okay.
Here's hoping the voters don't disappoint me as much as EJ night did.
(But again... I'll believe it when I see it.)
Maybe I came into the whole thing just expecting too much. So much talent and yet with this crop it's proving to be a crapshoot week after week.
Only a handful really understand the concept of a performance, the rest is just nationally televised karaoke that always leaves me yearning to hear the original track (or at least a better version than we were treated tonight.)
It's sad. So sad.
It is, in fact, a sad sad situation.
And it's getting more and more absurd.
With that said, and with Simon gone, this is my Painfully Honest Critique of the Top 11 Redux.
First up was Scotty, which is where I had wanted him on Motown night. He's got a following and there's no way he's not making it to at *least* the top five... but I tire a bit of the judges praising him so much on his steadfastness to his genre while meanwhile skewering the likes of Naima, who at least made "I'm Still Standing" *interesting*.
Taking a country song and making it country... not so interesting. (And am I the only person who had never heard that song before? I would have rather seen him take a more well known song and tried to flip that to country... kind of like what I advised him days ago with "Your Song" but WHATEVER.)
In fact, the judges flip-flopped on so much of their advice (except for Steven, who seems to find the good in anything) that I was the one feeling dizzy. This was especially true for Pia, but we'll get to that in a minute.
But at least the judges were *trying* to find a reason why the first two songs of the night left the audience wanting more.
If Naima had taken my advice with "Circle of Life," who knows? The exotic flavor might have worked.
Again... WHATEVER.
Paul came out and chose "Rocket Man," and I was fairly okay with that. EJ should be his comfort zone since they both have a similar singer/songwriter vibe. And Paul chose a song that he'd performed in the past, so in a way he was "playing it safe" and doing what so many have come to love him to do.
The problem is, at this stage in the game especially, I'm wondering what else is in his repertoire - if indeed anything else is. The judges think that he should push himself a little harder and stretch himself but it's entirely possible what we've seen is really all there is. It could be that he's just a simple singer/musician like the likes of James Taylor and Bob Dylan before him.
Which is *fine.* Not my cup of tea overall... but no one can argue people *can* carve out this niche for themselves if that's their vibe. I don't think, at this point, that we're going to see much more from Paul than he's already given us.
All he can do is follow Scotty's lead until the judges decide that's not good enough anymore because other people actually do listen to their critiques (when given) and attempt to grow.
One of those who has yet to prove to me has this ability is Pia. I very nearly screamed out loud in utter frustration when she opted - ONCE AGAIN - to do an indulgent ballad to - ONCE AGAIN - show us she's the queen diva of the ballads this season.
So been there.
So over it.
Like someone else noted, this is where you lose the wow factor. We've seen you belt out the schmaltz. What else ya got?
And here's the rub... whether it's my utter frustration with her at this point or not... she actually *didn't* do that great of a job. George Michael, probably one of the most amazing voices in pop music, turned out a superior cover (with Elton) that was actually what I yearned to hear after ... scratch that... during her performance.
If I had been scoring these contestants I'd have given her an automatic zero and accuse her of being like Scotty and Paul... just another one trick pony who can do that one trick really well - but it's not something I'm going to shell out money to buy an album for or see a concert of.
At least Scotty and Paul have more than one tempo.
The thing that pisses me off about Pia is that I *know* she can stretch her wings and she just refuses to. This is what the judges were trying to say last week but kind of backed away from this week, which shame on them. They're not helping her by not calling her out on it. She's playing it safe, and every week she does so my tolerance of it slips a notch.
She has promised to do "River Deep Mountain High" next week. As one of my favorite songs, I'm excited to hear it and it may be enough to earn her way back into my good graces.
But I will believe it when I see it.
Stefano is another contestant I just have lost faith can grow any more in the competition. I keep begging that he dig deep and find his inner sex appeal and learn how to connect with what could have been his core audience (i.e., the women.) Instead Scotty, Paul and even Casey have learned what I'm beginning to suspect he never will. He keeps bringing this big, overblown performance to the stage each and every week until they just run together in one big confusing ball of mess. He needed to strip it all away and just sit on a stool or on the steps and *sing* from his heart.
Instead we got "Tiny Dancer" with Broadway indulgence.
He did decide to end his performance by reaching out, literally, to JLo in a pretty suave move that could save his ass if he ever decided to own his own sexual magnetism. Instead he played it safe and sucked up to the judge when he should have been doing that to the audience.
I just don't know if it will be enough.
Lauren sang "Candle in the Wind." I *hate* "Candle in the Wind." My husband brought it up last week when we were tossing around possible tunes and I rejected it out of hand, lumping it up there with "Endless Love" as one of those songs that just should never, ever be sung anywhere in my presence *E*V*E*R.
So I muted her.
I had to. For the safety of my TV.
I didn't even watch the performance - that's how bad an offense I consider choosing that song to be. I read somewhere that she once again smiled her way through what is probably one of the most maudlin songs in the known universe. It was first written to memorialize Marylin Monroe and her tragic demise, then once again to honor Princess Di after HER tragic demise... both of which shocked the world to the core. The sentiment is sad. The words are sad.
DON'T SMILE.
These youngsters could benefit much from an acting class. That's all I'm saying. They don't understand if you don't feel the words you sing there is no way you can touch others with the song you sing. This was done wrong by a following contestant, and done right with a contestant beyond that.
But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'm just going to say it - thank God for James Durbin. This kid brings excitement to the table almost every single week. He didn't do "The Bitch is Back" like I had impishly wanted (but knew it wasn't going to happen.) He did do something rock-ish and over the top with "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting." It wasn't as exciting as his performance last week but his going Hendrix on the grand piano was a neat little effect we've yet to see from Idols past. The kid owns the stage and knows who he is, so Jimmy Iovine needs to just give him the freedom to figure out how and what he's going to do. He's got that innate sense of what works on a creative level; let the boy do his thing. It's not just Idol when he's up there... and that's a good thing, for him and for us.
Earlier in the evening when I saw things going so seriously awry I thought to myself the only way it could get worse was if Thia sang "Daniel."
Me and my big mouth.
Whoever sang the song was up to extra scrutiny with me because I *do* have a very strong emotional connection to this song. My first husband's name was Daniel and I knew fairly early on in our relationship if he ever left or died that would be how I remembered him. We played it at his funeral in 2003. The words have always had a special poignancy to me but even more so after he died. In the hands of Thia, who does *not* have the kind of depth necessary to sell a song like that, it was nothing more than limp karaoke.
I just... I can't even...
Casey took the advice I had saved for Stefano and applied it to his performance, which - unlike Thia - I could connect to and feel emotionally. It was a necessary step back that showed the audience that he could have a little heart in addition to all the craziness. "Your Song" isn't one of my favorite EJ tunes (I can't get past the lyric "if I was a sculptor, but then again.. no...") but he did it justice, especially with that tender high note at the end.
I'm glad to see even with Jimmy's horrible advice (to change everything) Casey stayed true to himself with his performance AND his appearance. The reason he ended up in the bottom three is the reason a lot of season favorites go from never being in the bottom three to being booted off entirely. His audience thought he was safe. He doesn't have to change who he is, he has to GO BACK to who he was before the Nirvana misstep.
(Although my feelings won't be hurt if he ever decides to ditch the beard.)
That being said tonight's performance was much improved over the last couple of weeks, but I think I would have liked to see him play an instrument and show yet another layer of THAT.
Since Pia greedily nabbed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," the song I had wanted for last week's superstar Jacob to sing, I was unsure how much he could Jacobfy "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." What I didn't expect was the way he embodied the song. The man looked absolutely tortured by the heartbreaking lyrics and sold me all over again on this song simply by the emotion he conveyed.
THIS is how it's done, people. That is a master class in connecting the words to the emotion... rather than just hitting some notes in key. And that note at the end? I still have chills. This kid has got it and then some. As last week proved anyone can go home at any time, so I hope that doesn't happen with Jacob. He's a master at what he does and deserves to be on that stage all the way to at LEAST the top 3.
Haley closed the show with "Bennie & the Jets." I don't know much more than the first 30 seconds or so because she's another I just can't connect to and didn't dig the arrangement of that song at ALL. By this time I was fairly over EJ night on Idol as a whole and kinda sorry I didn't choose that time to go make dinner or something, thinking my husband had it easy he could just go back and zip through all the boring performances.
Which were all but maybe three or four.
This is why I don't like theme songs that center on one particular artist. Give me genre night any ol day of the week. Broadway. Disco. Country. ANYTHING.
As for who will go home? It won't be who *needs* to go home by simple math. Stefano's and Thia's fans will likely save them from the bottom three this week since they were there last week, which means people like Naima could end up there instead.
At this point as long as it's not Jacob, James or Casey - who at least bring a little spice to the show - I'm okay.
Here's hoping the voters don't disappoint me as much as EJ night did.
(But again... I'll believe it when I see it.)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
My American Idol Top 11 Elton John Wish List
After a heart-stopping dramatic moment where fan favorite Casey Abrams almost went home and missed out on the tour, we learned not only did he earn the season's one and only "save" but now the top ELEVEN would be able to hit the road this summer when Idols Live rolls across the nation.
It was a pretty epic results show where such emotional highs and lows are generally reserved for when the stakes are a lot higher - like a finale.
Either way I'm happy with the decision. Two go home next week but the tour is set, and I think it's going to be a fun one.
The next theme our Top 11 get to find their way through is Elton John's songbook. This can be a good thing and it can also be another ballad-heavy snoozefest. Since Paul benefited so much from my wisdom *last* week by following my wish list almost to the letter (and having one of his best performances because of it) (go me!) I figured I'd go ahead and get a head start on my next wish list.
I like Elton John, but I like a lot of ballady EJ - this does not bode well for my ballad-hatin' hubby Steven who - with regularity - zips right on past these performances because they bore him silly.
It also doesn't help that the one with the strongest pipes this season can't do a couple of the stronger demonstrations of vocal prowess located in Elton's discography.
(She shoulda listened to me last week but newwwoooo.)
I will say that no matter who sings Daniel they will make me cry. You'll see why when I plug in the video for it below. (And it's his birthday today - which means it's going to be even tougher.)
So.... let's get a'crackin'.
Stefano has a lot to prove after last week's misfortune of picking an iconic tune from Idol Seasons Past. He has to connect to the song, he has to connect to the audience. He has to go past just singing a song and really deliver a heartfelt performance. Since this was his challenge, I think he needs to strip down all the cheesier performance techniques and just sit at a piano (because he can) and sing a song with his heart on his sleeve.
Lucky for him, EJ is the perfect guy for this.
I'm going to keep begging Stefano to reach his female base by singing something to THEM. This one has always been a favorite of mine:
James has a bit harder row to hoe in that Elton is definitely not what you'd consider "metal." He IS, however, over the top. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for him to sing this:
BUT... I'd be equally okay if he sang something more substantial to demonstrate yet another layer. This ode to John Lennon doesn't offer much room to scream, but it could be a moment to allow the tenderness he showed in Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" several weeks back. This could also be the time to put him behind a piano (since I read a bio that he does, and that fits this week probably more than any other.)
If I didn't have Pia on a ballad fast for at LEAST two weeks to make up for the three previous ballads we've had to endure, I'd have her sing this EJ/Leann Rimes duet:
Instead she's got to do something more show-stopping. Or at least something that doesn't put us all into a collective coma.
Since "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" will likely be saved for the group number on elimination night, we'll give her:
Thia has already done a tune from a Disney musical - but the Lion King were penned by EJ and have a ton of material that are not only age-appropriate but no doubt songs she must have grown up on.
The trick of course is to find something a little more playful rather than mature.
I'm afraid the only thing that fits would be...
(Which if she actually did perform I'd literally LOL. It'd be a hoot and a half.)
Afraid she's going to have to do a ballad, guys - sorry. For a piece where she can stretch some acting chops AND play piano:
Another youngster in the competition, Scotty is probably going to country-fy anything he gets his little paws on. This would be fairly flexible, and I can see a bit of that Elvis peek out while he makes the young girls he already knows to play to weak in the knees.
Speaking of The Lion King, this may sound cliche but... I can see our girl Naima taking on "Circle of Life" complete with African flavor with backup singers, drummers and dancers.
I don't want to stereotype her, but I am excited to see more of her exotic showmanship spice up what could be a more subtle night of performances.
Lauren is another who is going to be hard to predict because she likes to have fun with her performances, but doesn't always channel the appropriate emotion for some of the more complicated pieces.
She could add a little twang and a whole lotta attitude to:
Jacob is going to have to work REALLY hard to top last week... and there's really only one song that can match that level of potential for greatness. This has the built in crescendo that worked so well for Jacob on Motown night - and is one of the most powerful vocal performances you can have in a EJ song. He can take this one to church with a choir behind him and just nail it.
The temptation is QUITE strong to give "I'm Still Standing" to Casey after his harrowing, emotional roller coaster of last Thursday. Personally I think this fits him better:
But even:
fits and gives him chances to play an instrument.
(Personally I think if you're going to have an EJ night you HAVE to include the instruments.)
As always I'm sort of at a loss for what Haley could do that fits both her personality and the theme. I can definitely hear her growl and see her strut in songs like:
Another option:
If there was anyone who fits the theme of the evening it's Paul, who is still my favorite for taking all my wonderful advice last week. This week I want him behind a piano singing this tune:
Wow I didn't see anyone I wanted to sing "Daniel."
So I guess I'll just have to link it to link it... in honor of my first husband who passed away in 2003... way before I got involved in Idol at all.
That kinda makes me a little sad. I think he would have liked them - and especially our new judges, one of whom shares this special day with him. So happy birthday Daniel and Steven Tyler. <3
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