You may be wondering why this is so important. Tonight on the show Scott told us what it was he’s looking for during his stint on the panel. Here’s what goes through his mind as he checks out each set of performers:
- Undeniable talent
- Undeniable desire
- Character
- Individuality
- A great vocal blend
- Star power
For him it has to be the whole package. What he wants is for the act to “shine brighter than the sun.” I can tell you from my own experience working in music that he’s right on the money as to what it takes to make it. Having musical abilities, no matter how incredible they are, is just not enough to get to the top. And that’s not being cynical, it’s being real. Look at your personal faves and I’ll bet that everything that Scott is looking for can be attributed to whoever it is that you like to listen to. Keep that in mind while watching the show this season, particularly during times when you feel like he might be a bit harsh in his judgments.
Back to the show. Backup instrumentals for last week’s auditions were at a minimum. Sixwire is the house band for CYD and so tonight we saw them for the first time this year. I found out about them watching The Next Great American Band in 2007 and was rooting for them to win. It’s good to be able to see them perform again, even as backup. Their 2002 record was just re-issued but I'm hoping one of these days they’ll put out some new music.
But I digress... again. As I said earlier, the five original duos would be reduced to three, which means it’s performance time. This is when I’m really glad to have a DVR. It gives me a luxury the judges don’t have, that of replay. I didn’t need it tonight though. The three pairs who impressed me the most this week are the same ones as last. I think that O’Shea, Steel Magnolia, and The Stellas all are strong contenders. The judges are going to have to step it up big time to put any new couples into my top three.
O’Shea are a husband and wife team originally from Australia, now based in Nashville. They did Faith Hill's “I’m The Lucky One.” Scott thought it wasn’t the best song to show off “what got them this far.” Ms. Naomi said they were catchy and commercial. I’m not sure, by the way she said it, if she was giving them a compliment or not because she then asked Scott if he thought they were pop. BK said, “It looks like you came with your A game” and he couldn’t think of any tips for the next time they sing. I liked their version of the song. Maybe the beginning of the song was a wee bit shaky but the rest was tight. Mainly what I look for, on top of musical talent, is how an act relates to each other and to the audience as well. I have to say that they did do both of those things. Not a lot, but enough to know it’s something they can work on in the future.
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