Paul McDonald – Hotel Cafe (VIDEO)

By On 02/22/2012 · 69 Comments · In American Idol, Paul McDonald

Share on TumblrShare via email

Paul McDonald played an acoustic gig Tuesday night at Hollywood’s Hotel Cafe, where he debuted some new music. His wife, actress Nikki Reed sat in the front row and eventually joined him onstage for a duet.

In “Dollar Sign”, he tells 19 Entertainment to kiss his ass! Stay clazzy, Paul, while you walk those red carpets you wouldn’t have been otherwise walking with your new bride. Geez.

Having said that, his songs are actually pretty good.

Via Yahoo Music

Dollar Sign

Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed – “All I’m Asking”

Paul McDonald – “All I Want Is Someone”

Tagged with:
 
← Older Comments
  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MV64BS4FSISCASL4P656RXAFYQ Kayla

    “I’m making minimum wage and we’re packin in 15 thousand a night.”

    I would take the “minimum wage” he got last summer along with the job to sing for my paycheck any day.

  • http://twitter.com/IHartHales Tyra Reinhart

    I really really love Pauls music to be honest. And I adore his voice.

  • Anonymous

    Even as a kid I had heard stories about how hard the music/acting
    business was on people. That was years before the internet revealed in
    horrifying detail just what does go on.  I cannot fathom how anyone
    knowingly participates in something like Idol and not have some clue.
    Maybe I can see giving teens a break, as many are often too sheltered or
    caught up in the newness of the world to think to investigate.

    Paul isn’t a novice.  He’s been in a band for 7 years, has put out an EP
    and 2 albums, and has participated in a great number of industry events
    before ever appearing on Idol, including touring the country. He should
    have known better, and to not check up on what he was getting himself
    into is an amateurish mistake. A mistake he could have avoided with 10
    minutes and Google.

    More over, Idol (and 19) are no more evil than any other business. It’s
    not as if the rest of the entertainment world is all sunshine and
    puppies, while TPTB for Idol have somehow managed to perpetrate great
    evils unheard of.  The entertainment world is harsh, and the fact that
    it chews up and spits people out has been a well worn theme for many
    songs, books and the screen for over 60 years. It’s common knowledge.

    Is it unfortunate that Paul didn’t walk away with the chocolate factory and its swanky glass elevator and singing Lilliputian staff?  Sure. 
    But he didn’t exactly walk away poorer for it.  His second cd would
    never have sold more than a few hundred copies rather than the 9000+ it
    did sell. He would never have met his wife (and the benefits that
    brings), nor would he have gotten the national recognition just with his
    touring.

    So, yeah, I have zero sympathy for Paul. Out of probably every other top 13 contestant, he should have been the most prepared for the industry.  

  • http://twitter.com/IHartHales Tyra Reinhart

    Scotty had about a 3 note range as well.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, he griped publicly but it’s not the same as giving an interview. But he’s coming across as a bit ungrateful — but maybe his comments/song will earn back some cred in the indie circles.

    I’m am surprised he (or his band) did not get signed — he’s experienced performer and songwriter with a band.  He would save the label bucks and time in pulling an album together.

  • Anonymous

    Paul did have the most experience in the music business out of the top 11, and had written and recorded many songs on his own before Idol.  I’m not sure of his age, but he may also have been the oldest out of the top 11.  So maybe in his mind he thought he deserved to win, or at least advance higher than he did, more than some of the kids in the competition that had literally no experience in the music business.  He may feel like he paid his dues more than a lot of them have.  Not saying he’s right, but it just may be how he feels.  I also think he is a little bitter about so many of them receiving decent record contracts and he didn’t. 

    He does come off like he’s a bit full of himself, especially since his marriage to Nikki, but I’ve never been one to agree that they need to be eternally grateful for the exposure they received.  If this is the way he feels, I have no problem with it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kat-Myers/100001011861766 Kat Myers

    I’ve read the comments and listened to $ Signs and now I’m running to the bathroom to vomit …

    How classy Paul … NOT!  And others were called douches *SMH*  King Douche right here.  Come to think of it, King Hypocrite too.  Where to begin?  National exposure, instant fame, premieres and red carpets which netted a famous rich wife. Shake your head at others dissing and complaining but when you do it that’s OK. You’re breaking my heart with the extent to which 19 used you.  Never was a fan per se but REALLY not a fan now.

    While we may like to bitch about 19 and Idol in general, the truth is that it is no different than any other big corporation.  I would venture to say that most people can look at their wages and contribution in relation to corporate profits and see a disparity.  Put in perspective the fact that only 10% of US income earners make between 75 & 100K for a full years’ work.  These kids made at least $50K for 3 months work if the $1,000 figure per concert night is correct.  Add to that the earnings for the live shows, recordings, commercials.  For 9 months work, they did OK, not great, but OK.  They certainly did better than at least 75% of income earners.  The intangible benefits though are innumerable.  I could go on but I think I made my point.  Won’t even bother to comment about friends and using … 

    Yes, he has a right to express his opinion but then so do I.  The guy is a first class jerk.  Wonder what he will say about Nikki if and when they fall out.

  • iani

    “I hear neither a serious musician nor an artist in any of these songs.
    All I hear and see is someone with an inflated sense of himself, who was
    used as filler or fodder and was too stupid to realize it – no way 19
    or Interscope would ever take him seriously enough to sign.”    -Klimat

    Unfortunately I feel the same thing, during his run on the show he had that interesting tone covered by his “sense of himself”; he was there concentrated more to do the funky moves and give those “white teeth”-smiles and not so there to sell himself for the “out of the box” voice. As for the $-sign song, sounds like a late 19th -early 20th century cabaret-satire song(even the piano beat) with Paul’s interpretation as typical frustrated musician who has found a way to express his bitterness for the unfulfilled musical rights.

  • http://twitter.com/Trishdish2001 Trish Martin

    Yes TPTB do make alot of money off of Idol singers, BUT without Idol noone would even know their name.  Catch 22.

  • http://twitter.com/shoriagirl Nina Korol

    I have to agree with Paul on this. 19E is horrible corporation, they don’t treat these kids with respect, so why the kids should respect them?  19E is not classy, why should Paul be?  I absolutely despise producers and judges of Idol, I don’t think that they deserve any respect whatsoever. 

  • Anonymous

    My sentiments exactly.

  • http://twitter.com/KariannHart Kariann Hart

    I was wondering if the higher up the Idol ladder you fall, the more money you get.  The winner and runner-up sing more songs, so should they get paid more?  I know this is a finished thread, so I am wondering outloud.

  • superfudge

    People just don’t get it. Music is a form of expression and you have to give major props to this guy for calling bullshit when we all know it’s there. So what if he met his wife because of Idol…how does that change anything that he’s saying? It’s not like they gave a shit if he found a relationship or not. He was just at that premiere like all the other contestants so FOX could get $$$$ for promoting that movie. Good for him if he found something in a situation he didn’t particularly enjoy. Anyone could tell the guy never seemed to wanna be there. His original audition song was Tutti Fruitti for crying out loud. He probably planned on getting eliminated early and just have a few more people at his shows. As for why he didn’t just leave for one, he’s obviously not gonna disappoint any of his fans who spent hours voting for him and wait to see him every week. Not to mention, there’s probably something in AI’s contact saying you can’t quit unless you hand over your first born or something.

  • http://twitter.com/lufflyness Jenna

    I don’t like Paul but I don’t
    think it’s fair to say that he owes his marriage to Idol. Yes, chances
    are he probably would have never met Nikki Reed if he was never on the show,
    but you can’t attribute the circumstances around a relationship to one
    thing. It’s not like they called her and set them up on a date and made sure they fell in love…

    And you can’t always sum up someone’s entire thoughts in one song.
    Obviously he does have issues with the way 19 does business, which we
    all know is far from perfect or what it is made out to be. This
    particular song he wrote about that side, but for all we know he could
    have another song about how happy he was for things to fall in line to
    let him meet his wife. It’s just one song, not his entire diary.

  • fuzzywuzzy

    Maybe, everyone “deserves respect” as a human being, but sorry, otherwise people earn respect/lose by their actions and behavior and don’t receive it by default.  I think that if Paul had a recording contract, there’s no way that he would be publicly bashing 19 or the show. To me, it’s just sounds like sour grapes and bitterness.    

  • Anonymous

    Maybe he thought he could play along for a while, then likely be voted off early.  I got the impression that Paul went on the show to get publicity for his band, and wound up going further in the competition than he thought he would.  And while he may not have seen that coming, and those contracts are pretty air-tight, so he went with the flow.  That happens every day in our own lives, and I’m not about to call myself a d-bag for rolling with the punches.

    And saying that the Idol machine snagged Paul a wife?  I don’t think so.  If that was the case, lots more Idols would have snagged celebrity spouses by now and that hasn’t happened.

    Some of you think it’s sour grapes; some of us respect his right to express his feelings.  It is what is.

  • Anonymous

    Allison Iraheta could sing along with this little tune. Dollar sign actually rings true for many people – although I would change the lyrics so it wasn’t specifically related to his situation with 19, or the 15,000 part. 

  • Anonymous

    “And you can’t always sum up someone’s entire thoughts in one song. 

    Obviously he does have issues with the way 19 does business, which we 
    all know is far from perfect or what it is made out to be. This 
    particular song he wrote about that side, but for all we know he could 
    have another song about how happy he was for things to fall in line to 
    let him meet his wife. It’s just one song, not his entire diary.”
    I’m with you Jenna, I think we’re taking it too far by saying he’s ungrateful for his time on Idol, although I do understand everyone’s instant reaction to his “bitter” lyrics (a good song btw). I still think he definitely does appreciate the exposure that Idol gave him. I agree the song is only about the post-idol business side of 19. I think you can love your relationship with Idol and still not like some aspects of the business side. It’s like any other relationship. But of course there’s always risk of being judged when you make those feelings public.

    This actually reminds me of when my BFF caught me complaining about my husband  one day. She accused me of not appreciating all that he’s done to help me through school, etc….she said most women would instantly trade places with me. I LOL at her then said: He’s still a supreme jerk sometimes…lol.

    Thanks for posting MJ!…I love these songs…even the duet, surprisingly. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/masewallace Mase Wallace

    paul i swear to god if i had the opportunity you did i’d run with it and never look back

← Older Comments