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March 2009
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 4 - The Results Show
What could be better? Dancers dancing to a John Denver song - Boyz II Men leading a sing along to Motown songs - and a double elimination on tonight’s episode (March 31) of ‘Dancing with the Stars.’
After combining the judges scores with those from the viewers, the bottom three dancing teams this week are Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff ~ Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer ~ and Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin. At this point I’d be happy if they suddenly changed the rules and sent all three couples home… I’m doubtful.
Going home are Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff and Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin. So, staying for another week are Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer. It’s hard to imagine that there was any way America could have got this vote wrong… Until next week.
TweetA mixed bag of 9 on American Idol tonight.
It’s down to the Top 9 and let’s get right into it! They have been given the choice of any song that is a popular download from iTunes. And after you watch the show, don’t forget to tell us in our Idol Poll who you think should be going home.
Anoop Desai starts things off tonight with Usher’s Caught Up.
My take: Anoop is fun with this style song and you can tell he loves an upbeat Top 40 song but he is so much better on ballads. I didn’t think he sucked but this wasn’t a great performance for him.
Judges take: Randy said vocals were good but not the right song choice. Kara gets lots of boo’s when she said that it seemed like a bunch of frat guys dared him to do Usher. Paula, as usual, didn’t give any real opinion other than she loved that he went back to his playful side. Simon thought “it was a complete and utter mess.” He thinks he came over as a wanna be and it actual gave him a headache.
Megan Joy is next with Bob Marley/Lauren Hill? Ooohh, this might be a really, really neat performance of Turn Your Lights Down Low.
My take: I had high hopes for Megan tonight but I didn’t care for this performance. Part of it may be because the song just didn’t resonate with me but it was also missing the Megan charm I love so much.
Judges take: Kara really likes her but she thinks she may be in trouble. Paula thinks that at this stage of the competition she needs to dig deeper. Simon thinks the problem was the song was boring, monotonous and indulgent. It just wasn’t her. Randy says just because she loves a song doesn’t mean she can sing it.
Danny Gokey is going to sing What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts. Oh, I’m excited about this because I love this song.
My take: I had to rewind this song and listen again undistracted by the typing of this blog because I didn’t quite get the judges raves. Danny connected a very personal message with these lyrics and it touched my heart. That said…I didn’t think it was his strongest performance by a mile, he was quite pitchy in parts, and at times I just wanted it to be over.
Judges take: Paula says this performance left her wanting more. Simon thought it was his best performance of the season. Randy says he brought it with the vocals. Kara said that he moved everyone in that room emotionally and he really connects with the audience.
Allison Iraheta was tickled she could choose something she grew up singing Don’t Speak by No Doubt.
My take: She busts out the guitar this week which is kind of sweet. I actually enjoyed the first verse better than the original song and I love Gwen Stefani. I thought the chorus was a little off but this kid is just amazing.
Judges take: Randy started with what mad love for her but he didn’t like her outfit. (I thought she looked young and cute in her hot pink dress with black lace overlay and her spiky hair) Kara says she didn’t need to put all that on because she can sing. Paula thinks her vocal prowess rivals those twice her age and she thinks she is skating right to the finish line. Simon can’t ignore the outfit either. The judges basically agreed that the outfit was distracting, so they lost the vocals.
Scott Macintyre is singing Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel.
My take: Scott wants to escape the bottom three this week so he is stripping it down to just him and the piano. This is a perfect song for Scott. It shows off the beautiful vibrato in his voice and you can tell he completely connects with the lyrics. I’ve been critical of Scott for the last couple weeks but he gave me goose bumps this week. Outstanding!
The judges take: Kara thought he made some very smart decisions tonight by coming from an honest place with such a moving performance. Paula is so proud of Scott not because of his challenge but because he makes her forget about his challenge. For this comment, I have to agree with Paula, which is kind of rare for me. Simon thinks it is his best performance so far by a country mile. Absolutely different Scott tonight. Randy thinks it is one of the best performances of the night.
Matt Giraud is singing The Fray’s the song You Find Me.
My take: I like Matt but it took him way too long to find his groove with the song. The first verse was about torture for me…then it got a little better. But I don’t think this is the genre for him even though he loves it.
The judges take: Paula thought he abandoned the riffing and falsetto that make him who he is and this song just didn’t do it. Simon said he should be happy this week because the judges didn’t like him this week and he almost got booted. Simon felt it sounded very put on like he was trying to be someone else. Randy said the problem for him was it just wasn’t the right sound for him. Kara says he needs to commit and quit going back and forth between rock and R&B.
It’s Lil Rounds and I sure hope she chooses a great song this week and she decides on Celine Dion’s I Surrender.
My take: I had high hopes for this song and Lil had some really great moments but I thought she was really pitchy and it just didn’t grab me like she did in the beginning of the competition.
Judges take: Randy wouldn’t have picked this song but she sang it well. Young it up. Kara didn’t like the song either but the potential to “wow us” is there. Paula doesn’t want to see an adult contemporary Lil Rounds she wants to see the joy that she brought when she first saw her. Simon thinks she chose a safe song to stay in the competition and he compared it to a wedding performance.
Adam Lambert is doing Wild Cherry’s 1976 Play That Funky Music. This could be fun.
My take: I was in middle school when this was popular the first time and I would buy Adam’s version today! In fact, I will after the show is done. I loved it!!!
Judges take: Paula says “true genius doesn’t fulfill expectations, true genius shatters it. There are artist in this business who have longevity because of their unique and riveting performance. I’ll name a few, Mick Jaeger, Stephen Tyler and Adam Lambert.” Simon says that was pretty brave and he was glad that they got rid of some of the karaoke of the night, it was original and he had a great time. Randy was afraid this was going to be corny but he worked it out.
Kris Allen ends the evening with Aint’ No Sunshine.
My take: First few notes and I knew he chose the right song. Behind a keyboard he shows his musical versatility and he was incredible. He made this song different and fresh and his voice is perfectly suited for it. Wow!
Judges take: Randy said he was definitely in the zone tonight. One of the best performances of the night. Kara has three words for him…that was artistry. Paula thinks this could be the first cut from his album. It was his best performance to date. Simon reminded him that last week they wanted him to bring some confidence and that’s what he showed tonight. Very clever, very cool and his best performance so far.
What a mixed bag tonight. And so unexpected the people I loved versus the people I expected to love. I expected to love Lil, Megan, Adam, Matt and possibly Kris. I expected to watch Scott or Anoop flounder this week. By far my favorites? Adam, Scott and Kris. Never would have predicted that. Going home this week? Megan. Bottom three? Megan, Matt and maybe Allison? Don’t forget to pop over to our Idol Poll and vote for the worst this week!
How about you?
Tweet‘Dancing with the Stars’ - A perfect night of Dancing? - Update
A perfect night of Dancing? NOT! Tom Bergeron, host of “Dancing with the Stars,” got it right when he said “after 8 seasons there’s never been a line-up like this one…” and how could you argue with this! This season has given us some of the worst dancers ever!
Thank goodness, tonight’s dancing (March 30) will lead to a double elimination on tomorrow’s show… this can’t come too soon for me and a few of you too!
To make a difficult situation even worse, the dancers learn two new dances this week - Lindy Hop, similar to the jitter bug - which is all about fun and the Argentine Tango, which is all about sensuality and passion.
The Leaderboard -
| Dancing Pair | Week 4 | Season Avg |
| Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts ~ | - | 17.50 |
| Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough ~ | 22 | 21.25 |
| David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson ~ | 22 | 20.50 |
| Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy ~ | - | 18.33 |
| Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke ~ | 30 | 27.00 |
| Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin ~ | 16 | 16.25 |
| Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska ~ | 19 | 18.75 |
| Lil’ Kim & Derek Hough ~ | 27 | 24.00 |
| Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani ~ | 29 | 26.25 |
| Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas ~ | 25 | 24.75 |
| Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff ~ | 12 | 13.00 |
| Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer ~ | 15 | 15.25 |
| Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower ~ | 25 | 20.50 |
Based on the tonight’s scores and their overall performances, I’d suggest that America send the following three teams home - Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff ~ Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer and Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin. However the Teletubby powers have been activated and to date have protected the Woz - but could tonight’s performance be Woz’s last? I’m hopeful!
Tweet‘Results’ disaster averted on American Idol!
According to our Idol Poll, the bottom three should be Meagan, Michael and Scott with Meagan going home. DialIdol.com thinks the bottom three will be Scott, Meagan and Michael with Michael going home AND of our Idol bloggers, Rene, Ben, Shantei, and Kim all are picking the same three in the bottom and I wholeheartedly agree.
So what was with the group number tonight? Where’s the live audience? Are they trying to teach them how to lip sync or what? If so, there’s a lot more work to do I’m afraid. There is a reason they did this and I’m very curious.
Ruben is back singing his new release Together. Ruben looks all healthy and svelte and sweatin’ as much as ever. Oh, I’ve missed Ruben! He points to his wedding ring and says how much he loves her. How sweet!
Here we go with the eliminations…we are starting with Adam and he and his kooky earrings are safe. Matt stands next and Ryan says he is in the bottom three. I didn’t expect that…not one bit!! Kris is safe. Lil and Michael both stand and Michael is in the bottom three. I still can’t believe Matt is in the bottom. That means one of the worst is going to stay.
Wow. Even DialIdol.com didn’t see this one coming because they had Matt coming in at #5 of 9. Only 1 out of 200 votes on our Idol Poll are for Matt leaving. He has fewer votes to go home on our poll than Danny and Adam!!! Something is very, very wrong here.
You know Josh Stone was one of those young people with the soul of a much older and experienced singer/performer. She’s still young but when she started she was a teen if I remember right. And old Smokey still singing all sexy putting the moves on the pretty ladies. You go boy!
Back to the results…Allison stands and she is safe. Anoop stands and he is safe. Danny stands and he is safe. Scott and Meagan stand and Scott is in the bottom three. I love Meagan but there is no way, no way that Matt should be there instead of Meagan. Ryan asks Randy who doesn’t belong there and he says definitely Matt. He’s been rockin’ the mike consistently.
Stevie Wonder visits the Idol stage and sings a medley of awesome Motown hits. Watching the kids dancing and singing at the side of the stage while they watch him perform Superstition is so fun. You can just bet they are just in awe of the folks they got to meet this week. It must be surreal!
Commercial over and after the nationwide, record setting vote at over 36,000,000, Matt is safe and Michael is singing for his life. He doesn’t seem surprised at all tonight that he is at the bottom. I think that secretly he is missing his family. What a class act! Before he sings he says “Oh crap. I have to sing after Stevie.” I think he does much better tonight than last night! In fact, I think Meagan or Scott should go before him given this performance. He was very relaxed. The judges are still talking when he is done singing and there is no commercial break left. Kara keeps saying that he was good tonight and Ryan keeps pressuring them for a decision because its 8:59 and finally Simon makes a decision and says he is going home.
He was leaving sooner or later. I kind of wish it were later. Did anyone here what next week was? I was too busy typing.
Another exciting American Idol week. I am already counting the days until next Tuesday!!
TweetOMG, remarkable performances on American Idol!
If you are an American Idol fan and didn’t get to see the show tonight, my condolences.Look for a friend who recorded it, or on Hulu or YouTube or someplace online!
American Idol celebrates Motown’s 50th anniversary. The Idol’s took a tour of Hitsville, USA where Motown recorded most of their early hits. After some words of wisdom from founder Barry Gordy, they return to LA under the tutelage of the great Smokey Robinson.
Matt Giraud sings Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. Smokey told Matt that Marvin would have loved his performance.
My take: Within five seconds of hearing his practice with Smokey I knew this song was perfect for him. He started behind the piano and oh yeah, this is gonna be good! But once he got up from behind the piano he did more than just sing, he “performed.” He was quite comfortable on stage and I’m tellin’ ya, he grows on me more and more each week and I’ll bet I’m not the only one.
Judges take: Randy thinks he is going to challenge the front runners for the top spot. Tasteful, classy, spot-on says Paula and Simon announce it was a brilliant song choice and it was a cool performance. Simon agrees that he is one of the front-runners in the competition.
Kris Allen sings How Sweet It Is by Marvin Gaye. Kris gets a high five from Smokey who says he blew him away.
My take: Kris has a whole different feel than Matt did and that’s okay because it was great too. He gives off a more “pop” feel to me whereas Matt is more soul. I can imagine both of these guys have quite the female following.
Judges take: Kara loved that he made his mark on the song and he did everything right. Paula thinks it is nice seeing him coming into his own. Simon thinks it was a smart song but feels that Kris needs to get more confident and get some of the conceit and swagger that “stars” have!
Scott Macintyre is singing You Can‘t Hurry Love by Dianna Ross and the Supremes. Smokey thinks that he is bringing the song to a contemporary level.
My take: From the first note, I’m not a big fan of Scott doing this song. I know that many of you will be unhappy with me but as nice a guy as Scott is, I think each week he distances himself from the best of the best a little more and one week closer to elimination.
Judges take: Paula goes on with fluffy fluff, blah blah, not really saying much of anything great. Simon thinks it was a bad choice of song and Randy follows with nothing great happened here tonight and they all pretty much think he is better than this performance.
Megan Joy is singing Stevie Wonder’s For Once in My Life. Smokey thinks she is one of the most original contestants that have ever been on the show.
My take: I wasn’t as crazy about this performance from my quirky Meagan. I’m a fan but there were a couple rough spots at the top of her range. I don’t know if she doesn’t have a strong enough falsetto and so she didn’t go there or it was just a key or two high for her. Not my favorite of hers and not a favorite tonight.
Judges take: You know when Randy starts with “You know that I have mad love for ya, right?” it’s not a good thing. In fact he thought it was a train wreck. Kara said the phrasing was weird and the song was dominating her. Paula says her stunning beauty…blah, blah, blah but she wasn’t crazy about it. Simon says it was horrible and whoever is advising her she should fire and is also concerned that she might be in serious trouble after tonight.
Anoop Desai is singing Oooh, Baby, Baby by Smokey himself. Smokey explained how the song sprung out of nowhere at the end of a performance and praised Anoop’s version.
My take: Anoop can definitely sing a ballad but what I have a hard time buying is the sexy part. Sweet maybe, but not sexy. That’s okay if he was going for that but I have a feeling he was shooting for sexy and missed the mark.
Judges take: Kara says this is a really hard to sing and he did a pretty good job. Paula is looking forward to see him gain even more confidence and Simon thinks it was a great vocal but he looked like he was half asleep. Randy wants to hear more energy next week.
Michael Sarver is singing Ain’t to Proud to Beg by the Temptations. Smokey thinks Michael has a big voice and needs to pound it a little more and not sweet talk it.
My take: I thought this was a great song choice for Michael as he sang it with Smokey but when he tried to get aggressive, it came off like he was trying too hard and didn’t sound authentic at all. I think it may be time for this sweet guy, husband and father to leave.
Judges take: Paula apologized for telling him it wasn’t good. Simon says the reality is that there is no way he is going to win. Randy thinks the song was just too big for him and it ended up a little too corny. Kara wants to know who he is as an artist if he comes back.
Lil Rounds is singing Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandella’s. Smokey thinks Lil could sing the phone book…now where have we heard that before?
My take: I’ve been looking forward to hearing Lil all day. Lil seems like she has a little extra jolt of adrenaline tonight and she is over singing just a bit. I kind of wish she would have gone with something that was a little more soulful. She’s great but I’m a little disappointed.
Judges take: Randy thinks the front of the song was torture for him, he felt like she was rushing a bit. Kara agreed with Randy that it wasn’t the right song and it did not sound effortless like it should seeing that she is such as great vocalist. Paula thinks that Lil owned that song and she was great. Simon wouldn’t have chosen that song either and would have liked to hear something more like Heard it through the Grapevine. He knows she is one of the best singers in the competition; she just needs to choose better songs.
Adam Lambert is singing Tracks of our Tears by Smokey. Smokey has heard this song many ways by many different people but never this way. He is very proud of Adams interpretation of this song.
My take: Adam keeps us all guessing every week and this week is no different with his conservative suit and slicked back hair. And I’m sure my niece will be disappointed with the lack of guy liner and nail polish. Oh, I got goose bumps. Just an incredible, tender performance. Wow. AND he gets a standing ovation from Smokey Robinson and Barry Gordy.
Judges take: Kara says one of the best performances of the night as she stands. He showed artistry on that stage. Paula thinks he is in his own league and he has the element of surprise and excitement. Simon disagrees with Kara because it was the best performance of the night. Original, great song choice and relevant…he has emerged tonight as a star. Randy says this guy has the range and used everything in his arsenal and it was really hot.
Danny Gokey singing Get Ready. Smokey thinks he is going to be wonderful tonight and gives him some advice about not letting the background singers take some of the best lines. Danny says and I quote, “at first I was like, oh man, is that gonna work? It is gonna work because he knows what he’s talkin’ about. He’s been in the industry way longer than I have so I really trust him.”
My take: I love Danny but I find myself annoyed that he didn’t take Smokey’s advice after he says he going to trust him. He was great and it was an awesome song choice. But I’m a bit miffed and am having a hard time getting past it tonight.
Judges take: Paula says a first class performance and Simon thought it was clumsy and amateurish. Randy thinks it wasn’t the best performance but he loved the energy. Kara thought it was good, not great but she’s still a huge Danny fan.
Allison Iraheta sings Papa Was a Rolling Stone by the Temptations. Smokey thinks she is going to do really, really great because she put herself into it.
My take: Allison wanted to put a little bit of her own funk into this song and boy did she! OMG this girl is just AMAZING! She has a cool tone to her voice and she sings like she has the soul of…no… the souls of a multitude of remarkable singers.
Judges take: Another standing ovation by Smokey and Barry Gordy, Kara and Paula. Randy said that was one of the dopest singers in this whole thing this season. It was blazing hot. Kara can’t believe she was in the bottom three last week? America, you’ve gotta vote this week. Amazing. “You sing like you’ve been singing for 400 years. That was from God!” rants Kara. Paula has a crayon mustache that Simon drew on her and its distracting her. Simon says this was one of her best performances through giggles between him and Paula.
Watching the recap, they are all good in their own right but the great ones are separating themselves from the others with every week that goes by. Right now, if I had to predict the top four, I would have to say Allison, Adam, Danny & Matt or Lil. Thing is…Matt gets better each week and Lil is just having a couple rough weeks so if she brings it next week like she says she will that could be a tough one to call. Do you agree or disagree?
Don’t forget to take our Idol Poll and let us know who you think should go home.
TweetDancing with the Stars - Say what? - Results update
Say what? How can this be? Did Steve Wozniak write a computer script to vote for himself online? How could he have made it back for another week?
I know that much of the dancing last night was pretty bad, so it’s hard to say who should really go home. However, with that said, it was pretty clear that Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff score of 10, a six season low, should have been enough - Apparently America didn’t agree with the judges.
Even tonight’s dance-off that pitted Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin against Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy didn’t send home the right couple. Holly and Dimitry’s performance looked like a mix of Playboy Bunny meets the Stepford Wives and was totally uninspired at best.
So, when the judge’s scores are added to the viewer’s, Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy have danced their last dance on Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars.
Perhaps a recount is in order… Although - I’m with the poster to this blog who suggested the producers should narrow the field to the top five and get on with the show…
TweetDancing with the Stars - Time for Woz the Teletubby to go - Update
Last week America sent Belinda Carlise packing, so who goes this week?
Despite obvious pain, Steve-O danced like a trooper and did his best to make it through his dance. The judges rewarded his efforts with a respectable score of 15.
But it was “Woz,” the Apple Computer co-founder, whose performance was clearly a pain for the viewers to watch. If he could only be a little more comical about the whole thing of might worked. I know he’s got a new injury to go along with the other foot problem, but why’d the producers think he’d be able to dance? Although, these are the same producers who gave us a weeks of fun last season by selecting Cloris Leachman.
Speaking of Cloris Leachman, earlier today, ABC announced that Cloris would be back to preform, although I didn’t hear them mentioned on the show tonight.
Here’s the leader-board after tonight’s dancing.
| Dancing Pair | Score |
|---|---|
| Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas ~ | 27 |
| Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani ~ | 27 |
| Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke ~ | 27 |
| Lil’ Kim & Derek Hough ~ | 25 |
| David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson ~ | 24 |
| Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower ~ | 23 |
| Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough ~ | 23 |
| Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska ~ | 20 |
| Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin ~ | 17 |
| Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy ~ | 16 |
| Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer ~ | 15 |
| Steve “Woz” Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff ~ | 10 |
After this week’s performances, Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas, Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani and Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke are all tied for the top score… who do you think will go? Will it be the Woz or Steve-O?
Tweet“Top Chef” key ingredient available locally
For foodies who love to follow reality TV food shows and are tempted to try to recreate the mouth-watering medleys created by the TV chefs are often challenged to find the ingredients.
Well, I just ran across a recent posting on DLM’s (Dorothy Lane Market) blog suggesting they have one of main ingredients used by this year’s Top Chef winner Hosea.
According to the Web post, DLM has been carrying the scallops used in Hosea’s scallop recipe for more than three years.
So, if you’re ready to try out your chef’n skills, check out DLM and the recipe below.
Source: Hosea Rosenberg, Top Chef Season 5 Prep Time: About 2 Hours Serves: 4
4 Jumbo Scallops, cleaned 4 2oz Pieces Foie Gras, cleaned salt and pepper
Pain Perdu: 4 Slices French Bread, dried out 2 Eggs 1 C Milk 1/4 tsp Cardamom, toasted and ground 1/4 tsp Cinnamon, ground 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Maple Syrup butter for cooking
Apple Preserves: 2 Apples, diced small 1 C Cider Vinegar 1/2 C Sugar 1 ea Star Anise 2 Whole Black Peppercorns 1 Cinnamon Stick
Spiced Pecans: 1/2 C Pecans 1 T Sugar 1/4 t Cinnamon 1/4 t Cardamom 1/4 t Cayenne 1/4 t Nutmeg 1 T Oil
Maple Syrup Foam: 1 C Cream 1/2 C Foie Gras Scrap 1/4 C Maple Syrup 1 ea Star Anise salt and pepper to taste
Season scallops and foie gras with salt and pepper. Sear scallops and foie gras in hot pan with a small amount of oil until browned on each side. Keep warm.
Pain Perdu: Combine bread, eggs, milk, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, maple syrup, and butter for batter and soak bread in it for 10 minutes. Warm butter over medium-low heat in large skillet. Cook bread on one side until golden brown, then flip and repeat (about 3 minutes per side). Keep warm.
Apple Preserves: Combine apples, vinegar, anise, peppercorns, annise, peppercorns, cinnamon stick in small pot. Bring to boil and turn down to medium heat. Let cook, without stirring, until most of the liquid is gone. Pick out spices. Keep warm.
Spiced Pecans: Toss pecans, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, nutmeg, oil and place on baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven until browned (about 10 minutes). Cool. Crush into small bits.
Maple Syrup Foam: Bring cream, foie gras, maple syrup, anise, salt and pepper to boil and then simmer 20 minutes. Check seasoning. Blend and hold (keep foamy).
TO PLATE: Place one piece of pain perdu in center of plate. Top with scallop then foie gras. Spoon a small amount of maple foam on top. Garnish plate with a small spoonful of apple preserves and a pinch of spiced pecans. Finish plate with shredded fresh green apple.
TweetAmerican Idol shocker & no save from the judges!
Let’s start by saying that according to our American Idol online poll, we want Michael Sarver to go home. I would have to agree even though I do like the guy. According to DialIdol.com, who claims a very high percentage of success in predicting who is going home, they say it will be Alexis? If that happened, ooooooh, I would be so upset and it would be too soon in the season for a favorite to leave. The problem is, I really like all of them in their own way. Even Michael Sarver, especially after he told his heartbreaking story about his daughter asking why he didn’t want to be with her anymore. I’ve never been so aware that so many of the Idol contestants are parents before. I know there have been parents but this year; they all talk so much about how they miss their kids. It’s got to be tough.
Time to find out who is in the bottom three. They start with Danny and of course he is officially a part of the Top 10 and will be on tour this summer. I guess I’ll get to see Danny and Lil is safe as well. Anoop is safe! Allison and Michael stand and one of them is in the bottom three….and that’s Allison! Oh no…and Ryan says Michael is also in the bottom three. At least that makes a little more sense to me.
Grand Ole Opry member Brad Paisley performs his new song Then. There are some country artists I like, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts and a couple more, but I’ve never quite gotten the Brad Paisley thing. Honestly, I think some of the top 11 Idol contestants can sing better. Maybe it’s just a poor song choice. ; )
Ryan starts again…I’m getting nervous. Scott has been asked to pack his bags…for the tour. He’s in. Megan is safe, Matt is safe, Kris stands and Ryan says welcome to the Top 10. Alexis and Adam stand and Alexis is in the bottom three. Ryan decides to go ahead and send Allison back to safety and the Top 10.
This duet should be interesting. I love Carrie Underwood but I’m not a Randy Travis fan (sorry to our blogger Hillary). They sing I Told You So. It’s on Carrie’s latest CD Carnival Ride and written by Randy Travis himself.
Before the commercial Simon tells Ryan that the judges just discussed it and they may be compelled to save one of the two in trouble if they were on the bottom. Nice little teaser. But here we go for sure….after the nationwide vote of over 31,000,000…Michael, you are safe. Simon says that Alexis is the one they were thinking of saving and it all depends on this last performance of Jolene and quite frankly I think it sounds desperate and much worse than last night.
I don’t think they will use their save this soon in the season and I don’t think she did that well. Simon said it was good, but not good enough and the judges were all unanimous on this one. Alexis is going home. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Not that they should save her but that she is there at all. Michael should be leaving.
Am I the only one who was blindsided by this one?????
Success at predicting elimination: DialIdol.com 2, Our Idol Poll 1 Next week 50 years of Motown will be on Wednesday and Thursday night.
Tweet‘Scary’ performance on American Idol’s country night!
Howdy American Idol Fans! Tonight is Grand Ole Opry night so put on those boots and get ready to YeeHaw through what is bound to be an interesting, if not down-right entertaining two hours. (Sorry, couldn’t resist myself) Randy Travis has come to tutor the Idols on their country songs. So let’s get started! Don’t forget to vote on our Idol Poll and tell us who you are ready to see gone!
Michael Sarver is singing Garth Brook’s Ain’t Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up). Randy Travis warns him not to lose a word in the fast “licks.” I can’t really tell if he likes him or not.
My take: I’m not familiar with this song but it has some serious lyrics running fast, fast, fast. That was impressive and he looks like he’s having fun but missing a bit of something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Judges take: Randy thought it was a cool song choice but didn’t think it showed off his vocal capabilities. Kara liked the personality he showed off but she missed the big notes. Paula said the song allowed him to have fun which made the audience have fun. Simon couldn’t understand a single word he was singing and gives him a 1.5 out of 10.
Allison Iraheta sings Blame It on Your Heart by Patty Loveless. Randy Travis says that he’s been around the business for a long time but he’s never heart the maturity in the voice of someone who is 16 years-old before.
My take: I’m surprised that a young, strong rocker type was able to completely convince me that she could sing country music. This was a great song choice for her. It was a really pleasant surprise how well she did.
The Judges take: Kara thinks she can sing the alphabet and each week she gets better and better. Paula wants her to start experimenting in all side of her vocals but she is an amazing artist. Simon thought it was good and a little tuneless in parts. Maybe verging on precocious. Randy thought it was dope!
Kris Allen sings Garth Brooks to Make You Feel My Love. Randy says that Kris is a strong ballad singer and made the song his own and Garth will be proud.
My take: Randy Travis is right. Kris is a strong ballad singer and sings with such passion without going over the top and being fake. I thought his falsetto was smooth and wonderful. Great song choice.
Judges take: Paula is surprised and thought it was honest and vulnerable performance. There were a couple pitchy moments but an overall smart choice. Simon thought it was terrific, really, really terrific. Great choice of song, didn’t go over the top, probably the first time Simon thinks he has a really good shot at doing well in the competition. Randy said “tender moments from his dog Kris.” Kara didn’t even know it was country, it was really Kris Allen.
Lil Rounds is singing Independence Day by Martina McBride. Randy says she needs to slow it down just a little so she can get in all her licks. He says if she sings like he just heard, she’ll nail it. She’s got pipes on the top end.
My take: Honestly, I was a little bored for the first half of the song, then she busted it out at the chorus and it was much better. Lil can sing but doesn’t quite have the passion for the country music that comes through when she sings her R&B.
Judges take: Randy thinks it didn’t feel comfortable for her, wrong song choice. Kara agrees and thought the second half was great. Paula thinks everything is great tonight. Simon struggled with Lil’s name, calling her Little, but thinks she sounded like someone who was forced to sing at a wedding and she felt and looked very uncomfortable. Basically, all the judges wanted to see her take a country song and turn it into “Lil.”
Adam Lambert looks nothing remotely like a country singer. Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash is what he is singing and when he started singing a version that was a little Middle Eastern in nature with a sitar, Randy Travis just didn’t know what to say about Adam and it threw him for a loop. Randy doesn’t normally see guys with nail polish and he was just…well… speechless.
My take: I rewound this a couple times and I have to say…I may be one of the few people in America that liked this. Adam has an amazing voice and I have a feeling the more I listened to it the more I would like it. I imagine most of America will HATE it.
The judges take: Kara thought it was all a little strange, but it left her confused and kind of happy. Paula thinks he stands out and is true to himself. She thinks he is raising the bar on himself each week. Simon says “I think what Randy was trying to say was what the hell was that?” Simon thinks there are a lot of people throwing their television sets out the window. He thought it was indulgent rubbish. Randy comes back by saying, “It’s current, it’s fresh, it’s young, it’s hot!”
BREAK FOR A SISTER PHONE CALL…
My sister can’t believe I liked it. “Honestly, it frightened me.” My 16 year-old nieces says “he’s very scary but the guy liner was hot.”
Scott Macintyre is singing Wild Angels by Martina McBride. Randy thought to himself he was going to be in trouble. But after hearing a bit, he thinks Scott surprised him more than anyone so far and he’ll go out and do fine.
My take: The song was nice and the piano was once again awesome and I like it more when the tempo picked up toward the end, but he didn’t blow me away this week.
Judges take: Paula says another impressive and lovely performance but she feels the piano has become a bit of a crutch and it separates him from the audience. Simon thinks Paula is being stupid. Simon thinks he is choosing songs that aren’t good for him. Randy is looking for those hot, crazy, amazing vocals…after all this is a singing contest. Kara wants him to up his game a little bit and wow them.
Alexis Grace does look a lot like Dolly Parton without the bustline and she is doing one of her songs Jolene. Randy thinks Alexis did a great job with Dolly’s song and understands what telling a story is about. He thinks it is perfect.
My take: I love this song…we sang it constantly when I was a kid. First the Dolly Parton version then the Olivia Newton John version so I have high expectations and I loved it! In fact I enjoyed it so much I stopped typing and just listened. I think she did an awesome job keeping it “Dolly” but added just enough of “Alexis” to make it interesting to me again.
Judges take: Randy thinks she tried to bend it a little too much, too bluesy. Kara thinks it was flat and it was missing the edge that they all fell in love with (personally, I thought there was just enough edge for the song). Paula thinks it was a great song for her and appreciates that she took an artistic approach. Simon thought it was okay but a little too “sound alike” to the original. He thinks they will forget about it in 10 minutes.
Danny Gokey was really nervous singing Carrie Underwood’s Jesus Take the Wheel for Randy. He tried and tried and I could feel his embarrassment. Randy says when Danny was singing the parts that he knew, there was a soulfulness that singers that make a living at it wish that they had.
My take: I am choosing to ignore his couple pitchy spots. Once again, Danny was amazing. I would buy this guys record tomorrow.
The Judges take: Kara didn’t think the front half of the performance was great but the rest of it was spectacular. Paula said that she disagreed because artists build a story and she loved it and thought he was brilliant. Simon’s only problem is what he is wearing. It’s like he is going on a Polar Expedition or something. Randy thinks the verses were a little pitchy but he’s a great singer.
Anoop Desai and Adam were the two I couldn’t wait to see how they handled country week. Anoop is singing You’re Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson. Randy said all the doubt he had about anyone trying Willie’s song went away before he made it through a few lines. Randy said this is the best anyone has heard from Anoop.
My take: Chills. I hope he never does another silly pop performance again. Stick to ballads Anoop. Chills still lingering.
Judges take: Paula said Anoop is back. This song fit him like a glove and his vocals can be tender, honest, sweet vocals and he touched her heart. Simon said that he just went from “zero to Hero.” It was a good choice of songs. It was one of Simon’s favorite performances of the night. He admitted he was wrong and he really does to deserve to be in this competition. Randy said this is the reason they wanted here. Kara said that was a classic, almost untouchable song. The best performance of the night.
Megan Joy is singing Patsy Cline’s I Go Out Walkin’ After Midnight. Randy immediately thinks this has been done every possible way. It was totally unexpected and unique. He thinks that if she goes out and does this song this way, you would have to like it.
My take: Another one of my personal country favorites. I like Megan but I like my Patsy Cline country, country. I thought I would love Megan’s take on it but I was luke warm. Maybe if I watch it again later…
The judges take: Randy thought was going to be a little bit of a train wreck but he thought it was a perfect choice for her. Kara, perfect song, perfect look and not many people with the flu could get up in front of millions of people and do what he could do. Simon thought she was better this week than last and she should have the flu every week. Actually, they said she had been to the hospital and back and has Influenza B and is very sick. You never would have known until after the song.
Matt Giraud is quickly moving up my favorite list. He sings Carrie Underwood this week. Randy Travis doesn’t think it is the best song choice until he hears him sing it. Kind of sounds like Randy thought that of a lot of people this week.
My take: I’m telling you this kid was incredible tonight. The emotion and soulfulness he brings to his music is heartfelt and it sucks you in. Again, I found myself watching and listening rather than typing. So I rewound it and found myself watching it again! I know you are going to think this odd, but he reminds me of Michael Buble’ behind that piano and the emotion with which he sings. I know they are different genre’s but it is the comfortableness inside their own skin that makes it work. Downloading this one for sure! Incredible, amazing, outstanding!
The Judges: Kara says there “aint nothing small about you.” Amazing. Paula applauds his authentic delivery and tells him he is piercing her heart. Simon thinks he has been overlooked with his vocals so far in the competition. Tonight he thinks he out-sang Danny tonight. AAAWWWWW, I can’t believe Simon just said that he reminds him of Michael Buble. I can’t believe it. I’m not nuts after all. Randy said he was his favorite tonight. You hear Simon say Buble and Randy says Justin Timberlake and look at the miles between those two, Randy says, “you got it goin’ on baby.”
One more reminder to vote on our Idol Poll! After the recap…Michael Sarver goes home tomorrow. What do you think?
Tweet“Dancing with the Stars” - One dancer has lost the beat - Results Update
America has voted and the first celebrity dancing star wannabe has been voted off. Despite an okay performance on the first two outings, the rest of America must of thought otherwise and sent the Go-Gos star, Belinda Carlisle, home.
So, for whatever reason and despite their injuries, Steve-O and Steve Wozniak, aka Teletubby as dubbed by Judge Bruno, will be around for another week.
At this point it’s hard to say the voting was wrong… but really, what were the voters thinking?
TweetDancing with the Stars - Injuries and last minute replacements kick-it
Injuries continue to plague this season of “Dancing with the Stars.” A couple of hours before tonight’s show aired (Mar 16), Steve-o injured his back during dress rehearsal and was taken to the hospital - perhaps all the years of Steve-O’s crazy antics are catching up with him… at least a stapler wasn’t involved.
Having left her heart on the set of the Bachelor, Melissa Rycroft - the last minute replacement - is dancing her way to the top of this year’s competition. Although she and Tony face some stiff competition from Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke. Gilles and Cheryl’s performance clearly moved the judges.
So after two weeks of dancing, here’s how the scores are shaping up.
| Dancing Pair | Combined Scores |
|---|---|
| Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke ~ | 51 |
| Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani ~ | 49 |
| Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas ~ | 47 |
| Lil’ Kim & Derek Hough ~ | 44 |
| Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough ~ | 40 |
| Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy ~ | 39 |
| David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson ~ | 36 |
| Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska ~ | 36 |
| Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts ~ | 35 |
| Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower ~ | 34 |
| Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin ~ | 32 |
| Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer ~ | 31 |
| Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff ~ | 30 |
Unless the 24 votes per household skew the votes too much, I’d say the Woz will be booted from this season’s show.
It’s pretty early to call a favorite, but I’d have to say Gilles and Melissa are running neck and neck.
Who are your favorites this season?
Tweet“Dancing with the Stars” Week One Results: Latest Update
After the first week of dancing, here’s how the leader board shapes up:
| Dancing Pair | Judges Score |
|---|---|
| Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke ~ | 24 |
| Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas ~ | 23 |
| Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani ~ | 23 |
| Kim & Derek Hough ~ | 21 |
| Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough ~ | 20 |
| David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson ~ | 19 |
| Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy ~ | 18 |
| Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer ~ | 17 |
| Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts ~ | 17 |
| Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska ~ | 16 |
| Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower ~ | 14 |
| Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin ~ | 14 |
| Steve Wozniak (Woz) & Karina Smirnoff ~ | 13 |
My guess is that Woz will likely be the first to go.
TweetSurvivor: Tocantins Update - Tribemate chips a tooth and alliances strengthen
Now that Sandy is gone… who is next to go?
Sierra - Stephen - Taj and Brendan have formed an alliance and as the show starts - I’m guessing that since the producers have spent so much time setting this up - something is about to happen right?
Reward Challenge - It’s all about the spinning. Tribe-mates spin their tribemates around and round then… the dizzied mate has to walk down a beam without falling off - can we say crazy!
Jalapao Tribe wins again and will enjoy the Charmin (as in the toilet paper) Cafe.
While Brendan is away on exile island, Tribe Timbira is suspecting that Brendan might be up to building up alliances with the other team - So will coach influence the group to vote him out if given the chance?
Immunity Challenge - This week, the tribes attempt to catch a ball - launched from a launcher. Certainly not the most unique challenge ever - but can they all be? During the challenge, there is a little drama, JT loses a tooth and the Jalapao loses challenge… and Timbira wins immunity - Jalapao loses.
Who will go? Will it be Taj or Spencer? I’m guessing it’s Spencer. If it’s Taj the alliance is broken… but, alas it’s Spencer.
So the alliance remains… but will it hold? Coach was awful quiet this week.
TweetAmerican Idol’s new rule & first two go home.
33,000,000 votes last night. More than any other season at this time in the competition. I’m tellin’ ya, this is the best Top 12 + 1 they have ever had.
NEW RULE: The Judges Save. One time, and one time only, the judges can choose to save someone who would otherwise go home because they had the least number of viewer votes. Once they use it…it’s gone and they don’t have another save this season. All the judges have to be unanimous and there will be no elimination that week. Then the next week, two will be voted off.
I like this new rule. It could have changed the course of a couple seasons. Can you say Chris Daughtry? Your thoughts?
The Ford video was pretty hot and it looked like this was the first time the contestants saw it and they look tickled. How fun would that be? And if you didn’t get to see the show, they are staying in a mansion instead of a hotel this year. Oh my goodness, it’s huge and lush and something that many of them have never seen much less lived in. A taste of the good life. I’ll see if we can find some pics for you.
Let’s get this started…Michael is safe, Allison is safe, and Jasmine is asked to come to the center of the stage. Matt is safe, Kris is safe and Megan is asked to the center of the stage. Looking at Jasmine and Megan, Ryan says that one is safe and one is not. Megan is safe.
So while the judges talk over whether or not they want to save Jasmine, Jasmine does a repeat performance of I’ll Be There and even though she has a great voice, the performance isn’t any more on tune than it was last night. I can’t imagine they will use their save on this one and I’m right. Randy tells her that she’s going home.
It has occurred to me until the judge’s use the save, those who are on the bottom will not have to sing after they know they are going home. They will sing like it’s their last chance because it really is. That’s kind of nice. I always thought it was cruel that they had to sing after they knew they were leaving.
So while we wait, DialIdol.com predicts that the bottom two will be Jorge and Allison. If you don’t already know, DialIdol.com measures the busy signal to predict who will be voted off. They were 97% accurate for season 7 of American Idol and they have accurately predicted the winner of every American Idol season it has covered.
Now, the fans right here in the Miami Valley that took our Idol Poll, have Jorge and Anoop as their bottom two. Let’s keep track all season and see who does better…us or DialIdol. So far, we are both wrong.
Kanye West is a pretty big “star” to be visiting the Idol set. He sings his hit single Heartless and its okay, nothing spectacular. Frankly, I’m looking more forward to seeing Kelly Clarkson.
Here we go again…Scott is safe, Alexis is safe, Danny is safe, Anoop goes to the center of the stage. Adam is safe, Lil is safe and Jorge goes to the middle with Anoop.
Did anyone else see Paula’s dress, or her lack of one? She was just about falling out of the top. Wow. She’s a beautiful woman and a veteran superstar but there really should be an age limit on sluttiness.
Kelly Clarkson’s new album dropped yesterday and I’m going straight to Amazon and buying it after the show is done. Her little interview with Ryan was great. She still seems kind of like that girl next door. Not super slick, just a regular girl waiting for the judges to rate her and looking for a boyfriend. One thing about the American Idols; they can all sing live or they wouldn’t be American Idols. That’s more than I can say for a lot of Top 100 Billboard stars in all genres.
Back to Jorge and Anoop…Jorge is leaving us. I can’t say that I am surprised and I am not surprised the judges didn’t save him.
Oh, I so can’t wait until next week!! Did they get it right tonight?
DialIdol.com - 1 Our Idol Poll - 1
TweetImmense talent in American Idol’s Top 13
Let me start by saying that many people either love or hate Ryan Seacrest, but he looks pretty adorable tonight. Love him! The set also looks pretty sweet this year and they have extended the stage to reach right out to the judges table.
Before I forget, once you’ve decided who you think should go home, go to our Idol Poll and let us know who you think it will be.
So I’ve been wondering how they are going to compensate for the extra contestant in a limited number of elimination shows and Simon answers that question pretty quickly. Two will go home tomorrow night. I wondered if that might be what they decided to do.
Tonight the contestants sing the songs of Michael Jackson. WOW. This is a huge selection of some of the greatest and successful songs in history. I’m looking forward to see what songs everyone chooses.
Lil Rounds starts her video clip by talking about her family and being a Mom of three. In 2008, their house was demolished, absolutely crushed by a tornado but that is not stopping Lil from pursuing her dreams. She sings The Way You Make Me Feel.
My take: When they first announced this song I didn’t quite see the fit but she did a good job. The thing is, Lil could sing the phone book as Paula is fond of saying. I was hoping she may choose a ballad and knock me off my feet. But she’s awesome any way you slice it. She is so relaxed on the stage.
Judges take: Randy thinks she made the song new again with her bluesy vibe. Kara just knows we’ll hear her on the radio someday. Paula thinks it’s like angels singing. Simon thinks the song choice was a lazy one, even thought the second half was better than the first.
Scott MacIntyre talks about how he has been almost completely blind since birth but started with the piano very young. His sister Kaitlyn is also visually impaired but it hasn’t stopped either one of them. Scott sings while playing the piano tonight Keep The Faith.
My take: I’ve not been over the top about Scott ever since the beginning but my sister continues to insist that he is better in front of a piano than without one and I didn’t remember that until tonight. It’s amazing! He sounds like a star. Plain and simple.
Judges take: Kara points out that Scott just learned this piece of music this week. She also loves the hopeful messages he brings to the show and that he is true to himself each week. Paula thinks it’s magical seeing him at the piano and acknowledges that the composer of the song is in the audience and she loved it too. Simon hated the song. He likes Scott, he likes that he is playing the piano, he simply doesn’t like the song. Randy thinks it was a little too safe.
Music Director, Danny Gokey, talks about how music was a part of his families everyday life growing up. They would sing about everything…gotta go to bed…got school tomorrow. Huge and cute family. I can relate to this family dynamic. My family did the same thing and now my sisters do the same with their kids so we all relate to Danny. Wow, he’s singing PYT (Pretty Young Thing). Don’t think I saw that coming.
My take: He started the song off slow and full of soul, then brings it up tempo and rocks it. I love this kid! Bouncin’ and dancin’ on the stage he is another one who seems so comfortable on the stage. He sounded incredible.
Judges take: Paula goes on out on a limb and predicts he will be in the finals. Simon thinks the vocals were brilliant and reminded him of Michael McDonald…a white guy with soul but he hated the dancing. Randy thinks he has range and liked both the dancing and singing. Kara loves the joy in his performance.
Michael Sarver brings us to meet some of his roughneck friends then we meet his family. He sings You’re Not Alone.
My take: I’ve always like Michael but during the last week I’ve been saying he’s not going to make it very far, but I thought he was awesome tonight. He has a beautiful tone to his voice. A couple rough notes but overall he was smooth and I got a few chills at the end. I’m a sucker for the twinkle in the eye and he had it tonight.
The judges take: Simon says he’s not the best singer in the competition, but he thinks he makes up for it with passion and heart. Randy says so far tonight, he’s one of the best. Kara says he really showed that he can sing. Paula thinks he’s likable, a regular guy with extraordinary talent, and he picked a song that colored up his vocals.
Jasmine Murray’s family talks about how she is the life of the family. She has one beautiful family who seems very supportive. Jasmine sings one of my favorites of Michael Jackson’s I’ll Be There.
My take: Great song choice for her. I think it shows off her range even though she misses on a couple notes. She ends the song extremely strong and oooh, more goosebumps. That’s twice tonight already. That may be a first.
The judges take: Randy says it is a tough song to sing and it was pretty good. Kara thinks perhaps a half key down would have been better for her but she sold it. Paula thinks she has tremendous composure and presence on the stage, but she had both a couple flat moments and a couple brilliant moments. Simon says she was a little robotic and needs to lighten up a bit and stop acting like a little girl acting like a grown up.
Kris Allen too has a heavy family and church influence in his music. He is a newlywed of five months and that’s the roughest part; having to be away from his bride. He sings Remember the Time.
My take: He’s so cute. His vocals don’t quite live up to a couple of the others tonight but with the guitar he looks so comfortable in his skin. He is so joyful in his performance. He reminds me a bit of singer Nick Lashe.
The judges take: Kara thinks that it is nice seeing this side of him and even though there were a couple rough notes she also gives him props for all the time he spent this week helping the other contestants. Cute and nice. Paula thinks that he is engaging and kind of adorable-sexy. Simon thought the performance was a bit clumsy and Randy liked the guitar with the song.
Allison Iraheta says her parents are Salvadorian and talks about how hard they have worked to get her where she is today. At five years old she started singing in a shopping mall and continues to do so yet today. She is singing Give It To Me.
My take: Allison brings a very rock edge to this song. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Heart. She is another contestant who is used to being on stage. She looks so at home there. Great vocal as always.
The judges take: Paula says it is mind boggling, especially for a 16-year-old. Simon thought it was a good performance and likes her confidence. Randy thinks she has got and she was born with it. He also thinks she is one to watch in this whole thing. Kara says when she hits the high notes it’s like the walls are about to come in and I know exactly what she means.
Anoop Desai’s parents talk about how having only one child allowed them to spoil him and how they may sure to bring family tradition into his life. He sings Beat It.
My take: Anoop works the crazed crowd as he tries to dance across the stage. I don’t think this was the right song for him. I know it’s his favorite Michael Jackson song but it didn’t really fit him. My sister on the other hand loves this kid and thought the judges were too tough on him.
Judges take: Simon pushes Paula to start the comments. She thinks that it was Karaoke because no one can do this song but Michael. Simon thinks it was horrible. Randy agrees with both of them. Kara felt disconnected with him for the first time. Ryan asks Simon if he thinks it was a mistake to bring him in as the 13th contestant this year and Simon says “on the back of that performance, yes.” Ouch!
Jorge Nunez says that his family is loud and they love to dance. Jorge being on American Idol has helped to keep his family together despite some tough times after his grandfather passed away. He sings Never Can Say Goodbye.
My take: He falls flat a couple times but he’s another one of the guys that has such a lovely tone to his voice. I don’t know if this was the right song for him though.
Judges take: Randy wouldn’t have chosen this song for him but he definitely has a voice. Kara didn’t feel the emotional connection tonight. Paula asked him what compelled him to choose that song and he tried to explain that he was struggling to pick something that would fit his voice. Simon thought it was corny and he was out of his depth.
Megan Joy Corkrey’s video says that she has always liked the spotlight and loved singing but when she was younger never got the solo’s so she gave up on the dream. She talks about how hard her divorce was but how much she loves her toddler son and how much she misses him. Fun…she’s singing Rockin’ Robin.
My take: I think this song suites her personality if not totally her unique voice. It also lets her do that little weird swinging hip dance that Simon hates so much. I love this girl.
Judges take: Kara says she puts her signature in everything she sings. Paula didn’t think she sounded her best. Simon thought it was a stupid song choice, clumsy and awkward. Randy agrees that it didn’t allow us to see Megan at her best.
In his video Adam Lambert says what a struggle it has been for him trying to make it in the music business since he moved to Hollywood. It has toughened him up a bit though. His parents say that he has insisted on making it on his own. He sings Black & White.
My take: I like this song choice for him. He has one of the most incredible ranges of any of the singers this year. Such a performer! I can’t help but love the theatrics, sexy side glances and the screaming rock riffs.
The judges: Paula says never in all of the seasons of Idol have they ever seen someone so comfortable on the stage…she doesn’t even see the stage because her eyes are so transfixed on him. He has an innate ability to know who he is as an artist and she believes with all her heart that they will see him in the finals. Simon thinks this he is in a totally different league than everyone else they have seen tonight. Randy says that Adam could make a record right now. Kara finds it hard to find something else to say but she hopes Michael Jackson is watching tonight!
Matt Giraud too has a strong, supportive family. His dad is his biggest fan and what a sweet mother. He too sings behind the piano tonight and sings Human Nature.
My take: I felt sorry for Matt having to follow Adam. There were a couple pitchy spots but he too has a smooth vibrato tone to his voice and I’m not at all disappointed. Wow. Completely different from Adam but just a wonderful surprise tonight.
Judges take: Randy thinks he has that Justin Timberlake thing goin’ on despite a couple pitch problems and Kara hopes to see him for many weeks to come. Paula says he is sexy, talented, amazing, authentic and she’s blown away. Simon said he was very good and solid performance. Difficult following Adam but they were like meat and potatoes.
Alexis Grace talks about her blues background in Memphis and again talks about her musical family. What an adorable child with an adorable child. Alexis is singing Dirty Diana, another one of my favorites.
My take: What a huge voice for such a little girl. She sounds strong and looks great but needs to work on her dance movements.
Judges take: Kara is so glad she’s back. Paula tells her watch the over singing. Simon thought it was over the top. Randy thought it was good and liked the attitude. You can tell the judges have run out of time and unfortunately, I think the last couple contestants have suffered from a lack of cfeedback because of it.
Okay, I hate when they run late because I usually end up missing the last few minutes of the show. Sorry about that, I have no idea what they said other than doing the recap with the phone numbers.
Losing two tomorrow night…my prediction? First who should go: Anoop and Kris. Who will go: Jasmine and Michael.
So what do you think?
Tweet“Dancing With the Stars” Season 8 Update
Last minute drop-outs may have altered the line-up for this season’s Dancing with the Stars competition - but in the show must go on tradition - the season premiere went on…
Joining the Season 8 cast are Holly Madion of “The Girls Next Door” fame (hint: she’s a model) and Melissa Rycroft, jilted wannabe from “The Bachelor.”
Partner Pairings announced before tonight’s (Mar 9) show.
- Belinda Carlisle - of the Go-Go’s
- Lawrence Taylor - former NFL LineBacker
- David Alan Grier - actor and comedian
- Shawn Johnson - Olymic gold medalist
- Lil’ Kim - Grammy winning rapper
- Gilles Marini - actor “Sex in the City: The Movie”
- Ty Murray - former rodeo cowboy
- Steve-O - Claim to fame: Actor from “Jackass” and “Wildboyz.”
- Denise Richards - model and reality TV star
- Chuck Wicks - recording star
- Steve Wozniak - Apple co-founder and former boy-toy of Kathy Griffin
- Dancing Partner: Jonathan Roberts
- Dancing Partner: Edyta Sliwinska
- Dancing Partner: Kym Johnson
- Dancing Partner: Mark Ballas
- Dancing Partner: Derek Hough
- Dancing Partner: Cheryl Burke
- Dancing Partner: Chelsie Hightower
- Dancing Partner: Lacey Schwimmer
- Dancing Partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy
- Dancing Partner: Julianne Hough
- Dancing Partner: Karina Smirnoff
Thanks to the DVR technology, I’ll be watching the premiere tomorrow, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show and who you think will walk away with the Mirror Ball Trophy.
Tweet“Dancing with the Stars” or “Dancing without the Stars” - update
Another season of “Dancing with the Stars” is set to air Monday night on ABC, but the two-hour premire has already lost two contestants.
ABC has announced the singer/songwriter Jewel and “Access Hollywood” host Nancy O’Dell have withdrawn from Season Eight. Citing injuries sustained while preparing for Season 8 including a fractured tibia and a torn meniscus proved to be too much for the two.
Jewel and O’Dell are sceduled to appear on the premiere show to talk about their injuries.
ABC has also announced “Additional changes to the cast will also be announced during Monday’s premiere.”
In a release Jewel said:
“When the doctors told me my injuries were so severe that I couldn’t walk, let alone compete, I was devastated that I couldn’t continue the show. I have every intention of being at ‘Dancing with the Stars’ this season supporting my husband, Ty, and his partner, Chelsie (Hightower). I hope to be back on the show in the future.”
O’Dell said in a statement:
“Beyond disappointment doesn’t even being to describe how I feel about not being able to continue on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ It has been one of my favorite shows since Season One! But I have torn the meniscus in my knee in two places, which requires surgery. ‘Dancing with the Stars’ was a great experience. I’ll miss working with my partner, Tony Dovolani, and all the other wonderful people on the amazing production that is ‘Dancing with the Stars’”
The two-hour premiere is scheduled to air on ABC March 8, 2009, starting at 8:00 p.m.
TweetAmerican Idol surprise…it is a Top 13!
I’ve been so excited for this show all day. I know some of you haven’t been overly excited about the contestants this year but I think with these last three people, we will have a really solid Top 12. Okay, 10 of the Top 12 are solid.
So while we are waiting through the introductions, did you read today that J.Lo and her hubby Marc Anthony text Ryan Seacrest during his radio show this morning on how impressed they were with him?
Jesse Langseth opens with Tell Me Something Good.
My take: I really like this song and I think she did it very well with lots of soul.
Judges take: Randy wasn’t super impressed and Kara loves her swagger. Paula loves her tenacity and that she sings with a lot of soul. Simon thinks she did a much better job than the last time. But he thought the song and performance was slightly indulgent.
Matt Giraud follows with Whose Lovin’ You by the Jackson Five.
My take: Wow. I liked him in week 3 but I love him tonight. The bluesy and soulful performance was amazing and fit him like a comfortable pair of broken in sneakers.
Judges take: Kara and Paula thought he was pretty amazing. Simon said it was a billion times better than last week. But his criticism was that he saw bits of Taylor Hicks coming through. Randy thinks the other nine contestants are worried Matt will make it through and give them a run for their money.
Megan Joy Corkrey has been one of my favorites since Hollywood and she is singing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.
My take has been one of my favorites since Hollywood and she is singing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.My take: I’m really bummin’ out because I don’t think showed off her personality and it doesn’t have a lot of range. I want her to go through and now I’m a bit worried.
Judges take: Paula thinks she picked the right song and Simon likes her and thinks she is terrific. Randy says, like Simon, that it wasn’t the best vocal but they like her. Kara thinks that America needs her and she hopes she stays. Sweet…because I was nervous for her but seems like the judges really like her.
Von Smith sings Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.
My take: He starts off a meek for him but I knew he would bust it out and he did and ended it strong with that huge voice of his. Not my favorite performance of his though. No twinkle in his eye this time.
Judges take: Simon agreed that it didn’t start really well and he also thinks Von has become boring and too serious. Randy is not crazy about the song choice either, and Kara agrees. Paula has been studying the way he performs and when he worries and thinks too hard about the notes, he gets tense and doesn’t shine.
Up next is Jasmine Murray who is singing Reflection by Christina Aguilera.
My take: Goosebumps! It’s the first time in several weeks that I’ve gotten goose bumps. I think this was a great song choice for her this evening. Don’t know if the judges will agree but it really showed off her voice and range and fit her personality.
Judges take: Randy thinks she is 100% improved over the last time she sang. Kara is confused because she didn’t know that she had such a big voice. Paula thought she was wonderful. Simon thought it was pretty special and thinks she just put herself back in the running.
Ricky Braddy sings Superstitious. My take: He was good. I like the twinkle in his eyes when he sings. But it wasn’t awesome. I like him and he can sing but I’m not sure if it will be good enough.
Judges take: Paula loves the way he loosened up and thinks he nailed it. Simon thinks he sounded good but honestly thinks he sounded a bit karaoke and a bit clumsy. Randy thinks he has a voice and could blow but it wasn’t quite the song for him.
Now here is Tatiana Del Toro who sings Saving All My Love for You by Whitney Houston.
My take: I forgot what a great voice this girl has because of her obnoxiousness. But Wow. She can really sing and I’m terrified she is going to take a spot from someone I actually like.
Judges take: Paula thinks she can sing. Simon criticizes her for singing the same song for the third time and she argues with him and they talk over each other. Tara thinks it’s like the adventure of Tatiana and she’s not sure who she is.
Anoop Desai is singing My Prerogative.
My take: I love this song but it doesn’t really fit Anoop to me. His dancing is clumsy and it’s obvious he has a good voice but despite the fact that he gets Paula out of her seat, I wish he would have chosen a different song.
Judges take: The crowd loves Anoop and Simon call barely get them to shut up so he can speak. He thinks Anoop is like an enthusiastic dog but is the Anoop they like before. Randy thinks he did better this time than the last time he sang it. Kara wanted to get up and dance. Paula thinks he certainly is a showman and the crowd loves him.
Who goes through? I think Anoop will, not because he is the best singer but because it’s obvious the crowd loves him which makes him relevant according to the judges. I think possibly Meagan because she is different and they like that.
Over a very short commercial break the judges decide who will join the other nine. Ryan asks Jasmine down to the middle of the stage and Randy says after some heavy deliberation he is sad to say… that she will be seeing a lot of them and welcome to the Top 12.
They announce that Ricky will not be going on. Now Megan and Tatiana both come down to Ryan and Paula says that all the judges agree it will be Megan. The judges console Tatiana as she comes down to the judge’s stage and tell her she will be going places. That’s two women so the last one has to be a guy, right?
They call Jesse over and Simon says she nearly made it but she didn’t make it. Von doesn’t make it either. Now it’s between Matt and Anoop. I fear it will be Anoop because of his fans but Matt deserves it between the two of them. Simon says Matt has made it through to the final 12.
Rather than letting Anoop leave the stage Simon says they decided recently that they are going to make it a Top 13. Needless to say Anoop looks stunned.
Ryan tells us that next week Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson will be with them next week. Wow. They are starting the season’s Top 13 with some heavy hitters. Oh, I’m thrilled!! How about you? Anyone willing to predict the Top 4 tonight?
TweetAmerican Idol top 9 chosen…tomorrow 3 more finish up the Top 12.
As I watch the results show, I have the company of my sister and three nieces so some of the commentary may be theirs. The show starts with the group song. Katy Perry’s Hot N Cold is very popular with the 16, 10, and 8 year old bunch.
A quick review of last night’s performances and then we start the elimination process with Ryan asking Lil Rounds to stand up. A couple comments from Ryan and just like that “Congratulations, you’ve made it through to our top 12.” It’s kind of nice that they surprised us right off the bat like that.
Now, Arianna Afsar, Taylor Vaifanua, Kendall Beard, Alex Wagner-Trugman, & Scott MacIntyre are all asked to stand up and Ryan announces that one of them are making it through to the top 12 and then throws it to commercial. The gang here at my house all predict it will be Scott. One by one Arianna, Taylor, Alex, and Kendall are all told they are going home. I know Scott is a favorite but I’m not quite on board with him yet. He has a nice personality and he’s overcome many obstacles but I think there are better guys.
Here we go again…Ryan asks Nathaniel Marshall and Kristen McNamara to stand and its obvious both of these kids are gone. Felicia Barton and Von Smith are now asked to stand and Ryan says “for now it’s a no for both of you.” Does Ryan know something about who is coming back tomorrow night for wild card? Hmmmmm.
Now Jorge Nuñez and Ju’Not Joyner are asked to stand in the middle of the stage with Ryan. This is a tough one because I wish these two were going through instead of Scott and one of them. But Jorge it is…for now.
Jorge will sing later but now we get to find out which eight contestants will be coming back to sing tomorrow night for the wildcard round. There are 20 people from all three weeks gathered in the red room waiting to hear if they are one of the eight. Simon explains that the judges discussed and agreed on all eight, even making a couple last minute changes during the commercial just a few minutes before.
So, one at a time the judges pick from the 20…Randy picks Von Smith, Kara picks Jasmine Murray, Paula picks Ricky Brady, Simon picks Megan Grace, Randy picks Tatiana after he explains that they ALL agreed after much discussion on her, Kara picks Matt Guro, another last minute change and Paula Jesse Langson and the last one Simon announces is Anoop.
My nieces moan and groan when Tatiana starts crying and thanking the judges. They do not want her to get through to the top 12 and they are not alone. One of the women I work with swears that she will not watch the show for the rest of the season if she makes it in the top 10. There are some pretty passionate feelings about that one.
I’m very thrilled with the eight they have singing tomorrow night and wish that almost all of them can go through but only three will make it beyond tomorrow evening.
Any predictions or do ya’ll want to wait to hear them sing again? I kind of think I’ll reserve judgement until after the singing.
TweetAmerican Idol latest update: Will things get better?
Let’s be honest: Most of us think this year’s top 36 hasn’t been all that impressive so far.
Bad song choices for many, bad vocals for others. People we just can’t seem to remember.
Let’s hope for more tonight.
Von Smith, 22, sings “You’re All I Need” by Marvin Gaye.
My take: I thought it was flat at the beginning, much better in the middle and overall pretty good by the end.
Judges’ take: They were more than happy to start off with a performance they liked. “Tonight dude, I’m telling you what, that was a very hot way to kick things off,” Randy says.
Taylor Vaifanua, 17, takes the stage second. “If I Got You” by Alicia Keys is her choice, which scares me a bit for her.
My take: She was better overall than I thought she might be, despite some early issues. In the end, though, I don’t think it will be enough to keep her around for the Top 12.
Judges’ take: Kara says it’s obvious that Taylor has a voice but not so obvious on the personality side. Simon says, “My problem was, I genuinely couldn’t remember you … It was very generic.”
Alex Wagner-Trugman, 19, comes up next, and he gets quite the intro package, something that might help him win some votes. He picks Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.”
My take: Ouch. Oversinging a bad arrangement with bad moves equals a ticket home. Anyone remember how he even made it this far?
Judges’ take: Paula says, “You gave us our money’s worth. I just don’t know how much money will be spent.” Adds Simon, “We had fun watching you, just not listening to you.”
Arianna Afsar, 17, chooses an Abba song, “The Winner Takes It All,” which could be a bad choice because it dates her.
My take: Arianna doesn’t take long to affirm my thoughts that this was a bad song choice. She hits a couple of notes, but otherwise falls flat on this one for me, and that’s a shame. I wanted to like her.
The judges’ take: Simon says, “It was absolutely terrible in most parts.” He and Kara later sum it up with a one-word description: “Gloomy.”
Ju’Not Joyner, 26, comes up next and he sings “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s.
My take: He takes a contemporary song and tries to put his own spin on it. We know from years of watching that the judges want that, at least until someone fails in the attempt. No matter the way Ju’Not arranged it, he shows he’s a good singer.
Judges’ take: Randy says, “You kind of switched it up … Dude, I loved it.” The rest agree, and Ju’Not seems to be the leader so far.
Kristen McNamara, 23, gets a highlight reel that reminds us of all the drama in her Hollywood Week group. She picks “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman.
My take: She certainly tries a wildly different arrangement, one that turns me off right away. I try to separate her vocals from the delivery, but I admit that I had trouble. I think she overdid it, but the vocals were good.
Judges’ take: All of the judges agree that the song choice was wrong, but they were a bit split on the vocals.Simon says, “Quite an odd song choice, but you do have a good voice.”
Nathaniel Marshall, 19, picks “I Would Do Anything for Love” by Meatloaf, and I am not looking forward to this one.
My take: I wanted to totally hate it. As it turns out, I mostly hated it, but Nathaniel is mildly entertaining in a Norman Gentle way.
Judges’ take: Simon, “The majority, like me, thought it was verging on excruciating. At least people are going to remember you.” Randy, Kara and Paula all question the song choice.
Felicia Barton, 26, was the one who was cut but then brought back when ‘Idol’ kicked off its final top 36 contestant for unexplained reasons. She picks “No One” by Alicia Keys.
My take: Too much like the original without being as good. (Who else noticed she tried to imitate Alicia with the big hoop earrings?) She finishes strong and makes me try to remember her earlier time on the show.
Judges’ take: Paula says, “Isn’t it funny how the universe works? I am so glad we brought you back, and I hope we bring you back next week and the week after.” The others seem to agree that bringing her back was the right call.
Scott MacIntyre, 23, is one of the feel-good stories from the early rounds, overcoming blindness to get in the Top 36. He picks “Mandolin Rain” by Bruce Hornsby.
My take: He just didn’t have the vocals for the song early on. He manages to hit some big notes as it goes along, but I don’t think it’s great.
Judges’ take: Randy says, “When you had to hit the big notes, you hit ‘em.” Kara adds, “When you have issues, it doesn’t matter because it is coming from your heart.”
Kendall Beard, 24, is a country girl who stays true to her roots with Martina McBride’s “This One’s for the Girls.”
My take: A country song should have been right in her wheelhouse, but this one was not good for her tonight. She was pitchy throughout, and I think she’s going home unless the country contingent of voters gets the fingers working.
Judges’ take: In an unusual twist, the judges think the song choice was good, but the vocals weren’t. Randy says, “The real issue was it just wasn’t your best vocal performance.”
Jorge Nunez, 21, of Puerto Rico, is up next and tackles “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down” from Elton John.
My take: I think he’s the first one tonight to nail the vocals from start to finish, though I think the song choice was relatively safe for him. I will bet we see him again.
Judges’ take: Paula says, “You sound so good. I just want to squeeze you.” The other three also like Jorge’s performance.
Lil Rounds, 24, gets the best slot of the night, the last up to sing. She picks Mary J. Blige “To Be Without You.”
My take: I hate to say it because the hate mail will be coming, but I really didn’t like it nearly as much as I expected I would. She was great late, but I was not impressed early. She still is almost a lock.
The judges: Simon says, “I think you have great, great prospects in this competition.” The other three loved Lil too. Randy says, “You kept your swagger. Loved it, baby.”
For me, I think the top woman is Lil Rounds, and the top man is Jorge Nunez or, maybe, Ju’Not Joyner. Wildcard potential: Felicia Barton or Scott MacIntyre.
So, what do you think? Who should go through and who should go home?
TweetAmerican Idol Update: Survey Agrees with the fans
Last week I wrote about a media company that is surveying American Idol viewers to get their feeling about how should stay and who should go each week.
The results from this weeks’ results as posted on www.hcdi.net agree with the actual Idol voters… in other words the Idol voters match the survey group’s results.
According to the survey, the percentage of survery respondants that think contestant should advance to the next round are (survey respondents could vote for more than one contestant):
| 1. Allison Iraheta | 49% |
| 2. Adam Lambert | 49% |
| 3. Megan Joy Corkrey | 35% |
| 4. Mishavonna Henson | 26% |
| 5. Kris Allen | 25% |
| 6. Kai Kalama | 21% |
| 7. Nick Mitchell | 20% |
| 8. Matt Breitzke | 19% |
| 9. Jasmine Murray | 18% |
| 10. Matt Giraud | 17% |
| 11. Jesse Langseth | 14% |
| 12. Jeanine Vailes | 8% |
If you were to complete a survey for the contestant likely to win, who would it be?
http://www.hcdi.net/
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