Fans and finalists in perfect harmony
At its best, last night’s three-hour American Idols Live marathon was a vindication. Admittedly, much of it wasn’t. But there were instances ‘ teases, almost ‘ where the concert possessed the level of pop smarts that outpaced the juggernaut TV series from which it was sprung.
One such moment came when David Archuleta blended the 1961 Ben E. King pop-soul standard Stand by Me with a few verses of Beautiful Girls by Jamaican reggae rapper Sean Kingston. On the surface, that might not have seemed like much of a leap, as Beautiful Girls borrows heavily from the lyrical construction of the former hit in the first place. But Archuleta, the runner-up of American Idol’s seventh season, used his comfortable tenor to make the tune a retro vehicle with an honest sense of swing.
‹Awesome journey still holds some uncertainty
Dreadlocked heartthrob Jason Castro had a good night Aug. 9 at the DCU Center. His three-song set, part of the American Idols Live tour, showcased him at his expressive best ‘ although it was sometimes hard to hear the soft-voiced singer above the piercing screams of his devoted fans. …He is so hot, one young woman said to her equally mesmerized female friend as Castro, the fourth-place finisher in season seven of the smash TV show, took the stage.
With practice born of living for months under an unblinking spotlight, however, Castro has loosened up. What at first seemed like an interview that would garner only one-word answers quickly developed into a series of longer, more thoughtful responses that reflected an innate sensitivity, a deep idealism and an intelligence that sometimes is shadowed by his self-effacing nature.
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Music fans pack into park on festival’s second day
Hundreds of country music fans packed Civic Center Park on Saturday, some even several hours before the concerts began.
Rising country music stars Kellie Pickler and Ashton Shepard performed in front of a tightly packed Trails West! crowd.
The concert didnt start until 7:30 p.m., but people were saving their perfect spots hours beforehand.
A group of five girls ages 13 to 15 with matching homemade shirts and a giant homemade sign could be found near the stage.
…We got here around 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m., Tori Blevins said as she held one side of their sign.
The girls were there to see Kellie Pickler.
‘House Bunny’ a girls’ ‘Revenge of the Nerds’
LOS ANGELES — So how do you prepare for a role as one of Hugh Hefner’s favourite Playboy Mansion bunnies?
“Well, I would like to say I slept with Hef, but I didn’t, ” says Anna Faris, producer and star of the girls’ Revenge of the Nerds movie, The House Bunny.
“But I was thinking about three years ago about Playboy bunnies and what happens when it’s time for the next phase of life for some of these girls that have lived in the Playboy Mansion. How do you re-enter the real world?”
Sparks gives X Factor tips
Sparks said: “Make sure you get a lot of sleep, because it is the last sleep that you’ll get. Bring a camera as there will be a lot memories and it will go so fast.”
“Make sure you get a lot of sleep, because it is the last sleep that you’ll get” – Jordin Sparks
She added: “Song choice is definitely key as cliched as that sounds, because if you are singing the wrong song and you are feeling it and nobody else is, it might not work out for you.”
Sparks also said: “You should be yourself, as people will be voting for you, not for someone you are pretending to be.”
