Welcome to the American Idol live shows! Its been a long time coming, but they have finally returned. We are also going to see how Ellen does during the live performance shows. Overall, I thought she did quite well tonight (and has been doing great since joining the show). Tonight, the girls performed pretty much any song they wanted to sing (it was bascially a billboard top 100 songs-type of night). Some performed older songs, while some went current. All in all, it was a bit of a disappointment overall. A few of the girls picked the wrong song and others just didn't sound very good. However, there were some bright spots. Let's get to the reviews!
(BTW, the reviews at this stage of the game are going to be shorter and I'm not going to focus too long on the write-ups. Either the contestants are memorable or they're not.)
Paige Miles - "Alright Now" by Free : So this is basically the first glance we get of this girl. I don't really remember much of her prior to tonight. I was not totally wowed by this performance. I mean, it was good but it didn't blow me away. She probably could've been helped by a more current song, but please no Alisha Keys, Mariah, or Whitney. She may be hurt by the lack of previous screen time and by going first. We'll see how it all pans out on Thursday.
Ashley Rodriguez - "Happy" by Leona Lewis : I do enjoy the direction she was trying to go with this song (by going current) however, I do agree with the judges that this song was just too big for her. Honestly, by tomorrow this performance will be forgettable (already I'm forgetting how she sang it). It was too sound-alike, she didn't differentiate herself from Leona, and it wasn't sung as well as it could've been. She would've done much better, I believe, with a different song.
Janell Wheeler - "What About Love" by Heart : I really like the original but Janell is not doing well with this selection. This is a big, rocker-chick kind of ballad and Janell doesn't necessarily fill that mold. I liked her Hollywood performance when she sang that Kara Dioguardi song while she played the guitar. I am afraid she tried to go all-out and went too far with this one. Again, it wasn't memorable enough and it was just an average performance. She has potential but this didn't cut it tonight.
Lilly Scott - "Fixin' a Hole" by the Beatles : Finally, someone that breathes new life into tonight's otherwise dull performance show. I enjoy the music from the Beatles but this is one song I'm definitely not familiar with. I swear she could've wrote this song herself and made a hit from it. The very beginning of the song was a bit off for me but then she truly delivers and I'm totally digging her style. She's passionate, soulful, and very fun to listen to. And look, I guess they can play the guitar during the semi's, too!
Katelyn Epperly - "Oh Darlin' " by the Beatles : Another of the Beatles' lesser popular songs, but it's a nice selection by Katelyn. I gotta admit, I follow a lot of Idol sites out there and many didn't think very highly of Katelyn prior to tonight. But I must say she was better than expected. It's probably not a performance we're all going to remember in a week, but it should be enough to get her through. I'd like to see her back playing the guitar like we saw during Hollywood week.
Haeley Vaughn - "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles : Wow, why all these Beatle songs tonight (not that there's anything wrong with that, of course)? I like that she distinguishes herself from the original and does an original take on it with guitar in hand. However, she struggles with the higher notes in her upper register. And some of those notes, boy, they were painful to listen to. Not as strong as it could've been. It probably would've been better for her if she waited a year or two before auditioning.
Lacey Brown - "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac : Another older song pick but hey, oldies are goodies, right? It's a very slow, serious song. I'm just not wowed by it and I noticed a lot of pitchy notes. I feel bad for her because I think she's got some major potential. Seeing how close she was last year to making the semi-finals and then making it this year, I was expecting a lot more. It just wasn't as strong as it could've been and the judges let her know it. She could definitely be in trouble.
Michelle Delamor - "Fallin' " by Alisha Keys : Just as I had feared, someone performing an Alisha Keys' song, particularly this one. In the past, contestants have not fared well performing this one. Michelle does a good job with it but it sounds too much like the original. She doesn't do enough to distinguish herself from Alisha's masterful job with the song. However, I will say that she did enough to stay for another week. She can definitely sing, there's no doubt about that.
Didi Benami - "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson : I had to laugh when I first heard she was singing this because another contestant sang this song during their audition and Simon hated the song! He had nothing bad to say about the song this time but he certainly wasn't wowed. I got what the judges were saying about Didi's performance but all in all, I thought she did very well compared to most of the previous contestants tonight. I think Didi has the potential to go very far this season.
Siobhan Magnus - "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak : What an excellent song choice and one that I don't believe any previous contestant has picked before. This song showed that Siobhan has an incredible range. Just look at how low she had to go at the beginning of the song and really went high in the middle and the end. She was definitely in the moment with this performance and it was virtually flawless. Definitely one of my favorites of the night, despite the fact that it's a dark and dreary-kind of song.
Crystal Bowersox - "Hand in my Pocket" by Alanis Morissette : Another song choice I am loving - Alanis really knows how to write some epic songs. And Crystal truly has some staying power in this year's competition. She's an original, she's soulful, and she knows what kind of an artist she wants to be. I remember seeing her play the harmonica during Hollywood and I was blown away then. I, too, am glad to see that Crystal auditioned for American Idol because she has the potential to win the entire show.
Katie Stevens - "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble : Katie has gotten a lot of early hype which has been well deserved. Now that we're into the live shows, will she be able to keep it up? She has the all-important pimp spot tonight which should definitely work to her favor. She does not disappoint but it's probably not as great as it could've been. I do agree with the judges, that even though it's a current song, Buble's kind of music is more old-fashioned. Katie is 17 and we need to remember that.
So, my favorites tonight were: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Didi Benami, Lilly Scott, and Katelyn Epperly. These five should definitely advance.
Performances that were so-so: Katie Stevens, Michelle Delamor, Paige Miles, Janell Wheeler. They weren't great, but they weren't terrible. These girls should be safe.
In danger of being voted off: Ashley Rodriguez, Haeley Vaughn, and Lacey Brown. Start to pack your bags tonight, girls.
Going home: Haeley Vaughn and Lacey Brown. Unfortunately Haeley enterted the competition too soon. I think she would've been better off waiting a few more years. As for Lacey, it just wasn't her night. However, during these semi-final rounds, usually there's a surprise or two. One of these girls just might be safe. But as of now, these are my predictions.
That is all, folks. I'll probably be able to blog during most of tomorrow night's show when the boys perform, but I will not be able to finish. Be sure to catch the rest of tomorrow's blog the follow day.
(2/25/10) Actual Eliminees: Ashley Rodriguez and Janell Wheeler. Not totally surprised by this outcome, although I thought Janell would've been saved by the voters because of her good looks. It was all for naught this time, however.
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