America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 3)

Before I get to this week's performance episode commentary, here is a recap of last week's results show:

• Mona Sampath Dance Company, AscenDance & Ronith are up first:
• AscenDance - Advancing to Semifinals [1/1]
• Mona Sampath Dance Company - Eliminated
• Ronith - Eliminated
• Ka by Cirque du Soleil performs
• Cheer SF, Iron Horse & Alice Tan Ridley are up next:
• Alice Tan Ridley - Advancing to Semifinals [2/2]
• Cheer SF - Eliminated
• Iron Horse - Eliminated
• Michael Grimm, Lil Chris, & The Strong Man are up next:
• Michael Grimm - Advancing to Semifinals [3/3]
• Lil Chris - Eliminated
• The Strong Man - Eliminated
• Train performs "Hey, Soul Sister"
• Wreckless, Hannibal Means, & Antonio Restivo are the last group:
• Hannibal Means - Eliminated
• Judge's Choice:
• Howie-Antonio Restivo
• Piers-Wreckless
• Sharon-Antonio Restivo
• Antonio Restivo - Advancing to Semifinals [3/4]
• My Predictions: I got three out of four correct.

America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 3)

Airdate: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. The South Philly Vikings [Dancers]: This is just another generic dance group with no standout moments. It seems like they have these elaborate costumes to mask that obvious fact.
2. CJ Dippa [12 year old rapper]: Once again, he's cocky and has such a huge ego, and if you have that at such a young age, I hate to see what he's going to be like as an adult. The song was stupid, and it's obvious that he's in it for the fame and fortune and not for the craft.
3. Harmonica Pierre [Harmonica player; performed Train's "Hey Soul Sister"]: Even though he won't win, he is excellent at what he does. And doing a modern song put such a unique twist on it (and a risk that worked). He definitely deserves to stay in the competition for now.
4. Polina Volchek [Gymnast]: I would have buzzed her like Piers did, because there wasn't much gymnastics, just moving her body in some fluid motions around on the stage, with a rope.
5. The Strange Familiar [Band (Female lead); performed "Time After Time"]: I agree with Sharon that it was the wrong song choice, because it didn't fit this band. And the female lead was pitchy many times throughout. I didn't like her voice in the auditions, and she didn't deliver this time either.
6. Haspop [Dancer]: He is no doubt very talented, but I do have some criticisms: while most of it was great, there were a couple moments where he went into cheesy dance moves that took away from how great he really is. And the songs changed so many times that it seemed a little disjointed. But like I said, he is very talented (one of the best tonight), and deserves to move on.
7. Luigi [Singer; performed "This Love"]: Right from the first note, I wasn't impressed. His voice is very weak, and the song showed that.
8. Chipps Cooney ["Magician"]: He should not have gotten past the first round, because it's just so pointless and he's wasting airtime. Just when I didn't think it could get any worse, he does by spending most of the time doing a strip tease that had nothing to do with magic.
9. Kaya and Sadie [Belly Dancers]: This act cannot sustain an hour-long show, because the belly dancing is just on a loop with nothing new. (On a side note, Kaya has the scariest smile).
10. Jeremy VanSchoonhoven [Bike Tricks]: As someone who doesn't really like this kind of act, I have to say I really enjoyed it. He added a lot of danger to it, which made it exciting.
11. Debra Romer [Singer]: In previous rounds, the focus was on her nerves. With that out of the way, the focus can be back on her voice. The honest truth is that she has a weak voice. While it's hard to dislike her and I do see potential in her, I can't get over the fact that she has a limited range.
12. Studio One Young Beast Society [Dance Group]: At this point, I want to say that I'm getting bored by just about every dance group. But I have to say that this group has changed my mind for once. At first, I thought they would be just another dance group, but they did do some impressive moves, which, combined with the pimp spot, will earn them a spot in the next round.

Favorite Performances: Harmonica Pierre

My Votes: Harmonica Pierre [10 votes by phone; 10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Harmonica Pierre / Haspop / Jeremy VanSchoonhoven / Studio One Young Beast Society

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Harmonica Pierre: 20 votes

Michael Grimm: 10 votes

Alice Tan Ridley: 10 votes

Total: 60 votes cast so far

I almost did not vote for anyone, because I don't see anyone in this third group that has the potential to win. But I ended up voting for Harmonica Pierre only because I felt he was the only one that was perfect and didn't have anything going against him in my eyes. So I believe he will definitely be advancing. I've said many times before that I don't usually enjoy dance acts, but Haspop and Studio One Young Beast Society were two of the best acts this week, and they both should be in the Semifinals. The last spot could be one of two people: either Jeremy VanSchoonhoven or Debra Romer. I ultimately am predicting Jeremy, mainly because I didn't really find anything wrong with his performance, while I found things to criticize about Debra's performance. But I think there are many voters who are on Debra's side and will vote for her. With her nerves out of the way, many voters may vote for her because she is breaking out of her shell. But if this is the case, it shows that people don't always vote based on actual talent. So, it could really go either way with these two.

Tonight, four more acts will advance into the next round. And we will see guest performances by the Jabbawockeez (I read online that they had auditioned for AGT one year and didn't make it), and Mike Posner. See ya then...

America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 2)

Before I get to this week's performances, here is a quick recap of last week's first live results show:

• Nathaniel Kenyon, Airpocalypse, & Sally Cohn are up first:
• Nathaniel Kenyon - Advancing to Semifinals [1/1]
• Airpocalypse - Eliminated
• Sally Cohn - Eliminated
• Selena Gomez & the Scene perform
• Nick Pike, Kung Fu Heroes, & Fighting Gravity are up next:
• Nick Pike - Eliminated
• Kung Fu Heroes - Eliminated
• Fighting Gravity - Advancing to Semifinals [2/2]
• Christina & Ali, Marikar, & Hot Shot Tap Dancers are up next:
• Christina & Ali - Advancing to Semifinals [3/3]
• Marikar - Eliminated
• Hot Shot Tap Dancers - Eliminated
• Cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages perform; Twisted Scissors lead singer Dee Snyder join them for "I Wanna Rock"; the cast ends with "Don't Stop Believin'"
• RNG, Paul Safy Jr. & Future Funk are the remaining acts:
• Paul Safy Jr. - Eliminated
• RNG & Future Funk are up last for the Judge's Pick:
• Piers - Future Funk
• Sharon - RNG
• Howie (with basically a second to go before show ends) - Future Funk
• RNG - Eliminated
• Future Funk - Advancing to Semifinals [4/4]
• I got all four of my predictions correct!

America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 2)

Airdate: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. Cheer SF [Cheerleading]: Even though I love Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment," the song they cheered to, the song and their moves didn't mesh; they were slow and boring. I didn't see anything that I haven't seen from a school cheerleading group; nothing extraordinary. And I saw someone stumble at one point. Plus, I agree with Piers that cheerleading isn't a talent in the sense of what the show is looking for.
2. Alice Tan Ridley [Singer; performed "Midnight Train To Georgia"]: She has such an unbelievable voice, with a lot of soul and depth to it, and I love when she goes into that gravel. I have heard this song a lot on American Idol, but I love listening to her singing it.
3. Mona Sampath Dance Company [Bollywood Dancers]: I was a supporter of another Bollywood dance act a year or two ago, so I'm excited to see another one. While they didn't necessarily blow me away, they are still great at what they do, and I would love to see them come back, but with only four advancing, who knows?
4. Iron Horse [Band (with tricks/stunts); performed "American Saturday Night"]: They said they do tricks/stunts during their act, but where was it? They did some hokey things that I think was done to cover up the fact that the lead singer is terrible; both of these factors should lead to a justified elimination.
5. The Strong Man [Strength Act]: I said this last week: you shouldn't revolve your talent around a story (in this case, parking in L.A.). Because of that, he spent most of the time talking (telling the story), and very little time actually doing the stunts. Plus, it was obvious they put those women on stage on purpose; it didn't act anything to the act.
6. Ronith [Impersonator]: This bozo shouldn't have gotten past the first round, because all his impressions are all exactly the same. He is so delusional because he thinks he's going to be famous. And after he got a second buzz (first by Piers, then by Sharon), he didn't know what to do and stumbled.
7. Hannibal Means [Opera Singer; performed "Circle of Life"]: He may not be a bad singer, per se, but what turns me off is the way he presents himself with the stupid hats and such. It was so cheesy, and the dancers with the hats added to that too.
8. Wreckless [Dancers]: They weren't bad dancers by any means, and the costumes were interesting to look at, but I didn't see anything unique and original.
9. Lil Chris [Singer (12 years old); performed "Closer"]: At 12, he is not ready yet. His voice was not always in tune (especially the final note). He was very uncomfortable doing the dancing. And it was just not the right song for him; his voice is not mature enough yet for that type of an R&B song.
10. AscenDance [Rock Climbing Dancers]: The song really meshed well with their movements to create such a beautiful performance. I could say this isn't a talent because it's rock climbing, but it's all in the way they present it with the dancing.
11. Antonio Restivo [Fire/magic Act]: What was that? Was it just a fire act, or a magic act as well? There was only one puny trick. Most of the time was spent either standing, walking around, or sitting, and he wasn't the one really dealing with the fire himself.
12. Michael Grimm [Singer; performed "Tired of Being Alone"]: I don't think I was expecting all that much from him (based on his initial audition), but he came out and blew me away. He has a unique voice (similar to Michael Johns from American Idol), and I hope he comes back, because I want to hear that voice again.

Favorite Performances: Alice Tan Ridley / Michael Grimm

My Votes: Michael Grimm [10 votes by phone] / Alice Tan Ridley [10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Alice Tan Ridley / Mona Sampath Dance Company / AscenDance / Michael Grimm

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Michael Grimm: 10 votes

Alice Tan Ridley: 10 votes

Total: 40 votes cast so far

It's a given that both Alice Tan Ridley and Michael Grimm are a lock for the Semifinals, for sure. AscenDance has a really great shot at advancing as well, because their performance was so moving to the audience and with the lead woman crying, they will definitely be still in. The last spot could be a few possibilities. It could be Ronith, though I will be ripping my hair out if America or the judges advance him. The dancing act, Wreckless, is a contender as well, but I just don't think they stood out enough. And for no other reason than he performed second to last, Antonio Restivo may have a shot as well. But I'm going with Mona Sampath Dance Company, because of all the dance acts, they are the only one I would want to see again, and because they are Bollywood dancers, that gives them something unique to stand on.

Tonight, four more advance into the Semifinals. Plus, there will be guest performances by Cirque du Soleil and the band Train. See ya then...

America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 1)

[WEBMASTER NOTE: In an episode of the T.W.O. Show, I had said that I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about Last Comic Standing or America's Got Talent this summer. I have decided that I will do so for AGT (in the same form that I do with the Idol-Talk segment), but most likely not for LCS, just because it is hard to comment on each comedian's bits without sounding so redundant (hilarious, sorta funny, kinda funny, not funny at all, etc). For LCS, I may just insert my comments into the podcast show.]


America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 1)
Airdate: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. Kung Fu Heroes [Martial Artists]: I have never liked seeing martial arts on this show, because it isn't a talent so much as a hobby or sport, so there's no point in having them on the show.
2. Christina & Ali [Young female singers; performed Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road"]: They were one of my favorites coming into the Top 48. And I have always thought the younger one had the better voice, but I was disappointed by her tonight; the older one was. But the harmony of them together was beautiful.
3. Airpocalypse [Air Guitarists]: This is one of the acts that should not have made it past the first round. There is no point to it, and like Sharon said, it's not to be taken seriously. There is no doubt that they're good at what they do, but if they're not going to play instruments, I'm not interested. Plus, the dancers they had on stage were distracting from their main act (maybe they did that on purpose).
4. The Hot Shot Tap Dancers [Tap Dancers]: On the bad side, I didn't understand the story they revolved the tapping around. And I wonder if anybody will remember this later. But on the good side, they are amazing tap dancers. And I loved the slides across the stage.
5. Paul Safy Jr. [Singer; performed "Cry Me A River"]: He's a great singer, no doubt, but he may suffer from the forgetability factor (I don't think he was featured in earlier rounds). And I agree with the judges about the cheese factor; there were a lot of over-the-top moments, especially the end with the mike going from one hand to the other and such to match the last note.
6. Future Funk [Dancers (5 & 10 years old)]: While the judges were ogling over them because of the adorability factor, they decided to overlook the fact that they were not in sync with each other many times, and it started off bad with the wardrobe malfunction of trying to rip off their sleeves. If this act had featured dancers older than them doing that same off dance, the judges would have ripped them apart.
7. Sally Cohn [Hand Whistler; performed Mariah Carey's "Hero"]: It was fun to see her the first time, but it's not a talent with a high enough caliber to be in the Top 48 or beyond. Tonight, she was off from the music backtrack, and very out of tune. It's time to say goodbye.
8. Nick Pike [Variety act (danger, fire)]: In the words of Joy Behar's SNL impersonator, "So what, who cares?" He was trying to do too much, while not really doing anything at all (a fault of the transitions, or lack of). And when Howie asked him to say what it is he does (in other words, put a label on it), he couldn't even answer. [In his opening video package, it was mentioned that he was cut in the previous round but called back. I must have missed if he they said if someone was disqualified to warrant this.]
9. RNG [Dancers (11 year old girls)]: Why do these acts have to revolve their act around a story? It only detracts from the talent. There were only a couple good moves; the rest was the same old-same old we see all the time. There was nothing extraordinary to see here.
10. Maricar [Painter]: In earlier rounds, I've thought that she's very impressive, but didn't need the revealing outfits, because it's just unnecessary. Here, she's doing the art under water. I'm not sure if there was a mistake at the start when she held up a piece against the glass and it fell off. And for most of it, it was kind of boring. I think because she was underwater, it limited her movements and such. But at least I could tell that she painted Piers (unlike Piers himself).
11. Fighting Gravity [Variety (Blacklight Act)]: This was my absolute favorite act from the auditions, and they didn't disappointed tonight. They just scream Vegas. I have never seen anything like this talent ever, and I can seem them performing in Vegas alongside the Blue Man Group and Cirque Du Soleil, as Sharon mentioned. If I had to pick a winner now, I'd say Fighting Gravity.
12. Nathaniel Kenyon [Singer (YA or teen); performed "Lips of An Angel"]: Even though he has a throat infection, I have to judge this based on what he presented onstage. You could tell in his voice that he was off, by quite a bit. And while he did perform last (the pimp spot), I wouldn't put him through. It's hard, though, because he's very likable.

Favorite Performance: Fighting Gravity

My Votes: Fighting Gravity [10 votes by phone; 10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Christina & Ali / Future Funk / Fighting Gravity / Nathaniel Kenyon

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Total: 20 votes cast so far

When I was deliberating on which four acts should advance, I immediately chose Fighting Gravity because, let's face it, they're the best we may have seen so far and the odds on favorite to win in my eyes. Next, I chose Future Funk, only because of the adorability factor that I mentioned above. I personally would not send them through, because they were not that good this week. Even though Christina & Ali were not as good as they have been in the past, I predict they will go through based on their story and the fact that their harmonies together were excellent. My only worry is that they performed near the start of the show, which could hurt their chances. If they are eliminated, I will be feeling guilty for ultimately deciding not to split my votes and send half their way. The final spot was a little tougher to decide. I initially went with Airpocalypse only because the judges and the audience seemed to love their "performance." To me, personally, it's a pointless act, but they do have a shot at advancing. But I ultimately went with Nathaniel Kenyon. I think he has two things going for him that may offset the fact that he was not good. The first is the pimp spot of performing last and being freshest in everybody's mind. And the second is the sympathy vote being thrown his way due to his illness. But ultimately, I think the only act that is guaranteed a spot in the Top 24 is Fighting Gravity, with Future Funk being a very, very safe bet as well.

Tonight, four of the preceding acts will advance into the Top 24. I'm not understand this; if 12 perform each week, that calls for 4 weeks of the Top 48. And if only 4 from each are advancing, that only leaves 16 acts in the Top 24. Are they doing a Wild Card episode and/or is this when the YouTube auditions come into play?

Anyway...also tonight there will be guest performances by Selena Gomez & the Scene (I better get the remote ready to hit the mute button), and the cast of Broadway's "Rock of Ages" (which includes American Idol's own Constantine Maroulis!) will perform during tonight's hour-long results show from 9-10pm on NBC. See ya then...

Download the T.W.O. Toolbar

You can now download the TV Watch Online Toolbar. It is still a work in progress, because I am still looking through all the potential that it has to offer, but at the moment it includes links to the STORE, BLOG, Live Show/Podcast, Twitter, and the home page, as well as a search engine where you can search within the website. Click HERE to download the brand-new TV Watch Online Toolbar, and let me know what you think of this Version 1 toolbar (and a work in progress, as I've mentioned).

Idol-Talk: Season 9 Finale

American Idol Season 9: Finale
Airdate: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 [8-10:07pm]

• Less than 2% separated Crystal & Lee
• Top 12 perform "Schools Out for Summer"; Alice Cooper later joins them.
• Kris Allen performs "The Truth" (at the start, you can hear Ryan and someone else talking; they apparently didn't shut off their mikes in time).
• Simon Cowell Farewell Video: Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, and Ellen DeGeneres on Simon leaving
• Siobhan Magnus & Aaron Kelly perform "How Deep Is Your Love"; Gibbs joins them.
• Michael Lynche performs "Takin' It To The Street" with Michael McDonald
• Dane Cook sings a comedy song set to Simon's insults; auditioners come out and join in at the end.
• Top 6 Girls perform "Beautiful" and what I believe is "Stronger," with Christina Aguilera, who performs a song on her own.
• Ricky Gervais does a hilarious goodbye package for Simon.
• Top 6 Guys perform a Hall & Oats Medley with Hall & Oats
• Janell Wheeler in Crystal's hometown, Toledo.
• Crystal Bowersox performs, then Alanis Morissette joins her.
• Carrie Underwood performs "Undo It"
• Video: Kris Allen presents Crystal & Lee with their brand-new 2011 Ford Fiestas.
• American Idols perform "My Wish" as part of the final Ford Music Video, which compiled all the music video footage from the course of the season.
• Casey James performs "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Bret Michaels.
• The 10th season auditions will include auditions send in through MySpace. Visit myspace.com/americanidol for details.
• Lee Dewyze & Chicago perform a medley.
• Matt Rogers in Lee's hometown in Illinois.
• Simon Cowell Video: into himself, and who he's attracted to.
• General Larry Platts (& dancers) perform "Pants On The Ground" with choreography (The dancers have their pants down. Williams Hung joins in at the end.
• Simon Cowell Farewell Video: Paula Abdul's first day with Simon, and Paula talking about Simon.
• Paula Abdul makes a grand entrance on the stage and talks to and about Simon; Video: farewell, Simon saying goodbye.
• Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen (all the Idol winners minus David Cook, who was at a charity event), and many former contestants perform.
• While they are all still on stage, Simon Cowell joins them on stage and makes a farewell thank you and goodbye speech.
• Top 12 (minus Top 2) and Janet Jackson perform, and Janet performs by herself as well. This is the second time on this show we've seen the use of the lasers; the first was with Adam Lambert's performance of "Whataya Want From Me" earlier in the season.
• Video: Crystal & Lee auditioning in Chicago.
• Crystal Bowersox & Lee Dewyze perform "Find a Little Help." Joe Cocker performs with them.
• The winner of American Idol 2010 is...
• ...
• LEE DEWYZE!
• Winner Prediction: 0/1
• Lee Dewyze performs his new single, "Beautiful Day"
• End Time: 10:07pm (They actually ended on time, but in the process, they ended up cutting off the end of Lee's winning performance.)
• [Ricky Minor never got a goodbye; how rude of Idol to do that.]

• How long has American Idol run over the scheduled end time over the course of the entire season?: 40 Minutes! That's basically an entire one hour program (when you take out the commercials).
• Auditions/H'Wood Week (Going back to the auditions and Hollywood Week, below is how many times I wrote down the eventual Top 12; the * means that particular performance was one of my favorites. As you can see, Andrew and Katie were my favorites, but that all changed when Crystal Bowersox blew us away starting in the Semifinals. And notice how many times I wrote down Casey's name; it goes to show that contestant's can start off good but go downhill):
• Andrew Garcia*, Andrew*, Andrew*, Andrew
• Katie Stevens*, Katie*
• Crystal Bowersox, Crystal, Crystal
• Michael Lynche, Mike*, Mike
• Casey James*, Casey, Casey
• Didi Benami*, Didi
• Lacey Brown
• Aaron Kelly
• Siobhan Magnus
• My Season 9 Predictions: 10/23 = 43% [I'm not surprised here; this was the weirdest season for predictions, and many people in the blogosphere were way off all season as well]

Idol-Talk: Season 9 Top 2 [& Top 3 Results]

American Idol Season 9: Top 3 Results Show
Airdate: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 [9-10pm]

• Over 47 million votes were cast
• Ryan chats with the Top 3
• Ford Music Video: "Wild One (Real Wild Child)"
• Video: Casey James' hometown visit
• Travis Garland (discovered by Perez Hilton) performs (what was up with the three-way split screen?)
• Go to americanidol.com for details on the season 10 auditions
• Crystal Bowersox's hometown visit
• Lee Dewyze's hometown visit
• Justin Bieber performs "You Smile/Baby"
• Lee Dewyze is in the Top 2
• Crystal Bowersox is also in the Top 2!
• Casey James - Eliminated [Prediction: 1/1] (I finally get a correct prediction after weeks of striking out)
• The show ends on time!

American Idol Season 9: Top 2

Airdate: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 [8-9pm]

Themes: Contestants' Choice (Reprise a previous performances) / Executive Producer's Choice / Winners' Song

After last week's results show, the coin toss took place, and Crystal Bowersox won; she chose to perform second.

1. Lee Dewyze [The Boxer]: There is no surprise here that he chose "The Boxer," what with all the praise he received. I actually was just a tad underwhelmed that first time, but I thought he definitely improved upon it this time around. I may not remember this by the end of the show, but I'm glad to hear his improved voice.
2. Crystal Bowersox [Me and Bobby McGee]: They both have picked the right songs to reprise tonight. "Me and Bobby McGee" was one of her best of the season, and by reprising it, she showed why she deserves to win. The last half when the song picks up is the best part, and she infused it with the energy and passion that was missing from Lee's performance just now. Round 1 goes to Crystal Bowersox.
3. Lee Dewyze [Everybody Hurts]: The producers made a great pick here for Lee, and it was an improvement over Round 1. But I agree with Ellen that just when he was starting to get into it, he pulled back. When he pulled back, it wasn't exciting and I didn't feel a connection. So overall, better than "The Boxer" in some aspects, but not his best, and don't count on the winning song to recover him.
4. Crystal Bowersox [Black Velvet]: She needed a song like this, because she nails it when she has a song where she can put all of her energy into it, rather than the slower ones. I heard her voice off a couple times, but it was so brief, and it didn't matter because this was all about the performance. Round 2 goes to Crystal, once again. She is in it to win it!
5. Lee Dewyze [Beautiful Day]: Wait, his potential winning song is a cover? How original, huh? (sarcasm fully intended). This is a fantastic song, and it fits him, but vocally it was a mess; it was sort of all over the place. The last part was quite a bit better, but I was really disappointed. Basing it just on tonight, Lee struck out.
6. Crystal Bowersox [Up To The Mountain]: I loved this when Kelly Clarkson sang this during the first Idol Gives Back, and Crystal has matched her here. This is the perfect song because it allows her to let her guard down, be vulnerable, and put everything she has into it. And the song actually is a fitting winning song. Plus, I loved seeing her get emotional at the end. Crystal Bowersox just won American Idol!

Favorite Performances: Crystal Bowersox: "Up To The Mountain" / "Black Velvet" / "Me and Bobby McGee"

My Votes: Crystal Bowersox [200 votes]

Winner Prediction: Crystal Bowersox

Runner-Up Prediction: Lee Dewyze

My Season 9 Vote Tracker:

Crystal Bowersox: 735 votes

Lee Dewyze: 65 votes

Siobhan Magnus: 30 votes

Michael Lynche: 15 votes

Total: 845 votes cast during season 9

After the Top 2 sang for the last time for votes, Will Young closed out the show with this year's goodbye song, "Leave Right Now." If you don't know who he is, he won the very first season of the very first Idol competition ever in the entire world (Pop Idol). I wonder what Simon was thinking during that performance?

I have compiled some stats from the course of the entire season. I haven't ever shown them on Idol-Talk, but I gave each performance a score out of 25 (with subsections like vocal ability, song choice, personality, and stage presence). And I have added up the scores for both Crystal and Lee to find out who came out on top based on my scoring, and Crystal received a 97.2%, while Lee has a 94.1%. While that is close, Crystal still has the edge based on overall performances for the entire season. And I have tallied up my favorite performances, and Crystal has 15, with Lee at 10; again, Crystal has the edge. Based on my stats I've compiled, Crystal Bowersox is the clear winner. If that happens in actually remains to be seen, but she deserves it more if you look at the entire season as a whole, and not just Lee's upward momentum these past few weeks. Plus, Crystal slaughtered Lee last night, which definitely says something. I won't be surprised either way on who wins, but Crystal is the true American Idol at this point.

I was shocked to find out that the winners songs are not originals written for the show, but rather covers. I read on mjsbigblog.com that Crystal and Lee were able to choose the songs themselves. And I do have to say that they both picked great songs to complement their styles and talent, but Crystal nailed it completely with her song, while Lee was all over the place. "Up to the Mountain" is such a great song, and it fits in with the tone of what the Idol winning songs usually have.

End Time: 9:00pm - on time

If you want to buy any of the audio or video performances, head on over to TV Watch Online's American Idol on iTunes page. If you don't see this week's links up when viewing that page, they may not be released on iTunes yet. If that is the case, keep checking back.

Tonight, we will finally find out who our American Idol is! At least the two in the running have talent, unlike the current Idol, Kris Allen. Before we get to that, the 2+ hour show will be packed full of guest performances (let's hope the rumor is true that Melissa Etheridge will duet with Crystal), a reunion of the Top 12, a final goodbye to Simon Cowell (Paula Abdul will reportedly be in attendance as part of the farewell ceremony), and some filler (since General Larry Platts had one of the highlights of the season with his audition of "Pants on the Ground," there's no doubt that he will probably reprise that performance). Also, I really hope Idol does a sendoff for music director Ricky Minor as well, since he is leaving Idol to replace Kevin Eubanks on the Tonight Show. It would be really disrespectful if they don't, because he has been so influential on the show; he is the reason the show has a live band instead of the contestants performing to a backtrack recording of the music. And, the final is scheduled to end at 10:07pm; they obviously expanded it by a little bit since their finales haven't been ending on time these past few years, but don't believe this end time. They are obviously going to go over even that expanded time. There's so much to pack into a finale show running over two hours; will we even have time to announce the winner? See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 9 Top 3 [& Top 4 Results]

American Idol Season 9: Top 4 Results Show
Airdate: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 [9-10pm]

• 37 million votes were cast [wow! they actually went up quite a bit]
• Fantasia performs "Bittersweet"
• Ford Music Video: "Put the Message in the Box"
• Video: Top 3 homecoming - A look back over the years
• Casey James - Top 3
• Daughtry performs "September"
• Lee Dewyze - Top 3
• Bon Jovi performs "Superman Tonight"
• Crystal Bowersox - Top 3
• Michael Lynche - Eliminated [Prediction: 0/1]
• The show ends about 30 seconds before scheduled end time. Wow!

American Idol Season 9: Top 3

Airdate: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 [8-9pm]

Themes: Contestants' Choice / Judges' Choice

1. Casey James [It's Alright With Me]: We're looking tonight to see who is good enough for the finale, and this was just "alright." There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with his voice, but it sounded so generic and not unique. And he is once again completely stiff while he is playing his guitar, which is so off-putting.
2. Crystal Bowersox [Come To My Window]: I am so happy that she sang a Melissa Etheridge song, because they are both so unique and still similar in a way. It wasn't as bad as what the judges said (in terms of arrangement). Once the song picked up, her voice was as great as always. I'm sure this will be a great studio recording.
3. Lee Dewyze [Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man]: This is a great Lynyrd Skynyrd song, and Lee pulled off the best performance of this first round. The style meshed perfectly with Lee's voice. He was completely with the song at all times, and you could tell he enjoyed that one. I loved the gravel in his voice. Let's see if he can keep it up later in the night.
4. Casey James [John Mayer's Daughters]: Once again, he didn't deliver. The first song was forgettable, and this was extremely boring; it almost put me to sleep. I hope the judges' positive comments here cause his fans to think he's safe, resulting in his long-awaited eliminated, because he didn't perform to win tonight.
5. Crystal Bowersox [Maybe I'm Amazed]: Ellen chose the perfect song for Crystal to push herself even further with what she can do with her voice. She didn't hold back at all (which caused some off notes), but she did what she needed to do to make it to next week.
6. Lee Dewyze [Hallelujah]: It was so obvious that Simon chose this song to purposefully create a moment for Lee. And the producers pumped that up even more with that dramatic entrance of the background singers to the stage. Now, while overall it was amazing, you can't overlook his vocals, which were off quite a bit. They tried to force him to create a moment, but it wasn't quite there yet.

Favorite Performances: Crystal Bowersox's "Maybe I'm Amazed;" Lee Dewyze's "Simple Man"

My Votes: Crystal Bowersox [100 votes]

Eliminated Prediction: Casey James

Top 2 Prediction: Crystal Bowersox / Lee Dewyze

My Season 9 Vote Tracker:

Crystal Bowersox: 534 votes

Lee Dewyze: 65 votes

Siobhan Magnus: 30 votes

Michael Lynche: 15 votes

Total: 645 votes cast so far this season

I don't really feel like I have to comment on what's going to happen tonight, because it seems pretty obvious that it will be a Crystal/Lee Finale next week. But, this is American Idol after all, so anything could happen, even at the Top 3 (remember Melinda Doolittle?). But if Casey were to somehow squeeze his way into the Top 2, then it's only going to make it oh-so-easy to crown the other contestant as the winner. As I've said in my performance comments above, it was pretty obvious both the producers and the judges are pimping Lee to win at this point, mainly evident by Simon's choice of "Hallelujah" for him. But just because they are pushing their favorite down our throats doesn't mean that person will win; that push could cause a backlash like it did with David Archuleta in season 7. At this point, if both Crystal and Lee make it to the finale, in a way I won't mind either one winning, but I'm still going to do whatever I can to make sure Crystal wins.

Okay, I guess I had more to say than I thought...

End Time: 9:00 - on time

If you want to buy any of the audio or video performances, head on over to TV Watch Online's American Idol on iTunes page. If you don't see this week's links up when viewing that page, they may not have been released on iTunes yet. If that is the case, keep checking back.

Tonight, Justin Bieber will perform. I might leave the room for that (but to his credit, he can actually sing unlike all the Disney stars today). Plus, after about four long months, we will finally find out which two contestants (or artists, to flash back to Jamie Foxx last week) will sing for the title of American Idol at the Nokia L.A. Live next Tuesday. See ya then...

PS-Adam Lambert recently tweeted that he has not been invited to perform at the Idol finale. I think we need to try to change that; I'm sure they've booked some guest performers that aren't as good as Adam. Come on, Glambert fans, let's force the Idol producers to book him next Wednesday night.

Remembering Heroes...

On May 14, NBC announced that Heroes has been cancelled and will not return for a fifth season, meaning that the season 4 finale on February 8 was the Series Finale. Now that we finally know the fate of the show, I want to hear your thoughts. Send me an e-mail with your favorite moments/scenes, favorite season, favorite character(s), favorite superpower, favorite storyline, etc. from the four-season run, and your thoughts on the end of the show (you don't need to choose all of these categories, just the ones you want). If you e-mail me with your favorites, I will post them on a new 'Remembering Heroes...' page. If you choose to remain anonymous, please say so in the e-mail, otherwise your name will be posted as well.

Idol-Talk: Season 9 Top 4 [& Top 5 Results]

American Idol Season 9: Top 5 Results Show
Airdate: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 [9-10pm]

• Over 32 million votes were cast [they really shouldn't be announcing this every week anymore, because you may notice that the amount keeps going down every week]
• The Top 5 perform a Sinatra Medley (was it live for once?)
• The following week's theme will be Songs of the Cinema, with mentor Jamie Foxx.
• Ford Music Video: "1, 2, 3, 4"
• Video: what Tuesday's were like for the contestants before the show and now.
• Lee Dewyze - Safe
• Lady Gaga performs "Alejandro" with a "Bad Romance" intro.
• Video: The Top 5 with Harry Connick Jr.
• Harry Connick Jr. performs "And I Love Her"
• Harry and the Top 5 perform a medley of his songs.
• Group 1 consists of Crystal Bowersox and Casey James; Group 2 has Michael Lynche and Aaron Kelly. Ryan Seacrest asks if Lee wants to choose the group with the highest group to join; Lee refuses.
• Bottom 2: Michael Lynche / Aaron Kelly
• Aaron Kelly - Eliminated [Prediction: 0/1]
• The show ends on time.

American Idol Season 9: Top 4

Airdate: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 [8-9pm]

Theme: Songs of the Cinema

Jamie Foxx is now in our Hall of Fame as one of the best mentors the show has had this season (along with Adam Lambert, and even Harry Connick Jr.). He didn't hold anything back, giving the final 4 completely honest, straightforward comments and criticisms. He even had t-shirts with the words 'contestant' and 'artist' on them, saying to the finalists that after their time with him, he would give them a shirt with one of those words on them depending on what he thought they were. They all received the 'artist' shirt except Michael Lynche. After hearing the performances, I would say that Casey and Mike should switch shirts.

On one final note before my performance comments, I have to say that Ellen DeGeneres was on a role last night with her one-liners; I especially love her take-off on Casey and Mike's duet song title: "As a matter of fact, I have loved a woman." You gotta love Ellen!

1. Lee Dewyze [Kiss From A Rose]: Looking over the song list earlier in the week, I thought he could do well with this song. Now that he has performed it, I have to say I was a little let down. There were some pitch problems, especially in the first half. The second half was better. This is unfortunate, since he's been on an upward climb lately. But I have a feeling that the studio recording of this will turn out to be a lot better.
2. Michael Lynche [Will You Be There, from Free Willy]: I just love this song, and I think Mike did well with it for the most part. I don't think there was anything wrong with his voice. My problem was the arrangement; it seemed like he only was able to skin the surface and didn't dig deeper into the meat of the song.
3. Lee Dewyze & Crystal Bowersox [Falling Slowly]: With this being a slower song, I was worried about them singing this song. But that was all for naught, because both Lee and Crystal nailed it, and provided possibly the best performance of the season. They are a perfect musical duo. I wanna hear it again!
4. Casey James [Mrs. Robinson]: I wouldn't want to follow Lee and Crystal, so Casey isn't in a good position. Casey's more of a country rocker, so I was confused by this choice at such a crucial time in the competition. It was almost too laid back to make any impact on voters' minds.
5. Crystal Bowersox [I'm Alright]: Like Falling Slowly, this is another great song. And I loved that she did change the arrangement enough to make it her own. Those who helped her with the arrangement should be applauded. After a couple of weak performances these past two weeks, she is back on top and in it to win it once again.
6. Casey James & Michael Lynche [Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman]: I think Lee and Crystal's duet should have gotten the pimp spot. But having said that, Casey and Michael pulled off a great end to the night. It was obvious that Mike chose this song, since he picks these types of songs. And it was Mike who carried the song, because Casey drug it down, especially at the start, such as when his voice broke.

Favorite Performances: Lee Dewyze & Crystal Bowersox (duet) / Crystal Bowersox

My Vote(s): Crystal Bowersox [80 votes]

Bottom 2 Prediction: Michael Lynche / Casey James

Elimination Prediction: Casey James

My Season 9 Vote Tracker:

Crystal Bowersox: 435 votes

Lee Dewyze: 65 votes

Siobhan Magnus: 30 votes

Michael Lynche: 15 votes

Total: 545 votes cast so far this season

While I would like to say with ease that it is definitely Casey James going home tonight, I can't say that definitively. If he goes, it will be a combination of his weak performance, the splitting of the votes with Lee Dewyze, and the fact that Mike isn't splitting votes with anyone. On the other hand, if Mike goes, it will be because he performed near the beginning (making him forgettable), and Casey got a lot of attention with all the judge's jokes surrounding his song choice and Kara DioGuardi. While it seems obvious that those two will be the Bottom 2, I could see Lee Dewyze ending up in the bottom group as well. He performed first and gave a so-so performance, but I believe his duet with Crystal Bowersox saved him. Speaking of Crystal: she will be safe and will not even make the Bottom 2. After two back-to-back underwhelming performances, she finally came back on top this week and she will be rewarded for doing so.

End Time: 8:59pm - around 30 seconds BEFORE the show was scheduled to end.

If you want to buy any of the audio or video performances,, head on over to TV Watch Online's American Idol on iTunes page. If you don't see this week's links up when viewing that page, they may not be released on iTunes yet. If that is the case, keep checking back.

Tonight, we will have guest performances by Daughtry, Bon Jovi, and Fantasia. I can't wait to see Daughtry, and it'll be great to see Fantasia back on the Idol stage (remember Simon's reaction after her previous guest performances a few years ago?), and one more contestant (or artist) will be eliminated, leaving us with the Top 3 who will be going on their hometown visits. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 9 Top 5 [& Top 6 Results]

American Idol Season 9: Top 6 Results Show
Airdate: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 [9-10pm]

• 33 million votes were cast
• Rascal Flatts performs "Unstoppable"
• Behind the scenes of the Ford music video
• Ford music video: "Believe"
• Shrek Forever After: The top 6 step into the recording booth and see what it's like to record voices for an animated movie, then see a screening of the final Shrek installment.
• The following week's theme will be Songs of Sinatra with Harry Connick Jr. as mentor.
• Group 1 consists of Siobhan Magnus and Lee Dewyze; Group 2 includes Aaron Kelly and Crystal Bowersox; and Group 3 has Michael Lynche and Casey James. Ryan Seacrest moves Siobhan over to group 3 to make up the bottom 3.
• Bottom 3: Michael Lynche / Casey James / Siobhan Magnus.
• Carrie Underwood introduces Sons of Sylvia, who perform "Love Left to Lose"
• Lady Antebellum performs "Need You Now"
• Shakira and Rascal Flatts perform "Gypsy"
• Michael Lynche is safe.
• And so is Casey James.
• Siobhan Magnus - Eliminated [Prediction: 0/1]

American Idol Season 9: Top 5

Airdate: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 [8-9pm]

Theme: Songs of Sinatra

Besides being the mentor and arranging the songs for the contestants this week, Harry Connick Jr. also played this piano on stage during each of the Sinatra performances. And speaking of Sinatra, his daughters were in the audience and gave Simon, a huge Sinatra fan, a gift: one of Sinatra's monogrammed hankies.

1. Aaron Kelly [Fly Me To The Moon]: Kara and Simon are right on the mark: he wasn't that believable with doing Sinatra justice. I found most of the song to be boring, quite frankly. The vocals may have been good, but there was nothing exciting. It was like a high schooler was trying to play Sinatra in a school play.
2. Casey James [Blue Skies]: We may be in for a very boring night. Casey, like Aaron, was boring as well; I just wanted it to be over with. Before Kara talked about his vibrato, I was thinking the same exact thing; his vibrato was annoying (That's why I found season 5er Elliott Yamin to be annoying). Overall - not good at all.
3. Crystal Bowersox [Summer Wind]: This is the third performance in a row that was underwhelming. After her weaker song last week, I expected her to improve this week, but unfortunately she didn't. The first half was really slow; fortunately, the ending picked up and her voice got stronger. Because of this, she is vulnerable this week; I really hope she's safe.
4. Michael Lynche [The Way You Look Tonight]: Finally, we have a worthy performance. His voice was excellent from start to finish, letting loose at the end with that powerful note held out. He needed this this week, because he and Casey were in danger of leaving (he most likely saved himself from being in the bottom 2). Overall, his voice meshed really well with this song and theme.
5. Lee Dewyze [That's Life]: For the final spot of the night, he definitely deserved the pimp spot. He was second best only to Mike. Even though this was a Sinatra theme, I still heard the rock in him come out. His voice, for the most part, sounded extremely strong.

Favorite Performances: Michael Lynche / Lee Dewyze

My Vote(s): Crystal Bowersox [70 votes]

Bottom 2 Predictions: Aaron Kelly / Casey James (add in Crystal Bowersox if it's still a bottom 3)

Elimination Prediction: Casey James

My Season 9 Vote Tracker:

Crystal Bowesox: 355 votes

Lee Dewyze: 65 votes

Siobhan Magnus: 30 votes

Michael Lynche: 15 votes

Total: 465 votes cast so far this season

My initial gut instinct right after the show ended was to predict that Casey James would leave. And after thinking about it some more the next day, I still stand by that prediction. Even though Aaron Kelly could leave as well, Casey is most likely splitting votes with Lee Dewyze, which would cause Casey to leave before Lee.

Now, I'm not sure if there will still be a bottom 3 this week or if it will only be a bottom 2 (with five left, it usually is just two, I believe), but the other spot (besides Casey) could go to either Aaron or Crystal Bowersox. Even though I will put Aaron in that other spot, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Crystal is in the bottom group (I have a feeling that could very well happen). With two back-to-back performances by Crystal that have been weak, she could be in trouble tonight (that is why I voted only for her and voted so much). Even if she is in the bottom, I don't think she will leave.

End Time: 9:01pm - One minute past scheduled end time.

If you want to buy any of the audio or video performances, head on over to TV Watch Online's American Idol on iTunes page. If you don't see this week's links up when viewing that page, they may not be released on iTunes yet. If that is the case, keep checking back.

Tonight, the one and only Lady Gaga will perform (pre-taped). I read that it took about an hour to put together the set; I can't wait to see her perform. The only guest performer I've been this excited to see this season was Adam Lambert. Also, one contestant will be eliminated and we will be left with our final four. See ya then...