American Idol Season 9 - Top 12 Revealed! (Shocking Results)

Greetings Idol Watchers!  The Semi-Finals are finally over!  No more 3 days a week of Idol (well, except for Idol Gives Back week!)  Well, I really didn't expect to repeat my 4 for 4 performance this week.   And up until the last minute I thought I was going to go 3 for 4, but they had to throw a shocker our way.   The one person we all guaranteed to go home actually stayed.   And someone that could have went pretty far in the competition went home.   This is an interesting week folks!   But let's see who went home!

Eliminated: Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott (WHAT!?!!?)
My Picks: Katie Stevens, Paige Miles, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert

Okay, well Katelyn, I kind of saw coming.  The guys, I surprisingly got right, although I'm not happy about Alex.  Todrick?  SEE YA BUDDY!  No love lost there.   But come on, LILLY?  Really?   I know people loved Katie and I didn't want to see her go either, but did any of us see Lilly getting the boot this early?   Yeah, she has a similar sound to other contestants.  Yes eventually she was going to have issues being too similar with the guitar to Crystal.   But her voice was so good!  Her performances were so good!   I don't often say this about non top 12ers, but I think she got some good exposure and will get a deal out of this.   I'm still shocked folks.   And it makes this top 12 that much weaker.   Let's meet them!


Top 12:

1. Didi Benami 
2. Siobhan Magnus
3. Paige Miles 
4. Casey James
5. Tim Urban 
6. Lee Dewyze 
7. Crystal Bowersox
8. Mike Lynche
9. Lacey Brown 
10. Aaron Kelly  
11. Andrew Garcia
12. Katie Stevens

There you have it.  The big hitters are now Mike, Crystal and Siobhan.  There could be a few dark horses in there but they have a lot of ground to make up.   Will they be able to do it while tackling the Rolling Stones catalog next week?  We'll see.   Any predictions to what each contestants will perform?  I will have to start thinking about it.  I can see Tim Urban trying to pace around looking into the camera with those eyes and sing "Satisfaction" and I can see it being awful.   Good Times ahead folks!

But let's get to the highs and lows.  And there weren't many in this episode.  We were too busy naming the top 12.  But tradition is tradition!

Highlights

• Matt Giraud and Scott McIntyre Duet - performing Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It"   Love Billy Joel so by default it becomes a Highlight.  But if I want to be honest, it was quite corny!  Was good to see the piano men back on stage though.  Of all Billy songs to show off the piano, I don't know if "Tell Her About It" is the one.  But they did get off a few good solo riffs near the end.    Did I just catch Ryan calling Scott "Scottie the Body?"  Ahh good times.
• So exciting to see Aaron get in.  I don't expect him to win or even want him to win.  But he was so nervous!  Way to go Moms!! 
• Not a lot of Kara screen time tonight! 

Lowlights

• The Idol Group song was Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet".  You may have seen Michael Buble parody this with John Hamm in a hysterical Saturday Night Sketch.  This thing was still full of all of the cheese you can get.  But that being said, it wasn't too bad.  But the lip syncing is out of control!  I know it's tough to get 16 people to sing in harmony with all of that choreography and only have a few days to put it together.  Here's an idea:  DON'T DO THEM!!!  
• So sad to see Alex Lambert go.  He broke down into tears on the show.   The only thing he has now is his mullet to wipe them away!  Poor guy, I liked him.  Best of luck dude!    OMG, he was STILL crying during the commercial and when it came back.  Poor dude.  I feel so bad picking him to leave! 
• There wasn't enough Kara screen time to make fun of tonight!  Although her one segment explaining why she cried over Mike Lynche's performance was excruciating!   My favorite part of it actually was when my wife said, "Thank God you're pretty Kara" while she kept rambling on with no end.     OUCH!  BURN!   I loved it!  

So that is all I have for tonight.  Next week we start the Top 12 Finals!  Who is your favorite to win?  How do you feel about the results?  Go ahead and comment below.   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/ 

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American Idol Season 9 - Top 20 - Final 10 Guys Perform

Greetings fellow Idol Watchers!  4 are down and 19 to go in our hunt for the next Idol.  And these kids aren't making the search very easy for us.  (definitely not a compliment either!)   The boys were requested to take the stage a day early due to an unexpected trip to the hospital for Crystal Bowersox.  I'm not sure if the extra day would have helped the guys get their performances fine tuned, but having less time certainly didn't!  There were a couple decent performances, but as a whole, the boys turned in another snooze fest.  If they want to keep going head to head with the final season of LOST, this show needs to get in gear! (yes, every night I pause Idol and watch LOST from 9-10 and then finish this watching this crazy show.  For anyone who was wondering!)

Let's get into the recap and then we'll pick who is leaving us Wednesday night.    One thing to note:  Ellen has now moved a spot over.  Looks like they're trying to figure out where she works best.  So the DAWG will go first again.  Thank goodness!  Any way you slice it, Simon is still the only one I'm listening to for value!  Not a good sign for season 10.    Each contestant was asked to tell us something we would never know about them.   Some things were better left unsaid!  Let's dive in!

1. Michael Lynche - Theatric Footballer - Big Mike is going to coast through these semi-finals.  He's a likable guy and he has a great voice.  That all being said, I wouldn't rate his James Brown song choice and rendition as great as the judges did.   Maybe it's wrong of me to not really know the song "This is a Man's World" but I'm guessing many people out there don't know it either.  But between his clip of lifting Aaron Kelly with incredible ease and just being silly all night that is really all he needs to get through at this point.   And, like I said, he has a great voice and is a good performer.   I just want more songs I know or to make me enjoy and want to buy the ones I don't.   Keep working on it Mike!    
2. John Park - The Korean Speaker (woaa shocker) -  John was told by the vocal teacher to be honest.  Well, honestly, something was weighing down his rendition of John Mayer's "Gravity".  (Did you like that? Weighing down....gravity?  I know, you can laugh, it's okay!)   I'll echo the judges by saying it was a better song choice than last week.  (unfortunately, I think it was the ever more annoying Kara that said that)  But it was still just so boring!   2 weeks in a row, he performed some mellow slow stuff.  If it's really good, that's one thing.  But if it's just kinda there?   Not so good.  Also not good going 2nd and throwing that kind of song out there.   As Simon suggested, John might want to be prepared for the worst.  I was way off the mark putting him in the Top 12.  Even if he gets there somehow, I don't think he'll have earned it.  
   
3. Casey James - "Secret in a Box Man" - Well, ladies, you now have more incentive to vote hiim into the top 10.  You will find out his pre-game ritual!   Casey went to the Idol library and pulled out a recurring song from prior seasons:  Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be".  Great tune.  His rendition?  Just as bland as everyone else's.  Don't get me wrong, the guitar playing was exquisite.  And I was saying the same thing Kara was saying (ugh...again!).  This is a singing competition.  Use the guitar to help, but there is no need for solos in the middle of the performance.  Yeah, the ladies will eat it up and vote him through.   And he probably deserves to go through for his potential (and based on the lack of potential of everyone else).  But his vocal tonight was pretty bland.  Simon argued there was no grit to his voice to pull that song off.  That might be it.  I buy it!
   
   By the way, a way Kara can get MORE annoying?  Rub shoulders with Simon a LITTLE more during the night.  I mean, what on earth is wrong with this woman?  I am not alone in this, right?  Doesn't she just seem all high and mighty and way too comfortable with herself at that table?  Does anyone feel enlightened after she talks?    And doesn't anyone miss Paula dancing and blabbering about anything that came out of her mouth before she even thought it?  There were a few tonight that she would have been crying about due to their marked improvement.  SEE:  MULLET BOY!        
4. Alex Lambert - THE LANGUAGE MAKER MULLET MAN - So, I actually was really impressed with Alex this week.  I was actually impressed with the voice LAST week.  With the sit down pose and the guitar he seemed much more comfortable and we could voice on the music and the mullet.  And it was glorious!   No seriously, you know how sometimes when you listen to a REALLY good performance on idol you get those chills?   Well, for the good performances it's usually for the whole thing.   I can say with Alex's performance I got it for like 2 seconds during the song.  And that's a compliment based on the performances this week!   His voice is unbelievable.  And his improvement over last week was great.  Simon thinks if Alex gets over the hump on the nerves he could be  great singer.  He even wishes he was choosing the songs for him.     I agree though.  This kid has something.  And hopefully he continues to find it.  I'm torn though on if he should keep the mullet or lose it.  He really is rockin it right now.   Maybe he should keep it and spike the top up a little more.  Yeah...that's my decision!  Keep the mullet Alex!  Lose the last name too, too many bad vibes and memories of screeching voices from last year.  (oooh ZING!!) 
5. Todrick Hall - The Colorblind Nutcracker - Now we come to the portion of the show that I like to call TOTAL DISASTER (although I prefer not to because that is the name of my band on my PS3's "ROCK BAND"  it's an insult to call it that!)   But the 1-2 punch of Todrick and Jermaine was beyond lousy.  Don't get me started on  his whole "I Have A Dream" speech in getting casted for dancing in the Nutcracker and stuff.  It was like Foot Loose meets The Jackie Robinson Story or something.  Not that it isn't a great thing that he got to dance and wasn't kept down by the non-dancing town, but please, don't hit us over the head with it.  Show us your talent.  And right now?  I'm not seeing it at all!   He decided to improve on last week's disaster of destroying Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" by making Tina Turner's biggest 80's hit into his own rendition!  REALLY?  Of all Tina songs you pick "What's Love Got To Do With It?"   THAT is the song you think is going to skyrocket you to the stratosphere of superstardom?   It was a totally bland, boring and uninventive rendition.  And I really have nothing else to say about it.  Granted, the judges started being hypocritical.  Last week they tell people to change up the songs.  This week Randy started saying "just sing the songs"   I can understand where the contestants would get confused.  But I just don't care.  The only notes I wrote down during his performance was "SEND HIM HOME!"  So, there isn't much else I can say right now! 
6. Jermaine Sellers - "THE ONESIE ROCK'S'ER" -  I may be treading a seriously dangerous line here folks, but please riddle me this.  How hard is it to say the word "ASK?"    I mean come on!  "AKS????"   Can I "AKS" you a question?  It just sounds dumb!   Well, then again, this is a guy that "ROCKS" the onesie.   I guess I'm just not supposed to get it.   What I can get is MUSIC.   And butchering Marvin Gaye like Jermaine did is grounds for firing!   I can't say it better than Simon did.  He waters down great songs with great melodies by adding way too many runs.  He's trying to impress with his vocals instead of connecting with the songs.  RUNS aren't what it is all about Jermaine!   Of course, he has God on his side, so I guess he'll be staying this week.  I loved Simon's response instructing Ryan to not show the phone number for Jermaine.  Classic!    I guess the sad thing is.  Definitely someone will be returning from the trifecta of Todrick, John and Jermaine!   And if our worst nightmares come true, maybe even 2 of them will return! 
7. Andrew Garcia - The Breakdancing Rhythm Guy - Now, I do like Andrew Garcia.  And he probably still is getting a pass for his "Straight Up" performance.  Not that we need to be reminded Kara!   (oh duh, I just did it too.)   Andrew is in a rut now of picking some strange follow-up songs to his Paula performance.   This week we got James Morrison's "You Give Me Something".   I think it was probably still good enough to keep him going through.   The judges are convincing themselves that maybe they have set the bar too high for him.  Maybe.  Maybe, he only had that one trick up his sleeve like I suggested last week.  I'm not ready to rule the guy out.  I think I also said last week that his Hollywood performance almost has given him a pass to the Top 12.   His singing well enough to keep his fan base confident that he'll step back into the game.   But, I think we may be losing confidence each week that it is going to happen.   You better have something good cooked up for next week Andy!  
8. Aaron Kelly - I LOVE PICTURES!!! -  You know how I feel about the younglings on this show.  In fact, you probably know so much that I can stop saying "You know how I feel."  I think Aaron has a really good voice and he has the Mom vote locked up.  He's a cute kid and people are still going to vote for him.   He performed "My Girl" and it was better than I thought it would be.  Although, I agree with Simon that it may have been a little too old fashioned.  I even rolled my eyes when I heard that is what he was singing.   But after some of the bizarrely awful performances we heard this week it was actually kind of refreshing to hear someone just sing the hell out of a good melody without going too crazy.   So, Aaron, props for that.  You'll be back and I can see you making the top 12.  Maybe not too far after that, but we'll see! 
9. Tim Urban - JUST THE 10 OF US! - Tim having 4 Brothers and 5 Sisters makes 10 children in all right?  Yikes.  That's nuts.  I liked Tim's choice of Matt Nathanson's "Come on Get Higher" this week.  It seemed to fit his voice much better than One Republic.   I also commented that it was pretty much a copy cat performance.  But it was still decent.  One issue I see with Tim is his range.  He definitely avoided hitting any high notes like the plague.   Though, that made it sound a lot better since we heard his crazy high notes last week.   The 3 non-simon judges were pretty rough on Tim but Simon actually was impressed with Tim's work ethic and desire to improve.   That's all well and good, but I don't see this guy having a very high ceiling in the improvement house.  But he probably did just enough to skate by yet again.   
10. Lee Dewyze - Alternative School Bad Boy - And of course we could count on Lee to close up the show with the Family Anthem "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder.   Lee definitely was the "surprise guy" this year when he performed is little rendition of "Chasing Cars" last week.  He ditched the guitar this week and tried to go where Chris Daughtry had gone before.  Yes, anyone reading my season 5 blogs should remember the tale of Molly the Mic Stand and Chris's love affair with her!   But Lee, has some work to do before he can tackle Mic Stand love.   The vocal was decent I guess.  I'm not sure where Simon got that Lee was by far the best male vocalist though.  I thought he was definitely struggling with the high notes in this performance.   How long can he get by using the "raspy voice is just part of my style" vibe?   Of course, this makes it sound like I don't like Lee.  I actually do like him and hope he succeeds.   But, I'm not buying into the Simon hype that he may be the one to beat.  Not yet.   Then again, no one on either side has really stepped up to claim that frontrunner status yet!   

Can you tell I was frustrated with this episode?   I'm sure I wasn't alone.  Let's try and figure out who is going home after the Tuesday Night massacre! 

Should be safe?  Big Mike, Andy G, Casey Jones (oops!), Mullet Man, Lee D.
Sketchy Ground? Timmy, Aaron
No Question the worst of the night?  John Park, Jermaine Sellers, Todrick Hall

My Elimination Picks:  John Park,  Jermaine Sellers  Bonus: Todrick Hall

My justification - John was pretty forgettable and went 2nd.   Jermaine, a personal choice.  I didn't like him talking back to the judges and wanting to take Simon to Church.  I think that might turn off a few people too.   But I wouldn't count out Todrick either.   They were all pretty forgettable performances.  

Whew, that's all I have kids!  I'll be back in my recapping glory to tackle Ladies' Night on Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you after the Wednesday 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/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

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

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/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

LOST - http://www.lostaddictsblog.com/ (blog is back and on fire!)
FlashForward - http://www.flashforwardaddicts.com/ (back March 18th)

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/ 

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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/ 

Check out my other Blogs: 

LOST - http://www.lostaddictsblog.com/ (blog is back and on fire!)
FlashForward - http://www.flashforwardaddicts.com/ (back March 18th)