There’s an urgent need for a constitutional amendment.
No flip-flops after sundown. Ever.
I’ve lived in Baltimore for 4 years, but it never ceases to amaze me how sloppy Baltimorons can be. I understand the need to be comfortable at a concert, I really do. I’m not asking for stilletos. But dirty denim shorts, an oversized T-shirt, Big Hair and flip-flops that the dog chewed are not cool. Jus’ saying…
My experience with the Idol phenomenon started with the first season of Pop Idol in the U.K., which I saw while backpacking around the world. My most vivid memory of the show was Will Young telling Simon Cowell off (“We don’t come here to be insulted by you”) followed a week later by a public apology from Simon. In
short, I’ve loved this show since the day it first aired.
Fast forward 3 years…
I came to the United States to get some international experience in my industry… met the man I’m lucky enough to call my husband… and since then, have spent every winter/spring on the sofa, watching American Idol. I love the American version, despite the irritating audition weeks where we’re supposed to
laugh at other people’s bad voices and odd personalities. Not very classy, but you also get to see the good guys, so I suck it up and watch…
It’s worth noting that before this season, I cast only one vote — for David Cook, who impressed me with his originality and humility. This year, I was a 2-hour drive away from Baltimore for the finale, at a business conference. Little did I know that the hotel fell outside my AT&T roaming area… by about 4 miles. Needless to say, I was less than impressed when I got a bill for $390 for the 1, 500 text messages I sent that night. Grrrr.
At the end of this season, I told my husband that although I’d love to see my favorite perform, I couldn’t stomach sitting through the rest of the performances. I’d wait for him to start touring. But I heard so many reviews on MJs about how much improved the other contestants are… that I finally broke down on Monday and bought us tickets (which were fantastic!). The other reason was that this is probably the last time I’ll hear him sing cover versions. I can’t wait for his first album, but it’s also nice to hear someone sing songs
you already know.
Onto the show…
Please bear in mind that I am not trying to be negative about the contestants. But this is a CRITIQUE. It’s supposed to be critical. So I’m going to review them worst-to-best, rather than in order of appearance. And I will add comments that my husband made too. (He enjoys the show, but as a rock fan, he struggles
to get into pop music.)
10. Megan Who-Changed-Her-Last-Name-Why? was up. Now, don’t get me wrong…4-inch heels are great. I wear ’em all the time, despite my chiropractor’s warnings and several extremely unglamorous falling-down-stairs incidents, which didn’t always involve alcohol. But what you wear should contribute to your
performance, not detract from it. You need to be able to move around the stage, and you can’t do that if you’re constantly pulling your dress down and teetering on heels. But it’s about the music, right? On the show, I got the feeling that if Megan worked on her vocal technique… if she mastered the ability to control
her voice… she has the potential to be a unique, interesting performer. But if last night was any indication of her potential, she’s not going anywhere. I’d also like to add that she made a very snippy comment to the audience. She tried to get people standing/clapping and it didn’t work. She said sarcastically, “Thanks to the five people who are doing it.” My husband, who is one of the nicest, kindest men you’ll ever meet (he doesn’t have a bitchy bone in his body) remarked: “She looks like someone you’d pick up on Baltimore St.” Not a compliment…
9. I don’t get country. At all. You’ll never find me at a country concert. So it won’t come as a surprise that I didn’t care for Michael Sarver’s performance. However, he did sound much, much better than on AI. He seems like a nice guy with a solid heart… and I truly wish him all the best. If he goes the country route, he could have a good career ahead of him.
8. Danny Gokey was an early favorite. In Hollywood Week, I predicted that he and Adam would be in the finale… with Allison coming in a close third. However, his performances didn’t live up to the hype, and he started to irritate me intensely. I can only imagine how heart-breaking it is to lose your spouse, and having recently suffered the loss of my mom, I could relate. But for me, grief is personal, and I think he would’ve been better served keeping it to himself. No disrespect intended. That said, I expected him to be better than he was. I wanted him to be better than he was. But the dancing didn’t work, his voice sounded strained, and he didn’t have much stage presence. He did show passion, I’ll give him that, and he got some lovin’ from the crowd, so maybe it’s just me. My husband liked it, but I though his performance was mundane. I applauded politely and waited patiently for it to be over.
7. It’s my opinion that Americans are waaaaaaay too politically correct. Scott doesn’t have the chops to be in the Top 10, and if it weren’t for his disability, I don’t think he would have made it as far as he did. I thought his piano playing was very good. My husband said he did a much better job than expected. And kudos for keeping up with the choreography, that can’t be easy.
6. Lil is up. She looks gorgeous and is the first person to get the crowd going. I never quite understood why she made the top 10, but she is much improved. She comes across as an extremely sweet, likeable girl, but has yet to find her niche. Most importantly, she desperately needs to learn how to market herself. She seems to be waiting for a record deal to fall into her lap. Sadly, I see oblivion in her future, musically speaking. Here’s hoping she’ll prove me wrong.
5. Anoop has a velvety voice that has its place in the music industry. My husband was unimpressed, but I thought he did a decent job. The crowd sort-of got into it, with most of the floor standing up. I think he’d be good as a TV host of some sort.
4. I love Allison. Man, has that girl got a voice! My husband was wow’d as he’s a huge rock fan. I wasn’t wildly impressed with her P!nk rendition, but she KILLED IT with Cry Baby and Barracuda. Loved the duet she did with Adam.
3. Matt. WOW. Doulbe WOW. Triple WOW. He really blew us away. That piano playing is freaky-good, and his voice was outstanding. He’s got the showmanship thing down too. I didn’t enjoy him at all on the show, but he hit it out the ballpark last night. I would pay good money to see him again, and I think he’s going to have a very strong career. Great performance, and the crowd was in agreement.
2. I think Kris Allen is great. I think he’s very talented — and extremely likeable. The thing I admire most about him is his seemingly open, sincere friendship with Adam. I am not religious, but I admire the way Kris practices his faith. He’s not in-your-face, and even though he may not agree with Adam’s lifestyle, he sees past that. I enjoyed his performance… and my husband was very impressed. He’s a seriously good musician too. He is obviously very different to Adam, but he has a strong following… and I hope his career is long and successful. Would I pay to see him? Probably not, but I still think he’ll make a great recording artist.
1. No surprise. Adam is who I came to see, but fear not, I’m not going to gush. I’m not a screamer (er… my husband might disagree with that statement) and I can’t obsess about what his hair was like, what belt he wore, etc. For me, it
was all about the performance. I haven’t seen talent like that since Freddie Mercury performed at Wembley. For me, The Icon Club consists of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury and Steven Tyler. I
truly believe Adam Lambert will join that club. His voice is incredible and his showmanship is unparalleled. The crowd went beserk for him. My husband remarked: “I’ve been to literally hundreds of concerts and I’ve never heard anyone with
that kind of range and technical ability. He’s unreal.” Bottom line, I will pay BIG money to see that man in concert again. And again. And again.
In short, I’m glad we went. Ten very nice people did their best to entertain…
and they succeeded. Job well done.
