So, American Idol tonight went almost exactly how I thought it would. Slash was a great mentor, and it was awesome that he made them do their performances full volume while he was playing. Adam and Allison were great, Kris was bad and Danny was god-awful.
Adam's performance was exactly what the judge's said it was. Perfect. Allison was also great, despite what the judges said. Yet another week where Simon basically says that he liked the performance but still managed to spend about five minutes criticizing her. I'm glad she talked back to him, even though I usually don't like it - and in fact, I initially FF'ed past it - because if anyone has ever deserved to talk back to the judges, it's her.
Then, there was the duet. Kris and Danny looked like they were having about as much fun performing as I was having watching - which isn't much at all. Danny also looked like he was medicated and about to fall asleep or something. Followed by Kris doing a weak version of a fantastic song. Kind of a bummer, but not a surprise, really. The judges said it, again. It's not his genre, and he knew it.
And then there was Danny. Danny, Danny, Danny. When they announced what song he was singing, I flipped out. I mean, first of all, I reacted because I knew Danny would butcher a song that I love. But more importantly, ever since Adam showed up on this show, I kept thinking, "Dream On. This kid would SLAY Dream On." And then Danny "Hokey" Gokey sings it instead? It was like some kind of nightmare. It was bad all around. I don't give him any of the props Randy did for trying something daring or whatever. He was punching WAY above his weight with that. It's not daring or brave, it's just plain stupid. Then there was Kara. Oh Kara. She said that he should have sung "early" Aerosmith, like "Crazy" or "Cryin." Those songs were released in the mid-90's. "Dream On" is from '76. What universe is she living in that she thinks Crazy and Cryin are "early" Aerosmith?
Thankfully, the duet between Adam and Allison made the night. I mean, Adam and Allison were great individually, but by the end of the show, Gokey had made me so angry that I had kind of forgotten how awesome they were. And then their duet was so great. Unlike Kris and Danny, it was so clear that they were having a blast up there, and ADORED each other, and that made it so much fun to watch. I'm glad Simon made that final comment about Allison, even though a lot of DVRs probably cut that off. I only got it because I also DVR the following show, "Fringe."
One final pet peeve. The editors did Danny a huge favor by playing the dress rehearsal version of his high note when the phone numbers were flashing by. That shouldn't be allowed. I know they probably do it that way for logistical reasons, but it is totally unfair. He bombed that note in the performance and they played a much better (but still awful) version when the numbers flashed. I hope the 50 year old Michael McDonald fans who have been voting for him stop after tonight.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
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Metta - I'm so happy you are writing on the blog!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there was something tormenting Kris last night. He didn't perform well, which is one thing, but more over he didn't even look like he was trying or enjoying himself at all. I have a few theories:
1. He is an amazingly sweet guy, so maybe he was too distraught over Debbie (the beloved Stage Manager) having been rushed to the hospital during dress rehearsal. Apparently the accident referred to at the beginning of the show was that Debbie fell down some stairs, then dangled by a railing, and then fell down to the stage. Yipes! She has no reported broken bones.
2. MORE LIKELY Kris was in uber pissed mode because of the whole duet curve-ball. Collaborating with Danny meant hours of fighting over song choice, and I bet there was some real anger thrown around with these discussions. Kris is creative and an expert at re-arranging songs to fit his Mraz-y style. Danny has shown no capabilities in song arrangement. Danny is also an asshole and probably fairly unwilling to compromise.
Kris also had to do a back-to-back performance! This would have added a significant amount of stress, especially considering they didn't have a real dress-rehearsal.
Furthermore, Kris must be smart enough to realize that Alison was thrown given a significant bone being able to collaborate with Adam on the duet. I love Alison and think she can rock it without any help from anyone, but getting to sing with the seasoned-professional Rock God Glambert on this particular theme night would have helped anyone. Putting the two performers who have rock and roll completely in their wheelhouse was best for the audience, but might have seemed unfair to the two non-rocker contestants.
Simon says he thinks Danny is safe. Please let it not be true. Danny definitely didn't do himself any favors by sassing back to the judges in his arrogant way, nor is he winning any voters on the fence about him by profusely thanking the audience after his performances. This isn't your concert, Hokey, this is your time to shut-up and listen.
No doubt Kris was not in a good place. He got the shaft in the lineup, and with getting stuck with Gokey, and you're probably right that he was upset about the stage manager.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm not giving him a pass because of it. I still think Allison deserves to stay over him. She's been one of my favorites from the beginning, and even though I like Kris, he's got some vocal stuff that I'm not super fond of. Plus, she gets the shaft every week from the judges - particularly Simon - saying stupid irrelevant shit that is negative about her and making viewers think that they don't like her. So, I don't know. I'd rather see Kris stay than Gokey - obvi - but if Kris or Allison has to go, I hope it's Kris and I think he's the one who deserves to go.
Woah woah woah, let me clarify: my dream is an Alison / Adam Rock and Roll Showdown of Love and Mutual Respect Final Two.
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