Lee was pretty strong, though his voice is still very inconsistent and pitchy to me. He improved the song though (I HATE Fireflies), and knows his “wheelehouse” – so that should suit him well.

I hate Fireflies too, but did like his version better. Thought I think he could have done a bit more with it. He is overall one of my favorites this year. I like his voice but agree he’s been inconsistant on the show.

I don’t really like the songs he is chosing but I know they are somewhat limited in what they can do. Especially since he
is going for the more recent songs, and the songs he’s done are pretty much alternative music. And I do like alternative music, just not those songs.

But..

1) makes for zzzzzzzz tv

2) I find it distracting. The camera was cutting back and forth between singer and instrument & doing a split screens. Its annoying and causes me not to focus on the voice, which is what will ultimately be sold, the voice. Thats what we hear on the radio.

Can we have a “no guitar” theme week? Please?

I don’t get these pleas at all. I thought it’s been established that to have a shot at success post-Idol, these kids have to show clearly and convincinly who they are as artists. If these kids are guitar-strumming acoustic coffee house types (which . . . zzzz) and that’s how they would usually perform, what’s the point of forcing them to perform in a way that wouldn’t represent who they are as performers post-Idol? I mean, sure, it would be good to see them set the guitar aside every once in a while just to see how well they do without it, but why force them to do it? If you don’t like that style, then don’t vote for them. Right?

Interestingly, has Simon told any contestants yet that they’d be lost without their guitars like he did to Cook during Hollywood week?

-elizabeth (myrealitybit)

I am in a state of flux. I’m pretty sure I have been let down week after week since Hollywood Week, but I’m also pretty sure Randy has already given a contestant a standing “O” this season(!?). And I’m sorry, was it my imagination, or did Kara DioGuardi actually cry last night?

Lol – yeah, I’ve shouted WTF more times than I can remember at the judges this year, in terms of hearing them gush over a performance (or vocals) that I thought were mediocre at best. I really think much of it has to do with the judges needing to drum up SOME kind of enthusiasm for some otherwise lackluster talent. If they attacked everyone, it wouldn’t win over any viewers, and it would make the judges look bad for putting all of these people through.

My bets to go home tonight are Aaron & Todrick. Although, if it were up to me, I’d send Alex home instead.

Big Mike has developed a following amongst my children as well. Plus, he went to high school in St. Pete, so he’s our local boy here.

Why didn’t I feel the same? Alas, I will have to chalk these non-sensical waterworks up to stray dust bunnies from Simon’s shirt (Lord knows she was nudged up close enough to it.) (It’s getting old Kara! Real old. And judging by the looks on Ellen’s face, I’m pretty sure she concurs). Even though Big Mike Lynch did have the best performance of the night, for me, it still lacked that magic I’m so desperately craving.

http://www.myrealitybit.com/
(American Idol recaps)

I don’t think the lyrics are really any worse coming from a guy than coming from a woman — rubbing is relevant for both genders.

It didn’t work for me for two reasons – (1) Andrew, while I’m sure a wonderful husband and father, is not exactly sexy and I don’t want him asking me to rub him; and (2) it sounded like he was begging for a certain type of sexual favor. I was so squicked out by all that that I didn’t even really hear him sing.

I was sad that Lee left out the lyrics about getting hugs from lightning bugs. If you’re going to sing Owl City with a wallet chain, you need to own it.

Ya think? LOL And none of the judges touched on that. The arrangement was actually pretty decent, especially at the end. But did he not realize he was singing about being rubbed the right way?

Well, yeah, but I don’t think the lyrics are really any worse coming from a guy than coming from a woman — rubbing is relevant for both genders. So seems to me that, to object, they would simply have had to object to the song itself, which would have meant objecting to Christina, and so on, which of course they weren’t going to do …

I remember Tara Lipinski skating to that song — You want icky? That was it. She was probably 18 or so at the time, but she looked 10 — so I, at least, really didn’t want people thinking about rubbing her the right way.

I’m surprised so many people think that Andrew is in danger. I still think he’ll ride “Straight Up” into the Top 8 at least.

I think he might ride it into the top 12, but at that point I expect most voters won’t even remember the semifinals and many won’t even have watched them. I think he’s coming to the end of that pony ride.

I get so disappointed by him *every* week that I have to think I’m not the only person who’s having that response — three weeks is a lot of disappointment to soldier through and keep on voting for the guy, seems to me. At this point, the memory of his one good song is actually turning into a count *against* him, to me. Causes more frustration than I feel with some of the others that I’ve never heard be great even once — unfair, I know.

koshka:
03/11/2010 at 12:43 pm
Some of these guys are over thinking the show. Todrick, IMO, has a really good voice, but he seems to be trying to ‘game’ the show. He needs more experience singing in bars and such, rather than on the big stage. I also finally understand Simon’s concern about brining in someone with musical theater experience. He hasn’t adapted very quickly at all. He also looks like he is going to burst out of his skin and needs to take a breath. His movement on stage are sort of frantic.

Andrew.. well I don’t even think I have anything new to add here.

Tim.. if he was a girl he would be in line with pageant Katie.

I agree about the over-thinking – I think that is essentially the rut that Andrew is in now, and Katie too. Andrew has a lot of musicality and experience, but I think he is getting off track by trying to please everyone and in the end pleasing no one (choosing Genie was like trying too desparately to recapture Straight Up, imo).

The thought about the musical theater – you may have a point. Something definitely isn’t completely clicking with Todrick. I feel he has a lot of talent, a lot of charisma, but he also seems to be trying too hard to please everyone, to throw in every trick, without making it all come together into a cohesive musical whole.

As a result, I feel he’ll get a performance like last night 85% right, but 15% off the mark, and that 15% is just enough to be kind of obvious. IDK. And I think in Adam’s case, with the musical theater experience, the fact that he had done so much NON musical theater work, with bands, etc. made it easier for him to shake off the PURELY musical theater vibe.

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is a marvelous song and has been covered by Jeff Buckely, John Cale, Bono and many others.
Tim’s version was so white bread and emtionless as to make the song a nothing. Jason Castro did not do a classic version but it was MILES above Tim’s. The judges then praised him for not screwing up as badly as before….really, MJ is right it was like grading on a curve.

Wow! Someone that I completely agree with on Tim! His performance was allright but nothing to rave about as the judges did. It was an improvement vs. his prior performances, absolutely, but I think all four just went over the top about it. Although I love Ellen, but WTF? Getting up from her chair and proceeding to hug Tim because she felt that his rendition was superb? Not. I personally prefer Jason Castro’s version. He was great.

Either way, Gimme Shelter sounds like a girl would do it, but that was only at a very short listen.

Not sure about its sounding like a girls’ song, but the Clark Brothers (now Sons of Sylvia) did a good job of it with one of those two-minute renditions in the top 6 of Great American Band … They could do some instrumentation, though, of course.

Shows that you can change things up even if you’re a Christian bluegrass-y group who tries to make all songs a bit positive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66IWO8PJU24&feature=related