American Idol Season 13 running thread

Last year I watched the first two episodes (maybe not even that much) before realizing the show had run its course. I wasn't into the catty back-and-forth banter between Nikki Minaj and Mariah Carey. I still don't even know who won, to be honest.

But my wife convinced me to give it another try, and I'm glad I did. Gone from the audition rounds is the ridiculous 'Pants on the Ground' stuff (or at least it's been trimmed down to bare bones), and the judges – Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick – appear to have great chemistry. Connick is great in this role, as is Urban. I never really loved Lopez as a judge because I never felt she could deliver the harsh news, and she still can't. But the other two judges really are on point with their analysis. It's very refreshing, and the show has been quite entertaining thus far.

Two weeks in and I'm back completely. And the talent so far has been pretty solid. Could be another WGWG winner.

Anyone feel the same?

 

Like you, I quit part way into last year, but started watching this time because my wife loves Harry Connick Jr.

It has been pleasantly entertaining. I like how the judges analyze many of the singers after they leave the auditions.

And Lopez, Urban and Connick make a very good looking panel of judges.

 

Smart lady.

Also true. I've always loved Connick, and I think the growing bromance between him and Urban makes me giddy. I've heard some really great voices and I'm glad they got away from the joke auditioners and focus on people we'll actually see in Hollywood week.

 

As mentioned on the TV thread, my wife still watches. I would watch the audition episodes for the cruelty of the British guy, the train wreck people, and the absurdity of it all. I tuned out once there was an actual competition.

Now, they've taken it all away from me. I'm not interested in the karaoke contest.

Has there ever been a battle of the bands show? I'd probably give that a shot. Just tired of hearing the same songs every year sang by the same type of teen or twentysomething singer that's more interested in sounding perfect than sounding real. It's just too polished for me. When someone hits some big note and there's a choir and the camera pans around ... ugh. Gag.

Oh, and I will usually catch the results show if there's a good music guest. And the finale. There was a kick-ass finale a few years back with Bono and The Edge, Time McGraw, and Lady Gaga. I'm eclectic.

That said, I used to watch Nashville Star. I dig country.

 

I watched for maybe the third time in my life last night. I can do without the joke auditions (well, keep in one or two, for comedic relief) but it seemed the episode my wife was watching, nearly everyone made it to Hollywood. There's a morbid part of me that liked seeing the ones who legit thought they were good and didn't make it. Made it a more dramatic show

 

A couple of thoughts from the girls night of Rush Week.

* I'm a really big fan of Malaya Watson, the tuba-playing teen from the Detroit auditions. She's got a great personality, not to mention huge talent. She just seems to relaxed on stage. She's fun. I think she's my early frontrunner for the girls.

* Jessica Meuse is another one of my favorites, but after her debacle in Hollywood week, it'll take some killer performances for America to change their tunes on her.

* Jena Irene really seemed to wow the judges to this point, and when she said she was going to sing "Paint it Black," I got a bit excited. Seemed very out of the box. Then she opened her mouth. Ouch, what a bad song choice. It was verse, chorus, verse, and no bridge and no area in which she could show off her range. Too bad, because she's pretty talented. On a side note, my wife loathes all the chokers she wears.

* I get that we're living in new times. Michael Sam is out of the closet, and gay marriages are allowed in more states than ever. But MK Nobilette, who admitted she is a lesbian, does not belong here. She has a monotone voice with no range. I'm starting to wonder if the Idol producers are trying to make a point.

Guys tonight .... this is where it seems the talent really lies. Early favorites are C.J. Harris, Caleb Johnson and Alex Preston, although the latter has no shot to win because he's pretty goofy.

 

Hey Jena, if you want to be called "Gina," spell your name that way. Don't get pissy when people pronounce it how it's spelled.

 

A few notes on the men last night:

* The three guys I was looking forward to seeing (Caleb Johnson, CJ Harris and Alex Preston) all made it through to the top 10, and all of them did relatively well. Perhaps the weakest was Harris, but I was thinking it was just an off week. Then I read that he had a root canal days earlier, so I would assume he'll come back strong.

NOTE: He didn't make an excuse as to why he had an off week. He just went out there. That's why I like him. He just appears to be so very humble, almost as if he's lucky to be there, even though he has a ton of talent.

*Overall, Alex Preston might the most talented person on the show. But his shyness isn't going to go over well with the teenie-boppers. I think this kid can really do big things, and to me, he's the breakout star (in Idol terms, which means he maybe sells a few hundred thousand records) when all is said and done.

* Dexter Roberts is good. He really is. But as the judges said, he's a dime a dozen. He sounds like every other country bumpkin. At least Scotty McCreary brought something different to his country.

* Emmanuel Zidor is just a different bird, but I like it. As the judges said, he's just a happy guy and he really does have a great voice. Maybe he needs to tone it down, just a bit, if he wants to get votes.

* Sam Woolfe has the cute factor going on, but his version of "Babylon" left much to be desired. He'll might get through, but only because he's cute.

* Another guy who likely will get through simply based on looks is Spencer Lloyd, who according to my wife is "sooooo pretty." Pretty yes, but his song choice was the worst of the night, and if America was smart (which it often is not) it should dump this guy now. That being said, I sense another Tim Urban-type situation.

Five guys who stay in: CJ Harris, Caleb Johnson, Alex Preston, Dexter Roberts, Spencer Lloyd.

 

Harry Connick Jr has made this show worth watching again. He and Keith Urban offer actual analysis and criticism that goes beyond "It was kinda pitchy."

 

So I started running an Idol site. Not kidding.
It's kind of a jokey thing, but it's fun and gives me an excuse to write. My biggest problem is finding time to write as much as I want and manage to take care of my daughter.
I know the site looks like garbage, but it's the best I could do. I'm not the most technically sound.
If you want to go back and read, there is an archive set up by topics. We also live tweet the shows and next week, a contestant from this season is going to start writing for us.
http://dudesreviewidol.com/

 

Caleb Johnson brought the heat tonight.
Recap here:
http://dudesreviewidol.com/2014/02/26/american-idol-top-13-live-rock-out-with-your-idol-out/

 

Notes from last night's “This is Me” night for the top 13

Dexter Roberts: Aw Naw by Chris Young
I felt at the time that it was a pretty good start to the show, but then watching everyone else, I realized that Dexter is just another country boy singing another country song. These guys are a dime a dozen, but then again, that's what country fans seem to like.

Malaya Watson: Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars
She is one of my favorites on the show this season, but this was a disaster. I'm sure this song meant a lot to her when she was in junior high (three years ago), but vocally it was all over the place. She'll stick around, and hopefully she can impress next week. Still, you have to love her enthusiasm.

Kristen O'Connor: Beautiful Disaster, Kelly Clarkson
Kristen has a good voice, she really does, but she seems to be a poor woman's Pia Toscano. People who are stuck in the ballad box don't generally last on this show, and I'm guessing that's going to be the case for Kristen.

Ben Briley: Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
I was surprised when Ben got into the top 13, but he certainly showed he belongs last night. Although the tempo was a bit faster than I would have liked, he would have made Johnny proud with this rendition. He might be the worst of the country bunch, but he had a very good night.

CJ Harris: Radio, Darius Rucker
Safe pick. Simple as that. Tough to show everyone who you are when you're a black guy with a hat and a guitar and you sing a song by the most famous hat-wearing, guitar-playing black singer on the planet. It was good, not great. And I don't think America loves Harris as much as I do, which scares me that he won't be around for as long as I'd like.

MK Nobillette: Satisfaction, Allen Stone
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: She doesn't belong here. But then again, maybe I'm the one who doesn't see what everyone else is seeing. Part of me believes having an openly gay contestant on Idol is exactly what the producers want. Gay vs. Christian seems to be and overwhelming story right now, and Idol wants in on it. She's OK vocally, but she's hardly dynamic, and she's moves about as well as a stump on stage.

Majesty Rose: Tightrope, Janelle Monae
Loved this. Didn't pay much attention to Majesty before tonight, but she was really good. The song was upbeat and after the first verse, she started to interact with the crowd. Vocally, I thought it was on point.

Jena Irene: The Scientist, Coldplay
Not sure why all of a sudden she's going by Jena Irene, considering she was Jena Asciutto throughout the entire audition process. This girl has big-time talent, but she keeps picking the wrong song. What she needs to do is get behind the piano, like she did during Hollywood Week.

Alex Preston: A Beautiful Mess, Jason Mraz
There is nothing I don't like about this kid. Then again, I'm in my mid-30s and so far removed from the people who actually vote. Musically he's awesome. Vocally he's just as good. I thought last night's performance, just a guitar and a red spotlight at the start, was very intimate and very good. Again, hope he can hang around.

Jessica Meuse: The Crow and the Butterfly, Shinedown
If it weren't for that flap during Hollywood Week, when she left one group and got into a verbal exchange with a mother from the group she performed with, Jessica might be my favorite to win it all. She has a very Stevie Nicks quality to her voice, and unlike many of the other contestants, especially the younger ones, she knows exactly who she is on that stage.

Emily Piriz: Glitter in the Air, Pink
Emily is another contestant I had hardly paid attention to – until last night. This was really good. Spot on vocally. As the last female to perform, I think she left a pretty good lasting impression.

Sam Woolf: Unwell, Matchbox Twenty
Didn't agree with the judges when they brought the kid this far, and I certainly don't agree with it now. He looks down at his guitar for much of the performance, and while he has a unique voice, he's nothing more than an open mic sensation. Sorry, but I don't see star here.

Caleb Johnson: Pressure and Time, Rival Sons
Like Jessica Meuse, Caleb knows exactly who he is, and man does he have the vocals to boot. His range is through the roof. While he is my pick to be your next American Idol, I'm not sure the teenie-boppers who vote necessarily agree.

Bottom three (if that's the way they're doing it this year): Sam Woolf, Jena Irene, Kristen O'Connor.
Goes home: Jena Irene.