RockStar Results

There was normal intro stuff, with some video clips from the mansion including song choice (which they pretty much admitted no one was taking terribly seriously yet). At the after-show party Lukas pretty much killed the mood when he asked Dana who she thought would be in the bottom 3; everyone was pretty surprised he asked, and to her credit she refused to answer. As did Matt when Lukas asked him; in fact Matt turned it back around and asked Lukas, who eventually said he thought Dilana "sucked" but didn't answer the question either! So Dave pushed him for an answer and he said Chris, Dana, & Jenny. They showed Chris saying he was "one of the best singers in the world" or he wouldn't be there in the first place.

In the recap clips not everyone was shown, which I thought was interesting. Storm was shown opening; highlights were Toby & Dilana; strugglers were Phil and Chris; and Lukas was said to end "with a bang." Q&A time: Dave asked Chris if he had any regrets about his song choice, and he said no, that he wanted a challenge. Dave then asked Phil if he would think differently about song selection in the future, and he said yes, he would take it more seriously. Throughout the evening several of the band members emphasized how important song choice is.

The first encore performance was given to Dilana.

Brooke then announced the early bottom 3 as Magni, Phil, and Chris. After the break we find out that Zayra, Ryan, and Matt were also in the bottom 3 at one time or another. So now she'll call out the final bottom 3 one at a time and they will perform a song of their choice.

1) Chris
Gilby asked what he planned to do to change people's minds or show he should stay? Chris said he would perform one of his favorite songs, The Doors' "L.A. Woman." I think he looks better w/tonight's curly hair, and his vocals were worlds better. He interacted with the audience a lot (rolled over on stage & sang on his back for a moment, then was face-to-face with some front row ladies). Overall a good performance and I think he deserves to stay.

2) Phil
Tommy asked about his song choice, and Phil said he hadn't done it before but wanted to start with something "heavy-hitting." Tonight he sang Switchfoot's "Stars," and Tommy Lee said he loves them (which surprised me, since they're a Christian band, but yay!). He then asked why Phil chose it and he said whenever he "wants inspiration" he goes to them. The performance was better than last night's but his vocal still wasn't great.

Before announcing the last of the bottom three, Brooke called first Ryan's name and then Zayra's, telling them they were safe. Then it was between Matt and Magni, and the third person is...

3) Matt
Jason said that he personally loved his performance and thought the song (Yellow) was a good fit for him. Mentioned Dave's request to see something 'harder' and Matt said that "this isn't going to sound good, but..." and said he's doing a Duran Duran song!?! He did do a more rock arrangement of it & it was decent (the performance was better than the vocal), but, just, no.

Recapping the three, Chris was told that he made a good song choice tonight and did a great job, but they still question his vocals. Phil was told he had good vocals but they question his performance. Lastly Matt was told they question his song choice (and rightly so, though I love me some Duran Duran).

Tommy Lee called Phil first and said he's safe. Then, after pausing for an "I hate this" (I'm not surprised this part is tough for him), he tells Matt that his song choice - "for this," as he pointed to the band members - wasn't right and he will be the first to leave.

Matt had a great attitude, very respectful and gracious. He told the 3 band members that they were, & still are, his heroes; he had posters of all of them on his walls! Tommy was like, "You're making me feel bad!" ;-) He said that though Tommy gets a bad rap in the press he's "a beautiful person," and that he didn't mind "losing to these guys" (the other contestants) as they're all very talented. I'm sure all bootees won't be this classy but at least we're starting off well!

And *yay,* the performance show is moving to Tuesdays! So my shows-to-recap won't be in conflict any more which makes me happy (but also takes away my excuse not to keep up!). 'Til next week-

RockStar Premiere is below!

Sorry, see this post. (I started both recaps as drafts last night, apparently in the wrong order!)

SYTYCD - Top 14 (7/5/06)

The good thing about having RockStar on the same night as SYTYCD is that it will keep me from obsessively rewatching the dancing all evening. ;-) The bad think is that I have 2 recaps to do! (I thought about not, but really, how can I not? Sigh...)

I got home 30 minutes into the show and they were doing Intro dances! So I'm not sure what the first half hour was, I'll watch it tomorrow or Friday (looked like audition footage & backstage stuff; I glanced back a bit on my tape during the 1st commercial & saw Brian dancing, so yay!).

Tonight's judges are Nigel, Mary, and Dan. A guest krump performance by Li'l C and group started things off & then it's on to our contestants!

1) Ryan and Heidi - Hip-Hop (Shane Sparks)
They joked in practice that they were assuming new identities for the week to feel more in character for the genre, even giving themselves new names (something like Hakeem and Shadan)! Shane loved their attitude, and Heidi, especially, had a blast with it. They both wore white (her outfit was rather skimpy) and did well, especially Ryan. The routine was great, very entertaining and fit the music like a glove. The crowd loved it; Nigel said he loved the "personalities" they showed (no surprise there); Mary loved it also; Dan said it was better than he expected but they were a bit too cheerlead-y (w/snappy movements).

2) Travis and Martha - Salsa (Ron Montez)
Ron said the dance is supposed to be spicy and flirty; they struggled quite a bit in practice as the style was so different & new for them. The performance wasn't perfect but it was very fun! They did several tricks & had some sexy moves; I think the routine was good. The crowd loved it; Nigel said Travis was too sharp in movement & not sultry enough (I agree); he also said Ron did a good job of highlighting each of their strengths (Travis' spinning and Martha's figure!). Mary criticized them quite a bit, including saying Travis did not seem "masculine" enough (- I agree; I don't know if it was the pink sparkly accents to his outfit or the type of dance, and I hate to stereotype, but he appeared very much the gay man he supposedly is and I hadn't seen that in his other dances; it detracted from the supposed sexy moves for me as they weren't believable toward Martha, but I still enjoyed watching him very much). Dan complimented them, saying he was entertained.

3) Dmitri and Ashlee - Contemporary (Brian Friedman) to Fall Out Boy's "Dance Dance"
They joked ahead of time about Dmitri's loss of partners & that he's seeing a counselor. ;-) Brian was, expectedly, very creative and also tough! The 'story' of the dance was that Ashlee is a doll in a toy shop, and Dmitri is a (runaway?) circus ringleader who brings her to life by waving his wand over her. Alrighty then! He said the dancing & routine would be different than we've seen on the show thus far; the costuming was definitely 'out there' (Ashlee wore a tutu and corset and Dmitri really had a wand) but I really enjoyed it (and afterward Ashlee acknowledged Brian in the audience saying he's "a genius!"). It was a very physical dance (Brian compared it to running track), and very new for both of them (neither ever had to point their toes before, for example). Nigel said that they know Dmitri is a magician, since he "made 2 partners disappear"! He also said it was entertaining and that was the point. Mary also complimented them, but Dan said they didn't portray the characters well enough even though the dancing was ok.

4) Musa and Natalie - Disco (Doriana Sanchez) to Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff"
Doriana liked Musa's strength because he could do tricks & lifts; Musa & Doriana both complimented Natalie on her willingness to take risks and try the moves! They both looked very 'hot' (w/some help from her skin-colored costume with appropriately placed fringe); several transitions were rough but it was a good performance overall. Nigel said they had a good partnership as he noticed them helping each other with certain things; Mary gave a "Woo!" and said the difference from last week to this was like going from "crap to caviar"; and Dan said "If sex sells, then you guys just made about a million dollars." He said it came across well because it wasn't forced, it "just is." (Careful Dan, unless you want us to start calling you Paula!)

5) Benji and Donyelle - Viennese Waltz, to Bryan Adams' "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"
I was really annoyed by Donyelle's difficulty with the name of the dance; she initially said "Vietnamese" and never really did get it. (I think if someone had explained it was from Vienna that might've helped, because she kept putting a 't' in it.) Other than that, their practice clip was greatly entertaining (as usual). One choreographer (I didn't catch their names but it wasn't someone familiar) said Benji was being too boyish and not masculine enough, and Donyelle said he was working on "channeling his inner Dmitri;" then he went to practice w/Dmitri for a bit! When they performed he had his hair slicked back, and Donyelle had a gorgeous dress (black & red); he also pulled off the proper posture/attitude for the most part. There were lots of screams from the girls in the audience after certain moves & of course at the end. The judges also loved it; Mary said they had an amazing "flow" & acknowledged the difficulty of this dance for both of them. Dan said the most important thing about dance is to entertain, and said that "whether they're dancing, talking to the camera, or just being stupid," they're the most entertaining couple he's ever seen! Almost in direct response, they hammed it up during Cat's voting number spiel, Benji suggestively raising his eyebrow and pulling his shirt open to show his chest, and Donyelle feeling his arm & pec muscles! So cute. *

6) Ivan and Allison - West Coast Swing (Ron & Carla Montez) to Pat Benatar
Ron described this dance style as classic "American", from the era of WWII, the GI's and the jitterbug, and as something everyone loves to watch. Allison complained a bit that they'd done a lot of ballroom, but also said it seemed a happy-go-lucky dance and they're both young & energetic so it should be a good fit; however, Ron had to correct them several times not to be "too happy"! Her outfit was strange with rows of fringe on the pants, but the performance was good. I've been watching a lot of WCS video clips lately (from Benji & Heidi's past) and it didn't compare to those, so I'm not as objective as I might otherwise be. Nigel said Allison was great, and Ivan showed more confidence (and mentioned the call from his dad *again*! sheesh!); Mary said Allison was "perfection" (?!) and said if she picked the winner right now it would be her (obvious pimping, much?). However, she did say that she wasn't "sexy" at all. Dan complimented Ron's choreography, saying they looked more like they were dancing freestyle than performing a routine.

7) Jaymz and Jessica - Hip-Hop (Shane) Before they chose, Jaymz said he'd like to do hip-hop, and he mentioned he's had a little training in it. They struggled in practice, especially Jessica in learning to pop, and both in timing their 'scarf toss'. The performance was great though! I loved how in character they were, there were a lot of fun moves, & Jaymz especially was very sharp. Nigel said it was tough to critique, that they danced well but didn't have the "feeling" necessary, calling it "hip-hop by numbers" (like paint-by-numbers). Mary loved it and emphasized how different this was from Jess's ballet background. Dan didn't think they pulled it off, saying that it was clean and they were "perfectly together" (I didn't think so) but the technique wasn't there. Jaymz got rather defensive talking about how different the style was for them and how short of a time they had in which to learn it (only 3 hours?); Nigel reminded them that's what the whole competition is about & everyone else has similar situations. I think that may push Jaymz's chances over the edge on which he's been tottering, unfortunately (he brings the pretty and I really like his dancing).

Whew! Overall probably the most entertaining & enjoyable show yet, IMO. Aaaaand I just realized I forgot to vote. Oh well (I would've voted for Jaymz/Jessica and maybe Dmitri/Ashlee; I don't think Benji/Donyelle need votes at this point). Time to sleep!!

* I can't believe I forgot about Donyelle's toe! During the judges' comments Nigel mentioned she "might be" dancing with a broken toe, & Cat asked her about it- she said last week she jammed it into the floor & that it keeps getting worse! I hope she sees the doctor soon (though she probably already has) & that it doesn't get any worse!! She said she couldn't/didn't feel it while dancing, but depending on what type of dance they pull, it could be problematic.

I also forgot my predictions! So, for the 4th edit or so... I'll say Dmitri/Ashlee, Jaymz/Jessica, and the third one's really a toss-up; I'll pick Musa/Natalie. With Jaymz & Jessica both going home.

RockStar: Supernova Premiere!

Whee! First episode. This year we have 15 finalists, and I actually know (or at least recognize) all 15 songs!

Show format, for any who don't know: we're looking for a lead singer for a new band called Supernova, to include instrumentalists Tommy Lee (from Motley Crue and Tommy Lee Goes to College), Gilby Clarke (from Guns 'n Roses), and Jason Newsted (from Metallica). They will record a single to "drop" at the end of September, make an album (produced by Butch Walker, who is also on hand to comment on the singers), and do a big New Year's Eve concert in Vegas. Voting will take place online or by text messaging. House band same as last year (yay!) On to the contestants!

1) Storm Large – Pinball Wizard
Yes, that's her real name! She describes herself (in her intro video clip) as a "performer," after mentioning that some people say she exploits her sexuality. She is very pretty and has a good voice, but her range seems very limited (she changed the melody to eliminate the lowest notes). Tommy asked why she chose the song? "I'm unafraid."

2) Ryan Star – Iris
Ryan points out that he's not your typical "tattoed and pierced" rock star, and even says he has the "rock" part down but isn't a star yet. He played acoustic guitar while singing (the band played too). I like his voice, it's rough but not too screamy. Dave said he could see Ryan's passion; Jason liked his versatility and performance but mentioned he kept looking at his guitar to play the right chords.

3) Toby Rand – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Toby is an Aussie who's a high school dropout and surfer. They did this acoustic and I really love his voice! I don't love his performing expression though, like he thinks way too much of himself. He was seated for part of it & held one note for a really long time, which (to me) shows good 'pipes' & vocal technique. Tommy enjoyed it, saying "I don't know how I'm going but I know where I'm going!" and Toby replied "hopefully I'm comin' with ya'." In general the band loved him, and looking back he's definitely in my top 3.

4) Patrice Pike – Somebody to Love (the Jefferson Airplane version, not the Queen song)
She mentioned in her intro that she has toured Europe. She was the first to interact w/the band while performing, & of course got praise for that. Her voice sounds a lot like the original; she has a good voice and good lung capacity as well. Overall it was very good, and comments were in agreement: Dave said she "killed" it and Gilby loved the tone of her voice & said he could tell she really wants this.

5) Magni – Satisfaction
Magni is from Iceland (!). His voice was just ok for me & too screamy for much of it, but he was good at interacting w/both the audience (encouraging them to sing) and the band and used a lot of the stage. Dave called his stage vibe too "Vegas" (& Magni defensively said he's never been to Vegas!). Tommy said he wished he could say something in "Icelandic" to him! He asked how to say "Hello" and Magni said with a slight accent, "Hello." ;-) Tommy just kind-of shrugged & sat back disappointedly (he cracks me up!). Again referring to his stage presence, Gilby said that they're a "dirty" rock band, so they want him to be himself but also keep that in mind.

6) Zayra Alvarez – Bring Me to Life
She is from a small town in Puerto Rico, and her name is pronounced in 3 syllables (zi-ear'-uh). This is a very ambitious song choice, but as she started out we found she has the perfect tone of voice for it. Unfortunately, she's not a good singer: not enough strength/power, missed notes, and was out of breath before the end. Apparently the band didn't care: Dave bonded w/her over being Puerto Rican, Gilby loved her 'style,' Tommy said "spicy," and Jason got down on one knee and asked her to marry him!

7) Jenny Galt – How You Remind Me
Jenny is 29 (they only mentioned ages for a few) and Canadian, with long blond hair. Apparently she has toured (Canada) and done videos but has yet to hit it big. She has a unique voice, and played electric guitar (very comfortably) while singing. I think she missed some of the high notes though (flat). Dave said she was hot & sexy, and a great example of someone who's comfortable playing an instrument on stage.

8) Josh Logan – She Talks to Angels
Josh is from New Hampshire and is a "soul" singer. He describes himself as multi-dimensional and says the term "rock star" needs to be re-invented. His voice is somewhat nasal and his look is a bit too boyish & pretty, but the performance was good despite over-embellishing. Dave said he's "like Chris (from The Black Crowes) went to finishing school" (hee!). Tommy asked why he picked that song and Josh said because he could "feel it;" T. said it was a good choice for his style. Jason asked why he thinks he can front their band, and he said he will bring his style/funk to them.

9) Matt Hoffer – Yellow
Matt is from Chicago and worked in real estate (aww, just like mmmMarty!). He mentioned how much money he thought he'd be making if he were still doing that, but said "life is about taking risks." Interestingly, his was one of the only clips that showed him singing (& playing acoustic guitar). His voice is different, rather soft, and his falsetto was not good. Dave mentioned the pitch problems but waved them off (nobody cares because "it's rock & roll"), saying he still "delivered." He wants to see something "uglier, heavier" next time.

10) Dilana – Lithium
Dilana grew up in a poor family in Africa and now lives in Texas. She has a very 'interesting' look, very extreme (mostly in makeup). For most of the song she stood very still at the mic, just singing intensely in her very growly, even somewhat snarly, voice. Then she ran around the stage frantically. Tommy loved watching her & was shown giving her a standing ovation; Dave said she was "awesome" and found her intensity "riveting."

11) Dana Andrews – I’m the Only One
Dana is the 'baby' of the group at 22; she's from Georgia and it's mentioned that she sang at weddings. She says she grew up very sheltered & took her first plane ride for the show. She has a low voice with a nice tone and surprising power! She started softly but really wowed a lot of us at the chorus (Jason was shown mouthing "wow"). From what we can tell I think she has the best voice of anyone. The crowd like it; Gilby said her voice was "awesome" and she had great pitch (and compared her to Bjork & someone else I didn't catch). Jason agreed and said she has a "gift."

12) Phil Ritchie – Cult of Personality
Phil is a former marching band member (yay) and college chemistry major from Maryland, but says he's passionate about music. His vocals weren't great nor did I enjoy his 'antics' on stage, though he was animated and used a lot of the stage. Dave said his stage presence lacked strength & confidence and implied the vocal was good, but Gilby called him "pitchy." Tommy said it was a "crazy" song choice for him, but he liked his style and said it was "well done."

13) Jill Giola – Piece of My Heart
Jill is a 4-11" well-endowed blonde from Long Island who's wanted to sing on stage since she was 3. (I think they pronounced her last name "Joy-a") I'm not exactly sure why but she really annoyed me with this performance (and I normally love the song), but then I didn't like last season's well-endowed bouncy blonde female's version either. ;-) I tried to stay objective though and am interested in seeing her do something else. Dave loved her and Jason said she's like a stick of dynamite - "a small package with lots of power." Oh and I laughed at Tommy Lee leaning backwards out of his chair to sing along into the camera!

14) Chris Pierson – Roxanne
Huh? That really says it all, but here's the rest... Chris is from Atlanta & was a baseball player until he injured his arm, and then music was his "outlet." This was a weird song choice and he rearranged it to be more rock, but it didn't come across well; they kept showing the band members who looked... somewhat bewildered! He had a good stage presence but *not* a good voice. Dave didn't like it and said the song showed what a limited range he has; Gilby & Butch both criticized the arrangement, acknowledging the intent but that sometimes you can't mess with classic songs and they didn't like it.

15) Lukas Rossi – Rebel Yell
Lukas is another Canadian (from Toronto) who says he lived on the street since (or at, at least) age 15. He said he's not here for the tv exposure or "to be a pop star," but to be in "a serious band." He has a very 'interesting' look and style, somewhat punk (which caused Mr. Pezkat not to like him). I thought he was very good, as did the crowd & Dave. Gilby channeled Randy and said he "made it [his] own," and Tommy just said, "Can you say 'Rock star'?!"

~ It's hard to tell just from one performance, but my early favorites are Dana (11) and Toby (3), though Josh (8), Patrice (4) and Lukas (15) have potential. Easily the weakest are Zayra (6) and Chris (14). Whew!

An-ti-ci-paaaaaaa-tion

That word always reminds me of that ketchup commercial from (yipes) many, many years ago! I hope everyone had a great 4th, ours was nice & relaxing. Today I'm filled with anticipation for both SYTYCD and the RockStar: Supernova premiere! It's bad enough that they're on opposite each other, but I won't even be home for the first hour. Thank goodness we have 2 VCR's! ;-)

There are spoilers for tonight's SYTYCD at vixen's blog. They're from someone who attended the taping on Monday so it's the full list of what everyone's dancing, if you like to know such things ahead of time. A couple of them sound *really* fun!!

As for RockStar, there are photos & bios of the finalists here and here. I'm not as excited about the end product this year but will certainly enjoy the performances each week, not to mention watching Dave Navarro & Tommy Lee spar for camera time. And if anyone (else) enjoys guess-who's-going-home-next contests, RockStar Go Home is all set up for the new season.

Randomness (cats and tennis)

Ok, firstly I must share this photo of my friend Kim's cat, because it's priceless. That's just such a cat thing to do. Plus his name is Oliver, just like one of my cats! Of whom I should definitely post photos, but not today.

Secondly, I got to see Andre Agassi's last Wimbledon match today. I am close to his age and have been a fan since he came on the pro scene, so I definitely partook in the emotions of the crowd, who gave him a long standing ovation and didn't want to let him go. I just thought it was very nice for them to honor him so; even Nadal was very gracious and stood clapping for Andre though he'd just beaten him. But I'm sure Nadal literally grew up watching Andre and knows his history there.

Sigh.

So long Andre, and thanks for all the fish.

Top 16 - Results

Whew! I'm finally caught up at TWoP,thanks to having the day off work and being a bum. So having read a lot of other people's opinions, I shall combine them with my recap to hopefully make it a bit more well-rounded.

Shane choreographed this week's group number, and besides the black & red sweatsuits, it was really good (to "Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe). Ivan got the first solo and Travis got the last (though it was just acting, not dancing), but a highlight was the Benji/Travis flip.

Cat has a flattering dress (for once) and hairdo tonight. In the recap one comment toward the end was "Ivan and Allison stole the show" (they did?! which show?). Then there was even more Ivan pimping when he was mentioned as Mary's "standout" performance (when Cat asked judges for different things), and then Nigel brought up a supportive phone call Ivan received from his (formerly not-so-supportive?) father! Enough, already! It'd be one thing if he were an awesome dancer, but he's not....

Results in pairs, by choreographer:

Ivan/Allison - safe
Ryan/Heidi - safe

Ben/Ashlee - in bottom 3
Travis/Martha - safe (they were very relieved!)

Jaymz/Jessica - in bottom 3 (when asked later, Mary said she was surprised & would've chosen Musa instead)
Benji/Donyelle - safe

Musa/Natalie - safe
Dmitri/Aleskandra - in bottom 3

Solos:

Ashlee - good, but not fabulous. She said she was glad America finally got to see how "real popping" is done. (According to rumor, she was not impressed w/Todd as their choreographer and even 'corrected' him on something in their rehearsal.)

Ben (Lifehouse's "Everything") - very good, energetic or frenzied depending on how you look at it. The music was really loud and he didn't have a set ending which looked messy to me, but otherwise it was good.

Jessica ("Fever" by Michael Buble) - just ok for me. She talked about how she thinks people haven't seen her real personality yet, but that she's from Miami, Cuban/Italian, loud, fun, outgoing, etc.

Jaymz - it was good, but mostly just spinning. He ended off the stage; most are saying he fell and I actually haven't rewatched it yet but I wouldn't be surprised. He was very emotional afterward & Cat asked him if he wanted to say anything, and he thanked the judges for the experience, etc. - probably assuming he'd be going home after that mistake.

Aleks - good, and she was smiling this time. Cat asked her why the judges should keep her, and she rambled a bit about how she's trying to "be honest" in every performance & apologized it wasn't coming across that way... sigh. I *really* don't like when contestants apologize for their performance.

Dmitri - um, that was very good, and very reminiscent of Artem (a contestant last year). And very almost-shirtless. And very almost-Chippendales.

The guest singers' performances have less and less dance as the weeks go by. Natasha Bedingfield (a chum of Cat, apparently) sang her new single, called "Single." She had 2 back-ground vocalists who stood at mics, and there was basically no dancing whatsoever. Sigh.

Time for the results; girls up first. Nigel says the judges were in unanimous agreement about them.

Ashlee is called forward and told she seems a "different person" with her bowler hat on (which, in fact, she is, as she goes by the stage name "Lady Shiva" off the show!). They see her improving in her journey on the show and she is safe.

Jessica is labeled as being in a "middle area" and that she doesn't need to talk about her personality, just show it.

Aleks got a Mandisa-Simon moment out of Nigel without even asking: he actually apologized to her for the "Corpse Bride" comment and admitted it was rude of him! He said they were all "delighted" to see that she had a good solo this week and wanted her to know that she wasn't being cut for not having a good solo (though he implied someone else would be later). But, she's still being cut, for her overall performance. So Jessica is safe.

Of the guys, unsurprisingly, Dmitri is brought forward first, given sympathy for repeatedly "losing" partners, told unnecessarily that, as all could tell by the screams, "girls adore you," and complimented as being a "great performer." He is safe.

Ashlee was then brought forward again and asked a question about Ben! Nigel asked her something on the order of was she disappointed w/him as a partner, and she answered very well & said that she thought he did a great job. Next, Ben was asked how much work he put into his solo, to which he answered, "Zero...." Nigel cut him off before he could say more and asked Jaymz the same question. Jaymz said he prepared a little but thought he did a horrible job. Nigel then went on a rampage and gave a lecture to them both, the rest of the dancers, and the audience (who gave a short "aww" in sympathy to Jaymz), about how little respect it showed on their part by not putting any "effort"/preparation into the "dancing for your life" solo. It was a little much, especially given how absolutely nothing negative was said to Allison 2 weeks ago when she admitted to doing exactly the same thing!

So, finally, Nigel calls Ben a "wonderful" dancer and implies that he voted to keep him, but that the other judges felt Jaymz had shown more growth, so Ben was being eliminated. I think he expected it (as did Aleks) but was still obviously disappointed. As was Ashlee, who started to cry! Unfortunately she didn't get to go over to Ben right away & had to stand on the other side of the stage with new partner Dmitri, who gave her a sympathetic hug. They should prove an interesting couple, depending on what style they pull.

I will miss Ben, but he had a bad week and isn't incredibly versatile (or mature). I thought Jaymz was one of the top performers last night but obviously many viewers don't find him very interesting. If he lands in the bottom 6 again I'm afraid it'll be his turn to go.

SYTYCD- Top 16 (6/28/06)

The intros are fun tonight, several 80's style outfits and most of the girls have their hair up. Looks like it's going to be an interesting night!

Judges are Nigel, Mary, and Cicely & Olisa (ok as choreographers last week; somewhat annoying as judges this week). We get a few bad audition clips and some behind-the-scenes footage from this past week; nothing too interesting. Then a guest performance by 6 people called "Hip, Swing, and a Jump" who had a couple of neat tricks but really don't do anything our contestants haven't already shown us, & then some. So on to them!

Ben/Ashlee - Hip-Hop (she's thrilled, though has a cold & no voice), choreographed by Todd Sams to Usher's "Caught Up." Ashlee was great, but Ben wasn't snappy enough. The choreography seemed slow to me too and their routine just looked like obvious choreography, not 2 people (just) dancing. Nigel reamed Ben, saying it was "not so much street as Rodeo Drive", though Mary called his effort "respectable."

Ryan/Heidi - Cuban Rumba (Alex DiSilva). Heidi thought this would be the same as American Rumba, but it's very different: a mix of African & Latin dance. This routine has a story of flirtation & resistance. Ryan said he's having to learn a lot of acrobatics and also mentions that their connection/chemistry will be very important. The dance is very entertaining, very African percussion-filled. I thought Ryan was better with the movements and expression than Heidi (she was too smiley), and they weren't together at times, but overall it was good. The crowd & judges loved it.

Dmitri/Aleksandra - Waltz (choreographer Heather Smith) to a Kenny Rogers song. The dance is explained as being about the connection between the two dancers, even when they're not touching, but even as a new team they seem to develop this fairly well (and seem to enjoy working together). However, she doesn't get the technique and I think her arms are too straight; Mary mentions this as well. Nigel calls Dmitri "special" and "passionate," while he asks Aleks if she's seen "A Corpse Bride" and likens her to the title character (ouch!). Cicely & Olisa compliment her though, saying she "stepped up" (from last week) & was good.

Ivan/Allison - Argentine Tango (Alex), described as passionate and nicknamed "the war of the feet." Allison was great, doing most of the work, but making the couple look good as well, as did their smokin' costumes (hers was red, sultry & skimpy; he was in a suave suit & hat). Nigel called the choreography "incredible" and said Ivan was showing much improvement; Mary was very impressed and Ivan was ecstatic to receive a "Mary scream" (jumping around showing his age & immaturity, in contrast to his performance).

Benji/Donyelle - Pop/Jazz by B-Free! (finally!) Brian apparently always choreographs to a story, or at least he does tonight. This number is about a diva supermodel "taking control" of a cool, suave DJ. Benji annoyed Brian a bit w/his goofiness, but also admitted he needed to "tone down the geek & bring out the sheik" (hee). He was also talking about his background in fun, happy dance styles and said that portraying sexual attraction is out of his comfort zone, but said that Donyelle makes it easy for him... and, blushing a bit, was for once speechless! The routine was a lot of fun. The crowd of course loved it (they screamed at the introduction!), and Cat "dared" Nigel to say somthing bad... which he did, kind-of. He mentioned how Brian had encouraged Benji to portray a "strong masculine" character & then puts him in eye make-up! (He had eyeliner & a mohawk.)

Musa/Natalie - Quickstep. Musa of course struggled; choreographer Heather had him wear a "ballroom training bar" for a while to keep his arms up so he could learn the posture but concentrate on footwork. It was an entertaining routine - they were together & decent, but obviously new to the style. Nigel called them "great performers" and mentioned the hard work (& time) Musa put into practicing. Mary agreed though said they couldn't see Natalie's full potential because of Musa's limitations.

Jaymz/Jessie - Contemporary, again by Brian. This one's a love story, with the woman trying to break down the man's walls, and the focus on the repeated lyric mentioning joy in the breakdown. Brian was very tough, said he was disappointed to have this couple & criticized them both (Jaymz for having a lot of "competition kid" bad habits), but said he wanted them to perform well enough to show everyone they're in contention! He said he thought they could but would have to work for it. J&J admitted it was a lot harder than they'd expected. The routine was awesome, and Jaymz was fantastic! They started up on the platform and used the stairs, then the whole lower stage... (Nigel complimented Brian on that part of the choreography). Cicely & Olisa also complimented B, for both numbers, and he was shown (yay!) smiling contentedly in the audience.

Travis/Martha closed the night with Hip-Hop from Todd Sams to a Chris Brown song. Travis told Todd they'd been "kicking each other" away in previous weeks & asked if they could have a romantic relationship this time! Which they did. I thought the routine was great, and while Travis was much snappier than Martha, their close moves were very nice and convincing (i.e. hot!). Nigel and others criticized Travis for not being as smooth as Martha, and Nigel said they really need to work next week as several other couples have "passed them up." Travis humbly agreed that the competition had heated up and they/he needed to improve, but he was also defensive (after the 2nd negative comment) and said he thought "America" was "forgetting" that he's a contemporary dancer & hip-hop is new for him. I do think the krumping may have hurt him because he concentrated so hard on that sharpness, and this week's choreographer may not have emphasized the difference & smoothness of what they were supposed to do this week (whereas Martha knew because it's her specialty; perhaps she should've helped him more, but on the other hand maybe she saw a chance to finally outshine him & took it!).

I agree with Nigel that "America" has a tough choice tonight. I threw in 5 votes each for Benji/Donyelle, Jaymz/Jessica, and Travis/Martha.

I predict the bottom 3 will be Dmitri/Aleks, Ben/Ashlee, and Travis/Martha, with Ben (unfortunately) and Aleks leaving. Musa/Natalie could replace Travis/Martha (or Ben/Ashlee, as they seem to have a strong voting fanbase) though; I think it'll be close between those three.

Top 18 - Results (6/22)

This week's opening group number was choreographed by Dan and seems shorter and not quite as interesting as last week's. But still fun. Then we get the normal recap of last night's performances, plus a little behind-the-scenes footage: one scene of everyone complaining about having to be up so early, & one of Dmitri & Joy in a practice room right before performing. There has been much discussion of this online, and I'll recap what I saw...

They were practicing, she was messing up, he was frustrated with her and snapped at her. He made some comment about "someone" not wanting to practice more earlier. Then they noticed the camera in the room and he gruffly asked them not to film them right then. Now, several people thought he was being all mean & unsupportive of his partner. But if it's true he wanted to practice more & she didn't, then he certainly had a right to be frustrated w/her for not knowing the routine. As he was after the performance (I believe he said something like they had some problems with practicing, but worked it out? I may go rewatch to be sure... but Nigel said it was a smart, politically correct way to answer) I think he was being tactful and protective, not wanting to publicly criticize or blame his partner.

Then the results - with something I hadn't noticed before, short performance clips on the big overhead screen while each couple's judges' comments are reviewed. Anyway they're brought up 3 at a time this week:

Jaymz/Jessica - safe
Ben/Ashley - safe
Dmitri/Joy - bottom 3

Travis/Martha
Benji/Donyelle
Musa/Natalie - all 3 safe!

Jason/Aleks - bottom 3
Ryan/Heidi - bottom 3
Ivan/Allison - safe

So, now we get solos. Oh, couple quick comments on people who aren't doing solos. Or at least on their hair. I despise Natalie's 'do tonight. And is it just me, or is Benji's hair darker??

Well, all the solos are fairly good. I'd label them but I don't know dance styles well enough to distinguish correctly, so I'd better not. Dmitri wore a cape over his regular pants that made him looked like he was wearing gauchos. And Aleks wore a long-sleeved dark shirt w/very short shorts you couldn't really see... you know, like she was walking around in her boyfriend's shirt. Different. She was incredibly nervous and almost looked like she gave up part-way through. Heidi's was pretty good for someone who's a pairs dancer. Ryan (who is surprisingly short!) was very creative in his, and Jason had some impressively fast hip-hop moves and a great routine. Also a fun attitude that spawned some goofy comments when Cat talked to him afterward.

This week's guest artist Rihanna performed "S.O.S." and her dancers were decent, but really not shown that much. What's the point of the show again?

The girls get their results first. Heidi is brought forward first, complimented, and told that she's safe. Joy is told that she is a "jack of all trades, and master of none." Aleks is told her solo was "pitiful" but she has time to work on it as she's safe... so Joy is sent home. She's not surprised.

Of the guys, Dmitri is brought forward, told his dancing was "superb" both nights and that he answered well regarding his partner's weakness last night - and he is safe! Nigel tells Ryan that while the judges wouldn't have put him in the bottom 3, the audience did, and he thinks it's because there's a 'wall' of sorts between Ryan and the audience. But he'll get time to work on that, as Jason is told that he didn't show "personality" tonight (sigh, the same thing Stas got, and I think they both have great personalities and did show them!!) and is going home.

So, wow, all my predictions were correct! I would've changed them after the solos as I loved Jason's & Dmitri's wasn't that interesting, but they're really emphasizing the "personalities" this year so the more charismatic people get the advantage. Which I'd already been considering regarding Travis & Benji, but hadn't really applied to anyone else yet. Oh and Dmitri and Aleksandra are now paired together since their partners have been eliminated. Until next week....

SYTYCD - Top 18 (6/21/06)

Everyone gets short little intro dances again; Travis spins again (beautifully, but I hope he doesn't get in a rut), and Jessica & Joy are here again, why? They just both seemed to do simple, boring stuff. They & Ivan are definitely my least favorite at this point, but we'll see....

For tonight's fluff, the judges (Shane, Mia, & Nigel - no Brian, again! boo!) are asked about standout auditioners from certain cities. But then Cat has a short interview w/Hawk & we see a video montage (um, some of those clips weren't him!). Then we get a performance by the other 4 Sickstep Crew members!! That was quite fun. All 3 judges loved them, not that they're being judged. On to the competition!

Couple #1: Travis & Martha doing Krump! Oh my. Travis was *very* excited to hear their assignment. The choreographer is one of the "co-creators" of the style and describes it as very energetic & aggressive. Travis mentions the high expectations they have after last week's ("too many") nice comments. However, he lived up to it: he was just awesome at the beginning! Lost a bit of energy & sharpness toward the end but was still good, & Martha did well. Shane was amazed at Travis, asked the audience to give him another round of applause & said he could be a krunk dancer today if he wanted! Mia, who prefaced her comments with "I really feel dorky critiquing this in flowers" (referring to her flouncy shirt), loved them, and Nigel mostly agreed (though he noted they didn't come close to approaching the speed of Lil C's routine, and, he, um, "demonstrated" a bit!).

#2: Jaymz (were they showing it as "Jamyz" tonight?) & Jessica - Foxtrot. With Mary and Artem, and speaking of Mary and Artem, WHA?!??!! Are they a couple??!?! Maybe she's not as old as she acts & he's older than he looks, but wow, I did *not* see that coming! Um, ok, back to the dancing... they were good, smooth. Shane said "perfect"; Mia said "mature," "slick," and in honor of Nigel, "bloody beautiful;" Nigel said it was good but wasn't sure it was good enough to prevent a repeat showing in the bottom 3.

#3: Ivan & Allison - Hip-Hop. They built Allison up a lot from the practice & said we'd be surprised at how good she was, but she really wasn't. The crowd seemed to like it, as did Shane & Nigel, but Mia didn't; she said yes, they "did the steps," but that it was still lacking, and I agree.

#4: Dmitry & Joy - Samba (with Mark Weiss; I don't remember seeing him before, but I like him), which was described as a dance that "travels a lot" and requires "heavy" but "quick" footwork. Dmitry was great and Joy struggled, both as expected. The judges pretty much agreed (Mia called Joy "dreadful").

#5: Musa & Natalie - Contemporary. It was very good, though I didn't personally care for the routine very much; it didn't 'do' anything for me. The judges liked them. And said that the chemistry and balance they showed (of skill & style) is exactly what they were going for as they paired up contestants.

#6: Ryan & Heidi - Pop. They danced to Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away," which I really like, and to me the 80's outfits and somewhat simple choreography were disappointing. They did do a good job though. Shane absolutely loved it and said for him they'd just become "the group to beat." (To which Mia replied, "really?!" hee!) Mia & Nigel thought they were just ok.

#7: Ben & Ashley - American Jive, a very fast, high-energy dance. In practice they showed a slight collision as Ben attempted the leapfrog-style jump over Ashley's head (while she was standing straight up), and he said "I now know why we're dancing to 'Great Balls of Fire'; that hurt!" - bwah!). I loved their performance! No, it wasn't perfect, but it was very entertaining and I still think he's a very good dancer (had great footwork on the fast kicks). Shane didn't like it; Mia enjoyed & was especially impressed w/Ashley, given her background (popper w/very little formal training); Nigel enjoyed their energy & said they improved "beyond belief" since last week. I tossed them a few votes just in case.

#8: Jason & Aleksandra - Hip-hop ("old school"). He was awesome; she was good. Shane & Nigel both loved him, but didn't like her; Mia liked both. Nigel said if that was supposed to be about "flavor," she was tofu.

Once again they saved the best for last! #9: Benji & Donyelle - Cha Cha. Of course something Benji should be great at, and he certainly was, but so was Donyelle. The crowd loved them & just went nuts, and Shane gave them an S.O.! He said they were definitely the best of the night. Mia said they'd be in the yearbook as "most unlikely couple," but they were fabulous; Nigel referred to last week when he declared Travis & Martha the "couple to beat" and said to Benji & Donyelle, "You've just beaten them." He also addressed Donyelle's weight issue, saying that he knows she's struggled with it (and been rejected because of it) but that she looks "comfortable" with it and is one of the sexiest gals on the stage, and that because of that she is an inspiration to many girls (who aren't comfortable w/their weight). Well put.

IMO the race is definitely on between Travis (the best dancer) and Benji (the best entertainer) for the title. Overall I'm very impressed with the skill level and am enjoying the season very much.

My predictions for bottom 3: Dmitry & Joy, Jason & Alex, and Ryan & Heidi, with Joy and Jason leaving. But I think it's a hard call.

For anyone interested, I ran across a nice interview with Benji about his mission trip. It also mentions/explains the "donut drop" move that he & Heidi did during the group dance-out at the end of tonight's show (very cool!).

Top 20 Results (6/15)

I have 3 wishes after watching this episode:

#1. I wish I had taped the group number that opened the show! That rocked. Except that Ivan was featured a lot and Benji was hardly visible, and they didn't even show Brian's face after Cat complimented his choreography. Which rocked, I say!!

#2. I wish Ivan were eliminated instead of Stanislav. Self-explanatory.

#3. I wish they'd shown Mary's reaction when Stas was eliminated instead of Ivan.

On to the quasi-recap! As I said, opening number was really, really good, and longer than I was expecting (which was a good thing).

After a short review of last night's performances we have the couples take center stage two at a time (by genre of performance, interestingly), and we're looking for the 3 with the lowest votes.

Hip-hop pairs Benji/Donyelle and Dmitry/Joy are both safe.

Ballroom pair Ryan/Heidi is safe, but Stanislav/Erin are in the bottom 3. Really? She wasn't anything to write home about but he was fantastic, and last year Artem was incredibly popular, and isn't Stas the Artem of this year? Mary is confused too, she says they were in her top 3!

Contemporary couples Travis/Martha and Jason/Aleksandra are both safe. Travis was sooo worried & then sooo relieved! Not that he should be worried, but I guess it's nice he's not taking anything for granted.

Mamba/salsa pair Musa/Natalie is safe, but Ivan/Allison are in the bottom, as I predicted.

Lastly the disco pairs: Ben/Ashley are, surprisingly (to them too), safe! I was looking forward to seeing Ben's solo but glad he has no chance of being eliminated tonight. Which leaves Jaymz/Jessica as the last of the bottom 3.

Solos: Erin is ok; Stanislav is amazing (the crowd agrees, they love him!); Allison is pretty good, does some creative stuff (and later says it was all improv.); Ivan is really good at hip-hop, I'll admit, though he was a little flippant at the end for someone who's 'dancing for his life'; Jessica was pretty good, very powerful; Jaymz was good but he has yet to wow me, and for some reason I keep expecting him to. Maybe next week.

Nelly Furtado and Timberland (?) perform a song called "Promiscuous." I flip around to see what's on the other stations.

And it's time for eliminations. Girls are up first - Allison is asked to step forward, complimented, and told she's safe. Of the two left I think Erin should go... and she does. She gets a little goodbye montage.

Now the guys - I expect Stas to be called forward and sent to safety, but instead it is Jaymz. Nigel says they think he's one of the "most versatile" dancers they have (-which is a good thing *if* he's good at everything & not just passable, which I've yet to see). He's safe. So, ok, no-brainer & Ivan is gone, right? Not quite... each of them are called forward for a moment and pretty much reamed by Nigel - both are too one-dimensional and *if* they remain must work really hard to improve (in Ivan's case, so that he doesn't bring his partner down, again). Unfortunately, though it was fabulous, Stanislav's all-ballroom solo combined with yesterday's Paso Doble comfort-zone performance work to his disadvantage and because of his lack of versatility Stas is sent packing, while Ivan is safe. I just have to wonder what Nigel was thinking here?! I mean, Ivan is cute & all, but do we really need another Kevin Covais? I don't know, maybe he thought there's an overload of ballroom guys and Stas was the least versatile of the 3. I'm surprised, Stas is surprised, and I'll bet Mary was very disappointed (and outvoted). Ah, well, this is a Fox "reality" show after all, and disappointing surprises make for good ratings.

Ok, fine, I still have my favorites. :-) But I'm sad, and feel bad for Stas. And Ivan better kick some booty next week to show he deserves another chance.

SYTYCD - Top 20

It's the first week of the Finals, the first time viewers can vote and the first *real* look we have at our finalists! So after the mini-intro solos, some looks back at high/low-lights from auditions (thankfully they only did 3 and 2 were good) and a guest performance by last year's winner Nick, game is on!

This year they haven't left the partner pairings up to chance; everyone is assigned a partner with whom you'll stay until one gets voted off! I can see the value of this, because they can pair people they think have similar talents levels (see, first and next-to-last couples, definitely the two to beat!), and for the most part avoid pairings where both dancers have the same specialty.

First up are Benji & Donyelle, doing hip-hop (her specialty). Benji is sooo charismatic and always fun to watch, on stage or off; and he was much better at hip-hop than I'd expected!! Especially with the fast footwork; wow! (Hope he gets to do the quickstep!) Donyelle made it look easy. Judges loved it.

Ivan & Allison did a "Club Salsa", with which hip-hop specialist Ivan struggled. Allison was good; girl can move!! All the judges reamed him but complimented her; I predict they'll be in the bottom 3.

Jason & Aleksandra did a "Contemporary" (I don't remember that as a style from last year?) to "Unwritten" (yay!). She struggled in practice and, I thought, also in the performance. This routine needed 'oomph' (power & emotion) at which Jason excelled, but she was quite lacking. The judges liked them both though.

Jaymz (contemporary specialist) & Jessica (ballet) get "70's Disco," which makes me wonder, 'Is there any other kind?' To which the answer apparently is yes, as we'll find out later! Anyway, she struggled a bit in practice but the routine was good. Nothing wow; I'm anxious to see him do a different style, as I think he has potential. The judges liked it overall.

Stanislav is paired with Erin (jazz specialist) and they do a Paso Doble! Wow, so *that's* how the guy's part is supposed to look!! ;-) (Aww, I miss Drew!) So, yeah, Stanislav was awesome as expected, and Erin was ok.

Dmitry & Joy did Hip-Hop. As a ballroom dancer, Dmitry struggles because all the moves are new, but he works hard and it pays off. I thought he did really, really well! Unfortunately I missed the judges' comments (looked like there were several, with laughter & replies from him) because of an Amber Alert. (I understand the importance, but couldn't it have waited until commercial? I mean, we're sitting at home watching tv; I doubt the kidnapper is going to parade through our living room!)

Ryan was the first (and only) guy to be disappointed w/his partner when he saw it was Heidi and not Natalie. But he got over it eventually. ;-) His specialty is ballet and hers Latin & swing, so they did well with their Viennese Waltz, especially w/the posture and spins. The judges weren't overly impressed but were content.

Ben (contemporary) and Ashley (a girl popper!) get... "80's Disco"! Which is apparently "freer" and "more jazzy" than 70's Disco. Alrighty then. Ben hasn't the best build for lifts and there are quite a few in this "Flashdance" routine, but he does alright. Other than that I thought he was awesome; much better than in the only other clip I've seen of him. I was really impressed, so I hope Nigel was wrong in predicting they'll be doing solos tomorrow (to which Ben quickly replied, "I like my solo!" Hee.) Mary really panned the lifts and Dan said the routine was "flat-out bad," though at least he blamed Ashley and not Ben.

Finally we see Travis (a favorite who wasn't shown much at all last week) with Martha, both contemporary specialists. They get to do Broadway, and Travis comments that he worked on Broadway for 2 years so this is kind-of his "thing"! Both express a *lot* of confidence in themselves and their pairing as a team, Travis a bit too much. The choreography actually advises him to "hold back" with his performance & not overly try to impress! (I've heard this guy has a lot of experience & talent & is well-known in the industry... and if he's already done Broadway I'm not sure why he'd want to do Celine in Vegas, but whatever... I'll certainly watch!) They get classic/vaudeville-style choreography to "Steam Heat" and are predictably fantastic, or at least Travis was, I had to keep reminding myself to pay some attention to Martha too but it didn't work very well! She's got a great body and danced well but Travis is just riveting, in his dancing skill and he was very much "in character." The judges outright said they're the couple to beat! I see why they were one of the last to perform; that'll be a hard act to follow.

The ones to follow are Musa and jazz specialist Natalie, doing a Mambo. Of course Musa has had no real training (which really made the choreographer nervous), and Natalie has a tendency to just go without waiting for a partner's lead. However, they were great! Granted Musa largely stood still and let Natalie twirl around him, but when they moved apart he was fantastic. Nigel said that "if you operate on teh premise that all the guys are watching Natalie's hips and not Musa's feet," it was great! The other judges agreed his technique was lacking but that they had great chemistry and were very entertaining & enjoyable to watch.

So... my favorites of the night were Benji, Jason, Travis, and Musa, and if I must pick some girls :-), Joy and Donyelle (nothing wowed me but it was a solid performance & I appreciate that she's there on talent, not looks).

I predict the bottom 3 couples will be Ivan & Allison, Jaymz & Jessica, and Ben & Ashley, with Ivan and Jessica leaving.

Overall great show, I'm excited about the season! I didn't hate anyone and really enjoyed all of the guys except Ivan. Yay!!

SYTYCD Semifinals

Tonight the remaining 42 dancers will face the judges one at a time on stage to find out whether they are eliminated or in the Top 20. They've each done 1-minute solos, though we only see a few short clips throughout the episode.

The first 5 to go are eliminated; they were all contestants who haven't been shown much. Next up is Dejanee Riley (18, auditioned in NYC): Nigel loves her & championed her, but she's out. Then Allison Holker (18, Vegas) is the first to make it through.

Next is Henry Graham, the versatile dancer with a nice adoption story from LA; alas, he is cut. He has an upbeat, appreciative attitude as he leaves.

Then we have best friends Joy and Heather who auditioned in Chicago, and they're both through. We have several 'couples' this year, and since last year 2 friends & roommates finished 1 & 2, that could be a good sign. So will Ben and Heather both make it? No, just Ben (though Heather's was a very close 3-2 vote). What about Julia and Stanislav? First we finally found out what happened to Julia yesterday - she started having vision problems, apparently caused by stress & dehydration. She's back & they let her perform, but she doesn't advance. Stanislav does, however; will he be this year's Artem?

Last couple is swing cousins Heidi & Benji... Heidi is up first and advances. Then Benji, whom the judges talk to rather emotionally and string along before finally telling him that he's through!! Whereupon he collapses in tears, then explains a moment later: A few years ago he went on a 2-year mission for his church and didn't dance during that time. A girl was supposed to be "waiting for him," but instead he received a wedding invitation a few weeks before his return... from her! Ouch. After that he became depressed & hadn't found anything to motivate him out of it until a friend showed him a tape of the show with Nick, last year's winner. Since then his goal was to be on the show. He was very grateful to the judges and everyone for putting on the show, he said even if he'd left then it had just been a huge factor in his life. Given the glimpses of attitude I'd seen from him before, it was nice to see this side of him. (And nice that the producers didn't make a big deal of his story earlier, though bringing it out right before the voting starts could also be strategic!).

7 dancers are shown *very* briefly advancing - amongst them Travis, yay! I just wish we'd gotten to see him dance more.

Musa is next and also advances. Apparently he (and Hawk, who's up next & is the only other 'street dancer' left, which they keep emphasizing) auditioned last year too. Nigel loves him but warned him that he's really got to improve in partner dancing so that he doesn't hinder anyone else. Hawk gets a short clip of doing ballroom and is much better than I'd expect - which is basically what all the judges keep telling him. Then we find out that unfortunately he is not an American citizen and only has a student Visa, thus is disqualified from the competition. Bet that's part of the "I shouldn't be here" emotional saga from yesterday then!! That he didn't expect to get far enough for it to matter. (Oh, and to correct my last post's spelling, their dance group is "Sicksteppers"!)

8 more cuts, no one I can name, but they're all really supportive of each other.

Next is Donyelle James, who advances - yay!

The last 2 women are Aleksandra and Mallory, neither of whom I remember much. Aleksandra makes it. And the last 2 guys are Mike and Ryan. They each get clips, and they both look good, Mike surprisingly well (as Shane emphasizes the "surprising" part), and Ryan looks great! Ryan advances and Mike is encouraged to try again next year (he's just 19). He has a good attitude about it and agrees that Ryan deserves the spot. Gee do you think they mirrored Idol on that one, having the last 2 guys be a black guy and a young white kid w/dark curly hair?! ;-)

So here's the lineup (I don't know much about the last 4 in each category):

Top 10 Women: Allison, Erin, Joy, Heidi, Donyelle, Aleksandra, Ashlee, Jessica, Natalie, and Martha.

Top 10 Men: Ben, Stanislav, Benji, Travis, Musa, Ryan, Dmitry, Ivan, Jaymz, and Jason.

Hopefully they'll update the website soon with bios!!

So I Think A Few of Them Can Dance

Ok, I'm officially hooked on Season 2 of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" Tonight's episode was the Vegas semifinals - 116 contestants from the 4 audition cities (NYC, Charleston, Chicago, & LA) were narrowed down to 42. Last week they said 121 made it through; I wonder what happened to the other 5??

For each of the 1st two days, the contestants were taught a routine by one of the choreographers, then after an hour of group practice took the stage in small groups to perform. Some would advance, some would be cut, & borderline dancers would come back to do a solo later. For each round, each of the 5 judges would each score the contestants on a scale from 0 (horrible) to 3 (awesome), IIRC - the total possible score then was 15.

First up was Shane. They brought 34 people up on stage who'd scored between 1 and 6. But let them all continue since it was only the 1st round.

Second (the afternoon of the 1st day) was Mary with a Ballroom class - and Season 1's Artem was there as her partner!! Loved him, glad she's "working" with him!! Ok, after the samba 35 were cut. Some they listed as being through: Allison, Stanislav, Donyelle, Claire (whose ankle is injured), Crystal, and Travis (my favorite so far, a spiky-haired guy from Week 1, and I think they said he got a perfect score!!). Lynn Rae and Ryan (and his attitude) did solos and were both eliminated. 81 move on to Day 2....

After a maximum of 6 hours of sleep, Mia teaches the group a lyrical dance (yay!). They focus first on the 3 "street dancers" left: Chris, my favorite of the 6 Steppers, forgot his choreography & is cut; Musa goes to solo round & then gets through; and Hawk (other 6 Step guy) gets through. We also see Benji do a "solo" (a fun swing dance w/his cousin as his partner) and advance. Claire's foot is worse and after a trip to the hospital returns to withdraw from the competition. I wasn't that impressed w/her dancing but she has the best attitude (really pushed through the pain as much as she could) and seems like the sweetest thing ever. Nigel has an emotional chat w/her and exhorts her to take care of the foot, then keep training/practicing, and return next season, when they will let her pick up where she left off (skipping the initial audition rounds & advancing directly to the semifinals). Everyone says a teary good-bye but then we must move on...

To Brian (yay! except the clips of *him* dancing/teaching were way too short) and an intricate hip-hop/jazz fusion routine. Ballet Mark from NY is cut but that's about all they showed. Good (enough) and advancing are Mike (young tapper warned by Nigel re: making any more mistakes), James, Travis (yay!),
Ben (I guess he was sick; Nigel chewed him out for complaining), Hawk (who humbly and emotionally claimed he shouldn't be advancing because he'd had no training & others were better), the couple Julia (who 'collapsed' and went to the hospital but returned ok, and they never said what was wrong) & Stanislav, and lots of girls, including Donyelle, I think, and a great Asian gal whose name they didn't show.

That's it for tonight; tomorrow we see Day 3, where the remaining 42 do solos, receive no immediate feedback, and are narrowed down to the top 10 each male and female finalists. The preview showed Benji falling to the floor in tears & made it look like he gets cut, but you never can tell. As long as Travis makes it (and I think he's a shoo-in) I'm happy.

Quote of the night goes to Nigel: "I'm not a human being, I'm a television producer!"


In other news, I heard The Lovehammers' "Trees" on our local high school's radio station today! mmmMarty, wheeee!!

And the Winner Is....

Us, actually, because despite a few obligatory clips of bad auditions, the 2-hour finale is jam packed with a lot of good stuff!

As the show starts, we jump right into a performance, instead of Ryan's normal intro. Reigning Idol Carrie comes out on stage singing "I Made It Through the Rain," joined by Taylor & Katharine. The other finalists eventually join in, wearing all white, as does a choir (wearing black). It's fun to see everyone again though not a great song.

Now we get the intro stuff. The judges each get video clips; Randy's 'How many ways can you say "Dawg"?' is fairly boring. Paula's is set to "So Emotional" and is kind-of cute. Simon's focuses on his ego, showing lots of gestures & facial expressions while repeating "I give myself a 10." Not bad.

Hometown party clips - the O'Donahue twins are 'reporting' from the crowd in Birmingham, while Tamyra Gray is nearby with some McPhans. Then we start the duets!

Paris is first up with Al Jarreau; they sing "We're In This Love Together." (Mr. Pez: Who's this? Pez: Al Jarreau! Mr. Pez: Does he sing anything I'd recognize? Me: Yeah, this! Or not.)

Next is one of my favorite performances of the night: Chris with Live on "Mystery." Twin bald rawkers; much fun! What a blast for Chris. The crowd really loved this as well.

Next is the first of two comedic skit segments called "Puck 'n' Pickler," where Wolfgang Puck tutors Kellie in the finer foods. First up is escargot, which she tastes but spits out and says she doesn't believe him when he tells her that thousands of people eat this all the time. Moving on....

Kat sings with Meatloaf: "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." This style of song is perfect for her, all theatrical & dramatic. Meat's not doing so well but they manage.

Then begins the first round of "Golden Idol Awards," which seem like a poor excuse to rehash yet again some bad audition clips. We have an outstanding female and male vocalist... the male winner is Crazy Dave, who makes an appearance and jumps around the stage for a bit.

Puck 'n' Pickler, Scene 2: Lobsters! This clip was hilarious; Kellie is really, really scared of the two live lobsters that are brought out and set on their table! I mean, jumping out of her seat screaming and hesitating to approach the table, scared. Like Dave Letterman when Jack Hanna puts an animal on his desk, scared.

Next another highlight: the guys' medley! They're all in black outfits and sing a medley of Takin' Care of Business, Tobacco Road, and Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop. This was much fun, and you can really tell the guys all like each other a lot. This really makes me look forward to seeing them on tour this summer.

Next we have a montage of clips from the various carmercials... and then Ryan presents Kat and Tay with their very own new Mustang convertibles!! Whee!

The next Golden Idol is for Proudest Family Moment. Nominees are Kat's dad watching her sing, Chris's wife Deanna at his first audition (hee, I remember that, she wouldn't let him go!), and Elliott's mom on his homecoming trip. She wins, of course. Aww, Bucky's twin Rocky is sitting a couple of rows behind her and jumps up immediately to clap! Then she gets to introduce Elliott...

who sings U2's One with Mary J. Blige. He starts off, then she comes out & sings most of the rest by herself; they duet a teeny bit at the end but she really doesn't pay much attention to him. Oh well.

Carrie performs again, singing her new single "Don't Forget to Remember Me." Ironically I just heard this on the radio for the first time this week! It's an ok song, definitely not as good as Jesus, Take the Wheel. But girl can still sing. Oh and they mention her 2 Academy of Country Music awards and that she's sold over 3 million albums (wow!).

Another Golden Idol: The Randy Jackson Award for Public Speaking, which goes to Rhonetta. Moving on...

Taylor gets to sing "In the Ghetto" with Toni Braxton. Who tries to get Tay to dance with her in a way that isn't appropriate at all for this song, but he doesn't go along w/her any more than he has to.

Next the girls get a medley: Man, I Feel Like a Woman, Trouble, I'm a Woman, Natural Woman, and I'm Every Woman (!). It's pretty good; Paris & Lisa remind me what awesome singers they are and I wonder again how Kat outlasted them (well, not really, because I'm sure they split some votes between them).

Another Golden Idol: Best Impersonation. Nominees are the Cher guy, the Michael Jackson guy, and the Clay guy. The Clay guy (Michael Sandecki) wins and they show a way-too-long clip of him auditioning & then running down the hallway to the Chariots of Fire theme to go to the bathroom & then back to the audition. Eventually they get back to real time and turns out not only is he there to accept his award, Ryan asks him to sing! So, in his finest (and geekiest) button-down pinstripe shirt, spiky hair and glasses, he makes a go at Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me. It's painful, but then the stage door opens behind him and someone walks out but they're still in the shadow... soon I'm guessing it might be Clay and yes, he starts singing and it is! (His new Beatles-esque 'do made him a bit hard to recognize at first! He's also in a very nice, dark suit - looking very much more polished and professional than 3 years ago when he resembled Michael!) As soon as Michael senses someone near him he turns and just about has a conniption fit when he sees it's his idol Clay, in the flesh! "Excited" does not begin to describe his reaction; he is blown away. Though he somehow manages to keep singing, but I don't think he was supposed to; eventually Ryan pulls him aside and sits him down on a stool and somone turns his mic off so Clay can finish the song alone. Clay is very gracious, shakes his hand & such, humoring him during the sing-along (much like he does with child singers he brings up on stage to sing with him during his concerts, though most of them sing worlds better than Sandecki). Anyway the whole bit was highly entertaining, whether you're a Clay fan or not.

The last medley is a Burt Bacharach tribute. Burt's definitely looking old enough to receive a "tribute," as he comes out to play piano for them. The guys are in black suits (niiiiice!!) and the gals in fancy red dresses. First up are Taylor & Kat; then Ace & Melissa (The Look of Love); Kellie (I'll Never Fall in Love Again); Bucky (Raindrops are Falling on my Head - this was awesome, he sat on the edge of the stage & sang it nice & subdued); Mandisa; Lisa (Alfie?); Elliott (House is Not a Home - also awesome, best rendition of this I've heard since Tamyra's!); Kevin (What's New Pussycat!); Chris (Arthur's Theme); Paris (Close to You); and finally Dionne Warwick, singing Walk on By & then leading the whole group in That's What Friends are For.

The last Golden Idol is for Best Male Bonding. Nominees are Chris & Ace (they show the clip of their big hug after making it through "The Chair" - in slo-mo!), Ryan & Taylor (clip of them laying down on the stage to give Taylor's numbers), and The Brokenote Cowboys! The Cowboys win and are there to perform - which is cool, since 2 of them are pretty good singers and Garet is just flat-out adorable, in small doses anyway. They sing "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" & Matthew Buckstein gets to play guitar for them.

Whew! We've got less than 15 minutes to go and Ryan says that's it for the guest artists, it's time to get down to the results. Then the camera pans over to center stage and it opens... and out comes PRINCE!!! Wow. This is apparently the "big secret" to which Kat referred; some were speculating Celine Dion would be on but IMO this is even bigger. Prince. On American Idol. (Unless I forgot to switch back from Lost and this is an alternate universe or something!) Wow. So, he & his 2 scantily-clad backup singers/dancers perform 2 songs. I don't know them so must be fairly recent; still enjoyable. Wow.

*Now* we're done with guest performances!! Taylor and Kat get one last duet on "I Had the Time of My Life," which is both very appropriate lyrically and a surprisingly good song choice for them vocally. Nice.

Ok. Time for the winner... there were 63.4 million votes... and, no surprise, "You're American Idol is... Taylor Hicks!" So happy for him! No tears (though we get some sparkling, moist eyes), but he's still visibly moved. Katharine knew what was coming and is very gracious, as he was to her as well. He sang his coronation song "Do I Make You Proud," and didn't get confetti & balloons but did get a mirror ball and some fireworks. He took time in the last chorus to thank the fans, fellow contestants, band, & show, then finishing singing the last phrase right on time.

Congrats, Taylor! It will be interesting to see what kind of record he does, & how much he (gets to) contribute personally (writing & playing). A decent season all-in-all, and a great tour to anticipate.

Not sure yet if I'll be "recapping" the summer music shows (So You Think You Can Dance, RockStar, The One... is that all? That's enough!!) but I'm sure I'll be commenting now & again. And I might even blog about (*gasp*) something else for a change! Until then- take care!

AI5: The FINALE!

Each contestant is doing 2 songs they've done before plus their soon-to-be-released, ultra cheesy, rainbow, puppies and butterfly singles. Each will have 3 phone numbers and there will be 4 hours in which to (attempt to) vote. We're in the Kodak Theater with over 3000 people, including lots of celebs (this year's other finalists, of course, and Constantine, Mandy Moore, Christina Applegate, Taye Diggs, and Tori Spelling, who gets shown with a "Katharine's Family and Friends" label later in the show!). Taylor won the coin toss and chose to perform 2nd. Ryan reminds us that in the two other boy-girl finals the girls won. However, all 4 previous winners are Southerners. Which pattern will be broken?

Katharine
1) Black Horse & the Cherry Tree: She (mostly) stood up this time, and had fun with it, but vocally I think the first performance was better. Randy disagrees with me; Paula said fun, but not her best, and Simon said "good with a small g." Ryan mentions the "thousand roses" her fans sent her and she gratefully mentions a few fan group names.

2) Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Perhaps because I wasn't into this last week and had extremely low expectations, I was very impressed! I really loved it, seemed she didn't embellish as much this time. The crowd loved it (Bucky was shown giving her a standing ovation), as did all the judges (Randy unexpectedly, as he thought a repeat so soon would be "anticlimactic"). Simon said this was her best performance of the season. Ryan asked about her earpiece, and she explained that she was supposed to get a cue to help her start the song since it was a cappella and that she didn't, and she was very proud and excited that she still started in the right key! This was part cute and part juvenile; do we really want to see a potential idol giddily jumping up & down saying "Yay, I sang it right!"?

3) "My Destiny": Such an Idol song!! Lyrically reminiscent of Fantasia's I Believe (and Canadial Idol Ryan's "Something More"). The song had a wide range vocally and dynamically; she did a pretty good job but sang a lot of the higher parts too softly instead of in full voice, and pronounced "different" more like "defferint," which threw me off a bit. Oh and of course there was a choir. Randy dissed the song but said she looked amazing and sounded very good; Paula said "brilliant;" and Simon said she didn't fulfill her potential.

Taylor
1) Living for the City: I was distracted by his bright purple jacket, but I think this was similar to his other performance; he started out in the audience, went to the stage, & then out to the platform (finishing back on stage). It was fun and the crowd was very into it; Randy & Paula loved it as well, and Simon like it ok (but of course hated the jacket).

2) Levon (which Ryan says was Taylor's favorite performance from the whole season): he's in a nice suit and starts the song very subdued. Showcases his vocals (though I'm disappointed we don't get any songs w/falsetto this week) and also shows his personality at the end. Randy says it was pitchy; Paula loved it; and Simon said that after Taylor "won" the first round, now it was tied up as Kat surpassed Taylor's Levon with her SotR.

3) "Do I Make You Proud?": I was dreading this, because Taylor usually isn't into songs that aren't of his preferred genre (or that were his 'back-up' songs when his 1st choice didn't get approved) and therefore performs poorly. However, despite the cheese factor, he was very into this and sang the pants off of it, or would have if songs wore pants. He got the choir too. Afterward as he's yelling "Soul Patrol" we get a shot of Elliott in the audience mouthing "Soul Patrol" as well! :-) Randy says this song is better than Kat's but also acknowledges that Taylor knows who he is as an artist and is always successful in infusing that into any song, making it his own. Paula agreed. Simon just said that if the competition was "tied" before, that Taylor "just won American Idol." Sure, Simon, want to just come out and say that the voting doesn't matter?! :-)

Daniel Powter closed the show singing "Bad Day" (what else?) at a grand piano while a montage of clips from this season was shown (the cowboys! Will! Patrick! sigh....). They didn't really leave him enough time and credits rolled over him but he did get to play the last note before the show cut off.

Tomorrow night's show should be an entertainment-palooza and I'm really looking forward to it! Guest artists singing with the finalists, former Idol winners and runners-up (Bo! and Clay!), group numbers, etc. I tried to vote (for Taylor) several times and didn't get through, which wasn't surprising. (I'm sure last week's across-the-board 33% was evidence the phone/voting system was maxed out, and I expect the same this week.) I expect and hope that Taylor wins. One more day!!

And on a related note, there were Country Music awards on another channel, and I only caught part of it, but I did see that Carrie won best new female artist!! Also Kelly got to be on, performing with Rascal Flatts. Fun night for Idols all around!

Top 3 Results

Results went pretty much as expected, though I'm surprised the voting was so close - of 50 million votes, the breakdown between the 3 contestants was supposedly 33.06%, 33.26%, and 33.68%!!

We didn't get a group song, but after vids of everyone's trips home (to make tv & radio appearances, meet mayors & governors, visit high schools, ride in parades, & perform) they each got to perform their song from the compilation album. Taylor sounded great on Takin' It to the Streets and kindly had the other two dance w/him. Kat did Think (barefoot) and Elliott did Moody's Mood for Love. Also Clive was on again and told us a bunch of stats about the idols' successful albums.

Finally it's time for the elimination, and, as predicted, Elliott's number is 33.06. He is incredibly gracious and appreciative of the opportunity he's had to jump-start his career. And he got (most of) a singout.

So... Taylor and Kat in the finals. It's supposed to be the Year of the Boy (-a white male has yet to win), and the winner is always from the south, so things seem to be pretty much in the bag. I just hope Taylor will be ok w/the kind of fluff they'll make him sing.

Top 3 Sing 3

Is it ok if I just don't care any more? Maybe it's just too many season finales and other sweeps intensity. Maybe it's knowing that after next week one of my favorite shows is gone until next January, and I'm not very excited about the outcome. Tonight disappointed me, and I'm not really looking forward to the finale except to see Bucky, Ace & Lisa return and hopefully get some cheesy group medleys.

Ok, tonight each contestant sang 3 songs. First one chosen by music mogul Clive Davis, then one from the judges, then one of their own.

Elliott - Open Arms: he looked nervous, which surprised me after how great he did last week. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing special. Randy & Simon agreed. Oh and Clive thinks this is a "rock song."

Katharine - I Believe I Can Fly (!): this was actually really, really good! One of her best IMO, but then I had low expectations based on the song choice. The audience & Simon loved it too, but R & P were just meh.

Taylor - Dancing in the Dark: It was really good, entertaining though a bit OTT w/the cheese ("this gun's for hire" choreography and dancing w/Paula). Crowd & judges enjoyed.

Elliott - What You Won't Do For Love: Absolutely *perfect* song choice for him!! Paula said it suits his range and shows his funky white boy soul, and she was right. He was much more relaxed for this and looked like he was enjoying it. Randy said he was sharp a lot but P & S said he did well.

Kat - Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Fantasia-Summertime style (sitting on the floor): ok, whatever. I mean, it was good, but strange (phrasing & way too much melisma) and left me wanting... something. She did look absolutely stunning, and I appreciate that she's putting forth effort into making an impression and being memorable; she's playing to win (as is Taylor, for the most part), and I just don't see Elliott doing that tonight. The judges fell all over themselves on this one; R & P said that is wasn't overdone (did they hear the same song?!), Randy said it was her best vocal, and Simon called it the best performance from anyone this season!! Definitely disagree there. But then he picked it for her (and probably had a lovely view of her... assets, since she was sitting on the stage!). ;-)

Taylor - You Are So Beautiful: Very nice, started subdued, showed off the falsetto again & a little more power toward the end, & finished soft. All the judges liked, Simon even calling it his best yet.

Time for contestants' choices... and did anyone else think someone goofed and told them it was "big band" theme?

Elliott did a Ray Charles song called "I Believe to my Soul," though he mentioned that he did Donny Hathaway's version. It was reminiscent of Moody's Mood for Love; enjoyable with impressive singing of a difficult song, but not a song I'll remember since I don't know it and it does have such a challenging melody & rhythm. The judges basically said the same thing, that the audience wouldn't be able to "connect." Simon actually told him he wouldn't advance, but did say he would make his Momma proud! (patronizing much?)

Kat sang "Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues," smiling and grinning and bouncing all the way through it. Um, yeah, sure. "Blues." Or not. And, just like Elliott, impressive but forgettable. The judges all said her other songs were better.

Taylor closed with "Try a Little Tenderness." Personally I like Nadia's version last year better. Even without the overboard ending and half million Soul Patrol shout-outs (dude, way to alienate all the rest of your fans!!), it was just "good" but not great. The audience seemed to disagree and really loved it. Randy renamed him "Have a good time, funky Taylor"; Paula said she would have actually chosen that song for him; and Simon said the ending was "hideous" (yep!) but complimented his performance and song choice and said we'll see him next week.

I don't think they'll do a bottom two; I'm guessing they'll just all stand on stage and then tell Elliott he's going home. I tried to vote maybe 5-10 times on each of his lines, and couldn't get through at all. I'm sure all the lines were crowded tonight. Would be interesting to know how close the votes end up, but, of course, we probably never will.

Group song tomorrow please??!?

Top 3 - Song Choice Spoilers

Tonight each contestant will sing one song of their own choosing, one chosen by a judge, and one chosen by Clive Davis. Here are Clive's picks (these are confirmed):

Elliott Yamin: "Open Arms" by Journey
Taylor Hicks: "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen
Katharine McPhee: "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly

Potential/probable/rumored/leaked other choices:

Taylor's choice: "Try a Little Tenderness"
Randy's choice for Taylor: "You Are So Beautiful"

Katharine's choice: ?
Simon's choice for Kat: "Over the Rainbow"

Elliott's choice: (something by Ray Charles)
Paula's choice for E: "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell

Also, in all 4 previous seasons, the contestant performing first in the Top 3 has been eliminated that week. Tradition held for Paris; here's hoping Kat is first up!! (but I'm guessing they'll go boy-girl-boy.)

Top 4 Results - Surprise!

A lot happened in tonight's half hour show! We find out Rebecca Romjin-formerly-Stamos is engaged to Jerry O'Connell, we see 2 Presleys and a Muppet, have our first Idol encore performance, and end in shock that "The Chosen One" is not untouchable.

Ok, the recap of last night... nothing much of note. Although they did re-play Randy's comment after Taylor's 2nd performance that "When and if you make a record, that's the kind of record you need to do." There were a couple of cute lines: (after showing Simon's calling Chris's ALLC "flat" & then showing Katharine bouncing around on stage to Hound Dog) "Kat's 1st performance was anything but flat." And for E's IAD, "Elliott's request was clear" as they play the lyrics "let my dream come true."

The carmercial is "Wonderful World," which musically starts out schmaltzy but tries to rock out at the end. Kat pulls a Hybrid up to the house, opens the garage door, and then orders the guys to clean it out because there's no room for the car. They transform it into a garden, Kat pulls in, looks at Kermit in the driver's seat, and he says that it really is easy to be green. The garden had a koi pond and a parrot, and the funniest part was when they showed the parrot bobbing, as parrots do, and panned the camera back to show Taylor bobbing along with it! :-)

Then we got footage of the Graceland visit: a tour from Priscilla (Jungle Room, Hall of Fame, Meditation Garden & gravesite), then a golf cart ride from Lisa Marie through a group of fans.

Next is a group Elvis medley! Yay! Elliott opens with Don't Be Cruel while the other 3 play background singers. The group does Blue Suede Shoes; Taylor gets Heartbreak Hotel; Kat sings Lonesome Tonight (and Chris is the only bgv who pulls his mic up in time to lipsync to the prerecorded track; Taylor even makes a face as he realized he gave it away); Chris does an awesome job on Love Me Tender (why, why, when I'm finally really loving him, does he have to go?!); the 3 guys do one I don't know (The Girl is Gonna Stay?); and Taylor & Kat close with solos on Hunk o'Burning Love, all 4 of them on the platform jamming out the end. (Chris jumping up and down singing this song with Kat? Priceless!!) No pointy pose but was a good performance overall, it'll be fun if they do some Elvis on tour.

Next Ryan talks to Jerry & Rebecca in the audience, and when he asks her for her favorite she can't name just one. She can, however, ask Taylor to do an encore performance of Jailhouse Rock. Which, after Ryan asks Nigel if they have enough time, Taylor does! Alrighty then.

After he finishes Ryan keeps him on stage and has the others come over, where he tells Elliott to join Taylor in one group of two and Chris & Kat form the other group. Which one is the top and can sit down? Taylor and Elliott! (Yay, Elliott!!!) Then after asking Simon who he "thinks" will go and having him reply that Kat "should," Ryan says that some people predicted these two to be the final two, and many people predicted that Chris would be the next American Idol. Short pause, then bam: "Chris, you're going home tonight." Of course everyone, and I do mean everyone (including Chris himself, Simon, and Nigel) is shocked &/or disappointed. We watch Chris's "package"; no, wait, they changed that to "journey," which is probably a good thing. ;-) Anyway he is rather stoic through it all but finally loosens up a tad once he gets a bit into his singout of Suspicious Minds. He went into the audience for a bit & then came back up on stage, headed over to the couches & gave Taylor a hug, then was cut off. He also never got a chance to thank his fans or anything like that; I don't like that some bootees get to do that and others don't. Oh well.

So, the top 3 are Taylor, Elliott, and Kat. This thing is Taylor's to lose. And Katharine really needs to go home next week.

Top 4 - Elvis Has Entered the Building!

This week the gang got to visit Graceland, meet Priscilla Presley, and work with Tommy Mottola. Tommy thinks Idol is the "greatest platform to ever come along for the music industry" (as Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark roll in their graves... um, yeah, ok, Dick's still alive, barely). Anyway he says each contestant made their songs "very personal." Each will be singing 2 Elvis songs.

Taylor opens with "Jailhouse Rock," which is mostly a predictable Taylor performance. He starts out in the audience & the guitarist is on the platform; I liked the last chorus he did on stage because he did some quasi-Elvis-style dancing and everything balanced well. The audience, Randy & Paula all loved it; Simon, predictably, did not.

Chris does "Suspicious Minds," which is his favorite Elvis song. Oh, before he performed, just in case they might get lazy (or jealous of the 2000th mention of Taylor's "Soul Patrol"), Ryan asks Chris the names of his fan club(s)! Chris lists 3 and also lists several gifts he's received; lastly he settles "the debate" by saying boxer/briefs, which skeeves Ryan out. Ok, back to the music... in his Graceland clip we get Tommy saying how he loves the sound of Chris's voice and thinks he would sound great on a record. Ok, I think that covers all the bases for how wonderful Chris is... ;-) I was a bit disappointed in the song. It was nice, but too mellow for me - not intense or emotional enough, I guess. Also didn't like the Brad Pitt sunglasses on him. Randy was also just meh on it, though Paula & Simon loved it.

Elliott - "I Can Dream." He said in his clip it would show his "love me tender side." ;-) I don't know it, but it's a fairly mellow song & a pretty typical Elliott performance. Got better throughout & especially the 2nd verse after the key change was very good. The audience & judges all loved it; Randy said "hot," Paula called it his best performance, & Simon said it was the best so far tonight! Ryan also mentioned how E has "evolved" since the start of the show.

Katharine rounds out the first half with a medley of "Hound Dog" and "All Shook Up." First we get Tommy raving about her voice, the range, the sound; he really, really likes her! The song is fun, she dances a lot and weaves the two together well, resulting in something much more interesting than either would be on their own, and had some very nice spots vocally. She did forget a small stretch of lyrics but covered it fairly well (turned around), as the judges noted. Randy & Paula loved it; Simon did not and called it "manic."

Taylor's 2nd song is "In the Ghetto," which he describes as one of Elvis's "more soulful" numbers. Tommy notes that he enjoyed Taylor's rendition very much. I think it was a great choice, fit his style very well, and he sang it well. I was surprised by the falsetto phrase which was done very well also! The judges all loved it; Randy praised the song style and the key; Paula said it shows how "well-rounded" of an artist he is; and Simon said it was the "perfect song" and that he had just "sung [his] way into the semifinals."

Chris - "A Little Less Conversation." Wow! This was in a low range and musically there's not a lot to work with, but he sang (& enunciated) very well, was very into it and enjoying it, and it was a very good, intense & even sexy performance!! The last chorus was higher with more of a rock sound some screaming, but overall I really, really loved this. (Ironically I expected his 1st song to be more intense & sexy & this one to be less so.) He showed more personality (and dancing!) than ever (as Paula noted). Randy & Paula loved it too, though Simon preferred the other one.

Elliott (whom they showed being goofy & dancing into the commercial break) is doing "Trouble," which he enjoys because it's "rebellious" and shows his "wild side." Oooohh!!!! Awesome, awesome job. Granted almost anyone would do it better than Carrie did last year (she's sooo not "evil"!), but I think this was a great choice for him with incredible execution. Definitely a stand-out performance for him and for this season of the show, IMO. The audience & judges all loved it as well; Randy & Paula said it was his best (yes, Paula changed her mind from earlier!), and Simon said that he "deserves to move on." I couldn't agree more! :-)

Lastly Kat does "Can't Help Falling In Love." Tommy again gushes, saying her voice is "magical" and that she can do "incredible things" with it. Not, however, alway stay on key, as this song demonstrates. It starts like a typical Kat ballad, very beautiful (Simon echoed my thought!), but lost its way and was anticlimactic to me; I think following Elliott's performance hurt her (stylistically as much as talent-wise). Randy said it was pitchy in parts but still better than her first; Paula liked the fun song better, and Simon said it wasn't her night, that the song (arrangement & execution) was over the top.

I think it'll be a very close week as far as votes & positions. Katharine had the weakest performances so I expect her to go, though with Simon's negative comments being the last thing shown her fans will know she needs the votes. This makes several weak weeks in a row though, which was enough to get Kellie booted and should do the same for Kat.

Joining her in the bottom 2? Probably Taylor. I think Elliott & Chris had really great performances and lots of pimping and will be fine... I hope! :-) (I tried maybe 50 times to vote for Elliott and only got through once; I'm hoping that's a good sign.) Ooh, they didn't say, but I wonder if we get a group Elvis medley tomorrow?! Hope so for that too!!!

Another perspective on manipulation

Here's an interesting article on the show. I think more and more people are figuring some things out this year about how the show works. Despite the fact that Simon has publically stated that he tries to manipulate voters by his comments, when I mention the idea that there is any "manipulation" going on I am usually discounted as just a "conspiracy theorist." Of course the producers and people vested in the winner's success (Simon & the record label) want someone commercial that they can market. Of course they want interesting and controversial things to happen on the show so that people talk about the show. But sometimes things go a bit far... like this week's TV Guide, which has an article featuring home town support parties... of Katharine, Taylor, Chris... and KELLIE. No, not Elliott. Kellie, who was voted off not one but two weeks ago. And someone currently in the top 4 is not mentioned. Now, I'm guessing they prepared this article about 6 weeks ago, and obviously expected Kellie to make top 4. But they should have prepared info on all remaining contestants so they could run the appropriate article. They even talk about Kellie being voted off! But not one mention of Elliott (or Paris), and I know he has large viewing parties as well (a friend has attended, and last week's neared 500 people).

So... result of manipulation? Contributor toward manipulation? Some of each? Or just a coincidental mistake? Decide for yourself - please, and don't let the show (or other media) decide for you. ;-)