American Idol Hollywood Week Part 1 Recap…And Boy Was it a Doozy!
The happy contestants were all so excited to make it to Hollywood. Well of course they were! But had they forgotten that only 24 actually make it out “alive”? Don’t they remember the sobbing from past seasons? The attitudes? The drama? Well, for the 164 who made it through they were going to quickly be reminded. They also had no idea what was in store because it was a brand new Hollywood week. I could tell already this was going to be a very good, very nerve racking, and very entertaining show.
Day One was upon us. How was the week going to go down? New things and a new format for Hollywood week. Nobody got cut the first two days but those that didn’t get the free pass to the final Hollywood audition would have to sing for their life on the 3rd day. You either made it or got told you were lucky you were getting another shot.
The first one up (how would you like that luck of the draw?) was Brooke the pure lovely lady who had never seen an R rated movie. For the first time ever the contestants also got to play an instrument and sing if they would like. She totally did awesome and went on through for sure to the final day of Hollywood week. She sounded great as she played piano and sang. She was worried about her confidence but I sure couldn’t tell.
So, the instruments helped some and not others. Oh man there were some bad keyboards and guitars and then Jake Mellema hit the drums and sang and I thought Simon was going to pass out. He was a blah drummer but had a nice voice. Randy thought it was funny to see him drum and sing. Simon thought the only thing redeeming about the performance was that they stopped it early. At least Jake had a great attitude.
Then there was David Hernandez. He had a real, real nice smooth voice. He also had great stage performance. He definitely could make it ALL THE WAY. He was the whole package. Randy loved it from note one. Simon thought one of the best he had heard and that David was comfortable up there. He knew that the stage either makes or breaks the contestants and it did not break David. The judges loved him! I totally think he will be one of the Top 24.
Next up was rock and roll nurse Amanda. She was in a bad car accident right before Hollywood week and had some cracked ribs and stitches in her head but she made it to the auditions. Oh Amanda, do we love you or do we love you? She was hot, hot, hot! Her voice was so unique and she was one cool cat. Randy knew she had a 60’s revival thing and thought an artist like her could be big. Simon was glad she was there but cautioned her to pick other songs because he knew what she was going to sing and that could get monotonous and predictable. Very good advice from Simon and she easily made it through to the final round.
Then of course there were the contestants who forgot their words. Simon always tells them to remember them. Well, I think they probably knew them frontward and backwards but their nerves got to them. Still, it was painful to watch them blow it.
Then it was our Latin lover Ghalib who was born in Venezuela. He was kissing the ladies and revealed that he knew four languages. I totally loved him because he was such a kissy face. We need a Latin lover on American Idol! However, we need one that can sing. So, he sang and played guitar but it was seriously lacking and very flat. He just needed to sing in Spanish and it would’ve been way more interesting. So, Paula thought he was shouting but Simon hit the nail on the head saying the problem was Ghalib’s voice. It was corny and terrible. I had to agree. It was a no for the Latin lover but maybe he would pull it together on day two? But probably not.
As the days began to blur Josiah Leming took the stage with his piano and that voice. Josiah the guy living in his car from Tennessee with a slight British accent when he sang. Dang he was good. Randy loved his cool attitude. Paula thought he had something magical about him. Simon thought that his audition was the one he was going to remember. He totally made it straight through. I totally loved Josiah and I loved the song he did!!!! He will be Top 24 for sure. He mentioned he was lost without an instrument so we’ll see if he can hack singing alone without the aid of his guitar or piano. I’m sure they will require it sometime during the audition process!
Okay, there was some serious talent to be reckoned with for this season of Idol. I know they say every year it’s the best talent yet and blah, blah, blah but for serious? It really is the best talent yet. I think when all is said and done and America has voted in the Top 12 that it will be a very, very tough race for the title.
Then there was David Cook who took the stage with his guitar. He had the look and he sounded very good. Okay, on a side note why does everyone have blue tongues? They must all have the same lozenges or Gatorades or something out in the lobby. Back to David Cook though, he was hot. Randy and Paula liked it. Simon wasn’t crazy about it and thought if he lost the guitar he might be lost. Well, good thing he doesn’t have to lose the guitar! Randy and Paula sent him through with Simon saying no. I knew Simon wouldn’t like him. David thought Simon might be hatin’ on his hair. Well, Simon likes a certain sound and he just never really is fond of the male rocker.
Thankfully we got to see Kyle Ensely again, the resident politician. Well, he was hilarious with his audition. Paula thought it was corny but she loved his spirit. Simon thought it was abysmal. Paula thought that whatever song he selected he would have the most amazing spirit. Simon walked off and said “no”. I think seeing 164 people one after the other had slightly frayed the poor man. Well, I loved him too! The show needs people like Kyle. But, do you risk sending him through and making him the next Sanjaya? Perhaps…
Now it was day three. It was the people left who didn’t get a free pass to the last day of Hollywood. There were only 48 that got a free pass so 100 plus people had to audition once again and it was cut throat. They were divided into groups of ten and each group of ten came out and stood in a line and individually sang acapella for a few seconds. The judges deliberated and then made their cuts. Oh man! Brutal!!! Of course Simon had to tell them good luck and that it was do or die.
So for the first group only two made it. That was brutal. The next group had Amy the darling captain of the cheerleading squad and abstinence encourager. She had her voice coach help her the whole time but she didn’t make the cut. Then there was Jeffrey the comedian. Jeffrey and his sister who were so full of life and vitality. I loved his personality but his singing was a little off. Then there was Angela the single mom singing for her daughter plus she had just lost her father right before Hollywood week. She sounded very good, much better than Jeffrey I thought but she didn’t make it and Jeffrey did. I think they gave Jeffrey another chance on spirit alone. Would he redeem himself during the final auditions?
Well, with them extremely cut down it was now day four, the final day. They all were up rehearsing with the band until five o’clock in the morning. Wow, the band had amazing endurance. For the final day of auditions they could sing with the band any song they wanted from a list of 200 songs (go band). They also got three background singers, the same set up for the Top 24 live show.
David Archuleta, the darling 16 year old with the pure clear voice chose to sing “Heaven” by Bryan Adams. He was so impressive. I could not believe he was 16 years old and so at ease on that big ol’ stage! Randy thought it was the best he had heard for the whole audition process. Simon loved that he was young, good looking, likeable, and had a good voice. He sailed on through. I think David for sure will be Top 24.
Kyle Ensley sang Josh Groban…a much better song choice for him for sure! Randy thought it was really good. Paula thought it was safe. Simon apologized for leaving him up there the other day and walking off. It was Kyle’s moment and that was wrong of Simon. Very impressive Simon. The man knows when he’s wrong and of course he really knows when he is right! He also thought Kyle had a good little audition. They sent him through too! I really hope he makes the Top 24. We need an Anthony Federov, Clay Aiken, Jon Stevens, Sanjaya kind of guy!
Jeffrey Lampkin however did badly and definitely didn’t make it. Man, he had great spirit but he was all over the place and could not keep it in tune. Jeffrey was a great example of someone during the city auditions that had a lot of heart, spirit; a good audition who you thought might make it far but then ouldn’t cut it on the big stage in Hollywood. I never picked up in the city audition that he couldn’t stay on tune! They gave him plenty of chances in Hollywood though and he it wasn’t just one “bad” audition. The boy couldn’t carry a tune.
Then there was the lovely Syesha Mercado who seemed to pull it together and work it when it mattered. Earlier she had been battling sickness and didn’t make it through at first. Well, this time she nailed it! She was beautiful, she could sing, and man did she have stage presence! Randy thought she was one to watch in the competition. Paula saw she gave the performance to save her life and Simon told her she did it. She just did it. I loved her! She was Top 24 material for sure.
After Syesha came the Australian Michael Johns and he picked “Bohemian Rhapsody” to sing. That was brave. Was that the right song choice for him? Immediately I thought of Constantine. Well, he did really, really well and Randy was totally a fan and Simon thought it was the best audition of the day. He sailed on through to probably a Top 24 spot.
Then there was Irish singer Carly Smithson who had appeared on season five but couldn’t get her visa from Ireland. After auditioning again Simon thought she wasn’t as good so she went to the doctor and figured out what was wrong with her voice. She was allergic to her dog. So, she got that all taken care of and she picked the song “Alone” to sing and totally made it her own. Dang she was good. She was tight. She had a voice to be reckoned with. She will be Top 12 for sure and will give the women and the men a run for their money if she keeps letting those vocals fly like she did on that song.
Finally we got to see Asia’h Epperson, the gal with the unique and lovely voice whose dad died in a car accident two days before her city auditions. She looked beautiful and she sounded amazing and had wonderful stage presence. Simon loved it. He thought she was terrific. She totally lived up to everything I thought she would be. Asia’h too was definitely Top 24 material.
I had forgotten about the resident beauty queen Brooke Helvie. She took the stage and sounded pretty good until she surprised me and the rest of America with that awful high note. She sealed her deal of fate when they told her not to sing it again because they didn’t have time and off she went anyway. She totally begged Paula because she was the deciding vote and I think Paula was just plain annoyed with her so said “NO”. I wondered if Brooke had not been so annoying and disobedient if maybe Paula would have sent her through. Well, we’ll never know. Then of course she sobbed to the camera that she wished she was given a fair chance like everybody else! What? Come on now girl, you chose the song! That was part of the problem. They didn’t assign “Unchained Melody” to you. Maybe she wasn’t used to being runner-up since she was after all Miss Florida State Fair.
Finally there was one of my favorites, Josiah Leming. He was very nervous because it took him forever to find a song. Then he worked with the band and had a melt down because they never ran through it because he had a certain arrangement in his head. Then he ran into vocal coach Debra and she offered to have him come back with his guitar and work with her but I don’t think he did. The poor kid was exhausted and well, a kid. He was unprepared to audition and sent the band away and chose to sing acapella instead. Oh Josiah. It was bad. Good thing he rocked it every other time. Randy thought it was bad and offered to have the band come back. Paula didn’t think it was the right song choice. Simon gave him tough words about being overconfident and if he was going to dismiss the band he had better do an amazing job. He thought he was being a teensy bit annoying saying it took a lot of guts because it took a lot of guts for everyone to get up there. Also, he thought he lost a little bit of his charm on the performance because he came off overconfident and such. I thought Josiah was just a kid away from home for a year with no support and just misunderstood a teensy bit. I really HOPE they give him a shot and put him in the Top 24. He did get a yes from all three of them so I think his chances are good for that. But, if he can’t just sing and they don’t always let them play their instruments on the live show he could be in trouble!
Finally after four days of auditions it was time to deliberate and of course they won’t tell us until Wednesday night! They left us wondering who they loved, hated, and were split in opinions on. I’m confident tomorrow that David Hernandez, rock and roll nurse Amanda Overmeyer, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Asia’h Epperson, and hopefully Josiah Leming too will be in the Top 24. Oh and Kyle Ensely who I’m sure Simon does not want to give a spot to!! We’ll see how it all shakes out tomorrow night. Oh, and what happened to the all night partying bull riding make out with anyone crazy contestants from seasons past? Could it be that people were SERIOUS about American Idol this time around? That maybe they’ve seen the success of so many others who have gone before them? The lack of Corey Clark’s is why I am convinced this will be the most competitive season yet.
© Copyright 2007 Blindigo Magazine | Article written by Niki Tschirgi
