Parts of this review made me laugh out loud. I won’t tell you which. Heh. Check out the Toronto post for more stuff…
I have pretty much kept myself unspoiled with previous performance videos except several of them. Since the tour this year get rave reviews from the fans, I went to the concert with a relatively high expectation. It turns out there are a few surprises at who I really enjoyed.
Chikezie Eze: One of the best performers of the night. He should definitely placed higher in the competition. His set is the best suitable to open for the concert, very high energy. In his Ray Charles song I am reminded of, well, Ray Charles. It is sad that Toronto people are a cynical bunch and didn’t respond to him with more cheers.
Ramiele Malubay: Poor Ramiele had mic problem between her first song and second song. She is probably the weakest in the bunch tonight, both vocally and performance-wise. One of the worst thing in concert is your voice is almost completely drawn by the band. Ramiele’s set is one of them.
Michael Johns: Very charming performer. I think his set is one of the most balanced of tonight, including anthemic rock songs, blues, and a great rendition of …Dream On. His three songs have demonstrated different aspects of his styles, and all of them are gold while at the same time his performance is so at ease. He definitely should be a frontman of a band.
Kristy Lee Cook: Understandingly, Kristy didnt sing …God bless USA in Canada. She said that the band and her made a little change last night and sang …Anyway instead. She moves around beautifully on the stage, but didnt impress me vocally at all. This came as a surprise because I thought Id enjoy her more. …Forgettable is the key word here.
Carly Smithson: Carly is a great, great singer. She sings with passion and performs amazingly throughout her set. Her voice reminds me of Kelly Clarkson. But this might precisely be her problem: there is already a Kelly Clarkson. I wish she could find her own unique sound in the future, because that voice shouldnt been wasted.
Brooke White: You know who is the best in the first set for me? Brooke White. This is such a surprise because I didnt expect to enjoy her so much. Her voice is absolutely beautiful in person. Her playing piano while singing gave out the singer-songwriter vibe, and it is believable. I cannot believe 19 hasnt picked her up yet. She so deserve a record deal.
Jason Castro: Jason entry is the least dramatic of all. In the dark a person walk into the center stage. The light came on and here stands Jason! But a lot of girls scream for him! I enjoyed …Crazy the most, when Jason sings with many emotions yet kept his signature laid-back attitude. Personally I think he should substitute another song with …day dream. The tour is a great opportunity and he need to demonstrate he has other great skills than playing guitar and singing songs of similar styles. Some potential record executives might be watching.
Syesha Mercado: Surprise, surprise. Syesha is a genuine, passionate, and beautiful singer, contrary to her personality which is often regarded as bitchy. I can definitely see why she is the last girl standing: because she is the best singer of the girls. I got chills during her last song. She stood there and poured her heart out into that song. Toronto loves Syesha and gave her a big reception. She deserves a career in singing, be it a role in musical or an album.
David Archuleta: This is the best vocalist of the night and obvious crowd favorite. His set demonstrated both his serious side (Apologize) and the fun side (Stand by Me/Beautiful Girls). His performance skills still have a lot to improve, but he is a lot more at ease when he singing while moving around. It feels like Archie set went by so fast and you are left wanting much, much more. The crowd loved Archie and gave him the loudest screams.
David Cook: Cook tries very hard, perhaps too hard. At one time his facial expression appears to be surprised/angry as if wondering why the audience didnt respond better. He has a monotonic set with five very loud rock songs. Half of the audience is very enthused but the other half sitting there, not moved at all. Is he wearing something like a …crotch enhancer like Constantine? Because it is especially obvious during …time of my life when he doesnt have a guitar. It kind of awkward, but I guess it plays right to his audience. By the way he should give credit to the leading guitarist in the band, rather than go around imitating those moves as if he playing the solo himself.
