AI Season 8: Group C performs

Von Smith, "You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye. It's not a good Marvin Gaye song. Von makes his usually weird faces while singing. He also starts very low in his vocal range which does not work. Flash to his mom who is jumping up and down like a crazy person when he's done. Randy liked it, Kara said he "did it," Paula thinks America will love him and Simon said he was a "spicier" Clay Aiken. Were my ears stuffed with wool? I didn't think he was very good.

Taylor Vaifauna, 17, sings"If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keyes. She is the girl from Utah who moved there from Hawaii to get "noticed." She looks like she's lost a ton of weight (not that she really needed to) and shallowly I think she looks great. She picks a good contemporary song but I don't really know it. So I'm not sure if it's a weird arrangement or if she just gets out of synch with the beat. Either way it's not so good and Taylor must know it since she starts crying immediately. The judges basically write her off as do I.

Alex Wagner-Trugman (slightly dorky kid I really like) sings "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." He admits to reading the online comments about himself and is very charming in his interview. Too bad his song is a total mess. Just terrible. And it's coupled with cheesy growling and dance moves. The judges rightly call him on it.

Arianna Afsar tackles the ABBA classic "Winner Takes It All." I'm surprised by the song selection because it's pretty depressing. It's too bad everything is kind of a mess because she is a really cute girl and 17 (think Randy will comment on that? of course) and has the package. Except for the singing...

Ju'not Joyner sings this season's "It song" as seen through the Hollywood auditions, "Hey There, Delilah." I think he does a great job although he did sing it in Hollywood and didn't get shit on about it like Taylor did. Probably because he did a better job. I really liked his stripped down version and he could be a dark horse to make it through to the Top 12.

Kristen McNamara, of Team Compromise has fortunately decided to tone down the hair and remove the pink. She sings"Give Me One Reason." The girl can definitely sing but there was something off about the song. Plus she is up against Lil Rounds so it is doubtful she will make it through.

Also not making it? Nathaniel Marshall singing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything for Love." I hate this kid. I think my hate is about double that for Adam Lambert and that's saying a lot. Anyone else think it's ironic he performs right after Kristen and they both were on Team Compromise? Just me? OK. I tell DH, "I'm getting a weird Olivia Newton-John vibe from him. I think it's the headband and overall style." Simon totally agrees with me! I love it. If he picked a better song and had a better style and was less "drama queen" he might make it through.

Felicia Barton is this season's comeback kid and was brought back after another contestant got the boot. She's very pretty and a stay at home mom. Must be nice. She picks an Alicia Keyes song and does a decent job. She struggles to hit some notes but she is much better than most of the contestants. In fact, this whole group is much better than the majority from Group A and B. The judges think she did a good job. She might have a shot at Top 12 except no one knows her. But my friend Natalie was inspired to vote, so you never know!

Scott MacIntyre sings "Mandolin Rain." Does anyone think this kid is not getting into the Top 36? I would be surprised. He does an OK job. I like that Scott doesn't give off the creepy blind guy vibe. He appears to "look" at the audience and the camera. Yes, I am a terrible person. Let's move on, shall we? The judges slobber all over him per usual.

Kendall Beard picks Martina McBride's "This One's For the Girls" and is this just the second time we've heard a country song in the Top 36? I think so. She is cute and blond and does a decent job. She could be another dark horse for the Top 12.

Jorge Nunez picks Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." I predict that Jorge will be the third selected from Group C to move on to the Top 12. He has the Latino vote nailed down and he's cute. What more does he need? Oh yeah, he sings pretty good too...

And, as usual, "Idol" saves the best for last. In this case, Lil Rounds singing Mary J's "Be Without You." She's freaking amazing. She sounds like she is already a professional. "Brilliant," says Simon. Randy says she is one of the best of the season, Kara calls her a power house and Paula said she is first class.

So who's in? I predict Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez. I would put Ju'Not in the wild card along with Kendall Beard and Felicia Barton. Who will move on? We'll see in less than an hour!!

Bad AI recapper, bad!

I regret to inform you all that I fell asleep at 8:30 PM last night. What does that mean? I didn't watch the Group C performances :-( I pledge to watch them and have a recap up tonight before the results show finishes. I'm assuming last night's performances went very much like the past two weeks: a couple of good singers and the rest being really sucky. Did I hit the nail on the head? I also predicted last week that Lil Rounds would get the money spot (last).

I do want to take this blog time to reiterate how unhappy I am with this year's format. I have to rank the Top 12 for the AI pools I participate in shortly and I won't have as much exposure to them this season as in season's past. Usually we get to see them perform for at least 4 weeks in a row before the Top 12 are announced. Now we get one week's exposure (outside of auditions that are heavily edited). That's not enough time for me to pick with any kind of accuracy the true AI stars. Looks like this season could be a crapshoot!

What do the rest of you think about the format?

AI Season 8: Group B performs

I'm going to say it. I hate the new format for American Idol. It's excruciating. We have seen more crappy performances in the last week than the whole last season combined. A Top 36 is not a good idea. How much chaff do we have to have with our wheat? Far, far too much as it turns out. Add into it another judge who sucks up additional airtime and we have a recipe for a show I am not enjoying very much this season. I can only hope that by the time we make it to the Top 12 I am back on board. I do have AI pools I need to participate in and I'd like to win which means I need to be more invested. But with performances like we saw last night, it's going to be hard.

I also dislike that we don't get to know the contestants gradually. Instead of seeing them over a period of weeks we get one week on, 3 weeks off until the Top 12. Groups A and B will be at a disadvantage because America, she is fickle, and will quickly forget them.

The counter argument is that good singers have a better chance of making the Top 12 this time around. No more Sanjaya fiascoes, supposedly. I'm not so sure that can't happen. Perhaps I should just be happy they aren't putting us through Idol Gives Back this year?

What are the rest of you thinking now that we are 2 weeks into the new format? Do I need to just suck it up because this format is around to stay or will AI producers come to their senses and retrench next season?

Ryan is looking thinner than usual in his black polo shirt. He introduces Randy in a cardigan I’m sure I’ve seen before, followed by Kara, Paula and Simon in a tight t-shirt. Is Simon showing Ryan how it’s done? He is looking pretty fly in that tight shirt...The judges give their usual inane advice to kick off the show. Ryan reminds us of the absurdly complicated way of building the Top 12 and introduces this week’s contestants.

Jasmine Murray is 17 and I don’t really remember her from the auditions. Per usual we see clips from Hollywood Week. She sings “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles and I really like the choice; very contemporary. Jasmine sounds very shaky and too low for the song as she starts it. She does get a bit better with the chorus but I’m not impressed. Randy calls it pitchy and Kara tells Jasmine she is commercial but it wasn't her best performance. Paula agrees with Kara (she's doing that a lot this season) and Simon was disappointed because Jasmine has everything but the voice. Simon thinks the song choice wasn’t very good and she could be better in the future. Jasmine takes the criticism well and claims she had a great time. She will not be coming back...

Up next is the dueling piano player, Matt Giraud (24). He's pretty boring looking so he'll have to really bring it tonight to get votes. We see a clip of his great "Georgia" performance from the solo Hollywood auditions. Unfortunately he decides to pick "Viva La Vida" by Cold Play for his first live performance. He not so wisely also chooses to go with a vibrato in his voice and it results in a bad comparison to Chris Martin. Matt is all over the place pitch-wise and kind of sucks. I hope he also had fun because he's going home. The producers have decided to rotate the opening criticism amongst the judges so Kara starts things said she wasn’t blown away. Paula said he picked a risky song and it didn’t pay off. Simon said it was verging on a horrible performance. Randy agreed with Simon but said he was still pulling for Matt.

Jeanine Vailes, 28, a bartender is up and has the unfortunate occurrence of not being featured at all during auditions. She must have a really terrible personality. Jeanine goes with the standby, "This Love" by Maroon 5. I’ve seen better in a karaoke bar. We are now 3 contestants in and I am extremely disappointed. Paula compliments her legs which all the judges agree with. Too bad it's not Next Top Legs. Simon said it was terrible and a bad song selection. Randy said that the end was the best because it meant it was over. Kara said the song was overdone. Also done? Jeanine.

Nick/Norman is up next and I’m looking forward to alleviating my boredom from the last 40 minutes of drivel. No matter what you think about him, he is entertaining. He picks the Jennifer Hudson song “And I Am Telling You” from Dream Girls. Because he fears rejection he comes out as Norman, not Nick. There is a flash on his parents and his dad looked very unhappy. He makes up for it by appearing to be really proud of his son at the end of the song but I call BS on that. How proud must a dad be to see his gay son hamming it up via an alter ego on the biggest stage in America? Norman totally plays to the crowd and they are eating it up. Crawling through the crown Norman spots Neil Patrick Harris and incorporates Doogie into the lyrics. In fact he changes a bunch of the lyrics to reflect his current AI experience. Anyone know why NPH is so invested in AI this season? Second week in a row that he's been there.

Norman can actually sing which makes this performance kind of sad for me. I'd love to see him as Nick but we haven't had that opportunity. Simon can’t do anything other than laugh and he hopes Norman won’t make it through to the next round. Randy called it entertaining albeit a little lacking in pitch. Kara said it was memorable and Paula called him a true performer. Will he make it? At this point, I kind of want him to just because everyone else has sucked out my will to live.

Ryan is a tiny little thing, isn’t he?

Allison Iraheta is 17 and she is another contestant we haven't seen through the auditions or Hollywood Week. Unlike Jeanine she doesn't whine about it. Probably because she's actually good. Allison has really vivid pink hair and seems stoned when talking with Ryan before her performance. I will put it down to nerves. Let's hope we don't have another Jason Castro on our hands. She chooses "Alone" by Heart and based on her raspy voice it could be a great song choice. She isn’t as good as Amanda Overmeyer when she sang the song but she’s still pretty good. It’s back to Randy to start things off and he thinks she “blew it out the box.” Is Randy the biggest poseur of a black man or is it just me? Kara calls her serious and great. Her performance must be better in person or just fatigue from bad performances but I didn’t think it was that good. Paula said she could sing the telephone book and was the best so far. Not with the telephone book again! That got really old with David Archuleta last season. Simon agreed that she was the best so far by a clear mile (not really saying much though), he did call her on being boring in her interview with Ryan. Based on the performance so far, she's in as the top girl.

Kris Allen appears next and he is very cute. We haven't seen much of him either and it's probably going to stay that way when he picks "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson.
I immediately wince. Aren't these contestants coached on song selections? Most of them have been horrific so far. To top it off, Kris has terrible stage presence – all he does is bounce up and down and looks like he is having an epileptic fit. DH is disgusted and so am I. There are millions of songs to chose from and he picks this one? Buh bye Kris, we hardly knew ya and never will…
Kara said the second part of the song was better. Paula thinks he really showed his personality and nailed the song. I question whether she has vodka in her cup. For some reason Simon agrees with Paula. Randy said he proved he could do it without a guitar.

Maybe the sound is much better in person than through my surround sound? I’m confused.

We are joined by another single mother, Megan Joy Corkery. I kind of remember her from Salt Lake City but we haven’t seen her since then. She has a 2 year old son, Ryder. What is up with the single mother trend this season? Unlike most of the other contestants she picks a good song, "Put Your Record On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. She’s very cute but I hate her arm tattoo. She cannot dance and it’s a bit distracting. Megan's singing is good but the first half was much stronger. We get a flash to her mom who is a hotty too. Paula thinks she picked the right song and did everything right. Simon called her a funny little thing and thinks she oversang the second half. Yes! That's what I was trying to put my finger on. Randy is a “big fan” and wants to see her in later rounds. Kara thinks she could be a breakout hit artist. She is giving Allison a run for the money to be picked as the top girl vote getter.

Matt Breitzke is next (aka "The Welder"). He picks a very odd song choice, Tonic's, “If You Could Only See." As I watch him on stage he so doesn’t look like an American Idol but DH reminded me that Rueben and Soul Patrol didn’t either. I’m betting AI would like to take those titles back too. DH thinks it was a good song selection for his voice but I don't agree. There is no demonstration of range. Simon really likes him but hated the song; it was boring and an uncomfortable performance. Randy said the song was kind of boring. Kara said it didn’t show any personality. Paula said he had a good voice but was a poor song choice.

Jesse Langseth who we remember from her sing off against Frankie mentions she is also a single mother. I love red hair and am immediately jealous of hers. She picks "Betty Davis Eyes"which is an awesome song and hard to top. She’s not bad but there is something weird about the way she is singing the song. A little too affected, perhaps? Randy thought it was an OK performance.
Jesse asks for more specific feedback and I hate that shit. Shut up and look pretty. Kara complimented her look and thinks she took some risks that could pay off. Jesse talks again and I’m sick of her. She needs to go. Talking to the judges after every piece of feedback is why I fell out of love with Brooke White last season. Paula calls her captivating but Simon calls her forgettable.

Kai Kalama who takes care of his sick mother decides on "What Becomes of The Broken Hearted." He sings effortlessly compared to the other male performances. Kai has a good voice, decent stage presence, and stupid hair. Kara said the song was old fashioned but he did OK. Paula thinks he sounded really good on the song and gave a good performance. Simon said it was old fashioned, corny and like a wedding singer and Randy called it too safe. I'm not seeing Kai make it past this round.

Mishavonna Henson didn't make it past Hollywood Week last season"but has worked really, really hard" to be in this season's Top 36. She makes another unfortunate song selection with "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Don't get me wrong, I like the song when it won Song of The Year at the Grammys 7 years ago. Contemporary? Not so much. She also changes the lyrics to be gender appropriate. DH hates that. She has a pretty good voice but something is lacking in the overall package. Paula didn’t think it was an exciting song choice but she can sing. Simon said she was too serious but is technically good, something about the performance left him cold. Randy agrees that she seems so much older than 18 and doesn’t like a solo singer performing a band song. Kara wants her to loosen up. Mishavonna discovers that second time around is not the charm...

The money spot is given to Adam Lambert. I can’t stand this kid and I actively hated him through his auditions. You remember Adam. He's the musical theatre freak who hasn’t been able to make it on his own so he’s turning to AI for a record deal. He settles on "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. DH calls it the best performance of the night but I am distracted by his weird facial expressions and think it's really cabaret. I know he's going to make it through - I bet every person in the money spot will. That's why Lil Rounds will probably have it next week. I just hope he doesn't make it too far in the Top 12. And his fashion sense and black, black hair give him an odd goth appearance. Paula gives him a standing ovation and was extremely impressed. I’m paraphrasing here because it took her 5 minutes to say the same thing. Simon thought there were equal parts brilliance and terribleness. Randy loved it and called Adam really contemporary. Kara called his vocal technical outrageous.

So who is through? Adam Lambert and Allison are the Top 2 vote getters. Third? Could be Nick/Norman for entertainment or Matt Breitzke for likeability or Jesse for a decent performance.

AI Season 8: Group A performs

Welcome to our first live show of the season! For the next month, contestants will perform in the small Hollywood studio. Turning to the judges Ryan asks the same question he asks every year, "How is this part of the competition different for contestants?" And he gets his usual responses. Randy says they have to blow us (the audience) away. Kara admitted to being nervous herself but told the contestants not to be. Paula reminded them that this was their dream and they can totally f*ck it up if they aren't careful. Simon reminded them that this season the odds are stacked against them and complimented Ryan's haircut. That's about right.

I've heard a lot of question about how the heck voting is going to work for this round of cuts so we actually end up at the all important Top 12. The 36 contestants have been broken in to 3 groups of 12. Each week, one of those groups will perform and will be followed the next night by a results show. The results show will give us the top guy and top girl plus the third top vote getter (no restriction on boy or girl). That means by the end of the third week we will have 9 contestants. The fourth week will give us the Judges' Pick (or Wild Card, whatever) for 3 additional contestants to round out the Top 12. This is vastly different from previous years when the Top 24 was broken up into guys vs. girls and 4 contestants (2 of each) were voted off each week. And of course, this now means more weeks of AI. Yay? Not really sure how I feel about that yet.

Jackie Tohn: "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley. Ryan calls her Miss Personality. I call her annoying. Does she remind anyone else of a poor man's Lily Tomlin? The song choice is a good one for her raspy voice. DH hates her "trademark" high tops. Jackie is bringing the energy but the crowd is still sitting which is never a good sign. Basically I think she did everything well but something was definitely lacking. Randy thought she was a good entertainer, Kara said she worked the stage, Paula said Jackie had her up dancing, and Simon thinks she played the clown. He was booed by the audience, natch. Jackie is not going on to the Top 12. Then we have to endure an awkward moment with Ryan and Jackie's parents. Do we really need that much filler? Oh right, this is American Idol...


Ricky Braddy: "A Song For You" by Leon Russel. I saw him and was like, "who?" Exactly. Ryan puts his hand on Ricky's knee for a bit too long and makes me feel funny. Ricky appears to have minimal personality which is the kiss of death. We see some shots of his auditions which we've never seen before. Ricky picks a mediocre ballad that I've never heard of for his first and probably only AI performance. He can definitely sing but that's about all he has going for him. Paula gives him a standing "O" and we see that his parents have T shirts supporting him. So did Jackie Tohn's parents. Do I sense a theme? If so, I hate it. Save that shit for the finals. Randy loved him, Kara said he "killed it," Paula mentioned he wasn't featured during the past two weeks but "deserves" to go far, and Simon doesn't think he has any star quality. Word.

Alexis Grace: "I Never Loved a Man" by Aretha Franklin. This girl is very cute and has a nice personality. She looks like she is wearing a slip while singing but the judges did tell her to "dirty" it up. Needless to say, Alexis is no Aretha (she needs a hat) but she does a very good job. Randy is loving her, Kara thinks she released something inside, Paula says she had passion and confidence (but says it in many more words and I say, "shut up, Paula" for the first of many times to come). Simon thinks she is the best contestant so far and could be a dark horse in the competition.

Neil Patrick Harris sits next to Ted Danson in the crowd. Odd combo. More inane conversation with Ryan and the parents.

Brent Keith: "Hicktown" by Jason Aldean. Brent didn't get much air time during the auditions but he is very cute. I've never heard of the song he sings. It sounds like every other country song I've ever heard. And Brent sounds like a bad karaoke show and is boring to boot. Randy liked that he returned to his roots, Kara thought he was playing it safe, Paula agreed with Randy and Kara, and Simon thinks he was forgettable. Say it with me, folks: word.

Stevie Wright: "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift. Stevie is 17 and has been watching since she was 9. Appropriate that she picks a song from another 17 year old. I'm going to show my age and say I've never heard this song before and only know Taylor Swift from Us Weekly. Stevie starts out really shaky and is obviously nervous. She misses notes and is all over the place. DH says what I'm thinking, "This is terrible." This poor girl is going to be eviscerated by the judges. Randy says he wasn't feeling it. Kara didn't think she connected with the song. Paula agreed that the song was not a good choice. Simon called the whole thing terrible. The camera flashed on Neil Patrick Harris and he totally agrees. At least Stevie took it well and didn't break down crying. Let's save that for the results, show, shall we?

Anoop Desai: "Angel of Mine" by Monica. I like Anoop, not only because he wrote a thesis on BBQ and is from NC. He just seems like a nice, mellow guy with a good voice. However, I am not happy with his song choice. Normally I think that guys who sing songs by women and vice versa are good choices. But this is a boring song and doesn't showcase his energy. Randy didn't like the song choice but is a big Anoop fan. He also calls out Anoop for a sharp pitch. Kara agrees. Paula thinks that America will vote him through, regardless. Simon also thinks the song selection was a bad decision. I hope that his likability factor will pull him through. Not that I plan on voting myself...

Casey Carlson: "Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police. I am immediately concerned for her with this song choice. It is a very difficult song. Casey is very cute and could go far if she can nail it. Unfortunately she does nothing of the sort. It was a very indulgent song choice and she is terrible. DH had to look away multiple times during her performance because of her weird faces and jerky movements on stage. A complete mess. Randy called it weird and completely wrong for her. Kara thought everything about it was wrong. Paula had to fall back on her "you are a beautiful girl" compliment because there was nothing else to say. Simon said the singing was atrocious. Again, I'm impressed she doesn't dissolve into tears. Perhaps because my pregnancy hormones are kicking in and I think crying isn't necessarily a bad thing these days?

Michael Sarver: "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Michael got a lot of face time during the auditions which will help. He picks a good, popular song that should be pretty easy to sing. Right? Right? Well, not so much. I can't figure it out but perhaps the arrangement is off? Michael is trying to not appear nervous but it's not working. He as zero stage presence and just keeps moving the microphone from one hand to the other. It would have been much better if he sang a stripped down version of the song. Instead, he has blown his shot at the Top 12. Next season I will mention to DH, "Remember the oil rig guy?" And DH will say, "Yeah, what ever happened to that guy?" Randy thought the phrasing was off, Kara didn't think it was his best performance and Paula thought he did a "real good job." Simon didn't think it was a good vocal but he hopes America will still vote for him.

Anne Marie Boskovich: "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. I really like Ann Marie (parking lot makeover girl) and hope she goes far. I am nervous that she picks an Aretha song but she has great voice. Anne Marie looks stunning in her blue dress and does a good job with the song. She doesn't blow me away but I am hopeful that she will make it through to the Top 12. Randy asks her how she did and doesn't think that the song choice was a good one. Kara thought the song was too old fashioned for her. Anne Marie kind of talks back to Kara and I'm uncomfortable. Paula thinks she did better than in her auditions. Simon calls her a hotel singer. I am still holding out hope that she might be the third top vote getter.

Stephen Fowler: "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson. He is the guy we only saw in the last round of auditions who forgot his lyrics. He is 26 and a musician so he should be good. DH thinks picking this song will either be really good or a complete disaster. Let's see which one, shall we? I like that he's not trying to be Michael Jackson in how he sings the song. Stephen definitely has a great voice, probably the best we've heard so far, but I think he falls a little off pitch at the end. The beginning was much better than the end. Randy thought the song choice was horrible, Kara didn't think that he connected to the song, and Paula is glad that he remembered the lyrics but is disappointed in his performance. Simon called it a pointless performance for a musician of his experience. Looks like Stephen won't be in the Top 12.

Tatiana Del Toro: "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston. In her interview she felt picked on during Hollywood. That's because you are crazy!! I hate that she can sing. Life would be so much easier if she wasn't that good. While she is no Whitney Houston, Tatiana does hold her own. She probably has the best voice of all the girls so far. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate to admit that. Grrrr. The audience gives her a standing ovation and I think it's the first one of the night. Randy was concerned about the song choice but felt like there were really great moments. Kara said she was reserved tonight but questions what her musical style is. Tatiana claims all musical genres. Paula thought she did a good job but is shocked by "demure Tatiana." Simon calls her a drama queen and desperate to be famous. Simon said it was better than he expected. Then all the judges tried to imitate her laughter and it was awesome.

Danny Gokey: "Hero" by Mariah Carey. He gets the money spot so I have high hopes for this performance. I didn't realize that his wife passed away just a month before his audition. My heart breaks for this guy. I hope his BFF, Jamar, is in the audience. The best thing about a guy singing a Mariah Carey song is that the normal comparisons can't apply. And Danny makes it his own with the arrangement. The crowd is definitely into it, for the first time all night. Danny is definitely sailing through to the Top 12. There's Jamar! Hi, Jamar! Randy called it blazing heart, Kara said it was great, Paula called him stellar and Simon thought it was good but he's not quite buying the hype yet.

Before I give my predictions I have to say that I don't think Kara is adding anything to the AI experience besides sucking up more time. She is a cross between Randy and Paula in terms of how nice she is to the contestants. When we hear a judge say, "I agree" a lot it means she doesn't have her own opinion. I'm willing to give her a few more shots but I have a feeling unless she signed a multi year contract she won't be around for Season 9. What do you think?

I am hoping that Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace take the top 2 spots with Anoop coming in for the third. What I think will probably happen is Danny and Alexis will be joined by Tatiana. I can only hope that her weird demure attitude on stage and disclaimers about her craziness make the public less interested in her. Who do you want to see in the Top 12?

SJ out.

AI Season 8: Top 36 are selected

This is it, kids! For 2 hours we get to experience shattered dreams and inflating egos. And at the end, 54 contestants will become 36. Your Top 36. I would like to mention that I am suffering through a regular broadcast rather than my standard HD. For some reason FOX's sound was screwy on HD. It's amazing how much crappier the picture is when it's not HD. I have been completely spoiled.

DH and I are somewhat disgusted at the notion of a judges' mansion. First of all, don't the judges all have homes in the LA area anyway? Secondly, the elevator is gone! I think that is the worst part of the whole thing. Of course Ryan is still the annoying gnat buzzing around the waiting room so not everything has changed. Admittedly, the mansion is beautiful but is this the message that American Idol wants to send during our time of economic woes? I can see the producers' meeting now:

Producer #1: I know! Let's dump the somewhat luxurious hotel for a house that not a single one of our voters could actually afford!
Producer #2: Great idea! In fact, should we even allow Coke and Ford to advertise any more? Let's get Dom Perignon and Lamborghini instead!

New for this season's Chair is the "sing off." Two contestants are pitted against each other to sing for their supper. So to speak. I'm "eh" about this twist but let's see how it plays out, shall we?

Up first is NC native Anoop Desai. He seems very relaxed as he saunters into the Chair. Kara tells him he "surprised" them. He is in the Top 36. And Kara needs to work on her delivery, "I think you will be with us for Season 8." Think? It is or is not.

Von Smith is next DH immediately says, "Buh-bye". Apparently the only reason he is alive is to be on America Idol. This isn't going to work out well. He is one of the big voiced, musical theatre talents that Simon has such little love for. Von Smith falls back on his generations' habits and blames his parents for his song selection. I am disgusted that he makes it through. He brought his mom with him and she cries in happiness. Just wait until you see how he blamed you while he was in the Chair!

Ryan tells us that the judges had such a difficult time making their decisions because the talent was so good this Season. Really?

Cody is the amateur horror film maker and he totally disappeared after his first audition. Alex (slightly nerdy guy I have a soft spot for) is brought in to compete in a sing off. Cody does a terrible job. He wasn't in pitch at all. Alex is much less nervous than Cody and has a significantly better performance. The judges agree with me and Cody is out and Alex is in. Ryan tries to sympathize with both of them and fails miserably. Don't worry, Ryan, you've only had 7 years to perfect bad news/good news.

Adam Lambert still annoys me. DH think he has "the look" but I strongly dislike his musical theatre vibe and Cher performance from the last solo edition. Simon tells him that the judges liked him in Hollywood. Kara gives him a smile so you know he is in. And apparently I am going to suck at my AI pool this year because Adam is through to the Top 36.

The first girl up is Taylor who auditioned in Salt Lake City. Is she the girl who moved from Hawaii to Utah to be "discovered?" I think so. DH thinks she looks like Callie from Grey's Anatomy. Randy doesn't let her sweat long before he tells her she's in.

Also in are Jasmine Murray, Arianna Asfar, Casey Carlson (very cute, has already been on TMZ), Megan Corkery (single mom), Mishavonna, and Stevie Wright.

Joanna is up next (previously had a label deal) and we are shown clips of her constantly forgetting the song lyrics. Not surprisingly she is through and joins the other ladies in the Top 36. I predict at least one more set of forgotten song lyrics in her future. Joanna is one I think could go very far in this competition. I am annoyed at the judges constantly saying she hasn't been offered a break in the business. Um, what about her past record deals? She's made it a lot further than any of the other contestants...

TK Hash, Chris Chatham, and Reggi Reasley are all out. They never got any air time so I am not surprised.

Kendall Beard is up next and we are shown clips of her not doing well. Paula fucks with her pretty well and breaks the news that she made it.

Kristen McNamara and Jenn Korbee are going to have a sing off. Jenn is half of the married couple that made it to Hollywood Week. Her husband, Tom, was cut after first day of auditions. Jenn isn't fazed by the request to sing and belts out some country song. Kristen has a more pure country voice than Jenn but who will the judges pick? Simon keeps saying that Jenn is much more attractive and the rest of the judges give him crap for it. Kara and Paula give constructive criticism to both contestants and drag it way out. Simon tells Kristen she is through but he preferred Jenn. I'm sure that makes Jenn feel soooo much better.

Alexis Grace (cute single mom) cries a little in her interview about leaving her baby if she makes it into the Top 36. I really enjoyed her voice in her audition and think she has a unique tone. Needless to say, she is in. Looks like Gradma will be her daughter's primary care giver now!

Up next is Scott McIntyre. DH wants him to say, "This is a nice place," as he walks to the Chair. He he he. That's never going to get old because he's obviously through. Paula tries to throw some BS his way but the decision is never in doubt. At least Ryan doesn't try to give him a high five again. That was priceless!

Lil Rounds immediately follows and she is another one who is definitely through. She is a mother of 3 who lives in a motel with her family because they lost their apartment to a hurricane or tornado or something. Simon loves her and she's in. If she keeps up the good work she will be in the Top 10.

One hour down, one to go. AI loves to drag out these results, don't they? During the regular season I don't recap the results shows except to say who goes home, so don't get used to this. Between the group performances and the guest singers, the results shows are the worst. Sometimes I even go to bed and have DH watch the end and wake me up with the results. That's how boring they are.

Anyway there are 30 contestants left to be judged in the Chair. Felicia Barton, Ashley Hollister, and Devon Baldwin are all out. The first we've seen of any of them so they won't be missed.

Frankie Jordan (stay at home mom) is up for judging next. She is going to be in a sing off with Jessie Langseth. I like Jessie a lot more even before hearing the sing off. I have always coveted red hair though so that could explain my bias. Frankie is incredibly nervous and starts out pretty shakey. Jessie has a lot more "umph" than Frankie and I predict she will be the one let through despite the bad song choice. Paula confirms my prediction.

Shera Lawrence is out. Derek Lavers it out. And Simon tells them with such aplomb I want to stand up and applaud him.

Allison who has an unspellable name is 16 and we see her for the first time as she walk to the Chair. Her Hollywood clips are good and she joins the Top 36.

Danny and Jamar are up next. We get a clip package of their journey together. I really like these guys because they both seem so normal and great friends. Thank goodness the judges don't pull a BS sing off for them. Danny is up first in the Chair and he's obviously through. Jamar is genuinely happy for him. Will he also join the Top 36? Surprisingly no. DH is shocked. I kind of am too but such are the vagaries of American Idol. The entire waiting room is stunned by the decision. Jamar handles it with grace. DH calls it crap.

Ricky Brady, Matt Giraud (dueling piano player), Ju'not Joyner, Jorge Nunez (still don't get the judges love for him), and Brent Keith are all in. Stephen Fowler is up next and he totally screwed up the last solo audition when he forgot the words. Twice. But the judges are forgiving and he joins the other Top 36 guys.

Nick/Norman heads to the Chair next. He is appearing as Nick this time around and the judges miss Norman. Simon obviously didn't vote for him but he is through to the Top 36. I am baffled.

Jackie Tohn who was completely annoying during Hollywood Week thinks she did well. I think she butchered the last solo audition. Randy beats around the bush before welcoming her to Season 8. Jackie and her guitar necklace cry their way out of the room.

Jackie is hugged by Tatiana on her way back to the waiting room. We see lots of clips of Tatiana being emotional. Does she have any other mode? She does have a good voice but she's so freaking annoying! Thankfully Simon is in my corner. Tatiana babbles about the bracelet from Paula's collection that she bought and it was a "sign from God." Also a sign from God? That she doesn't make it. What? What did I just hear? Did Randy say she made it?Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

I'm ignoring it and moving on quickly.

Jackie and Nathanial are going into a sing off. Nathanial and his two headbands piss me off. At least he's not wearing sunglasses over the whole mess like he usually does. Nathanial is one of the millennial generation that completely pisses me off. So entitled. I think this is the first time we've seen Jackie McKiff and he does a decent job. Kara immediately defends him. But first we need to suffer through Nathanial "look at me!" Marshall. After we hear his sob story, of course. Mom in prison for drugs, obese grandma in wheel chair, etc. I'm too full of hate for any sympathy. His voice is better than Jackie's. I'm not happy. I realize that this is a singing competition but can the judges not incorporate any of the personality factors? I just hope that America does a better job because Nathanial is in.

Sigh. At least one more week of him and Tatiana. It really might kill me.

Also joining the Top 36 are Jeanine Vailes, Kai Kalama, Ann Marie, and Kris Allen.

Matt Breitzer is a welder and Michael Sarver is a rough neck on an oil rig. Neither of these guys are people you want to screw with. So the AI producers put them through a sing off. Matt doesn't do a very good job. Michael is much better. DH thinks they are both in. Based on my count so far, he could be right. My math is good and they are both through.

And so that it, Season 8's Top 36. Now America gets to vote. Let's hope we weed out the loonies early. It might even inspire me to vote. And I never vote. The contestants will be broken out into groups of 12 and compete each week to be narrowed down. Sounds confusing. I liked the boy/girl of past seasons. Contestants will perform on either a Tuesday or Wednesday and the next day the semi finalists will be announced. Then we get the judges pick "Wild Card" episode on 3/5. And then, only then will we have our Top 12. I'm exhausted already.

Contestants have complained that if they don't get air time during auditions they are at a disadvantage when America starts voting. What do you think?

Season 8's Top 36 (don't blame me for the crappy website, it is American Idol...)

SJ out.