Weekly Wilson

Aaron Paul, whose name at birth was Aaron Paul Sturtevant, is the 31-year-old Emmy-nominated co-star of Breaking Bad. The Emmett, Idaho native, who graduated from Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho, set off for Los Angeles, California with $3,000 in his pocket and—after 8 months—landed his first paying gig: a Kellogg’s Corn Pops cereal commercial.

Since then, Aaron Paul’s career has taken a less wholesome trajectory, as far as the role he is best known for,  that of the tweaker and heroin addict Jesse Pinkman on “Breaking Bad.”

Paul has said that he owes series writer Vince Gilligan his career, as Gilligan remembered him from a role on “The X-Files” where he played a character known as Sky Commander Winky, which had been Gilligan’s college nickname.  When Paul auditioned for “Breaking Bad” and blew his lines, Gilligan remembered him from “The X-Files.” He cast him for one season’s work on “Breaking Bad” as Jesse Pinkman. Jesse (Aaron) was to have been killed off at the end of season one.

Says Gilligan of the decision to retain Paul beyond season one, “I didn’t realize the depth, humor and pathos Aaron could bring.  He was so excellent.  I told Aaron I wasn’t going to kill Jesse, but I couldn’t promise I wasn’t going to torture him.”  Jesse’s tortures, so far, have increased viewership by +17%, to about 1.3 million viewers per episode, and his stint as the clean-cut Scott on “Big Love” didn’t hurt, either.
Long before Aaron was Jesse or Scott he was appearing in independent films and a variety of TV series, such as “The Guardian,” “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “E.R.”, “Bones”, and a music video for the band “Korn” that accompanied the song “Thoughtless,” a video which was directed by the Hughes brothers.

Appearing on Carson Daily’s late night show on Monday night, May 16th, Paul told the host, “The Hughes Brothers directed it (the Korn video) and I just jumped onboard with it and it was fun.”  He added, “It’s just a dream to work in this business.”

The two were meeting at Citizen Smith’s Bar and Restaurant.  To questions from Daly about whether he minds being associated with his work in National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Paul replied, “I always get people accosting me for Van Wilder.” Said Carson, “That must drive you nuts.” Paul responded good-humoredly, “No, it’s fine.”

The gifted Paul seems genuinely grateful to be on “Breaking Bad,” saying, “When I first read the script, I thought to myself, I mean, it’s brilliant, but there’s no way this is going to make it on the air.  There’s no way they’re going to pick this up.  I applaud AMC for having the balls to do it.  I found myself laughing at scenes where Jesse is trying to melt a body with acid, but it’s pretty dark stuff.”

Asked Carson, “What did you know about tweakers and meth/amphetamine addicts before the show?” Paul replied, “It never really got a hold of me, but I definitely saw how it affected people. It is a dark side world.”

Paul’s co-star, Bryan Cranston, who plays Walter White, the meth chemist and was previously best known for playing the father in “Malcolm in the Middle,” said, “Aaron’s capacity to convey someone who is daring and vulnerable, to bring likeability to an unsympathetic character is astonishing.”

Carson Daly asked Paul about shooting in Albuquerque, mentioning that he(Daly) had motorcycled through there while traveling Route 66 and that he “did not have a great time.” Said Paul, “It’s nice to get out of L.A., but there’s really not much to do.  They just like that it’s being shot in their city. Some people like it. Some people hate it.”

Paul continued, “I owe Vince (Gilligan) for my career,” and reminisced about his job as an usher when he first hit L.A., saying, “It was the first and only time I saw Steven Spielberg in person.”  The overnight success that Aaron Paul is now enjoying (a film, Wreckage, is due out in 2010) was really 13 years in the making.

Gilligan told “T.V. Guide,” “Aaron’s a star in the making.  He has great charisma, wonderful range.  He’s the whole package.  But he’s also one of the sweetest guys around.”

Paul—who has been linked to actress Jessica Lowndes—said, “I love the story (of “Breaking Bad”), the nice layers—the role is just incredible.” Check it out on AMC; it’s one of the best series now on television.

Simon Cowell commented on Tuesday, May 11^th’s “American Idol” that the duets were “one million times better than the solo performances.” Simon, who is British, knew very few of the movies, which was unfortunate, as the songs this night were from the movies and apparently Simon is either not that great a movie fan or has seen only British films. The other amusing part of tonight’s singing competition was Ellen DeGeneres’ response to the song “Have You Ever Really, Really Loved A Woman?” (from Don Juan DeMarco), which elicited guffaws from Simon and laughs from all others.

Considering how far along in the competition “American Idol” is, the performances, by and large, were really lackluster. Some of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of fairly lame song selections…or, in Lee DeWyze’s case, really difficult ones.

Lee started the evening off on Songs from the Movies night singing Seal’s Kiss from a Rose, which is a tough song to sing well under any circumstances.

Randy said, “For me, you did nothing with that song. It was just okay.  It didn’t work for me.” Randy suggested that a better song choice might have been something like Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory.” Ellen said, “You’re so good. I loved it,” but she, too, seemed underwhelmed.  Kara, after talking about some out-of-tune issues, said, “You are still great.” Simon agreed with Randy, called the song “verging on karaoke” and said, “If you’re choosing the T-shirts, you’ve gotta’ take the one that says ‘Contestant.’”

That last remark was a reference to the night’s mentor, Jamie Foxx, who had brought black tee shirts, some of which said “Artist” and some of which said “Contestant.”

Following Lee came Big Michael Lynche of St. Petersburg, Florida.  Prior to his performance, Jamie Foxx said, “Once he lets go, I think that’s when he’s really gonna’ shine.” Earlier, Jamie had said, “Music is everything.  It really is the soundtrack of our lives.” Big Mike’s remarks from the judges were: Randy – “Once again, I didn’t love this. You’re a rhythm and blues kind of guy, but it was just all right. It started out kind of wrong.”  Ellen said, of Mike’s performance, “You are consistently good but a little bit predictable.”  Kara said, “I want to have goosebumps. I didn’t feel that from you.” Simon became very confused about the movie from which the song was taken (Free Willy) and finally commented, “At least you gave it 100% and I kind of felt that you meant it.”

After Mike’s performance, Crystal and Lee sang together. All the judges loved the duets. Randy said, “A great song by two great singers.  That’s how you do it!”  Ellen said, “You’re like the new Captain and Tennille. God, that was great!”  Kara called it, “One of my favorite moments of the season.”  Simon said, “Not a good song: a fantastic song.”

Casey James performed next and selected the theme song from The Graduate, “Mrs. Robinson.” It was an odd choice. Randy called it “curious.”  Ellen made a humorous comment about the small guitar Casey accompanied himself with saying that she wished they had given him “ a big boy guitar.”   Simon said, “That song was not the substance I expected from you. It was a little bit lazy.  I think you could have made more of an impact.  I think there have been some very strange song choice tonight and that was one of them.” (Hear! Hear!)

Since none of the first three  had done that well, Crystal Bowersox’s rendition of “I’m All Right” was a better performance than any sung by the men.  Randy said, “You are definitely an artist.  Nice job.” Ellen said that she had “taken that song and made it better,” something she called “crystallizing it.”  Kara echoed Randy’s comments about Crystal’s being an “artist.”  Simon said, “You, Crystal, are back in the game after that performance.”

The final performance of the night was the duet by Big Mike and Casey and the song’s title (“Have You Ever Really, Really Loved A Woman?”) brought the funny remark, from Ellen, “As a matter of fact, yes, I have loved a woman.”  Randy said, “Loved the guitar playing. You guys sounded really good.”  Kara said, “The duets were better than the solo performances.”  Simon agreed and was the one articulating the idea that the duets were “one million times better than the solo performances.”

Jamie Foxx urged all the contestants to change from “caterpillar to butterfly” as they face the elimination of one contestant tomorrow night. Big Mike and Casey are the most vulnerable, as they have been all along. Stay tuned for further developments tomorrow night.

At the top of the “American Idol” elimination show of May 4, 2010, Harry Connick, Jr., said, “Music has to be truthful, to me, and that’s what this show is about.” Connick was the mentor this week, and he did a great job. He also sang “And I Love Her” on this night’s show, nattily attired in a black-on-black ensemble, after mugging for the cameras and saying, “It’s not about them, it’s about me.”  At one point, still horsing around, Connick said, “Try to keep it on me.” A funny guy. He also worked in a joke, saying, “It’s been a great honor to be a part of ‘American Idol’ and to work with the judges, with the exception of Ellen.”

Another amusing piece of film showed Connick chatting with young Aaron Kelly and asking him how he liked singing with a three-piece combo, including a clarinet, backing him. Aaron, of course, liked it and Connick said, “Well, don’t get used to it. I can afford it. Why? Because I’m extremely famous.”

Lady Gaga did one of her characteristic outrageous performances, with many half-dressed writhing male dancers in a sort of “Eve in the Garden of Eden” motif and then the top and bottom groups were announced, with Aaron Kelly and Mike Lynche the lowest vote-getters.

In light of the horrific performance turned in by Casey James on Tuesday night, it was surprising to see 17-year-old Aaron Kelly—a very likeable young performer who had done well on Tuesday night—be the one sent home this night. It was also surprising that Big Mike Lynche, who, arguably, performed better than anyone on Tuesday night (The judges were more sold on Lee DeWyze, but I would say it was very close.) was in the bottom two.

Having said that, I’ve been predicting that the good-looking Casey “had it all” as the package that “American Idol” likes to promote. Big Mike is…well…too big. Aaron was too young. Lee and Crystal remain the front-runners, and, apparently, my earlier predictions that Casey had the best chance of finishing in the Top Three was not that far off the mark.
But, for the record, based on his performance on Tuesday night, I still think that Mighty Casey struck out.

The elimination show of Wednesday, April 28, 2010, eliminated the only other female contestant still in the competition. This seems particularly odd, since, at the beginning of this year’s season of “American Idol,” the girls definitely seemed to be stronger than the boys. Siobhan Magnus was the voters’ victim this week, and the other two in the bottom three were Mike Lynche and, surprisingly, Casey James.

Siobhan has been one of the consistently most unusual contestants. Her singing style, her dress, her seeming indifference to Simon’s constant criticism of her final high notes—Siobhan just did not seem to care. She marched to a different drummer, and even her father said, in a quick video clip, that she was a very “different” girl. Simon said to her, early on, “You’re a funny little thing, aren’t you?” He was right, and it may have been this edginess that doomed Siobhan amongst mainstream America. After all, if you had to vote between a 17-year-old cutie who had just sung a hymn of praise to his Mom or for Siobhan, who hit a high note that made Simon say it “sounded as though someone were giving birth up there,” which would you pick?

I expressed concern for Big Mike and Siobhan in my Tuesday night comments, indicating that it was anybody’s guess who might go home on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the extremely talented tattooed lady, it was Siobhan of the big voice who bit the dust. Thirty-three million votes were cast, and Siobhan did not get enough of them.

The biggest surprise, to me, was that Casey James placed in the bottom three. He did his best job of the competition on Tuesday, and he seems to have the rock star persona and good looks that young girls would vote for. I was much more worried that Mike Lynche (who was already the lowest vote-getter on another night) would be sent home this time, with no judges’ “save” to rescue him.

The remaining contestants are Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Casey James, Aaron Kelly and Mike Lynche, and that is the order I see them leaving in, more or less. It was gratifying that America did not penalize Crystal for her mediocre song choice, and Ellen DeGeneres, when asked, predicted that voters would forgive her the only “OK” choice she sang during country and western night.

Other performers on the show this night were Sons of Sylvia, who tour with Carrie Underwood and were introduced by her. The Sons of Sylvia (“Love Left to Lose”) were a group of dark-haired, think-faced, small, ferret-like young men, some with teased hair. Carrie Underwood has been touring with them since leaving “Idol” 5 years ago.

Also performing twice were Rascal Flatts, who performed solo once and then sang a song with Shakira, which seemed an odd pairing. The song Shakira sang and played harmonica on was her new one, “Gypsy.” She wore a long dress with a gold bodice and a long red skirt. Behind her, two shapely dancer/singers danced barefoot in form-fitting black dresses. Her advice for the “American Idol” contestants? “Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” (A presidential quote, she said).

Another performer this night with a big hit was Lady Antebellum singing their big hit ‘Need You Now.” They scored big on April 18 at the Country Music Awards

Notable quotes:  From Siobhan, before she delivered a spot-on rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “You Better Think:” “My baby sisters are my whole world.”(Odd, that. Siobhan’s of an age where you would think she would be thinking boyfriend or career or any of a number of other subjects as being “her whole world.”)  Randy said to her, as she exited the competition, “I think you have an amazing career in front of you. Do it!” Siobhan even hugged her nemesis, Simon, at the urging of Ryan Seacrest.

Some interesting bits in the show that didn’t involve singing were a behind-the-scenes tour of the recording studio where the new (and final) “Shrek” movie is being shot and the in-person appearances of two voices from that film series, Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz. (Ryan Seacrest has a small part in the latest film.)

Also, the obligatory commercial took the 6 remaining contestants into the woods and cast 5 of the 6 as vampires, with Big Mike Lynche their intended victim, who fends them off with a pizza that has “extra garlic.” The best vampire of the bunch was Siobhan, and now she’s gone.

Somehow, with that voice and her quirkiness, I think we’ll be hearing more from Siobhan Magnus in the years to come.

Next week, Aaron, Big Mike and Casey will be holding their breath, and I’m sure that neither Lee DeWyze nor Crystal Bowersox is feeling all that “safe.” The guest host next week for the songs of Sinatra is Harry Connick, Jr. With the remaining contestants, the best “fit” for Sinatra might be Lee DeWyze, but all will give his songs a shot.
Stay tuned for the final weeks of American Idol, with only 5 remaining contestants.

“American Idol” night, Tuesday, April 27, 2010:  The show opens with Ryan Seacrest labeling the 6 remaining contestants as (variously) “a paint salesman,” “a glass blower,” “a high school student,” “a mother,” “a father,” and “a construction worker.” I wondered, as he branded Big Mike and Crystal as the father and mother, respectively, “Didn’t these people have jobs before this?” I’m pretty sure that Big Mike was referenced as being “a trainer” and one would think that Crystal also worked to support her son.

Seacrest next shared the amount raised by “Idol Gives Back” in its last show: “more than $45 million.” Some of you may remember that I decried the use of video footage of a dying pregnant woman (malaria) to elicit those donations. I guess the Powers-that-Be know their marketing ploys. Still bothers me, but whatever.

The mentor this night was Shania Twain and she was identified as, “She’s the one who made country pop” and “the biggest cross-over artist in history.” The additional nugget of information shared was that Shania’s song “Come On Over” was “the biggest seller by a woman in history.”  One of the Idol contestants was seen saying, “Shania’s the Queen of country music. She’s an icon.”

Shania Twain (whose birth name was Eilleen Regina Edwards, and who only changed her name to Shania in 1993-1994 after the Ojibwa word for “on my way”) also helped judge Idol auditions in Chicago, so she had met both Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox at that time.

The problem with tonight’s program was that everyone did a great job. The least well-received song was probably Crystal Bowersox’s, but Crystal has consistently been one of the two best performers. There was also a criticism (by Simon) of Big Mike Lynche’s rendering of the song he selected as “too feminine,” but I noticed what Ellen DeGeneres commented on. I’d left the room to get something from the refrigerator. When Michael Lynche sang “It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing,” at first I thought I was listening to Luther Vandross, which is a huge compliment.

First performer of the night was Lee DeWyze and he sang “You’re Still the One.” It was the perfect song for Lee, as Simon noted during his remarks (“Absolutely the perfect song out of Shania’s catalogue.”) and Lee did well with it. Ellen also commented, “Every song you take, you make it your own. You couldn’t look cuter.”  Randy called the song, “One of my favorite songs of all time. Midway through, you found a way to make it your own.”  Ellen said, “Every song you take, you make it your own.”  So, Lee did quite well and looked as good as I’ve seen him look at any time, wearing a suit jacket and eschewing the “woodsman-fell-that-tree” look he sometimes adopts. His decision to sing quietly at the beginning with only piano back up was lauded by both Shania Twain and, the judges and the audience. For one, he didn’t seem to be hiding behind his guitar.

Second up was Michael Lynche and he, too, did a great job. Randy said, “You’re one of those guys who could sign the phone book and everybody would melt, but don’t take it for granted.” I was struck (as I mentioned above) at how much he sounded like Luther Vandross, if you were not looking at the screen while he sang. Randy said, “I think you’ve really found your zone.  You are really in the zone of who you are.  Very good,” Ellen said, “I felt like Luther Vandross was singing that song.  I thought it was beautiful.”  Kara felt that Mike had “connected” with the lyrics and called it a “great job.”  Simon was the only naysayer, commenting that it felt “a little bit girly for you,” and calling it “wet” and, “As though you were in a musical.” I understand Simon’s “girly” comment, but it is a comment that has applied throughout Big Mike’s time in the competition. I mean: come on…”Eleanor Rigby”?  Mike has primarily focused on singing sensitive songs that do display a softer, more feminine side. He can get away with this because…well, because he’s Big Mike. I really liked his performance this night, but I fear that, ultimately, Big Mike may lose out in this competition because he is not physically what the show seems to want to package. However, having said that, let’s not forget Reuben Stoddard. Only time (and America’s votes) will tell. It is a fact that, were it not for the judges’ save, Big Mike would have been gone a couple weeks back, so keep that in mind when trying to figure out who America is not voting for.

Next up was Casey James, who sang “Don’t”, which he described as “a singing song.”  All were unanimous in their praise of his efforts to give the audience something different.  Randy called it, “For me, this was one of the best Casey James performances ever.”  Ellen said, “You sang that like that’s really where you belong.  Your best to date.”  Kara said, “Good artists show it all. They show it all.  Vulnerable. Raw.  If you keep doing this, you’ll be at the front of this competition.”  Simon said, “I think this is probably your best performance to date.”  No way is the cute Casey going home. He should make it to at least the final three, especially if he continues to display this new sensitive Casey.

Crystal Bowersox followed Casey and sang a very country sounding song (“No One Needs to Know”) that had Randy comment, “I love you, and I’m happy someone is doing more of a country version of a song.”  Ellen said, “There’s nothin’ you can’t do.  It wasn’t my favorite performance.” (Translation: bad song choice.)  Kara said, “It’s impossible for you not to be good.  Bigger isn’t always better.” This caused some sly cracks by Simon to the effect, “Oh, I could get in so much trouble.”  What Simon did say was, “I thought it was limp.  It’s like when you’re in a coffee shop where they pay someone to sing to you and you don’t particularly want them to sing to you.  I didn’t feel any connection to the song.” And, with apologies to Shania sitting behind him in the audience, he said, “A forgettable song.” Unfortunately, all were right. I’m reminded of the season when, week after week, Melinda Dolittle delivered, but, ultimately, she did not win. Is Crystal the best-looking contestant? No. Is Crystal the most talented contestant? Arguably, yes. Was Melinda Dolittle the most talented and the most consistent during her year of competition? Again, arguably yes, but she did not win. I’m hoping that America remembers all the great weeks that Crystal has given us and doesn’t penalize her for one mediocre song choice.

Aaron Kelly came out and sang ‘You Got A Way.” Shania advised,” Aaron to “end where you know you feel safe and good.” She said, “It’s almost as though he is preoccupied,” which may well be attributable to Aaron’s extreme youth.  Shania said, “I wanted him (Aaron) to know that he’s here already.  We already love him.  Now just give us what you love.” Aaron is fond of “big finishes” and no time did he give a bigger one than tonight.  Randy said, “You’re our country artist and dude, I think you really did a great job.”  Ellen commented on Aaron’s emotional depth for a sixteen-year-old and was quickly corrected by Aaron, who said he was now 17.  She ended, “Good job.”  Kara said, “I completely agree with those words.”  Simon said, “I think the last 2 or 3 weeks you’ve really struggled.   You were a totally different artist tonight.  You didn’t get it at all.  For the first time in weeks, you were believable.  I think you did really well tonight.”

The final performer of the night, Siobhan Magnus, sang “Any Man of Mine.” This song was Shania’s first top 10 song and her first Number One Hit Single.  As always, Siobhan was attired in a mysterious garment from another galaxy.  It consisted of a very short skirt with a flouncy thing going on at the hip, bared arms to reveal black tattoos on her left shoulder, and weird white boots. Randy commented, “I loved it” and the outfit was part of his “I loved it.” (Of course, we’ve all seen how Randy dresses.)  Ellen said, “Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station.  Way to end the show.”  Kara said, “Guess who’s back!”  Simon said, “It was fun. It was good. I really like that song,” but, once again, commented on her really high powerful notes at the end, saying it sounded like someone was “giving birth.”

So, who is going home out of this group on Wednesday?

I’ve said for weeks that the best 2 were Lee and Crystal, and I think that Casey has the “overall package” of looks and talent that the show wants to promote as their next “American Idol.” I fear for Aaron because he’s so young, and for Mike because his song choices are (always) so “girly” and for Siobhan because she’s so weird. (And I mean that in a good way.)
Your guess is as good as mine. I’m still betting on the top 3 mentioned above to hang around the longest.

April 21, Wednesday, was Elimination Day on “American Idol,” but it was also “Idol Gives Back” evening.

First, the elimination: Tim Urban (Terrible. Unanimous.) was finally recognized for the weak talent he has been since Day One. Tim the Terrible is gone. Sing no sad songs. Justice has been done (a little late, but better late than never).

Now, a critique of the “America Gives Back” show itself, with the comment that I have written in an earlier article that “A.I.” needs to do more of this sort of show, since times are tough all over. While saying that it is good to try to get people to give to charity, I’m not sure that showing video footage of a pregnant woman as she is dying is the way to go about it. That may be T.M.I.

Nowhere are times tougher than in Africa, apparently, since much of the show focused on that continent, making me never want to go there as long as I live. (Don’t send me hate mail telling me how beautiful South Africa’s Johannesburg is. I’m scarred for life by the visions of dying babies. First Haiti’s earthquake; now this on a SINGING show.)

The program opened, impressively, with President Barack Obama and Michelle saying, “Hello, Everybody!  ‘American Idol’ has always been about changing lives on the stage and around the world.” The president went on to mention the $140 million the show has raised in previous “Idol Gives Back” years and ended with the couple saying, “We want to thank ‘American Idol’ for the example they’re setting and encourage everyone to make a contribution. And, to the year’s finalists, as Randy says, ‘You’re all my dawgs—-and, Simon, be nice!” Very impressive opening. It was the middle and the end of the show that left me cold and depressed.

Nineteen entertainers graced the stage at two locations, one of them the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where Queen Latifah helped Ryan Seacrest M.C. The top 12 came out, attired all in white, and sang “Keepin’ the Dream Alive.” Lee, Crystal and Tim sang nice harmony on the tune.  It was like Old Home Week seeing the likes of Lacey, Didi and Andrew again (even though Andrew left just last week).

Jennifer Garner then made a visit to Breathitt County, West Virginia, where 45% of the people live in poverty. This is where the show began to sink into the slough of despond.  Sully Sullenberger, the heroic captain who saved 155 lives by safely landing his plane in the Hudson River, made a plea to save more lives around the world. Russell Brands and Jonah Hill tried for some levity in a skit that was based on the idea that they were supposed to have celebrity “friends” answering the phone lines, and nobody was there. (Later, look-alikes and a few real stars, like Slash of Guns ‘N Roses, were there). The Black-Eyed Peas sang “I Wanta Rock Your Body.”

This was the point where the show began to become a real downer. “Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria.” Video footage of a pregnant woman dying on November 26, 2009, dead from malaria because there was no mosquito netting to protect the young pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Then, humor returned—or tried to— with George Lopez doing a bit where he “critiqued” the judges. This bit was funny, entertaining and one of the few times in the night that I didn’t want to reach for a tranquilizer. (I especially liked it when Ryan Seacrest called Lopez Erik Estrada as he left.)

Jeff Beck played guitar while Joss Stone, backed by the Jubilation Choir, sang “You Put A Spell On Me.” (The spell being put on me was one of deep gloom; it deepened with every passing moment from that point on.) All kinds of stars put in an appearance, from David Duchovny to Justin Bieber to Josh Groban to Jim Carrey.   Carrie Underwood announced that 36 cents of every ticket she sells on her upcoming tour will go to “Idol Gives Back.”

Then came the cringe-worthy SNL potential skit part.  Ban-Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, spoke. I was afraid, for just a nano-second that he might be going to preside over a mass marriage of strangers, one to another. I wonder if I’m the only one watching who had no idea who the Secretary General of the U.N. was, at this point in time.

Alicia Keys performed, as did Carrie Underwood and Wanda Sykes and Annie Lennox. David Cook was seen briefly.

The whole evening became too much for me from that point on. I was made happy only by the announcement that, of the three who were in the bottom three this week (Aaron Kelly, Tim Urban and Casey James), Tim Urban was the one going home. I felt horrible, like I do when Caribbean Island dwellers living in poverty beg and you are the rich ugly American on the beach.

I’m also fearful for Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche and Siobhan Magnus, as I fear that this trio will be heading for the exits next. Stay tuned for further developments.

Meanwhile, tell me a good joke. Get me a drink. Pass me a tranquilizer. Give me a massage. Anything to relieve the gloom and doom I felt after this “Idol Gives Back” show!

Alicia Keys was the mentor on Tuesday night’s “American Idol” performance night. With 12 Grammies, 30 million CDs sold and an award as Billboard’s Top Selling Artist of the Decade, this seemed an improvement over some previous weeks. She gave good advice to the 7 remaining contestants, including the information, “I really want to find a way to make them be part of something bigger than themselves.” This last comment was by way of leading into the “Idol Gives Back” program that is upcoming.

First performer of the night was Casey James who sang Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.” For a moment, I thought I was back on the campaign trail with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Casey wore a blue jacket, blue jeans and a white top. He played a mean guitar and had 3 soul sisters backing him up, but despite his proficient guitar licks, the judges were not kind. Simon said, “Zero emotion. No originality.  I actually thought it was a lazy song choice.” Randy said, “Every week we kind of see the same thing from you.  Give me something a little different.” Ellen pointed out that, at this level of the competition, the contestants have to be “great. Not good.” Kara said his performance was like some sort of “jam band” and didn’t “show us what makes you different.”

Second performer was Lee DeWyze, wearing a brown shirt and a black tie and the beginning of a scruffy goatee. He sang Simon and Garfunkle’s “The Boxer.” Prior to his performance, mentor Alicia Keys, working with a Lee who was wearing a sort of red snood (stocking cap) said, “If Lee can really bring people into that song, then he will make them feel something.” The judges’ verdict was unanimous in Lee’s favor, after he completed his performance.  Randy said, “It’s really about artists this year.  I think you’re going to have a big career.” Ellen said, “It was your best performance by far, I think.”  Kara commented on how Lee seemed “connected” to the material and that he had had “a moment” this night.

Third performer was the always-dubious Tim Urban. Simon called the difference between Lee’s performance, just before, and Tim’s song, “Staggeringly different,” calling Lee’s performance “Inspirational. Absolutely brilliant. Good for you” and saying, of Tim, “That may have been a step too high for you. Although you’ve improved, it’s a little big of a let-down.” When Tim sang the “oh oh oh oh” section (right before the lyric “Tonight’s the night the world begins”) he was off-key. Not a total shocker.  Randy said of Tim’s performance, “It just kind of laid there. It was just okay for me.”  Ellen called Tim the “soup of the day.” She commented that sometimes she liked the soup of the day and sometimes she didn’t. “Today,” said Ellen, “I didn’t like the soup.”  Kara said, of Tim’s singing, “It was not the best execution.  It wasn’t your best performance.”

Fourth performer this night was Aaron Kelly, who tried to power the ballad “I Believe I Can Fly.” Randy said, “You definitely have pure vocal talent.  Good job.”  Ellen said, “There was a brief time in the seventies that I thought I could fly,” getting a laugh.  Kara commenting on the rough opening portions of the song (which were all too obvious) said, “By the end, all right, you got there.”  Simon was, as usual, the most tactless and cruel, commenting, “If I had turned that one on on the radio, I would have turned it right off, because it wasn’t very good.” The thing that I have noticed about Aaron’s performances is this: he, like Siobhan, likes to have the Big Ending. It seems that he is always performing a Power Ballad with a Big Ending. I like young Aaron, and he certainly was and is better than Tim Urban, so I vote for sending Tim packing, not Aaron. Besides, I really liked his performance during Elvis week, even if the judges did not.

The fifth performer was the quirky Siobhan Magnus. Something has happened to the love affair between Siobhan and the judges. She is the new Whipping Girl of the remaining contestants, supplanting the far less vocally talented Tim Urban for the past few weeks. Siobhan was attired in a butterfly dress and rig (butterfly on shoulder, etc.) and Simon commented that he “found the leaves distracting,” which was funny, since the “leaves” weren’t leaves, at all, but butterflies. Randy said, “It was just okay for me, Babe.”  Ellen said, “I disagree.” Kara had a problem with the fact that her song was somewhat “dramatic” saying, “It’s mot a musical.” Simon agreed with Randy, calling Siobhan’s vocal stylings this night “old-fashioned.” He went on to say, “Too much happened too fast. A bit odd. A little all over the place.” I found this “a bit odd” comment to be “a bit odd,” since Siobhan has been “a bit odd” since Day One. I really liked Siobhan’s vocal stylings. She is extremely talented and her “quirkiness,” which the judges once loved, is now bringing her down. If only one person is going home, that person should be Tim Urban.

Sixth up this night was “Big Daddy” Mike Lynche.  He sang “Hero” on this night devoted to inspirational songs and was criticized for it by Simon, who pointed out that the song was used in the film “Spiderman.” Simon felt the song was “artificial” and ended by saying, “It kind of just didn’t quite gel for me.” Randy said he had been “a little worried” that the song might be too big for Mike’s voice, but ended up saying, “You held your own with it, Dog.”  Ellen said, “I thought you did a great job.”  Kara said it was “not my favorite performance.” Even though Simon did not like the song selection he did concede, before the Spiderman segue, that “I thought you sang it pretty well.”

The show saved the best for last, as Crystal Bowersox came out and sang without a guitar or a harmonica for the first time. Her rendition of “People Get Ready” not only moved her to tears at the end but also received the remark, “Standing O” from Randy, and, from Ellen, “You have never looked more beautiful.”  Kara said, “Thank you so much for taking a risk.” Simon has said, for weeks, that the competition is Crystal’s to lose. This night, she proved that, indeed, that might well be true.

Person who should go home this week? Tim Urban.

April 14, 2010 and “American Idol” eliminates 2 of the remaining 9 finalists.  Adam Lambert, this week’s mentor, as the show opens says, “You have to believe in yourself.  You have to trust your instincts.” Thirty-four million voters picked the losers this week, and, as far as I’m concerned, they got it right, culling Andrew Garcia and the often tone-deaf Katie Stevens from the pack.

I’ve not understood how Andrew Garcia survived this long. His personality was non-existent onstage. As for Katie Stevens, she was off-key at least as often as she was pitch perfect, although her most recent performances admittedly have been among her best. It was with bewildering speed that Ryan Seacrest summoned Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly and Casey James to one side of the stage and quickly let the axe fall on Andrew, who sang one last time and thanked all in a fairly classy display of magnanimous behavior.

At the beginning of the show, there was a medley of Elvis classics sung by the 9 remaining contestants (“Teddy Bear,” “Return to Sender,” Viva Las Vegas,” etc.).  When that was over, Andrew was out. Gone, till tour time.

There was a quick bit of film shot in Africa featuring Kara DioGuardi and Elliott Yasmin as a build-up to Idol Gives Back, which is a program coming up soon, I am happy to report, with Will I am, Fergie & the Black-eyed Peas and Sir Elton John involved.

Then, Ryan couldn’t wait to get to the dream-crushing, this time declaring Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus and Lee DeWyze  safe. Left standing on the stage at the very end were Katie Stevens and Big Mike Lynche, with Katie ultimately being told to sing her final song (“Let It Be”) and Mike going to the safe section with the comment that he wasn’t among the bottom three this week.

The highlight of the night, for me, was the return of Adam Lambert to perform. He came out enveloped in a green misty cloud of lasers and fog and sang his hit song, “Waddaya Want From Me?” It was always such a thrill waiting to see what Adam would think up to do each week on “American Idol.” That thrill remains.  He owned the stage, striding it amid the fake fog and clouds in a gray sharkskin suit that reflected the green laser lights and generously saying, “I owe the show everything.”  [It was nice of Adam to give credit to “American Idol” for ultimately putting him over the top, but a performer as vocally talented  as he is, who has already been cast in Broadway productions, probably doesn’t “owe it all” to “American Idol.”

Nevertheless, this night, the losers left with grace and class. Katie’s finale song (appropriately “Let It Be”) was a little rough, but who can blame her? (Frankly, a lot of her early performances were equally rough.) Crystal and Siobhan were seen watching in tears from the sidelines.

It is now down to only 2 female performers amongst the 7 finalists. Considering that, at the outset of this “American Idol” season, nearly everyone proclaimed the girls to be far stronger vocally than the boys (and this includes the judges), it is remarkable that a middling talent like Tim Urban has supplanted a Lilly Scott, an Angela Martin (who never even made it to the final 24) and/or a Katelyn Epperly.

But now we’re down to Seven Little Indians and they are (in no particular order) Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Siobhan Magnus, Tim Urban, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, and Casey James.

Now, THAT’s what I’m talking about!

Bring it on!

Wednesday, April 7^th, 2010 on “American Idol” and the judges use(d) their one (and only one) save of the season to rescue Michael (“Big Mike”) Lynche from elimination.  The bottom three vote getters were announced as being Mike Lynche, Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia. The only one of that trio who was a surprise (to me, anyway) was Big Mike, who had sung “Eleanor Rigby” the previous night.

After performances by one of Kara’s new sings (Jason somebody who reminded of a younger Jamie Foxx), who gave a performance with a lot of technical amplification that ended with Kara crowing, “Jason only had 4 days to get this together and you just killed it,” and Simon saying, “Absolutely great. Well done!” the show moved on to David Archuleta, who played the piano and sang “Imagine.”

I was struck during David’s performance that he was always criticized during the “David(s)” season for singing with his eyes closed and, this time, he sang with his eyes closed, again. It apparently hasn’t hampered his career, which he said features writing and recording. David looked slightly older and his hair looked slightly less curly, as he riffed (“Brotherhood of man”) through “Imagine” and said, “I love Ellen.” He wore a black shirt, light pants and a white and black striped rep tie.

It was at this point that Ryan Seacrest gave Kiran the order to: “Dim the lights. Get to the results.” The bottom three, as noted above, were announced as being Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly and Michael Lynche.

After this, Rihanna came out in what looked like a black wet suit with beaded Joan Crawford shoulder pads going on stylistically (Patti LaBelle Space Age Suit Memories). The tight-fitting spandex garment left little to the imagination as Rihanna sang a new song from her forthcoming “Last Girl on Earth” tour, a number entitled “Rock Star 101” that had, as a lyric, “To be what you is you gotta’ be what you are,” (good to know that proper grammar is still alive in the land) and the repeated lyric, “Hey, Baby, I’m a rock star.” This reminded me of the post-divorce song of another current songstress (Pink?) who exulted in her status as a pop icon. Rihanna had a short multi-colored hairstyle and I wondered aloud if she was completely done with Chris Brown as she sang, “Big City, Bright Lights.”

One hundred and thirty-two million votes have been cast this season, and it came down to Big Mike having to sing for his salvation. His wife sobbing in the audience, he sang a falsetto song he had previously used in the competition, rather than “Eleanor Rigby,” which, according to Simon, was the reason he was in this position in the first place.

The judges were unanimous in “saving” the personal trainer, so next week 2 singers will be eliminated from the show at once.

Stay tuned!

Tuesday, April 6^th’s “American Idol” competition featured the songs of Lennon and McCartney, with the judges saying, in advance of the singing, “Certain songs shouldn’t be changed. But, overall, I’d like to hear something that is not exactly like the original.”

Well, that was certainly the case with some of the front-running contestants, between the diggery doo player on Crystal Bowersox’s version of “Come Together” and the bagpipe player descending the stairs as Lee DeWyze finished the night, singing 9^th, and performing “Hey, Jude.” Ellen commented that she liked the confidence that Lee showed, “even when that guy (the bagpipe player) got separated from his parade.” Simon, laughing, said, “I don’t know what you lot are drinking in the house.  You were doing great and then the bagpipe player walked down the stairs. It was like he showed up on the wrong show.”

I have to admit that Lee, one of my favorites, did not score points tonight for being on pitch (the word “bad” was particularly, well, bad) and the entire song sounded like it was about one note too high for him, pitch-wise. He seemed to be straining to hit the notes, to me, and Randy, who began the critique, said, “That guy was funny” (meaning the bagpipe player), before going on to say, “It was another hot one.” Ellen ultimately voiced her confidence in Lee, saying, “I thought it was a great job. I loved it.” Kara, at least, noted some pitch difficulties, saying, “Good, a few off-key notes, but I am still a fan.” Sadly, this night, Lee was not at his best, for me, but I still think his talent puts him through and that the ones who should be worrying are Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, and…if the judges carry any weight…Siobhan Magnus.

I, personally, liked Siobhan’s rendition of “Across the Universe,” but Randy was right when he said, “It was a little sleepy for me.” Kara, too, said, “It was very restrained and polite. I am still a fan, but I am a little confused.” Simon asked Siobhan what she was connecting to when she sang the song, and Siobhan almost broke down in tears talking about her little sisters and not changing who she is. All agreed, in pre-performance comments, that Siobhan is “amazingly weird” and “unique.” Katie Stevens said, “Those notes she hits are ridiculous.” (echoing Kara’s usual comments). Randy commented, “Nobody screams artist more than you I love seein’ that from you.  I love the artistry in you.  Just follow it and go with it.” Ellen, too said, “Always honor who you are.  You march to a different drummer.  And you listened to us tell you to cool it on the high notes for a while.” Simon felt that Siobhan “came back from last week.  You are unpredictable.  Much, much, much better than last week.” Still, the remarks were less glowing for Siobhan than for most, she has been in the bottom 3 before, and only time will tell if America’s teen-aged voters liked her slow ballad.

The first singer of the night was Aaron Kelly.  He sang “The Long and Winding Road,” which Ellen called “a long and winding song.” The most germane comment was Kara’s. She said, “When it comes together for you, it works.  Every week feels like the same song from you.” I would agree with the second half of those remarks.   Only Simon called it completely like it was: “Very old-fashioned.  Very boring.  You’ve got to become young and relevant.” Therefore, my unscientific prediction is that, once again, the “A’s” have it and Aaron or Andrew may be in trouble, with Siobhan…who deserves to stay…potentially at risk.

Second performer of the night, Katie Stevens, wore a pink dress and a ponytail and sang “Let It Be.” The word “blossoming” seemed to be in evidence tonight, with Kara using it for Katie in saying, “You’re blossoming on that stage.  You’re confident.  You never looked better and you never sounded better.” It is true that, for once, Katie was not off-key. Simon said, “Tonight, however, you got it right,” but an argument soon broke out between Simon and the rest of the panel as to whether this performance showed that Katie had a country-and-western vibe. Simon said, “It felt as though you were singing it about somebody, rather than being robotic,” and, after that, the argument about the best vocal direction for Katie broke out.

Third up was Andrew Garcia, who, at least, sang an up-tempo song (“Can’t Buy Me Love”).  Randy felt his performance was “solid,” although he also called it “a little corny at times. It was OK. It was all right.”  Ellen said, “First of all, you can buy love,” but, after the joke that line got, went on to say, “I thought it was the perfect song choice, and I loved it.”  Kara said, “I wanted to love it,” which was a left-handed way of saying that she did not love it, but complimented Andrew on “the breakdown.” Simon said, “The problem for me was that you had the band in back of you. It was old-fashioned and, unfortunately, irrelevant.  You and the band, together, got this wrong tonight. Sorry.” Andrew countered, “I’m glad I had fun doing it,” and I’m glad he did, too, because it might be the last song he sings on “American Idol.”

Fourth performer of the night was Michael Lynche, who sang “Eleanor Rigby.” The vote was 3 who liked it and 1 (Simon) who felt his performance was “the sort of thing you see and hear in musicals.  I don’t think it made you contemporary at all.  It was over-the-top.  I’m confused now about what kind of artist you are.” The 3 others, however, were “lovin’ the fact that the points that did work were great. I love seeing the artist in you blossom (more blossoming comments)” from Randy, with Ellen commenting that the song was “ huge risk” and saying, “I thought that was incredible.” Kara said, “Those vocals were amazing.  That was fire.  Committed. You made that song commercial and relevant to this generation. Great job.” But, after that, Simon popped Kara’s cocoon bubble of praise with his put-downs. Still, Big Mike, who is from a Florida family of performers and had a brother who advanced fairly far in the competition in another season, should be safe.

Fifth performer was the always-reliable Crystal Bowersox, who sang, “Come together.” Randy called her singing, “Another solid performance” and added, “It definitely worked.”  Ellen said, “I loved the diggery do (Aborigine instrument).  The only thing I have to worry about each week is a new way to tell you how great you are.  An amazing job. I loved it.”  Kara said, “I think this is one of my favorite performances.  You were more accessible tonight.”  Simon said, “That’s a song that I could hear on the radio today.” After that, comments were about the playing of Ernie on the diggery do, when Randy said, with a laugh that he looked as though he were about ready to pass out.

The sixth performer this night was Tim Urban who sang “All My Lovin’.” Tim usually is panned by the critics, but voted on by his gallery of fans. Tonight, however he sang the song relatively straight and received praise from all the judges. Randy said, “You’re like in your own category.  I think that was a much better performance than the last couple of weeks.  A good Tim performance.” Simon would later take issue with this idea of a separate category for Tim Urban, calling it insulting to the other contestants. He said, “Taking everything into consideration, there were no gimmicks. The song suits your voice.  You take the criticism like a man.  This is a shortcut to fame and you’ve handled yourself really well.” Ellen said she felt that Tim’s version of “All My Lovin’” was “second best after the Jeff Buckley version of ‘Hallelujah.’” Kara said, “It’s best when you have a guitar in your hands. You’re to be commended for that.” So, for Tim, it was a good night, and he later said, “I wanted to pick a song that I knew fitted me.  I definitely had fun with it.”

Seventh performer on Tuesday was Casey James, who sang John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” The song had a C&W vibe with just a cello accompaniment. Randy called it “a sensitive vibe.  I was really impressed that you took that kind of risk.  I love that you did this.” Ellen said, “We just need to see more of that side (the quiet side) of you.”  Kara felt that Casey had shown his “vulnerability,” and praised him for “showing depth.”  “Towards the end, you showed that you really know where to take your voice.” Simon, after calling Casey “Goldilocks,” said “the best performance of the night, so far,” and called his improvement from the week before, “absolutely ginormous.”  “From the midway point, you put your stamp on it. I am very, very impressed with you tonight.” So, Casey, the cute, lean, guy with the rock star looks stays.

Eighth (out of 9) performing “Across the Universe” was Siobhan Magnus,” who did a good job, I thought, (unlike the judges’ assessment) and she was followed by Lee DeWyze, also one of my three favorites, who did not, in my opinion. It doesn’t really matter what I heard, because the performers at risk after Tuesday night are the “A’s” (Andrew and Aaron) the most, and, very possibly, Siobhan after the judges reamed her quiet rendition of a song. This seemed somewhat unfair, as all four of them have been telling her not to put the Big Showstopper Finish at the end of each week’s performance, so Siobhan sang a song, a la Streisand, and her reward? Potentially being among the lowest three, when she is arguably among the top three, talent-wise.

I’m still pulling for Crystal, Lee, Siobhan and Casey and any of the others can go home and I won’t care.