The American Idol Weekly Rundown-Top Ten

American Idol at its best...a great show. The performers had to sing a song from the year they were born and it made me feel very old...but I digress.



The Best:

David Cook-Never thought he'd impress me like this. His version of Billie Jean was instantly appealing and extremely marketable. Making it a Rock Ballad was one of the most brilliant choices I've ever seen anyone make on any season of this show. He also sang the heck out of it. Though his voice isnt necessarily the best, he definitely has the best grasp on today's pop audience. Chris Daughtry has officially been replaced...Thank Gawd.

***Edit***Just found out that this is a cover of a version that Chris Cornell did first...so, like Chris Daughtry with 'Ring Of Fire', he has fooled us (temporarily) into thinking this was an original take on the song when it is ,in fact, stolen. So I felt the Chris Cornell clip (which is friggin beautiful) should replace David Cook at the top of the page. And in my opinion, top honors for last night's show now go to Michael Johns.

The Good:

Carly-Blow me down, that was a great one! Contrary to stupid Randy's opinion, I absolutely loved her version of 'Turn Around'. It was just great...loved the tempo, loved the performance, loved the drive...loved the final note, even. I think Carly knows that it's necessary to belt a note at the end in order to leave an impression on America. Sad but true. 'Not in key' my foot.

Jason Castro-Sting's'Fragile' was never sung by a prettier mouth...haha. Yes it was safe and a bit drowsy but I loved it.

Michael Johns-Finally the Aussie ROcker has made the grade. He sang 'We Will ROck You/ We are the Champions' without going flat or predictable on us. It was really energetic and strong. Great Song Choice.

Syesha- -A very loosey-goosey version of 'If I Was Your Woman'. Her pitch was perfect throughout, though the high registers aren't as pleasing to the ears as the low. It was much less torchy and far more modern than the original and she definitely had a 'moment'. Plus, she's cute as a button. All in all, it was far and away her best performance.

Ramiele-chose to really take a chance and sing Heart's 'Alone', which Carrie Underwood really hit out of the park a few seasons ago. So it was very brave for Ramiele, whose voice is not nearly as strong, to attempt the song. I thought it was good...a million times better than last week for sure. She was a little flat on the high notes but the rest was on key and she put an original spin on it that I found impressive.

Chikezie-Regardless of how dated you think it was, the guy has a great voice. I didnt recognize the song but I think Paula mentioned that Luther Vandross sang it-which stands to reason since that is very much the type of artist I think Chikezie wants to shadow. I don't think that is as bad a thing as Simon does, evidently.

The Bad:

David Archuleta-I faintly remember this song from easy listening radio and also remember disliking it intensely. Can't recall the name or the artist but I'm sure it would be easy to figure out if I weren't so lazy. Anyhoo...I hated this. It sounded and looked just like a performance on some type of local 'benefit' or county fair. He hit some very bad notes also. And go figure: Randy liked this one? He needs to clean the wax out, methinks.

Brooke-'Every Breath You Take' has a bad history on this show. Chris Sligh, last season, really messed it up by reworking the tempo and even his stellar vocals couldnt save the performance. Brooke made the same mistake. Starting off at the piano was promising, as was the first part of the song. But when she hit the chorus and the band kicked in, it sounded rushed. She sounded as if she were shouting and we lost most of her smoky-sweet presence. Too bad.

The Ugly:

Kristy-I don't care if she sang 'God Bless the USA' well or not. I couldnt help but think of how disappointed I was last year when I went to Vegas to see the Bellagio fountain show, only to discover it had been set to that same obnoxious piece of patriotic sap. I detested it then and I despised it last night. Blech.

I am wondering after last night's show, which of the pretty boys has the most pull w/the screaming girls. I thought it was Castro until Archuleta finished up...the screams were nauseating.

My guess to go home is Chikezie though I don't think he deserves it, by any means. I am so ready to get rid of Kristy but Simon gave her high prasie (darn him) so she'll be around to serenade us for another week, it seems.

American Idol Weekly Rundown-Top 11

Last night was a pretty big dud in the entertainment department. Why did they have to do another Beatles week? How very dull. Anyway, as it stands, here is my take.

THE BEST:
1. Syesha - She performed "Yesterday" in a very contrived but emotional way. It was lovely and pretty memorable-especially when paired w/ the rest of the comparative tripe that came our way last night.

THE GOOD:
2. David A.-definitely a far cry from last week's chaos. The bright and shiny David gave us "The Long and Winding Road" in a very nice way. It was melodic and well-sung, even if it did sound a bit 'musical theater' at times. I could tell he was forcing it a bit and the desperation was kind of apparent. But it's nice to hear him do well again.

3. Kristy-sang "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and I felt it was her best performance in spite of the bad choices in arrangment and a few flat notes. I finally heard her actually SING and understood why she made it to the finals at all. She seemed comfortable w/ her performance as well and not afraid to belt it a few times. The judges were not impressed, however, and this could be the end for Kristy.

4. David C.-Thought it definitely didnt compare to The Bad Brains rendition of 'Day Tripper', I actually liked the arrangment. He sang it pretty well. His downfall was his self-confidence which bordered on blatant arrogance last night. Throwing picks into the crowd, the 'Frampton'-style voice box etc...bad decision. It's still
a contest at this point.

5. Carly-sang 'Blackbird'. It was pretty and she has a great voice. But still kind of a 'molehill' after last week's 'mountain'.

THE BAD:

Amanda-'Back in the USSR' was not a very good choice, I felt. It was a little safe and I too am getting a wee bit tired of her schtick. I like how unassuming and unwilling to change she is, however. She really milks the audience and pays little attention to the judges-which is kind of refreshing.

Michael- The song choice was bad. 'Day in the Life' is a bit of an epic and not suitable for condensing into 1 and 1/2 minutes. It sounded rushed and indeed it was. Also, though he sounded great at the beginning-he hit some really sour notes in there as well.

Brooke-"Here Comes The Sun" was again, absolutely the wrong choice. Without her piano or guitar, she looked really awkward and self-concious. And then she tried to dance around a bit, which looked even more desperate. The delivery of the song could have been worse, but the performance was far too distracting to notice many good points.

Jason-"Michelle"...hate the song. But anyway...that's neither here nor there. Jason performed it very strangely. It was okay if you were just listening to it, but watching it was kind of painful. He looked so odd up there clinching the microphone stand like Edith Piaf. And when he started walking, it was all a little 'hey, how's your steak?' for me. But Simon is right; he's got a great face.

Ramiele-It was very 'Libertyland' for me. "Should Have Known Better" was a nice peppy choice for her but she looked extremely uncomfortable trying to keep time in those stillettos. And the high waisted pants and hat brought to mind a little polynesian leprechuan. heh heh. Her vocals were okay but I thought she was better last week...when she was just boring.

THE UGLY:

Chikezie-Wow. Top to bottom in one week. I think the problem is that poor Chikezie took the judges' praise too literally. While, they admired his funky southern song arrangment last week; they did not say he needed to do it again. When he started doing 'I've Just Seen a Face', it was nice but I had a problem w/ the steel guitar. Then he shot it all to heck by upping the tempo and relegating the tune to something out of a friggin' hoe-down.

American Idol Weekly Rundown-The Top 12

So I really wasnt excited about the Beatles. I'm not a fan and I think opening up their song book was a bit 'anti-climactic' since neither Lennon or McCartney had a great voice and therefore their songs are not that vocally challenging. The real trick here was making the songs 'new', so to speak. There is only so much you can do with 'She Loves You (yeah yeah yeah)' or 'Ticket To Ride'. But I will admit that if one were willing to try and conquer some of the less well-known songs, like 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' for example, good stuff could ensue. As it stands, most of the selections were predictable. Here's how I call it:



THE BEST:

1.CHIKEZIE- I knew this guy had something to prove! This was great. The arrangement he attached to 'She's A Woman' was nothing short of perfect for his 'comeback' performance. It reminded me of the great Robert Randolph (and the Family Band) whose music combines American Delta Folk with Funk to come up w/ a truly unique sound. Chikezie borrowed from this vibe and produced the 'moment' of the night. Plus, he was having a blast and carrying the audience along with every note. I'm surprised that no one mentioned the absurdity of the sweater vest, however.


THE GOOD:(in no particular order)

2.Carly- I hate 'Come Together'. It's one of those songs that gets all kind of credit for being a phenomenal piece of rock history when it is ludicrously obvious that the ditty was written in a drug induced haze and contains on the 'skillful' song-writing of a 3 yr old. Stupid stupid lyrics. I know...I'm mostly alone on this. I don't care. If you're going to use drugs as the impetus, at least give us some better imagery. Anyway, Carly sang a great rendition of it either way. The gal has pipes.

3.Jason- I think he and his mellow guitar may eventually bore America. But I really liked 'If I Fell' as he performed it. He changed up the melody a little to make it interesting and actually hit the majority of his falsetto notes this week. And the teeth...have I mentioned the teeth?

4.David C.-The resident 'rocker' performed Eleanor Rigby within an inch of its life. It wasnt bad, actually, albeit extremely predictable. I was telling my husband, "Now watch, he's gonna sing it straight until 'I look at all the lonely people' comes around and then he's gonna go all Linkin Park on us...' which is exactly what happend. However, some credit should be given for the arrangment (if it is indeed his own) and the 'sellability' of the cover. I'm surprised, however, that Simon didnt have anything to say about how 'indulgent' this performance was.

5.Brooke-Aside from 'Let it Be' being a very predictable song choice for her and -even with the piano- a very drowsy performance, it was still nice. I enjoyed it. I was washing dishes while she sang and I didnt look up from my pot-scrubbing or anything. But it was pleasant. I think she might be a bit of a 'one-note'. I'll have to see. I'm not sure she could stake a viable claim in the ranks of female singer/songwriters out there nowadays.

6.Michael-I was a bit surprised he didnt really blow me away w/ 'Across the Universe' since it is one of the only songs from this catalogue that I truly love. I adore Fiona Apple's version. But Michael didnt really bring much originality to the arrangement. He sang it well though, and it is a good enough song to give him an easy pass to next week, I think.

7. Amanda-Though she has a pretty face and a meek persona, Amanda's performances are really the antithesis of all that's sexy. It's almost off-putting, even for a true rock and roll lover. That said, she sang the heck out of 'You Can't Do That', rendering it almost unrecognizable. Which is just fine by me.

THE BAD:

8. Syesha Macado-Once again, song choice may prove to be the downfall for her. It was a bold pick, 'Got To Get You Into My Life', but she had problems w/ the pitch at the beginning and though it picked up a bit toward the end; it was probably too little too late. A better song choice? 'Get Back' would have given her more options.

9. Ramiele Mubalay-'In My Life' is a lovely song. And she has a lovely voice. The two together were...lovely. And really really dull. A better choice? 'Something' would have allowed for more range.

10.David H.- 'I Saw Her Standing There' was a dumb song. And Tiffany covered it in the eighties. Those two things should make any AI contestant run Forrest run. But instead, David embraced the cheesiness. In my old high school, there was a group of kids (hated by almost everyone) called Show Choir. At every school event, they were there en masse...dressed in sordid color coordinated duds and crooning medleys of insipid pop tunes that would cause the most tolerant ears to bleed. This performance could have been yanked from any one of those shows. A better choice? I can see him really giving an r & b vibe to 'Sgt Pepper' and making it work.

THE UGLY:

11. David A.- Poor kid. I read in a recent article that David Archuleta 'is Reality Tv's equivelent of a newly hatched chick' and I laughed because it's such a perfect description of his white-bread shininess. But the judges' golden boy really dropped the ball this week. First, he admits on camera that he's nervous and that he doesnt really know any Beatles songs. Sure David...I'm sure you're just being modest and going to blow everybody away as always. Wrong. He really DIDNT know any Lennon/McCartney tunes apparently. He chose 'We Can Work It Out' and forgot the lyrics...twice. He also started late and stumbled through the parts he remembered. Why oh why didnt he do 'Yesterday' like everyone was sure he would?

12. Kristy- Hilarious. The arrangment she chose for 'Eight Days a Week' was manic and beyond comprehension. Those strings will haunt me, I swear. The tempo was so fast that even she couldnt keep up, though she did try valiantly. Her vocals seemed to be recovered somewhat but the song choice and performance were not salvageable. A better choice? For her 'country' fans, an intelligently constructed cover of 'Helter Skelter' could have been really memorable. Maybe next time.

Though David A. screwed up royally, his previous performances and huge fanbase will save him. I believe Kristy and David H. will be the bottom two this week and either of them could go. Ramiele may also be in danger since she's so small. heh heh.

The American Idol Weekly Rundown-'Ze Girlz'

Everybody is stepping it up, it seems.

THE BEST:
1. Carly Smithson-I LOVE THAT SONG! I think I actually let out a little 'hoot' when I realized she was going to sing Roy Orbison's 'I Drove All Night', one of my very favorite songs of that decade. Yes, I know Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion have covered it but it will always be an a Roy classic, to me. And even though Carly belted it in a style similar to Celine Dion, she also retained the tempo and sound of the original...which was NOT a dance song, like Celine's version. She is now the clear winner, in my book.

THE GOOD:

2. Brooke White-sat on the stage (again) and did a mellowed out version of 'Love is a Battlefield' which conveniently left out any of the truly challenging vocal segments of the original. The cool thing is that she did succeed in 'modernizing' one of the cheesier songs of the eighties, and make it her own. It was really kind of great. But I would have loved to see her tackle the dance moves of the video...heh heh.

3. Amanda Overmeyer-whew! Nice comeback. Joan Jett's 'I Hate Myself For Loving You' sounded even raunchier coming from her. I didnt like it as much as Simon did (the chorus was a little bland) but it was definitely a far cry from last week. Plus, the hair was tame and the face looked pretty. She seemed...incongruously sweet.

4. Kady Malloy-another huge surprise. She was in my bottom two last week. I know she hit some flat notes in her interpretation of Queen's 'Who Wants To Live Forever' but there were parts of it that gave me chills. And she really showed courage tackling that song. Even Katherine McPhee of two seasons ago wasnt able to do it without choking. It is a HARD song.

5. Syesha Macado-did 'Saving All My Love For You' and the only thing more predictable than the song choice was her delivery of it. But she did a good job nevertheless.

THE BAD:

6. Ramiele Malubay-Okay, it wasnt bad. She sang 'Against All Odds' well, even. But it was sooooo boring! She really needs to step up that performance level.

7. Asia-h Epperson-I thought the whole thing seemed very 'Disney-esque'....kinda like a 'High School Musical' performance of Whitney's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'. I also just think it's DUMB to sing Whitney Houston songs and I wish everyone would STOP DOING IT. Asia is gone this week, I think.

THE UGLY:

8. Kristi Lee Cook- I still can't stand this girl. I am tired of the judges giving her all kinds of praise for these strangled performances. And to butcher Jorney's 'Faithfully' like that too! The final note was terrible...awful...ech. And did anyone else notice the red tongue? I have noticed a few blue tongues this season as well. I'm guessing these kids are sucking on cough drops before they perform. Someone should tell them to try the CLEAR ones. heh heh.

So my guess is that Kristi and Asiah will be gone this week. But since the judges didnt really 'pan' anyone, we could have a surprise.

The American Idol Weekly Rundown-'Ze Boyz'

The boys are coming into their own.

THE BEST:

1.Jason Castro (pictured above)-stole the show in all his 'Pretty Travolta' glory as he tackled (gasp!) Leonard Cohen. It was probably the most surprising song choice I've seen since Fantasia Barino knocked 'You Were Always On My Mind' outta the park back in season three. I loved the quiet way he sang the song with his guitar, almost as if he were serenading a congregation instead of competing on a talent show.

THE GOOD:

2.David Cook-sang Lionel Ritchie's 'Hello' and did a great job with the arrangement. He made it a bluesy, rock ballad that was pretty good and definitely would be a radio hit, were it allowed to air. His vocals were 'on' as well. I don't like him any more than I liked Daughtry but he is equally 'sellable'.

3. Chikezie- I like him. I think his vocals are great and the fact that he attempted a Whitney Houston song was admirable. I thought it was a success.

4.David Archuleta- snoozy Phil Collins song aside, I thought he sang it well. But Simon was right, he shouldnt have gotten up. When he was at the piano, it seemed less contrived. Still no mention of Star Search...I'm wondering if there are infringement issues.

5.David Johns-started off the show well. I really liked his cover of one of my favorite eighties songs, 'Don't You Forget About Me'. The opening notes were the best. However, I wish they'd changed the arrangment a little more and made it less 'electronic'.

6. David Hernandez-though the song choice, 'It's all Coming Back To Me Now', was too big-I admired the attempt. His voice is good and he's a good performer. He'll definitely be in the top 12.

No 'bads' this week, just two 'uglies'.

THE UGLY:

7.Danny Noriega-Hahahahahahahahahaha. 'Tainted Love'? Really? If he had been wearing a dress and frolicking on a Vegas Stage, it would have been perfect. As it was, it was terrible. But the kid has so much personality! I adored his reaction to Ryan's taking notice of the purple hair: "Mmmmmmhmmmmm'

8.Luke Menard- Oh dear. Again, this was a mistake. I'm a fan of musical theater but even in a production of Starlight Express, this guy would manage to make me cringe. And he performed George Michael! LOL

American Idol Weekly Rundown-Part Deux

Here's my take on that god-awful display of girl-talent known as last night:

The Best:

1.Carly Smithson- Irish tattooed-lady sang "Crazy On You" by Heart and belted it well. Unfortunately, the rest of the pack was so mediocre that it didnt take much from her to lead them all. It wasnt her best performance but it was better than the rest.

The Good:

2.Brooke White-This squeaky clean blonde strapped on a guitar and sang "You're So Vain' really well. It was a bit boring and I surely didnt 'love it' like Simon did, but the delivery was impressive.


3. Syesha Macado-I admire her attempt to cover songs that haven't been tried on the show before and songs made popular by men. It's interesting but not always successfull. Last night she performed 'Me and Mrs(Mr)Jones' and though she tried very hard and hit the notes nicely, it wasnt the right song. Nice try, though.

The Bad:

4.Alaina Whitaker-It started off very pretty, the way she sang 'Hopelessly Devoted'. But it got sharp really quick. All the big notes suffered. Plus, she looks too similar to Carrie Underwood to make it very far, I think.

5.Ramiele Malubay-was a front-runner last week. She has a nice voice and the song started off pretty but this disco hit(not sure of the title but I've heard it all my life) was absolutely the wrong one for her. She spent the last 3/4 of the song in the same key, the same note almost, shouting along and not really acting as if she felt it. It was tedious, to say the least.

6.Kristi Lee Cook-Why do people attempt to sing a song when they can't reach all the notes? When she got to the bridge of "Your'e No Good", she didnt even make an attempt at the actual key, substituting it for a montone section that did her no favors. I expected the judges to really tear her to pieces but surprisingly, they liked it. I'm suspecting a pay-off.

7.Alexandrea Lushington-I like her personality. But she just gave up on this song, it seems like. It wasnt a 'singer's' song, first of all, and then after she finished limping her way thru 'If You Need Me Now'-she looked absolutely defeated. It was wierd. I also didnt get the outfit.

8. Asia Epperson-I like the 'hoarseness' of her voice but she didnt use it here, really. Her version of "All By Myself' was half-hearted and weak. I agree with Simon, the song was way too big for her.

The Ugly:

9.Kady Malloy- As she stumbled down the stairs singing "Magic Man", I was baffled. Is this really the girl that just showed us in her 'bio' that she can sing opera (and do it well)? Hard to believe. Because this sucked. She never found the key at all. THis gal needs to take her 'impersonation' skills to Vegas. And was it not wierd that Simon had never heard this song? Maybe he just didnt recognize the way she sang it...heh heh.

10.Amanda Overmeyer- Yikes. What was she thinking? I mean the WHOLE thing was a mistake. The look, the vocals, the 'dancing'. "Carry On My Wayward Son" is not a song meant for a vocal competition.

The American Idol Weekly Rundown

So here we are in the umpteenth season of American Idol. Has the show played out? Probably. But here I am again, sitting every Tuesday and Wenesday night in front my tv, gawking in horror at the 'best in America' as they limp thru the classics and prove to us, yet again, that for the most part- there is a reason they haven't been discovered yet.

So here is my take on last night's show. FOr those of you not in the AI 'know', there are currently twenty contestants. Last week, four left and tomorrow night, four more will leave. Until there is an even 12 to 'wow' the world w/ live performances that are far too extravagant for their own good. Big Name 'guests' will assist in the judging and every show is 'themed' so that the players aren't able to stick to one comfy genre.

Last Night's Theme: The Seventies (and of course, there were very few surprises in the song choices.)

THE BEST:

1.Chikezie-After a heavy handed lounge performance (complete w/ tangerine colored leisure suit) last week, Chikezie came back with a great one. I don't know the Donnie Hathaway song he sang...so sue me. But he did a great job of delivering it and also throwing some levity around, as he teased Simon for not remembering how to pronounce his name. It was great.

THE GOOD:

2.David Archuleta- He was the judge's favorite last night. He sang John Lennon's Imagine and did not butcher it. It was lovely. However I can't help but wonder WHEN is something going to be said about this kid having already WON Star Search when he was 12? We're supposed to believe that he's this seasoned a performer by chance? At least acknowledge the facts here! David Archuleta won Star Search JR at the age of 12 and looked very much like a tiny politician. Youtube it.

3.Jason Castro- I like him. He did a Bee Gees song that wasnt quite right with the guitar accompaniament he offered, but I still like watching/hearing him. Does anybody else think he looks like a young John Travolta with dreads? I can't help but see Vinnie Barbarino when I look at him...only prettier. With perfect teeth.

4.Danny Noriega- The sweetest thing outside of Project Runway, Danny croons into the camera and makes bedroom eyes at the tv audience like a pro. I like his voice and his performance of The Carpenters was pretty good. But it's his skinny jeans and diva attitude that will take him to the top 12.

5.David Hernandez- was really good both weeks, for me. I liked his version of 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' quite a lot. He's definitely comfortable onstage and has no problem stretching his vocals to swing a few votes.

6.David Cook-The other resident 'rocker' did 'Allright Now' and accompanied himself with his guitar. He sang it well and played adequately. While I liked the fact that he mugged his way around the stage like he owned it, and gave props to the band for their help, his confidence (and lack of charisma) will hurt him unless he pulls in the reigns a bit. People do listen to Simon.

THE BAD:

7.Michael Johns- Austrailian Import has a nice rock vocal but keeps choosing the wrong song. Last night he did "You Can Go Your Own Way", by Fleetwood Mac and it was very yawny.

8.Luke Menard- Steeped in musical theater obviously. His version of Killer Queen sounded like it came straight from the live production of High School Musical. On key? Sure. But this ain't Jesus Christ Superstar.


THE UGLY:

10.Robbie Carrico- So boring. 'Hot Blooded' by Foreigner is a catchy track but it is cheesy...so singing it on AI is inevitably going to sound like karaoke. I'm ready to see the back of him...heh heh.

11.Jason Yaegar-You just can't sing 'Without Love' unless you're fortunaate enough to have the doobies backing you up. It was so bad I cringed. The dancing, the cocky smiles at the camera, it was all so...eeeewww.

Tomorow: The girls!

An Acute Case of Nostalgia

For those of you who grew up with The ELectric Company, a couple of Tom Lehrer's finest!

Officially Bottomed Out...

Excuse me if I digress, but WHAT has happened to this gal? No, I'm not a 'fan', and no, I don't think she's got some extraordinary talent or anything but you had to admit that she had it together for a while there. Her VMA performances were pretty legendary and seemed to 'top' themselves each year what with her crazy outfits, killer body, and increasingly racy songs. Role model she wasnt, but media babe she definitely was. Now it seems that she is an entirely different person...one who has no idea how to dance, perform, or even speak coherantly (again, not that she was ever particularly adept at any of those things). Yes, the body is good for a mother of two (she evidently still feels comfortable at the gym) but my husband and I both were completely awed by how truly terrible her much-touted 'reappearance' at the VMA's was. She stumbled around the stage like a very nervous 'Britney impersonator', almost like she was embarassed to be seen. The dancing was laughable (if you could even call it that), the lip-synching was off, and she kept casting her eyes from side to side in what could only be termed as blatant confusion. SO wierd.

Speaking of wierd, the whole VMA program this year was kooky. Initially, the idea of changing the venue to Las Vegas seemed like a good one but now that the fiasco is over, I don't remember a thing about it (except for the hilarity and embarassment caused by Sarah Silverman who-although quite tasteless much of the time-comes up w/ some truly inspired bits). Mostly, I believe, this is because of the poor construction of the show itself which came off more as a New Year's Party than an awards show. The performances were rediculously inadequate and the best ones were cut off by commercial breaks and difficult to observe because of the cramped quarters of the hotel suites that served as their respective 'stages'. Also, it was no secret that most of the award recipients and presenters were intoxicated, almost to the point of slurred speach. Jamie Fox and Justin TImberlake especially seemed to be throwing back a few too many. I don't know if MTV has learned its lesson from this chaotic attempt at 'modernizing' their standard awards show but if not, I hope they do some major tweaking before they try it again next year. This was a waste of time for everyone involved, if you ask me.

And why exactly do I watch this show every year, you may ask? I have NO idea. Teenage habits die hard, I guess.

Giant Dancing Dinosaurs...

Heh heh. No, there will be no pictures of dancing iguanadons on this entry. That was my not-so-clever way of combining three little subjects in one.

Last night was the first 'competition' episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance',my favorite of all talent shows. As mediocre as American Idol was this year, I won't be a bit surprised if this one takes over as America's favorite talent competion. Last season was phenomenal and introduced us to some great performers and fantastically choreographed routines (like the one above). This year, judging by last night's show, will be just as good or better. Wade Robson (choreographer extraordinairre) will have a bigger part in the routines this season and the dancers are a little more varied as well. I'm so excited to see what comes! (Can you tell I watched Star Search religiously as a kid?)

Yesterday, I also finished reading the book 'Giant' by Edna Ferber. I have to admit I was strangely disappointed with it and this was a surprise since the 1957 movie starring Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and James Dean is one of my all-time favorites. The book lacked so many of the characters and great scenes from the movie so my hat is off to the screen-writers for adding this stuff. As most of you know, it is a rare thing indeed for a movie to outshine the book it is taken from. In this case, Ferber's writing was a bit more stiff than usual and the characters less dimensional than the movie. Also, it seemed like more of one-sided commentary against the Lone Star State than the movie respresented. I'll post a review of the movie on my movie review blog in the next few days or so.

And also last night, hubby was doing is daily online browsing and discovered that The Black Keys are playing on the 22nd at the Nashville City Hall (a club, not an actual government building...ha) and WHO is opening for them? Dinosaur Jr! I am not only thrilled to my fanatical toes but shocked at this unexpectedness and going online to purchase our tickets today! Who knew such a thing could happen??? I have been listening to J Mascis' band since my teens (I actually discovered them late) and adore them, to say the least. They are the quintessential summertime band, ideal for driving about in the heat with the windows down. I've been listening to them alot lately and this was icing on the cake for me. Yay!