Vera Bradley Outlet Sale - 2008

A picture is worth $1,382.......

Top 5 with Neil Diamond

Ok, I must send a shout out to Mr. Stephens who is celebrating his birthday today with his favorite artist.....I can only hope that the show lived up to his high standards.

Now for the show....Please let "tight show" mean two songs a piece and fewer commercials.....THANK YOU!!!!

With all the stars that have crossed into the world of idol, I must admit that Neil Diamond looked pretty good for his age. Must I remind everyone of Barry Manilow week, Kenny Rogers....I could go on. I actually called my mom at a commercial and said "Did Neil have work done because if so, you can't really tell?"

Ok, let's get down to business:

Jason Castro
Forever In Blue Jeans - selection was excellent for his voice, performance was solid but nothing special
September Morn - It was safe, yet in spots pretty rough. I don't get from Mr. Castro that he is in it to win it. (You knew it was only a matter of time before I busted that out.)

David Cook
I'm Alive - Rock version, it's cool. I dig it. That performance went by too quickly (sigh).
All I Really Need Is You - Excellent selection and he's smart to have this be his second song. Loved it. Bring it! In it, my friends, he's in it!

Brooke White
I'm A Believer - She is awkward playing the guitar for this son. She looked great (minus the sparkles). Safe song, safe performance. (Fun fact - her husband is an accountant.)
I Am, I Said - Ryan called her out now didn't he? This selection was SO much better and smarter for her. She's a ballad girl. SO MUCH better. This is the Brooke that I liked early on.

David Archuleta
Sweet Caroline - Fun song for him amidst all his serious ballads. Loved it. Love him!
America - He brought it. Loved it again. He nailed it. His vocals are solid. He mixed it up and it worked.

Syesha Mercado
Hello Again - She needs shoes with that dress. I liked the performance. She's still a little too Whitney for me.
Thank the Lord for the Night Life - Since when is she trying to win tihs? Solid vocal again. She may just be safe.

Ok, so how many people laughed out loud at Paula.....the middle comments were awkward enough until dear sweet Paula. Someone please help her.

Here's how I saw it (feel free to disagree)

Two Davids - own league
Syesha
Brooke
Jason

I think it's time to bid Mr. Castro goodbye and watch his cheesy exit video. (I say cheesy because I won't be disappointed to watch it.)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog which will report on my outing to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana......watch out!

Top 6 and Their Webber Show Tunes

Syesha - One Rock and Roll Too Many
Yes, because this is the first week that you should show animation or personality...bother. It started wrong. Not happy with her selection. This could be her downfall. The stepping off the piano was awkward. She looks great this week. It was good, not great. At this point, everyone is talented. I totally disagree with the judges except that Broadway is the place for her, not Idol.

Jason - Memories
He dressed up this week. Lower register was ok. His timing was off in the middle. This is so not his genre. This was just ok for me. The best part of it for me was his wardrobe selection.

Brooke - You Must Love Me
Lord Andrew cracked me up. She's going to cry...I'm calling it now. Wow, I didn't call that. She's probably going this week. She seems like she is forcing it a little. Didn't Madonna sing this song? Props to her stylist this week. I don't think she got it done either. 0 for 3 in my book. It seems like her performance was in slow motion. (Um, Paula just put her in the bottom 3.)

David A - Think Of Me
I am going to say it...I am getting tired of the jackets every week. I love this song selection. He jazzed it up, and I liked it. He's the bomb. Love this kid! Woo Woo!

(Who was the scary guy they showed in the audience?)

Carly - Jesus Christ Superstar
This rocked! She looks great! Awesome! This was her best performance in my opinion. (Her husband scares me a little.)

David C - The Music of the Night
When I am a big fan, I have a tendency not to write anything in my pre-blogging notebook.....so I was mesmerized by David's performance. I loved his selection as well, and I actually wanted him to sing it. I loved it (of course).

Here are my rankings:
David C
Carly
David A
Syesha
Brooke
Jason

Next week, Neil Diamond. I'm fired up, Grandma is excited, Mom is a big fan (yeah, she is watching pretty intently this season), and well, Mr. Stephens will be participating in the blog for obvious Neil Diamond admiration reasons.

Until then!

Top 7 - Mariah Mentors

Ok, so I think it is safe to say we all wondered how this week would go down. I must say after last week's voting debacle, I am very focused on getting the blog out so I can begin to vote. Yes, I said it, I am voting. :)

So here I go....I don't like Ryan's tie. I feel like he wears the same tie every week and it has started to bother me. Paula's dress was much more appropriate this week.

This set of songs will be interesting. And the whole group looks a little star struck with Miss Carey?

01 - David Archuleta - When You Believe
LOVE this song. This song is a duet, so I think it makes it much more challenging to sing. I liked it a lot but I am not sure about what the stylist decided to do with him this evening.....was he wearing Ross Geller's leather pants? He showed his range, and he's a star. ROCK ON, dude!

02 - Carly Smithson - Without You
She looks good this week. They are dressing her in a lot of deep blues and violets, and I think it works. The song selection was right for her. There were a few points where I wasn't sure, but overall, she worked it out. I agree with the judges.

(Side note - It is me or does it appear that Mariah has special lighting in these clips with her?)

03 - Syesha Mercado - Vanishing
What a surprise, Syesha's dressing like Mariah. Darn it, she sang well. We gotta start getting rid of these girls. The song was a boring selection I thought. Why does she look like she is going to start crying when Randy is talking to her? Spit it out, Paula.

04 - Brooke White - Hero
She's very sparkly. Oh, Mariah, she is so deep. I love the selection. This might be one of my top 3 Brooke performances (Mr. Watson, the others would be Let It Be and Every Breath You Take). I liked her mix of the song. The sparkles were very distracting, so it was a good idea to sit behind the piano.

05 - Kristy Lee Cook - Forever
Is it bad when you say you want to connect? Shouldn't that happen naturally if you are a talented performer? Bad wardrobe. I am bored and so over her even though she is trying really hard this week. Overall, I say eh.

Were they trying to torment us with putting all 4 of these girls in a row? NOT cool.

06 - David Cook - Always Be My Baby
Holy crap! This was awesome. I am speechless. WOW! (I actually said that out loud.) His brother was able to make the trip out this week and so that made it a little bit of a tearjerker for me and then David teared up, are you trying to kill me? He was amazing and I am really torn between the two David's as far as who I think should win this. For all of you who missed the show, I'm pasting a link to You Tube so you can see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu9gD4otRrg
This guy has nailed every single week. RIDICULOUS!!!!!!

07 - Jason Castro - I Don't Wanna Cry
I give this kid props for singing this song. He was original, and I dug it. He needs to stay as well.

Here's how I break it down:
Stars - David C and David A
Keepers - Jason and Carly
Silver Seat Getters - Brooke, Kristy, and Syesha

Grandma called in her vote for getting the boot - Syesha.

Until next week, or until America irritates me......

For American Idol I am,
Jennifer M. Schnieders

Top 8 Results....Blog It Out....

Ok, let's be real here for a second....these girls have GOT to start heading home. I have talked to four family members (Grandma included) who are irritated, and in addition to that it seems that most others that I have talked with did not think that Michael Johns should have been the one to get the boot last evening.....

And why did Ryan have to point out that last year they didn't kick anyone off, that was a waste of my time.....

What do we do? VOTE! I haven't been calling but I can promise you that I will be from this point forward.

And we can also hope that Michael Johns finds a band, because he belongs as a front man.

Ok, I might feel a little better....blogging it out did help.

Inspired or not?

Ok, I fully realize that I am a crazy person when it comes to this show. Let me embarrass myself this week (I know....just this week?)....The show started (after I got Grandma squared away on the correct channel), and I said out loud, "I love this show!"

(Sidebar - I talked back to the women on The Bachelor last night....out loud to the TV....)

That being said and "out there", I will begin.

I am not even going to go there about Paula's dress....oh, wait, I guess I just did.

1 - Michael Johns - Dream On
He stayed true to his style. It wasn't my favorite performance of his.....maybe it was song selection.

2 - Syesha Mercado - I Believe
Fantasia? Really? You need to go home just because of your song selection. How many songs did you have to pick from, woman? I'm not feeling it. I do like her version better than Fantasia's....til that last high note. Um, no. (Gag me, Randy!)

3 - Jason Castro - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Ukuleles make me laugh. (No clue why) I liked this selection for Jason. It was a nice performance.

4 - Kristy Lee Cook - Anyway
Love the song! Horrible shirt (but better than last week's dress). A little too corny for me. The end of the song was great, but she might need to be in the bottom three.

5 - David Cook - Innocent
Interesting....he rocks! Love him! Not my favorite song of his, but he belongs in the finals.

6 - Carly Smithson - Show Must Go On
I'm not sure about her song selection or wardrobe selection. She sang it well though. (Randy is fussy this week.)

7 - David Archuleta - Angels
Seriously! Amazing! (Ok, I just felt a little like gushy Paula) This kid is so talented, and the song was actually inspiring. For me, a David Cook-David Archuleta finale will be great TV.

8 - Brooke White - You've Got A Friend
Oh dear! What is she wearing and who put her in the rain? Yikes! Excellent song selection for the theme. I didn't love her performance....I kept wanting someone else to sing the song. The glitter has GOT to go. She's now starting to annoy me with the over-emotion every week.

So here is how I see it.....the only two that are safe based on this week are David A and Jason.
I think Syesha and Carly have the biggest chances on being on the bubble on Thursday night. It's time to start shipping off some of these girls.

It's now the actual day of Idol Gives Back, so I need to get to sleep so that I can get settled in for some good TV in a little over nineteen hours. (Oh, that was embarrassing too....you all know me, I am just like that.)

P.S. Overall, I was not inspired!

Dolly and the Top 9

(Note from the author: Tonight's issue of the blog almost didn't happen....after a 6 day stay in the Windy City, or shall I say just the Sears Tower, my DVR was full and I made it home with three minutes to spare...phew)

I would like to start off this week by welcoming Mr. Brian Fallon to the blog......based on his current workload, my measly attempt to comment on the episode is all he will have time for this week. :)

So here we go.....

Nice analogy, Dolly. Like you and your songs, I think of my tax returns as my children. NOT!

01 - Brooke - Jolene - Nice selection for her. She did a nice job, and it was a good fit. She looked great too.

02 - David Cook - Little Sparrow - He looks WAY better this week. What did he do? Under the spotlight I am rethinking my comment. This cat had it going on! LOVED IT.

03 - Ramiele - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind - This was a solid vocal, but it didn't do much for me. I agree with Simon (minus the cruise ship comment).

04 - Jason - Traveling Through - Awesome. This whole performance was solid. A little different than the last few weeks, and I thought it rocked.

05 - Carly - Here You Come Again - She picked a great ballad. Her wardrobe was way better . I liked it a lot. I disagree obviously with Simon's style comment.

06 - David Archuleta - Smokey Mountain Memories - Busting out the argyle this week. WOW! That is all I ever say, but it was awesome.

07 - Kristy - Coat of Many Colors - Oh gosh, who let her wear that dress? It was an average performance. Hee Hee....Randy busted out "wheelhouse" and of COURSE Paula would like that dress.

08 - Syesha - I Will Always Love You - This song is overdone. What is up with all the girl's eye make-up tonight? Did they have some glitter that was getting ready to go bad? Ok, after all that, I really liked her performance. She didn't try to overdo it. The overhead lighting is very odd on this new stage.

09 - Michael - It's All Wrong But It's All Right - He did a super job. These guys this season are superior to the girls.

Top 3 - David, David, Michael
Mid 3 - Carly, Jason, Brooke
Bottom 3 - Ramiele, Syesha, Kristy

And with that, I leave you this week.

Top Ten, The Year They Were Born

01 - Ramiele - Alone
This song has been a little over-done on this show. She's back this week vocally. A few times, she seemed to shout, but I thought it was a solid vocal. (Ok, so the judges and I don't agree)

02 - Jason - Fragile
Wow! Excellent selection. While his facial expressions are a bit odd at times, I think I'm sold on this kid. (Hello, this kid is laid back. Do you want him skipping around the stage?)

03 - Syesha - If I Were Your Woman
She has stepped up her game these last two weeks. I liked it. (Paula, let's not go overboard.)

04 - Chikezie - If Only For One Night
This is so much better than last week. He does show some versatility. I liked it, but who knows what the judges will say.

05 - Brooke - Every Breath You Take
She mixed it up, and I give her props for that. I loved it.

06 - Michael - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions
He belongs at the front of a band. I like what he selects each week to sing. He's cool.

07 - Carly - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
She takes the prizes for the best kid pictures. I thought the selection and the vocal were awesome. The girl has some serious shoes on this evening too. (Randy is fussy!)

08 - David A - You're The Voice
I am not familiar with the song, but he is awesome. Why are we having a competition? RIDICULOUS this kid!

off to another commercial.....thank goodness next week is down to 60 minutes

(Internal Dialogue - "Wait a minute....Kristy Lee Cook....David Cook....did I just pick up on this? Hmm....)

09 - Kristy - God Bless the USA
Who styled her hair? Simon? Rough in the middle, but the selection is a favorite of mine. She should have nailed it with no mistakes since this song is in her wheelhouse (hee hee, had to say it).

10 - David Cook - Billie Jean
His baby picture had me laughing out loud (or maybe I was giddy from all the commercials). I'll admit I had to watch this twice because I wasn't sure the first time around. His voice is amazing! This must be why we are watching this as a competition.

Who's on the bubble this week?
Ramiele, Syesha, Chikezie, Kristy

Have a great week!

The Beatles, Week 2.....yawn.....

Ok, I am going on record that while I know these songs are amazing and classics, two weeks in a row might be dry and dull.

Amanda Overmyer - Back in the USSR - Better than last week, but I'm still not feeling it. She's sorta shouty. (that was not even a real sentence) Did she actually demonstrate a little personality?

Kristy Lee Cook - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - Interesting selection, and she looks the best this week that we have seen her. I liked it better than last week. I loved the "musical wallpaper" comment. I will SO be using that later.

David Archuleta - The Long And Winding Road - Solid, strong performance. LOVED it. The crowd cracks me up when he is on stage. I was glad he was back in real form this week.

Michael Johns - He really could record an entire album of these songs. He rocked, I thought. (not sure what the judges heard)

Brooke White - Here Comes the Sun - Was it me, or did her bangs in her face bother anyone else? I really like her but this song was just ok.

David Cook - Day Tripper - He's a freaking rock star! Awesome performance. (The judges realize that they kept this theme again this week.....)

Carly Smithson - Blackbird - It was a little "Broadway" for me but she clearly has talent.

Jason Castro - Michelle - I don't know what to think. (They are not connected to these songs because they connected with their selections last week......Thank you, Simon!)

Syesha Mercado - Yesterday - WOW, she is back and I loved it. She looked great too.

Chikezie - I've Just Seen A Face - Not sure (I am really bored.)

Ramiele Malubay - I Should Have Known Better - It was better than last week, but it was no show stopper.

So for me here is the wrap up:
Off the hook - David, David, Syesha
Only ok because I was already hooked - Brooke, Michael, Carly, Jason
Could get the hook - Amanda, Kristy, Ramiele, Chikezie

P.S. On Oprah Monday, Simon said that David Archuleta, David Cook, Brooke White and Jason Castro were the ones to watch in his opinion based on talent. Also he said on camera that Chris Daughtry was the most talented in season 5, and that it turned into a popularity contest instead. HA! (clearly, not over it)

Top 12 - McCartney and Lennon Songbook

Alright, this week we will review song selection, performance, vocal, wardrobe, and judge commentary.

First off...Song Selection
01 - Syesha Mercado - Got To Get You Into My Life - good
02 - Chikezie - She's A Woman - hmmm
03 - Ramiele Malubay - In My Life - love it, but safe
04 - Jason Castro - If I Feel - like it
05 - Carly Smithson - Come Together - excellent for her
06 - David Cook - Eleanor Rigby - eh
07 - Brooke White - Let It Be - LOVE the song....also a little safe
08 - David Hernandez - I Saw Her Standing There - fun song
09 - Amanda Overmyer - You Can't Do That - no
10 - Michael Johns - Across The Universe - I don't think I have ever heard this
11 - Kristy Lee Cook - Eight Days A Week - like the song
12 - David Archuleta - We Can Work It Out - not my favorite for him.....

Next, performance
01 - didn't like the mix
02 - most energy we've seen from him thus far
03 - heartfelt, but a little dull....strong finish
04 - laidback
05 - she is a strong performer and very comfortable in this setting
06 - he's just cool, might have been a little too "rocky"
07 - have we discussed as a forum that instruments are a plus in my book. little dry at front but she was more involved and connected at the end
08 - not my favorite performance of his, but he's gotta stick around
09 - i am just not a fan. i don't even know what words she is singing.
10 - soulful and simple
11 - little fast, but I liked the country twist
12 - he got nervous :( he powered through but he forgot some words....(I sat and pouted at the tv because I was sad)

Vocal quality
01 - weak start (lower register)
02 - interesting
03 - strong
04 - very unique and solid vocal
05 - rock solid
06 - dude can sing
07 - her voice is interesting too
08 - loved it
09 - I will give her unique
10 - awesome
11 - good, not great
12 - seriously amazing

Wardrobe/Style
Syesha - ok, didn't like the off the shoulder look
Chikezie - stylish as always, although I wasn't crazy about his watch
Ramiele - super cute
Jason - true to his style, but powder blue, dude?
Carly - she looked great
David C - I am struggling with the hairstyle, or maybe the product they are using on him
Brooke - really pretty as usual
David H - stylishly era-appropriate
Amanda - can't handle the hair at all, and smile or go home
Michael - nothing too exciting...as expected
Kristy - cute style
David A - ok

Judge's comments
01 - I agreed.
02 - Again, agree.
03 - I completely agreed with Simon.
04 - He was amazing last week, so that is a tough comparison.
05 - Well, Paula, she has sold 378 records.
06 - Props to the judges.
07 - These songs are what are amazing.
08 - That song leads itself to be over the top.
09 - I just don't get it. Thank you, Simon.
10 - Randy, you said "tooken," and Simon, you don't know their names?
11 - I was indifferent here.
12 - You did force him out of his "vibe" but it wasn't his best to date.

Prediction - a girl goes home

Best of the night - David Cook, Brooke White, Carly Smithson
On the chopping block - Syesha (forgettable), Ramiele (boring and safe), Amanda (mumbly), and Kristy (average)

(Wow, am I glad this is down to one night a week)

Let's voice opinions.....

What were your top 4-6 performances/performers of the first three weeks?

I want to hear it, people!!! I know not all of you have your iTunes to refer to, but come on.....

For me -

• Imagine - David Archuleta
• You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Ramiele Malubay
• Go Your Own Way - Michael Johns
• Love Is A Battlefield - Brooke White
• Hello - David Cook
• Another Day In Paradise - David Archuleta

The Girls on 80's Night

So I am a whole day late.....darn e-filing and depreciation.....

1 - Asia'h Epperson - I Wanna Dance With Somebody - I like it. She's not trying to be Whitney. She's just doing her thing. You go, girl!

2 - Kady Malloy - Some Queen Song - It was just ok. Average. Not sure it's good enough. Not sure she cares.

3 - Amanda Overmyer - I Hate Myself For Loving You - Like the selection. Average performance. Hated the ending. (Her fiance is hot) I'm not sure why the judges love it so much.

4 - Carly Smithson - I Drove All Night - This is the best we've heard from her. I thought it was great.

5 - Kristy Lee Cook - Faithfully - Excellent song selection. She was a little shaky in the middle. This was her best style and vocal.

6 - Ramiele Malubay - Against All Odds - She's the most talented of this crowd. Amazing performance, strong vocal. Is she the tiniest contestant on this show in all the seasons? Did Rondie just say her name incorrectly?

7 - Brooke White - Love Is A Battlefield - Love this performance. She totally mixed it up. She might be my favorite girl. She looked like she was going to cry after she sang.....

8 - Syesha Mercado - Saving All My Love - She just sang her way into the top 12. It was solid.

Here's what I predicted (in the notebook):
In - Asia'h, Carly, Ramiele, Brooke, Syesha
Bubble - Kady, Amanda, Kristy

Game on next week - song selection, vocal, performance, wardrobe, judges commentary - I'll be all over it!

It's 80's Night!

And then there were 8.....

(sidenote - I am guessing at the song titles.....)

1 - Luke Menard - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Nice! I am dancing! His best performance on the show. ....lots of fun. Randy, dawg, the 80's WERE corny. Spit it out, Paula! Simon, George Michael is girly.

2 - David Archuleta - Another Day in Paradise - This is a kid on a social mission. I can't even write about him anymore, he is A-mazing. (Paula would make that two words.) He nailed it. Randy, who bought that shirt?

3 - Danny Noriega - Tainted Love - O M G He's goofy. Randy, did you say shy? Again, spit it out, Paula. Simon made me laugh....and snort aloud.

4 - David Hernandez - It's All Coming Back To Me Now - You go, boy! He's got to be crazy nervous. He belongs in the Top 6 for sure. LOL, Paula said "performer"...hee hee.

5 - Michael Johns - Don't You - Can he take over for Ryan? His voice is awesome. I love this week! Rock On! Awesome. Paula makes no sense.

6 - David Cook - Hello - Holy crap! Making Lionel Richie sound cool. (Well, he was cool....I should say currently cool....this reminds me of the day my brother threw my cousin Emily out of my car for saying she didn't know who Lionel Richie was, but I digress). Sweet! Yeah!

7 - Jason Castro - Hallelujah - Tempo was a little off I thought. His voice is solid. Rough ending a bit.

8 - Chikezie - All The Woman I Need - This is my favorite Chikezie week.

So check it, here is my thought. I have to have the three Davids and Michael Johns in the top 6. I am not set on any of the other 4.

I LOVE 80's WEEK!

10 Girls, Eh...

10 Girls

Was is just me or was this episode a bit of a bore? It couldn’t be that this is season seven and well, I’m just not feeling it anymore…..oh gosh, bite my tongue.

01 – Carly Smithson – I have not heard this song before. She’s clearly talented. We’ll see her on the tour. I did notice the microphone “technique” that Simon pointed out last week, and now it is distracting me.

02 – Syesha Mercado – The beginning was a snore. It got better. Seemed a bit safe. Big ending helped out a little.

03 – Brooke White – Perfect song for her. I like her. Good job.

04 – Ramiele Mulabay – Fun song, crazy good vocal. She didn’t move her feet at all during this performance and based on the song, that was odd.

05 – Kristy Lee Cook – WAY more personality this week. I really like her voice. So far, these girls could be 5 of the 6 that make the top 12.

06 – Amanda Overmyer – I like the song. She butchered it. I’m not even going to address her wardrobe selection. (I guess I just did.)

07 – Alaina Whitaker – Ok, is it me, or do half of these girls look alike? I thought the performance was nice. Who can really dog a Grease song?

08 – Alexandrea Washington – No. She just lost some ground with me. No.

09 – Kady Malloy – No, again. I am officially bored. I’m going to have to re-watch the three David performances from last night.

10 – Asia’h Epperson – Last week was better. She started out rough, but brought it home at the end.

I will wrap this uninspired synopsis with the four people I think are interesting after this evening: Brooke, Carly, Ramiele and Kristy.

Til next week!

10 Guys, The Night of the Davids

It's 70's night! I am actually looking forward to 80's week next week.

01 - Michael Johns - Love him. Nailed the song selection. He's just talented.

02 - Jason Castro - Bad sound feedback (or maybe it's my hotel TV). I don't dig the song for him. Last week was better.

03 - Luke Menard - His vocals are strong but this song was kinda weird for me. More upbeat than last week.

(Ok, I have decided this tv is crap......I miss the W Hotel.....(sigh))

04 - Robbie Carrico - Excellent song choice for him, but I felt like he sang the same lyric over and over.

05 - Danny Noriega - Not the right song for him at ALL. Ew. I'm sleepy.....NOT believable.

(NOT digging this show so far)

06 - David Hernandez - Like this song, it's fun. He's rising up there on my list.

07 - Jason Yeager - Much better than last week (although Grandma liked Moon River). This show is more fun with upbeat music.

08 - Chikezie - NO. And I am really trying to like this guy.

09 - David Cook - THANK YOU! Rock on! I was actually headbanging. :) He's in my top 3 guys.

10 - David Archuletta - Holy cow! This kid is the BOMB. WOW! Game over. (I am so buying that song on ITunes this week.) That was AMAZING!!!!! He's so cute I can't stand it. (Paula makes no sense....in fact she was kinda creepy.)

Top 3 tonight - David Archuletta, David Cook, David Hernandez
Still in it to win it - Michael Johns
Solid - Jason Castro, Luke
On the bubble - Robbie, Jason Yeager, Danny Noriega, Chikezie

First Hour - Snore, Second Hour - Solid

Our first appearance of the girls this season left a little to be desired. I'll give them a little more credit than Simon did for being sick, but not a lot.

This week's category overall can go in the disappointing file.

01 - Kristy Lee Cook - She seemed a little nervous. Nice beginning of the show. Good song selection.

02 - Joanne Borgella - Liked the song. Stiff performance. Solid vocal. She mixed it up a little and I liked that.

03 - Alaina Whitaker - Timing was off at the beginning. I liked it. It was a strong performance.

04 - Amanda Overmyer - Too fast and too hyper. She'll have a following because she is different. So far, I am not in that following.

05 - Amy Davis - Eh. I'm not feeling it tonight. But she is pretty.

06 - Brooke White - I really like her. Her voice is interesting. So far, this is the best of the evening for me.

07 - Alexandrea Lushington - The show is now getting better. She's a good performer. She needed to stop telling Ryan how to say her name on camera.

08 - Kady Malloy - The Britney impression was spot on. The performance wasn't. It had it's moments, but I am not a fan.

09 - Asia'H Epperson - Her voice is cool. Excellent selection. She's got personality too.

10 - Ramiele Malubay - She's awesome. Selection, vocal, performance = great!

11 - Syesha Mercado - Can we just erase the first half of the show? SERIOUSLY. She's cool. She nailed it.

12 - Carly Smithson - No clue what this song was, but she can clearly sing.

Favorites - Asia'H, Ramiele, Carly
Still In - Syesha, Brooke, Alexandrea
Just OK - Alaina, Kristy (sick factor)
Not Feeling It - Joanne, Amanda, Amy, Kady

'Til next week!

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE We Go!

Alas, it is time yet again for those of us who are unable to participate in the American Idol phenomenon live in LA, to kick back and pick apart the performances of two dozen strong-willed and talented vocalists.

We begin with twelve men, of all ages and from all areas of our fine nation. I'll be somewhat brief this week as it was challenging to write my notes because of the rapid pace of this evening's show.

In the words of the great Randy Jackson, so check it:

01 - David Hernandez - Strong vocal. I liked the selection.

02 - Chikezie - Check out that gear! He rocked it. Big vocal.

03 - David Cook - I like this guy a lot. He mixed it up. The hair straightener did not work for me.

04 - Jason Yeager - Ok, I am going to go there. (Yes, this early in the season.) Call me conservative, but I don't dig the hair. It should be one color. Song selection - ok. It was safe. It was a nice performance.

05 - Robbie Carrico - This guy is cool. His song selection was just ok, but the performance was solid.

06 - David Archuleta - I love this kid. He's awesome. FUN song. He's super.

07 - Danny Noriega - Good performance, fun song, I am just not a fan. I don't like the attitude.

08 - Luke Menard - He sounds like Kenny Loggins. (Thank you, Paula, for agreeing.) It was difficult to hear him, and I thought it was safe.

09 - Colton Berry - Daughtry sang this the week he got kicked off. (You all still remember that week, right? I threw things, I yelled at the TV, I tried to explain how stupid America is to Mr. Watson on the phone, I protested...you get the picture.) This kid is good too. He is definitely a performer.

10 - Garrett Haley - Not at all what I expected, but I also think this was the first I saw of him. Boring selection. I won't remember this performance without my Idol notebook. Simon was WAY harsh!

11 - Jason Castro - Not sure at all. I just don't have an opinion yet.

12 - Michael Johns - Seriously, let's just put him in the top 12 now. Bring it!

Summary

• In - Michael Johns, David Archuletta
• Cool - Robby Carrico, David Cook
• Solid - David Hernandez, Chikezie, Colton Berry
• Unsure - Jason Castro
• Potential Chopping Block - Garrett Haley, Jason Yeager, Danny Noriega, Luke Menard

Drum Roll Please.....

While this might be later than most had hoped, it's never to late to blog about a concert. American Idols Live 2007....here I go.

In the past (or last year), the concert format has been mostly individual performances and duets with a few group numbers in the latter half. This year the format was mixed up, and I must say I liked it much better. What is also impressive is the amount of costume changes that occurred during this musical extravaganza. You never saw someone in the same outfit twice!

To the best of my recollection, here was our set list for the evening at the fair with occasional commentary:

* Let’s Get It Started - Entire Group - The first voice you heard was Jordin's. That was cool!

* Baby Love, Stop In The Name Of Love – Melinda and LaKisha

* Heard It Through The Grapevine - Chris Richardson & Ladies

* Proud Mary - Sanjaya Malakar & Melinda Doolittle

* Blaze of Glory - Phil Stacey - This was by far one of his best performances during the season, and it was awesome live!

* Thnks Fr Th Mmrs - Chris Sligh & Gina Glocksen

* When God Fearing Women Get the Blues - Haley Scarnato - Still, I am not a fan.

* The Way You Make Me Feel - Sanjaya Malakar - This kid is the skinniest person on the stage. See photo below.

* Typical - Chris Sligh

* Lady Marmalade - Haley Scarnato, Gina Glocksen, & LaKisha Jones

* What Hurts The Most - Chris Richardson & Jordin Sparks - This was my favorite duet of the night. They both played guitar and sang. It was really cool.

* Time Of The Season/With Or Without You - Blake Lewis - Finally, after more than one panic attack from my Aunt Cathy, we saw Blake. Since he is a one man show, the band took a break. He recorded the beat boxing and replayed it as his percussion during his performance. It was rather nifty.

* She Will Be Loved - Blake Lewis

* You Give Love A Bad Name - Blake Lewis
* INTERMISSION
* America the Beautiful – Phil Stacey, Haley , Gina , LaKisha , & Melinda - This was AWESOME. Since the concert was outside, it had just really begun to get dark, and the girls came out first singing something else (sorry). Then Phil in uniform came out and sang most of the song as solo with the girls as background. Everyone was on their feet when he was done (even Grandma).

* Who Knew - Gina Glocksen - Loved the song selection from her. In fact, that song has been stuck in my head for weeks now.
* Crazy, Hey Jude - Guys (with instruments) - The 5 guys sang with Chris R on drums, Phil on keyboard, and the other three with guitars. It was fun.

* Virtual Insanity, Ain’t No Sunshine, Geek In The Pink – Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis

* I Will Always Love You - LaKisha Jones - She put Whitney to shame during this performance. AMAZING!

* This Love - Chris Richardson - I know it looks like Chris has been on the stage a lot (Aunt Nancy is starting to complain), but I am ok with it. ;)

* It’s Your Love - Phil Stacey & Gina Glocksen - This duet was top notch too.

* Life Is A Highway - Chris Richardson, Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato - See if Chris wasn't back, look who we would have been left with!

* You Make Me Feel Like a Natural woman - Melinda Doolittle - Again she proved why she was my favorite. She was OUTSTANDING!

* Ain’t No Other Man - Haley Scarnato, Gina Glocksen, LaKisha Jones, & Melinda Doolittle

* I Who Have Nothing - Jordin Sparks - Yay! It was time for Jordin. She sounded awesome as well. I am ok with her winning. (Ok, I admitted it.)

* Heartbreaker - Jordin Sparks

* You Were Meant For Me - Jordin Sparks

* Broken Wing - Jordin Sparks - Her strongest performance from the season, in my opinion.

* Living On A Prayer - Jordin Sparks
* ENCORE - This Is My Now - Jordin Sparks - Silly people who thought they should leave, I knew they would be back. Who gets fooled by the band leaving the stage these days? Rookies!

All in all, my favorites vocally were Jordin, Melinda, LaKisha, and Phil. All amazing.

Blake is a good performer, and he added a different element to his songs. He's one of a kind for sure.

I love Chris R, so it was fun to see him on stage so much.

I liked the progress that Gina and Chris Sligh have made. Live, they really sounded great.

Because my grandma wanted to go, I sat through Haley and Sanjaya. ;)

All in all, my group of 7 had a fun time. We were in the front row of the grandstand, so you couldn't pass up the seats. What I have liked about this concert from the get-go (aka Kelly Clarkson's year) was that for the money, you see a lot of different performers and at least 30 songs. It's fun! This year's group looked like they were having a lot of fun together, and I think the format of the show demonstrated that too.

Until next year, I am signing off.

P.S. Ryan's tie for the Emmy's last night was HORRID.

Photo Link: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8KcsmzZs2Y0U

American Idols 07 Live (at the fair) - Part 1

The Hills, Season 3 ...shall I begin again?

So, where did we leave off....oh wait, LC is going to tell me. Sniff, sniff, Heidi moved out. Trust me, you'll get over it, especially since you are still splitting the rent. It's a new season.....a time for all of us to ask our questions about this cast of characters and just TV production in general.

Now that we have caught up with Miss Conrad (including the "updates" on TMZ and Us), let us begin with Episode 301 - "You Know What You Did!"

The first section will be a play-by-play of my reactions to the show:

• What is on Spencer's face?
• Holy awkward at the reception desk!
• The biggest sunglasses I have EVER seen
• "Jackpot!" - I loved it!
• Heidi's friend - wow!
• Spencer got a fish tank, and Heidi got....um....yeah, we know.
• I like the little tune that takes us to commercial, it cracks me up.
• WOW - "you come in handy so often these days"
• Hi, my name is Heidi. I write letters to my friends and deliver them at clubs in LA. (LAME)
• LOVE the fight! "sad pathetic person" This show is so drama!
• Buh-bye, happy couple! Drive off in that hideous jacket with that looo-ser.
• If I am weighing in now, Spencer is 100% behind the tape.
• Elodie is back...SNORE! The most exciting thing about her is what hair color she will have this season.
• "I'm not a catty girl." - lmao
• "WTF" - lmao (again) that people say that out loud....seriously, Whitney.
• I'm saving commentary about the Vogue closet for a later time.

Now to the TV related questions:

• Who edited the opening "song"?
• Do you write thank you notes to Lauren when she is hilarious?
• I have solved the mystery of why Heidi's teeth improved between seasons 1 and 2.
• I need the track list for these episodes....I feel an iPod playlist beginning......
• Why are the credits blurry with all the people who do the tough work on these shows?

Episode 302 - "Big Girls Don't Cry"

• The cat is wearing a sweater.
• HOLY S**T! (I can't remember why, but I am sure it was warranted - oh wait, it was the Hollywood painting)
• Ew! (Justin)
• I always liked Lo. I am glad she is back this season. She seems like an actual friend to Lauren.
• Bobby?!?!?
• Justin-Bobby and Audrina are an interesting couple to watch.....(I'll be nice.)
• Spencer and Brody ... Homey and Player
• Brody, you have your shades on in the store. Oh wait, you are with Spencer, leave them on.
• He didn't ask her on that beach. (just pointing that out)

The TV questions:

• Do you have to get people in the clubs to sign releases? No one is ever "pixilated" in the face, so I wondered how that works.
• Does Lauren have to tape her "scene commentary" in some studio, or are you able to pull that from her when she is talking?
• How many hours of footage do you have to watch to get these episodes together? (I'll need that in .1 hour increments, please.)

Until next week, or Thursday after 2007 American Idols Live!