American Idol Season 8 – Phoenix Auditions – Recap

I spotted Von Lee Smith already.

A Daily AntheM! :clap_tb: :clap_tb:

Um, yeah, that is all. For now.

Or maybe not….

A Daily AntheM, ADAM….

Adam Lambert, TCO? Is that crazily knollish enough for you? Dum dum dum! (Kidding…mostly.)

I missed A Daily AntheM!
MJ, can you put it up after the show, please?

Nevermind!

I loved the David Cook clips and A Daily AntheM. So glad to see him.

In light of that… intro to the season, I think the article linked on the front page of AOL is appropriate tonight: David [Archuleta]‘s Life Without Idol: Admits why he’s glad to be done with the show for good.

I missed A Daily AntheM!
MJ, can you put it up after the show, please?

Oh yes please!!!!

David [Archuleta]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Life Without Idol: Admits why heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s glad to be done with the show for good.

Well that’s good. I’m glad Cook isn’t though, because the promo on idol is great in my opinion. Nothing like having millions of people reminded on TV about your album and hearing your songs. Can’t get better than that!!!!!

Between that montage set to What a Wonderful World then DC’s little montage set to ADAM..well damn if I didn’t tear up a bit.

I wasn’t going to watch but I’m now going to because of Cookie and ADAm! Which will be 10 hours from now…so I will be so grateful for a video, mj :happy_tb:

Well thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s good. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m glad Cook isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t though, because the promo on idol is great in my opinion. Nothing like having millions of people reminded on TV about your album and hearing your songs. Canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get better than that!!!!!

That’s not what I meant–and my statement wasn’t a fanwar thing. Nothing to do with Cook. Yay Cook for his promo.

I missed A Daily AntheM!

Umm, Is it cool to link to online videos of the show?
If so, there’s already a video of that part of the ep…
Jump to 6:41.
MJ, please delete if there’s a problem with posting such links.

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not what I meantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’and my statement wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a fanwar thing. Nothing to do with Cook. Yay Cook for his promo.

I agree soundscene and yes….Yay for Cook’s promo!

A couple of those making it make me wonder why our own Sarah didn’t?

Someone should smack bikini girl upside the head.

So far, I’ve liked Put the Records On/”Adopt a Grandparent” girl best. not sure what to think of Barracuda girl—weird choice of a song to sing acapella.

Liked the DC/ADAM montage. Liked the past season montage. Did not like that they felt the need to lard in bits from past bad auditions. Aren’t there enough bad auditions this year?

The ones I’ve liked best so far are Emily, Stevie, and JB. I like Kara a lot. It freshens up the judges. Hated that the bikini girl got put through. She reminds me of that one from season 6 who had the internet pics that came out. Can’t remember her name but she was equally pretty and also equally a mediocre singer.

I’m liking Kara right now..she’s got a good voice too.
The ones I’ve liked so far are Stevie and JB..

I like emily(is that the first 16 yr old?) and stevie. I can’t wait for next week!!!

Yeah, I liked Stevie, too.

I hope that Bon Jovi got extra royalties for this week’s episode, because he had two different songs murdered.

MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL
MJ CHECK YOUR EMAIL. HELLA IMPORTANT. LOVE YOU LOL

Well for me, at least in Phoenix, the girls did better than the guys. I liked Stevie and Brianna the best probably. The 16 year old was good but maybe a bit ummm wholesome (or young and unseasoned) for my taste. Time will tell. It’s much too soon anyhow for me to care about any of them.

I’m ecstatic about the Cookie love, but then why wouldn’t there be? He IS the American Idol.

I really liked Alex Thugman. He was great. Screw Simon.

Looks like Scott MacIntyre didn’t make it because his songs/CDs are still up.

Also, igrecman on Dailymotion uploads whole episodes of American Idol while the show plays, for those who are interested. The first few parts of the show are already up.
http://www.dailymotion.com/igrecman

Great montage for DC in the beginning. Yay! for choosing A Daily Anthem from the album as the backing music. FolkFan, did you catch that they used the Day Tripper guitar in the air shot that Simon hated AGAIN?

So far I like Stevie, Alex, and Scott. Alex was very nervous, but I think he’s smart too. I’ll be interested to see if he can overcome his nerves in Hollywood. Simon was clearly drooling over Scott. I was glad that he could actually sing, besides having an interesting back story. He had the most mature sounding voice of the guys.

Seacrest trying to high five Scott at the end had me in stitches. Awkward! I hated the bikini girl. I liked Emily the best so far, no one really blew me away though. My favorite part? The DC stuff at the beginning

First time watching auditions, usually only tune in around top 12. Hmm… can’t really tell with these auditions, I’m not that impressed. Arianna and Deanna were okay. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

I liked Scott at the end. He has a very nice voice and I like that someone with an impairment gets a chance.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m ecstatic about the Cookie love, but then why wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t there be? He IS the American Idol.

True, but so was Taylor and all he got the beginning of the season 6 audition episodes was Simon telling someone to stick their gum on his face..

I don’t recall that, CathyMK. I guess that I will have to watch the montage again. Darn.

Alex Wagner Thugman – Studio City, CA à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Age 19 – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Baby Come to Meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by James Ingram – YES

I may be alone…but I loved this guy.

Well, I don’t put a lot of stock in how I like their auditions, so I am not going to go all ga-ga about anyone like I did Brandon Rogers at this stage. Not that anyone has inspired me to do that, either. I still LOVE his version of Willie Nelson. Where was that originality once he hit the Idol stage. That’s why it’s hard to take this round to seriously.

Also, too much focus on the bad contestants. Sorry. It’s stale. I thought they were going to change that. Not so far.

I’ll never, ever take Bikini girl seriously as a singer. She made it clear how she wants to be remembered, and it’s not her voice.

I want to see more of Emily, Stevie, Deanna, the oil rigger dude, Alex and Scott.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t recall that, CathyMK. I guess that I will have to watch the montage again. Darn.

Yes, the things we’ll do for DC. :smile2_ee:

I’ve never made it through an entire audition episode without getting totally disgusted by the bad auditions before. It seemed like they really dialed it back on those tonight.

Arianna & Stevie…those two are the ones I’ll remember next week.

ok bikini girl totall offended me.

i like the guy toward the end simon did not like…scott mcintyre…stevie not bad.

overall….not blown away…though kara as judge is funny.

You are SOO not alone Gwen-

Alex was BY FAR my favorite from tonight. No experience, witty kid, amazing tone, good control, nice guy. I think he is a total dark horse in the competition and i think people are going to become quite fond of the kid. Can he win? probably not, but he has got something. Only person i was enthralled with tonight, everyone else- meh.

Also, i bet my life savings (like 10 bucks) that bikini girl will be offered a playboy spread by tomorrow morning. I actually enjoyed her segment

To sum up the night, i think there was tons of raw/unpolished talent, and more than anything, people’s unique TONES got them through, but i love that.

GwendolynD, you are not alone. Alex was great!

Overall, Stevie, Alex, and Scott are the only ones who grabbed my attention.

Seacrest trying to high five Scott at the end had me in stitches.

I’m still laughing. THat was so awesome. Ryan, don’t ever change, baby.

First of all, LMFAO @ the clip of the Archies at the beginning. Not that I hate Archie…but lol, the hilarity of tweensters.

Loved loved LOVED Stevie, as well as Deanna. The nasal quality in Deanna’s voice gets to me a bit, but I thought her voice was really interesting. And Stevie was just fantastic. Too bad she isn’t that memorable otherwise because she’s absolutely amazing.

Oh, and that Cody kid was gorgeous. Really, did you see those eyes? Oh, my God. /fangirl

ETA:

I may be aloneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦but I loved this guy.

Loved him too, actually! Interesting voice

How tightly sealed did Ryan have his lips when bikini girl tried to kiss him. Heh.

True, but so was Taylor and all he got the beginning of the season 6 audition episodes was Simon telling someone to stick their gum on his face..

How is David anything like Taylor? Simon never had any use for Taylor. I can’t say that about his feelings for David.

I’m lovin the new judge, and JB and Emily

Well none of the contestants really stuck out to me, but I like Kara a lot more than I thought I would.

Well the only saving grace about this whole 2 hours that I will never get back again is seelng David Cook on the wallpaper, hearing A Daily AntheM, seeing the clip of him winning (except I had to watch those hysterical tweens having a total meltdown), and seeing his CD cover.

I also didn’t need to see Bikini girl either. Don’t think she’ll make it through Hollywood week either–please….cover yourself up!!!

Things better pick up because nobody grabbed me.

Oooh..I kinda like Alex too..”out of the closet” lol

ok…moving past the season 7 fantatics…there were some people worth looking at…

I liked Stevie the best and thought the show was fairly entertaining. At least the two hours went quickly and weren’t actively painful. On the down side, nobody really stood out as extremely memorable.

(I’ll just add that I liked the two 16 year old girls better than the girls from S7. Just prefer their tone and song choice.)

FolkFan

How tightly sealed did Ryan have his lips when bikini girl tried to kiss him. Heh.

Looked to me like he came out of the closet right then and there…

Things better pick up because nobody grabbed me

Oh, I rarely ever fall in love during the auditions. I generally have to get to at least Hollywood week. Of course, after Patrick Hall (sob) I try not to fall for anyone before round two of the semi-finals.

Just heard on the radio DC and Cadwell are broken up.

hardly anyone ever stands out in auditions…

Tomorrow (I would think) when the golden ticket photos are released, the others who made it should begin to be identified.

I thought Deanna Brown was the best tonight, with Scott a close second.

After watching tonight, I can only say that I now miss David Cook more than ever. :cry_tb:

There are a lot of bad auditions but most were short and sweet and no contestant was made fun of ‘cept for the bikini girl, who was put through to Hollywwod but we are know she’ll get no further.
Thought Kara was very good, in fact all the judges were funny, entertaining and intrested.
Loved the way some of those old songs were woven into the show, particularly the Bon Jovi tune at the end with the whole Stadium singing.
A successful show because I remained impartial.

I don’t really like all that vibrato (or whatever it was) in Deanna’s voice. I thought she had a very good audition though and I like her. I just think her voice would quickly get on my nerves.

Please forgive me, I am not good with names. Loved the sight impaired guy and the 16 year old girl. Both seemed young and fresh. To me the show should be about this type of performer. I don’t like that the show has turned into a platform for singers who have produced albums, been in bands, etc in their past.

Hated bikini girl and the why did they not cut out Simon’s catty inappropriate gay comment?

Loved Kara. She is a breath of fresh air on the judges panel.

Emily is the only contestant who stood out for me tonight. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out.

My first post of the new season!!

In terms of the episode as a whole, it wasn’t THE most boring episode I’ve sat through, but I did find it easy to multitask throughout it. I don’t have patience for the really terrible auditions anymore, but it’s also no fun to have a parade of good/semi-good singers, and I thought tonight was a fairly good mix.

I liked Alex too, and I liked Stevie and Deanna and…there was one other one that I really liked that I can’t remember, a guy. (Uh-oh…that doesn’t bode well for him, if I can’t remember him less than two hours later, does it!)

Bikini girl ANNOYED me to no end. I thought for sure she was going to suck big time, and while she had an ok voice (she wasn’t terrible, really, as turned off as I was by her schtick with the bikini and vow to make out with Ryan), when she started showing it off by doing all the runs, THAT annoyed me and I wanted her to shut up. Beautiful body, yes, but let’s be honest – if she had been covered up, there’s no way she walks out of there with a golden ticket. I bet we don’t even recognize her in Hollywood. (And was it just me, or did her hair change colors within the segment? I could swear it went from blonder in the stadium to darker in the audition.)

And the only think more awkward than her “kiss” on Ryan was Ryan’s whole exchange with Scott, from the high five that wasn’t to his, “We’ll see you in Hollywood, California!!” LOL My first reaction was, “way to rub it in, Ryan.”

I know, that’s bad. And I know he didn’t mean anything by it. But it made me feel the same way I felt when I asked my friend’s daughter what Santa was bringing her.

And then I remembered that she’s Jewish.

I think Kara has added to the mix. Randy seemed alot funnier and more engaged than seasons past. And I like the girl power thing Kara and Paula are putting out.

Hey! So I’ve been reading posts on mj’s blog for a while now and I figure the start of the new season is a good time to make a first post.

So, my favorites tonight were Emily, the oil rig guy, Deanna, Alex, and Scott. But I don’t really start paying too much attention until top 24. Or 36 I guess for this year.

I thought the bikini girl part was funny but way too long. I think I like the fact that there’s four judges this year.

I thought the bikini girl part was funny but way too long. I think I like the fact that thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s four judges this year.

I agree. Like the new vibe of the judges now..and it was too long but loved the fact that we could hear a bit of Kara singing – she’s alright..

I also really, really like Scott. I mean, really like him.

His…interpretation of the music and how he experiences it are going to be totally different and interesting to watch.

I loved his little head tilt at “and you’re the only one who knows….”

Chills.

Bikini Girl was a waste of 10 minutes. Why she made it to Hollywood – I don’t know.

Best parts of the show tonight –

“I Kissed A Girl” playing while skanky bikini girl kisses Ryan.
Ryan trying to be cool by high five-ing the blind guy (really awesome BTW!)

Kara looks so much like Katharine McPhee or is it the other way around ?!?!

No one blew me away in Phoenix but looking up at MJ’s list there were several whose auditions I liked: Emily (I want to know how her bandmates reacted), Arianna, Stevie, Michael, Deanna, Alex and Scott.

The part where Ryan tried hi-fiving Scott…awkward.

OK. Lakers win. I’m going in.

The only person I really want to see again from tonight’s auditions is Stevie. I thought she had some potential and I’m curious to see how she does.
Also liked Alex, but not for his singing. He’ll be fun to have around though.

Did enjoy every last bit of DC the episode had to offer. Yay for AI pimpage.
As the show moves forward, I hope each episode will introduce more memorable, interesting contestants than this one did. Bikini girl took precious minutes of my life that I’m not getting back, dammit.

Didn’t like the girl who sang Barracuda. Liked Scott, Stevie, Cody.

The half nekkid untalented bikini girl was an insult, but I did like Kara’s remark that next time she’ll come naked. She’s got pluck.

Loved the beginning montages showing past idols, winnners, and notables.

Tonight reminds me of why Paula must stay. When she’s lucid, she’s insightful and funny. Love the dynamic between her and Kara, and Kara and Randy. They have chemistry. Yaay idol.

The show wasn’t intolerable tonight, although I would love to fastforward to Hollywood week.

Glad Rysn kept his mouth shut when hogirl, I mean bikini girl kissed him, otherwise he might have to have shots or somethin’.

It was a pretty good start for the first show.
Now, if only AI will continue this format for the next 5 shows – I will be pleased.

I like Kara and the whole bikini girl exchange was cute. I find no problem just yet with her being there. All the judges did a good job tonight. Even Randy acted normal. (Kylene, her hair color did change.)

Scott MacIntyre was the contestant who stood out for me.

You know, there does seem to be a possibility that Kara may help Paula to remain more lucid. Which would be great. Beyond the obvious, Paula sometimes does have some good things to say—she is often the best of the original judges at saying why a song was not a good song choice, whereas Simon or Randy will just say, “bad song choice”—but it gets lost in her Paula-ness.

Deanna = Duffy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHvOm-o3AA8

Not much enthusiasm on my end. Stevie was really good although i thought it was so unoriginal, seemed to me she was just singing it and not feeling it.

I liked the dude, whatever his name is…. the guy from Jasper, Texas! The guy with THE FIFTH MOST DANGEROUS JOB!!! Lol…sorry. Too many runs though…..

And what kept distracting me was how Randy …. his teeth….they were so WHITE!! And how…. Paula …. was making a lot of sense….. surprise surprise!

To me, Stevie Wright and Scott McIntyre were the best so far. Emily was good, but I feel that I will most remember her right now as the slightly overrated, tattooed yelling girl…much the same way I felt about Carly this time last year. However, Carly grew on me over time, so we shall see. Stevie and Scott to me were just a breath of fresh air, no gimmicks, no weird hair colors, just pure and beautiful voices and sincere personalities. I hope that is enough to keep them advancing…it seems viewers often have the attention spans of preschoolers unless someone goes crazy to stand out in some way. I prefer understated people who are just themselves letting their talent make them memorable.

Kara looks so much like Katharine McPhee or is it the other way around ?!?!

That’s funny b/c Kara has said that she thinks that Katharine McPhee is one of the great talents that has come out of AI. Hmmm, I wonder how many mirrors are in her house?

Re: the show–I was kind of bored by it. I wonder if I’m losing interest? I thought the girl who sang Put Your Records On was very good–that song has a big range and she sounded really comfortable doing it. She’s a natural singer. I hope she sang 1000 songs at Karaoke places after she made it through so she’ll have an arsenal to choose from to get through.

Otherwise, the girl who sang Barracuda was very good, but I don’t like looking at people with pink hair and a ton of tattoos. I know I’m in the minority on that–a lot of people either like the rebellious look or don’t care. I feel like the person is trying to scream a message but I don’t know what the message is.

I hope the guy who sang Incomplete does well. He’s a good singer and his personal story was touching, but he could easily wash out.

And Scott–they loved him, but I thought And So It Goes was only okay. I don’t think this is a show for him. AI is flashy, and he’s not. We’ll see–maybe people with dial their fingers off for him.

Oh–and bikini girl–I forgot about her. I think the point with her was to show how Randy and Simon become deaf horney guys in the presence of an almost naked girl. She did not sing well at all. If she’s been wearing clothes they’d never put her through. She’ll have to put something on in Hollywood, and then they’ll dump her. And then Ryan can decide if he wants to make out with her.

Deanna = Duffy

The looks are pretty close, eh? But the voice is real different. I liked her. I hope she doesn’t pick too many old, oversung songs.

You know, there does seem to be a possibility that Kara may help Paula to remain more lucid.

True. And, bird-flipping Paula was kinda fun to see.

Oh yeah and I really liked the new judge Kara.

I like Stevie and Deanna at this point. Scott was quite good, but I think he will be limited in what he can do with stage presence as the competition goes on (sad in a way because he has had to work harder with his handicap). Deanna has something different sounding in her voice. I can’t quite pick up on what it is, but I did like it.

um… i just accidentally pasted Scott Macintyre’s name on my url…. i’m confused…is it the same guy?

umà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ i just accidentally pasted Scott Macintyreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s name on my urlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m confusedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦is it the same guy?

It’s the same guy. Which is why I’m suspecting he didn’t make Top 50/36. Why would his music still be up?

So, I wasn’t overwhelmed by any of the auditioners tonight. I guess the one I liked best was the girl who sang “At Last.” She definitely has potential. Scott was good, and it will be interesting to watch how he progresses. Emily was pretty good – my SIL really liked her and thought she killed on Barracuda. But I was kinda meh on her. We kept trying to figure out what all her tattoos were more than listening to her sing.

The judges though – the judges were great!!I really like what Kara is adding to the panel so far.

Oops, wanted to weigh in a little on the judges too. Randy appeared to have spent a lot of time in makeup. His color had a rose tint to it (looked like he had on some liquid makeup of some sort, as his skin tone was flawless). Hair, eyebrows to perfection. Perhaps a touch of eye shawdow. He had a bit of a shine like a wax mannequin somehow (to me of course). Paula was in good form tonight, sharp, with it. The new judge seemed to fit in well. And Simon…….well, Simon was just Simon.

I liked Deanna. And just because I thought he had some great lines Alex. Scott was okay too.

Scott/Blind Guy took his music down from his MySpace page.

I was just kinda ‘meh’ about everyone tonight… granted im mostly watching to see how Kara works lol.

A sleeper in this bunch might be………lol, I can’t remember his name or song!
He was the one that said after his audition he could sing God Save the Queen. He had a T-shirt on that had something to do with England. Who was he?

Scott/Blind Guy took his music down from his MySpace page.

It was still up when I checked a second ago.

A sleeper in this bunch might beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦lol, I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t remember his name or song!
He was the one that said after his audition he could sing God Save the Queen. He had a T-shirt on that had something to do with England. Who was he?

The first part of your description is Alex Wagner Thugman…second part is Scott MacIntyre.

Oh, I guess it took forever to load.

Alex was crackin’ me up – mostly unintentionaly though.

How is David like Taylor? They both won American Idol. Like them or not the winner deserves to be treated like the winner. I sometimes feel the only person Simon really likes is himself. After watching Canadian Idol judges I really feel that Simon isn’t essential and after watching tonight I’m sure of it. He sure was in a bad mood most of the time and the other three were better than I had hoped. Can you tell I’m not a Simon fan. Paula, most of the time is my favorite as she tries to be constructive. Kara looks promising and she may have just livened Randy up. Saw a couple good contestants tonight but not great. Time will tell as some start out slow and grow on you as the contest progresses. On with the show.

It would be Alex then.

I just started watching and those Archie fan girls are so freaking famous. LMAO.

Sarah – what were they thinking picking Bikini Girl over you? I’d rather see you on there anyday!

This was in fact the most boring episode I’ve ever sat through and the fact that this was the premier was even worse.

Seriously, I only remember Emily and the blind guy. This may be wrong to say, but they already have that other blind guy that their raving over so I doubt they’ll choose both of them.

Vulture strikes again about the new season:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/01/american_idol_returns_tonight.html

I find it odd that while American Idol is suing a strip club because they have a contest called Stripper Idol but yet they put on a family show a girl in a Bikini. I know why AI did it and that was to get people talking at the office water cooler tomorrow and so far it worked however; I think this will hurt AI in the long run.

I didn’t hear one voice that grabbed me tonight, not one!

The show though was a lot better it’s just the bikini girl really put a would be classy first show in the outhouse.

Jimmy Kimmel just showed a video of Ryan trying to high-five Scott. I can’t believe they aired that, lol. And now he’s showing the tween Archie fans on youtube again but they inserted DC into it, lmao.

I liked Stevie, Cody (mostly for having the good sense to sing a James Morrison song), Deanna and Alex. I thought Scott was OK but I really don’t like “And So It Goes” so that might have colored my impression. The girl who did “Put Your Records On” had a nice voice too, but they annoyed me with her package.

No real stand outs for me on tonights show.
Was it just me or did Kara slip out a B-bomb on the bikini girl?

Highlights of the show for me:

1. DC montage!!!!
2. Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” when that bikini-clad chick laid one on Ryan. (Although I don’t think for one second Ryan enjoyed that, LOLZ!!!)
3. “Out of the Closet” Dude. I liked him a lot.

American Idol Through the Years

LOL at the softer side of Idol. You still called the kid a bushbaby Simon, all the Louis Armstrong in the world isn’t going to change that. And I did NOT need to see that kiss again.

Thanks for the video montages MJ. I hadn’t actually seen the fan reaction video before. Ah, do be young again.

For myself, I’m glad that there wasn’t youtube when I was that young. I’m not sure that I need to regret later in life that idiocies from my childhood became viral videos.

MTV Jim Cantiello’s live blog. Hilarious.

Thanks MJ for uploading vids, I missed most of the show since I was driving home from Orlando. Hey I acutally like Tuan, if he came in serious he may have made it. He sounds like Aaron Neville to me. Well anyhow I don’t have a favorite yet but the geek Alex Wagner-Trugman (saw vid from rickeys), reminds me of Kevin Covais. I kind of like him, well I like geeks anyway. The bikini girl should be ashamed of herself, what was she thinking? She got her golden ticket so I guess she got what she wanted. Ariana is pretty good but boring and the blind guy was ok but not that great. I am not blown away by anyone yet. But it is exciting to have a new season of idol again. The new judge is definitely bringing more flavor to the table and Paula is acting all serious now, lol. What is with Paula’s glasses, her new look?

Nobody, save the vision impaired singer, really stood out for me, but I didn’t expect them to, really. I usually don’t watch before top 24 week, and even then sometimes it’s only the boys until they get to the top 12. Ryan trying to high five a guy who has severe vision loss….classic. I like the new judge so far.

Those Archie fangirls must be tripping first Ellen, then AI, now Kimmel. I dunno, I think in twenty years from now they’ll all get together and laugh their asses off over that…I would love to see a vid of my mom as a tween going apeshit over Frankie Valley or something.

ok, just because dude is blind does not save him from the snark….from me at least.

When he first popped up on my teevee I thought it was someone pretending to be Napoleon Dynamite.

I wasn’t impressed with any of them tonight.

Was excited to hear someone singing some James Morrison. I lurve him.

And I’m really liking Kara….that’s about all I got from tonight’s episode.

P.S. Scott’s Brother=Total Hottie

Word, Folkfan :gulp_ee:

I haven’t had a chance to watch yet but have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. Hope to be caught up and able to participate for the next eppy. And thanks for the vids, MJ! Yay for DC pimpage! :clap_tb:

Haven’t watched yet, but

excited to hear someone singing some James Morrison. I lurve him

Great great~ I lurve him too. He only has 2 albums out but last season my friends and I were all saying AI should do a James Morrison week~We chose songs for every contestant, it would be great LOL.

Ryan!!!!!!!! YOU’RE AN IDIOT!!!!

We did not hear the next American Idol tonight.

And I can’t believe I watched it. I’ve never watched the audition shows. I only watched cuz I heard David was gonna sing on it or have a song on it or somesuch.

Did he?

I thought the judges interactions/critiques were the most interesting part of the show. Why can’t they all act like this once the show actually starts? They were actually fun to watch. It seemed like the old judges stepped up their game and had something to prove. I hope that keeps up!

Now that I think about it. I don’t remember one phrasing of “Yo Dawg” …”You’re Doin’ Your Thang” ..”That was Karaoke” … or “You worked it out.”

2nd favorite part was the Wanted Dead or Alive montage. I practically choked from laughing so hard. Oh dear! That one guy w/ the scary voice – that Simon couldn’t understand – WOW.. he creeped me out! lol ..seriously… creeped me out! The guy at the end of that montage was my undoing. Partly because he reminded me of someone I kinda know.. and don’t really care for.. and mostly because when he leaned down and went for the final song kill.. LOL… well that was priceless!

I think Kara is a GREAT addition and boy can she sing! I wish she had gone and pushed bikini girl out of the way and showed her how to audition. Bikini girl is going to annoy the heck out of me w/ her Aguilera wannabe styling.

Ryan trying to return bikini girls kiss was all kinds of gross! :tongue2_tb: lol

i thought it was a good episode. i’m really looking forward to seeing Alex, Scott, Stevie and Arianna again. I guess emily was good but i don’t know i really don’t like that heart song. (i know i’m weird, i just don’t like it.) Oh, and i also teared up at the opening montage, i’m such a softie!!!

I’m just watching now. I kinda missed this crazy show…maybe it’s the DVR. I love being able to forward through the boring and akward parts. I’m liking what Kara bring to the table too. No forwarding through her…yet.

Emily seemed good but is more forgettable than I expected; Stevie seemed good but needs confidence; Michael needs charisma but will probably have a country career anyway; I want to see Deanna with a makeover (sorry, but true); Cody has good taste and a good voice but he’s young; Alex…oh Alex; Scott was inspirational but just okay. Overall meh. Only 27 tickets over two days? That seems like a really low number.

I’m not sure how I feel about them lampooning the 16 year old with the pink cowboy hat. She’s a clueless – and probably sheltered and stage parented – 16 year old, not a 20 something fame whore who should know better. That was really painful.

Sexual Chocolate was no Randy Watson.

Loved the videos at the start aww..Cookie..Elliott’s mom.
Lol at the Archulate girls having a fit.

Emily -I liked her voice and she seems cool.

Randy – :thumbdown_tb: he sure did cry a lot I wonder if ppl at his job will make fun of him for that.

Michael – :lol_tb: what the hell kind of language was he singing in? :blink_tb:

Not to sound rude but what gender was that Shawn Vasquez?

Arianna – cute girl with a good voice I see her as Jordan Sparks,but better.. :innocent1_tb:

Elijah – wow what a deep voice to bad he can’t sing.

Lea Marie- This girl was annoying I’m glad she didn’t make it.

I like both Stevie and Michael I hope they go far.

Katrina- :doh_tb: :rolleyes_tb: she only made it cause of her bathing suit girl couldn’t sing.Watch her not make it past HW.

Deanna I feel will annoy me she reminds me so much of Kelly Pickler. :innocent1_tb:

Cody,Alex and Scott surprised me their both very good singers.

edit: Eff spam

Scott IS in the top 50…guaranteed. I heard that only the top 36 have to take their music down.

For the premiere episode of supposedly the biggest season yet, this was pretty much a snoozefest. Did they really need to spend 2 hrs in Phoenix? I thought everything could have been boiled down to a 1 hr running time but I guess AI wanted all those commercial placements.

The most interesting bits from tonight were the clips from previous seasons. Even the bad auditions were more entertaining in years past.

Awww, auditions. Idol is so kuso.

I’m back for another season! Oh how I missed this time suck of a show!

I must say I loved Kara. I thought she was an interesting spice added to the show. I really enjoyed her commentary and I liked that she was coherent.

Paula LEARN from her.

I don’t think we saw the next American Idol tonight, but I was entertained. There was actually a decent amount of GOOD mixed in with the bad tonight! Yay for that.

I can’t decide if I like or dislike Deanna Brown’s voice. I’d have to hear more of her.

I liked Stevie, Scott, and well, that’s about it. I thought the Barracuda girl just needed a band. I don’t think she’s a solo artist, I think she’s a band artist, and picking Barracuda while a good song I think needed the backing of her band. I mean I know she was going for the whole Daughtry thing…but she’s no Daughtry either….

Bikini girl can just fall off the face of the earth. She absolutely could not sing. I liked that Kara called her a “bitch” though! Oh well, good cannon fodder right?

I’m so glad this show is back!

I only liked the oil rig guy. For me, the best part of the two hour event was seeing Jason and Michael for 2 seconds in the preview for Wednesday night’s show.

Liked: Emily Wynne, Deanna Brown(love her style and personality), Alex Wagner Thugman(he should sing James Morrison’s song, not Cody Sheldon), and the Bikini girl. She and Simon’s “beautiful” are funny. Kara, it takes a bitch to fight with one.

For me, the best part of the two hour event was seeing Jason and Michael for 2 seconds in the preview for Wednesday nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s show.

I thought I hellucinated that! Yay, more good stuff to look forward to tonight.

I really enjoyed last night’s show. The opening montage of the past years was terrific. They had some singers with decent voices and definite potential. Even though some of them weren’t great, there was no blatant cruelty to the comments that jumped out at me.

Kara seemed to fit in with no awkwardness and all the other judges were coherent and awake, contrary to past years. Ryan’s attempt to high-five Scott seemed endearingly human to me. He was halfway through the gesture before he realized how ludicrous it was. Something that others probably would do too.

The bikini girl was obnoxious and I’m sure she won’t make it through Hollywood. I’m glad to read some others thought her hair changed colors. I thought my TV was playing tricks on me! I liked Stevie, Ariana, Brianna and Alex. I enjoyed Scott’s voice too but I think he’ll have a real problem with stage presence. (BTW, wouldn’t it be great to see Billy Joel as a mentor?)

All in all, a decent beginning, imo.

I didn’t like Emily. Call me conservative but that many tattoos do bother me, and call me superficial but her face was so oily I couldn’t focus on her singing!

The Randy Madden guy was superrrrr annoying. JB Ahfua did not impress me, I don’t like that kind of singing. Michael Gurr was hilarious, OMG! I want what he’s on! LOL.

Arianna bored me. Lea was annoying but I felt kind of bad for her. Stevie reminds me of someone so much, looks-wise, but I can’t figure out who right now. She has a nice voice.

The whole bikini girl thing was funny and annoying at the same time. Eric, Briana… wasn’t really paying a lot of attention. Deanna was okay, I guess I need to hear more to form an opinion.

Cody Sheldon reminds me of Danny Noriega so much! And I did love the song he picked and I like his voice. Vision impairment aside, Scott has a very nice voice.

And well, I really liked Kara. She gives good comments and she really seems like she knows what she’s talking about.

I think my favorite was Stevie. I’m not into Emily/Barracuda girl. I didn’t think she sang it that well & I was surprised that the judges loved it – I thought they’d give her the “pitchy” thing.

Overall, I was glad that they didn’t seem SO cruel to the bad singers, they did feature more people this year who are going through instead of just torturing us w/ the worst of the worst.

That one guy with the super-low voice – what a bizarre speaking voice. I could see him doing voice over work for animation films. It’s pretty distinctive.

Kara as a judge didn’t do anything for me one way or another. Didn’t love or hate her. One thing I thought – all these years Paula keeps claiming that Simon whispering stuff to her throws her off and makes her appear incoherent. You’d think they would have put Kara between Paula and Simon if that were the case.

Cody – from Detroit (hometown boy) – he also reminded me a bit of Danny Noriega. LOL.

I enjoyed the show and I like the addition of Kara, she’s honest and doesn’t waffle.
The only one that stood out for me last night amongst the people who could actually sing was Stevie Wright.
Emily was ok but she should go do her European tour, she reminded me a whole lot of a young Joan Cusack not that that’s even relevant LOL.

“Cody Sheldon reminds me of Danny Noriega so much!”
Agreed! I said the same thing.

Looking forward to tonight.

I watched the bikini girl clip because I was curious.
Kara and Paula were right. She’s not a good singer.
The girl was wrong. Kara IS better than she is.

Don’t forget people: the main object of the show is CASTING and CONTROVERSY.
So far, so good.

Ryanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attempt to high-five Scott seemed endearingly human to me. He was halfway through the gesture before he realized how ludicrous it was. Something that others probably would do too.

Agreed. It could have happened to anyone who was not accustomed to being around a sight impaired person.

Kara will be on Ryan’s show this morning. He seems to think she dropped the B-bomb on Bikini Girl as well, so he plans to ask her if she’ll ever put a pretty girl through. Heh.

Some funny moments but the show was just aite for me. I don’t normally watch or pay much attention to the audition shows, and don’t really get the point of them since the ones who make it will have highlights shown again to remind us who they are. I probably won’t bother remembering names until Hollywood. But they’re really pimping the pink haired girl, huh? I thought she was good, but it must suck to be her bandmates– that bit made her seem a bit cold to them. Oh, that blonde with no family and the soulful Duffy-esque sound was good and seemed normal. That 16 year old who started the grand-friends thing annoyed me but had a unique voice. I like that nerdy kid at the end. Some other good ones, but not that memorable to me. Kara had a few moments where she seemed interesting (nearly throwing down with the bikini girl was amusing), but overall underwhelmed me a tad as a TV character. She’s too normal. Don’t think I’ll be watching tomorrow live since MJ’s got the clips.

ETA: Oh yeah, the crying rocker guy cracked my sh!t up more than the other NO’s. I had to youtube DC’s LOAP audition to cleanse my ears after that.

Surprises:

Taylor actually acknowledged as a winner.
New judge(Kara/Kahrah) was good. I think she added a bit of spark to the old, boring mix.

No Surprises:

Simon, hating every moment of his “job” now.
Randy.
Cookie cutter contestants (“The Story”; “The Geek-Who-Can-Sing” ; “The sexy/stupid/goofy/ridiculous/sad Contestant who gets WAY too much air time” ; “The Potential Finalist/Winner/Best We Have EVER Heard”)
Ryan. Still silly after all these years, but I love him.

Gum on Simon’s/TPTB’s faces:

Taylor picture. Supposed to be small and off to the side, but, haha!, camera angles not figured in and he is pretty much they only past Idol you could see consistently last night. Some set designer is now looking for work.

Contestants:

Too early to tell. Some good possibilities last night, but one never knows how that will shake out in the end.

I don ´t remember anything of last night episode, and I have more laugh in the chat that because of the episode…

I don ´t like any of the contestants… and Kara was boring for me…

Ew to the Simon and Paula kissing. Ew. Blech. Did not need to see. Where was Randy? He wasn’t featured at all in that AI through the years montage. Does that mean Kara is taking Randy’s place?

Loved how the succession of winners ending with Carrie to Kelly to DC. Awesome.

Nice recap of DC on AI and then the Isham Light On video clip was brilliant. Yay! Great promo for DC.

Michael Gurr à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Meza, AZ – Age 17 – à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Starts With Goodbyeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by Carrie Underwood – NO

I always try not to laugh, but this guy….

NO!

Thanks. This is really great!
Would you mind if you also upload the videos on photobucket.com?
I seem to have problems accessing dailymotion.com.
In my opinion, Photobucket is so much better than Dailymotion.
I do hope you consider my suggestion.
Thank you very much and keep up the good work!^^

I really liked Kara but she is the only thing that really stood out to me last night. Bikini girl got her 15 minutes and now its OVER! Gots to be.

They contestants were just Ok, but the actual show was presented well. For example, starting off with the panorama of the Grand Canyon. To me the production values stood out — not as chintzy as in the past. The background music was a nice addition — appropriate and interesting which means 19 must have shelled out some money. I think it bodes well for the season. Might we get contestants singing more current music?

I didn’t catch this on TV so thanks for the videos, mj. (So far, I have only watched the YESes.)

I liked his song choice better than his vocals, which arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t anything special.

Me, too! (I had to watch this first, because he sang James Morrison. Hee.)

I enjoyed the Alex kid’s audition. Heh. :p

Kara will be on Ryanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s show this morning. He seems to think she dropped the B-bomb on Bikini Girl as well, so he plans to ask her if sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll ever put a pretty girl through. Heh.

I happen to think he’s confusing pretty with half naked. An honest mistake…

ETA to add I think Randy and Simon were confusing half naked with can sing. Another honest mistake…

Ooh, cool, we get recaps in addition video links? Great, since I won’t be tuning in tonight. Thanks for your hard work, MJ!

When she wins a big contract, sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to bring her band along, just like Chris Daughtry did (Uhm, no he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. None of his old band members passed the audition).

That’s what I thought too! Actually, that would’ve made more sense if she said David Cook, because he’s the one who got two of his former bandmates into his new band, but I guess DC’s not yet enough of a proven success to have his name invoked by aspiring auditioners. But year, what she’s doing to her band and the way she came off there will not endear her to viewers.

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what I thought too! Actually, that wouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve made more sense if she said David Cook, because heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the one who got two of his former bandmates into his new band,

I’m sorry, but that would only have made sense if she had a crystal ball. The initial auditions in Phoenix occured way back in July of last year. The judging panel auditions were some time in the early fall. At that time, how could she even know that two of Cook’s former bandmates would ultimately end up in his touring band? I can’t fault her for not knowing that this would happen (although, it is tough to remember sometimes how much has happened since these auditions were recorded).

The fact that she thinks that Daughtry’s old bandmates are in the band is a testament to the vast majority of people not paying as much attention to AI details as we at MJs do and that Daughtry’s PR team is doing a good job of making people think the band developed organically as opposed to in a petri dish in Clive’s office.

So many audition talents have potential that wilts under the intense pressure and visibility of the Idol stage, including my all-time faves Elliott Yamin, Jason Castro and especially Chris Sligh, whose unforgettable audition raised more expectations than he was able to fulfill. At this stage, I am looking for performers who have a sturdy enough sense of self to survive and I saw only two: Deanna Brown and Scott MacIntyre.

I’m less confident that the sweet young things — Stevie Wright, Arianna Afsar and Cody Sheldon — have the versatility or desire to last long. Alex Wagner Thugman’s quirky personality appeals to me, but he is a textbook example of cannon fodder.

I really like Kara DioGuardi’s effect on the group dynamic. Paula seemed incredibly more coherent, Simon better-natured and wittier, and Randy more succinct than they are wont to be during the auditions.

Terrie, neither Elliott’s nor Jason’s auditions were shown during the weeks that their cities’ auditions aired. They were both cannon fodder who were amazing enough to attract enough fans to keep them in the race until they reached Top 3 and Top 4 respectively.

Last night was the first show but I hope that the judges can stay interested the entire season.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry, but that would only have made sense if she had a crystal ball. The initial auditions in Phoenix occured way back in July of last year.

Good point. I forgot about that, hah.

Paula seemed incredibly more coherent

I may be wrong, but doesn’t Paula always seem more coherent in the edited shows before they go live?

Yay! Another season! I enjoyed last night’s episode. My favorites (in performance order): Emily “tattoos and lip piercing” Wynne-Hughes, Stevie “named after Nicks” Wright, Michael “Roughneck” Sarver, Deanna “sounds like Pickler” Brown, Alex “clever kid” Wagner Thugman and Scott “pimpage” MacIntyre. I thought Brianna “barely made it through” Quijada sounded great in parts, and in other parts, not so much. I agree that she needs PRACTICE to strengthen her voice and stay on pitch. Arianna “Grand friends” Afsar was pretty good and so was Cody “Danny Noriega” Sheldon. Katrina “Bikini Girl” Darrell must be gone. Now. (Thanks for all the names, mj.)

I enjoyed Kara’s contribution to the judges’ panel more than I thought I would. Girl can SANG!

According to Joe’s Place

Tuan/Twan Lozada
*Shaved his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“afroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  haircut in Hollywood Week
Cut in Hollywood

It’s weird that that is so detailed and yet he was a no.

Thanks for posting these vids, mj! AI is family time in my house (as of last yr.), so I can’t chat with you all during the show…

Anyway, I just have to mention this Alex guy. I couldn’t remember his name and the vids helped out a lot, as well as the descriptions. I think the main thing he may need to work on with his singing is his breathing. This may have been from a combo of nerves and simply not knowing how. I see some potential. Perhaps all the other singing judges (not Simon) saw this…?

Also, I kinda got his off-dry (working on the legs) sense of humor. Seeing as he’s a brainy geek he’s probably had to learn to not take himself too seriously…peer survival skills? He probably won’t go very far though…

Oh and mj, I agree that Scott is not a fav for me, unless he can blow me away while singing with the piano.

I can already say this about Emily Wynne-Hughes: LET THE OTT PIMPING BEGIN!!! It’s so obvious that no matter what this girl does, the judges are going to kiss her ass. She was just OK for me…a bit too screamy for my taste.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m less confident that the sweet young things à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Stevie Wright, Arianna Afsar and Cody Sheldon à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  have the versatility or desire to last long.

I’m afraid you’re right….I liked Stevie a lot, not so much the other two. But I think Stevie could become somewhat of a blender if she doesn’t step it up each time. I like her understated vocals, plus she seems like a fun personality.

AI, don’t be pullin’ out some sweetie weepy montage and think I’m gonna be all schmoopy-doopie with ya…cuz I’m still annoyed over how things went down last season…but good on ya for showing Elliott’s mom, at least. It reminded me of why I watch this show in the first place.

I actually thought Emily w/the tats wasn’t that great–not a good singer in spite of her having a good voice, if that makes sense. Odd pitch “choices,” lol.

Hated that they tried to make fun of Lea the Pink Cowgirl. She wasn’t a bad singer, and she didn’t seem like a horrible person or anything. Just an overly bubbly 16-year-old nervous at an audition. Not sure why Simon acted like she was offending him.

Heh, I kinda liked Xray with “Cactus Baby.” At least he was fun to watch.

Of all the Golden-Ticket-ers, I think Stevie was the only one who could potentially make the top-12, though I thought Alex the Geek had a great audition (plus, he was funny! But not in that annoying Chris-Sligh way!).

All in all, an OK start to the season, a little flat, if anything. It will take a few episodes to figure what this season’s storyline is supposed to be.

“Michael was sooo nervous. I was waiting for him to barf. That would have been entertaining. ” :lol_wp: MJ! LMAO as they say. Ahhh, love the recaps, let the season begin!

This was driving me crazy last night too, then right after I read your quote I thought about it again and I think maybe it’s Sissy Spacek. What do you think?

Ok, my attempt to quote hardkandy did not work, lol. Anyway Stevie is the one I think looks a lot like Sissy Spacek.

We watched the audition episode last night. I can’t say anyone jumped out at me. It was obvious who the teachers’ pets were.

My husband and I were talking about how rigorous idol is, especially at the end and how the intensity and pressure of it all, especially as it gets closer to the end, kind of weeds out many contestants. You wonder how many of these kids could stand what the Davids did at the end and especially on tour- going from city to city, while doing their albums (and David A also doing school 3 hours a day during the season). Looking back, I think MJ could have handled it and probably Syesha and Chakezie (sorry if I spelled it wrong). It will be interesting to watch these new contestants.

Sarah – what were they thinking picking Bikini Girl over you? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d rather see you on there anyday!

For one thing, I didn’t audition in the same city. But whatever. It’s all water under the bridge.

I think Paula’s Kelly Clarkson comment about Stevie was accurate. She looks a bit like her, has a similar vocal tone, and sang the same audition song as Kelly. Should be interesting to see how far she goes.

I find it odd that while American Idol is suing a strip club because they have a contest called Stripper Idol but yet they put on a family show a girl in a Bikini.

Am I the only one who thinks that the stripper thing (idol suing them)is a way to get attention and thus more viewers?

Stevie Wright doesn’t strike me as a front runner. It’ll be interesting to see her step it up.

Kara was allright, but at this point I don’t think her presence added that much to the show. What I want to know is, why the hell did they show bikini girls’ arse in full view during the audition, and then turn around and cover it with the Idol logo as she was walking out? :wacko_tb:

Keepin’ my eye on: Emily, Stevie, Deanna and Alex.

Stevie Wright doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t strike me as a front runner. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be interesting to see her step it up.

The beauty of Idol is that Kelly Clarkson didn’t exactly show any type of front runner status until she made the Top 10. Just ask Simon who didn’t like her at all until then. Stevie could be a blender if she’s not careful, but I think her cheerful personality will help endear her to viewers. I don’t want to get too attached yet though because Hollywood is a whole different stage.

I think Paulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Kelly Clarkson comment about Stevie was accurate. She looks a bit like her, has a similar vocal tone, and sang the same audition song as Kelly. Should be interesting to see how far she goes.

I think you’re right, IF. It all depends on her. If she grows she could easily end up being a frontrunner by midseason. Everyone loves contestants who seem to bloom before their eyes. The only thing standing in her way is the return to the old format. If she makes the top 36 she better blow everyone away on her semi performance.

Sarah, I hadn’t heard anything so didn’t assume much. Especially after my own experience at an Idol audition. I’m sorry you didn’t make it, but I’m sure it’s for the best. It’s shocking how arbitrary it really is. I know you’ll find success. It certainly didn’t hurt Colbie Callait’s career!

The beauty of Idol is that Kelly Clarkson didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t exactly show any type of front runner status until she made the Top 10.

I was actually looking for a Kelly/Tamyra final 2 when she sang “Respect.”

Spotting a frontrunner this early is extremely rare, but it can happen.

I had to watch Stevie’s performance this afternoon to remember her.

I hope she makes it, sure. But, right now, she strikes me as boring.

I really liked Arianna’s audition, but I just have to laugh at how lost she looks when Simon starts teasing her a bit. Poor little contestant having to play straight man for Simon.

Before Go Betty Go and before American Idol, Emily Wynne-Hughes recorded this electro-dance album.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=260349666001