The Voice – Tony Lucca, Chris Mann – The Plant Report!

Jordis autionning after Lukas Rossi last year, Mark Burnett is using his old Rockstar connections.

I’ve nothing against working musicians with a fanbase and albums auditioning. It’s SO difficult to make a living with music nowadays. These people are struggling a lot to give comfort to their families while pursuing their dreams. 

They deserve it much more than a typical middle-class teen from Idol.

So, these people actually have careers in the entertainment industry. They just want to be bigger voices … so to speak. ;-)

I love Devil Town. I guess The Voice judges aren’t indie rock fans or FNL fans :)
I’m not a fan of pop opera. Chris Mann strikes me as Josh Groban lite. So it’ll be interesting to see if he switches things up

The Voice doesn’t present their competitors as people who have never worked in the business before.  That is one of the reasons why I like the show.  Some reallly talented people are competing.

I really like Chris Mann’s heartless cover, I’ve never heard the song arranged like that. I wasn’t too crazy about his opera style, but it looks like he’s a versatile singer, so hopefully he can change it up a little during the competition. 

Is Chris Mann the same one who sings this highly used track on the “Ice Loves Coco” commercials on E!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htFRYVeKOMc

Michael Slezak pointed out that Tony Lucca was also a cast member on the short lived “Malibu Shores” with Keri Russel.  

My problem isn’t that they give established artists a chance, it’s that the fact that they are “invited” onto the show makes the whole thing look scripted. But, since the show is about the show, and not what happens after, I guess it doesn’t matter.

I think it is clear The Voice is taking a different track then Idol.  They obviously are having more polished experienced performers.  I look at it as many of the top 10 idols from any year could get a place on The Voice and still not win or have any bigger career then they have.  So what does that mean for the less experienced Voice performers.  I think it means good luck you will need it.  It also shows there are many talented performers out there who will never be Bieber, Swift, Clarkson, Gaga, Underwood etc. because the stars never aligned correctly for them.

As far as I’m concerned, they’d only be ‘plants’ if the show pretended that it was relying on cattle call auditions of fresh-faced talent. Instead, they BRAG about recruiting working musicians who just haven’t made the leap to stardom. The open auditions are almost a pre-show wild card where TPTB figure they might get lucky. 

The concept of plant doesn’t have any relevance on this show.

I don’t think it makes it look scripted. I think it helps sell The Voice as the show for people who have “paid their dues” and thus are “artists”. To me it feels like that’s what they are going for… we are the show with the quality talent. Idol sells it self more as the place for the boy/girl next door who sings in the shower, the scrappy young person who just needs a chance and some mentoring by veterans, and they will become a star.

Of course both shows have both types of contestants (its not like Xenia was a veteran) but it’s all about the branding.

Total FAIL in choosing Christina as his coach. She’ll have no idea what to do with him.

I disagree 100%. Christina was the best choice for him out of the two judges he had to choose from. I think Chris has done his research and come to the show with a plan. One of the fundamental problems with this show is that there is no growth arc. They start with a polished audition in front of a big audience, they do a crazy duet, they try to recover from the crazy duet by singing in their wheelhouse and reminding everybody about their audition at top 16 (and avoid being half the contestants sent home), they sing another song in their wheelhouse the next week at top 8 (to avoid being half the contestants sent home), then they sing one crappy original song and one duet and try to win out of the top 4. With no growth arc, there is no strory.

Chris came out last night and played possum. He knows his voice is good enough to get a chair to turn around (and stick out from the crowd which is essential). Then, he survives the battle round by “forcing” himself to be a little more contemporary (which, from the video evidence out there, he can already do). So, top 16 or 24 or whatever, he can come out and try his new found contemporary skills and grow them each week. Fans get behind that kind of stuff. They discovered him when he was just an opera singer and now, with their support, he’s a pop star! He’s planned this thing like a military campaign (and if this isn’t his plan, he should steal it from me).

Chris had to choose between Christina and Cee Lo. For this plan to work, he’s going to have some control over the song he chooses. Anybody who paid attention last year must have come to the conclusion that Cee Lo typically picks the songs and that’s it. I can’t imagine that those sisters wanted to sing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” top 8 night.  Christina wants to play the indulgent big sister, so it should be no problem convincing her to let him have the songs he wants.  Opera boy sings “Heartless” top 8 night (by which time, Dia will be long forgotten or just dismissed as a flop).

BTW If Chris is as smart as I think he is, he didn’t want the Glee kids to tweet him (and asked them not to). While Voice fans don’t care about your prior experience, it’s best not to push that  too much especially when you are building from a “struggling-opera-kid-wants-to-make-terminally-ill-Mom-proud” arc.

I like smart contestants that do their homework and have a plan.

I’ve nothing against working musicians with a fanbase and albums
auditioning. It’s SO difficult to make a living with music nowadays.
These people are struggling a lot to give comfort to their families
while pursuing their dreams.

Selling less than 20K on a major label isn’t going to provide much comfort to their families.

It’s called talent scouting. There’s nothing wrong with it.

I don’t have a problem with experienced performers on singing shows. Idol does it all the time. You could make an argument that the most successful talent show contestants were not professionals like Carrie, J-Hud, etc. But you could also make the argument that some were successful & professionals before the talent shows like Adam, Kelly, Chris Daughtry, etc.

I have more of a problem with “manufactured” scenes. For example, I have a problem with Idol & how Colton Dixon was supposedly “forced to audition” when they found out from his sister he wasn’t auditioning again. I like Colton, but I think this scene was definitely “manufactured” by the producers. Was the scene with Christina suddenly realizing Tony Lucca was an ex-Mouseketters a “manufactured” scene? I’m skeptical she suddenly realized it after he left. But I’m used to “manufactured” scenes on these singing competition shows & reality shows.

Although I’ve never seen an episode of The Voice, I like that they take this approach. There are so many talented musicians out there trying to get their big break and become successful. Sometimes I listen to pop radio and some of the artists on there have marginal talent, but happened to strike the right balance of the right song with the right production at the right time, resulting in radio play.

It all seems a bit disingenuous. The “contestants” are being presented as wanting to finally realize their dreams. Like maybe, after all this time, the mentorship of Adam Levine of Maroon 5 can get Tony Lucca on TV or help him to make records, except … oh yeah!

Same with Chris Mann. As if Christina Aquilera is going to succeed in getting him the connections and opportunities that somehow Glee didn’t. I think they should be upfront about all these people and their ongoing careers, at which they are obviously making a living. Not just unveiling the Tony Lucca backstory because they wanted to use it to see if Christina A. would recognize him.

This show seems to be “inching towards” the “Celebrity” Apprentice or Dancing with the (D List) Stars modus operandi, rather than a competition to discover and mentor new talent.

I think Christina didn’t initially recognize Tony Lucca because it was totally out of context.  Also, on re-watching, the judges are rather far away from the contestants.  As soon as he was walking off the stage and looked at Christina, you saw her face change and she realized and that’s when she got up and ran backstage to find him.  Context matters!  I have run into people I know reasonably well in one context, but out of context, I’m like “how do I know you??”. 

I don’t have a problem with it, precisely because they are so open about it. It sure makes for a show with a lot of good music on it. But, it was obvious to me once Frenchie showed up last season that they weren’t looking for unknowns.  

Welcome to the music business… thousands of good / great singers looking for that “break” – on “Idol” they are supposed to be “new,” on “The Voice” they’re a little / lot further along. Singing competition shows are the “break” but what happens next… ?

A contract doesn’t guarantee anything without good publicity.

i mean..i follow indie music and had no idea who tony was. the term “indie” music has so many different meanings and interpretations from folks anyways.

and i totally remember that heartless cover from a couple of years back.

A contract doesn’t guarantee anything without good publicity.

It also depends if your music is current. There are many Idol, XF, & The Voice contestants that can sing, but wouldn’t do well in the current music industry. In the current music industry, it doesn’t matter if you can sing well, but if you have the right songs & music & are marketable right now. Simon said years ago that Aretha Franklin wouldn’t succeed anymore if she came out right now. I agree. Great singing does not necessarily make you a successful artist anymore.

I don’t have a problem with it, precisely because they are so open about it

Well, they are and they aren’t. They admit that they have some experience, but not the extent of that experience (acting on TV shows and having their music featured).

Chris was presented as a struggling opera student trying to make his dying mom proud. If they gave us his entire resume, we would conclude that she is already totally proud. Chris could have been presented as “Glee Warbler who has done specials with David Foster, sold lots of music and has a commercial running on E!”, but he wasn’t. Why not if they are totally open? Because he’s already more successful than most in the biz.

Same with Tony. They presented him as this sad little man with his family that once shared a stage with Brit and Timberlake and Christina herself, but he got left behind while they became mega stars. How sad. But if we know he was an actor and had his song used on many popular TV shows, he’s no longer this sad guy paying bars while watching his friends succeed. He is already more successful than most in the biz. Why not tell his true story if they are open?

They are playing both sides of the fence on this one. Sure, they tell us they have found these sad little plants, but they really have rather large trees.

…and don’t forget Jermaine Paul, Alicia Keys’ well known background singer who later started opening up for her when his album was released during her worldwide tour. I think the Voice is perfect for people like him…Alicia tried her best to help his star rise, in my opinion. And when he tried out for A11 Season 7, the “plant” outcry was so loud…which is why I think he dropped out.

In concert with Alicia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfNMhkVnldg
AOL session with Alicia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLXd4C2YTz4
His single, Airplane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Hk4hrO4bM

BTW If Chris is as smart as I think he is, he didn’t want the Glee kids
to tweet him (and asked them not to). While Voice fans don’t care about
your prior experience, it’s best not to push that  too much especially
when you are building from a
“struggling-opera-kid-wants-to-make-terminally-ill-Mom-proud” arc.

I don’t see enough evidence to peg him as that Machiavellian and cunning yet. What’s more, If the Glee kids tweet about him,  that’s all the more folks who will know about him. Those Glee fans are so die-hard, they may tune in to check out the ex-Warbler. Chris and Lea have more than 1 million followers each. I can’t imagine any hopeful passing on that sort of endorsement.

Besides, his Glee connection will not be a secret for long. Just wait for the “guess which Voice contestant is an ex-Warbler” articles that Glee-loving media sites like EOnline and TV Guide will be doing. Very soon.

ETA: Both Chris and Tony were initially presented as contestants with experience who were cast, rather than found at a cattle call. They could have presented more information about them–Chris in particular. I’ll be interested to see if more comes out about both of them in future video packages. Because if I remember from last year, it may have taken a few episodes before we got a contestant’s entire story.

Next season on The Voice: “We have invited Stacy Francis”.

I’m enjoying the show based on invitations to audition; this process itself differentiates TV from AI & XF.  TV is a platform for these singers to further expose their talent to millions of viewers; it is a great opportunity to any singers out there.  As long as those selected do have beautiful voice; I’m happy with this concept.

I actually remember Tony Lucca from Malibu Shores. He also used to be in a relationship with Keri Russell for a long time. I remember when Keri was starting Felicity & it became a hit tv show that Tony was on the red carpet events with her.

Expression “a plant” is used in the entertainment business, when someone gets something mainly due to “connections” on the inside. And associated with some kind of deception.
The Voice makes no secret of the fact that it makes an afford to find interesting characters amongst working musicians, that otherwise probably would not consider to partaking in televised singing competition.
Once upon a time there were music scouts, now it is practically an extinked breed, if tv producers are willing to take on themselves filling the void then god bless them.
There is no deception or favoritism, there for branding this people with a world plant makes no sense semantically or otherwise.

The Voice’s concept of inviting people to audition isn’t a new one. If anyone watched Rockstar on CBS about 7 years ago, they invited people to audition, too. Rockstar was finding a new singer for a band. The show had decent ratings. They had 2 seasons. One trying to find the lead singer of INXS & the other the lead singer of a supergroup with Tommy Lee. So we shouldn’t be giving grief to the show for inviting people to auditon when it’s been done before on a singing competition show.

But, Kirsten, if they spent all that time explaining in great detail every little thing people have done in the industry, we’d never hear anyone sing! I know a lot of them are experienced. Maybe it is just me, but I honestly don’t care about all the background. Just give me a good show. If I like the person who ultimately wins, I’ll buy their music. If not, I won’t. I’m not under any illusion that most of these people are inexperienced.

It was that deception that ticked me off, way back when, on Idol. They always maintained that these contestants were new, undiscovered talent until we all found out that a lot of them weren’t. Just don’t lie to me, you know?

Whatever show we’re talking about, for the most part, they’re people I don’t know and haven’t heard. If the show is satisfied that they meet their requirements, it is fine with me. Can they sing? That’s much more important to me.

But, Kirsten, if they spent all that time explaining in great detail
every little thing people have done in the industry, we’d never hear
anyone sing!

Chris being a Warbler is not a little thing. It’s a big thing and could easily have been slipped into his story, but it wouldn’t have fit with his “struggling Opera singer” schtick. It is certainly more relevant than his talking about Steve Jobs (we don’t need to be reminded about famous people afflicted with the same disease…sigh).

I’m not criticizing his strategy. I think it’s a marvelous plan. I like a well told reality show arc. But, The Voice doesn’t get to play both sides of the fence. They are not totally open about the past. They are open about some of the past. And articles like this one fill in the details about the rest of the past and I enjoy reading “the rest of the story”.

They admit that they have some experience, but not the extent of that experience (acting on TV shows and having their music featured).
They are playing both sides of the fence on this one. Sure, they tell us they have found these sad little plants, but they really have rather large trees.

Maybe, because they are making a tv show not a documentary, and a sob stores are proven to entertain people more then a “previous jobs” lists. 
Hey, even “behind the music” likes to milk their sob stories to the last drop.
It’s entertainment.

But given that people tend to begrudge tv contestants every bit of previous success, maybe producers are wise to withhold some of it.
Otherwise that would put a show in a really silly position, where talented people who worked hard and managed to find a few brakes for themselves were in disadvantage with voters compared to green singers, who’s only accomplishment in music was walking into that audition.

I’d rather watch talented, experienced singers than some that are bad (idol) week after week. Idol has at least a couple of really good singers every year, but they also have some bad ones who made it to the finals. At least you can say The Voice contestants with lots of experience have paid their dues, unlike some idol finalists/winners who are overnight successes without having to go through struggles, rejections.

I guess we’ll just have to disagree. The thing is, I really don’t care about his past experience as long as he sings well and entertains me. The Voice never promised inexperienced people. They say they invited people. That’s sufficient for me. I’m sure many others will agree with your point of view.

Josh Grobin has made a lot of money in his genre. No reason Chris Mann can’t. The Prayer was beautiful. Too bad he can’t sing that on the show. I haven’t heard many guys sing The Prayer, but if they can, it does show how talented they are. I hope Chris makes it far, because he is really talented.

There is no deception or favoritism, there for branding this people with
a world plant makes no sense semantically or otherwise.

I never said there was deception (well, there might be a little, it is a reality show after all) but they are casting, so in that regard, I’d say there was some favoritism vs. the person who auditioned off of the street.

Well, the sad littlle self story only held for a minute and a half; I would actually rather feel good about what Tony has done than feel he got left behind.  Even being on television shows does not make a necessarily steady job for these guys.  I don’t mind how professional these folks are, because, no matter what, they deserve a moment in the sun and it makes for a nice evening of listening.

It was easy to see how manufactured the show is:  The contestants’ songs are diverse stylistically and never clash with each other.  The production is better than Idol and I think the songs are selected by the singer in conjunction with staff for the best presentation.  This show is all about presentation; Idol not so much.  Idol is more of a true amateur hour; the problem is that sometimes the contestants are a bit more amateurish than they need to be.  I think Idol may end up having to step it up a bit.

After last season, I saw The Voice as  pretty much an industry showcase televised to the public. From what I saw of the spoilers, its easy to see they have jumped in on that concept with both feet. Sure your going to get good talent, many of these contestants have either been with a major for an album or two, have an extensive catalog with an indie label or have already shopped themselves to the industry and are a known talent. I expect many of the ones getting cut in the battle Rounds, will be those where The Voice is their first shot at getting notice outside of their local area.

Total FAIL in choosing Christina as his coach. She’ll have no idea what to do with him.

You don’t know that.

I don’t have a problem with plants. I’m interested in hearing what Chris can do, and I hope Christina gives him some freedom with his songs and arrangements to pull a Dia and go far. And yea, I loved Jordis!

Wow. That Devil Town track is one of the most memorable from Friday Night Lights, a show with great music.

Funny enough, I liked the two of them best. I don’t know that I have a problem with it. I recognized Tony Lucca right away and knew of his past story, plus from hearing him on last.fm, I knew I liked his music.

Another one coming up – spoiler alert -

Angel Taylor. She had a mini-hit sort of with Like You Do in 2010, and opened up for Kris Allen and Barenaked Ladies during their shows together that summer.

The Voice is about itself and not about truly finding and promoting a winner.  None of last years talent have been promoted and nor have they been successful. That said I enjoyed last nights show.  I really liked Juliette and Chris and Tony.  They will be interesting contestants and they can sing.  Hoping they have a few non polished finds like Xenia.  I found her so compelling and her voice unique. Bought her EP and I enjoy it.  I am so excited to read that Jordis Unga will be a contestant. She was one of my favorites from Rock Star.  Her version of Heart Shaped Box was so incredible.  Looking forward to seeing her. 

I loved Jordis too!  I don’t mind the experienced singers as long as they aren’t pushed as newbies.  Even though they might not sell much or get a good contract, from the videos of last year Voice contestants on their website, they got good exposure and bigger crowds to their events, more recognition.  If thats all they get from being on the Voice, then they are better off then they were before, probably make more money, so its all good.   People dont have to become superstars to make a decent living doing what they love.  This is what I really love about these singing shows, it betters so many lives, even if its marginal, better is better.

Melinda Dolittle tweeted last night that she knows a few people who have made it onto the show and will therefore be watching and tweeting about it. I’m loving what Melinda is doing with Idology and Slezak so she might be worth following.

I think one of the folks who she knows is from her season of Idol but I don’t remember the name.

Plus a girl named Angel Taylor who opened for Kris and The Barenaked Ladies last year (and who also had a record deal and a song that charted on HAC) has been tweeting that she will be on the show too.

In a way I see all these “semi-professionals” as another way that The Voice is differentiating itself. Not better – just different.

Angel Taylor is auditioning?!? I saw her open for Adele and have her debut album. She’s fantastic. Her single was played on Hot AC/AAA, I heard it a few times. She would be one of the most successful “plants” I think.

Wow angel taylor was a featured artist in vh1 for months back in the winter of 2010 and they kept her video on the top 20 countdown for a long time. Interesting.

Juliette Simms band, Automatic Loveletter, has several videos with hundreds of thousands views and one with more than 1 million views. She’s also girlfriend of Andy from the Heavy Metal band called Black Veil Brides and Cee-lo said once he loves Black Veil Brides ( few people know, it’s quite awkward, but Cee-lo is a huge metal/rock fan). 

And I just saw that Tony lucca has more than 500.000 followers on twitter. that’s almost the same thing of Cee-Lo. lol

These contestants aren’t plants – they are just from a different playing field; and they all seem to be from the same broad playing field. Have you ever used the ITunes app “Band of the Day”? Who knew there were so many really, really good indie bands and artists who have recorded songs and mini-albums. They have great resumes and reviews – but they are unknown. 

I think of “The Voice” contestants as being similar…

I never thought I would enjoy plants and producers’ puppets, but I really am. They are talented people and this so far has been 10x more entertaining than watching the desperate losers who want and receive their five minutes of fame with joke auditions on Idol or X Factor.

It seems when you have a feature on VH1 and they play your music – then you have made it.  I am enjoying the show and the fine singers; however, an element of support is missing.  I am totally impressed with Chris and Tony but didn’t realize how much professional experience they have had. 

Comparing the judges on The Voice to the judges on The X-Factor shows me that Simon didn’t know what he was doing with that show.  I do not like his style of judging.

Interestingly — both Chris Mann and last season’s country singer Patrick Thomas study(ied) with the same voice teacher at Vanderbilt (Patrick is still a junior there, finishing his studies).

Wait are you telling me that Angel Taylor is one of these contestants, REALLY? She was already a VH1 You Oughta Know Artist … UGH!

HAHAHA!

Chris Mann’s version of Heartless is terrific. I just bought it on iTunes along with several of his other songs. According to some of the comments on iTunes, he also toured with Idina Menzel. I, for one, don’t care if he has experience. He has a gorgeous voice. I’d never heard of him and now I’m a fan. I watch these shows to find someone I like to listen to, and I don’t care how they got there.

Kirsten, Chris Mann is a huge Mac person & was very upset at the loss of Steve Jobs.  My Mom also died from pancreatic cancer and it does help to mention “the cancer that Steve Jobs” had to people.  There isn’t a lot of awareness.  I know that from my own experience.

Chris is a very talented singer, song writer & piano player.  I CAN NOT wait to see what he does next.  I think America will be shocked he’s more than just Opera.

I’m weirded out by Tony Lucca getting 500k followers in a day.  A friend told me about it, and since she’s a fan, I didn’t want to say this to her.  But, there’s something bogus about it.  Lyndsay P is up to a whopping 5 k followers, and she generated a ton of internet buzz.  1/2 a million? Idols don’t generate those numbers… certainly not in a day. Isn’t Kelly Clarkson up to 800k now or something along those lines?  I’m just having a hard time believing it happened organically. Particularly since his twitter account is not @tonylucca, but is @luccadoes.  People buzzing about him online are using the @tonylucca handle.  So it’s very strange.  What could it be? A twitter error?  Did someone hit the account with a spambot attack?  I like the guy, but those numbers just do not add up. (Pun intended.)

Tony Lucca has been around and performing for a while. Here is a history of his twitter followers. He had over 600,000 in January of 2010. http://twitaholic.com/luccadoes/

Ah! Thank you, jan. So my friend was incorrect. It just did not make sense for someone to gain that many followers.  Nothing against him as I think he’s fantastic, but …well, you know.

there are moments on the song that the timbre of his voice actually reminds me of kris allen’s. chris mann definitely showed a greater vocal range during his audition but the thought that he can dial it back and away from his opera training is quite refreshing.