IDOLS LIVE - AI7 Tour Recap

I attended the Indianapolis show Tuesday, July 22nd, at Conseco Fieldhouse. For those who haven't gone (or heard about it), the format was quite a bit different this year. Instead of a lot of duets and mixed numbers, each performer is given a 3-song set (more for the Davids) as a solo artist. There were only 2 group numbers, one closing the first half and one to close the show.

I will say that everyone besides Ramiele was very capable of holding the stage by themselves, though a few should just sing and not try to chat with the audience (Archuleta & Rami were the worst, and even Carly was worse than Jason, who was ok). I really wish there were more group numbers though; a gospel song with Chikieze & Syesha would have rocked, for instance. Or some soft duet with Brooke & Archie. Alas, most sounded very good live, and I don't think I cringed once!

Pre-show music was the usual: Carrie, Daughtry, and Jordin with a little Blake and the Davids' Guitar Hero commercials thrown in. Oh and SYTYCD ads (yay)! Carrie's actual video was shown but the others mostly had blank screens (or some advertising) while the audio played.

The show was supposed to start at 7:00. Around 5 after we heard a voice, looked around and saw a guy standing in the audience with a spotlight on him and a giant Pop-Tart walking toward him (hey, it wouldn't be an Idol concert without the giant Pop-Tart!) who introduced himself as Corey (as in Corey the Idol audience warm-up guy!)! Cool! Kind-of. He had a few people come up & dance w/the Pop-Tart and then the show started.

Most sets were fast song - slow song - fast song. Oh, also the stage had walkways extending out to each side, further than I've ever seen, so that the performer could actually touch a couple of people in the audience in the 'pie slice' seating area right at the corner of the stage! I was actually in the front row of the first full side section down from that, so I had pretty good seats.

Each singer had stage lights showing their finishing spot as audio announced their name...

#10 - Chikieze

Audience response: Some noise, though everybody was just excited it was starting!
Look: As expected, casual w/a bit of bling (and still not thin, but dude has some moves!)
Set list: I Believe to My Soul, Caught Up, So High (John Legend)
Comments: Great start to the show! He had a blast, connected well w/the audience, and sounded great (as usual). He said that Luke Menard (semifinalist from nearby Crawfordsville, Indiana) was in the audience.

#9 - Ramiele Malubay

Audience response: Minimal
Look: sparkly (tight tank top & pants)
Set list: I Want You Back; Love Will Lead You Back; If I Never See Your Face Again (Maroon 5/Rihanna)
Comments: Miss 'I don't like to move while I sing' actually danced w/the backup singers and moved around the stage quite well! Was not confident when not singing though and overall was definitely out of her element. (I wish David Hernandez could've had her spot instead!!) Vocals were decent I guess but overall my least favorite set.

#8 - Michael Johns

Audience response: on their feet & loud! Couple of signs.
Look: scarf instead of ascot (yay), jeans
Set list: We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions; It's All Wrong, But It's Alright; Dream On (dedicated to Luke Menard)
Comments: Sounds good live; handles the stage like a rock star (in a good way). Goofball during the group numbers - did some funky dance moves with one of the guitarists and later joked around with David Cook.

#7 - Kristy Lee Cook

Audience response: Minimal
Look: Sparkly! Dressed in all white, & hair was straight.
Set list: Squeezin' the Love Outta You; God Bless the USA; Cowgirls
Comments: I was really hoping she'd do "Anyway," but God Bless the USA is a good song to do live (I'll admit even I got a little teary; it wasn't cheesy at all like the group version of it a few years ago) so I understand why she didn't. At one point asked for house lights & commented at how big the arena is, hee. Overall sounded good and if Kellie Pickler can get a contract & radio play, I don't see why Kristy Lee can't!

#6 - Carly Smithson

Audience response: Loud & up (but no signs).
Look: One of those tops that could be a maternity top but isn't, lowcut. Fortunately stage lights wash out most of the arm tattoo!
Set list: Bring Me to Life (complete with top-of-stage rockstar pose and windblown hair!); Crazy on You (1st verse soft, rest rockin'); Drove All Night
Comments: Hmm. She kind-of seemed like she's taking this chance to do everything she's always wanted to on stage, playing the big Rocker with lots of big, yelly vocals. They came off ok (better than on the show) but weren't necessarily enjoyable (for me, anyway). I respect her talent but she's no Amy Lee (or Heart). 2nd least fave set.

#5 - Brooke White

Audience response: Medium
Look: Bohemian Brooke! still barefoot.
Set list: Let It Be (on Grand Piano which rose from below the floor as she started playing); 1 2 3 4 (Feist); Yellow (Coldplay)
Comments: Great set! 1 2 3 4 really fits her bouncy, carefree personality (and she had the audience snap along), and Yellow was a surprisingly awesome fit. Complete with almost-cheesy yellow lighting, probably one of my favorites of the night.

After her set Brooke gave a short Idol Gives Back plug and everyone who'd performed so far sang Pride (In the Name of Love) while IGB footage played on the screen. Most had one-line solos but Michael's was a bit longer and the audio announced his name before he started, which was weird (because he was the only one who got that). He & Carly dueted for a bit & then the rest joined in.

Intermission - more Corey in the audience and a Guitar Hero contest on stage (2 local guys; it was mildly entertaining).

#4 - Jason Castro

Audience response: They love him!
Look: Dreads were back, and he was wearing bright red ('ruby,' get it?) shoes!! Fun.
Set list: Somewhere over the Rainbow (that one line that doesn't rhyme always throws me, but I know that's how the original was!); Crazy (heh, I typed "Craxy" 3 times before I could make my fingers hit the right keys!!); What a Day for a Daydream
Comments: Sounded great on Daydream. Introduced it by saying he wanted to leave us "with a thought and a challenge" - which segued into the song with a 'Follow your dreams' type line.

#3 - Syesha Mercado

Audience response: Medium to loud
Look: Hmm... very tall hair and a very... Haley-esce dress (definitely highlighted her cleavage)
Set list: Umbrella; If I Ain't Got You; Listen
Comments: Diva wannabe to Carly's rawker wannabe - she takes on Rihanna, Alicia, and Beyonce!! And pretty much pulled it off - the house was definitely enraptured by the end of Listen. Good for her (like Carly, she may know she needs to enjoy it while she has the chance!).

#2 - David Archuleta

Audience response: Deafening, as expected! (signs, homemade t-shirts, etc.)
Look: Grey suit with bling around the edges, and red & white casual shoes (umm, I'm old, they don't call them tennis shoes anymore, but you know what I mean, right?)
Set list: Angels (on piano, rising like for Brooke but David got dry ice too); Apologize (I *LOVE* this song!!); Stand By Me/Beautiful Girl; When You Say You Love Me
Comments: Okay, boy. can. sang!! He sounds really, really good live. Apologize was fantastic. Plenty of stage presence & confidence while singing, but back to his giggling, uncertain self when not. Granted he got *lots* of crowd appreciation, but some of the others did too & just walked off at the end of their sets whereas he paused to (awkwardly) thank the crowd 2 or 3 times. He also seemed out of breath after his songs (understandable but perhaps a sign he's oversinging?). If his stage dad doesn't get in the way he could have a very long and successful career.

And the main attraction, "Your American Idol" - David Cook!!

Audience response: Crazy loud, signs, etc.
Look: Rocker (no faux about it); scarf hanging from waist & jeans laced up sides of his leg - and came unlaced, prompting him to take a break at one point to sit & re-tie them (after instructing us to "talk among yourselves"!)
Set list: Hello (rose from below stage playing elec. guitar, w/ dry ice); Time of My Life; Don't Wanna Miss a Thing; My Hero (which he dedicated to his brother Adam)
Comments: Worth the wait, but makes me want a whole concert of just him! He has such a great voice, really enjoyable no matter what style he's singing (normally during screamy rock songs I don't find myself thinking, "He really does have a great voice!"), and a wonderful stage presence (confident but not cocky, casual interaction w/crowd, but can get them going too). He talked a lot about his family since several of them live in Indiana - his Dad & some others were in the audience. He said his Dad bought him the white guitar (with big AC) around 5 years ago at a store here in Indy. He had one bit where he got out a camcorder & said he's been doing this at each show, asking the crowd to scream ("Reggie Miller loud," after saying he used to watch Pacers games during Reggie's era) and he walked across the stage taping the crowd, so he can have it to remind him "10 years down the road when nobody believes I got to do this"! He also thanked us (as several others did), saying he appreciated our "letting 10 strangers come to our town & play for us" and how bizarre it still seems that they get to do this all because we voted. He has such the great (appreciative & humble but not annoyingly so) attitude.

Encore: David Cook doing Billie Jean, which was probably my favorite of his and the one where I was marveling his vocals. I liked it ok on the show but I really, really enjoyed it live!

Then the whole group came out and did Please Don't Stop the Music to wrap it up.

I have photos (& a couple vids with audio) that I'll try to post in the next few days. If you get a chance to see the show, it's worth it! I still hope they bring back more group & combo numbers next year, but I really did enjoy the solo sets that they did with this group. Everyone sounds great live and they're having a blast! Which is always a joy to watch.

Thanks for reading! Please leave comments and check back for the photos.


(edited to remove implication that Jason flubbed his words! and to add this disclaimer that there are a few inside jokes; if you don't get it, sorry, just ignore it!)

David Hernandez Fan 'Tribute'

I'm not sure about the word Tribute because it makes it sound like he's dead ;-), but y'all know what I mean! Sigh. Once again my favorite contestant is ousted waaaaaay too soon, and I won't even get to see him on tour. I have yet to see any fan sites spring up, but I definitely want to keep tabs on the guy and want to share some media stuff with any other fans who may be looking.

First some interviews: ew.com Exit Interview with David, MSN Interview, and one from MTV.com. Unfortunately I think he comes off a bit desperate, but at least he has a positive attitude (one of his strengths throughout the competition)!

I'm not that surprised that "I Saw Her Standing There" was not at the top of his song choice list. I'm not sure how he would have done on "Let It Be," but if I'd never heard Brooke's version I probably would have loved David's.

Upcoming appearances: Ellen Degeneres show on Monday.

Media clips available for download: iTunes, of course; also Rickey has his Hollywood & Arizona Idol clips, as well as other Idol performances, photos, and such. Personally I've listened to the mp3 of "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" at least a gazillion times already. :-)

I may edit this to add additional links (or photos) later. Thanks for visiting!


















Aaaaand, here's the first edit! I found a few MySpace fan pages so I'll list those: "hernandez", with lots of performance vids and a Q&A in the blog; "David Hernandez Online",; "David Hernandez Fans", with photos from his Ellen appearance Monday; and "Ultimate fans of DH" which has the recent magazine blurbs in the blog and a nice message from David to fans (from Extra).

And looks like David's own site is back up and running! Yay!

Lastly check out the new tune! New to me, anyway. This is a song from another (unsigned) R&B singer in Arizona, but it features David (especially at the beginning). Enjoy!

AI7 Top 24 Results

Over 28 million votes for our first week, which is down a bit from last year. Ryan starts off by asking the judges about the experience of the contestants, and Paula replies that in this "savvy business," if you haven't already tried to make it, then you shouldn't be here. Um, ok, that would mean about half of them should leave now. At least they're attempting to address the controversy.

Next we get footage of the fancy photo shoot the Top 24 got to do, set to a Daughtry song. (Check out the photos at the official website.)

Then a group number, yay! The guys are all spiffed up and start the 60's medley out, then of course the girls join it. There are small solos for a few of them: Michael, David H, Jason Y, Alaina, Syesha, Asia'h, Kristy Lee, Luke, Amanda, & David C. We'll see if that was foreshadowing at all... (turns out yes, it was!)

Up first as usual are the guys, and we get a recap of Tuesday's performances & judges' comments. Then Ryan asks Garrett to come up onto the stage to "chat." Well, the chat pretty much consisted of Ryan telling Garrett's he's going home! Wow, that was abrupt. And then Garrett had to sing! But he did a great job; really, better than the first time (probably because he didn't have time to be nervous & wasn't standing still at a mic stand). This year the family members are up on the balcony during the sing-out.

Girls' recap, then Kristy is brought up. Ryan asks her about being sick, then tells her to rest up for next week because she's safe. Then he tells Amy she's leaving. Unfortunately her sing-out is not any better than it was the first time.

After the commercial, we get a commercial. Well, we get to see Paula's new music video, for her song "Dance Like there's no Tomorrow" which is on "Randy's album." Randy also plays bass in the video (interesting). For a song about dancing, Paula does surprisingly little of it in the video, though there are others dancing around her. Back to the show...

Joanne and Amanda are called onto the stage and the rest of the girls are safe (yay!). Amanda is safe thus it is Joanne leaving us. Sing-out.

As for the guys, Chikieze and Colton are brought up and Ryan doesn't bother to tell the rest that they are safe, but gets right to the "results" so we assume they are. And we are correct (YAY!). Chikieze is also safe (and extremely relieved) which means Colton is going home. Paula tells him he's got plenty of time to pursue his career; Simon advises instead to get a good job & sing for fun on the side.

Ryan calls the other 3 back up & we see the goodbye montage for all 4, then Colton gets his sing-out (with a great glory note at the end).

I will say, this is the first time in the past 3 years that I haven't been disappointed after the first results show! Yay, the pattern has been broken! Now, if I can just get a favorite into the Top 12....

AI7 Semifinals - Top 12 Women (2/20/08)

Ryan mentions at the beginning that the flu has hit the girls this week and several have been battling coughs, bronchitis, etc. He also asked Simon how he felt about a couple of the guys talking back last night, & Simon said he likes it!

Kristy Lee was up first with "Rescue Me." It was ok; there were glimpses that made me think her voice is better than this song showed.

Joanne sang "Say a Little Prayer" and again, ok. Judges blamed her nerves. The best part of her performance was seeing Danny on the side singing along! (LOVE) :)

Alaina did "More Today than Yesterday." Chikieze, take note: *this* is how this song is sung. She was maybe a bit too belty, but definitely my favorite of the night. I liked her 1st audition & we hadn't seen her since, so I'm happy that wasn't a fluke. I love her personality (teen but not obnoxiously so), she's pretty, & has an awesome voice with potential for versatility. If I'd voted tonight, it would've been for her.

And now my least 2 favorites... the Indiana girls! (phooey!) Amanda sang "Baby Please Don't Go" and it was rocky and bluesy and she scatted and the rest was even harder to understand (except for the ultra repetitive line). Yuck. R & P liked it; Simon said he likes her but he didn't enjoy the song. I do love how down-to-earth, mature & genuine she is. Ryan said he hoped the trucker who hit her was watching & voting, and she looked right and the camera & kind-of sheepishly said, "I'm sorry I pulled out in front of you, dude." Hee!

Amy sang "Where the Boys Are," and as soon as she started I was totally. cracking. up. Anyone who remembers Jessica Sierra's early song choice will understand. We got a small clip of her doing "Me & Bobby McGee" in Hollywood & it sounded good. However, this one was boring and way off-key.

Brooke did "Happy Together" and... as Simon said, it was very "her." Nice, but boring.

Alexandrea rocked "Spinning Wheel"! She really made use of the stage, showed a great vocal range, and was a very confident and entertaining performer. R & P loved it; Simon "didn't get it." One of my favorites; I hope she sticks around.

Kady sang "Groovy Kind of Love" with a slow, country feel. It was good and she has a powerful voice, but she missed some notes toward the end. The judges thought it was a bit boring & want to see more of her fun personality.

Asia'h did "Piece of My Heart" very well except for the smiling and bouncing; sigh. Yes, she's still adorable, but heartbreak? Not really a smiley, bouncy topic. And the judges complimented her for looking like she was having fun! Alrighty then. Simon said it was his favorite so far.

Ramiele talked a bit about her song strategy, which was interesting. Her "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" was very dramatic (planned poses, etc.) but showed a great range vocally and stylistically. I don't know if anyone could ever top Nadia's version for me, but having said that, I did love Ramiele's and she did an awesome job. The judges loved it too and Simon said she "outsang" everyone else (which she did, ironically, by *not* oversinging the song itself; yay for her!).

Syesha chose "Tobacco Road" and did a decent job (though again makes me want to go listen to a previous Idol's version, that being Phil's from last year). It was good, & the judges said it wasn't her best but they liked it.

Last (surprise, surprise) is Carly. She was also sick but you couldn't tell from how she yelled her way through "Shadow of Your Smile" (I don't know this song at all, & this performance certainly didn't make me want to). At least she addressed her past (recording contract) in her bio clip; that will placate a lot of folks. Anyway, I find her unpleasant both to watch and to listen to. Randy, however, said this was the "best vocal of the Top 24!" Oh, my. Paula loved it too. Surprisingly (though I'm glad) Simon didn't! He even mentioned the hype & buzz around her (about which Randy acted clueless) & said she didn't live up to it! Yay, Simon!

My favorites were Alaina, Alexandrea, & Ramiele. Least faves were Amy, Kristy Lee, and Amanda. (Boy, there are a lot of 'A' names!) My guesses to go home are Amy and... I'll say Kady. (Should be Kristy, but I'm guessing she has a larger fan base.)

Hollywood (2/12/08)

It's Hollywood Week!! The New, and possibly Improved, version! This year we find out that no one will be cut at all in the first two days. Also, contestants are allowed to play instruments. Also, unfortunately, there will be no group round. :-( I understand that part was less relevant to the competition, but it was always one of my favorite parts, so I'll miss it.

The first round will be solos - no standing on stage in lines & stepping forward to sing (until Day 3, anyway). If you're really good and get at least 2 "Yesses" from the judges, you have an automatic pass to Day 4. Otherwise you come back on Day 3 for your "2nd chance." It wasn't obvious which result everyone got, but I'll list what we did see... Also I'll just do names and songs for those we've seen before, but if you want more info (audition city, etc.) lmk in the comments. (Bold indicates supposed Top 24.)

Brooke White sings "Beautiful" and plays piano. Despite her admitted lack of confidence, she's through.

Lorena sings Shania - no.
Amy Flynn - no
Leo Marlowe - no
Alisha Dixon - "Unwritten" with guitar; not good, a no.
Michael Sanflippo - "When I Need You" on guitar. I liked it, but Simon called it dreadful. Not through.
Alyssa Coco played keyboard & it's a no.
Shaun Barrowes plays Billy Joel on keyboard - no.

I think Jake Mellema is new (20, from MI). He's the lead singer and drummer for a band so chooses to sing and play drums here... for "Hooked on a Feeling"?! Um, whatever. He's just ok, & doesn't advance.

Ok, this is what I've been waiting for: finally one of the T24 guys we haven't been shown yet! It's David Hernandez, 24, AZ (4713). Now they show us his initial audition from San Diego (wow they found a lot of talent there!): "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Very good. Today he's doing "Love the One You're With," and I put my pen down to watch. Randy later says his attention was also drawn from the very first note. This is great - he's confident, he moves around the stage (& has potential for dancing, lol), he shows a wide range of vocal styles (great song choice for that)... and is a very good singer. I love when somebody 'sneaks up' on me like this... and of course I don't want to get too excited about anyone yet, but this is the best reaction I've had to anyone yet (Robbie being 2nd, though I'm not proud to admit it!). We shall see, there are more to come!

Quick glimpse of Chikieze advancing; also a black gal with short hair, maybe Melanie?

Amanda Overmeyer was unfortunately in a pretty bad car accident the week before this was taped. She had some staples in her head & some cracked ribs, plus her car was totalled! Ick. She's in good spirits though, and her "Light My Fire" is a bit much for me but pleases the judges enough for her to advance. Simon does warn her that she'll need to develop a bit of variety in her vocals.

Ah, forgotten words. We see several... new guy Buck Smith (really long hair) singing "Stuck in the Middle with You"; Cardin, unfortunately (though her vocals are still awesome!!); and Natashia Blach singing "Sway" (and the song title is part the lyrics she forgets; not good!).

Ghaleb gets a long clip about being a ladies' man or something, though most of it is with one girl (Cardin). Whatever. He plays guitar & sings Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" very poorly.

The total for Day 1 was 84 people: 54 no's, so 30 yesses. On to Day 2!

Josiah is up first. He plays keyboard for what I assume is another original, and is very good. Judges love him and he's through to the last day, despite his big teary scene they keep showing in the promo's. Yet to come then.

Danny sings "When I Need You" and is a.mazing. He's through. Man, I hope he makes it to the top 10! The clip was way too short. ;-)

Ramiele - "Till You Come Back to Me"; yes.

Carly - "When I Need You"; yes. I thought it was iffy but he judges still adore her.

Michael Johns - "Light My Fire"; yes.

David Cook plays guitar with "Everything I Do" & is very good. Also yes though only 2/3 (Simon said no).

Robbie also does "Everything I Do" (heh, 2 "rockers" in a row doing Bryan Adams; that will definitely get flack on the message boards!) and also advances. Another way too short clip, but what we heard of his voice was very nice.

Jessica Brown, Perrie, and Syesha all do "Everything I Do" but do not advance.

Colton Berry, 17, VA (55501) finally gets some screen time, though still not very much. He sings "Everything I Do" and has a soft but nice voice. I think he's through.

Kyle is last and does something upbeat I don't recognize. He gets some intro stuff and there's a mix-up with his hotel room assignment (there are already 2 women in 'his' room), & then there's something about his pick-up lines and you hear him asking a girl if she's ever had deer jerky. ;-) Poor guy. He does an upbeat song I don't recognize and it's really not good vocally and really *bad* presentation wise. Paula admits it was "a little corny" but Simon says "abyssmal" (and for once, I mostly agree). Paula beats around the bush and Simon gets annoyed w/her and walks out. If that's as much as they 'fight' this season, I'll be happy, as I usually find it a waste of screentime. Anyway, Kyle sticks around to try to redeem himself.

18 of the 80 advance for a total of 48 so far.

Day Three looks familiar: on stage in groups (lines) of 10 people, step forward & sing, then wait for results. Simon warns it will be "brutal."

Suzanne (single mom from Miami, now with straight hair) and Perrie (single dad) are in the 1st group. She does a blah version of "Summertime," & he does some R&B pretty well, but both are cut.

Amy Flynn gets a lot of footage with her "voice coach" Angel (who made it to Hollywood herself in Season 4). They made a point of saying Amy didn't know the song ahead of time, but she sings "Love Will Bring You Back" pretty well (though she's too belty). Alas, she is cut.

Of the first 40, only 4 went through. I caught glimpses of Chris Watson (black guy from Philly) being cut, and we're told Kayla Hatfield and Angelica Puente are also cut.

The last group includes Kristy Lee Cook, who sings "Amazing Grace" again; Jeffrey Lampkin, Kyle, and Angela Martin (Philly single mom of girl with Retts Syndrome) who sings "Lovely Day." Angela is cut but the rest advance.

It's Day 4! Time to pick the Top 50. The contestants get one last solo, with the band and (new this year) 3 background singers. Just like they'll have in the Top 24 next week, which is nice. The previous evening everyone was to rehearse with the band, which meant many were up very, very late. We're also told they can "pick any song," but later one contestant mentions choosing from a song list. So I'm guessing it's a very extensive list (unlike Day 2 with only When I Need You, Light My Fire, Everything I Do, and Till You Come Back to Me! There may have been a few more, but these were the only 4 we saw).

David Archuleta gets an appearance for the first time this episode. We see his first round performance on keyboard but don't get to hear any of the song. He advanced straight to today though. He does Bryan Adams' "Heaven" and is very, very good. The judges love him, and he stays.

Kyle sings "You Raise Me Up" and *does* totally redeem himself from Day 2's fiasco with a great vocal performance. Simon actually apologized for his behavior that day. Paula (surprisingly) called this performance "safe," but it was good enough & he stays. I really think he needs to 'update' his look if he's to stick around.

Jeffrey, despite having been very entertaining and encouraging to all of the contestants this week, does himself in with a very poor rendition of "A Whole New World" and is cut.

Joey, after suffering from a migraine all day, sings a decent "Ribbon in the Sky" but is also cut.

Syesha has been hoarse all week so has been resting her voice, and it pays off. She sings "Chain of Fools" & still belts too much but she stays.

Michael Johns sings "Bohemian Rhapsody." He does very, very well, and knows his range well enough not to go for the highest notes. The judges all love him and Simon says he's the best of the day! Michael surprises me with his humility, seeming almost surprised that they like it. He should be around for a while. :-)

Carly gets more background footage about how amazing they thought she was 2 years ago but her confidence & voice were lacking in San Diego this year. She says she found out she developed an allergy to her dog & has been wearing a face mask and her voice has recovered. She sings (rather, belts) "How Do I Get You Alone?" and the judges are back to loving her. I don't know, something about her personality &/or singing style just rubs me the wrong way.

Asia'h makes her first appearance this show and I don't know what she sings but it's awesome! Her hair is straight & pulled up & she looks really cute. She stays.

Brooke H. (beauty queen from Atlanta) sings "Unchained Melody" and does well until she gets to a certain spot. She asks if she can sing it over and they judges say no, but then she starts singing anyway (I hate it when they do that!). She's gotten one yes & one no and it's up to Paula to decide. She's on the fence and the disrespectful response sends her to the No side (good for you, Paula!). Brooke continues to go on about how she should be able to sing it over and that she didn't get a "fair chance like everyone else." Um, nobody else got re-do's either. Good riddance to that attitude.

Last up is Josiah. Apparently he had a hard time choosing a song (he's gotten by on originals so far), and once he did, imagined a certain arrangement in his head but wasn't able to clearly communicate that to the band. So at something like 5 am he gave up (ah, *now* we get the teary scene). Then we see he ran into (AI vocal coach) Byrd in the hallway & she said he wouldn't "sing through" the song with them (despite being asked 5 times) so they couldn't practice it with him... or something. Anyway, it boils down to the fact that he never really did rehearse the song with the band. So he's very nervous, and decides once he gets on stage to sing a cappella: after complimenting the band he politely 'dismisses' them, which the judges immediately criticize. He sings "Stand By Me" and isn't great, largely due to lack of sleep (his voice cracked) and stress (plus lack of instrumentation, I think, because his rhythm was off, etc.). He admits it wasn't great. However, the judges are very lenient and based on his previous strong performances, all 3 say yes, and he's in the Top 50.

Knowing that the spoilers *don't* put Josiah in the Top 24, I wonder why we have 'wasted' all of this time on a huge backstory (living in car) and stressful-Hollywood-week story on someone who won't matter at all after tomorrow night. Meanwhile there are 4 guys in the Top 24 we have yet to hear sing At. All.

I'm pleased with the talent shown tonight. I just hope those with equal talent (which would be at least Jason C and Luke, from past work I've sampled online) are given some screen time tomorrow so that they don't have to enter audience voting on such an uneven playing field vs. those we've seen several times by now. I know they did that for a few last year so we shall see. Overall still a good show; I still love Hollywood Week!!

Best of the Rest (2/6/08)

First up is the 2nd Hoosier in the Top 24, Amy Davis, 25 (20828, auditioned in Dallas). She says her family is "lower than lower middle class" and she would use earnings from any success she receives to help her struggling single mom. The judges ask about her ethnic background as they sense a 'little' something, and we're told her maternal grandmother is Japanese. She sings "Blue Bayou" and is just ok IMO.

Next we finally get to see the puppy (named Panda; awwww!)! Unfortunately we also have to see 3 bad singers: Panda's owner, Ashley, and the twin brothers Chris (whom she used to date) and Cory (whom she currently dates). But the puppy is adorable!

Cardin Lee McKinney, 20, TN (43501) is T50. She's a waitress. She sings "One Night Only" from "Dreamgirls" and is FABULOUS! And somehow Simon doesn't like her?! He says her voice isn't contemporary & she's too theatrical (um, the song's from a musical!). No matter; she advances. And I *LOVE* her!!

JoAnn Borgella, 25, NJ (82653, auditioned in Philly) is also T24. She's a plus-size model and has sung The National Anthem at Madison Square Gardens (which majorly impresses Randy). She sings a Celine song I'm not familiar with called "I Love You" and is good enough to advance, though she doesn't have the 'big voice' one has come to expect from plus-size black women. Simon says no but she gets 2 votes and is through.

Alesha Stelzl, 18, CA (3032) is yet another long-haired blond girl. She sings Celine's "Surrender" and has a nice tone to her voice but it's all wrong for that song. Paula says she sounds like Dolly Parton & the judges end up telling her to come back later to sing one of Dolly's songs for them. Of course she doesn't know any, and a surprised Ryan tries to sing several for her expecting her to recognize them, but she doesn't (and, thankfully, he stops). She ends up learning "Islands in the Stream" from the internet and sings most of the chorus correctly. She still makes some weird facial expressions while singing and Simon sticks to his earlier no, but Randy & Paula say yes. After she leaves Simon admits to the others that they were right and her voice did work for that song.

There's a mostly-funny montage of Simon mispronouncing a bunch of contestants' names, some intentionally. Which segues perfectly into...

Chikezie Eze (yes, that's really his name!), 22, CA (613, San Diego), who also auditioned last year but makes it to T24 this year. He sings Luther's "All the Woman I Need" and, as the previews hinted, is very, very good!

Lastly we have Danny Noriega, 17, CA (1356, also San Diego), also T24 & also auditioned last year. He says he has his nerves more under control and is being more "himself" this year (which explains itself when you see him, trust me). He sings "Proud Mary." Oh, this one is going to be entertaining!! He does have a good voice, but he's so OTT (and Simon didn't call him theatrical?!), overly confident, and sure to grate. He advances easily and could definitely be our "I can't wait to see what he does this week" finalist this year! :-)

And that's a wrap! We're told 164 advanced to Hollywood and there's a long promo, showing several people playing instruments (cool!), including Jason C & Colton B on guitar (2 of the T24 guys we haven't gotten to see/hear yet), and Brooke and David A on keyboard. Ryan promises "some of the greatest performances to ever grace our Hollywood stage." Bring it on!!

AI7 Atlanta Auditions (2/5/08)

Over 12,000 contestants are hoping to be the next Clay Aiken or Jennifer Hudson (both of whom were 'found' in Atlanta). Ryan's parents also visit!

First through is Joshua Jones, 26, GA (47503). Josh works with glass and sings Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" fairly well, despite facing the wall as the judges were distracted by his eye expressions while singing. Simon said it was too karaoke but he gets through with 2 votes.

Asia'h Epperson, 18, MO (50641) is in the Top 24. She tells us her father died 2 days ago in a car accident - rough! She changes her audition song to "How Do I Live" and gets through most of it, though I'm curious to hear her sing when she's less emotional (her voice cracked on higher notes & was very breathy). The judges are sympathetic but I think she would've made it through anyway. Paula takes a Kleenex break. ;-)

Brooke Helvie, 18, FL (40592) is a pageant girl hoping to prove Simon wrong & show him that she has genuine talent. Her "Who's Loving You?" is very good. Simon gets a hug after putting her through (though admits after she left the room that she annoyed him).

Alexandrea Lushington, 16, GA (41800) is another T24. She sings "My Funny Valentine" and is decent. Her 93-year old grandmother (there at the auditions with her) is cute.

Our 3rd Atlanta auditioner in T24 is Amanda Overmeyer, 22, IN (didn't get her # but Yay, Indiana!!). Her early nickname is 'rock & roll nurse' as she's a respiratory nurse (who does home visits helping people learn to use their equipment) who rides a motorcycle & has streaked hair. She sings some Janis & then, at the judges' prompting to do something else, "Traveling Band." Has a husky voice but seems to have potential. And there's a cool chick from my normally-perceived-as-hick-filled state, so another yay!

The last contestant shown is Josiah Leming, 18, TN (46069), T50. He's a high school dropout living in his car and sings one of his own songs, "To Run." Having visited his MySpace, I'll say I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hear the vibrato on his recorded stuff, though maybe it's partially nerves. Anyway I really liked his songs and vocally he reminds me of Howie Day. The judges marvel that the southern teen sings with a bit of a British accent, mate. (Simon is pleased.)

Altogether 20 advance to Hollywood; we saw 6 of them. One more night of auditions and then it's time for the Hollywood rounds!!

AI7 Auditions - Miami (1/30/08)

Miami had over 10,000 auditioners; that seems to be the 'magic' number this year. Miami has fewer people advance to Hollywood than Omaha did, but the talent is more impressive, IMO anyway....

Robbie Carrico, 25, FL (73070) is Top 24. I knew his backstory from spoilers and was actually surprised Ryan tells the audience in narration, at least part of it: Robbie the Rocker used to be in a boy band! (He also dated Britney, but I understand why that wasn't mentioned!) The guy's already hated online by many as a poser, and I wasn't prepared to like him... but I do. Potentially a lot. ;-) He sings "Simple Man" and is very good. Seems to have a nice (polite, mature) personality. And definitely a sense of humor, shared by his family who cover him in Silly String when he emerges with the coveted Golden Ticket.

Ghaleb Emachah, 27, FL (71352) is originally from Venezuela. He plays guitar, piano, and harmonica and sings "gypsy music." I thought he was ok; Simon said he'd like him if he (Simon) were drunk. Randy & Paula put him through.

Next are BFF's Brittany Wescott (76599) and Corliss Smith (75918), both 20 & from FL. Corliss is first and sings "Take 5" to Randy. Brittany follows with "My Guy," to Simon per the judges' suggestion. I think Brittany has a very pretty voice, though Corliss is maybe a better singer? Anyway both are advanced and there is a hugfest.

Suzanne Toon, 21, FL (76501) attended a performing arts school. She also got pregnant at 18 and had her daughter Madison at 19 (Madison's father did not stay so Suzanne is a single mom). Suzanne says she hasn't sung in 3 years. "I Can't Make You Love Me" - she's good, and her voice has an interesting/different tone.

Next we get a clip of Jasmine Trias (of whom we had more than enough during her own season, "thank you") and are told that her album went Platinum in the Philippines. Our next contestant is also Filipino: Ramiele Malubay, 19, FL (74854) & T24. Sings (ok, belts) "Natural Woman" and has potential though the high notes stretch her. Simon says she doesn't sound contemporary enough and thinks Randy & Paula only like her because she's short & cute (which she is), and she advances. End of Day 1.

First on Day 2 is Syesha Mercado, 20, FL (67235) - another T24. Syesha was a finalist on the (too short-lived) competition show "The One" so we know she can sing... she does "Think (Freedom)" and is belty but good. We also get family clippage of her w/her father who just got out of rehab after struggling with drugs & alcohol "for years."

Natashia Blach, 29, CO (68639) sings "At Last." She is very good also.

Our last good singer in Miami is Ilsy Lorena Pinot, 29, FL, RT50. I don't know the song she sang but she's good enough.

There are very short clips of 3 guys who advance. Then several folks who don't.

Not advancing but worth mentioning is Julie Dubela, 16, who was in the Top 20 on American Juniors several years ago. She has a good voice which comes out in parts of "Me & Bobby McGee," but she also over-performs and is annoying. When Simon tells her she's precocious, she haughtily asks, "what does that mean?" and the judges giggle. Simon encouraged her (honestly) to pursue acting and she got upset. The judges labeled her over-indulged, which is probably true, though not her fault.

Last is another annoying no (this one a guy all in white). In total 17 advance from Miami. We were shown auditions of 9, which is over half - wow! Plus we were shown 1/8 of the Top 24! Ending with the usual end montage (though it has more repeats of those we've already seen than normal)... and next stop, Atlanta!

AI7 Charleston Auditions (1/23/08)

Over 10,000 audition, and 23 advance. We are shown a whopping 4 of those 23. (They're getting worse at this as the shows air!)

First shown, and last shown, is Oliver, whose wife went into labor so they went to the hospital and baby Emma Grace was born. Oliver came back on Day 2 & auditioned at the end of the day with "Get Here," but wasn't quite good enough. The judges got to meet the baby though.

Siblings Michelle (26, #54204) and Jeffery (24, 54203) Lampkin, SC, are the first to go through. They sing a duet of "I'm Your Angel." Jeffery is very good, and a riot! Michelle got a no from Randy but both advance.

Amy Flynn, 16, TN (56598) is captain of her dance team and in STARS, a group that teaches abstinence. She proceeds to give a speech to Simon. She sings "Reflection" and is good, but her personality will grate (and Simon tells her this, to her utter surprise!). Paula loved her (not a surprise).

Last on Day 1, and the last good audition we're shown, is London Weidberg, 24, SC (56662), whose father died of cancer 3 years ago. She sings "Good Morning, Heartache" and is decent. Simon said she doesn't have anything unique, and we never actually see whether he said yes or no, but the other 2 say yes so she's in.

RT50 who auditioned in Charleston: Well, I guess Lisa Aukerman is the only one we know for sure. And that puppy they showed in last night's preview was nowhere to be seen! :-(

AI7 San Diego Auditions (1/22/08)

Over 12,000 people auditioned in San Diego. 31 advanced. Of those, we were only shown 6!

Tetiana Ostapowych, 24, CA (9535) sang "Someone to Watch Over Me." Another blond with a decent voice.

Perrie Cataldo, 27, AZ (9764) is a single dad whose son is pretty adorable. Sang "I'll Make Love to You" and the judges loved him.

Michael Johns, 28, CA (474) is on the RT50 and it's clear why! Sings an Otis Redding song called "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and is definitely the best male singer we've heard so far. He also has an Australian accent (moved to the US 10 yrs ago) and isn't hard on the eyes. If he makes it to the top 24 I'll be very surprised if he's not voted into the finals.

Last on Day 1 is Samanta Musa, 20, CA (7848). She & her sister both think Simon is hot; I'll try not to hold that against her, as I *adore* her voice! She sings "Until You Come Back to Me" and I get a bit of a country/southern rock vibe (a la Wynonna or Bonnie Raitt). LOVE.

The one I kind-of wish would've been put through is Blake Bushnack, 22, on his 11th audition! Best remembered for wearing a Statue of Liberty costume in S5, Blake's mother is obsessed with the show and probably much of the reason for his obsession. However, he can actually sing! His "Stand By Me" isn't mindblowing, but it's at least as good as several other contestants they've put through (and better than a couple, like Kayla Hatfield, IMO). Oh well... there's always next year!

Now the much promoted David Archuleta, 16, UT (11394), RT50. We learn that he suffered from vocal paralysis (one of his vocal cords was partially paralyzed) and didn't want to risk surgery but has mostly recovered. We don't learn (at least not yet, and maybe not ever from the show itself) that he's a former Star Search winner. He sings "Waiting for the World to Change" and there are glimpses of greatness, with a side of nerves (he flubbed some words). The judges love him (as do many young female fans, rumored to already be starting the "Arch Angels" fan group!). A shoe-in for the finals if he makes Top 24.

Lastly we have Carly (Hennessy) Smithson, 23, CA (175), also RT50. Carly & her hubby own a tattoo shop, and it shows (though more on him than her). She is from Ireland and after she advanced to Hollywood in Season 5 she found out her Visa wasn't coming soon enough so she was disqualified. For some reason she's very nervous, and Simon said she actually sounded better 2 years ago. She over-embellished "I'm Every Woman" and I haven't dug up her previous audition but I might just agree (not that it was aired). Anyway, she's in easily.

Idol Season 7 Premiere - Philly Auditions (1/15/08)

And we're off! Again this year over 100,000 people auditioned. First up is Philadelphia, where we're told the "biggest crowd ever" showed up.

I will say that, at least for the first half hour, Idol did much better than last year at showing decent singers. In fact, of the first 10 shown, half made it through! I'll only list those that got through, though I have detailed notes (as usual) so if you have questions/comments about anyone else let me know!

*I'll also post a warning that if you don't want to know who's rumored to be in the Top 50, stop reading! I will mention them as they are shown auditioning (tonight there are a few...).

Joey Catalono, 19, NJ (#82270) has lost over 200 pounds. He sings Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" and is decent. Yesses from all 3 judges.

Melanie Nyema, 26, CA (87970) sang backup for Taylor Hicks. "Unwritten" is ok. She gets through with 2 votes.

Junot Joyner (a guy), 25, MD (89586): "I Guess that's Why They Call It the Blues."

Jose Candelaria, 23, NJ (81135) sings "Unbreak My Heart" in Spanish.

Jonathan Baines, 17, DE (81879) sings a song I don't know but he's good. I'm told it's "A Little More You" by Little Big Town. He's also extremely tall.

During a segment on "family support," we get very short clips of 5 people advancing (& several others that don't). Among these 5 is a girl I recognize from the rumored Top 50 list (which I'll be abbreviating "RTop50"): Amy Davis, from Indiana! She has a guitar so I'm assuming she played it for her audition. I really hope we get to see her audition, maybe in something like last year's "The Best of the Rest" audition show.

Last to advance on Day 1 is Angela Martin, 26, IL (87531). She has a little girl with Retts Syndrome and wants to make enough money performing so that she can get her the best medical care possible (yes, our first sob story, of many, I'm sure). Fortunately she can sing; she does "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Simon tells her to lose her wedding band singer habits & she'll do well.

He also says, after hearing her family/friends screaming in joy w/her outside the door, that he doesn't understand the US custom of celebrating for someone you know when they get good news. He says he couldn't be happy for someone else in this way, and he's completely serious. Which seems strange, and sad.

Moving on to Day 2...

Kristy Lee Cook, 23, OR (77610) gets a long background clip which meshes w/her being in the RTop50! She lives in a log cabin & does lots of sports; she also buys & trains horses, one of which she sold for the $ to travel to audition. She sings "Amazing Grace" excellently; she has nice control and a country tone to her voice. (edited to add: there is some controversy surrounding a music video of hers with a Confederate flag in the background.)

Beth Stalker, 28, MI (84173) is a SAHM who sings in clubs at night and recorded an album of "Sunday school songs" when she was 4. "Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered." Simon says no because he doesn't think she'll stand out enough so she advances w/2 votes.

Chris Watson, 20, DE (86697) has big dreams: he wants to be a "legend" whose albums are around for 30 or 40 years. He sings Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" and is good; he also has a good look (Simon agrees). Simon also said he has a good recording voice, and Randy told him not to be afraid to take chances because he can "really sing."

Lastly we have Brooke White, 24, CA (88122) who's another RTop50. She works as a nanny, is married, and admits to never having seen an R-rated movie. She sings Corrine Bailey Ray's "Like A Star" and is good (I like her MySpace music even better - and strangely I'm as excited that she apparantly knows Clay's former backup Jacob Luttrell as that she knows James Taylor [whom it says it currently online also; how bizarre is that?! Gotta love the internet!]). The judges really like her and Simon jokes that they'll "bring her over to the dark side."

At the end we get the normal ultra-short clips of the rest of the 29 total who advance (though somehow I count 30, so I must have someone in twice). I like to make notes of these folk for later when there are people in the Top 24, for instance, that have never been mentioned or featured on the show before, so we can go back & say Yep, they really were there!

Tomorrow - Dallas!

If anyone knows what Jonathan sang please let me know. :)

Season 7 Spoilers

Hey there everyone! Only 14 more days, so in the meantime if you're as anxious for new Idol contestants as I am, check out some spoilers! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know!)

As "Hollywood Week" has already taken place, there are names floating around of the supposed Top 50. With photos and music samples for several. Here's the latest from mj's blog! (She also has weekly Billboard #'s, Idol Headlines, and Appearances for Idol alums if you're interested.)

There will be some familiar faces (those who've tried out before, and a gal named Syesha who was on the too short-lived "The One") as well as relatives of past Idols, like Fantasia's brother. Supposedly the contestants are allowed to play instruments this year - yay! But rumor also has it that the beloved group numbers are no longer - that was always my very favorite part of Hollywood Week, so I'm majorly bummed there! Who could forget (or top?) last year's Quartet of Awesomeness (Blake, Chris S, Rudy Cardenas [*sniff*], and Tom Lowe doing "How Deep Is Your Love")? It's always fun to see how several of the finalists seem to hook up for these groups.

Also Fox has preview photos up from each audition city. Look closely & see if you can spot a former Idol finalist! ;-)