Idol-Talk: Season 10 Auditions - Austin

American Idol 10: Austin Auditions
Air Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 [8-9pm]

Audition City: Austin, TX

Leading up to this episode, we received teases from Ryan Seacrest that the opening would contain an apology from the producers. Being familiar with how producers have been opening the show this season, I expected whatever the apology to be would be some sort of a joke. Then we got confirmation that the forthcoming apology would be in regards to the comments that Steven Tyler said last week. Right then, I knew it wasn't serious, because I doubt they would apologize for the hilarious things he's been saying.

So, we get to the opening of the show and this is the captain on the screen: "American Idol would like to apologize for last week's outrageous behavior by Steven Tyler. ... Mr. Tyler has been warned and assures us it will never happen again."

The text was then proceeded by the normal type of opening we've come to expect from season 10, which is usually a bad audition. The singer's last name is Muck. Steven says, "You know what Muck rhymes with, don't you?" And Mr. Muck replies with, "Duck?" to which Steven says "Read my lips." We're quickly transitioned to the opening title sequence. (Watch the entire opening HERE).

Yes, the apology was meant to be a joke all along. But it wasn't all that funny. What Steven said was funny (nothing out of the ordinary from what we've come to expect from him), but the faux apology by the producers was the complete opposite. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe has gone on Twitter to say that we can't take a joke. Well, we can certainly take a joke, but it should be funny to begin with. And if it isn't, then you can't blame us for not having a sense of humor.

Wednesday's episode took the show to Austin, TX, where 7500 hopefuls initially auditioned.

Standout of the Night:

• Casey Abrams - Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor"
• In his pre-audition interview, he mentioned that people say he looks like Seth Rogan. I can definitely see the similarity.
• He brought a melodica to help him stay in tune. I hope he can sing just fine without it, because he won't be able to use it all the time.
• With the personality and energy that he brought to his performance, he reminded me of Taylor Hicks. Some may say that's a bad thing, but not necessarily. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of him, but after thinking about it for a while, there's no doubt he was the standout in Austin (I'm not sure what that says of Austin, considering nobody really stood out all that much).

Good:

• Cory Levoy - "I Can't Make You Love Me"
• Cory didn't meet his sister until they were 14 and 16, respectively (due to parental issues), and lived 15 minutes apart when they didn't know each other.
• Jacqueline Dunford (Duffy's "Mercy") & Nick Fink ("Sunday Morning")
• They are a couple and both auditioned. Jacqueline was pretty good, but while Nick was good as well, he sounded too much like the original.
• Note to Producers: The way you edited their relationship together was very over the top and gross.

Average:

• John Wayne Schulz - Brooks & Dunn's "Believe" (cowboy; mother was diagnosed with breast cancer)
• Courtney Penry - Sugarland's "Stay"
• She is in love with Ryan and cries when first meeting him. Before singing, she clucks like a chicken (not very well, I might add).
• This gal is very over dramatic and may make a better actress than a singer.

Shouldn't Have Received a Ticket to Hollywood:

• Hollie Cavanagh - "At Last" & Miley Cyrus' "The Climb"
• When the judges first criticized her singing, she began crying; the judges fell for it and Jennifer Lopez wanted her to sing another song. On the second attempt, she sounded worse (mainly from the crying), but was sent through anyways.
• Besides the unfunny apology, here was another area where the producers did something unnecessary. They threw to break after the first song and make it out to be something extremely dramatic. If they wanted to do something like that, then have it be on a contestant that deserves to go through.

At one point in the show, there was a montage of people auditioning in costumes and bad singers. In this package, the producers wanted to make the point that Randy Jackson is now the new Simon. But here's the thing. All those critiques by Randy were packaged and edited together. I won't believe these assertions until the live shows and we really get to see if he's more assertive or the tag-along bland judge that he's become as of late.

I mentioned this earlier, but I'll say it again here. The Austin episode was not that great. Even the better singers weren't stupendous, and overall, I was a little bored. I'm thinking that's why the producers added in the "apology" so people would tune in.

50 contestants received a golden ticket and made it through to Hollywood.

Tonight, we're heading to Los Angeles (8-9pm). See ya then...