Mother Nature stalls Earth Day event
U.S. Park Police halted a rain-soaked rally and free concert on the Mall in advance of Earth Day tomorrow when a thunderstorm with lightning entered the area just after 4 p.m.
The event, which drew thousands of environmentalists and music fans, was organized by the Earth Day Network in partnership with the Green Apple Music and Arts Festival and included performers such as the Roots, O.A.R, and Warren Haynes.
Blake Lewis, a past runner-up from the TV show “American Idol” opened the festival and offered apologies for the dreary weather to the youthful crowd.
“I’m from Seattle, ” he said. “I’m sorry. I brought the rain with me.”
Ominous signs for ‘American Idol’
MAYBE it’s not as shocking as, say, Aussie heartthrob Michael Johns getting voted off the show.
But the news still surprises: “American Idol’s” ratings are down. Way down, among some viewers.
Could it be that the singing smash, which has entirely reshaped television over the past seven seasons, is finally proving mortal? And if so, what will that mean for Fox, the rest of the TV industry and Ryan Seacrest’s career?
. . . this season the show has shed nearly one-fifth of women viewers ages 18 to 34 — one of its most important constituencies — and is down a comparable amount among kids 2 to 11. That’s a bad sign, because children and young adults are generally the first to bail on a show that’s getting crow’s feet.
‘Idol’ singers who sing first may not last
First may be the worst for American Idol singers.
The leadoff performer on an Idol finals night stands a disproportionately greater chance of being eliminated than those who follow, according to an analysis of Idol’s seven seasons.
In 69 finals episodes, 20 singers in the No. 1 spot have been voted off, seven more than would be expected based on statistical probability, says Nick Straguzzi, co-founder of WhatNotToSing.com, which collects and analyzes Idol data. In four out of six weeks this season, the first finalist has been in the bottom three, twice being eliminated. “The No. 1 slot is by far the most dangerous for finalists, ” Straguzzi says.
But…we already knew that, didn’t we?
Idol Singer a Ringer? Album Already Out
Back when Cook auditioned in Omaha for American Idol he was identified as a bartender who happened to be a friend of Chris Daughtry, a now wildly successful post-Idol graduate.
It sure didnt seem like Cook had a big career already ‘ albeit regionally. Hed already appeared on a couple albums with a local group, and there was some vague mention of a solo album that hed made himself.
But if Analog Heart is now being offered officially to proper downloading services ‘ and not on just mysterious indie platforms ‘ then Cook has to be behind it. That a first: an album out from an Idol contestant before the contest has concluded. What if he doesnt win?
Clive Davis: Ambush
The situation with Clive Davis at BMG Music on late Thursday caught all of us unawares’ including Davis himself, his loyal lieutenant Charles Goldstuck, and everyone else at Sony/BMG.
Im told that Clive Davis and Charles Goldstuck didnt know until it happened that BMG Rolf Schmidt Holtz pulled the trigger that their careers had been uprooted. Even Davis attorney, Allen Grubman, who knows everything, didnt realize what was happening until it was too late.
Can they beat Archuleta?
Halfway through the finals, the seventh “American Idol” crown is still David Archuleta’s to lose.
Sure, the 17-year-old from Murray, Utah, has shown by a couple of early missteps that he’s perfectly capable of blowing it.
Forgetting the lyrics to the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” could have doomed him if it had come later in the competition. Early on, the flub earned him a little audience sympathy and may have taught him a valuable lesson about how to prepare for a performance in front of tens of millions of people.
There also are rumors of pressure from a domineering stage dad that can have a major impact on the youngest finalist’s song choice and performance.
Pop Tarts: Mariah Carey’s Backstage Ordeal at ‘Idol’
Mariah Carey made her way to the CBS lot on Wednesday afternoon as the guest mentor on “American Idol.” And true to her rep, our girl was quite the diva.
Donning a (typical) tight-fitting outfit, Mariah worked the press area backstage ‘ but it took a little longer than expected. Tech and camera guys apparently were made to put in the extra effort putting up lights and having them angled perfectly, with Carey’s people “double checking” that she was positioned perfectly at all times.
“We had to reshoot one of the questions, ” one cameraman told Tarts. “I had to change the lighting and alter the position and do it again because we went off angle slightly. She has a director of photography with her at all times and can only be shot from the waist up.”
American Idol Songwriter: Who’s Now is it Now
I made the ultimate sacrifice this rainy Saturday morning and listened to the twenty nominees for the American Screenwriter competition for this year …American Idol. Ive come to a few conclusions.
1. The Powers That Be absolutely want David Cook to win. Almost every song was placed there in the songwriting competition with King Daughtry II in mind. While there were a few songs that would fit the girls or Castro (one would actually fit Kristy Sparkles perfectly), hardly any of them made sense for David Archuleta. Is Archu-D2 going to sing about giving in to all temptation? Methinks not. Though it would be awesome if he did.
‘Phantom’ sequel set for London
Broadway icon Andrew Lloyd Webber plans to open his sequel to “Phantom of the Opera” in London in late 2009 or early 2010.
It will be rich with illusions and set in Coney Island, Lloyd Webber said Saturday in an interview before the Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins fight at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He’s been in town checking on his Las Vegas version of “Phantom” and mentoring the six “American Idol” finalists for Tuesday’s episode. They taped the segments at The Venetian. The “Phantom” sequel will be based on the novel “The Phantom of Manhattan” by Frederick Forsyth, who will collaborate.
‘Idol’ proves just the ticket for Broadway-musical roles
Last year, TMZ.com snarkily asked “Is Broadway the American Idol Graveyard?”
Fair question (if meanspirited), since seemingly every season has turned out at least one finalist that’s gone on to sing and dance under the bright lights of the Great White Way.
So, why is that, exactly?
“The one thing about Idol even its detractors can’t deny is that most of the contestants are pretty good live vocalists, ” says EW.com senior writer Michael Slezak. “What Idol allows Broadway to do is bring in someone who’s a household name, who can sing pretty well live and hit most of their notes — that’s got to be appealing for Broadway producers.”
Bentley’s homecoming rocks Country Thunder
Pickler warmed the crowd up with a short set that opened with the rocking Gotta Keep Moving and the still-funny Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind.
The women in the crowd related to lines in the second song like “I wonder how these jeans make me look from behind, ” while many of the guys were no doubt applying that concept as they watched the shapely Pickler work the stage.
Standouts of Pickler’s set were the bittersweet Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You and her cover of Tammy Wynette’s classic, Stand By Your Man. Pickler also sang a cover of Patsy Cline’s Walkin’ After Midnight.
The likable singer could benefit by getting another album out soon to beef up the original portions of her concert sets.
Pickler quieted things down for emotional takes on two songs that refer to her challenging childhood, My Angel and I Wonder.
She wrapped things up on an upbeat note with a fan favorite, the girl-power tune Red High Heels.
Alabama Adventure
Alabama Adventure is celebrating its grand opening weekend for the summer season. Officials want to focus on their concert series this year, which has been hugely successful in years past. The concerts start on June 13 when Ashton Shepard will be in town to perform. Over the summer, the park will welcome American Idol alum Phil Stacey, Raven Symone, and Ali and AJ, among others. The park has also teamed up with McDonald’s – you can pick up a coupon at participating locations, and children under ten can get in for free with a paying adult.
Write an ‹idol song
Even when given the chance of a lifetime, Perry Smith wouldnt trade his law practice for a career as a musician.
Smith, of Costa Mesa, is one of the 20 finalists who remain out of a pool of thousands in the American Idol Songwriting Competition. But if he won the competition and all the fame and guaranteed royalty money that comes along with it, he said he wouldnt quit his day job.
…I dont have the patience to be a really good musician, but I do like the songwriting aspect of it, Smith said. …If this competition opens any doors for me I would like to spend a little less time at the office and a little more time writing songs, but it more fun because it doesnt really matter.
London’s mayor? What does Simon Cowell say
This weekend, a woman with 103 ferrets at home singularly failed to make any of the half dozen she had brought with her do anything at all to assist her dream of instant celebrity.
Instead of dancing as she had hoped, they all disappeared off-stage to seek a safe hiding place up the trouser leg of the programme’s presenter, Ant (or maybe it was Dec).
The idea of Britain’s Got Talent is a simple one: a continuous audition process to find as yet unsigned variety acts. There is nothing new about it. It is a glammed-up, big-budget retake of Opportunity Knocks, but with the oleaginous front man Hughie Green replaced by the oleaginous Simon Cowell.
Aussie shows Britain he’s got talent
DRESSED in a skin-tight red bodysuit, Australian Steve Cousins has been labelled “the most ridiculous act ever” on Britain’s Got Talent, but he finally won the judges over.
Cousins, 29, originally from Newcastle in , New South Wales, calls himself the “Balloonatic” and says “I do something very silly involving a big balloon.”
After taking to the stage in a collared shirt to introduce himself to the judges, Cousins disappears off stage and reappears in the body suit, which leaves little to the imagination.
He’s handed a giant red balloon which he proceeds to climb into and bounce on his head. Before long, he’s immersed in the balloon and bouncing to the tune of Oompa Loompa.
Watch what Steve does with the balloon below:
