AI5: Las Vegas Auditions (1-31-06)

Wow. What a huge disappointment from one of the entertainment centers of the country! Only 11 contestants make it to Hollywood, and we only get to hear 3 of them:

Mecca Madison, 18 (another young, cute, tiny girl, & this one belly dances!), "Big Spender" - very nice!! I like her voice & she seems to have a good personality; she's also a bit different than everyone else which is in her favor. Could easily be Top 12.

Heather... oh my, her last name isn't really "Ward," is it? She works in a prison! Bwah! Ok, sorry... Heather Ward, prison counselor, 28, "Redneck Woman"- this is a tall black girl in a cowboy hat singing a country song (well)! Paula actually didn't care for her (said the song was too "simple"), but the guys put her through, deservedly. She's good & definitely not run-of-the-mill!

Taylor "My hair started turning gray when I was 15" Hicks, 29, from Birmingham, AL, sang Sam Cooke's "Change is Gonna Come" & a Swanee River song (doing a Joe Cocker impression??) [edited for correction: it was Ray Charles' "Swanee River Walk"] - meh. Simon didn't like, Randy & Paula loved. He's different too, but I'm not sure he's a good enough singer. The 1st song was pretty good... I agree w/Simon though, the look & personality aren't right for Idol.

And that's it! Hopefully Austin will be much, much better!!

AI5 - Denver Auditions (Aired 1-18-06)

Awesome show tonight!! The Pezcap:

Lisa Tucker (16, Anaheim, CA), "One Moment in Time" - *Love*! Definitely Top 10 material. In fact I'd give her a bye.




Brett "Ace" Young
(24, Boulder/LA), Westlife's "All Over Again" - I like him a lot. You might expect someone w/his looks & style (& talent) to be cocky, but he was very polite & respectful. Randy loved him, no surprise.

Rochelle Elaine Dye (25, Kansas City, fans w/t-shirts; evicted from apt.) - I'm not sure yet.

Chris Daughtry (25, NC, married w/2 kids, 'rocker'), "The Letter" - strange phrasing/rhythm, voice ok, good enough for Hollywood but not sure after that. Seems like a really nice guy though & good attitude overall.

Heather Cox (21, NC, blond), "You Raise Me Up" - short clip of singing only; not sure yet. But I'm usually not a fan of blonds (women, anyway).

Garet Johnson (17 or 18? looks 12! cattle rancher from WY, sings to his turkey. only.), "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" - hmm. If he can get his confidence level up & try to keep his mouth shut while not singing (is quite naive & immature), could have potential. Picture Anthony several years younger w/no public singing experience...

April Walsh (red hair & red floral dress, 27, CA - the one who tried to go up the escalator, I think, & possibly a TWoP'er), sang a Bjork song - again unsure.

Overall an even better show that last night - fewer backstories & fewer dragged-out horrible folk, though would've preferred much less (read, none) promo of confused gender boi.

AI5: Intro & Chicago Auditions (Airdate 1-17-06)

Sorry these are out of chronological order, wasn't going to put everything here, but changed my mind!

Ah, I'm glad it's back. Not taping, but am taking notes. The intro thing was interesting, where they showed all the good people but didn't give us any names! Oh well, we'll get there. And Paula's being a little more... honest this year.

Overall a good start. Will have to tape tomorrow's & watch it... not sure when, either late tomorrow night or Friday.

Squeeee!!

1st set of twins: Terrell & Derrell Brittenum, 27. I like their voices and their attitudes/personalities - confident but not cocky, fun & friendly.

Dental assistant girl: Gina Glocksen (21) - meh.

1st name only please: Mandisa (27?) - I like!

Sisters: Brooke (23) & Leah (19) Barrettsmith - not sure, may have potential.

1st jailbait: Zachary Smits, 17, sang "I'm in the Mood for Love." My favorite from Chicago (of the ones they've shown).

2nd/crooner jailbait: David Radford, also 17, sang Sinatra's "Summerwind." Has potential *if* he's ok w/doing pop. (Did I just agree w/Paula?)

2nd set of twins: Joshua & Jarrett Simmons, "Superstar." Very good.

"Crazy" David "Doolittle" (He talks to the animals! or they talk to him, anyway) Hoover - um, just... oh my. Kind-of fun that Paula put him through just to bug Simon though.

In the "others from Chicago who got through but we're not giving them any screen time yet" category, there was a blond guy w/glasses toward the end that I'd like to hear.

If anyone's interested in spoilers, there is a blog here that has collected all of the major rumors floating around, mainly about who goes to Hollywood & there is some info about who makes the top 44/24. Obviously all of that has been taped already (at least the Hollywood to top 44 has), and leaks do, well, leak! So take everything with a shaker of salt, but there are photos of interesting contenders... my favorite at this point being Ace, white R&B singer with quite a bit of experience.

In that vein, at the beginning of the show during the set of clips of good people from all locations, I did spot Ace, Chris (bald 'rocker guy' we'll see tonight in Denver), and a girl with long curly hair that I liked - #36047, who was also in the 'tomorrow in Denver' group at the end (we now know this is Lisa!).

Overall not a bad opener, not as annoying as last year though some of the backstories were unnecessary. So far a little variety amongst the contenders, anyway.

AI5 - San Francisco (1/25/06):

Jose "Sway" Penala, 27, singing "Superstar" - good enough R&B voice but I don't care for him personally (his voice or personality). If I'm gonna listen to R&B let it be Ace, no others need apply. ;-)

Lauren Weckerly, 17 - just showed in a quick clip, white girl w/long dark hair, wearing a brown jacket.

John Williams, 28, "Human Nature" - not sure why, but Randy & Paula put him through. Recently out of the Air Force, rather strange personality and very strange performance (after singing, took off outer shirt & did some dancing/choreography/lots of jerky movements around the stage). "Tell me why..." indeed!

Katharine "Vocal Coach Stage Mom" McPhee, 21, "God Bless the Child" - good range & powerful voice, though belted & embellished way too much. Cute, could have potential. Randy said she had the best voice they've heard "so far this auditioning season" - I wonder if they're airing the auditions in the same order that they actually took place or not? I could look it up I'm sure, but I'm not quite that curious. No way is she better than Paris in my book. But I do like her.

Shawna White, 16 (pigtails, from small town & Dad's in a rock band), I have no clue what the 1st song was & then she did a small segment of "Falling" - hmm. Good voice, yes, but doesn't mesh sound or style-wise with her age & not at all with her look. I'd like to hear her do something... (*cringe*) peppier? Or change the look...

Jayne Santayana, 19, "Sweet Love" - very, very good!! Simon didn't like her; slightly 'affected' singing style but I like her personality. Looking forward to seeing more.

That's it! They showed some very short clips of several other girls that were decent, & miniscule clips of another 15+ people who "are going to Hollywood" at the very end. (Dear Producers: the thin guy in all black, #31639? Please show more of him in Hollywood! kthanxbye.) Next up is Vegas, where the Strange Rules... as if we haven't already been seeing it!

The Obsession Returns... American Idol, Season 5!

Ok, anyone who knows me probably knows that (1)I love American Idol, and (2)I'm extremely detailed. So, since I'm posting comments on my message board(s) I might as well put them here as well. I'll fill in last week's later but start with last night:

AI 5, Greensboro Auditions (Airdate 1/24/06), way-too-detailed Pezcap:

Kellie Pickler, 19 (blond; lives w/grandpa because mom left & dad's in prison), "Since U Been Gone" and "Broken Wing" - good, not much opinion yet, definitely presenting as sob story.

I usually don't include people who didn't get through, but there are several I must mention this time, starting with Shawn De Salazar's little brother, because I thought he was hilarious! Just to see this little 10-year old kid spouting off about how his brother doesn't need American Idol, he's so good he'll make it anyway, they didn't let him finish his song so didn't hear the big note at the end so that's why he didn't make it... priceless. How I'd have *loved* them to show 15 minutes of this kid instead of wasting my time with boringly annoying Rhonnetta (Yawnetta?)! Funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Sergeant Steven David, Jr, 28 (danced w/Paula), "Let's Get It On" - yes, he's good, despite the gimmick(s). It was funny when he was carrying Paula out the door & Ryan pointed out that his wife was standing right there; he replied, "It doesn't matter, this is Paula Abdul!! She can join in too...." Hee!

Halicia Thompson, 27 (has 11-year old), "Different World" - Simon called her "a natural." I liked her, though she might be a bit overconfident... we'll see.

Kendra Winston, 24 (lived in over 40 foster homes, had 3 kids by age 19, then divorced, got GED & went to college), "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Simon "loves" this song?! Ok, whatever... good thing I guess, as much as it's overused on the show. Anyway, she's very good, but I'm not sure I'll like her personality. Simon said no, Randy & Paula yes. And she thinks Ryan is hot.

?? - didn't catch the name: fairly heavy white guy w/a very high voice, sang a Whitney song - has a very good voice! Definitely not an Idol "look" so it'll be interesting to see if he changes anything before Hollywood. Again Simon said no but R & P put him through.

Chonna "my stripper mom bought me this outfit" Clepper didn't make it through, but I thought she had a very good voice (& could work on the look).

Ryan Baysda, 27 (scruffy, muscular guy w/a strong accent, sounded to me more Australian or British than Southern US...?), "God Bless the Broken Road" - very, very good! Great voice for country, and quite attractive. I could like this guy a lot. And then came...

PARIS BENNETT!!!!!!!!! (Can you tell I like her?) Wow. Just wow. Ok, kid is 17 years old, cute little thing w/a very strong accent, otherwise reminds me (visually) of Janay from last season. Her grandmother, who was there with her, was in Grammy award-winning group Sounds of Blackness and Randy was fawning all over her. ;-) Well, the talent is definitely genetic, as Girl. Can. Sing!! First sang Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away," very well and (fortunately) w/less of an accent than her speaking voice. Then after Paula asked her, appropriately, to "bless" them with another song, she sang Billie Holiday's "Take Five," which is a jazz number with a quite difficult/unusual rhythm... she was amazing. Totally comfortable performing but definitely not overconfident - and was very emotional after making it through. I predict top 5, and she's definitely good enough for someone to sign even at this point.

Day 2 in Greensboro was Simon's birthday and had some of the strangest things yet... One guy, who sang MJ's "She's Out of My Life" by holding every note at least 1 whole week, admitted to having Randy & Paula's (vocal coaching) DVD, which totally made Simon's day and he laughed and laughed. Then there was the self-described "outgoing" guy who actually (I have to agree w/Simon) had "the personality of a hippo" when he sang. And then Sammy "I'm Raw!" with his Magic Carpet (and beans, apparently). Only 9 got through, including...

Tyra Juliette Schwarz, 24 (long black hair, from NY, had recent back surgery & boyfriend dumped her), "In the Still of the Night" - I really, really like her. Great voice, and her look wasn't frilly or glitzy, more down to earth, regular person. Which the judges didn't like so much, but I do. She has potential, hopefully others will like her voice too.

Jordan Southerland, 24? (wore his dad's fireman uniform), "You Raise Me Up" - he's ok. Randy said no, S & P yes.

and that was it. Next up is San Francisco & they showed a clip of an Asian girl who sounds pretty good....

Interpreting Donnie Darko

I know it's been way too long since I've posted anything. So let's jump into something really confusing... but really interesting! I just watched Donnie Darko, Director's Cut. I'd seen the first/theater version a year or so again & had forgotten a lot. I enjoyed the new version, it seemed to make a lot more sense during the course of the movie - the explanations provided by the time travel book were very helpful. Of course I was still confused at the end - how to interpret it?? So what do I do? Go to the internet, of course! Wikipedia has a good plot summary. I also found a "Cellar Door" reference site (which includes a walk-through for the confusing flash Official Site) as well as this really cool article examining the spiritual meaning/conclusion of the film. As a Christian I enjoyed her interpretation; though the film itself is not overtly religious, it definitely hinges on some basic life/God questions. (One anomaly I found, though - they attend a private Catholic school, not a public school, so why can't the teacher converse with a student about God?)

Things that are fun to think about in the wee hours of the morning. When I was in college, one could do so in the dorm lounge. Now the closest thing is the internet. So come, read, think, discuss! :)

Compatability?

Quiz time! It's a short one... and Kim, we're 83% compatible!

I'm a generally... conservative, not-too-generous, not-too-selfish, relatively well adjusted human being!

See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Truly Moving Pictures (#2): End of the Spear

Another amazing film - this will be released to a limited number of theaters in January, to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of 5 American missionaries killed in Ecuador. The film focuses on one of the Indians they were trying to reach, and how his life intertwined with the missionary families, even after the murders.

Truly Moving Pictures: Dear Francis

This is one of the amazing films we saw at this year's Heartland Film Festival . A must-see - a documentary about the HIV crisis in Swaziland and some American teens who went on a short-term mission project to teach abstinence. The culture they discovered was surprisingly complicated and tragic. The film's name comes from a box they used in which the students could write letters and ask questions anonymously that they otherwise would not ask. Check it out; you will be moved.

The Best of RockStar

A lot of viewers have come into the show recently and are asking for recommendations of earlier performances - mp3's and videos to find online. So here are my suggestions, in no particular order (and yes, I realize I left a few contestants out; they just didn't have anything that really stood out for me). One more disclaimer: I did not know a good portion of these songs before the show, so I couldn't compare them to the originals, so I may have liked them more than those who do know the originals. This covers the show through Week 9 (Sept 7) and does not include this week's Top 4 performances.

Ty - No Woman, No Cry, Heartbreaker, Everybody Hurts

Jessica - Purple Haze, Disappear

JD - California Dreamin', Cold As Ice, Come As You Are, Mystify

Deanna - Should I Stay or Should I Go

Suzie - Never Tear Us Apart (which she actually did twice; both are good), Bitter Tears, Bring It On Home, and Bohemian Rhapsody

Jordis - Heart Shaped Box, Man Who Sold the World

MiG - Lola, We Will Rock You, Live and Let Die

Brandon - Devil Inside

Marty - Lithium, Mr. Brightside, Don't Change, Wish You Were Here, Everlong

I'm excited for an awesome finale next week but sad the show will be ending. And, truly clueless as to who Our Band: INXS will choose!

You and me up in the trees...

Marty RockStar Casey!! Wow, the show *rocked* tonight!! Everyone was good, but JD and Marty's intensity and bouncy originals stole the show. Yay them!! (Or, as my Canadian friends would say, Good on them!)

RockStar:INXS, Week 9 - Top 5! (9-6-05)

JD kicked off the show with a mellow arrangement of Nirvana's Come As You Are, which really showed off his vocals (just gorgeous in the higher range). Then his original song, Vegas Pretty, which used the INXS bass/rhythm track from the songwriting clinic a few weeks ago. Great combination & flow of style; creative (sang w/a megaphone!), and had the audience totally involved from the intro. JD is BACK!

Suzie did an awesome, subdued I Can't Make You Love Me, sitting on a stool & just letting her beautiful voice be the focus. (For the 2nd week in a row, doing a song Constantine did, but differently enough that I can love them both!) Her original, Soul Life, was good... reminds me of something or someone I can't put my finger on. I believe she cowrote with Ty although that wasn't mentioned tonight.

MiG rocked the house with Hard to Handle & really slowed things down as he accompanied himself on piano for Home In Me, which is about losing someone (a death) and then moving on. The combination really show how versatile he is, and I would totally follow him as a solo artist because I like the soft rock/ballady style he seems to favor. The guys did comment, as they did for Suzie, that musically it doesn't 'go' with INXS.

Jordis redeemed herself a bit with We Are the Champions and her original, Try Not (cowritten with Marty, and Yoda). I thought she struggled w/the high notes in WATC, but Dave complimented her for that. I enjoyed Try Not - it didn't seem musically predictable to me, it held my attention - but Dave apparently didn't, asking if she'd lost her "fire." She admitted the song was about her struggles during the course of the show not to lose herself in the pressure. The band coddled and didn't end up giving any feedback, positive or negative (that was aired, anyway). It's just time for her to go home.

mmmMarty!!! Sang Everlong acoustic - Jim & Rafi on acoustic guitar, the 3 of them on stools, and Paul with some light keyboards behind them. Very, very good. He's definitely shown INXS he's willing to compromise & work w/their suggestions. I think with some vocal coaching and more encouragement to actually sing (instead of scream), he could have a really great (and versatile) voice! And wow he can sing with power in the lower range! What do I say about Trees? As Dave said, this could be a radio hit tomorrow! I totally see it fitting with INXS's style, and it's fun, catchy, about a guy "trying to get a girl to love him." Awww! He's so well-spoken & interacted w/the audience really well - he's also pretty much become the 'narrator' of the segments from the mansion! (Hmm, seems like all my favorites end up w/that role, interestingly enough - Justin, Clay, and Connie all did the same! And are all really, really tall too....)

Well I'd better go vote so that I can hear it again tomorrow night! I *so* do not want this show to end in 2 weeks! Sigh. Oh and the guys are giving all of their proceeds from MSN Downloads this week to the Red Cross for hurricane relief. So go get some music! And pass the Kool-Aid. ;-)

Part 4: The Concert Photos!

They're not great, but here's what I've got!



Constantine


More Connie

Vonzell


Anthony



Nadia




More Nadia


Anwar





Bo



Bo & Carrie duet


Group


Group

AI4 Concert Recap - Part 3

I’m getting a little fuzzy on song names, & was out of town (again), so I apologize for the delay. But here’s the rest!

Anwar started the 2nd half with Superstition at the keyboard. He is an awesome keyboard player!! (I read that he offered to play for / write with / produce several other idols’ albums, & I hope they take him up on it!)

Next Vonzell came out and Anwar played for her while she sang her first song (Karma), then he left. Just like on the show, I loved her slow, belty song (I Have Nothing) and didn’t like the fast ones at all (I’m Every Woman & The Best of My Love). For one thing they had her way too loud and she was yelling anyway, so it was a bit cringe-worthy for my ears. Honestly I think that was my least favorite part of the night, which surprised me. I guess I’d just heard so much good stuff I didn’t want to waste my time being bored (and deafened).

However, Anthony was next! My feelings for Anthony went up & down throughout the course of the show, and took a rocket to the stratosphere when I heard his part on the CD single "He Ain’t Heavy." (I think he sounds like Dennis DeYoung, whom I adore.) So I was really looking forward to hearing him live, and he didn’t disappoint! Sounded really good, though his voice cracked on a high note on his last song, and he looked startled & said something about how we (the crowd) "wore him out." He was somewhat belty too but it works for him & the sound was ok and it was lurvely. Oh yeah, and I had heard friends describe him as innocently adorable ("so cute you could just eat him with a spoon"), which I agreed with for the most part. But boy has hips that swivel on Marc Anthony songs, and took a few steps out of the ‘nonthreatening kid’ box for a while there. ;-) The girls in the front row were delirious when he came down and stood/danced right by them for the majority of his last song. He sang Every Time You Go Away, Can You Stop the Rain, and I’ve Got You.

Finally time for Bo! Huge crowd response, and here he came, hobbling out. He sat at the keyboard for Desperado; played some intro, sang the song, & played a few measures toward the end. Not sure why he wanted to play at all for just small parts of the song, but whatever. Very nice. Then he did Vehicle, and stood on our corner of the stage for a lot of it, but that song just doesn’t do a lot for me. Plus they had him a bit loud, and the higher stuff sounded too nasal, instead of his usual lower voice which is a bit husky. And then really jammed on Voodoo Child, playing electric guitar… on which he is awesome, & there were a lot of instrumental parts and funky red swirling lights all over the place, very appropriate for the 70’s rock feel. Except that I’m not familiar w/the song and couldn’t understand the words and didn’t get much enjoyment at all out of it! Boo. And then of course he ended w/Sweet Home Alabama, which was very good. Oh, and he had his hair back in a pony tail, which was nice, as you could see more of his facial expressions & he’s not a bad-looking guy either. He also told a few really bad jokes, as is his habit.

Lastly Carrie – I was actually impressed w/her stage presence (especially during the 1st song, Sin Wagon, she really moved around the whole stage, danced a bit, & wore/held a cowboy hat). But again the sound was too loud and while belting is what she does best, it was a bit much. She did Alone, Independence Day, and In Your Heaven. On the last one the entire cast came out and joined her, thus ending the regular part of the show.

I should also mention that every performer made a big point of thanking us all for being there, watching the show, and supporting them in general.

Encore!

Carrie & Bo sat on stools and played acoustic guitar while singing God Blessed the Broken Road. Their voices blend very well together. Then group numbers. These were a blast! I’ve attended every Idol tour, and while most of the vocalists this year can handle more solos, I do miss the cheesy group medleys with poorly executed choreography and ‘pointy poses.’ Anyway, they did Lean on Me and then R.O.C.K. in the USA. Both were much fun, and I tried to watch both Constantine and Anthony the whole time which was a challenge. Connie is such a ham and is just always entertaining! And he’s good at "embracing the cheese" and having fun… Anthony was having a blast too.

I was sad when it was over, of course. We got a good 2 ½ hours of music, and definitely worth the price tag (and 7+ hour round-trip drive). Now I guess I wait for their albums!!

One other comment, I’ve been to quite a few concerts over the years and it’s typical for the audience to scream/applaud at the beginning of a song when they recognize something they like. Well, I did this a few times, but the audience in general usually waited until the person started singing, or at least through much of the ‘intro’ to the songs. Is there a proper protocol on this? Just curious. Granted I knew a lot of the set list ahead of time, but something like "Desperado" is pretty recognizable right from the start, or so I thought.

AI4 Concert Recap - Part 2

Strange videos and a walking Pop-Tart were "provided" as we waited for the concert to begin (which was around 7:10). As far as the facility goes there were several things I liked: you can get to the floor seats from any entrance (in Indy you can’t); they not only allowed signs, they actually provided supplies in one area (no, I still didn’t make one), and the bag ‘search’ was just a glance. Then we were told only disposable cameras were allowed (they didn’t confiscate others just said to put them away), but they were lax on enforcing it & I even saw a security guy walk right past someone obviously taking video toward the end & he didn’t say a thing to her. Oh, also you could go up the aisle to take closer photos as long as you returned to your seat immediately thereafter.

We were in the center section on the floor, rows 19 (Gayl) and 20 (Gerry & I). Pretty good view, and we were on the right aisle so had an unobstructed view of that end of the stage. I saw a lot of Greek flags and all kinds of shirts for Connie, some for Bo & a few others. I did see signs for Scott & Carrie. Some for Anthony. But Con had the most. Also, at least in our section, there were a lot more adults and fewer kids & teens than I expected & than I’ve seen at previous Idol tours. Not sure why… the older performers attracted older fans? Or younger kids don’t do downtown Chicago on weeknights?? (I’ve never been to that arena before so I have no clue.)

First was Jessica who started w/her back (or should I say, her ‘bum’) toward the audience. She sang The Boys Are Back in Town, and sang it well. She was dressed conservatively (black pants, a tank or tee & jacket) & looks like she’s lost weight. They had the regular jumbo-trons at the sides and the big screen behind the stage had some special ‘rock star effect’ filter through which it showed the performer some of the time, & at others it showed their name, photos, or other things to go w/the particular song. She then did Shop Around which was also very good.

Anwar was next & was very, very good (I enjoyed him on the show too)! Started with House is Not a Home, mostly seated on a stool. Then What a Wonderful World. Very good. (And I’ll say that for almost everyone!)

Then CONSTANTINEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahem. EEEeeee!!! Ok, I think I’m done. ;-) Red jacket, black shirt & pants. My friends have said how skinny he looks but honestly with the black & black you couldn’t tell, & he still has the double chin. Not that it matters… hair was great, vocals were *amazing*, and all the performances were very, very good. Mind you that while I’m a huge fan of his, I’ll be the first to admit that his vocals were often less than pleasant on certain songs during the television show. Not true live. Strong & pure, lots of glory notes. Tons of audience interaction & a few times he gave the camera ‘the look’ for the Jumbotrons! Mentioned things like "slowing it down for the ladies" & took the jacket off to, of course, wild screams. Hard to Handle, My Funny Valentine, & Bohemian Rhapsody. All were wonderful. When he intro’d BR he said something about how we should listen to the lyrics because they describe what this past year has been like for him ("fantasy", etc.). Despite the release of this song on the Killer Queen album today, he didn’t mention it (I read he had in earlier shows, though I’m kind-of surprised since it’s not a 19E project; maybe they nixed his comments?).

Nikko came out next, & I felt a little sorry for his having to follow Connie, but he was really good too (started with Incomplete). Chatted quite a bit, asked people to dance w/him on Part-Time Lover, & then did a Justin Timberlake song with lots of well-executed choreography (Like I Love You??). Threw his Cardinals cap into the audience at one point; I was hoping he’d take the jacket off for his dancing but alas, he did not. (He would get more screams of his own if he did!)

Scott sang Against All Odds; not horrible, but not great & his voice cracked on the high notes. He had some chatter about how he wasn’t going to dance like Nikko, and how all his songs were low-key so that people could mellow out & sit for a bit, kind-of like a commercial. Then he said it was ok because people still get paid to do commercials. After that he started singing Total Eclipse of the Heart and Jessica came out for their duet, which, as everyone says, is fabulous! That song is beyond perfect for her, and she sang it beautifully. Scott then did one more song, She’s Gone, with a lot of background vocals on the track (smart move).

Nadia came out rocking on her guitar and sang The Power. And she still has the power; she is *soooooooo* good! I loved her on the show and thought she left way too early, and the live vocals cemented that opinion. Commanding stage presence and girl is a Rock. Star. She also did You Don’t Have to Say You Love and ended with Try a Little Tenderness. I also have to compliment her wardrobe, a black miniskirt with loose, flowing top over a rhinestone bra. Very flattering to her body shape, giving the illusion of, well, more than is really there. ;-)

I love Nadia!!

Intermission.

AI4 Concert Recap - Part 1 (August 8, Chicago)

Part 1: the trip up

I left home around 9 am Monday, went to Sam’s Club for gas (still, ouch) & got to Gayl’s apt. at 9:30. We made great time & got to downtown Chicago in under 3 hours! Lunched & found the arena but the box office wasn’t open yet. So we headed toward American Girl-ville, or so we thought… Turns out Gayl’s computer had been down & she hadn’t been able to get specific directions or a map. Neither of us knew downtown well enough to wing it, but we tried, oh, we tried! ;-) And now we know Chicago much, much better, lol! After much ado, buying maps (that didn’t show the street we were looking for), turning around, surviving several one-way streets (I only turned the wrong way into one for about a block, and the cop right in front of us – eek! –apparently either didn’t notice or didn’t care), and starting to call her friend back in Indy, we found it! So we had just enough time to shop a bit, & were both good & didn’t spend any money! (I went to a clothing store & Borders.)

Then we headed back toward the arena & our dinner meet-up place. Found a decent enough parking lot and Gayl headed back over to see if she could buy a ticket… returning with a seat in the row in front of me and just 10 seats over!! Then for more coincidences, that purchase delayed our getting to the restaurant just enough that we literally arrived within 2 minutes of my other friend, with whom we cell-chatted as she parked and we all walked from different directions toward the place! Too funny. We had a nice meal and also talked to the waitress about the Clay concert her mom was dragging her to next week! “Somehow” she had found out we were Clay fans as well….

And speaking of that, this is out of chronological order - *gasp* - but Gerry & I were sitting right in front of, & got to meet, the girl Clay brought up on stage to sing with at last year’s Indiana State Fair!! Gerry also ‘ran into’ Bo’s grandma, which brings me back on topic, yay!

(to be continued...)

Rock Star INXS: Week 2

Since I already have this typed up & won't have time to think of much else about which to post until I'm done reading HARRY!, let's talk teevee music shows! I'm quite hooked on Rock Star. So here we go...

Rock Star Recap - Week 2 Performances:

Marty - "What I Like About You" - I just love to watch him! You can really tell he's an experienced performer. This was a bit harder rock style (so closer to what his band does).

Daphna - "I Hate Myself for Loving You" (Joan Jett) - Apparently Heather had wanted this song but let Daphna have it as a birthday present! It was less 'strange' than her other performances (which to me is a good thing), & she definitely responded to the band's comments last week by showing a more feminine/sexy side (& outfit). They like it; I thought it was just ok.

Ty - "Somebody Told Me" - one of 2 current hits done tonight. I thought it was awesome (as usual), though he sounded a bit out of breath toward the end (showing that while he can do a good rock performance, he's less experienced at it than several others). Comments were confusing… Dave asked if he had a lot of theatre background, & then just said "it shows." (Is that a good thing or a bad thing?!) INXS said that he acts like a solo performer but needs to remember they're a band looking for a lead singer, & then that they'd like to see more diversity from him. I think he was kind-of blindsided, just said "Thanks" & walked off w/a blank, surprised expression. Part of me is hoping they're as smart as Simon (did I just say that?) and are being extra-critical because they see so much potential. Then other parts of me remind myself that these middle-aged guys seem really excited at the prospect of watching a hot young female singer in front of them every night and probably would not think of &/or do the reverse psychology thing.

Suzie - "Roxanne" - weird arrangement, I wasn't sure if she missed her entrance (again) or not. Not a lot of words to remember; good & the band liked, but I *really* think she needs to do a different genre.

MiG - "Walk This Way" - He did it! I thought he might've missed some words in the 3rd verse, but the band thought he was awesome (several mentioned they were "impressed"). While he was obviously focusing very hard on the lyrics, he still looked comfortable on stage and interacted w/the crowd (& the band, I think?). Marks of an experienced (I would guess, don't know for sure) and talented performer. Played up the sex appeal too. Definitely a forerunner and my 2nd favorite behind Ty.

Neal - "Summer of '69" - He started out well, played guitar & had great stage presence & audience interaction. You could definitely hear his voice better on this, & I thought he might've been a bit flat on the higher notes. The band reminded him of their request to hear something "more melodic" & asked him if he thought he did that, to which he replied, "Oh yeah! And I rocked it!" erm, ok then. Having read that interview w/his band I understand his response a bit more - they really emphasize just liking simple, basic rock & have no desire to do songs w/deep meaning (or depth of vocal/musical range, apparently). Still.

Heather - "It's Only Rock & Roll" - good & showed off her voice, but I find her stage presence lacking. The band liked it (she was wearing a tank & did some sexy dancing, which *may* have been factors, ahem).

JD - "One Hand in My Pocket" (and the other flipping off his formerly friendly co-competitors?) - Performance was really, really good. Stood still at the mic which is very different for him & still had great stage presence. However… one of the band commented that he sensed JD is focused "on the prize" & the competition, to which JD replied that, while not meaning to 'dis' the lovely & talented people behind him, "they're learning INXS songs, but I know them because I love them." I'm still in shock that he said that, as, obviously, were several other contestants (of course the camera focused on their reaction). JD's gonna have a lonely night at the mansion, I'm thinking.

Tara - "Paranoid" - I'm not familiar w/the song, but I thought she did a very good job vocally. She seemed to be trying a little too hard to be sexy (& "rocker-y"), but the band liked it. Of course. ;)

Deanna - "The One I Love" - Started out mellow & rocked it up after that, which was good, but the band (after explaining they're really good friends w/REM & that the song has great emotion as written) said she should've stuck w/the mellow.

Jordis - "The Reason" - the opposite of Dave, I *love* this song. Perhaps because of that & because I adored her last week (I missed her 1st performance), I was disappointed. It was very good & better than several others, but she set the bar high! ;) Guys loved it.

Jessica - "Purple Haze" - Awesome! IMO by far the best female performance of the night. Awesome stage presence & the style really seemed to fit her. Interestingly the band said it was too similar style-wise to her previous songs.

Brandon - "Sweet Home Alabama" - Why, Brandon, why? Are you really trying to remind people of Bo? The arrangement was *exactly* like the original, so I found it uninteresting & the most (well, only) karaoke-like performance of the night (though I wasn't familiar w/all the rock songs so for some I can't say). I *love* his voice, but not this performance. He also played guitar, though we never got to hear him. One of the guys noted that his timing was much better this week, & probably because he was playing too, so said he wanted to see him lose the guitar next week but keep the good timing.

I predict Neal, Tara & Jessica for the bottom 3, with Neal leaving. It's getting harder though!

Things I Never Noticed

Did you ever notice that there's an arrow in the FedEx logo?? Well I hadn't, and I think it's pretty cool!

Now it's your turn... point out something fun or useful (or both!) that's usually overlooked. And I'll try to think of some more to add.

Who sings that?

Well this is a silly reason to post, but at least it's a post! I've heard this song on our Top 40 station (to which I guess I'm admitting I listen occasionally): a remake of "Listen to your Heart," by a female singer that's really good. Who is it? And yeah, that's basically the post.

Unless I decide to ramble about remakes, or singers, or remade singers. Or singers trying to come back, which brings me to "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Ok if anybody else actually watches it... who out of tonight's lineup did they think was worthy of making it a spectacular "season finale" (of what, 4 shows?)?! I thought tonight's was one of the weakest weeks. And I missed last week's which was supposedly pretty good. I like the concept of the show, but it'd be a whole lot better if most of the people actually still sounded decent. As it is, it's kind-of like... well I can't think of a good analogy, but it's been disappointing. As it's progressed there've been more artists I've never heard of, and of the ones I do know, I keep hoping they'll be worth listening to but more often than not, they're not. Oh well. I guess we get a break for a while.

I am, however, very pleased with "Dancing with the Stars," though it has nothing to do with singers. I suppose it has something to do with remade songs though, because they do things like taking an 80's pop hit & trying to pass it off as a Latino dance number. Just. no. Anyway I'm just thrilled that Kelly & Alec, the duo of hotness, made it to the finale! She was just so crushed by the judges' comments at the beginning, & has obviously worked very hard (and probably has the least 'free' time of all the contestants). I think John should & will win, & maybe that'll help him get some other tv gig through which he can entertain me. I'm one of the 3 people on earth who never watched Seinfeld so had never heard of him, but now adore him.

Back to songs... my dad said that one of the reasons he'll never (pick one:) like/watch/understand shows like American Idol is that a song always sounds best by the original artist, at least (or especially) if that artist wrote it. And that he likes artists because of their sound & individual style, not their mimicking of someone else's. Well, I disagree with the first statement, because there are several songs that I really liked before, but now like even better by Idol contestants. And if they're good, you can tell what a contestant's own style is like through cover songs, at least to a point.

At which point I've run out of things to say. Not bad though, for something that started out as one silly question. Which I really do hope someone can answer. ;)

World's Shortest Personality Test

Fun! I picked this one because I'm tired & sleepy, and it looked cozy & soft. My 2nd choice one is really not me, & this one seems pretty accurate, so I'll take it!

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Introductions / Guest Book

I wanted to create a guest book of sorts, just to have a place for a new visitor to say hi or post a general comment that's not related to a specific post, or ask me a question. So here you go! Welcome, look around, leave a Comment, & hopefully I'll get my act together and start posting more frequently so there's something about which to comment, besides my favorite movies. ;-) If you're not a Blogger but have a website you don't mind sharing let me know that too & I'll come visit yours.

Thanks and have a great day!