American Idol Season 8

Just 5 more months until the premier. Although I cannot promise I will be updating nearly as frequently as last season. The new baby will be just a week old.

Top 4

I know this is starting to look like an Idol blog, I promise more meaningful posts will be returning I just have had a few writing projects that needed to be turned in only to the persons they were written for. More on that later (hopefully). Between that and some household projects, vacation and JC learning how to break expensive things I have just not gotten to anything substantial lately. So, lets see how they all do tonite.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is such a huge and broad category. So many artist whom have made it into the Hall would not be considered rock by many. This should be David Cook's night.

David Cook. Hungry Like the Wolf. He was flat several times and his timing was a bit off on the doo doo doo's. It was a great SOUNDING arrangement (adding distortion without changing anything else does not make for a great arrangement) though and could be a great studio track, just was not a fantastic performance.
Certainly a let down given he is the rocker on rock night.

Syesha Mercado. Proud Mary. Of course Syesha would choose another powerhouse song. Regardless of what the judges say she just keeps choosing songs beyond her quite substantial capabilities making her seem less talented than she really is. It ended up coming off like a decent impersonation. She shouted alot of the big notes during the dancing. It was a fun performance, not the best vocals but certainly a lot of fun. She has a very good voice and if someone else was calling the shots (as in the theater) she will be great.

Jason Castro. I Shot the Sherrif. It sounded a lot like the band was playing the version everyone knows of this song (Eric Clapton's) while he was singing Bob Marley's version. The timing was bad and the vocals were average. Anyone who argues with the judge always sounds bad as well. Lets hope song 2 saves him.

David Archuleta. Stand by Me. A perfect song choice for his voice and style. Anytime he can get one of these vocalists R&B tracks with simple music where can do lots of runs he nails it. Sounded a bit strained on some of the high notes, perhaps too much practice this week but really did fantastic. Adding the contemporary flair by throwing in the Sean Kingston stanza really was smart in terms of the competition. Best performance of the first set of songs.

David Cook. Teenage Wasteland. The other David also has his zone that everytime he steps into it he does well. Dynamic songs with the crescendos and decrescendos with the indie rock feel to it. And he did. Not sure how this song showed us his soul (as Paula said) but he gave a great performance with solid vocals.

Syesha Mercado. A Change is Going to Come. An interesting time to do this song as it was the theme of the NAACP's annual meeting where Reverend Jeremiah Wright delivered his controversial address. She said she thought it was a good analogy for her being on AI. The song was written in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. A bit pompous to compare the two I think. She then went on to perform the song pretty poorly. Could not hit a lot of the notes she tried for. Again she picked a song that was too big for her and it really was not fantastic. Randy was right on though.

Jason Castro. Mr. Tamborine Man. A perfect song for his voice and style. A simple arrangement that suited well the song and his fan base I would imagine. Couple the forgotten lyrics with the bad first performance and this is probably his night to go. I really did like the second song, it just isn't enough at this stage of the competition. He cannot sail thru with those dreamy eyes and goofy smile anymore.

David Archuleta. Elvis Presley. Love Me Tender. Again, a perfect arrangement that allowed him to showcase his voice. He was number one for the night no doubt. He is the ballad king. If things go the way I think they will, when the David's face off in the final whatever the final song is will determine the winner like the Blake vs. Jordin final of last season.

Top 5

A short entry....

Syesha or Brooke will go home. Neither one of them gave a great performance nor do they have the huge fan base that votes inspite of a lackluster song.

Syesha has now shown she is not a pop star but a theater diva. That is fine but will not connect with a lot of the AI fans,

Brooke is now out of her league. She will go on to make a greaqt singer song writer album and have a fine career but she will not win.

David and David both did pretty well. Jason was just ok but he has such a following he will be fine for now.

Top 6

So the biggest news here, and the news I will never live down now that it is immortalized online, is that I am a big musical fan so I was excited to hear that Andrew Lloyd Webber would be mentoring. That being said these songs are hard and do not sound like pop songs. It will be interesting to see who can make it contemporary and do a good job. For many of the contestants whom have already show they cannot come up with original arrangements this maybe the night that seals their fate. Texting 13 year old girls are not going to text a million times for a typical broadway performance. And a Kristy Lee Cook style bad arrangment will not be much better.

Syesha Mercado. One Rock and Roll Too Many. She missed a couple notes but it was a very fun and sassy performance. Dancing with the conductor and guitar player may have verged on cheesy. It was a good piece of theater but not a great American Idol performance.

Jason Castro. Memory. Really tapped into the emotional core of the song which is funny given that is largely about growing old and he is the second youngest contestant. He hit most of the notes so the "trainwreck" comment from Randy seemed unfair. He probably could have found a better song for his style but I do not think he bombed just was not his best.

Brooke White. You Must Love Me. Messed up and started over. Thats not cool. Had trouble on a few of the low notes. Did manage to capture the emotional component that Webber talked about in the begining and because of house powerful that is, it may save her. But really, wow messing up and starting over is hard to recover from.

David Archuleta. Think Of Me. This is tough for me because its one of my favorite songs. I think he did a good job bring it a bit more pop like. Sounded like an older R&B song to me. He was also too stationary to a song that had a bit of a beat to it. Was a little boring. Should have really had fun on the build up parts.

Carly Smithson. Jesus Christ Superstar. This is a song that is already pretty fun and modern. A great fit for her voice and personality. She performed it very well catching the breaks and solos and moving around the stage well. Song could be a bit irreverant for some but watch the whole play and get over it to them.

David Cook. I have been looking forward to seeing what David would do and how Webber reacted all week long. I just knew it would be very interesting. It was not. He did it like every high school and college performance of the Phantom I have ever seen. He did fine. But for someone who has seen Michael Crawford perform at the Pantages and loves Cook's ability to make songs his own, it was a letdown.

Top 7

Mariah Carey Night. Rather than write this 7 times I will just note if it doesn"t apply to anyone. The problem with Mariah Carey night is that no one else has a 5 octave range, a great body and a million grammy"s. Thus, everyone who tries to do a Mariah Carey song without making big changes to it winds up sounding boring.

David Archuleta. We Are Not Afraid. He did a great job. His falsetto was a tad lacking but it feels authentic and adds to the emotional factor when his voice is slightly off. Not everyone could do that.

Carly Smithson. Without You. She looked really good. The performance was fine, but she didn"t do anything special with the song. It was a tad boring.

Syesha Mercado. The begining was pretty. Towards the end the runs were a bit excessive and she took Mariah"s coaching to hit the minor note on the one line and did it on several lines. The dischord probably didn"t sound great to all but maybe the jazz fans.

Brooke White. Hero. Very cool arrangement. Love that she played it so low key until the bridge. Hit a few sour notes, A very heartfelt performance.

Kristy Lee Cook. She finally found an outfit that doesn"t look silly. The song worked out very well as a country tune and she sang it well. Of course I found myself missing the big notes. She is getting better and better every week. Still probably the least likely winner but she keeps sticking around.

David Cook. Always Be My Baby. An incredible arrangement. The use of the strings was amazing. It was a great performance and that big note towards the end was perfect. David seriously knows music and how to work with a band. He took a big risk and it rocked. I would buy his album. Sounds silly I know but there is only one Idol album that I have purchased so far.

Jason Castro. I Don"t Want To Cry. A fantastic performance. Very laid back. Great song for a bonfire night at the beach. I really like Jason"s ability to make all songs so relaxing and chill.

The Top 10

80's theme tonight (actually from the year their birth which mostly means 80's). The top ten starting tonite means we get lots of bios.

Ramielle Maluaby. How Do I Get You Alone. She was flat thru most of the song and she was virtually stationary even with a big 80's song. Simon and Randy's little tiff was fun.

Jason Castro. Fragile. Sting doesn't connect well with the kids of today. I dug it but I don't know about the texting crowd. He did it well but it was boring.

Syesha Mercado. If I Were Your Woman. She sang it really well but I still didn't think it was fun. The 80's were such a fun a poppy time but so far all ballads? She is going to sail thru the next few weeks regarless though.

Chickizie. If Only For One Night. His jacket was so cool. I asked my wife to buy it for me. He is completely in his element with an r&b arrangement. He still will have trouble relating with the kids on this one. But everyone has been dull so he may be fine. Could be in danger.

Brooke White. Every Breath You Take. The false start heard around the world. She is going to be fine because she did well the rest of this song. Finally, someone brought in some fun. She didn't do the best performance of all time but it was good stuff still.

Michael Johns. We Will Rock You. A great performance and a ton of fun. Rocked everyone's socks off at the house I was watching it from.

Carly Smithson. Turn Around. An great performance. She nailed the ending. Really did well with the rock edge second week in a row. Hopefully the obvious stress she was feeling won't affect her to much next week.

David Archuleta. He sang a pretty obscure song. It was very happy and fun, but a bit cheesy.

Kristy Lee Cook. God Bless the USA. She got to do her country song and it went well. Sounded great and no one hates God Bless the USA. You can't say you dislike it even if you did.

David Cook. Billy Jean. Played it up as a rock ballad. It was incredible. The big note was amazing. Very original and a huge risk and it worked. Risks, new arrangements and solid performances thats how you win AI.

The Top 11

The Beatles are the theme for the evening, a bit different than last week but for most people pretty much a rehashing of the Lennon McCartney theme from last week. A very cool mini documentary on the Beatles. It will be interesting to see what happens this week as song choice and arrangment last week was so hit and miss. The Beatles is a tough theme as they are almost all iconic songs and many of them are bandcentric rather than vocalcentric. Right now strategy isn't as important but starting next week contestants need to start thinking about fans. People will all have chosen their fave from the top 10 next week. This means that everytime someone is eliminated about 3 million people will be looking for a new favorite. The contestants have to start looking at song choice and arrangement even more closely to make sure that they keep their fans and bring in some of those from the outgoing contestants.

Amanda Overmeyer. Back in the USSR. Amanda is great at setting up arrangements that highlight and complement her bluesy rock vocal style. I still think that she is going to struggle for relevance. She won't win, but if she did would go the way of Taylor and Reuben. Simon mentioned something I have mentioned several times with regards to changing things up.

Kristy Lee Cook. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away. She never heard this song before. That was a shock. Seems like she worked a little bit better with the band to make the arrangement her own but still sound good. She messed with the melody a bit and didn't hit all the notes. It was a tad dull, but all in all it was a good performance and the ending was excellent. It was pretty safe though, so if someone else does poorly she will do move on, but again, she will be at risk.

David Archuleta. The Long and Winding Road. What can I say? He is amazing. Just absolutely nailed it. Hit every note, showed some emotion, took some risks with some runs but remained true to the song, wow. David will probably be the next American Idol unless he has a repeat of last weeks performance blunders. He has not just the performance and the skill, but also the youth and boyish good lucks that will drive young girls to text 6 million times a piece.

Michael Johns. A Day in the Life. This is such a long theatrical and multi layered song his arrangement ended up sounding a bit schizophrenic and difficult to understand. A few pitch problems as well made for a pretty blah performance. He will be ok tonite, but needs to pull off a great song next week. Not wearing an earpiece on a stage that size and with that huge of an audience seems crazy to me especially since they don't have any stage monitors. Could explain the pitch problems.

Brooke White. Here Comes the Sun. She always adds a touch of folksy coffeshop sensibility to the songs. Its fun and so is she. The performance might have overpowered the vocals tonite which can then appear cheesy. She can't dance. I think that she could be in danger if there are alot more great performances, but she certainly was not bad. She should be doing more emotional ballads. She has a lot of potential after the show ends whether she wins or not.

David Cook. Day Tripper. Awesome choice to find someone else's unique arrangement that the vast majority of AI viewers probably haven't heard. I mean really, aside from me how many American Idol fans are listening to White Snake. The talk box solo was awesome. The arrangement was awesome. A ton of fun and a workable single. To Simon's point, David is predicatable. He comes out and does a fun rock and roll show. This was not a song with a ton of vocal range as last weeks was. So while it was a great performance it didn't stand out as better than previous performances or even neccesarily as good. Again, song choice and arrangements make the difference between the good and the great. He definitley has the arrangements down. Not totally consistent on the song choice.

Carly Smithson. Blackbird. Ballads are always a risk as they can come across boring. She did it in such a low key that it didn't give her a chance to show off her skills up until the key change. It was pretty good after that but still not that much fun. Very understated and low key. She has a great voice and the vocalists were probably pretty impressed but the general viewing audience were probably using it as an opportunity to run to the restroom or grab a beer or a soda. She didn't gain any new fans tonight. But she will be fine.

Jason Castro. Michelle. No guitar tonight. He has a great voice. Sounds a bit like a Jack Johnson or a Ben Harper. Add to that the language of love and his looks and I am sure the ladies are swooning. He did the song very laid back and relaxed. He will be just fine this week but needs to nail the next performance to keep it going to battle David A. in the end.

Syesha Mercado. Yesterday. Very cool to bring the guitar player up front and do the song as such an understated ballad but then nail some of those high notes. She has no concerns for next week. A lot of emotion. She really put a lot of thought into how to do a big song and sell it well. Many times songs like this bite contestants in the rear because you either do a carbon copy of the original and come across kareoke or you flub the arrangement and it doesn't hold a candle to the original but she nailed it.

Chickizie. I've Just Seen a Face. Did really well vocally, but it seemed a bit like he just rehashed last week. The two parts didn't really match up. His harmonica playing was silly. Came across as being all over the place. He may be at the bottom next week. I like Chickizie alot but he doesn't seem to have a knack for arrangement and song choice. Since every liked last week he just tried to revisit it rather than catch on to what everyone liked, which was uniqueness and excitement. Its no longer new and exciting the second time in a row.

Ramiele Malubay. Should Have Known Better. She sang it really well but their was a disconnect between the arrangement and her vocals. She doesn't work well with the band. They played the song just about identical to the original but she was singing more of a country feel. She needs to work on song choice and arrangement big time to stay in for more than a few weeks.

The Top 12

The new set is great looking and huge. I imagine it would be rather difficult to be the band spread out as they are in the sky. Ryan's Beatles biography seemed out of place. Beatles have such an expansive catalog of songs so song choice was interesting for me. Seems like it would be tough not to find a song you could nail.

Syesha Mercado. Got to Get You Into My Life. Did it a little disco/r&b. I don't see this being a hit. The Beatles don't do disco and neither does the American Idol demographic. Simon's response was incredibly puzzling as she did hit some bad notes in the begining.

Chickizie. She's a Woman. Bluegrass intro was incredible. Loved his voice in his upper range. Awsome bluesy rock arrangement for the rest. I was anticipating "his own funk" was going to be yet another 60s 70s throwback...but wow....He knocked my socks off as well as the judges. I would buy this track. Guaranteed to be a hit.

Ramiele Malubay. In My Life. A very soft ballad. A pitch problem here and there but overall a very sweet performance. Runs the risk of being viewed as dull. Safe songs put you in danger of being forgotten and going home.

Jason Castro. If I Fell in Love With You. Lots of falcetto. Sounded good. Played guitar well. Had a very Jack Johnson feel to it.

Carly Smithson. Come Together. Did it as Amanda Overmeyer. If Carly can out bluesyrocker Amanda what use is it to have Amanda in the competition. Carly named it tonite and I think that she directly challenged her roomie for bluesyrocker supremacy.

David Cook. Eleanor Rigby. The begining was good but the bridge into ending build was just incredible. His voice has a very cool safe for the mainstream radio appeal. He is going to be a contender for a top spot.

Brooke White. Let It Be. Pretty piano arrangement. She has a great imperfect sounding voice which lends itself well to the message of this song. Sounded like she believed what she was singing, really connected with the emotion of the song. It is hard to do a ballad without sounding boring. She really did well and then ended so humbly.

David Hernandez. I Saw Her Standing There. A lot of energy. He puts those stripper dance moves to work. Knows how to move and how to work the crowd. I wonder if her is bummed they aren't tipping. He did the song pretty much like the original. He thru out a few falcetto runs. All in all a good performance but he might not have made a bigger impact than some of the others tonight. I think he came off a bit cheesy but still will be around next week.

Amanda Overmeyer. You Can't Do That. Adding the bluesy element almost made it sound like an Elvis song. Again she is great at this style of music. I just don't know if she can make it to the top couple without bringing something different. She has no pop sensibility. Pat Benatar and Janis Joplin have not been chart toppers for a little while now.

Michael Johns. Across the Universe. Didn't change it up it all, but he didn't need to. It was the perfect song for his voice. And the lighting effects showing the limitless love swirling about him was pretty cool too. The song was simple and understated. He could get dinged for playing it safe though. I personally really liked it though.

Kristy Lee Cook. 8 Days a Week. Finally realized she is a country singer. She might have done this song just a tad fast, but it was pretty good. The risk was good but didn't pull it off. She is a good country singer but the cadence and rythem of this song did not work well with the fast blue grass arrangement. Sounded like 2 different songs at the same time. She could be in trouble.

David Archuleta. We Can Work It Out. He forgot his lyrics. Went for the Stevie Wonder route. He had a lot of trouble hitting some of Stevie's runs. He tried to mimick Stevie and just doesn't have it in him. He probably is not in trouble (everyone loves him and he is great) but he should be.

Top 8 Ladies

Asia'h Epperson. I Wanna Dance with Someone. My 1 year old son was dancing and clapping. The outfit was very ugly, but it was very 80's. The vocals were pretty good. A fun performance.

Kady Malloy. Forever. Awful song choice. Last week they told her to let her personality show and choose a fun song. The 80's had so much energy but the closest she gets is matching purple with red. Could be in trouble.

Amanda Overmeyer. Hate Myself for Loving You. Fun arrangment. Great ending. She also looked very pretty.

Carly Smithson. I Drove All Night. Too adult a song for the kiddies. Could be a liability with the amount of families watching. As long as she stays at the top of her range she sounds amazing. The low notes were rough.

Kristy Lee Cook. Forever Yours. Never a good call to go for a song that Randy has worked with. But she seemed to get away with it. A few rough spots but with some work could turn the song into a country hit. As I mentioned with the guys, working with the band on song arrangment is what differentiates the forgettable form the unforgettable. Had she brought a country feel to the music, couple with the country feel of her vocals it would have rocked.

Ramiele Malubay. Take a Look at me now. Such a cute girl. A good voice but she did not do anything special with it tonight. Her and Daniel can do a cool duet sometime.

Brooke White. Love is a Battlefield. Did it as acoustic folksy rock tune. Very cool, but she has turned a few songs that way, so it may be a little repetiive for some. She needs to do something soon to connect to the pop kids.

Syesha Mercado. Saving All My Love You. A great vocal. Felt canned, or predictictable to use Simon's word.

Top 8 Boys

80's night. It seems like the judges worked hard to make sure that a lot of different styles of singers were represented this season and as they are getting more comfortable and taking more risks it is getting exciting.

One of the things that really seperates the good from the great is the ability to take period songs and make them contemporary. This requires both a good ear and understanding of music, but also the ability to communicate and lead a band.

Luke Menard. Jitterbug. The song suited his voice well. Don't here a pop sensibility in his voice. A cheesy song, but he did it well. At the end he says 'uptempo,' a very musical theatre term, not something you are going to here JT or Usher say for sure. Maybe in danger.

David Archuleta. Think Twice. Did it as a very soft ballad. Played his own accompaniment for the intro. Very impressive. Plus he has a great voice. He always hits one or two wrong notes but never gets nailed on it, so it was nice to hear the judges catch him tonite.

Danny Noriega. Tainted Love. He sounded awesome. Pulled the song off amazingly. Looked a bit creepy. TMTH !!!

David 'the stripper' Hernadez. Its All Coming Back to Me Now. Sounded awesome. Looks and sounds like a star. Did the song well not perfect but very well.

Michael Johns. Don't you. Good looking and has that Aussie accent may help him get thru the rough patches on the quiet parts of the song. Probably in a bit of danger. He seems to be a producers choice since he was given a virtual pass by the judges.

David Cook. Cool rock ballad. Great upper range. Good falsetto on the softer parts. Great arrangment. He made an older song very conteporary.

Jason Castro. Hallelujah. Very low key and understated performance. Really focused on his voice. Seemed to be a risky choice to go with such a low energy song but I think it served him well to show off his vocals.

Chickizie. She's Fills me Up. The build up to the ending were very good. The begining and ending was a little rough. He is still not sounding very contemporary. If he makes it through to next week he needs to start connecting the period songs with modern arrangments.

top 10 guys

70's night.

Michaels Johns You Can Go Your Own Way. Very boring aside from when he was butchering the high notes.

Jason Castro. His intro interview may very well have sealed his fate for all of the older crowd but his performance was really nice. Not fantastic but the guitar makes him stand out. He chooses easy songs and does them decently.

Luke Menard. Very theatrical. Fun, but not very poppy. May struggle later on if he is not able identify with the 13 year old girls who dial a million times.

Robbie Carico. If you have to keep telling us you are something, you probably ar not it. Hot Blooded. Still faking the rock.

Danny Noriega. Baby, I Love You. A couple pitch problems but a decent performance. The opening was a bit creepy with him touching his chest while he said he loved me. He is spunky though. Everyone is going to like him. As long as he doesn't blow it big time, he will keep coming back. Not the best performance but I don't think he is Sanjaya as long as he can pull out a great performance next week.

David Hernandez. Papa was a Rolling Stone. Great intro. Started to get a little monotonous but the ending was incredible.

Jason Yeager. Without Love. Did fine. His voice so does not fit his look, his smile, or his dancing. Poor song choice.

Chickizie. I Believe. A good 70's performance. Still came across as a 70's song. But much better than last week.

David Cook. Alright Now. Played a rockin' guitar. A good rock performance. He worked the crowd well. Vocals were not awesome but they were good. Much more relevant

David Archuleta. Imagine All the People. Really well done. He is going to be in the top 3. An awesome voice, and can really perform. The judges and the producers love him.

top 12 ladies

Everybody has the flu. 60's theme again. Ryan spent a lot of time talking about the girls shoes. Posted from my mobile, sorry about sentence structure

Kristy Lee Cook rescue me. sounded ok. not a powerful enough voice for this song. not a lot of energy. pretty uninspiring. she is pretty and has a good story. this may be enough to get her through but i don''t know if its going to get her into the top 10.

Joanne Bogella. say a little prayer for you. a lot of pitch problems. some nervousness in her voice. a dull performance. showed off the power she can bring.

Elaina Whitaker. i love you more today than yesterday. great vocals. cool arrangement. she is good looking and young. top 10 contender.

Amanda Overmyer. baby please don't go. great performance. Most likely too hard sounding to appeal to a wider audience. but she did it well.

Amy Davis. where the boys are. hit a wrong notes. she is pretty, so that may save her, but it was not a great performance at all.

brooke white. so happy together. good arrangement. decent vocals. dull performance. the good girl image will probably keep her through while she gets more comfortable on stage.

Alexandrea Lushington. what goes up must come down. great performance. hit the right notes. i don't like the tone of her voice, but i think it is just me (and maybe Simon).

Kady Malloy. groovy kind of love. hard to pull off a ballad early on because they don't give a chance to show personality. just an ok performance.

Asia'h Epperson. take another piece of my heart. great arrangement. great vocals. could be a top 10 contender.

Ramielle you don't have to say you love me. fantastic arrangement, performance and vocals. plus she is cute and has a hip, different look.

Syesha Mercado. tobacco row. fun song. lots of power in her voice. not sure how she could stay so still singing that song. i was dancing around just watching.

Carly. a good vocal effort. i have to say i was just so so on it. do not think it was bad just didn't grab me.

american idol top 12 guys

60's theme tonight. Though first week theme since everyone is young and this is a contemporary competition, which Simon let us know numerous times. No major standouts last night. Top 10 potentials are noted.

David Hernandez. In the Midnight Hour. Good til the end. He hit some sour notes at the end. Not a great performance. He was fine though.

Chikezie. The begining was a little rough was he he hit his upper register he nailed it. I really thought 60's day was gonna be his best day so that set my expectations really high. He looked great though.

David Cook. Happy Together. He made an indie rock tune out of it. It sounded fun. He has a cool rock edge. Top 10

Jason Yeager. Moon River. He hit a couple wrong notes. A fine performance but nothing special.

Robbie Carrico. One is the Loneliest Number. A little bit of rock and roll and some great harmonies with the background singers. He looks like KFed. When Simon questioned his rocker persona I was like "Whoa that's it. He is faking it." It makes sense, he is a good singer but boy bands are out of style, a little rock and roll splashed in and he is a top 10 for sure. Top 10

David Archuleta. You Better Shop. Around his high register he is fantastic. He sounded dull and off key with the lower notes in the begining. It sounds like we know who the producers like though, since he got a free pass on being judged. Top 10

Danny Noriega. Jail House Rock. I must admit his "swagger" and "attitude" mixed with one of my all time favorite performers was just too much. I am smitten. He had a blast and it made for a great performance. Probably did the song a tad to fast so the words were a little jumbled. Top 10

Luke Menard. I Won't Let you Leave. He hit a lot of wrong notes. Very dull performance as well.

Colton Barry. Suspicious Minds. The half time bridge was awesome, but the rest was fairly dull and unispired. He is a young guy with a nice look so he can get away with ok.

Garrett Haley. Breakin Up is Hard to Do. He looks scary. Kind of like Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings. He delivered a dull performance. One cool break, but otherwise a sleeper. He seemed nervous.

Jason Castro. Daydream. He played guitar. It was an easy song but he played it well. He also coordinated well with the band which will lend itself well in later weeks as he takes risks and differentiates himself from other contestants.

Michel Johns. Light my Fire. He was shouting a bit. But it was a fun song. The judges loved him. I thought it was a great performane but not the strongest vocals.

the top 24

I thought the Jumper intro/commercial was actually kind of cool. Obviously, a little lame, but I think that added to the appeal for me. Ryan at the end getting blown off was really funny.

A lot of no's to start off. They claimed that people out in the lobby were getting more nervous but that shouldn't be so, as the more no's prior to you the higher chance you have of a yes. Oh well, no one is claiming all the AI contestants are mathmeticians.

I haven't seen enough on everyone to form an opinion but here are some initial thoughts.

The Top 24...

Carly. Looks cool with tattoos and whatnot. Her accent is cool and will win her over a lot of fans. She also has season 5 experience when she had trouble with her work visa.

David C. Guitar player with a good look. Could go far if he can make sure to choose the right songs to focus on his better qualities.

Amanda Overmeyer. Rocker without a shot at the top. A fun addition to the story but not a pop star.

Kristy.

Brooke.

Danny. Like Sanjaya but he can sing really well. He is going to be a major contender.

Luke.

Alex.

Ramiele.

Michael. He took a gamble on queen and it paid off. He also has the rugged tough guy thing going. The girls will like the dangerous one and the guys (both of us) will be more comfortable voting for him than a boy band lookalike.

Syesha. Lost her voice and still pulled it off. Has talent and determination, plus a great look.

Robbie. Rocker guys always make the top 10 but most lack pop sensibility. Doesn't mean they are not fantastic but just not right for AI.

Katie.

Chikezie. Hilarious but if he won would probably be a Taylor/Ruben type.

Alaina.

Jason.

Asia'h.

David. He was told it was contested. Simon let him know a tough road ahead. Interesting to see if he makes it far.

Garrett.

Colton. I really liked both Colton (any guy who busts disney is my idol) and Kyle (I am a politics buff and have a soft spot for nerds) so this is bittersweet.

Joanne.

David Archaletta. Young and with a great voice. The 300 texts a minute crowd are going to love him. Expect him in the top 10.

American Idol Feb. 12

Seems like Simon is running things for the first segment. Blasted thru the first day yes's really fast. Bryan Adams was a hit. Maybe he will be a special guest later in the season. The second round was boring. It was all about the drama of the front line back line game. We didn't get to see many of the performances. Lots of dramatic losers. Kind of a bummer to spend so much time learning about someone only to have them not make it. Footage should have stayed on the cutting room floor. Seems like we know more about the losers than the winners now. I guess we will have plenty of time to get to know the top 24 moving forward. It just seemed like such a waste to hear someones life story only to have them bomb their audition. Would have rather heard the great auditions.

A few notes on some auditions.

Brooke "beautiful" keyboard. Sounded great. Put her own spin on it.

David "love the one your with" Great arrangement. Going to be a contender since he has the ability to make songs his own without destroying them.

Amanda "light my fire" 60's throwback. Could be fun, but if every song sounds like that it's going to get old fast.

Josiah keyboard. Great smile. Fun song that went thru a few different sounds.

David "everything i do" Pretty good. No real wow til the last line which was awesome. Played the guitar, which added to his appeal. It will be interesting to see if instruments make it into later rounds. Without them he may struggle.

Robbie "everything i do" Did fine, nothing incredibly special.

Colton "everything i do" Did fine, nothing incredibly special.

David "we're in heaven" Did very well. A great voice. Could be a serious contender.

Kyle "you raise me up" I love this kid. I will vote for him for AI and for Governor.

Syesha "chain of fools" Amazing.

Michael "bohemian rhapsody" I couldn't believe he chose this song, but he pulled it off very well. If he continues to choose songs that are unique and interesting and actually doing it well, he will be in the top 10.