tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12667196182367113452023-11-15T12:55:36.443-05:00Mario's thoughts on this, that and everything elseMario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-2255915607193759332012-09-17T22:59:00.002-04:002012-09-18T14:21:03.358-04:00The Voice: Blind auditions Night 4<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Night 4 of the blind auditions and the teams are starting to shape up!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >First up was 17 year old Melanie Martinez. She has an interesting look, very cute. She performed an acoustic version of Britney Spears' "Toxic" while playing a tambourine between her feet. That was cool! She has a very cool modern voice and she made great note choices. I really like her. Blake, Adam and Cee Lo turned. Went with Adam.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Next was the creator of the Cupid shuffle, Cupid himself! He decided that he would sing his song because he felt that song that was his one hit had put him in a box. So then why do it? I still don't understand all the logic by this questionable song choice of his. If you want to prove you're more than the song, then show it by doing something else. It was also a weird song choice to do on a vocal competition show. No one turned. Cee Lo </span>immediately<span style="font-size:100%;"> knew who he was and questioned why he would do that song. He a</span><span style=" ;font-size:100%;">sked him to sing something else. He did and showed he could sing. Just a poor song choice. I had never heard his song before so if he went on there for some self promotion of his song, then good job!</span></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next was Brian Scartocci who sang Stevie Wonder's "Isn't she lovely". He's a single dad of 2 kids which I can relate to as I was a single Dad for 4 years. I always like to see fathers being fathers to their children. Although it sounds like that's what the norm should be, in this day and age unfortunately its not. Broken homes and lack of parental figures are the root of so many issues in society nowadays, it's sad. Anyway, he has a very nice voice. Blake, Adam, Cee Lo turned. Chose Adam.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next up were Husband and wife duo Beat Frequency who sang Katy Perry's "ET". They have an interesting sound and good harmonies. Only Xtina turned.</span></p> <p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Next was Tyler Lillestol who sang Usher's "U got it bad". It was only ok. No one turned.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next was Liz Davis who sang Gretchen Wilson's "Here for the party". She has a good look and strong vocals. Adam, Xtina and Blake turned. Blake unashamedly used his ACM award to recruit her. Went with Blake.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next up was Alaskan Youtube sensation Jr Aquino. He sang Bruno Mars' "Just the way you are". He was a little shaky with his notes from being nervous I think. Xtina, Adam and Cee Lo turned. Chose Cee Lo.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 100%; "><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next was Agina Alvarez who sang "Turn the beat around". She mentioned in her backstory profile that she had been signed twice before. She was looking for a third time? What happened with the other two? Most artists are lucky to ever be offered even once. Her voice was very dark and her vocal performance was way too over the top. As Xtina said, she started out at 10 and stayed there, there was no color to her vocal performance. No one turned.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next was Nicholas David who sang "Stand by me". Very cool voice. Only Cee Lo turned.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Next was 17 year old LaGuardia Performing Arts High School student (local NY girl!) Alessandra Guercio who sang Miley Cyrus' "The Climb". She has pretty good vocals and a good look. Adam and Cee Lo turned. Chose Adam.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >We were shown some other singers. Adam, Blake and Xtina each got one.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Last of the night was 16 year old Avery Wilson who sang David Guetta's "Without you". In his backstory profile we were shown how supportive his Dad has been in guiding him to pursue music because he believes in his talent. I could relate to that as I always push my daughters to pursue their dreams and develop their talents. He was very good! All turned. Chose Cee Lo.</span></p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-89209286548776364442012-09-13T23:52:00.000-04:002012-09-17T16:55:48.687-04:00X factor: Auditions night 2<p>I really enjoyed the first night of X Factor and was looking forward to night 2.</p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">First up was Johnny Maxwell. He sang an original "All these people". It was a pretty good song! His vocals were ok but his rap style was passionate. He got 4 yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Lexa Berman. Similar to The Voice's Domo, this over-confident, over the top singer calls herself a triple threat. She sang "Too close". She had rather average vocals. The judges didn't like her over-confidence. Only Simon gave a yes. There's nothing wrong with strong confidence in this business, in fact you need it! BUT, when that confidence spills over into conceit and over the top self-promotion then that's going to work against you more often than not. Hopefully a lesson learned for her.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next up was Jason Brock. He was very confident and had an over the top, funny personality. This was confidence done right. He sang Billy Joel's "NY state of mind". It was a cabaret type performance BUT it was a very good cabaret style. There's a difference! He had really good vocals. LA loved him and he got 4 yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Up last and in this case the best was left for last was 13 year old Carly Rose Sonenclar. She is cute and was very nervous backstage. She said she was going to sing "Feeling good". LA was like uh oh since that's a grown up song and you need serious vocals. Something told me she'd be good however for having the guts to pick that song. Holy crap. What a mature voice. I knew she'd be good but I wasn't expecting her to be GREAT!! A star was definitely born. She got a standing O from everyone including backstage. She obviously got 4 yes. Great way to end the show.</span></p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-34704385535811395232012-09-13T21:58:00.002-04:002012-09-18T14:19:22.043-04:00The X factor: Season 2 Night 1<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I DVR'd and just finished watching the X Factor for the first time. I really liked it. I didn't watch the first season because those of you who have read through my blog know that I'm not a fan of Simon and his critiquing style but with the additions of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato I and my family had to watch. I'm glad we did watch it because I really love them as judges. Simon even seems to be a little softer... so far.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">First up was nursing student Paige Thomas. She is very pretty and it's a shame that she was putting her dream aside and just working instead. I understand it but so many talented people let their dreams fade instead of pursuing them. I'm glad she auditioned. She has a great image and voice. She sang "I'm going down". She got all 4 judges to say yes.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Next was 50 year old baggage handler Shawn Armenta. Said he was a singer/dancer and sang his own song "Candy girl". Got a no from all 4 judges and then got nasty with the judges. It seems he needs to handle his own baggage! Lol.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We got to see clips of Britney and how she's a no nonsense judge. I like it!</span></p> <p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Next was 13 year old Reed Deming. Although he didn't seem to like being compared to Justin Bieber, he sure was trying to be compared to him. BTW, being compared to a super successful singer is never a bad thing. Just saying. Anyway, he sang Bruno Mars' "It will rain". Simon asked for the song to be stopped, asked for him to do a new song. He sang "Grenade". Decent voice but seems to imitating too much. He got all 4 judges to give him a yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Next up was Kaci Newton. She was very insecure which is already going to hurt her performance. Her makeup was way overdone. Too </span>pageant-ish.<span style="font-size:100%;"> Sang Katy Perry's "Firework" with her own unique flair and style. It was not good. Simon gave his critique and she began to sing again! Why do contestants do this? She got a no from all 4 judges.</span></span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Next up was flamboyant Quatrele Da'an Smith who showed up in a bridal veil and heels. I didn't expect him to be good. He sang Lady Gaga's "Born this way". He was good!! It all worked together once he began singing. He got a yes from all except LA Reid who didn't seem to get him and said no.</span></p><p><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Next was former boy band member Vincent Thomas. He sang Elton John's "Sorry seems to be the hardest word". Bad song choice. All the judges told him no.</span></p> <p style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Next up was the male trio Emblem 3 who sang their original song "Sunset Blvd". Very good! They got 4 yes.</span></p> <p style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Next was Don Philip who sang 10 years ago with Britney who remembered him. He was saying this was his last chance at trying to make it. When asked what he was doing the past 10 years, he broke down. It was sad to see. I really felt for him. He sang "Halo". Not a good song choice at all. Britney looked very uncomfortable and sad listening to him and knowing she would have to give him a no. He got a no from all the judges. It was just heartbreaking to see. He was totally distraught backstage at having "hurt" Britney. I felt so bad for him. I hope he can deal with this somehow and move on with his life. I also hope he never ever stops working at his dream and music. He may not make it as a singer but maybe he can apply his passion to producing or making music for others. I wish him luck.</span></p><p style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Next up was Jennel Garcia. She's a sweet girl with a nice look. She sang Grace Potter's "Oh la la". She has a very good voice and when the music began that sweet girl turned into a different person! Very good performer. She got 4 yes.</span></p><p style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Last up was Jillian Jensen. She had a rough upbringing with being bullied in schools to the point that she's still traumatized and unable to let go the pain she felt. She sang Jessie J's "Who you are". She let all that pain out in the lyrics and in her voice. She was crying, the judges were crying (well Demi sure was!), the audience was crying. She got a standing ovation from the audience, judges and everyone backstage. Demi went up to the stage and gave her a hug and pep talk. Demi let her know she's been there and that she'll be ok. I've always liked Demi but seeing her do that really made me like her more. That was a nice tender moment, there was nothing contrived or fake about it. Kudos to Demi. Jillian was vindicated in front of all those bullies that put her and her music down as she got a yes from all 4 judges. What an emotional way to end the show!</span></p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-62580780540359866442012-09-12T21:58:00.000-04:002012-09-17T15:28:39.509-04:00The Voice: Blind auditions Night 3<p>To compete with and try to take ratings away from The X Factor debut tonight, there was a 3rd night of The Voice. A bit of overkill. It's already too quick of a turnaround between Season 2 and Season 3, now they're over-saturating things on the first week. Time will tell if this ploy will work in the ratings. Anyway...</p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">First up was Samuel Mouton who sang "Redemption Song". He has a cool reggae voice and sounds very authentic but I wonder if can he bring that to other styles of music? All turned but Blake. Picked Adam.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Former Dreamstreet member Chris Trousdale who sang "I'm glad you came". Not the right song to show off his vocals. No one turned.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Nigerian refugee Nelly's Echo (cool meaning behind the name!) who sang "Ain't no sunshine". Very nice guy. Very good singer, he made excellent note choices. Adam and Xtina turned. Went with Xtina who turned first for him.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next were mother & daughter duo Allison and Crystal Steele who go by 2 Steel Girls. They sang Carrie Underwood's "Before he cheats". They were good but I feel they need to stay away from low notes. Blake and Cee Lo turned. Picked the obvious choice Blake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">We were shown how Cee Lo kept losing out on contestants. Xtina beat him for 2 others and Adam beat him for another.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next up was the overconfident and over the top contestant Domo. In the intro to her, she called herself the Lady Gaga of China? Lol. This was the first and only time I've ever seen the Voice mock a contestant as they made a little montage of her touting her talents(?). She finally stopped talking about herself and got on stage. She sang The Pussycat Doll's "Don'cha". Way over the top performance. Only Cee Lo turned. The other coaches were laughing at him and telling him he's got a handful with her. It should be good TV to see her in the battle rounds and at rehearsals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Last was Nicole Nelson who sang another of my all-time favorite songs "Hallelujah". I love her look and vocal style. Her performance was WOW. Love her. They all turned. She picked Adam. Great way to end the night.</span></p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-85572696148545318652012-09-11T21:55:00.000-04:002012-09-17T15:15:05.978-04:00The Voice: Blind auditions Night 2<p>Onto Night 2 of the Voice blind auditions!</p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">First up we were shown Adriana Louise who sang Jessie J's "Domino". She is pretty and has a good voice. All turned. Xtina really liked her, she picked Xtina.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Casey Muessigmann who sang "Sweet Home Alabama". Blake & Cee Lo turned. Went with Blake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next up was Aquile who sang one of my favorite songs of all-time, Elton John's "Your song". He has a very cool look and smooth voice. One of my favorites so far. All but Blake turned. Picked Xtina.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Leann Rimes tour production coordinator Ryan Fogarty who sang "Tomorrow". He has a good voice. I was just as surprised to see that no one turned as I was to wonder why Leann hasn't helped him herself.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Mackenzie Bourg who sang "Pumped up kicks". He has a cool vibe to his voice. I really like his voice. Cee Lo turned so he was on Team Cee Lo.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Last of the night was Julio Cesar Castillo who sang "La Bamba", the first contestant to do his audition entirely in Spanish which was very cool. Blake and Cee Lo turned. Went with Blake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">After 2 nights, Adam has 2 contestants. Blake has 4, Cee Lo has3 and Xtina has 4.</span></p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-54794844457525507642012-09-10T22:31:00.001-04:002012-09-17T15:08:04.335-04:00The Voice is back! Blind auditions night 1<p>The Voice is back! Season 3 and all 4 coaches are back. Christina, Adam, Cee Lo & Blake. I feel the turnaround for Season 3 from Season 2 was too fast but I guess NBC is trying to milk all they can out of the show and while they still have these coaches. It must be hard on the coaches who are in the middle of projects and have to work around them to honor their commitments to the Voice. Anyway, Season 3 has begun and I'm watching...</p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Once we got past the usual Coach introductions, we got to Night 1 of the blind auditions. I always look forward to this part not only because it's our first glimpse at the contestants but also because I love to see the coaches trying to woo the contestants to be on their teams.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">The first contestant we saw was Terry McDermott who sang The Who's "Baba O'Reilly". He was very good. Adam, Cee Lo & Blake all turned at the last second. He went with Blake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was De'borah who sang Train's "Hey soul sister". She had a real androgynous look which was interesting visually. Her voice also had an androgynous tone to it. She had a really cool vibe and good vocals. She was a really good performer. Xtina and Cee Lo turned. She picked Xtina, quoting trusting her "voice within" which I immediately knew meant that the song and Xtina meant a lot to her. She confirmed as much backstage. That must be cool to have a song mean so much to you and then get to work with that artist. I'm happy for her.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Gracia Harrison who sang "I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart". All except Xtina turned. Very good singer. Great yodeler. She went with Blake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Garrett Gardner. He's 16 year old and dedicated his performance and career to his late dad which I found touching. He sang "Have you ever seen the rain?". Very good voice. I was surprised and disappointed for him when no one turned.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Devyn Deleora who sang Xtina's "Ain't no other man" which was daring. I thought she had a good voice but felt it needs some work. Xtina, Adam, Blake turned. She went with the obvious choice Xtina.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Bryan Keith who sang Bruno Mars' "It will rain". I really liked the cool tone to his raspy voice. All turned. Picked Adam.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was returning contestant Daniel Rosa. He sang his own interesting version of Gotye's "Somebody that I used to know". This time, Cee Lo and Blake turned. He was shocked that they remembered him. Went with Cee Lo.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Anita Antoinette who sang "No woman, no cry" by Bob Marley. She had a very cool vibe to her voice. I was surprised that no one turned. Adam and Cee Lo told her this song has to be felt, not sung. She asked if she could sing it acapella and then rocked it. Got a standing ovation from everyone, so she had her moment but unfortunately it didn't change her fate. She was so upset afterwards.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Joe Kirkland who sang The All American Rejects' "Gives you hell". He has an interesting rock voice. Adam & Blake turned. Picked Adam.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Next was Jessica Sharpe who sang "Son of a preacher man". She showed a good solid voice. No one turned.</span></p> <p>Last contestant of the night was Trevin Hunte who sang "Listen". In his backstory, we heard him tell us that he was denied getting into a performing arts school because he needed 4 teacher referrals and one of his teachers refused to give him a referral and even had told him he'd never make it. IMO, that's vile. A teacher should encourage dreams and show the student towards whatever potential they have, not the opposite. He has an amazing voice. All turned except Adam. Cee Lo won him to his team.</p><p>It was a good first night for the Voice.</p> Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-41474028840780406202012-05-23T23:06:00.000-04:002012-06-10T00:49:37.318-04:00The American Idol season 11 winner is...<p>Here we go, American Idol season 11 finale time! The top 12 opened the show with Bruno Mars "Runaway Baby". Very good but I kept expecting Bruno to come out to join them!</p> <p>Phillip performed with John Fogerty of CCR, they did "Have you ever seen the rain" and "Black moon rising". Pretty cool.</p> <p>Joshua sang "Take me to the pilot" by Elton John. Fantasia joined him on stage.</p> <p>The top 12 girls sang "Ain't nobody", "Through the fire" and "I'm every woman" (which she joined them on) by Chaka Khan who looked and sounded great. She was the first in what was definitely a Diva night of performances.</p> <p>Jessica and Phillip introduced their mentors and gave them cars! That must've been such a great feeling to be able to do that for someone who supported and influenced them so much. Then Ryan gave Jessica and Phillip keys for their own cars! Very cool.</p> <p>Rihanna performed her new single "Where have you been?". She sounded and looked great as usual.</p> <p>Skylar sang "Turn on the radio" with the one and only Reba. That was very cool and must've been an incredible moment for Skylar.</p> <p>Jessica sang "I will always love you". Excellent.</p> <p>The top 12 guys sang "Coming to America", "I'm a believer", "Sweet Caroline" (which he joined them on) by Neil Diamond.</p> <p>The top 12 sang the phone book in response to a cliche Randy uses way too often as was evidenced by video clips from the season. Funny stuff!</p> <p>JLo performed. Lil Jon was her DJ. Flo-Rida came out to rap, then Wisin y Yandel joined her to perform. Pretty cool.</p> <p>Ryan brought former Idol contestants and current couple Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo on stage where Ace proposed to her. She said yes. That was very cool and sweet.</p> <p>Hollie sang "You'll never walk alone". Jordin Sparks joined her on stage. They sounded amazing together.</p> <p>The top 12 guys sang Bee Gees songs as a tribute to the recently departed Robin Gibb. Very nice, I like that they were able to put something together so nice on such short notice.</p> <p>Jessica sang "And I am telling you" with Jennifer Holliday. OMG, what a powerhouse performance!! They brought the house down. Jessica was able to not only hang with the incredible Ms. Holliday but she looked impressed with the young Jessica. The sky is the limit for Jessica with the right songs.</p> <p>Aerosmith finally performed.</p> <p>Jessica and Phillip sang "Up where we belong". They sounded very good together. Very appropriate lyrics for the moment.</p> <p>Winner announcement time! I am a Jessica fan and wanted her to win since the first show with the top 12 but I knew Phillip's single was much stronger and that a girl hadn't won since Jordin. Both thanked the fans. The winner is Phillip.</p> <p>As much as a fan I am of Jessica's and can't wait what she does on her debut album, I must say that I admire all Phillip was able to do considering his health issues and all the pain he was enduring all season. He tried to sing his single but when the confetti started coming down, it all seemed to hit him and hit him hard. It was so touching to see him just leave the stage and go to his parents in what was a proud and touching moment for both he and his family. Congrats Phillip! Can't wait to see what you do and what music you'll bring us but first, go and get well Mr. American Idol!! :)Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-23106940855077134812012-05-22T22:56:00.001-04:002012-06-10T00:30:06.237-04:00American Idol - the Final 2 sing<p>The show begins and we see how big the place is and how nice the stage is. It certainly has that big time, big moment feel.</p> <p>Once again we'll have 3 rounds of singing for Jessica and Phillip. The first round is a song that Idol Producer Simon Fuller picks:<br />We are told that Phillip won the coin toss and has opted to go second. Smart move since this guarantees that he closes the show and leaves that very important last impression.</p> <p>Simon Fuller had Jessica sing "I have nothing" by Whitney. Excellent start for Jessica. Simon had Phillip sing "Stand by me". Not really a powerhouse song for Phillip to show his style but it is something different for Phillip to show. It was very nice although a little bland. The judges felt Jessica won round 1. I agree</p> <p>Jason Derulo performed. Good to see him performing and without his neck brace.</p> <p>Round two was up next and it was the contestants favorite song of the season. Jessica sang "The Prayer" by Celine Dion. Excellent as usual. Phillip sang "Moving out" by Billy Joel. Not the best song choice at this point but it's probably the one he felt he got the best critique for. Steven felt that Jessica won this round. JLo felt Phillip won this round and Randy felt it was a tie. That was rather typical of the judges to try to make things seem more even. I felt Jessica won this round as well.</p> <p>The last round was the contestants singing what will be their first single. Jessica sang her single "Change Nothing". It was not what I expected, it was not the best song or the best song to show off her tremendous vocals. I think she was let down by whoever picked this song for her at this important moment. Hopefully her management and record label will do a better job of getting her songs for her debut album. It started slow but I think people will be able to relate to the lyrics. The judges didn't like the song either but felt she made something out if it.</p> <p>Phillip sang his single "Home". Very different from what I expected but very good. Much better song choice for his voice. Judges gave him a standing ovation, loved it. Not only do I think Phillip won this final round but I think his single may have just won him the show. We'll find out tomorrow!</p>Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-18305839784941498462012-05-17T22:58:00.000-04:002012-06-09T20:47:30.460-04:00American Idol - The top 2 are revealedWell, tonight we found out who the Final 2 are!</p> <p>Joshua was called up first.<br />Iovine liked the first song, gave it a 8. Felt he did too much with Imagine. Oversang it. Felt he didn't have enough melody with the last song. Felt he never had a moment last night.</p> <p>Lisa Marie Presley performed.</p> <p>Jessica was called up next.<br />Iovine didn't think the first song was big enough to be a moment for her. Felt the Aerosmith song still wasn't big enough for her. He took blame and felt he made a mistake giving her the right parts to sing with the Jackson 5 song. She reminds him of MJ and he can see her singing at the Grammys but she needs better songs.</p> <p>Adam Lambert performed.</p> <p>Phillip was called up last.<br />Iovine felt that he showed his style with the first song but didn't have a moment. Felt that the second song was boring. Felt that the last song was his best performance on Idol and last night's best performance.</p> <p>Time for the the results!! Ryan told Jessica that she would be in the finale first, then he told Phillip he was in. Joshua was out. The AI finale will be between Jessica and Phillip!</p> <p>I hope Joshua gets a good producer that reins him in a bit and gets some good songs that lets him really let his vocals shine. I am looking forward to seeing what Joshua does musically.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-4103360287501941142012-05-16T23:55:00.000-04:002012-06-09T20:35:27.581-04:00American Idol - the Top 3 sing<p>Tonight's show was 3 songs for teh Top 3 to sing. The songs tonight would be a Judges pick, Contestants pick and Iovine would pick a song for them to sing.</p> <p>Randy gave Joshua his pick. Sang Etta James "I'd rather go blind". He started off good but I didn't like it once he left his lower register tones. He just does too much sometimes for my taste.</p> <p>JLo gave Jessica her pick. Sang Mariah Carey's "My all". She did some crazy notes that she hit in a very subdued manner. Very pretty.</p> <p>Steven gave Phillip his pick. Gave him something to force him to sing with melody. Sang "Beggin'" by Madcon. Pretty good.</p> <p>Jessica took round 1.</p> <p>We saw Joshua go back home to Louisiana.</p> <p>Round 2 with the contestants pick was up. Joshua picked to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon. Very nice.</p> <p>We saw Jessica go back home to Chula Vista, CA.</p> <p>Jessica picked to sing "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith. Fearless to sing that in front of Steven Tyler. Very nice arrangement. Very pretty.</p> <p>We saw Phillip go back home to Murfreesboro, GA.</p> <p>Phillip picked to sing "Disease" by Matchbox 20. Very cool groove to the arrangement and melody. I really liked it.</p> <p>I gave round 2 to Phillip.</p> <p>Time for round 3 with Iovine's picks. Iovine picked "No more drama" by Mary J Blige for Joshua to sing. Interesting song choice. Good performance.</p> <p>Iovine picked "I'll be there" by the Jackson Five for Jessica to sing. Really good, loved the strength in her voice and the tone of her voice.</p> <p>Iovine picked "We've got tonight" by Bob Seger for Phillip to sing. He sang it a little on the high side but I liked the vulnerability of it. Very very different for Phillip.</p> <p>I gave round 3 barely to Jessica over Phillip.</p> <p>The Top 3 are probably the best top 3 that Idol has ever had so there really are no losers with this group but if I had to pick who goes home tomorrow I would think Phillip over Joshua but I think Phillip has more fans and it will be Joshua who goes home tomorrow.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-36574670624556321022012-05-10T22:20:00.002-04:002012-06-09T19:52:33.774-04:00American Idol - The top 3 revealed<p>The show opened with the top 4 singing "California Dreaming".</p> <p>Phillip<br />was called up first<br />Iovine felt that the first song showed Phillip as the artist he expects him to be. Felt he delivered completely with the second song.</p> <p>Hollie was called up next.<br />Iovine felt the Journey song worked for her because of its over the topness. He felt she didn't understand the second song. I agree with him regarding the second song but not the first.</p> <p>David Cook performed his new single.</p> <p>Joshua<br />was called up next.<br />Iovine felt that the first song didn't work for him. He felt it was too over the top. He would steer him away from doing songs like this on his album. He felt that the second song was amazing. I totally agree with Iovine.</p> <p>Jessica was called up.<br />Iovine felt the first song was a little too much of the same with the growling? Really? But this isn't said to Joshua who screams and growls in practically every song? Felt she did everything in the second song flawlessly.</p> <p>JLo performed.</p> <p>The top 4 were brought up. Jessica was told she was safe, then Joshua was told he was safe, as was Phillip. As I expected, Hollie was eliminated. I really like Hollie and I think she has a lot of potential. With more experience on stage and life experience that she can draw from and put into the emotions of the songs she sings, I think she'll do just great with her career. I'll be following her career and hope to hear a lot from her in the future.</p>Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-16499565673320058112012-05-09T23:19:00.003-04:002012-06-09T19:32:19.298-04:00American Idol - the Top 4 sing<p>Tonight was an interesting theme night. Songs about California (rather strange theme) and then a second song of songs they wish they wrote (which is kind of like the songs of their idols theme). With this theme night, it would seem that we would get an interesting night of singing and that's what we got.</p> <p>Phil sang "Have you ever seen the rain" by CCR. Pretty good rendition.</p> <p>Hollie sang "Faithfully" by Journey. Solid but didn't soar like this song needs to.</p> <p>Joshua sang "You raise me up" by Josh Groban. That song is an amazing song and sung in a soul touching way by Josh Groban. The song was just too big for him although the ending was really cool.</p> <p>Jessica sang "Steal away" by Etta James. Very good.</p> <p>For this first round, Jessica easily was the best.</p> <p>Phil and Joshua sang "This love" by Maroon 5. Very good!</p> <p>Jessica and Hollie sang "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles. I love the original song but for a duet between two powerhouse voices it was a rather strange song choice. Interesting harmony choices. Randy found it strange, I agree with his critique.</p> <p>The top 4 sang "Waiting for a girl like you" by Foreigner.</p> <p>Next theme was the Idols singing songs they wish they wrote</p> <p>Phil sang "Volcano" by Damien Rice. Very nice.</p> <p>Hollie sang "I can't make you love me" by Bonnie Raitt. Good but didn't soar again. Just not enough emotion for what this song needs.</p> <p>Joshua sang "This is a man's world" by James Brown. Best performance of the season for him.</p> <p>Jessica sang "And I am telling you" by Jennifer Holliday. Amazing performance.</p> <p>Jessica won round 2 as well with Joshua a close second.</p> <p>I don't know if there'll be a bottom 2 but with the contestants that are left and after tonight's performances and critiques, I expect Hollie to go home tomorrow. :(Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-10749246607599581342012-05-08T23:28:00.001-04:002012-06-09T18:53:18.711-04:00The Voice Season 2 winner is...<p>The show opened with Jermaine Paul, James Massone, Pip and Jamar Rogers singing "I want you back". They sounded really good. Almost boy band like. Almost. Lol.</p> <p>Juliet Simms performed with Flo Rida.</p> <p>Chris Mann, Lindsey Pavao and Katrina Parker sang "Bittersweet Symphony". The mix of their voices was interesting.</p> <p>Hall and Oates performed "Rich girl". Jermaine, Tony and Chris sang backup.</p> <p>Cheesa, Kim Yarbrough, Naia Kete and Sera Hill sang "Superstitious". Sounded really good.</p> <p>Juliet, Erin Willet, Jamar Rogers and RaeLynn sang "I get by with a little help from my friends".</p> <p>Lady Antebellum performed their song "Wanted you more".</p> <p>Tony and Jordis sang "Go your own way". Sounded very good together.</p> <p>Justin Bieber performed.</p> <p>The Final 4 spoke on what it all means to them which was cool to hear and see.</p> <p>Results time!! Who would win? Chris Mann was announced in 4th place?! I found that shocking but not surprising since I had thought that Xtina's attitude towards contestant Tony Lucca might affect votes towards Chris. Unfortunately it seems that's what happened because Chris, although not as mainstream as the others, should not have been 4th. Tony Lucca was announced in 3rd place. So it was between Jermaine Paul and Juliet Simms. You could see how much it meant to both of them. Then Juliet Simms was announced in 2nd place, Jermaine Paul is The Voice Season 2 winner!! Congrats to Jermaine! He fulfilled his dream of no longer being a backup singer. It was a wonderful moment to see. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from this humble winner.<br /></p>Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-22221493425280381862012-05-07T23:09:00.000-04:002012-06-09T18:30:37.767-04:00The Voice finale - the Final 4 sing!This is it, the Voice finale. The contestants last chance to sing for America's votes so they had to let it all go tonight and they did.</p> <p>Jermaine Paul was up first and sang "I believe I can fly" by R. Kelly. I love that he let's his passion show. I can totally relate to him through his passion. Great song choice. Wonderful performance. He felt it and it showed.</p> <p>Carson told us that we would see tributes from the artists to their coaches throughout the night which I felt was a really cool touch. Juliet sang "Crazy" for Cee Lo. Sounded great and confident, looked great.</p> <p>Chris Mann dueted with Xtina to sing "The Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion. Amazing performance!!</p> <p>Tony Lucca sang "99 problems" by Jay Z. Interesting song choice. Pretty cool performance. Xtina seemed offended by the song choice and felt it was inappropriate for the show. I agree with her but her cattiness towards him throughout the season probably didn't make anyone see her point. Her interactions with Tony have been an un-necessary distraction all season and it could wind up hurting her artist.</p> <p>Chris Mann sang Xtina's "The Voice Within" as his tribute to her. I loved his letter of thanks written to her in the background video wall as he sang. I think that was very sweet and open.</p> <p>Juliet and Cee Lo sang "Born to be wild" by Steppenwolf. Pretty cool performance.</p> <p>Adam and Tony dueted by singing "Yesterday" by the Beatles. I really liked it.</p> <p>As a tribute to his coach Blake, Jermaine sang Blake's "God gave me you". Very nice performance.</p> <p>Chris Mann sang "You raise me up" by Josh Groban. Perfect song for him! Loved the choir. Xtina was so proud that she was moved to tears.</p> <p>Blake and Jermaine dueted with "Soul Man" by the Blues Brothers. Pretty cool performance, they had fun.</p> <p>Tony Lucca sang "Harder to breathe" as tribute to Adam. Sounded good.</p> <p>Juliet sang "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd to end the show. Nerves may have gotten to her. It wasn't her best performance but it was still good.</p> <p>I think this is between Juliet and Chris but who knows how much impact the Xtina/Tony Lucca drama will have on votes for Chris? Should be an interesting Finale results show!!Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-11402788356818313762012-05-03T22:58:00.000-04:002012-06-08T23:08:47.794-04:00American Idol gets down to the Top 4Results night, time to find out who the Top 4 are!</p> <p>Joshua was called up first.<br />Iovine felt the first song was very good but the second song was amazing.<br />Joshua is safe.</p> <p>Coldplay performed.</p> <p>Hollie and Phillip were called up next.<br />Iovine felt Hollie did really good with the first song and thought her second song was competent, even though if she released it now it could be a hit. So why was it just competent?!? Felt Phillip was bland yesterday and has been coasting. Although he does say that as sick as he's been he's impressed with how strong he's been when most would quit. I knew it had to do with his health, his earlier performances had been better than last night.<br />Hollie was in the bottom 2, Phillip was safe</p> <p>Carrie Underwood performed "Blown away" from her new album.</p> <p>Skylar and Jessica were called up last.<br />Iovine felt Skylar did really good with her first song but the second song wasn't great. He felt she needs to have another moment. Felt Jessica's second song was perfect but that the first song was too racy for her age. Felt the stylists are letting her down.</p> <p>Coldplay performed again.</p> <p>The bottom 2 were Skylar and Hollie. Hollie made it through again. Skylar was eliminated.</p> <p>I'm looking forward to seeing what Skylar will do in the future. I think she's got a really nice career ahead of her.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-47827170688663203562012-05-02T23:55:00.001-04:002012-06-08T22:56:09.177-04:00American Idol takes on the 60s & BritPop<p>Tonight's theme on AI was the Idols taking on the 60s and also BritPop songs. which is kind of strange since I don't think we'll see the Idols doing these styles with their careers. Anyhow, Lil Steven was this week's mentor</p> <p>Hollie sang "River deep, mountain high" by Ike n Tina Turner. She sounded great.</p> <p>Phillip sang "The Letter" by The Box Tops. I didn't like the arrangement he came up with for such a classic song.</p> <p>Skylar sang "Fortunate Son" by CCC. She rocked it! Love her energy.</p> <p>Joshua and Phillip sang "You've lost that loving feeling" by The Righteous Brothers. Joshua totally blew away Phillip in vocals and performance. I wonder if Phillip's health issues are really starting to show in his performances?</p> <p>Jessica sang "Proud Mary" by Ike n Tina Turner. Great performance! Randy didn't like it in comparison to Tina but JLo was correct in saying that this is about her journey.</p> <p>Joshua sang "Ain't too proud to beg" by The Temptations. Was good but I found him screaming too much.</p> <p>After the 60s round, I give round 1 as a draw between Skylar and Jessica.</p> <p>Time for the BritPop! Hollie started if off and sang "Bleeding love" by Leona Lewis. Sounded great. She's really picking it up when she needs to.</p> <p>Phillip sang "Time of the season" by the Zombies. Except for his faces, he was really laid back and good in this song.</p> <p>Jessica, Hollie and Skylar sang "Your love keeps lifting me higher" by Jackie Wilson.</p> <p>Skylar sang "You don't have to say you love me" by Dusty Springfield. Really good!</p> <p>Jessica sang "You are so beautiful" by Joe Cocker. Cheesy setting but very nice vocals.</p> <p>Joshua sang "To love somebody" by the Bee Gees. Really good especially the beginning.</p>I give the BritPop round 2 as a draw between Joshua and Hollie.</p> <p>Everyone was really good tonight except for Phillip who was solid but not at his best which I suspect is because of his health. If I had to pick a bottom 2 based on tonight though it would be Phillip and Joshua with Phillip going home BUT I think Hollie is being poised to go next. I don't see the judges showing her the support that the others are getting so we'll see how it goes tomorrow.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-54439085387880844702012-05-02T01:55:00.005-04:002012-06-08T22:32:58.934-04:00The results are in! The Voice Final 4 are set!<p>The show opened with last season's contestant Dia Frampton performing her single.</p> <p>Xtina's artists Chris Mann and Lindsey Pavao were up first. Xtina split her 100 points to give her artists down the middle with a score of 50/50.<br />Along with America's share of votes, Chris won by a 104-96 vote. Chris will represent Team Xtina in the finals.</p> <p>Vicci Martinez and Cee Lo performed her new single.</p> <p>Adam's artists Tony Lucca and Katrina Parker were up next. Adam split his vote 60/40 in Tony's favor. Tony won by a 108-92 vote to represent Team Adam in the finals.</p> <p>Beverly McClellan & Cyndi Lauper performed.</p> <p>The Voice season 1 winner Javier Colon performed his single.</p> <p>Blake's artists Erin Willet and Jermaine Paul were up next. Blake split his vote 50/50. Jermaine won by a 123-77 vote to represent Team Blake in the finals.</p> <p>Cee Lo's artists Jamar Rogers and Juliet Simms were up last. Cee Lo split his vote 60/40 in Juliet's favor. Juliet won by 121-79 vote to represent Team Cee Lo in the finals.</p>Very full show. It had performances, strategy and lots of drama! It's a good Final 4. Can't wait to see the performances and to see who wins!Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-73258644430174213292012-04-30T23:56:00.000-04:002012-06-08T18:50:21.916-04:00The Voice Semi FinalsCompetition time, all the remaining team members would be singing tonight for America's votes.<p>Got right to it. For Team Adam- Tony Lucca sang "How do you like me now?" Very good. Didn't expect it to be so good.</p> <p>For Team Blake- Erin Willet sang "Without you" by David Guetta. Interesting song choice. Very pitchy. Sounded like she couldn't hear herself.</p> <p>For Team Xtina- Chris Mann sang "Ave Maria". Amazing song choice, as soon as I heard he was going to sing this song I was dying to hear it. It was as excellent as I thought it would be. I found it really cool to see opera represented on a vocal talent show.</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo- Jamar Rogers sang "If you don't know me by now". Was good, very hip. Just seems over-confident which is a turn off to me.</p> <p>Team Adam and Team Cee Lo performed.</p> <p>For Team Blake- Jermaine Paul sang "Open Arms" by Journey. Very good.</p> <p>For Team Adam- Katrina Parker sang "Killing me softly" by The Fugees. Pretty good.</p> <p>Blake performed.</p> <p>For Team Xtina- Lindsey Pavao sang "Skinny love" by Bon Iver. Really good. Her best performance yet! This is the performance of hers that totally won me over.</p> <p>Team Xtina and Team Blake sang "Edge of glory" by Lady Gaga.</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo- Juliet Simms sang "This is a man's world" by James Brown. Interesting song choice. She totally rocked it!She ended the show on a very strong note and as a lasting impression going into the voting period.</p> <p>Can't wait to see the results fo America's votes tomorrow!Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-80681687302066567302012-04-26T22:31:00.001-04:002012-06-08T18:23:30.334-04:00Results night - the American Idol Top 5 is set<p>The Queen extravaganza opened the show. They were really good. Queen joined them.</p> <p>Jessica & Elise were called up first.<br />Iovine felt that Jessica doing Queen was a mistake but felt her second song was heartfelt. Felt that Elise picked the wrong Queen song and that the Hendrix song was a double bad song night. I totally agree with Iovine on all points.<br />Elise was in the bottom 3.</p> <p>Stefano performed his new single. I liked it along with the choreography of it all. Pretty cool.</p> <p>Hollie & Joshua were called up next.<br />Iovine felt that Hollie did ok with the Queen song but felt she did great with the Miley song. Felt Joshua did good with the Queen song and could crossover well. Felt the second song was a great song choice.<br />Hollie wound up in the bottom 3.</p> <p>Katy Perry performed "Part of me".</p> <p>Skylar and Phillip were called up last.<br />Iovine felt Skylar did a good job on the Queen song but felt that the second song was self-indulgent. Felt Phillip's health is starting to affect his performances, felt that doing Dave Mathews was not a good move. I find myself agreeing with Iovine's comments here as well.<br />Skylar wound up in the bottom 3.</p> <p>Ryan let Skylar know that she was safe.<br />Elise and Hollie in bottom 2.<br />Elise was eliminated. I like Elise. I hope she finds songwriters and producers that can show off her voice in its best light. I will be looking forward to hearing more from her.</p>Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-74565778188246556492012-04-25T23:57:00.001-04:002012-06-08T18:11:13.815-04:00American Idol takes on Queen<p>The show began with a Queen retrospective. As you all know or should know by now, I'm a huge Queen/Freddie Mercury fan so the Idols better be good tonight! Lol. We got to see that the Idols met with Brian May and Roger Taylor. They then did a medley of Fat bottomed girls, Another one bites the dust, We will rock you and We are the Champions.</p> <p>Jessica opened the show by singing the iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody". I didn't think anyone would try that song. I found that the lyrics were too old for her. She was good but her credibility on this song was problematic IMO.</p> <p>Skylar sang "The show must go on". I've always found this song so courageous and tragic considering the circumstances behind it. I didn't think that she would be able to feel the emotion of the song but she sounded great though.</p> <p>Joshua sang "Crazy little thing called love". I found that he was just screaming through the song as if he thought that is what you should do with a rock song. I didn't like it.</p> <p>Elise sang "I want it all". Sounded good on the verses and got stronger as it went on.</p> <p>Phillip sang "Fat bottomed girls". Performance-wise I just didn't get it with his facial expressions. Just more of the same to me.</p> <p>Hollie sang "Save me". Looked great. Sounded really good.</p> <p>With that, round 1 of Queen songs was over. I think Skylar won round 1. Round 2 was up next with the Idols doing songs that meant something to them.</p> <p>Jessica sang "Dance with my father" by Luther Vandross as a touching tribute to her Dad who is a soldier and is leaving on assignment in a few days. Wonderful. She felt every word.</p> <p>Skylar sang "Tattoos on this town" by Jason Aldean. Not crazy about the arrangement. Was only ok.</p> <p>Joshua sang "Ready for love"(?). Sounded good.</p> <p>Elise sang a song by Jimi Hendrix. Sounded good but the obscure song probably didn't help her.</p> <p>Phillip sang a song by Dave Mathews. Good but obscure as well.</p> <p>Hollie sang "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. Really good.</p>I would give the second round to Jessica with Hollie a close second.</p> <p>It was a mixed bag of performances tonight so tomorrow's results show can go a lot of different ways but if I had to pick a bottom 3, I would say Elise, Phillip and Joshua with Elise going home.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-17894389278653616582012-04-24T22:41:00.000-04:002012-06-08T17:29:47.226-04:00The Voice results<p>Florence and the Machine performed to open the show.</p> <p>We got right to America's vote, for Team Adam Tony Lucca was saved by America's vote. Katrina Parker & Mathai would have to sing for Adam's save tonight.</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo, Jamar Rogers was saved by America's vote. Cheesa & Juliet Simms would have to sing for Cee Lo's save tonight. This was probably the worst possibility for Team Cee Lo because both Juliet and Cheesa both deserved to get farther in the competition. </p> <p>Mathai sang "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood?! Strange song choice for her voice. Predictably, it was only ok.</p> <p>Katrina Parker sang "Perfect" by Pink. Sounded good.</p> <p>Decision time for Adam but it seemed to be a pretty simple decision after teh performances tonight. Adam eliminated Mathai and saved Katrina Parker. I hope to hear more from Mathai, she has a ton of potential and charisma.</p> <p>Cheesa sang "Already gone" by Kelly Clarkson. Sounded dark but really good. Did her emotions get the best of her though?</p> <p>Juliet Simms sang "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia. Weird song choice but she worked it out.</p> <p>Decision time for Cee Lo and he eliminated Cheesa. Saved Juliet Simms. Either choice Cee Lo made was going to suck but that's how The Voice is structured. I will be looking forward to hearing lots more from Cheesa.</p>2 of my favorite singers went home tonight. I wish them a ton of success in the future!Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-50863718276403729192012-04-23T23:07:00.001-04:002012-06-08T17:03:56.083-04:00The Voice quarter finals night 2<p>Went over last week's controversial eliminations again.<br /><br />Tonight was members of Team CeeLo and Team Adam singing for America's vote save and to not be eliminated tonight as well!<br /><br />For Team Cee Lo- Jamar Rogers sang "It's my life" by Bon Jovi. Solid performance.</p> <p>For Team Adam- Katrina Parker sang "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. Sounded really good.</p> <p>Team Cee Lo sang "Dancing in the streets".</p> <p>For Team Adam- Mathai sang "I'm like a bird" by Nellie Furtado. Great song choice for her but I don't think she reached the emotion of the song. I was disappointed that she didn't do better with this song than I thought she should have.</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo- James Massone sang "Just the way you are" by Billy Joel. He was not very good for this type of song. I thought he would do better but once again, it was a case of not hitting the deep emotion behind the song.</p> <p>Cee Lo sang with his group Goody Mob.</p> <p>For Team Adam- Tony Lucca sang "Hit me baby one more time" by Britney Spears as a response to Xtina's criticism last week. That was ingenious as Xtina couldn't say anything negative without it coming off like a slam towards Britney. Either way there wasn't much that could be said because it was a very cool version. I really liked it!</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo- Cheesa sang "I have nothing" by Whitney. She was great!!</p> <p>For Team Adam- Pip sang "Somewhere only we know" by Keen. Nice performance but rather obscure song so that may have hurt him.</p> <p>Team Adam sang "Instant Karma".</p> <p>For Team Cee Lo- Juliet Simms sang "Cryin'" by Aerosmith.</p> <p>Decision time! Cee Lo eliminated James Massone which was mildly surprising considering the crowd reaction he was getting. I think it was a good decision though considering the other members of his team.<br />Adam eliminated Pip which was also mildly surprising since I thought Mathai faltered pretty badly tonight.</p>Overall though, Cee Lo and Adam had a tough choice tonight. It wasn't as clear cut as what Blake and Xtina decisions should've been. Good show tonight.Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-17181769066929973702012-04-19T23:03:00.001-04:002012-06-08T16:18:21.893-04:00American Idol - another goes home<p>The show opened with the group singing "Dancing in the streets".</p> <p>Hollie & Joshua were called up first.<br />Iovine felt Joshua did good last night. Felt Hollie did good but will be in the bottom 3. Thinks she has a long way to go to get to the finale but that Joshua just needs to keep doing what he is doing.<br />Hollie was in the bottom 3</p> <p>Taylor Hicks was on the show. He helped introduce Kris Allen who performed his new single "Vision of love". Very good!</p> <p>Skylar & Elise were called up next.<br />Iovine felt Skylar did a great job but that Elise failed and will be in the bottom or even go home tonight. Said Skylar is the best performer on the show. Feels Elise needs to pick the best rock songs she can pick. I totally agree with Iovine's comments on Skylar and Elise. I really love how much energy Skylar brings to her performances. I also think that Elise needs to pick better rock songs that suit her voice better.<br />Once again, Iovine was right tonight and Elise was in bottom 3.</p> <p>They did a longer Dick Clark tribute & retrospective on his career and all he did for music and television which was more than substantial. Very well done.</p> <p>LMFAO performed "Sorry for party rocking".</p> <p>Phillip, Colton & Jessica were called up last.<br />Iovine felt Jessica needs to do younger songs more appropriate for her age to get to the finale. Felt Phillip did a really good job with his first song. Felt Colton was all wrong on his first song. Feels Phillip should be in the finale. Feels Colton needs to pick better songs if he wants to get to the finale.<br />Ryan told Jessica she was safe. Colton was in the bottom 3 for the first time.</p> <p>Ryan told Elise she was safe. It was down to Hollie and Colton. Colton eliminated! Shocking elimination but I can see why it happened after two so-so performances last night. I really like Colton and admire his devotion and passion for Christian music so I will definitely be looking forward to hearing his music in the future.<br /></p>Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-47561833605755230662012-04-18T22:54:00.000-04:002012-06-08T16:01:41.309-04:00American Idol sings Then & nowThe show began with a tribute to the recently passed TV legend Dick Clark. I follow Ryan Seacrest on Twitter and know that Dick Clark was his role model and mentor so it was nice for Ryan to be able to do this. I know it must've meant a lot for him to be able to do.<br /><br />Tonight's theme was a Song from now and then a secondsong being a soul song from the past. No mentor was mentioned for the night. I wonder why?<br /><br />Hollie started off the show and sang "Rolling in the deep" by Adele. Great arrangement. She sounded great. Her best performance so far!.<br /><br />Colton sang "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga in a rock version. Good idea in theory but I don't think it worked well.<br /><br />Elise sang "No one" by Alicia Keys. She looked awesome and sounded really good.<br /><br />Phillip sang "You got it bad" by Usher. Sounded good, it was a really cool interpretation.<br /><br />Jessica sang "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys. Sounded really good but I didn't think it was her best performance.<br /><br />Skylar sang a country version of "Born this way" by Lady Gaga. Sounded good.<br /><br />Joshua sang "I believe" by Fantasia. Very passionate. Very good.<br /><br />After round 1, I think Hollie won Round 1.<br /><br />Hollie sang "Son of a preacher man" by Dusty Springfield. Was solid but not her best.<br /><br />Colton sang "September" by Earth Wind and Fire. I wasn't crazy about the arrangement or his vocals.<br /><br />Elise sang "Let's get it on" by Marvin Gaye. Not very good. :(<br /><br />Phillip sang "In the midnight hour" by Wilson Pickett. He sang it without a guitar but he still had plenty of awkward moves! LOL! However, he was very good although the song didn't allow for much singing.<br /><br />Jessica sang "Try a little tenderness" by Otis Redding. A little too much but very good.<br /><br />Skylar sang "I heard it through the grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Sounded good.<br /><br />Joshua sang "A change is going to come" by Sam Cooke. Sounded really good.<br /><br />I think that Joshua easily won Round 2.<br /><br />The first round was good but the second round saw a lot of the Idols stumble a bit so the bottom 3 should be interesting tomorrow. However, if I had to pick a bottom 3 I would say that Colton, Elise and Hollie will be in the bottom 3. :(Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1266719618236711345.post-61679535010860862252012-04-17T22:51:00.000-04:002012-06-08T13:53:08.461-04:00The Voice results nightThe show began with last night's eliminations and the judges thoughts regarding their decisions. I still don't agree with their decisions even after hearing their explanations but the show goes on.<br /><br />The Wanted performed.<br /><br />Team Xtina up - Chris, Ashley and Lindsey were up to find out America's vote. Xtina once again defended her decision to vote off Jessie Campbell. Boo! America saved Chris Mann which was great to see. Ashley and Lindsey had to perform later to see who Xtina would save tonight.<br /><br />Team Blake up- Jermaine, Erin and RaeLynn were up to find out America's vote. America saved Jermaine. Good vote by America. RaeLynn and Erin had to perform later for Blake's vote/save.<br /><br />Ashley sang "You and I". Loved her look. Very good performance, she sounded good.<br /><br />Lindsey sang "Please don't go". Looked great. Really liked this performance.<br /><br />Justin Bieber was on the show to world premiere a clip from his new video. For all the hype I was expecting the whole video, not just some teaser clip. the clip was cool but still, the whole video would've been better to see.<br /><br />Elimination time. Ashley and Lindsey came up to hear Xtina's decision. Xtina eliminated Ashley. I really liked Ashley so I wasn't happy to see her go but she's still learning in a lot of ways and Lindsey really stepped it up. I hope to hear lots more from Ashley in the near future.<br /><br />Erin sang "Proud Mary". Sounded good.<br /><br />RaeLynn sang "If I die young". Sounded good but her voice was too affected for the song which is what the some of the coaches said and I agreed with.<br /><br />Elimination time. Erin and RaeLynn came up to hear Blake's decision. Although I felt Eric did much better, I thought Blake would stick with the country girl RaeLynn that he had been championing throughout the show. But I was pleasantly surprised that Blake made the proper decision based on how they sang tonight and eliminated RaeLynn. She's made a lot of fans with country music's elite so I expect to hear lots more from her in the future.<br /><br />Good decisions from the coaches tonight! They redeemed themselves tonight. Good show!Mario M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15385338052790704956noreply@blogger.com0