The top 8 guys performed tonight for a spot in the "finals" next week... really it's the "finals" to narrow the top 12 to the top 10 who get to take part in the Idol tour. Tonight the guys performed and proved why last year's group of guys was so incredibly weak. Before we get to reviews of performances, first let me weigh in on the David Hernandez situation.
In case your wife doesn't e-mail you storis from TMZ during the day and you hadn't heard the latest scandal involving an Idol contestant, it came out today that David Hernandez had a prior career. As a male stripper. At an all nude club. At an all nude gay strip club. For three years. So Paula's comment last week that David looked really comfortable on stage hits a little too close to home. Bottom line is David can sing. He can sing really, really well. But the problem is that if Idol doesn't kick David out, they've set a severe double standard. If you're trying to run a family friendly affair enough to kick out a large black woman who had posed for a few nude pictures, you have to kick out a hispanic male who made money as an all nude stripper in a gay club. The owner also made it sound like other services may have been available at this club. Who knows. Regardless, it's a problem for these Idol producers because David is a hell of a talent. Personally, I think come Thursday, he will be gone from the results show. We'll see if Rupert Murdoch is able to sweep this one under the rug though in the interest of ratings.
J-Red always knew he recognized David from a drunken night in Phoenix long ago.
On to the performances:
MIND-BLOWINGLY GOOD (no pun intended)
David Cook - You know your performance is good when you sing a version of a chart-topping song and I have no idea who originally sang it. I agree that Cook's plugged in version of Lionel Richie's Hello could be a hit today. It was totally fantastic. Wonderfully controlled. And great musically.
Jason Castro - The Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah is one of my favorite songs ever after hearing Josh Korr play it in 7134 Ellicott Hall freshman year at College Park. And Castro did it justice. An incredibly hard song to sing and Castro took it on. He's painful to watch though. He's uncomfortable on stage and doesn't exude the look of someone who wants to be there.
David Archuleta - He hit one or two notes off which is about ten less than the average Idol contestant and about one or two more than he was off last week. His version of Phil Collins' Another Day in Paradise looked effortless. Although I can see why the rumors are true that he's been hazed by the other guys enough to be known as the cast crybaby. Still, betting on him to make the top 5 is like betting on the Red Sox to make the playoffs... the odds are substantially stacked in your favor.
David Hernandez - Just a totally great performance. He looked focused, which I'm sure was hard for him. Ordinarily it's tough for a male to take on a song made famous by a female (see Chikezie review infra) but his version of Celine Dion's It's All Coming Back to Me was sung with great strength and was equally effortless. Unfortunately, I think he's gone for nothing related to his singing abilities.
VERY GOOD
Michael Johns - Sang a very good rendition of the INXS theme from The Breakfast Club. He hit some good notes and showed some range. But I swear to you, he looks at times significantly older than his 29 years. He'll have a successful career after this. But does it trouble you as much as me that his prior career was as a mascot for a rugby team??
TRAIN WRECKS
Eze - Just isn't good enough. He isn't. But I think he'll make it through because of the Hernandez situation and because he was better than the other two below.
Danny Noriega - His performance may go down in Idol history as one of the most cringe worthy ever. Paula likes him for being who he is. Danny, I get that you're gay. And you've got no problem with it. But your performance of Tainted Love (thanks for the catch Brien, my mind was drifting I was so horrified) was fitting for a drag queen tonight with your hair flipping, ass and hip shaking, and everything else. It was horrid. But again, I think you're safe because David Hernandez will be gone and the next guy is worse than you and Eze combined.
Luke Menard - How he avoided getting voted off last week is beyond me. His performance of Wham's Wake me Up Before you Go Go was sung like an above average karaoke singer. He's got zero personality. Gone baby, gone.
8 Responses:
Didn't Danny Noriega sing "Tainted Love" not "I want you to want me?"
And David Archuleta is 4/5 (that's worse than even money) to win it all on Bodog. I'll break down the odds once they're updated for the top 12.
Brien is correct on Noriega.
I can't stand looking at Jason Castro. That was the only disservice he did to Buckley and Cohen.
And I was only in Phoenix once when I was 9 or so. I don't think I went to Dick's Cabaret back then. No way Hernandez is gone Thursday unless he didn't get votes (unlikely). Fox accepted that they were going to be hypocritical with the Frenchie thing when they raised the age limit and let semi-pros audition.
What happened to Beatles night? Who screwed that one up?
The Breakfast Club's song was sang by Simple Minds, not INXS. One of the judges compared him to Michael Hutchence after he sang it, which is probable cause for confusion.
*Sung by Simple Minds, sorry.
I know. I was mocking Randy for his supposed worldly knowledge of music and blowing who the song was by simply because he assumed that an Australian guy would want to sing a song by an Australian lead singer. I guess I should've explained that better in the review. Anyway, the bottom line is the other performers keep getting better and Michael Johns is still about on the same level as he was in Hollywood Week. Which won't cut it in this competition.
Yeah, Randy knew Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley but not Simple Minds. That's kind of strange.
Big tuna: The report I read about the Beatles night made it look like it was happening this week. I went to the Idol website and saw that it was 80's and that Beatles was coming later. I corrected the post, but you must have seen it in the hour it was incorrect.
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