Idols on Tour and in Person

Well, we thought we wouldn't be updating this blog again until January when Season 8 debuts, but we attended our first Idols Live Tour and post-show Meet and Greet, where we met all the finalists except Chikezie Eze, who didn't attend.

The show was a mixed bag. David Cook wanted it to be a rock show, but it wasn't. When someone else from our group got up during Jason Castro's set to go to the bathroom, we told her, "Good choice."

The show ran in the order of contestant elimination, with each of the Top 10 doing a three-song set, except David Archuleta who got four songs and Cook who sang five. Chikezie opened, was very personable and better than expected. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand, that is until Ramiele Malubay followed and almost literally sucked the air right out of the room. Her set was a disaster. Could this be the same little girl who blew us away with "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" on the first week of the AI semis? Thank god Michael Johns was up next. He had everyone going IN-SANE with his Queen set. He got a huge ovation and lotsa love from the mostly female house. At the M&G, he probably had nearly as many people in line to see him as David Cook. Kristy Lee Cook? Much better than on AI. We could have lived without the gratuitous repeat of "God Bless the USA," the anthem that saved her ass on Idol, but loved her opening number. Carly Smithson and Brooke White deserved and received nice receptions. Jason Castro, well, sorry, we weren't impressed and again wondered why he and Syesha Mercado were in those prized fourth and third positions, when it became abundantly clear by their performances that it should have been Michael finishing third, followed by either Carly or Brooke.

Our ears are still buzzing from all the shrieking the 8-year-olds did when David Archuleta took the stage. He was more poised than on AI (saying the same patter at each concert seems to make him a more confident public speaker, though in person at the M&G he was just as giggly as we've come to expect). And though we're not really an Archuleta fan, his set was OK. Our favorite number of his was OneRepublic's "Apologize." As we expected, at the M&G we spotted daddy Jeff Archuleta lurking nearby and asked if we could take a photo with him. After a bit a hesitation, he graciously agreed. That's one for our digital scrapbook, LOL!

The house, of course, went crazy when David Cook took the stage, and he didn't disappoint, performing "Hello," "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," "The Time of My Life," "My Hero" (performed in tribute to his brother Adam) and "Billie Jean." He had the crowd screaming and on their feet by the closing number, a group repeat of Rhianna's "Please Don't Stop the Music," the number the remaining finalists performed on "Idol Gives Back" with the "So You Think You Can Dance" dancers. It was a satisfying ending to the show.

Some Meet & Greet notes: Not that it matters to you guys, but David Cook remembered us from our previous meeting in May. He's remained as nice and down-to-earth as he was then. He not only signed for anyone who asked, but carried on differently -- making funny poses, faces, etc. -- with each fan when he took photos with them. He's a real crowd-pleaser whose mom really brought him up right!

Carly and Brooke's husbands both attended the M&G. Brooke's husband is a handsome hottie who totally mingled with the fans, while Brooke was as sweet as a homemade apple pie and loved posing with the kids. Cute couple. Carly was much smaller and prettier than she appeared on TV and has a beautiful smile. Her illustrated man mostly stayed in the background, but you couldn't miss ID'ing him if you saw him. Jeff Archuleta also stayed on the sidelines, but his ubiquitous white cap gave him away. For someone who generated so much (bad) publicity while AI was running, we were surprised to find he is even shorter than his young son and was also a bit shy (or was that cautious?) when approached.

Michael Johns is a tall, handsome cut-up, joking around with his fans and even got on a friend's cell phone when requested and talked to her daughter. Jason was Jason, that is laid back and friendly, as were Ramiele and Kristy. They were a trio of nice, good-looking kids who fled the M&G earlier than the rest of the finalists after running out of fans interested in meeting them. Syesha? Well, some felt she was nice, others not-so-much, with one friend swearing that her "girls," which were well-displayed during her set, were hard-as-rock and obviously not real. She is a looker, though.

Our camera was acting balky, but we've posted a few photos from the M&G. We'll post more when our friends e-mail the ones they've taken.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2008

American Idol:The Top 4 Results Show

Bottom Two:
Syesha Mercado ("Proud Mary," "A Change Is Gonna Come")
Jason Castro ("I Shot the Sheriff," "Mr. Tambourine Man")


Eliminated:
Jason Castro








Watch video of Jason Castro elimination:


Ryan Seacrest opened the show telling us that the nearly 51 million votes received yesterday was a new high total for the season. He also said, and we don't believe, that the Top 3 were all within 1 million votes of each other. Seacrest also briefly reopened the can of worms over Syesha Mercado's performance of "A Change Is Gonna Come" with the judges. Next, the Top 4 performed Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years," certainly not a memorable rendition but better than last week's horrific Neil Diamond medley.

Watch video of Top 4 group song, Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years":


Right to The Results. Ryan called out David Archuleta, who we thought might be in the Bottom 2 as he was in a dead heat votewise with Syesha according to DialIdol.com. Guess we shouldn't have been surprised (though we were disappointed) when Ryan sent him to safety on the couch.

It's filler time, and we are shown a video of the Top 4 jetting to Las Vegas on a private 737 to see Cirque Du Soleil's Beatles show "Love." David A remarked on the flight, "this is the nicest plane I've ever seen," while lying on the bed in the bedroom (yes, there is one on the jet), Jason told us, "Sleeping in the sky. Woooooooohooooooooo." In Vegas, the contestants were mobbed by fans wherever they went. The trip included "red carpet makeovers" (they contestants didn't look any different to us afterward) and a meet and greet with the cast of "Love."

Watch video of Top 4 in Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's show "The Beatles":


Wasting no time (that will come later), we rushed right back to the results. Ryan called out David Cook, who was, surprise! safe. Which meant the Bottom 2 (or, more accurately, the two left who hadn't yet learned their fates) were Syesha and Jason Castro (as if anyone expected Jason to survive the previous day's debacle). Ryan called them out and appeared to start giving them the results. Jason asked Ryan if he was actually going to tell them then, only halfway through the show. Of course, Ryan wasn't and it was time for a commercial break followed by the Ford commercial. This week it was a bullfight scenario with the Top 4 as matadors and a Ford Mustang as the bull, all done to "Ring of Fire."

Watch video of behind-the-scenes making of the Top 4 Ford commercial:


Watch video of Top 4 Ford commercial "Ring of Fire":


Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we sat through another stupid viewer Q&A session. This was one of the more boring ones (well, honestly, they all are), the highlight of which was when Emily from Pittsburgh asked David Cook for a date when the Idol Tour plays in her city because it also happens to be *happy coincidence!* her birthday. After a guy in audience yells out, "Don't do it," cracking David up, Cook squirms, makes faces, asks what she likes to do, then extricates himself from the embarrassing moment by saying "We'll see." Uh-huh. Other callers inquired about the biggest obstacles the Top 4 has had to overcome, why Simon Cowell hadn't been knighted, how Syesha feels being the only girl in the Top 4, whether the Top 4 has gotten any feedback from artists whose songs they've covered (David C says he heard from Our Lady Peace) and whether Simon had ever acted because the caller thinks he'd be perfect as the next James Bond. Cowell told Seacrest he liked the questions this week, wink, smile.

Watch video of Viewer Q&A asking David Cook on a date:


Next, Maroon 5 performed their new single, "If I Never See Your Face Again," which, on the CD, features Rhianna. We didn't love it and we normally do like their music. Seacrest asked Adam Levine if he had any advice for the Top 4. He told them to get ready to work and that they'll get jaded and hate it, but really they will love it. Swell. Can't wait for fame.

Watch video of Maroon 5 singing "If I Never See Your Face Again":


With another five minutes to kill before Seacrest could boot Castro off the show, Ryan introduced Season 4 runner-up Bo Bice, who sang his new single, "Witness." We've always been a Bo fan, but the song started out really rough. It got better as it went, but never got good enough to become a hit. Ryan asked Bo if he had any advice for the contestants and he told them to practice, practice, practice. We also found out that Bo and his wife are expecting their second child, another boy.

Watch video of Bo Bice singing "Witness":


It was finally time to send everybody home (the loser for good, the Top 3 for their hometown visits and parades, which we'll see next week). As Ryan read the judges' comments from the previous day to Jason, Castro noted that he did, in fact, pack his bags as Simon had advised him to. He also had the funniest line of the night, when he repeated that someone told him that he had shot the Tambourine Man. LOL. Ryan asked him why it's been so tough for him, and Jason said he thought his inexperience was hurting him and that moving up to two songs was difficult. After being eliminated, Ryan told Jason, "I almost feel like you're relieved." Castro said, "There's three songs next week. I don't know what I would've done."

Next week, the Top 3 will each sing three songs – judges’ choice, producers’ choice and finalist’s choice.

RYAN SEACREST CHUCKING "IDOL"?

MSNBC is reporting that Ryan Seacrest is in negotiations to take over Larry King's role at CNN by year's end. The report suggests that Seacrest would be adding this job to his already overloaded radio and TV hosting duties, which is not at all believable. Insiders say he'd likely leave "Idol" after this season, especially because the producers are planning a major retooling of the program.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2008

American Idol Top 4 PerformJason Castro's Hall of Shame

This week's theme was choices from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. At the top of the show, Ryan Seacrest announced that three of the Top 4 had been voted No. 1 at some point during the competition, which proved that a) Syesha Mercardo was indeed No. 1 last week as DialIdol.com said she was (it was the only week she could have logically been No.1) and not in the Bottom 2 as The Evil Puppeteer (Nigel Lythgoe) wanted us to believe, but never actually had Ryan say and b) That Jason Castro was in way beyond his depth, a fact he proved with gusto Tuesday night. Castro, who has been falling apart for weeks, finally imploded last night and will be gone tonight. Overall the performances were solid, but there was nothing that spectacular that we'd want to listen to it over and over again.

First up was David Cook, who sang Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf," and, unlike Paula Abdul, he didn't leave us hungry for more. In his intro, Cook said that the song didn't immediately jump out at him, but the more he listened to it the more he felt it could work for him. He should have trusted his initial instincts. It was by no means horrible but lacked inspiration, making it one of Cook's most mediocre performances of the finals.

Randy Jackson said, "That was an OK choice and it was a solid performance but ... that was just OK for you. It wasn't amazing, it was just OK. It was just OK." Paula Abdul countered with, "Well, I think your "Hungry Like a Wolf" has left me with a big appetite David. To watch you grow and flourish over the past several months has been remarkable. It also makes me realize why I tolerate being the only girl in the boys' club." Simon Cowell said, "David I thought it was good. You know, I know where Randy's coming from because it was a little bit copycat. You know, you didn't do what you've done in previously weeks, where you chose a song and made it your own. Is it good enough at the moment to probably get through and make it to next week? Yes."

Watch video of David Cook singing Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf":


It was Cook's second number, The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" that actually left us hungry like the wolf. Though annoyingly brief at the 1 minute 43 seconds allotted to it, it was a much stronger performance than his first selection. But just as we were getting into the return of the Cook vocals we've grown to love, it was abruptly over. Aaarrrgh!

Randy said, "That's more like the David Cook I've grown to love right there. ... Just go out there and be you, because you are great." Paula added, "I just want more! I want more! I want more Dave Cook. I'm really humbled to sit here and watch your soul. Thanks for sharing it with everyone." Simon put it simply, "Welcome back David Cook."

Watch video of David Cook singing The Who's "Baba O'Reilly":


The question on everyone's mind as the evening began was "Who was leaving this week? Syesha or Jason?" We were excited when we heard the spoiler that Syesha Mercado was going to sing "Proud Mary." She's come into her own so much the past few weeks, we envisioned her just breaking loose in a short up-to-there fringy dress singing and dancing and going wild onstage. She was good and she occasionally shook what her mama gave her, but for the most part left us wishing there was a bit more -- of everything -- in the performance.

Randy told her "This is the third week in a row that Syesha has showed up and she's in the zone. Nice going. You got pretty good timing because you showing the heat late in the competition which is when you need it. So very nice, very nice, very nice." Paula said, "You look like a star ... You started this competition as a pretty girl with a big voice and you've turned into this beautiful woman with a magnetic voice and presence. Simon said, "Syesha, I'm sorry to put a slight damper on things. For me, I just thought it was a bad, shrieky version or (boos), let me finish, a bad impersonation of Tina Turner." Syesha answered, "Simon, I was just trying to have fun," to which he said, "Well, good, I didn't." Snap!

Watch video of Syesha Mercado singing Tina Turner's "Proud Mary":


As with David Cook, Syesha's second number, Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," was much stronger. Looking gorgeous once again, and putting her girls on display for this number in a gown with a cutout prominently featuring her cleavage, she sang the song with emotion and depth, though there were a couple of pitchy moments. But it was certainly good enough to keep her going right through to the semi-finals and earn her a celebratory trip home before performing three numbers next week.

Randy, however, wasn't in love with this performance. He said, "For me, the first song I loved, this one I did not love as much, here's why: First of all, I didn't love the arrangement with the music. I didn't even like the arrangement with the vocals and I felt like you pushed out things, you were trying for things that weren't there. ... You don't need to do anything extra special ... and it felt all disconnected to me trying to be something that it wasn't. So it fell flat for me." Paula began by standing silently for Syesha and applauding. Syesha started biting her lip and getting emotional. A few seconds later, the floodgates would open and the tears gushed when Paula told her, "I want you to know, that how you orchestrated your vocals -- beautiful. You utilized everything I was hoping you would use. You turned this into a superstar performance for me, and I gotta tell you, singing the song "A Change Is Going to Come [sic]," you have changed, you are magnificent and you have come. Welcome to your dream, Syesha."

With Syesha crying and trying to maintain control onstage, Paula then again stood and applauded her. Simon had a look of either discomfort or disgust during this. It was hard to tell which until he began to speak. He said, "Syesha," to which she answered a little coarsely, "Yeah?" as if she was expecting to get rapped. He continued, saying, "Syesha, I have to be fair. And I'm going to agree with Paula." Syesha then really broke down as Ryan approached her. Simon added, "With all due respect, I thought that Randy got that wrong," as Paula nodded. Cowell continued, "I thought you sang that really, really well." Randy started defending himself saying "It's a matter of opinion," with Simon mocking him, "You made her cry," while Syesha onstage was saying, "It's OK." It became a zoo.

Syesha ex-
plained the crying:
"Before I sang the song, I actually researched it and I just found out so much information about it, like why it was written. And it came out during the Civil Rights movement, and it just meant a lot to me and it took on a totally different meaning when I started listening to it after the last results show. And I just couldn't stop crying because I feel like I've changed alot (applause, and as Ryan calls offstage asking for a tissue for Syesha, she says, "Aw, I probably look like crap right now"). The debate continued between Randy and Simon until Ryan had to shush them by saying to Randy, " 'Hell's Kitchen' is going to start."

Watch video of Syesha Mercado singing Sam Cooke's "A Change Gonna Come":


So much for the emotional part of the evening. The disasterous part of the night belonged solely to Jason Castro, whose first performance, of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," might have been his worst of the season. The amateurish singing was only exceeded by the horrible arrangement. It was, sadly, almost laughable. The judges were appalled.

Randy said, "Oh man, listen dude. OK, look for me, that was really karaoke Bob Mar... (boos). Dude, it was just OK, there was nothing special about it. And at this point, you guys have to really show that you deserve to be in the finals now. ... That just wasn't good for me. I didn't get it." Paula added, "Well I will say on a positive note, I've never seen you perform more to the audience. ... Here's the deal, Jason. I wasn't really crazy about the performance or the song, actually." Simon began, "Well Jason, stand back. That was utterly atrocious. Sorry. That was a song you do not touch. The arrangement was atrocious (Randy agreeing with "Weird" in the background). The performing and the singing were as bad as I've ever heard. This was like, honestly, a first-round audition massacre. I don't know what you're thinking!" To which, Jason smart-assed, "I was thinking Bob Marley, yeah!" Oy.

Watch video of Jason Castro singing Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff":


His second selection was savvy indeed -- Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." It was perfect both for his voice and style. Unfortunately, he forgot the chorus lyrics "In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you" the first time he sang them and tried to nah-nah-nah his way through them. It was a disaster. Even though he didn't stumble throughout the rest of the song ('though the final note was pitchy), we were stuck in time on the lyric mishap, as was probably the rest of America. Certainly the judges were.

Randy started by asking Jason how he thought he did. Jason answered, "Well, I lost some lines in there. That's kinda bad." Randy said, "Jason's not in the zone tonight. I don't know what's going on." Paula said, "It is what it is ... obviously it didn't blow us away, but you blow me away." Simon curtly said, "Jason, I'd pack your suitcase."

Watch video of Jason Castro singing Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man":


Finally, there's was David Archuleta, who, predictably chose ballads, and who, predictably, never was off pitch. To be less predictable, David (or, more likely, Daddy Dearest) has changed the arrangements and even the lyrics to the song's he's sung the past two weeks. It's an unnecessary move and, especially in the case of his second song, an annoying move. We thought his version of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" was solid, but were creeped out by his intro video where he said he sang the song in his room to himself. Huh? Does he have a clone of himself in there. He said he also sings it to his dog, which probably makes more sense, but he is such a weird kid we can't picture him being a superstar. His emotional immaturity is scary. He can barely get out a complete sentence without giggling.

The judges, naturally, were enraptured with him, as The Evil Puppeteer has already decided he's going to win (and to that end will probably place him in the Bottom 2 tonight whether he deserves to be there or not just to build votes for him for next week). Randy said, "There's four of you left and at least there's one guy who hits that stage every time trying to win the whole thing! ... He brought the hot man vocals, Paula. I loved it dude, it was hot." Paula said, "You delivered, you really delivered on this. You're taking in everything that we're saying, good and bad, and throwing out what you don't need, and you're seasoned already (well, then, roast him)." Simon, who wasn't done tearing Jason a new one for his first song, said, "David, well the truth is you could have whistled the song and it would have sounded better than the last song. (David, trying to suck up to everyone, smiled and said, "I liked Jason's song.") You were very well-placed [after Jason]. Very good choice of song, I thought you struggled a little bit at the end of it (boos), a little bit, a little bit. But, look, OK, in the grand scheme of things, I'm going to call that as the best performance so far.

Watch video of David Archuleta singing Ben E. King's "Stand by Me":


David next sang Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender," saying that he had never sung a love song "on the big stage." He changed the tempo and arrangement of the original, which didn't need any fixing. He also was doing a lot of the gasping/breathing into the mic and a lot of the squinty closed-eye thing, which makes him look myopic or as if he has a headache. We thought it just OK, but the judges were having orgasms over it, which we just didn't get at all.

Randy said, "Another great performance for you. I like how you were so tender and caressed each word. Dude, you got it going on right now. The hot vocals of the night." Paula said, "That was one of my favorite performances from you. I felt your heart, it was fantastic and very beautiful." Simon, in ridiculous hyperbole said, "David, you didn't beat the competition tonight, you crushed the competition tonight."

Watch video of David Archuleta singing Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender":


Well, Simon, America disagrees with you (or at least DialIdol.com does). According to the Web site, David Cook is No. 1, while David Archuleta and Syesha Mercado are in a dead heat for Nos. 2/3. The Cheese, aka Jason Castro, stands alone, at No. 4 and will be unquestionably eliminated tonight according to DialIdol.

As for us:
Worst of the night: Jason Castro
Everyone else ties for the Nos. 1/2/3 positions.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2008

American Idol:The Top 5 Results Show

Bottom Two:
Syesha Mercado ("Hello Again," "Thank the Lord for the Night Time")
Brooke White ("I'm a Believer," "I Am ... I Said")


Eliminated:
Brooke White








Syesha Mercado probably has good reason to thank the lord for the night time, because he once again saved her during last night's "American Idol" elimination show. If we are to believe what "Idol's" producers would like us to (but we don't), Mercado has now been in the Bottom 2 or 3 five times this season -- more than any other contestant, even Kristy Lee Cook (who last night watched the show from the audience) -- yet has continued to emerge unscathed. Her endurance nearly parallels that of Kimberley Locke (who performed on the show a few weeks ago) during Season 2, who also placed in the Bottom 2 or 3 five times before making it to third-place finisher in 2003, as Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken advanced to the finale. Don't be surprised to see a repeat of that this year. Jason Castro will very likely fall to wayside next week as Mercado, David Cook and David Archuleta move forward to the Top 3, followed by the David-David finale that everybody has predicted for weeks now.

Last night Brooke White joined the list of elimi-
nated finalists. The blonde folkster, who at the beginning of the season was projected by many to make it all the way to the finale, began to tear up even before host Ryan Seacrest said her name. She collapsed into tears murmuring "yes" as he pronounced her the contestant going home this week. As her sad-faced husband watched from the audience, Seacrest, and then Mercado embraced White as she sobbed. Her tears were still flowing after her "journey video." She dabbed at her eyes, then Seacrest swabbed her damp face, as she thanked everyone. Her tears continued during her reprise of Neil Diamond's "I Am ... I Said," as the remaining four finalists surrounded her onstage and David Cook came forward and briefly placed a hand on her back to show his support. For us, it was the saddest departure to date this season and our eyes welled up watching it.

Watch video of Bottom 2 and elimination of Brooke White:


At the top of the show, Seacrest said that the finalists had received more than 45 million votes this week. Next, it was on the Top 5 singing a medley of Neil Diamond songs. Don't know whether it was the songs or the finalists, but it was awful this week, the worst medley of the season. Perhaps the lack of Carly Smithson's strong voice was a factor. We couldn't wait for it to end.

Watch video of Top 5 Neil Diamond group medley:


Back from commercial, Seacrest walking through the audience introduced this season's new "American Idol Extra" hosts, Season 6 finalist Gina Glocksen and Season 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis, but then walked right past Season 5 finalist Ace Young, though the camera did give Young a lot of face time. Seacrest also mentioned the "rumors" about Paula Abdul on the Internet, but never addressed the previous day's gaffe by the "Idol" judge. He only said the rumors weren't true (which ones?) and brushed the entire incident under what by now must be "Idol's" crowded carpet, saying Abdul's still part of the "Idol" family and that they love her. Hopefully one day someone will roll up that carpet and expose all the lies the producers have hidden under it. Are you listening Nigel Lythgoe? You can't keep everyone quiet forever. Sooner or later someone who knows everything we're not supposed to know is going to open their mouth about the dirty little games that go on behind the scenes of this so-called "reality" series named "American Idol."

To get our minds off what he had just said buried, Seacrest rushed right into the results, calling first Jason Castro, who sounded lucid for the first time all year, onstage. The night's first (staged) surprise was when Castro was sent to safety on the couch. The second was when David Archuleta followed him there. The producers better think carefully before they crown their boy wonder. He'll be a disaster in interviews. He can barely put together a sentence and when he succeeds at that he breaks down in giggles like a 12-year-old.

Next was an interminably long pimp video for Nigel Lythgoe's "So You Think You Can Dance." Hey, we love the show and have seen every episode, but is there no end to the newly long-haired Lythgoe's greed? That promo was longer than the elimination segment. Bleech! And as if that wasn't enough self-promotional commercial filler, we next learned that Ryan Lessnow won the design-your-own Coca-Cola cup, which Randy Jackson modeled for everyone.

Back to the results. Seacrest calls out David Cook. Are they going to shock us and lie that he was in the Bottom 2? No, they'll save that lie for Syesha Mercado, who scored the highest number of votes according to DiaIdol.com. Now, we concede that the Web site's tally could have been a bit inaccurate, but there was no way Mercado was in the Bottom 2, not when for the past two weeks the Web site has correctly predicted the contestant who received the least amount of votes (Carly Smithson and then Brooke White). If anyone doesn't believe that the show's producers lie about the results and stage certain events on the show, they are on drugs or in denial. Never forget: This is not considered a game show, it is considered a reality show, which means it is classed by the FCC as a script-based program and the producers can LEGALLY manipulate or change the voting results without consequence. Don't believe it? Record a segment of the show and read the teeny-tiny print at the very end.

In an amusing turn, Ryan ask David C. his reaction to Paula calling him the next American Idol. David answered that the first thing he thought about was what Simon said to Carly Smithson the week before about it being the kiss of death. A bit of comic relief before David joins the other two remaining male finalists on the couch. That left Syesha and Brooke as the Bottom 2. After chatting "the girls," up, Ryan tells them to have a seat for now, as they have other business to take care of first. As Brooke departs, she says that's fine, they'll stay as long as they can. Even Ryan cracks up at that.

Then it's time for the Star Who Just Released a New CD filler. Up at bat, Natasha Bedingfield performing the single "Pocketful of Sunshine" from her new album of the same name. As these things go, she wasn't bad, nor was the song. We'll give it another listen. After her performance she asks to go to couch and sit next to Archuleta. Ryan suggests David take her to the prom. He goes into giggle mode. Perhaps the sandbox would be more appropriate.

Watch video of Natasha Bedingfield singing "Pocketful of Sunshine":


And yet more filler. The stupid viewer call-in Q&A, which actually got good at the end, but not before we found out why Paula is the only judge that always gives contestants a break and whether Paula is going to do another video with Randy. The last question is from Tara (age 46) who asks Simon what was more memorable, kissing Paula or kissing her at the age of 9 in his backyard? Simon blushes, especially after she convinces him she really is the Tara Miller that he kissed when he was 9. Ryan asks Tara if Simon was a good kisser and she hems and haws. Simon reminds her that he was only 9 and didn't have a massive amount of experience. Paula wonders if she is over the rabies yet? Tara jokes that she has had a lot of therapy. Simon wonders if she is still cute? Tara tells Simon that he has aged well and she thinks she has, too. Simon, apparently smitten by the whole thing, tells everyone that Tara really was the first girl he ever kissed and that she was his first crush. Ryan promises that they will get to exchange phone numbers and then does a public service announcement warning kids not to start kissing at age 9.

Watch video of Q&A with Tara Miller, the first girl Simon kissed and his first crush:


Coming back from the break we watch the Ford commercial with the Top 5 singing "Catch the Wind" in an environmentally correct Earth Week-ish video featuring a Ford hybrid car and the Idols magically restoring green to the Earth while getting rid of garbage and environmentally bad things.

Watch video of the making of the Ford commercial "Catch the Wind":


Watch video of Top 5 Ford commercial "Catch the Wind":


Finally, the week's mentor, Neil Diamond, performed "Pretty Amazing Grace" from his forthcoming CD, due out on May 6, as his mom watched from the audience. After he sang, Ryan chatted with him. Diamond said the judges were a bit harsh on the contestants, that the contestants should ignore Simon, and that if they love what they are doing they should never stop ... never.

Watch video of Neil Diamond singing "Pretty Amazing Grace":


Next week, the remaining four finalists will each sing music from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The results show will feature live appearances by Maroon 5 and Season 4 runner-up Bo Bice.

MORE ON SIMON COWELL AND TARA MILLER

After that Q&A, People magazine located Tara and interviewed her. She chatted with PEOPLE about the fateful pucker.

"He'd taken me to the bottom of his garden," said Tara, whose last name is now McDonald-Smith. "It was very cute and it was very memorable. We were just kids. We didn't know what we were doing!"

As for who made the first move, Cowell's former neighbor in Radlett, Hertfordshire swears she can't remember.

"Really, I can't," McDonald-Smith insisted. "In those days there was like three channels on the television, there were no computers. We used to play spin the bottle ... and I got him a lot of the time. It was all good."

So what prompted her to reach out after all these years? "I saw him on American Idol and [I thought] wow, that's amazing," she explained. "It was just one of those 'This is Your Life'-type situations, and I thought I'd go for it. I hope I didn't embarrass him."

And, for the record, McDonald-Smith is not at all surprised that her childhood pal turned out to be TV's favorite Mr. Nasty.

Even back then "he was pretty forthcoming and said what he thought," recalled the single mom, who has three sons Connor, 17, Rory, 16, Liam, 11. "He was not too different than he is today."

Now that they've reconnected, the North California-based sales manager would welcome an in-person reunion.

"I'd love to meet up with him. I seriously would," she said. "We were good friends... and I think it would be great fun."

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© 2008

American Idol Top 5 PerformThese Diamonds Not Flawless

Watercooler buzz no doubt tomorrow will center on two things: Who's leaving "Idol" Wednesday night and what the hell was in Paula Abdul's Coke cup Tuesday night? Even though she did not appear inebriated or drugged, for the first time this season she was really making no sense. How so? How about reviewing a performance before it had even occurred! You see, the producers had to squeeze so many performances into the hour show (each contestant sang two selections) that they decided to save time by having the judges only critique each singer after their second song. Then they broke their own rule.

After the Top 5 all sang their first songs, Ryan Seacrest called all 5 finalists out on stage and quickly went to the judges to get an overview of Round 1. But Randy Jackson gave mini critiques to each performer. Following Jackson's lead, Paula started to critique Jason's TWO songs (remember he had only sung one at that point). Randy mumbled to her, "just on the first song, just on the first one," and Paula looked even more stupid and disoriented when she blurted out, "OMIGOD, I thought you sang twice." You could tell Ryan was getting flak through his earpiece as this was going on, and he said to her, "Just once. But Paula, you're seeing the future, baby, you're seeing the future. He's coming back." Paula: "This is hard!"

Simon Cowell tried to get things back on track by repeatedly asking Abdul, "But who is your favorite? Who is your favorite?" while Randy was telling her "Pick a person." It was ridiculous. You can see this mess at the end of the Syesha Mercado video of "Hello Again."

Of course, the Internet forum boards are crazy with theories on the Paula business this morning. Some are saying it's proof that "Idol" is rigged (ya mean ya didn't know that yet?) and that the producers tell the judges in advance what to say about each contestant. Others are saying that the judges took notes on the dress rehearsal performances, which they don't even have to attend. It's been written in many places that Cowell watches tapes of the dress rehearsals in his trailer and doesn't even pay attention to the telecast performances, especially because with all the noise in the studio he can barely hear them anyway. Last week Simon loved that because the show airs live America got to see it when Brooke stumbled on her lyrics then stopped and restarted her song. This week we love that because the show airs live Paula stumbled on her prewritten appraisals and reviewed a performance that hadn't even occurred yet.

Neil Diamond mentored the Top 5 this week and they all sang two selections from his impressively large catalog. We actually hated the tone of the whole show. Trying to fit 10 performances into 60 minutes was way too much. The show felt rushed and uncomfortable. Instead of feeling entertained, we felt like we were in a race and couldn't catch our breath. It was very unsettling.

Jason Castro performed
"Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn." We wish we could say that he was phoning in the performances, but there wasn't enough enthusiasm to believe he even dialed the phone. Castro seemed even more bored performing than we were watching him. At least people singing karaoke in a bar seem to care what the crowd thinks about them. Jason acts as if he doesn't. Case in point, when he was rehearsing with Diamond, he not only forgot his lyrics, he brought the wrong lyrics for the song he was singing. What a stoner. After his second performance his excuse for his lousy singing was he had started choking right before he went on and it screwed him up. Uh-huh. If he isn't kicked off tonight it really will be a travesty, especially when he should have been given the boot last week. How can those silly girls keep voting him back just because of his dreadlocks and blue eyes? Even Sanjaya Malakar was gone by now last year.

After Castro's first performance Randy had said, "It was just OK. Better than last week, just OK." After his second performance, Jackson said, "Dude, look check it out man ... that was just another OK whatever performance for me. Definitely not the best." Paula said after Round 1, "Jason, the first song I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear. Your second song, um, I felt like your usual charm was missing for me. It kinda left me a little empty. And the two songs made me feel that you're not fighting hard enough to get into the Top 4." After Jason actually performed song two she said, "I felt you took kind of the same liberty on both songs, now. And I feel like it's safe, and you need to get outside your comfort zone. Come on! Come on! Fight. Fight." After Round 1 Simon told Jason he was forgettable. After Round 2, Cowell said, "Oh Jason, come on, we don't recognize you at the moment. For the last two weeks, this is not the Jason we put into the competition. There was no attempt to make the arrangement your own. You struggled through both songs, they were both, in my opinion, forgettable and I think you're going to look back at tonight and go, 'I don't know who this person is.' " (we do, a L-O-S-E-R)

Watch video of Jason Castro singing "Forever in Blue Jeans":


Watch video of Jason Castro singing "September Morn":


David Cook selected two of Diamond's more obscure entries, "I'm Alive" and the even more obscure "All I Really Need Is You." Although the judges greatly preferred his second song to the first, we thought they were both just OK. Unless the studio versions are very much better than what we saw last night, we won't be dialing them up much on our iPod. Which is not to say they were bad, we've just seen David Cook shine so fiercely in the past few weeks (and before) that, for us, these performances paled by comparison. Perhaps this week for him it did come down to song choice and we were less than thrilled with his.

For Round 1, Randy told him, "Very good, in the zone, very strong, doing your thing." After Round 2, he said, "You rocked the house again tonight ... blazing! blazing! blazing!" After her Jason blunder, Paula tried to say that she had mixed up David's notes with Jason's, with this attempted lousy save, "You know what, it's your notes, David, you were fantastic (although the notes she had just read were negative, what an idiot!) and it was a song that wasn't known." After the second song, she told him, "David I'm so proud of you. You not only picked two songs that are less familiar than Neil Diamond's hits, you are the only one that was able to pull that off. I feel like I'm already looking at the American Idol." Simon pronounced Round 1 "just above average" and said after Round 2, "I thought the first song was OK, I thought the second song was brilliant. You actually made it feel like that song was written this year, and that was the point I was trying to make to Jason. You changed the arrangement, you made it work for you. That was smart. Well done."

Watch video of David Cook singing "I'm Alive":


Watch video of David Cook singing "All I Really Need Is You":


Brooke White, surprisingly chose "I'm a Believer," and, not so surprisingly, "I Am ... I Said." She accompanied herself on guitar for the former and piano on the latter. Her second song worked fairly well. The best that could be said about her first is that at least she was having a good time -- even if we weren't. For us, her performance of "I'm a Believer," originally written by Diamond for The Monkees, was reminiscent of Brooke's Top 10 performance of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," wearing her yellow banana dress. It was pretty much a disaster and looked like something from a kid's party. We imagine that's what nanny Brooke is like with the twins she used to take care of. We were waiting for Barney to come onstage next. Maybe Brooke's just not meant to sing happy songs professionally. However, her take on "I Am ... I Said" was earnest and heartfelt. We wished she hadn't taken Diamond's suggestion to change "New York" to "Arizona" in the song to "make it her own." It not only didn't make it her own, it sounded awkward and stupid with the rest of the lyrics, which say:

Well I'm New York City born and raised
But nowadays, I'm lost between two shores
L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home
New York's home, but it ain't mine no more

Arizona and L.A. are hardly between two shores. Oh, well. He was the mentor. Otherwise her second performance, though not her best of the season, returned her to the mode which she does do best. That she is at the bottom of DialIdol.com this week is wrong. No one was worse than Jason. In fact, Brooke was no worse than David Archuleta. She and David should be tied for the second position in the Bottom 2.

On the first go-round, Randy told Brooke, "Better than last week. Still a little karaoke for me." After her second song, he told her, "Nice job." Paula, who didn't comment on Brooke during Round 1, decided to make up for it by acting like she was back on drugs with her appraisal during Round 2. We saw Simon whisper something to Paula just before she spoke and suspect he told her to say this, because it made absolutely no sense and he loves planting non sequiturs in the head of his favorite thimblebrain just before she speaks. Paula said, "Brooke, I think that what you just did, as opposed to the first song, I felt like you did have fun, but it was right after 'American Idol Gives Back' (?????? HUH ?????? ) and there was that whole video with 'I'm a Believer' (yeah, so, what did that have to do with anything?), but this, when you come back here with this song, it does show your vulnerability, it is how you connect with the audience. Everyone loves who you are and that works. Works, works works." Aspirin please. Simon initially called her first song "a nightmare." After song two, he said, "Brooke, I really, really hated the first song, because it was sort of like a girls' night out at a karaoke bar, wasn't it? But this, this is the Brooke we like, sitting behind the piano, singing a very good song. It wasn't incredible, but it was a million times better than the first song. Well done."

Watch video of Brooke White singing "I'm a Believer":


Watch video of Brooke White singing "I Am ... I Said":


We're pretty sure that David Archuleta's now infamous dad, Jeff, is fairly quaking in his boots, as his prodigy -- or as Paula amusingly called him "savant" -- son slips from "the one to beat," to the Bottom 3, as David Cook and now Syesha Mercado race ahead of him. And, we think, it's probably all Daddy Dearest's fault. The past two weeks Archuleta has been shaking up the arrangements of the songs he's sung, -- a la David Cook -- a deed, we're sure, that can be attributed to daddy, who fancies himself a musician. Only thing is, it hasn't been working. His first song, "Sweet Caroline" was so messed up, it was barely recognizable and nowhere as good as the original. Archuleta's second song, stolen straight from the Kristy Lee Cook patriotic playbook, was "America," and even this was manipulated, with David singing "let freedom ring" at the end, which doesn't exist in the Neil Diamond lyrics. If you believe DialIdol's stats though, it not only didn't rally the troops, it didn't even rally the country's Conservatives behind little Davy this week. Truth be told you could hear a better version of the song at Disney World. Ha! Back off Daddy Dearest.

Of course, Randy who totally pimps Archuleta every week, good or bad, said after Round 1, "Da bomb. Brilliant" Later, he told him, "You are definitely in the zone right now. Another good performance, baby." After Round 2, Paula told him, "This was the absolute perfect song for you to sing. David, your voice is so on point. I just want to see that joy, and that spirit, and that prodigy and that little (idiot?) savant I used to see. I love you, I love you. You were brilliant. Have fun. Simon told David after Round 1, "I thought it was amateurish." After Round 2, almost repeating word for word what he had told Kristy Lee Cook weeks earlier after she sang Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," Cowell said, "Well, David, that was a smart choice of song. I've got to hand it to you, that was clever. It ticked all boxes, didn't it? ... it was absolutely the right choice."

Watch video of David Archuleta singing "Sweet Caroline":


Watch video of David Archuleta singing "America":


The most pleasant surprise of the evening was Syesha Mercado, who is blossoming into a consummate performer after dragging her feet for the better part of the competition. She not only has come into her own, she arguably had the two best performances of the evening, beginning with the tender and evocative "Hello Again," which was followed by her expressive and rousing, get-on-your-feet-and-clap-your- hands rendition of "Thank the Lord for the Night Time." Although we had never heard the latter, after the show we listened to Diamond's version and, believe it or not, Mercado's version kills Neil's version. No wonder Diamond was so enthusiastic about Syesha in the video. Voters at DialIdol.com, where she sits in the No. 1 position, apparently agreed with us. It's an astounding accomplishment, especially at this point in the competition. In all honesty, we thought she'd be eliminated this week. If she is, well, the producers will outright prove the competition is rigged. A final note: Syesha looked stunning last night. The lady seems to get more beautiful every week.

After her first performance, Randy told her, "You [sic] definitely kind of in the zone, too. I thought it was strong. It was very nice vocals. It was strong, it wasn't amazing, but it was strong." Later, he said, "I think you [sic] finally realizing who you are. I think we've been saying it all along. That is also in the zone. I mean, that could have been in some play, it could have been on Broadway, it's still that carry over for me and I like you in this. This is where I like you." Paula said, "I didn't get to say anything on the first song you sang (well, you should have been lucid), so I want to say quickly, first song: I thought that that vulnerable side, as I always say, that touch to your voice, is always beautiful and that's your magic. Having said that, on your second song, it shows a whole different side and that's your performance theater theatrical place, and then when you're pop singing you could be a toss-up between Corinne Bailey Rae and Minnie Ripperton. You've got that softness in your voice." After Round 1, Simon told Syesha "I thought it was old-fashioned." After Round 2, he said, "I think what you demonstrated there again Syesha is that you are a very good actress/singer. I think, however, you may be in trouble tonight." This had all the earmarks of the producers having Simon say that because they planned to eliminate her, especially when Syesha asked him why, and he answered, "I'll tell you why. Because there's only five of you left, so it was a calculated guess. I don't think you had a really memorable second song, like some of the others tonight." Who? Like Jason? Give us a break. That was a total BS setup to eliminate her and then say, "See? Simon predicted it." Hopefully, the DialIdol.com results will force the producers to do the right thing. Especially once they realize that Syesha's a marketable commodity -- way more so than Jason and/or Brooke. Usually their noses for $$$$ lead the way, so hopefully Syesha is safe.

Watch video of Syesha Mercado singing "Hello Again":


Watch video of Syesha Mercado singing "Thank the Lord for the Night Time":


Best: Syesha Mercado
Worst: Jason Castro
Bottom Two: Jason and Brooke/David Archulta (tie)

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American Idol:The Top 6 Results Show

Bottom Two:
Syesha Mercado ("One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many")
Carly Smithson ("Jesus Christ Superstar")

Eliminated:
Carly Smithson








Watch video of Carly Smithson being eliminated:


Before the opening number, in which the Top 6 do a rather tepid ren-
dition (though the girls were better than the boys) of "All I Ask of You" from "Phantom of the Opera" (now we know why they wouldn't let Carly do the song) accompanied by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber on the piano, host extraodinaire Ryan Seacrest tells us than more than 38 million votes were received (all wrong, appararently). He then introduces Randy Jackson by gripping his shoulders, Paula Abdul with a kiss on the cheek and Simon Cowell, also with a kiss, perhaps trying to reignite the are they/aren't they gay controversy we've heard so little of this season.

Watch video of Top 6 singing "All I Ask of You" with Andrew Lloyd Webber:


It's time to pimp the Idols Live '08 tour for the first time this season. This year, it launches in Jordin Sparks' hometown, Glendale, Ariz., on July 1st, then travels to 48 other cities. Considering last year's poor box-office receipts, perhaps the Idol folks feel more comfortable launching the tour in a rock-solid Idol town where they can almost certainly be sure of a soldout venue. We are also advised that voting for the songwriting contest ends tonight -- as if our votes mean anything, everyone knows the producers will pick the songwriter they want to work with -- before we go into the recap of Tuesday's show.

Watch recap of Tuesday night's show:


Ryan reintroduces Webber, and they chat about singing for TV vs. the stage. Ryan also asks Webber about Brooke White restarting her song, saying it was the first time it ever happened on "Idol." Er, except that it was the second time Brooke, alone, did it this season. Perhaps Ryan has short-term memory loss, but someone should replay him the video of White's "Every Breath I Take" performance. Webber defends her actions (at this point we're smelling a rat and beginning to assume she's safe), saying that even the best people lose their way, and that Brooke's a talented girl. He also said it was really a shame because in the dress rehearsal White was flawless. Moving on to Jason Castro, Webber said he probably wouldn't take his advice no matter what he said. (Do we smell the scent of a second setup here?). Perhaps because we're not going to suffer through the lame viewer Q&A tonight, Ryan finally asked Webber if he wrote a love song for Paula and Simon, what would he call it? Webber offers "Time to Say Goodbye" or "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?" Simon prefers the former title. The Ford commercial features David Archuleta as a cartoonist drawing the Top 6 as punk characters to Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Somewhere, Danny Noriega is no doubt laughing with a finger "L" against his forehead and mouthing, "LOSERS." Maybe he'll make a video of it.

Watch Ford video "Tainted Love":


We next have to endure The President and Mrs. Bush thanking the producers for raising $65 million through "Idol Gives Back." Of course, this is played pretty low key as the show was a half-hour longer than last year's production, yet netted $11 million LESS (the ratings were also down in the millions compared to last year) and after the producers said they were aiming for $100 million, or $24 million MORE than last year's $76 million total. With those disappointing numbers don't be surprised if "Idol Gives Back" disappears next year (after all, the show is also about raising money for the producers) or is relegated to solely a Web drive.

On to the results. Ryan calls the Davids -- Archuleta and Cook, who resembled Wally and the Beaver as they entered the stage -- out first. Did anyone think they weren't safe? C'mon. Seacrest asks David Cook why he decided not to rearrange "Music of the Night," and David tells him that he keeps hearing words like predictable, and thought the most unpredictable thing would be to do the song as it was written. Ryan sends them to the couch and tells they'll be working with Neil Diamond next week.

It's now time for the "Where Are They Now" former "Idol" contestant segment, focusing on Broadway. Ryan mentions Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia and LaKisha (who was also in the audience), but the video features Tamyra Gray in "Rent" and Clay Aiken in "Spamalot." Gray looks better than in her "Idol" years, but Clay is becoming decidely middle-aged looking, especially in that Mr. Rogers outfit.

Watch "where are they now" video of Tamyra Gray and Clay Aiken:


Putting off the results even longer, Simon Cowell gets to pimp his "discovery" Leona Lewis, guaranteeing that her CD and single hold steady on the Billboard charts and make him even more $$$. Is it us, or is "Bleeding Love" the most boring No. 1 song EVAH? We needed a transfusion by the time it ended. Is this the reason Clive Davis got booted from Sony/BMG again, since he co-manages Lewis with Cowell?

Watch video of Simon Cowell discovery Leona Lewis singing "Bleeding Love":


Finally, we're back to the only thing anyone watching cared about -- the results. Ryan calls out Syesha Mercado and Brooke White, and goes into how well Syesha performed, while Brooke, well, screwed up, making us all think Mercado is safe and White is stool-bound. Surprise (was it really? we've come to know the games the producers play), Brooke is safe and Syesha is in the Bottom 2. Boo! Hiss! Next we play the same game with Carly Smithson and Jason Castro. Ryan talks about how Simon loved Carly's performance, while Randy called Jason's a train-wreck and Simon said he looked like a kid being forced by his parents to perform a song he didn't like at a wedding. Who's safe? Why, Jason, of course. Ryan tells us that Carly and Syesha will perform encores of their numbers, after which one will be sent home. On the couch, Brooke seems weepy and upset about being saved once again while someone more worthy is in danger, while Jason, with a dopey smile on his face (when isn't there?) looks as if he's thinking "Whoa, man, that was close, where's the weed?" When Ryan asks the judges if America got it right, Simon says that after watching the show back he thinks Brooke survived because she made herself human (no, actually, Simon you saved her when you said that you, too, would have stopped and restarted the song), while Jason wasn't good but he was charming.

Watch video of Carly Smithson reprising "Jesus Christ Superstar" and Syesha Mercado reprising "One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many":


After Carly and Syesha sing, Ryan asks Randy about the voting this week. Randy says it was a bit of a popularity contest, while Paula tells the women she has never seen more relaxation and joy at this stage. Carly answers that she and Syesha are roommates. Well, not anymore. Ryan tells Carly she is going home, and, to be honest, she looks happy about it. Ryan wants to give Simon and Carly one last time to talk things out, and Simon apologizes to Smithson for complimenting her the night before, calling it the kiss of death. He tells her to leave with her head held high. Carly says she's not upset about going home and that she has had the best time. We believe her.

Next week, Neil Diamond mentors the Top 5.






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© 2008