For a long week now, the Premature Departure of Constantine Maroulis had cast a long shadow over tonight's American Idol show. I imagined that, instead of snuggling up in the overstuffed with that bright "how lovely, dinner with friends!" feeling, tonight's viewing would feel more like being hounded by the Protocol Officer to attend one of those dismal office parties.[monotone voice: nice to see you mr. jones great ice sculpture]Indeed, we didn't seem to be off to a great start when they announced the bifurcated themes, Lieber & Stoller (Jerry & Mike, if your people need to call their people---and no, they are not those "how many thumbs up" movie review dudes) and this week's Billboard chart hits, both seeming just a wee tad too close to that disaster of a themeless theme from last week.So they had me wondering big-time if Spongebob's ((Orb)) ((of ))((Confusion)) had not struck again.I must say, however, that tonight's American Idol quickly became sweetness and light. It was ripe with the energy of raw ambition (or, as they might say in Carrie's neck of the woods, with "smelling the barn"), and that's not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.In fact, refreshing's the word. Thank you. Face it, it hasn't been the most pleasant week in Idol-land, yet, as the sagely Martha Stewart once said, we always knew we would manage to get through "all this ridiculousness."Demonstrating the very reason for the existence of music, period, all that ridiculousness melted away when they struck up the band. Here's how I see the leader board shaping up now.The very good, and very best, performances were Carrie's rendition of "Trouble," Bo singing "Stand By Me" and "Heaven," and Scott's tune, "On Broadway."Bo, as we all know, has been water-cooler-ed all week, but I have a feeling his future, not his past, is what preoccupied him. I imagine him waking up last Thursday and it sinking in that Constantine, whom many had pegged as the frontrunner and whom many more viewed as in direct competition with Bo, was AI toast.It had to occur to Bo that, if he wasn't derailed by issues in his past, suddenly his chances of winning the whole thing would skyrocket.I imagined him looking in the mirror and asking himself, "Okay, knowing what I know now, knowing what other opportunities are likely to come my way, do I really want to win this gig after all?" Or, "how many songs like 'You Can Shine' do I really want to put myself through in this life?" And I was not sure how Bo would answer.I think I know now. Next to "Vehicle," "Stand By Me" has to be one of the greatest song choices (not songs, but choices) by an AI contestant ever. For once, no galloping around the stage, no hair-swinging, no almost-schtick, not even Bo's imaginary friend, the mic stand, to tag along (a welcome change).Only a sublime voice, plumped with a deep gospel-like fervor. A rough and rich end note he pushed through the grater until it became an astonishingly light and smooth puree.The judges, all three, swooned and the audience soared.Bo's second tune, "Heaven," wasn't quite as charming. This was particularly distressing as, I must admit that, last week while amusing myself with mind games while doing Pilates (okay, I'm goofing on ya), I pegged this very same Los Lonely Boys tune as one I'd dearly love to hear on Bo.My wish, but not what I had hoped for, came true. Bo got lazy-mouthed. There was some mushy phrasing and not even the hook, the punctuating "how far is heaven," had any lyrical or emotional clarity.That said, it still, as Simon said, was a performance that made the other contestants look like amateurs. Although Mike the Mic Stand was back for "Heaven," this time Bo's imaginary friend did not intrude. Rather, in both performances Bo concentrated on singing and---finally. thankfully. wow.---getting a little groove on.Truly, folks, while, once the music starts, it sure is hard to hold 'em back from wreaking havoc all over the house, there's still nothing like it when a southern rock man slows down and gets a little groove on.Scott came out and succeeded in winning friends and disarming enemies. I have talked at some length about Scott and his (involuntary) relationship to the chucklehead "vote for the worst" crowd. Tonight, in a plot twist worthy of Ally McBeal, Scott proved he can be a dream-maker. And he just may be making my observation---that chuckleheads often end up being the brunt of their own joke, the author of their own cautionary tales---a reality. (Go ahead: cue up the "Look Who's Laughing Now" soundtrack.)Scott's lay-down of "On Broadway," his first selection, was, to be perfectly honest, excellent on many levels. It was delightfully growl-ly, upfront, plaintive and, as Paula observed, brimming with moxie, and---in a somewhat stunning (and welcome) change of 'tude for Mr. Savol---not of the off-putting kind.And props to Scott for setting it up well, too, what with his opening monologue about how Simon had said he wouldn't last too long on Broadway and his stately declaration that he "was not leaving until he became a star." (And, I cannot help but opine, as much as the Broadway snob patrol moans about the influx of American Idol singers and singing style, I repeat---here and here---get over it.)Finally, in the Big Three, we come to Carrie. Carrie, Carrie, Carrie.You know that, although I truly appreciate Carrie's voice, I have found most of her performances underwhelming. Consequently, and with Constantine in the picture, I haven't spent all that much time ruminating on the girl from Oklahoma.Playing catch-up, here's my take:Carrie can sing. No doubt about that. And she's a hottie, which is not to be lightly dismissed. (Seriously, does anyone actually believe that Britney Spears has sold upwards of 100 million albums based solely on her singing voice? Yes, there are people in this world who would buy a dramatic reading of the Kansas City phone book, so long as Jessica Simpson was on the cd cover. You know who you are. Indeed, the music industry would not only be toast, but burnt toast without the support of shallow people. )But, to take it to the next level, Carrie needs everything. Okay, maybe she doesn't need to go as far as J-Lo, who spends tens of thousands of dollars a month to fly an artiste from New York to L.A. to pluck her eyebrows, but Carrie needs voice coaching, performance coaching, acting lessons, speech lessons. She regularly has pretty terrible singing diction, zero phrasing, nonexistent inflection and robotic body language.Other than that, she's doing great. She's the proverbial diamond-in-the-rough. And, boy oh boy, did that diamond ever shine through tonight.Carrie, tapping into one of the greatest motifs in all of pop music---most recently incarnated in songs such as Britney's "Oops, I Did It Again (I'm Not That Innocent)" and Pink's (no relation to Elvis) "Trouble" (and, less recently, Michael Jackson's "Bad;" well, we won't go there)---sang a knock-out version of Elvis' "Trouble." She even managed to get in a little "all shook up" leg gyration in the process. Major shout-out to Ed Sullivan!The minute I heard the first note, the second it hit my waiting ear, my first brain wave was "Finally! Finally! Send up the flares!"Carrie came out growling and ranting and she launched a hook---mama!---that just about snapped necks in the audience. Then there was that absolute wailing on the line "I'm eeee---eeee---eeevil" and the sassy backtalk of "don't mess around with me."Carrie didn't nail, she jackhammered the ending of this song when, after the band wove in some funky-southern-crybaby Burlesque club notes, she laid down a trill that thrilled and rocked the house.The judges, what could they say? Paula, somewhat to my chagrin, declared that we had seen "a whole different side of" Carrie tonight and how that was such a blast, etc. This chagrined me, I admit, because it was Paula and Randy who, in Week 2, crushed Carrie's inner wild woman by declaring that her attempt---sacre bleu!--to do a "Janis Joplin" song (which Faith Hill also had had the temerity to cover) was "inauthentic" and "not credible."It took five weeks for Carrie to finally, totally---not just in bits and pieces---get her mojo back. I thought her performance of "Trouble" was one of the best this season.Unfortunately, Carrie's second feature didn't showcase her mojo or build on the power trajectory of "Trouble."Frankly, since they were doing current Billboard hits, I was hoping Carrie would come out and make a statement by singing Kelly Clarkson's hit, "Since U Been Gone." (Sort of like the time Constantine wore a Justin Guarini t-shirt to an interview. Wouldn't that have been a hoot?)Instead, she came out with the plodding "God Bless the Broken Road" and she reverted to her disappointing tendency to slur words and swallow phrases.At this stage, Carrie is probably the first performer in history who might unintentionally, but regularly perform her own mondegreens. (There's a story that Jimi Hendrix purposely performed a mondegreen in "Purple Haze," where he sang "excuse me while I kiss this guy" instead of the actual lyric, "excuse me while I kiss the sky," but Carrie is not Jimi.)Carrie: do you think Maroon 5 would have succeeded if you could not understand a word Adam Levine sang?At least "Broken Road" should have been a song on which Carrie could have practiced performing---you know, delivering some kind of story with her whole self through the music. Just a little emoting would have been nice. But it didn't happen.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
1 - -E
I just can't stand listening to Scott. He isn't remarkable. He isn't on par with anyone else in the competition. Even Anthony is better than he is (and considering how much I dislike Anthony, that says quite a bit). He is mediocre at best. His performance of "On Broadway" was entertaining as a jab at Simon, but that's it.
I think the two ladies and Bo are the only ones who deserve to be in it at this point. And I generally do not like female vocalists. (But I've liked V since she got on the wrong bus during auditions).
2 - M.A.
Did I see Kim Basinger or Cheryl Ladd in the audience last night? We have a disagreement in the office. Thanks.
3 - Sticker
-E
Scott is remarkable as an escape artist--we all said that way before Simon trotted out the Houdini remark.
From time to time, just in the nick of time, he manages to pull it off.
And pointing out when Scott does something fairly well confuses the chuckleheads. I like that.
4 - kim
It was Cheryl Ladd in the audience.
Scott's attitude is just gross, he is a big scary baby.
5 - Patricia Moss
Censureship was live and well last night in the A1 board Kingdom.
Constantine fans were hoping to show their frustration with what had happened last week when they felt that their "Idol" was booted off the competition unfairly, by carrying out their own mini vote for Constantine in the Constantine folder - a vote for #6. Seems like a pretty innocuous way to vent to me.
Well it started well enough. In a few minutes, over 1300 votes were cast on one thread for #6 (Constantine), with many other threads along the same line springing into existance every second. Then the Moderators went crazy and started blocking threads. This obviously didn't work (new threads were springing up everywhere), as they soon started erasing the complete threads. They ended up erasing the whole Constantine folder in an attempt to suppress the defiance of Constantine's many fans. They even erased threads that were totally civil, and were not taking part in the vote. It seems that last night any message that contained the word "Constantine' in it was banned for a while. Unbelievable! This type of attitude is just going to make Constantine fans even more livid and determined not to let the issue die.
The fact that the Fox machine seemed to have brought down the Vote For The Worst Idol site just prior to the show, while making statements to the fact that this site had not been able to make a significant difference in Constantine's (and probably Anwar and Nadia's) results, just added salt to the wounds. The comments made by Ryan at the start of the AI show last night that blamed Constantine's departure on the fans not voting, thoroughly ground the salt in.
You may have enjoyed the show last night, but the majority of Constantine's core fans just had the smoldering embers of their discontent flamed into a raging inferno. American Idol lost a whole segment of the population. I doubt they will ever return to the Idol fold!
6 - Mir
You know what?? If there are people out there who can't enjoy the great talent that IS left on AI, then good riddance to them!
I'm over Constantine's departure. You know why??? I've had A WHOLE WEEK to deal with this "loss" and I am done with it! So many other people need to LET IT GO!
Anyway, Sticker, I can't believe it! You and I have finally differed about something! This would be the subject of Scott and his immature rantings and attitude toward Simon last night. I did not find it funny! I found it stupid and in bad form! Simon is NOT the reason Scott has gotten bad publicity and is looked to be "the next to go" by the media. You know who's fault that is??? Its Scott's! He is the biggest BOOB to ever grace the stage of AI (well, he might be in a tie with Corey). I found his little comments and attitude totally childish and embarrassing! After he made such a "to-do", I could have cared less if he had the most awesome performance in AI history! He is still a "sea slug" (I'm quoting someone here) and not worthy to grace the stage with great showmen like Bo and Vonzell. UGH!!!!
On another note, I totally agree about carrie's need for polish. The girl can WAIL but she needs so much coaching and advice about how to pull it all off. Thank goodness her Elvis song really took "ahold" of her and helped her shine!
Bo?? Well, there's not much more to add to what you said. He is the whole ticket. He knows what he's doing and he's doing it well! GO BO!
I have NO idea what will happen tonight but if there's any sane people left in the world, its obvious that SCOTT HAS TO GO!!!!!
Peace out!
7 - Eric Olsen
thanks Sticker, great stuff - Bo and Carrie definitely ruled. Poor Paula was less ebullient than she might have been - tonight's "bombshell" night on Primetime Live
8 - Mark Saleski
bo & carrie ruled...which means that they'll be at the bottom again tonight.
it wouldn't surprise me.
9 - Eric Olsen
now that WOULD be a bombshell
10 - Natalie Davis
Mark my words, it's bye-bye Anthony. And, perhaps, bye-bye Paula too...
11 - Sticker
hi, mir
I don't think our take is as different as you may think. I'm always thinking of things in terms of how they effect the contestant's fan base and I think Scotty played them well last night, with his Simon set-up and all that.
If Scott doesn't go tonight, some of that will be due to the fact that his fans *like* what they see as him standing up to The Man!
12 - Eric Olsen
if they actually play the phone machine recording of her pleading with Corey not to reveal anything that Primetime Live claims to have, it could be sayonara
13 - Sticker
patricia -
what's up with Fox and the votefortheworst site, as you mentioned? did I miss something? (horrors!)
thanks-
14 - Natalie Davis
Actually, thinking about it, perhaps Scott could go. If the people at that idiot "vote for the worst" site prove true its name, they'll vote for Anthony, leaving Scott vulnerable.
15 - Mark Saleski
stragely enough, i have come to think that scott's voice isn't all that bad. in fact, at times it reminds me of aaron neville.
he's still in the bottom two, right next to mega-vanilla anthony.
i like vonzelle, but everything she sings seems to turn into Whitney Houston. heck, he could probably sing Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and it would come out sounding like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody".
16 - Sticker
Patricia--
btw, I do feel empathy for Constantine's fans. I've been there.
hang in there. things will get better.
17 - Sticker
mark -
I agree with everything you said.
As for Scott, you know I think the people who really don't like him, don't like HIM---it's not really about his voice. He surely doesn't appeal to everybody.
And I love Vonzell, but I, too, am soooo over Whitney.
18 - lauren
I think that vonzell is the best and that she should win the place to be the next american idol. She is the best of them all and if she doesn't win then I will be very mad. I LOVE YOU VONZELL!
19 - Leslie
Another great musing, Stick. Right on the money. I think we know how things SHOULD play from here on out but with FOX and their vampire-like taste for blood perhaps the shock & roll has only just begun. If the bottom 3 does not hold Scott, Anthony & Vonzel tonight then I'll know only the deaf community votes are being counted. It's going to get down to Bo & Carrie and, honestly, will it be the one who is well seasoned to an audience of people or one who, pre-AI, performed mostly for a barnful of animals?? After Bo wins his album will be a huge seller. We'll hear him on rock stations everywhere, hear about him punching some bonehead out in a barroom brawl, maybe a DUI in Vegas. Bo is Bo. Carrie needs more voice coaching and major stage persona work. In a few years we'll probably hear her crooning country songs from the radio down at BillyBobs House of Ribs and she'll be in one of the 'Got Milk' ads depicting her milking one of her own cows. Yeehaw!
20 - lauren
hey,
I'm going to tell you what I think here it goes I think that Vonzell should win american idol. I think that Vonzell, Carrie, and Bo are the good ones but I think vonzell is the best one. I think that Anthony, and Scott need to go because they aren't really that good they just try to even though its a good thing that they are at least trying to be good. I LOVE YOU VONZELL! I hope that you all think that Vonzell is as good as I think that she is because she is very good and she knows that deep down in her heart. She always has a positive attitude with what the judges say to her nice or mean. I hope that Vonzell makes it through the whole competition and if she doesn't I will be very upset.I LOVE YOU VONZELL!
Thanks
21 - -E
I don't like Scott. I don't like his voice or personality. Half the time when I am watching American Idol it is on TiVo and in the background, so I don't really watch it to see the performance or get a feel for their personalities. I just don't think he can sing. I can't sing, so I am not claiming authority on the subject. But I am certainly a consumer, and I wouldn't pay for anything he put out (but then, I haven't spent a penny on any American Idol idols).
22 - Mir
Ok, I have to add my input again. I was reading the messages from all the Vonzell lovers and I couldnt help but put my 2 cents in.
My sister and I had this same kind of discussion yesterday about Vonzell. (she likes her and would like to see her win it all.)BUT like other people have stated (Sticker & Mark), Vonzell is like so many before her, namely Whitney Houston (Mrs Bobby Brown). As I was saying to my sister, there is nothing unique and unusually wonderful about Vonzell. She is lovely to look at and always gets through her songs but personally, I am never inspired by her. When Carrie and Bo finish their songs, 9 times out of 10, I am saying, "Wow!"
I think Carrie and Bo are much more original and interesting. Especially Bo. I think they are the "new faces" that will go far. And they are the ones that recieve my votes every week.
I would like to see Baby V make it to the final 3 though. Anthony and Scott should have been gone weeks ago.
Peace out!
23 - Natalie Davis
"there is nothing unique and unusually wonderful about Vonzell. She is lovely to look at and always gets through her songs but personally, I am never inspired by her."
That's it exactly. And up until last night, Carrie didn't blow me away either. I remain in Bo's camp; he could take it all -- if he really wants it. And I think he does. We'll see what goes down tonight.
24 - Leslie
I'm having the same prob in my house Mir. My daughter, Hailey also thinks Vonzell should win BUT just as you said there is nothing significant or unusual about her voice that screams 'original'. There are already atleast 100 women already famous for the same voice and style. She is a real cute girl but 'cute' isn't going to catapult her to #1. Then there's another issue in my house - Scott. My husband actually thinks he's good - probably because he can't sing worth a sh** himself but I'm thinking about committing him! Bo is THE man - he'll win it hands down.