The first half of the Canadian Idol Top 16 perform tonight at 8 pm ET/CT
Check this link for video around 9 pm ET. I’ll be posting it here, after the jump, as soon as it becomes available.
Canadians and border-dwellers, chat away!
- Martin Kerr - “Fix You” by Coldplay - Martin is one of my favorites, beautiful vocals and great phrasing. Jake tells him that he doesn’t have “star quality”. Martin responds, “Maybe because I’m not a show off”. Uh oh. Zack says it’s fine, but derivative. “You are not the next Canadian Idol,” he says. Some major de-pimping right there…
- Theo Thames - “Bubbly” by Colbie Callait - Theo is all kinds of awesome. Tonight he performs on acoustic guitar. The performance isn’t Theo’s typcially intense kind of powerhouse performance, but it’s nicely done. Sass calls him an “Undeniable talent.” Zack thought the performance, “lacked carbonation in a serious way.” Jake thought he reinvented it and that he belongs in the Top 10.
- Amberly Thiessen - “You and I Both” by Jason Mraz - I’m not liking this as much as her other performances–it seems a little off. Mraz’s quick word-play can be difficult to master. Nevertheless, I think Ambery is headed for the Top 10. Farley thought her tones were a little harsh, but overall, a nice presence. Zack doesn’t like what she’s wearing or that she picked the right song. Sass, who can’t bear to pile it on says, “Good on you, Amberly.”
- Adam Castelli - “If I Were a Carpenter” by Tim Hardin - Interesting take on this folk classic. I could have used a little less band here. It would have been a kick-ass acoustic performance. Zack says his instincts are great, but his follow through is not good. Jake thinks his performance was authentic. Sass says it was a “bit of a flail.” Farley says he’s not rising to his intentions.
- Marie-Pierre Bellerose - “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin - A little screechy there Marie! But, she puts her heart in it, so I’m believing it. Jake finds it shouty. Sass thinks it’s the best thing she’s done so far. Farley says she did the right thing. Zack says, “It wasn’t bad.”
- Omar Lunan - “If Tomorrow Never Comes” by Garth Brooks - Omar, milking the dead brother angle at crunch time! Too bad his vocals are goatie and off-key. This just ain’t good. Sass says, “This guy is really good! Great singing.” Farley thinks he understands the sweet spots in his range.” Am I hearing the same performance as the judges?!? After Zack declares that nobody is performing like they know how to win American Idol, he says “It was OK, but I just don’t care.” Jake says that despite problems, he deserves to be in the Top 10.
- Mark Day - “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins - Mark Day is a freak, y’all. He’s got a decent voice–albiet kinda off key tonight–as long as I don’t have to look at him. The VFTW folks have got to be wetting themselves. By the way, if I never here this song on an Idol show again, it won’t be too soon. Farley says his vocals were “All over the map.” Zack says, “If someone gave me your greatest hits album, I’d use it as a coaster.” Jake thinks he (and others tonight) oversang, and suggests Broadway. Sass, who again can’t bear to pile on, says, “I like you.”
- Mookie Morris - “Valerie” by The Zutons - I dig Mookie’s cool indie vibe. Love the song choice, love the delivery. There wasn’t a drop of karaoke in his performance. A great way to end the show. Zack said, “That was dead-set cool…the redemption of the evening.” Jake says, “Really authentic…potentially the next Canadian Idol.” Sass says, “Louis Armstong meets Elvis Costello.” Farley says, “There’s something really natural and soulful about what you do.”
Video After the JUMP…
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6:
Related Posts
Wow. I don’t know if that Zack person was doing a “Simon” on poor Martin, essentially telling the audience that this guy will “never be the next Canadian Idol,” but I thought Martin gave a great performance. Obviously, the guy will need music as good as Coldplay’s if he’s going to have his own career, but I got chills on that one.
Is the lead-off spot where Canadian Idols get picked off right out of the gate, or is that just one of our charming American (Idol) customs? It must be a drag to know you’re being set up to get “taken out.”
I do wish they would instruct the contestants to ditch the microphones after they perform. This is one of the few CI peculiarities that I hope TPTB at AI never duplicate. I don’t blame Martin for mouthing off, but I really think they need to take the criticism on the chin, as it were. Makes them look petty and unprofessional when they talk back.
Curious to hear what others thought!
—————–General Thoughts—————–
1. I love that the song choices on CI are so contemporary.
2. A lot of judge manipulation tonight. Jeez, I wonder who they want to make the Top 10?
—————–The Performancs—————–
Martin Kerr - And the judges turn on him once again. I loved the tone and emotion in the verses; the chorus was just average. However, he is much better than the judges make him out to be. Martin, shut up! Gah, hopefully the backtalk doesn’t bite him in the butt. B plus
Theo Tams - No piano this week! And I think part of Theo’s strength is making the right choices. It wasn’t perfectly on pitch the entire time but it was so feel good, and nicely reinterpreted. Probably my favorite performance tonight. A
Amberly Thiessen- The absence of her guitar took away from her performance. And uptempo songs reveal her lack of breathing technique. Definitely her worst performance to date. She seemed uncomfortable and awkward. B minus
Adam Castelli- Hesitant vocals. Terribly overpowered by the band. Uncomfortable on stage. Not a whole lot of good singing in this performance. Adam freezes on the stage. He’s a definite goner. D
Marie-Pierre Bellerose- Smart song choice, but is this rock thing really her? I didn’t believe it. What was with all the squeaking? C minus
Omar Lunan- Pimping his dead brother again. I don’t like his phrasing choices. I disagree with the judges; Omar is NOT an undeniably good singer. So, let me guess, the judges don’t want Martin in the Top 10, but really want Omar? C
Mark Day - Another VFTW-worthy performance. C
Mookie Morris- LOL Yay for the Mookie dance! It wasn’t very impressive, but it was fun and consistent. A minus
—————–Quick Rankings—————–
The Good
1. Theo
2. Mookie
3. Martin (in danger of elimination)
The Downright Ugly
4. Amberly
5. Omar
6. Mark Day
7. Marie-Pierre (in danger of elimination)
8. Adam (in danger of elimination)
Theo, Mookie, and Amberly are shoo-ins for the Top 10.
After that hour of mediocrity, I almost ashamed to be a Canadian. Everyone sort of sucked.
Adam and Mark more than the others so I guess they are gone. Marie Pierre as well based on that screechy Joplin imitation.
Mookie was the best of a bad lost. Amberley and Theo were just plain boring.
I can’t get past the things Martin does with his mouth to ever hear him sing. And I am not convinced Omar is a very good singer, period.
The best part of the show for me was Ben Mulroney. How wrong is that??
My thoughts:
I really like how the host guy (I don’t remember everyone’s name yet) introduces each song with a little bit of history. That’s important.
Martin: Ugh. I hated the face he made at the end. I didn’t like his vibe either. He IS a show off. Ugh ugh ugh. His singing was just ok. Even if his notes or tone was good, he doesn’t have the right spirit to sing this song.
Note: this audience seems too small for so many posters
Theo: Oh my god, how cute is Theo singing Bubbly? Glad he did something different this time and he did it well. I do think he’s not laid-back enough to sing this song, but he pulled it off!
Amberly: Jason Mraz! I have mixed emotions when people sing his songs, so I don’t know if I liked Amberly this time. It sounds like she’s forcing it. Also, I feel like she’s being pimped (or the CI version of being pimped) so I am pretty much repelled.
Adam: I really liked Adam this time, he sounded rather sincere. Didn’t like the judges’ comments…how can they praise Martin and put down Adam so much?
Marie-Pierre: I loved the song, but I don’t think her voice is strong enough to pull it off.
Omar: Um, is he singing country? Well, I guess it’s pretty cool that he made it his own, but I agree with Zach when he says that nobody really knows how to pick the right song for this competition.
Mark: His facial expressions remind me of Clay Aiken (who I loved) but he doesn’t have the polish to be at the same level. Jeez. I know this song is corny, but I love it and it’s so disappointing when people to put their all into it. :(
Mookie: Ok, I officially love him. I love when Amy Winehouse sings this but I love Mookie’s version too. And how does he freaking dance like that? Best of the night.
My rankings:
1. Theo Tams
2. Mookie Morris
3. Amberly Thiessen
4. Omar Lunan
5. Martin Kerr
6. Marie-Pierre Bellerose
7. Mark Day
8. Adam Castelli
I think it will be Martin, Marie-Pierre and Adam eliminated. Mark will be saved by the powerful Newfoundland vote.
J.S.G. - If that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right! The host (thank you for reminding me of his name) is so growing on me…I even love the purple pocketsquare.
Martin will go as all the Alberta votes turn to Theo and Amberly. Marie-Pierre will go and all of Quebec’s hopes will rest on little Katherine’s shoulders. Adam will go because we cannot possibly have two Hamilton based construction workers win the show back to back, can we?
Never underestimate the power of the Newfoundland voting block. They are a well organized bunch.
Omar should be heading home ( I think he was worse than Adam this week), but I’m convinced TPTB are insisting on pimping Omar because they need a viable Toronto contestant.
Omar was really amazing last week…last week only. Other than that I’ve not been impressed. Martin is good but yeah there’s something about him that isn’t true. Mookie is just all sorts of cool. He actually reminds me of my daughter’s bf sans the dance. Theo is very impressive. He actually got out from behind his piano and sang something fun and pulled it off really well I think. Mark needs to go, as does Adam but I can’t help but like him I loved Amberly from her audition until tonight…not so good. I really wanted to like Marie-Pierre, the tone of her voice is one I like, but unfortunately she fairly sucks.
Are they really sending 6 home this week? If so, I’d vote for Adam, Mark and Omar. I’d rather see Omar go than Martin but he may be done for.
No one had a very good performance tonight. Can’t imagine Adam and Marie-Pierre getting past this round. The third to go should be Mark Day but Omar and Martin didn’t covert many fans based on tonight either.
Martin Kerr - Not a fan of singer who performs with one hand in their pocket. Seems a little phony. Martin’s a pretty good singer but this is the third week in a row that I’ve found him a little annoying. He just isn’t that appealing.
Theo Tams - Pretty boring. Good singer but just mailing it in this week.
Amberly Thiessen - Actually seemed a bit awkward walking around without the guitar. Not that good vocally this week.
Adam Castelli - Appealing looks and personality won’t compensate for a third questionable performance. Just not a very good singer.
Marie-Pierre Bellerose - Attractive and energetic but after a third week of failing to stay on key, my patience is gone.
Omar Lunan - AFter a killer performance last week, pretty mediocre this week. Had some good moments but some really bad notes too.
Mark Day - Phil Collins’ most overwrought ballad given the amateur piano bar treatment. Couldn’t find a key to save his life. How is he still in this competition?
Mookie Morris - Still seems stuck in bar band mode. Song choice helped cover up weak vocals. He’s a stylist not a singer. Not my cup of tea.
Overall, not an awful night, but definitely far from great. No one really made me go “wow!” like every other performance show so far has done.
For me…
1. Mookie
2. Theo
3. Amberly
4. Martin
5. Adam
6. Marie-Pierre
7. Omar
8. Mark
If I could choose, I’d send Adam, Omar, and Mark home… but I get the feeling it will be Martin, Adam, and Marie-Pierre.
And I’m a little scared for Amberly. But I hope they’ll pull her through…
Well this wasn’t a very good night for CI, I remember AI had a pretty off night too but someone always manages to make it bearable. Mookie and Theo were definitely the best of the night. The rest of them sucked. I hope Omar, Marie-Pierre, and Mark goes but it will probably be Adam, Marie-Pierre and Martin, who knows? It just wasn’t a good night for CI. Interesting that the have both Sebastian and Oliver going on the same night tomorrow. CI wants to see who is more popular or maybe they just want one, nah they want both in the top 10.
I haven’t watched it yet. Will watch it during the lunch break :).
Saw the list of performers and I agree with sue. It’s interesting that they have both Pigotts on tomorrow. Maybe they’re trying to get rid of Sebastian? What with the undeserved (I feel) pimping of Oliver last week.
Echoing the general sentiments, I was pretty disappointed in tonight’s show.
Martin Kerr (Fix You - Coldplay) - I think Martin has established by now that he can sing Coldplay in his sleep, but I agree with Jake Gold about the lack of star power. And what’s with the bad comeback lines at Zack? Perhaps he realized his chances of advancing to the top 10 were slim, what with being in the same group as Theo, Amberly and Mark Day (!), and being tapped to sing first (the slot of death).
Theo Tams (Colbie Caillat - Bubbly) - Hey, Theo plays the guitar too! Nice performance - less bubbly than the original but still too bubbly for my taste. If he wants to cover female singer-songwriters, he should try Chantal Kreviazuk or Sarah McLachlan instead.
Amberly Theissen (Jason Mraz - You And I Both) - I love her voice but I didn’t think this was a good song choice. The quirky style of Jason Mraz songs doesn’t seem to suit her.
Adam Castelli (Tim Hardin - If I Were A Carpenter) - That was a fairly boring performance and the vocals were unimpressive.
Marie-Pierre Bellerose (Janis Joplin - Piece Of My Heart) - She’s certainly ambitious but this song was too big for her with her voice breaking several times on high notes in a very unattractive way. “Shouty” is an understatement.
Omar Lunan (Garth Brooks - If Tomorrow Never Comes) - Ok, this was really bad (and boring). I lost count of how many off-key notes he hit. WTF happened?
Mark Day (Phil Collins - Against All Odds) - Well, Mark just helped the chances of Martin, Adam, Marie-Pierre and Omar to advance. This was his worst vocal performance of the competition.
Mookie Morris (Mark Ronson, feat. Amy Winehouse - Valerie) - I must admit, I’m not familiar with this song but I enjoyed Mookie’s performance very much.
Best performance:
Mookie Morris
Good performances:
Theo Tams
Martin Kerr
Ok performance:
Amberly Theissen
Adam Castelli
Um, no:
Marie-Pierre Bellerose
Omar Lunan
Mark Day
Martin Kerr - didn’t like his comeback to Zach. What was the point of that? Especially since he said he’s not a show off (which implies being arrogant to me). Other than that, the song was ok. But yeah, nothing that says “presence” or star quality or “it”.
Theo Tams - he lost the piano, but replaced it with a guitar. However, I really enjoyed his performance. Will definitely check out the original singer. Do not like the cap though :(.
Amberly Thiessen - I think she’s good but this performance was just “meh” for me. She needs to work on her stage presence/performance.
Does Jake always take the opposite side from Zach or is it just me?
Adam Castelli - loved him during the auditions but he’s disappointed me performance week after performance week. The last time I liked his performance was during the results day when they did the group songs. So agree with Zach. This was a let-down.
Marie-Pierre Bellerose - Prefer the original. She was too shrieky, much worse than Carly ever was I’d say. At least her performance was energetic.
Omar Lunan - in general, Omar’s genre is not my genre. He didn’t sound off, but this isn’t my kind of thing. So agree with Zach on this.
Mark Day - just cannot take him seriously even with his “serious” face on. I keep wanting him to bust out like a diva. Mark, come on, let out your inner diva! This was boring.
Mookie Morris - very Mookie. What I like about him is that he sounds distinct (even last week when he kinda sounded British). Really liked his performance.
Theo Tams and Mookie were the only ones I liked. Zach is my Canadian Simon :D!
I find it interesting that they have what I consider the front-runners (Theo and Amberly) on the same day. Also interesting that they have both Pigott brothers on the same day. I wonder if they have TCOs on CI as well.
I like the song choices on CI more than on AI. AI needs to pony up more money to get more current songs!
1. Mookie - I haven’t been a huge fan of his but I loved this! He got DOWN!
2. Theo - I enjoyed it but it lacked…..something
3. Omar - Definitely his weakest performance, but he can sing.
4. Adam - Better than last week, but he is pretty weak.
5. Martin — His voice is ok, but I hated it. I’m a huge Coldplay fan and the effrontery of him picking a song like Fix You really pisses me off. The back talk just added to my dislike of him. (What was the “show off” comment about? A dig at the other performers? Pigotts maybe?! Jealous much?)
6. Amberly - Wow, that was bad, completely all over the place, she should have slowed that song down.
7. Marie Pierre - ABRASIVE
8. Mark - His looks into the camera are absolutely hilarious. He’s like a schlubby Zoolander. Seriously Canada? Get rid of him!!!
Tomorrow should be a good show, I honestly hope both the Pigotts make the cut, I wish they would have split them up though. Love them or hate them, they always seem to make for a better show. Personally I love ‘em both.
Martin Kerr-I expect him to be eliminated…he is very awkward looking ..like he is trying to hard…and is just odd looking
Theo Thames - this performance lacked the emotional connection/heart that the original songwriter puts into it…it was just him singing her song…it was very average…if he did that during auditions there would be a chance he would not make it
Amberly Thiessen - not good at all…i thought last week she was just alright….seems like she is getting worse…probably due to lack of knowledge of music
Adam Castelli - another mediocre performance…but the guy is likeable…people are attracted to his personality and look…he has everything but the voice and song selection..haha…he may make it based on that
Marie-Pierre Bellerose - I liked that she went for it…i thought she sounded pretty good..minus the moments she lost control…but it was good…one of better performances of the night for sure
Omar Lunan - thought it was really bad…last week he was really good…this week ..the opposite…i think people may not be connecting with him and he could see himself eliminated
Mark Day - he would be good in musicals…he has an above average voice..but has a face you can’t take serious…he will for sure be in entertainment business..but will be eliminated
Mookie Morris- makes really good song choices..very smart use of stage, band, backup singers…making himself unique..choosing cool songs for sure….making himself undeniable………all of this makes him look like a superstar compared to everyone else….others should take notes from him…canadian idol 101
safe- Mookie, Theo
in danger- Adam, omar, Marie, Amberly
eliminated- Mark day, martin kerr
Mookie Morris - “Valerie” by The Zutons
yea, the performances tonight were for the most part not that exciting. I liked Theo’s soulful performance of Bubbly, and LOVED Mookie and his (adorkable yet cool)Mook-walk, but every one else was kinda blah.
I think what I like about Mookie is that he has made the effort from the beginning to set himself apart from everyone else…his style is def. unique. Plus, he is just the right mix of classic rock and the current London music scene to come off as an undeniably hip kid….
Our American friends who have not followed CI before might be wondering who is likely to make the Top 10 and who is likely headed home. On CI, there are a couple of factors to take into consideration:
* In the early voting rounds, it’s difficult to be noticed (in a good way) in the crowded competition.
* Consequently, having a solid “home town” fanbase - the so-called regional voting - helps one survive till the crowd thins out more.
Theo, Amberly and Martin are all from Alberta and in theory, would split regional votes 3 ways. However, I think Theo and Amberly have had greater impacts on the audience and have greater appeal, so Martin’s “home town” support will have been diluted.
Mookie and Omar are both from the Toronto area but their musical styles are very unlike each other so they appeal to different fanbases.
Marie-Pierre has Quebec all to herself while Katherine is in Group 2 this week (gee, I wonder if CI producers are trying to ensure someone from Quebec makes the Top 10?). Unfortunately, CI ratings are relatively poor in Quebec where the francophone majority prefers to watch Star Academie instead.
Mark Day hails from Newfoundland whose people have the mythic reputation of being able to place one of its native sons or daughters in the top 10 every year.
Adam Castelli is from Hamilton in southern Ontario, the same city as last year’s CI winner. Hamilton has about the same total population as the province of Newfoundland & Labrador.
Beyond the regional support, it’s important to attract a broader fanbase from across the country. IMO, the only ones from this group to have managed this so far are Mookie, Amberly and Theo. This is especially important for Amberly and Theo, since they have to share their home province’s support with each other and Martin as well.
So who makes it?
I think Theo, Amberly and Mookie are sure bets. That leaves Martin, Omar, Adam, Marie-Pierre and Mark to claim the final 2 spots. Martin is the most likely to be eliminated but it’s a toss-up for the other 4. Mark and Omar probably have the inside track to sneak into the top 10. If CI decides to have a top 12, Adam might get through as well.
I agree Amberly should have slowed down You and I Both to suit her better. And maybe she could have used her guitar? (OT: That was a Mraz song I was wishing Jason could have done on AI. Heh.)
Theo’s performance was fun. I don’t recognize the song Mookie sang but I love Mookie, nonetheless. ;)
I only watched those 3 performances. Is there any other I shouldn’t miss watching from this group?
Nope, purps. Mookie and Theo were the only ones worth watching.
I guess I’m in the minority, but Adam remains my favorite. His voice is not as good as some, but he makes me believe every note he sings. He’s very real, even if he is a strange, intense man. I really liked his performance this week, and was surprised by the judges reactions.
Wish I could vote.
Thanks so much RemusL for that background information. Helps me process what’s going on better.
I’m obviously in the minority, but I actually like Martin, aside from his unprofessional mouthing off to Zack (Zach?). And, flicker, I like Adam too. I thought his performance was really earnest last night. Clearly he doesn’t have the vocal chops of most of the others, but there’s something genuine there that a lot of them lack, IMHO. He might do better in smaller venues.
My favorites from this group are Mookie and Theo. Completely different and yet they both really stand apart from the rest. It will be interesting to see if Mookie can keep up vocally with some of the others. Haven’t seen that much of him, so I don’t have a sense of his range, but he definitely has the “cool” factor. Really, really like him.
I, for one, don’t get all the Amberly Love, especially from Zack, who comes off as a total douche-bag much of the time. She’s cute and I like her vibe, but she seems like a lot of other young, female singer-songwriter types out there to me. I must be missing something.
And Omar’s peformance I thought was BAD. He was SO good last week. WTH happened? And why were the judges so totally pimping him? Don’t get that one AT ALL.
Unfortunately (or not!), Mark’s performance didn’t queue up when I watched it last night, but I’m glad I missed it. The re-cap was enough to send me over the edge. He is like Scott Savol (AI-4?) channeling Rosie O’Donnell. Can’t stand him.