American Idol Season Eight: Top 36 Group One
And heeeeere we go! 
American Idol Season Eight officially kicked off the live portion of the competition tonight in BIG fashion. BIG final group - up to 36 from the past few seasons' Top 24. BIG hype - once again we're told this is the best talent evah! BIG judging panel - Up a whole 25% over every previous season with the addition of judge Kara Di... umm... ronio...umm... ziti... Hey look at that BIG new stage! Oh gosh, it's actually the same old stage. The BIG Kodak Theater has gone away after Hollywood round and we're back to the familiar cozy confines of the early live performances.
The biggest change of the season as far as tonight was concerned was the return of Season Two's "Wild Card Round." That means that, instead of listening to all the boys one night, all the girls the next, and dropping the two lowest vote getters from each category until we reached our Final 12, here is how it will work this year:
The final 36 are divided into three groups of twelve. The top boy, top girl, and top next overall vote winner for each round of twelve will advance to the Final 12. After three weeks there will be a Wild Card round, in which each judge will bring back their favorite three contestants each from among those who didn't make it through the first time. They'll compete against each other on the fourth week for the last three spots in the Final 12. That means that no one is eliminated for certain for another few weeks (though I have a feeling we'll be able to have a pretty good idea in some cases).
All caught up on the rules? Good. Try not to get distracted by all the BIGness going down, because we're heading into the real competition now, and there will be a test. Take the jump if you dare.
1. Jackie Tohn - "A Little Less Conversation," by Elvis Presley
In the audition rounds she came across as part Amanda Overmyer, part Brooke White, with a personality all her own. This is one of the contestants I've really been looking forward to. She's said she prefers to sing while self-accompanying on an instrument, and we need some of that. She's no sure thing. She's just... interesting.
And wow, did tonight ever teach us how that kind of assessment go to your head. Someone needs to put down the "interesting" bong, and take a hit from the "you're on television - shape the hell up" houka. I mean seriously, she's doing Elvis Presley? ELVIS?! This is the opening impression she wants to leave upon America?! She still showed some originality in both the vocal and the stage comfort... maybe a little TOO much of the latter, but still... I vote for a do over, which means I hope someone picks her for the wild-card round. Because I'd be stunned if America picks her straight away based on this. The judges were kind of ... wow that was... entertaining!!! Which seemed all like a good thing until Simon made it real.
2. Ricky Braddy - "A Song For You," by Leon Russell
Ricky Braddy got all of (calculating) the square root of nada in camera time to sell himself to us prior to this round. Do we even know how he sounds yet? I heard his snippet of mock-opera singing as his "weird talent" in a video on the Idol website. That's about it. Anyway, I came into this totally open minded, waiting to see what Ricky might be able to show.
And wow, did he show up! This was a fantastic "leaving puddles of talent on the stage behind him" kind of vocal. Could the skinny white boy blow like with enough soul to carry this song? Oh yes... yes he could. Could he pull off the runs and the riffs and all that stuff, but still hold the emotion and bring the power in the right places? Check, and check again. And how was it received? Judges 1 through 3 were bowing before the mad skills. Simon noted he lacked charisma. Buck up, Ricky. That was Simon's take on David Cook up until the final 16 last year.
3. Alexis Grace - "Never Loved a Man," by Aretha Franklin
Kind of mixed feelings about Alexis heading into the evening. She has seemed likable enough. I kind of like the contrast of her pink frosted hair and otherwise very down to earth personality. She seemed on the bubble of making the top 36 voice-wise. The idea that her biggest musical influence is supposed to be Aretha Franklin is kind of strange. I mean... look at her. Aretha? Doesn't seem to fit. Anyway, I came in open to being won over.
And she totally made the sale. Hearing this pink-haired, pixie-like girl belt out a soulful Aretha number like she'd lived it was startling enough. Hearing her come across with the vocal chops was above and beyond. I went from skeptic to fan before she even came to the final note. As Simon noted... she's staked her claim to being one of the "dark horse" contestants.
4. Brent Keith - "Hicktown," by Jason Aldean
Okay, this one isn't my fault for not much noticing before because this guy really hasn't had much camera time yet. That's not always a sign of death in Idol terms (Jason Castro had, like, NO camera time before the performance rounds last year). He's got good looks. He's got a good voice. I couldn't pick him out of a police lineup. Surprise me Brent!
Hey everybody... Brent wants to be a country singer! That's what makes him so different! Brent is also boring me to tears! That's what makes him so doomed. Seriously, maybe a good guy. Maybe a good voice. Unless America AND the judges shock me we're not going to hear from him again though. He didn't totally suck. He just totally didn't matter.
5. Stevie Wright - "You Belong to Me," by Taylor Swift
Stevie Wright has a really likable and memorable face. In fact, she looks a lot like Minie Driver. She's one of the elect few sixteen year olds in the finals, and the track record in this category isn't great. They have to be freakishly talented and composed beyond their years to make much of a dent. I'm not getting that vibe from Stevie, but I wouldn't mind being wrong.
But I'm not. She totally fell apart the moment she hit the stage. Her voice couldn't handle the song. It couldn't handle the rhythm. It couldn't find the pitch. She's sixteen. She's likable. You don't rejoice at seeing this kind of car-wreck in such a case. We will simply note, as Simon tried to ham-handedly, that she's young and this isn't the end of the world for her. Then we'll politely move on.
6. Anoop Desai - "Angel of Mine," by Monica
I like this guy. I mean... maybe it's the fact that I work in Information Technology, a field in which people originating from the Indian subcontinent are more plentiful than, oh many things... girls for one. But I digress. Anyway where I was going here is that it's nice to see an Idol with an Indian parentage who's not there as a gimmick or a joke or a (shudder) under-talented teen heart throb a la Sanjaya. In the auditions we learned he can sing for real, has a nice telegenic personality, and even seemed to catch the pickier judges (i.e. Simon's) favor.
So Anoop came out and tried to sell us on his strength as a soulful balladeer. This was not his highest moment. Points in his favor: He was more or less in tune. He was better than the couple of singers before him. Points to his detriment: From about five seconds into the song I was talking to him through my television advising him to never pick a song like this again. Anoop is the kind of singer who can sell you on energy, and lift your mood. Not everyone can do that. This kind of song reminds you of that only in the sense that you realized you needed something like that to pick you up after listening to this yawner of a performance.
7. Casey Carlson - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," by the Police
Hey, it's one of the Minnesota girls in the competition! She's officially on my radar for that reason alone, if for no other (of course, some of you DO have some other reasons for following her). Anyway I'm coming in kind of pulling for her, but frankly my expectations aren't sky high. She strikes me as one of those who has to hit just about everything perfectly to have a chance at the top 12. Not because she sucks. Just because she's one of MANY girls who sings the same kind of songs more or less the same way.
Except when she chooses a Police song. Then she's far worse than you could have ever believed. I mean... WTF?! Are you kidding me? She thought she could somehow, in some alternate universe, sound good singing this? This was the kind of performance American Idol has made famous for dismissing as "karaoke" for EIGHT years now. No one caught this? Wow. Only for the sake of staying in tune does this have a shot at not being the worst of the night.
8. Michael Sarver - "I Don’t Wanna Be," by Gavin DeGraw
The roughneck sure had a heck of a build up during the audition and Hollywood rounds. It basically won me over. It's a cool story. If he was belting out Toby Keith or other "redneck acceptable" music it would be one thing. But this guy coasted through the previous rounds singing modern R & B, and doing it really well. He's stated his biggest musical influence is Michael Jackson (?!!) for gosh sake. He's got this combination of blue collar legitimacy and a weirdly legitimate R & B style. No idea how this will play on the big stage, but I'm eager to find out.
And to do so will apparently take the grace of the voters or the judges because Michael decided to suddenly hit us up with a totally different style of song. Hey, it's a decent Idol song. It's got some good pedigree via Bo Bice, Elliot Yamin, and even Cris Richardson. This wasn't as good as any of those prior performances, but it was alright. Just alright. Not special. And it showed little to nothing of the R & B artist he's shown until now. Hey, I'm pulling for the guy and even I can't justify recommending this with anything better than "yeah, but he can do other kinds of music much better!" So anyway... Maybe upper middle of the pack tonight at best.
9. Ann Marie Boskovich - "Natural Woman," by Aretha Franklin
I didn't really pay a lot of attention to Ann Marie during the previous rounds. Did she get much camera time? I honestly couldn't say. As Simon might warn... "forgettable." Or that may just be me. She's got runway model good looks, which never hurts but is also never enough on this show. No clue what to expect here.
And we're not going to have much time to get to know her based on tonight's performance. It was... well it was a stupid song choice for one. She's a pretty girl with a typical "pretty girl" kind of voice. This song is for someone with power and attitude. She not only didn't pull it off, she got exposed like the song had it in for her. She didn't even miss a lot of the notes like others did tonight, and she still ended up sounding about as bad as anyone else.
10. Stephen Fowler - "Rock With You," by Michael Jackson
Stephen Fowler has the ignominy of being mostly known for having very prominent camera time so far only for forgetting the words of a song he'd boasted was easy to learn... and forgetting them twice... and then throwing a temper tantrum and walking off stage. Why this guy is so freakin' talented that was something the judges could overlook in order to choose him over others for the finals we have yet to see. Ahem... I'm waiting Mr. Fowler. Show me.
And by "show me," I did not mean pick a Michael Jackson song to imitate mostly faithfully save for tossing in a gratuitous glory note. Sorry, I should have been more clear. Seriously, NOT seeing what made the judges overlook his Hollywood week meltdown here while sending others home. In a night with some good, some bad, and some middlin', this was at the lower end of the middlin'. To their credit, the judges seemed to expect him not to suck so much.
11. Tatiana Del Toro - "Saving All My Love For You," by Whitney Houston
Oh Tatiana... You already walk the line between talented diva and comedic parody so well you have the potential of an Idol classic. I have high, HIGH hopes for you... in terms of entertainment value anyway. I'm not sure I could stand listening to that laugh deep into the finals. But... when we've heard her sing so far, she's kind of scarily better than you'd expect. Scarily as in maybe one of the best in the competition. What shall we do with that? I suppose it depends what she does starting now.
And my goodness does Tatiania ever play the game! She throws down with a Holy Diva Trinity song... and a BIG one. But... in a move even more shocking... she plays her personality all subdued and low key. Like... "Hmm? Oh, yes, I suppose I was a bit excitable in Hollywood. But that's not really me." (blank stare) The unpredictability makes the crazy more real. Oh, also, she kind of actually pulled of this song. THIS song. Most any other singer would have been RIPPED by the judges on basic principle for attempting this one. I told you she could sing!
12. Danny Gokey - "Hero," by Mariah Carey
Okay, I've bought into the hype... and if any contestant was hyped in the earlier rounds, it was Danny Gokey. He's got the heart-wrenching back story - his wife, as we are endlessly reminded, died just a few weeks before he auditioned. The close friend he made among the other contestants was inexplicably cut on the cusp of the final 36 (and as far as I can tell that friend was better than a few we saw tonight). He's got a voice like a combination of David Cook and Elliot Yamin. He looks like he's Robert Downey Jr.'s little brother. He's got an edge and an attitude at times. He's got a heart worn on his sleeve at others. In short, the Idol Producers have me set up like a sucker yet again. Here's where the BB-gun of reality starts taking shots at the carnival gallery in which Danny will perform.
And it was nice to see Idol judges are as susceptible to this stuff as me because, while I thought Danny gave a really good performance on an unusual song choice (boys doing the Holy Diva Trinity get WAY more leeway, thankfully), I wasn't slain like this was some kind of "all time" Idol performance. However, it WAS a very, very strong first step, and showed Danny could handle the pressure of the inaugural pimp slot, closing the show with confidence and passion. If he's to truly catch fire for the long term it will not be for this kind of song. But for tonight... it worked very well. Probably the second best male vocal of the night, and easily the tops for charisma.
So now we come to the summary. What did tonight show us? What are the big takeaways? Who is going through to the final twelve? Who is still alive in wild-card terms? Who is just... over?
My picks are as follows:
Top Male: Danny Gokey
Top Female: Alexis Grace
Top of the Rest: Ricky Braddy
Alive for the Wildcard:
Tatiana Del Toro, Michael Sarver, Anoop Desai, Jackie Tohn, Stephen Fowler
End of the Road
Brent Keith, Stevie Wright, Ann Marie Boskovich, Casey Carlson
I wouldn't be shocked to see Anoop or Tatiana steal a finals spot from one of the others, though I think that would be wrong. I'd be stunned to see anyone else hit the Final 12 otherwise though. And when the wild-card selection comes, anyone from that bottom group tonight is stealing a place they don't deserve if we see them again.
UPDATE: The Results
Before we get to the contestants selected for the Final 12, can we just point out a couple of things from this results broadcast that deserve mention?
First, doesn't it make a heck of a lot MORE sense to let the winners "sing out" rather than the losers? Why have we had to wait so long for this? I mean... I'm hoping (but not really expecting) that they keep that part once we hit the final 12. Maybe have the overall top vote getter sing out rather than the one eliminated. Because... why do we have to listen to our LEAST favorite song for a second time? Makes no sense. So, golf clap for the Idol producers on this one.
Second, very cool seeing Carly Smithson and Michael Johns return for their duet of "The Letter." Pay attention Season Eight contestants... that's the bar of charisma and talent you're shooting for. Those weren't previous winners. Just also-rans from last year. And, highlights though there have been, none of you has shown us that kind of talent yet. On the other hand, neither had Michael or Carly this early last season, so don't panic or anything.
And now to the results. Typical Seascrest screwing with the contestants minds and gratuitous assault with commercial breaks aside, this one was mostly predictable with one big surprise.
Didn't make it... Brent Keith, Stevie Wright, Ann Marie Boskovich, and Casey Carlson, none of which was a surprise.
Also didn't make it... Stephen Fowler, Jackie Tohn, Anoop Desai, Tatiana Del Toro, Ricky Braddy... wait, what? Doing the math that has to mean...
As expected, the Final 12 will include Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, and... Michael Sarver? Really?
Well okay. Michael, thank the Idol producers for winning you a fan base in the audition and Hollywood rounds by featuring you so often. Last night's performance wasn't enough to justify your place. I guess a lot of people, much like me, liked your potential a lot. Unlike me, they thought last night's performance was close enough to dial in for you. I would have gone with Anoop Desai if they had to pick another guy above Ricky Braddy.
Anyway, where we stand is a lot less certain this season. Technically NO ONE was eliminated, as every contestant who didn't make the finals tonight could be called back for the wild card round. And considering Paula Abdul gets to make three choices we DO mean EVERYONE still has a shot.
On to next week, where we will finally get to gauge America's reaction to Norman Gentle! That alone is worth tuning in.
American Idol Season Eight officially kicked off the live portion of the competition tonight in BIG fashion. BIG final group - up to 36 from the past few seasons' Top 24. BIG hype - once again we're told this is the best talent evah! BIG judging panel - Up a whole 25% over every previous season with the addition of judge Kara Di... umm... ronio...umm... ziti... Hey look at that BIG new stage! Oh gosh, it's actually the same old stage. The BIG Kodak Theater has gone away after Hollywood round and we're back to the familiar cozy confines of the early live performances. The biggest change of the season as far as tonight was concerned was the return of Season Two's "Wild Card Round." That means that, instead of listening to all the boys one night, all the girls the next, and dropping the two lowest vote getters from each category until we reached our Final 12, here is how it will work this year:
The final 36 are divided into three groups of twelve. The top boy, top girl, and top next overall vote winner for each round of twelve will advance to the Final 12. After three weeks there will be a Wild Card round, in which each judge will bring back their favorite three contestants each from among those who didn't make it through the first time. They'll compete against each other on the fourth week for the last three spots in the Final 12. That means that no one is eliminated for certain for another few weeks (though I have a feeling we'll be able to have a pretty good idea in some cases).
All caught up on the rules? Good. Try not to get distracted by all the BIGness going down, because we're heading into the real competition now, and there will be a test. Take the jump if you dare.
1. Jackie Tohn - "A Little Less Conversation," by Elvis Presley
In the audition rounds she came across as part Amanda Overmyer, part Brooke White, with a personality all her own. This is one of the contestants I've really been looking forward to. She's said she prefers to sing while self-accompanying on an instrument, and we need some of that. She's no sure thing. She's just... interesting.
And wow, did tonight ever teach us how that kind of assessment go to your head. Someone needs to put down the "interesting" bong, and take a hit from the "you're on television - shape the hell up" houka. I mean seriously, she's doing Elvis Presley? ELVIS?! This is the opening impression she wants to leave upon America?! She still showed some originality in both the vocal and the stage comfort... maybe a little TOO much of the latter, but still... I vote for a do over, which means I hope someone picks her for the wild-card round. Because I'd be stunned if America picks her straight away based on this. The judges were kind of ... wow that was... entertaining!!! Which seemed all like a good thing until Simon made it real.
2. Ricky Braddy - "A Song For You," by Leon Russell
Ricky Braddy got all of (calculating) the square root of nada in camera time to sell himself to us prior to this round. Do we even know how he sounds yet? I heard his snippet of mock-opera singing as his "weird talent" in a video on the Idol website. That's about it. Anyway, I came into this totally open minded, waiting to see what Ricky might be able to show.
And wow, did he show up! This was a fantastic "leaving puddles of talent on the stage behind him" kind of vocal. Could the skinny white boy blow like with enough soul to carry this song? Oh yes... yes he could. Could he pull off the runs and the riffs and all that stuff, but still hold the emotion and bring the power in the right places? Check, and check again. And how was it received? Judges 1 through 3 were bowing before the mad skills. Simon noted he lacked charisma. Buck up, Ricky. That was Simon's take on David Cook up until the final 16 last year.
3. Alexis Grace - "Never Loved a Man," by Aretha Franklin
Kind of mixed feelings about Alexis heading into the evening. She has seemed likable enough. I kind of like the contrast of her pink frosted hair and otherwise very down to earth personality. She seemed on the bubble of making the top 36 voice-wise. The idea that her biggest musical influence is supposed to be Aretha Franklin is kind of strange. I mean... look at her. Aretha? Doesn't seem to fit. Anyway, I came in open to being won over.
And she totally made the sale. Hearing this pink-haired, pixie-like girl belt out a soulful Aretha number like she'd lived it was startling enough. Hearing her come across with the vocal chops was above and beyond. I went from skeptic to fan before she even came to the final note. As Simon noted... she's staked her claim to being one of the "dark horse" contestants.
4. Brent Keith - "Hicktown," by Jason Aldean
Okay, this one isn't my fault for not much noticing before because this guy really hasn't had much camera time yet. That's not always a sign of death in Idol terms (Jason Castro had, like, NO camera time before the performance rounds last year). He's got good looks. He's got a good voice. I couldn't pick him out of a police lineup. Surprise me Brent!
Hey everybody... Brent wants to be a country singer! That's what makes him so different! Brent is also boring me to tears! That's what makes him so doomed. Seriously, maybe a good guy. Maybe a good voice. Unless America AND the judges shock me we're not going to hear from him again though. He didn't totally suck. He just totally didn't matter.
5. Stevie Wright - "You Belong to Me," by Taylor Swift
Stevie Wright has a really likable and memorable face. In fact, she looks a lot like Minie Driver. She's one of the elect few sixteen year olds in the finals, and the track record in this category isn't great. They have to be freakishly talented and composed beyond their years to make much of a dent. I'm not getting that vibe from Stevie, but I wouldn't mind being wrong.
But I'm not. She totally fell apart the moment she hit the stage. Her voice couldn't handle the song. It couldn't handle the rhythm. It couldn't find the pitch. She's sixteen. She's likable. You don't rejoice at seeing this kind of car-wreck in such a case. We will simply note, as Simon tried to ham-handedly, that she's young and this isn't the end of the world for her. Then we'll politely move on.
6. Anoop Desai - "Angel of Mine," by Monica
I like this guy. I mean... maybe it's the fact that I work in Information Technology, a field in which people originating from the Indian subcontinent are more plentiful than, oh many things... girls for one. But I digress. Anyway where I was going here is that it's nice to see an Idol with an Indian parentage who's not there as a gimmick or a joke or a (shudder) under-talented teen heart throb a la Sanjaya. In the auditions we learned he can sing for real, has a nice telegenic personality, and even seemed to catch the pickier judges (i.e. Simon's) favor.
So Anoop came out and tried to sell us on his strength as a soulful balladeer. This was not his highest moment. Points in his favor: He was more or less in tune. He was better than the couple of singers before him. Points to his detriment: From about five seconds into the song I was talking to him through my television advising him to never pick a song like this again. Anoop is the kind of singer who can sell you on energy, and lift your mood. Not everyone can do that. This kind of song reminds you of that only in the sense that you realized you needed something like that to pick you up after listening to this yawner of a performance.
7. Casey Carlson - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," by the Police
Hey, it's one of the Minnesota girls in the competition! She's officially on my radar for that reason alone, if for no other (of course, some of you DO have some other reasons for following her). Anyway I'm coming in kind of pulling for her, but frankly my expectations aren't sky high. She strikes me as one of those who has to hit just about everything perfectly to have a chance at the top 12. Not because she sucks. Just because she's one of MANY girls who sings the same kind of songs more or less the same way.
Except when she chooses a Police song. Then she's far worse than you could have ever believed. I mean... WTF?! Are you kidding me? She thought she could somehow, in some alternate universe, sound good singing this? This was the kind of performance American Idol has made famous for dismissing as "karaoke" for EIGHT years now. No one caught this? Wow. Only for the sake of staying in tune does this have a shot at not being the worst of the night.
8. Michael Sarver - "I Don’t Wanna Be," by Gavin DeGraw
The roughneck sure had a heck of a build up during the audition and Hollywood rounds. It basically won me over. It's a cool story. If he was belting out Toby Keith or other "redneck acceptable" music it would be one thing. But this guy coasted through the previous rounds singing modern R & B, and doing it really well. He's stated his biggest musical influence is Michael Jackson (?!!) for gosh sake. He's got this combination of blue collar legitimacy and a weirdly legitimate R & B style. No idea how this will play on the big stage, but I'm eager to find out.
And to do so will apparently take the grace of the voters or the judges because Michael decided to suddenly hit us up with a totally different style of song. Hey, it's a decent Idol song. It's got some good pedigree via Bo Bice, Elliot Yamin, and even Cris Richardson. This wasn't as good as any of those prior performances, but it was alright. Just alright. Not special. And it showed little to nothing of the R & B artist he's shown until now. Hey, I'm pulling for the guy and even I can't justify recommending this with anything better than "yeah, but he can do other kinds of music much better!" So anyway... Maybe upper middle of the pack tonight at best.
9. Ann Marie Boskovich - "Natural Woman," by Aretha Franklin
I didn't really pay a lot of attention to Ann Marie during the previous rounds. Did she get much camera time? I honestly couldn't say. As Simon might warn... "forgettable." Or that may just be me. She's got runway model good looks, which never hurts but is also never enough on this show. No clue what to expect here.
And we're not going to have much time to get to know her based on tonight's performance. It was... well it was a stupid song choice for one. She's a pretty girl with a typical "pretty girl" kind of voice. This song is for someone with power and attitude. She not only didn't pull it off, she got exposed like the song had it in for her. She didn't even miss a lot of the notes like others did tonight, and she still ended up sounding about as bad as anyone else.
10. Stephen Fowler - "Rock With You," by Michael Jackson
Stephen Fowler has the ignominy of being mostly known for having very prominent camera time so far only for forgetting the words of a song he'd boasted was easy to learn... and forgetting them twice... and then throwing a temper tantrum and walking off stage. Why this guy is so freakin' talented that was something the judges could overlook in order to choose him over others for the finals we have yet to see. Ahem... I'm waiting Mr. Fowler. Show me.
And by "show me," I did not mean pick a Michael Jackson song to imitate mostly faithfully save for tossing in a gratuitous glory note. Sorry, I should have been more clear. Seriously, NOT seeing what made the judges overlook his Hollywood week meltdown here while sending others home. In a night with some good, some bad, and some middlin', this was at the lower end of the middlin'. To their credit, the judges seemed to expect him not to suck so much.
11. Tatiana Del Toro - "Saving All My Love For You," by Whitney Houston
Oh Tatiana... You already walk the line between talented diva and comedic parody so well you have the potential of an Idol classic. I have high, HIGH hopes for you... in terms of entertainment value anyway. I'm not sure I could stand listening to that laugh deep into the finals. But... when we've heard her sing so far, she's kind of scarily better than you'd expect. Scarily as in maybe one of the best in the competition. What shall we do with that? I suppose it depends what she does starting now.
And my goodness does Tatiania ever play the game! She throws down with a Holy Diva Trinity song... and a BIG one. But... in a move even more shocking... she plays her personality all subdued and low key. Like... "Hmm? Oh, yes, I suppose I was a bit excitable in Hollywood. But that's not really me." (blank stare) The unpredictability makes the crazy more real. Oh, also, she kind of actually pulled of this song. THIS song. Most any other singer would have been RIPPED by the judges on basic principle for attempting this one. I told you she could sing!
12. Danny Gokey - "Hero," by Mariah Carey
Okay, I've bought into the hype... and if any contestant was hyped in the earlier rounds, it was Danny Gokey. He's got the heart-wrenching back story - his wife, as we are endlessly reminded, died just a few weeks before he auditioned. The close friend he made among the other contestants was inexplicably cut on the cusp of the final 36 (and as far as I can tell that friend was better than a few we saw tonight). He's got a voice like a combination of David Cook and Elliot Yamin. He looks like he's Robert Downey Jr.'s little brother. He's got an edge and an attitude at times. He's got a heart worn on his sleeve at others. In short, the Idol Producers have me set up like a sucker yet again. Here's where the BB-gun of reality starts taking shots at the carnival gallery in which Danny will perform.
And it was nice to see Idol judges are as susceptible to this stuff as me because, while I thought Danny gave a really good performance on an unusual song choice (boys doing the Holy Diva Trinity get WAY more leeway, thankfully), I wasn't slain like this was some kind of "all time" Idol performance. However, it WAS a very, very strong first step, and showed Danny could handle the pressure of the inaugural pimp slot, closing the show with confidence and passion. If he's to truly catch fire for the long term it will not be for this kind of song. But for tonight... it worked very well. Probably the second best male vocal of the night, and easily the tops for charisma.
So now we come to the summary. What did tonight show us? What are the big takeaways? Who is going through to the final twelve? Who is still alive in wild-card terms? Who is just... over?
My picks are as follows:
Top Male: Danny Gokey
Top Female: Alexis Grace
Top of the Rest: Ricky Braddy
Alive for the Wildcard:
Tatiana Del Toro, Michael Sarver, Anoop Desai, Jackie Tohn, Stephen Fowler
End of the Road
Brent Keith, Stevie Wright, Ann Marie Boskovich, Casey Carlson
I wouldn't be shocked to see Anoop or Tatiana steal a finals spot from one of the others, though I think that would be wrong. I'd be stunned to see anyone else hit the Final 12 otherwise though. And when the wild-card selection comes, anyone from that bottom group tonight is stealing a place they don't deserve if we see them again.
UPDATE: The Results
Before we get to the contestants selected for the Final 12, can we just point out a couple of things from this results broadcast that deserve mention?
First, doesn't it make a heck of a lot MORE sense to let the winners "sing out" rather than the losers? Why have we had to wait so long for this? I mean... I'm hoping (but not really expecting) that they keep that part once we hit the final 12. Maybe have the overall top vote getter sing out rather than the one eliminated. Because... why do we have to listen to our LEAST favorite song for a second time? Makes no sense. So, golf clap for the Idol producers on this one.
Second, very cool seeing Carly Smithson and Michael Johns return for their duet of "The Letter." Pay attention Season Eight contestants... that's the bar of charisma and talent you're shooting for. Those weren't previous winners. Just also-rans from last year. And, highlights though there have been, none of you has shown us that kind of talent yet. On the other hand, neither had Michael or Carly this early last season, so don't panic or anything.
And now to the results. Typical Seascrest screwing with the contestants minds and gratuitous assault with commercial breaks aside, this one was mostly predictable with one big surprise.
Didn't make it... Brent Keith, Stevie Wright, Ann Marie Boskovich, and Casey Carlson, none of which was a surprise.
Also didn't make it... Stephen Fowler, Jackie Tohn, Anoop Desai, Tatiana Del Toro, Ricky Braddy... wait, what? Doing the math that has to mean...
As expected, the Final 12 will include Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, and... Michael Sarver? Really?
Well okay. Michael, thank the Idol producers for winning you a fan base in the audition and Hollywood rounds by featuring you so often. Last night's performance wasn't enough to justify your place. I guess a lot of people, much like me, liked your potential a lot. Unlike me, they thought last night's performance was close enough to dial in for you. I would have gone with Anoop Desai if they had to pick another guy above Ricky Braddy.
Anyway, where we stand is a lot less certain this season. Technically NO ONE was eliminated, as every contestant who didn't make the finals tonight could be called back for the wild card round. And considering Paula Abdul gets to make three choices we DO mean EVERYONE still has a shot.
On to next week, where we will finally get to gauge America's reaction to Norman Gentle! That alone is worth tuning in.
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Related Posts (on one page):
- American Idol Season Eight: The Finale
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 3
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 4
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 5
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 7, Part Deux
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 7
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 8
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 9
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 10
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 11
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 13
- American Idol Season Eight: Handicapping the Top 13
- American Idol Season Eight: Wildcard Round
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 36 Group Three
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 36 Group Two
- American Idol Season Eight: Top 36 Group One
Posted by Doug Williams on
Tuesday February 17, 2009 at 9:42pm
I'd also put Sarver in the "See ya" group, didn't like him at all, quite a bit off key. Instead, I'll put Boskovich as a possible, judges were too harsh I thought.
Frodo,um I mean Seacrest. No cinematography magic needed. Half the fun of watching the show is mocking it. What, and no comment on Paula's 2 hyphens?But, since the last couple seasons they took six weeks to go from 24 to 12 (cutting two a week), does that mean this season is two weeks shorter, if they're only taking 4 weeks to get to 12?
Also, am wondering on this wild card round. Do voters pick the top three out of this group of nine, or do the judges decide who makes it to the final 12? (Suddenly Idol sounds like a bunch of singing Cylons.)
Gokey is by far and away my favorite out of that group, but I don't think he had his best night. He sounded a bit nasal at times. I hope Braddy sticks around for a long time, too.
Alexis surprised me, though I think her voice really lost its power on the lower notes. Can we please end the national nightmare that is Tatiana? Yes, there is a good voice in there somewhere, but only when the demon inside is sleeping.
Oh... right. Ellen reminds me of my favorite loopy Paula quote from last night. "I have two hyphenated word for you. 'Sold-out'... 'arena.'" Presumably she spells "arena" differently than the rest of us.
Jeff, there is no audience selection as for who makes it into the wild card round. Each judge picks 3 from those who don't get voted in by the fans in the prior rounds. There's 4 judges this year, so that's another 12 contestants for a fourth round of 12. Then those 12 compete in the same fashion as all the other groups of 12 before them with voters picking the final 3.
Also, I'm enjoying Tatiana too much to wish her gone yet. I could end up regretting that.
as for the rest, given the proclamation that anoop had only 20000 less than sarver, I'm guessing he'll be a wild card. And probably Tatiana.
I like his voice, but I hope he cuts that stuff out.
She's my pick this year to please, please sing 'destination anywhere' as done by 'The committments.'
Anyway... Destination Anywhere.
Like the committments version better.
But thank you :-)