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Texasflower helped make the AI threads so much fun. She always made me smile. FR will not be the same without her. ~ Retrokitten
I simply adored her ability to butt heads and loved reading her posts. She was always there with the perfect hug or hatpin, whichever she felt was most deserved. ~ Doodlelady
The sweetest, funniest, kindest poster on the AI threads where I had the honor of meeting her. ~ Jrabbit
Texasflower was an integral part of our American Idol gang. She was always sweet and upbeat and kind to all. ~ Palladin
In the beginning of November I was thinking about her because the town I work in was having their elections and it reminded me about her Dad going to vote in the ambulance I loved her and miss her. ~ No More Apples
She was unfailingly polite, and more than that. Kind, thoughtful, patriotic, encouraging. A blessing. She was one of my most favorite FReepers, and I do not say that very often. She was exceptional.
We never truly know how deeply our lives touch others. I certainly never communicated fully to Tammy how much her posts lifted me up, and I regret that. I assumed she would continue to be there and I would be able to keep responding to her appreciatively.
We will know in heaven the effect of our lives, when everyone gathers around the Lamb's throne and all our hearts are open and all our secrets known, and we have till forever to tell one another how God blessed us through each other ~ GretchenM
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My thoughts after the first elimination round :
I loved:
* Mandisa - she looked great, sounded great, and kicked ass on a tough song.
* Katherine - She toned down the melisma, and sounded great. Vocally, the most well trained of the bunch and it shows. Shoulda chosen to try Barbra's HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN to really highlight her abilities instead of this one.
* Ayla - I really didn't expect to like her (especially when I heard what song she'd be doing), but I think she did a surprisingly good job with it. I'm Pleasantly surprised.
* Paris - the outfit, the hair... all very retro 70s. Her dancing was a bit over the top, but I loved it. Paris is Fantasia with the better personality.
* Lisa - Yeah, so she smiled too much. But she kicked ass vocally. What stage presence for someone so young !
The disappointment was Kellie Pickler. I was kinda rooting for her but she did not do justice to the song.
RANKED ACCORDING TO PERFORMANCE TONIGHT TOP TO BOTTOM :
Katherine Mcphee
Lisa Tucker
Mandisa
Paris Bennett
Ayla Brown
Melissa Mcghee -- Well, she made me like Faith Hill.
Kellie Pickler
Kinnick Sky (like her humble comment about learning from babes)
Heather Cox -- Tried to do a Vonzell, made people miss Vonzell.
Brenna -- I didn't think it was possible to hate her more, but here we are... Horrible performance and my goodness, she has the worst personality I've ever seen. She can't go home soon enough.
Stevie -- Classically trained opera singer ? Where's the technical polish when you need it ? Needs to go back to school.
Katherine McPhee has the best voice, but she's a Barbra Streisand fan. Ugh.
Enjoyed Paris Bennett's performance the most.
Liked Lisa Tucker.
Liked Mandisa.
Liked Ayla Brown but didn't expect to.
Thought Kinnik was decent.
Liked Kellie Pickler considerably less than I expected to.
Stevie Scott tried TOO hard not to be stereotyped as an opera singer. Hope she hangs around long enough to get another chance.
Wasn't impressed with Becky O'Donahue's performance, but she gets an eye candy pass into the next round.
Don't like Brenna's singing but hope she lasts one more week for the "entertainment" value. Sure I'll have seen enough of her by then.
I'd vote off Heather Cox for sure. Just didn't detect any singing talent, and her personality was dull.
By process of elimination I guess Melissa McGhee is my second pick to lose although she has more talent than Brenna.
I hope Taylor Hicks wins, but I don't expect it. He's the only one of the male side that I would even want to listen to.
My Summary and Review :
1st up: Patrick Hall
Sang: Come to my window.
Randy thought it was OK.
Paula: Stick to what you do best
Simon: Terrible song
for him
2nd up: David Radford
Sang: Crazy little thing called love.
Randy: Felt like he was in highschool play. Thought it was terrible.
Paula: Self esteem pep
Simon: Not serious enough, played the fool
3rd up: Bucky Covington
Sang: Simple man
Randy: Maybe pushed it too hard, but a cool choice and should range.
Paula: Youre growing, youre on a journey
Simon: Insinuates hes bar material.
4th up: Will Makar
Sang: I want you back
Randy: Likes him, was entertained.
Paula: Thinks hes adorable. Thinks he looks like Bobby Brady.
Simon: Vocally completely and utterly average. Just OK.
5th up: Jose Sway Penala
Sang: Reasons
Randy: Originality, range. Dude!!!!
Paula: Amazing. Nailed it. You know who you are schpeel.
Simon: Pimpy third rate copy of Earth Wind and Fire.
6th up: Chris Daughtry
Sang: Wanted dead or alive
Randy: Really, really good. Great recording voice. You got it it was hot.
Paula: Wowed by him. Confident, spot on artistry.
Simon: Good song choice. First time tonight hearing someone with potential. Great recording voice, need to see more charisma.
7th up: Kevin Covais
Sang: One last cry
Randy: I really like you, youre honestly talented. That was the bomb!
Paula: Squish?? Shes beaming again. Likes him.
Simon: I like you but. Anyone over the age of 90 and hard of hearing would find that appealing. Vocally excruciating.
Paula bickers.
8th up: Gedeon McKinney
Sang: Shout.
Randy: Good song choice. Likes the choreography. Was entertained.
Paula: Totally thrown for a loop (?) a great surprise. Souls beaming, whatever
Simon: Thought he was watching the warm up of the Cheppendales. Gedeons smile bothers him.
9th up: Elliott Yamin
Sang: If you really love me
Randy: Yo man another hot one! Brilliant. Loved you from day 1! You got IT.
Paula: You have fun, effortless, great performance.
Simon: Out 5 seasons, potentially the best male vocalist.
10th up: Bobby Bennet
Sang: Copa Cabana
Randy: Doesnt quite know what to say. Skates around being entertained.
Paula: Tries to be nice. Enjoyed the entertainment value
Simon: Barry Manilow is screaming somewhere. A complete nightmare.
At this point Ryan Seacrest tries to get something constructive out of the judges, to no avail
11th up: Ace Young
Sang: Father figure.
Randy: You definitely are a star. You knew how to work the room. You can really sing. Oh my gawd! Star and can sing. Im loving you.
Paula: About 35 million fans cant vote just yet. Hello to those eyes.
Simon: Not the best vocals. Two others out sung you. Youve got the X factor, that extra special something going for you. Will sail through the next rounds.
Last up: Taylor Hicks
Sang: Levon
Randy: Loved you since day one. Not the perfect song choice. Doesnt showcase his talent. Loves him though.
Paula: Sputter. You love what you do. We love you for that, you are just amazing. I think we saved the best for last.
Randy pipes in that there has never been anyone like him on the show.
Simon: Repeats that he didnt think he should make the finals, says he was wrong. He likes that Taylors interesting. He has had more positive feedback on Taylor than anyone else on the show.
My vote for boot: Bobby Bennet and Sway Penala
Very sorry to hear of Tammy's passing.
Easier for me to pick who should be dropped and more difficult for me to pick who was best than it was with the girls.
Performances I enjoyed:
Chris(thought it was more style than substance though)
Taylor(wasn't as impressive as I'd hoped)
Elliot(agree with Simon that the guy can sing)
Will(I enjoy early Jackson 5 songs so that helped him)
Ace(he can sing but I do find a hint of creepiness about him)
Bucky(a bit too imitative but pretty decent)
Gedeon(okay but you gotta REALLY let loose with that song)
Patrick(good voice that's not exactly my cuppa tea but he does have talent. Agree with the judges that he needs better song selection)
On the bubble:
Kevin(could probably make a decent living just singing "Danny Boy" all over the country, but he's limited)
Sway(pretty much hated that performance, but he does have some vocal skill, and I'm interested in hearing what he does next)
Should be gone:
Bobby(brought nothing to the party except a good attitude)
David(gimmick act that's just not good enough at working the gimmick)
Something interesting for everyone in this board to consider. Go to eBay, on the search text, type TAYLOR HICKS CD, youll see an amazing number of sales ( CAUTION : some are copies ). The astonishing thing is this - PEOPLE ARE BIDDING AS HIGH AS $56 for his Under the Radar CD. The CD only has 7 songs !!
Don't even bother to buy the CD from some retail outlet. It's sold out and the company marketing it is working overtime to bring more out. This of course is a self-produced CD.
Unfreakin believable how much people are taking to this man. And to think that he only has about 15 minutes of TV time !
Remember his shout out to the SOUL PATROL ( which had even Ryan Seacrest shoutign with him ?), that's the self proclaimed fan club of Taylor Hicks which has members from all over the world including the Philippines, UK, Mexico and even Canada.
Having listened to his CD, I have become a fan. I'm just torn between voting for him and not. I hope he gets to say, 6th place and then leaves before he gets swalloed by the ridiculous theme nights ( e.g. DISCO) that is sure to come.
I can't stand the thought of him winning this competition and then being locked in to 19 Entertainment's restrictive and uncreative manufactured pop schtick. I want him to create and just be himself instead of going too "commercial". He's got too much BLUES and originality in him that needs to be let out and I don't think Clive Davis can give us that kind of an album.
Eliott Yamin is the perfect example of the saying DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
He has a refreshing motown sound thats very radio friendly, its pure, clear and vibrant. I mean he handled the tempo changes, stops and starts to Stevie Wonder's song "IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME", effortlessly and gave it some of his own flair. Now that's definitely NOT karaoke in my book.
His looks reminds me of the Faun, Mr. Tumnus of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ( you know, the Chronicles of Narnia ). He needs a dental makeover but it would be a big mistake to do that.
If Taylors white hair is what distinghishes him, Eliotts dentures will be the one that makes him stand out in the face of the pretty boys and girls.
He is one smart guy for toning down Simon's effusive praise when he said he has one of the best voices in 5 idol competitions. Eliott added the word -- POTENTIALLY -- which makes him look humble. Definitely a plus in this competition.
Can anyone tell me what ethnicity the family name -- YAMIN is ? Sounds Semitic to me.
Looks like this American Idol 4 favorite did the smart thing ....
Thought this week's show was less entertaining than last week's.
Katherine--Big letdown. My favorite voice but that performance wasn't very good. Hope she rebounds next week.
Lisa--Solid but not as impressive as last week.
Ayla--Continues to surprise me. I didn't expect much from her before last week's show, but she surprised me then, too.
Paris--Trying to sing beyond her range. Didn't like that performance nearly as well as her previous one.
Kinnik--Big mistake with that song.
Melissa--Better than last week but still mediocre.
Brenna--This week's "Copacabana". Bye, bye.
Heather--Sang a bit better than last week but still not good enough. I'd vote her off along with Brenna.
Kellie--Must be better in person than what's coming through on television. I'd give her one more week to see if I can figure out what I'm missing.
Mandisa--Best of the night.
OK folks, how shall I title this episode ?
Remember the title of the song -- THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME ?
Well My personal title would be ( with apologies to the song-writer ) --- THE SONGS REMAIN LAME.
What an underwhelming night. Seriously folks -- THIS IS THE NIGHT TO SHINE. You are not limited and neutered by one of them silly themes ( e.g. songs by P. Diddy ( just kidding folks ) ) and you can CHOOSE SONGS TO PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. If you can't choose the right one to highlight your abilities and vocal prowess, how the heck are you going survive the theme nights when you are forced to sing DISCO ? ( come to think of it, someone DID choose to sing a Disco tune tonite. More about that later ).
But let's get on with the contestants......
Katharine Mcphee is rooming w/ Kellie Pickler & they like to goof off. She sang Alls Fair in Love. I hated it. HATE, HATE, HATE. I've heard Stevie Wonder performed N number of times on this show and 99% of the performances DID NOT MEET THE STANDARD. ONE PLEASANT EXCPETION ---- ELIOTT YAMIN LAST WEEK ( yep, the Amish farmer look-alike with the bad dentures ), who absolutely did Stevie proud with his version of IF YOU LOVE ME.
Remember the talented David Robinson last season ? This song - ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE -- yep, the very same one that Katie sang, was his undoing and turned out to be his swan song. Many a singer have fallen by the wayside because of their attempt to mimic the great Stevie Wonder.
So how to put it ? Everything about Katharine tonight was bad. POOR SONG CHOICE, POOR STAGE PRESENCE, JUST POOR EVERYTHING. Remember the rumor that she was leaving the show ? Well after this performance I am beginning to think she's throwing the game away. I mean what the heck was she thinking ? She was my favorite female to take the lead and here she is UNDERWHELMING US with this lame performance. Not even her delicate cascading long dark hair could protect her from a timid and almost FORCED sounding performance. It's as if someone put a gun to her head and told her to sing this song OR ELSE ....
Randy said it was a safe choice & wasnt her best. It was just ok. Paula said she moves her but the song choice didnt connect. Simon said this show is more than just singing. This wasnt her best night by a mile. Katharine said she thought it was a bad song choice too when she was rehearsing but once you pick it you have to go wit i it. FIRE THE ADVISER KATIE AND HIRE ME !!!
At this point I am beginning to change my mind about Katie. She owned two of the best pre top 24 performances in American Idol history. Her auditions where she sang GOD BLESS THE CHILD and I KNOW I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN were MAGICAL. What's happened since ? Did she have a falling out with her mom ? Her boyfriend ? This was absolutely LACKLUSTER.
BTW, I still haven't heard Kate perform an up-tempo song that highlights her FUN personality. CAN SHE DO IT ? Or like Dennis Rodman limited to Rebounding and Defense in basketball, she can only do powerful melismatic ballads ?
Kinnik Sky is from the country & wants to represent. So she is wearing one of the worst outfits I have seen. Camouflage Capri pants w/ a drawstring at the knees & then cowboy boots. Just bad ( my wife smacks me for saying that and tells me -- WHAT DO YOU KNOW ? IF I DON'T BUY YOUR CLOTHES FOR YOU, YOU'D LOOK LIKE A HOBO. I keep quiet about outfits from then on)
She sang "Here for the Party". Well that was as Randy would say --- just AI'GHT.
Randy said he enjoys her energy & liked that song but it doesnt have enough melody for her. Paula said she has to pick songs to show her amazing range & take risks. Simon said she attempts to stand out but he expects to see that kind of performance at Disneyland.
People -- For whatever FOX did, Kinnik is one of those who never had time to establish a fan base because of limited audition exposure. She needed to impress in a hurry. I'm not sure of this performance did it. You can't complain about her though. ELIOTT YAMIN had little exposure ( with less impressive looks at that ) but still did us proud.
Lisa Tucker was in the Lion King when she was 10 for a year but this stage still made her nervous. She sang Whos Lovin you. What is up with tonight? I am not liking it at all. She ended it nicely though. She's safe and will go to the top 12. But folks --- THIS IS FORGETABLE ( you'll hear me repeat this word again and again, I promise ).
Randy said the song choice didnt show her off. Paula disagreed & said she forgets she is 16 cuz she is an amazing performer. Paula yaps on & on. Do you ever notice that she is the judge that talks the most but says the least ? Simon said he doesnt want her to be a young girl trying to be older by singing grown up songs. But he thinks she will sail through tonight.
Melissa Mcghee sang Why Havent I Heard From You ( yeah, Good old Red State, Reba Mcintyre, that'll endear her to everyone from Dixie ). OK, this is not bad at all, but not memorable either. So far the best of the lot. Florida beach baby Melissa swizzles like a cold steak slapped on a red hot grill. Her voice and sultry looks might take another round in the contest. Does anyone, beside me, think she has Elviss eyes? Melissa seems to have the same style as another (more good looking) girl we might have forgotten -- Lindsay Cardinale.
Randy said the song fit her & her smokey voice returned. He thought it was hot. Paula said she came out of her shell w/ her unique voice. Simon said he doesnt know what the problem is w/ her. He loves her voice but she doesnt connect w/ the audience. Paula was her usual annoying self & wouldnt let Simon speak & kept interrupting & hitting him. Simon said she is like a precocious child. I think it is more like a drugged up teenager. Paula got up & switched seats w/ Randy coz she didnt want to be by Simon anymore. Whatever. Simon continued saying Melissa has to wow them coz no one will remember that song. Well for that matter NO ONE WILL REMEMBER ANYONE WHO PERFORMED SO FAR.
Heather Cox chooses Mariah Cary's Hero. Why ? Simple reason --- NO ONE HAS EVER SANG IT IN AMERICAN IDOL BEFORE.
Big mistake. Huge Mistake. GOOD SONG CHOICE THOUGH. IF YOU CAN TACKLE IT. You cannot do Mariah if you cant at least do it justice. I am sure you cant do it better than her, but at least be somewhat good.
Well how shall I put it gently --- THIS IS NOT IT. Snake charmer Heathers voice was like a soggy discarded tissue. Lacking any stage presence, she just stood there. Maybe she thought that her blue eyes, blond hair, and nice figure would wow us. It didnt and she doesnt. It takes more than a pretty face to wow us baby ( ask Becky O' Donahue for instance ).
The guys in the competition have got to be loving it at this point. NOT ONE OF THE GIRLS IS GIVING THEM ANY SERIOUS COMPETITION.
Paula said it was a risk because no one is hotter right now than Mariah ( AKA Mimi ). Randy said she looks great & then name-dropped that he worked w/ Mariah & Heather paled in comparison. Simon said that was like the warm up before a horrid pageant. He said it is pointless if you arent as good as the original. My point exactly.
OK, we've got 5 ladies so far, WHAT's GOING ON ?( as Marvin Gaye would say ). We've been UNDERWHELMED and I'm beginning to YAWN.
Catty Brenna Gethers tries to do the DISCO classic by Donna Summers ----> Last Dance. How to describe in one word ?
DREADFUL. And also, her posing is so annoying. Paula said she didnt see the magic. Brenna said she thought it was wonderful & that America loved it & it will reflect in the votes. I think she means VotefortheWorst.com.
Randy said Brenna & Simon are alike. He said vocally it was pitchy & not inspired. Simon said she murdered the song & thinks it may be the last time we see her ( last time for the last dance ??? ). Brenna said she knows there are people behind her. With hand on her thrust hip, Brenna the great ego lost her edge tonight. What happened to her attitude? Maybe she has been posing for too many photos instead of practicing. Brenna, this song is perfect for you. THIS MIGHT BE YOUR LAST DANCE.
Paris Bennett reminds me of Dr. Bailey {Va-Jay-Jay} on Greys Anatomy. Its the round face & the smile I think. OK, girl, what about some Billie Holiday ? I MEAN, PLEASE -- SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING NEVER PERFORMED BEFORE. Is she listening ? IN A WORD --- NO !!! ( Hey Ann, are you advising your grandkid ?)
Paris sang the Bette Midler standard ----> Wind Beneath My Wings ( which has been performed many times before and is a staple in ANY KARAOKE bar in the country ). WHY WHY WHY THIS SONG Paris !!!! Sheeesh !
OK, I liked it but there is something about the performance I didnt like. The contrived arm waving or something. I dont know. But it does not say much if this is the best of the night so far for me. THE BEST STILL ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Petite Paris started flat, worked a great recovery, but ended empty. Her singing was boring as toasted white bread. The tragedy is I know she can do so much better. Maybe she has been hanging out with Brenna too long?
Paula said she is am amazing performer but wanted to remind her to celebrate her youth. Randy said she reminds him of a young Lauryn Hill coz she doesnt ever have to play it safe & that song was too old for her. Simon said she has to avoid being 17 trying to sound 50.
Ayla Brown is a tomboy & has had to learn about makeup for the show ( and can I tell you she stands about a head above ANYONE in the show ?).
She sang I Want You To Need Me ( what a chore to tackle Celine Dione ). Not the best of the night but I would say she is probably the best so far out of this sorry lot. The thing that Ayla reminds me of is one of these Korean/Chinese children in Flushing, whose parents push them to excel NO MATTER WHAT. They can't lose, they've gotta be better than the other kid and the parents push the poor kid to a point where the kid doesn;t have time to lie down and stare at a tree to admire nature anymore. If their neighbor's kid is playing the violin, their kid's gotta play the violin too. If their neighbor's kid is going to cram school to get a perfect SAT or REGENT score, guess what, that's where their sending their kids !!!!
And so Ayla sings and performs this as if her medal dreams depended on it and she sings it well ( as any figure skater would when peforming ).
Paula said she can tell Ayla wants this really bad. She was pleasantly surprised by her tonight & thought it was the right song for her range. Randy loves her backstory & was surprised by her too. It was the right song & he liked it. Simon said he thinks she has gotten As in everything. Ayla disagreed, she said she originally got C's in her grades. Simon got her to finally say that eventually she got all As & that is what he meant. He thinks she works harder than anyone else but sometimes you want rawness & for it not to be mechanical.
Well as I said, Ayla is taking this competition like a basketball game, she's gonna kill the other team and she practices 5 hours to get it right. Ayla the amateur athlete is now playing in the pros. Her voice was right on, her stage command was right on, and she is finding her dreams while entertaining us.
But do you guys really want someone to think of this competition the way Michelle Kwan thinks of the Olympics ? WHAT ABOUT HAVING FUN ? WHAT ABOUT JUST ENJOYING IT ? This poor girl is being pushed to stardom by her demanding parents and I can feel it. She ought to move to South Korea or Singapore.
Kellie Pickler sang Something to Talk About. Oy! That was the coming out song of Fantasia. Do you notice the difference between the Manor born Ayla and the girl who was born on the wrong side of the track --- Kellie ? It's like the prince and the pauper. Ayla's voice is TRAINED and PRACTICED due to able vocal coaching. Kellie on the other hand is RAW and NATURAL. Ayla does not have it naturally but did well because of SHEER WILL POWER TO DO WELL. As for Kellie, she was simply born with it. She has a naturally nice, UNTRAINED voice. And notice the difference between Kellie and Ayla. Kellie IS HAVING FUN. NOT FORCING IT. She gives the impression of enjoying the performance instead of COMPETING AND SMASHING THE COMPETITION.
Natural country gal Kelly snaps my fingers, claps my hands, and makes me feel good. She has such incredible natural talent. She continues to make her grandpa proud. Keep on singing, Kelly. You are what makes American Idol such a success and a joy to watch ( and cut down on the hard luck story already. WE GET YOUR POINT ).
Paula said she cant get any cuter & thought it was a good song. Randy said she is a hot one. He loved it & thought it was the right song. He liked it a lot. Simon said you just cant help but like her. If he just heard the song & didnt know her he would say it wasnt the best vocal & was rough around the edges. But she is cute & likable. THAT's WHAT IT's ALL ABOUT FOLKS,
Now to my favorite lady who put Simon in his place with grace and dignity ..... Mandissa Hundley (or as she would like to be known from now on -- just MANDISA ).
Her video clip was her playing a joke on Ryan at early auditions saying she has dog jaw & when he goes to touch it she barks & goes to bite him.
Mandisa closed the night w/ Cry ( a tribute to her Nashville home ). Now this was the BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT. The comfortable full range professional voice of Mandisa does not disappoint. I am amazed that she is not already on some recording label.
BTW, NOTE TO CARRIE UNDERWOOD --- Look what you've done girl --- you started this country trend and now every girl wants to sing country, even the black ladies.
AND OH NEWS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HEARD -- Carrie Underwood is coming back on Results night to perform her near triple platinum hit which is still charting on the billboards --- JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL.
Paula said she is one of a kind & needed in the competition. She thinks she takes songs she wouldnt normally sing & puts her own flavor on it. Then she was patronizing & said she has a beautiful face. Randy said the verse was rough & she started shaky & couldnt find the pitch. He wasnt thrilled w/ the song choice. Simon said America will keep her around & thinks when she is on there isnt any female better in the competition.
LET's SUMMARIZE --- THIS WAS A BAD NIGHT. POOR SONG CHOICE, RESULTING IN LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES.
What a bad night. So I guess I would say Paris & Ayla were the best. The worst? Everyone else. I guess I would say Kinnik will go for sure. I guess maybe Melissa will be the other since she wasnt spotlighted in the auditions.
MY RANKINGS FROM BEST TO WORST
Mandisa
Kellie
Ayla
Paris
Melissa
Lisa
Kinnik
Katharine
Heather
Brenna
WHO SHOULD GO -- Heather and Brenna
WHO WILL GO --- Heather and Kinnik ( don't underestimate the New York vote for catty Brenna. Remember, the New Yorkers put John Stevens DEEEP into the finals ).
Bring on the men. One spoiler --- I hear that Mr. "Gray" Charles ( that's Taylor Hicks for those who don't know ) has chosen to perform Ray Charles' "I've Got a Woman". SHOULD BE FUN TO WATCH.
Folks,
FYI -- There is a website out there that purports to determine which contestant is more likely to be voted off based on a computer scan of the percentage of busy signals they're getting on their numbers.
If you want to see the results for the girls thus far, go here :
http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp
Then maybe we can go back and tally the same for the boys and then determine how accurate they are tis coming Thursday.
Top group tonight:
Elliot(Best voice of the guys.)
Chris(One dimensional but he does what he does very well.)
Gedeon(Nice job.)
Taylor(Still hoping he wins but he only manages to make the bottom of the top group tonight)
Bottom group:
Ace(This week's song exposed his singing weaknesses.)
David(Better than last week.)
Will(Bland. Needs to pick "fun" songs.)
Sway(Still don't like him but at least it wasn't that unbearable falsetto.)
Kevin(His odd appeal is wearing thin. Expect him to be gone soon but he had a better run than he probably should have.)
Bucky(Just not enough talent to last. Probably gone along with Kevin.)
The women were underwhelming the night before. Will the men do us proud ?
IN SUM, Let's put it this way -- except for a a couple of performances, the answer is MOSTLY NO. Most of them were playing it safe and a lot of them were singing songs that were already performed before and did not make us forget the former performers. Not too impressive IMHO.
One of the given things about American Idol is the tendency to want to be in the prediction game. I mean how quickly do all of us jump to conclusions about contestants ? Last week, for example, a lot of folks were declaring that Katahrine McPhee and Ace Young were certain to be locks in the top 12.
But what do we base this on ? A few audition snippets hand-selected by the show's producers and a single live performance ?
That would be like declaring Nate Robinson to be the next NBA superstarto replace Kobe Bryant because at 5'8" he was a spectacular dunker and won the NBA slam dunk competition. But look what a stinker his team turned out to be !
The boys picked up right where the American Idol girls left off and they have a lot to live up to While there were several ok performances, it was starting to look like NOT ONE was even going to get close to approaching some of the performances delivered last season on American Idol at this stage of the game. Last season, we had Mario Vasquez tearing the screen up with I LOVE MUSIC, Anwar Robinson blowing us away with his great version of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, and Bo Bice wowing us with his incredible rendition of WHIPPING POST.
We did not have such WOW performances last night save one.
However, the final performance of this week's semifinal round made it clear that at least one guy has the goods to win it all this year. Yes folks, I'm talking about the second coming of Bon Jovi ----- Chris Daughtry. THIS MAN HAS BEEN *CONSISTENT* FROM AUDITION TO THE FIRST TWO PERFORMANCES. Remember the flaming background in his first performance last week ? WELL, ISN'T THAT APPROPRIATE ? HE WAS BLAZING !!!
Let's not mince words folks. CHRIS DAUGHTRY LEFT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE DUST TONIGHT.
So, let's go on with the show....The unenviable task of going first and setting the expectations for the night sky high is none other than my man -- Taylor Hicks.
Just got this interesting bit of information from a blog site dedicated to Taylor Hicks regarding predicting which contestant is most likely to be voted out :
wasn't home to participate tonight - was sitting in the banana docks cafe enjoying half price margueritas...but did get home in time to watch....thank goodness taylor made it through another week...he's so damned cute!!!!
Guessed correctly on the girls booted off this week. Missed on both the guys, but I can't say I'm disappointed that Sway and David are gone.