Category: American Idol (Page 47 of 56)

Last night, America made a statement. Our country crowned Taylor Hicks, a 29-year-old gray-haired dude from Birmingham, the fifth “American Idol.” America chose charisma over beauty, and rightfully chose a guy who deserved to win. While many of us are annoyed by the hideous “Soul Patrol” refrain, we still couldn’t help but be entertained by Mr. Hicks, and it’s going to be interesting to see his career develop. But the best part about Hicks winning is this: here is a guy that would never be able to get a record deal the conventional way. Record execs are cruel and stupid that way. They would take one look at his gray hair and wave him off before even listening to his soulful, unique voice. Hell, even Simon Cowell did that during the auditions, and it’s a good thing Randy and Paula sent him through to Hollywood back in January.

But last night’s result was perhaps overshadowed by a star-studded finale that included performances by Meat Loaf, Mary J. Blige and Prince. Since this is the final recap of the season, let’s go to the videotape, shall we?

The show opened with the current Idol, Carrie Underwood, performing Barry Manilow’s “Made It Through the Rain” along with Katharine and Taylor. They then flashed to Birmingham, where the O’Donohue twins (remember them from the auditions?) were hosting a big gathering in support of Taylor…..and down the street in Los Angeles, where former Idol contestant Tamira Gray was leading the Katharine fans.

Then Paris Bennett came out and performed “We’re In This Love Together” along with Al Jarreau, and Chris Daughtry then got to sing with his favorite band, Live. Both were super cool performances and fun to watch.

Then they broke to the first comedy segment, “Puck and Pickler,” where Wolfgang Puck schooled Kellie Pickler on the finer points of fine dining. Kellie was practically forced to try eating escargots, and spit it out ala Jerry Seinfeld spitting out the mutton that Elaine’s cousin Holly cooked. It was clever and a good use of Pickler’s talents…there is definitely a future in “Hee Haw” type comedy for her.

After that, the first big star of the night was introduced, as Meat Loaf came out to sing Celine Dion’s “All Coming Back to Me Now” with Katharine McPhee. The fact that it was a Celine song was disturbing enough, but not nearly as disturbing as the way Mr. Loaf was shaking when he started to sing. I know I didn’t order a big vanilla shake with my meat loaf last night.

Considering that the producers had to fill two grueling hours before announcing the winner, they then began the “Golden Idol” awards, where Ryan Seacrest outlined some of the worst performances from the audition phase of the past season. The first award was given to the craziest guy, and that was Dave Hoover…remember him? He was like an escaped mental patient. Anyway, Hoover was actually on hand to accept his award and promptly did a stage dive.

Then the guys (the final six male contestants) did a medley of songs like “Takin’ Care of Business” and “Don’t Stop Believin'”, after which Taylor and Katharine were both presented with brand new Mustang convertibles for being the two finalists. Damn!

The next Golden Idol award was for Proudest Family Moment, which went to Elliott Yamin’s mom. Then Elliott got to perform U2’s “One” along with Mary J. Blige. Blige is releasing the song on her new album, which goes to show that most things on “American Idol” last night were about exploitation.
That you know Bono would think himself far too cool to appear on the show.

Carrie Underwood sang her single, “Remember Me,” which was okay…but can someone tell me where the hell Bo Bice was? Then Taylor Hicks sang Elvis’ “In The Ghetto,” a song that probably helped him earn a ton of votes a few weeks back. But as he was singing, out came Toni Braxton to help him out…she looked amazing, but was singing in a kind of half-singing style…..if any of you saw it, you know what I mean….it was hard to describe and really strange. But who cares when she looks like that? Then Katharine and all the girls sang a medley of woman songs like “I Feel Like a Woman” and “Natural Woman.”

Then came one of the finest moments of the show this season. The Golden Idol award for the best impersonation went to this dude named Michael Sandecki, who during the auditions kind of thought he was Clay Aiken. Michael was on hand to accept the award (kudos to the producers of the show for recruiting all these crazy kids to return for the finale) and then Ryan asked him to perform Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” a song that Aiken performed on Season 2 en route to a runner-up finish. Michael started singing, and then the crowd went nuts as Aiken himself appeared on the stage. But the best part was that Michael was the last one to see him…..and when he did, Seacrest had to contain him to make sure he didn’t pass out before finishing the song with his idol.
You know, I think we’re going to look back on this as maybe one of the single greatest moments on television.

Then Burt Bacharach sat down at the piano and the top 12 contestants sang a medley of his songs. It’s pretty incredible how many hits that dude has churned out during his career. But of course, the producers had to fuck with poor Kevin Covais, by making him sing “What’s New Pussycat”…..those of you who have followed the show know that Kevin has sort of a lisp…..so I don’t need to tell you how that song turned out. Then Dionne Warwick came out for another medley, and even though she is aging, it was another pretty cool moment.

After that came the Golden Idol award for “Best Male Bonding,” which was given to the trio from the auditions that the show labeled as “Brokenote Mountain,” featuring that 16 year old kid from Wyoming who sings to his turkey. This was accented by the fact that they let these guys come out and perform live. Pretty funny shit.

Then after saying that the guest appearances were done, Ryan Seacrest was deemed a liar as Prince made an appearance and performed a couple of songs. Mrs. Vandalay questioned the significance of this, but really, Prince is a true American Idol.

After Katharine and Taylor performed “Time of My Life,” the results were made known. You could look at Katharine and just know that she knew what was coming. Hicks hooted, hollered and “soul patrolled” and then sang his horrible new single, “Do I Make You Proud?”

So that’s it.

It’s been a fun ride with all of you chronicling Season 5 of “American Idol” and look forward to doing it again. Till then,

Art Vandalay is OUT.

Last night the final two contestants on season 5 of “American Idol” performed for the final time before America lit up the phone lines to determine the winner. It was the “McPheever” of Katharine McPhee versus the “Soul Patrol” (sorry kittens) of Taylor Hicks.

And while you would figure both of them would leave it all out there on the Kodak Theater stage, there were moments when you weren’t sure if either one really wanted to win this thing. Here’s the Vandalay recap:

KATHARINE McPHEE

Katharine started off with KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” a song that she sang about a month ago which validated her status as a contender. Randy said it was fun and Simon said it was “Good with a small ‘g'”…..in other words, she didn’t dazzle like she should have on the final night of performances. Her second song was “Over the Rainbow,” a tune that earned her a spot in the finals last week, and it was once again very very good. Simon said it was even better than last week….but I don’t think it was. She finished with an original song, and her first single that will be released some time in the next few months, depending on if Katharine finishes first or second. The song, “My Destiny,” was absolutely awful. Randy Jackson even said he didn’t like the song, but that Katharine sang it okay. Simon said she went from brilliant to “quite good” in one song, and that’s being generous. I think the song sucked, and she butchered it, plain and simple. That said, Katharine has one thing going for her that’s going to earn her votes….she is undeniably hot.

TAYLOR HICKS

Taylor started off with Stevie Wonder’s “Living For the City,” and he absolutely nailed it, something that Randy Jackson said he was nervous about when he heard the song choice, based on the fact that Stevie is Stevie. Simon said it was a smart choice and great start for Taylor. Paula said something in her drunken stupor, and I think she dug it. Taylor’s second choice was Elton John’s “Levon,” and it was a bit boring and uninspired for some reason. Simon correctly said that Round 2 went to Katharine. Then Taylor sang his single, “Do I Make You Proud,” a better song than Katharine’s but still quite lame. However, the difference is that Taylor left it all out there like he really wanted to win. Simon declared that Taylor probably won based on that performance, and I’m going along with that since I’ve been touting Taylor as the favorite for the last month or so.

A side note on songwriting……look, I know that songwriting is kind of a lost art now that radio congolmerates have done their best to homogenize stations, songs, and advertising. But please…..those two songs that were performed by Katharine and Taylor were horrible. Both songs are likely the result of industry powerhouse songwriters sitting around in a room, putting formulas of hit songs into a computer, and spitting out a new song that sounds like, well, regurgitated crap. The songs had no feeling or emotion, so how then were Katharine or Taylor supposed to convey those things? Well, Taylor for the most part did, and that’s probably why he’s going to win.

But back to songwriting….you want a great song? Daniel Powter performed to close out the show…..his hit song, “Bad Day,” has been the anthem for contestants of “American Idol” getting voted off each week. Granted, the show has helped Powter become an overnight success, but here is a great song with a great melody with a hook and with feeling….and when he performed it, it made those other two songs look like the crap that they are.

Okay, so I had to get that rant out of the way. Now it’s on to business…..and likely crowing Taylor Hicks, the gray haired wonder from Birmingham, the next American Idol. See you tomorrow for the recap of tonight’s 2-hour finale.

Vandalay, OUT.

Look at those cute little faces…those adorable whiskers and furry little tails. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to them, would you? That would be a travesty.

And yet…you clearly don’t care what happens to them at all. If you did, you would have voted the Grey-Haired Kitty Murderer off of American Idol weeks ago, safely preventing him from publicly uttering the words that will send these adorably fuzzy little bundles of cuddliness careening to their fully avoidable deaths at the bottom of the Scioto River.

Now, so far the kittens have remained safe. Because of unavoidable schedule conflicts (and, in one case, a Kitty-Protecting Husband with a twitchy DVR-erase finger), I have not actually seen Taylor Cocker perform his reanimated-corpse-like dance moves and utter his inane mantra since I first voiced my kitty drowning threat.

But this is getting ridiculous. The Soul Patrol must be stopped. Taylor must not be permitted to continue dancing like a zombie from the “Thriller” video and repeating his idiotic catch phrase all over the airwaves for weeks and weeks to come. This Grey Goose needs to be cooked, and soon.

Taylor must not win American Idol. The lives of the kitties depend on it.

You don’t hate kitties, do you?

Okay, then. You know what to do.

The ratings are higher than ever. The water-cooler factor is more intense than ever. The contestants are more talented than ever. No wonder the anticipation is running so high for “American Idol Season 5 Encores,” the fifth compilation album of songs by the finalists from America’s No. 1 television series. The fifth season compilation CD will be released by 19 Recordings/RCA on May 23, the same day that the top two finalists will battle it out in the exciting season finale of Fox-TV’s “American Idol.”

“American Idol Season 5 Encores” will feature the top 12 finalists singing their best performances from this season. Rocker Chris Daughtry offers his take on Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Kellie Pickler contributes her special version of Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight.” And Taylor Hicks sings the classic, Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets.” Just 17 years old, Paris Bennett, granddaughter of gospel singer Ann Nesby, uniquely updates Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Also 16, Kevin Covais impresses with his interpretation of the Nat King Cole classic, “When I Fall in Love.” Katharine McPhee, lauded by the judges for her beauty and talent, sings Aretha Franklin’s “Think.” Elliott Yamin, excels on James Moody’s “Moody’s Mood for Love.” Dubbed “Man-Diva,” Mandisa is outstanding on a song that was a hit for Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston, “I’m Every Woman.” Heartthrob Ace Young does a turn on George Michael’s “Father Figure.” Known for his country pipes, Bucky Covington sings the Stevie Ray Vaughn with Double Trouble arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Teenager Lisa Tucker also turns to the Stevie Wonder songbook, with a perfect rendition of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” And Melissa McGhee sings a song the judges raved about, her version of Heart’s “What About Love.”

The first four “American Idol” compilations have sold a combined total of 2.4 Million copies. Counting all of the contestants who have released albums since the series debuted in 2002, the “American Idol” franchise has sold over 19 million albums and 4.5 million singles.

Last night’s “American Idol” results show was painfully a full hour long, before the climax of sending home Elliott Yamin. And in the end the thing that surprised us all was that the voting was so close. Mere percentage points separated Elliott from the second-place vote-getter…in fact, each contestant garnered 33 % of the vote but then the last per cent determined the outcome. Wow. Elliott really brought his A-game the last few weeks and made a serious run at becoming the next Idol, but was beaten out by the hugely popular Taylor Hicks and girl-next-door Katharine McPhee.

The show started with Ryan Seacrest telling us that on Tuesday night, 50 million people voted, another record. As annoying as Seacrest is, that number really is astounding and proof of just how popular this show has become. Then there was a recap of Tuesday’s performances, followed by footage of each contestant going back to their hometown last week to mingle with fans, meet with Governors, and be interviewed on radio and TV. Elliott even got to throw out the first pitch at a Richmond Braves game, and dude threw a strike!

After the footage, each contestant got to perform the song they recorded for the upcoming “American Idol 5” CD. Taylor did the Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets,” Katharine sang Aretha Franklin’s “Think” and Elliott did “Blue is the Mood For Love.” After watching them all perform, I concluded that Katharine’s version of “Think” was her best performance yet, even better than “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” from Tuesday night. Mrs. Vandalay even agreed, while muttering under her breath that Chris Daughtry still should be in the finals. Anyway, maybe it’s because there was no pressure, but holy shit…..Katharine can belt it out and in many ways really does deserve to be in the finals.

Then Clive Davis came out and accepted an award for his role in making the show what it is. When you look back, and realize that Kelly Clarkson alone has sold 10 million records and won two Grammys, and then at the success of Clay Aiken, Fantasia, and Carrie Underwood…..it’s clear that “American Idol” has had quite an impact on pop music since its inception in 2002. Fox Network, please make that check out to “Art V-A-N-D-A-L-A-Y.” But anyway…..

Seacrest showed the results a little differently this week….he put up on a big screen the final percentages of the votes: 33.68, 33.26, and 33.06. Then said “Let’s put a name to the lowest percentage,” and it was Elliott. That wasn’t a surprise, but the closeness of the voting sure was.

So next week, the gray-haired wonder slugs it out with the California girl for the right to be named the next American Idol. I’m still banking on Taylor, but then again, I thought Bo Bice should have won last season. Hang on, it’s sure to be an exciting (read: painfully long) two episodes next week.
Till then,

Vandalay, OUT.