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Posted: March 24, 2010 02:30 AM
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15Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyIdol Season 9: Top 11 -- Paige Making
Top 10? Only Against All Odds
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: Aaron Stevens , American Idol , Crystal Bowersox , Ellen Degeneres , Kara DioGuardi , Pop
Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV , Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News
American Idol week now begins on Mondays, when
the contestant who just left the show appears on the
Late Show With David Letterman. Lacey Brown was
very game but the segment was awkward since she
was interviewed by Dave from across the room. (She
was with the band.) Then he and Paul kept talking
about her being rejected and kicked off, which is truebut hardly necessary to keep repeating. Oddly, shechose to sing "What A Wonderful World," popularized
by Louis Armstrong. Lacey did okay with it, but what
an odd, old-fashioned number for her to choose as her last chance to make an impression on the public.
But in fact Lacey was right in tune with the Idol contestants. This week they could pick any tune that hit
#1 on the Hot 100. But it felt like oldies night since only two contestants (the two youngest) did a song
from the past 20 years. The mentor was Miley Cyrus, the epitome of what one imagines an Idol winner
might be like, though she's only 17 years old, barely qualifies to compete AND she's never had a #1 hitsong. Ironic!
LEE DEWYZE -- Sang "The Letter" by the Box Tops, the only #1 hit by Alex Chilton, who would go on
to enduring cult legend status as the head of Big Star. Everyone -- including Miley -- knows the drill. Lee
can sing but has zero stage personality. Miley suggested he give them some notes they're not expecting.(Huh?) Lee pulled out all the stops, thanks to horns and backup singers...and he never seemed more like
a retread of Taylor Hicks. Nonetheless, the first three judges were very (indeed overly) nice though
Simon threw water on the whole affair. Lee even mumbled through his post-critique chat with Ryan.Wake up!
PAIGE MILES -- Sang the Phil Collins hit "Against All Odds," a rather stolid number but one that sent
his solo career into the stratosphere (though Collins was sadly not invited to sing it on the Oscars). For
Paige, it was a train wreck of epic proportions. She started poorly, singing tentatively and off key, then in
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the middle of a verse she suddenly started belting and finally collapsed at the end. You could see the fear
in her eyes as it all went off the rails. I assumed her voice simply hadn't recovered at all from her vocal
problems. But either she didn't want to use that as an excuse or it wasn't the case. Paige blamed songchoice as her stumbling block. It's only the second number, but I can't even imagine anyone else goinghome other than her.
TIM URBAN -- Sang Queen's low-key (for them) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." If you ignore the
vocals, he was pretty good. Dressed in Miami Vice style (t-shirt and a too-large jacket he swiped from his
dad's closet), Tim grabbed the mike off the stand, he slid across the floor, and he swaggered into the pit
of sorority girls (but wisely didn't indulge in ogling them). It's actually a deceptively difficult song to sing,
since the chorus sort of winds down in an off-hand manner that's hard to pull off. Simon blamed thesong, but surely Tim just isn't that good a singer.
AARON KELLY -- Sang Aerosmith's hit from Armageddon . It was always a little odd to hear Steven
Tyler sing a love ballad while his daughter Liv was being romanced on-screen. But while it's atypical for
the band, I actually have a fondness for the tune, which has a great melody. Aaron is suffering from vocal
issues, but you'd barely know it from his performance. He stuck to the country twang (a phrase I wrote
down before Kara used it), which is clearly where he shines and kept the melodramatic number low-key.
On one big note, he was clearly straining, but all in all it was a very solid, well-thought out performance.
Week by week, Aaron gets better and I'm starting to see him in the finals and giving Crystal a run for her
money.
CRYSTAL BOWERSOX -- Sang janis Joplin's "Me And Bobby McGee," a song written for her by Kris
Kristofferson -- and if you haven't read Ethan Hawke's profile of him in Rolling Stone, it's well worth your
time. (Unfortunately, only a snippet is available online .) Why didn't I think of it before? If anyone wants
to do a remake of The Rose, they've got their gal. A Janis Joplin biopic was bumping around for years,
with Melissa Etheridge and Renee Zellwegger committing to competing projects. Maybe Crystal can
revive the flick. She did a very good job with "Me and Bobby McGee," and Miley's suggestion she sing in a
higher key did bring out some different colors in Crystal. Ellen (who is getting better with time) gave hera good note by encouraging Crystal to react to the crowd more. And Crystal showed more personality byencouraging Ryan to flop down on the carpet she brought onstage for the post-critique chat. Frankly, it
was the smartest thing she did all night. We know she can sing; she just needs to make people root for
her.
MICHAEL LYNCHE -- Sang Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman." After jumping all over the
place last week, Michael wisely stayed rooted in one spot and went romantic, right down to the velvet
jacket. It was smooth but unremarkable. Plus, Michael needs to work on using the mike better, since
sometimes his vocals get lost when he moves too far away from it. Ellen said it nicely by describing him
as going the speed limit. He got where he wanted but it wasn't exactly fun. Nothing wrong with it, justnot memorable.
ANDREW GARCIA -- Sang Marvin Gaye's 1968 gem "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Gladys
Knight & The Pips took to #2 in 1967 only to get obliterated by Gaye's version later and I don't think she's
forgiven him yet. Maybe Andrew felt bad for Paige because he gave her a run for her money in the awful
department. Perhaps he started in too low a key? Whatever the reason, his vocals were colorless and dull.
(It was even worse on the playback at the end of the show.) Kara said maybe their constant references tohis version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" had messed with his mind and he keeps trying to recapture
that moment. So she suggested...he go back to that version of "Straight Up" and try and see what was
special about it and do it again. Wha????? Simon dropped the hammer and said they'd simply over-estimated his talent. After weeks of subpar performances, I agree.
KATIE STEVENS -- Sang Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry." (I'm such an old fogey -- or maybe it was just
seeing Jersey Boys -- that I thought for a second she'd be doing the Four Seasons number.) It was a
clever choice by Katie: she chose a contemporary song so she'd come across as current but it's pretty
serious, thus suiting her mature style. She also looked good. But there was a sharpness in her voice thatwas unsettling (Randy referenced it in an aside when it should have been the focus of all of them). It wasliterally unpleasant to listen to, not because she was so off-key or awful but simply because that sharp
tone left you uneasy. Kara in her street-wise manner said, "You've still got mad pitch issues!" And I
haven't the foggiest idea what Ellen's reference to Dakota Fanning meant.
CASEY JAMES -- Made the pretty left-field choice of Huey Lewis & the News' "The Power Of Love," the
theme from Back To The Future. After saying he needed to work the stage more, Casey barely budged an
inch and sang the song in a fairly straightforward way, maybe giving some lines a bluesy sort of spin. He
needed to completely overhaul the song to make his performance special and he didn't. And why were the
backup musicians positioned out front? It was OK, but Kara went over board, saying he's ready to make
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Up:...an album. Simon was closer to the truth when he said it was like hearing an 80s cover band.
DIDI BENAMI -- Sang Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good," her sole #1 hit to date, which comes off her
masterpiece Heart Like A Wheel. (The Best Of The Capitol Years contains three albums from this period
including Heart and is a must-have. Ronstadt is a criminally under-appreciated artist.) Didi's outfit was
sexy and fun (love the boots!) but the song dragged instead of slinked during the verses. She was better
on the bridge, but Didi continues to emote too much facially; she looks like a kid singing into her brush in
front of the mirror. Kara nailed it by saying it looked like she was playing a character on stage.
SIOBHAN MAGNUS -- Sang Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," a funk classic of course. Siobhan did her
thing, including a crazy get-up (I always worry when contestants look like they're wearing costumes;
Adam Lambert did it all the time) and crazy crazy hair. Anyone spot who was on her t-shirt? I thought it
might be Katharine Hepburn. And then she wailed at the finale. Fine, but it is starting to seem formulaic.
She should cover Prince.
Well, the bottom three will include Paige Miles, Andrew Garcia and either Didi Benami or Tim Urban. I
think Tim still has the Tiger Beat vote while I'm not sure who is voting for Didi. it will come down to
Paige and Andrew and Paige will be saying goodbye.
What did you think of the performances? Who will go home? Isn't it annoying that one week that told us
the theme in advance and even let us see the playlist the contestants choose from and next
week...nothing?
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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59 FansI have to agree that Paige was the one who should have gone home, which is why I was shocked
(and so was Kara, from her reaction) when she sang herself off and nailed it - reminded everyone
why she was there. (I was totally like "Why would you save this for your departure instead of using it
in the competitio n).
I'm also glad that Simon has started to call out Siobhan for using her gimmick-fo rmula. The week
that she first did it, her performanc e wasn't that good, but her pitchy and bad rendition of Aretha
went away because of, as Randy said, "Wow, that note, wow." And she's been doing the samething ever since - her performanc es are certainly unique and that's worth something, but I don't think
they're all that good, and then she just ends with her scream-tri ck and suddenly it's like all the
judges forget what happened before. (That's why she screams at the end, Simon, if she did it first,people would then remember the not-so-imp ressive vocals that follow).
I'm still not sure why everyone loves Aaron, though. Both this week and last I found myself FFinghim (yay PVR) - he's just one other karaoke singer amongst the few actual artists.
About last night's show...... ...
Paige Miles was not that bad....... . But since the judges/pro ducers do not want her to advance she
has to be perfect and last night she was far from it.
Once agan I'm not impressed by the middle aged woman on the show, but unlike others on the
show it is obvious that the judges/pro ducers are pushing her....... .. What was up with she and Ryan
sitting on the rug....... I predict by next week she'll have the rug, the stray cats, and the milk cratewith old albums in it one of which is Carole King's "Tapestry" album.
Was it just me or did it seem like Miley's dress got higher and higher as the show went on? All week long NBC keeps promoting that the kid from "The Blind Side" will be on "Law and Order-
SVU" this week. Well, apparently he's on Idol, too....... As a portly man myself I can tell you it's verybizarre to see a fat guy jump around and/or act as though he's the second coming of Marvin Gaye.
WHO'S GOING HOME THIS WEEK? Probably Paige..... ... Could be Tim Urban..... ... Outside chance
it might be Andrew.
MEMO TO MR. GLITZ,
It's Aaron Kelly!!!! Not Stevens!
Thanks. They're only teenagers and I'm already pairing off Aaron and Katie in my head --
even though his heart clearly belongs to Miley.FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
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43 Fansokay here's my recap:
Lee: good vocals, no personalit y, boring
Paige: pitchy but she does have a good voice and she is sick
Tim: okay vocals, little much with dance moves, got out of his shellAaron: My opion the BEST of the nite!! there was maybe 2 pitchy moments but he is amazing!!!Crystal: BORING!!!! good vocals, but sounds the same each weakMichael: a bit pitchy, overdown, annoyed really, okay vocalsAndrew: AWFUL!!!!! He was good once and thts it, pitchy all over Casey: average vocals, but a bit peachy in some but betther than others (andrew)
Katie: A lot better than the last weeks, avergae vocals, but i like her!!!
Didi: oaky!!!, bu pitchy and a little fake acting while singing!!!Siobhan: average vocals, good personalit y, a bit pitchy towards the ending
hoping that ANDREW finaly goes home!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!1
Last night was brutal. Brutal. As an avid watcher I could not stand it. Are the contestant s only
allowed to sing "cleared" songs - therefore, oldies and re-runs we've heard on the show a milliontimes? Well, not a million times... it just feels like it.
Lee: Boring song, good vocals
Paige: Just awfulTim: Terrible performanc e, weak vocals
Aaron: Over done song, but decent vocalsCrystal: Excellent karaoke, very stand-offi sh performer
Michael: Loungey but in a okay wayAndrew: He did indeed peak with Straight UP. Simon is right, he has had more than a fair shot.Casey: Okay cover but no sparkKatie: Tuneless and pitchy. Just awfulDidi: Just okay but indeed "actressy and corny".Sioban: Volatile vocals with a predictibl e ending scream.
Ugh. I stayed up late for this?
I agree. I think last night was one of the worst nights ever. Even my fave, Siobhan, wasdisappoint ing. Plus, what was up with the Sheena Easton hair on that poor girl?
Every song must be cleared. They're usually done in advance except for special requests.Depending on the genre that night, they can be given a list of 50-100 songs to choosefrom. (The backup bank can't automatica lly cover every song in history, plus as you say the
show pre-clears as many songs as they can.) But contestant s can request a song not on
the list, which the show will try to clear. We weren't told the playlist they had to choose fromthis week, but I'm certain many of the #1s from the past two decades were available. Justdull obvious song choice. Of course many of the songs are classics and if you do them wellpeople will love it. But a less obvious song would at least seem fresh.
Think the Final Four are rounding off to be Crystal, Siobhan, Casey and Aaron. Aaron...st ill can'tskylar103 04:18 PM on 3/24/2010
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32 Fansbelieve I'm saying that but the kid does seem to be hitting his stride. Isn't his last name Kelly
though?
I'm not sure which Ellen Michael is watching but she's giving Kara a run for the Seth and Amy
"Really?" award on every show. I certainly don't think Crystal needs to make overt shows of "Love"towards her fans. Simon was spot on, she doesn't need to change a thing.
And Ellen thinks Lee, who sounds like every grunge band lead singer in the world, is her favorite
pen??? And thinks Casey's version of that gawdawful Huey Lewis song was "the best performanc e
of the night". That's the second time she's made that declaratio n when Crystal was miles better.
What show is she watching?
I said here a couple of weeks ago after Paige murdered Chaplin's "Smile" that she's not a great
singer (you could find a better one in every church choir in America) and that she has a very oddvibratto which may be just bad technique but sounds like wicked nerves playing havoc.
It's bizarre how many mediocre singers there turned out to be this year. They ought to do a Bullpen
selection and bring back Shelby (of the partial face paralysis) who just missed the Top 24 but wasmuch better than half this lot.
Thanks for commenting . I didn't mean that I agreed with Ellen, just that she was more
relaxed and offering more varied criticism than the first few weeks when she always justrepeated what Randy had said.
I don't think Paige wants to be on AI anymore. Who other than those 4 girls who showed up as her'friends' would bother to vote for that performanc e.
DISAGREE!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!1 she is sick give her a chance!!!! the one who needs to go
home is ANDREW!!!! !!
Oh my, did I mess up in my first sentence. I don't think there can be any doubt that the BOTTOMthree should be Paige, Tim and Andrew. Gosh, that sure came out wrong.
Don't worry -- no one could doubt you meant Bottom Three when your list included Paige :)
I don't think there can be any doubt that the final three should be Paige, Tim and Andrew. But withthis show, you just never know. Permalink | Share it
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MindyM 03:00 AM on 3/24/2010
I love Crystal and she did an incredible version of the great Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee".
But now I think she needs to get rid of the guitar and do something very different. She hinted thatshe may be doing exactly that next week. She also doesn't connect well with the audience. It's notjust about singing, it's also about performing .
My favorite is Siobhan, but I was not pleased to hear another high pitched power note again. Hervoice is so good that she doesn't need it. I thought she gave a terrific performanc e of Stevie
Wonder's "Superstit ion". It's not an easy song to sing, but Siobhan handled it with ease. I love her
lower register and want to hear more. Simon was ridiculous ly harsh with her. He is pimping Crystal
WAY too much at this point. Siobhan can sing anything, she has tremendous range and power.
I didn't think Aaron was all that great. I thought the song was too big for his voice. He was smarter
last week when he sang "Angie" and stayed within the limits of his range. He doesn't have thepower for this song. I am willing to cut him some slack for the tonsilliti s, but he's not good enough
to be in the final three.
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: March 24, 2010 02:30 AM
BIO
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15Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyIdol Season 9: Top 11 -- Paige Making
Top 10? Only Against All Odds
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: Aaron Stevens , American Idol , Crystal Bowersox , Ellen Degeneres , Kara DioGuardi , Pop
Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV , Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News
American Idol week now begins on Mondays, when
the contestant who just left the show appears on the
Late Show With David Letterman. Lacey Brown was
very game but the segment was awkward since she
was interviewed by Dave from across the room. (She
was with the band.) Then he and Paul kept talking
about her being rejected and kicked off, which is truebut hardly necessary to keep repeating. Oddly, shechose to sing "What A Wonderful World," popularized
by Louis Armstrong. Lacey did okay with it, but what
an odd, old-fashioned number for her to choose as her last chance to make an impression on the public.
But in fact Lacey was right in tune with the Idol contestants. This week they could pick any tune that hit
#1 on the Hot 100. But it felt like oldies night since only two contestants (the two youngest) did a song
from the past 20 years. The mentor was Miley Cyrus, the epitome of what one imagines an Idol winner
might be like, though she's only 17 years old, barely qualifies to compete AND she's never had a #1 hitsong. Ironic!
LEE DEWYZE -- Sang "The Letter" by the Box Tops, the only #1 hit by Alex Chilton, who would go on
to enduring cult legend status as the head of Big Star. Everyone -- including Miley -- knows the drill. Lee
can sing but has zero stage personality. Miley suggested he give them some notes they're not expecting.(Huh?) Lee pulled out all the stops, thanks to horns and backup singers...and he never seemed more like
a retread of Taylor Hicks. Nonetheless, the first three judges were very (indeed overly) nice though
Simon threw water on the whole affair. Lee even mumbled through his post-critique chat with Ryan.Wake up!
PAIGE MILES -- Sang the Phil Collins hit "Against All Odds," a rather stolid number but one that sent
his solo career into the stratosphere (though Collins was sadly not invited to sing it on the Oscars). For
Paige, it was a train wreck of epic proportions. She started poorly, singing tentatively and off key, then in
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the middle of a verse she suddenly started belting and finally collapsed at the end. You could see the fear
in her eyes as it all went off the rails. I assumed her voice simply hadn't recovered at all from her vocal
problems. But either she didn't want to use that as an excuse or it wasn't the case. Paige blamed songchoice as her stumbling block. It's only the second number, but I can't even imagine anyone else goinghome other than her.
TIM URBAN -- Sang Queen's low-key (for them) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." If you ignore the
vocals, he was pretty good. Dressed in Miami Vice style (t-shirt and a too-large jacket he swiped from his
dad's closet), Tim grabbed the mike off the stand, he slid across the floor, and he swaggered into the pit
of sorority girls (but wisely didn't indulge in ogling them). It's actually a deceptively difficult song to sing,
since the chorus sort of winds down in an off-hand manner that's hard to pull off. Simon blamed thesong, but surely Tim just isn't that good a singer.
AARON KELLY -- Sang Aerosmith's hit from Armageddon . It was always a little odd to hear Steven
Tyler sing a love ballad while his daughter Liv was being romanced on-screen. But while it's atypical for
the band, I actually have a fondness for the tune, which has a great melody. Aaron is suffering from vocal
issues, but you'd barely know it from his performance. He stuck to the country twang (a phrase I wrote
down before Kara used it), which is clearly where he shines and kept the melodramatic number low-key.
On one big note, he was clearly straining, but all in all it was a very solid, well-thought out performance.
Week by week, Aaron gets better and I'm starting to see him in the finals and giving Crystal a run for her
money.
CRYSTAL BOWERSOX -- Sang janis Joplin's "Me And Bobby McGee," a song written for her by Kris
Kristofferson -- and if you haven't read Ethan Hawke's profile of him in Rolling Stone, it's well worth your
time. (Unfortunately, only a snippet is available online .) Why didn't I think of it before? If anyone wants
to do a remake of The Rose, they've got their gal. A Janis Joplin biopic was bumping around for years,
with Melissa Etheridge and Renee Zellwegger committing to competing projects. Maybe Crystal can
revive the flick. She did a very good job with "Me and Bobby McGee," and Miley's suggestion she sing in a
higher key did bring out some different colors in Crystal. Ellen (who is getting better with time) gave hera good note by encouraging Crystal to react to the crowd more. And Crystal showed more personality byencouraging Ryan to flop down on the carpet she brought onstage for the post-critique chat. Frankly, it
was the smartest thing she did all night. We know she can sing; she just needs to make people root for
her.
MICHAEL LYNCHE -- Sang Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman." After jumping all over the
place last week, Michael wisely stayed rooted in one spot and went romantic, right down to the velvet
jacket. It was smooth but unremarkable. Plus, Michael needs to work on using the mike better, since
sometimes his vocals get lost when he moves too far away from it. Ellen said it nicely by describing him
as going the speed limit. He got where he wanted but it wasn't exactly fun. Nothing wrong with it, justnot memorable.
ANDREW GARCIA -- Sang Marvin Gaye's 1968 gem "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Gladys
Knight & The Pips took to #2 in 1967 only to get obliterated by Gaye's version later and I don't think she's
forgiven him yet. Maybe Andrew felt bad for Paige because he gave her a run for her money in the awful
department. Perhaps he started in too low a key? Whatever the reason, his vocals were colorless and dull.
(It was even worse on the playback at the end of the show.) Kara said maybe their constant references tohis version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" had messed with his mind and he keeps trying to recapture
that moment. So she suggested...he go back to that version of "Straight Up" and try and see what was
special about it and do it again. Wha????? Simon dropped the hammer and said they'd simply over-estimated his talent. After weeks of subpar performances, I agree.
KATIE STEVENS -- Sang Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry." (I'm such an old fogey -- or maybe it was just
seeing Jersey Boys -- that I thought for a second she'd be doing the Four Seasons number.) It was a
clever choice by Katie: she chose a contemporary song so she'd come across as current but it's pretty
serious, thus suiting her mature style. She also looked good. But there was a sharpness in her voice thatwas unsettling (Randy referenced it in an aside when it should have been the focus of all of them). It wasliterally unpleasant to listen to, not because she was so off-key or awful but simply because that sharp
tone left you uneasy. Kara in her street-wise manner said, "You've still got mad pitch issues!" And I
haven't the foggiest idea what Ellen's reference to Dakota Fanning meant.
CASEY JAMES -- Made the pretty left-field choice of Huey Lewis & the News' "The Power Of Love," the
theme from Back To The Future. After saying he needed to work the stage more, Casey barely budged an
inch and sang the song in a fairly straightforward way, maybe giving some lines a bluesy sort of spin. He
needed to completely overhaul the song to make his performance special and he didn't. And why were the
backup musicians positioned out front? It was OK, but Kara went over board, saying he's ready to make
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DIDI BENAMI -- Sang Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good," her sole #1 hit to date, which comes off her
masterpiece Heart Like A Wheel. (The Best Of The Capitol Years contains three albums from this period
including Heart and is a must-have. Ronstadt is a criminally under-appreciated artist.) Didi's outfit was
sexy and fun (love the boots!) but the song dragged instead of slinked during the verses. She was better
on the bridge, but Didi continues to emote too much facially; she looks like a kid singing into her brush in
front of the mirror. Kara nailed it by saying it looked like she was playing a character on stage.
SIOBHAN MAGNUS -- Sang Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," a funk classic of course. Siobhan did her
thing, including a crazy get-up (I always worry when contestants look like they're wearing costumes;
Adam Lambert did it all the time) and crazy crazy hair. Anyone spot who was on her t-shirt? I thought it
might be Katharine Hepburn. And then she wailed at the finale. Fine, but it is starting to seem formulaic.
She should cover Prince.
Well, the bottom three will include Paige Miles, Andrew Garcia and either Didi Benami or Tim Urban. I
think Tim still has the Tiger Beat vote while I'm not sure who is voting for Didi. it will come down to
Paige and Andrew and Paige will be saying goodbye.
What did you think of the performances? Who will go home? Isn't it annoying that one week that told us
the theme in advance and even let us see the playlist the contestants choose from and next
week...nothing?
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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3 Fans
2 Fans
2 Fans
59 FansI have to agree that Paige was the one who should have gone home, which is why I was shocked
(and so was Kara, from her reaction) when she sang herself off and nailed it - reminded everyone
why she was there. (I was totally like "Why would you save this for your departure instead of using it
in the competitio n).
I'm also glad that Simon has started to call out Siobhan for using her gimmick-fo rmula. The week
that she first did it, her performanc e wasn't that good, but her pitchy and bad rendition of Aretha
went away because of, as Randy said, "Wow, that note, wow." And she's been doing the samething ever since - her performanc es are certainly unique and that's worth something, but I don't think
they're all that good, and then she just ends with her scream-tri ck and suddenly it's like all the
judges forget what happened before. (That's why she screams at the end, Simon, if she did it first,people would then remember the not-so-imp ressive vocals that follow).
I'm still not sure why everyone loves Aaron, though. Both this week and last I found myself FFinghim (yay PVR) - he's just one other karaoke singer amongst the few actual artists.
About last night's show...... ...
Paige Miles was not that bad....... . But since the judges/pro ducers do not want her to advance she
has to be perfect and last night she was far from it.
Once agan I'm not impressed by the middle aged woman on the show, but unlike others on the
show it is obvious that the judges/pro ducers are pushing her....... .. What was up with she and Ryan
sitting on the rug....... I predict by next week she'll have the rug, the stray cats, and the milk cratewith old albums in it one of which is Carole King's "Tapestry" album.
Was it just me or did it seem like Miley's dress got higher and higher as the show went on? All week long NBC keeps promoting that the kid from "The Blind Side" will be on "Law and Order-
SVU" this week. Well, apparently he's on Idol, too....... As a portly man myself I can tell you it's verybizarre to see a fat guy jump around and/or act as though he's the second coming of Marvin Gaye.
WHO'S GOING HOME THIS WEEK? Probably Paige..... ... Could be Tim Urban..... ... Outside chance
it might be Andrew.
MEMO TO MR. GLITZ,
It's Aaron Kelly!!!! Not Stevens!
Thanks. They're only teenagers and I'm already pairing off Aaron and Katie in my head --
even though his heart clearly belongs to Miley.FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
Recency | Popularity
Tilnar 10:26 AM on 3/25/2010
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JohnKevari 05:00 PM on 3/24/2010
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JohnKevari 04:32 PM on 3/24/2010
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Michael Giltz 08:25 PM on 3/24/2010
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0 Fans
6 Fans
51 Fans
59 Fans
43 Fansokay here's my recap:
Lee: good vocals, no personalit y, boring
Paige: pitchy but she does have a good voice and she is sick
Tim: okay vocals, little much with dance moves, got out of his shellAaron: My opion the BEST of the nite!! there was maybe 2 pitchy moments but he is amazing!!!Crystal: BORING!!!! good vocals, but sounds the same each weakMichael: a bit pitchy, overdown, annoyed really, okay vocalsAndrew: AWFUL!!!!! He was good once and thts it, pitchy all over Casey: average vocals, but a bit peachy in some but betther than others (andrew)
Katie: A lot better than the last weeks, avergae vocals, but i like her!!!
Didi: oaky!!!, bu pitchy and a little fake acting while singing!!!Siobhan: average vocals, good personalit y, a bit pitchy towards the ending
hoping that ANDREW finaly goes home!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!1
Last night was brutal. Brutal. As an avid watcher I could not stand it. Are the contestant s only
allowed to sing "cleared" songs - therefore, oldies and re-runs we've heard on the show a milliontimes? Well, not a million times... it just feels like it.
Lee: Boring song, good vocals
Paige: Just awfulTim: Terrible performanc e, weak vocals
Aaron: Over done song, but decent vocalsCrystal: Excellent karaoke, very stand-offi sh performer
Michael: Loungey but in a okay wayAndrew: He did indeed peak with Straight UP. Simon is right, he has had more than a fair shot.Casey: Okay cover but no sparkKatie: Tuneless and pitchy. Just awfulDidi: Just okay but indeed "actressy and corny".Sioban: Volatile vocals with a predictibl e ending scream.
Ugh. I stayed up late for this?
I agree. I think last night was one of the worst nights ever. Even my fave, Siobhan, wasdisappoint ing. Plus, what was up with the Sheena Easton hair on that poor girl?
Every song must be cleared. They're usually done in advance except for special requests.Depending on the genre that night, they can be given a list of 50-100 songs to choosefrom. (The backup bank can't automatica lly cover every song in history, plus as you say the
show pre-clears as many songs as they can.) But contestant s can request a song not on
the list, which the show will try to clear. We weren't told the playlist they had to choose fromthis week, but I'm certain many of the #1s from the past two decades were available. Justdull obvious song choice. Of course many of the songs are classics and if you do them wellpeople will love it. But a less obvious song would at least seem fresh.
Think the Final Four are rounding off to be Crystal, Siobhan, Casey and Aaron. Aaron...st ill can'tskylar103 04:18 PM on 3/24/2010
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anonimost 01:26 PM on 3/24/2010
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RhiannonRings 03:06 PM on 3/24/2010
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Michael Giltz 08:29 PM on 3/24/2010
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filmex 12:46 PM on 3/24/2010
59 Fans
287 Fans
0 Fans
32 Fans
59 Fans
32 Fansbelieve I'm saying that but the kid does seem to be hitting his stride. Isn't his last name Kelly
though?
I'm not sure which Ellen Michael is watching but she's giving Kara a run for the Seth and Amy
"Really?" award on every show. I certainly don't think Crystal needs to make overt shows of "Love"towards her fans. Simon was spot on, she doesn't need to change a thing.
And Ellen thinks Lee, who sounds like every grunge band lead singer in the world, is her favorite
pen??? And thinks Casey's version of that gawdawful Huey Lewis song was "the best performanc e
of the night". That's the second time she's made that declaratio n when Crystal was miles better.
What show is she watching?
I said here a couple of weeks ago after Paige murdered Chaplin's "Smile" that she's not a great
singer (you could find a better one in every church choir in America) and that she has a very oddvibratto which may be just bad technique but sounds like wicked nerves playing havoc.
It's bizarre how many mediocre singers there turned out to be this year. They ought to do a Bullpen
selection and bring back Shelby (of the partial face paralysis) who just missed the Top 24 but wasmuch better than half this lot.
Thanks for commenting . I didn't mean that I agreed with Ellen, just that she was more
relaxed and offering more varied criticism than the first few weeks when she always justrepeated what Randy had said.
I don't think Paige wants to be on AI anymore. Who other than those 4 girls who showed up as her'friends' would bother to vote for that performanc e.
DISAGREE!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!1 she is sick give her a chance!!!! the one who needs to go
home is ANDREW!!!! !!
Oh my, did I mess up in my first sentence. I don't think there can be any doubt that the BOTTOMthree should be Paige, Tim and Andrew. Gosh, that sure came out wrong.
Don't worry -- no one could doubt you meant Bottom Three when your list included Paige :)
I don't think there can be any doubt that the final three should be Paige, Tim and Andrew. But withthis show, you just never know. Permalink | Share it
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Michael Giltz 08:33 PM on 3/24/2010
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cyoohoos 05:04 AM on 3/24/2010
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MindyM 03:01 AM on 3/24/2010
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Michael Giltz 12:23 PM on 3/24/2010
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MindyM 03:00 AM on 3/24/2010
I love Crystal and she did an incredible version of the great Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee".
But now I think she needs to get rid of the guitar and do something very different. She hinted thatshe may be doing exactly that next week. She also doesn't connect well with the audience. It's notjust about singing, it's also about performing .
My favorite is Siobhan, but I was not pleased to hear another high pitched power note again. Hervoice is so good that she doesn't need it. I thought she gave a terrific performanc e of Stevie
Wonder's "Superstit ion". It's not an easy song to sing, but Siobhan handled it with ease. I love her
lower register and want to hear more. Simon was ridiculous ly harsh with her. He is pimping Crystal
WAY too much at this point. Siobhan can sing anything, she has tremendous range and power.
I didn't think Aaron was all that great. I thought the song was too big for his voice. He was smarter
last week when he sang "Angie" and stayed within the limits of his range. He doesn't have thepower for this song. I am willing to cut him some slack for the tonsilliti s, but he's not good enough
to be in the final three.
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