Feb

6



We saw the last auditions on American Idol tonight in San Antonio Texas and they proved to be just as weird as every other city on Idol’s 7 city tour this year. There is a show tomorrow night, but I believe it’s to let us see the best and the worst from all the auditions.

San Antonio opened up with a Billy Idol wannabe that claimed he had won a mock Idol competition in the city. Oh really? Brian Kyrish belted out a Rebel Yell that I believe probably contributed to global warming. It was loud and obnoxious, end of story. Halley Scarnato was up next singing I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt that was just okay. She did fair, but there wasn’t anything unique about her. However, it was enough to earn her a trip to Hollywood as all the judges believe she could use a second chance.

Jasmine Holland then gave us a lethargic, lifeless rendition of something? It was so dull I don’t remember what it was. And then she proceeded to argue with the judges, as if she had a chance in the first place. Some people just don’t get it, and when the wakeup call comes, they choose to go back to sleep.

Fortunately we got to see a real talent in Baylie Brown that Simon said was Commercial with a capital C and a record label’s dream. She sang Faith Hill’s Stronger that was quite impressive and with her personality and presence is sure to earn herself a spot in the final 12.

As a funny bit, we were then treated to a montage of Idol contestants having immense trouble with choosing the right door to go out after their audition. Several people crashed into the wrong door and someone even broke one of the doors when she, yes she, went out the wrong door. I’m wondering if the producers of the show did this on purpose just to mess with people and get a laugh. I don’t remember this on any previous season of American Idol.

Two cousins the serenaded us with Amazing Grace that was really bad by William Green and then Akron Watson was thankfully the better half of the singing cousins. He sang Sam Cook’s Change Is Gonna Come and the judges weren’t convinced so he belted out Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On and convinced them. On he went to Hollywood.

Deborah Tyler who had sung for the Mayor of Houston was up next and the judges made her cry after her unintelligible version of Black Velvet by Alana Myles. I can understand the judges being a little harsh on some of these contestants after suffering through hundreds of bad auditions and wannabes that just don’t have a clue. Simon sort of apologized to her and was at least gentle enough so she could regain her composure, though it sounded like she was singing in a different language.

Ashlyn Carr was up next with Feeling Good. She said she was beat up in high school because she had a good voice. She did, but she also had strange facial expressions and was told no. But, as a first time to see this on American Idol, the judges thought they had made a mistake and invited her back in and she sang a Gladys Knight song which I thought was worse than her original audition. She toned down the facial expressions, but I didn’t think her voice was that good. The judges let her go on to Hollywood with the stern warning to work on her “bad habits.”

Jacob Tutor, known as Jake The Snake to some, then brought a dark cloud over the competition with a dark tune in the likes of Kurt Cobain or Axel Rose, but was just weird and off key. Not good dude, just weird. Please leave.

Thankfully Jimmy McNeal closed out the audition with a very, very good Cupid and earned himself a trip to Hollywood. He was the last to audition and was great. Simon called him a fun Ruben Studdard.

Tomorrow night we get to see the best and the worst of this year’s auditions. It’s pretty scary to think we haven’t seen the worst yet. Then it’s off to Hollywood for a week or two, I can’t remember. I think they get it all over in a week.

See ya tomorrw and then at round two.

Alan

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Feb

6



We certainly love watching the weirdest people audition for American Idol. They come in all shapes and sizes and they are wearing all sorts of costumes these days. Some of the Idol wannabes just can’t sing, others have a bit more personality if you will. We now refer to these Idol wannabes and American Idol Rejects. I think I really started to get into Idol during the 2005 season and one of the first reject and most bizarre auditions I saw was Mary Roach singing Carole King’s I Feel The Earth Move. Sometimes I feel sorry for the contestants, but this girl was just weird because she was so sure she was good and had the strangest personality of any contestant I’ve seen.

Alan

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Feb

1



Olivia Newton John said right from the start of the Los Angeles auditions she didn’t know what to expect and Los Angeles wasted no time showing her.

Martik Manoukian thought he was a wild panther and nearly stripped for the judges before his completely bizarre audition. Martik was only the beginning of a freak show usually reserved for the circus. I can’t imagine Simon putting up with another season of this, as he would call, rubbish. Sholandric Stallworth then performed nothing but a bad, weird, screaming audition that destroyed If Ever You’re In My Arms Again.

Grace Pugal added to the Los Angeles circus sideshow by wearing a strange cow costume. And then Marianna Riccio got down on her knees and begged the judges to let her sing another song and then went out and got her former Dean Martin Golddigger mom to assist her. I’ve never seen someone beg like this girl did. It was pitiful. Los Angeles contestants were a far cry from the polite southern hospitality of Birmingham when several of the Idol hopefuls actually thanked the judges for letting them audition, even though they were rejected.

Thankfully, Alaina Alexander put in a performance that earned her a trip to Hollywood right next door. Alaina was good, though she was off pitch a bit and was a heavy breather which she will have to learn how to control better. Phuong Pham then gave us an spastic female interpretation of Taylor Hicks to add to the Los Angeles weirdness. Phuong had a strange, almost male voice coming out of a petite oriental girl.

Another highlight, and possible finalist, was Brandon Rogers who has been a backup singer for such acts as Anastasia and Christina Aguilera. Brandon serenaded the ladies with Always On My Mind and Simon called his audition “the best of the day.” After Brandon’s audition Sherman Pore touched us all with a sad story of his wife who had just died two day previous to his audition. He dedicated You Belong To Me to his wife and had Paula and Olivia in tears and earned a handshake from Simon. Sherman was a winner just by getting on Idol to honor his wife.

Day 2 in Los Angeles opened up with a shot of Simon leaving the limo and zipping up his fly. The cameras don’t miss anything. Cavette Sparkles Carr and Darold Gray (correct spelling) were up next and were quite the love birds, but unfortunately for them, they weren’t actually singers. At least they had each other and Darold also had quite the bling on his grill.

Anthony Adams then butchered You Light Up My Life as he screamed his way through the song. And finally the Los Angeles auditions ended with Eric Mueller who had trained for two years using Paula and Randy’s Ultimate Voice Coach DVD. It was a hideous audition and Simon was trying like crazy to make a big deal out of it by making an example of Paula And Randy.

Next week are on to San Antonio Texas for the final auditions.

Alan

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