A ghost, werewolf and vampire attempt to live together on the quest to try and be human. Josh must confront his past, Aidan must face the present with the past still looming and Sally must find a way to look forward towards the future without holding onto a past and present she can no longer have.
If you were hoping for a better night on American Idol after a dismal set of performances by the girls, you will be sad to know that the boys didn’t perform much better.
Live blogging everything that happens in episode #4.4 of HBO’s Big Love. Check out our live blogging to find out what happened during the episode.
Country week is always interesting because not a lot of people are interested in this genre of music. There are a few people you can imagine will do well, but I think this will be the week that we see a few people falter. Randy Travis was around to tutor the top eleven this week, after inducting Carrie Underwood into the Opry. He thinks the show will be good and felt that the majority of contestants will do well.
Michael Sarver
What He Sang: “Ain’t Goin Down Till the Sun Comes Up” By: Garth Brooks
Opinions: Randy expects him to do well as long as he doesn’t lose any of the words. Being a fan of Garth Brooks, this just annoyed me. It was so similar to his interpretation in many ways. In fact, the only difference between the version is the band is off and he’s adding too many runs and vocal intonations. This doesn’t show off his voice or do him any favors. It was incredibly hokey and karaoke sounding. I hated it! Being that he likes Country and he’s from Texas, I thought he would do better. I guess I was wrong.
Judges Opinions:
Randy – “It was a cool song choice, but I’m not sure it brought anything out in your vocals.”
Paula – “It’s a great Garth song and it allowed us to see you have fun.”
Simon – “It should have been good, but I couldn’t understand a word you were singing. It was clumsy. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 1.2″
Kara – “We got to see your personality, but I missed the big notes.”
Allison Iraheta
What She Sang: “Blame it on your Heart” By: Patty Loveless
Opinions: Randy is shocked to hear the maturity in Allison’s voice being that she is so young. He recommends she concentrates on singing and not dancing. As usual, Allison sounds good. She picked a good song for her voice and gave it a little bit of a rock edge. She blew it out of the park compared to Michael, which is amusing because I didn’t know how well she would do. I actually liked this rendition quite a bit.
Judges Opinions:
Randy – “I thought it was Dope!”
Paula – “Another rock solid performance from Allison. After this competition you will be in the business.”
Simon – “I thought it was good. It felt like you were struggling to remember the words in parts.”
Kara – “I’m starting to think that you could sing the alphabet well. Every week you’re getting better and better.”
Kris Allen
What He Sang: “To Make You Feel My Love” By: Garth Brooks
Opinions: Randy feels ballads are Kris’ strong suit, so this will be good for him. Kris decided to sing sans guitar. He slowed the song down even more and he chose to break up the lyrical structure. Being fair, he was better than last week. Still, he’s off pitch in a few spots and the only reason I’m not screaming at the top of my lungs is that he did choose to change it. It feels more pop-like. The country went away from that one. Oh, and his high notes suck. He’s also forgettable. Always.
Judges Opinions:
Randy – “You went out on a limb just to showcase your vocals and I was like wow.”
Paula – “I’m surprised and felt it was honest, pure, and vulnerable. A few pitchy moments.”
Simon – “I thought that was terrific. Great choice of song.”
Kara – “I didn’t even know that it was Opry land. It was just beautiful.”
Lil Rounds
What She Sang: “Independence Day” By: Martina McBride
Opinions: Randy liked it, but thought she should slow it down a little bit. If she does what he heard, she will nail it. I am a big fan of this song and of Martina and think it will be interesting to hear Lil Rounds try it without adding an R&B spin. She sounds really good. Again, like with Allison, I didn’t expect her to do that well. She made the song hers enough by slowing it down and the song is a power song, so she’s certainly has the pipes for it. There was a note here and there that didn’t jive, but she sounded good. She chose the right song and gave it a Lil Rounds spin at the end!
Judges Opinions:
Randy – “Interesting ambitious song choice, but I don’t know. It didn’t feel comfortable for me. It was alright.”
Paula – “Your vocals were spot on, you look beautiful, and the only thing would have worked better was if you would have done one verse and not two.”
Simon – “It kind of came over as if you were one of the girls that have to sing at a wedding that they aren’t comfortable with. It wasn’t you.”
Kara – “We all know you’re a great singer. You did what you felt and that’s part of being an artist. It wasn’t your best performance.”
It’s the first night with the top 13 competing together for the first time and based on the song choice it is certain to be an exciting night! It’s Michael Jackson songbook week. As it stands I am sure that some of these people will knock it out of the park and others will make us wish we could suddenly go deaf to save us from having to hear them any longer. Still, it should be interesting to hear what this group is capable of with a singer as diverse as Jackson.
Lil Rounds
What She Sang: “The Way You Make Me Feel”
Opinions: This was an excellent song choice for Lil. As usual, she sounds fabulous. I would change very little about her performance. I am not hip on the huge ruffle that looks like it’s wearing her, but that’s my main complaint. Her high notes are amazing and she really has a way of making the song her own. I love her!
Judges Opinions:
Paula – “You are a force to be reckoned with”
Randy – “This is the way to kick off Season 8. You’ve got it!”
Kara – “I hope that I get to hear you on the radio. That last note was sick!”
Simon – “The second half was better than the first, but it was a lazy song choice.”
Scott MacIntyre
What He Sang: “Keep the Faith”
Opinions: It’s refreshing to see Scott with his piano because he is a completely different artist. He is confident and strong more than he is without it. It makes the performance a million times better. He’s not the best singer in the competition, but he certainly has the chance to make it far. He picked a song that I wasn’t familiar with at all, but thought was incredibly suited for him and his message. It was a good choice.
Judges Opinions:
Paula – “It’s magical seeing your instrument at your fingertips.”
Randy – “I like the song, but felt it was safe. I want to see sparks from you”
Kara – “I like that you’re very true to yourself no matter what. It’s amazing to know that you just learned to play that song this week.”
Simon – “I like the piano. I like You. I don’t like the song. There are a million Michael Jackson songs
The wild card results were an uneventful kind of show. The people I expected to do good, did good, and the ones that I expected to flop, did their job well. There were a few that flat out wasted the chance they were given, which was no surprise, but in the end the judges prevailed, threw in a twist and did most of the right things. Oh, and for the record, Tatiana and her new accent were not included in the wild card finalists.
The performers tonight included:
Jessie Langseth – Jessie came out showing that she was a wasted slot. Her first notes were ragged, she was off-key, and she screamed. “Tell Me Something Good” has never sounded so bad. It was by far her most horrible song and that’s saying a lot. I don’t know if she was trying to channel Johnny Lang, her brother, but it wasn’t working.
Randy thought it was interesting though it was only alright. Kara had problems with the fact that Jessie wasn’t hitting the right notes, but she has swagger and she likes that. Paula likes her determination and Simon said she was a last minute choice and he was glad they chose her, though the song and the performance were indulgent.
Matt Giraud – I’ve liked Matt from the beginning. I’ve never heard the song, “Who’s Loving You” by the Jackson 5, but it definitely had the sound that the judges like from him. He made Jessie look like they were in a different competition. He had the audience on their feet and he sounded like he was prepared to win. The song wouldn’t have been my first choice, merely because I’ve never heard it, but it was much better than what he sang the previous week.
Kara loved the riffs and it was a great vocal. Paula loves Matt’s zone and he shouldn’t go against what he’s good at. Simon thought it was a billion times better and it was a great song. Randy loved that he was in the game and it was obvious.
Megan Corkrey – I literally cannot stand this song. However, Megan has a voice that will compliment “Blackhorse and a Cherry Tree.” Even though I am not a fan of the song, I hope that they pick her because she’s better than the alternatives. Her voice is interesting and she would certainly be an asset to the competition. The last note killed her though. It was good except for that.
Paula felt that she picked the right song and she’s joyful. She did good. Simon likes her because she’s current and she’s original. It wasn’t the best vocal, but it was terrific. Randy liked the song choice and he could see her being in this type of environment. Kara thinks they need her because she gives variety. She wants her to stay.
Von Smith – This is just so funny. Of all the songs for someone to sing. “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” is a song that I love, though it kills me that a drama queen is gonna sing a song with the lyrics, “What do I gotta do to make you love me.” His falsetto sucks and the vocals were horrid. Hopefully he will be canned, like he should have been.
The first six have been put through to American Idol‘s Top 12 and this week the final six will be chosen. Tonight we will hear the third group of 12 sing. After that, it’s time to vote and the results show will be tomorrow, as usual. The difference comes with the Wild Card show that will be on Thursday. Some of the judges’ favorites will sing and just three more will be chosen to complete the 12.
There is some promising talent in the bunch this week, but as we have seen in the past two weeks it’s all about what they are willing to do with what they have. I am most looking forward to Scott MacIntyre, who I am guessing will be towards the end, Kristen McNamara, and Lil Rounds. Those are certainly the three that I remember the most as having a good chance tonight. On the flip side I think I am dreading Von Smith and a few others I don’t even remember, the most.
Most of all I am hoping that the judges will get it right. It seems that they are entirely erratic this season. People suck and they claim they are doing good and people are amazing and they say it’s not working for them. It’s just a weird season. Perhaps, the new addition to the judges is throwing things off. I don’t know what it is, but I’m hoping for a good night. So, without further ado, the 12 singers, their songs, and reactions are listed below.
Von Smith – 22 Yrs Old – Audition City: Kansas City, MO:
Singing: “You’re All I Need”
Dramatic and boring. God he opens his mouth and I’m already ready for the next person to start. He’s so dramatic. It’s like watching someone in a hotel that missed the bus to the musical theater event. I just keep telling myself that it’s only a minute or two, but it just won’t stop. The stupid little facial expressions that he thinks are cute aren’t helping him either. I won’t miss him when he’s gone, though his mommy likes him a lot.
The Judges Think:
Randy liked him. He thought it was hot. (He’s drinking Paula’s “Coke”). Kara thinks he’s coming into his own and he’s being more comfortable. (Aka She’s Randy’s Bitch). Paula loves him because he’s first and he’s a showman (on a cruise ship maybe). Simon felt he’s like Clay Aiken (he’s gay, is what he meant). He sang well, but he reminds him of Clay and that’s good for him.
Taylor Vaifanua – 16 Yrs Old – Audition City: Salt Lake City, UT:
Singing: “If I Ain’t Got You”: Alicia Keys
I don’t mind her voice too much, but her movement is killing me. She keeps twitching. I don’t even know why she’s moving like it’s a rock song. It’s a freakin’ slow song. I just keep watching her legs doing this erratic dance move. Maybe if I closed my eyes I could concentrate on her voice, which isn’t so bad. The performance was bad, but the song sounded pretty good overall, though I don’t know if she will make it. With only three going through you have to be the whole package.
The Judges Think:
Kara knows that she has a voice, but she wants to know who she is. (she didn’t know what to say). Paula thinks she has a gift, but she heard this song and she should have done something new. Simon couldn’t remember her from the earlier rounds (me either) and felt that a generic sound isn’t going to help her. Randy knows she can sing, but that was boring.
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