Category: American Idol (Page 48 of 56)

Three contestants left, only four episodes remaining of one of the most popular reality TV shows, and thankfully, only one more week of Ryan Seacrest….that is, until he pops up somewhere else. I’m guessing the folks at “Wheel of Fortune” are waiting for Pat Sajak to retire already so they can stick someone like Seacrest in his place.

Anyway, last night the final three performed, and each did three songs chosen by different people. Legendary music industry executive Clive Davis was on hand and chose the first song for each of them. Then each judge chose one song for one designated Idol. Finally, they each were able to choose their own song. So how did it shake out? Let’s go to the Vandalay Videotape……

Elliott Yamin

I’ve been writing this blog for four months and I still don’t know for sure if Elliott’s name has one “t” or two. Do I care? No. If I did, I’d probably be wearing a suit and telling people what to write in this blog instead of writing it myself. But anyway…

Elliott started out with Journey’s “Open Arms,” the Clive Davis choice….it was a pretty good selection but Elliott seemed to try a little too hard. Simon even suggested that Elliott needs to loosen up a bit. Paula Abdul got to pick Elliott’s second song, which was Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love”…and what I thought was the perfect song for Elliott. Randy said it was sharp in spots, but Simon declared it as “really good.” His last selection was “I Believe in My Soul,” the old Ray Charles song that was re-cut by one of Elliott’s heroes, Donny Hathaway. Randy said it wasn’t perfect but that there is not doubt Elliott can sing well. Simon said it was good but predicted that this would be the end of the competition for Elliott.

Katharine McPhee

Katharine started out with Clive Davis’ choice, R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” For some reason it seemed a bit disjointed but we all know Katharine can sing her ass off. Randy even said it wasn’t quite right and Simon made mention that he’s still waiting for Katharine to create a special moment on the show. Paula Abdul was once again drunk. Katharine’s second song was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which Simon Cowell chose for her. Simon wanted his moment, and Katharine delivered it. Holy crap, was that awesome. Randy and Simon both said it was the best vocal so far of the entire competition….that’s a stretch, but it was damn good. Katharine finished with Ella Fitzgerald’s “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But the Blues” and while it was a bit of a reach, she pulled it off okay. Look for Katharine to make it to the final based solely on her second performance last night.

Taylor Hicks

Taylor started out with Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” and you could almost see the expression on his face toward Clive Davis, saying “Come on, old man, that’s the best you could do?” Instead he did the right think and respectfully thanked him, then went out and did the song and Davis proud. He had a lot of fun, as always, and even dragged Paula up to dance ala Springsteen and Courtney Cox in the video. Did I mention Paula was drunk? Randy Jackson chose Taylor’s second song, Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful,” and it was the perfect song for him. Simon said it was his best performance yet. He closed with “Try a Little Tenderness”…..which Paula said was incredible and to which Simon declared, “See you next week.”

So there you have it….it appears, at least on paper, that Elliott Yamin will finally be exiting “American Idol” after hanging in there for so long. But we’ve all been wrong before, so you really never know. Let’s remember that we all thought Chris Daughtry would surely be in the finals and got booted off last week. Mrs. Vandalay kept reminding me of that during the show, just in case I had forgotten.

I still think Taylor Hicks is going to be the next American Idol, but if he doesn’t stop that “Soul Patrol” thing, I’m going to drive Buffybot to the river to drown those kittens. Dude, is someone pulling a string every time you finish a song? “Soul Patrol, Soul Patrol, Soul Patrol!” Okay, we GET it.

See you all tomorrow, and till then,

Vandalay, OUT.

Rumors are swirling that callers who intended to vote for Chris Daughtry this week received a personal thank you…from Katharine McPhee. While I’m the first to admit to having a conspiratorial, paranoid mind, I also think that there’s something to this one.

Here’s the way I see it: the producers of “AI” were facing the possibility of three white males in the finals, as McPhee had begun to falter week after week. Knowing that having three males in the finals would bring claims from numerous groups that they’re chauvanist white devils, not to mention the possibility of low ratings as a result of the finals being a landslide, the producers took the show’s best candidate for Idol winner and threw him under the bus. According to my wife Buffybot, they’re doing something similar in “The Amazing Race.” Whenever the hippies finished last — which has happened twice — it just so happened to be a non-elimination round. They are now one of the final three teams. The hippies are supposedly great television. Their survival cannot be a coincidence.

But here’s the part the “AI” people didn’t consider: if Taylor Hicks wins — and for God knows what reason, he is now the odds-on favorite — it will kill the show, because they will lose any and all credibility they may have had. The only way the show survives at this point is if Elliott goes the distance. Still, even if does win it all, he’ll be the Ruben to Chris’ Clay.

Really, Mr. Fuller. Would it have been so bad for three dudes to be in the finals?

I don’t think any of us saw this coming. Not me, not Mrs. Vandalay, and not any of the judges on “American Idol.” Chris Daughtry, the resident rocker on the show, was sent home last night after two really good performances on Tuesday night.

It just goes to show a few things…..America is in love with Taylor Hicks and he’s still the favorite to win…..Katharine’s hotness saved her because her singing sure didn’t…..and Elliott came to bat twice on Tuesday night and twice hit the ball way out of the park. (Did Barry Bonds loan Elliott some of “the clear” this week?)

Seriously though, I think everyone was sure it would be Elliott before Tuesday, then everyone had to shift that thinking to Katharine, because she just didn’t bring it on Tuesday.

Before they got to the results, they had to, as usual, fill up like 25 minutes. So they showed more of the Idols at Graceland with Priscilla and with Lisa Marie. Yesterday I commented on the grape-by-way-of-raisin face on Priscilla…but yesterday noticed the outfit and her bulging belly coming through it. What was that exactly? Beer? A baby? Or is she hiding Elvis in there? Either way, it was a little disturbing.

Then the top two were announced, Taylor and Elliott…..and Katharine and Chris were the bottom two.
But for some reason, you had to believe it would be Katharine, and it was a bit shocking when Ryan Seacrest sent Chris home. I think even Chris was in shock, and he should be……he had to know he blew Katharine off the stage on Tuesday. But oh well….the bottom line is that some label is going to sign Chris anyway, probably in the next 10 days if they are able to.

So your remaining 3 are Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin and Katharine McPhee…….wow, it’s hard to believe that Mandisa and Chris didn’t make it this far, but great voices aren’t everything….sometimes it’s looks, and sometimes it’s how you perform on any given night or nights.

We’re almost there folks…..from thousands of hopefuls down to just three. And one of them will be crowned the fifth American Idol in a couple of weeks. Who will it be? The way things are going, you just never know….so see you all next week.

Vandalay, OUT

Last night, the final four on “American Idol” performed after spending some time in Memphis at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. They got to hang with Priscilla, Lisa Marie and record exec/producer Tommy Mottola. What a cool experience that had to be.

A side note to those of you who witnessed Priscilla greeting the Idols……do people not know how to age gracefully anymore? To you plastic surgeons out there….I know you need to make a living, especially with Hollywood types, but stop making everyone look like Michael Jackson, and especially stop trying to make raisins look like grapes.

But I digress.

There are only 2 weeks to go until the final two contestants square off so the competition is really heating up. That means there is way less room for error. Who impressed and who less-than-impressed? Let’s find out….

TAYLOR HICKS

Taylor started off with “Jailhouse Rock,” seemingly the perfect song for his goofy personality. His vocal was great, but his dancing or lame attempt thereof was his downfall on this song. The problem with Hicks when he does this is that it’s all schtick. Simon said it was a “terrible impersonation” of Elvis, and it was. (Simon also told Paula to shut up when she interrupted him, and that’s always entertaining). Then Hicks came back with “In the Ghetto,” and it was one of his better performances of the whole competition. Simon said it was the perfect song for him and I agree. However, when he said “Soul Patrol” three times I mourned for the three kittens Buffybot was surely going to drown.

CHRIS DAUGHTRY

Chris had two strong showings last night, with “Suspicious Minds” and “A Little Less Conversation.” Paula said “see you in the finals” after the first song and on the second song Chris started off slow but wailed at the end. Tommy Mottola mentioned that Chris had a great, pure voice that is going to sound amazing on record…..and the way he’s going, there’s no doubt a major label is going to sign him whether he wins this thing or not.

ELLIOT YAMIN

Elliot started off with “If I Could Dream,” a lesser know Elvis song and with him being the underdog this week, a big risk. But he received a huge ovation from the studio audience and from the judges. Simon declared it the best vocal of the night so far, and it really was. Later, Elliot sang “Trouble” and it was even better than his first effort. This dude somehow has shocked America and is peaking at the right time…..don’t be surprised if he makes it to the final two after those performances.

KATHARINE MCPHEE

Katharine started off with a “Hound Dog/All Shook Up” medley of sorts. She messed up some lyrics and looked a bit out of synch with her dance moves. Simon said it was like a “desperate audition”…indeed, she looked like a deer in the headlights. Later, she toned things down with a ballad, “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” It wasn’t bad, but when you look at the rest of the field and what they did last night, Katharine was the worst of the bunch.

So while I’m still pimping Taylor Hicks to go all the way, I’m thinking Elliot’s performance last night puts him just ahead of Chris into second place. That means that yes, Katharine McPhee should be going home tonight. Then again, she’s a lot easier on the eyes (at least to me and most of the male population) than any of those guys so she’ll get votes for that. Also, all of these final four are worthy of the grand prize so nothing would really surprise me at this point. That’s what makes this season so interesting…..that, and the fact we could have a final 3 of all guys for the first time ever.

See you all tomorrow for the results, and until then….

VANDALAY, OUT

Yes, it was time for Paris Bennett to leave “American Idol.” Not that I didn’t call her being one of the top finishers way back in January or anything (I can feel you all patting me on the back, thanks)….but it was definitely time. You could start to see her inexperience shine through a bit, just as it did with Lisa Tucker, though Paris lasted a little longer. Paris is amazing and will always be a Vandalay favorite, but unfortunately, someone has to go home each week.

So the results show last night did not feature a performance by a Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Kenny Rogers, or anyone like that. Instead, the remaining contestants did a group song called “We Are One.”
And a horrible song it was. I mean, it was recycled, sappy, and boring movie soundtrack material…like a Diane Warren song, but minus the hook.

They talked about next week, because the final four were going to be whisked off in a private jet right after the show to Memphis to work with Tommy Mottola at Graceland. If anything, they’ve got to be excited about a free trip to the home of Elvis. Idols, if you are reading this at all, make sure you try the ribs at Rendezvous in downtown Memphis. Mandisa might even make the 3-hour drive from Nashville to meet you there.

Anyway, after telling Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry that they were safe, Ryan let Paris know she was one of the bottom 2, and then had her sing Prince’s “Kiss” again. I have to say, she sounded better last night than she did on Tuesday. Plus, we got to see her have a microphone malfunction and have Seacrest following her around like a puppy. Now THAT’s good TV and good use of a lame host.

That left Elliott and Katharine, and Elliott learned he was in the bottom 2 with Paris, so had to go and sing again as well. Then we found out, almost anti-climactically, that Paris was the one going home.

So that leaves a final four this season of Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, and Elliot Yamin. That’s a solid group of singers right there….but as we’ve seen, all four have their faults and the next few weeks are going to be interesting. I’m still putting my money on Mr. Hicks, but everyone should bring their “A” game next week, especially after being inspired by the ghost of Elvis.

Vandalay, OUT.