It's hard to believe, but the competition is starting to wind down. Once the producers start using two telephone numbers for each contestant, the competitors are getting fewer and fewer. So, is it country music week, or simply "songs from Shania Twain"? I've found lately, particularly with this season and last, even though it's supposed to be country music week, the contestants change the song however they feel it should sound. They basically eliminate the country twang. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but they should be trying to adapt to the country sound a little bit at least. Some of the contestants embraced the country roots these songs have, while others changed them to suit their sound. So how did everyone do overall this week with Shania Twain's songs? Let's find out...
Lee Dewyze - "You're Still the One" : Lee is up first tonight and he's been doing consistently well for a number of weeks now. I would say it was another strong performance week for Lee, but it wasn't quite perfect. He ran into some pitch problems here and there, particularly in the beginning. The key of the song almost seemed to be too high for Lee and it appeared he was struggling to hit the highest notes in the song. And the way he ended the song seemed a bit awkward to me - was he overcome by emotion at the end? Other than those issues that came up, I thought Lee delivered another solid performance. And I like that he is overcoming his stage fright issues because he's going to need to if he's going to be a big recording artist.
Michael Lynche - "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" : Big Mike is up next and he is tackling another ballad and giving it some R&B flavor. I must say, this is when Michael is at his strongest when performing these kinds of songs. I agree with Simon that it did seem theatrical at times and he has to work on limiting his theatrical-like stage movements. But all in all, it was another strong performance week for Big Mike. He was pitch perfect, he delivered an emotional, raw, and vulnerable performance and he showed exactly why he's still on that big stage (while being helped out with the judge's save). Now the big question is, did he do enough to make a connection with the audience and to keep him around another week?
Casey James - "Don't" : So it appears that Casey received a much needed wake-up call last week when he landed in the bottom two. He just was not connecting to the judges nor the audience while delivering those lazy, yet competent rock song covers. Those kinds of performances sound great in any bar across the country. Yet, when you're try to be a relevant and new performing artist, you need to do something else. And Casey did exactly that this week. He performed a much more slowed-down song and really let his vocals shine. It was vulnerable and you could tell he was connected to the song. It may not have been quite as good as "Jealous Guy," but it was definitely a breath of fresh air, particularly after last week.
Crystal Bowersox - "No One Needs to Know" : I am sure I don't need to tell you that Crystal is the proverbial front-runner in this competition, even though it appears that Lee is nipping at her heels a bit. She has delivered consistently-strong performances week after week. But she has a unique problem that the majority of contestants this season don't have to worry about. She became the front-runner so early on that it's hard to see her improve because she's so consistently good. She may become stale to the average Idol viewer and run into serious trouble. I don't think this was her strongest week by any means but overall she was solid. I really enjoyed her falsetto towards the end of the song. But I don't ever see her performing these kinds of songs in her career.
Aaron Kelly - "You've Got a Way" : Aaron has made a few trips into the bottom three recently, so he needs to deliver a strong performance to get a reprieve. I will say this - this is the perfect week for him to do well, after all, it's country music. I am sure he's listened to a few Shania Twain songs here and there. And he definitely picked the perfect song. He did run into a few pitch problems, especially earlier on in the performance. But he improved quite nicely and had a strong finish. And it was such a heartfelt performance; how could anyone be negative after that one? He started to get overcome with emotion at the end, so you could clearly see he was connected to the song. Nice to see Aaron come back with a vengeance.
Siobhan Magnus - "Any Man of Mine" : Siobhan finishes out the show with one of Shania's more popular upbeat songs. Siobhan has definitely encountered her fair share of struggles as of late. And her choice of songs has also been rather questionable. Let's hope she hits one out of the park this week, because I'm still rooting for her - even though I don't find her quite as appealing as I once did. And I must say, it was a big improvement for Siobhan this week over the past few weeks. She still ran into a few issues, especially pitch-wise. She had problems while trying to hit the lower notes in the song. Sometimes she's hard to understand when she's attempting to hit those lower notes in her register and it happened a few times during her performance. She sounded nasally and unintelligible at times, yet, a big improvement over the last few weeks.
Week 6 Performance Rankings:
1.) Casey James
2.) Mike Lynche
3.) Lee Dewyze
4.) Crystal Bowersox
5.) Siobhan Magnus
6.) Aaron Kelly
Going home: Wow ... what an incredibly tough decision this week. You could make a case for all of them staying or all of them going home. For some of them, it deals with an issue that's been plaguing them all season. For Big Mike, he's typically pitch perfect yet his stage persona is often over dramatic. Lee has delivered consistently-strong performances, yet still runs into pitch problems. Crystal is always good - and that just might be her problem. How does she show improvement when she's always good. Aaron Kelly is a sweet young guy, but still runs into pitch problems. Siobhan is quirky, outlandish, and you never know what kind of performance she's going to deliver, but also runs into pitch problems and questionable song selection. And lastly, while Casey finally gave the audience something new this week performing a ballad quite strongly, his up-beat rock-band cover performances still leave the audience wanting something more. So, with that being said and having to make a difficult decision, I think Mike Lynche is going home tonight. He was already eliminated once but saved by the judges. I just don't believe he connects with the audience all that well. But honestly, it could be anyone else going home tonight; it's that difficult of a decision.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
American Idol 9 - Top 7
It's Idol Gives Back week and we're looking for inspirational performances from the remaining seven contestants. I think this is probably one of the more tricky weeks to pick a song, because you need one with a message and an individual needs to deliver it in an inspirational way. If one of them sings it in a typical fashion and they do not connect to the message within the song, the importance of the night can be lost. Tonight's mentor is Alicia Keys, who has done a large amount of charity work herself. Doesn't it seem like Idol is bringing more and more mentors back into the fold each and every week? I remember after season six, they felt there were too many mentors and it was taking away from the contestants themselves. Now it seems we're seeing more and more mentors again. Not that it matters, really. Because either a contestant sings well or they don't - regardless if there's a mentor there or not. Anyways, on with the recap!
Casey James - "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac : Up first tonight is Casey James and he picks a classic Fleetwood Mac song. Hmm, "Don't Stop" as inspirational? Sure, it has potentially moving lyrics. But I don't think it quite fits the mold as an inspirational song. I am not in the least inspired by this performance. Honestly, what is Casey doing on that stage? It's the same performance style week after week and it's getting old. I think he needs to change things up - two weeks ago he performed "Jealous Guy" in such a passionate, soulful, and earnest way. We need to see something like that again and not the same rocking bar-scene performance. This week he could've had another performance like "Jealous Guy" and it would've fit the theme perfectly. Missed opportunity there.
Lee Dewyze - "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel : Next up is Lee and he chooses an amazing song. I am a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel and "The Boxer" is one of my favorite songs of theirs (next to "Bridge Over Troubled Water"). I just hope Lee doesn't screw it up! And he doesn't and even gives the song a bit of a different sound to it - a more modern feel. He's clearly much more connected with his song than Casey was with his and this is what performing inspirational songs is all about. You pick a song with a great message, connect to the song, and make the audience feel that performance. I actually prefer Lee when he's not shouting so much and I can't wait to hear the longer rendition on his iTunes recording.
Tim Urban - "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls : The ever-improving Tim Urban is up next (but will he ever be great?) with an inspirational song from the Goo Goo Dolls. I like the choice of song by Tim but the performance was not executed as well as it could've been. It starts off rather under whelming and he seems to struggle with the lower notes in his register. It gradually gets better but it's still lacking a spark. His phrasing is still not the greatest and he's still a pretty mediocre vocalist. I wasn't all that impressed with the arrangement of the song, either, as it was kind of all over the place. It was just okay for me and he didn't propel himself any higher than he already has this season.
Aaron Kelly - "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly : "High School student" Aaron Kelly is next with another head-scratcher of a song choice. I guess I am not a big fan of this song, particularly on the Idol stage. I know it's been song a few times previously on the show and nobody has really done well with it. Aaron follows that trend and it falls flat for me. Speaking of flat, there's definitely some pitchiness here and there. Honestly, I think it's just too big of a song for him. Yes, I applaud him for picking such a gigantic song but at this stage of the competition, effort isn't good enough. When he tries hitting some of those higher notes in the song, he struggles. Definitely not a stellar week from Aaron, again.
Siobhan Magnus - "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey : Siobhan was once considered a front runner in this competition and many were envisioning a Crystal-Siobhan finale in May, including myself. But Siobhan has been derailed a bit lately and I think the conflicting criticism from the judges may be to blame. This week, I thought her vocals were quite good. There were a couple of times where her voice didn't quite sound right to me - even a bit nasally. But this is probably the best she's sounded in a good three weeks. I do agree in a sense that her recent song choices have made her become more old fashioned and she may be embracing more of a broadway feel. I guess I would like to see her return to tackle a song like "Think" which she did quite well with earlier on.
Michael Lynche - "Hero" by Chad Kroeger featuring Joey Scott : I guess I don't understand why Michael needs to pick up practically ever celebrity mentor he meets when giving them a hug. Don't you think he needs to be more restrained and gentle? That's one of the gripes I have of Big Mike. As for his performance, it was good, but I wasn't jumping up and down over it, either. I wasn't a fan with the way it started when he gave it a more acoustic feel, and then I didn't care much for when the tempo picked up and it turned more rock-ish. I just don't feel it was the right song for Mike. It didn't fit his voice and I feel it was another missed opportunity for him.
Crystal Bowersox - "People Get Ready" by the Impressions : So Crystal is sans the guitar tonight (no instrument of any kind) and is stepping outside of her comfort zone. It worked for her a few weeks back (even with playing the piano) so why shouldn't it work this time around? I wouldn't say it was a perfect vocal for her but it was awfully close. Honestly, now this is an inspirational performance. What a way to end the night. Crystal gets all emotional when noticing her dad in the audience and it's truly a touching moment. I really think this has the potential to win over a lot of people about Crystal who may have been on the fence about her. I mean, what more can you say? She's already a consummate professional and she's the most deserving to go all the way.
Top 7 Performance Rankings:
1.) Crystal Bowersox
2.) Lee Dewyze
3.) Siobhan Magnus
4.) Michael Lynche
5.) Casey James
6.) Tim Urban
7.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home: I have done a terrible job picking the eliminees this season, so I am sure I'll get this wrong, too. But based on vocals last night, I'd have to say Aaron Kelly will get the boot. He just has not stepped it up the past three weeks when he absolutely needed to, even delivering mediocre, karaoke-type performances. Tim Urban is definitely a lock for the bottom three but I don't foresee his journey ending quite yet. And don't be surprised to see Casey James in the bottom three, but he still has a strong-enough fanbase that should keep him in this for a week or two longer.
Casey James - "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac : Up first tonight is Casey James and he picks a classic Fleetwood Mac song. Hmm, "Don't Stop" as inspirational? Sure, it has potentially moving lyrics. But I don't think it quite fits the mold as an inspirational song. I am not in the least inspired by this performance. Honestly, what is Casey doing on that stage? It's the same performance style week after week and it's getting old. I think he needs to change things up - two weeks ago he performed "Jealous Guy" in such a passionate, soulful, and earnest way. We need to see something like that again and not the same rocking bar-scene performance. This week he could've had another performance like "Jealous Guy" and it would've fit the theme perfectly. Missed opportunity there.
Lee Dewyze - "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel : Next up is Lee and he chooses an amazing song. I am a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel and "The Boxer" is one of my favorite songs of theirs (next to "Bridge Over Troubled Water"). I just hope Lee doesn't screw it up! And he doesn't and even gives the song a bit of a different sound to it - a more modern feel. He's clearly much more connected with his song than Casey was with his and this is what performing inspirational songs is all about. You pick a song with a great message, connect to the song, and make the audience feel that performance. I actually prefer Lee when he's not shouting so much and I can't wait to hear the longer rendition on his iTunes recording.
Tim Urban - "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls : The ever-improving Tim Urban is up next (but will he ever be great?) with an inspirational song from the Goo Goo Dolls. I like the choice of song by Tim but the performance was not executed as well as it could've been. It starts off rather under whelming and he seems to struggle with the lower notes in his register. It gradually gets better but it's still lacking a spark. His phrasing is still not the greatest and he's still a pretty mediocre vocalist. I wasn't all that impressed with the arrangement of the song, either, as it was kind of all over the place. It was just okay for me and he didn't propel himself any higher than he already has this season.
Aaron Kelly - "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly : "High School student" Aaron Kelly is next with another head-scratcher of a song choice. I guess I am not a big fan of this song, particularly on the Idol stage. I know it's been song a few times previously on the show and nobody has really done well with it. Aaron follows that trend and it falls flat for me. Speaking of flat, there's definitely some pitchiness here and there. Honestly, I think it's just too big of a song for him. Yes, I applaud him for picking such a gigantic song but at this stage of the competition, effort isn't good enough. When he tries hitting some of those higher notes in the song, he struggles. Definitely not a stellar week from Aaron, again.
Siobhan Magnus - "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey : Siobhan was once considered a front runner in this competition and many were envisioning a Crystal-Siobhan finale in May, including myself. But Siobhan has been derailed a bit lately and I think the conflicting criticism from the judges may be to blame. This week, I thought her vocals were quite good. There were a couple of times where her voice didn't quite sound right to me - even a bit nasally. But this is probably the best she's sounded in a good three weeks. I do agree in a sense that her recent song choices have made her become more old fashioned and she may be embracing more of a broadway feel. I guess I would like to see her return to tackle a song like "Think" which she did quite well with earlier on.
Michael Lynche - "Hero" by Chad Kroeger featuring Joey Scott : I guess I don't understand why Michael needs to pick up practically ever celebrity mentor he meets when giving them a hug. Don't you think he needs to be more restrained and gentle? That's one of the gripes I have of Big Mike. As for his performance, it was good, but I wasn't jumping up and down over it, either. I wasn't a fan with the way it started when he gave it a more acoustic feel, and then I didn't care much for when the tempo picked up and it turned more rock-ish. I just don't feel it was the right song for Mike. It didn't fit his voice and I feel it was another missed opportunity for him.
Crystal Bowersox - "People Get Ready" by the Impressions : So Crystal is sans the guitar tonight (no instrument of any kind) and is stepping outside of her comfort zone. It worked for her a few weeks back (even with playing the piano) so why shouldn't it work this time around? I wouldn't say it was a perfect vocal for her but it was awfully close. Honestly, now this is an inspirational performance. What a way to end the night. Crystal gets all emotional when noticing her dad in the audience and it's truly a touching moment. I really think this has the potential to win over a lot of people about Crystal who may have been on the fence about her. I mean, what more can you say? She's already a consummate professional and she's the most deserving to go all the way.
Top 7 Performance Rankings:
1.) Crystal Bowersox
2.) Lee Dewyze
3.) Siobhan Magnus
4.) Michael Lynche
5.) Casey James
6.) Tim Urban
7.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home: I have done a terrible job picking the eliminees this season, so I am sure I'll get this wrong, too. But based on vocals last night, I'd have to say Aaron Kelly will get the boot. He just has not stepped it up the past three weeks when he absolutely needed to, even delivering mediocre, karaoke-type performances. Tim Urban is definitely a lock for the bottom three but I don't foresee his journey ending quite yet. And don't be surprised to see Casey James in the bottom three, but he still has a strong-enough fanbase that should keep him in this for a week or two longer.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Marquette Roundabout
So construction for the infamous Marquette, Michigan roundabout is about to get underway in less than a month, and the Michigan Department of Transportation is ramping up it's public service announcements regarding how to traverse within a roundabout. This will be the first modern roundabout to be constructed in the Upper Peninsula and I know it will taking people some getting used to. And no matter what MDOT does in regards to informing the public about it, people will still get lost. I'm going to be rather concerned about going through it myself in the beginning because I'll be worried about the other drivers more than myself! The concept of a roundabout seems quite simple, actually. But I know people are going to get confused about which lanes they should be in and people will try to switch lanes while in the roundabout. I'm thinking about avoiding that intersection for awhile until I know (or at least hope) people are comfortable with driving through it. Public reaction on the roundabout still remains mixed to this day. The roundabout is being installed at the Front Street/US-41 Bypass intersection in south Marquette. The existing intersection is rather convoluted, with a slew of through lanes and yield signs. Those of us that live in the area are familiar with the existing intersection. But for travelers, it's awfully confusing. In fact, for them, it's probably a heck of a lot worse than driving in a roundabout! I don't particularly feel that intersection is signed all that well to begin with. For the overall safety aspect of the intersection, I think the roundabout is the best fit. I don't feel that converting the intersection with traffic signals would work because it would increase delays even further than they already are during peak traffic times.
In general, I think people are just afraid of change, one of the reasons why there is a good deal of negative criticism about the project. The current intersection has existed since the 1960's and people are comfortable with it. Now that MDOT is changing it, they are afraid of something new. I guarantee once people get used to it, people will learn to love it. I remember a similar thing happened where I work several years back in regards to our work schedule. We were voting on a new schedule and a lot of the veteran people absolutely did not want to change because it including 12-hour shifts in favor of one additional weekend off. The schedule eventually was changed, even though the vote was close. And in time, a majority of those people against the change adjusted and now they would never go back to the old schedule. It's just that people don't want to change something they are comfortable with. I can understand that. But for safety, I think the change to a roundabout at this particular intersection will be a good fit.
People are also concerned about trucks traveling through the new roundabout. The roundabout is made big enough for trucks to pass through so really, there's no major concern there. Another concern is in regards to winter driving and plowing the newly reconfigured intersection. There are videos on the web from snowy places like upstate New York where roundabouts are located. One video captures a plow plowing the roundabout. Doesn't look all that difficult to plow in the winter time. There may be an issue in regards to where the lanes are at when the roadway is snow covered, but I don't think that should be all that difficult to figure out. Yes, it'll take getting used to. But the nice thing about a roundabout is that traffic moves at a slow pace. It's not a speedway and people should be taking their time to pass through the roundabout. It's time to embrace the Marquette roundabout because it's going to happen. Construction starts May 3 and should be completed by sometime in August. I am sure the majority of people will learn to love it.
VIEW MDOT'S INFORMATIONAL VIDEO OF THE ROUNDABOUT HERE.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
American Idol 9 - Top 9 (again)
It's top nine week again! Last week brought a potentially shocking elimination when Michael Lynche received the least amount of votes. However, the judges used the power of the save and allowed Michael to return once again. Will Michael ultimately win the competition this season? Likely not. But hey, this season is filled with mediocrity - so why not use it to save Michael? He's been one of the most consistent performers week in and week out. The only individuals I think you might look at needing the save are Crystal and Lee. But they have such strong fanbases, I don't think they'll be in danger for awhile yet. As for this week, the theme is songs by Elvis Presley. And who better to mentor the contestants on Elvis songs than a showman himself, Adam Lambert. Let's see how the contestants fared this week:
Crystal Bowersox - "Saved" : I don't think Crystal has been quite on her "A" game the past few weeks, although she's still been one of the best performers all along. This week she picks a lesser-known Elvis track which I think is smart on her part. Adam Lambert gives her the advice of using the electric guitar over the acoustic. We'll see how that pays off. And I must say, this is the best Crystal has sounded in awhile. Her performance was powerful and you could definitely tell she injected a gospel feel into it. I didn't notice a whole lot of the electric guitar during the performance, but that didn't matter to me. Another excellent performance by Crystal. A great way to start the night on.
Andrew Garcia - "Hound Dog" : So Andrew's up next and I feel he's fallen back to mediocrity after having one decent week since moving past Hollywood Week into the Top 24. And despite his mediocrity, he still hangs around. He was awfully close to going home last week, though. This week it was once again, another less-than-inspiring performance. I don't care if Andrew "has fun" with his performances, you also have to sing well and make a memorable impression to the audience. His rendition of "Hound Dog" once again felt loungy to me. The slowed-down arrangement did not help and it still felt rather boring to me. His vocals were ok, but it shouldn't be enough to save him this week. I think it's his time to go.
Tim Urban - "Can't Help Falling in Love" : So instead of expecting Andrew or Katie to start doing well in this competition, it's actually Tim that's gradually improved week after week. One thing is for sure, he's definitely more comfortable performing when he has a guitar with him. And although he's not the greatest vocalist in the competition (probably the weakest, even), he's learned to sing the songs on key and to change up the arrangement of songs just enough to make them his own. He did exactly that with "Can't Help Falling in Love." He certainly has developed a strategy and as long as he follows that strategy, he'll outlast a lot of the mediocre performers. Another solid week for Tim once again.
Lee Dewyze - "A Little Less Conversation" : Here we have a song that's been done on Idol quite a bit, yet with Lee's interpretation of the song this week, he changed it up very nicely and basically turned it into a completely different song. I actually thought it was a big improvement over last week, as I was not a fan of his "Hey Jude" rendition (with bagpipes and all!). Someone in the blog world mentioned that Lee kind of screwed up the lyrics during the chorus once - but I really didn't notice until looking back and I'm sure the majority of people watching didn't notice, either. I do think that Lee shouted the song an awful lot and the performance would've been that much better if he toned it down just a bit. But still, it was very good.
Aaron Kelly - "Blue Suede Shoes" : Aaron has struggled a bit as of late and its definitely showed in the results - Aaron was in last week's bottom three, although he was the first announced safe before Andrew and Big Mike. Aaron has to be careful of his song choices and start picking smarter. He also needs to perform better. Overall, I'd say he made a good attempt at this week's pick, but it ended up being the wrong song for him. He was moving all over the stage, which was nice to see, even coming up close to Kara at one point. But I think all of that movement kind of through off his vocals. I think he was a bit underwhelming for that particular song and although it wasn't bad, it still wasn't great either.
Siobhan Magnus - "Suspicious Minds" : Siobhan has experienced her own bout of struggles on the Idol stage lately. And it doesn't help that she's been getting conflicting advice from the judges, either. They tell her she shouldn't be using that infamous wail during every performance, yet when he doesn't use it, her performance is regarded as being sleepy. So what will Siobhan do this week? I actually liked it when Adam suggested she pick up the pace of the song, because it worked. She has a tendency to struggle with the lower notes in her register, and that was evident in the first part of the song. I actually think the second half of the song was better than the first, where she really started to ramp the performance up.
Michael Lynche - "In the Ghetto" : Michael definitely did something smart this week. After getting the least amounts of votes last week and being saved by the judges, he performed with an acoustic song and stripped down the arrangement of "In the Ghetto" to the point where the audience could really focus on his vocals. So instead of being flashy, moving all across the stage, and using a variety of hand gestures, he sat still on the Idol stage and performed his song. It was really the right thing to do and his performance was quite beautiful. Sure, you could say it was sleepy but his decision will allow him to stay in this competition a week longer. How embarrassing would it have been to be eliminated this week after getting saved the following week?
Katie Stevens - "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" : Last week Katie finally lived up to her potential with a strong performance of "Let it Be" and ended up being one of the top performers during Lennon/McCartney week. Let's see if she's able to keep that momentum going. And yet, right from the start, she sounds a bit sharp - not quite matching the pitch that's intended for the song. I actually think she's encountered that problem quite often during her Idol run, except last week it was non-existent. This week it wasn't as bad as it's been, but her vocals weren't perfect. And I don't think this particular song helped her, either. It's one of Elvis' more lesser-known songs and I think Katie does better when she sings ballads over up-tempo songs.
Casey James - "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" : So Casey really picks an old-school Elvis song this week. I certainly wasn't familiar with it and I'm sure many others out there weren't familiar with it, either. Sometimes that's not a negative thing for certain contestants, though. I thought it was a decent performance, but it wasn't all that memorable, either. That's kind of how Casey has performed overall this season. Except for last week where he truly had a moment, he's performed songs exactly how they should be sang, with little changes to the arrangement. He'd really be a great performer in an '80's cover band. Something just felt missing in this performance for me, even though vocally it was quite good.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Crystal Bowersox
2.) Lee Dewyze
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Tim Urban
5.) Siobhan Magnus
6.) Casey James
7.) Katie Stevens
8.) Aaron Kelly
9.) Andrew Garcia
Going home: Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. I think Andrew is definitely a shoo-in to get the boot this week. Of course, how often have I said that this season and he's managed to get through just barely! But with two people going home this week, I really think it's his time. As for the other individual, I really think it's a toss-up between Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens. However, I think Aaron won't get through beyond this week. Katie is probably still riding some momentum from last week and Aaron has struggled a bit lately.
Crystal Bowersox - "Saved" : I don't think Crystal has been quite on her "A" game the past few weeks, although she's still been one of the best performers all along. This week she picks a lesser-known Elvis track which I think is smart on her part. Adam Lambert gives her the advice of using the electric guitar over the acoustic. We'll see how that pays off. And I must say, this is the best Crystal has sounded in awhile. Her performance was powerful and you could definitely tell she injected a gospel feel into it. I didn't notice a whole lot of the electric guitar during the performance, but that didn't matter to me. Another excellent performance by Crystal. A great way to start the night on.
Andrew Garcia - "Hound Dog" : So Andrew's up next and I feel he's fallen back to mediocrity after having one decent week since moving past Hollywood Week into the Top 24. And despite his mediocrity, he still hangs around. He was awfully close to going home last week, though. This week it was once again, another less-than-inspiring performance. I don't care if Andrew "has fun" with his performances, you also have to sing well and make a memorable impression to the audience. His rendition of "Hound Dog" once again felt loungy to me. The slowed-down arrangement did not help and it still felt rather boring to me. His vocals were ok, but it shouldn't be enough to save him this week. I think it's his time to go.
Tim Urban - "Can't Help Falling in Love" : So instead of expecting Andrew or Katie to start doing well in this competition, it's actually Tim that's gradually improved week after week. One thing is for sure, he's definitely more comfortable performing when he has a guitar with him. And although he's not the greatest vocalist in the competition (probably the weakest, even), he's learned to sing the songs on key and to change up the arrangement of songs just enough to make them his own. He did exactly that with "Can't Help Falling in Love." He certainly has developed a strategy and as long as he follows that strategy, he'll outlast a lot of the mediocre performers. Another solid week for Tim once again.
Lee Dewyze - "A Little Less Conversation" : Here we have a song that's been done on Idol quite a bit, yet with Lee's interpretation of the song this week, he changed it up very nicely and basically turned it into a completely different song. I actually thought it was a big improvement over last week, as I was not a fan of his "Hey Jude" rendition (with bagpipes and all!). Someone in the blog world mentioned that Lee kind of screwed up the lyrics during the chorus once - but I really didn't notice until looking back and I'm sure the majority of people watching didn't notice, either. I do think that Lee shouted the song an awful lot and the performance would've been that much better if he toned it down just a bit. But still, it was very good.
Aaron Kelly - "Blue Suede Shoes" : Aaron has struggled a bit as of late and its definitely showed in the results - Aaron was in last week's bottom three, although he was the first announced safe before Andrew and Big Mike. Aaron has to be careful of his song choices and start picking smarter. He also needs to perform better. Overall, I'd say he made a good attempt at this week's pick, but it ended up being the wrong song for him. He was moving all over the stage, which was nice to see, even coming up close to Kara at one point. But I think all of that movement kind of through off his vocals. I think he was a bit underwhelming for that particular song and although it wasn't bad, it still wasn't great either.
Siobhan Magnus - "Suspicious Minds" : Siobhan has experienced her own bout of struggles on the Idol stage lately. And it doesn't help that she's been getting conflicting advice from the judges, either. They tell her she shouldn't be using that infamous wail during every performance, yet when he doesn't use it, her performance is regarded as being sleepy. So what will Siobhan do this week? I actually liked it when Adam suggested she pick up the pace of the song, because it worked. She has a tendency to struggle with the lower notes in her register, and that was evident in the first part of the song. I actually think the second half of the song was better than the first, where she really started to ramp the performance up.
Michael Lynche - "In the Ghetto" : Michael definitely did something smart this week. After getting the least amounts of votes last week and being saved by the judges, he performed with an acoustic song and stripped down the arrangement of "In the Ghetto" to the point where the audience could really focus on his vocals. So instead of being flashy, moving all across the stage, and using a variety of hand gestures, he sat still on the Idol stage and performed his song. It was really the right thing to do and his performance was quite beautiful. Sure, you could say it was sleepy but his decision will allow him to stay in this competition a week longer. How embarrassing would it have been to be eliminated this week after getting saved the following week?
Katie Stevens - "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" : Last week Katie finally lived up to her potential with a strong performance of "Let it Be" and ended up being one of the top performers during Lennon/McCartney week. Let's see if she's able to keep that momentum going. And yet, right from the start, she sounds a bit sharp - not quite matching the pitch that's intended for the song. I actually think she's encountered that problem quite often during her Idol run, except last week it was non-existent. This week it wasn't as bad as it's been, but her vocals weren't perfect. And I don't think this particular song helped her, either. It's one of Elvis' more lesser-known songs and I think Katie does better when she sings ballads over up-tempo songs.
Casey James - "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" : So Casey really picks an old-school Elvis song this week. I certainly wasn't familiar with it and I'm sure many others out there weren't familiar with it, either. Sometimes that's not a negative thing for certain contestants, though. I thought it was a decent performance, but it wasn't all that memorable, either. That's kind of how Casey has performed overall this season. Except for last week where he truly had a moment, he's performed songs exactly how they should be sang, with little changes to the arrangement. He'd really be a great performer in an '80's cover band. Something just felt missing in this performance for me, even though vocally it was quite good.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Crystal Bowersox
2.) Lee Dewyze
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Tim Urban
5.) Siobhan Magnus
6.) Casey James
7.) Katie Stevens
8.) Aaron Kelly
9.) Andrew Garcia
Going home: Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. I think Andrew is definitely a shoo-in to get the boot this week. Of course, how often have I said that this season and he's managed to get through just barely! But with two people going home this week, I really think it's his time. As for the other individual, I really think it's a toss-up between Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens. However, I think Aaron won't get through beyond this week. Katie is probably still riding some momentum from last week and Aaron has struggled a bit lately.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
American Idol 9 - Top 9
So here we are, another week of Idol performances. This week, it's another recycled theme from a past season of Idol, songs from the Lennon-McCartney songbook. During season seven, we had two weeks of L-M songs which was a bit of an overkill. However, these songs are truly epic no matter how great or terrible they're sang (how can we forget Kristy Lee Cook's horrendous rendition of "Eight Days a Week" two years ago?). Even though people were generally disappointed to see this theme re-appear again, I was actually looking forward to it. Beatles music (or Lennon-McCartney songs) brings the best out of people and maybe it'll do the same to this season's crop of contestants. Here is what I had to say about the night:
Aaron Kelly - "The Long and Winding Road" : Aaron has had some pretty strong performances as of late, so let's see if he's able to continue the momentum. Unfortunately last night was an off-night for Aaron. Right from the start, he sounds rather flat. I don't know what it is, but he appears to be lacking energy. I do not like the sound of the background singers during his performance - they are not helping matters much! I am partial to David Archuleta's rendition of this song during season seven and Aaron just doesn't compare. He definitely wasn't on his "A" game tonight and that's unfortunate. It was a less-than-inspiring performance from Aaron this week.
Katie Stevens - "Let it Be" : So it's quite obvious that Katie has been taking a beating on her Idol journey thus far. However, I think she's slowly beginning to turn the corner. Her Fergie cover a couple of weeks ago was decent, and last week's Aretha song while not great, wasn't terrible. How will she do with a Lennon/McCartney song? Well, it turns out, quite great! She chooses possibly the best Lennon/McCartney song of them all - one of the most famous, and sings the heck out of it. This is the Katie we've all been waiting to see during this season! She was passionate, she connected with the song, and turned it into a believable performance. Well done, Katie.
Andrew Garcia - "Can't Buy Me Love" : Andrew has mirrored Katie's Idol journey thus far quite similarly. He, too, appears like he's turned the corner of his mediocre performances and has finally become the contestant we saw during Hollywood Week. His cover of Chris Brown's "Forever" was such a huge improvement over the past few weeks. Now, that doesn't mean there wasn't room to improve, but it was a step in the right direction. Last night, Andrew took a few steps back again. He gave the song a big-band feel and made the performance quite sleazy sounding. He just didn't give the song a great sound and the performance felt off for me. Andrew may be in trouble this week.
Michael Lynche - "Eleanor Rigby" : Michael, a strong contender for the guys, took a few hits from the judges the past few weeks. Although his most recent performances weren't spectacular, they were still very good. One thing is for sure, you can expect Big Mike to be on pitch. I was a little concerned at first with the way the song started, but my concerns were quickly put to rest. Michael delivered a soulful, confident, and enjoyable performance of this Beatles' classic. Again, his enunciation of some of the lyrics is a bit much at times, but that's relatively minor. He is a polished performer and once again excelled this week.
Crystal Bowersox - "Come Together" : Last week, Crystal took a bit of a risk by stepping away from the guitar and playing the piano. You could tell she was nervous during the performance, but it hardly affected her vocals. Crystal is back strumming to her guitar this week, playing the instrument that gives her the most comfort while performing. I would not say this was her best performance to date. You could definitely tell she was struggling with a cold this week. And apparently she messed up the lyrics to the song a bit at one point, but I couldn't tell much. She's entitled to have an off-night, and even in this case, she wasn't off that much. Still another solid performance from Crystal.
Tim Urban - "All My Loving" : Up next is the contestant who's always smiling, Tim Urban. Despite all of the flack he's received since the live shows began, Tim is certainly a trouper. He has yet to pout, whine, or complain about the lack of positive reviews by the judges. He really enjoy singing for his fans - and yes, he has fans. Last night, he finally delivered a solid performance on the big Idol stage. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was definitely his best to date (even better than "Hallelujah"). I liked him playing the guitar and I also liked a few of the changes he did to the song and some of the runs that he sang during the performance. Now that's what I like seeing from Tim.
Casey James - "Jealous Guy" : So Casey has been kind of stuck in the middle of the pack for awhile. His cover of classic '80's songs have been good, but not spectacular. He hasn't really delivered on any memorable performances to date, so I am really looking to see if Casey can jump towards the top of the heap. And I must say, Casey finally delivered on a memorable performance. His cover of "Jealous Guy" was so smooth and soulful. I loved the acoustic feel of the song and I thought it was especially great that it was a song never-yet-covered on the Idol stage. Yes, there were a few off-pitch moments, but those pale in comparison to the overall feel of the performance. It was spectacular.
Siobhan Magnus - "Across the Universe" : Last week, Siobhan had a bit of a stumble with her Chaka Khan cover - and it was her worst performance to date. Let's see if she's able to turn things around and deliver a performance we're all used to seeing her do. And while it certainly was an improvement over last week, I wouldn't quite call it great. I do agree with the judges that the performance was a bit sleepy and boring. However, I did like that she stayed away from singing that big note at the end of her performance; which she's accustomed to doing. So, better than last week but still not on par. Her vocals were quite good, it was just the song that kind of let her down this week.
Lee Dewyze - "Hey Jude" : Lee put together a great performance last week with his cover of "Treat Her Like a Lady" that really placed him as a front-runner for the males. I would not be surprised if the competition came down to Lee and Crystal in the end (with Lee possibly winning - who knows?). Lee needs to keep the positive momentum going with another strong performance this week. And I will say that his song choice was stellar - another great, popular Beatles' song. However, I did not love the performance overall. The bagpiper was too much of a gimmick and it took away from Lee on stage. He also sang too many of the "na na na's" in the song and it really became quite cheesy to me. It became too sing-songy for me and I think Lee could've made some better decisions with the song.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Casey James
2.) Katie Stevens
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Crystal Bowersox
5.) Tim Urban
6.) Siobhan Magnus
7.) Lee Dewyze
8.) Andrew Garcia
9.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home : Andrew Garcia. As much as I believe Aaron Kelly delivered the worst performance overall last night, Andrew's is probably the least memorable and his overall record this season hasn't been good. Even though last week he delivered a decent performance, I don't think that momentum will be enough to save him this time around. And yet, he hasn't even appeared in the bottom three yet! But tonight, he'll earn a trip to the bottom three, and his first appearance will definitely be his last. It's a shame because he had so much potential earlier on. But he just hasn't showed up. He's truly a one-trick pony.
Aaron Kelly - "The Long and Winding Road" : Aaron has had some pretty strong performances as of late, so let's see if he's able to continue the momentum. Unfortunately last night was an off-night for Aaron. Right from the start, he sounds rather flat. I don't know what it is, but he appears to be lacking energy. I do not like the sound of the background singers during his performance - they are not helping matters much! I am partial to David Archuleta's rendition of this song during season seven and Aaron just doesn't compare. He definitely wasn't on his "A" game tonight and that's unfortunate. It was a less-than-inspiring performance from Aaron this week.
Katie Stevens - "Let it Be" : So it's quite obvious that Katie has been taking a beating on her Idol journey thus far. However, I think she's slowly beginning to turn the corner. Her Fergie cover a couple of weeks ago was decent, and last week's Aretha song while not great, wasn't terrible. How will she do with a Lennon/McCartney song? Well, it turns out, quite great! She chooses possibly the best Lennon/McCartney song of them all - one of the most famous, and sings the heck out of it. This is the Katie we've all been waiting to see during this season! She was passionate, she connected with the song, and turned it into a believable performance. Well done, Katie.
Andrew Garcia - "Can't Buy Me Love" : Andrew has mirrored Katie's Idol journey thus far quite similarly. He, too, appears like he's turned the corner of his mediocre performances and has finally become the contestant we saw during Hollywood Week. His cover of Chris Brown's "Forever" was such a huge improvement over the past few weeks. Now, that doesn't mean there wasn't room to improve, but it was a step in the right direction. Last night, Andrew took a few steps back again. He gave the song a big-band feel and made the performance quite sleazy sounding. He just didn't give the song a great sound and the performance felt off for me. Andrew may be in trouble this week.
Michael Lynche - "Eleanor Rigby" : Michael, a strong contender for the guys, took a few hits from the judges the past few weeks. Although his most recent performances weren't spectacular, they were still very good. One thing is for sure, you can expect Big Mike to be on pitch. I was a little concerned at first with the way the song started, but my concerns were quickly put to rest. Michael delivered a soulful, confident, and enjoyable performance of this Beatles' classic. Again, his enunciation of some of the lyrics is a bit much at times, but that's relatively minor. He is a polished performer and once again excelled this week.
Crystal Bowersox - "Come Together" : Last week, Crystal took a bit of a risk by stepping away from the guitar and playing the piano. You could tell she was nervous during the performance, but it hardly affected her vocals. Crystal is back strumming to her guitar this week, playing the instrument that gives her the most comfort while performing. I would not say this was her best performance to date. You could definitely tell she was struggling with a cold this week. And apparently she messed up the lyrics to the song a bit at one point, but I couldn't tell much. She's entitled to have an off-night, and even in this case, she wasn't off that much. Still another solid performance from Crystal.
Tim Urban - "All My Loving" : Up next is the contestant who's always smiling, Tim Urban. Despite all of the flack he's received since the live shows began, Tim is certainly a trouper. He has yet to pout, whine, or complain about the lack of positive reviews by the judges. He really enjoy singing for his fans - and yes, he has fans. Last night, he finally delivered a solid performance on the big Idol stage. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was definitely his best to date (even better than "Hallelujah"). I liked him playing the guitar and I also liked a few of the changes he did to the song and some of the runs that he sang during the performance. Now that's what I like seeing from Tim.
Casey James - "Jealous Guy" : So Casey has been kind of stuck in the middle of the pack for awhile. His cover of classic '80's songs have been good, but not spectacular. He hasn't really delivered on any memorable performances to date, so I am really looking to see if Casey can jump towards the top of the heap. And I must say, Casey finally delivered on a memorable performance. His cover of "Jealous Guy" was so smooth and soulful. I loved the acoustic feel of the song and I thought it was especially great that it was a song never-yet-covered on the Idol stage. Yes, there were a few off-pitch moments, but those pale in comparison to the overall feel of the performance. It was spectacular.
Siobhan Magnus - "Across the Universe" : Last week, Siobhan had a bit of a stumble with her Chaka Khan cover - and it was her worst performance to date. Let's see if she's able to turn things around and deliver a performance we're all used to seeing her do. And while it certainly was an improvement over last week, I wouldn't quite call it great. I do agree with the judges that the performance was a bit sleepy and boring. However, I did like that she stayed away from singing that big note at the end of her performance; which she's accustomed to doing. So, better than last week but still not on par. Her vocals were quite good, it was just the song that kind of let her down this week.
Lee Dewyze - "Hey Jude" : Lee put together a great performance last week with his cover of "Treat Her Like a Lady" that really placed him as a front-runner for the males. I would not be surprised if the competition came down to Lee and Crystal in the end (with Lee possibly winning - who knows?). Lee needs to keep the positive momentum going with another strong performance this week. And I will say that his song choice was stellar - another great, popular Beatles' song. However, I did not love the performance overall. The bagpiper was too much of a gimmick and it took away from Lee on stage. He also sang too many of the "na na na's" in the song and it really became quite cheesy to me. It became too sing-songy for me and I think Lee could've made some better decisions with the song.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Casey James
2.) Katie Stevens
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Crystal Bowersox
5.) Tim Urban
6.) Siobhan Magnus
7.) Lee Dewyze
8.) Andrew Garcia
9.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home : Andrew Garcia. As much as I believe Aaron Kelly delivered the worst performance overall last night, Andrew's is probably the least memorable and his overall record this season hasn't been good. Even though last week he delivered a decent performance, I don't think that momentum will be enough to save him this time around. And yet, he hasn't even appeared in the bottom three yet! But tonight, he'll earn a trip to the bottom three, and his first appearance will definitely be his last. It's a shame because he had so much potential earlier on. But he just hasn't showed up. He's truly a one-trick pony.
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