Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
‘AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE’: Blake takes the cake
The “American Idols Live” concert is like spending a fun evening singing karaoke with some of your good friends, except that all of “A.I.” Season 6’s Top 10 can sing better than any of your friends or you. And none of them are drunk.
Based on audience reaction, beat boxer Blake Lewis (right) is San Diego’s favorite. Granted, young girls scream loudly, but Blake had the audience on its feet with his creative and entertaining beat-boxing feats. Chris Richardson, Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, Melinda Doolittle and military man Phil Stacy also proved popular with the crowd.
Here’s how the three-hour evening (including the late start and intermission) went down:…
….Unfortunately, there is a more than 30-minute intermission for some unknown reason, and during the break, videos of Daughtry’s “Home, ” Kellie Pickler’s “Red High Heels” and Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” are played … again. Would it have been too difficult to play videos from other “Idol” contestants? Hello? Kelly Clarkson anyone?….
Live Review: American Idols Live in Glendale, AZ
American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks made a triumphant return to her hometown of Glendale, AZ, Wednesday (7/19) as the Top 10 finalists entertained a nearly full house at Jobing.com Arena….
….Runner-up Blake Lewis charmed television audiences with his beat-boxing skills, but live it was incredibly overdone, with nearly every one of his songs featuring his forte. It was subtle in his cover of “Time of the Season, ” but the overwrought beat-boxing eventually was like nails on a chalkboard.
Shortly after an intermission, Stacey and Sligh, among others, pushed the audience to audition for season seven of “American Idol.” The self-promotion feel of it didn’t fit well within the show.
It’s unclear whether Sparks will be as successful as former Idols Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson, but at 17 she has the poise, grace and talent of someone 10 years older.
Elliott Yamin: Third Power
The ”American Idol” contestant just missed the cut for season 5’s final two, but he’s not complaining with his sparkling new teeth and the payoff from a bold decision to ”go indie”: a surprise hit with ”Wait For You”
…As luck ‘ and hard work ‘ would have it, Elliott’s first single, ”Wait For You, ” is an unexpected hit, and with a new shaggy ‘do and (gifted) $50, 000 veneers, he looks poised to be the next solo pop star to break out of the Idol mold. We caught up with Elliott at a cafà © near his home in Los Angeles to talk shop…
@genda
….THURSDAYOne more argument that Taylor Hicks never should have won season five of “American Idol”: Elliott Yamin. Sure, the soulful crooner had the nerve to chew gum during his set last summer when the “Idol” tour rolled into the Rose Garden. But, hey, Yamin managed to make more than a few swoon in the sold-out arena…..
Pop Listings
…BOYZ II MEN, RUBEN STUDDARD (Monday) Yes, Boyz II Men, the 90s R&B croonmasters ‘ reduced to a trio after one member, Michael McCary, left because of chronic back problems ‘ are playing a free concert in Brooklyn with Ruben Studdard, the portly …American Idol winner. At 7:30 p.m., Wingate Field, Winthrop Street, between Brooklyn and Kingston Avenues, East Flatbush, (718) 469-1912, brooklynconcerts.com. (Sisario)…
‘Glad to be working, ‘ Field says of Emmy nom
…The prolific Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of Fox’s “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance, ” both of which scored nominations, said the news was “delightful, isn’t it? I’m really happy with it. The live finale of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ is tonight, so it’s a tough day.” “Idol, ” nominated 29 times since its 2003 start but with no wins to date, is a team effort, he said. “The worst thing is when you’re not nominated. It’s sort of a ritual and it’s terrific and fantastic to be nominated, and we don’t think, ‘We’re going to win!’ Each year, we say it can’t be ‘The Amazing Race’ again and then we go congratulate ‘The Amazing Race.’ It’s a shame we all start with the same ‘A’ vowel. My ass is always half off of the seat when they start to read the winner and you hear the ‘Aaaa’ sound.” Remarking on the previous season of “Idol, ” Lythgoe said, “With ‘Idol Gives Back, ‘ we really went to town and had some good mentors: the editors; the camera teams; the director, Bruce Gowers, who doesn’t know what’s going to hit him every week.” He said that shooting for four days in Africa and on locations in the U.S. like New Orleans “was like two finales, and we were continuing to do the show, and a lot of hard work went into it.” Next up, “Idol” starts production at month’s end with the San Diego auditions as well as the start of another Lythgoe show, Fox’s “The Search for the Next Great American Band….
Emmy tidbits: From ‘Idol’ to ‘SNL’
…The good news for “American Idol” on Thursday was the same as the bad news: seven Emmy nominations, its second-highest total ever, including a fifth consecutive in the reality-competition category. What could be bad about that? Only that “Idol” has lost all 22 of its Emmy races. Were “Idol” to lose in all seven of its nominated categories, it will beat the all-time record for Emmy futility of 25 winless noms set by “The Bob Newhart Show.” All the top-rated show needs to do to avoid the dubious achievement is win once, but that could well prove too tall an order for a season that gave us Sanjaya…
Hicks gave heart and soul to his shot on Idol
It been just over a year since Birmingham, Ala., native Taylor Hicks won first place in the fifth season of American Idol. He since performed for an American Idol tour, two solo tours, released his self-titled major-label CD debut and published a book about his life, Heart Full of Soul.
The just-released book, the touring singer said from near Waukegan, Ill., …it about beating the odds and working 10 years for that one shot, that one opportunity. When it happens, you have to make the best of it.
Of course, Hicks shot was American Idol, starting with Idol auditions in Las Vegas. How he got to Vegas is a story unto itself……..
Former Idols are coming to Mohegan Sun Casino
Every Wednesday this summer will bring a former “American Idol” contestant to Mohegan Sun. The idols will serve as judges for the Juke Box Hero Singing Competition which begins at 6 p.m. on the rooftop of the Riverview Garage each week.
Immediately following the judging, the former idols will be available to meet fans and sign autographs from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in The Shops Concourse. This month’s lineup finishes with Trenyce on July 25. Trenyce was an American Idol from season two.
Local woman to sing at Fenway
…Beardsley has performed in The Weston Playhouse’s production of “Oklahoma!” in 2002, and was with a professional traveling theater company of “Grease” while she still was in high school. She tried out for American Idol at Gillette Stadium three years ago, but came away disenchanted. “It’s chaos. You have to be at the right place at the right time. It doesn’t matter how good you are, ” she said….
Victoria Beckham is no Tinkerbell
…But Victoria thinks Tink is a great idea. Well, of course she does. She’s even suggested that her friend, Lulu, the pop legend of “To Sir With Love” fame, be cast in the movie as her Fairy God Mum. (If this project gets off the ground, Lulu might be the Brit left standing. She guest-starred on American Idol recently and was sensational.)…
‘I feel like an idol’ Chris Daughtry
He might not have taken the prize on last season’s American Idol, but Chris Daughtry has won more than a few bands with his hard-rockin’ band – Daughtry – and a chart-topping album. Listen as he bares his soul to CT…..
