American Idol 2018 Recap – Hollywood Week 1 Live Blog (VIDEOS)

We’ve got a TON of Spoiler posts linked on the left side bar. Gonna link a few below. NO SPOILER DISCUSSION ON THE LIVE BLOG. Keep spoiler chatter confined to spoilers posts’ comment sections. Giving results away during the live blog will result in an instant banning. Thank you for your cooperation.

American Idol 2018 Spoilers – Top 14 Contestant List
American Idol 2018 Spoilers – Top 24 Contestant List
American Idol 2018 Spoilers: Showcase Round Contestants Revealed (Top 50 Song Spoilers)

The contestants arrive in Hollywood. Ryan Seacrest commandeers the bus. LINES OF 10 are first. Ooohhhh. Next, it’s the dreaded group round. Solo rounds follow. “This week we separate the singers from the superstars,” says Luke.

The judges welcome the group from the stage. It’s a pep talk, but also a warning. BRING YOUR A GAME PEOPLE.

On day one, performers sing one by one, after ten, they line up and singers are sent home.

Layla Spring – Last Kiss – She’s the teen country singer with the cute little sister Dyxie.  She’s hyped! Not ready to go back home to Kentucky. She sings that creepy Pearl Jam cover “Last Kiss” while accompanying herself on guitar.

Alyssa Ragu – Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler – She’s only 15, but possesses a voice beyond her years. Her song is dedicated to her dad. Kind of a weird song choice. But it’s an a cappella performance and absolutely beautiful. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVNTJali1pk

Trevor McBane – Washed by the Water by NEEDTOBREATH – Goat farmer! He dresses in black from head to toe. And loves his gran. His gritty style wins over the judges.

Caleb Lee Hutchinson – Don’t Close Your Eyes by Keith Whitley – It’s another teen country singer with a rootsy vibe.

Decision time. Trevor, Alyssa, Layla, Caleb step forward. THE FRONT ROW GOES THROUGH. The rest head home. Sads. 

Noah Davis –  Mama Knows Best by Jessie J – He’s the WIG dude. He’s longing to leave the farm. Because he’s GOT TO BE ME. If you know what I mean. He’s also a big Alpaca fan.  He sings a super bluesy a cappella version of Jessie J’s hit. He’s a keeper. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRdLjX2ZIH4

Milo Sposato –  The brothers will perform in a line together. Will they both make it? SPOILER ALERT! No, they will not.

Julian Sposato – What was that song? They probably both should be eliminated.

Tippy, Noah, Milo, Julliani step forward. THEY ADVANCE. Dang. The brothers are separated. It’s good old fashioned IDOL DRAMA. Julian is eliminated.  The brothers hug it out.

Kennedee Rittenhouse, Joshua Ward, Krysten Harris are ELIMINATED. So. Many. Tears.

Next it’s a montage of contestants telling jokes from the stage. Really bad jokes. Catie says she gives good hugs. The judges test her out. They agree. 

Catie Turner – Come Together by The Beatles – She’s so QUIRKY. She’s all agog over the cute boys with their guitars. THERE ARE SO MANY. She’s into Zach for some reason. “He’s funny, he’s nice, he dresses cool.” OK then. Zach says they became buddies. And as weird as she is, Catie takes control when she takes the stage. She’s a total original–a real talent. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI_gXTWrQSc

Zach D’onofrio – Cry Me  a River – Katy remembers dancing with Zach! He’s up for a re-do.  Oh boy. Remember those tips Luke gave Zach during his audition? About singing behind the beat like Sinatra? He took none of them. He bellows the entire song sans any discernible rhythm. Catie’s heart is about to be broken.

William, Brandon, Catie advance to the next round. Unsurprisingly, Zach is eliminated. Katie is so upset. She wanted to be in a group with Zach. Aw. Zach knows he blew it. Poor kid.

Maddie Poppe – Dreams by Brandi Carlile – She’s mesmerising the crowd, says Ryan. She’s the real deal–Beautiful tone and a voice that tells a story. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oir2wJmLDv0

Cade Foehner – The Thrill is Gone by BB King – He used to work with horses, until he broke his leg. Then this Texan took up music and his life has never been the same. It’s the first look we get at Cade. His sound is gritty, arresting. Why didn’t we see his audition? Hm.

Cade and Maddie advance to the next round.

Jonny Brenns –  Somebody Else by 1975 – His parents had no idea he was auditioning. But now, his mom is here. But not his dad, sadly. Oh. It appears poppa doesn’t approve. Cool song choice. He accompanies himself on piano. Unlike his audition, I am now officially impressed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLVlJ96IcNU

Grace, Satya are eliminated. Jonny advances!

Jurnee – You Don’t Do It For Me Any More by Demi Lovato -Her wife is getting ready to deployed and can’t be with her in Hollywood. Jurnee sings the heck out of that Demi Lovato song.  

Dennis Lorenzo – Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran – He has tied the knot since his audition. Unfortunately, his family couldn’t be with him in Hollywood. Dennis delivers a winning acoustic cover. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_RPeargmXY

Dennis and Jurnee are through to the next round! They call their wives to share the good news.

Trevor Holmes – Riptide by Vance Joy – Oh. Here’s the dude Katy flirted with during the auditions. Let the twitter outrage begin *EYES ROLL*.  “Katie I’m watching you,” the girlfriend yells from her seat in the audience (KIDDING!). “He’s not your fiance,” quips Katie. Hoo boy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnVoYZvJWIs

And Katy can keep flirting. Trevor advances to the group rounds.

David Francisco – Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 – He got hit by a car shortly after moving to Nashville and has been slowly recovering since. He throws away his canes as he takes the stage. Good for him. I forget that Maroon 5 used to sound like THAT. David had a few pitchy moments. His audition was much better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pwbx5Jho9g

Ashley, David, Chad step forward. David and the rest of his line are eliminated. He realized he didn’t do his best. Griffin Tucker, Daniel Ethridge, Cameron Theodus are also eliminated. Not Daniel! Boo. I really liked his audition.

Effie Passero, Ada Vox, Maddie Zahm, Marcio Donaldson, Laine Hardy, Garrett Jacobs, Mara Justine advance

The group rounds are next! 

Group round of course, is more about the contestants character and ability to deal with stress than vocal ability. Katy calls it a crash course in show biz. “It’s time for the real stars to stand out and shine.”

God’s Diversity – Michael J. Woodward, Thaddeus Johnson, Shannon O’Hara, Kourtney Smith – Rather be by Clean Bandit – , They were up all night! And they aren’t feeling cohesive.  But they’re good. They approach the judges singing a cappella everyone is charmed. Katy calls it “spirited.” – Shannon, Michael, Kourtney, Thaddeus all advance. Their fifth member is eliminated. We never see her. She must have been bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5oMggADsy8

Music director Michael Orland declares the morning “A TOTAL DISASTER.” Uh oh. 

The Gurope – Marcio Donaldson, Maddie Zahm, Cesley Parrish, Samuel  James – Staying Alive by Bee Gees – Michael chastises them for forgetting the lyrics. The group isn’t getting along. Lionel gives them advice. You’ve gotta dig deep. Sing even when you don’t feel it. Cesley has a weird whispery voice. The words are still not coming. They just make them up!  Lionel says making up a song on the spot is the right thing to do! Cesley, Maddie, Marcio advance. Samuel is eliminated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsHrJzMCE-E

TACO  – Catie Turner, Alyssa Ragu, Khaya Robinson, Victoria McQueen – LA LA LA by Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith – The name came from a play on words I still don’t quite understand. “You’ll be talking about us” or something. Lionel describes how they named the Commodores. Had to do with a play on the word “commode.”  Solid group performance. Catie, Alyssa, Victoria advance. Khaya is eliminated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMKoEGJGjNE

Dud groups: Johnny White, Rissa Watson, Samuel Swanson are eliminated. 

Super Dope Hotness – Aname Rose, Deonte Baker, Dennis Lorenzo, William Cassanova Milo Spisoto has a stage mom!   Love Yourself by Justin Bieber -UH OH. She doesn’t like the song. Michael Orland’s side eye is strong. Milo wants to make a last minute change. The group isn’t crazy about that. But Milo appears to be out for himself. Oh Milo gets a big solo on the break. The performance is going well, despite the drama. EVERYONE ADVANCES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u43tUYGKsOc

A montage of successful groups: Ada Vox (She beatboxes!), Kay Kay advance, Gabby Barrett and Christina Jones too. Jurnee and Dominique advance from another group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NH0aJHq-SE

Soul 4’s –  Laine Hardy, Kaitlin Runnels, Mia Disaris, Julianna Madrid  – Love Yourself by Justin Bieber – Lane is the only boy in the group. They can’t decide on a song. He is not digging the choreo–or Justin Bieber. Boo hoo. “Get this kid a plane ticket,” says Michael after Laine forgets the words. Har. He does not have it together during this performance. At all. How did he wind up in this group? He sticks out like a sore thumb. Luke gives Laine a little pep talk afterward. Seriously. He pouted like a baby. Why coddle him? – Laine and Kaitlin advance, Mia and Juliana are eliminated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX5k7QxYJdQ

Don’t Touch – Britney Holmes, Lee Vasi, Gabbii Jones, Crystal Alicea – Me and My Broken Heart by Rixton – Emotions are riding high. Karaoke girl, Crystal, is having problems. Her inexperience is slowing down the group. Nevertheless, the group members are supportive. The ladies manage to pull it together. “You guys have stardust on you,” says Katy, “But unfortunately there is room for only 3 more people.” KATY ASKS FOR A VOLUNTEER. Is she kidding? What the hell. Crystal volunteers to be eliminated. Yes. She is kidding “I was just trying to see your girl power,” Katy says. By pulling a bitchy prank? OK THEN. Important to note: That little twist was mostly likely a producer-engineered prank and NOT Katy’s idea. She’ll get blamed for it anyway. Everyone Advances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpukOiUOcdQ

Next Sunday…Solo rounds! Monday is the FINAL JUDGEMENT. The Top 24 is revealed.