American Idol Season 8Top 36 Group 3

Simon: I just don't get the shopping thing.
Kara: I mean, I wanna know what she's like.
Simon: I mean shop what? Shoes? Popcorn?
Kara: Wait! I'm trying to see what she's like as a person, personality. Is she bubbly? Is she sweet? I'm not getting that.
Simon: What breakfast cereal do you like?
Randy: Do you like soy milk or regular milk?
Simon: Exactly.

The above exchange during Taylor Vaifanua's review Tuesday night essentially summed up the problem with Season 8 of "American Idol." Why are the judges looking for shallow, superficial qualities -- such as Kara wondering, "What's it like to go shopping with Taylor?" -- instead of just worrying about whether contestants are viable singers? Frankly, we don't give a rat's ass about what it's like to go shopping with anyone. We just want to know if their music is going to move us.

Though Group 3 was far from perfect, as a whole they were much better than Groups 1 and 2. They were mostly -- but not always -- in tune. And if we are going to spend 11 weeks listening to singing, we'd certainly rather listen to the better singers, not just the three fortunate enough to squeak through from each group. What is inherently wrong with the Wild Card system is that better singers in stronger groups lose their shot, while lesser contestants from weaker groups make it through. We'd rather listen to Von Smith, who is doomed unless he grabs a Wild Card slot, than Michael Sarver. And was Felicia Barton dragged back to Hollywood after Joanna Pacitti was disqualified, just so medicore-but-blind Scott MacIntyre or Kris Allen could steal the spot she deserves more than them?

When you let people grow week-by-week and eliminate the ones who receive the least votes, instead of putting through the ones with the most votes, you have a better chance of getting the best mix of singers into the finals.

Plus, the way things are shaping up, the finals will be top heavy with guys. Right now, the count is 4 boys, 2 girls. And it looks as if it will be 6-3 going into the Wild Card round. So unless the judges pick three more women in that round-- which is highly *Anoop Desai* unlikely -- it will be, at best, 7 guys vs. 5 girls.

One interesting note: Many of the song titles seemed to fit the contestants who sang them on Tuesday.

We're the first to admit that we hated Von Smith prior to Tuesday night, and were prepared to turn our nose up once more at the overly dramatic, shouting singer who vaguely resembles Michael Bublé. But guess what (and this is why week-to-week growth is more interesting to watch than a one-shot selection)? He turned us around with his performance of Marvin Gaye's "You're All I Need to Get By" [fitting song title alert]. He toned down the theatrics while at the same time giving the song a contemporary vibe. And, he didn't shout. Although we didn't necessarily agree with Simon Cowell, who said Von was reminiscent of Clay Aiken, we thought it was the best opener thus far. Though we could have lived without the pointy-head hair.

Watch video of Von Smith singing "You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye

Any high hopes we had for Taylor Vaifanua after watching her audition in Salt Lake City were dashed with her weak performance of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," [fitting song title alert] though we do give her the prize for most-improved post-audition appearance. She's become quite stunning since getting to Hollywood. Unfortunately, the transformation didn't carry over to her voice, which seemed overwhelmed by a song that was bigger than it was. Other than leaving Kara DioGuardi "cold" and wanting to go shopping with her, the judges found Taylor's performance bland and boring. We'd have to agree and throw in pitchy, as well.

Watch video of Taylor Vaifanua singing "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys

We bestow the "Trainwreck of the Night Award" on Alex Wagner-Trugman, who we previously found gawky, or in his words, "dorky." Brooke White warned you Alex: Don't Google yourself. His rendition of Elton John's "I Guess That Why They Call It the Blues" [fitting song title alert] started out OK, then went totally spastic, both physically and vocally. Alex started doing jerky dance movements, eventually accidentally dropping the mic stand, and added, as Simon said, a "ridiculous growling" element to his singing. Though Alex said he was just trying to have fun, the whole thing came off as comical, and nor in a good way, like Nick Marshall. It went way beyond dorky, all the way to weird. The judges had nary a kind word to say, though Paula Abdul tried to couch the criticism -- and laughter -- with "You certainly are the showman."

Watch video of Alex Wagner-Trugman singing "I Guess That Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John

Coming in a close second for the trainwreck award was Arianna Afsar, who has a powerhouse voice, but made a hot mess of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" [fitting song title/lyrics alert: The winner takes it all/The loser standing small/Beside the victory/That's her destiny]. Trying to put her own spin on the song, her voice went all over the place, as did her tempo: at times was in ahead of the music, other times she was behind it. It sounded as if she had never rehearsed it with the band. Plus, the first half of the song trudged along interminably. When the judges asked her why such as sunny, cute-as-a-button girl would sing a song that was so dark, depressing and dreary (Simon compared the first half to a funeral), Arianna said she knew it was an old song, but she tried to make it contemporary. Cowell put it succinctly: "Well you didn't," adding that it was her "worst performance by a clear mile."

Watch video of Arianna Afsar singing "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA

Fortunately, the show took an upward turn at this point (hey, it only took four contestants). We had been rooting for Ju'Not Joyner since last season. We think this year is the young father's time to shine. He once again sang the Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah," and was even better than when he sang it in Hollywood. It was his own R&B spin on the song. Ju'Not made it tender and sensitive. He hit a bad note here and there, but overall it was a really nice performance, and we're pulling for him to get that third finalist's spot tonight (there's no stopping the dynamic Lil Rounds or the less-than-dynamic Scott MacIntyre). The judges give him good reviews, with Randy Jackson telling Ju'Not that he loved the way he switched the song up (so did we). Though calling it "a little bit safe," Simon said Ju'Not the performance was better than he thought it was going to be.

Watch video of Ju'Not Joyner singing "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's

Though she has a powerful voice that we never quite expect, something that we can't define about Kristen McNamara has annoyed us since her audition. She puts a not unpleasing spin on Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" [fitting song title/lyrics alert: Give me one reason to stay here/and I'll turn right back around], but to parrot Kara, the whole thing left us cold. Kara and Paula both praise her voice, but would prefer to hear a song with more of a rock edge, something by Kelly Clarkson or P!nk. Simon and Randy can't figure out who Kristen is (maybe they should go shopping with her :b), with Randy adding that she did too much with the song.

Watch video of Kristen McNamara singing "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman

Nathaniel Marshall like's to stand out: He has studs in his face, tattoos all over his arms and wears what Simon calls an Olivia Newton-John headband (and who Randy twice refers to as Elton John, duh!). Sadly for Nate, the one thing that doesn't stand out is his voice. Truth be told, we fell asleep during his performance and had to rewind the DVR (OK, we didn't rewind it, we heard enough to know we didn't want to hear the part we missed). His version of Meatloaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" [fitting song title alert, even Simon remarked on it] was boring. We kept hearing from the judges and Nathaniel himself that he's a fun guy. So much fun, in fact, that instead of shopping, Kara wants him to be her karaoke partner (doesn't she have any friends?). But we didn't have fun. Whereas Simon called it excruciating, for us it was quite literally a snooze.

Watch video of Nathaniel Marshall singing "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf

So, this is our first time to really get a good listen of Felicia Barton after seeing maybe a 3-second clip of her audition. Know what? She sounds good. In fact, she sounds a lot better than Joanna Pacitti did during her time on "Idol." So the question is: Why the hell didn't Barton make the Top 36? She certainly has a better voice than 80 percent of the women in that group. Did she resemble Pacitti too much to win a spot? It makes no sense. We're impressed with her look (as Kara would say, she's got the whole package) as well as her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One." Unfortunately, she'll never make it past Lil Rounds tonight, but hopefully the judges will be wise enough to award her a Wild Card slot. She deserves it. The judges pile on the praise, with Paula telling her that her "gift is unbelievable," Randy saying it was hot and Kara saying she had attitude and presence. Only Simon takes a step back from the tongue bath, calling it "a bit copycat."

Watch video of Felicia Barton singing "No One" by Alicia Keys

Scott MacIntyre was probably the contestant most viewers were waiting to hear -- but for all the wrong reasons. Will they continue to love the visually impaired singer? Of course. We were only waiting to see if he was as boring and vanilla as his audition. Guess what? He was. There are many things to admire about MacIntyre, but his vocals aren't one of them. He chose to sing "Mandolin Rain," by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. It's not even a great song when Hornsby does it, and was less so by Scott. He had trouble with some of the notes. The power note at the end was OK, but really, it was too little, too late. The audience applause was way out of proportion with the performance. Randy says it wasn't the most perfect vocal and that there were some problems, but the parts that were great, were really really great. Kara talks about his passion and says, "And when you have issues with the vocal, it doesn't matter, because it's coming from your heart." Paula calls Scott "one of our finest." Simon says he wasn't crazy about the song or lyrics, but that Scott is growing on him because he is beginning to believe in himself and that Scott's the one he'll remember from tonight (why?). Cowell also predicts that Scott will sail through to the next round. Sadly, we're sure he's right.

Watch video of Scott MacIntyre singing "Mandolin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby and The Range

We remember once saying the Beard wasn't a great last name for a female singer, but that was about all we remembered about Kendall Beard. Oh, yes, she was the blonde Texan who was the first contestant to make it through in San Juan. Savvy move, we guess. She's definitely a country singer and proved it with her rendition of "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride [fitting song title alert]. It started off better than it ended, getting, as Cowell called it, "a little shrilly at the end," adding that country isn't his cup of tea. Still, Kendell has a decent voice, a nice country vibe and what Paula proclaims is "the best outfit." Randy thinks the song choice was right, even if the vocals weren't her best. Probably doesn't matter. She won't get through tonight. A Wild Card opportunity? Maybe, if only because they want a country artist. Then again, maybe not.

Watch video of Kendall Beard singing "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride

The final male slot of the evening goes to Jorge Nuñez. We think the "Idol" producers desperately want a Hispanic in the finals, even possibly as their champion. It's a market they haven't really tapped yet. We are reminded that Kara told Jorge at his audition that he had some trouble with his English pronunciations. Problem fixed! He's been taking diction lessons (Who pays? Him or the show?). The lessons are so successful, there's not even a trace of an accent on Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" [fitting song title alert]. But the diction is almost too perfect, killing some of the passion in an otherwise very well-sung song. Paula gushes over his hard work and performance, telling him she just wants to squeeze him. Simon tells her to go ahead (she doesn't) then adds, "You heart him, don't you?" Then Simon says, "You know what? I think we were wrong to say to you that you shouldn't sing with an accent, because why should we? You're from Puerto Rico, you've got a good voice, it makes you different. I think you should be who you are. You're actually a very very good singer. And I like the fact that you sound a bit different. I mean, there are, [with a bit of sarcasm] believe it not, Spanish artists who've actually done incredibly well. They have an accent because they're Spanish. Who cares?" Paula then astounds Simon by saying to Jorge, "Will you just speak so we can hear your accent?" Jorge becomes tongue-tied, while Simon looks dumbfounded, rolls his eyes and says "I'm sorry, but that is so patronizing." And he's right. Randy and Kara lavish Jorge with more praise. He tears up. We're angry that he won't claim his rightful spot tonight because of Scott. So there.

Watch video of Jorge Nuñez singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John

The pimp spot goes to Lil Rounds. We liked her in the past, but without the hot passion others have for her. However, Tuesday she did blow us away with Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You." She looked great (though her booty makes J.Lo's look small) and the vocals were spot on. She owned that pimp spot and assured herself a place in the finals. Simon said, "Lil, I'm going to keep this very brief -- brilliant," also telling her "I think you have great, great prospects in this competition. And I think you are, undoubtedly, one of the best singers we have found this year. I like you." The other judges were similarly effusive, with Randy telling her "You kept your swagger on," whatever that means. (We'll have to look it up in our Randy-English dictionary). Paula called her "first class," then cutely added, "I have a sneaking suspicion we're gonna see you for many more lil rounds."

Watch video of Lil Rounds singing "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige

Who should get a finalist slot tonight: Lil Rounds, Jorge Nuñez, Ju'Not Joyner
Who will get a finalist slot tonight: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Ju'Not Joyner

Our ranking of Tuesday's performances, from best to trainwreck:
Lil Rounds
Jorge Nuñez
Ju'Not Joyner
Felicia Barton
Kendall Beard
Scott MacIntyre
Von Smith, Kristen McNamara (tie)
Nathaniel Marshall
Taylor Vaifanua
Arianna Afsar
Alex Wagner-Trugman

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2009

American Idol Season 8New York-San Juan Auditions

It was an interesting evening. The last audition show for Season 8 was the first in which two cities were shown on the same night, or so Ryan Seacrest claimed. In this case it was New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico. "Idol" tried to tie the two together with such commonalities: This was the first time the cities have been linked since "West Side Story" (proving the producers reside neither in the Empire State nor The City That Never Sleeps) and they are both are islands. Hey producers, we found another one: Both places have trees!

After the show we discovered that "Vote for the Worst" had received a leaked list of the Top 36 Idol semifinalists, which it and Jo's Place, the Web site responsible for the majority of correct Idol leaks, believe to be accurate. We have posted the list on another page, so as not to spoil the surprise for those who want to wait for the Feb. 11 official announcement. But it you can't wait, click the link in the posting at the bottom of this page.

Finally, we received a funny and nice comment from Chris Kirkham of Ogden, Utah. You may recall him from Wednesday night's show. He brought his good luck grabbit (friend Greg dressed in a pink rabbit suit) into the audition room with him. We had written that "Chris wasn't terrible, but sounded a bit like a cross between a country singer and a Munchkin from the Wizard of Oz" and that "His big mistake was not auditioning in Jacksonville, where the judges put through a number of tryouts with no better voices than his," to which Chris responded:

Hey there! This is Chris Kirkham. Good coverage! Glad you enjoyed us bounce around haha! Twas a fun experience, next time I'll head to Jacksonville. Without a Grabbit.

And I think next time I'll sing the "Lollypop Guilde!" Haha! Country Munchkin sounds like a great band name too.

I actually gave them some of Eric Clapton's "Change the World," which I thought was my stronger song, but due to copyright reasons they told me to sing another, which ended up being Ain't No Mountain. (It was infact the song they had us learn for the audition process).
Fun times! Hope I get another chance next year!

Thanks Chris! We never know what fun will await us next with this blog, LOL.

The episode starts with Adeola Adegoke, 19, a bank teller from The Bronx. As soon as we hear she's singing Jennifer Hudson's version "And I Am Telling You," from "Dream Girls," we suspect things won't go well. After all, how many contestants other than LaKisha Jones from Season 6 are going to knock it out of the park singing that song? Adeola tells the judges that she is so confident that she will be the next American Idol that she quit her job. They look discomforted, especially after she opens her mouth and becomes the prime example of that old saying, "Don't quit your day job." Simon Cowell calls her rendition "shockingly bad," but after she leaves the audition room, Cowell feels so bad about the whole fiasco, he calls her boss and asks if Adeola can have her job back, saying that he thinks she is terrific. Adeola's boss agrees with Simon and says, "yes," she can have her job back. Whether Adeola knew it or not, it was the best "yes" vote she could have received that day.

Watch video of Adeola Adegoke

First up in San Juan is student Jorge Nunez, 20, who will have much better luck that Adeola. Jorge first sings "My Way" in Spanish and it is beautiful, but Paula Abdul is concerned about how Jorge sings in English, so he gives her a bit of "What a Wonderful World." It's also very good, but not as strong as his first song. Kara DioGuardi tells him that she felt more when he sang in Spanish (we agree)and that there were some pronunciation problems with his English. Once again Simon is the voice of reason, explaining to Kara that they're in Puerto Rico because they actually wanted to find someone who sings with an accent, otherwise they would have just gone to Omaha. Randy Jackson tells Jorge, "Dawg, I loved you, man. I thought it was brilliant, man," with Paula adding, "he has the power of Marc Anthony." Let's just hope he doesn't have Anthony's cocky attitude as well. Jorge receives four emphatic yesses. We are happy.

Watch video of Jorge Nunez

Waitress Jessika Baier, 20, traveled from Michigan to Puerto Rico to audition, where her odds should have been good considering how few people showed up there as compared to the other "Idol" venues. (As we recall, instead of the thousands elsewhere, it was reported only a hundred or so actually turned up in San Juan.) She tells the judges she has been in 700 singing competitions and won a lot of them. That singing is her source of income. She sings Celine Dion's "I Surrender." It's not terrible, it's OK, but it is very loud and shrill. Simon is put off by her immediately (well she isn't one of the perky pretty blonde he seems to prefer this year) and when she hits a very big note singing the lyric "I surrender," Cowell puts up his hand for her to stop and says, "So do we." She begins to plead and he tells her it was absolutely awful and he can't believe she's won all these shows. Her pleading gets worse including a childish foot-stomping tantrum. Kara appeals to Simon to give her a chance with another song, but that just pisses Cowell off more. Randy tells Jessika the sound of her voice is not on point and that it's not good. Jessika tells Simon she can prove to him she can sing, to which he retorts, "Jessika, I can swim but I'm not going to win 10 Olympic medals at the Olympic games." It's getting ugly and uncomfortable in the audition room and at this point, we're really annoyed with the whining and begging. Paula tries to explain to Jessika that the entire audition bordered on "shrilling." Kara tries to jump in, but Simon ends the debate with a vote. At last, it is over and Jessika is gone.

Watch video of Jessika Baier

It's back to New York for Melinda Camile, 21, a pretty young woman with an infectious smile. She is a bit of a flake, though, so we're not surprised to learn she is unemployed. Says she feels a shift in the universe and wants to be part of it, is "down for any experience that can bring enlightenment" and gets great joy from dancing naked at home. Alrighty then. Still, there is something about her, even before she sings. Simon tells her she looks very fresh when she enters the room. It could be that loose summery dress with no undergarments and very revealing cleavage. But when she starts giving Simon her Miss America "I want to uplift humanity with my voice" speech, his eye-rolling begins. When she gets to the shift in the universe section, Simon says, "Paula's been saying that for years." Paula takes it seriously. Now we're rolling our eyes. When Kara asks if she wishes she could be naked right now, Melinda answers, "If all of you were." Is this getting interesting or boring? Fortunately, she gives what we think is a great audition with "Feeling Good," in tune, good phrasing, nice tone. She giggles afterward, and Simon says, "You're a happy little thing, aren't you?" Randy likes her voice, while Kara tells her she's like a vitamin boost. Needless to say, since they exist on the same astral plane, Paula says 100 percent yes. The other three judges agree and Melinda is through to Hollywood.

Watch video of Melinda Camile

We remain in New York for actor-singer Jackie Tohn, 27, a rocker who has been performing for 10 years, encouraged by her father who also told her there are many singers and that she should learn to play an instrument (she does, guitar). She has a contemporary feel and a pleasing raspy voice. She starts off with Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," but Simon wants another song that will demonstrate her normal voice. She sings "I'll Do It All," and we really like it. Paula says, "Jackie, you're unpredictable and surprising and it's all good." Randy like her husky tone (we do, too). Kara likes her, as well, and wants to see what Jackie will do next, so Jackie asks her, "what direction do you think I should go in?" Simon tells her "The worst thing you can do is ask ..." when suddenly the sun shield on the windows behind the judges' table collapses. It's a scary moment and they're lucky none of them were injured. Simon takes it in stride and continues, "The worse thing you can do is ask, 'Who should I be?' A good artist knows who they are. Jackie ... you've got four yesses, out you go."

Watch video of Jackie Tohn

Now it's goofy time at "Idol," and we start with street performer Joel Contreras, 23. We see footage of him acting like an idiot all over the city. He comes to the audition dressed as, he says, "The Human iPod slash Guypod." Oh, joy. Kara asks, "Who's going to press "play"? Actually, it is pretty funny when he makes believe he's turning the iPod's wheel and mimicks the sound it makes pretty damn near exactly. Simon's eyes begin to roll as Joel presses the play icon on the cutout he's wearing. He begins to sing and Simon stops him after a couple of seconds and asks for another song. Joel throws his cutout to the side and actually begins to sing ... very dramatically, stopping after every line and posturing. Sad thing is, he has a good voice. We think he could actually sound like Marc Anthony if he could only get serious. Ha! Simon stops him saying, "OK, I can't listen to this anymore. I really really can't. It's just awful. It's everything I hate. ... I mean, the whole act is excrutiatingly bad." Unfazed, Joel pulls out a lion puppet and begins to sing "The Circle of Life." He gets four "no's," picks up his props and runs out of the room screaming (as if he won), "Yeah, baby, I got a 'no.' I got a 'no.' I got a 'no.' " We had to laugh. We still do, rewatching it. Even the judges look amused.

Watch video of Joel Contreras

New York, never to be outdone by another city, offers up Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell. He runs into the audition room wearing a horrible shiny polyester shirt, shorts, glasses, wristbands and a sweatband. Simon immediately tells him, "Normund, I hate comedy. I don't want you to be funny, I just want you to be serious." Nick/Normund says OK, and sheds the glasses and sweatband and pulls his shirt out on his shorts and says, "You know what, then it's done. No more comedy. No more comedy." He starts to sing "And I Am Telling You," from "Dream Girls," and after about 20 seconds, Simon stops him and says, "Normund, you said you weren't go to make this funny." Nick/Normund grabs his head and says, "Oh! You hurt me where you get kicked sometimes. That was very hard." Simon, pissed and tired of the gay routine, bashes him with, "I would have thought you would have quite liked that." But Nick/Normund gets the best line of the night and the best laughs, even from Simon, when he shoots back with, "You mean the way you like it when Seacrest does it?" then gives a shimmy of his hips. Laughing, Simon says, "That was funny. That was actually funny," and continues, "Normund, you're sort of becoming more likable now." At Randy's urging, Simon gives Nick/Normund another chance. He's going to sing "Amazing Grace," but Simon warns him not to pull faces. It starts out OK, Nick/Normund actually has a voice, but he can't resist reverting to type. Simon is upset, but the other three are laughing hysterically. Paula smacks the table and declares, "I love you!" Kara declares, "I am so entertained, this is the first time today ... You don't have a shot in hell, but thank you, I'm energized," and gives him a "yes," as do Randy and Paula. Nick/Normund gets his golden ticket.

Watch video of Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell

Then we a few of quick clips of three who make it through, receptionist Ashley Hollister, 21, singing "Baby It's You"; Kenny Hoffpauer, 16, doing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"; and pretty, blond Kendall Beard, 23, singing Martina McBride's "Ashes" and looking like just the kind of candidate Simon is going to love.

Watch video of Ashley Hollister, Kenny Hoffpauer and Kendall Beard






Back to San Juan for Monique Garcia Torres, 16, who has a moppet's face and looks 12. She also has a wonderful relationship with her younger brother Christopher, who comes into the audition room with her and pimps her to the judges. He gives the judges a shell he brought for them (but it broke) and advises Monique to "think carefully" before choosing the song she will sing. Before she begins, Monique tells her brother, "I love you," and the judges appear to love him, too. Monique first sings The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love." We think she has a nice voice, certainly nicer than some who have been put through in previous episodes. We like her next song, "I Turn to You," even better. But Simon thinks she should have done something more in her range and Kara feels her voice isn't fully developed yet. Kara would prefer that Monique have the confidence that her brother exhibits. Randy says "no," that she's not quite ready and Kara agrees. Paula, however, says, "I like you. I say 'yes.'" Now it's up to Simon, who determines the vote in a tie. He does a face shrug looking at Monique's brother, standing stoically on the sidelines with his arms crossed as Monique puts her hands to her face. He tells her the auditions were very old-fashioned and cabaret, but that he's going to give her another shot. Yea!

Watch video of Monique Garcia Torres

We really could have lived without seeing the last New York contestant. Alexis Cohen, 24, she of the foul mouth and FU finger pumps from last year's Philadelphia show. She's obviously somewhat deranged and really annoying, as well. Her first appearance was somewhat humorous but we didn't need a repeat performance. Alexis claims to be a new woman, with a new attitude. Gone is the garish blue sparkly eye makeup from 2008. And she wearing a very proper shimmery silver dress. Still, we know what's coming. She can't sing and overdramatizes Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Simon tells her it is fairly horrendous and that she's actually gotten worse, fully establishing that she can't sing. Alexis answers, "Well, thank you," then swears. She says, "I don't know what else to do but give you the finger," which she does double. The judges applaud and Simon says, "So we're friends again." Alexis tells him, no I don't think we ever could be, that she's come down there too many times just to be told to go home. And on the way out, she calls him an asshole. Well, that was refreshing.

Watch video of Alexis Cohen

We switch back to San Juan for the last performance of the evening, that of singer Patricia Lewis Roman, 20, who comes to the audition with a pack of family and friends. Patricia hopes the venue will be lucky for her, because her parents got married there. But she makes the error of singing Whitney Houston "I Want to Dance With Somebody." Simon tells her that he didn't think that it was good enough, that it was a crazy song choice because it's even a more difficult song to sing than the Whitney ballads, adding "You're always going to come off second or third best," which is what happened then." He gives her 30 seconds to change their minds, and she sings a song in Spanish. It's better. Randy says yes. Paula, surprisingly remains unconvinced and says "no," but she gets through, though we never discover how Simon or Kara vote. She emerges with her ticket to Hollywood and her group bursts into music. The crew brings them all into the audition room and the day ends in celebration.


Watch video of Patricia Lewis Roman

In all, 9 from San Juan and 26 in New York get golden tickets. Next week, we all go to Hollywood, ticket or not.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2009