So much potential this week-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!! All sort of song options and possibilities (the list of songs was posted on the Idol website-hundreds of GREAT choices)-let’s hope they take this seriously and show us their stuff…..the show has become a death march toward the ultimate coronation of David Cook and it’s boring.
David kicks off the show with his first song Hungry Like a Wolf….he really phoned it in tonight, no effort, no originality, didn’t even seem to be that interested in his own performance. Very disappointing. He looked like he’d slept in his clothing, but sometimes I forget that that is the height of style. (How come actual employed adults can’t get away with it for work?
Syesha Mercado-Another diva impersonation that fell flat for me. She is NO Tina Turner and her version of Proud Mary was not ready for prime time. She looked nice in her metallic mini dress, but her vocal was mediocre and her choreography was ridiculous-can you imagine Tina Turner just shifting from hip to hip while she did that? It would certainly never have become her signature song without the wild choreography. Took a heck of an ego to think this was a passable performance. Loved the exchange between Syesha and Simon-in case you missed it “I was just having fun!” “Well I wasn’t.”
Neither was I.
Happy to see Carly out in the audience-she looks good and I miss her. If I decide to shell out for tour tickets this year (quite painful for someone as cheap as I am), she will be one of the main reasons I want to go.
Jason Castro hit an all time low with his first song “I Shot the Sheriff” a la Bob Marley. Unbelievable. Beyond description. It was certainly his most animated performance to date, but I don’t know if he played his guitar at all or if he just used it as a prop to flip around while he gyrated. He seemed incredibly pleased with himself while waiting for the judges to virtually crucify him-and they did. He managed to stand there with his dopey grin on his face and just let the criticism roll off his back. I want whatever he’s taking! It must be great stuff. Simon told him he was utterly atrocious-said it was a first round massacre and asked “What were you thinking?” Our favorite Stoner just came back with “Bob Marley!!” I have to admit, I found the whole thing hilarious-Vote For the Worst front-page news-worthy. He’s just hanging out waiting for the tour, maybe he should be considering changing his bong water.
David Archuleta-He’s tiresome but incredibly talented and he really stood out with his first song of the night-Stand By Me. He changed it up enough to make it new and he was at his best. The audience loved him and so did the judges….clearly it was round 1 to David even before Simon proclaimed this the best performance so far. What I find tiresome is the “I’m gonna pass out” routine every time he gets praise from the judges…reminds me of Sally Field’s “ You like me!! You really like me!!!!!” speech at the Academy Awards. David needs to accept that he’s got talent-he can still be low key and not full of himself-and can the “I’m just a 17 year old boy and I can’t believe you like little ole me” crap. I applaud him for being able to keep his eyes open for another week, too. Makes him much easier to watch. Needs to avoid the squint, though. Simon told him that he could have whistled and done better than the last song and little David piped up “I really liked Jason’s song…” so at least he appears to be the nice kid we think he is, and he’s not out for blood. The boy does his work, though-he shows up every week with his best effort….Jason should have tried that once or twice but it’s too late now.
On to Round 2
David Cook-Sang the Who’s “Teenage Wasteland” and seemed particularly smug about it-I wonder if he thought he was making a comment on the audience at his feet….kind of a jerky attitude. He did a much better job than on his first song, but it was still not great-not one of those really surprising performances like Eleanor Rigby or Billie Jean…. If folks vote based only on this week’s performances, I could actually see
him doing a Tamyra Gray/Chris Daughtry 4th place totally unexpected exit this week. I managed to motivate myself to vote, just in case-I’d hate to see apathy result in a victory by Jason who seems too impaired to appreciate or notice it anyway.
Syesha Mercado- beautiful dress but I agreed with Randy that her performance was not that good. I thought she was off key and really over the top. I’m still disappointed that she’s the final girl standing-she was NOT the best girl this year, not by a long shot. I was yakking on the phone when Paula said something that made Syesha start to cry hysterically (channeling Brooke and then some), and then Simon made her continue-I think they liked her, but I didn’t grasp the reason for the tears. Fortunately, I didn’t care why she was crying-I really hate meltdowns in public. Mandatory deduction for an awkward
moment. Think she deserves 3rd place based on Jason’s god-awful performances, but wont be sorry if she goes tonight, either.
Jason Castro-With very low expectations going into the second performance, Jason did not disappoint me. His tuneless version of Mr. Tambourine Man was very nearly as painful as his first song, just not as goofy and animated. Forgot some of the words mid-song and muffed it up rather badly, but I don’t know if anyone was even listening anymore. Carly gave him a standing O, but I suspect she was listening to him and thinking, “I got the boot and HE’s still here?” Simon summed it up nicely with his terse “Pack your suitcase.” The man is always right.
David Archuleta-another great performance tonight-he clearly won both rounds, but I just kept thinking that of all the choices of songs he had, he chose “Love Me Tender” on Rock and roll Hall of Fame week. It was an interesting twist on an Elvis classic, turned into even more of a ballad for a 17-year-old boy who specializes in ballads. Randy yelling he was the hot vocal, blazing hot freaked me out-there is nothing more than tepid about David A even if he is a good singer. I like both Davids but (as I say every week) I still don’t see Archuleta as the Idol…..Cook better step it up or he may just lose if there’s another week like this week before the finale.
Only 2 more weeks to the finale on May 20-21st….can hardly wait to hear the “winning” song this year…I expect it will sound something like “This is my chance, my moment in history, my destiny, what I was made for, my voice is my gift from God and I just want have FUNNNNNN and go on tour and make records and get rich and too full of myself to acknowledge Idol ever againnnnnn”
Jason is out tonight….and it will take an entire hour to deliver that SHOCKING news. Hey, Bo Bice is on tonight, too. Another nod to mediocrity.
