American Idol Season 9 - The first 4 are Eliminated from the Top 24 (Results)

Hello America!  I guess my elimination picks aren't as rusty as I thought!  Yes, I didn't get them all and I need to go with my gut instead of copping out with "bonus picks".  But, I'm still pretty proud of myself!  Anyway, these elimination shows aren't quite emotionally stirring this early on in the game still, so let's bid farewell to these contestants we barely knew!

Eliminated: Ashley Rodriguez, Janell Wheeler, Joe Munoz, Tyler Grady
My Picks: Janell Wheeler, Paige Davis (Bonus: Ashley), John Park, Jermaine Sellers (Bonus: Joe)

Did anyone notice how annoyed Ashley was that she got voted off?  She totally thought she was better than she was.  I loved how when she started singing, she was trying to OVERSING to grab the attention of some studio exec in her final minute of the 15 she was granted.  Ahh good times.  With Joe, I just had a feeling.  I should have went with my gut and just picked him.  Tyler is a bit of surprise, but then again, not really.  He gave a pretty forgettable performance.  If they had showed him in the bath robe and boots last night, well things may have worked out differently for him!   And last and definitely least, Janell!  Seems like a nice girl, but she definitely wasn't cut out for going much further!  So, nothing very bittersweet with this ending.  Let's just keep trucking on to that top 12!   Maybe John Park can rebound from this week and make it back into my original top 12 prediction!

Okay, onto the next segment of the Results Show Blog that I like to call HIGHLIGHTS (there usually aren't many) and LOWLIGHTS!

Highlights

• Allison Iraheta returns!!!  I love that girl.  Still thought she should have won last year.  But making the top 4 was pretty darn impressive anyway!   Her new song "Scars" didn't sound too bad.  And for being such a big fan on the show of hers, I never bought her album and probably still don't plan to.  But, I wish her all the best in her career!  
• Kris Allen performs for Haiti - American Idol has started their Idol Gives Back contributions early this year to support Haiti.  Kris did an outstanding rendition of The Beatles' "Let it Be" and it is available on iTunes for download.  Good Song, Good Cause!   The actual Idol Gives Back event will be April 21st.   Mark your calendars for another 3 day Idol week! 
• Again, Tyler in the robe.  What on earth was that?   Funny is what it was! 
• Ellen bringing up the fact that she said Banana on live TV Wednesday night.  I forgot to mention it.  That was a good time.  
• And yep, that's about it.  These shows are rough...can't wait for new FORD Commercials featuring the Top 12! (You heard the sarcasm in my words right?)

Lowlights

• Was Kara talking again?  Oh great, her husband was there to keep her from clawing off Casey's shirt.  Yaaaaaaay.  I'm already over it! 
• The Top 24 Sing-a-long of "American Boy"   It's bad enough we have to endure the lip synching disasters during the Top 12 weeks.  But come on, do we have to extend it into the top 24?  Why don't you let them spend that extra time prepping for the LIVE Tuesday show so they give a better performance?    Although, I must admit, it's hysterical watching people like Crystal, Casey and Lee try to smile and pretend they're enjoying the cheese! 
• If I hear Ryan find one more way to tell Kieren to dim lose lights, I may dim my television set! 

And that's about all I have folks!  Not much to this episode.  I'm sure once we get into the Top 12, these results show recaps might be a little more thought provoking to figure out how things are going to go down.  Right now I'm just going with the flow.  Next week, more of the same!  Billboard hits, 4 more go home.  I'll be here with my recapping madness to bring you my inevitably useless thoughts!  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you next week! 

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

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American Idol Season 9 - Top 24 - Final 12 Guys Perform

Hello America!   Well, the guys got it a LITTLE better than the girls this week, right?  Not much, but a little better.  I think there were a couple standout performers, lots of middle of the roaders, and a couple "what were you thinkings?"   It probably won't go down that easily, but we'll see.  We may as well throw my Top 12 predictions out the window, because it's not looking good at all!  Not that I'm complaining.  That's why LIVE Idol is better than pre-produced Idol.   America gets a chance to pick the talent!   Join me as I break down the 12 remaining guys and try to figure out life's biggest question.  Can a mullet really advance you to the next round?

1. Todrick Hall - 24 from Arlington Tx - Writer, Actor, Dancer - We all remember Todrick from his audition when he made up the song about the judges.  We know he's friends with Fantasia, which already has him falling out of my favor.  But he dared to take on Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and do it injustice?  Now, Todrick, my friend...we are gonna have words!  Nothing I can say that the judges didn't say.  He changed up the song, because that's what the judges want their contestants to do.  But he didn't just change it, he BUTCHERED it.  Totally stripped away the original melody and made it a different song.  Yeah, it sounded okay...something from the Bobby Brown era maybe?   But that was not Kelly Clarkson's hit anthem that shot her past Idol winner to Pop-Rock Star.  That was something with similar words.   I think people may remember it and save him for another week.  But he is going to have to impress me next week or I'll be done with him! 
2. Aaron Kelly - 16 from Sonestown, PA  high school student - Aaron, before even stepping on the stage, has the mom vote in the bag.  There definitely were some nerves on the stage when he took on Rascal Flatts' "Here Comes Goodbye" (actually written by Idol's own Chris Sligh.  Crazy right?)  There definitely were some pitch problems.  The judges came to his aid. It's almost like they put in a handicap for the 16 year olds.  "For me For you dude...16???  WOW and you have THOSE pipes?!"   That's fine, he's a cute kid.  They want him in there to broaden the range/appeal of the top 12.  He'll advance.  He might improve.  We'll see! 
3. Jermaine Sellers - 27 from Joliet, IL - This is diva boy who talked back to the band in Hollywood week.  Even worse, when Ryan surprised him with Michael Orland on stage, he didn't even know who the guy was!  Granted, he was taken by surprise.  None of this matters though.  Doing the Justin Guarini Idol staple: Oleta Adams' "Get Here" was painful enough.  I think I heard a "SHORTY" thrown in there too.  Yeah Jermaine, THAT is changing it up!   How about the outfit?  Underground Circus Freak?  Coat tails?  Black flower?  pants tucked into boots?  WHAT?  Did Randy say he dug the outfit?  Whatever...this was a train wreck.   And the high note.  Sounded like Bee Gees on helium and not flattering at all.  He overdid it, it wasn't good.  Not many people are going to remember it.  He's in danger. 
4. Tim Urban  20 from Duncanville, TX - Tim got the ultimate dream, a 2nd chance.  Due to the ineligibility of Chris Golightly, Tim snuck into the top 24.  They did a whole big story on him which will give him an edge in voting.  But his version of One Republic's "Apologize" was pretty rough.  The high notes were really a stretch for him and the stage presence was close to non-existant.  But, the kid is cute and the judges wasted no time telling him.  How insulting would that be when they tell you that the only reason you'll advance is because girls think you're cute.  Maybe not insulting at all at 20 years old.  But still!  I would want to work my butt off to change that image immediately.  He may be safe maybe not.  I have to think about it. 
5. Joe Munos - 20 from Huntington Park, CA- Sang Jason Mraz's "You and I Both"-  I always have loved that song.  We haven't seen much of Joe yet, and he definitely was energetic on stage.  I think he may have "Latinzed" the song a little TOO much.   But that might have just been his voice coming through.   He did have some problems with the high notes as well.  I think he did well enough to get through this week, but he may have issues next week or the week after.  We'll see!        
6. Tyler Grady - 20 from Nazareth, PA - I think I expected more out of Tyler.  The judges are convinced that he is stuck in the 70's and not making an name for himself.  He is more SHOW than Substance.  Based on his performance of "American Woman" I tend to agree.  He is charming enough and people like him enough to keep in him for a bit.  But if he does 70's stuff each week without bringing a new element to it, it might get old soon.   Get to that mall Tyler! 
7. Lee Dewyze - 23 from Chicago, IL - Lee was the surprise of the night.  We also didn't hear much from him in the earlier rounds except the clip of him doing The Fray last week.  This week he went with a little Snow Patrol and adding his Rock Rasp to it and his guitar.  It was pretty good.  Yeah, it wasn't a perfect vocal, but I liked HIM a lot.  I like his potential.  The judges say he was trapped by a song that doesn't have a big range for vocals. That might be true.  But it showcased what the guy can do.  And he was just so happy to be there.  His quote about "never wanting to lose this feeling" at the end was very heartfelt and America will want to vote and vote and vote! 
8. John Park - 21 from Northbrook IL - I had this guy in the bag to make the top 12.  Boy did he disappoint me.  Besides humorously professing his love for Shania Twain, the song choice was ridiculous.  Yeah, he chose for his parents.  Great.  This is a competition, you gotta be in it to win it.  Singing a Jazz Standard "God Bless the Child" when you don't have to sing it for a theme week is a BIG BIG HUGE NO NO!  Unless, you're a phenomenal singer.  John probably did sing it pretty well, but I was bored to sleep!  Maybe he gets a sympathy vote, but I'm thinking he is in big trouble after that one.  
9. Michael Lynche - 26 from St Petersburg, FL - How can you not like this guy?  He's just a big lovable guy.  And he sings well too.  He did a fun rendition with his guitar of Maroon 5's "This Love".  He may not have really been playing the guitar, but who cares?  I get the criticism that it was more "opening act" quality than "main attraction" but for this first week, I think he did good enough.  And I think he'll probably be able to coast to the top 12 with his personality.  But it's smart to get to him now, get him thinking about what he needs to do to evolve.  Not sure if I see the guy winning, but he's fun to have in the competition!  
10. Alex Lambert - 19 from North Richland Hills, Tx -  Even before Ellen brought it up, I was referring to his guy as a Rob Thomas look-a-like with a mullet! That thing is fantastic.  Grow it while you got it Alex!  He sang James Morrison's "Wonderful World" and the voice was really good.  Nice quality to the voice. Randy said it's his favorite "TONE" of the competition.  But YO, dude, that stage presence needs some serious work!  It was very awkward to watch.  The feet and legs going up and down.  Him leaning in and out and staring blankly into the camera.  I agree with Simon's comments.  Just awkward.  But the voice is really good.  I think America may give him a second shot.  But I also wouldn't be surprised to see him go.     
11. Casey James - 27 from Fort Worth, TX - Okay, we get it Kara.  He is EYE CANDY!  I covered my wife's eyes during the performance.  Whatever!  I'm not insecure!  But I think they got a little carried away.  It definitely was unfair to Casey who is trying to perform that he almost is forced to laugh in the middle of his performance of Bryan Adams' "Heaven".  Fortunately enough for him, he is good enough to play right through it.  He sounded really good and has to be one of the favorites right now.  And definitely safe to sail through this round and probably right into the top 12. 
12. Andrew Garcia - 24 from Moreno Valley, CA - I have to say I really figured Andrew would have a great performance lined up.  What it turned out to be was a weak attempt at trying to recreate the "Straight Up" magic from Hollywood by doing the same thing to Fall Out Boy's "Sugar We're Going Down".   It just didn't work as well.  And, based on his re-mix sounding really similar, it makes me think his act could tire quickly unless he has another trick up his sleeve.  Don't get me wrong, I think he is a shoo-in for the top 12 and I think he is very talented.  But I want to see some versatility.  I think he'll bounce back with something good next week.  America will give him that chance! 

Things I learned from 2nd night of LIVE TV.  The judges are still mostly giving the same feedback to each contestant.  I still can't stand Kara.  I miss Paula!  

Let's break this down shall we? 

Who is absolutely safe?  Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Michael Lynche, Lee Dewyze   

Worst Performances?  John Park, Tim Urban, Jermaine Sellers

Not Smart performance? Todrick Hall

Sympathy Vote potential?  Tim Urban, Alex Lambert

Middle of Road?  Tyler Grady, Aaron Kelly

Forgot all about?  Joe Munos

Elimination Picks: John Park, Jermaine Sellers  Bonus (out of the blue) pick:  Joe Munos

It's a tough call.  Things don't normally go down as they should in these early weeks.  Middle of the road performers may be assumed safe and eliminated.  So, while I think John and Jermaine should go home, it could be someone like Joe that ends up getting the boot.  It's happened so many times before!   We'll see! 

One more hour of Idol this week folks!  And Season 8 winner Kris Allen will be performing.  Get excited!  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you after the results!

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

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FlashForward - http://www.flashforwardaddicts.com/ (back March 18th)

American Idol Season 9 Top 24 - Final 12 Girls Perform

Well, here we are America!  Starting the live shows.  And if I must say so, it started off with a bit of a whimper.  Yeah, it happens every year.  It's the first time anyone is performing live so the first crop has a bit of a disadvantage (the guys will probable be better Wednesday).   But, with them saying how strong the girls are this year, I'm going to need to see a bit more.  There were a few that I thought have potential to be really good, but a lot of it just was dull and boring tonight.   I really don't know which 2 to pick to go home!  But I have about 5 to pick from, so we'll see how I'm feeling when we get to the bottom!  One thing I know, things aren't looking good from my TOP 12 Picks so far!

3 Weeks of Semi-Finals in front of us.  2 Guys and Girls eliminated each week until we get to the Top 12.   We will be hearing hits from the Billboard Charts for these 3 weeks, so the kids have many songs to choose from.   How did they do?

1. Paige Miles - 24 from Naples Fl and is a Pre-School Teacher - The one thing I remember saying when we found out she was in the Top 24, was "WHO??"   No one knew who this girl was.  I don't even remember if we saw her audition, but she got little to no screen time in Hollywood.   She knew that as well.  And she came out and sang "All Right Now" by Free?  Really?  She had everything going against her from going first to having limited exposure.  She needed to come out and sing something that would blow us away.  Now the judges are in her corner.  They all were talking about how she has the best voice of the 12.  Well, that's a shame, we may never get to hear it!   Of course, Kara was hearing something different all night than everyone else.  She loved it.  She told Paige she "SLAYED" it!  Okay, whatever.  Tell me this America, do any of you remember it?   The only reason I do is because I took notes for this recap! 
2. Ashley Rodriguez - 22 from Chelsea, Massachusetts - Loved the clip of Simon making fun of Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield".  Catchy song, I'll admit it but it is very silly and a very big rip-off of Pat Benetar!   Anyway, I think based on exposure, we may have expected great things from Ashley.  She sang "Happy" by Leona Lewis.  And I'll agree with the judges on this one.  It was a so-so performance from a BIG singer (a winner of Simon's UK X-Factor by the way) and it was just 2nd class.  Also early in the 12 performances.  Simon thinks Ashley may be in trouble, I will not disagree.  I don't have much else to say about it!     
3. Janell Wheeler - 24 from Orlando, Florida and is a Wine Sales Rep  - She performed Heart's "What About Love".   I like the song, but for Janell's voice?  Way too much.  The song was eating her alive by the end of it.  Again, not too much to say about it.  Not memorable at all. 
4. Lilly Scott - 20 from Littleton, CO - Lilly explains to us her struggling musician career in the pre-performance clips.   She definitely is a cut from a different cloth.  She sang a crazy rendition of a totally random Beatles song "Fixing a Hole".  But the crazy thing is, it kind of worked!  She has a Megan Joy vibe to her from last year, but that's not really saying much.  It's the quirky-retro Duffy/Adele voice we heard from a lot of people tonight, except that she can actually pull it off unlike Megan.  She also brought the guitar to the table which is always a nice spin.   She may tire on us after awhile, but I could see her making the top 12.  She's definitely one of the safe ones this week.   
5. Katelyn Epperly - 19 from Wes Demoines, Iowa - I had referred to Katelyn as a dark horse to make the top 12.  I actually thought she had top 12 potential until we barely saw her in the Hollywood rounds.  She's got the look, she's got the voice and she's very likable.  She sang  "Oh Darling" by The Beatles and definitely did her own thing with it.  Good Voice, good stage presence, no bad notes.  I think people are going to vote for her in these early rounds.  I agree that she'll need to improve if she wants to win the whole thing, but for this round based on what we have heard?   She'll be sticking around a bit longer. 
6. Haeley Vaughn - 16 from Colorado - Good job Mom on letting Haeley get that nose pierced after making it to Hollywood.  NOT an improvement!   Now, without trying to be P.C. we remember this girl as the Carrie Underwood singing girl with the LISP!  I probably would have held out on bringing up the lisp at least for a few more weeks, but the judges called her out in the auditions.  So here we go!  Anyway, whenever I see her I have this feeling that she SHOULD be good, but then those high notes just hurt my ears.  There is something totally not pleasing about them (thanks Randy!).  Yeah, maybe lowering the key would work.  I don't know.  She can sing, she can play the guitar.  That's not the problem.   But her singing The Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was kind of weird.  I've stated it before many times.  The younger kids in the competition are usually one-trick ponies.  Jordin Sparks was an exception in a year full of dull contestants.   I don't quite know if Haeley has what it takes.  I think she's a contender to be booted! 
7. Lacey Brown - 24 from Amarillo, Tx -  So, now the question is if people will sympathize with Lacey for not making it to the Semi-Finals last year because of Megan Joy (why are we still talking about her?!)   Because singing that very strange version of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" isn't gonna cut it!  What was up with background singer guy and the melodies.  Were they doing a duet?   The judges said she was a bit pitchy.  I didn't even notice.  I was just trying to make sense of the song arrangement and her crazy vocal choices.   I was also trying to think of what her voice reminded me of.   I guess my nemesis, Kara, may have pointed me in the right direction with Six Pence None the Richer.   No fear though, Simon likes her eyes.  She's SAFE!   Naa, she's one of my bottom contenders too. 
8. Michelle Delamor - 22 from Miami, Fl -  Yeah, another 2nd class version of a big singer song: Alicia Keys' "Fallen".   But, she has a really good voice.  I agree that the Star Power is missing.  None of the contestants really took their performances to the next level tonight.  But at least she got through the song and I can still kind of remember it!   The one thing I started to get annoyed with at this point was that we have 4 judges pretty much telling us the same thing.  WHY OH WHY do we have 4 judges?   Ellen wasn't too bad with her LIVE debut, at least she admitted she is only judging from how she'd be watching at home.  But there were times when they ALL were saying the same thing.   I just think the 3 judge format is better.  So get rid of Kara and then end the show after Simon leaves this season!  THE END!   (oh how I miss Paula) 
9. Didi Benami - 23 from Knoxville, TN - I understand wanting to make a statement with a song in the first week.  And the judges came down on Didi for being another Duffy/Adele sound-a-like.   I thought Didi's rendition of Ingrid Michelson's "The Way I Am" was really really good.  She has a very soothing voice and she did some interesting things with it to make the song her own.   Yeah, maybe 4 of the singers sound similar, but I thought she was the best of the 4.   That being said, I'm not sure how she'd do on a big Rock song if she has to do that down the road.   We'll find out what stuff she has next week!  I'm certain of it. 
10. Siobhan Magnus - 19 from Cape Cod, MA - It was cute when she asked what Simon meant by being a "dark horse" in the competition.  But that's where my enjoyment ended once again.  She did a little Chris Isask "Wicked Game" and it was just weird.  She sang it well, I guess.  But this is when I started thinking, "this is the girl's season?  Lots of talent?"   You start thinking about the Top 12 contestants from the past 8 years and start wondering if any of these girls match up.   I am just going to chalk it up to 1st week jitters for now.   I think she'll be safe. 
11. Crystal Bowersox - 24 from Elliston, OH - Just like a true rock girl, she tells America basically that she's "in it for the paycheck"  Props for being honest and the shots of the baby help a bit too.   I already had Crystal down as a favorite for me going into these rounds.  It's interesting that she's never seen the show before and it showed when she responded to Simon "We can't do original songs on the show!"  when he told her to do something original.   She hasn't seen Chris Daughtry, David Cook, and ugh...Adam Lambert change up their tunes into something pretty awesome.   I still thought her whipping out the guitar and harmonica on Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket" was darn good, even if she kept repeating the same lyrics.  She gave us a flavor of what she can bring to the table.  And I like her and am interested in seeing more of her (just like Ellen suggested).   She is SAFE! 
12. Katie Stevens -  17 from Middlebury, CT - Okay, based on what we've seen since the beginning of this season, if any 16 or 17 year old should be in the top 12, it's Katie.  She has a great voice.  Yeah, doing "Feeling Good" may have not been the best choice for her.   The judges want her to be younger.  And I'm sure Adam Lambert fans scoffed at this little girl ruining his legacy to the song on the show (even though I thought his performance of it was a bit over the top).  But, putting her in the final slot, and doing a decent vocal will keep Katie alive in future rounds.  I think she already has a solid backing to stick around and "BE A KID" next week.   But please, NO TAYLOR SWIFT!!!  

Okay, so who is going home?  I will go through my normal process of elimination, but I think at some point I'm just going to have to randomly pick 2! 

Who is safe this week?  Lilly Scott, Katelyn Epperly, Michelle Delamor, Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox
Most Likely Safe? Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens
Who is left?  Lacey Brown, Ashley Rodriguez, Paige Davis, Haeley Vaughn, Janell Wheeler
Who had some previous exposure?  Ashley, Lacey, Haeley
Who might get a sympathy vote because Simon told her she was in trouble?  Ashley
Who might be forgotten about after going 1st, having no exposure, and the judges saying she's probably safe?  Paige
Who couldn't I think of much to write about at all?  Janell

My Elimination Picks:  Janell Wheeler, Paige Davis   Bonus Pick: Ashley Rodriguez

Let me tell you, my record for getting this stuff right is not very good!  Only for picking the winner of the whole thing.  It is way too early for that kind of predicting.  That's all I have for now.  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you Wednesday for the Guy's recap!

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

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American Idol Season 9 - Top 24 Revealed - Plus my Top 12 picks

Hello America!  We made it!   We have gotten through the last of the pre-recorded shows and have unveiled the complete TOP 24.   Next week starts the onslaught of 3 weeks of 3 episodes a week, but we will get through it together!   But before then, I must go through my annual predictions of who I think will make the top 12.  Below are our Top 24 and marked in Blue are my predictions for the 6 girls and 6 guys who I think will move on to the next round.   (Note: It looks like the disqualification of Mike Lynche were only rumors.  Looks like he will be performing next Wednesday!  Nice!) 

1. Michael Lynche
2. Didi Benami
3. Katelyn Epperly (she is a dark horse to sneak in)
4. Casey James
5. Aaron Kelly
6. Lee Dewyze
7. Todrick Hall
8. Janell Wheeler
9. Tyler Grady
10. Lacey Brown
11. Ashley Rodriguez
12. Alex Lambert
13. Joe Munoz
14. Crystal Bowersox (She needs a major makeover though! Teeth whitener anyone?) 
15. Katie Stevens
16. Lilly Scott (My wildcard girl pick. Could be either her or Lacey Brown who might get sympathy vote)
17. Paige Miles (who? I do not remember this girl)
18. Siobhan Magnus
19. Michelle Delamor
20. Tim Urban  
21. Jermaine Sellers
22. John Park
23. Haley Vaughn
24. Andrew Garcia

Of course, these are just my initial reactions.  All of this is meaningless once we see them perform LIVE.  American Idol forces us to have pre-determined opinions based on exposure to certain contestants.  But, favorites of mine going in are Andrew Garcia, Crystal Bowersox (makeover included), and Katie Stevens.  I am by no means predicting one of these to win, it is way too early to make that call.  We will see what happens!

What I have learned so far from Auditions and Hollywood:  I still cannot stand Kara.  When she sat with Angela Martin and tried to comfort her and tried to rally the other judges to support her, it just made me sick to my stomach.  Who is this girl that thinks she is the QUEEN of the JUDGES after being there one year?   And so far, Ellen has not gotten on my nerves at all.  She has been the same Ellen that we all know and love from her Talk Show but with actually decent advice for the contestants.  I'll reserve complete judgement until we get to LIVE TV, and we need the show to end on time!

Other than that, I am ready for the LIVE Shows.  I'm ready to redeem myself for picking Adam to topple Kris last year and get my WINNER Prediction streak up to 7 correct guesses out of 9!    Stick with me for the rest of the season folks.  It's going to be one fun ride to the end!   Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next week!

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

LOST - http://www.lostaddictsblog.com/ (blog is back and on fire!)
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American Idol - 7 of the Top 24 Unveiled

Hello America!  Surprise, did you realize that tonight's episode would be 2 hours?  Yeah, I didn't either until earlier today.  It was right about when I found out that they would start dishing out the Top 24 a day early too.  Crazy!   Anyway, that changes my whole approach to tonight's recap.   Why get into all of the speculation when we're already revealing who we will see perform live.   So, as usual, I will save my Top 12 predictions for the Wednesday recap, but I will give my brief thoughts on who made it in tonight now.

We started off the night with the 3 rooms, and had to figure out which of the one rooms would not make it to the next elimination stage.   I thought it was pretty easy to determine that ROOM 2 was the odd group out.  The one big notable name from that group was Mary Powers, who developed a group of haters after her "GROUP ROUND" antics last week.  So no love was lost seeing her leave.   Most of the people that we have been picking as favorites are still in the running for tomorrow's unveiling.  And we'll discuss them in a little more detail tomorrow.

Here are the 7 Top 24 Contestants unveiled:

1. Michael Lynche -  So, here is poor Michael again.  He made it to the live performances.   I haven't heard anything differently about him not being disqualified because of his father, but I guess we will find out tomorrow when they show the montage of dancing contestants who made the top 24 (the cheesiest thing on Idol behind the Ford Commercials!) 
2. Didi Benami - Didi had a pretty successful Hollywood Week.   We will remember her most for her kissing up and performing the Kara song on Day 1, but she sang it well.   And we were reminded of her friend in Nashville passing away and her dedicating her run on Idol to her.  Her rendition of "Angel" was decent too, but the judges called her inconsistent for the week.  We'll see!  The Idol Producers sure showed us a lot of this girl! 
3. Katelyn Epperly -  We really didn't see Katelyn much since her audition, just clips of her getting through each round.  She developed some fans early on.  It's impossible not to get caught up in the "cute" factor.  But Katelyn, the hat has to go!   She sounded pretty good on her rendition of "Bubbly" on day 3 and she definitely has a voice.  She has the "package artist" thing going for her.  But how will she perform live?  
4. Casey James -  This ponytailed audition stripper guy totally re-packaged himself as a serious artist during Hollywood week and won me over.  I like his chances for the top 12 a lot, but let's find out the rest of his competition first. 
5. Aaron Kelly - The young kid who calls his Aunt, MOM.  He skated through Hollywood on very thin ice, forgetting the lyrics in the Group Round and Round 3.   The kid has a voice though, no getting around that.   We'll see if he can remember his lyrics on the LIVE show and get that all too important MOM vote behind him! 
6. Lee Dewyze - This guy was the surprise of the night, as we have not seen much of him.  He could be the dark horse in the group.  Looks like he has some good guitar skills and good musical taste.  We caught him performing the Fray's "You Found Me" which actually didn't work out for a top 12 contestant last year, Mr Matt Giraud.  I thought it had sounded good though!  
7. Todrick Hall - We have heard Todrick's name being dropped ever since his audition where he did that crazy little ditty that named all of the judges in a cute/creative way.  I won't hold it against him that he worked on Broadway with Fantasia.  But if he keeps bringing it up, I just might have to! 

So that's the 7 we saw folks!   Others to keep an eye on tomorrow night?  Andrew Garcia, Ashley Rodriguez, John Park, Janell Wheeler (another one they keep bringing up), Thaddeus Johnson (you gotta love that guy!) and I'm sure many many more.  Those are just ones off the top of my head that I can see them giving some attention to.

What do you guys think of the 7 that made it in so far?  Any predictions for who else will fill it in?  We'll know soon enough.  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and see you tomorrow!

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

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American Idol Season 9 - Hollywood Group Round Returns! (Recap)

Hello Idol watchers and welcome back to another round of Hollywood Week.  And yes, it's the week that can make or break some of the early favorites.  The GROUP Round!  It's crazy.  Every year I will pick some favorites from the audition rounds, but totally forget that people self-destruct when they're forced to work with other people.  I never have understood Group Round as a necessary audition device to find our next Solo Artist Icon.   Maybe on Simon's eventual X-Factor, this makes sense.   But, it's hard to complain because watching these contestants get all feisty is so much fun!

But, in this blog we're mainly focused about who is moving onward to the next rounds as we narrow down our list to 24.    There are 71 that survive after the groups.  Here are some of the groups that were showcased:

FAITH
They sang "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce.  Ashley Rodriguez, Michelle Delamour and Charity Vance all make it through.  They sounded pretty good together, but we didn't get to see any of the drama leading up to their performance.  I guess there was nothing worth noting!

Team Awesome
This group includes Michael "Big Mike" Lynche, and it break my heart every time.  Now we witness him talking his wife through the birth of their daughter over the phone as he awaits his group performance.  I'm not gonna lie, I was moved to tears.   If you were his father and blew his big shot at Idol, how would you live with yourself?  SERIOUSLY!?!   As I mentioned before, Michael has already been disqualified for his father talking to the local newspaper and breaking confidentiality agreements.  It's a shame that Idol probably already had all of this filmed and edited to showcase Mike.   Anyway, He and Tim Urban (we saw him in Tuesday's Hollywood week with his guitar) make it through.   Seth Rollins and Michael Castro (Jason's brother) do not move on.

Neopolitan and Destiny's Wild
My wife picked up on why they named their team Neopolitan and it had to do with Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.  That's all I will say to remain politically correct!  But the big fuss with these 2 groups was their feud over Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance".  Apparently Destiny's Wild decided to do the song a capella but Neopolitan performed first and did the same thing.   It was fun to watch them all talk to the cameras and never to each other.   Long story short.  All of the contestants got in.  But I thought Destiny's Wild sounded awful.   The members?  Neopolitan - Liz Rooney, Thaddeus Johnson, Jessica Cunningham and Paige Johnson.   Destiny's Wild - Todrick Hall, Theri, Jareb Liewer and Siobhan Magnus.   And I'm sorry, I don't remember ever seeing this Jareb before, but he was absolutely annoying to the max!  I hope I don't have to see him much longer!

The Mighty Rangers (The Denver Crew)
This was your typical group where some went to bed and others kept rehearsing.  And when they performed some sang well and remembered the words and others didn't.   Tori Kelly and Maddie Penrose continue.  Mark Labriola forgot his words and begged and begged for another chance.  Simon put him in his place.

The Jermaine Sellers Group (I don't think they had a name) 
This group had a remaining member of the Danny Gokey group from last year,  Moorea Masa. Ironically, I remember that group from last year and how they showed everyone's name except one member of the group.  This must have been her.  She had this whole EGO problem where she wanted her team to know that SHE knew how to get through this round.  The team had lots of problems gelling. And in the end only Jermaine Sellers and Jeff Godford get in.

Big Dreams
We saw a montage of people that couldn't learn the lyrics to Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape."  Unfortunately, in this group was former convict Matt Lawrence.   And there was high drama girl Amanda Shecktman.  No one on this team moved on past this round.   But this is my point exactly.  Lots of people jumped on the Matt Lawrence bandwagon, and once you hit those group rounds, all bets are off!   Moral of this story?  Don't get attached until you see who is getting through in the Hollywood rounds.

Middle C
Janell Wheeler, Jermaine Purifoy and Casey James (stripper audition guy that did that awesome bluesy thing in Tuesday's Hollywood ep) all get through with some great solo singing and harmonizing.

3 Men and a Baby (or was it Little Lady?)
This group had Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens and J.B. Ahfua (God Bless you!).  They awesomely sang Alicia Key's "No One".   I know that I don't like to support the youth, but Katie Stevens might be one we'll be seeing in that top 12.  She is really good.   And I really like Andy Garcia too.  And now it's not just because of the name.  He's had 2 solid Hollywood performances in a row.

The Dreamers
Big drama group here with Rocker Chick Mary Powers trying to be a control freak.  Mary, along with Alex Lambert (don't remember seeing him but I don't think we need another A. Lambert being successful on Idol!) are the only 2 that moved on.  Mary wasn't cut out for the group round and I think the judges gave her a pass knowing that she can really sing.  But her attitude in the group round showed her in a whole new light.  I'm sure she'll get past it.

So, we did see a few other favorites that made it through at the end (just no performances to show what they're doing).   John Park, Haley Vaughn, Tyler Grady, Katelyn Epperly and Lloyd Thomas to name a few.

So, that's all for Group Night.  There is one more round of performances for the 71 remaining contestants.  I think this is when they put people into 3 or 4 different rooms and give them the news.  Then from there they will select the Top 24.   We're getting ever so close to LIVE performances!  Are you guys excited?  Well, we better be because we still have a long road to go folks.   Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next week!

Ending Credits

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American Idol - Hollywood Week Episode 1 - Ellen Degeneres Joins the Judges

Hello Idol Peeps!  What's up?  Well, was it everything you hoped it would be and more?  Ellen Degeneres has joined the Fab 3 judges to make them an official foursome again.   She made it just in time for the Hollywood rounds and wasted no time adding her "Ellen-ness" to the critiques.  So far, they seem to have her tamed and the comments she made were pretty funny.  But editing is an amazing thing.  Let's see what happens when we go live and the Ellen/Simon banter causes us to go 10 minutes over every week.  And I'm sorry, LOST airs on performance nights now.  There is no room for overtime IDOL!

But we're not supposed to focus on the judges right?  (whisper amongst yourselves to if you'll stick with the show when Simon exits after this year)   It's Hollywood Week and we saw some more skills out of the youngsters.  Obviously, they didn't show us everyone, but there was some shockers to who didn't make it past the round 1 line-ups.  We'll focus on the good but bid a fond farewell to some of the losers! (and I mean that in the nicest way possible!)

181 Contestants enter Hollywood Week.  By the end, 12 Guys and 12 Girls will remain.  Musical instruments are allowed from now on.  Let's get going!

Advanced to Next Round

These are a few of the ones we saw some screen time.  

• Katie Stevens - 17 - She's the one with the grandmother that has alzheimer's.  She sang Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" and continues to show her maturity at such a young age.  I still will be cautious due to the age, but I see her sticking around for a bit.  
• Andrew Garcia - 24 - Ahh yes, the guy that has the awesome name!  And now?  He has some awesome skills to go with.  Once I saw him go out there with a guitar and say he was going to do Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" I knew it was gonna be good.  After David Cook's rendition of "Always Be My Baby"by Mariah Carey, nothing surprises me anymore!   And man, it was REAL good.  It had a Maroon 5-esque feel to it.  Granted, he's been playing that rendition for years and has perfected it.  We'll have to see what he can pull off under pressure in a week's time.  But I like his chances.   And Kara, don't insult us by jogging up memories of Adam Lambert changing up songs because that's the only season you judged.  Chris Daughtry and David Cook mastered this in season's prior.   Ellen gets in a funny here when she imitates the PAULA SEAL CLAP over the head. "She would be doing this right now!"   LOVED IT!  But, I'm not getting attached to Ellen on Idol.  Seriously!  I'm gonna fight it! 
• Janell Wheeler - 24 - Had to look this one up.  She sang Estelle's "American Boy" with her guitar.   I didn't jot much down in my notes, but I remember it sounding really good.  I'll wait to hear more! 
• Haley Vaughn - 16 - I think we're allowed to call her "LISP GIRL!" because Simon already addressed it in the audition.  I'm in the clear!  And yes, you should be able to single her out because she's one of the "Million Percent" girls that Randy anointed.   In all seriousness, she may remember her rocking out some country in the auditions with Carrie Underwood, and now she brought some Taylor Swift to the table.  She sang "Change" with her guitar.  And for 16, she is still really showing she can SANG!  And, definitely can sing better than Taylor Swift.  Of course, I would put any of these contestants in the category of "better singer" than her!  But, it's cool, Taylor Swift's manager already said she's not competing in American Idol, so we're good.   Haley may have a certain Top 24 quality about her.  Let's see how the next rounds go.  
• Mary Powers - 29 - She sang Pat Benetar in her audition.  This year's Rocker girl.  She awesomely sang Pink's "Sober" in this round.  Not sure if this is a compliment, but she sounded just like Pink!  She probably needs to find her own sound, but they have to let her through with those chops.  I look forward to hearing more! 
• Lilly Scott - 20 - The sandwich maker takes on the guitar and sings Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland".  Definitely has a unique retro feel to her, but that could be the song she decided to sing!   I would look to her to get a little modern with her song choices to see if she can hang!  But she definitely can sing well! 
• Michael Lynche - Big Mike - 26 - Poor Big Mike.  Now his wife goes into labor while he's going all Hollywood.  And in the back of our minds, we already know the guy was disqualified because of his loud mouth father talking to the local newspapers!  Good Job DAD OF THE YEAR!   Of course, he did perform my least favorite song in the world: John Mayer's "Waiting for the Chords to Change"   errr I mean World.   Still drives me crazy that he got a hit song out of a song that sounds like so many other songs in the world.  Of course, I'm probably a little too picky on ol' John considering many of the world's POP Songs have the same chord structure!   In Michael's defense, he sounded good and got the rest of the contestants to sing along.   Too bad we'll never see him LIVE! 
• Tim Urban - 20 from Texas - I don't think we saw this guy's audition.  He had a pretty bad one but they could tell he had a voice.  He came in this time with his guitar and sang David Cook's "Come Back to Me".  It sounded pretty good.  I hate to agree with Kara, but the chorus did sound a little rough!   They must be showing him for a reason.  Let's stay tuned! 
• Casey James - 27 - This is the "stripper guy" who took it all off for Kara in the audition round.  He just wanted to make it to Hollywood so he could bring out the guitar.  It definitely made him a lot more comfortable and he sang some bluesy stuff.  I think what he performed was "I Don't Need No Doctor" covered by many but originally by Ray Charles.  (Googled that one too)   Anyway, it was really good!  I think we'll see more of him! 
• Didi Benami - 23 - Okay, she's a bit of a kiss up performing a Kara song "Terrified" but she still did it really well!  And I don't care if the song only had 2 chords.  She played them well and sang it ridiculously well.  We might want to look out for this one!  But the red tight?  Ouch, she needs a make-over STAT! 
• Crystal Bowersox - 24 - Epitome of trashy, right?  Nasty teeth, got a tattoo of her son's name on her back, has the piercing under her lip.  But if you put all that aside and also forgive her for singing "Natural Woman" which should be retired from Idol after Kelly Clarkson perfected it in season 1, then we saw a really amazing performance!   Simon even gave a nod to Paula by calling her infectious, and we hope he didn't mean that the dirty teeth will spread to anyone she touches!  The 1-2 punch of Didi and Crystal to end the hour was an impressive one.  I can see them moving on to the LIVE shows as well.  

They did show us shots of a few others that continued, but I'm guessing we'll see more of them in the Wednesday show!  

Going Home

I won't say much here, but I just wanted to give a few goodbyes and good riddances! 

• Skiiboski - Don't even care I spelled it wrong, C YA! 
• Vanessa Wolf - the REAL southern gal who had never been on an "AERO" Plane.  I felt bad for her.  She came out singing Blind Melon and it did not sound good!  I really thought she was going to surprise us in the later rounds.  Oh well, I guess not! 
• Cornelius Edwards - the "my pants done ripped" guy.  We knew he wouldn't get far, but it was still funny to watch him do that split! 
• Megan Wright with the little brother supporter - Not good!  Farewell! 
• Amadeo DiRocco - also expected bigger things from him.  Sorry dude! 
• Justin Williams - the cancer survivor.  I figured the ladies would love this guy and he'd have it in the bag to make it further.  Nope! 
• The Jersey Girls - Thank God they're gone! 
• Beat Box Guy - I mean, really?  I called him leaving in the first round the minute they let him through! 
• Maddie Curtis - the girl with the family that adopted the kids with down syndrome.  It was sad not to see her perform well.  But she is gone now.  We must move on! 

And move on, we must!  Wednesday is GROUPS Day!  The most pointless, but still entertaining segment of the American Idol process!  (since they only perform in groups in those awful results show numbers)   Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I will see you after the next show! 

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support!- I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

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American Idol - Season 9 - Road to Hollywood Episode

Hello everyone!  One last episode of auditions.  And this was just a "best of the rest" type episode.  Most likely, they have a chance to see more of the contestants in Hollywood at this point, so they want to feature a few more of the singers from all of the 7 cities in this last episode.  They mostly showed us Hollywood Bound singers and only a couple silly ones.   I, for one, am thankful that the Auditions are over.  I'm going to try to be brief with my thoughts on these folks, because we'll see them again next week and half of them may be gone by then!  

Here we go folks!

Hollywood Bound

• Jessica Furney - 20 From Kansas - She auditioned in season 8 and has returned with a makeover.  Performed a song co-written by Simon and claimed to not be kissing up (yeah ok).  The song was "Footprints in the Sand".  She sounded okay.  The judges all thought she improved from last year.  We'll see soon enough!  
• Amanda Shechtman - 19 from New York - She was the theater girl who was overdramatic.  Actually has a decent voice but got overdramatic over the judges giving her constructive criticism.  So they had fun with her, mostly Simon.  From the previews, it looks like her drama will carry on into Hollywood week, so we can take a look then! 
• Lee Dewyce - 23 from Illinois - Didn't see much but they made a big deal out of people with instruments performing without.  This was a guitar dude.   Sounded pretty good on "Ain't No Sunshine".
• Crystal Bowersox - 23 -  Another instrument girl.  She sang "Piece of My Heart".  It sounded good.  Not enough to judge her too much yet!
• Lacy Brown - 23 from Amarillo, Texas -  I already like this girl because anyone should have been given a shot over Megan Joy last season.  And Lacy was sitting next to her when they decided on that top 32 or whatever it was last season (36 maybe).   Lacy sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in this audition and according to Randy had a nice tone to her voice.  Maybe she'll get through to the live voting this season for redemption.
• There was the onslaught of 16 year olds.  These kids always have the odds stacked against them but in Hollywood, they always bring their A Game:
  Rachel Hubbard Boerne from Texas
  Thaddeus Jackson -  All I remember is he had goofy hair.
  Genesis Moore from Georgia - Well she was named after either the Bible, a science experiment in Star Trek II, or an old Sega System.  She can't be that bad right?   And she was another unexpected individual doing some Carrie Underwood.   And doing it well.  We'll see!  
• Michael Lynche - 26 from Astoria, New York - You may have already heard about this one.  He's a father-to-be and maybe he'll be a little better to his son if he ever tries out for a competition such as American Idol one day.   This guy made it to Hollywood, and his father broke a confidentiality agreement with the local papers and told them that Michael made it to Hollywood.   I'm not sure why they still showed Michael on this episode, since he's been disqualified.  Maybe things have changed and I didn't hear about it.   Regardless, I don't think he would have been winning with the audition we heard.  It was "Unchained Melody" and I was cringing during some of the longer notes!   
• Didi Benami - 22 from Hollywood - She auditioned in memory of her best friend Rebecca who passed away 4 years ago.  She sang The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and did it pretty well.  Very unique voice.  My only problem is, that "uniqueness" reminds me of Megan Joy!  And that cannot swing very well in her favor.  I will say that she should better and seems less weird that Megan, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now! 
• Aaron Kelly - 16 from orlando  -  Aaron lives with his Aunt and Uncle.  He calls his Aunt, "Mom" because she is who raised him.  He and his biological parents had problems keeping jobs when he was very little.  So the Aunt/Uncle stepped in.   He sang the Miley Cyrus tune "The Climb" and sounded really good on it.  But of course, he is 16.   But he's a cute little kid and agree with Simon that he'll get the mom vote given the opportunity!    
• Hope Johnson - 19 from Arlington, Texas - Another horror story of a childhood where she had parents that couldn't keep their pants on so they had a family of 80,000  (or 6 sisters and one brother).  So, then they were poor and never ate dinner and stuff.   I love how all of this stuff is always in the past.  It's never "I'm poor and I need this NOW to help my family.  If you say no to me, you're putting us on the street!"   NOW THAT would be entertaining TV!   Now, I'm sure it's rough growing up like that.   I would just like a current update.  Like, is it relevant now?  Is she still starving?   I don't want to vote for her under false pretenses!  Plus, I don't even think she sang that well, so I don't really want to vote for her anyway!   She sang "I hope you Dance" and we got a humorous bit of Randy singing to teach Hope how to hold out her notes.   Maybe she'll improve in the next round.   

THE BAD ONES

Nothing too exciting here.  There was the Fisher girl that auditioned 7 times previously and was a die hard Victoria Beckham fan.  Not good!    There was the 6 foot 8 17 year old who loves to swim but sings like a chipmunk.   Loved the 1-2 punch: Kara "There is a small boy trapped inside of you"  Simon "Either that or you ate one!"   There was the naughty Kimberly Bishop who really was awful and a disgrace to TV   And then there was Shaddaii Harris whose mother told her how great she was and Idol made us fall for the oldest trick in the book.  We figured she'd be good and then she was hysterically bad.   Ahhh good times! 

But you know what kids?  I am DONE with auditions!  We're moving on to Hollywood!  And you know what that means?  Oh yes, the arrival of our new permanent judge, Ellen Degeneres.  And, the previews make her look like she's pretty hardcore mean.  We'll see if that's just a ploy to get us to watch. In any case, I'm glad this show is moving on to more exciting things.  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings as always and I'll see you next week! 

Ending Credits

Please Click to Support! - I'm moonlighting at Gather.com and writing some entertainment articles, including re-posting these blog entries.  Every page hit gets me closer to a teeny tiny donation for my efforts.  If you enjoyed my writings, please click here to register a page view.     And also check out my other writings at http://mvitullo.gather.com/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

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Amerian Idol Season 9 - Denver Auditions

Hello world and welcome to the final stop on the audition circuit: Denver, Colorado!   Well, it was filmed earlier than other auditions but they saved it for city #7 anyway!   And there is an episode on Wednesday showing even more auditions from all of the towns, but you know what I mean!  We're in the last week of auditions so this alone is a cause for celebration!    Will Colorado find another Chris Daughtry this year?   The Idol producers overloaded us with talent in this episode, but no one was really blowing me away.  But you never know what will happen when we get to the later rounds.  Let's get to it!

Victoria Beckham again was the guest judge and actually got some good zingers this time!  Here we go:

Hollywood Bound

• Mark Labriola - 28 from Aurora, Colorado - This dude had some crazy story about being on the run with his mother for 6 years.  His mother took him across the country, keeping him from his father.   Then the story got weirder.  Dad got him back and brought him to Colorado.  Mom was in Maui, but now lives in North Carolina.   And if this wasn't enough, he loves cheese and looks like Jack Black!  I don't quite see it, but whatever!   I do love cheese so he's alright in my book!    He sang "Tempted" by Squeeze and sang it pretty darn well.   He has a son and he was very emotional after he got through to Hollywood.  I'm sure he will get some more focus in later rounds so we can judge more then! 
• Kimberly Kerbow - 24 from California - She used the cute kid angle with her  5 year old daughter Amelia.  She sang that song "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson  I thought the Rogaine lyric was bizarre, but I just googled it.  It actually is a lyric from the song so the judges were making a big deal out of nothing.   She was an okay singer.   But as my wife called before Simon and Kara mentioned it, she was soooo wearing a wig!  What is that all about?  /
• Danelle Hayes - 24 from Seattle Washington -  She was the emotional Karaoke Host who wanted more out of her music career and has been doing the awful life of singing in bars and corporate events.  It was cool of her getting her shot at stardom after all of her trials, but I think she may have overdone the crying a bit!   She sang "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge and had a very nice raspy quality to the voice.  So emotional mess of a girl, with a unique voice. Could take her a long way.   But we've seen these raspy girls before.  You put them in other genres and other songs and sometimes it doesn't work out well.  Remember Amanda Overmeyer?   All I can remember is that crazy hair she had during the one week!     By the way, Randy mentioned his hundred billion million trillion percent thing on pretty much every contestant in Denver!    
• Casey James - 27 from Fort Worth, Texas -  He was in a motorcycle accident at 21 and showed all his cool scars.   The doctors told him he couldn't play guitar again, but he still does even through the pain.   I didn't know the song he sang but he was alright.  The judges were not in unison.  Simon thought he was boring.   Kara loved him and got Victoria on board.  Was it any doubt that Randy wouldn't stick to his guns with the 2 women convincing him to go their way?   EVERY TIME!!!    And what was up with them all telling him to take off his shirt?   That was just bizarre.   Kara and Victoria were all about the crazy Package Artist thing again.   Whatever, maybe he'll be good.  But I don't think we're looking at the champ! 
• Tori Kelly - 16 from Canyon Lake, California-  This girl did not look 16 at all.  And she used a cute kid angle as well.  Was it her sister?  There's no way it was her daughter!  That's not even biologically possible!   Anyway, Hope brought in drawings of each of the judges.  Randy's was by far the cutest and funniest.   Tori Sang John Mayer's "Gravity".   Again, she was pretty good, but nothing that I'm getting over-excited about.   This was another one that Kara and Victoria valued PACKAGE over voice.   I couldn't agree more when Simon said "Voice is more important".   That's always been the appeal of American Idol.   Why is Kara trying to get all of the models through?    
• Nicci Nix - 22 - Okay, this is the girl from Florence, Italy.  Okay, what?  Did she ever say she was American?  I mean, I'm guessing she is but she was flying all over the world to get to Denver for the audition.  And she had a high squeaky speaking voice.  She sang "Something Kinda Ooh" which had Simon cracking that they were the most meaningful lyrics ever.  Then the Spice Girl on the judging panel spoke up "better than 'Zig a Zig Ah?'   That was LOL quality right there Mrs. Beckham!   Nicci was more annoying than anything and I think she has enough helium to fly her way back to Florence!  But reagardless, she'll be back! 
• Haley Vaughn - 16 - Colorado - I thought this was going to be another "down on her luck" story who will come in and sing some Mary J. Blige or R&B with crazy runs and everything.  But I was pleasantly surprised.   They did do the premature birth sob-story.  Okay, Haley, you weren't old enough to remember it!   But she did talk about her father passing away when she was 10 and that was sad.   But what surprised me most was her choice of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" for her song choice.  And she sang it really well!    Totally did a double take.  But it will definitely get people to remember her!  

 26 Total made it to Hollywood from Denver!  But we did see a few bad auditions:  

The Bad Ones

Nothing too exciting here either.  There was Mario with the weird laugh who did Jailhouse Rock.    Austin Paul was the overconfident Jock/Musician.  His song was pretty hysterical though "I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for"  WHAT???  Then there was the street singer Kenny Everett who referred to himself as the Male Mary J. Blige.  Victoria got some laughs by trying to look at the positives, "I did like the choice of song!"    

But I am thankful folks.  We have finally reached the end of auditions.   Well, save the one episode tomorrow that will show more highlights and lowlights from all 7 towns.   I will still plan to briefly recap the show.  But I think I figured out what my problem with the audition episodes is.  It is fine if there is nothing else on TV to be watching while I'm blogging about them.  But if LOST is airing it's season premiere vs. season 9 of Idol Auditions?  My heart just wasn't in it tonight!   But, it's all good.  I still did my duty!  Hope you still enjoyed my ramblings and if you like LOST, stay tuned for that write-up on Wednesday morning sometime!  See you after the Wednesday show! 

Ending Credits

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