The American Idol XIII Top 9 perform songs with the theme “I’m With the Band.” Each of the contestants will perform as lead singers of Rickey Minor’s band! We’re live blogging the performances right here. Performance Videos posted later!
If FOX decides to downsize Idol next year, they might want to consider cutting back the two hour performance show after the Top 10. There was WAY too much time to kill tonight. I felt bad for the contestants waiting for their critiques, having to endure the judges “hijinks” engineered to stretch out time. The producers really don’t want to give viewers ANOTHER reason to switch the channel to Survivor, do they?
There were some improved performances this week. Majesty Rose is still having pitch problems, but she has shaken off the bad mojo that was dogging her the last few weeks. “Shake it Out” could be her theme song! She’s back to her adorable self. There were moments in that performance where she really shined.
Malaya Watson has grabbed the Idol growth narrative and is running with it! She delivered another beautifully crafted performance this week. She’s finally comfortable on stage, and it shows. Now that she has the hang of the big Idol stage, she’s able to play with dynamics and phrasing. Alex isn’t the only artist in this bunch.
Speaking of which–I knew the judges would hate Alex Preston’s take on “Don’t Speak,” but I rather liked it. But I’m someone who finds the original maudlin and whiny. It’s easily my least favorite No Doubt song. I liked it stripped down and sung with subtly. I would say Alex is one of the front runners right now.
The two other performances I liked a lot came from contestants who really understood tonight’s theme. Until Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene took the stage, I was not getting the “I’m with the band” theme. The only difference was the proximity of the contestants to the band–which the first 7 performers took no advantage of. But Caleb and Jena came alive when they had real live musicians to feed off of. Both have fronted bands before. Jena was lead singer for a group she started when she was 12.
Caleb’s “Dazed and Confused” was the singer’s best vocal performance of the season. Not only did he hit amazing notes, but his vocal riffing with the band was stellar. Ditto Jena, whose confidence was bolstered when surrounded by a supportive group of musicians. Look out for Jena and Caleb, Alex. They’re in your rear view mirror!
Both performances make a case for KEEPING the band on stage. Make the American Idol performance show like a concert! I’m surprised the MTV producers FOX hired didn’t take it in that direction in the first place.
Remember tomorrow: The results show is only 3o minutes!
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Ryan has a bulletin for us. The band is on stage! Jennifer is sad about the elimination of MK Nobilette, who gives her that KD Lang vibe. Harry has pondered the save, but he doesn’t have anyone in mind. He says that last performance counts. O rly? Nine performances. Two hours. Expect A LOT of judges chit chat.
Because it’s BAND week, Fall Out Boys, Pete Wentz and Patrick Stumpf come by to visit. They answer questions from the Top 9–all about what it’s like to be a rock star! Caleb wants to know about hitting the big rock notes every night! Patrick says it’s about a carefully calibrated set list. They sit in on a rehearsal of the group number they’ll be singing tonight.
The Top 9 sing a medley of rock hits, including a Coldplay song, “Satisfaction”, “Your Songs Know What You Did in the Dark.’ Oh. The gang hasn’t had much practice singing group numbers this year, and it shows. This is pretty rough. They are definitely singing live. DEFINITELY.
Top 9 – Rock Medley – American Idol 13 by IdolxMuzic
Alex Preston – Don’t Speak by No Doubt – Alex isn’t used to playing with a band, but he’s looking forward to feeding off of their energy. Randy thinks he’s chosen a song that he can make his own. He starts out tapping a rhythm on his acoustic guitar. This is a little like a Bossa Nova. I like this arrangement. I got to say, the OTT angst in this song makes me lol. I prefer it sung with some subtlety. He’s a little pitchy on the a cappella finish. But that’s OK. Alex performs with confidence this week, he seems a little less internal than usual. Keith loves that he has his thing, but wants more edge from Alex. Jennifer can’t let go of the original version. She felt his arrangement sucked the energy out of the song. Harry admires that his feet are firmly planted in the competition. But he would love to see him move around a little. He wants some energy. I figured the judges wouldn’t like that radical rework. But I did. Probably because I hate the original so much. Why is Ryan hopping around the stage without a shoe? Oh, the cast hijinks. SO much time to kill tonight. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 09(1 855 443 6509) or Text 9 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Alex Preston – Don’t Speak – American Idol 13… by IdolxMuzic
Majesty Rose – Shake it Out by Florence + The Machine – We see Majesty with her pre-school kids. She’s from a small town and has grown a lot during her weeks in El-ay. Tonight she’s going to sing like there’s NO judges, as if her pre-school kids were her only audience. C’mon Majesty! You can do it! She’s striking very dramatic poses with a tambourine. She still sounds off to me. There’s some pitch stuff going on. She’s breathless at the end of lines, but she’s hitting it pretty good on the chorus. I would say this performance is better than her last few. But the pitch stuff. She’s got to work on that. Still, lots of energy and passion on stage. She knows how to perform–she does a cute little dance, and it’s adorable. There’s more confidence this week. “That’s the Majesty that I missed,” says Jlo. Performance wise, it was 1o for Jlo. Harry has been waiting for her to connect. She’s so close to breaking through, he says. He loved the song choice, arrangement and performance. Keith loved the song choice. She’s got everything she needs to put on a good performance, but needs to learn control when she gets excited. She has to center and become grounded. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 07(1 855 443 6507) or Text 7 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Majesty Rose – Shake It Out – Americal Idol 13… by IdolxMuzic
Dexter Roberts – Boondocks by Little Big Town – He’s a firefighter, hunts, fishes, trains dogs. Dexter is such a dude. He learned from his Grandaddy! Look at Dexter on a tractor. Now he’s all LA glammy. He might miss his tractor a little. This week, Dexter has his guitar. There’s no fancy re-arrangement this time. It’s a straight up, bar band rendition of the song. Dexter can sing, he’s got a great tone but…zero star quality. There’s nothing special about this guy. I don’t think it matters, though. He’s singing a crowd pleasing song, and he’s singing it well. He’ll manage to stay out of the bottom 3 this week. “Give it up for the band, guys!” Dexter says when he finishes. Harry, once again, reminds him that he HAS to find a way to make the songs his own. HE’S RIGHT. These big anthemic songs are boring. Keith says Harry needs a gummy bear. A GREAT BIG GIANT ONE. Wow. They REALLY need to kill time tonight. Keith hears what Harry is saying, BUT if Little Big Town hadn’t recorded the song, Dexter could have had a hit with it. Now, Keith wants to see another side of him. Jlo calls him the “resident modern country guy.” She liked it, thought he did a great job. Now for an instant replay of Harry biting the ear off the giant gummy bear. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 01(1 855 443 6501) or Text 1 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Dexter Roberts – Boondocks – American Idol 13… by IdolxMuzic
Malaya Watson – Long and Winding Road by The Beatles – Oh. She’s covered Chaka Khan songs. I don’t think I want to hear that. Whoa Malaya! Girl gets the award for most improved. She’s calmed down considerably and is doing a beautiful job playing with dynamics. She got a tiny bit shouty at the end, but that jazzy interpretation of a Beatles classic was VERY nice. Beautiful phrasing and intonation from Malaya. And she performed it well. DARK HORSE. Keith loved her vibrato. When she hits that right place, her personality comes through. He saw her spirit. Jlo feels her voice really stands out when she’s got her voice under control. She compares her to a young Michael Jackson. Harry notes her consistent improvement. Harry counsels her to forget stardom and work on her craft. LEARN EVERY NOTE OF EVERY CHORD. He thinks she can become something great. – Call 1 855 4 IDOL 02(1 855 443 6502) or Text 2 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Malaya Watson – Long & Winding Road – American… by IdolxMuzic
Sam Woolf – Hey There Delilah by the Plain White Ts Sam calls Idol his “first job.” Dude is literally surrounded by lit candles. Don’t set the band on fire! The song is arranged a little differently. It’s a good thing that Sam is changing it up. But I’m still pretty bored by his performance. I’m not feeling the longing of the lyrics. He needs to be the guy who misses his girlfriend SO SO MUCH. Sam could be singing about washing dishes, and his phrasing would probably be the same. It’s simple. Sam is NOT ready for prime time. Jlo thought he sounded great singing it. She asks if he has anybody in mind when he sang it. She hits the nail on the head. There needs to be a Delilah! Harry liked the stripped down version. This is how he sees him. But he also agrees with Jlo. No connection to the lyrics. Keith advises him not to be so specific with the notes. He needs to loosen the edges. – Call 1 855 4 IDOL 12(1 855 443 6512) or Text 12 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Sam Woolf – Hey There Delilah – American Idol… by IdolxMuzic
Jessica Meuse – Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac – Jessica is her own roadie. And sometimes, she only plays to the bartender. She also loves to hunt. “When the end of the world comes, you’re going to want the redneck on your team.” She’s got a point. The danger here? Jess sounds so much like Stevie Nicks, it’s going to be hard to avoid sounding karaoke. And indeed, this is a serviceable rendition, but she’s not bringing one single new thing to it. Harry is a fan of Stevie Nicks. He thought she did a nice job. It’s his favorite performance. He liked seeing a different side to her. He felt she connected to the lyrics. Keith felt she was uncomfortable without her instrument (Jess usually plays her guitar. She admits it felt odd to sing without it). She needed to find a way to pull us in, by moving around–putting on some kind of a performance. Jlo feels that her confidence is growing. She agrees with Keith, she has to find a way to draw us in through her performance. Stevie COMMANDS that stage when she’s on it. Jessica paled by comparison. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 10(1 855 443 651o) or Text 10 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Jessica Meuse – Rhianon – American Idol 13 (Top 9) by IdolxMuzic
CJ Harris – If It Hadn’t Been For Love by the Steel Drivers – CJ is back in his wheelhouse, country blues, and he’s faring much better than last week. He’s got an acoustic band around him, including an upright bass. That the song is unfamiliar works in his favor, because he’s still having pitch problem. The performance has energy, and soul. I believe what he’s singing. If CJ makes an album, I hope it sounds something like this. Keith felt it was a clever song choice. He likes his soulful sound. He advises him not to confuse the sound of his voice with actual feeling (that’s interesting advice, but I felt CJ connected to the lyrics). Jlo thought it was a good choice too. She thought it was off in the middle. He needs to work on consistency. Harry compares performing to juggling. He knows CJ has good ears. He MUST work on his pitch. It was a good performance, but he has the potential to do even better, says Harry. – Call 1 855 4 IDOL 05(1 855 443 6505) or Text 5 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
CJ Harris – If It Hadn’t Been For Love… by IdolxMuzic
Caleb Johnson – Dazed and Confused by Led Zepplin – Caleb says it’s all about the hustle. He wants to be the front man of a rock band, so this is his week! This song is 100% in Caleb’s wheelhouse. It allows him to show off those big impressive vocals. He’s a natural up there. For the first time tonight, I feel like I’m actually watching and listening to a band. Vocally, he’s working off them beautifully. The only thing: It’s like a Zepplin tribute performance. He didn’t change it up much. But as spectacle, that was pretty hot. Jlo calls the performance sexy. She hadn’t seen that before from Caleb. Harry says Caleb is so lucky to have a great band to play with. Harry doesn’t know how Caleb could have sung it better. “The other competitors are going to have a hard time with that,” he says. Keith noticed that he really pulled the band out. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 13(1 855 443 6513) or Text 13 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Caleb Johnson – Dazed & Confused – American… by IdolxMuzic
Jena Irene – Bring Me to Life by Evanescence – PERFECT song for Jena. This is the Jena I hear in her pre-Idol videos. She played with a band all through high school. The experience shows here. She plays off the band. Her unique vocals are in full force here. Very powerful. It’s the first time I’ve liked her without an instrument. I think the band helped her loosen up and bolstered her confidence. Harry says Jena managed to follow Caleb. He liked the way she used the stage, worked the band and the audience. Keith says she delivers every week. She’s got her own lane. Jlo says she sounds phenomenal, but wanted her to be a little more messy. Jlo drops the F bomb to demonstrate. Jena says she was crapping her pants thinking about following Caleb. Heh. Call 1 855 4 IDOL 08(1 855 443 6508) or Text 8 to 83676 – Download from iTunes
Jena Irene – Bring Me To Life – American Idol… by IdolxMuzic
