Better Late Than Never for LA
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Ok. this took me a little longer to get back to last Wednesday's AI than I thought, but I'm back in the saddle.
Rnadom thought: Will anyone getting a golden ticket be less enthusiastic because, in fact, they aren't really "going to Hollywood" given that they are already there??
First - MUST we be subjected to Katharine singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow AGAIN? It was screechy when she did it before and it's re-screechy now.
So we're in Hollywood. The auditioners are outside this time for the big stadium shot. Olivia Newton-John is the guest host. Anyone under 35 is now totally confused. They have NO idea who this woman is. I like her shirt, though - my favorite saying is on it - "it is what it is".
Eccentric - looks like he's in a gang. Giving Ryan the faux-gang handshake thing, wearing the faux-gang bandana. Yet he's wearing a vest with musical notes and treble and bass clefs all over it. Huh. He's the panther - scratching at the camera. Huh again. And he's in the room, flinging a notebook or something. Quite an entrace. Flings his glasses next, then the vest. Randy's confused. Dude takes off his shirt and panther-crawls to the judge's table. Now he's freaky-dancing. Hissing. Scratching. Simon wants singing. This guy is without a doubt the weirdest dude of the entire audition season. I can't describe what he's doing, but he's doing it with a fake microphone, hissing and scratching. "The meowing was horrific" from Simon. That about sums it up. And it's a total "no" from all the judges, and he's out.
More in the extended entry...
Shelanda Stallworth - ok - what's with the hairstyle? His favorite is Julio Iglesias. Huh. That has to be the first time I've heard that in about 20 years. If Ever You're In My Arms Again - SHOUTED. Painfully shouted. Off-key shouted. It's truly bad. "Hideous" says Simon. Again, that about sums it up. And Shelanda doesn't seem to know he's really bad.
Allrighty. We're in commercial, but I'm not watching them because I have this on DVR from four days ago. So we're back. Judges not happy. Clips of bad people - the obligatory Bad People Montage. Some woman with a stuffed horse, a human banan, etc.
Mariana Riccio - been singing since she was 4, fully traine dfor 16 years, stage-mom vocal-teaching mom (like McPhee) - mom was some kind of Dean Martin girl. And she's really really bad. Like a bad Cher, if that's possible. And just an editorial comment here - the outfit doesn't suit her. She should cover up more. And she sneers and snarls when she sings. And now she's on her knees. The opportunity means the world to her. Now she's crying. "Please! Please!! Please let me sing another song!". They hate her - America hates her, I'm sure. And now she's coming unglued. This is sad and bad. And she jiggle-butts her way out and bursts into tears. Now she brings her mother in who talks about how good she is. But now mom sees the judges and tells her if not this time, another time. She gets it. the judge's ruling" Mom was hot. Foxy.
Now we're at the obligatory Begging Montage. I'm over audition week.
Eleana Alexander - Pretty. And a unique look - kind of a softer Mariah Carey. She decided not to go to college but America Idol is her last chance. It's Gonna Be Feelin' Good is her choice. Don't know the song personally. She's really nervous. She clearly can sing. I don't know that I'm blown away, but she has potential. She also seems like a genuinely nice girl. They're definitely gonna put her through. She's a stand out for this episode, but not an overall standout by any means other than that she's quite beautiful and exotic looking.
The teaser going to commercial shows a femal Taylor Hicks proclaiming "Soul Patrol" (if I were around that girl I'd smack her - that's blasphemy) and a 60+ auditioner.
We return with Taylor as the Idol. Shots of Taylor. And then...
Fong Fan - she's a self-taught vocalist, feels she has a lot in common with Taylor Hicks, his family didn't support him and hers doesn't either, and her mother tells her she's "not quite TV pretty" and "no Katharine McPhee". She doesn't want to be perceived as a Taylor "replicate". She swoons at a picture of Taylor. Now she's off and singing. She's doing Dancin' in the Streets and she's really really bad. It's all over the place and she's twisting up her mouth and dancing but then bending down and then dancing again and then singing and then apologizing. Just - awful. She quotes Taylor again, "give me a chance", and they say... No. And she's done. I thought she was a cute girl - nothing wrong with her looks. It's her voice that sucked. They're playing this really bad sad piano music as she talks to Ryan. Then it's Do I Make You Proud in the background. I'm going to puke.
Brandon Rogers - Has backed up Anastasia and Christina Aguilera. He can't suck - makes a comment that he's "not progressing as a solo artist". Sounds pretty serious. Singing Always On My Mind - who does he sound like? Damnit I can't put my finger on it - a little Al Green undertone, some Donnie Hathaway phrasing... Quite good. A few minor pitch problems here and there, but he sounded great and seemed very comfortable. Simon thought he was the best of the day and from what I've seen of what they've shown, I would agree. Simon says he "has a likability about him" - I agree with that, too. And he sails through.
The going to commercial teaser warns us that we may need Kleenex.
Brian Miller - he made Hollywood Round last year, and they show him crying as he's cut. A Change is Gonna Come is his choice. Now, Taylor did this last year in his Vegas audition and they are MILES apart in feel and interpretation. He has a good voice, but I think it's really really not one that's going to take him along. But he's back to Hollywood. Yawn.
Sherman - Backstory - his lady love of 20 years is in a cancer treatment center. They have a petition with lots of signatures. We don't know what the petition is yet, but we find out she died. And he's very emotional aobut it and genuinely so. They are going to let him sing. You Belong To Me is his choice, and he dedicates it to her. Paula's crying IMMEDIATELY. And he sounds good, and does a nice job. The judges are uncommonly decent as they listen to him, letting him have his moment. They applaud him as he finishes. Paula's still crying. Simon tells him he's a class act, and shakes his hand. He leaves by saying "I won. I'm a winner". It was actually very nice and quite touching. I thought I was too jaded to be moved.
Oh hey - Randy's stomach is back. Go to commercial teaser shows two robust people sucking face and judges running (literally) through the lobby. And so it's on to day 2.
Randy believes a winner could come from LA this year. Simon sees three or four so far making the finals. The two robust people who were kissing are both trying out for American Idol. They're cute - they've been togetehr two years. And they're each auditioning. He teeth are all silver. They're both turned on. I am now officially uncomfortable.
Cavet "Sparkles" Carr - I can't identify the song. She's awful. She's on her knees - she's "goin' down Simon" "cuz here and now, Simon"... She winks, rolls her tongue around at Simon. It's really... gross. Sorry. It just is. Simon has to ask if she's flirting with him. She thinks he's cute. He thinks she's fabulous, but the singing was off-putting. She's making Simon nervous. But they say no.
Daryl Somthing - Simon starts by telling him his girlfriend was inappropriate. I Wish It Would Rain is his choice, one of my ALL TIME favorites. Daryl's not any better than his gal Cavet, and that's saying something. They stop him quickly. It's a no.
Going to commercial teaser is a reallybad singer named Eric.
We're back with shots of famous Los Angeles/Hollywood places. We are now to the second obligatory Bad Singing Montage.
Eric Mueller - been training for American Idol for two years. He's a bit odd looking. He says he's put his social life on hold ot prepare for this audition. He wants to "break out of the mold" - "fluctuate it, reverberate it" (???). He's devoted his time. This is his to lose. Or NOT. He is one of the weirdest singers I've ever heard. It's really high and squeaky. They tell him to sing lower and he does, and then they tell him to go lower than that. He's now confused and "not wuite sure" what they want. Randy states the obvious - "lower's not gonna make it right". He's back to the high squeaky singing. And he has this weird look on his face as he does it - kind of like a stroke victim. Simon tells him he's "absolutely atrocious". And he leaves the room... Until...
Simon sees he had a vocal coach program called "Learn To Sing Like A Star", which is Paula and Randy's DVD of vocal coaching!! Simon's running through the room. Eric's confused. The judges are all talking at once. Simon is still trying to find Eric, and then that's it.
Oh thank GOD. Next Tuesday is the LAST audition show. San Antonio is where they're going.
Tonight's hands-down, not-even-close runaway winner is Brandon Rogers. For me, he now joins Sundance Head and Chris Sligh as contestants to watch. But a caveat - we're seeing WAY less of the good this audition season so I'll be interested to see all this "great talent" they allude to when Hollywood week finally arrives.
Sidenote: My DVR guide is telling me that Wednesday's show is called "Rest of the Best" so hopefully we'll get to see more good auditions and then NEXT week it's off to Hollywood. Finally.
Labels: American Idol, Auditions
posted by RenaRF @ 11:31 PM,
