by GucciGoo » February 20th, 2008, 4:32 pm
I took notes from my hotel last night:
American Idol: Season 7, Top 12 Guys.
Sixties Night for the Top 12 Guys. In order as they appeared on the show:
David Hernandez- I honestly cannot remember a thing about this person from auditions. When we see the flashback to auditions, we are reminded that Simon did not vote for him or seem to like him at all. He does a great job with "The Midnight Hour", even with the jitters of being the first performance of the competing season, but I still did not find it a memorable or special performance. Sorry Dave, there's just no spark for me. Simon suggested that he "loosen up" and it was "better than he thought it would be".
Chikezie-I'm already annoyed that he feels comfortable with the first name only deal. Little few aside from Madonna can get away with that. Good thing he is humble. His performance tonight proved that he would be one hell of a 70's lounge singer in Atlantic City. But at a casino like Showboat, not the Borgata. I couldn't even recognize the song until it was almost done. It sounded nothing like the original version of "More Today Than Yesterday". Randy did not seem too excited about the performance, Paula was rambling about his smile and weight loss instead of his singing, and Simon "absolutely hated the whole performance". I am left with no impression of this guy except that he is rude and unable to take criticism.
David Cook- Another guy I cannot remember anything about. His audition was mediocre at best, and not very memorable. Tonight he performed "Happy Together" it was kind of lame. He was pitchy and off-tune at times, especially at the beginning, and I have seen college talent shows that get me more excited. Randy thought it was "weird" but that he "worked it out". Paula agreed as usual. Simon thought it was good but sounded like he was shouting. And another thing, balding men should not have emo haircuts, or whatever it is that he has on his head.
Jason Yeager- This is the guy who has a big white streak of highlights on the front of his head. Tonight he performed "Moon River" and shows that he has a really nice voice. He did sound off pitch once or twice and is a little dorky, but so was Clay Aiken. Simeon told him that it sounded like a cruise ship performance, and that he was like a "reliable old dog". When will these contestants stop holding up their fingers when their phone numbers are read off by Ryan Seacrest? Jordan Sparks did this last year too, and looked equally as stupid.
Robbie Carrico- This guy was in a boy band and toured with Britney Spears before. I thought that people with professional singing backgrounds were not allowed on AI. Did I hear wrong? Regardless, he sang "One" by Three Dog Night, and rocked it. He sounded great and made a sixties song sound like a brand new hard rock song. Unfortunately, AI does not appreciate rockers. But then again, what do they know? Look at Chris Daughtry. The judges all loved him. Even Simon. They want him to explore his inner Justin Timberland.
David Archuleta-This kid is adorable and at 17 years old, has a voice most of his competition should be afraid of. Let's see if he can withstand the pressure. Tonight he performed "Shop Around" and I did not love him as much as I did when he performed" Heaven" in the auditions. The judges loved him, and Simon thought it was the best performance of the night so far.
Danny Noriega- This is the guy with the"emo" haircut. He had a great voice during auditions. Tonight he performed "Jailhouse Rock"and shook his pelvis just like the King himself. I could barely pay attention to his singing because I was focused on his pants being too tight. Danny promised to "bring it", which I do not think he did. Simon thought the performance was "grotesque", and I agree.
Luke Menard- I don't think that Luke has the worst voice, but I predict that he is the first to be voted off. His stage presence is bland, the song choice is boring, he sounds pitchy, and I won't remember a thing about him when someone brings him up at the water cooler. Neither Randy nor Paula liked the performance, and Simon told him the performance was "forgettable". I agree 100%.
Colton Berry- He gave a great performance at auditions, is fun to watch and has the looks to be a star. Tonight he sang and the audience seemed to adore him. He did a great job of "Suspicious Minds" and showed us his powerhouse voice once again. Simon said it was "not as bad as the other Elvis performance" and a "complete waste of time".
Garrett Haley- This guy looks exactly like Leif Garrett. Or maybe a member of Queen in the 70's during the Bohemian Rhapsody era. Tonight he performed "Breaking Up is Hard to Do". I don't know, I can take it or leave it. Based on his personality during his earlier interview, I was hoping for something more fun from this guy. Simon thought he was boring and "looked like he had been shut up in his bedroom for a month".
Jason Castro- Jason elected to play an instrument while singing tonight, the only contestant to do so. He performed "Daydream" and he was just okay to me. Maybe he should have skipped the guitar and focused on the vocals. Simon loved the performance, Randy and Paula were not impressed.
Michael Johns-Michael was my favorite performer during auditions, especially when he permored "Bohemian Rhapsody " as well as Freeddie Mercury. He has the whole package- looks, talent, stage presence- definitely one to watch. I somehow knew he would choose a Doors song tonight. He looks and sounds like Jim Morrison singing "Light My Fire", and will definitely have a large fan base after tonight's show. He was the most memorable of the night. The judges loved him too.
BETH formerly known as Dark & Stormy