AI results

Thanks to everyone who offered up advice on our current Cameron challenges. Her diaper rash was way better this morning but I will keep an eye on it to see if yeast infection might be at play.

I skimmed through the results show last night and aside from one prediction, totally didn't see the cuts coming. Even though Katelyn Epperly did only an OK job with her performance she is really cute and did a great job the week before. DH and I commented to each other, "She's totally safe." And we were totally wrong. And frankly, putting her up against Paige was just insulting. I cannot believe that Paige made it through for another week. Perhaps America was lamenting the lack of diversity that would come from her elimination? Did the tween vote save her? Either way, she and Katie have to take Simon's advice and find their "voice" in terms of who they want to be as an artist. Otherwise they won't last long.

I wasn't quite as surprised at Lilly being eliminated although she did have the money spot and it's unusual to see a performer cut who has that spot. I really liked her quirky voice but the girl needed a serious makeover and to tone down the facial expressions.

Todrick cemented his status as a dancer trying to sing and was rightly eliminated. He was the only one I predicted correctly. I was not happy to see Alex Lambert go. I actually think it was Andrew Garcia's time and think he also needs to get his shit together. Another weak link for me is Aaron Kelly.

What did you think about the eliminations? Who do you think will take the crown?

Top 12:
Aaron Kelly
Tim Urban
Katie Stevens
Paige Mills
Crystal Bowersox
Siobhan Magnus
Didi Benami
Lee Dewyze
Michael Lynche
Casey James
Andrew Garcia
Lacey Brown

American Idol: Top 10 guys perform

This is going to be a super fast recap. I didn't even take notes because I've been feeling burnt out on AI. Like somehow the 9 months between last season and this season didn't recharge my batteries. I blame the 4 judge format. I hate hearing each of them provide feedback on every contestant. It's beyond annoying and stretches a show that should be one hour into two.

So the guys are up because Chrystal Bowersox is in the hospital. Real illness or teeth whitening? The were very few good performances with a couple of notable exceptions.

• Big Mike: Really, really good and found his vibe with a James Brown song. Easily safe.
• John Park: YAWN. Totally in danger of going home with another boring performance.
• Casey: Picks a good Gavin DeGraw song and goes all karaoke. A major step back from last week but he's still totally safe.
• Alex Lambert: Totally rocked the house and made me really route for him. Based on this performance he should go really far.
• Todrick: I have never liked Todrick. It's like I have this inability to route for him in any way because he is so annoying. The way he dresses, his back flips, his mediocre voice, everything. He decides to tackle Tina Turner and it goes about as well as you would expect. I finally pinpoint his problem. Todrick is trying to script a win. He is trying to add in whatever components he thinks the judges and audiences want to hear and totally missing the boat. I am hopeful that he will be gone after this week but pity might keep him around.
• Jermaine is a white woman trapped in a black man's body. Close your eyes and listen. It's scary. He does terrible and is most likely one of the two going home.
• Andrew Garcia tries to change things up but the judges are still stuck on his Paula Abdul audition from 3 freaking weeks ago. Hopefully he will hold off on performing it until the Top 12. Despite a not-so-good performance he'll be fine.
• Aaron Kelly is so young. And lacks the David Archuleta charm. He picks "My Girl" and it's as awkward and terrible as you would think. The teeny bopper vote will put him through though.
• Tim Urban seems like he is still growing into his limbs. He goes with "Come on Get Higher" and does much, much better than last week but it's still not very good. But given his improvement I think he'll be safe for another week.
• In the money spot is Lee who totally rocks it out vocally with a Hinder song. He does look a little uncomfortable without his guitar but he does a really great job and totally jumps up in my estimation.

So who is out? John Park is toast. Jermaine or Todrick is my other pick.

SJ out.

American Idol: Top 12 Guys Perform

Todrick Hall (24) is the actor/dancer of the competition. He decides to go with Kelly Clarkson's, "Since You've Been Gone." He totally changes up the arrangement and decides that doing a slam poetry version is the way to go. Not a good call. It doesn't show off any of his vocal skills and I question after that performance if he has any. I appreciate that Todrick is trying to make the song fresh but for a first performance I would have preferred to really hear him sing. Ellen appreciates the enthusiasm from the crowd but admits the singing wasn't the greatest. Randy is a fan but he didn't like the arrangement. Kara agrees with Randy. What the hell is she wearing? Simon nails it with a dancer trying to sing comment.

Aaron Kelly goes with a Rascal Flatt song and DH immediately comments on his lack of stage presence. He's obviously nervous. I wonder why he decided on a country song rather than an Aaron Carter one. They are doppelgangers after all. There are some pitchy notes but Aaron does get a little more comfortable as the song progresses. Simon shows some sympathy and calls it quite a good performance. He encourages Aaron to gain some confidence. Kara comments on his raw, natural talent. Randy agrees. I have a feeling that Randy will be getting the short end of the stick this season from me in my recaps. He's just so blah. Ellen loves it.

Jermaine Sellers (27) goes with "Get Here." Did we see him in the auditions? I can't remember him. Jermaine doesn't do himself any favors by picking this boring song. Wasn't this song the anthem of the first Iraq war? I seem to remember it being really popular and used for commercials and other background montages. Yes, I am that bored by Jermaine's performance that I'd prefer talking about the insipid song. Ellen loves his look and the song. Really, Ellen? She doesn't think he really felt the song. Randy didn't like the song selection but likes his look. Kara didn't think that the vocal runs were meaningful and it felt old. Simon thought Jermaine over-sang the song. And predicts that Jermaine is going home.

Tim Urban goes with a One Republic song, "Apologize." Good choice in that it's instantly recognizable. Bad choice in that he doesn't do it nearly as well as the lead singer for that band. The falsetto notes are absolutely terrible. But he has the Twilight hair so he could be safe, regardless. If the readers don't know, Tim replaced another contestant who was kicked out because of a previous recording contract. Simon references it and says that the judges were correct in not letting him through the first time. Kara said that the music overpowered him. Randy thinks it was the wrong song. Ellen feels bad for Tim.

I'm really feeling the fatigue of four judges commenting. Get rid of Randy or Kara and give that salary to Simon to stay on with a panel of only three judges. We meet Joe Munoz for the first time. He is the Mexican version of David Archuleta. He picks a Jason Mraz song. Joe is a good singer but has a weird warbling in his voice at times. DH likes him except for the mumbling. Ellen thinks Joe was really comfortable on stage. Randy didn't think it was the perfect song choice but that Joe has a great voice. Kara actually likes the song selection and thinks Joe has been the best so far. Simon kind of agrees with Kara but thinks Joe needs a lot of work.

Tyler Grady (23) is the broken wrist guy and decides to go with "American Woman." Most of us know this song as the Lenny Kravitz remake. It's a great song choice for his style. He does a decent job but his voice gets lost in the music occasionally. I expected a lot more energy and connection to the song than Tyler shows here. Simon thinks that people will remember the performance but for the wrong reasons. Kara agrees. The camera flashes on Tyler and he looks bored. Randy says it was style over substance. A pithy, accurate comment. There might be hope for Randy yet. Ellen thinks Tyler is a pale version of his '70s heroes.

Lee Dewyze (23) goes with "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. I love this song! Winter of 2008 when we drove up North we must have heard it a 100 times. Got to love Sirius. He's the first guy to accompany himself on guitar. It's a great song selection for his voice but Lee changes it up with his more gravely intonations. A very good job. Ellen thought there was some screaming instead of singing but liked it overall. Randy disagrees with "E" and thought that Lee should have picked a rocker song. Wow, there is no winning for these contestants, is there? Kara agrees that the range was too small for Lee. Simon totally agrees with me and my heart breaks a little more that this is his last season.

John Park (21) is the token Asian. He goes with "God Bless The Child." A very, very interesting song selection and one that I think will bite him in the ass. John starts out very soft and boring. I think part of the problem is that the pitch is too low for him. Even when the song picks up I am still yawning. A long three minutes. Simon thinks that John's voice was flat and not good enough to sing the song. Kara agrees. Randy agrees. Ellen liked the performance and hopes that the audience votes for John.

Big Mike says how proud he is of his wife so I thaw a little at him missing the birth of his daughter. He goes with "This Love" by Maroon 5. A tough song. I did not realize he played the guitar...not that he did that much with it during the performance. It's a decent performance but, dare I say it? A little karaoke. He's totally safe though. He's got the good guy thing going for him. Ellen loves Mike's personality. Randy agrees. Kara enjoys the energy of the performance. Simon called it the support act before the main act. He thinks Mike can do better.

Alex Lambert picks "Wonderful World" and I feel like I should know this song but he doesn't do a good enough version of it for me to remember. You probably know Alex from the painfulness of the group round where he was a supporting player in the Mary Powers melt down. Unfortunately we seem him melt down on stage with a terrible performance. Simon was happy that the song was over. Kara wants to give Alex a hug. No need to keep shoveling shit on the poor boy. Randy also comments on Alex's potential. Given his lack of exposure during the audition rounds I have to take the judges' word for it. Ellen calls him adorable and comments on the mullet. Awesomeness.

Casey James goes with "Heaven." This guy did a 180 for me from his shirtless audition to his kick ass auditions at Hollywood week. True to form he accompanies himself on the guitar. And does a great job putting a more rock edge on a sappy pop song. DH notes that Simon and Ryan will totally play up the Kara/Casey angle all season long. And I have a feeling that Casey will be in the competition for a very long time. DH is totally right when the other judges make Kara go first. Kara comments on an occasional pitchiness. She lobs it over to Ellen who says that Kara was undressing Casey with her eyes. Randy makes a funny when saying they both share the model vibe. Simon comments on their shared good looks and really liked the performance. This guy is going far.

Who can top that performance? My boy Andrew Garcia. Yes, I'm actively rooting for this guy. I get a great David Cook vibe off of him. He selects "Sugar, I'm Going Down" by the Fallout Boys. I'm immediately nervous because I don't know this song. But not to worry, Andrew kicks some serious ass. He is excellent at controlling his voice, the pace and doing it all while playing the guitar. Andrew is extremely talented. After the first week, he could take the crown. Simon totally disagrees with me and calls it indulgent. OK, Simon. I have to pick on you for this one because he can't make crazy arrangement every single time. Kara thought it was a strange rendition of the song. I'm still standing strong with my label of awesomeness. Randy agrees with Kara and Simon. Ellen agrees with the other three. I'm ignoring them and still think Andrew was the best of the night.

So, who's out? Jermaine, John Park or Todrick. Also potentially on the chopping block is Alex Lambert.

SJ out.

American Idol: Top 12 Ladies Perform

Paige Miles (24) is a pre-school teacher. I don't really remember her from the auditions but she appears to have a gospel vibe from the clip we see. She decides on "It's All Right Now" which is an interesting and frankly poor song choice. I'm not sure what is going on with this performance but it's pretty bad. When Paige gets to the chorus she sounds shaky. Aside from a few good notes and runs, the judges are going to eviscerate her. Let's listen, shall we? Simon thinks she has the best voice BUT hates the song for its wedding singer qualities. Kara disagrees and steps into the Paula role immediately. She thinks Paige was awesome. Randy agrees with both of them and continues his downward spiral. Ellen is looking gaunt these days, isn't she? I think it makes her look older. Unlike me and Simon Ellen thinks Paige pulls it off.

Up next is Ashley Rodriguez (23) from Cambridge. Ashley is one of my top picks. Let's see how she does. She picks a song from a Simon protege Leona Lewis, "Happy." Another interesting song choice. Ashley does a nice job but she's kind of boring. Perhaps she's afraid of peaking too early? Kara starts off first and mentions nice moments mixed with some criticism of the arrangement. Randy agrees. Ellen agrees. And apparently I am old because this is a hit? Simon calls it clumsy. Ashley has a lot of room for improvement and suffers from not being featured in the audition rounds. So she could be in trouble.

Janelle Wheeler (24) is another favorite of mine. She picks, "What About Love" by Heart. A classic and hard to do well. Another shaky start. It's a bad song selection for her type of voice. Simon is totally going to call it karaoke. These girls are really disappointing tonight. The judges are going round robin so Randy starts. He agrees with the poor song selection. Ellen loves the song and thinks Janelle sung it well with a couple of missed notes. Simon called it 100% effort and 65% excellence. Kara likes Janelle but the song was too big for her. I think that Janelle's niceness and blondness will get her through to next week.

We didn't see faux Stevie Nicks, Lilly Scott (20) until the end of the auditions. I'm vibing her and she selects "Fixing a Hole" by The Beatles and accompanies herself on the guitar. It's a nice song selection for her jazzy voice. Ellen really likes it and comments on Lilly's distinct voice. Simon calls it the best so far (not a high bar). He's also concerned that she isn't demonstrating star power. A good point. Kara calls her believable. Randy says Lilly is an indie artist.

"Oh Darlin'" Is the song selection by Katelyn Epperly. She looks vampy with her big hair, black hair ornament and black faux leather mini dress. Unlike most of the other performances Katelyn seems very comfortable on stage and polished. She could go far. Simon thought the performance was messy (should I clean my ears out?) and likes her. Kara thinks that Katelyn really knows her voice but doesn't like the makeover. Randy compliments her tone. Ellen thinks she has a great voice and a lot of personality on stage.

Country girl Hayley Vaughn (16) got her nose pierced as a reward for making it to Hollywood Week. She decides on the awesomeness that is "I Want To Hold Your Hand." And makes very poor arrangement and vocal decisions. I have never really understood why the judges have fawned over her. So this performance is not changing my mind. DH says if she makes the Top 12 Hayley will be his first elimination pick. I wish she wouldn't make it through to next week but she's young, cute and will have the tween vote. Kara thought the performance was a mess but Hayley's stage presence makes up for it. Randy loves her because she's 16. Enough said. Randy also nicknames Ellen "E". So "E" thinks Hayley shined. Simon thought it was verging on terrible. Word.

An hour in and Lacey Brown boldly selects, "Landslide." Considering I just heard the Stevie Nicks version on my iPod this afternoon I can't help but unfavorably compare Lacey's performance. She also does a weird slurring of words and makes it seem like she has a lisp. Seriously, go back and listen if you don't believe me. Randy dings Lacey on the song selection and said it was pitchy and terrible. Ellen thinks Lacey was better than that but expresses doubt she will be back next week. Simon called it depressing and indulgent. Given the harsh criticism I'm surprised that Lacey's not crying. Kara gives some advice on future song selection and says she hopes Lacey will be back.

Michelle Delamour picks "Falling" which is one of the better song selections tonight. Her vocals aren't as good as Alicia Keyes but she does a respectable job. DH calls it the best of the night. Ellen calls it fantastic but a little safe because it seemed easy for Michelle. Simon thinks it was professional but not a "wow" performance. Kara slips into her Paula shoes and thinks Michelle looks great. Randy says that it was great but she needs to take some risks. Totally safe.

Didi Benami decides on "The Way I Am" and cements the Brooke White comparison for me. With a dash of Meghan Coarkery thrown in for good measure. Good song and a good singer but a bit boring. Simon called it indulgent and trying too hard to sound like Duffy. Kara thinks the arrangement was nice. Randy agrees with Simon that Didi lacked a star factor. Ellen also thinks for a first impression song that it was a little too low key. I think Didi will be just fine.

Siobhan Magnus is the glassblowing apprentice. Love that. But I hate (even though I know it's the traditional Irish) the spelling of her name. She goes for the classic, "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaac. Remember how hot that video was? If I remember correctly Chris ended up dating or marrying that model. The flower in Siobhan's hair makes me think of Jasmine and it's a bit incongruous for her style. Siobhan does a nice job but it's a bit boring. Kara wouldn't have selected that song but liked it for Siobhan. Randy negatively compares it to her Stevie Wonder performance in auditions. Ellen loved it. Simon calls Siobhan a "funny little thing." He agrees with Randy but still liked it.

Crystal Bowersox (aka tattoo mom) goes for Alanis Morrissette's "Hand In My Pocket." Bold choice and a great fit for her style and voice. Crystal accompanies herself on guitar and harmonica. Unlike every other performance we've seen tonight she absolutely nails it. I see her going very, very far. Randy loves her originality but thinks it wasn't a good song selection. I disagree with the latter part of that statement. Ellen is a fan. Simon disparages her back story and thinks it wasn't very original because it was too close to Alanis' performance. He gives excellent advice for Crystal to become more like Adam Lambert and David Cook. Kara thinks Crystal has the ability to be great but isn't quite there.

Katie Stevens (17) decides on "Feeling Good." Not to channel Randy or anything but Katie's voice is really amazing for her age. Great control and big range. I think she'll easily make it to the Top 12. Ellen thinks it was great but the song was conservative for her age. Simon agrees with Ellen that Katie should pick a song more suited to her youth. Kara says the song was pitchy...I guess I need a hearing check because I didn't hear that. Randy thinks she has a big voice and will do better next time. The judges were a bit harsh but I think she will be around for many weeks to come. After all, Katie got the money spot for a reason.

So who's out? Lacey for sure. And I hope Hayley. Other than that, it's a crap shoot.

SJ out.

American Idol: Top 24 Part 2

The first part of the recap on who has been ushered through to potential stardom (or obscurity if you are Taylor Hicks) can be found here.

Despite Simon not remembering her, Janell Wheeler does a nice job with her first round in Hollywood Week. Not so good were her group and final auditions. She seems genuinely nice and is also very pretty and blond. That will help because she is in. I'm sure it will also help that she's willing to wear micro-minis.

Tyler Grady comes up and Kara is kind of in love with him. If you don't remember him he is the guy who fell out of a tree and broke both wrists. With his hair and lean looks it seems like Casey has some competition! He is designated Boy #5 and more hopes are dashed in the waiting room. I kind of like Tyler's sense of humor and fell a little bit in love with him when he smoothly shook Ryan's hand post The Chair and didn't say anything else.

We get a flashback from last season when we see the end of the sing off between current contestant Lacey Brown and Megan Joy. Dude, remember Megan? She of the weird voice who lasted far too long with her crazy dance moves? Somehow despite losing to the awfulness that was Megan and Simon announcing that the ladies' competition was uber strong this season she makes it as girl #5. I miss the sing off. It's probably the only thing I miss from last season.

Ashley Rodriguez who I'm sure Ryan will nickname A-Rod due to his level of originality is one of the most talented girls, in my opinion. She is quickly through. Let me pause here for a minute to talk about air time vs. success in the America votes part of the competition. I actually think that a few special cases aside (I'm looking at you Gokey), the contestants who get the most audition air time tend to do worse overall. Do I have statistics to back me up? Nope. Just a gut feel after watching 7 previous seasons. Yes, that's right. I didn't see the first season. Don't judge.

Alex Lambert and Joe Munoz are quickly guy #6 and #7. I'm sure I will incorrectly call Alex "Adam" until he is voted off.

Crystal Bowersox, she of the new tattoo to honor her son, is up next. Simon rightly tells her that she appears to think she is too good for the show. But her voice is all kinds of awesomeness. I do hope that she makes it to the makeover portion of the show so that she can get veneers or at least teeth whitening done by the show. I think she has a chance to go far but I do hope she gets rid of the dread locks before the live show starts. I didn't like it on Castro and I definitely don't like it on her.

Post montage of people who have already been let through we see Katie Stevens again. Her particular sob story is that of a grandmother with Alzheimer's. She's very cute and I think if she makes it she will go to the Top 12. Ellen doesn't screw with her very much and Katie is in.

Quick montage of people who don't make it. Thank goodness weird glasses girl was among them. Also cut was squeaky voice girl who flew from Italy to audition. Angela Martin is in her third attempt to make it. You might remember Angela as the girl who had to leave Hollywood Week last year because she had a bench warrant out against her. A dead daddy and a daughter with serious mental and health issues Angela probably has the best/worst sob story of them all. To no avail, however, as she is cut.

Lilly Scott has a wonderful jazz style. I commented before how much she sounds like Ella Fitzgerald. Interestingly her look is more reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. She needs to lay of the eye liner. The judges make the right call and Lilly is in the Top 24.

Paige Miles who we've never seen is through as is Siobhan (glass blower). Side note, DH toyed with the idea of naming Cameron Siobhan before she was born. I put the kibosh on it quickly. Even reading it now I have to struggle to pronounce it. Yes, I know how to say it but the letters don't match the pronunciation.

Also through is Michelle Delamor, Jermaine S and John Park.

Haeley Vaughn is in and Tori Kelly is OUT. Sorry, a little Heidi Klum flashback there. Haeley has a chance to do really well or completely crash and burn. Song selection will be critical for the wanna be black country singer.

Thaddeus Johnson vs. Andrew Garcia. Thad has this odd Kid 'N Play vibe with his hair. His mother is a little too enthusiastic. DH said he's be in but there are no girl spots left. Cruel but also factual. Does anyone even wonder who is in? I thought not. Andrew Garcia is a little old for the competition, and, let's face it, he's probably the least attractive of all the guys, but there's something about his style I really like.

OK, time to wrap it up.

Guys:
Aaron Kelly
Todrick Hall
Alex Lambert
Casey James
John Park
Jose Munoz
Jermaine Sellers
Tim Urban
Lee DeWyze
Michael Lynche
Tyler Grady

Girls:
Ashley Rodriguez
Haeley Vaughn
Janell Wheeler
Katelyn Epperly
Katie Stevens
Lacey Brown
Lilly Scott
Michelle Delamor
Didi Bemani
Crystal Bowersox
Paige Miles
Siobhan Magnus

Hollywood Week: Top 24

Apparently I didn't miss much by not completing the last episode since only 7 of the Top 24 were revealed. Before I get started with the results I do have to admit that I am dragging this season on posting recaps of the show. I need some inspiration to keep going as the two hour twice a week shows get started next week. So if you want me to keep the recaps up, please post a comment!

I found a great article on the myths and realities of the audition process if you are interested. You can find the article here. And I breath a sigh of relief that the audition process is officially over after tonight.

Up first to face the Chair is the baby daddy, Michael Lynche. I liked this guy in all of his auditions but think he won't go too far in the regular competition. He just doesn't have the range of many of the other guys. Oh, did I forget to mention he's in after crying his way from the waiting room to The Chair on stage? Well, it's no wonder because his dad spilled the beans to the entire world a few weeks ago and almost got Big Mike kicked out. Good job, Grandpa!

Following Michael is Didi who I really, really liked in her original audition even if she did suck up to Kara by singing one of her songs. She reminds me of all the good things I liked about Brooke White. We also found out (or were supposed to know already? so hard to keep track of the sob stories) that her best friend kicked the bucket and that was her inspiration for trying out. It also lead to her ASPCA Sarah McLachlan song. After being dicked around for a bit she's in. Guess what? She cries. I feel like I should create a macro for that phrase. We'll see it a lot this season.

Two up and two in. The more intelligent contestants (is that an oxymoron?) are probably counting their odds and not liking it.

Another girl, Katelyn Epperly is invited to The Chair next. I vaguely remember her whining about her parents' divorce in the auditions. Katelyn has hair that reminds me of my college freshman roommate. AKA awesome. Ellen does an excellent job of screwing with her but Katelyn is in. I don't think she'll make the Top 12, however. She is just a little too serious and not in a good Adam Lambert kind of way.

A third girl, Shelby, who didn't do so well at Hollywood Week aside from her last performance, is up next. As she properly notes, her odds are not good and we say good-bye to her hopes for the Top 24. Simon liked her so Shelby could have gone far (because we all know Simon is usually right) but majority rules and Randy gives the pink slip. DH is happy because of her oddly tilted mouth. He wasn't looking forward to seeing her talk out of only one side of her mouth regularly.

Casey Jones who completely redeemed himself from his embarrassing shirtless, hair down audition is the next guy to approach the stage. He did a really great job at Hollywood Week and I think aside from his audition faux paux he has a shot to go pretty far. After all, Casey can play an instrument and has a good package. What? I was talking about the singing, playing and overall look. Needless to say, after a quick reference to his flowing locks, Casey is through. The only caveat to Casey's potential success is that his personality isn't so great. He needs to work on that. We'll see how he does kibitzing with Ryan.

A teeny bopper type, Aaron Kelly follows. He made the unpardonable sin of forgetting the lyrics during group sing. Aaron really has a Federline type thing going, doesn't he? We didn't see much of Aaron during auditions but he has a nice talent and the tweens will love him. Ellen wants to pet him and tells Aaron he's through.

Lee D. didn't do so well during auditions including forgetting the words to one of the biggest hits of 2009. He's obviously not making it through but we still have to suffer through his clips. Kara in her space worthy shirt questions Lee's commitment to being a star and owning the stage. Somehow Lee skates through and I scratch my head for the first time.

Todrick who should go an audition for a dance show is up next. He's the guy who we saw performing back flips constantly. Todrick compares himself to Fantasia despite no experience singing. Kara doesn't even say anything other than "yes."

Moving right along, we see Jessica Furney. She strikes me as a little bit of a stalker. Attempting to appear cool she lounges in the leather Chair. Total wimp move to replace the stark Chair of past seasons. Regardless, Randy cuts her quickly and Jessica starts begging. Not a good look. Despite the montage of happy Top 24 contestants we kind of end on a low note.

OK, American Idol decided to screw with me so I will not be recapping the 7 guys and 10 girls still be announced until tomorrow. I will note that aside from Todrick, so far the leaked Top 24 list from a few weeks ago is accurate.

American Idol: Hollywood Week Round 3

This is it, kids. The last round of auditions before The Chair. Two hours? Jeesh, I should have picked up some wine on the way home.

Ryan introduces us to the trials and tribulations that got the contestants to this point. I roll my eyes at him. 71 contestants are left for the final round. Per usual they will be broken up into rooms and told which of the three rooms goes on to the next round.

Immediately DH spots a few good contestants in room 1 and thinks they are going through. With the feature of some good black girl in room 3 DH predicts that room 2 is going home. Is he right? We'll see shortly. Or at least as shortly as I can hope for in a two hour show.

Ryan keeps showing us performances from Hollywood Week. I sigh and realize that the 2 hours is because of filler. Before we go to break Ryan tells us that we will see the Top 24 announced this episode. WTF? They better not be eliminating The Chair. That shit is solid gold drama.

Does anyone else laugh that the producers put these kids in barren hotel conference rooms? I mean, not even a chair! Or at least booze like in Top Chef to get them through it. Ryan keeps trying to get me to root for Jermaine and I'm not having it. Brick House and Man in the Mirror? Plus he tries to tell the judges the band fucked up? Not cool.

Siobhan is a glass blowing apprentice. How freaking cool is that? But apparently she wants to be a star too and not just work in Renaissance Fairs. We see Crystal Bowersox again who is the tattoo ladden mom. And I can't help but want to email my old classmate Mike Bowersox and ask if she is related to him. She does well in her last audition and I'd be surprised if she doesn't make it through.

Up next is Adam someone or other who didn't have much personality but has a nice voice. He had the misfortune to be in Mary Powers' group. For his last audition he does a nice job with a ubiquitous Jason Mraz song. Big Mike also put his new baby daddy spin on the same song. Tondrick Hall (he of the back flips) put his own spin on the song and I stretch in boredom.

Thaddeus Johnson's mother decided she would stage parent her son all the way to the Top 24. No pressure kid. DH calls Thaddeus the "daughter his mother always wanted." Cruel but true. The band starts the wrong song for him but Thaddeus shows some humor and busts out a decent version of Man in the Mirror. Is it too much to hope we don't have a Michael Jackson tribute this season? After the Grammys I'm feeling tapped out.

DH and I mock the carpet pattern in the hotel rooms as Ryan brings us to room 2. Up first to tug our heartstrings is Charity Vance. I remain dead inside and think DH's prediction could be correct. Up next is one of the many minster related contestants. I can't remember her name but I remember liking her voice a lot. When Ryan shows us Mary Powers in room 2 I line up behind DH and place money that room 2 is out. Mary's mediocre Katy Perry performance seals the deal.

As Ryan keeps nattering on and on and on I wonder why none of these contestants have an iPad or video iPod or even a book. I can only assume the producers cut them off so to increase the drama. As I ponder this question the dock worker shows us another mediocre Man in the Mirror performance. I'm guessing they only had a short list of songs to choose from.

Hope Johnson, another casualty of Mary Powers' group, mangles a Daughtry song. Ryan is really stacking the deck against these contestants in room 2.

Moving on, 40 minutes in, to room 3. Ryan mentions 7 or 8 contestants including Shelby who auditioned in Atlanta and swore her way through to Hollywood. We see an embarrassing snippet of her missing the words, stressing out and crying. Don't worry honey, if you make it to the Top 24 it's not like you'll have to remember a song a week or anything. Shelby manages to pull it off pretty well in the final audition but it's far from great. DH wonders if her face really did freeze that way.

Aaron Kelly goes through his family soap opera. He decides to go with the ASPCA classic, Arms of the Angel. Ashley Rodriguez is featured next and DH still claims she will be in the Top 10. Quick cuts of three more contestants including the wanna be black country singer, Hayley Vaughn. She wears a flower in her hair for her final audition and I shudder thinking of Jasmine from two seasons ago. Or was it three?

Jannell Wheeler whines about being sick but picks a (the only) Taylor Swift song I like and does OK. She thinks she didn't do well and we hear more Doubting Thomases via the joys of editing.

Finally, at least I hope so, Ryan takes us to the break and promises us that we will see the cuts when we come back. I urge him to hurry up so we can get to The Chair.

Dammit. More scenes from room 1 contestants. But id does show us Andrew Garcia so it will be no surprise when they are safe. Room 2 includes all of the "fighters." With Mary Powers there, I don't doubt it. Room 3 is up and down room. Needless to say, room 1 is through first. Ellen tries to screw with them a little but she doesn't make them wait too long. Their screams of joy clearly echo to the other two rooms who know they now have a 50/50 shot of making it to The Chair.

Minute 58 and we just caught up to the live show. Crap, I hate that. I'd watch the Olympics for a bit but Lost is taping too. Stupid DVR that can't tape two shows AND let me watch a third.

Room 2 is up next and Simon breaks it pretty gently to them. Looks like DH was right. We need to take him to Vegas. Of course, that means room 3 is in. So far so good. Aside from a few minor quibbles, I generally agree with the judges.

The contestants cheer and dance and I do my own happy dance singing (badly), "The Chair, the chair, it's time for the chair!" This year the contestants don't go up an elevator. Instead they have to walk down to the stage of the Kodak Theatre. But at the end of the walks we will have our Top 24.

Sorry everyone but I'm for bed. Yes, I am that pathetic but I promise a second recap with The Chair tomorrow evening.

SJ out.

American Idol: Hollywood Week Group Auditions

Contestants rightly hate this portion of the auditions. Frankly I don't understand why the producers insist on it. After all, the only group portions of the regular show are disjointed and lack any kind of real choreography. Plus if the judges like you then they will pass you through anyway. So really it is just the contestants on the line who are up for cutting.

Starting the round are 96 contestants who get to self select groups. Really it would be better to have random assignments. It might save us, the suffering audience, some of the drama. Adding insult to injury they also have to come up with group names. I had flashbacks to RA training. This shit is so juvenile.

Ryan introduces us to a few groups that are guaranteed to provide drama. We witness no real leadership, arguments over songs and lots of pandering to the cameras.

I'm going to be honest hear and write that Ryan throws out a lot of names in a very short amount of time so I find it hard to keep track of who is who. So let's just roll with it, shall we? Mary Powers steps up to try and take control of her group. She's a bit bratty about it but at 28 she's a decade older than most of the others so I can appreciate her frustration. After wasting a lot of time they decide to go with a group of 5.

Contestants whine about not having appropriate practice space. I feel zero sympathy. Don't they have hotel rooms?

Big Mike and Team Awesome appear to have their shit together. His wife is also the most understanding woman in the world as she labors along.

Contestants whine about how late it is and how tired they are. The vocal coaches make their onscreen appearance and seem to help more than hinder.

Coming back from the break, Ryan welcomes us to the early morning practices. Some contestants seem energized and optimistic. It won't last. Guaranteeing the slide into chaos are snippets of contestant forgetting the words.

Mary Powers whines that she's not having fun. She is rapidly slipping into annoying territory for me and I wouldn't be sad to see her go. Given the amount of airtime she's getting I will place odds that she is not one of the Top 24. If she was, the producers would be showing her in a much better light. Alternatively, Big Mike gets a Vaseline focused camera angle and lots of love from the editors. Apparently he is helping to talk his wife through the birth of his daughter. I doubt it helps his wife very much.

Family drama done, the group auditions start with Faith. They are a small group of three and harmonize pretty well. DH predicts Ashley will be in the Top 10. The entire group breezes through.

Team Awesome also does a good job but Ryan makes us wait until after the break to find out that Big Mike and Tim Urban are the two who make it through. I don't have to wait because I have a DVR. Suck it, Ryan! We see a shot of Big Mike's daughter and she is very cute with a full head of hair.

Team Neapolitan sings Lady Gaga and Destiny's Wild throws a bunch of bitch faces around because Team Neapolitan "stole" their idea. Up next, is Destiny's Wild and I have to admit it looks like they are third rate compared to Team Neapolitan. I'm sure they were frustrated which didn't help. But the judges seemed to like it so both groups make it to the next round.

Montage of good performances. At this rate the judges won't be cutting very many contestants. I'm impressed with how the groups have come together.

Featured next are the Mighty Rangers who admit that they didn't really practice. DH thinks glasses girl is annoying and wonders how many super sized glasses she owns. For the first time we see a crash and burn with lyrics. One of the guys who is cut whines and cries and asks for second chance. Kara and Simon quickly put the kibosh on that.

A contestant quits before her group's performance. She didn't want to embarrass herself. The vocal coach assures them that not much should change for them. Morea, at Hollywood Week for a second time with the same song, forgets her lines. Unforgivable in mine and Simon's estimation so she goes home.

Montage of contestants struggling with Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." Why would they pick a song with that many lyrics? Dumb song selection. Big Dreams is the last group to tackle this song and features the guy who spent four years in jail and a girl who begged her way to Hollywood. They all do terribly. And they all go home.

I'm bored so I notice that the judges are drinking out of Vitamin Water cups instead of the standard Coke ones. I heart Vitamin Water so I approve.

Ryan tells us that lots of people are sent home that we should remember from the city auditions. I don't. Except for Tourette's guy. Because how could you forget him?

Middle C has a trio of very talented performers and easily make it through as do Three Men And A Baby. The producers saved the best drama for last and The Dreamers are up. Mary continues her path to "dead to me" with her attitude. I totally did a 180 on this girl in a single hour. Well, done, Mary!

The Dreamers do not disappoint with missed lyrics, mediocre melodies and off key notes. Somehow, against all odds, Mary, Alex and Hope make it to the next round. But I am now actively routing against Mary.

71 out of 96 move on to the last audition rounds before The Chair. I love the Chair. I'm ready for it now. But until then we have one more solo round. And we are thankful that group rounds are done for another year.

SJ out.

American Idol: Hollywood Week Round 1

7 cities
181 potential contestants
The tears
The sob stories
The drama
The screaming
This is American Idol

Finally the auditions are over. Is it just me or do they get longer each year? Ellen Degeneres joins the judging panel and we bid a not-so-fond fairwell to the mediocre guest judges. The first round is Sudden Death and the contestants are allowed to accompany themselves with instruments.

Up first is Katie who has the grandmother with Alzeheimers. She is good and easily moves on. Not moving on, thank goodness is Skiiboski. My love for Ellen notches up considerable when she informs him that he crossed the sexy line into scary territory. Did anyone else think of Barney's crazy/hot scale?

Andrew Garcia tackles "Straight Up" with his own version accompanied by guitar. He does a great job and the judges love good interpretations. He doesn't have one of the stronger voices but he is smart and will go far.

In his group is Vanessa Wolfe who has the thickest twang I've heard in a long time and I live in the South. She gets a lot of airtime but not enough confidence. But hey, at least she got to go on the aero-plane.

Montage of crying people who thought they had the ticket to fame and fortune.

Three mediocre contestants are featured but they all sucked and are cut so I won't waste your time.

Janell Wheeler is one of the few contestants with a real job (lots of food service, unemployed and students this season). She does a nice job and I applaud the judges sending her through.

Montage of people making poor choices in accompanying themselves on instruments

Haeley Vaughn wants to be the first black country singer (doesn't Hootie count?). Unfortunately she is very pitchy although Randy likes her because she is 16. Apparently I know nothing because she is passed on to Round 2.

Mary Powers is a 28 year old rocker mom who's child loves Simon (good choice). She picks a Pink song which is excellent for her range and style. She easily moves on. Mary thinks her life is going to change now...um, you have to make it all the way first, honey.

Ellen fucks with the contestants by making them move forward and back before telling them they are all in. Love it!

Montage of people I don't remember or never saw from auditions.

Of the 50% seen so far, 46 make it to round 2

Lilly Scott shows us the view from her hotel room. A parking lot isn't exactly a good view....She picks an Ella Fitzgerald song that suits her voice amazingly and the judges love her. I predict she will go far.

Big Mike Lynche gets a phone call that his wife's water has broken. As a fairly new mom myself let me be upfront that I would have killed DH if he wasn't there for Cameron's birth. Taking my judgemental hat off, Mike sings well and can play the guitar and isn't too tacky in pandering to the judges with his baby news.

The next group features Tim Urban and Justin Williams. Tim Urban decides to tackle a David Cook song and his voice dropped an octave since the auditions. Cancer survivor and hottie Justin Williams is kind of boring and gives weird looks while singing. Randy calls it interesting which is never good. Predictable he is out. He is also the only one not moving on from his whole group which has to suck even more.

Montage of people getting cut that I don't really remember. The Jersey girls were cut, thank goodness. They were uber annoying for me in the auditions.

Maddy Curtis is 16 (so Randy loves her) and has 4 brothers with Down's Syndrome. She hits a high note that makes me wince but recovers. Her song selection was poor and Simon backs me up. Unfortunately it is her undoing and she cries her way out of Hollywood.

Casey James is the guy who took off his shirt to make it to Hollywood. I hated that but he's actually much better than his audition and I think having the guitar helps. He easily makes it through.

Wow, a lot quicker hour than the city auditions! The last group lines up to go onstage and we get a flashback to a weepy waitress named Didi Benami. She sucks up to Kara by picking one of her songs. She has a Joss Stone vibe about her and easily makes it through.

Crystal Bowersox is a single mom who decides to get a tattoo for luck. I hope she didn't get it in a place where the guitar strap will rub it. She does a nice job with "Natural Woman" but needs some serious dental work if she makes it to the Top 24. Like Didi she moves right along.

Ryan closes out the episode with another montage, this time of happy, screaming people. 95 people out of 181 are moving to Round 2. Dare I hope that the level of drama in group auditions will surpass last season? I'm sure the producers are planning on it!

SJ out.

American Idol: predictions and promises

After next week we are finally through the audition rounds. I think that the producers have done a better job this season of showing us good contestants but they still spend far too much time on back stories for the pathetics that have no shot. I much prefer the montages. Who really wants to see sparkly girl for 5 minutes? She sucked in Season 1 and we can only be happy to see the age 28 flashed next to her name as a promise that she won't be returning to audition even if AI makes it to Dallas again.

A few other comments about Wednesday's Dallas auditions. First of all, I heart Neil Patrick Harris. I loved him in Doogie Howser, MD. Thought he was pretty kick ass in Starship Troopers and live for him in How I Met Your Mother. I even watched his opening monologue for the Emmy's, that's how much I love him. Obviously the producers felt the same way since he got 2/3 of the show and Joe Jonas got about 15 words total. Most of them being "yes." Is Joe the married one? I can't keep those guys straight. I'm sure by the time Cameron reach tween status they will be long gone so I guess it doesn't really matter.

Whip girl was much better when she sang the Barney song than her En Vogue mess. And yes, Mommy, Esq., she obviously had a nose job some time between her years on Barney and the audition. I thought she was pretty obnoxious but Simon told her she had moxie or something BS like that. I also disagreed with the rainbow and sunshine they blew up the ass of the 16 year old girl with the little brother who was WAY too into her. That was creepy. I actually thought she kind of sucked but the judges loved her. Her pathetic sob story was that her parents were divorced and had each remarried. Um, join about 50% of American kids.

Speaking of sob stories, the dock worker's age was listed as 29. I guess if they are 28 in the year of the audition they qualify? I thought they had to be 28 in the year of the live show. If someone knows the real answer, please write in.

I'm trying to give Kara a break this year. Instead I'm going to focus my hate on Randy. A "million, bazillion percent"? Dude, not cool. He hasn't updated his cliches or lingo in quite a few seasons. Dawg.

Based on the golden tickets given so far I think the girls have an edge this year. Frankly, they need it. For the past two years the top 2 have been guys. Not that they didn't deserve it, they totally did. So I'm predicting a first place win for a girl this season. Write it down. Oh, I guess I just did.

My other promise/prediction is that when Simon leaves after this season I could be done recapping the greatness and awfulness that is American Idol. We'll see. But Simon is a big part of why I love the show and recapping is a big commitment. Particularly when I'm used to going to bed by 9:30 PM. It's all for you that I stay up until 10 or 10:30 during the first few weeks of Idol. And that's why I'm the dawg.

An American Idol leak?

American Idol has been very good about keeping stuff under wraps until the live shows air. But according to blogger Joe, the Season 9 Top 24 finalists have already been identified and a copy was leaked.

I did take a look but frankly, don't remember too many of these folks from their auditions. I'll probably check back again after Hollywood Week and see if any of them popped for me. Regardless, nothing will beat the elevator ride of doom that each of the Top 50 contestants take to find out if they make it to the Top 24. You think they will do sing offs this year? I hope so, that was one of my only "likes" from the "improvements" introduced last season.

Any hot contestants from last week auditions that you are routing for? Personally I grind my teeth every time I hear a person talk about how much their life will be changed if they make it to Hollywood. Really? Your life will be changed from a one week trip to Hollywood where you will get exactly one half day to do tourist things and the rest of the time will be spent manufacturing drama? Sure. Keep telling yourself that.

Friday updates

Per usual I ended up not getting enough sleep, eating and drinking too much and overall having a nice business trip in NYC. Getting to meet up with an old friend is always a plus too!

The last time I was in NYC for this length of time I was still breastfeeding. The annoyance of lugging the pump around coupled with the stress about making sure the output stayed cold put a whole damper on the trip. This time around it was like a huge weight off my shoulders. Although I also missed my little munchkin. I hated that I couldn't wake her up when I got home just to snuggle with her and give her lots of kisses. Not to worry, I made up for it this morning.

I would have posted while traveling but the building I was in blocked my access to FaceBook and any blog. Epic FAIL! Now I'm back on BigFinance's VPN and able to indulge my love for social networking.

I still haven't seen the first two nights of auditions for America Idol and I am trying to remain unspoiled. I did hear from Mommy, Esq. that the producers have FINALLY followed through on their promise and given us more "good" performances. And apparently a lot of those Hollywood-bound contestants need dental plans, STAT.

Despite my avoidance of all things American Idol I couldn't help but hear that Simon officially announced this was his last year as a judge on American Idol. Part of me thinks, "good for him" because how many people deliberately go out on top vs. trying to milk it? The other, bigger part of me wonders if I will be as invested in the show without him. Simon allows me to like the show. He takes it seriously which is why his criticism is so harsh and also so spot on. We don't want every judge to fawn over the contestants because then it will be an entire hour of cheese. And I already roll my eyes far too much at the heavy handed edits and sob stories.

4 judges is definitely too many. I think we will see that again this season. There is a reason other shows like America's Got Talent or Dancing With The Stars each have 3 judges, and it's not just because they were copying American Idol. (Full disclosure: I don't watch those referenced shows.) I haven't figured out yet if the producers will just stick with Randy, Kara and Ellen or if they will dig deep and cast another curmudgeonly Brit. I'm sure we'll hear an announcement in the summer.

How about the rest of you? Will you enjoy AI as much without Simon? Do you think he had guts to leave or was it a stupid move to leave such a juggernaut? And a report $50+ million paycheck?

Monday mash up

Looks like the temperatures are finally going to warm up this week. It's been the longest cold snap in Charlotte in decades. And I'm so pleased we got to experience it during our 3rd winter here. Unfortunately I leave for NYC today and will be there until Thursday night. So I won't get to enjoy 50+ degree weather until I return.

What else does that mean? My first American Idol recap of the season will be late. Sorry, folks! With business dinner and drinks, not to mention the lack of a DVR in my hotel room I won't be able to watch the first two nights of auditions until this weekend. Perhaps one of these days I'll look into a sling box....

Good news on the American Idol front, however. Turns out that everyone else hated the Top 36 and Wildcard format just as much as this faithful recapper did. So the producers have decided to go back to the Top 24 format with 12 guys and 12 ladies squaring off. The claim is that the audience gets more emotionally invested because we see the performers more often prior to the Top 12. I'm just happy that it might help with my American Idol pool rankings. I'm still hesitant about the 4 judges. Last season Simon didn't get to weigh in on every performance and since I agree with him 95% of the time it was distressing for me. I also wonder who will take the Paula role over now that she is gone. There really has to be a judge who pours on the sugar as an antidote to Simon's bitterness. Well, not really bitterness but that metaphor ran away from me. Y'all know what I mean.

I've been surveying my library to determine what books I can purge and how to turn it more kid friendly (read: store more toys) for Cameron. I've also packed two hard cover books for my trip to NYC. All in all it makes me lean towards one day getting an eReader. There are some pretty cool ones that were showcased last week in CES. Here's a link highlighting a few. I am far from an early adopter. True, I got a Tivo way back in 2005 but even then it had been out for a few years. My biggest concern is that I want to make sure all my fantasy books get published in the digital format. And in strolling through Amazon I would estimate that only 30% are today. Anyone also struggle with this decision?

Cameron and I went to a birthday party for one of her play group friends this weekend. He turned one and his parents threw him a little party. It was timed perfectly for Cameron's nap and she enjoyed playing with "new" toys and tasting ice cream for the first time. It also got me thinking about what to do for her first birthday. Our house isn't very well set up for entertaining unless we were outside. But late March isn't a great time to have a BBQ. Perhaps we should just do something low key with a trip to Discovery Place or some other kid friendly venue? What did you did for your kids' first birthdays?

Bring it on, 2010!

2009 was wonderful, due in no small part to a little munchkin pie we like to call Cameron. True, she did manage to become very sick on New Year's Eve day but was back to her old self by Sunday. Just in time for Mommy and Daddy to return to work!

These past few weeks have been nice and quiet at work. Most of BigFinance associates take the two weeks between Christmas and New Year's off which meant I received about 10 emails a day. Max. I managed to catch up on a few things like training and reflected on successes and challenges while completing my annual self evaluation. Bottom line? I rocked. Now let's just see if BigFinance agrees....

DH and I made a couple of resolutions to kick start 2010. I won't share them with you but they aren't monumental. Just a few things we should be doing to be happier, healthier and more us.

I'll be posting more photos later this week to showcase the visit we just enjoyed from our friends Stacy and Janusz. We still haven't been able to convince them to move back to Charlotte (dammit!) although it's probably for the best considering the state of my liver yesterday.

I would also mention that we are T minus 8 days for American Idol Season 9 to premiere. Yes it is that magical time once again. This season should be particularly interesting sans Paula and with new judge Ellen. I am hopeful that the producers will decide that's enough drama and get rid of the group sings to make up the Top 12. I really, really hated the group sings they had last season. It meant we only got to see each contestant perform once before the Top 12 were selected. Don't the producers realize how hard that makes ranking our American Idol pools?

Welcome to 2010, folks! And remember, at least this time we can call the decade the teens rather than something stupid like the aughts.

Random Thursday thoughts

Adam Lambert has released the album cover for his record that is dropping one week after the winner of American Idol, Kris Allen. Apparently the cover is a throw back to the 70s. Personally I think it is a little out there, but so too is Adam so I guess it fits. Regardless, my love for American Idol doesn't translate into purchasing their music so I won't be adding this to my iPod play list.

Carolina sports teams suck this year. Last night the Charlotte Bobcats were destroyed by the Boston Celtics. How many points did they score? 59. Pathetic. On the NFL front the Panther's quarterback, Jake Delhomme has thrown 18 interceptions in the last 6 games. But apparently that isn't bad enough for him to be removed as a first string quarterback. In this economy any other industry would have fired him weeks ago.

On another sports front, the Yankees lost last night. DH handled it pretty well but I could feel that way because I was asleep for most of the game and didn't hear him shouting or cursing out the offense for not getting any more than one run. At this point I almost want the evil Yankees to win just so that my hubby will be happy. Is this how women are drawn to become sports fans against their will? Self-defense?

How is it possible that 8 days of doing the 30 Day Shred has resulted in not a single pound lost? Jillian would be so disappointed. I'm watching what I eat and sweating my ass off with zero results so far. Very frustrating. I did try to do Level 2 last night and almost passed out. I actually had to wimp out of a couple of exercises. Looks like I need to spend more time on Level 1...

Yes, I have renamed my blog. I'm not sure I'm sticking with "Conference Call On Mute" but I appreciate the suggestion from Natalie when I was first starting up my blog. Why conference call on mute? Probably because I was supposedly on vacation while she was visiting but still had to listen in on some conference calls. I multi tasked by chatting with Natalie during the parts of the call that didn't apply to me. She was freaked out and kept asking me, "are you sure that's on mute?"

She'll certainly be less crazy

I found out yesterday that Ellen DeGeneres will be serving as the fourth judge on American Idol. Ellen is often known as the "every woman" and plans to bring that viewpoint to the competition. My problem? I think that having a fourth judge at all is not the best idea. Last season it resulted in only two judges giving feedback per contestant and we lost valuable Simon critiques. While I will still miss Paula Abdul's kookiness I do like Ellen. But I'm reserving judgement of my own until after the first few episodes. What do the rest of you think about Ellen as the newest judge? Too much change with adding in Kara, removing Paula and now adding Ellen?

Aside from the fourth judge here are the guest judges currently on tap for auditions: Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, and Joe Jonas. Any favorites? Any you think will be terrible?

And so we say goodbye to a very unique judge

I won't have Paula Abdul to kick around any more in my American Idol recaps. Apparently she was never asked to renegotiate her contract. The producers decided to go with the younger, hipper and arguably more talented and hard to pronounce Kara DioGuardi.

I know for sure that 4 judges didn't work last season. There wasn't enough time for them to make comments and I didn't like that I had to wait so long to hear what Simon said. But I'm not sure the producers are making the right choice. Paula has always been viewed as the "nice" and "supportive" judge. Not to mention the fact that I usually got a break in recapping the shows when she started nattering on and on.

What do the rest of you think? Is this an improvement? Will you miss the odd sexual tension between Simon and Paula? Will Paula ever learn that unique needs no other modifier? Will Paula have a nervous breakdown now that she isn't a judge or does this mean we can expect a new season of "Hey, Paula"?

AI Season 8: Final 2 perform

This is it, kids! Probably the most exciting season finale since last season's showdown between Archuleta and Cook. Similarly to last year we have two very different singers and it could really be anyone's win at this point. Will I vote? I've only voted once in my long history with AI: for Carrie Underwood. I doubt I will be voting tonight but Adam Lambert might just win me over.

I am recapping this without my trusty recapping partner, DH, who is up in Boston for a couple of days. But Cameron has been asleep since 8 PM and I have a large glass of wine sitting next to me so here we go!

This is American Idol.

Remember how far we've come since the auditions? Who knew Lil Rounds would crap out with her terrible song choices? Or Danny Gokey's widower-hood wouldn't see him through to the finals? Or that my dreams of winning my AI pool would be over in the very first week with Jasmine's elimination? Good times.

Ryan introduces the judges and I say a little prayer that Kara won't be returning next season (although reports say she will) and Simon will ink a multi-year deal. Because really, who else could be so honest and spot on with the judging?

Ryan then introduces Kris and Adam. Wow, I don't think I ever realized how short Kris is. He's even smaller than Ryan.

The format for this episode is the following:

• Favorite performance from the season
• A song selected by Simon Fuller (it used to be Clive Davis but considering his cadaverous appearance last season I'm not surprised he's not there)
• The "winning" single to be released

Ryan tells us that the show will go long so we need to set our DVRs accordingly. Well, it's 9:05 as I start this so you all might be missing out on the last few minutes. Hopefully it's just filler.

Adam starts us off and we're told that he didn't sleep through the night until he was 18 months old. If Cameron pulls that crap with me I'm looking into a return policy. He goes with "Mad World" from the "Songs from the year they were born" week. He does just as well, if not better this time around. I really like when he slows things down because he tends to pick more manic songs. Randy is wearing a suit (odd choice for him) and likes the choice of the sensitive song. He gives Adam and A+. Kara also praises the song choice. Paula looks a little too tan in her lime green shirt. She tells Adam to bask in the adoration of the crowd and also likes the subdued performance. Simon called the performances a little over-theatrical but I wonder if he's trying to be a little disparaging to get voters to call in...

Kris is the antithesis of Adam in his shyness according to his parents. Ryan shells for iTunes and American Idol banks another million. Kris goes with "Ain't No Sunshine" accompanied on the piano. Kris was given the money spot on the first performance of this song and it was well deserved then as it is now. Both he and Adam did a great job picking their best performances from the season. I like this aspect of the final show. The camera flashes on his wife (yes, he has a wife not that the producers are advertising that!) and she is wearing some kind of prom dress. Randy called it one of Kris' best performances. Kara agrees with Randy. Paula says Kris "awakens the spirit." Simon takes back his doubt of Kris as a finalist and thinks he won Round 1.

"Change Is Gonna Come" is Simon Fuller's selection for Adam Lambert. Adam starts it out slow and looks pretty slick in his shiny grey suit. There is no doubt that Adam is by far the more polished and energetic performer of the two. I can absolutely see him headlining his own tour. I eagerly anticipate when Adam steps it up on the song which he does by launching into his falsetto. Another great performance. Randy said Adam can sing his face off. Kara called it his best performance and interpretation of the song. It's a love fest up there. Paula stands up and swings her arm in a lasso motion around her head. I wonder if she got a little too much sun. Simon said Adam is back in the game.

Kris gets "What's Going On" and apparently Simon Fuller is a big R&B fan. Kris "Jack Johnsons" it up with some acoustic guitar and bongo drums. Or whatever those big drums are. He does a good job but it doesn't hold a candle to Adam's performance. I predict Simon will call Round 2 for Adam. Randy thought that the song was a little "light" and I can agree with that. Kara liked the message of the song but didn't really talk about his performance. Paula said Kris made Marvin Gaye proud. Simon loved the song but didn't like the arrangement. Simon calls Round 2 to Adam. It's like Simon and I have a mind meld.

Adam gets the "privilege" of singing the first "single" song. I hate this part of AI. Aside from Kelly Clarkson's first single, they tend to not be very good. It's just not a good indication of what they will end up recording. But whatever, we all know it's part of what AI is all about. Adam sings about climbing a mountain and getting through the pain. He does his best to rock it out but the lyrics are inane to say the least. The crowd goes wild for some reason. Randy thought it was "a'ight" and a little pitchy. Kara apparently helped write the song and was moved by Adam's performance. Paula claims that adjectives can't express what she feels. I'm sure she'll try though. Simon makes fun of the mountains and the hurricanes lyrics (mind meld!) but calls Adam the best and most original contestant they've had. He believes Adam can be a worldwide star. Big praise from the big judge.

We see commercial 1000 for "Glee" and I break down and record it. Kris gets the same song, "No Boundaries." He starts out a little weak and appears to miss a few words in the first verse. He is definitely not as comfortable with the song as Adam was. In fact, I would call it one of his weakest performances on the show. I think Kris just gave Adam the win. But let's see what the judges think. Randy thinks Kris should be proud of himself (sounds like a pity comment to me) but that the pitch was a little too high for him. Kara doesn't want Kris to be judged on that song but rather on the whole season. Paula agrees with Kara. Simon thinks Kris deserves to be in the finals.

So, who wins? It should be Adam but it could be Kris with his cuteness and tween vote. Although I thought that similar combination would put David Archuleta on top but America surprised me then. Will they make the right choice and go with Adam this year? We'll find out tomorrow!

For the last time this season (because I refuse to recap the two hours of filler that is the results show), SJ out.

AI Season 8: Top 3 perform judges' picks

Allison's dismissal last week leaves us with an all male finale for the second year in a row. I'm trying to remember if there has ever been an all female finale but I can't remember any. I assume it is mostly tween girls who vote which is why we are more likely to have guys in the finale than girls. What happened to girl power? Someone needs to get these tween girls in line.

Ryan informs us this is the 300 episode. I'd be more impressed if 200 of them weren't auditions.

I'm still holding strong with predicting Adam Lambert as the winner. He got some unasked for publicity from Entertainment Weekly last week with a cover article questioning his sexual orientation. A little in bad taste if you ask me. You didn't? Too bad. I haven't really thought much about whether he is gay or not. Instead I focus on his over the top theatrics and fashion styling.

Paula selects a song for Danny Gokey and goes with "Dance Little Sister" by Terrence Trent Darby. Paula tells us it's because of a similarity in magical voices. I yawn. I feel like whoever Paula selects a song for should get a handicap. Girl is crazy. DH claims I should know this song but I totally don't. I think that's really going to hurt Danny. A recognizable song always helps. He does his Danny thing and I'm a little bored at this stage in the competition. Here's hoping his next song is better. DH informs me it was a really good performance and I am biased because I don't know the song. Randy agrees with DH so I am apparently wrong. Kara slams Danny's dancing but Paula pulls out her choreographer's card and says he did great. Simon thought the vocals were good but the dancing was desperate.

Kara and Randy team up to select Kris Allen's song. Apparently I can't count because I never even thought about the 4 judges and 3 contestants ratio. Perhaps it's because I assume Kara is not going to be around next season? Although Simon told Oprah he wasn't going to do another season after next year. Gasp! Let's hope that the producers throw so much money at him he signs up for many more years. "Apologize" by One Republic is the song given to Kris. He decides to accompany himself on the piano. It's actually a really good song choice for Kris - he would totally put out an album like the Fray or O.A.R. or any other trendy group these days. Kris does a really nice job and is definitely helped by the current popular song selection (take that Paula!). Randy likes the performance but Kara thinks he should have made it more his own. Paula notices a sour note but is proud of him. Simon disses both Paula and Kara in his commentary and thinks it was a decent performance.

Is anyone surprised that Simon got to select the song for Adam Lambert? Didn't think so. He goes with "One" by U2 after receiving explicit permission from Bono. Adam changes the arrangement (natch) and really uses his falsetto. Randy called the vocals unbelievable. Kara agreed and loved the arrangement. Paula called it superb. Simon complimented the song selection (ha!) and said it was a brilliant performance. He and Paula agree that it would be a travesty if Adam wasn't in the finals next week.

Randy then throws the show over to Idol Gives Back. As much as I like Carrie Underwood, this is not why I watch the show every week.

For his own selection, Danny Gokey goes with "You Are So Beautiful." Is there any woman who doesn't love this song? I am shocked that Ryan didn't use this opportunity to remind the audience about Danny's dead wife. There hasn't been a mention of her in weeks. Danny has a Joe Cocker type voice so this could be good. He changes up the arrangement enough to make it his own but still keep it as a sweet ballad. Randy said Danny can really, really, really sing. He needed those two extra "reallys" to really mean it. Kara called it stunning. Paula was breathless. Simon said it was a vocal master class.

Kris decides on "Heartless" by Kanye West. Does anyone else besides me think that Kanye is a total poseur? Do you like fish sticks? (Two points if you know what that means.) Kris accompanies himself on the guitar which makes me think he is trying to one-up the others with his musicality. He shouldn't worry because he has the cuteness factor going for him. I don't know the song (see above for opinion on Kanye West) but Kris does a decent job. I hear a few sour notes but it's good. Randy liked Kris' version better than the Fray's (they did it?) or the original. Kara called it bold, brave and fearless. And then tucked her thesaurus under the table. Paula said Kris is relevant. Simon thinks Kris redeemed himself .

And saving the best for last Adam picks "Cryin'" by Aerosmith. I loved this video and it launched Alicia Silverstone's career. Remember when she was more than just a vegetarian? Adam starts the song and I am completely distracted by the loudness of the background singers. But when they final shut up Adam does his usual bang up job. He doesn't change much in the arrangement. I am not completely wowed and kind of wish Adam selected a more unusual song. Randy loved it. Kara was amazed by the range of his voice. Paula said Adam would be flying for free and I scratch my head. Simon urges the audience to vote for Adam and not just assume he will be in the finals. Good point.

Who's out? I said last week it should be Danny and it should have been. So I'm going with him again this week. What do the rest of you think?

SJ out.

AI Season 8: Top 4 perform rock

Ryan opens the show by telling us that the contestants didn't have a proper dress rehearsal because of some sort of stage collapse. We also find out that they will performing individually and in duets. That's new and could be exciting. Group performances are always a disaster but duets could be good.

Slash is this week's mentor and DH was thrilled to hear about it. Theoretically this week's theme should benefit Allison and Adam the most but Kris and Danny have a way of surprising us. Slash seems very mellow and cool but the dude is also very unattractive. Hey, I just live in a superficial world, I don't run it.

Adam picks "A Whole Lot of Love" by Led Zeplin. He's rocking it out with the eye liner and leather jacket. His voice is great, as always, but his performance is a little manic for my taste. I just feel like he's trying too hard. The last few notes were awesome but I wasn't wowed by the performance overall. Randy thinks that Adam transcended his Broadway roots (I'm paraphrasing). Kara is dressed in theme and calls him a rock god. Paula tells Adam he was perfect. Simon called the performance "understated" with his usual tongue in cheek commentary. He goes on to say it was awesome and will be hard for the other contestants to top.

Allison was introduced to Adam's hair stylist and is sporting some blue streaks in her pink hair. I think it looks good. She decides on "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin with Slash's advice and I am excited to hear her sing it. A great song selection for her. She sings the crap out of the song and I'm very impressed. Randy disagrees with me about her song choice because of the lack of melody (agreed) but thinks she can "sing her face off." Kara thinks she shows a lot of personality in her performance. Paula calls her fearless. Simon thought it was a great vocal but the performance was a little too reminiscent of Janis Joplin.

"Renegade" by Styx is the first duet for Kris and Danny. Kris' vocal styling isn't very well suited to the song so Danny shows him up a bit here. But they both look like they are having fun. Over all the performance was a little weak which I attribute to a lack of cohesion in the duet. Randy liked the harmonies (I assume he means in the chorus which I agree). Kara thought the sum of the parts was greater. I wonder why we need judges' commentary hear. Paula called it powerful. Simon said Danny was better than Kris and I think he didn't really get the point of a "duet."

Kris picked the Beatles "Come Together" which is a differnt vibe from the other two songs we've heard so far. Slash wasn't very effusive in his comments so I'm not expecting much here. And I'm right - a boring performance. Randy liked the vocals and loved the guitar action. Did I mention that Kris accompanied himself on the guitar? I was really bored. Kara didn't think it was a good performance. Paula praised his artistic delivery. Simon didn't like it and equated it to eating ice at lunch.

Danny picked an Aerosmith song, "Dream On." I am a little nervous for him because it can be hard to top Steven Tyler's performance. He does a good job but the ending is rough. Danny makes the last note OK but the ones leading up to it are very screechy. Randy called it "alright." Kara is glad he added swagger and edge to his performance but would have preferred a different song selection. Despite being up and dancing Paula didn't think it was a good song selection but gives him an A+ for effort. Simon said the last note was like watching a horror movie. But Simon still thinks Danny will be safe.

The last song of the night is a duet between Allison and Adam. They are singing "Slow Ride" by Fog Hat. It is a much better performance than the first duet. In fact, it feels really professional to me. Is it weird that Adam's voice is higher pitched than Allison's? They both do a great job and I can see why this closes out the show. Randy called it "da bomb." Kara said it was a great duet. Paula called it a perfect marriage. Simon thinks that the duet could have given Allison a chance to stay in the competition.

So, who is out this week? Tough call. I'm leaning towards Kris or Danny being sent home. What do you think?

SJ out.