Omaha Auditions, the last audition city
Next week starts Hollywood week! They've changed up the format, so be ready for some changes. I can't wait!
Received Golden Tickets (21):
Quaid Edwards, 21
I wish he would have done a different song, but he is very talented. Love the voice. He seems like a great kid, and it was great to see him listening to what they were telling him.
Madisen Walker, 15
Really pretty girl, and she looks a lot older than 15. Really good voice, but it was a little safe for me. I agree with Keith, it was kind of like a karaoke version. There wasn't anything that wowed us.
Alyssa Siebken, 20
I really like her voice. She picked a great song that showed off her voice and her personality. I really liked it.
Tyler Gurwicz, 25
Another guy doing Adele...really interesting. Parts of it were good, but it was a little off pitch in a couple places. His second song was better than the first. I just realized who he reminds me of when he sings...Gomer Pyle! He totally makes a Gomer Pyle face!
Tyler Marshall, 23
Oh dear, now a guy doing Tina Turner, what's next. The bad thing is that it was actually pretty good, surprisingly.
CJ Jones, 20
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
American Idol, Ep. 13.5
Salt Lake City Auditions
Received Golden Tickets (30):
Austin Wolf, 16
Another awesome rendition of this song. Her vibrato was a bit too much in places, but overall, I really liked it.
Kylee Adamson, 18
She kind of had the same vibrato issue as Austin, but she has a lot of potential. She seemed to play it a little on the safe side.
Keith Sanders, 26
He had a very unique voice, a little raspy...not what I expected. But he also had a nice range. He had a really cool vibe about him.
Michael Simeon, 19
I really liked him. I loved everything about it.
Tessa Norman, 19
Very strong voice. I didn't really like her attitude when she was singing...but she was really sweet when she wasn't singing. It was a little strange.
Alex Preston, 20
Another original song...like it! His voice reminds me of someone, I think maybe it's a little bit like Jason Mraz. He has a very strong voice, I like the tone. And he's a natural talent with no training. For as stressful as playing an original song, he was very comfortable and just made it look easy.
Samantha Calmes, 25
Another attempt at an original. I'm no loving this one, it's a little strange. It's a little like a poetry or dramatic reading at the beginning. Once she got to the singing it was a little better. Then they asked her to sing another song and she chooses the theme to The Jeffersons. What? She's very overly dramatic and making them laugh, but I'm not digging her at all. I don't think she was that great.
Lebryant Crew, 24
Pretty good voice, but it didn't blow me away.
Laurel Wright, 18
She sang an original. The song wasn't that great or "original" sounding, but her voice was really good.
DJ Bradley, 20
Received Golden Tickets (30):
Austin Wolf, 16
Another awesome rendition of this song. Her vibrato was a bit too much in places, but overall, I really liked it.
Kylee Adamson, 18
She kind of had the same vibrato issue as Austin, but she has a lot of potential. She seemed to play it a little on the safe side.
Keith Sanders, 26
He had a very unique voice, a little raspy...not what I expected. But he also had a nice range. He had a really cool vibe about him.
Michael Simeon, 19
I really liked him. I loved everything about it.
Tessa Norman, 19
Very strong voice. I didn't really like her attitude when she was singing...but she was really sweet when she wasn't singing. It was a little strange.
Alex Preston, 20
Another original song...like it! His voice reminds me of someone, I think maybe it's a little bit like Jason Mraz. He has a very strong voice, I like the tone. And he's a natural talent with no training. For as stressful as playing an original song, he was very comfortable and just made it look easy.
Samantha Calmes, 25
Another attempt at an original. I'm no loving this one, it's a little strange. It's a little like a poetry or dramatic reading at the beginning. Once she got to the singing it was a little better. Then they asked her to sing another song and she chooses the theme to The Jeffersons. What? She's very overly dramatic and making them laugh, but I'm not digging her at all. I don't think she was that great.
Lebryant Crew, 24
Pretty good voice, but it didn't blow me away.
Laurel Wright, 18
She sang an original. The song wasn't that great or "original" sounding, but her voice was really good.
DJ Bradley, 20
Monday, January 27, 2014
Amazing Race Season 24 All-Stars Cast List
Season 24 of The Amazing Race is going to be the 2nd ever All-Star edition. On the race:
- 4 teams competing for their 3rd time
- There are 4 teams from Season 22
- The earliest season being represented is 14 (Margie & Luke)
- There is 1 team from the most recent season, 23 (Leo & Jamal)
- There are no winners racing, so whoever wins, it will be their 1st time winning the race
- The highest placing team is Flight Time & Big Easy, who finished 2nd
- The lowest placing team is John & Jessica, who finished 9th
Tune in for the Season 24 premiere of The Amazing Race on Sunday, February 23 at 8:00 PM, EST.
Here's the cast of All-Star Racers:
The Bachelor, Ep. 18.4
Episode Summary
JP and the girls are off to South Korea. What a romantic place...really? I know that's the first place I would think of for a romantic getaway...not! Who's idea was this any way? Wouldn't Latin or South America have been a more appropriate place? JP could have shown the girls more about his culture that way. The guy barely speaks English and they go somewhere where they speak Korean? Doesn't quite make sense to me. I guess it's an adventure and puts both him and the girls outside of their comfort zones together, but still.
Group Date
Chelsie, Cassandra, Elise, Danielle, Kat, Nikki
Nikki is very upset that she did not get a one-on-one date. And she is very upset that she has to spend the date with a bunch of people she doesn't like. This should make for a great time had by all!
For this date, they are going to be dancing to some K-Pop, and with the biggest K-Pop group, 2NE1. JP is the first to show off some of his moves. Kat was in her element. Nikki then pulls out the sprinkler...haha!
The group takes all of them through the moves to their dance, and the girls have to learn it. Kat was very over-confident and was showing the other girls what to do...which annoyed Nikki a lot.
They are told that they will be performing with 2NE1 at their show in Seoul, in front of thousands of people. Everyone was excited...except Nikki...who wanted to crap her pants.
For the performance, you could tell they were all having a good time, except for Nikki, who looked like she wanted to throw up and run off stage...or push some of the girls off of the stage. Juan Pablo was killing it. Kat was really going over-the-top and really trying to put her moves front and center. She was sure that was going to get her the rose.
Later that night, things got real. Nikki shared with the group that she thinks that some people are there just to have fun. She thinks Kat is fake and is different with JP and with the girls. Meanwhile, Kat wanted JP to know that she wasn't just all fun and games and there is more to her than that. She shared about her parent's divorce and how hard that was on her, and her father was an alcoholic and wasn't really a dad to her.
Nikki continues to rub people the wrong way in the group. Everyone thinks she is extremely negative and they are afraid that Juan Pablo isn't seeing that. When she gets to talk to Juan Pablo, she tells him that she really wants to start opening up, but she's nervous and shy around some of the other girls who are bigger personalities than her. She told him that she is really glad that she's there.
Nikki gets the rose, and the other girls are grossed out. They don't think she would be a good role model for Camila because she's so negative.
One-On-One Date: Sharleen
- 1-on-1 Date: Sharleen (gets a rose)
- Group Date: Nikki gets the rose
- Group Date: Andi gets the rose
- Rose Ceremony Eliminations (2): Elise, Lauren S
- Remaining Girls (11): Alli, Andi, Cassandra, Chelsie, Clare, Danielle, Kat, Kelly, Nikki, Renee, Sharleen
JP and the girls are off to South Korea. What a romantic place...really? I know that's the first place I would think of for a romantic getaway...not! Who's idea was this any way? Wouldn't Latin or South America have been a more appropriate place? JP could have shown the girls more about his culture that way. The guy barely speaks English and they go somewhere where they speak Korean? Doesn't quite make sense to me. I guess it's an adventure and puts both him and the girls outside of their comfort zones together, but still.
Group Date
Chelsie, Cassandra, Elise, Danielle, Kat, Nikki
Nikki is very upset that she did not get a one-on-one date. And she is very upset that she has to spend the date with a bunch of people she doesn't like. This should make for a great time had by all!
For this date, they are going to be dancing to some K-Pop, and with the biggest K-Pop group, 2NE1. JP is the first to show off some of his moves. Kat was in her element. Nikki then pulls out the sprinkler...haha!
The group takes all of them through the moves to their dance, and the girls have to learn it. Kat was very over-confident and was showing the other girls what to do...which annoyed Nikki a lot.
They are told that they will be performing with 2NE1 at their show in Seoul, in front of thousands of people. Everyone was excited...except Nikki...who wanted to crap her pants.
For the performance, you could tell they were all having a good time, except for Nikki, who looked like she wanted to throw up and run off stage...or push some of the girls off of the stage. Juan Pablo was killing it. Kat was really going over-the-top and really trying to put her moves front and center. She was sure that was going to get her the rose.
Later that night, things got real. Nikki shared with the group that she thinks that some people are there just to have fun. She thinks Kat is fake and is different with JP and with the girls. Meanwhile, Kat wanted JP to know that she wasn't just all fun and games and there is more to her than that. She shared about her parent's divorce and how hard that was on her, and her father was an alcoholic and wasn't really a dad to her.
Nikki continues to rub people the wrong way in the group. Everyone thinks she is extremely negative and they are afraid that Juan Pablo isn't seeing that. When she gets to talk to Juan Pablo, she tells him that she really wants to start opening up, but she's nervous and shy around some of the other girls who are bigger personalities than her. She told him that she is really glad that she's there.
Nikki gets the rose, and the other girls are grossed out. They don't think she would be a good role model for Camila because she's so negative.
One-On-One Date: Sharleen
Thursday, January 23, 2014
American Idol, Ep. 13.4
Atlanta Auditions
Received Golden Tickets (44):
Majesty Rose, 21
I love "Violet Hill" by Coldplay. I would never have guessed that that would be the song she would sing. Her crazy flower head band...I was all ready to not like her. But gosh darn it, she was amazing! It started out nice and smooth, and then it grew and then she backed off again, and it was really good.
Jesse Cline, 19
Another surprise! I thought he was going to be terrible, but wow, was I surprised!
Chris Medina, 23
What a cute dog he brought with him! Did not expect Adele! We didn't hear much of the song, but I liked it.
Side note: I was trying to figure out why his name sounded so familiar. I was thinking that there was another singer by that name, but I didn't remember him specifically trying out before. So, it bothered me enough to Google "Chris Medina", and the pictures that came up were of another American Idol contestant that I did remember! He was the guy who had an amazing audition and an amazing story: he was on Season 10, and his fiancee had suffered a traumatic brain injury after a car accident.
Kristen O'Connor, 24
Beautiful voice! Lots of runs, but wasn't overly annoying. I hated the constant voice overs, I would have liked to hear more of the song.
Emily Piriz, 17
Pretty good voice, but I wasn't really feeling it for some reason.
Ben Briley, 24
Wow, what a thick country accent he has. I didn't like it at first, but it kind of grew on me the longer he sang.
Nica Nashae, 24
Received Golden Tickets (44):
Majesty Rose, 21
I love "Violet Hill" by Coldplay. I would never have guessed that that would be the song she would sing. Her crazy flower head band...I was all ready to not like her. But gosh darn it, she was amazing! It started out nice and smooth, and then it grew and then she backed off again, and it was really good.
Jesse Cline, 19
Another surprise! I thought he was going to be terrible, but wow, was I surprised!
Chris Medina, 23
What a cute dog he brought with him! Did not expect Adele! We didn't hear much of the song, but I liked it.
Side note: I was trying to figure out why his name sounded so familiar. I was thinking that there was another singer by that name, but I didn't remember him specifically trying out before. So, it bothered me enough to Google "Chris Medina", and the pictures that came up were of another American Idol contestant that I did remember! He was the guy who had an amazing audition and an amazing story: he was on Season 10, and his fiancee had suffered a traumatic brain injury after a car accident.
Kristen O'Connor, 24
Beautiful voice! Lots of runs, but wasn't overly annoying. I hated the constant voice overs, I would have liked to hear more of the song.
Emily Piriz, 17
Pretty good voice, but I wasn't really feeling it for some reason.
Ben Briley, 24
Wow, what a thick country accent he has. I didn't like it at first, but it kind of grew on me the longer he sang.
Nica Nashae, 24
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
American Idol, Ep. 13.3
Detroit Auditions
Received Golden Tickets (40):
Keri Lynn Roche, 24
Love the song choice: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. She is really cool! I love the rasp in her voice! Some people with the rasp, it's kind of annoying, but I really, really like her rasp. I loved her both with the guitar and without. I love how her personality shows through her performance.
Julian Miller, 18
He has a very interesting look, and doesn't sound the way you would think he would. It was a lot better than what I thought he would. His voice was strong, and he had a really good range.
Paris Primeau, 16
I loved her dynamics, from soft to loud. She has quite the look with the bright pink hair. How is she only 16? Her voice is really, really good.
Olivia Diamond, 22
Decent voice, but she way oversang it, and screamed parts of it. She looks and sounds way older than 22. I was not blown away by her at all. I think she sang loud, but that was about it. I'm not sure why they were so impressed with her.
Malaya Watson, 15
She has such a deep and mature voice for a 15-year-old. I didn't care for the song, but she does have a very good voice.
Brian Watt, 29
Ooh, he is cute! Love him! He has a very awesome country voice! His upper register was so strong. I loved his emotion through the song. It was a really great performance. That made J. Lo go "aw...", and Harry said he was "Superman". I love how they pointed out how smooth his guitar playing was. I was thinking the same thing.
Khristian, D'avis, 22
She has such a pretty speaking accent. You don't notice it when she sings. She started out a little weak, and it didn't really go anywhere after that. It was a little pitchy at the end. I can't believe Harry gave her a 2nd chance after they caught her kind of being fake with her accent. Keith happened to be the voice of reason on that one.
Gina Asciutto, 17
Received Golden Tickets (40):
Keri Lynn Roche, 24
Love the song choice: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. She is really cool! I love the rasp in her voice! Some people with the rasp, it's kind of annoying, but I really, really like her rasp. I loved her both with the guitar and without. I love how her personality shows through her performance.
Julian Miller, 18
He has a very interesting look, and doesn't sound the way you would think he would. It was a lot better than what I thought he would. His voice was strong, and he had a really good range.
Paris Primeau, 16
I loved her dynamics, from soft to loud. She has quite the look with the bright pink hair. How is she only 16? Her voice is really, really good.
Olivia Diamond, 22
Decent voice, but she way oversang it, and screamed parts of it. She looks and sounds way older than 22. I was not blown away by her at all. I think she sang loud, but that was about it. I'm not sure why they were so impressed with her.
Malaya Watson, 15
She has such a deep and mature voice for a 15-year-old. I didn't care for the song, but she does have a very good voice.
Brian Watt, 29
Ooh, he is cute! Love him! He has a very awesome country voice! His upper register was so strong. I loved his emotion through the song. It was a really great performance. That made J. Lo go "aw...", and Harry said he was "Superman". I love how they pointed out how smooth his guitar playing was. I was thinking the same thing.
Khristian, D'avis, 22
She has such a pretty speaking accent. You don't notice it when she sings. She started out a little weak, and it didn't really go anywhere after that. It was a little pitchy at the end. I can't believe Harry gave her a 2nd chance after they caught her kind of being fake with her accent. Keith happened to be the voice of reason on that one.
Gina Asciutto, 17
Survivor: Cagayan - Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty, Season 28 Cast
It's that time again...it's almost time for Survivor!!! Can you believe the upcoming season is season number 28? This season takes place in Cagayan, Philippines.
The theme this season is "Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty". There will be 3 tribes of 6 players (3 females and 3 males), divided by the 3 dominant attributes to determine which one trumps all: athleticism, intelligence or attractiveness. All 3 play a huge part in the game that is Survivor. It should be very interesting to see how the 3 tribes match up during challenges, and also how they strategize and make alliances back at camp. Will the stereotypes prove true, or will the groups bring some surprising, unexpected elements to the table?
The season begins on Wednesday, February 26 at 8:00 PM on CBS, don't miss it! The season premiere is a special 2-hour episode! I, for one, can't wait!
Cast List By Tribe...
The theme this season is "Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty". There will be 3 tribes of 6 players (3 females and 3 males), divided by the 3 dominant attributes to determine which one trumps all: athleticism, intelligence or attractiveness. All 3 play a huge part in the game that is Survivor. It should be very interesting to see how the 3 tribes match up during challenges, and also how they strategize and make alliances back at camp. Will the stereotypes prove true, or will the groups bring some surprising, unexpected elements to the table?
The season begins on Wednesday, February 26 at 8:00 PM on CBS, don't miss it! The season premiere is a special 2-hour episode! I, for one, can't wait!
Cast List By Tribe...
Monday, January 20, 2014
The Bachelor, Ep. 18.3
Episode Summary
The preview of the episode just said that we are going to see one of the most uncomfortable kisses in Bachelor history. That sounds like it's going to be some great TV! It's going to be very hard to beat that one girl who tried to straddle Ben to kiss him and her dress was too tight...and then she proceeded to give him instructions on how they were going to kiss. I've never seen something so uncomfortable, so I can't wait to see who and what happens tonight!
One-On-One Date: Cassandra
JP is hoping to find out if it's worth keeping Cassandra around, since she has been missing her son. He doesn't want to keep her away from him if he doesn't think they have a future.
He picks her up and they take off driving along the water, and next thing you know, he drives right into the ocean! He totally "James Bonded" it! How cool! They seemed to be having a great time as he zoomed his car/boat across the water. Next they moved onto a yacht, and did the classic yacht date activity: jump in the water. They also did a little smoochin'. She was glad she decided to stick around and go on the date. She was obviously pretty nervous in the beginning (mainly because she said she hadn't been on a date since she was 18).
The night ends up at Juan Pablo's house (Camila is staying with her grandparents). He cooks for her and they did a little dancing. As the night went on, the more comfortable she got with him and they seemed to really have a connection. They bonded more even over photos of their kids, and she got the rose. He was pretty open about the fact that he was very attracted to her. He loves a lot of things about her, not just the fact that she has a child, too.
Group Date
Kelly, Renee, Sharleen, Danielle, Alli, Lauren, Christy, Lucy, Nikki, Andi
- 1-on-1 Date: Cassandra (gets a rose)
- 1-on-1 Date: Chelsie (gets a rose)
- Group Date: Nikki gets the rose
- No Date: Kat, Clare, Elise
- Rose Ceremony Eliminations (2): Christy, Lucy
- Remaining Girls (13): Alli, Andi, Cassandra, Chelsie, Clare, Danielle, Elise, Kat, Kelly, Lauren S, Nikki, Renee, Sharleen
The preview of the episode just said that we are going to see one of the most uncomfortable kisses in Bachelor history. That sounds like it's going to be some great TV! It's going to be very hard to beat that one girl who tried to straddle Ben to kiss him and her dress was too tight...and then she proceeded to give him instructions on how they were going to kiss. I've never seen something so uncomfortable, so I can't wait to see who and what happens tonight!
One-On-One Date: Cassandra
JP is hoping to find out if it's worth keeping Cassandra around, since she has been missing her son. He doesn't want to keep her away from him if he doesn't think they have a future.
He picks her up and they take off driving along the water, and next thing you know, he drives right into the ocean! He totally "James Bonded" it! How cool! They seemed to be having a great time as he zoomed his car/boat across the water. Next they moved onto a yacht, and did the classic yacht date activity: jump in the water. They also did a little smoochin'. She was glad she decided to stick around and go on the date. She was obviously pretty nervous in the beginning (mainly because she said she hadn't been on a date since she was 18).
The night ends up at Juan Pablo's house (Camila is staying with her grandparents). He cooks for her and they did a little dancing. As the night went on, the more comfortable she got with him and they seemed to really have a connection. They bonded more even over photos of their kids, and she got the rose. He was pretty open about the fact that he was very attracted to her. He loves a lot of things about her, not just the fact that she has a child, too.
Group Date
Kelly, Renee, Sharleen, Danielle, Alli, Lauren, Christy, Lucy, Nikki, Andi
Thursday, January 16, 2014
American Idol, Ep. 13.2
Austin Auditions Continued, and San Francisco
Received Golden Tickets (33):
Jesse Roach, 27
She has a very gritty voice and she's very unique. She looks like a rocker with a black guitar and lots of tattoos, but she she also had a lot of soul.
Steven Curd, 18
I really, really like him. He sounds like someone, but I can't think who.
Anna Melvin, 22
Very loud. She was good, but I've heard better. I think she needs to tone it down a little.
Ryan Clark, 23
Very average. I was not impressed at all with the little bit that we got to hear.
Quiandra Boston-Pearsall, 17
Pretty good voice, with a lot of potential.
Megan Miller, 23
Great job on the Carrie Underwood song "Last Name". Very strong and confident. She has a really good tone.
Eric Wood, 28
Good, strong rocker with some soul. Liked it!
Spencer Lloyd, 19
How cool, he's singing Colton Dixon's song! As J. Lo said...he's gorgeous. And he can sing, so double bonus!
Marlon Lindsey, 27
Wow, he was much better than I thought he was going to be. That's some natural talent there.
T. K. Hash, 28
I can't say enough good things about this guy! He starts off with a spot-on impression of Barack Obama, because he looks like him. Then he blew me away by his song choice of Fall Out Boy's "My Song's Know What You Did In The Dark". He added his own twist to it, and it was super good!
McKenna Dennis, ?
We didn't get to see much of her, but I think she was really good.
Tristen Langley, 15
Season 1's Nikki McKibbon, who came in 3rd...he's her son! He was 4 when she was on. Holy crap! I cannot believe she could have a son that old, and that season 1 was so long ago. I loved his song choice of "Santeria". It was so good! Whoa..loved, loved, loved it! Talent definitely runs in the family! Harry actually said no, but J. Lo and Keith said yes.
Taylor Stearns, 21
I liked it, but it wasn't the best of the night. She's got potential though.
John J. Fox, 20
He's worship leader and he's been writing songs since he was 6...wow! He is so good! I loved his version of "To Make You Feel My Love". He sang with a lot of power, but also with a lot of emotion.
Rachel Rolleri, 17
Received Golden Tickets (33):
Jesse Roach, 27
She has a very gritty voice and she's very unique. She looks like a rocker with a black guitar and lots of tattoos, but she she also had a lot of soul.
Steven Curd, 18
I really, really like him. He sounds like someone, but I can't think who.
Anna Melvin, 22
Very loud. She was good, but I've heard better. I think she needs to tone it down a little.
Ryan Clark, 23
Very average. I was not impressed at all with the little bit that we got to hear.
Quiandra Boston-Pearsall, 17
Pretty good voice, with a lot of potential.
Megan Miller, 23
Great job on the Carrie Underwood song "Last Name". Very strong and confident. She has a really good tone.
Eric Wood, 28
Good, strong rocker with some soul. Liked it!
Spencer Lloyd, 19
How cool, he's singing Colton Dixon's song! As J. Lo said...he's gorgeous. And he can sing, so double bonus!
Marlon Lindsey, 27
Wow, he was much better than I thought he was going to be. That's some natural talent there.
T. K. Hash, 28
I can't say enough good things about this guy! He starts off with a spot-on impression of Barack Obama, because he looks like him. Then he blew me away by his song choice of Fall Out Boy's "My Song's Know What You Did In The Dark". He added his own twist to it, and it was super good!
McKenna Dennis, ?
We didn't get to see much of her, but I think she was really good.
Tristen Langley, 15
Season 1's Nikki McKibbon, who came in 3rd...he's her son! He was 4 when she was on. Holy crap! I cannot believe she could have a son that old, and that season 1 was so long ago. I loved his song choice of "Santeria". It was so good! Whoa..loved, loved, loved it! Talent definitely runs in the family! Harry actually said no, but J. Lo and Keith said yes.
Taylor Stearns, 21
I liked it, but it wasn't the best of the night. She's got potential though.
John J. Fox, 20
He's worship leader and he's been writing songs since he was 6...wow! He is so good! I loved his version of "To Make You Feel My Love". He sang with a lot of power, but also with a lot of emotion.
Rachel Rolleri, 17
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
American Idol, Season 13 Premiere: My Thoughts
In case you're looking for a recap of the first night of auditions, you can read it here. I had so many thoughts about tonight's episode, that I decided to write a separate post to cover it all.
If you follow this blog, you may have read the post I wrote after last year reviewing all of the things that were wrong with American Idol. Then a few months ago, when the promos and the rumors of all the changes that were going to be mad started to come out, it seemed like American Idol listened to the outcry of the loyal fans. Tonight's episode was the first true test to see if it was all true.
One thing that was a no-brainer was that the judging panel was going to be 100x better than last season's. That was just a given. It's no secret that I was beyond ecstatic when I found out Harry Connick, Jr. had officially joined the panel. I had high hopes for him and what he might bring to the table. But a lot of things go into what is actually shown in the episodes, so you never know what to expect. However, in Harry's case, he proved exactly what I thought about him, and I couldn't be happier. Here's what Harry brought to the table:
1) Humor
The guy is just flat-out a comedian, and the best kind, at that. He's so subtle sometimes--you have to really be listening to catch all of his quick one-liners. He's a lot like Keith in that respect. I just knew those two were going to be great together. He also isn't afraid to make fun of himself and the fact that no one seems to know who he was. I will never forget a couple of his tweets awhile back:
This sums it up pretty good. I still find it shocking that not that many people know who he is. I mean, I don't listen to his music (even though I think he's a good singer...it's just not my kind of music). But even if you haven't heard his singing, surely people have seen him in movies...but I guess not.
2) Realistic comments without being mean
Most people's complaints about Simon Cowell were that he was so mean. I liked that he didn't give people false hope, but yes, he could have done it in a nicer way. That's what Harry brings to the panel. Someone has to tell people when they aren't good. If you're afraid to give harsh criticism, then you shouldn't be a judge. That's what they are supposed to be there for...not to sugar coat everything.
3) A critical ear
More than once tonight, Harry disagreed with both J. Lo and Keith. He may have thought someone was good, but he was thinking ahead and comparing them to what he had already heard. Some singers just didn't match up and he made his opinion known. He may have lost the battle, but he put it out there that he didn't think they had what it takes to compete with some of the better singers they put through.
4) Not falling under the spell of the runs
THANK YOU HARRY! One of my biggest pet peeves is that as soon as someone does an incredible acrobatic run, the judges just swoon and think it's the best thing they've ever heard. It didn't matter what the rest of the song sounded like...it was great just because they did that run. Harry was not going to be fooled by that, and I love that! I hope he has the same opinion about screamers and people who sing loudly.
5) A hint of modesty
Who can forget Steven Tyler oogling over teens like 50 years younger than him? Harry actually said the lyrics that one of the girls sang gave him the creeps. J. Lo. was right when she said it was probably because he has a daughter that age. But how refreshing was it to hear someone from the music business give some great advice to that girl about singing something more age appropriate?! I also loved his joke about not letting his daughter get a tattoo.
I could go on and on about Harry, but I'll stop there.
Keith and J. Lo are not to be forgotten.
If you follow this blog, you may have read the post I wrote after last year reviewing all of the things that were wrong with American Idol. Then a few months ago, when the promos and the rumors of all the changes that were going to be mad started to come out, it seemed like American Idol listened to the outcry of the loyal fans. Tonight's episode was the first true test to see if it was all true.
One thing that was a no-brainer was that the judging panel was going to be 100x better than last season's. That was just a given. It's no secret that I was beyond ecstatic when I found out Harry Connick, Jr. had officially joined the panel. I had high hopes for him and what he might bring to the table. But a lot of things go into what is actually shown in the episodes, so you never know what to expect. However, in Harry's case, he proved exactly what I thought about him, and I couldn't be happier. Here's what Harry brought to the table:
1) Humor
The guy is just flat-out a comedian, and the best kind, at that. He's so subtle sometimes--you have to really be listening to catch all of his quick one-liners. He's a lot like Keith in that respect. I just knew those two were going to be great together. He also isn't afraid to make fun of himself and the fact that no one seems to know who he was. I will never forget a couple of his tweets awhile back:
2) Realistic comments without being mean
Most people's complaints about Simon Cowell were that he was so mean. I liked that he didn't give people false hope, but yes, he could have done it in a nicer way. That's what Harry brings to the panel. Someone has to tell people when they aren't good. If you're afraid to give harsh criticism, then you shouldn't be a judge. That's what they are supposed to be there for...not to sugar coat everything.
3) A critical ear
More than once tonight, Harry disagreed with both J. Lo and Keith. He may have thought someone was good, but he was thinking ahead and comparing them to what he had already heard. Some singers just didn't match up and he made his opinion known. He may have lost the battle, but he put it out there that he didn't think they had what it takes to compete with some of the better singers they put through.
4) Not falling under the spell of the runs
THANK YOU HARRY! One of my biggest pet peeves is that as soon as someone does an incredible acrobatic run, the judges just swoon and think it's the best thing they've ever heard. It didn't matter what the rest of the song sounded like...it was great just because they did that run. Harry was not going to be fooled by that, and I love that! I hope he has the same opinion about screamers and people who sing loudly.
5) A hint of modesty
Who can forget Steven Tyler oogling over teens like 50 years younger than him? Harry actually said the lyrics that one of the girls sang gave him the creeps. J. Lo. was right when she said it was probably because he has a daughter that age. But how refreshing was it to hear someone from the music business give some great advice to that girl about singing something more age appropriate?! I also loved his joke about not letting his daughter get a tattoo.
I could go on and on about Harry, but I'll stop there.
Keith and J. Lo are not to be forgotten.
American Idol, Ep. 13.1
I think Season 13 is going to be a lucky one for American Idol. Lots of changes in store for this season: new judges, new mentor, new "Rush" week (to replace Hollywood week), a new thing called "the chamber", new/updated song catalog, and more! So let's get this party started!
Boston & Austin Auditions
Received Golden Tickets (46):
Marialle Sellers, 17 (not sure if her name is spelled right, they didn't put it on the screen)
Girl playing a guitar...very cool. Loved her rendition of Bruno Mars's "Grenade". Totally awesome! I like her look and her style. Wow, first audition we see, and I...love...her!
Troy Durden, 29
It's never good to start out with twerking. And then he comes with "Over the Rainbow", and it was no joke! It wasn't the best thing I've ever heard, but it wasn't a complete mess. The remix to the twerking, definitely didn't do it for me.
Sam Woolf, 17
Love the song choice of Ed Sheeran's "Lego House". With the guitar, it was so good! He was a little nervous, but he had great pitch. Keith picked up on how fast he did the words, and I noticed that, too.
Ethan Thompson, 23
Another great guy with a guitar. Loved the high pitch notes! Great voice, and I loved his tone.
Lindsey Pedicone, 18
She has a very unique voice, and a very cool, laid back vibe.
Jillian Jensen, 20
I remember this girl..I don't remember if she auditioned for Idol before, or if it was maybe X Factor. I'm thinking she was the girl who was bullied and really had a connection with Demi. Could be wrong, but I think that was her. Either way, I really liked it.
Update: I was right...she was on Season 2 of X Factor
Stephanie Hanvey, 16
Boston & Austin Auditions
Received Golden Tickets (46):
Marialle Sellers, 17 (not sure if her name is spelled right, they didn't put it on the screen)
Girl playing a guitar...very cool. Loved her rendition of Bruno Mars's "Grenade". Totally awesome! I like her look and her style. Wow, first audition we see, and I...love...her!
Troy Durden, 29
It's never good to start out with twerking. And then he comes with "Over the Rainbow", and it was no joke! It wasn't the best thing I've ever heard, but it wasn't a complete mess. The remix to the twerking, definitely didn't do it for me.
Sam Woolf, 17
Love the song choice of Ed Sheeran's "Lego House". With the guitar, it was so good! He was a little nervous, but he had great pitch. Keith picked up on how fast he did the words, and I noticed that, too.
Ethan Thompson, 23
Another great guy with a guitar. Loved the high pitch notes! Great voice, and I loved his tone.
Lindsey Pedicone, 18
She has a very unique voice, and a very cool, laid back vibe.
Jillian Jensen, 20
I remember this girl..I don't remember if she auditioned for Idol before, or if it was maybe X Factor. I'm thinking she was the girl who was bullied and really had a connection with Demi. Could be wrong, but I think that was her. Either way, I really liked it.
Update: I was right...she was on Season 2 of X Factor
Stephanie Hanvey, 16
Monday, January 13, 2014
The Bachelor, Ep. 18.2
Episode Summary
The previews for this episode look absolutely crazy! Can't wait to see all the drama unfold.
On last night's preview episode, we find out that Clare does in fact get the first one-on-one date (see previous spoiler post).
One-on-One Date: Clare
- 1-on-1 Date: Clare (gets a rose)
- 1-on-1 Date: Kat (gets a rose)
- Group Date: Kelly gets the rose
- No Date: Sharleen, Amy L, Danielle
- Eliminated Before Rose Ceremony: Victoria
- Rose Ceremony Eliminations (2, but 3 eliminated total): Amy L, Chantel
- Remaining Girls (15): Alli, Andi, Cassandra, Chelsie, Christy, Clare, Danielle, Elise, Kat, Kelly, Lauren S, Lucy, Nikki, Renee, Sharleen
The previews for this episode look absolutely crazy! Can't wait to see all the drama unfold.
On last night's preview episode, we find out that Clare does in fact get the first one-on-one date (see previous spoiler post).
One-on-One Date: Clare
Monday, January 6, 2014
The Bachelor, Ep. 18.1
Get ready for the drama and cat fights to begin, because The Bachelor is back! I'm excited to watch the extremely handsome Juan Pablo. I'm a little on the fence about the girls, based on the very brief preview we had last night and what I've seen and read online. Maybe some of them will surprise me, but I'm not holding out much hope for this group. They seem to all be a little immature and not there for the right reasons. And lets just face it, some of them seem just a bit creepy and over-the-top.
Night 1: Limo Arrivals and Cocktail Party
I can't wait to see what fun and original things the ladies come up with for their first meeting with Juan Pablo (sarcasm).
First we get to see a brief bio of Juan Pablo, and then it's a visit from Sean. Normally these "visits" seem really forced and awkward, and at the end you're thinking "why were they even there, that was pointless". However, Sean actually had some really good pieces of advice for him. Juan had some good questions and Sean did a really good job answering them. The best part was the segment at the end of the show when Juan Pablo was showing Sean how to dance the salsa. They were discussing what Juan Pablo's "thing" was going to be. Sean's was being shirtless, and Juan Pablo said his could be dancing. Too funny!
Limos
Amy L. - so excited, "the sun couldn't set fast enough"
Cassandra - "the night has taken so long to get here"...awkward silence
Christy - "I'm glad it's you"
Christine - nervous and brought bracelet for Camila
Nikki - she does some sort of strange wave; she's a nurse and she makes him listen to her heart with a stethoscope (Juan Pablo: "no more limos")
Kat - she's a dancer and wants to learn the salsa (Juan Pablo: "she smells good, very good")
Chantel - she gives him a lesson on how to pronounce her name
Victoria - she's from Brazil, and she'll help him with Portuguese if he helps her with Spanish (Juan Pablo: "hmm a cute one")
Lucy - she wore a flower "hippy"-like headband and she didn't wear shoes because she didn't want to be too tall, and she's a hippy; she seemed like she was drunk
Danielle - she has a present for him inside
Lauren S. - she comes in playing and pedaling some sort of piano bike, because music is her passion; that's not weird at all...and she messed up; she was out of breath and talked really fast; he chased after her back into the house to get her name, because she was so nervous she forgot to tell him
Chelsie - she's a science teacher, so she does an experiment with him and he looks like he wants to eat her test tube, but she throws it away and says "instead of doing chemistry, why don't we just have chemistry"
Valerie - she is wearing cowgirl boots with her fancy dress
Elise - she is so excited to meet him (Juan Pablo: "you smell good")
Ashley - she speaks with a very creepy whisper (as what appears to be her natural voice) and then gives him a gold star sticker because she is a teacher
Clare - hello baby bump! and oh yeah, it's a fake...having something to do with him being a father and wanting more kids (Juan Pablo: "she's very cute")
Alli - she comes out kicking a soccer ball
Amy J. - "I'm here for you because it's you"
Renee - single mom to son Ben (Juan Pablo: "bye mama")
Lauren H. - she says it's nice to meet him and can't wait to learn more about him
Maggie - wow, that southern accent; she is sincerely happy it's him"; she brought him a fishing hook because she loves to fish with her family
Kelly - she sends her dog out of the limo first and it runs from Juan Pablo; he said "I hope the owner likes me". She said "she insisted on coming"...oh boy.
Lacy - gives him pills to take and think of her, because 25 girls could give him headaches and make him feel dizzy
Alexis - she's from Tampa...that's all (Juan Pablo: "she is cute too")
Kylie - she said "I've been dying to hug you...I can't believe this is happening, I'm so excited"
Sharleen - she said she flew all the way from Germany, and Juan Pablo asks "why" and he really, really likes her dress (Juan Pablo: "hmm singers, I like singers")
Andi - she is nervous, but excited; he had to ask her name more than twice (Juan Pablo: "oh my gosh, wow")
Following the limos, Juan Pablo greeted the girls, started some music and they had a little mini dance party to get loosened up. He also had a photo booth there for them to take some crazy photos.
One-on-Ones
Night 1: Limo Arrivals and Cocktail Party
I can't wait to see what fun and original things the ladies come up with for their first meeting with Juan Pablo (sarcasm).
First we get to see a brief bio of Juan Pablo, and then it's a visit from Sean. Normally these "visits" seem really forced and awkward, and at the end you're thinking "why were they even there, that was pointless". However, Sean actually had some really good pieces of advice for him. Juan had some good questions and Sean did a really good job answering them. The best part was the segment at the end of the show when Juan Pablo was showing Sean how to dance the salsa. They were discussing what Juan Pablo's "thing" was going to be. Sean's was being shirtless, and Juan Pablo said his could be dancing. Too funny!
Limos
Amy L. - so excited, "the sun couldn't set fast enough"
Cassandra - "the night has taken so long to get here"...awkward silence
Christy - "I'm glad it's you"
Christine - nervous and brought bracelet for Camila
Nikki - she does some sort of strange wave; she's a nurse and she makes him listen to her heart with a stethoscope (Juan Pablo: "no more limos")
Kat - she's a dancer and wants to learn the salsa (Juan Pablo: "she smells good, very good")
Chantel - she gives him a lesson on how to pronounce her name
Victoria - she's from Brazil, and she'll help him with Portuguese if he helps her with Spanish (Juan Pablo: "hmm a cute one")
Lucy - she wore a flower "hippy"-like headband and she didn't wear shoes because she didn't want to be too tall, and she's a hippy; she seemed like she was drunk
Danielle - she has a present for him inside
Lauren S. - she comes in playing and pedaling some sort of piano bike, because music is her passion; that's not weird at all...and she messed up; she was out of breath and talked really fast; he chased after her back into the house to get her name, because she was so nervous she forgot to tell him
Chelsie - she's a science teacher, so she does an experiment with him and he looks like he wants to eat her test tube, but she throws it away and says "instead of doing chemistry, why don't we just have chemistry"
Valerie - she is wearing cowgirl boots with her fancy dress
Elise - she is so excited to meet him (Juan Pablo: "you smell good")
Ashley - she speaks with a very creepy whisper (as what appears to be her natural voice) and then gives him a gold star sticker because she is a teacher
Clare - hello baby bump! and oh yeah, it's a fake...having something to do with him being a father and wanting more kids (Juan Pablo: "she's very cute")
Alli - she comes out kicking a soccer ball
Amy J. - "I'm here for you because it's you"
Renee - single mom to son Ben (Juan Pablo: "bye mama")
Lauren H. - she says it's nice to meet him and can't wait to learn more about him
Maggie - wow, that southern accent; she is sincerely happy it's him"; she brought him a fishing hook because she loves to fish with her family
Kelly - she sends her dog out of the limo first and it runs from Juan Pablo; he said "I hope the owner likes me". She said "she insisted on coming"...oh boy.
Lacy - gives him pills to take and think of her, because 25 girls could give him headaches and make him feel dizzy
Alexis - she's from Tampa...that's all (Juan Pablo: "she is cute too")
Kylie - she said "I've been dying to hug you...I can't believe this is happening, I'm so excited"
Sharleen - she said she flew all the way from Germany, and Juan Pablo asks "why" and he really, really likes her dress (Juan Pablo: "hmm singers, I like singers")
Andi - she is nervous, but excited; he had to ask her name more than twice (Juan Pablo: "oh my gosh, wow")
Following the limos, Juan Pablo greeted the girls, started some music and they had a little mini dance party to get loosened up. He also had a photo booth there for them to take some crazy photos.
One-on-Ones
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