The Canadian Idol Top 4 performance show begins tonight at 9 pm ET. Tomorrow’s results show at 8 pm ET. Canadians and border dwellers…carry on! The rest of us will catch up…
Video from Igrecman. I’ll post it as soon as it’s up.
The remaining 4 will perform the songs of Anne Murray…
Jordin Sparks performs on the Results show tomorrow night!
I didn’t realize that Anne Murray performed many covers during her career. That fact made it a snap for the boys to pick gender-appropriate songs. Murray’s advice was good, her ability to hone in on each contestants most glaring weakness was canny, and the advice she gave out was useful.
Earl Stevenson decides to take a vacation–in the middle of his performance. I’m a little afraid for him this week. I’m thinking a Drew/Theo final two at this point. I wouldn’t be completely surprised at a Drew/Mitch final. How dull would that be?
- Mitch MacDonald - “Cotton Jenny” by Anne Murray - Mitch’s interpretation of “Cotton Jenny is flat, whiny, nasally and boring. Jake calls him out on the flat singing. Sass has a thing for Mitch for some reason I can’t figure out. I laughed out loud at Zack’s SCTV shout out “Perry Como lying on a couch in a sweater”.
- Earl Stevenson - I love me some Earl, but I have to agree with Zack’s criticism of his performance. His wandering around the stage is a little distracting, and I didn’t feel like he connected to the song.“Killing Me Softly” by Anne Murray
- Drew Wright - Drew looks fantastic clean shaven. The latest look should get him a at least a few more votes. Not crazy about this song choice, but I have to agree with the judges–one of Drew’s better vocals.“Hey Daddy” by Anne Murray
- Theo Tams - “You Don’t Know Me” - Whoa, Theo! His performance is gorgeous, heartbreaking. When he stops oversinging, he’s a knockout! Just fantastic. Zack said it was flavorless. WTF? More astute is Jake, who says he thought Theo put his heart and soul in the song.
- Mitch MacDonald - “Between the Bars” by Elliott Smith - Has Mitch read the lyrics to this song? It’s full of angst and pain. You’d never know it from his bland interpretation. Mitch HAS to go this week.
- Earl Stevenson - “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band - What is up with Earl this week? The lights are on, but nobody’s home. Where’s the fun, the playfulness? Earl’s just going through the motions. Jake says it looked like, at one point, that Earl didn’t want to be there. Maybe he doesn’t…
- Drew Wright - “Gravity” by John Mayer - Drew is bringing it this week–another good performance. Farley calls it “blues lite”, nevertheless I there are some nice vocal flourishes here, particularly when Drew slides up into his falsetto. Very nice. At this point, between his pretty boy looks and improved vocals, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Drew in the Top 2.
- Theo Tams - “Chariot” by Gavin DeGraw - The judges are wetting themselves over this, but I think Theo’s first song was better. His vocal is a bit out of breath. And hello! The extraneous runs are back! But it’s a very energized performance, the judges seem to like that. Zack said it was the performance of the night. I’d say it was his first.
Video after the JUMP…
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6:
Anne Murray! Seems like an off-the-wall choice, but I bet it will be pretty good.
Anne Murray is Canadian! That’s probably it. Can’t wait to see Earl.
I hope Earl is even half as awesome as last week, but somehow I have difficulty saying Earl Stevenson and Anne Murray in the same sentence.
Drew and Theo in the finale I hope!!!
Earl and (insert any name here but Mitch) in the finale I hope. I listen to Earl’s original music and it’s absolutely awesome. I listen to Drew’s and it’s nothing like anything I’ve heard him do on American Idol…I still don’t know who the man is. I listen to Theo and I wonder why he didn’t remember the advice to lose the trills…he was so much better without all the decorations (gets in the way of true emotion to me). I listen to Mitch and..well I have a difficult time even listening to Mitch.
Not as good of a show as last week. Theo was my favorite then Big Earl, but Drew was pretty strong. Mitch was atrocious tonight IMO.
Mitch sings “Cotton Jenny” and then “Between the Bars” by Elliott Smith
Earl sings “Killing Me Softly” and then “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band
Drew sings “Hey Daddy” and then “Gravity” by John Mayer
Theo sings “You Don’t Know Me” and then “Chariot” by Gavin DeGraw
Mitch sang Elliott Smith? Sigh, he keeps on singing stuff that I absolutely adore but I have a feeling I’m not going to like whatever he’ll be doing to it.
woohoo The Joker is made of all kinds of awesome. It’s a song tailor made for Earl!
Theo is just brilliant when he stops relying on the lyrical diarrhea that are runs. He’s gotta win this season and I’m ok with that. I won’t most likely listen to his original music but I will understand why he will be voted the next Canadian Idol becuse he’s truly brilliant.
What happened to Earl? I thought the first song was really bad, second was better. I like him much better if I don’t watch. I liked him better on his web site than I do on CI. On the other hand Drew is coming on strong, looks better and is showing what a really good singer he is. Theo is such a good musician but his looks bother me, maybe it’s that pencil thin mustache. His second song was the best of the night. I don’t have much to say about Mitch except I hope the Atlantic coast starts voting on who should really win instead of by region. Big thanks to Igrecman for the videos as I look forward to CI weekly, I’ll be sorry when it’s over.
My thoughts:
They have been holding back their criticism of Mitch so that they could cut him loose now, for whatever reason. I said it last week, that they were close to doing this, and now they have. Bye Bye Mitch… I personally like him though.
Earl did seem like he didn’t want to be there. If enough people think that, Earl may be the one to go instead of Mitch…
For the first time, I didn’t hate Drew’s performance. For the last several weeks I’ve thought that he needs to go more in the direction the blue eyed soul. I think Drew is safe this week.
It looked like it was written all over Jake’s face that he didn’t want to go overboard with praise for Drew, for fear that he would give him the boost he would need in order to have shot at winning. Also, did you see Jake trying not to laugh at Zack’s rude comment…it was either Drew’s or Mitch’s second performance.
Theo throwing himself all over the stage was painful to watch. Somehow, he doesn’t make a good Mookie substitute. “Chariot” is kinda bluesy pop with a bouncy chorus, not something to jump off a piano for. Is there something deeper about the song I’m missing??
Drew was my favourite of the night - again.
This is weird. Anyway, I enjoyed both his songs.
In every Idol competition, there comes a time near the end when it seems like everyone should be stepping up and I’m just left shaking my head wondering doesn’t anyone want to win this thing? It may be nerves, exhaustion, tension or something else but overall, the night was mediocre despite the best efforts of Anne Murrary. Anne Murray was one of the best Idol mentors ever offering real musical advice in a nice and constructive manner.
Murray round:
Mitch, Not good. Seemed off.
Earl, Just Okay vocally. The wandering around the stage didn’t really work for me. It doesn’t draw me in at all. I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past. I think I might like his albums but can’t imagine that I would get into a live concert.
Drew, Actually very good. This guy is completely different every single week. And that’s not always a good thing
Theo, nice but song was just a wee bit out of his range. I’ve heard versions by several artists including Ray Charles, Michael Buble, Willie Nelson and even Meryl Streep and Theo’s was just …. there.
Idol pick round:
Mitch, Between the Bars. The aw shucks smile just didn’t work to sell that song.
Earl, The Joker. Liked the vocals but there really does seem a part of Earl that isn’t 100% into the Idol experience any more. Jason Castro gave off the same vibe at the end. Maybe it’s the way he throws away his notes at the end of a phrase…?
Drew, Gravity. The soulful attempt just didn’t work as he pulls yet another genre out of his hat. Pushin Drew towards blues is a mistake I think.
Theo, Chariot. Seems a bit overpowered by the band. Not sure about the gimmick of climbing on the piano. Solid but nothing special for me. Side note: Has he put on a few pounds during this competition?
I’m on another planet tonight, I guess. For me, the performance of the night was Drew’s “Gravity.” It was actually something I would listen to just for kicks, and I find that hard to believe myself. (Not a John Mayer fan.)
Second was probably Earl’s “Killing Me Softly,” another one that seemed real and interesting to me. Then there’s a big gap, with maybe Earl’s “Joker” or Drew’s Magic Dragon song next.
Neither of Theo’s did much for me. For someone with so much training, who gets so much love purely for his voice, I find it sounds thin and unsupported to my ears. I keep expecting more from him, but I’m not getting it. I guess I liked his “Chariot” song better than his country twangfest, but neither one flipped my switches.
Hated both of Mitch’s. I still think he could sound okay if he would just look up “Someday, Someway” as sung by Marshall Crenshaw. Clearly he’s nt listening to me, however. I also find him icky to watch. Something about the way he widens his eyes and screws around with his mouth. Nobody in this crew except Drew is easy to look at while they sing, what with Earl and the boppity wandering, Mitch twisting his face into unpleasant pictures, and Theo trying too hard for my taste.
Bring back Mookie!
Okay, enough of that.
Drew/Gravity: A-
Earl/Killing Me Softly: B
Earl/Joker: B-
Drew/Magic Unicorns and Hippos: B-
Theo/Chariot: C
Theo/Nasty Country Thing D+
Mitch/Cotton Jenny: D
Mitch/Bars or Whatever: F
So bye-bye Mitch? Is it finally going to happen? He seemed extra nervous tonight. Since I don’t know how this CI thing works I guess it’s wait and see. He really should go though IMHO.
Drew: He sang very well tonight. However, I still don’t think he knows who he is. He needs to find his identity/personality. Too late in the season? I think so. We’ll see.
Theo: He was awesome tonight! Hubby says it’s not his style. I say I like him best when he plays piano AND he seemed to really work on AM’s advice to leave out the “fancy stuff”.
Earl: The first song was Earl all the way. The second song could have definately been better. I like Jake’s? (glasses/blond hair/producer) take on the first song. It’s his style and that’s what draws people. Perhaps he was nervous on the second one due to Zac’s (sp?) comment on the first one.
I think the final two s/b Theo/Earl! Personally, I still say Earl FTW! More my style. He knows who he is and needs to hang onto that!
Final note: I think Anne Murray gave some really good advice to each of them!
Wow, I really missed Mookie tonight.
I actually enjoyed Drew the most tonight. I though that first song he did, which I’d never heard before, was terrific. The Mayer song didn’t seem as strong, but I did enjoy it and I do think he has a really good voice. i also prefer his genre to Theo’s, who I’ve loved all season, even though I must admit I’m not positive I’d buy anything he records. It’s really going to depend on the genre. Neither song tonight did a whole lot for me. I loved when he did “Collide” and “Weak in the Knees,” but I just wasn’t feeling these two songs tonight. And I wish he would heed the advice he’s been given twice now (by Anne Murray and Gavin Rossdale): Lose the melisma! It just disconnects him from the lyrics.
I get why people love Earl, and I do like a lot of his singing, but I just can’t find a way to enjoy his on-stage persona. He comes across like a cross between Rainman and Hugh Laurie. And he does seem to be throwing away songs at the end of late. What’s up with him?
Mitch: Nice kid. Please send him home, Canada. He’s overstayed his welcome and I’d give anything to have Mookie in his place.
BootStar, I agree. I missed Mookie tonight! I only watched a couple of weeks and was completely sold on him. I wonder what he would have done with Anne Murray?
After last week Earl became my second fav so I’m rooting for him now. Earl is just Earl and that’s who he is.
Everyone who missed Mookie should look up the videos of him playing at buskerfest this past weekend on youtube! He did really well….even sang a song he wrote about his favorite guitar…which happens to be the one he broke, haha.
I just got home and I’m pooped, so I’ll watch the show tomorrow, but the mixed reviews about Earl kinda worry me, especially since Mitch seems invincible as far as the voting is concerned…Earl needs to make it to the finale!!!
ETA: link to Mookie’s guitar song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTZdsJnKT4
Ok, it’s official. I love Drew Wright!
I thought Theo gave the best performances of the night. He’s obviously playing with various ways of vocal expression to see what works best and for the most part I’m loving it. Anne Murray’s advice was good, to a point. I don’t want Theo to stop doing his runs, just to use them with greater intention. I think he has a unique creative voice and sensibility that will take him far. Hope he wins it.
Drew’s first song was decent but he forgot all about the good advice from Anne Murray on Gravity. His vocals were back to subpar on that song while he concentrated on guitar licks.
My theory about Earl is that he’s just not enjoying playing other people’s music, and its showing. It’s really not his thing. The guy is pretty new to music, coming to it only after injuries prevented him from getting any further in professional snowboarding, and what draws him in is the chance for self-expression through songwriting. So the aspect of the music scene that brings him the most joy is absent here. Of course, that’s the nature of CI, and he must have known that coming in. My guess is that he thought the exposure was worth it. I read a recent interview where he says he’s constantly trying to get the producers to allow him to do his own material. But he could have changed up the songs arrangements more to better infuse them with the Earl vibe. Instead they just felt kind of heavy and lifeless to me.
And Mitch. Probably a nice enough guy but I do not enjoy his performances. I’m now fast forwarding through them. I hope Canada finally lets the guy loose.
I still love Earl, and am not believing what Jake Gold said about him not wanting to be there. He’s a star. Check Youtube for his hometown visit with live performance, it’s beautiful, such a distinct voice. Drew, well, Drew just gets cuter every week, and I’ve always loved his voice and musicianship, but I still don’t know who he is. I’m bored with Theo, and while Mitch picks cool songs, he has little to no versatility from my perspective, so he does little to nothing for me. I’m scared for Earl…but I am every week!
I just loved Drew Wright tonight. I thought his vocals were by far the best on both songs. Kiddie song? And he did it great on his first one and his *Gravity* had the necessary angst, IMO. Best of the night. Again, JMO. Zach doesn’t like him, no doubt, grudgingly praised his first performance, took it back on the second.
Last AGAIN! Mitch. Outlasted too many better singers and his sound? well, it’s still helium.
Theo, definitely TCO, got the most well known AM song and didn’t do as well as many other covers (as said previously up above) Changes the tunes and phrasing too much…again too self-indulgent for my liking. Second song, I am not crazy for the vocal gymnastics, but it was an *intelligent performance* starting at the piano and then standing up and getting on the piano and of course, the JD Fortune jump at the end (that’s if you can compare the raw sex of JD with the overcooked non-sexy Theo.) Maybe all the hype has turned me off, but I just would rather he not win, but he probably will.
My other favorite, Earl, wasn’t as good as last week, IMO, but I will still hope for his safety on his accumulated performances. Earl has built up a lot of fans, rightfully so because of his unusual style and really good voice. The AM song possibly didn’t suit him??? and while I thought Joker would be perfect for him, it wasn’t quite Earl as one of the judges said. Maybe, the judges prior advice confused him when they advised him not to meander on the stage??? Earl loves to wander and let the rhythm take him where it wants and it’s always worked. I definitely think he *wants* to be here and YES, WIN, but he seemed a bit confused and I can only think he is trying to give the judges what they want. NO, Earl, just give them Earl. That’s what got you this far. Don’t stop!!!!