Adam. Elvis. What's Not To Love?

Howdy Idolites!

Sorry I didn't post anything after last week's save of Michael. I just started a new job and was on a business trip. That being said, I am leaving again today for a trade show in California. I'm not even quite sure if I will be able to watch tonight's show. So, if I may be out of blogging commission tomorrow as well, but thanks to James and his pool website, we'll all be updated on the standings.

Since there is a double elimination tonight, the first one eliminated will be the 9th place finisher and the second one eliminated will be the 8th place finisher.

On to the show...

* Has anyone else noticed how weird and borderline creepy Seacrest is becoming? He's like a 9-year old with ADD. Between slow dancing with a large man during Tim's song, throwing out a dig at Brian Dunkleman and continually probing the contestants with uncomfortable questions, it seems as if he's trying to become bigger than the show. Can someone please give the guy some decaf please?

* So we get Adam Lambert as the mentor...thank goodness! It was apparent that he has been watching the show and feels the same way we all do...ZZZZZZZZ! I'm glad he called out a few of the contestants about being boring. He raised the bar last year on performance and I think his influence really helped the performances last night.

* Elvis songs had the potential to be really bad, but overall I thought most everyone did pretty well. Since Leah & I were married by Elvis in Vegas (note picture above), we certainly have some connections to him (i.e. kids named Lucky Jackson & Presley), as well as a few songs. The contestants didn't disappoint.

CRYSTAL - "Saved" WOW! I had never heard this song, but will certainly purchase Crystal's version on iTunes. That was simply one of the best performances I've seen on this show. She had her usual great voice, but injected her performance with fun and energy. Nice assist from Adam with the electric guitar suggestion. Still the one to beat.

ANDREW - "Hound Dog" This was the defining moment for Andrew. He had Adam there to tell him he was fading and his song was sounding boring. This week could determine if he is ready to make a run or will go home tonight. The song choice was horrible. No guitar either...yikes. I actually liked the arrangement. Liked the old-style microphone. Liked the Elvis-style hair. Didn't hate the performance as much as the judges, but it was apparent that Andrew (and my pool) are about to go down.

TIM - "Can't Help Falling In Love" Gotta say I was worried on this one. This was the song Leah came down the aisle to at our wedding and I didn't want to hear it destroyed. Although he didn't take Adam's advice and use his falsetto at the end, he did an admirable job and was better than Andrew. Tim seems to be going the way of Kris Allen. wearing his bland clothes and riding the guitar. Tim's 'Kris Allen-lite' persona could push him even further in the competition. At least one more week, yes?

LEE - "A Little Less Conversation" Another one of my favorite Elvis songs. Had Crystal not been so amazing Lee would have stolen the show. Great performance. Great energy. I think Kara is smoking crack when she tells him to smile more and lighten up. He was awesome in his sound, his look and his performance. Lee has put himself back in contention.

AARON - "Blue Suede Shoes" Cheesy. Karaoke. Cruise Ship. Amusement Park...just pick the one you like best and that would fit his performance just fine. As Leah put it, "he looks like he's giving up." Simon was right on when he said the song made him sound old and I agree. I don't know what Kara was watching last night. I think Aaron could be in trouble and certainly doesn't look to be lasting longer than a couple more weeks at best. The confidence just isn't there.

SIOBHAN - "Suspicious Minds" Another one of my favorite Elvis songs. This was weird. The first half of the performance felt like I was watching Sheena Easton perform this at karaoke in 1985. Then, she changes it up and the second half sounded awesome! I've never gone from hate this to love this so fast. I like the fact that she defended herself and didn't want to have a label placed on her. Very appropriate on an Elvis/Adam night.

MICHAEL - "In The Ghetto" Yes! Another great Elvis song. Nice assist by Siobhan on that choice. All in all, it was a pretty good performance. It kinda gets lost amongst a lot of other better performances last night, but it will be more than enough to keep Michael around. I actually hope Michael gets a career in music, because he must stop calling himself a trainer. The dude is just huge.

KATIE - "Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do?" Another song I had never heard. I actually thought is was a pretty good performance. I was actually surprised that Simon didn't jump on the fact that she sang it with a country vibe. As with Aaron, I think she is struggling with confidence (who wouldn't at age 17). She is clearly frustrated with the judges comments and has yet to find her groove. Just a few more weeks left for Katie.

CASEY - "?" I still can't figure out what song that was. Simon nailed it, though. It was a wasted opportunity for Casey. He'll definitely be safe tonight, but he could have had a great, more memorable performance that could have carried him even further in the competition...a 'moment' if you will. Instead, he took the final slot of the night and played it safe. Not bad. Not great. Just OK...and a bit too much vibrato for me.

RECAP:

Best Look - Crystal HM - Lee

Worst Look - Katie HM - Siobhan

Best Performance - Crystal HM - Lee

Worst Performance - Aaron HM - Andrew

PREDICTIONS:

Bottom 3 (should be) - Aaron, Andrew, Katie

Bottom 3 (will be) - Aaron, Andrew, Tim

Out (should be) - Aaron, Tim

Out (will be) - Aaron, Andrew (ouch, that's my first and middle name)

Time permitting, I'll make some pool updates tonight or tomorrow.

Until then....

Pool Boy out!

Can't Buy Me Love...or Votes.

Idolites -

Two seasons ago, the Idols got two swings at The Beatles. There were some memorable performances and some awful ones. Last night proved to be much more on the good side, as we saw Lee and Casey take huge strides in the competition.

AARON - "The Long & Winding Road" How many times must I ask if these contestants have ever watched the show before. Just because you're getting occasional comparisons to David Archuleta doesn't mean you need to keep singing songs he did. If you do decide to rehash a song from just two seasons ago, keep two things in mind: 1) sing it different and better, 2) don't perform in a navy straight jacket with your sleeves rolled up. Is David Letterman giving him fashion advice? That was not a good performance. He has yet to see the bottom 3, but I think: First to perform + Sleepy, rehashed performance = Trouble for Aaron.

KATIE - "Let It Be" I wasn't quite as taken by that performance as the judges, however it was a marked improvement from last week and WAY more passionate than Aaron. Very strategic of her to base her prom date on the one who votes the most for her. That, coupled with the fact that there are just three girls left should keep her out of the bottom 3 this week. Oh, and though I agree with Simon on the fact that she should go with a country edge, that was not a country performance.

ANDREW - "Can't Buy Me Love" As we go to commercial break, I see Andrew sitting on the stairs without his guitar...NO!!! OK, it's back...whew! Even if I hadn't been so stupid as to pick Andrew to win, I would be interested in seeing him go as far as possible just to see how high he can get that hair to grow. I wasn't thrilled at the song selection, but it started out quite good. Then the cheesy horn arrangement kicked in and it felt like a completely different (cruise shippy) vibe. There are less and less contestants, performances like this can't slide through any more. I think my Idol is in serious trouble tonight.

MICHAEL - "Elanor Rigby" Yet another song that's been done on the show before...much better. Have these contestants EVER watched the show before. It's not like this was done by Sanjaya or David Hernandez. It was David Cook and he killed it. That being said, it was actually done fairly well, but in typical Michael fashion, he felt like he needed to add a bunch of cheese on the end. His fans love it though and he'll, once again, sail through to next week.

CRYSTAL - "Come Together" Despite having a cold, Crystal knocks it out of the park. That was actually a good song to sing with a slightly raspy voice. She is really starting to separate herself from the pack these days. The huge difference now is that she has finally loosened up and no longer looks embarrassed to be there. She actually seems to be having fun and is smiling. The only thing I noticed is that she seems to close her eyes quite a bit while she is singing. It didn't hurt David Archuleta, though, and it won't hurt her. Will she be the first odds on favorite to win it all? Looking good right now.

TIM - "All My Lovin" Wow, the judges have given up. They are now complimenting him on taking criticism well and judging him on a "Tim" scale (Randy.."That was a good Tim performance."). I liked the fact that he used the guitar again. It kept him from doing anything weird. It would be nice if he could actually play. He spent most of the song watching his fingers on the fret. Although, that did reign in his nuttiness.

CASEY - "Jealous Guy" WOW! I hadn't really taken Casey too seriously until now. I knew he was a lock for the top 5 and that he could play a mean guitar, but never felt like he was a contender, as he always felt like a guitar player that sings. I still think that his vocal style isn't exactly what garners votes, but Taylor Hicks won this thing, so who knows. That performance was one of the best I've seen this season. He finally ditched the cheesy smile and showed a more serious and tender side. Keeping it completely acoustic was brilliant (please take note Andrew). Being from Texas helps too. Can he ride this momentum to a win? I now say maybe.

SIOBHAN - "Across The Universe" This one killed off Michael Johns, let's hope it doesn't have the same effect on Siobhan. I totally understand why she sang the song the way she did, but it was a bit too much on the sleepy side. She is obviously quite overwhelmed by the whole Idol experience as well. She has been on the brink of tears two weeks in a row. Is Siobhan imploding? Let's hope not, but tonight she could find herself in the bottom 3. She's not going home though.

LEE - "Hey Jude" Not the most favorable back story by his competitors...He's neurotic and has a crush on Andrew. Leah & I were debating on whether or not Hey Jude would be a good song to sing on the show. I thought it was just too long and relied too much on the chorus. Lee obviously disagreed and went for it anyway. He is definitely looking more confident and relaxed, as the Dave Mathews and hunch were much more subdued...he's making progress. I find it hard to believe he was the one that said "Hey, you know what would take my performance to the next level? A bagpipe player!" That was completely distracting and random. Simon nailed it...it was like he was supposed to be on a different show and ended up on the Idol set. Lee is definitely a contender.

RECAPS

Best Look - Lee HM - Siobhan (I'm a sucker for her nutty garb), Michael (Hey! A jacket that actually fits!!)

Worst Look - Aaron HM - Andrew (suit was OK, shirt was not)

Best Performance - Casey HM - Crystal

Worst Performance - Aaron HM - Tim

PREDICTIONS

Bottom 3 (should be) - Tim, Aaron, Andrew

Bottom 3 (will be) - Tim, Aaron, Andrew

Out (should be) - Tim

Out (will be) - Andrew (not sure the judges would save him at this point either...sigh)

Enjoy the show tonight and be sure to vote for who you think will be gone.

- Pool Boy out

The South Has Fallen

Idolites -

As regular readers of this blog know, the winners of American Idol have almost always come from states in the South. Kris Allen (Arkansas) proved the South can put together votes with his massive upset over Adam Lambert last season. Well, with Miss Tennessee now out of the competition, the remaining Southern contestant is Casey James, from Texas. I thought her Tennessee roots would carry Didi a bit farther, but America got it right again.

Yes, Teflon Tim looks like he's trying to beat Nikki McKibbon's record of most times in the bottom 3 without getting eliminated, but he's only going to hang on for so long.

So here we sit. Three weeks into the Top 12 in the 'year of the girls' and we now only have three of them left. Do you think Lilly Scott would have been eliminated yet if she were in the Top 12? I don't think so. I can't believe they felt it was necessary to expand to a Top 13 for Anoop, but couldn't do the same for Lilly. I told you I'd be bitching about this for awhile.

To the pool...

We no longer have any perfect pools.

Beth Shanaman has held on to her first place lead, but it is down to just one point. Who is in second place you ask? Well, it's Season 7 pool champ Nancy Ging (mother of Ginger) and, yes, your's truly!! I actually had Didi out last night (along with 5 others) to give me two in a row. My problem...I have Aaron in 12th and Andrew winning. So, I'll savor my standing for a week.

With Didi's departure, the first four people lost their Idol.

It will be that way from here on out. Yes, someone actually picked Tim to win.

Until next week...

Pool Boy Out

Andrew's Back With A Touch Of Ginger

Idolites -

Well, one of you came through for me and passed along her magic touch to Andrew Garcia, getting him back on track in this competition. That's right, Tracy Ging (Ginger) is seen in the photo to the left with Andrew Garcia, who she met this weekend. Thanks Ginger! Maybe if we coax her, she can tell us more about their meeting in the comments section below?

On to the show...

So when Usher first comes on to talk about him being a mentor, it sounds like he's gonna be kind of a hard ass. Turns out he was a pretty nice guy.

SIOBHAN - "Through The Fire" OK, if any of you read my blog last week, you would have noticed that this was one of the songs I suggested for Andrew. Love the song. Love Siobhan. Hated that performance. Just seconds after Usher says Siobhan has a true shot at becoming an incredible artist, she delivers her worst performance of the season. Not a good spot to do that either. First out of the gate is not a good time to deliver a dud. Her vocals were off, her clothing was off, her makeup was off, her hair was off...yikes! She was really holding back the tears too. It was like a funeral when she went backstage. She'll be fine, but I think this may have been a bit of a wake up call.

CASEY - "Hold On" Casey continues his feel good blues guitar vibe, but delivers a much more solid performance. He continues to sing with that cheesy smile on his face throughout the song. I'd like to see him tone that down a bit. How about Ellen providing him with the slap down on playing it safe? For all of you that have been (unjustifiably) complaining about how Ellen is too nice, how was tonight for you? She was almost as negative as Simon. I love Ellen! Casey has made it clear who he is and what he'll be doing. I don't think it will translate into a win, but it will carry him into the Top 5 and a nice career. Good for you Casey!

MICHAEL - "Ready For Love" Big Mike did a nice job on this song from a vocal standpoint. I still don't understand why he ever brings out the guitar. It was completely unnecessary for this song, as you couldn't hear it at all. It also always looks like a ukulele up against his gigantic body. I still think he's a cheeseball, but this was a nice performance.

DIDI - "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?" YIKES! Well, Brooke White was back during her rehearsal session with Usher. I don't think he knew what to do while she was crying. I don't understand why contestants choose songs that have a sad emotional connection for them. Especially someone like Didi. She came out there looking like she was dressed for the grand buffet on her cruise ship. I felt like i was watching a performance at a beauty pageant. "Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Tennessee!" It was one of the worst performances I've seen on Idol. Nothing worked. Then, Seacrest somehow felt like he needed to save her and shill for extra votes by trying to pry out of her why she sang the song. To her credit, Didi was not ready to go there, but Ryan's 'Extra' persona kept picking and picking at her incessantly. Let her be Ryan!

TIM - "Sweet Love" HA! Anita Baker, Tim? I guess the producers of the show have been reading my blog, as they have now picked up on the Teflon Tim moniker. The poor kid doesn't even realize what it means. It means you are most definitely the second coming of Sanjaya. The song was just awful. It did come with two of the best quotes from the night, however. Ellen.."You can't walk like you're sneaking into a bedroom." HA!!! My favorite was from Tim, though. In his 'behind the scenes' clip he says (referring to the judges comments) "It wasn't as bad as it could have been." He just got beaten up, but could still see the bright side. Gotta love denial!

ANDREW - "Forever" So, the first thing I hear out of Andrew's mouth is that he's singing a Chris Brown song. Dude? Are your trying to get eliminated? Let's just piss off all the female voters. It all got better from there. He brought back the guitar!! He rocked the silver suit and Elvis hair do, looking much like Adam Lambert during R&B week last year. I didn't know the song and the lyrics were definitely cheesy, but I can't imagine it wasn't WAY better than the original. He has his mojo back, but I have a bad feeling about the results tonight anyway. Will a judges save happen?

KATIE - "Chain Of Fools" To me, a huge step back for her this week. First of all, she looked like she just got back from a shopping spree at Claire's and Hot Topic. The shorts were reminiscent of Paige's Crocodile Hunter outfit a few weeks ago. As for the song, Ellen nailed it again..she sounded old fashioned. Randy & Kara keep telling her this is the style she needs to keep singing. Simon is right if she wants a career. Pop country is her strength.

LEE - "Treat Her Like A Lady" Yes, this was kind of a rebirth of Lee as well. He sounded great and seemed to have more confidence. I still just can't get over the fact that he looks and hold himself just like Dave Mathews on stage. Tonight sounded like a mix of DM and Eddie Vedder. He just continually stands in one place holding his guitar way up high rocking back and forth like a mental patient. If this was his 'life changing' moment, as Simon asserted, then the talent pool truly is weaker this season.

CRYSTAL - "Midnight Train To Georgia" Nice! I get what Simon was trying to tell her, but what tonight did for Crystal was (much like Adam Lambert last season) to capture voters that probably weren't on her side previously. She was more accessible in her look and sound. She also made it clear that she is thinking about the compeition and wants to win. It was the first time, to me, that she looked like she wanted to be there. Ellen nails it yet again.

AARON - "Ain't No Sunshine" Blah. Didn't do much with the pimp spot of the night. Judges were right. It was OK. He'll be safe. Why do contestants consistently choose songs that have been done on the show before? Kris Allen killed that one just last year. You were watching, right Aaron?

RECAPS:

Best Look - Andrew HM - Casey, Lee

Worst Look - Katie HM - Siobhan, Didi

Best Performance - Crystal HM - Casey, Andrew, Lee

Worst Performance - Didi HM - Tim, Siobhan

PREDICTIONS:

Bottom 3 (should be) - Tim, Didi, Katie

Bottom 3 (will be) - Andrew, Tim, Katie

Out (should be) - Tim

Out (will be) - NO ONE!! That's right, here is my bold prediction tonight. Andrew will be in the position to sing for his life and will be saved. I hope this isn't the case, because I'll be freaking out, but I gotta feeling!

Be sure to vote on you you think will go.

- Pool Boy Out

Turn The Paige...Idol Summer Tour Is Set

America is 2 for 2.

I guess this isn't such a surprise. As in past seasons, the first couple of cuts in the Top 12 are usually the weaker contestants. Neither Paige or Lacey really had any business being there in the first place (did I ever mention how I thought Lilly Scott got a raw deal?).

Now, this 'season of the girls' only has four of them remaining. Albeit, the best two contestants (by far) are both female. However, the boys are getting votes...including the teflon pair of Tim and Andrew.

Of course I was thrilled to see that Andrew not only avoided the bottom 3 yet again, but also let Seacrest know that his musical strength is in doing acoustic songs. Duh! So, I'm hoping he listens to himself, ignores Usher and Simon, and does a completely stripped down version of a song by, say Chaka Khan ("Through The Fire" or "Ain't Nobody"), Terence Trent D'arby ("Wishing Well"), TLC ("Waterfalls"), Amy Winehouse ("You Know I'm No Good"), or even Joss Stone ("Put Your Hands On Me"). Yes, I want Andrew back. I want Idol back. I think he is one of the few contestants left that can bring some originality to challenge Siobhan and Crystal...and, yes, my pool hopes are riding on his back.

As for the pool, we now only have two perfect pools remaining. Gavin Fysh & long-time Idolite Beth Shanaman are two for two. They each have 20 points and hold a 3 point lead on the rest of the field. They each have Tim going out next week as well. Unless he continues to pull a Nikki McKibbon and survive the bottom 3 week after week, they could be building a sizable lead.

This brings me to a request of some of you. Many of you are new to the pool this year. Also, many have entered their own pools on the standings website with user names I do not recognize. In order for me to understand who has paid, as well as allow me to acknowledge throughout tthe season, can those of you that DO NOT have your full name as your user name, please e-mail me directly with both? (asoenkeruona@gmail.com) It would really be helpful.

Lastly, I have determined the payouts for the pool. We have a total of 93 entries, for a total of $930 in the pot. I have decided to pay out the Top 14 spots as follows:

1st Place - $300, 2nd - $150, 3rd - 100, 4th - $75, 5th - $60, 6th - $40, 7th - $35, 8th - $30, 9th - $30, 10th - $25, 11th - $25, 12th - $20, 13th - $20, 14th - $20

Until next week,

Pool Boy Out!

The Fonz Has Strapped On The Waterskis

Idolites -

Was it when Paula decided not to return this season? No, I don't think so. I wasn't happy when she did and I certainly wasn't looking forward to Ellen as her replacement. However, I have been really impressed with Ellen (despite those who inexplicably feel Ellen is too nice...did you watch Paula in the first eight seasons? She made Ellen look like Gordon Ramsey.)

Was it when Simon announced this would be his last season? Maybe. I'm certainly skeptical on how AI will be able to replace him, but he's still here now...thankfully!

No, I think it was tonight's show when American Idol officially jumped the shark. I should have known it when they announced that Miley Cyrus was the 'mentor' for the week. Really? Miley Cyrus? Don't get me wrong, I don't have any issue with her as a person. She's obviously highly successful in just about every venture she has tried. She also has yet to become a drugged out skank like, say, Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears. Is she really qualified to mentor anyone on singing, though? "Be sure to look into the eyes of a few fans in the front row. It will make their day." Yeah, because Hannah Montana just looked at them. I don't think Paige Miles will have quite the same effect.

Things just got worse from there...

LEE - "The Letter" I think Randy, Ellen and Kara all saw a flash forward of the rest of the show, because they were way too enthusiastic about that performance. While he did better than most this evening, had that performance been done another time, I don't think he would have looked as good as they thought. Going first is always tough on a 2-hour show and I just don't think he did anything that would make me say, "Wow, Lee could win this thing." He was complimented on how he looked more comfortable on stage, but I still just see him as a hunchback that looks like he can't wait to get off stage. I do like his voice, but he continues to pick songs that don't showcase it very well. At least he looked good. He'll be safe, though, because...

PAIGE - "Against All Odds" Starting with Corey Clark in Season 2, this song has been hacked several times on Idol, but Paige took it to a new level tonight. After she performed last week, I though she sounded fine. Lackluster, but fine. Then we heard about her having laryngitis and I was actually kind of impressed. Tonight I was asking myself if she was still sick. My gosh that was awful. Ellen pulled a Paula and decided to compliment her looks (which were good) and not get involved in the bloodbath, which was actually quite humane. I will be shocked if she isn't in the bottom 3 for a second straight week. I really think she'll be leaving as well. This season has been full of mediocrity, but that was flat out horrible.

TIM - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" So when I saw that Tim was up next, I thought, "Wow, how lucky! He gets to follow that train wreck. He could do another reggae version of Under My Thumb and still sound better than Paige." Never underestimate the power of suck. Tim has truly taken the Sanjaya role by the horns. He's got the looks and the young girls will call and text their votes in with even more ferocity this week. His performances are getting more and more desperate, however. He's like Peter Brady looking for his personality. That was SO awkward, I was uncomfortable. Even Ellen took the gloves off, with one of my favorite lines of the night.."There will be a large group of people (i.e. 10 - 14 year old girls) that will love that performance...then there's me." Nice! I actually think he may sneak his way out of the bottom 3 this week, based solely on the fact that he was so bad that his supporters are probably being even more diligent than ever to make sure they vote.

AARON - "Don't Want To Miss A Thing" My namesake gets the sympathy vote right off the bat with his admission of laryngitis and tonsillitis (hmmm?). He's a sweet kid and I think either he or Tim will go fairly far, as I think they share a lot of the same fans. That being said, Aaron can actually sing. Looking like he was being attacked by zippers, I didn't really like his performance tonight, but (of course) he gets the illness pass. I kind of agree with Simon, that Aaron seems a bit on the old fashioned side to me. He's like a more awkward, less cute and confident David Archuletta. He is a sweet kid, though and getting to follow Tim & Paige pretty much guarantees he'll be here another week.

CRYSTAL - "Me & Bobby McGee" Wow, what a stretch. Crystal sings Janis Joplin. Of course, it was really good. I'm sure she also really enjoyed hearing Miley Cyrus tell her to push it a little more. This is it folks. She is the front runner. I completely agree with Ellen on the fact that she doesn't seem to connect with the audience. In my opinion, I think she is still somewhat embarrassed to be on American Idol. You can't tell me that, years ago, when she stopped washing her hair and was sitting outside the coffeehouse playing her guitar and singing for her stoney buddies playing hackey sack she was thinking that American Idol would be a cool thing to win. I'd also put money on the fact that she has probably already gotten ribbed by some of her friends for even trying out, much less doing well. She's smart enough to realize that this is a way for her to be able to take care of her baby, but I just don't sense she's truly into it. I'm also getting a little bored with the fact that she rarely has anything new to bring to the songs she performs. Again, I think she has mad vocal skills and is definitely one of the best singers on the sure for sure. I'm just not buying it yet.

MICHAEL - "When A Man Loves A Woman" Yes, we all like Michael's big personality. Yes, he can sing and did so as well as anyone tonight. But he still seems cheesy and old to me. I keep waiting to hear him sound like a contemporary artist, but think he has too much of a (as Kara put it perfectly) loungy sound and feel. I've never been a fan of someone that riffs so much either...boy am I a whiny curmudgeon right now. He's safe.

ANDREW - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" UGH!!!!!! OK, my pool is definitely done. I must rely on Presley's from here on out. First of all, I completely disagree with Simon and Miley Cyrus on the fact that he should ditch his guitar. Have they been watching the past few weeks? every time he leaves his guitar backstage, he's just awful. They keep hearkening back to "Straight Up"...well, guess what? He had his guitar. He needs it back to regain any confidence he may still have. I still think he's one of only a couple of contestants that has the ability to change up a song's arrangement with any sort of success. He hasn't done it forever and may have just imploded enough to make it irrelevant anyway. Thankfully, Presley's pool has him exiting in 6th. I hope he can hold on that long. Why did I think a guy from California with limited singing range and a neck tattoo had a shot to win? I'm an idiot.

KATIE - "Big Girls Don't Cry" I miss Lilly Scott. Katie is fine. Kinda like Aaron. She has a nice voice and is very sweet. Her look this week was much better and she's headed in the right direction. I do have to agree with Simon, though, on the fact that she would do best in a pop-country style of song. She's just too sweet to go down the pop-R&B route Kara seems to want her to try. Her personality and vocal style would seem to fit better with the fans of country, in my opinion. Tonight she did OK. Dumb song, but at least it (and she) was more contemporary.

CASEY - "The Power Of Love" ***SIGH*** Really? Don't get me wrong, I actually like that song (mostly from a sentimental point-of-view), but is that really what you want to sing on Idol? Simon nailed it with the 80's cover band reference. During his entire lead-in package, Casey talked about how he was used to playing in smaller venues and needed to venture out and move around. Did I miss something? Seemed like he did exactly what he does every week and didn't move a bit from that microphone. The dude can definitely play the guitar, but this ain't Guitar Idol, is it? At some point, he's going to need to prove he can handle himself as a front man without the guitar. I like Casey, but at this point, he and Lee like no more than small club rock band singers. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not going to win American Idol. If it does, the show has fallen farther than I thought.

DIDI - "You're No Good" First off, she looked great! Next, I give her props for changing the arrangement slightly in an attempt to make it her own. That being said, it was a bit slow and clumsy. I'm really not sure what to think of this season's Brooke White. Being from a solid voting region (Tennessee) seems to be her biggest asset. That will only last so long. She could be in trouble this week.

SIOBHAN - "Superstition" After last week's epic performance, Siobhan gets the pimp, final slot on the show. The producers clearly see her potential for holder viewer attention, much like Adam Lambert. People are now waiting and wondering what she will do next, much like Adam. Ellen kind of summed it up when she said "We just want to see more and more of you." That's exactly the problem with this season. Siobhan is the only one that has compelling enough performances that most everyone wants to see...like her or not. As for tonight, she missed the mark. Not a great choice of song and it was done in fairly unoriginal fashion. Though I did like her hair! That being said, even Adam sang "Play That Funky Music", so she's allowed a Mulligan. I hope she gets back on track next week. Simon, who was right on point all night long, made a poignant and sobering statement at the end of the show about how it was a pretty miserable night. As you could probably tell by my tone, I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, Andrew Garcia's state right now very much sums up how I am feeling about Idol. It's kinda like "Remember when you were really good? We need you to be more like that. Not sure where things went wrong, but you need to go back to being as good as you used to be or you're in trouble." Much like Andrew, I'm starting to lose faith in whether things will ever be like they were. Also much like Andrew, I really hope they will be.

RECAP TIME:

Best Look - Didi Honorable Mention - Lee, Paige

Worst Look - Tim Honorable Mention - Aaron

Best Performance - Crystal

Worst Performance - Paige Honorable Mention - Tim, Andrew

PREDICTIONS:

Bottom 3 (should be) - Paige, Tim, Didi

Bottom 3 (will be) - Paige, Andrew, Didi

Out (should be) - Paige

Out (will be) - Paige

Tomorrow, I'll give you all an update on the pool payouts.

- Pool Boy Out!

After Lilly Scott Fiasco, America Gets Back On Track

Idolites -

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at he results tonight. No, I didn't have Lacey going out this week. My lovely bride Leah did, however, and she finds herself in an eight way tie for first in the pool.

What I liked was that the (arguably) three weakest contestants were all in the bottom three. No surprises...and no Andrew...whew!

I also liked the new element the show added on the judges save song. Last season, the contestant 'in trouble' had to (like in seasons past...and in the past three weeks) sing the song they obviously sucked on the night before. When you're singing 'for your life' you want to show the judges the best you have to offer. Granted, Lacey had no shot at getting saved, but at least she got to leave with dignity. Sadly, we've lost the best hairdo in the competition.

Speaking of dignity, does Seacrest think he can just say anything about a musical artist and we'll take it as gospel? How can he call tonight's guest, Orianthi, a 24-year old from Australia "a pioneer in rock"? She can certainly play the guitar, but that song sounded pretty pop to me. Plus I think there have been a couple of female rock guitarists before her..yes?

I'm getting old. Kesha is popular? Really? Seemed like Lady Gaga-lite with two of the whitest back up rappers I've ever seen. Blah, blah, blah is right.

James has the pool standings up: http://www.mungermack.com/pools/idol/index.cgi

I'll get more into the pool statistics next week, but I am extremely excited at the stuff James has posted already. Heaven to a stat geek like myself.

Speaking of James, I wanted to extend another thank you to him for taking on our pool on his website. I am actually getting a normal amount of sleep this week, which is normally filled with two or three long nights getting the pool set up.

As soon as we have all the participants pools worked out, I'll get a breakdown of the payouts to you. I'm guessing the top 14 or 15 will get paid.

Enjoy the weekend and next week's performances. I'll be in touch.

- Pool Boy

Start Me Up!

Idolites -

We're off and running! All pool entries have been submitted and the preliminary count is 95 entries. There were a couple of folks that had issues entering their picks and we're working that out today. At worst, we'll have 93. While the number of entries is down slightly from last year's high of 105, I do believe we have more people entered this year. I think there are fewer folks that entered three or four.

So, to all of your returning and to those of you new to this ridiculous pool...thank you and welcome!

Now on to the show. Wait, no, if you live in Burien, WA and have Comcast cable you probably missed the show last night, yes? Lucky & I sat there and watched in horror at 7:58pm, when our TV, Internet and Phone service went out. I called Comcast on my cell phone and they acknowledged there was an 'issue' happening in my area, but could give no explanation or timeline as to when things would be fixed. I was forced to admit that I run this pool and write this blog and that this was pretty much the worst time for them to be having 'issues'. I noticed that the DVR record light was on, so I asked him if it was recording the show? "No, you aren't receiving a signal...we will credit your account for one day's service, however."

Really? That's it. It's come to this? A 41-year old married man sitting with his wife and 8-year old son in their family room staring at the blank screen on their TV in full panic. What to do? I went into the storage closet to see if I had a rabbit ear antenna...no luck. Then, I realized that my good friends and neighbors across the street have Direct TV, so I gave them a call. Chuck Nelson is my hero! I asked him if they were recording the show, because I didn't want to barge in on their family time. He said he would, but I could come over and watch if I wanted. his wife Julie was out of town and he and the kids didn't have anything they were set to watch anyway. I waited 10 more minutes to see if Comcast would come back...it didn't. So, thanks to Chuck, Riley & Gage, I was able to venture over and watch the entire show....Wind Beneath My Wings!!!

So....

The judges get their pimped out introduction and head to their desk. Ryan announces that the singers will now be performing in front of 450 screaming fans. 450? That's it? Hmmm...it seemed so much bigger to me. It's kind of the Seacrest of venues. I've been very excited since they announced they would be performing Rolling Stones songs. All of a sudden I realized that I have been let down so many times in the past when the contestants sing the songs of an artist I really like (Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, etc.). Where there is usually one or two really cool interpretations, there are usually way more hack jobs that leave me more angry that some teeny bopper just ruined one of my favorite songs. I let that feeling pass and decide to relax and enjoy what's coming.

MICHAEL - "Miss You" Alright, here we go. This is the moment you all get to start hating on me. To me Michael is like the black Danny Gokey. He has the nice back story (albeit not a tragic one) that we are continually reminded of. In fact, unlike Danny, Michael has no problem constantly talking about his family and newborn baby and how he needs to support them now. I like him, but he's already wearing on me. As far as his performance, I definitely felt more like Simon. I thought his jumping around on stage seemed like fake energy and kinda desperate. I do feel like his voice is really good and the performance he delivered last week was his best by far. I know he's a physical trainer (who needs to lose about 50 pounds), but that doesn't mean he needs to do calisthenics on stage. He should take a lesson from Ruben Studdard (the performing part, not the diet).

DIDI - "Playing With Fire" This season's Brooke White sang a dark and forgettable song in my opinion. I do like the tone of her voice, but I think she showed off her lack of range tonight when she tried pushing her limits. As a contestant, I think she'll do OK. She's pretty, she cries and is from a strong voting region (Tennessee). Ultimately, however, I think she'll end up in the middle of the pack. Like most of the contestants this season, she lacks the star power to move her terribly far. Tonight was a perfect example.

CASEY - "It's All Over Now" Great back story! I love his mom and he just seems like a very grounded, genuine guy. I have kind of felt sorry for him throughout his journey into the Top 12. He is constantly being reminded of his looks and Kara's crush on him. Now, I think Kara is extra hard on him as a way to deflect any favoritism she may show. All I can say is that if it were a female contestant that Randy or Simon asked to strip down during her audition, Idol would be hounded by women's groups crying for their dismissal from the show. That being said, I think Casey may be relying a bit too much on his guitar playing. I think he's a good player, but this is a singing competition, right? At some point, he is going to need to come out without the guitar and prove that he can sing...and I think he can. He has a really good and unique voice. He has also (smartly) set himself apart as THE country contender. That, along with coming from a strong voting state (Texas) should move him into the top 5 without question. Again, Simon was correct in saying that he needs to show us that he has star appeal. He has the looks, the voice and the talent....one powerful performance would make him a contender to win it all.

LACEY - "Ruby Tuesday" Lacey saunters out looking like Pat Benatar during an early 80's video shoot. I'm liking the arrangement with the violins. She has a nice, sweet voice to go along with her nice, sweet personality. I'm starting to get bored now. Oh no, she's sitting down (one of my Idol Faux Pas'). OOk, now she's picking up the tempo and really showing off her vocal skills...why is she still sitting down? Thankfully, Ellen points out the same thing, so I don't feel like I'm crazy. I do like Lacey. I think she has a unique voice and seems like a genuinely sweet preacher's daughter. She has no shot at winning which is why she was one of only two contestants that no one picked to win. Although I imagine I said the same thing about Kris Allen last season..but, really she has no shot.

ANDREW - "Gimme Shelter" Sigh! I agonized over my picks this season...just ask Leah. I thought she was going to punch me in the middle of my whining (which would have been completely justified!). I had determined that there was a definite separation between the top 6 and bottom 6. From there, it could be anyone. So, on my pool, I decided to take a chance on Andrew. Going into the Top 24, he was the odds on favorite to win...by the judges and the odds makers. He had been sliding backwards ever since, but he obviously had shown at some point that he had the skills to win. So, I took a chance on him to turn things around. i thought the Rolling Stones would be the perfect platform for him to re-establish himself as someone that could win this thing. So, we get his emotional back story and talk about his guitar. His best performance (which we continually have to hear about..Straight Up) was using his guitar. His worst performance was the one without the guitar....WHERE THE HELL WAS YOUR GUITAR ANDREW???? He picked one of my favorite Stones songs to sing and then went out and did a mediocre version with no originality. Are you trying to lose? My pool is screwed. Thank goodness I have Presley's pool to fall back on.

KATIE - "Wild Horses" Believe it or not, Katie was the other favorite by the odds-makers going into the Top 24. She has shown her weakness ever since and, much like Andrew, has found herself struggling to make it through to the next week. She starts off the song by sitting...enough of that please! She is able to show off her really incredible voice. I actually think she should try to work a country angle. Her voice fits it well and there is no other girl doing that right now. She's cute, tries hard and could garner a lot of votes. She still looks like she's playing dress up, which points out the fact that she is so young and still finding her way. With Lilly and Katelyn out of the picture, I think she is the third best girl left. However, Siobhan and Crystal are SO far ahead of her I don't see her finishing any higher than middle of the pack.

TIM - "Under My Thumb" Tim's playing with house money right now. He wasn't supposed to be in the Top 24, but lucked his way in. His first performance was so awful, he became the poster boy for VoteForTheWorst.com and now finds himself in the Top 12. So, to "take a risk" he performs a reggae version of Under My Thumb. Overall, I though the evening had mostly ho-hum performances with one great performance and one lousy one. This was the lousy one. With the mop hair, cute looks and, now, laughably bad performances Tim has earned his role as the Sanjaya of Season 9. I felt like I was listening to Jason Castro (I can feel the protests coming already). The funny thing is that Tim could end up with a similar career...playing at weddings for reality TV stars. He even gave out the Danny Gokey heart sign while on stage with Seacrest. I really do like Tim, but he's becoming a joke...that will take him at least 3 to 5 more weeks into the competition.

SIOBHAN - "Paint It Black" Whew! OK, my original pick to win it all was Siobhan. In our household, we normally have each one of our four pools pick a different winner. Before I made my picks, Leah had chosen Siobhan. Lucky picked Crystal, so that left (in my mind) Lee, Andrew and Casey as the only other potential winners. I decided (poorly) to choose Andrew on my pool. Presley's pool is always my secondary one. I just like Siobhan so much, that I threw out my normal rule and, thankfully, chose her to win on Presley's. She did not disappoint. This was, by far, the best performance of the night. Kara hit it on the head when she said she was seeing visions of Adam Lambert. I was getting goosebumps each time she hit a higher...and higher note. She had the look (except the hair...who did that?) and the performance to match her wicked vocals. Match that with her quiet confidence and nutty personality and I truly do think she is the one to beat. She is the only thing that can heal the pain of losing Lilly Scott. WOW!

LEE - "Beast Of Burden" Leah & I had talked last week about how much he is starting to look and sound like Dave Mathews. This performance just reinforced that. Randy even dropped in that observation. The problem is that Dave Mathews would never win American Idol...and unless he comes through with more confidence and star power, neither will Lee. This song was nice, but didn't (as Simon would put it) have any "wow" factor. I really do like his voice. I think he has the potential to work himself into more of a David Cook-type of performer, but that time is running out. He needs to change it up or be satisfied with a Top 5 finish and Idol obscurity.

PAIGE - "Honky Tonk Woman" Will dressing like the Crocodile Hunter and singing a more upbeat performance change how we feel about Paige? No, I don't think so. She's kind of like Lacey with a bigger voice. Super sweet, pretty and a nice voice. Yet, she still has that deer in the headlights look in her (pretty) eyes. Every time I watch her perform, I feel like I'm listening to a really good singer at karaoke. Thanks to Simon for actually asking her what she was struggling with all week. Gotta give her props for sounding so good after having laryngitis. That being said, I'm angry America put her through instead of Lilly.

AARON - "Angie" Of course I would love for my namesake to be great, but he just isn't...yet. Unlike David Archuletta, Aaron doesn't have the experience of performing behind him and I think his age will eventually hurt him. He did well tonight..and, despite the idiotic hair-do, looked good as well. He is a sweet guy that could last a few more weeks. I think he or Tim will go farther than anyone thinks. The other will be going home soon. Aaron just doesn't move me with his performances and comes off kind of boring.

CRYSTAL - " You Can't Always Get What you Want" Idol definitely wants her to win. They give her the best spot on the show yet again. The odds makers have her as the prohibitive favorite and so does our pool. 32 entries have Crystal as their Idol. I think she and Siobhan are head and shoulders above the rest at this point. Here is why I don't think she will win: 1) She seems to be indifferent about her position on the show. I think that "I don't care" attitude will eventually turn off voters in the long run. 2) Her health is a concern. She has already been sent to the hospital once and looked like she was going to pass out during last week's show. I really hope not, but it is a concern. 3) She is the odds-on favorite. I have written about this before (check the blog archives for the exact stats). The performer who is the favorite going into the Top 12 NEVER...I repeat, NEVER wins. Just ask Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice or David Archuletta. That being said, she always delivers a solid performance. Last night was no exception. It was good, but not great. The judges keep pushing her and reminding her she is the favorite, which I think will come back to bit her. Ultimately, I'd be shocked if she wasn't in the Top 4 at worst. She's just too good. But for you 32 folks that have her winning...sorry ;-)

RECAP TIME:

Best Look - Andrew (I liked the coat) Honorable Mention - Casey, Siobhan (sans hair-do)

Worst Look - Paige (R.I.P. Steve Irwin) Honorable Mention - Katie

Best Performance - Siobhan (No contest) Honorable Mention - Crystal

Worst Performance - Tim Honorable Mention - Andrew

PREDICTIONS:

Bottom 3 (should be) - Tim, Paige, Didi

Bottom 3 (will be) - Andrew, Paige, Didi

Out (should be) - Tim

Out (will be) - Andrew (ouch...I hope I'm wrong)

That's all for now. If you want to reply to this blog, click onto the blog link below and make comments there. You can also vote in the poll on who you think will go home tonight.

- Pool Boy out

Game On!

OK Idolites!

Before I get to the business, I have to say that I'm already a bit angry. I can't believe Lilly Scott didn't make the Top 12. I won't comment on the ones that did make it, as I don't want to influence any picks, but America really missed the boat on her. I also thought Alex Lambert should be there, but have an easier time swallowing that one, as he was clearly not quite ready...but man did he have a nice voice. **DEEP BREATH AARON**

After months of auditions and a ho-hum battle from the Top 24 contenders, the Top 12 has been determined. Now it's time for all of you to try and figure out how these singers will finish out the season. I am sending out this blog entry via e-mail (as I will throughout the season), so you will find an official pool entry form attached. If you want to forgo the form and just enter your picks on the official standings website, that would be great. If you are phobic about diving into that or are just lazy, you can still just fill out the form and return to me. I'll make sure it gets entered onto the standings site. Regardless of whether you use the form or not, please take a look at it, as all the pool rules are located there. Here are the instructions of how to enter your picks on the site:

Go to http://www.mungermack.com/pools/

If you DO NOT have an account yet:

* Click Register on the left navigation bar

* Fill in the appropriate information and click Go

* Your passcode will be e-mailed to you automatically

* Go back to the main pools page

Okay, you have an account:

* Use your login and passcode to log in on the left navigation bar

* Click American Idol 2010 (pay) - or (free) if you're a wuss

* Click Set Picks on the navigation bar

* Choose who is your Idol, first runner-up, and so on. The red is to guide toward whom you have or haven't picked yet.

* Click Go when complete. Done.

This will automatically join you to this pool, AND the free one (which requires no extra work).

If you wish to enter more than one pool...

* Log out using the link on the left navigation bar.
* Go the beginning and set up and register another account.

Again, if you have any problems, either e-mail James Munger: jmunger1@yahoo.com OR just fill out the entry forms and send to me. James & I will get you set up.

Three last items...

1) Be sure to vote on the first poll of the season, which is located on the right panel of this blog. This one is about your opinion on Ellen's judging so far.

2) You may have noticed the Christmas card at the top of this entry. Well, it really is from Kris Allen. He and his family rented out the home of one of my good friends over the Holidays this year. She was able to get me not only his autograph, but a copy of his actual Christmas card, which looks like it was purchased from Walgreen's...just like ours!! My friends said he was a really cool, down-to-earth guy that seemed genuinely uncomfortable with his fame. Well, he definitely earned another fan in me. He's a pretty good pitch man for Ford too!

3) Did anyone else notice that Matt Giraud kinda ruined the Third Eye Blind: Part Deux premiere, by obviously having his signature feature removed from his forehead. Oh well, at least they sounded awful.

Good luck on putting your pools together. Things look much tougher this season. Should be interesting.

Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns.

- Pool Boy