'American Idol': Top 4 perform
As American Idol starts tonight, Ryan Seacrest says that three of the top four have had the largest number of votes at one point or another. That's just his way of saying: VOOOOOTE.
The theme this evening is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which leads into a history lesson on rock.
David Cook is up first, and he'll be singing Duran Duran's "Hungry Like a Wolf," and he plans to turn it on its head. The audio seems a little odd -- his vocals are loud, but the band and the background singers are kind of muted. Thankfully, he's got a good voice, though I think the discrepancy in volume between the band and his vocals made him come off a little bit shouty. Also, I'm not sure how much he changed up the song -- seemed pretty straight-forward to me. Randy Jackson says it was an OK choice and a solid performance, but that was "just OK." Paula Abdul says his "Hungry Like a Wolf" left her with a healthy appetite. Simon Cowell says it was "a little bit copycat" and he didn't really make it his own like he has in other weeks, but it was good enough to get him through to next week, no problem.
Syesha Mercado tells Ryan she's so excited about the Top 10 tour and getting to meet her fans. Her first song is "Proud Mary," which she says has been covered more than 100 times. She admits she was nervous, but she told herself to just do it and have fun with it. She's definitely not trying to avoid that "copycat" line -- she's gone on a Tina-esque silver dress, and she replicates some of Ms. Turner's choreography, too. Did she have fun with it and entertain the crowd? Absolutely, but vocally it wasn't insanely awesome, and this is the final four. Randy says this is the third week she's shown up and been "in the zone. ... Very nice, very nice, very nice." Paula says she looks like a star and that she's turned into this woman with a magnetic voice and presence. Simon says he's sorry to put a slight damper on things, and that he thought it was "a bad impersonation of Tina Turner." She says she was just trying to have fun. He says, "Good. I didn't."
Jason Castro says "there were a few songs on the list that I knew." Well, that's good. He's going to sing Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." And yikes, he seems really nervous and awkward. Randy: "For me, that was a really karaoke Bob Marley. ... There was nothing special about it. ... That just wasn't good for me." Paula says he performed more to the audience than ever (really?), but she wasn't crazy about the performance. Simon: "Jason, stand back. That was utterly atrocious. Sorry, that was a song you do not touch. ... This was like a first-round audition massacre. I don't know what you're thinking." Jason: "I was thinking, 'Bob Marley! Yeah!'"
David Archuleta says he's going to sing "Stand By Me," and that he's sung it many times at home, in his room, "to my dog or whatever," but he's never performed it, and he's very excited about it. Is it just me, or is he getting even more nervous in his interview segments? On stage, though, he does right by the song even though he changes it up just a little. Of the first round of songs, I'd say it was probably the strongest. The audience goes insane. Randy: "At least there's one guy who, every time he hits the stage, he's trying to win the whole thing. ... That was hot." Paula says it's hard being 17 in this competition, but she is especially impressed that he took Andrew Lloyd Webber's advice and communicated with the audience. Simon: "The truth is, you could have whistled the song, and it would have sounded better than the last song." He says David struggled a little bit, but, "In the grand scheme of things, I'm going to call that the best performance of the night."
David Cook says he set the bar really high with his previous weeks' performances and that he really thinks the judges were right about round one, that he could have done a lot more. He's taking on the Who's "Baba O'Reilly" for this round. Taking on the Who sounds like a scary proposition to me, but he does pretty well (though it doesn't hurt that it's an exceptionally great song). Afterward, he looks so excited to have gotten to perform that song. Randy says something is a little bit off tonight, but that this was more the David Cook they are used to. Paula: "I want more, I want more, I want more David Cook." Simon: "Welcome back, David Cook."
Syesha is back with Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." She makes a bizarre comparison to the song coming out during a pivotal time in American history and that this is a pivotal time in her life. Yes, comparing the civil rights movement to the making final four on Idol. But hey, she is definitely inspired. Randy says he didn't love the arrangement and that she was pushing herself hard, and that "it was trying to be something that it wasn't." Paula gives her a standing O and says she just wants to hug her. "You turned this into a superstar performance. ... Welcome to your dream, Syesha, this is it for you." Syesha cries, and so does Paula. Simon: "I have to be fair. And I have to agree -- with Paula." She cries some more and explains how much the song means to her.
Jason is "sticking with the Bobs" and singing "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan. This is better than the first round, but still. Could have been some dude at a party, not final four. Randy asks him how it was, and Jason says he lost some lines. Randy says he isn't in the zone. Paula says he's solidified his niche even if the song didn't blow them away. Simon: "Jason, I'd pack your suitcase." Um, yeah.
David Archuleta has chosen Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" for his second song, which he has chosen because it's such a "romantic love song." His vocals are sweet and lovely, as usual, but he strips every little bit of Elvis edge that ever was in that song right out and makes it sound like a generic "romantic love song." Randy says it was another great performance, and he has the "hot vocals of the night right there." Paula says it was one of her favorite performances ever of his. Simon says, "You didn't beat the competition tonight, you crushed the competition."
So ... it's going to be over for Jason, right? Right?
Before the votes are cast, Ryan reminds viewers that this was the week Tamyra Gray and Chris Daughtry got kicked off, possibly because people assumed they were safe.
Comments
Jason was so good early on, I think he is trying to take the Daughtery out and get off before he is stuck with that awful "Idol" contract and tag. He is so much more in the Jack Johnson genre than the teeny bop genre, if that is his plan then good for him!
Posted by: C Mclaren | May 6, 2008 10:37 PM
Tonight David A and Syesha beat out David C, who seemed a bit off in both songs, especially the first.
As for Jason.. I initially thought that selecting songs by Bob Marley and Bob Dylan would serve him well, but I don't think those were the right songs and his performance did not honour either one.
Jason really should have been gone a while ago, and surely this week it will happen. Won't it???
Posted by: Sharon | May 6, 2008 10:46 PM
Is it possible to arrest someone for homicide if they kill someone who has been dead for 30 years? If so, please put the cuffs on David Archuleta, who absolutely murdered Elvis Presley tonight.
If you don't believe the fix is in, consider: Simon critiqued Cook's first performance (also the first of the show) by saying, "Was it good enough to get you to the next round? Yes." BEFORE ANYONE ELSE HAD EVEN SUNG THIER FIRST NOTE.
Then he--along with Moe and Curley Joe--rave about that insipid rendition of Love Me Tender...
Anyway...
Cook had an OK night.
Syesha made the mistake of not only trying to sing like Tina Turner, but trying to dance like her too. That's way too much to hope for. (Although, I will say this...I like Syesha more and more with each passing week and I'll buy the iTunes studio version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" which is possibly my very favorite song of the 60's...yeah, I lived through them and I even remember lots of it. I hope she gets a royalty...)
And, finally, Jason. He cracks me up. I have this nagging suspicion that he has a bet with the boys back in College Station each week; they are betting he'll make it through and he is betting he won't. And he's trying...he's really TRYING...to win that bet.
The last couple of weeks he has just stood up there on the stage and flipped off the entire American Idol franchise. I'm starting to think he's doing it on purpose and having a helluva good time mocking the judges, the show and all of us who act like this is a really, really important event.
And I think Simon has figured that out, too, and is getting really pissed about it.
Posted by: Bucky | May 6, 2008 10:55 PM
It would be pretty ridiculous if Jason didn't go home tomorrow night, but as always, we shouldn't underestimate the power of prepubescent girls. He's definitely a cute kid, but what a space cadet. He's just a goofball, I don't really understand his appeal. I wouldn't be surprised if he made the top 3 and Syesha went home, even though I think she deserves to stay. She really snuck into the top 4, I think she has a good shot of getting into the top 2. I'd like to hear Cook's full-length version of "Baba O'Reilly", I might have to download that one from iTunes.
Posted by: Julie | May 6, 2008 11:41 PM
Who are we kidding here?
Jason Castro has stunk for three weeks and he seems to have a tone deaf constituency. So it would almost shock me if he gets voted off.
Even though she does not deserve it, Syesha is likely going home.
Castro is only going home once fans realize that keeping him means ditching either Archeluta or Cook.
Posted by: Walter Hollman | May 7, 2008 6:29 AM
Jason Castro is boring and should have been sent packing weeks ago, he is not half as good as Micheal Johns, Brook White or Carley Smithson, and he is not even in the same league with David Cook who in my opinion is the best of them all...David Archuleta althought young and trying hard is not ready to be a star yet, and he should blow his nose because he sounds like he should be on a Kleenex commercial , he sounds nasally .... The only reason Archuleta and Castro are still in this competition is because of the stupid little tennie poppers and their dump adolescent crushes ....I thought this was a talent competition something Jason has none of ..............
Posted by: Shawn | May 7, 2008 6:52 AM
Last night had to be the all-time low for AI. I won't even critique the vocals except to say that none of the performers will be attending the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame without paying their admission fee first. And Ryan's outfit -- all I could hear running thru my head was "We're doing our Christmas Shopping at Robert Halls this year...."
Posted by: bonniesgirl | May 7, 2008 9:34 AM
Jason Castro's performance
lacked that "American Idol Quality"
to say the least. His fan-base
however, will keep him on and going
another week I believe. Remembering
last year, it wouldn't surprise me if
David Cook is gone, just like Daughtry
last year! They are all star quality at
this point and probably have record
deal offers on the table !!!
Posted by: Stacey | May 7, 2008 10:15 AM
David Cook: first song was boring, second was quite good (though not great)
Castro: Dear lord, let it be over. I particularly hated his vanilla version of Tambourine Man.
Syesha: I like her more each week, but I agree with Randy that her vocals on the Sam Cooke song weren't great, and neither was the arrangement. Hope she makes it to final 3 though.
David A: Stand By Me sounded really good, although the poignancy of the original version didn't come through. He has a range of like, 2 emotions-- Naively Happy and Meaningfully Earnest.
Posted by: Abby | May 7, 2008 11:09 AM
This season seems like the judges picked a David and David finale a long time ago. It doesn't matter what David A. sings, he is NOT held to the same standard as everyone else. No mention ever of song choice and "making it his own". David A.'s performances are mostly boring.Just when I think the judges will comment unfavourably, Randy gives him "da bomb". I would love to see David A go this week.
Posted by: Melinda | May 7, 2008 11:38 AM
Abby, you nailed it on David Archuleta.
Posted by: Bucky | May 7, 2008 12:25 PM
I would love to see Jason Castro stay in and Syesha booted out. It's terribly entertaining to watch Jason trying to get kicked off the show (and he is), but repeatedly voted back in for the next week.
I believe votefortheworst.com is doing the same, except they refer to it as, "voteforthestoned.com"
Posted by: Anonymous | May 7, 2008 12:35 PM
I've been ready for David A to go home for weeks, and what he did to "Love Me Tender" was the last straw.
Syesha isn't the best vocally, but is becoming more entertaining.
David Cook just doesn't do anything for me.
I love Jason when he's on. Sadly, he wasn't on last night.
Ryan said that three of the Final Four had been the top vote getter this season. Since Syesha has been a perennial bottom-dweller, she's clearly the one who hasn't been. And so she's likely the one going home.
Posted by: Lizzie | May 7, 2008 12:43 PM
The Houston Chronicle say Aggies give Jason two thumbs up. Uncle Phil says "Gig Em." If Jason loses we will turn Reville loose on Simon. The news last week was that Reville is being replaced because he has turned vicious.!!! Grandma Peggy
Posted by: Grandma Peggy | May 7, 2008 1:22 PM
Jason's hilarious with his "don't give a s***" attitude. I think he bombed at the second song because the judges slammed him so strongly on the first. Poor kid. VFW has a funny video of him "sloshed" and singing, in his true element... go git 'em boy! ...and don't ever take this crazy ride too seriously.
Syesha secured her position with the final three by crying. Almost every contestant that cries during the judging gets gobs of votes.
The Davids still have my votes. You have to have some serious anger issues if you pick on David A for being too... sweet? young? nice?? Have some of what Jason and Paula are doing and look at the world with a softer, kinder, if not fuzzy focus.
"Bob Marley! Yeah!'"
Posted by: B. Marley | May 7, 2008 5:33 PM