American Idol: Anthony Sings As Though It's His Last Night

Anthony did a bang-up job on Tuesday night's American Idol. Last week, when it looked as though Mr. Federov was dead-ov in the water, Simon suggested he sing every night as if it were his last. Anthony appeared to have taken Simon's advice.

Ryan kicked off the evening with a little reference to the scandal that has lately followed American Idol like weirdness follows Anna Nicole Smith. The multi-handed beast — the audience — applauded madly, showing its wholehearted support of AI, Ryan, Paula, and America. Simon and Randy canoodled with Paula. Paula looked vague.

This week's theme trekked the country: Nashville to Philly — country sound and Philly sound. AI added to the drama inherent to tonight's show, due to all the looming Cory Clark-related scandal, by including little sappy clips from the contestants' families. Man. Watching those clips made ME homesick. And much of my family annoys me and lives only a stone's throw away.

Cute Carrie kicked off the night with a hopping rendition of the Dixie Chicks' "Sin Wagon." Carrie looked good. And she seemed pretty confident at the start. She belted it out and strutted her stuff, but by the end of the performance, Carrie looked tired.
Randy said, "You know who you are." (This comment lacks resonance with me because in one breath the judges say to a contestant, "Bravo, you know who you are." In the next, they say, "that just wasn't challenging. You need to take risks. Try something new.")
Paula looks vague and says, "Randy said it all."
Simon said dryly, "It would've been a shocker if you hadn't got that one right."

AlabamBo did a little ditty from the Travis Tritt notebook — "Great Day to Be Alive." I didn't like this song on Bo. He seemed a little bored and distracted. Or maybe it's just me. Anyway, the attempt wasn't very entertaining, and it should have been. For a blissful second, I had auditory hallucinations of Bo tackling Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" — that is, until I thought about the lyrics. Hmmm. Maybe not so much. Bo hauled around the mic stand, much as he does each song, each week. I think it's very possible that Bo doesn't know how to take the mic from the stand. Bo, Bo — there are people who can help with that.
Randy advised Bo that he's already in the dogpound. And that's supposed to be a good thing. No one in the Midwest knows why.
Paula said she loves Bo, but that he should picke something more challenging. (Let me advise the gentle reader to read the above paragraph for ironic parallels.)
Simon says bluntly, "That was boring." Hey, I don't always agree with Simon. But soooo often, he's right on the money.

Beautiful Vonzell was up next. Beforehand, AI flashed a clip of Baby V's brothers who are tough looking black belts. They threatened Simon. Simon should be afraid. Vonzell sang "How Do I Live?" which I would've thought might have been a good choice for her. She wore a strange orange dress. I was never sure what the pattern was. The lyrics as sung by Vonzell were a little garbled. I had the feeling she might have forgotten some of the words. Vonzell does sell a song though, and when she struggles to hit a high note, reaching, reaching, she ends up seizing it fiercely and flinging it at the listener.
Randy noted that V's delivery was a little rough. "Seemed too slow... In the end you brought it home."
Paula used her ultra powers of perception to note that Vonzell seemed upset. And hey, what do I know, but I do know that you don't ask a person who is on the verge of tears what's wrong unless you want to supply Puff's and a sympathetic ear. Of course, Vonzell cried.
Simon was notably sensitive. He said, "You looked and sounded incredibly nervous." And then he said he'd leave it with that.

Anthony started "I'm Already There" sitting Constantine-like on the edge of the stage. Hey, Anthony, it didn't work for Con! Anythony pulled it off the song off.
Randy gave Anthony props.
Paula suggested something more challenging.
Simon said, "You sang that well." But then he complained that the night felt a little like "Miss Universe... It felt — ." Paula, surprisingly, provided the correct adverb — "Syrupy."

Philly Time brought a few surprises.

Carrie sang "If You Don't Know Me By Now." It should have been good. I wanted it to be good. But it just didn't make it. And, at some point in the song, you could see the knowledge that it wasn't going well in Carrie's Oklahoma blues.
Randy said it didn't work.
Paula repeated what Randy said.
Simon said snippily, "That's about the best opp song ever written." And then he ruminated about what the cause of the problems and then blamed the band. I need a band to blame when things go wrong in my life. It would make things so much easier.

AlabamBo came out all primed to go — pimpin' it in shades, black ensem, and a honkin' big collar sign belt buckle as he sang "For the Love of Money." I think a fedora with a big feather in it would have completed the outfit. Bo was singing, working it — looking pimp-like — when my local Fox station flashes the words "Sexual Predator" right underneath Bo. Naturally, I was a little taken aback. Apparently my local Fox station was thoughtfully warning viewers that a new sexual predator is at large in the area — but — given the sum of AI's problems lately, the warning seemed a little darkly amusing. Back to Bo. I wasn't crazy over the song. The judges were.
Randy wanted AlabamBo to record that song.
Paula hearted it.
Simon said briefly: "Terrible image. Fantastic performance."

Vonzell sang "Don't Leave Me This Way" and she looks great. It seemed mid-way that she was a little wimpy on some of the high notes, but a great, brave performance.
Randy opined, "You can definitely sing." (Really? You think?)
Paula repeated Randy's earlier comment about Vonzell, "You do take risks."
Simon said that Vonzell pulled out all the stops and seemed so near the edge it made him glad when the performance was over. He noted that this performance was better than her first one of the evening.

In a brash — or cagey — move, Anthony sang, "If You Don't Know Me" — the song upon which Carrie earlier floundered. Anthony looked the best I've seen him — and he sang as if it was his last night. He made the song personal, and you could tell he was feeling it. I mean, when someone sings "Never" five times, hey. C'mon. You know they're serious.
Randy said he thought Anthony did a much better job and that it reminded him of "Simply Red." Yo, Dawg! I agree!
Paula heard those five "nevers" and said she felt Anthony sang with conviction.
Simon snidely said, "You need soul to sing that song," and compared Anthony's rendition to Woody Allen playing the lead in shaft."

What I think:

Best performances of the evening — in order:
AFed: "If You Don't Know Me"
V: "Don't Leave Me This Way

Worst:
Carrie: "If You Don't Know Me"
Bo: "Great Day to Be Alive"

Who'll Go Home:

Not too hard of a guess, but it'll probably be AFed.

Article Author: LoriKate Martin

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