It’s Andrew Lloyd Webber week for your Top 6 on American Idol 7. To enhance your viewing experience, I suggest that the gentlemen don their best top hat/tuxedo and ladies, please spray anti-dust mite before wearing those awful feather boas (I mean, when did chicken and bird stink become fashionable on humans anyway?) and tasseled, itchy, and lacy dresses abominations (stay away from me while you’re in those because the smell reminds me of my great grandma, post-humus, srsly). Sit back, restrain yourself, and listen to the excruciating renditions brought to you by your finalists as they take on songs that may bore non-theater fans and the non-musically-inclined to non-existence.
Let’s begin.
Syesha Mercado starts the ball rolling with “One Rock ‘n’ Roll Too Many.” She sounded really confident and, for once, she wasn’t off-pitch during the critical/challenging parts of the song. Surprise surprise! And about f*ckin’ time, too! Frankly, with her mind-numbing track record of doing flats like it’s fashionable, it’s a real wonder that she’s still in the competition at this stage. Good thing this performance gave her fans hope (the handful of them), albeit fleetingly.
Next, Jason Castro sings “Memory” off the Broadway hit Cats. Set the TV volume on mute! God, that was awful. Listening to Ken Leeeee was exponentially more entertaining than that overly bhreahhhthhh infused number. Give it up, Castro. Go back to TV acting where some people may actually like you!
Brooke White tried to sing and re-sing “You Must Love Me” from Evita. Another epic fail, ladies-with-boa and gentlemen-with-top-hats. Watch this and catch yourself cry in pity and anguish. Brooke, here’s a tip, build up on your confidence. Your poor stage presence says you need it.
David Archuleta performs “Think of Me” from the “Phantom of the Opera” with a rather interesting arrangement. There are two things that’s so wrong with this performance. First, he doesn’t look like Christine. Not even close. Second, the musical arrangement is not at all reminiscent of any Webber original. The latter, being SO wrong, may have just made Archuleta’s performance even more appealing (and current) for viewers and swooning fans. Other than the momentary stutter, that number went rather well. (Save your argument. I’m not listening to banters here other than my own.)
Then comes the estranged Carly Smithson signing “Jesus Christ Superstar.” She does not look like your average JC worshiping gospel singer but she sure sounded like a Superstar. Props for the chops (and tatts).
And last, you’ll have David Cook doing “Music of the Night” still off the “Phantom of the Opera” franchise. I suggest that you relax when this part airs and observe as your jaw involuntarily drops to the floor in awe. You may also experience goose bumps during parts where he does crescendos (and that’s perfectly normal, I assure you). The way he shifts from one method of delivering the verses to another is so theatrically sound that you can practically imagine him slowly donning a mask and a cape. Great display of vocal range and control! Splendido! Standing ovation! Applause!
IMHO, Syesha, Carly, and David Cook were strongest tonight. If Brooke can rake in sympathy votes then it’s bye-bye Jason.
To David Cook, here’s for belting out that last note: SHOW OFF! LOL
Twitter Updates
23 April 2008 at 12:55 pm
whoa! another brilliant performance from David Cook! I am so gonna watch this when I get home!
23 April 2008 at 1:08 pm
I hope those retards who says that Cook is one note get a load of this! This is similar to the Porkchop Diva’s faggotry.
23 April 2008 at 1:26 pm
David Cook’s a brilliant artist hands down XD
23 April 2008 at 1:27 pm
*whispers* who’s Porkchop Diva again? 0_o
23 April 2008 at 1:48 pm
I will download the shit out of David Cook’s performance tonight.
23 April 2008 at 1:51 pm
His last two performances were strong and now this. Guy’s on a roll!
23 April 2008 at 3:26 pm
Porkchop Diva = Divette Archulette
23 April 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hey! I like the kid. Great voice. Pleasant personality. Very talented musician.
23 April 2008 at 9:05 pm
(Did not read this blog post because I have yet to see the show tonight.)
OffT:
Hi! Just browsing TMB bloggers. I saw your Flickr page, and your photos are impressive. Bookmarked!
24 April 2008 at 2:29 am
Awww, thanks fo the lurv CM! So, what do you think of the performances? For the record, I based what I wrote from Rickey’s latest. I saw the actual show only at 11pm tonight. So, yeah, I would have written the same stuff even if the seeng came after the listening.
24 April 2008 at 10:19 am
a shocking elimination is shocking! Clue? My forecast failed.
24 April 2008 at 11:37 am
Thoughts on the performances (and I read this blog of yours this time)
Syesha Mercado was alright, but I don’t think that’ll change fans’ (or lack thereof) minds. She may be safe tonight, but not in the next.
Jason Castro was horrible, but I wasn’t surprised. I think the only reason that’s keeping him off the bottom three are the rows and rows of giggling teenage girls who can’t tell music from nails on a chalkboard.
Brooke White is not supposed to do a mistake #2 like she did! It worked the first time, because humans are forgivable the first time. But a second time, with an orchestra accompanying your voice, is just altogether too annoying. When you said she lacked confidence, the only thing that came to my mind is that, if it were another show, she would have been oozing with confidence. But this is American Idol, where millions of fans can beat her at singing hands down, and she knows it, and that is why I see she can’t have a lot of confidence.
David Archuleta is one of the most consistent performers in the bunch. More consistent than Carly and Syesha who supposedly have a lot of talent. But he strikes me as too pa-cute. To the point of annoying.
Carly Smithson has stretched her singing ability one time too many, that I can predict when she’ll hit a flat. And her performance last night was electric, and she may have an army of backup vocals, but that didn’t mask the notes she couldn’t hit on portions of the chorus. She could use a little lowering the range of the song because, vocally inclined singer that she is, she didn’t quite hit the notes like she’s supposed to.
My money is on David Cook. If he doesn’t become American Idol, he’s gonna have one prolific life as a rock superstar. I thought another rocker a few years following Daughtry wouldn’t work, but Cook shows a lot of originality that just so easily escapes the shadow of his predecessor.
Wow, this got long.
24 April 2008 at 11:59 am
Thoughts are thoughts. LVL (LULZ in Roman numeric writing). Carly changed the chorus exactly because of her range limit. Sad that she had to go tonight, though. I was wrong about Syesha not having a single flat. She had at least 2. Thanks the lengthy rep, CM.
24 April 2008 at 2:50 pm
Syesha doesn’t really strike me as a strong singer. She’s not as good as the other African American women who have reached this level in the competition – Tamyra, Manzell, Malakisha, Mantasia, Hagrid Sparks and Shrek Doolittle.
Brooke and Castro have to go in the next couple of weeks.
Man, the themes have sucked, eh? They have not sung a lot of songs from the last 10 years if you noticed.
26 April 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hold the heck on, you spelled his last name wrong. WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT ME??? :P
Ok. I go read the rest of the entry now.
27 April 2008 at 1:32 am
i hope david archuleta wins. why? wala lang. favorite sya nung kapitbahay kong parlorista. hehehe! nice site bro!
27 April 2008 at 6:57 pm
Hi Fritz. Great blogsite. The address is easy to remember. Plus i like the orange design =)
2 May 2008 at 2:14 pm
And because we’re dynamic like that, I changed the spelling as if nothing ever happened HUHLOLZ!
2 May 2008 at 2:14 pm
Ngayun pa lang ako makakasagot, salamat arpee-san!
2 May 2008 at 2:15 pm
Shall I call you ArsenaL? LULZ New theme man, just as awesome (or so I think).
7 May 2008 at 4:47 pm
Hmm. For me, Carly should have stayed and yes, Jason should be the one out of the game that round.