Wednesday

TV-American Idol 08-Review of Performance Round 3/25/08; Eliminated on 3/26/08


Bottom Three-3/26/08:Chikezie,Syesha Mercado,Jason Castro

SENT HOME-3/26/08-Chikezie

Effective this week, the review, unique pics and videos you'll find nowhere else on the Internet, and would-be Idols eliminated will be posted on Wednesday nights immediately AFTER the elimination show. The review posted will be of the prior contest earlier that same week and will include my guess as to who will be sent home.

Which might be an incorrect guess, mind you, as the review et al will have been written/compiled BEFORE the elimination round. Thus the contender eliminated will be posted on this Blog right after it is announced so click on in for the first result.


Pic of the Day
snake in road




American Idol logo


From Top Ten 2008 the American Idol Countdown Begins on 3/26/08

First, a musical smile.

Music questions for tidbits


-How many roads must a man walk down?
-Where have all the flowers gone?
-How much is that doggy in the window?
-What if God was one of us?
-Who let the dogs out?
-Will you still need me when I'm 64?
-What's goin' on?
-What's love got to do with it?
-Who put the ram in the ramalamadingdong?
-Will you still love me tomorrow?
-Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
-Hello ... is it me you're looking for?
-Have you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day?
-Do you know the way to San Jose?
-What would you think if I sang out of tune?
-Are you lonesome tonight?
-Does anybody really know what time it is?
-Are you reelin' in the years?
-Who you gonna call?
-Stop, hey, what's that sound?
-Brother, can you spare a dime?
-Why is everybody always picking on me?
-Do you like good music?
-What's new, pussycat?
-Wouldn't it be nice if we were married?
-Do you want to know a secret?
-Could it be I'm falling in love?
-How can you mend a broken heart?
-Can you feel the love tonight


On the night of 3/25/08, the top ten American Idol contenders fought to win the title, at the least they fought to sing another week.

The contenders were charged with singing a tune from their birth year. By my estimation most of these young folks were born in the mid to late 80’s with a few in the late 70’s. Pics of the contenders as babies and children were shown along with vignettes from the contender’s parents. For each of the top ten singers I have included a montage above my critique of their performance for the night of “Songs from My Birth Year”.

Ramiele Malubay family montage


For yet a third time I am going to predict that Ramiele Malubay gets sent home from the competition. At the least I think she will be in the bottom three. I have been wrong twice before in predicting Ramiele’s demise and she is cuter than a button. Cuteness brings votes.

Which is not to say that Ramiele doesn’t have a huge voice for such a little thing. She certainly does. But this is a nationwide contest featuring singers culled from almost 300 million people. Right now that list is down to ten finalists and by me Ramiele is one of the weaker of that top ten.

Ramiele sang Heart’s “Alone” as a song from her birth year. Once again I thought her singing was breathy and the lower parts barely audible. Tiny Ramiele’s voice seemed overwhelmed by the background singers and I could swear I heard some offkey notes. Interestingly, Simon thought Ramiele’s performance was okay and that she will survive this week’s elimination round.

The judges commented on Ramiele’s health and evidently she was quite ill the night of this performance.

Jason Castro family montage


I predict that Jason Castro will be one of the bottom three this week and I’d go with him as second choice for getting the boot .

I think Jason is a very good singer and I’ve always enjoyed his performances. But Jason is a genre singer, a coffee house warbler, a background guitar strumming, softly but sweetly singing entertainer. I think it’s very possible Jason will be picked up by a record label which features his kind of music or get a nice job in Vegas or somewhere where his singing would be more appropriate. He’s just not the kind of singer with a great big voice that America loves for this contest.

Jason sang Sting’s “Fragile”. I didn’t particularly like this song but again Jason’s coffee house singing is always enjoyable. The judges sort of agree with my assessment of Jason’s chances for winning this thing and a couple thought his performance “too simple”. Which I translate as not big voice singing with complicated backgrounds that America wants to hear in its Idol.

Syesha Mercado family montage


Syesha Mercado, who once found herself unfairly in the bottom three, hit it out of the ballpark tonight. Syesha sang a song I wasn’t terribly familiar with titled “If I Were Your Woman” which resident music expert, my husband, thought was sung by Gladys Knight.

I was drop dead impressed with Syesha’s performance and I consider it the best female performance of the night. The judges too seemed impressed with Syesha’s performance. Except for Simon who couldn’t just give Syesha the great big thumbs up that she deserved. He had to say something so he said he wasn’t all that happy with the ending of Syesha’s song.

Bah, humbug.

Chickezie family montage


Chikezie is my third nominee for the bottom three on elimination night on 3/26/08 and I consider him third likely to get the boot.

Chikezie is not going to win this thing, I think even he knows that. In fact Chikezie tried out once before for this contest and was kicked off at the Hollywood round. So getting into that cherished top ten is quite an accomplishment for him and soon he’s going to get sent home.

Chikezie sang a Brenda Russell tune, if my notes are correct, titled “If Only For One Night”. This song and Chikezie’s performance was typical Chikezie stuff.

Simon called the performance “cheesy”, a big ha-ha there. It seems that both the tune and some of Chikezie’s actions seemed…well kitschy comes to mind. At one point Chikezie put his hand out into the audience and the judges seemed to think this was old hat.

Which, frankly, it was. For American Idol you don’t sit down and croon to a couple of folks in the front row while extending a forlorn hand with the angst of the song. You do that sort of thing in a smoky nightclub. So while this whole schtick seems to be Chikezie’s style, it’s not going to win him the title.

Brooke White family montage


Brooke White sang a Police tune “Every Breath You Take”. First, Brooke had on the most boring dress on the planet. But we’ll move on.

Brooke has a husky, haunting voice that is certainly different and pleasant to hear. I thought Brooke gave an okay performance although there was an error in how Brooke led off the song. She sang two words, caught her breath and began again.

I noticed this but I wasn’t sure it was a mistake. The judges commented on that mistake, which Brooke admitted was a mistake, and they told her she handled it very professionally. Which she did as I considered the “error” part of the performance plan.

Randy and Simon both thought that Brooke should have just sung the song with her fine piano accompaniment without bother of the band.

Michael Johns family montage


Michael Johns gave the third best performance of the night as I see it. Michael sang Queen’s “We Are the Champions”. It was a great song, a great performance and while I don’t think Michael will win this thing, he’s sure to go on to some musical success after this American Idol contest.

The audience sure loved Michael and the judges too. Randy thought it was Michael’s best performance ever and Simon thought it the most memorable performance of that night.

Carly Smithson family montage


One of my top ten favorite songs is “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and none other than Carly Smithson belted it out. If I had to pick one contender to sing that song it would be Carly.

But while I loved the song and loved the singer, the judges were ho-hum about it. If nothing else, I think that Carly will make it through for another week.

David Archuleta family montage


David Archuleta came up next and I love this handsome, personable fellow who is going to win this thing as I predict.

I have never heard of the song David sang, a tune titled “You’re the Voice” if I got it right. I thought it was a rather dumb song choice but it was sure different. I think America prefers songs from these would-be Idols that they are familiar with and David’s song was so obsolete that none of the judges had ever heard of it either.

Kristy Cook family montage


I am NOT going to put Kristy Cook at the bottom three this week although it might happen. Kristy’s been lingering around the crevice of elimination for the past three weeks now. But this past week Kristy surprised everyone by picking just the greatest song, a song I have NEVER heard sung by an American Idol contender before. Kristy sang Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and she did one helluva job.

I was so shocked at the song choice and the great performance that I sat speechless and listened, mesmerized. I even got a little thrill when Simon remarked that this was Kristy’s best performance ever and the song was a great song choice.

David Cook family montage


David Cook is a bit of a hard rock singer and I’m not crazy about his singing genre. He is, however, a great singer. And on this night David took on a rather difficult song, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

David gave a great performance, make no mistake. I consider David Cook as having given the best male performance of the night.

My notes indicate that the judges thought David Cook might be too ugly to win. I wonder what the hell that’s about because David is a handsome enough fellow except for his dirty, messed up hair. Heh.

Below, a video remix of snippets of performances from Syesha, Kristy Cook, David Cook and Carly Smithson.


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CLICK HERE FOR Pics of Top 24 American Idol 2008 Finalists

Top 24 “American Idol” 2008
Brooke White-
Carly Smithson-
David Cook-
Amanda Overmyer-Sent home 3/19/08
David Archuleta-
Kristy Lee Cook-
Danny Noriega-Sent Home 3/6/08
Jason Castro-
Luke Menard-Sent Home 3/6/08
Alexandra Lushington-Sent Home 2/28/08
Ramiele Malubay-
Michael Johns-
Syesha Mercado-
Robbie Carrico-Sent Home 2/28/08
Garrett Haley-Sent Home 2/21/08
Kady Malloy-Sent Home 3/6/08
Chikezie Eze-
Amy Davis-Sent Home 2/21/08
Alaina Whitaker-Sent Home 2/28/08
Jason Yeager-Sent Home 2/28/08
Asia’H Epperson-Sent Home 3/6/08
David Hernandez-Sent Home 3/11/08
Colton Berry-Sent Home 2/21/08
Joanne Borgella-Sent Home 2/21/08

Prior Links to Posts for “American Idol” 2008
======================
Premiere Show 2008-Philly and Dallas
San Diego and Charleston
Miami and Omaha Tryouts AI2008
Atlanta and Various Tryouts –the last AI2008
TOP 24 American Idol 2008
From 24 at the top-Four Go Home
Twenty Down to 16
Elimination Thursday 2/28/08
Elimination Thursday 3/6/08-The Top Twelve!
Lennon McCartney Night 3/11/08
Beatles Night-Down to Top Ten
Ten Down to Nine
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