Well, it must be getting near the end of the season for American Idol when I start slacking off on my recaps. We are about an hour away from the start of the elimination show tonight and next week is the huge finale. I'm running into some motivation problems in completing tonight's blog (I run into this problem from time to time), so it if ends up being shorter than my usual recaps, blame it on that. This week, the contestants had three songs to sing. One was chosen by one of the judges, another was chosen by the producers of American Idol, and the last was chosen by the contestant themselves. Here's the recap from the top 3...
I completely forgot about American Idol and totally missed Jordin's first performance. By the time I turned it on, Ryan was telling Jordin that she would be back in just a short amount of time singing her next song. Drat. It was a song that Simon chose Jordin to sing, and from what I understood, Jordin did a good job with the song but did not blow anyone away by it. Pretty consistent for Jordin the past few weeks, I must say. So, we'll move onto Blake going next.
Paula chose the song "Roxanne" originally covered by The Police for Blake. I didn't really understand Paula for choosing this song for Blake - but he handled it pretty well. I must say, though, that he did sound awkward singing it at times, as if he was singing it with an accent like Sting has. Overall, I thought Blake performed it quite solidly and stayed away from the beat boxing which was a good decision on his part.
Randy had the pleasure of picking a Whitney Houston song for Melinda, "I Believe in You and Me." Randy always chides a contestant for picking Whitney songs, especially if they don't sing them very well. He wanted to throw out a difficult song for Melinda to sing, and it doesn't get very easy singing a Whitney song. I wasn't blown away by it, but it was another near-flawless performance from Melinda. I think she had a few pitch problems, especially in the beginning, and the song wasn't exactly upbeat for me. But, Melinda still did well with it.
Now I get to see Jordin perform for the first time tonight. It's time for the producers to choose songs for the contestants (where is Clive Davis, anyways?), and I think they chose a real odd-ball for Jordin to sing. It's the Donna Summer classic, "She Works Hard for her Money." It's actually a great, upbeat song for her and I think she does a good job with it. I enjoy listening to her sing it and these kind of songs do well for her.
The producers picked an absolute perfect song for Blake, as he sang Maroon 5's "This Love." Maroon 5 is one of my favorite bands so of course I'm gonna love this. I thought it was a very fun song and it's also very recognizable; something that has been released within the past five years. Blake does well when he stays current, so the producers didn't hurt Blake here. And the little bit of beat boxing that he did worked very well.
Throughout the competition, Melinda has sung songs that made her sound like Tina Turner - at least that is what the judges have commented from time to time. One such example was when Melinda sang Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day." So the producers followed up on that when they selected an Ike and Tina Turner Song, "Nutbush City Limits." Nutbush? Okay, I have never heard of this song myself and it seems like another goofy choice. Certainly there's a lot better Tina Turner songs they could've picked. It's a very upbeat, rock 'n roll kind of song and I enjoy it when Melinda rocks out. I don't necessarily believe the producers did any favors to Melinda when they chose this song for her, but she did not flail and it ended up being a good performance.
Now it's time for the contestants to pick their own songs and Jordin sang "I Who Have Nothing." I wasn't sure if I had heard this song by Jordin before (how quickly I forget), but then I did some research and sure enough, she sung it during the British Invasion week. An interesting choice, considering she had a couple other songs that she blew wide open throughout the competition, but this wasn't bad. She sang it exceptionally well and included a lot of power and emotion to her voice. It was nicely controlled and who cares if it's an old song, as Simon pointed out. You've gotta have some variety.
Blake chooses a Robin Thicke song, "When I Get You Alone." Blake stays contemporary going with a current song and that doesn't hurt him the least bit. It will definitely attract the younger voters. Personally, I didn't know the song, so I cannot compare it to the original, but I thought he did a fine job with it. Once again, he used the beat boxing in limited fashion which was perfectly executed. Last week I think he went a bit overboard with it and he learned a lesson. Blake did a nice job this week.
Finally, Melinda wraps things up doing the same as Jordin did, choosing a song she had success with earlier in the competition, "Woman." The first time she performed this, I was blown away by it; it was that good. This time around, even though it was on a larger stage, I just didn't like it as much. Yes, it was still good and consistent like Melinda has been throughout the competition, but it didn't live up to her earlier rendition.
And now the all important pick as to who goes home this week. I think this season is about as wide open as ever as to who will end up being in the final three. I think Melinda is a definite shoo-in for the finale, and Jordin will also make her way through to next week. That means Blake ends up being the odd man out. I really like Blake and I hate to see him go, but at this stage of the competition, there are a lot of good performers. I think the two ladies are just a small notch ahead of him.
Soon enough, we will know for sure who the final two will be. Enjoy the results show!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
New Development
Even though I knew it was coming before the official announcement was made yesterday - you never what ends up being a rumor and what becomes true. Lowe's, the major home improvement retail store, will be building an outlet here in Marquette. It will be built across the highway from our other home improvement retailer, Menards. The building itself will be 139,000 square feet large, and I have no idea if that includes a lumber yard or garden center (but I don't believe it does - those will be separate). Needless to say, this will provide a major shot in the arm for the area as it will provide for new jobs and an increase to the tax base. In my opinion, Menards really is not doing an adequate job providing affordable buidling supplies to the area. I also believe their customer service is very poor. With a major competitor just across the road from them, I think this will help them to be more competent and they won't take advantage and over price their materials like they can now. Otherwise you know what people will do then. Head across the highway to Lowe's.
Over the years as I've lived here in Marquette or nearby, I've heard many different rumors regarding retail stores and restaurants potentially locating here. Five or six years ago, Home Depot was supposed to build a store right where Lowe's will be building. Even our local newspaper included a big write-up on the front page. But that never materialized. In today's paper in the article that mentions the new Lowe's store, Home Depot was brought up again as having interest in the past at building a store behind the Westwood Mall. Since it seems that Lowe's will definitely be locating here, Home Depot seems to be the odd man out. I just can't imagine having all three major home improvement retailers here in a town of 20,000 people. But then again, we did have a K-Mart, Target, and Wal-Mart for awhile before K-Mart closed.
About three years ago, I heard the rumor about Costco buying Super One (a grocery store) and the Superior Lanes (a bowling alley) and building a store on that parcel of land. That never materialized. Another rumor involved the popular restaurant the Olive Garden locating in Negaunee Township across from the old airport where the new casino will be built eventually (they've been saying that for the past five years now, though). There's also been talk about a Dairy Queen (which would be awesome), Old Navy, and an Arby's coming to town over the years, but those have never materialized. And yes, even a Sam's Club was mentioned as possibly locating here at one time. But the problem with a Sam's is that they are usually located directly next to Wal-Mart. Our Wal-Mart (which is always crazy busy) is land-locked on both sides of it. Menards happens to sit next to Wal-Mart and if it should happen to close, you better believe that Wal-Mart will look very closely at building a Sam's there.
The latest "rumor" flying around involves Walgreen's building a store here. But that one will pay a price if it goes where it's been rumored to go. Shunk's Furniture and JT's Shaft would be bulldozed in favor of a Walgreen's. Those two businesses are long time establishments of the area and it would be a shame to see them go. Walgreen's is a very popular drug store (in case you're unaware) and would also affect Shopko quite heavily because their pharmacy is very popular. Shopko would be directly next to the new Walgreen's, if it should happen to go there. It could very well be the final nail in the coffin for Shopko which has been hurt by Wal-Mart and Target here. And that would truly be a shame for me, because Shopko is probably the store I shop at the most, and I know I'll really miss it (and it happens to be two blocks away!!!).
The one thing I am truly happy to know is that Perkin's will finally be here in town. It's probably one of my favorite sit-down style restaurants and it's going in where Timbercreek used to be (actually, the Timbercreek building is being completely renovated into a Perkin's). Perkin's is a restaurant we always seemed to go to on our family vacations and trips to Wisconsin. They always have great food and finally we'll have one in Marquette.
Over the years as I've lived here in Marquette or nearby, I've heard many different rumors regarding retail stores and restaurants potentially locating here. Five or six years ago, Home Depot was supposed to build a store right where Lowe's will be building. Even our local newspaper included a big write-up on the front page. But that never materialized. In today's paper in the article that mentions the new Lowe's store, Home Depot was brought up again as having interest in the past at building a store behind the Westwood Mall. Since it seems that Lowe's will definitely be locating here, Home Depot seems to be the odd man out. I just can't imagine having all three major home improvement retailers here in a town of 20,000 people. But then again, we did have a K-Mart, Target, and Wal-Mart for awhile before K-Mart closed.
About three years ago, I heard the rumor about Costco buying Super One (a grocery store) and the Superior Lanes (a bowling alley) and building a store on that parcel of land. That never materialized. Another rumor involved the popular restaurant the Olive Garden locating in Negaunee Township across from the old airport where the new casino will be built eventually (they've been saying that for the past five years now, though). There's also been talk about a Dairy Queen (which would be awesome), Old Navy, and an Arby's coming to town over the years, but those have never materialized. And yes, even a Sam's Club was mentioned as possibly locating here at one time. But the problem with a Sam's is that they are usually located directly next to Wal-Mart. Our Wal-Mart (which is always crazy busy) is land-locked on both sides of it. Menards happens to sit next to Wal-Mart and if it should happen to close, you better believe that Wal-Mart will look very closely at building a Sam's there.
The latest "rumor" flying around involves Walgreen's building a store here. But that one will pay a price if it goes where it's been rumored to go. Shunk's Furniture and JT's Shaft would be bulldozed in favor of a Walgreen's. Those two businesses are long time establishments of the area and it would be a shame to see them go. Walgreen's is a very popular drug store (in case you're unaware) and would also affect Shopko quite heavily because their pharmacy is very popular. Shopko would be directly next to the new Walgreen's, if it should happen to go there. It could very well be the final nail in the coffin for Shopko which has been hurt by Wal-Mart and Target here. And that would truly be a shame for me, because Shopko is probably the store I shop at the most, and I know I'll really miss it (and it happens to be two blocks away!!!).
The one thing I am truly happy to know is that Perkin's will finally be here in town. It's probably one of my favorite sit-down style restaurants and it's going in where Timbercreek used to be (actually, the Timbercreek building is being completely renovated into a Perkin's). Perkin's is a restaurant we always seemed to go to on our family vacations and trips to Wisconsin. They always have great food and finally we'll have one in Marquette.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Meaningful Songs
I am sure we all have certain songs that elicit memories from our past and present. They may provoke pleasant and happy memories or those that are sad, maddening, or depressing. Here are a few that are "classics" in my mind and ones that I never get tired listening to.
Everything but the Girl - Missing
This is a song that brings me back to the mid-1990's (and seeing Chris Kattan butcher it on "Saturday Night Live" certainly didn't help it's popularity with me). My older sister had just graduated from NMU with a degree in Biology and was headed to Marshfield, WI to attend the histology program at St. Joseph's Hospital. My family helped move her into this very old, musty smelling building that was actually a dorm on the hospital campus where she was to stay. It was the least bit modern and didn't even have cable TV! I felt bad that she had to live in such a dump and the worst part, being five hours away from her immediate family. She was crying as we parted ways and the rest of us piled into the car and drove off. Tears started streaming down my face as I realized how far away my sister would be. I could see my mom in the seat in front of me blotting her eyes with a kleenex and I'm pretty sure my other sister in the seat next to me was crying, too. This song played as we drove through Marshfield and on our way out of town. I listened to the words of the song and it had such a profound effect on me and I always makes me feel connected to that time.
Merril Bainbridge - Mouth
This song absolutely makes me smile everytime I think of it. If you've ever really listened to the lyrics of the song, you know it'll make you chuckle. My dad was always a "fan" of it even though it seemed to be an odd choice for a favorite song. Hearing him try to sing this song being just him and me driving through the old homestead really brings back a good memory for me. That's not the only memory I associate with this song. This song happened to play on the radio when me and my two sisters were all in the car heading to one of our favorite local scenic points; the Laughing Whitefish Falls in Sundell. I remember one of my sisters swerving out of the way of a raccoon as we drove towards the falls. I think we were even singing along to certain parts of it.
The Proclaimers - 500 Miles (I'm Gonna Be)
This is such a classic 80's song for me and one that I adore. Probably the one specific memory for me is listening to this song along the AuTrain-Forest Lake Road on our way back home after doing some swimming at the AuTrain Recreation Area. It's such a catchy tune and you can't help but sing bits and pieces of it whenever you may hear it. Also, since we're discussing it, another memory I associate this song with is from high school. I was part of this science group that won many awards during the regional competition which earned us a trip downstate to Lansing. One of the songs we listened to as we made the long treck to Lansing on the school bus was this song. And yes, many people were singing along. Seems that it had a significant effect not only on me, but others as well.
These are just a few of the songs that bring back good memories for me. As I think of more, I'll post them and the reasons why they are so special.
Everything but the Girl - Missing
This is a song that brings me back to the mid-1990's (and seeing Chris Kattan butcher it on "Saturday Night Live" certainly didn't help it's popularity with me). My older sister had just graduated from NMU with a degree in Biology and was headed to Marshfield, WI to attend the histology program at St. Joseph's Hospital. My family helped move her into this very old, musty smelling building that was actually a dorm on the hospital campus where she was to stay. It was the least bit modern and didn't even have cable TV! I felt bad that she had to live in such a dump and the worst part, being five hours away from her immediate family. She was crying as we parted ways and the rest of us piled into the car and drove off. Tears started streaming down my face as I realized how far away my sister would be. I could see my mom in the seat in front of me blotting her eyes with a kleenex and I'm pretty sure my other sister in the seat next to me was crying, too. This song played as we drove through Marshfield and on our way out of town. I listened to the words of the song and it had such a profound effect on me and I always makes me feel connected to that time.
Merril Bainbridge - Mouth
This song absolutely makes me smile everytime I think of it. If you've ever really listened to the lyrics of the song, you know it'll make you chuckle. My dad was always a "fan" of it even though it seemed to be an odd choice for a favorite song. Hearing him try to sing this song being just him and me driving through the old homestead really brings back a good memory for me. That's not the only memory I associate with this song. This song happened to play on the radio when me and my two sisters were all in the car heading to one of our favorite local scenic points; the Laughing Whitefish Falls in Sundell. I remember one of my sisters swerving out of the way of a raccoon as we drove towards the falls. I think we were even singing along to certain parts of it.
The Proclaimers - 500 Miles (I'm Gonna Be)
This is such a classic 80's song for me and one that I adore. Probably the one specific memory for me is listening to this song along the AuTrain-Forest Lake Road on our way back home after doing some swimming at the AuTrain Recreation Area. It's such a catchy tune and you can't help but sing bits and pieces of it whenever you may hear it. Also, since we're discussing it, another memory I associate this song with is from high school. I was part of this science group that won many awards during the regional competition which earned us a trip downstate to Lansing. One of the songs we listened to as we made the long treck to Lansing on the school bus was this song. And yes, many people were singing along. Seems that it had a significant effect not only on me, but others as well.
These are just a few of the songs that bring back good memories for me. As I think of more, I'll post them and the reasons why they are so special.
American Idol Top 4
So, were you wondering where my American Idol recap was last night? Yep, it's a bit later than usual due to traveling back to Marquette after spending the weekend at my parents once the show concluded last night. So I didn't have any time to write the recap until I got home from work this afternoon. But enough about that (and I'm sure you're all bored to tears), let's get to the recap!
Ahh, I absolutely love this week's theme. The Bee Gees are one of my all-time favorite bands. I know many of their songs, including all from their most recent album several years ago. My mom got me hooked on listening to them and they've produced an amazing amount of music during the past 50 years. Probably one of the saddest days was when Maurice Gibb, one of the three Bee Gees passed away a few years ago. I knew then that the Bee Gees would never be the same. They haven't even produced a new album since - and I don't think they ever will under the name "Bee Gees." However, they have nothing to be ashamed of, considering the critical success they've endured over all these years.
The evening starts off with Melinda singing "Inside Out," a song very unfamiliar to me (why pick a song that's completely obscure). Gosh, I wasn't even paying attention to it much as I was looking at pictures from my parents trip to Las Vegas that my dad was showing me. I caught the tail end and I thought the performance was boring and lacked any sort of originality. She could've picked a much better song from the Bee Gees and really brought it home, but instead performed a very safe song.
Blake steps to the mic next and sings "You Should be Dancing." Blake did such an amazing job last week making Bon Jovi's song sound contemporary and new that I was hoping he'd blow me away again. But this week didn't live up to those expectations and I was left disappointed. He sang the song in falsetto like the Bee Gees sang it and I did not like it at all. The falsetto just sounded so awkward coming from Blake. It probably wasn't the best song for him, and then you add the beatboxing which really didn't work well this week. Blake just wasn't up to par on this song.
Going third was Lakisha, and she sings "Stayin' Alive," the 70's classic from the Bee Gees. I am just not impressed with Lakisha anymore. It seemed to me that Barry Gibb wanted Lakisha to sing the song at a higher octave than what she wanted, yet she did not follow his advice. I think it might've worked better for her if she would've listened to him. I didn't think it was a very good performance. She did tend to shriek at times, especially during the runs of the song. She went backwards this week (compared to last).
Jordin is up next singing, "To Love Somebody." Definitely the best performance of the night, thus far. In fact, she was in a league of her own compared to the other singers. Barry Gibb gave Jordin amazing praise for her performance of this song in rehearsals, saying it was the best he'd ever heard from the countless numbers of singers that have covered it. I don't know if it was necessarily as good as he said, but Jordin definitely did a nice job with it. The one thing I love about Jordin is that she sings a song the way it's supposed to be sung, and she proved that with this song.
Oh were not done folks, as all of the singers come back again and try to redeem themselves with a second song. Melinda steps to the plate and performs "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." I thought it was much better than her first song of the night and wasn't nearly as boring (maybe because it's one of the Bee Gees more recongnizable songs prior to the disco era). It's such a great song and Melinda did a nice job with it. I think she does better with more up-tempo songs rather than the ballads. I enjoy it when she really blasts a song with her amazing vocals.
Going next was Blake singing, "This is Where I Came In." I am overjoyed when I hear he picked this song. I know it well and it's one of my favorites from the Bee Gees most recent album. That's probably why nobody is all that familiar with it, because their last album did not do as well. It's the cover song from that album and the Bee Gees did such a great job with it. As for Blake's rendition, I didn't care for it as much. I think he deviated from the original melody way too much and made it sound awkward. I thought the arrangement was excellent, though, and he made it sound edgier, up-beat, and more current. The judges didn't seem to think that highly of it, however.
Lakisha is next singing "Run to Me." Another song I am not that familiar with and I end up being bored by her. I think she puts herself in a very vulnerable position this week - something to which she may not recover from. Not including last week, Lakisha has really taken a slide ever since the very start of season six. She has gone from good, mediocre, bad, and now to worse. The little run at the end of the song was nice, but that is about all I can compliment her on with this performance.
Last but not least, Jordin Sparks. She sings "Woman in Love." Yet another song I really do not know all that well. Despite that, I thought she did a nice job with it. Probably not quite as good as her previous song, but she proved to be the most consistent performer of the night. She definitely belongs this far into the competition and should have very little trouble reaching the finale. And make it two weeks in a row that Randy did not mention Jordin's age. I think he's finally over it!
Now I bet you all want to know who I think will be voted off this week. Alright, here goes. I think it's going to be really close between Blake and Lakisha. Judging the performances from these two last night, I'll say Blake goes home tonight. Neither one of his songs really "wowed" the judges and they at least had some good things to say about Lakisha's second song. I would much prefer that Lakisha goes first before Blake and that very well may happen. But I have a gut feeling Blake will be given the axe tonight. He had a nice ride, I must say.
Ahh, I absolutely love this week's theme. The Bee Gees are one of my all-time favorite bands. I know many of their songs, including all from their most recent album several years ago. My mom got me hooked on listening to them and they've produced an amazing amount of music during the past 50 years. Probably one of the saddest days was when Maurice Gibb, one of the three Bee Gees passed away a few years ago. I knew then that the Bee Gees would never be the same. They haven't even produced a new album since - and I don't think they ever will under the name "Bee Gees." However, they have nothing to be ashamed of, considering the critical success they've endured over all these years.
The evening starts off with Melinda singing "Inside Out," a song very unfamiliar to me (why pick a song that's completely obscure). Gosh, I wasn't even paying attention to it much as I was looking at pictures from my parents trip to Las Vegas that my dad was showing me. I caught the tail end and I thought the performance was boring and lacked any sort of originality. She could've picked a much better song from the Bee Gees and really brought it home, but instead performed a very safe song.
Blake steps to the mic next and sings "You Should be Dancing." Blake did such an amazing job last week making Bon Jovi's song sound contemporary and new that I was hoping he'd blow me away again. But this week didn't live up to those expectations and I was left disappointed. He sang the song in falsetto like the Bee Gees sang it and I did not like it at all. The falsetto just sounded so awkward coming from Blake. It probably wasn't the best song for him, and then you add the beatboxing which really didn't work well this week. Blake just wasn't up to par on this song.
Going third was Lakisha, and she sings "Stayin' Alive," the 70's classic from the Bee Gees. I am just not impressed with Lakisha anymore. It seemed to me that Barry Gibb wanted Lakisha to sing the song at a higher octave than what she wanted, yet she did not follow his advice. I think it might've worked better for her if she would've listened to him. I didn't think it was a very good performance. She did tend to shriek at times, especially during the runs of the song. She went backwards this week (compared to last).
Jordin is up next singing, "To Love Somebody." Definitely the best performance of the night, thus far. In fact, she was in a league of her own compared to the other singers. Barry Gibb gave Jordin amazing praise for her performance of this song in rehearsals, saying it was the best he'd ever heard from the countless numbers of singers that have covered it. I don't know if it was necessarily as good as he said, but Jordin definitely did a nice job with it. The one thing I love about Jordin is that she sings a song the way it's supposed to be sung, and she proved that with this song.
Oh were not done folks, as all of the singers come back again and try to redeem themselves with a second song. Melinda steps to the plate and performs "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." I thought it was much better than her first song of the night and wasn't nearly as boring (maybe because it's one of the Bee Gees more recongnizable songs prior to the disco era). It's such a great song and Melinda did a nice job with it. I think she does better with more up-tempo songs rather than the ballads. I enjoy it when she really blasts a song with her amazing vocals.
Going next was Blake singing, "This is Where I Came In." I am overjoyed when I hear he picked this song. I know it well and it's one of my favorites from the Bee Gees most recent album. That's probably why nobody is all that familiar with it, because their last album did not do as well. It's the cover song from that album and the Bee Gees did such a great job with it. As for Blake's rendition, I didn't care for it as much. I think he deviated from the original melody way too much and made it sound awkward. I thought the arrangement was excellent, though, and he made it sound edgier, up-beat, and more current. The judges didn't seem to think that highly of it, however.
Lakisha is next singing "Run to Me." Another song I am not that familiar with and I end up being bored by her. I think she puts herself in a very vulnerable position this week - something to which she may not recover from. Not including last week, Lakisha has really taken a slide ever since the very start of season six. She has gone from good, mediocre, bad, and now to worse. The little run at the end of the song was nice, but that is about all I can compliment her on with this performance.
Last but not least, Jordin Sparks. She sings "Woman in Love." Yet another song I really do not know all that well. Despite that, I thought she did a nice job with it. Probably not quite as good as her previous song, but she proved to be the most consistent performer of the night. She definitely belongs this far into the competition and should have very little trouble reaching the finale. And make it two weeks in a row that Randy did not mention Jordin's age. I think he's finally over it!
Now I bet you all want to know who I think will be voted off this week. Alright, here goes. I think it's going to be really close between Blake and Lakisha. Judging the performances from these two last night, I'll say Blake goes home tonight. Neither one of his songs really "wowed" the judges and they at least had some good things to say about Lakisha's second song. I would much prefer that Lakisha goes first before Blake and that very well may happen. But I have a gut feeling Blake will be given the axe tonight. He had a nice ride, I must say.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
American Idol Top 6 (x2)
It's a new month and the Idol recaps continue. After last week's non-elimination round, two will go home during this week's results show. This week's celebrity mentor is Jon Bon Jovi. I have been very impressed with the major performers that Idol has been able to attract this year. Bon Jovi is a well known group with a countless number of hits from the 80's, 90's, and today. This will be a fun week to watch and should be enjoyable for the contestants as well. Let the fun begin!!
Phil is up first singing "Blaze of Glory." I don't know why, but it always seems Phil is first or is in the first group of performers. If they are just randomly drawing names, I think Phil has been pretty lucky the last three weeks. Phil is really starting to come into his own in this stage of the competition. I thought the movement through the audience and on the stage was very cool and he didn't stutter a bit. He really rocked the song out and you could tell he had been practicing the song for fifteen years (as he said). Even though I thought it was a very impressive performance, Simon's criticism may end up hurting Phil.
Up next is Jordin and I really have to be concerned for her after this week's performance. She took on one of Bon Jovi's more difficult songs to sing, "Living on a Prayer." It was pretty obvious that rock songs are out of her league, and she seemed to struggle with the song. It was definitely too low for her range and even though she was quite good with the high range in the song, she was still out of her element tonight. Probably the weakest vocal of the night and I really hope it doesn't end up hurting her because Jordin is one of my favorites. It wasn't terrible, but Jordin is definitely not a rocker. Again, Simon criticizes the look of a performer which he should not. Why is that important when it's a singing competition?
Lakisha is next and just as the judges commented after her performance, Lakisha is back. She had her struggles the past three weeks with poor song choices and sub-par singing, but she picked a great Bon Jovi song to sing in "This Ain't a Love Song," one that I wasn't all that familiar with. But she did very well with the song. The low notes always seem to be a problem for her which we heard in the beginning of the song, but she really ramped up to the higher notes and hit them with force. It will be interesting to see how much last week's performance will end up hurting her during this week's elimination.
Going fourth was Blake singing "You Give Love a Bad Name." Blake went totally contemporary with the song and took a major risk by changing this classic and adding his own elements, including beat boxing. It was a risk but one that he excelled at. He did a marvelous job with the song and had everyone in the audience up on their feet. Honestly, he could bring that song back and make a hit song out of it with the changes he made. Blake is one cool character and knows when to do the right thing. He has the instinct of a singer and knows when a change is for the good. He is not at all afraid of taking a risk.
Chris is next singing "Wanted Dead or Alive." Sound familiar? That's right, it was sung by Chris Daughtry during last season's American Idol. Daughtry sang it on a variety of talk shows after his shocking elimination from Idol and really did an amazing job with the song then. How could Chris Richardson handle being compared to the Daughtry rendition? He seemed to do a good job with the song. Probably not as good as Daughtry, but he didn't make me want to cover my ears, either. Obviously it's not the kind of song Chris likes to sing, but he did an admiral job with it. I got a kick out of his facial expressions on the song, anyways. He really acted the rocker type well.
Melinda wraps up the show singing one of Bon Jovi's recent hits "Have a Nice Day." It surprises me that not too many people are familiar with this song, since it's probably the biggest Bon Jovi hit recently. I know I heard it on the radio plenty of times three or four years ago. Clearly Melinda is not a rock singer and she looks absolutely uncomfortable at times singing this song. Her voice seems awkward to me at different points in this song; I just can't exactly describe how awkward it sounds. This probably wasn't my favorite performance from her, but she still did a great job with it. It should keep her around for another week. I had to laugh when she used the "bring it on" hand gesture when the lyric "when the world gets in my face" came around. It was useful for her.
Now the moment of truth. Which two performers go home during the results show? Based on the results of last week, I still think Lakisha will be going home. I think her vote totals will be too low, regardless of how well she did this week. As for the other performer eliminated, I think it's a toss-up between Chris Richardson and Phil. If you look at the past two weeks, Chris probably sang the weakest. How much will Jordin's performance hurt her this week? I think she could be another wild-card for landing in the bottom three (if they even go that route this week). It will be interesting to see tonight during the results show.
Phil is up first singing "Blaze of Glory." I don't know why, but it always seems Phil is first or is in the first group of performers. If they are just randomly drawing names, I think Phil has been pretty lucky the last three weeks. Phil is really starting to come into his own in this stage of the competition. I thought the movement through the audience and on the stage was very cool and he didn't stutter a bit. He really rocked the song out and you could tell he had been practicing the song for fifteen years (as he said). Even though I thought it was a very impressive performance, Simon's criticism may end up hurting Phil.
Up next is Jordin and I really have to be concerned for her after this week's performance. She took on one of Bon Jovi's more difficult songs to sing, "Living on a Prayer." It was pretty obvious that rock songs are out of her league, and she seemed to struggle with the song. It was definitely too low for her range and even though she was quite good with the high range in the song, she was still out of her element tonight. Probably the weakest vocal of the night and I really hope it doesn't end up hurting her because Jordin is one of my favorites. It wasn't terrible, but Jordin is definitely not a rocker. Again, Simon criticizes the look of a performer which he should not. Why is that important when it's a singing competition?
Lakisha is next and just as the judges commented after her performance, Lakisha is back. She had her struggles the past three weeks with poor song choices and sub-par singing, but she picked a great Bon Jovi song to sing in "This Ain't a Love Song," one that I wasn't all that familiar with. But she did very well with the song. The low notes always seem to be a problem for her which we heard in the beginning of the song, but she really ramped up to the higher notes and hit them with force. It will be interesting to see how much last week's performance will end up hurting her during this week's elimination.
Going fourth was Blake singing "You Give Love a Bad Name." Blake went totally contemporary with the song and took a major risk by changing this classic and adding his own elements, including beat boxing. It was a risk but one that he excelled at. He did a marvelous job with the song and had everyone in the audience up on their feet. Honestly, he could bring that song back and make a hit song out of it with the changes he made. Blake is one cool character and knows when to do the right thing. He has the instinct of a singer and knows when a change is for the good. He is not at all afraid of taking a risk.
Chris is next singing "Wanted Dead or Alive." Sound familiar? That's right, it was sung by Chris Daughtry during last season's American Idol. Daughtry sang it on a variety of talk shows after his shocking elimination from Idol and really did an amazing job with the song then. How could Chris Richardson handle being compared to the Daughtry rendition? He seemed to do a good job with the song. Probably not as good as Daughtry, but he didn't make me want to cover my ears, either. Obviously it's not the kind of song Chris likes to sing, but he did an admiral job with it. I got a kick out of his facial expressions on the song, anyways. He really acted the rocker type well.
Melinda wraps up the show singing one of Bon Jovi's recent hits "Have a Nice Day." It surprises me that not too many people are familiar with this song, since it's probably the biggest Bon Jovi hit recently. I know I heard it on the radio plenty of times three or four years ago. Clearly Melinda is not a rock singer and she looks absolutely uncomfortable at times singing this song. Her voice seems awkward to me at different points in this song; I just can't exactly describe how awkward it sounds. This probably wasn't my favorite performance from her, but she still did a great job with it. It should keep her around for another week. I had to laugh when she used the "bring it on" hand gesture when the lyric "when the world gets in my face" came around. It was useful for her.
Now the moment of truth. Which two performers go home during the results show? Based on the results of last week, I still think Lakisha will be going home. I think her vote totals will be too low, regardless of how well she did this week. As for the other performer eliminated, I think it's a toss-up between Chris Richardson and Phil. If you look at the past two weeks, Chris probably sang the weakest. How much will Jordin's performance hurt her this week? I think she could be another wild-card for landing in the bottom three (if they even go that route this week). It will be interesting to see tonight during the results show.
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