The World of Scott Mindeaux

American Idol 9 – Top 10 Results

Am I surprised to tonight’s turnout??

No.

Last night I pretty much went to bed and said to myself “You know…that Tim Urban and that Didi Benami are going to be in the bottom two on Wednesday…”

Here’s what I wrote earlier in the day to some of my Idol compadres at the office…

Did anyone really watch last night? Have we all just gotten fed up with how these last few seasons have been turning out?

I reluctantly watched last night and was not amazed. There were only 3 performances that caught my ear at that was of Michael Lynche, Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox.

I think we all need to just find something else to do on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the next few weeks until we get to the Top 5 where Casey James and Siobhan Magnus will join Michael, Crystal and Lee for the REAL competition. Now I have to say that Siobahan’s performance last night was a bit off and that we need to excuse this performance.

The two that will end up in the bottom two in my opinion will be Tim Urban for his flat performance (aren’t they always) and Didi…

And here we are on Wednesday night after that Diddy performance…Didi and Tim standing up on stage. Tim looks strangely relaxed while Didi looks a bit nervous.

Turns out that Didi had the lowest votes and she sang Rhiannon while the judges deliberated on whether they would use the SAVE this week. Allowing for the fact that she was down in the gutter, her performance of Rhiannon was pitchey.

We go into overtime and the judges say no to a save…

Didi Benami leaves us and we are down to 9…

American Idol 9 – Top 11

Ok…no long explanation for tonight’s Top 11. Tonight’s mentor was the one and only Miley Cyrus. This week our contestants had to choose from a selection of hits that hit Number 1 on the Billboard Song Charts.

CLEARLY, probably the worst performance EVER in the history of American Idol once the Top 12 had been determined.

Paige Miles chose to sing Phil Collin’s Against All Odds. OMG, I was in the other room with the TV turned up and I had to go back and lower the volume. It was so horrendous!

As much as I hate to do this….you can watch the performance below:

Of course my favorites did well: Siobhan Magnus sang Superstition, Crystal Bowersox performed Me and Bobby McGee; Lee Dewyze performed an ok, yet slightly weak version of The Letter and Michael Lynche had a safe performance of When a Man Loves a Woman.

My surprise was a good solid performance by Casey James in that 80′s rock song Power of Love. Brought me right back to Back To The Future!

So basically here’s what will happen on Thursday. Paige is finally going home.

American Idol 9 – The Top 12

Here we go America. THIS is your Top 12. Who will WOW us tonight and who will make us yawn?

10 more weeks of Idol…can you handle it?? In a previous posting I said, let’s just skip to the Top 4.

Tonight we have the music of the Rolling Stones. Each of the 12 contestants has to choose a song performed or written by the Rolling Stones.
Ready? Let’s go. First up is Michael Lynche.

Michael Lynche
Miss You

Can you deliver after that AWESOME performance last week. It’s a bigger stage and WAY more people in the audience. So far, what a nice way to start the night. Lots of energy up there Michael. Nice way to work the crowd. I think the crowd clapping gets distracting – don’tcha think? Solid performance. Technically, and showmanshipwise it was awesome. Congrats on making it to the Top 12! Score: 9

Didi Benami
Play with Fire

Dark and mysterious. I don’t know how to feel about this performance. I mean, it sounds good. You’re hitting the notes and there does seem to be some intensity in your voice. Your last note had a hiccup, but overall I think it was ok. Nothing special. Score: 7++

Casey James
It’s All Over Now

Hmmm….a little Country twang eh Casey?? You look hot up there and you look like you’re having a great time. But you know what? I wish you would move around a bit, you’re tethered to that microphone. It’s a huge stage…take advantage of it. I guess you can’t move too much with the Amp there, but it would have been nice to see you dance and move around dude. Own the stage. So the vocals, sounded good to me. It was OK. Score: 7+

Lacey Brown
Ruby Tuesday

What is this song? Oh…its Ruby Tuesday. Weird, weird arrangement Lacey. For me its a bit too weird. I keep wanting your vocal range to be just a tid lower on the register. But I guess this is your comfort range – mousey. Not a favorite for sure. Score: 5++

Andrew Garcia
Gimme Shelter

Sounds like one of those 70′s anti-war protest songs! I’m falling asleep. I’m not a fan Andrew sorry. If this song is about war, you need to be more forceful. Mick Jagger would be showing anger and he’d be all over that stage. Watching you on stage you stood in one place the whole time. The vocals were mediocre and didn’t blow me away. Eh. I was hoping you weren’t here this week. Oh well. Score: 6-

Katie Stevens
Wild Horses

That sounded very uncertain. Have some conviction eh? Well, it started off bad for me, but by the time you got to the chorus it was actually ok. Not spectacular, but give it some training and you really have the potential for something great. You know how to look the part and you know how to work the camera. Overall I think it was a good song choice for you this week, but was it enough to stay? Score: 7

Tim Urban
Under My Thumb

Really? This is why you moved on to the Top 12? Last week’s Hallelujah was great, but this week’s Under My Thumb should be under a rock. I don’t think reggaefying (I know…that wasn’t a word) the song was the right thing to do. Your vocals just aren’t polished enough. It’s like the football jock that just realized he could sing, but obviously needs lots of coaching. Do you have potential, sure, but not tonight. Score: 4++

Siobhan Magnus
Paint It Black

Yay Siobhan!! Blow me away! Nice control, nice beginning – soft and mysterious. Then the beat picks up and so do you! Thanks for making it real yet again. Great performance. WOW!! That note! OMG!! That note! Fucking amazing. Nice way to end the piece Siobhan!!! EXCELLENT!! Geek chic with those glasses Siobhan! Score: 9

Lee Dewyze
Beasts of Burden

Hey Lee! Sup?? Oooh…I bit pitchey there in the beginning. Somehow I imagined that you would be fully rockin’ it out with it being Rolling Stones, yet you decided to take a lighter approach. Why? You could have had a great time tonight. I’m a little bummed dude. For the second time tonight another person tethered to your microphone. You know I’m a fan right? I love your voice, but honestly I was a little bored. Score: 7+++

Paige Miles
Honky Tonk Women

So, it was reported earlier today that you have laryngitis. I’m sorry. But you shouldn’t have made it to the Top 12. I know I’m being mean, but I’m very upset at this years Top 12. That performance last week was atrocious and you know it.  Wow…well for someone with laryngitis, you sure are bolting it out of the park. Is this the Paige from earlier in the competition? Ok….well I will admit you sound ok. Thank you for engaging the audience. The vocals are actually not that bad. It sounds ok. Compared to your comadre Tim Urban he still did worse than you tonight. Score: 7-

Aaron Kelly
Angie

Ok Aaron. Nice hair this week. A little makeover eh?  I don’t know this song. You sound a bit hesitant there. Whoa, for the first time you’re holding that mic with conviction, not with your pinky under it. Damn…you moved your pinky back to the underside. That bothers me. Hahaha. So back to the song. I thin kit was a good idea that you chose a ballad. I ijust don’t see you rockin it out on that stage. Good song choice. The vocals were ok…I think you still need some confidence. Score: 7

Crystal Bowersox
You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Oh a Glee favorite! Bring it home Crystal. You’re the last performance of the night, make us forget about Tim Urban’s horrible song under his thumb. Nice arrangement of the song. I want to speed it up and dance, but that’s not what you’re looking for. The horns join in and now were moving a bit. Hands are in the air in the audience and you look so happy to be up there tonight. Nice. Nice way to end the night. Another great performance Crystal – you have yet to disappoint. Congrats! Score: 9

So there you have it everyone. That was our Top 12. So who didn’t do well tonight? Well, I think you and I agree it was Tim Urban. Were there any other upsets tonight? I wasn’t too big a fan of Lacey’s Ruby Tuesday. So who will it be. Tune in tomorrow night as we reveal who is going home. Will we see a performance by the Rolling Stones tomorrow? Probably not.

Have a good night everyone!

American Idol 9 – Are you Ready?

So tonight is the Top 12. Are you happy with how the votes turned out last week? I certainly am not. I’m really upset that Paige has managed to stay. I liked Andrew during Hollywood week, but since then I have been quite bored with him quite honestly. Adam Lambert certainly should have been moved into the Top 12.

There is a part of me that wants to just crawl into bed tonight (I’m still sick) but I will proabably watch the show and see what these 12 do tonight. They are on a much bigger stage tonight and the audience gets huge, so if this group of kids doesn’t have their nerves in check they are going to freak out.

Will Paige’s inability to sing come through again tonight? Will Andrew bore us to death or will Tim Urban’s inexperience come forward again?

This is in America. You chose em, now let’s be bored for three weeks as we wait for these three to go home and wait for the REAL part of the competition to start.

How about we just skip to the Top 4? Lee Dewyze, Siobhan Magnus, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche

American Idol 9 – The Top 12 Revealed

It’s really late. I’m cranky and very, very tired. I had a bad day and it just got worse…

Here are my thoughts about our new Top 12…

So between Paige and Katelyn…..

They both didn’t do well….but Paige got to stay after that awful performance??? Really? I really didn’t enjoy much of Paige’s music choices these last few weeks. Yes, Katelyn wasn’t much better, but after that awful performance by Paige this past Tuesday, Paige should have gone home.

Then we get to the first set of boys.

So we’re down to Lee and Todrick. Does America really think that Lee was going home?!?!? Give me a break! I think if you’re going to pair people up like that, make it the bottom 2 in that group….it was WAY obvious that Todrick was going home compared to Lee. Come on….

So we’re down to Andrew and Alex.

For the last few weeks I have been utterly bored with Andrew. Alex on the other hand was raw and new, but wow, so much potential. Alex should have been given that chance, arguably I have enjoyed Alex’s performances these last few weeks over Andrew’s. Ugh! Pissing me off.

So America we are down to Lily and Katie.

Really? Again….does America think that Lily is really going home? Please. Katie, your time was up. Time to bow out and let Lily take the stage with the other 11 contestants to round out the Top 12. WHAT?!?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS??? This is really fracked up. Lily is going home?!? I don’t understand…

I don’t get it. Is this the Top 12 we wanted??

CONGRATS TO: Crystal Bowersox, Paige Miles, Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens, Michael Lynche, Aaron Kelly, Casey James, Andrew Garcia, Tim Urban and Lee Dewyze.

Filed under: American Idol

American Idol 9 – Top 16, The Guys

One more night. 8 guys. 8 performances. We find out after tonight, who will move forward to the Top 12.

Are you ready?

THIS is American Idol!

Lee Dewyze
Fireflies

Lee, you know I’m a fan. This song felt a bit safe for you. It’s a fun little tune and you sing it well, but I think you’re strategically planting an easy song at this point just enough to ensure your Top 12 placement. If this is the case, you better bring it next week. No more safe songs….pull out all the punches!

Alex Lambert
Trouble

The first time I heard this song it was also on an Idol stage and Taylor Hicks sang that song. You start off a bit shakey but then you get into it. You pronounced Trouble in a unique way. The song seems a bit rushed don’t you think? I think you could have afforded to slow it down a bit. Your voice is so special and unique. So what’s missing here. You sing it like an Old Navy mannequin. Connection, connection. Make a connection to your song.

Tim Urban
Hallelujah

This is one of my most favorite songs and arrangements ever. You really surprised me tonight. Tonight was the first time that I got a sense that you really want this. Tonight you, for the first time, made me want to listen to more. Not the greatest vocal, but it was good Tim. This will ensure your move to the Top 12.

Andrew Garcia
Genie in a Bottle

Hmmmm…when I first heard you were doing Christina Aguilera I was a little suspicious. What were you going to do to that song? Well I’m not loving it really. It’s kinda hokey and seems a bit contrived. I think you are really reaching at this point. I want you to stay, but the last few weeks have been a bit sketchy. It wasn’t my favorite.

Casey James
You’ll Think of Me

Nice job Casey. This song is definitely something that is in your comfort zone. It was almost flawless in your performance. You were relaxed, you connected with the song and you touched your audience. Was it anything like Crystal Bowersox’s performance last night, no. But, it is enough to move you to the Top 12. You’ll be on the tour this summer and guaranteed some of the spotlight. Enjoy the ride Casey.

Aaron Kelly
I’m Already There

Interesting song choice. Are you make a statement. The beginning was a bit unsure and shakey. It got a bit better as we moved along, but there was something a bit insecure and immature about your performance. I can’t put my finger on it. It got stronger as we got to the end of the song, but it could be enough to push you out. Many have compared you to Archuleta. At this point of the competition however, David Archuleta was way ahead of you in performance factor. I’d be careful tomorrow night. You might be surprised.

Todrick Hall
Somebody to Love

What is that? You start off all high and then BAM, you start singing a whole register lower. That was so awkward. This is another song that was sung on this stage. Compared to the other Idol performance of this song, yours doesn’t come close. I’m not liking this. I have said several weeks ago that you should have been voted off already. Why you are still here amazes me for sure. Will enough “somebodies” vote for you to stay in? Was your performance enough to propel you to Top 12 stardom? In this reader’s ear, the answer is no. Sorry.

Michael Lynche
This Woman’s Work

I’m sitting here, quite speechless. I really have water in my eyes. I can’t believe what I hearing. What is this? WHO is this? Clearly, THE, BEST, SONG AND PERFORMANCE SO FAR THIS SEASON. Hands down. No one comes CLOSE to this performance. I’m still in shock, still moved, still amazed. I don’t know what to say…

WOW. You have to watch this again…really.

http://www.Rickey.org @ Yahoo! Video

Thanks to Rickey.org for the video.

Well there you have it. After tonight’s performance is it clear who is going to the Top 12? For me, most definitely it will be:

Michael, Lee, Casey, Alex and Tim. Todrick will go home. It’s between Andrew and Aaron on who will take the 6th spot in the Top 12. Do you think Aaron will get the votes or will it be Andrew. My bet, is that Aaron will stay and Andrew will go home.

Stay tuned…