American Idol: April 8, 2008

It's probably not a coincidence that Idol scheduled "Idol Gives Back" this week.  It seems like every year at this time, the show hits a lull.  The comically bad are gone.  Some mediocre remain. And the great haven't had to prove it in a while.  Add to this cocktail a weak celebrity mentor (Dolly Parton, meet Gwen Stefani), and Idol becomes something of a drag. 

I didn't look forward to watching Idol this week. It ended up being OK. Not great. Paula's pressed breasts were great. (did anyone else think of "Just One of the Guys"?) Jason Castro was great.  Otherwise, it was just aiii-ght for me.

Michael Johns:  MJ really needs to stop with the ascots.  The whole outfit didn't work for me. He looked like a waiter who had to borrow his smaller colleague's vest for dinner service.  I thought his performance was pretty good.  I was afraid he wouldn't try the high notes. But he did. And he hit them.  I guess I agree that these rock songs don't seem like they should be his wheelhouse -- he doesn't seem like a rock star.  But, the fact is these are the songs he's been singing the best.  MJ's fate remains unknown.  At this point, I think he's the only one who could still really surprise us by turning in a great performance.  (The others already have (e.g., Jason, David C.) or obviously cannot (e.g., Kristy, Carly)).

Syesha: I know I'm harsh on Syesha.  But I was really annoyed by her comment that she misses Ramiele because "she's the only who really got me." Syesha and Van Gogh-- two of the great misunderstood artists.  Whatever the subject, Syesha manages to bring back to her own genius.  I guess Syesha sounded OK. But I really think it's a mistake for her to sing songs made famous by great soul songstresses.  She cannot compare.  She does best when she "reworks" something not in her genre (like "Yesterday").  But she continues to believe she can stand shoulder to shoulder with Whitney and Fantasia. And she continues to be dwarfed.

Jason: Jason seemed a lot more articulate tonight.  Admittedly, expectations on this front are really low.  Even apart from his spoken intro, Jason was my favorite of the night. He can play the ukulele!  And he sang so well.  I'm high on Jason again (even if the ends of some of his dreds are taking on a disturbing white hue).

Kristy: Ryan said Kristy was committed to staying out of the Bottom Three tonight.  I'm not sure it can happen. Simon thought Kristy looked like a star-- I thought she looked like a swimmer (I'd never noticed the big shoulders before).  I guess she didn't hit any flat notes, but even on her best night, she's one of the weakest. I'm getting bored just thinking about Kristy, so I have to move on.

David C: David C. tells us his favorite band is Our Lady Peace.  And whatever respect I had for him musically disappears.  You've heard The Beatles. U2. Even Coldplay. You're going with Our Lady Peace.  Last year, Blake told us his favorite band of all time was 311, and at that point I foresaw Audio Day Dream. We can only hope David C. avoids the same fate.  David C. did seem pretty serious tonight.  Simon called it "pompous." I guess I figured the guy's health is shaky, and his brother's health is even shakier (didn't the song have some lyrics about cancer?). I cut him some slack.  And, really, anything that keeps David C. from grinning and smirking through the entire song is OK with me.  I concede, however, that the "Give Back" writing on his hand was nauseating. (And I found it odd that Simon seemed to think the hand thing made his performance less pompous.)

Carly:  Tonight, I felt embarrassed for Carly. And for me.  For Carly because I don't think she took the note from Simon about dressing better. Her face looked pretty, but the pants and one-piece bathing suit were awful. It was a mistake to highlight the tattoo, and to sport a Wonder Woman gold bracelet. She was ripping off Celine Dion hamming her way through a Jim Steinman song.  And she sounded flat.  I felt embarrassed for me because I had thought this woman could be our American Idol. 

David A: Unlike Simon, I've always hated this song.  Probably because it was written by Robbie Williams-- who I usually really like, but whose best songs are about drinking, chasing women and self-loathing.  I've always viewed "Angel" as Robbie's cynical attempt at a hit, and I've pictured him throwing up as he wrote it.  Needless to say, David A. doesn't view the song in the same way.  He is all about the "inspirational." And he should have hit this out of the park.  He didn't.  At times, he sounded great.  But overall, the performance was just pretty good. 

Brooke: In retrospect, it's amazing that Brooke had been on this show for however many weeks and had not yet sung "You've Got a Friend."  It seems the perfect song for her.  Brooke's so unassuming-- I liked how she shared with us the little known fact that this song was written and performed by Carole King on a little album called "Tapestry." Which spent about a year at #1 and was one of the biggest selling albums of all time.  Does anyone still think Brooke's "Let It Be" tears were genuine? Brooke has the good sense to realize that the water works are a fine distraction from a mediocre performance.  Her choking back tears and struggling to keep it together during the judges' comments were about as appealing as last week's shpiel about Dolly Parton and Jesus.  I have to give Brooke credit, though.  She is dynamic.  In fact, she is quickly overtaking Syesha as my least favorite performer.

I'm really not sure I can watch-- let alone report on-- tomorrow's "Idol Gives Back."  (Especially if nobody gets kicked off again.)  I recall last year's "IGB" as some of the longest hours of my life.  If anyone else wants to ring in, we will welcome your comments.