American Idol: March 22-23

Cafe Society
61

MIKALAH (or however you spell her hideous name) MUST GO!
The girl can’t sing, folks! And she looks awful!

IMHO Carrie and Jessica are just Meh.
Vonzell isn’t awful.
Nadia had a down night, but she’s the absolute best of the girls. Loved the wild Mohawk!!!

Nikko shouldn’t even be on that stage.
Anthony is cute, but he’s not going to be around much longer.
I close my eyes when Scott is on. He looks kinda scarey, but he sounds just fine. I guess he’s got a great face for radio!
I kinda liked Constantine.
I wish Anwar was better. Maybe he’s nervous. He just sounded shakey at the beginning of the song; took him too long to really get into it. But he’s a looker! Instead of Anwar and Paula marrying and having puppies, Anwar and Nadia should marry. They’d have beautiful children who could sing. Now that’s an American Idol idea!
And I simply love Bo.

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I can’t quite get a read on the Bo opinions. I for one loved it, except for the bailout ending. As well as I know Jim Croce’s version, Bo made it fresh, and I didn’t expect that at the start. The dangers are 1) it’s a mellow song and though he did it well, he’s getting typecast as a rocker. It’s good he’s trying to branch out and establish himself in other vocal situations in the early rounds before he’s at real risk during the more selective later weeks. And 2) maybe I don’t have a great grasp of who the American Idol audience is, but I can’t imagine many teenage girls knowing any Jim Croce, and Bo’s song tonight was the oldest #1, I do believe. Not singing to the audience will be alright for a week or two more, but then he’s going to have to start playing it a little safer. Pains me to say.

Nadia’s hair: GREAT! Performance: Eh, alright.

Carrie: Farm girl is gorgeous and can sing, too. Giant chance singing Heart, and giant reward, I hope. ::drool::

Top 3: Carrie, Bo, Connie (though I hate to admit it).
Bottom 3: Mikalickahooha, Nikko, Anwar (as much as I want to like him, he does not have a ‘pop’ voice and no sense of good song selection. Only had ~940 choices this week…)

I really REALLY hope Mikalalala goes home. But I’m going to hope that with the passion of a million burning suns every week until it happens. My money is on her this week, barring any irrationally voting fanbase she has tipping the scale. It was just too cringeworthy the entire time.

63

I am sure that Mikalah is gone next week. She sounded terrible. The just can’t even hold a candle to the rest of the contestants.

That being said…How drunk was Paula!? I was downright distracting. I just wanted her to shut up.

64

I couldn’t stand Connie tonight! yeah, it’s amusing that he has a sense of humor about it all, but he’s still the Smarmaster. Ugh.

Anwar is just too beautiful for words. If he cuts his hair he’s a damn fool.

I really wish Mikalah could sing…

Scott is growing on me.

Nadia was a bummer tonight. The hair was horrible and the interpretaion of the song was wretched. I’m still a big fan, tho.

Jessica can really sing, and I think she’s not getting nearly enough credit.

Please make Anthony go away.

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I find it strange that cricetus and I are the only ones who think Bo sucks. Seriously, “Time In A Bottle”? The only songs I can think of that are more likely to cause spontaneous suicide are “Theme from Mahogany” and “Up, Up and Away (In My Beautiful Balloon)”. On the crappy song scale, I prefer “I Think I Love You” - at least it’s not earnest about its cheesiness. Really, WTF? Is Bo popular because he’s “dangerous”? How dangerous or rebellious can somebody who sings Jim Croce on AI possibly be? Or who sings on AI period? Again, I return to the Partridge Family: Bo is about as much a “rocker” as David Cassidy - edgy only by the standards of teenybopperdom. I think maybe he and Constantine should’ve switched songs. And while I’m ragging on Bo (since nobody else will): Jesus, man, get rid of that Avril Lavigne 'do and the lame early-90s soul patch or whatever it is. My lord, what kind of man straightens his hair? I pray he gets booted off soon. Maybe he could star in the film version of “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer” now that Phil Hartman’s gone - he wouldn’t even need any makeup!

As for the rest of them, everybody was all right (except Mikhala), though I’m giving up my hopes of Anwar kicking ass. I thought the judges’ superlatives were a little strange, as nothing really blew me away this time.

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Anthony - I thought it was one of his stronger performances, but he didn’t blow me away. Never has, probably never will.

Carrie – Wow. Just wow. I’m glad she took the risk not to be pegged as a purely country singer…and she nailed it! Who the heck nails Heart?

Scott – As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan. He did OK, although I kept expecting to hear Phil Collins every time he opened his mouth, though.

Bo – What can I add? I’m with Simon down the line comment-wise: Bo looks as though he’s been doing this for 20 years. “Meh” for his song choice (I love Jim Croce; “Time In A Bottle” isn’t one of my favorites), but he nailed it.

Nikko – You go, dawg! Best performance thus far. I agree that he isn’t going to win, but he just keeps improving every week.

Vonzell – How did you know “Best Of My Love” was a favorite of mine? You nailed it, you were having fun, you finally showed everyone “this is who Vonzell is”…I’m going to stop now before I start gushing like Paula :eek:

Constantine – Please stop proving me wrong. You’ve been quite decent and – gasp! – fun to watch these last two weeks. “I Think I Love You”? Gah, I was singing along with you!

Nadia – I’m calling this her “off” night. Loved the mohawk, though.

Mikelah – No comment.

Anwar-- Not his best performance, but cripes, how many people even attempt Chaka Khan? He did it justice, but yeah, I agree that *funky" just isn’t his thing. But I still love him.

Jessica – She’s been underwhelming me for some reason lately. She did a decent job, but she’s like Anthony in that she just doesn’t blow me away for some reason.

My vote for who’s eliminated tonight?

Mikalah. You’re so out of here, especially after last night.

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Nitpick: The song is “Rock You Like a Hurricane”.

Anthony: Meh. I don’t know the song, and I wasn’t particularly whelmed by his performance.

Carrie: I wouldn’t go as far as Simon did in his comment, but it was quite good.

Scott: Well, it didn’t show on his face (it never does) but for once, he was expressing some emotion. I cringed when he threw his glasses off, though. I won’t even set mine too close to the edge of a table!

Bo: Wow. I teared up. It’s always best when someone reinterprets a song, and he did. Did you ever hear such awed silence from the audience? Loved the guitar player, too.

Nikko: Oh baby oh baby oh baby. If he just sticks to the R&B, he should be around for a while.

Vonzell: Weak.

Constantine: Oh, ugh. Last year, Simon said of JPL, “It’s not Comedy Idol.” It’s not Irony Idol either. Get off the stage. And WTF was he holding the mike like it was a fork with food on it?

Nadia: What happened? That was not you! Did you spend too much time getting that mohawk sprayed and not enough time rehearsing? I hope you don’t end up in the bottom three tonight.

Mikalah: Oy hayte thoat foarcing tha woards oap froam tha paolate schtahck. Cut it out. NOW.

Anwar: Sweet. But knowing what he’s normally capable of, that’s not enough.

Jessica: Terrific! Except for one thing. That penultimate line: “Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I’m only falling apart” is supposed to convey infinite longing and regret. By rushing through it so fast it was almost all one word, you gravely undercut the tone of the song. But otherwise, great job.

woodstockbirdybird: Bo’s not popular because he’s dangerous or a rocker or any pat definition. He’s popular because he’s flat out talented and professional. Please note that you don’t have to like him! I’m just telling you why others do.

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I just heard on the news that they will be rebroadcasting some of the performances, mixing it up with new ones so that everyone can vote again because of the wrong number mix-up at the end of the show.
Why new performances? Just redo the ones from tonight.

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The newscasters keep joking that it wasn’t a real mix-up at all, but a ratings stunt.

Does this mean we’ll have an extra day of AI? Or will the results show be a quick “See ya later, Mickiliki” inserted between commercials on Thursday?

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Well, roll me in cornmeal and fry me for breakfast. Link

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Posted too soon…

The do-over will be tonight from 9-10pm. The results will be Thursday from 9-9:30.

The good news is that the agony that Life on a Stick will surely be is to be postponed one more day.

The bad news is that Mikalah will now probably not be the one voted off.

72

I guess I’m just not hearing it. I’ve seen a million bar bands and bad opening bands with singers just as “good”.

73

You probably have. But not on AI!

74

Well, yes, where do you think folks like Nadia and Constantine and Bo come from? Bar bands and wedding bands and cruise ship singers, kids who work in amusement parks and sing backup on Michael Jackson albums, etc. American Idol raised the age limit this year, so it makes total sense that someone like Bo, who has been in a number of bands over the last decade but hasn’t managed to land a contract yet, is going to sound like what he is, an experienced and confident bar band singer.

75

To be clear, I don’t think Bo sucks. I just think his song choices are boring. He does have a good voice and his performances are solid. He’s overhyped, but it seems the nature of AI fans to use hyperboles (“awesome,” “brilliant,” “blew me away”) and he probably is the mest performer in the bunch. I watch AI for the entertainment value, though. I want the performers to be interesting, and the song choices to be interesting. (I don’t vote, so don’t worry). I think Mikahla and Constantine make for better television – interesting song choices, controversial figures. If Bo wins, good on him. I don’t have to buy the album.

76

Hi, y’all! Sorry I’m late. I just got cable this week after nearly a year of no TV. American Idol was the only show I really missed, so I was very happy last night to get back on board. I have not been following the threads up until now, and keep in mind that last night’s performances are the only ones I have seen. I have to put in that disclaimer, because after skimming the thread I see that I disagree with most of you.

Anthony Fedorov, “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me”
Hate the song and the guy is very unattractive, but seems to have possibilites. A keeper.

Carrie Underwood, “Alone”
Color me unimpressed. My mom says she’s actually quite good, so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Scott Savol, “Against All Odds”
His voice wasn’t terrible, but he was so nasty-looking I hardly cared. Someone make it go away!

Bo Bice, “Time In a Bottle”
Funny, I liked this song when Jim Croce sang it. I expected to like Bo when I saw his hair, but he has what I call the “90’s sound” to his voice. I can’t quite define it, but to me he sounds like Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, or whatever it is those consarned whippersnappers listen to these days. Ugh.
Nikko Smith, “Incomplete”
Not my kind of song, not my kind of singer.
Vonzell Solomon. “Best of My Love”
Good song, good performance. A keeper.

Constantine Maroulis, “I Think I Love You”
One of the two most interesting performers. I liked his cheesy song choice and he seemed to be having a good time. I’m looking forward to seeing him again.

Nadia Turner, “Time After Time”
She took a good song and stunk it up. As for the hair, two words: “Meep, meep!” Okay, a few more: “Roadrunner! Coyote’s after you! Roadrunner! If he catches you, you’re through!”

Mikalah Gordon, “Love Will Lead You Back”
The other most interesting performer. I’m looking forward to seeing what else she’s going to do.

Anwar Robinson, “Ain’t Nobody”
Good song, good job, good-looking. He was…good.
Jessica Sierra, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
Wimpy rendition of a song that’s supposed to rock. Yawn.
One thing I didn’t miss about this show: the judges. I see Randy is still a fucking idiot. Simon didn’t abuse anyone as harshly as he should have, and as for Paula, she needs to speak when it’s her turn to speak and then STFU. All her screechiness and pawing at Simon was disgusting.

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Thank you for saying that! The previews for that show make me cringe. They also remind me why I hardly watch TV anymore.

Why do you think the extra day will change anything? I really think this could be her week to go, as much as I’d rather see Scott or Nikko leave. I’m disappointed with Mikalah, she’s not proven herself to be what I thought she was in the beginning but I still dislike Scott and Nikko more.

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Anthony Fedorov, “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me”
I liked some of the notes, but overall meh. He just looks very vaguely creepy.

Carrie Underwood, “Alone”
What I like about her is that I can relax knowing she will hit the notes, unlike with the other performers where I cring waiting for them to hit-or-miss.

Bo Bice, “Time In a Bottle”
I liked his voice on this and the different tone he gives it while keeping it beautiful.

Nikko Smith, “Incomplete”
I can acknowledge the style of this but I still didn’t think he sang it very well.

Vonzell Solomon. “Best of My Love”
Kudos for moving around and still having enough breath to really sing it. Points off for “yeah” and “c’mon y’all” at the beginning.

Constantine Maroulis, “I Think I Love You”
During the part where Ryan gives out the numbers, I think I finally realized what’s up with this guy. It was during one of his smirks at the audience–I think he is playing this as one big joke, trying to be “ironical”. Like he made a bet that he would sing “I Think I Love You” if he got on AI. Chances are though that if he does make it and gets offers, he will be seduced by the machine and become part of what he thinks he is better than. Wow, his smirks are quite expressive!!

Nadia Turner, “Time After Time”
If she ever looked like a drag queen, it was there! All she need was some sparkly feathers in her Mohawk. I agree with Simon that she is using look changes to distract from her limited range.

Mikalah Gordon, “Love Will Lead You Back”
She always starts out shaky and nervous and then pulls it out to be acceptable (not great). Not good when you only have a minute. The difference between the seasoned performers and the amateurs. May not be fair, but that’s how it is.

Anwar Robinson, “Ain’t Nobody”
OK, I thought he did fine for singing a diva’s song.

Jessica Sierra, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
I love this song and she has a good raspy voice like the original. Unfortunately, having to cut it to one minute made it too frenzied and I was unable to really hear how she sounded.

As far as the “wrong number” thing, it’s clear from the narrative which number to use. And the contestants’ hand gestures.

PLEASE let Mikayla go!!

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Last time I stopped by an AI thread, I was so put off by the sniping that I haven’t been back. However, I just had to say that Constantine is the only one I’ve seen who really gets it.

When he thought he was cut a couple of weeks ago, he was laughing. Last night when Simon said that Constantine was like ordering a guard dog and getting a poodle in a leather jacket (or whatever the line was), Constantine laughed.

He’s not an evil genius. He just seems to be the only person who gets a grand joke that the rest of us aren’t in on.

p.s. Farm Girl really kicked ass last night.

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Somebody tell me - are they showing last nights performances or do they get to sing again?