'American Idol' San Diego auditions
Two things that probably need to be said about Tuesday (Jan. 22) night's American Idol audition episode from San Diego: Boy, was I ever glad the episode wasn't two hours long and geez but even that one hour felt padded.
Dropping from two hours to one left Tuesday's episode light on the sort of heart-tugging fluff pieces that characterized the Philadelphia and Dallas auditions.
The longest segment from Tuesday's episode wasn't dedicated to either a budding superstar or an aspiring Renaldo Lapuz. It was spent on Alberto Hurtado, a gifted fan-maker and dreamer whose desire to use Idol as a vehicle for opening up and living outside his walls was neither funny nor triumphant. Alberto began his segment by announcing, "To me, singing is like the ultimate rebuilding of my soul." Nobody in the Idol production department wanted to go into any depth on what his soul was being rebuilt from, so he just came across as a weird innocent with the misfortune to sing is own triumph-over-adversity less than a week after "We're Brothers Forever." And with lyrics like, "Here I am/ This is me/ Standing with my heart upon my sleeve/ It's a tragedy/ It takes a tragedy," how could Alberto compete? Simon's criticism that it was "The equivalent of a storm cloud on a sunny day" wasn't as productive as it would have been to just send the guy away swiftly. He was confused rather than hurt and the telenovela-style music in the background didn't add to the humor.
The producers were really reaching on this episode's freaks and geeks. Partners-in-crime Monique Gibson and Christopher Baker were both pretty bad, but neither was criminally awful, though Randy's note-by-note critique of Christopher's encore song was the sort of thing they should do more often. There was also an appealing hubris to the jiggly Valerie Reyes, who compared herself to Mariah Carey and mocked the familiar Idol loser auditions only to realize that she was in the midst of one of those auditions herself, which must be a bit like the dreams where I'm in a high school play and I don't know my lines and I keep thinking I can memorize my dialogue from the wings or improv, even if I'm doing Shakespeare. Fortunately, my nightmares are fleeting and Valerie's has been filmed for posterity.
I'd almost have liked to spend more time with confusingly brain-dead Sarah Long (the judges compared her to William Hung) and Aaron Garnett (the "Leave Me Alone" guy) than wasting additional seconds on 11-time reject Blake Boshnack, whose mother needs to have her values and priorities readjusted.
Still, plenty of people were invited to hop on the freeway and head up to Hollywood.
There was some affected chanteuse named Tetiana, who just joins my gallery of forgettable blondes. There was Perrie Cataldo, whose story of raising his four-year-old son after his wife's death was enhanced by the cute kid -- complete with kiddie wife-beater, kiddie ponytail and kiddie pimp chains -- but weakened by his performance, which the judges loved, but I found full of annoying mannerisms and vibrato.
Actually, I thought the same thing about Carly Smithson's performance, one of the night's most praised. Unlike Perrie, I got the feeling that Carly could strip aside the business to be a contender, though she was just one of several singers who got through, but should come equipped with fine print.
While Carly, clear-eyed Irish lass with a tattooed arm and an even more tattooed husband, is "Smithson" now, she was "Hennessy" two years ago. Remember Paula Abdul giving interviews raving about an Irish girl from Las Vegas? That was her. She was supposed to the Carrie Underwood of her season until her visa paperwork fell through. She also has professional credentials across the pond.
The same can be said of Michael Johns. Did anybody else notice the odd thing where the voice-over called him "Michael Lee" and the on-screen text called him "Michael Johns"? I was confused enough to look the Aussie up online and it took 10 seconds to discover that he was formerly the lead singer of The Rising and that he was signed to Maverick Records as a solo artist. He seemed like a more macho Ace Young and I didn't mind his white chocolate Otis Redding cover. I could imagine him doing well.
And then there was David Archuleta. Producers spent a lot of time with the 16-year-old chatting about his triumphant victory over vocal paralysis, a condition he must have contracted sometime after a junior vocal victory on Star Search, where his video still lurks deep on CBS' site.
Several people from the San Diego auditions were talented, but who actually felt fresh?
Who impressed you? Who made you laugh? And check out our full Idol coverage over at Zap2it's Guide to American Idol.
OMG I knew I heard the name David Archuleta somewhere. I remember watching that episode of Star Search. Kudos on the research.
Who felt fresh? That would nobody I saw on the San Diego show
God, Pierre's son turning out NOT to be a girl was more shocking than Sanjaya staying on the show for 80 weeks.
Man, that was a complete waste on the "female William Hung", burying her horrid performance under some equally horrid Rod Stewart song.
And I'm sick of people from other countries, ESPECIALLY those who had singing careers there, coming over and getting through on AMERICAN Idol. You never hear of Americans moving to their countries and getting through various rounds, do you? At least, I never have. How many "yanks" have been on X Factor? If any have, they sure as hell didn't have histories like Wife of Darth Maul and Aussie Taylor Hicks.
wow, how american of you to deny other american immigrants the opportunity of success in your own country. god bless you frank rook
I would have liked to see more of Sarah Long as well. What they showed was too short. What the hell was she trying to sing??
I'm unimpressed with this season so far and its' explosion of ringers. I'm not sure this is the way to win back the fans after last seasons' suck fest.
Question for all you AI lovers:
Do you think it hurts the concept of the show that several of the contestants have already been "discovered" and had recording contracts?
In response to Holly: I don't have much of a problem with "discovered" people like Carly, Michael, and David trying out, though I do prefer true amateurs on this show.
However, what bothers me is Idol's practice of sweeping all of their professional history under the rug. This lack of honesty only hurts Idol when people find out. If they're more upfront with past record deals, major tours, or reality show victories, then at least it doesn't seem too much like these singers are ringers.
I hated Carly's audition. Does she even know what the original sounds like.
We get it, you can do runs. Good job.
David A was really good, but Idol doesn't care that he OBVIOUSLY needs surgery. He gasps for air all the time. His career post-idol will last about a year till he becomes paralyzed and unable to speak.
OMG! You're a true actor to have had "the dream"!!!! Once in my dream, they coerced me onto stage by handing the script...trouble was, it was in Spanish and I can't read Spanish.
I didn't think David Archuleta sounded that terrific either. The voice, power and control that he had on Star Search seems to be paralyzed as well. I guess we'll see...