Welcome one and all to your favorite American Idol recap!
We open with a look at all 12 contestants and the judges. Ryan lets us know that of this 12, 5 will go through. So much for the thought that the top 10 didn’t have to gender equal. There’s a new voice over letting us know that Ryan is the host! The guys perform tonight, girls tomorrow and then the top 5 vote getters in each group move on, alone with 2 judges wild card picks. Of the 3 judges Steven Tyler definitely gets the biggest crowd reaction. Ryan and Steven both jokingly drop F bombs to mess with the censors. Kind of funny actually. Ryan proceeds to introduce all the guys.
First contestant is Clint Jun Gamboa. He does Stevie Wonders Superstitious. It is a very spirited performance and I liked him more here then I normally did. It was a bit screechy but not bad. Steven loves him. Jennifer says she could tell he was nervous and under the circumstances he did well. Randy reminds us for the first time tonight (out of what’s sure to be hundreds) that it’s a singing competition and this kid can sing. Looks like were off to a positive start
Ryan lets us know that now you can vote online.
Next we have Jovany Barreto. He is singing one of my favorite sappy songs, I’ll Be by Edwin McCain. Its kind of a boring performance and he seems partially asleep for some of it. Jennifer Lopez seems to be lost in the moment and singing along with him. Keep it in your pants Jen. Steven does not seem to agree with me and tells Jovany that he brought it. Jennifer predictably tell him he was great. Randy actually brings the hammer down and tell him it sounded to karaoke and he wanted to see more. Jennifer defends Jovany. Excuse me while I puke.
Next we have the super cocky Jordan Dorsey. He says he wants to be a legend. He Is doing Usher Oh My Gosh and Oh My Gosh is really all I have to say. I think this is a terrible performance. He’s not really singing as much as he’s rapping. This was definitely a terrible song choice. You can tell Steven and Randy don’t look happy. Steven says it was not his favorite. Jennifer said that’s not who he is, and he should stick to soft R&B. Randy says it was PITCHY. He agrees that the song was not him
Tim Halperin gets some mic time and says all the guys are like his brothers. He performs Rob Thomas Come On Over. He does a pretty good job with it although I don’t know if he did anything unique with it. Steven thinks the song didn’t do him justice and that he could have picked a song that could have shown him off more. Jennifer agrees and says that he has one of the most beautiful voices and he didn’t showcase it. Randy agrees with the other 2. Tim realizes he needs to pander to the crowd now and does so.
Brett Loewenstern describes himself as a red apple in a group of green ones. I just think he’s a guy that looks and talks like a chick but that’s just me. He does light my fire by the doors. It again just doesn’t do it to me. Its very bland. He has an Adam Lambert like sound but he doesn’t do anything unique like Lambert did. He sang it well though so the judges might like him. Steven says he was on fire. Jennifer likes the performance and likes that he is who he is. Randy says it was PITCHY but Brett is fun and bold and Randy appreciates that.
James Durbin does Judas Priest’s You’ve Got Another Thing Coming. He sounds even more like Adam Lambert then the last guy and you can definitely tell the guy has a stage presence. I really like him and think he really delivered. Steven lays out an expletive laden praise of how good James was. Jennifer echoes my statements and just loves the way he performs, and says its insane how natural it is for him. Randy gives us another one of his vague gems by saying this is how you do it. He also praises him for not going high to often like they all know he can.
Next up is one of my favorites, Robbie Rosen. He is doing Angel by Sarah McLachlan. He really does have a beautiful voice. I am not sure if this is the best song choice for him but he definitely gets better as the song goes on. Steven says he can sing a ballad like nobody else. Jennifer says he able to tell a story with his singing and that will overshadow any problems he had with a couple of the notes. Randy says it was not a great performance and he says the notes were really PITCHY. It just didn’t connect for him
Scott McCrery is next. Am I the only one who thinks he looks like the MAD magazine logo? He does Letters From Home by John Michael Montgomery. This is going to be tough for me because all country sounds the same to me. I think he does a really good job with it and he really picked the right song. Steven echoes my thoughts and tells him he could not have picked a better song. Jennifer says he was born to sing country music. Randy likes him because he’s a throwback country guy and he is a big fan.
Stefano Langone- does Just they way you are by Bruno Mars. He starts of a little dicey but really gets into a zone after a little bit. He does a really good job with a tough song because of how popular it is right now. All the judges really like him and think he has a bright future.
Paul McDonald is doing Maggie May by Rod Stewart. I feel like some of the contestants would be better served by doing younger acts. Paul has an interesting sound. Don’t really know if it is for me but he carries himself really well on stage. Steven loves the character his voice has. Jennifer says his smile lights up the whole place. Randy loves him because he is so unique and different and hope Idol can embrace his style
Another one of my favorites, Jacob Lusk is up next. He does a House is Not a Home Luther Vandross. His voice is so powerful throughout this song he really seems to nail every part. It was kind of a boring song but he really kills it. Steven is honored to listen to him and says his singing almost makes him cry. Jennifer says its one of her favorite songs and he really did it justice. Randy says Luther Vandross would be proud of that performance and that Idol is lucky to have him.
Last we have Casey Abrams, who almost was forced to quit because he was in the hospital just hours before this was being taped. Lets see if it effects him at all. He does I put a spell on you and he is just fantastic. The song is a hit from beginning to end and the crowd goes nuts. Steven says he is unreal and unbelievable. Jennifer says he’s sexy and he is going to redefine what this whole competition is. Randy loves him and loves how he can transform himself to any song
So we need 5 out of this group. My picks, judging on tonight performances alone, would Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone, Scott McCrery and James Durbin. Join me tomorrow night when I recap the top 12 girls!
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