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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