The Amazing Adventures of Patty Luponey (and Katie)

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of....

2010-06-30T14:03:00.000-04:00

And the journey begins....

Yesterday I was approved for an apartment share in Washington Heights!!!!!! I'll be moving to the city at the end of July. This is what I've been saving up for for almost a year....and I'm excited and happy and nervous and terrified. Time to go make my dreams come true.

Of course Patty will be coming out of retirement to document my first 3 months in the city. (My apartment share is up in October, when I will decide if I'm staying in New York and will then find a new apartment share, or if I'm going to leave and move back to the Mid West...)

Last night I had a dream I gave birth, literally went through labor and delivery...Dream interpretation says this is about moving on to a new era in your life. I guess my subconscious is ready for this change. :)

20 days til NYC!!!

Kris Allen and Green River Ordinance at The Intersection

2010-06-04T13:47:00.002-04:00

Well, guess who was lucky enough to get to see Kris Allen perform this week? Why ME!!!!

The Intersection and Jive didn't publicize this concert at all! Which is sad because both Kris and his opening act, Green River Ordinance were amazing. I ended up going with my mom and aunt (both in their 50s) because we found out about the show just last week. I have to say, they were about the average age of people there.

Before the show, we went to dinner at a bar down the street from the Intersection. As we were eating, Ryland, Kris' drummer, came in a sat by himself at a table next to us. I think he could tell I recognized him, because he kept looking at me. I didn't end up going over to say anything, because my aunt I was with has a daughter that is a musician for a major label artist, and she said that my cousin wouldn't want to be bothered at dinner.

Green River Ordinance was a fantastic opening act for Kris. Even though I saw David Cook twice last summer, I never saw a show they opened. After Kris' set, they came out to sell CDs, and sign autographs. They were some of the sweetest boys in a band I've met. Not a hint of ego.

Kris has improved so much since last summer. He's so comfortable on stage and you can tell he and the boys he plays with are just having the time of their lives. When Kris was on Idol, he was always seen as the musician. It was hard to compare him vocally to Adam, Matt, and Allison. But I noticed last night, the kid can really sing.

It was amazing to me how the crowd came absolutely alive during Live Like We're Dying. Kris is pretty lucky he was handed that song, cuz it's great. We got a few new songs he'd never performed before, like a Radiohead cover and fan-favorite plea to God, I Need To Know. During his encore of Come Together he even jumped down into the crowd...it was pretty awesome!

I got a bunch of pics and a few videos...my dumb little camera does pretty well, I have to say. :)

Your American Idol 2010 IS.....

2010-05-26T23:06:00.001-04:00

I called it last week, didn't I? I'm not sure a girl will ever win again with the demographics this show pulls...

Both singers were well deserving of the title. It's to see how well they do in the contemporary marketplace. I think Lee will do much better than Crystal.

It's interesting to me that they are releasing covers instead of the usual climb another mountain/magic rainbows/moment like this schlock...

The most boring season of American Idol is done and SYTYCD starts tomorrow. :)

My 6 year old nephew complained all night that we were watching American Idol...he thinks it's boring and says no one really watches it. As a joke I said "So You Think You Can Dance starts tomorrow..." He ran around all excited and cheering. I forgot this had become an annual summer treat for him. He loves the hip hop/B-boy(girl) dancers. So You Think You Can Dance is welcomed by all after this lackluster season....Welcome Back Mark and Neil (my two favorite dancers, ever :))

Top 3...I declare Lee Dewyze the winner...

2010-05-18T22:49:00.000-04:00

Holy crap...have we had a more clear cut winner since Carrie Underwood? All the hyping Crystal is for naught...Lee Dewyze will be the American Idol 2010..and despite a lackluster season, I think (hope) he's more successful than anyone from Season 8.

I'm going to start this blog with the statement that Glen Hansard should mentor in season 10...he was one of the most balls to the wall performers I've ever seen live...and could teach the contestants a lot...plus they've featured his Oscar winning song, Falling Slowly twice...should be enough to get a mentorship...

Casey James "Ok It's Alright"
Ok, this was alright. I'm going to compare every performance to last season's top 3...since this is when Kris Allen did "Heartless", and basically won the whole competition. Not a moment for Casey...he's pretty...

Crystal Bowersox "Come To My Window"
This song did everything to support my complaints against Crystal...mid-90s Lesbian folk/blues/alternarock...she did nothing with the arrangement to make it current...my mom said maybe she'd bring about a resurgence, but what says we need that artistically?

Lee Dewyze "Simple Man"
While it was no "Heartless", it was exactly what Lee needed to do to push past the mediocracy of this season. He felt the song...had a connection. It's more than hitting every note with perfection. It's about telling a story. Lee did that this week.

Casey James "Daughters"
John Mayer....douchetard extraordinaire.....uh...casey is better than this

Crystal Bowersox "Maybe I'm Amazed"
I'm confused why Crystal didn't change the pronoun. I felt a bit of disconnect because she wasn't singing from her perspective. It wasn't as good as the judges gave her credit for. And did a detect a bit of smugness from Kara? Ellen picked a perfectly great song...it was just the arrangement that didn't suit Crystal.

Lee Dewyze "Hallelujah"
If Lee had kept this totally acoustic, it would have been an amazing moment. I'm still calling Lee as AI 2010.

Top 4

2010-05-11T22:47:00.000-04:00

I decided to create a whole new post to remind us of the brilliance of Season 8...Top 4...or just Adam and Allison...This was just a year ago, folks...

Whole Lotta Love

Cry Baby

Allison Iraheta — Cry Baby — Encore
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Slow Ride

Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta sing Slow Ride
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

I seriously have the BIGGEST musical crush on Adam....

Falling Slowly

2010-05-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

Proof of an amazing song...

Lee and Crystal (Season 9)

Kris Allen (Season 8)

The Swell Season (The Original)

I'm seeing The Swell Season on Saturday, totally stoked!!! That said, Lee Dewyze is the next American Idol...

Recaps?...

2010-05-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Ok, for those of you who read this blog (and I don't even know how many of you there are, if there are any at all...), have noticed I missed recaps for the past two weeks of AI. I watched these episodes, but haven't had time to write since I was in NYC!!!! Yes, NYC!!!!

If you've read my little mini bio on this side, you may have noticed it's changed from Nashville to NYC to Chicago, and now back to NYC. Obviously moving home has made me totally rethink my goals...and for the better, I believe.

I was a little nervous about even visiting New York. I was afraid I'd be totally overwhelmed, and it had been a year since I'd seen my friends R and T....once I stepped out of that cab into Midtown (the Theatre District at that), all those fears dissolved. I was home.

I spent an amazing weekend seeing great stage...3 Off-Broadway shows (a play Gabriel at the Atlantic Theatre Company, a new musical The Burnt Part Boys at Playwrights Horizon, and one of the best musicals I've ever seen, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson at The Public Theatre. It was smart, witty, bitingly honest political satire. With the hottest male lead, ever.) and 1 Broadway musical...the show I've been dying to see since they announced it was opening at Berkely Rep in CA...American Idiot. It was exhilerating, and everything I hoped it would be. It also included the most beautiful aerial ballet I've witnessed.

So, I'm giving myself two months to get myself together and get moved. Finally, I'm making my lifelong dream come true...NYC, here I come!

Idol Gives Back Top 7 Recap

2010-04-22T00:18:00.002-04:00

I'm writing this recap after watching half of the Idol Gives Back Two Hour Extravaganza....I already know who went home, but not who I expected to...

I'm going to restate what I've already said on Twitter. No matter what u have 2 say abt Am. Idol,#idolgivesback does great things. Children need health care. It doesn't matter where they r from. (Sorry for the Twitterspeak, I had to get it in 140 characters.)

On to the Inspirational Songs week...

Casey James "Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow"

Casey has some amazing potential...He may be the contestant that has not lived up to his potential the most of any contestant, ever...What key did he start in? Not the one he arranged...His guitar playing continues to outshine anyone that has ever been on this show, but this isn't Guitar Idol. I hope he was watching Steve Vai and Oranthi tonight. Goat vibrato was in full effect tonight.

Lee Dewyze "The Boxer"

My mother was commenting that she was not inspired to download a single song from this season on Itunes. Then Lee performed. Her exact comment was, "I'd download that one." This was emotional and authentic. Bless Alicia for having him speak the lyrics. Not vocally perfect, but is this a song that needs to be perfect? I have a theory about Lee's background...we'll see if a story emerges after the press ban is lifted. I doubt he'll be as candid as Glambert, but maybe...

Tim Urban "Better Days"

On first listen, I didn't hate this. I liked him belting. He needs to work on his phrasing, but someday, he may actually work all this out. His lower range is really quite nice. Sometimes, I think the judges give too much credit to popular recording artists. There are a few out there that arent' as good as they give them credit for...

Aaron Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly"

I'm so surprised he didn't go this week. Aaron doesn't have a big enough voice for this song, nor should anyone have a big enough voice for this song...why would you pick an R. Kelly song from the movie Space Jam? He was consistently flat through the whole song. I couldn't even listen to it for a second time to write the recap...just plain and bland and out of tune...

Siobhan Magnus "When You Believe"

Sure white girl, sing a Mariah/Whitney song. You are no Mariah/Whitney...let alone a Christina or even Pink...I've over the weeks come to loathe her lower register...how can you be throaty and nasally at the same time. She has this middle register that is magic, then she shrieks....time to go home Siobhan...

Michael Lynche "Hero" (Nickelback, not Mariah Carey)

sigh why would you sing Nickelback? Even if it is from Spiderman? And this was in your list of 200 songs you'd if you made it on Idol? I'm lost...Vocally, he's fine....sometimes even inspired, or at least the most vocally proficient...get rid of the attitude, dude. Your daughter will appreciate it in 20 years...

Crystal Bowersox "People Get Ready"

Gorgeous a cappella intro...cool mike stand...the dress is not flattering in the least, but it's Crystal, so do we really care what she looks like? So emotional...so genuine. The first week I've actually felt something when she sang. Some people have been saying that it was unprofessional...what it was was an artist feeling...isn't that what music is about?

So, Tim Urban finally went home...after not even making the Top 24...That's chutzpa for you....

Glambert Week (Or The Week Ryan Seacrest Had A Nervous Breakdown) Top 9.2 Recap

2010-04-14T12:28:00.000-04:00

Is Ryan Seacrest taking something? Or is the stress of all of his jobs getting to him? Or was he just giddy his biggest Man Crush to date was this week's mentor? Or is he seriously headed for a breakdown? That man was just bizarre tonight.

But the most exciting news is ADAM LAMBERT WAS THE MENTOR!!!!! So great to see him on my TV again. :) And he actually knew what he was doing and pushed these kids into some really great performances.

Crystal Bowersox "Saved"
This was a great choice for her. It really fed her bluesy style well. Her vocals were spot on. But does a singer in 2010 really want to be the second coming of Bonnie Raitt? I wish Crystal had a little more stage presence. When they pull back to wide shots, she gets lost behind her guitar.

Andrew Garcia "Hound Dog"
I take issue that he changed this up at all. It sounded just like the version from Smokey Joe's Cafe...except sung by a man. There was absolutely no fire to this performance. I don't think it was as terrible as Randy said, but it wasn't great.

BJ Crosby is amazing...

Tim Urban "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"
It's too bad Seacrest's crazy really came out during Tim's performance, because this was really a beautiful cover. Vocally he was spot on and his phrasing worked well. It's a good thing too, that way we can overlook the Turbin comment and Ryan's dancing during the song.

Lee DeWyze "A Little Less Conversation"
This was definitely the best performance of the evening. I wish Adam could have pulled just a little more sex appeal out of Lee, though. The one true thing about all Elvis songs is they are sexy. Especially this one.

Aaron Kelly "Blue Suede Shoes"
Vocally Adam picked up on some great tones in Aaron's voice. This was just a weird performance. I wish he looked like he was having more fun singing it, because it's a fun song.

Siobhan Magnus "Suspicious Minds"
The beginning of this was weird. I don't like the quality of her lower range. It's kind of stuffy sounding. I wish Adam had had time to work on that with her. Get her to open it up. When she got to her middle range, where she was really belting, but not screaming, was amazing. Allison Iraheta is really great in that range too, she just has the control over her lower notes too.

Michael Lynche "In The Ghetto"
Vocally this was spot on. Gorgeous. His guitar is kind of a prop for him, though. I didn't really get the sense he was really playing it. I just wanted a little bit more emotional connection to the song. I can only imagine Adam singing this and how he would have had himself, and the audience in tears.

Katie Stevens "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do"
It's really time for Katie to go. She's overconfident, and sassy. She is the exact opposite of Alllison Iraheta. This was screechy and out of control at times.

Casey James "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"
I really wanted to see Casey stand next to Adam, just so we could see how tall he really is. (Although it would be hard to tell with Adam's giant Elvis pompadour.) I'm liking Casey more and more every week. If he puts this kind of stuff on his album, I may just buy it.

Lennon & McCartney Work Their Magic On The Top 9 (Recap)

2010-04-07T11:43:00.000-04:00

Finally, I'm seeing a reason to keep watching this season. It's really all about each contestants' growth this season, not about professional ready performers like the last two seasons.

There actually were some pretty great performances this week. Although, just a reminder last year's Top 9 was Kris Allen's beginning of his Idol winning peak with "Ain't No Sunshine". Was this Casey James'?

Aaron Kelly "Long and Winding Road"
This was the long and winding song. I thought it would never end. He struggled with his breathing and couldn't support his notes, staying consistently flat. Kara was so right with the critique that he gives the same performance every week. It doesn't help that he did the same exact arrangement as David Archuleta two seasons ago.

Katie Stevens "Let It Be"
This may be Katie's best performance to date, but she's still not ready. Her voice is very shrill. I don't like it at all. It was brave to pick this song after Kris Allen did a beautiful cover of it just a month ago.

Andrew Garcia "Can't Buy Me Love"
I thought this was really fun. It was really poppy and light. It was a good choice for Andrew. I'm not sure what more Kara wanted.

Michael Lynche "Eleanor Rigby"
Brave man picking a song that David Cook slayed two seasons ago...It was very theatrical, but not in a musical theatre type way. I think more in a current big concert kinda way. They criticize these contestants for being too "Broadway", but the current pop market is full of that. Lady Gaga, Pink, Britney Spears, Usher, they put on big shows. Vocally it was really fantastic.

(I have to embed DC, he's my favorite. :) And it's funny to see pre-makeover David. Incidentally, his make-over happened Top 9...)

Crystal Bowersox "Come Together"
Crystal was very obviously sick. But she's their golden girl this season, so they won't criticize her for things like that. I feel sometimes that they judge her in the same way they judged Gokey last season. I didn't think this was a good as Kris Allen's cover last season, which they crucified him for. And the digeridoo was a bit strange.

Tim Urban "All My Lovin"
Tim is playing this game. He's having as much fun as possible and just seems like a genuinely nice guy. None of who he is is an act. He may not be the most talented up there, but this week, he had one the the better performances.

Casey James "Jealous Guy"
I admit it, I'm officially a Casey James fan. This was beautiful. I loved that he just had the acoustic and a cello. I also like that he picked a song that 1) had never been done on Idol, and 2) that is a little obscure. I hope they kept it acoustic for the Itunes recording, cuz I'm planning on downloading this.

Siobhan Magnus "Across The Universe"
I think that in real life Siobhan would drive me crazy. I'm not sure if she's really that slow or if it's just an act, but I would have no patience for her. I was starting to be a fan, but these past two weeks she's really fallen. There is something about her voice I don't like. It's throaty and nasally at the same time. She really, really needs voice lessons to control it. And the stylists need to help her. What was she wearing?!!!! Next week, I hope that Adam Lambert can help her pull something better out, I really do. Cuz I want to like her.

Lee Dewyze "Hey Jude"
This was fun! I felt like I was at a Lee Dewyze concert, not watching American Idol. And I thought the bagpipes fit much better with this song than Crystal's random didgeridoo. I also enjoyed the little ode to "Landrew" and the best quote of the season "I'm glad that those two can be together, and get married, and have lots of little Danny Gokey babies" ~ Crystal Bowersox

Next week ADAM LAMBERT IS THE MENTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I'm just a little excited to have him on my tv screen again...:)

Let's Pretend This Week's Idol Didn't Happen...

2010-04-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, I was busy this week and didn't get a chance to recap...I promise next week I'll get to it! This week was bad anyway...

My quick impressions:
Siobhan Magnus "Through The Fire"
Not sure what happened here. She was sooo off. I'm surprised she made it through.

Casey James "Hold On"
He's holding back on us. I think there is a lot more to him than he has shown us. And he keeps getting better looking each week.

Michael Lynche "Ready For Love"
He picked a contemporary song, which I liked. I thought it was a good performance.

Didi Benami "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted"
Poor Didi. This was terrible and I totally called that she was going home.

Tim Urban "Sweet Love"
Like Simon said, it doesn't matter what we say, this kid is going nowhere. I don't think they were fair to him to question his smiling. He's not dumb. He's taking advantage of an opportunity and trying to enjoy it.

Andrew Garcia "Forever"
This was sooo much better than he's been in weeks past. One of my favorite performances of the night.

Katie Stevens "Chain of Fools"
Nope. I hope she goes home soon.

Lee Dewyze "Treat Her Like A Lady"
Finally, we get the performance we've been hoping for. While Siobhan bit it tonight, Lee stepped up his game and actually performed! :)

Crystal Bowersox "Midnight Train To Georgia"
Once again, she gives a good performance. She's a little shaky without her guitar, though...

Aaron Kelly "Ain't No Sunshine"
Silly Aaron should not have picked a song with the Kris Allen stamp on it...it doesn't matter how well he does, it won't be as good as Kris's last season...

I promise a better recap this week. :)

Have I Really Made The Right Choice?

2010-03-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

This is a question I've been asking myself for the past few weeks. It's been a full year since I've been cast in any sort of production. I kind of thrive on performing, so it's been hard. At first it was a choice. I wasn't going to do theatre any more. I was going to focus on my singing career.

Then, I ran out of money. Dreams of Nashville were put on hold as I got a job at the local brewpub and moved back in with my parents. Somewhere along the way, the lure of friends in NYC changed my plans.

Then, a few weeks ago I thought I aught to brush up my auditioning skills and attend some. A local theatre (that I've never worked for) was holding auditions for Rent. I went. On my way up, I started to get a scratchy throat and stuffy sinuses. Great...nothing like trying to belt with a sore throat. I sang Maureen's part of Take Me or Leave Me, not the best I've ever done, but well enough...the director asked me to switch to Joanne's part, which went better. I did well on the movement audition, then even stayed for the harder, Mimi dance audition, and did well with that, too. Waited, and waited...no callback, not cast. Ok, I've never worked for them before, so I wasn't expecting much, plus the next weekend I was auditioning for a summer stock theatre in Northern Indiana. Not a big deal.

One week later, headshot and resume in hand, I head down to the next audition. I'd auditioned for this theatre 5 years ago, but they weren't doing shows I was really right for, and now they were. Godspell, All Shook Up, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I also have more principal roles added to my resume since my last audition. Go in, sing my 32 bars....and that's it. Nothing...just a "Thanks for coming out"...Ok, so I was auditioning against a bunch of local musical theatre majors, maybe they were just looking at them for ensemble roles...the old theatre I worked at before I moved South is doing Jekell and Hyde...I'll just go audition for that...I'd love to have something to do this spring.

Needless to say, after 3 weeks of auditioning, I've not been called back or cast in anything....It's disappointing. It really makes me question if I've made the right decision. I'm going crazy with boredom with only my waitress job...I'm dying to sing. To perform. Just something.

The life of a struggling actor/singer is hard. I know it. I'm used to the rejection. I'm just not sure, at almost 34, if this is all really worth it...

Hannah Montana Was A Great Mentor Choice When The Theme Was Teen Idols...Top 11

2010-03-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

If only we could go back a year...Last year's Top 11 week, Kris Allen and Anoop Desai stepped out with amazing performances of "To Make You Feel My Love" and "Always On My Mind", respectively. We also got to witness the crazy brilliance of Adam Lambert's "Ring Of Fire."

And then we have this year. What a trainwreck last night was. Any of them could go home and I really wouldn't care. Last season was the only season I cared to go to the tour. There is no way I'm spending $70 to see any of these people. Even Bowersox...

Lee Dewyze "The Letter"
This was definitely Lee's best performance, so far. He's still so nervous, it makes me nervous. I'm constantly afraid he's going to let leash one of his attrociously flat notes. I'll bet he's a completely different guy off camera. In fact, I'll bet he'll be the performer to just let loose on tour and everyone will change their mind about him.

Paige Miles "Against All Odds"
Wow, this single-handedly could be the worst vocals ever in the finals. She murdered this song...not in a good way. And it's not even a good song to begin with. Since they didn't release a list of songs that were cleared on Itunes this week, we have no idea what they could have chosen from, but why would you choose this. The most over-sung song in Idol history. It was done Season 2 (Corey Clarke, bottom 2), Season 3 (George Huff), Season 4 (Jessica Sierra, Scott Savol), Season 5 (Kat McPhee).

Tim Urban "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
He's really enjoying this heartthrob status he has. I feel like he's pulling a Sanjaya, and knows that he's becoming a hated contestant. The teeny bopper girls sure love him though. While this performance wasn't as terrible as Paige's, it was still pretty bad. The vocals were just plain boring.

Aaron Kelly "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing"
Oh, he's so in love with Miley Cyrus...it's cute. You could tell this was painful for him to sing. It wasn't bad, but I felt for him having to sing through tonsillitis.

Crystal Bowesox "Me and Bobby McGee"
The most predictable song choice, ever. She has a beautiful voice, but she bores me.

Michael Lynche "When A Man Loves A Woman"
Same with Michael, beautiful voice, this week, he was boring.

Andrew Garcia "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
To be honest, I talked through most of this. But Andrew is not good.

Katie Stevens "Big Girls Don't Cry"
Every song she picks, seems a good idea in theory. She's just not as good of a singer as 1) they hyped her up to be, and 2) she thinks she is. She is consistently flat. She doesn't have her muscles developed enough yet to keep notes in tune. I'm not even sure she has developed her ear enough yet to know she's flat.

Casey James "Power of Love"
Is he Huey Lewis' son, because vocally, he sounds identical. I actually like this performance. Casey is getting better every week. I liked that he picked something out of the box. He's playing to his fans. There is no way he's not getting picked up by a Nashville label when this is all over.

Didi Benami "You're No Good"
Didi is playing a character, and it's not one that suits her well. Is she trying to seduce Ryan, cuz it seems that way? Miley may like her vibrato, but I can't stand it.

Siobhan Magnus "Superstition"
The screeches have to stop. When Adam went for those wails, he did it with a musicality and attention to pitch. Siobhan just lets out a scream. Give her the 8 years Adam has on her, and she might understand the point of it. Right now, they are just annoying.

I'm so bored with this show...this is definitely shaping up to be the worst season of Idol...

It's Finally the Finals!!! Rolling Stones Week Top 12

2010-03-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

OK, I know I said RIP Idol last week...I guess I didn't really mean I'd stop watching. An intervention may be needed for me to really quit Idol. But I still feel the show is winding down. I heard they are in negotiations for three more seasons, but that will probably be it.

OK, Rolling Stones week. I was a little uninspired when I heard they were doing the Rolling Stones. I checked out the Itunes list, and was shocked by how few Stones songs I actually know. I feel like when they limit the contestants to one artist, it turns out very karaoke.

Also from now on, since I've never been able to audition, I'll put what song I would've chosen to sing. :)
My pick: Paint It Black

Michael Lynche "Miss You"
I'm soooo glad he didn't get disqualified like was rumored earlier. He's really good. He's the first legitimate R&B contender in a long time. His falsetto riffs were gorgeous. He really felt the song, too. He's gone from boring in legitimate contender fast!

Wow! Awkward exchange between Ryan and Simon! Not sure what's going on between these two this season, but it feels tense...

Didi Benami "Play With Fire"
Sexy, slinky Didi...I'm not buying it. The angry faces were ugly. This song was too slow. It just kinda went nowhere. Her big belted note was just out of her reach. It was really pinched and shrill. It was better on the second, lower glory note. She really got into it, though...

Casey James "It's All Over Now"
Casey is a crazy good guitar player. I think he might enjoy playing guitar more than singing...He didn't get into the song as much as he should have. His rapid vibrato bugs me. When someone has a vibrato like that, it ruins the quality of their tone. I'm sure he'll have a successful country career after Idol, though...I mean if Bucky Covington can...

Lacey Brown "Ruby Tuesday"
Ugh, she's one of those singers that smiles every time she performs, doesn't matter what the song is about. Her voice is so vulnerable, but not something I really want to hear. She's very forgettable. Her breathing is shallow and can't support even a short phrase. It keeps her just under pitch, too.

Andrew Garcia "Gimme Shelter"
Andrew really connected to this song. Vocally he did amazing things with this. He shaped his phrases, pulled back the vocals to some nice quiet, unexpected notes. His big glasses cover up too much of his face and he looked kinda lost on that big stage. He was clinging to the mike stand for dear life.

Katie Stevens "Wild Horses"
Katie is always just a little under pitch. I can't get into her. That felt like the talent portion of a pageant. Her dress and her hair. She doesn't have it yet. Every time she reaches for that big note, her voice cracks. Give her about 10 years and she'll be good.

Tim Urban "Under My Thumb"
Tim's family is scary...Wow, why would you pick that song?!!! This whole performance was just weird. The reggae beat didn't bother me so much as what he was actually singing. Not a good way to promote yourself, by singing a song about being a mysogynistic abuser. Unfortunately it was probably his best vocal yet. That said, I like Tim's attitude.

Siobhan Magnus "Paint It Black"
"Paint It Black", the closest we'll ever see to how Adam Lambert would have sung it...That was incredibly musical theatre. I'm a little mixed on it. Her high note on the end was a literal screech. She doesn't know the boundaries of her voice yet. The rest was really cool, though. She has a cool tone to her voice and really feels what she is singing.

Lee Dewyze "Beast Of Burden"
He's so MidWestern. :) This was a cool version. My mom says he reminds her a little of Bruce Springsteen. It was definitely his best vocal of the season. That is not a forgettable performance. Women's hearts melted with that sweet song.

Paige Miles "Honky Tonk Woman"
Hard to believe she's sick. Her voice is very strong, but she's still boring. There's no spark with her. That said, it's much easier to belt as song like that when you are sick, than sing a sweet, quiet song.

Aaron Kelly "Angie"
This is definitely Aaron's best performance. I still don't think he deserves to be there over Alex, but it was good. He sounded a lot like Keith Urban on this one. He doesn't have a huge voice, so he needs to pick songs like this.

Crystal Bowersox "Can't Always Get What You Want"
Crystal is good. Her voice is amazing. All of her performances are kind of samey samey. If she played them as a set list, it would be boring. I want her to do something out of the box, put down the guitar, and either rock it out, or sing a beautiful ballad.

I predict that Lacey Brown is gone, but this season has been all about surprises, so who really knows who will go tonight...

RIP American Idol

2010-03-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

What a year to pick to blog the show. Of course the most exciting season of Idol has to be followed up with the worst season of Idol. Those eliminations definitely show who the voting block is...power-texting tweens (Tim Urban, Katie Stevens, Aaron Kelly) and frau (Casey James, Lee Dewyze).
When does X-Factor start? (BTW, I'm soooo auditioning for X-Factor).

We'll miss you Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly, and Lilly Scott... :(

Surprise, Surprise, the Top 8 Boys Actually Compete.

2010-03-11T15:40:00.001-05:00

A few surprising performances tonight. The boys are competing, finally!

Lee Dewyze "Fireflies"
That was an interesting version. It's still kinda funny to think my cousin is part of Owl City. Every time I hear that song I smile. He was smart to choose a song like this. He dropped a lot of his phrases, and his breathing needs some work. Once he gets that figured out, his pitch problems will disappear.

Alex Lambert "Trouble"
Alex, Alex, Alex...I really like this kid. He's so endearing. His growth is unprecedented on this show. He gets more and more confident each week.

Tim Urban "Hallelujah"
This song helped Jason Castro make his mark on Season 7, and I think this performance will push Tim into the Top 12. It's sad when a good performance for him is the fact that he actually hit all his notes...but now that he's had a good performance, the tweens have every reason to keep voting for him.

Andrew Garcia "Genie In A Bottle"
Only Andrew could attempt to do a Christina Aguillera song, and I think he did ok. I'm still not blown away by him. He is definitely this year's Gokey. Peaked way, way too soon.

Casey James "You'll Think Of Me"
This didn't work for me. He had goat vibrato, his breathing was off. Country is a good way for him to go, but his vocals continue to leave me unimpressed. He must be really, really good looking in real life...

Aaron Kelly "I'm Already There"
I think this song signed Aaron's walking papers. He was underpitch through the whole song. He kinda warbled through the beginning because it was too low for him. And the message was way too old for him.

Todrick Hall "Somebody To Love"
This was definitely Todrick's best performance so far. He has such great stage presence, which a lot of the guys are lacking. I would say he changed this one up just enough, but I think he used the Glee arrangement, so he didn't change it up at all. I'm not sure that this isn't too late to save him, though. Although if the Glamberts truly are voting for him, he's safe and will make it to the tour for sure.

Michael Lynche "This Woman's Work"
Kara's tears aside (how much estrogen is she on right now?), that was the best performance of the season...Big Mike just earned a fan in me. His falsetto at the beginning was beautiful and he had the perfect emotion for this. Frontrunner...

Biggest Night of Their Life? Top 8 Girls

2010-03-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sick, I had to work during the show last night, so I'll blog it as I watch it...

Katie Stevens "Breakaway"

Wow, no intro packages. Mmmm, that was not good. She was just under pitch, a little behind the tempo, and her phrasing was atrocious. There was no phrasing really. It was Gokey phrasing 101. Plus, her outfit made her look like a 35 year old soccer mom trying to dress trendy. It was all very tired.

Siobhan Magnus "House of the Rising Sun"

I can't believe they put Siobhan second! Someone doesn't want her in the Top 12...I love how she started this off acapella. It was absolutely gorgeous. It also proves how well she really sings. This was just beautiful.

Lacey Brown "The Story"

It bothers me how hyper-aware of the cameras she is. This was nice. I'm not running to buy it...It was definitely her best performance so far.

Katelyn Epperly "I Feel the Earth Move"

Am I at a wedding? She's good, but that was not amazing. She really sounded like a wedding singer. Why is this season so boring? She's this season's Matt Giraud, I think. She has good song choices about half the time, talented, but I feel she's gonna struggle with song choice and connection to the song.

Didi Benami "Rhiannon"

That is the first performance this season I've actually considered downloading. Perfect song choice. She's fighting. She just reminded us of why she is in the semi-finals. I don't see her winning the whole thing, but she'll definitely make the tour. The flirting between her and Ryan is hilarious!

Paige Miles "Smile"

Holy goat vibrato! Are we in a piano lounge? Her pitch was off, the arrangement was weird, and it wasn't in the right key for her. She doesn't have a nice head voice, she needs to stay in her belt. She has to be glad the Worsters are voting for her, cuz otherwise she'd be gone.

Crystal Bowersox "Give Me One Reason"

I know she's the current front runner, and she's good, don't get me wrong. But until she proves to me she's more modern than my 1996 CD collection, I'll give her more respect as a current recording artist. I'm not sure where she would be placed on the radio. Maybe she needs a jam band behind her, cuz I'm not buying the Indigo Girls' music anymore...

Lilly Scott "I Fall To Pieces"

I like the rockabilly vibe she put to this. Vocally, Lilly is not as strong as Crystal. She needs to stay away from her lower register, it's just not that controlled. But, as a musician, she's just as strong, if not stronger than Crystal. She's also more modern than Crystal. I'm not sure where Lilly would be played on the radio, college stations definitely, but she's gonna have a hard time getting spins on more commercial radio.

I'm Starting To Believe This Is A Girl's Year...Top 10 Girls

2010-03-04T17:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok, I've complained, but some girls really redeemed this season last night. I mean really. I think the judges are right, a girl just may win this year.

Crystal Bowersox "As Long As I See The Light"
I'm not gonna lie, Crystal is good. She's incredibly musically talented. Something about her just feels 10-15 years ago to me. She would have fit well next to my Indigo Girls and Ani Difranco CDs when I was in college. The problem with her being on Idol is that the indie scene won't take her seriously now...She sang this very well. Girl has pipes. I'm very glad she was well enough to perform. This season wouldn't be as interesting without her.

crystal 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Haeley Vaughn "The Climb"
Everytime one of the teenagers sings this season, I feel like I'm at a high school choir concert. It's not easy to make Miley Cyrus look like a pop diva, and Haeley did. This seems good on paper. The beginning was ok, shaky, but not painful. The end just got completely off key. I don't think she could even hear that she was flat...

haeley 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Lacey Brown "Kiss Me"
So many of the people on this season would be so much better this season with vocal training. Lacey doesn't have superb breath support and that hurts her. She drops notes cuz she can't hold them. Good breath support gets you through nerves.

lacey 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Katie Stevens "Put Your Records On"
Such pimping, not living up to it. Call her Lil Rounds...This song did not work for Katie. I wasn't a fan of Megan Joy last season, but she sang this song better than Katie. Katie's voice just didn't fit. Like I said, high school choir concert, again...and somewhere towards the end was a giant voice crack. I think, if they could get the rights, she should do a song from Spring Awakening...she obviously wants to be Lea Michele...

katie 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Didi Benami "Lean On Me"
This doesn't work in concept, and didn't work on stage. Her voice just isn't big enough for a gospel song like this. Plus, in what universe is this over-played song relevant? It's starting to bug me how much she looks like Brooke White...plus you have to look up indulgent? sigh

didi 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Brooke White

Didi Benami

Michelle Delamor "Arms Wide Open"
UGH UGH UGH!!!!! Creed?????!!!!! She may have just gotten herself voted off, just for song choice. She sang it well. She's too American Idol seasons 1-5 for me. The game has changed since then. I like that she made the song into a diva anthem, but it's still Creed. Unforgivable. Her last note was closed off, so it wasn't as glorious as it should have been. I also can't figure out why EVERY song this season is super slow.

michelle 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Lilly Scott "A Change Is Gonna Come"
This version was so different from Adam's last season, you can't compare them...good for Lilly. My mom thinks she is this season's Kris Allen. She will have magical moments this season, I totally see it. She doesn't perform. She's so honest in her interpretations of songs. She doesn't have the strongest voice, but is an amazing musician. She needs to raise the keys of her songs so she doesn't bottom out so often. I actually like her more than Crystal...

lilly 20 @ Yahoo! Video

Katelyn Epperly "The Scientist"
Super, super talented! She may be my favorite yet. What a beautiful cover. She's so confident behind the piano. Her voice is so strong. I thought this was anything but sleepy. So haunting...

Paige Miles "Walk Away"
All Paige really did here was show what an amazing performer Miss Clarkson is. Paige has potential, but isn't living up to it yet. Her upper register isn't open enough. She's just squeaking out the highest notes. It kills me when these girls don't drop their jaws and think these big, gorgeous notes are gonna come out. We saw Adam Lambert's tonsils a lot, but his high notes are glorious...

Siobhan Magnus "Think"
Brave girl, taking on Aretha. She has the voice for it, though. She's so strange, but endearing. Is she on something? That note at the end was perfect. She keeps her instrument open well and lets the notes resonate.

It's Week 2...Top 10 Boys

2010-03-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

So last week, we lost Joe Munoz, Tyler Grady, Janell Wheeler, and Ashley Rodriguez...not sad about any of them going. So after such a lackluster week, this week has to be better, right? Well, the boys got bumped a day early, due to Crystal Bowersox being hospitalized for Type 1 Diabetes complications. Let's hope and pray she's better.

Michael Lynche "It's A Man's Man's World"
Wow! This is soooo much better than last week! I'm not buying him though. It's all a little musical review, not contemporary recording artist.

John Park "Gravity"
He's so disappointed me. He had such potential from his audition, and a really great tone. He seems to be letting his nerves get the better of him. A better song choice, but still not doing it for me. I have a feeling, he's gone (Sorry Lauren :/)

Casey James "I Don't Wanna Be"
Casey is an amazing guitarist! The vocals here are just eh, though. His vibrato is a little out of control. I also feel like he's pushing the grit into his voice. Good way to get nodes, sir. Just ask Danny Gokey. This song always makes me think of One Tree Hill...

Alex Lambert "Everybody Knows"
Can I just squeeze him, please? He's sooo cute! Such untapped talent. The tour is gonna do amazing things for him (come on, we all know he's gonna make the tour...). He has such a pure voice. It's perfect for recording. This was a great song choice for him. He sounds nothing like John Legend, but still is contemporary.

Todrick Hall "What's Love Gotta Do With It"
This was a hot mess. He's so comfortable on stage, a has great stage presence, but doesn't have the chops to back it up...You can see his years of dance and musical theatre in the way he takes criticism, though. He handles it well, and changes what they tell him to change.

Jermaine Sellers "What's Goin On"
I like Jermaine. His personality has won me over. The first half of the song was messy, but he pulled it together for the second half. He's really breathy in his falsetto. He needs to watch videos of Adam Lambert because they have very similar voices, Jermaine's is just more gospel. If he reigns it in, and follows the judge's advice, like he says he will, he could become amazing.

Andrew Garcia "You Give Me Something"
Andrew set the bar way too high for himself with his first few auditions. He has a great voice, but seems like the criticism last week threw him. This was shaky. There just was no emotion to it. He also drops the ends of his phrases, which sometimes makes his held out notes go flat. He needs to remember who he was when he made those youtube videos. Maybe his friends are a big crutch for him...

Aaron Kelly "My Girl"
Oh, this was bad. My mom said he reminds her of a middle schooler. He's not ready for this, at all. David Archuleta, Allison Iraheta, and Diana DeGarmo are special kids. Aaron is not of their caliber. This whole performance was just off. His rapid vibrato was pulling him flat a certain points. He also over uses runs. Just makes this all over the place.

Tim Urban "Come On Get Higher"
Tim is totally out of his league here. Ellen is right in encouraging him to find another creative outlet, but the judges are the ones who put him here. Were the rest of the people auditioned that bad? Or did he coast through on his looks? (Is it telling I couldn't find a high quality video of him on youtube? I hope so...)

Lee Dewyze "Lips Of An Angel"
Wow do I hate this song! It's horrible!!! Although, it shows Lee would fit on modern radio. It was absolutely adorable how he kept getting a look on his face like he couldn't believe what was happening. Vocally, that was much better than last week. He is gonna push Andrew Garcia out of frontrunner status soon. He reminds me of a cross between David Cook/Chris Daughtry/Danny Gokey.

Blah, Blah, Blah! The Top 12 Boys...

2010-02-25T12:59:00.000-05:00

Wow, what not a good way to start off Season 9. There is no way they can keep calling this the "Best Talent We've Seen Yet" after the past two nights. None of these people come close to the talent we saw last year. Are any of them viable recording artists? Or are we in a season like 6 where only the winner comes out on top?

Todrick Hall "Since U Been Gone"
(The boys videos aren't working, so...)
Todrick took a hugely popular song and rearranged it to a song that nobody could recognize. (Not to mention it was recorded by the most popular and successful Idol...) His vocals were a little all over the place, but he had great stage presence. I'm interested to see what else he will do this season.

Aaron Kelly "Here Comes Goodbye"
I'm not sure what the judges were talking about here. His vocals were consistently underpitch. It's a shame he's on now, and I know I've said this before, but the poor kid's voice hasn't finished changing. It's going to sound completely different in 5 years. I felt like I could hear this performance at any karaoke competition at any Midwestern fair.

Jermaine Sellers "Get Here"
I think Jermaine may have a chance, along with Todrick, to be the first viable African-American male artist (since Ruben) to come out of American Idol. He was a little overblown, but if he follows the judges advice and picks some neo-soul songs, he could have some amazing performances with that voice.

Tim Urban "Apologize"
I didn't know it was legal to let Zac Efron compete...that's really all I have to say about Tim.

Joe Munoz "You and I"
I really like this guy! His voice is well-controlled and OMG! he stayed on pitch through the whole song! (It saddens me that when watching a SINGING COMPETITION the singers cannot consistently sing on the correct pitches...and pitchy is NOT a musical term :( ) Anyways, he was good. And I disagree that this wasn't a good song choice. I think it showed off his voice well. I liked the little Latin vibe he gave to it, too. It would be cool to hear him sing in Spanish. He could be this seasons' Kris Allen...(I spied a guitar in his clip package AND he sang Man In The Mirror...)

Tyler Grady "American Woman"
I just am not feeling this guy. I didn't really get a sense of his voice with that performance. Can he sing? I don't know. And where would he fit on modern radio?

Lee Dewyze "Chasing Cars"
Is it too soon since David Cook's season to have a clone? I like Lee's voice and his Midwestern boyish charm. But that song didn't showcase him enough. And he's too much like David Cook. Let's hope they give him a Cookified makeover too...

John Park "God Bless The Child"
Um, John...you are basically on a TV show, setting you up to be a viable recording artist, and you pick this song?! Where would you hear this on the radio? You have a beautiful voice. Pick something that's going to let you be the R&B artist lurking inside. Even Michael Buble is cooler than that...

Michael Lynche "This Love"
Wow, more about the baby? We haven't heard enough? Anyway, this was ok...he's a boring singer.

Alex Lambert "What A Wonderful World"
Alex is awkwardly adorable. He's soooo young! But he can sing! He picked a great song to show that off. It's going to be an uncomfortable ride watching him, but if he grows and gets more confident, what a story that will be!

Casey James "Heaven"
I just don't get it with this guy. Yes, he's disarmingly charming. He's cute, but not as !!!!!!!ELEVENTY!!!111 Hot as Kara makes him out to be. He has a decent voice. I have to give him props for making it through that performance...the judges were so unfair in their behavior with him. I can't imagine them being allowed to treat a female contestant the same way.

Andrew Garcia "Sugar, We're Goin Down"
This was an interesting arrangement. But no doubt, Andrew can sing. He and Todrick are going to make this season interesting, at least...I'm still reserving judgement until I hear what kind of an artist he really would be...

Underwhelming, all of it....sad, so sad...

Here We Go!! Top 12 Girls...

2010-02-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

What an unimpressive night...why do the girls always disappoint on this show? (Not looking at you Kelly Clarkson or Allison Iraheta :) ) Nerves and anxiety totally got the better of all 12 of these girls. Alright, here we go...

Paige Miles "All Right Now"
It's hard to do a song justice that's already been done on the show. This song was David Cook's second week song, the one that established him as the resident rocker. Paige did a'ight as Randy would say. I like her tone. We've barely gotten to hear her sing up until this point, so I think she did herself justice, given she was nervous as hell. She got a little shouty, but showed off her big voice. I think she's safe.

Ashley Rodriguez "Happy"
Ugh I do not like this song. There are much better Leona Lewis songs if she wants to be labeled a wannabe...I don't get anything original off of her. She hit some really bunky notes. If she sticks around she definitely needs to follow the judges advice and figure out a way to stand out.

Janell Wheeler "What About Love"
This song was way too big for her. All of these skinny blondes look and sound alike. I don't see how they won't cancel each other out, unless they have a stand apart performance. This was not that, at all.

Lilly Scott "Fixing A Hole"
I was a little worried when she picked a Beatles song, but this was a good choice. It's not a crazy famous Beatles song, so she could make it her own...and she did. I like her voice. I think she stands out from the other blondes with guitars. She needs to watch her lower range. She doesn't feel comfortable down there.

Katelyn Epperly "Oh, Darling"
Holy too much make-up, Batman! She looks terrible! Is she going for the rock n roll flapper look? I don't get it? I liked the song. I like her voice. We haven't gotten to hear much from her, so I think this was a good first effort on the big stage. I wish she could've pulled out her A Fine Frenzy cover and play the piano...

Haeley Vaughn "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"
Oh, Haeley...you're so cute....and you can't sing...poor thing...Simon says they want to find a Taylor Swift this season? Well, I think they found her. And I think she's not gonna make it past this week. That was a mess. An off-pitch, shrill, breathy mess.

Lacey Brown "Landslide"
Oh, my! Another hot mess! And I liked Lacey in Hollywood. Her voice is so unique. She needed a jazzy song to stand out, not Stevie Nicks. I see how they made her have a sing-off with Megan Joy last year. They are very similar. I have a feeling it's bye, bye Lacey...

Michelle Delamor "Fallen"
Girl totally showed up Ashely Rodriguez tonight. She has a much better tone and control. I thought she did the song justice. I mean, no one can sing Alicia Keys like Alicia Keys, so....but, how skinny is this girl. Eat a sandwich, please!

Didi Benami "The Way I Am"
Seriously a copycat performance. If I closed my eyes, I wouldn't know this wasn't Ingrid Michaelson. Or Janell Wheeler (other than the fact that Didi can stay in key much better than Janell). Boring.

Siobhan Magnus "Wicked Game"
What the hell was that?! So they obviously did have the rights to this for Adam, and he never used them, so instead we get this? She has find to herself, or she's gone. Seriously a strange little girl. She has a good voice, and a big voice, of which they are lacking this season. Her range is giant. And to the stylists, this was the best you could do?

Crystal Bowersox "Hand In My Pocket"
Not a most original choice, but she handled it well. Simon's right with the coffee house analogy...she needs to project bigger. And thank God for teeth whiteners! She's just a cool chick. She really sounds like the love child of Janis Joplin and Melissa Etheridge.

Katie Stevens, "Feeling Good"
I love Adam Lambert's cover of this. I jam out to it all the time. It's so theatrical, and has a driving beat...I know it's a cover of the Muse version, which I also love, so it's different from what Katie did. But what's most different is that he sang it well. Katie, did not. She was sharp, and pageanty. It started out very throaty. Nope, didn't like it. She's blown her frontrunner status, now hasn't she?

Ok, boys, you better bring it tonight, or this season is just, well...sigh

American Idol Season 9 Top 24

2010-02-18T13:39:00.000-05:00

Although this blog is supposed to be about my journey through the life of a struggling musician/actor, I've been tossing around writing my own recaps for AI Season 9. So, as I come up on some fairly big auditions (for me anyway), I thought I toss in some recaps.

Last night, the Season 9 Top 24 was named. Here are my thoughts...

Girls:

Ashley Rodriguez, 22
Audition Song: "If I Ain't Got You" Alicia Keys
I can't quite put my finger on why I don't like this girl. She's just a little too polished, maybe. She also is very generic.

Ashley and her Berklee band, Blaque Lyte (that spelling is annoying)

She also looks too much like Jordin Sparks.

Crystal Bowersox, 24
Audition Song: "Piece Of My Heart" by Janis Joplin
This girl has talent. Why she chose American Idol, I have no idea, but I'm sure she will make this season interesting. I know they will clean her up a little, hopefully give her a teeth whitening treatment, cuz man, are those brown front teeth distracting! She's different from the little jazzy, emotionally fragile girls they chose.

If she performs like this on the show, she'll go far! (and I love her boots)

Didi Benami, 23
Audition Song: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
The love child of Megan Joy and Brooke White. Emotionally fragile, jazzy, beautiful, and blonde. She's been getting a lot of producer pimping...we'll see how she handles this...A little controversy that she has ties to a frequent Kara co-writer...a few peeps are calling her a plant...

This is the only pre-Idol video I could find, so not sure how she sings outside the pressure of Idol...

Haeley Vaughn, 16
Audition song: "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood

She's cute, she wants to be a black country superstar...she knows who she is, which is unusual for someone that young, and we all know how well that worked out for Allison Iraheta (buy her album, Just Like You). The problem with Haeley, she sings more like Taylor Swift...that's not gonna work on AI.

Here's her 1st Hollywood song. Not surprising she doesn't have many vids up...

Janell Wheeler, 24
Audition Song: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals
I don't like her. I don't like her voice, I don't like her image, I don't like her boyfriend, Tim Tebow.

This could be on Gokey's album...inspirational shlock...

Katelyn Epperly, 19
Audition Song: "Syrup and Honey" by Duffy
She couldn't come up with a better backstory than "My parent's are getting divorced"? Her voice is unremarkable.

Katie Stevens, 17
Audition Song: "At Last" by Etta James
Another one who has everyone's backstory...I have a sick grandma...Being touted as a wonderkind...She has a big voice...I won't write her off until I actually see her perform.

She could be Diana DeGarmo 2.0.

Lacey Brown, 24
Audition Song: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland
LOVE HER!!!! I can't believe they picked Megan Joy over her last year! Her voice is so unique. She has very unusual phrasing. I can't wait to see what she does on the show.

Skip to 1:40 to hear her sing.

Lilly Scott, 20
Audition Song: not aired
I love this girl too! Her voice is outstanding. Not much else to say.

Michelle Delamor, 22
Audition Song: not aired
Not sure what to think of this girl, since we haven't heard her sing a note...cannon fodder?

I assume this is her...she can sing...sounds a lot like Ashely Rodriguez...

Paige Miles, 24
Audition Song: not aired
Another one that they have barely shown...seems to have a strong alto...

Siobhan Magnus, 19
Audition Song: not aired
This girl needs a stylist bad! She's cute and has a strong rock belt.

Hopefully her voice has grown since she played Belle...

Guys:

Aaron Kelly, 16
Audition Song: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
Oh, Aaron Kelly...If only they'd told you to come back in two years once your voice finished changing. As of right now, you have absolutely no chance of winning this...you are not Archuleta 2.0, as much as they want you to be...

Alex Lambert, 19
Audition Song: not aired
Oh, you of the glittery last name, you are cannon fodder...with your ukelele. Sorry, that's already been done by Mr. Castro...

Andrew Garcia, 24
Audition Song: "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5
Already controversial, a bit Gokey-like, but he seems more genuine, in his reactions and in his musician-ship...but at this point in the season last year, Gokey was still tolerable to me...so we'll see...His youtube vids are fun.

I love this girl he's singing with too...

Casey James, 27
Audition Song: "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" by John Mayer
Um, he stripped in his audition, has numerous drunk driving convictions, and is total frau-bait. He is talented, but looks like a mash-up of Bo Bice and Bucky Covington...I'm sure he'll make the tour...

Jermaine Sellers, 26
Audition Song: "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne
He was on BET's Sunday's Best, has a tendency to oversing, but this could be his chance to make it big in the gospel world...hey, it worked for Mandisa...

Joe Munoz, 20
Audition Song: not aired
This season's Who? They've shown nothing of him...didn't even know he existed til they named him to the top 24...cannon fodder? Or Kris Allen?

If this is him, why were they keeping him a secret? A lot of melisma, but in there is a good voice...if this is him...

John Park, 21
Audition Song: "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" by Donny Hathaway
LOVE HIM!!! A true, pure baritone. He's cute. Already, call me a ParkBench already...I hope he's not Anoop 2.0 and burns out...

Lee DeWyze, 23
Audition Song: "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
Could be David Cook, could be gone next week...He seems like a good ol' Midwestern boy. That's a easy way to charm the audience. Worked well for Cookie and Kris Allen...

Micheal Lynche, 26
Audition Song: "Unchained Melody" by The Everly Brothers
I could go either way...he seems like a nice guy, kinda boring...His wife had a baby while he was in Hollywood, which guys in Iraq and Afganistan do all the time, except they are in a war, not trying to get on a reality tv show...

Tim Urban, 20
Audition Song: not aired
Didn't originally make the Top 24, but because Chris Golightly made a big mistake, he gets to be on the show...I didn't like his David Cook cover, his vocals seem weak, but I can see the teen girls loving him...

Todrick Hall, 24
Audition Song: Original song by Todrick
Oh Todrick, of your child-scamming, back-flipping, and Oprah pic ways. You self-professed non-trained dancer...we'll see, sir, we'll see...

I guess this is from the musical he wrote...

From his other musical "CinderellaROCK".

Tyler Grady, 20
Audition Song: "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
He's got a 70's vibe that fits in well with what Adam Lambert started last season. He already has a frau fan group, The Grady Bunch, gross. Poor, poor Tyler...

When it comes down to it, I vote for who's album I would buy. It's gonna be a season, that's for sure...

Rejection

2010-01-05T17:48:00.002-05:00

Ok, that sounds very, emo, but that's what I got today...rejected. And I'm not too sad about it.

I alluded to a somewhat important audition I had before Christmas, and I finally found out the results today...I didn't get it.

I auditioned to be the lead singer of a rock/blues band in Grand Rapids that is very up and coming, and could be releasing an independent album very soon. They just needed a new vocalist since they parted ways with theirs. They ended up going with someone else. I'm ok with that. It became kind of a barricade to my vision of what I was going to do with my life. Now I know, I'm going to NYC. ASAP.

And can I even tell you how excited I am that American Idiot is going to Broadway?!!! I'm sure I will see it more than once this summer. And audition for it as soon as that is possible. :)

Best of 2009

2009-12-30T10:26:00.004-05:00

So everyone seems to be doing some sort of top 10 list. Music is so important to me, it seems fitting I should do one too. I don't have favorite 10 albums of the year, but top singles doesn't seem to encompass enough. So, here is my top 10 music (album, single, perfomance) list of 2009.

10. Jason Mraz and busker in Paris (via www.blogoteque.net)

My brother introduced me to this French music blog. I can't read it because it is completely in French, but they make videos with musicians. Many of them are sublime and I encourage people to visit it. This video of Jason Mraz creating music with a Parisian busker is one of the most beautiful musical moments I've witnessed on the Internet.

Split Series - Jason Mraz - It's a lovely day
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - Explore more music videos.

9. Lady Gaga on the MTV Video Awards

This year I've grown to greatly appreciate the art of Lady Gaga. She takes catchy pop tunes and creates performance art to go along with them.

This is not the only spot she's on this list, but her performance on the MTV Video Awards in September was mind-blowing.

Add to it my favorite SYTYCDer ever, Mark Kanemura, as one of her back-up dancers, and it's perfection.

Lady Gaga - New Music - More Music Videos

8. David Cook, Declaration Tour

I'm not afraid to admit, I love David Cook. He's been a big inspiration to the whole quitting my teaching job and tackling that whole

following my dreams thing. I was lucky enough to get to see him live, not once, but twice in 4 months. The second time I was quite close

to the stage and got a few good videos and pics. He's amazing. :)

I did not get to witness this performance of "Lie", but it shows off David's beautiful voice. Skip to 1:30 for the song to begin.

7. Matt Giraud's performance of "Let's Get It On" AI

I love American Idol. My obsession with it has consumed a large portion of 2009. Matt was the boy from Kalamazoo I was interested in following

cuz he was from the same town as me and thought I should support him. Then he sang this...and my friends and I became fans.

Now who's gonna sign him? (I couldn't find the actual performance, Fox took down the videos from Season 8, but here he is on Ellen. It's precious.)

6. Andrew Bird/ St. Vincent live at the Kalamazoo State Theater

This evening of music with my brother was nothing but sublime. Watching these artists create music the way they do was engaging, magical, and

just plain beautiful. Andrew Bird is someone you must see live to appreciate.

5. Allison Iraheta

Two words describe this little girl: Rock Star. People need to start listening to her music right now. A mix of pop/punk/rock, her album is just plain fun.

"Beat Me Up" may be one of the best pop/rock songs no one will hear.

4. Kris Allen's performance of "Heartless" on AI

I'm a big fan of Kris Allen. His debut album is good guitar pop. His performance of "Heartless" still stands out as his best moment of 2009.

There was no way he could have beat Adam Lambert if he had not performed this. Way to be selfless Glambert.

(Once again, thanks Fox for no video, but his new mashup with Gangsta's Paradise is pretty awesome, too.)

3. Lady Gaga Bad Romance

I've had this song in my head all Fall. And the video is pure art.

2. Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert's performance of "Slow Ride" on AI

After Gokey's scream heard round the world and this duet, I thought we were gonna have a dream top 3. Plus this performance introduced us

to the Striped-Pants...seeing them perform this in Grand Rapids just made me love this duet even more.

Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta — Slow Ride — Video MP3 - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

1. Adam Lambert

Did anyone think I would put anything or anyone else in my #1 position for 2009. He is the best discovery of 2009. It's amazing that a year ago

no one outside of the LA theatre circle knew of him. I've never loved a pop artist more. I could gush for hours about this man's voice. It's just amazing.

His debut album is pop perfection and will not leave rotation in my iPod for a long, long time. My favorite performance of his is actually

pre-Idol (from 2008). It's campy, a little raunchy, and just plain fun.

Adam's performance on the Jay Leno Show a couple of weeks ago of his newest single was probably his best post-Idol, post-AMA scandal performance of

his new single.

Auditioning...

2009-12-13T21:58:00.003-05:00

I know auditioning is the only way to get gigs as a performer, but I must say, the waiting after the audition until you hear, might be the worst time ever....

JCS auditions went well. I was called back for Mary Magdalene, but couldn't make the callback. Damn work...:P Obviously didn't get the part. But it's all for the best. Do I really need to be doing a community theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar? Probably not. Focusing on getting paid is more of a priority.

Which leads me to my second audition of the week...which I will write about after I find out the results...I don't want to jinx something that I really, really want.

SO, once I hear yeah or nay, new blog post...

Until then, I'm gonna leave you with my cousin playing Madison Square Garden...yep, Madison Square Garden...<*sigh*>

And of course my fave...singing a song I sang for my 2nd audition, in the town I had the audition...

I'm tired of this creative drought.

2009-12-06T14:07:00.004-05:00

So, since I'm not making anymoney at work anyway, I decided to attend an audition in Kzoo for the first time since I left 4 1/2 years ago. I mean it's Jesus Christ Superstar peeps!

It's been hard not singing these past 9 months. It's like saying I'm gonna run a marathon, then not train for it. I need to keep my voice in tip top condition if I think performing is the career for me. Even if it is just for a community theatre production of JCS...

Here's my fave rendition of a song from JCS. Someone, somewhere needs to cast him as Judas ASAP...

And just cuz I luv him...:)

I'm a terrible blogger...

2009-11-19T00:23:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's been awhile peeps. Things have been kinda slow around here. Patty's gone into hibernation for a while whilst I work my way outta Michigan. It seems all I do lately is work...

It's interesting returning to a town you haven't really lived in since high school. Yeah, I've been back and forth, staying here for a few months here, a few months there, but never really had to interact with that many people outside of subbing. Now I see all the people I didn't really want to see again (at least without a leading Broadway role, sell-out tour and platinum record in hand ;P). It's giving me some time to really figure out what I want. Do I go to Nashville, a place I can afford to live in, can figure out some way in the music business to make it work, but have to start completely over? It's a daunting thought to have to rebuild my support system again. I've done it so many times in the past 10 years. Or do I follow one of my lifelong dreams and chuck it all to move to NYC? A place that is scary, and expensive, and exciting. A place that is much easier for me to navigate my way through a performing career. Plus, I already have a support system in place, so many friends, including two of the best friends I've made in the past 12 months.

It's gonna be an interesting winter, that's for sure.

And oh, yeah, new music always makes me happy :)

Happy Halloween!!!!

2009-10-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

(Don't worry...I know we've been missing...new blog post soon!!!)

It's Mid-Western Autumn!

2009-09-23T18:42:00.003-04:00

Gee, I've missed Fall! Looks like we're stalling in Michigan for a while. No $=No Nashville. It's not all bad, got to hear some good music, see old friends, all while trudging around looking for a job...Going to see my cousin play with Owl City tomorrow, then another job interview Friday.

In the meantime, this video keeps us laughing...oh, those Idols :)

American Idol Tour Grand Rapids, MI 9-06-09

2009-09-07T16:33:00.006-04:00

So, I've watched American Idol for, oh, every season. It's kinda a tradition with my mother and me, even though I live far away, we watch, then discuss via phone after the show is over. I've always had a favorite, though never voted until season 7, for David Cook. This season became hotly debated because my favorite was Adam Lambert, but my mother liked Kris Allen. Up until this year, we usually agreed. So, I wanted to go to the Idol tour in NC, but no one could or would go and it was 5hours away. Knowing that they were only going to be 35 miles away, and it was Matt Giraud's hometown show, I decided to just buy a ticket for the show in Grand Rapids and go by myself. I've never gone to a concert alone before and my seats were nosebleed, but whatever. I ended up meeting friends for dinner, one of whom worked with Matt, texted him during dinner, and Matt sent him 3 meet and greet passes. I was not a lucky recipient, but they had fun.

Onto the show:
It was set up in countdown from 10 to 1. Each idol sang 2-3 songs 1st half and 4-5 songs 2nd half.

Michael Sarver (#10) started the show off. Grand Rapids is a very conservative town, so even though it was Matt's homecoming I expected the crowd to be fairly docile and they didn't disappoint. Some guy in front of me was threatening teenagers when they stood up to dance...what is a concert for dude? Michael was good. He sang "In Love with a Girl" and "Closer". He has a nice voice, but not much stage presence.

Megan Joy (#9) was next. Now, this girl is gorgeous, but is not a good singer or performer. I really felt like she wasn't enjoying what she was doing. She sang "Put Your Records On" which was ok, but "Tears Dry On Their Own" was painful. Who's idea was it for her to sing a patter song?...they should be fired!

Scott McIntyre (#8) rose out of a trap in the middle of the stage sitting at the piano. He sang much, much better than he did on the show. This tour is a perfect example of what American Idol does to singers, terrifies them into giving lame performances on the show. Scott hit some very beautiful falsetto notes on both songs, "Bend and Break" and "A Thousand Miles". He joked around in between songs about Seacrest and Simon, but they sounded very scripted. His voice was very smooth. He was enjoyable, but his album is gonna have to be amazing for me to buy it.

Next up was Lil Rounds (#7). Now from the start, she sounded sick. As in, her voice was scratchy and she was struggling with some of the higher belt notes. Even when she spoke, her voice sounded tired. She performed well, but it was very, very karaoke. "Single Ladies" was definitely the high point of her performance and she moved well, but I don't know that it was such a good choice to do for a show like this. She also sang a Mary J. Blige medley (Be Without You & Just Fine) and "No One". (I actually had to look up what songs she sang, because I couldn't remember, not a good sign.)

When Anoop Desai (#6) entered from the trap, you could see him crouching down. Don't know if you could from the floor, but they totally blew that one for the people sitting up in the nosebleeds. Now, Anoop can sang, I mean, the boy has pipes, but he HAS to work on his presentation. He's just a little stiff. He tried to do some pelvic thrusts during his final song, "MyPerogative", but he only kinda half does them. He doesn't commit. He opened with "Always On My Mind", while well-sung, was kinda a downer after Lil just partied down with "Single Ladies". He then did "Mad". It was good, but I caught myself looking around the arena, more than watching him.

It was at this point that the crowd started to go absolutely crazy. The hometown boy was up next, and boy was West Michigan proud and supportive of him! Matt Giraud (#5) started out his set by beat-boxing from off-stage, then charged onto it with an amazing version of "Hard To Handle". A piano rose out of the floor, and man, he sure can play! The screams were deafening during his set. He was very emotional for his next number, "Georgia On My Mind" and his "You Found Me" has definitely improved from when he performed it on the show. I definitely would see him again, but he was one of my favorites from the season, so I would have anyway, I'm sure. Someone needs to sign him fast!

Before the 20 minute intermission, the Idols that had already performed came back to do a medley. Megan and Lil started out with "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You". Um, yeah, not so great. Their voices didn't match and Megan struggled with singing melody to Lil's alto harmony. Scott and Matt rose out of the floor again with a dueling pianos version of "Tell Her About It". It's a shame this was cut from the finale. It was really amazing. Michael then sang "Suspicious Minds"...eh...yeah....then Anoop came out and they all did "Beggin" with Motown choreography which was pretty sharp. I was really impressed with Scott, and Matt had a little swagger to his.

After the intermission, Allison Iraheta (#4) came out with little introduction. People were still finding their seats. When she sings, it's hard to believe this girl is only 17, but then she talks, and it's obvious. She played guitar for "So What", but I couldn't really hear it. Her "CryBaby" couldn't be topped by her performance the night she was kicked off, but it was good. "Barracuda" kinda sounds like it was written for her. She's gonna be huge, I think.

I was not looking forward to Danny Gokey (#3). I was not a fan during the season. In fact, we texted over 3,000 times for Kris and Adam to make sure he did not make the finale. Well, now I see why he got as far as he did. He's a really great performer! I actually may have enjoyed his set more than some of my favorites. "PYT" was fun, and sung well. He cut out all his little "doot, doots" and just riffed. It was nice. He did a little salsa dancing on "Maria, Maria" and he moves well. "What Hurts the Most" was very emotional. He was pulling from deep down on that one. He gave a little speech that I was afraid would be a sermon, but was quite motivational, about not letting mistakes and tragedy define what you do and to not listen to people who don't believe in you. He then sang "My Wish". The Rascal Flatts songs, I think, show what he's gonna sound like on his country album. I may actually buy it. (and btw, he's much, much better looking in person!)

The person I was looking the most forward to seeing was Adam Lambert (#2). I'm a bit fantardy...being a musical theatre person, it was nice to see someone on the show who represented my interests. Vocally, he was perfect. I've never heard someone sing like that before. He was in really great vocal condition and did lots of improving on all of his songs. His performance was quite musical theatre, though. I love musical theatre, but not at a rock concert. I almost felt like he was playing the Emcee in "Cabaret". He moves very well, but it was all choreographed, even down to how and when he took off his jacket. He started with "Whole Lotta Love", which was a rock vocal master class. I wish I could sing like that! "Starlight" was beautiful, and "Mad World" had a weird sound effect on it that kinda echoed. I didn't really get that. Allison came back out to do "Slow Ride" and that was the only time I saw him drop the persona. It was just Adam goofing around with Allison on stage. I think he needs a band to interact with. Finally, he did a David Bowie medley (Life on Mars/Fame/Let's Dance). I enjoyed him, but not as much as I expected. I still can't wait for his album, though.

Kris Allen's (#1) set was much more intimate. They dropped a curtain in front of the band for "Heartless", "All These Things That I've Done", and "Ain't Know Sunshine". Kris is an amazing musician. He played acoustic and electric guitar, and piano. His guitar solo on "Bright Lights" was fantastic. He ended with "Hey Jude" and all of the other Idols joined him at the end.

For the finale they all sang "Don't Stop Believin", which seems to be the song of summer 2009. We got Adam's glory note at the end, which is unbelievable.

All in all it was a good show, but it felt more like a music revue than an actual concert. After, I went out and waited by the buses and got up-close pics of all 10 Idols. Adam came out first and was very sweet. He spent about 45 minutes signing and posing for pics. He's very pretty in real life, and much smaller than I expected. Lil snuck by because she was sooo short. Anoop only came over to sign one poster, of a girl standing next to me, cuz he was sick and she was the only Anoop poster. That was very sweet of him. It was definitely worth standing out for two hours to get the pics. I hope they appreciate this right now, cuz for some of them, this road ends in 9 days...

Ready to Go!

2009-08-25T19:42:00.004-04:00

After a long weekend of packing, throwing away, donating, and the occasional jam session, (with a few goood-bye lunches) we're off to Nashville! Watch for posts from the road, and maybe a peak at a new apartment? Keep your fingers crossed that it works out!!! Man this house is empty...

Packing is better with Lady Gaga and Katy Perry!

2009-08-21T11:15:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you just have to stop and jam to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry when packing...makes life much better! BTW Lady Gaga radio on Pandora plays jams! Kanye, Beyonce, What!!!!

Welcome Patty!

2009-08-20T17:27:00.005-04:00

Hi, I'm Patty Luponey! I'm setting off next week for Nashville with my trusty sidekick, Katie. Along on our adventure will be Gizmo and Maggie, supercats extrordinaire! Watch for more posts as we wrap up our life in Wilmington and hit the road!