AI8 recap, Finalists x 9 (03/31/09)

So did anyone catch the Motown special last week on the results show? Is it me or does Stevie Wonder look like Barry Bonds with dreads? And did you see how Stevie was banging on the electric keyboards? It defied my eyes that the music came out of that. It looked like he was banging ruthlessly on them like my 3 year old would. It’s crazy how talented he is.

So tonight is iTunes week, which means basically anything goes. Could be a blessing or a daunting task. Depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, you’re not handcuffed to an artist or genre. On the other hand, how do you pare it down and choose a song? And I’m on my own this week. My wife Kristin (who is usually my ears since I’m tone deaf) is in Hawaii on a work trip. I completely defer to her in most instances when it comes to “was that good?” And she won’t be proofreading this either, so I’ll have some mispellings (did you catch that one?) and simple grammatical errors. Don’t hold it against me…

01 – Anoop, Caught Up (Usher)
I knew he was going to do something like this tonight. Stupid Randy suggested he go back to the high energy Anoop. Stupid Randy. These Idol contestants are taking the judges’ comments WAY too much to heart. I think Simon is the only one worth listening to. Anoop came out with a Michael Jackson-type jacket, but the background music was way too loud. I felt that way for the first half of the show. The backup singers’ mikes were louder than the contestants’. Really annoying. So, Anoop didn’t sing the chorus, nor did he change it up much. I still like the guy. I think he has a nice (better than average) voice, but doesn’t have the know how to make a song his own. Randy liked that he picked up his swagger and thought it was cool, vocally. But didn’t like the song choice, as Usher is more of a dancer-singer than a singer. Kara thought he played it safe and wanted him to riff more. Paula liked his playful side. Simon thought it was a complete and utter mess with no originality. To me, Anoop needs to sing more ballads that show off his voice. Forget his high energy, playful side. That doesn’t show off his voice and usually comes off as silly. Still, I think he’s safe tomorrow. He’s got a following.

02 – Megan, Turn Your Lights Down Low (Bob Marley/Lauren Hill)
So just who choreographs Megan’s moves? Milli Vanilli (which is a bit cruel since one of them died of an overdose in ’98) or William Hung? And how many necklaces was Megan wearing tonight? She looked like a 4 year old who got into mommy’s closet and jewelry box. Musically, I can’t stand Megan. I can’t stand her phrasing or her dance moves. I can’t stand her song choices (I’m still fuming over her choice of “Rockin’ Robin” on Michael Jackson night). I think she was warbling at times tonight. All that being said, she is by far the best looking Idol contestant this season, and maybe of all time. Is that enough to keep her around? No. She can go at any time now. I do agree that given the right song, she will have a hit on her hands when this is over. Her voice is passable (Britney Spears doesn’t have a great voice) and marketed the right way, she can definitely be a commercial artist. Kara likes her, but thinks she’s in trouble. Paula suggested that she sit on a stool and just sing. Simon thought it was boring and monotonous. Randy likened her performance to watching paint dry. She should be in the bottom 3 for sure, but she does have Vote For The Worst on her side right now.

03 – Danny, What Hurts The Most (Rascal Flatts)
Again, the background mikes were louder than Danny, which bums me out since I wanted to hear him sing more. Does anyone else notice that Danny doesn’t hit a big note at the end of his songs, but rather all of his songs end abruptly? Is that by conscious choice? And is that musically smart? I thought Danny was very good tonight. He’s fallen behind Adam in performances so far, but I still think if Danny gets back to the basics of singing and singing well, he’ll be in the final 2. Paula said this is where he thrives. Simon called it his best performance and so much better than the first two. Randy said he brought it. Kara said it gave her goosebumps and it moved everyone in the room, emotionally. Danny should be safe tomorrow, but I’m a little bummed that he’s lost some of his momentum from the semi-finals.

04 – Allison, Don’t Speak (No Doubt)
Allison talked about how she was going to play the guitar tonight and she did so briefly, then it just became a prop. She rocked up the song, as she normally does. She was screaming a bit in parts though. Her look was very ‘80s and was a bit reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper. Although from the neck up she looked like she could’ve been a character on the Flintstones. Randy thought she was a little ahead of the beat and he didn’t dig her ensemble. Kara thought it was good, but not her best. Simon was distracted by her outfit calling her a slightly precocious daughter trying to dress like a rock star. There’s no doubt (pun intended) that Allison can sing, but she doesn’t seem to have much of a following. She might be in the bottom 3 tomorrow, although if she’s off, I’d hope that they save her.

05 – Scott, Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
I noticed Scott’s new ‘do right away. I call it the “Hasselhoff.” He went from the William Kaat “Greatest American Hero” ‘do to the David Hasselhoff “Knightrider” ‘do. I still think the wardrobe and makeup people are just having fun with the blind guy… Scott decided to just play the piano and not have the band accompany him. I thought it was a good choice. I thought this song was perfect for his voice and it showed off his amazing piano skills. Kara loved the new look and thought he made a bunch of smart decisions tonight. Paula said she was most proud of him, but not because of his challenge. But basically mentioned his challenge. It was one of those backdoor things where someone would say something like, “I could tell you that that dress looks horrible, but I’m not going to say that.” Paula’s good for things like that. Simon said this was his best performance by a country mile and said it was a good thing that he didn’t take Paula’s advice to sing without the piano (which she denied saying; she’s an idiot). Randy said it was one of the best of the night. I think this should buy Scott another week, but his time is coming soon.

06 – Matt, You Found Me (The Fray)
So what’s up with the bump/mole right smack in the middle of Matt’s forehead? Was that always there? Is it a zit gone bad? Is he an Albino Indian? I thought originally that Matt looks like a Dillon brother, but now I think that in certain angles Matt looks like Ben Affleck. Long face, scruffy beard. Matt played his keyboard off the main stage surrounded by girls. It was like an off-Broadway performance, in more ways than one. Decent performance, but it was not original and copycat like his Coldplay disaster in the semis. Paula said he didn’t riff or use his falsettos and that it wasn’t a great performance. Simon said he should be happy because they didn’t like him at all this week (this is in response to the judges liking him last week and Matt being in the bottom 2). Randy said it was the wrong song. Kara said he is a talented guy and doesn’t deserve to go home. He may get saved if he’s voted off. I think he’s in trouble tomorrow.

07 – Lil, I Surrender (Celine Dion)
I thought Lil had a bad look and bad hair this week. Thought she looked a bit like the comedienne Adele Givens. I just didn’t get it. I think she has a great voice, but keeps picking the wrong songs. I think she’s overthinking it. She needs to sing a song that she likes and sing it well. Randy said it would not have been his song choice, but she sang it well. Kara was surprised at the song choice, but noted that she was effortless in hitting the big notes. Paula told her not to so anymore adult contemporary songs. Simon called it a wedding performance and that it was so old fashioned that it sucked the personality out of her. I think Lil may be in trouble tomorrow and needs to pick it up or she’ll find herself out of this competition soon.

08 – Adam, Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry)
I’m digging Adam with the Elvis hair. I did get some pushback on the “Adam looks a bit like Tom Brady” comment I made last week. I’ll retract that and instead offer that Adam looks like a young Kurt Russell, without the jowls. Tonight, unlike last week, was classic Adam. He is such a performer. He actually really chopped up this song, but in a good way. I thought I’d get tired of his theatrics on stage and he still is bordering turning songs into Broadway hits, but I am strangely drawn to Adam. Much more than at the beginning and I’m not ashamed to say that I think he is now the one to beat. Paula put him in the same category as Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler. It’s a good thing Paula doesn’t go overboard in her comments… She also tried to make some lame comment about “true genius” that didn’t really make sense. Simon called him very brave and was glad to get rid of the karaoke nonsense that plagued the first part of the show. Randy said he was in the star zone. Kara said she can’t wait to see what he’s going to do every week. Adam is hands down safe tomorrow.

09 – Kris, Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers)
Kris surprised me by playing the keyboards instead of the guitar tonight. Very talented guy. He’s gaining momentum. Very good tonight. Randy said he was so in the zone and he’s creative and cool. Kara had 3 words for him – that is artistry (at least she got the number right this week). Paula said this played to his strengths. Simon said he showed confidence this week. Kris seems to be safe and is getting better week by week.

Top 3 – Adam, Danny, Kris

Bottom 3 – Megan, Matt, Lil/Allison/Anoop

Should be interesting who goes tomorrow night.