Larry King Interviews Top 10

Girls on Tour - Dancing

Top 10 Ring the Nasdaq Stock Market Closing Bell

Guitar Hero World Tour Commercial

This is the commercial they play at the end of intermission on the tour. Told ya it wasn't very exciting.

Idols Live! Tour ~ San Diego Recap

Yesterday my friend Kim, my 7-year old daughter Hannah and I headed to San Diego from the LA/OC area for the Idols Live! concert. It was our first Idol tour experience, and Hannah's first ever concert period. The three of us will be joined by five others for the LA concert on Monday. The would-be two hour drive down was uneventful, save for the 45 minutes it took to get from the off ramp to the Sports Arena which is located less than half a mile away. Seriously. This got us into the venue shortly after 7 pm but the show started a bit late so we didn't miss anything. We had floor seats towards the back and spotted Jeff Archuleta chatting with Dave White and Todd Smithson nearby just as the lights dimmed.

Kim had volunteered to help with the live audio feed for Rickey.org and we're told the sound quality turned out great. We have no pictures/videos of our own (long story) but will try to get some on Monday. The following photos were taken by MJ who attended the Glendale show. The only physical inconsistencies I see between the Glendale and San Diego shows are Syesha's hair and DC's watch. The group picture was taken by fellow San Diego correspondent Kristin for Rickey.org.



Chikezie opens the show with “I Believe to My Soul” and performs it differently than when he did on AI. He talks about how his Idol experience began right here in SD. (I know he auditioned there this year, but what about the other three years he tried before that?) "Caught Up" is more catchy and energetic but I will choose Usher over No-More-Eze any day. He finishes with John Legend's “So High” and it's pretty sleepy.

Ramiele takes the stage with two back up singers and does stilted choreography to “I Want You Back." Her voice is eerily similar to the Jackson 5 and her outfit is like something out of Star Wars: The Sparkly Chronicles. In fact, it seems wardrobe decided to go the way of KLC and put the sparkles on blast for pretty much everyone. Lullaby segues into “Love Will Lead You Back” which is a really odd song to be singing in that outfit but definitely sleep-inducing. She finishes with Maroon 5's “If I Never See Your Face Again” and the background singers mimic Adam Levine perfectly and drown Rami out completely. I like that she chose a cool contemporary song but it doesn't suit her at all. Ramiele is the only contestant whose set doesn't contain any songs she performed on the show.

Michael gets a huge cheer as he descends the stairs with "We Will Rock You." He segues into "We are the Champions" after hitting the center and it is the first highlight of the night (there aren't many). Then he does “It’s All Wrong But It's All Right” for the ladies and there's lots of head bobbing of course. He closes with “Dream On” which he jokes he's been assured won't get him kicked off the tour the way it did the show. I brace myself for the feral cat screech I know is coming but the high note is mercifully in tune this time. Michael is the only contestant whose set doesn't include anything we didn't see on the show.

Kristy Lee does a lot of hip shaking to “Squeezin the Love Outta You.” Her song choice reminds me of Kellie Pickler's ill-fated "Suds in a Bucket." Girl has the entire country songbook at her feet and she chooses some obscure nothing song? She appeals to middle America again with a reprisal of “God Bless The USA” complete with (new and improved!) American flag screensaver and a shout out to the troops. She finishes with more hip shaking to another country song I don't know called “Cowgirls” (which I hear is her favorite song). Her all-white half-sparkly outfit is highly reminiscent of Elvis's legendary rhinestone jumper, especially with all of the hip shaking.

I was totally looking forward to hearing Carly's take on “Bring Me to Life” because it sounded like a great idea on paper. In reality she was so screechy I didn't hesitate when Hannah demanded a bathroom run. Carly's weird finger-gloves (the opposite of fingerless gloves) also proved to be a distraction. She was much more in tune and "on" for her second and third songs, “Crazy on You” and “I Drove All Night,” respectively.

Brooke reprises “Let it Be” on the piano and it's pleasant but doesn't capture the magic of the first time. She then grabs her guitar and encourages the audience to snap along to "1,2,3,4." Then it's back to the piano for the next highlight of the night as she delivers a smokin' rendition of Coldplay's “Yellow” which she wishes she had written herself (and can be found on her "Songs from the Attic" album). She is illuminated in yellow beams and there is a yellow star screensaver.

Then the contestants who have performed thus far join her on the stage to sing U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and they roll footage of Idol Gives Back on the screen. We are encouraged to continue to give back, and it is at this point that the realization that I just spent $80/seat for tickets, $20 for parking, $4 for a small soda and God knows how much for gas when there are children fighting for their lives makes me sick to my stomach.

At intermission we head to the ginormous line for the restroom just to be safe. A pair of drunken 50-somethings clutching beers get in line behind us, and the younger and drunker of the two proceeds to annoy everyone in the line. Then the other one takes the liberty of COVERING MY DAUGHTER'S EARS WITH HER HANDS in an attempt to shield her from the bad language spewing from her cohorts mouth. Um, yeah. Oddly, the majority of the audience seemed to be composed of 30 and 40-somethings (cougars!) including several couples and young kids, not the fangirly teenyboppers I had to deal with at rehearsals.

Back in the arena, Corey the warm up comic leads a Guitar Hero play-off, and encourages a kid to do air guitar for a copy of the new Guitar Hero game. The Guitar Hero video the top 10 recorded dressed 70's-garb plays on the screen, and--aside from the wigs the Davids wear--it's really pretty unfunny.

Jason kicks off the second half with the Hawaiian version of “Over the Rainbow” complete with plugged-in ukulele. He then switches to guitar to do the song the Dreadheads have been waiting to hear for months that couldn't get cleared for the show: “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. I wish I could say it was worth the wait, but I wasn't altogether impressed. Still love him though, especially since he chose “What a Day for a Daydream” as his closing song. It is at this point security tells me Hannah can't stand on her $80 crappy fold up chair. Comeback I wish I had thought of sooner? "Oh, so are you going to hold her for the last 10 songs then?" (Nobody stands for Syesha, but you already knew that.)

Syesha chooses to do “Umbrella” for her opening number which is a great fit for her but again, if given the chance I'm going to choose the original artist over her. Then she does her best Alicia Keys impersonation for “If I Aint Got You” and it is so forced I want to gag. Her hair was on full afro wattage and looks terrible--here's hoping it was a one-off and she'll go back to the cute hairstyle pictured. She closes with “Listen” from the Dreamgirls soundtrack and I apparently zoned out because I can't recall any of it.

The crowd goes wild as Archie and a piano rise from underneath the stage. He reprises “Angels” and it is very pretty. Next he does “Apologize” and it's one of my favorite performances of the night--much better than when he did it at the finale with One Republic. Then it's “Stand By Me” complete with the controversial “Beautiful Girls" interlude. He finishes with Josh Groban's “When You Say You Love Me” which I could have done without.

David Cook pleases the crowd with the full version of “Hello” complete with the original AC guitar, and it's the last true highlight of the show for me for it. Next it's the requisite “Time of My Life” followed by the slightly odd reprisal choice of “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” He dedicates his next song to Adam in honor of his battle with cancer and while he never did it on AI, we've seen him perform “My Hero” elsewhere. He uses an all new brown guitar not seen on the show that has the letters AC formed in bronze plates. The new guitar also accompanies him for his encore performance of “Billie Jean” which is performed in a cloud of smoke so thick that I seriously worry about the state of his lungs come September.

He leaves the stage, and the top 10 return in new outfits in their descending order to perform “Please Don’t Stop the Music.” Cook doesn't get to do his "your hands around my waist" line the first time around, but Carly is saddled with the hilarious (at least when she does it) "I just came here to par-ty!" line again. Red and blue streamers shoot out into the audience and we're done.

Spotted on the way out: A car with the words "COUGARS FOR COCK" painted on the side. Had fun trying to explain THAT one to Hannah...

Kim's supposed to help with the live audio feed again on Monday, so check out Rickey.org between 7 and 10:30 PST. Then come back here the next day to see what I've posted.

Idols Live! Tour ~ Set List

Here is the complete set list for the Idols Live! Tour:

Chikezie:

“I Believe to My Soul” (Donnie Hathaway)
“Caught Up” (Usher)
“So High” (John Legend)

Ramiele:

“I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)
“Love Will Lead You Back” (Taylor Dane)
“If I Never See Your Face Again” (Maroon 5)

Michael:

“We Will Rock You/We are the Champions” (Queen)
“It’s All Wrong But It's All Right” (Dolly Parton)
“Dream On” (Aerosmith)

Kristy Lee:

“Squeezin the Love Outta You” (Carolyn Dawn Johnson)
“God Bless The USA” (Lee Greenwood)
“Cowgirls” (Kerry Harvick)

Carly:

“Bring Me to Life” (Evanescence)
“Crazy on You” (Heart)
“I Drove All Night” (Cyndi Lauper)

Brooke:

“Let it Be” (Beatles) *piano*
"1,2,3,4" (Feist) *guitar*
“Yellow” (Coldplay) *piano*

Group song: "Pride" (U2) - Only the contestants who have performed thus far participate, IGB footage on screen

Intermission

Guitar Hero video: Top 10 dressed 70's-style, lipsynch to “We’re an American Band” (Grand Funk Railroad)

Jason:

“Over the Rainbow” (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version) *ukulele*
“Crazy” (Gnarls Barkley) *guitar*
“What a Day for a Daydream” (The Lovin' Spoonful) *guitar*

Syesha:

“Umbrella” (Rihanna)
“If I Aint Got You” (Alicia Keys)
“Listen” (Beyoncé)

David Archuleta:

“Angels” (Robbie Williams) *piano*
“Apologize” (One Republic)
“Stand By Me” (Ben E. King) with “Beautiful Girls" (Sean Kingston) interlude
“When You Say You Love Me” (Josh Groban)

David Cook:

“Hello” (Lionel Richie) *Original AC guitar*
“Time of My Life” (David Cook)
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Aerosmith)
“My Hero” (Foo Fighters) *NEW AC guitar not seen on the show*
ENCORE: “Billie Jean” (Chris Cornell version) *NEW AC guitar not seen on the show*

Group number: “Please Don’t Stop the Music” (Rihanna)

Top 10 Young Hollywood Interview Part 2

Top 10 Press Tour Interviews

Young Hollywood Interview


Eonline Interview

The Insider Interview

Top 10 Idols Live! Press Tour

Good Day LA Interview
Entertainment Tonight Interviews The Davids
MyFoxKC Interview

Video Roundup - Press Tour

I've been trying to post all videos as they become available, but a few slipped through the cracks along the way. Here are the final dregs:

The Davids Interview with RollingStone.com - Archie is only asked one question, and Cook uses a variation of my favorite word! (Serendipity/serendipitous)

Good Day NY interview with David the morning after his win (FOX Salt Lake City piggybacks)

Top 10 (minus the Davids) Interviewed on Access Hollywood

Access Hollywood: Backstage with David Cook after his win

Access Hollywood: Backstage with David Archuleta after the results

David Cook's Sirius Radio Morning Mash Up Interview Part 1, part 2, part 3

David Cook on Best Week Ever: I already posted the first part of this video ("Idol Chit Chat") but there is a second segment titled The Sizzler where he appears at the beginning and the end.

Cook, Archuleta & Castro interviewed on 103.7 Lite FM

For a list of upcoming Idol TV appearances, click here.

Larry King's Top 10 Q&A

An all-new hour of footage taped the other night but broadcast for the first time tonight. (Because THAT's not confusing or anything...)





Click here for the rest.

Top 10 on Larry King Live

David Cook interview

David Archuleta interview

The David's interviewed together

Syesha & Jason join in

Brooke & Carly

Kristy, Michael (via satellite), Ramiele & Chikezie

The top 10 (sans MJ) list their song picks for the tour, their Idol yearbook superlatives, and sing a little "Freedom"

Results: With Extra Cheese

These results shows are just getting more and more unbearable...and it has nothing to do with having to say goodbye to a contestant. Join me, will you, as I lead us through the latest drawn-out elimination (aka an hour-long preview of what hell is like).

Over 30 million votes were received this week, which is the most so far this season. Former contestants Amy Davis (for the second night in a row), David Hernandez and Danny Noriega are in the audience, but no one seems to care.

Say hi to the top 10, show love to the judges and don't forget to submit your song to the songwriting contest.

Time for what just might be the cheesiest group song in the history of group songs, upon where the top 10 run out on stage to camp it up with "Right Back Where We Started From." Their dancing is extra goofy, however the prize for MOST goofy would have to go to Jason. You know that first time you run into your ex after the breakup and you study them to see how well they're taking it and how good they look? Well, after publicly ending things with Jason the night before, of course he had to decide to get back at me by dressing hot for once. Sigh. Still, my favorite (only) part of this trainwreck was when D-Cook and MJ bumped chests, because at least it was funny.

We get an ad for IGB during the commercial break, and then a thinly-veiled ad for iTunes as they roll footage of the top 10 recording their studio versions of this weeks songs. Next it's recap footage from the night before whereupon we are reminded of Brooke's re-start to her song and some other stuff I couldn't be bothered to jot down.

This week's elimination process is exactly the same as last week -- comfy sofas on one end of the stage, ridiculously uncomfortable b-3 stools on the other, trot the contestants out one by one to learn their fate.

First up is Cheesy, and he's banished to the not fun side of the stage. Then we have Brooke in a WTF? outfit - she's safe, but again unsure as to where exactly she should sit on the couches. Carly's up next, and Ryan wisely takes the opportunity to have her clear up the pregnancy rumors. She's not preggers, and she's not in the b-3 either.

After the break we are subjected to one of the lamest Ford commercials ev-ah. After a LOOOOONG shot of an electric blue Ford Focus, the contestants individually appear Harry Potter style on shirts and CD covers, singing "I Want you to Want Me." It is reminiscent of the billboard video in season 5, but not nearly as good. My guess is that with Easter they didn't have time to do a "real" shoot.

Back to the results. Archie = SAFE. D-Cook = SAFE (oh and Chris Cornell called to say he loved it, BTW - take that haters!) Syesha = B-3 again, sorry. MJ = SAFE.

Time for the latest call-in segment, whereupon Ryan continues to ask Simon questions and ignore half of the contestants. First up is Sarah, who wants to know if Chikezie is single. I'm guessing she's one of the only people who cared to learn the answer, but yes, he is currently "very, very single." Nicole wants to know why Archie chose to sing a song most people had never heard. He already answered this question in the recap footage, but let's hear it again: He is in the minority in that he "loves that song" and it's one of his favorites. Ari wants to know how she can take Seacrest's job. Simon answers, "You don't need a lot of talent." Caitlin wants to know who Brooke would do a duet with. Brooke chooses John Mayer of all people. Vanessa from TX wants to know if Simon considers himself the most attractive person on the show. I think we all know the answer to that one.

Season 2 finalist Kimberley Locke is back to perform her new single "Fall" in a green couture dress which is now being auctioned off for charity and matching eyeshadow. In her lead-in video we learn that she now co-owns a restaurant and has lost 40 pounds. I didn't start watching AI faithfully until season 4, so I've only seen a handful of Kimberley's performances but I can tell you right now...sleepingbeauty is not impressed. Her song is pitchy, her performance stilted, and if she were being judged for real they would have called it "safe." Syesha performed better the night before, and I didn't even really enjoy her number.

Time for IGB plug number 485 out of 976, with multiple shout-outs to Exxon Mobile who is again one of the major sponsors of the event. Last year we raised $76 million (why does Seacrest pronounce "million" like Dr. Evil?) and even though we supposedly already spent $80 million on nets to prevent malaria, somehow there was still money left over to: help with the renovations in New Orleans, put 10,000 kids in Boys & Girls Club programs, provide 120 million meals to hungry people, fund three mobile medical units, provide 21,000 life-saving immunizations, provide books for 13,000 budding readers AND help provide shelter for the victims of the CA fires and TN tornadoes.

And now, your final results. Ramiele is SAFE and it's down to Kristy and Jason. As I predicted, Kristy's pandering to middle-America kept her b-3 free, and it is Castro who makes his maiden voyage to the b-3, but is quickly put out of his misery.

Syesha and Chikezie join hands center stage to learn their fate, and not surprisingly, it is Cheesy who gets the boot. I never truly "got" him but he's a nice guy and I wish him the best. We see his journey video and he reprises "If Only for One Night" complete with the audience-member serenade.

Tune in next week when the top 9 perform songs from the Dolly Parton songbook. That's right--the contestants will NOT be given the usual country theme, but will instead be limited to jingles from Dolly's repertoire. It's been confirmed. I would tell you what I think of this travesty, but there aren't enough hours in the day. After all, I've got to work 9 to 5 just to make a livin'....

Made in the 80's (For the Most Part)

Before we get to the recap, I'd like to take a minute to mention a couple of things...

Season 7 seems to be the year of contestants who can sing but can't necessarily perform/work the stage. Also, more than anything, it seems to be the year of consistency, as the performers seem to stay in their zone week after week:

Jason consistently sticks with mellow songs.

D-Cook consistently chooses to do someone else's cover (and rocks it).

Archie consistently licks his lips and does the passionate singers hand gesture.

Carly consistently rocks out (even though she claims not to be a rock singer).

Etc, etc.

In the past, very few contestants seemed to have stuck with their niche wholeheartedly, week after week, opting not to experiment with guyliner, songs out of their element or simply "giving the audience/judges what they want." Bo Bice was one of them, and he was great until after Idol when they stuck him with an album full of crappy pop tracks that were so not him.

So if things are starting to get a little boring, it's because we already know the score before tuning in -- Brooke will slow down a classic, Michael will park it at the mic stand, Ramiele will do a ballad. I appreciate the fact that the contestants are staying true to themselves, but at the same time I think it's hurting the overall entertainment value of the show. Now if we could just get them to learn how to PERFORM and WORK THE STAGE things would be different, but apparently, singing while walking down stairs is like walking and chewing gum at the same time. At least it is if you're part of, "The. Most. Talented. Season. Ever!" I never thought I'd say this, but there are actually people who could learn something from a Miss Kellie Pickler.

And on that *alarming* note, I digress...

The top 10 perform songs from the year they were born, which means it's 80's week again with two exceptions. I was made in the (early) 80's, how 'bout you?

It seems that after every commercial break AI chooses to further pimp itself or its sponsors--Drink Coke! Watch "'Til Death!" Download iTunes! Enter the Songwriting Contest! Get an iPhone! If I were to do that throughout my post it would look like this: Visit www.hannahshandprints.com! Go Vegetarian! Listen to David Cook's pre-Idol stuff! Vote for my blog! Don't eat at KFC! Whew. Pimpin' ain't easy, ya'll. And it sure ain't very rewarding...unless your name is Nigel.

Ramiele's video package reveals that she used to be a biter, and would steal the mic from whoever had it. Also, Mommy Malubay is still the cutest thing ever. Ramiele's up first with :::gasp::: Heart's "Alone" (aka Carrie Underwood's powerhouse song from season 4 and one of my all-time favorites). I was not impressed with Carly's version of this in H-Wood week, and was nervous for Rami when I heard she'd be doing this, especially since she was going first. Ramiele lost her voice recently, but I thought she sang it very well and would not have noticed if they hadn't mentioned it. The beginning is shaky and one of the backup singers was literally shrieking, but overall it is better than expected. Also, her outfit is an improvement over the usual awful Ramielewear ("snaps for the wardrobe dept!"). B+

It's Jason Castro's 21st birthday, but no one can seem to be bothered to utter a mere "happy b-day" (at least not on camera--I hear the crowd sang to him at rehearsal) let alone grant him time on the chat stools or let him close the show. Sporting the hint of a 'stache (ew!) and another bad outfit, Jay sings Sting's "Fragile." By popular request, he throws in some Spanish, but seems to make even more funny faces when he sings that than he does in French or English. Oh Jason, I'm sorry to have to say this, but you have officially lost me. Things have been rocky between us for the last couple of weeks (seeing as how I've kinda-sorta been interested in another guy and all), and it's come time to say goodbye. Don't worry, things would never have worked out between us--according to astrology.com we have a compatibility rating of NEGATIVE ONE PERCENT (I'm still trying to figure out how that is mathematically possible, but whatevs). For the record, I would have attended your b-day bash had I been invited (even though it would have been kinda awkward with my new man there and all--but more on that later). Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I still love you, I'm just not IN love with you. C-

Syesha used to be a crybaby. She sings Stephanie Mills' "If I Were Your Woman." It's good, but not the super-hot breakout performance the judges try to make it out to be. I prefer her performance on the last day of H-Wood week. A-

Somehow, Chikezie manages to score his second interview with Ry in three weeks, while others like D-Cook and Ramiele have yet to grab a stool. Chi was a Sept. 11th baby and as he mentioned before, grew up listening to Nigerian music. He chooses to slow things down with Luther Vandross's "If Only for One Night" and it's obvious that the reason the judges don't like when he does ballads is because he turns them into a total Cheesefest. He actually resorts to grabbing the hand of an audience member to sing to her (shame on the production assistant who forgot to remind the audience to take off their wristbands!) His voice is smooth like butter but I just can't get on the C-Train...which I predict will soon be leaving the station headed for home (in Cheesy's case: The 'Hood). C+

Brooke has three siblings and a hot mom, and she learned to play the piano by ear. She opts to sing "Every Breath You Take" by the Police (aka "The Stalker Song") while accompanying herself on piano. She half-starts and then starts over again, which is one of the most obvious errors in Idol history. The beginning of the song is slow, mellow, and lovely, and then the band kicks in and it's not as good or centered. I'm told she had to do this twice in rehearsal because the band messed up. And someone please tell me why Brooke's hands have been replaced with those of an 80-year old woman. I agree with Randy and Simon on this one--she should have kept it pure and simple the whole way through like she did with "Let it Be." B+

Michael is very competitive and he and his sister used to exchange "I'm too good for you" looks. He gives us "two Queen songs for the price of one": "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions." It would seem that Michael can only rock Queen songs, which is an odd thing to say since Freddie Mercury is such an untouchable legend, but so far MJ has only truly shined when he's covered them. And I do mean shined--those stage lights were so bright I was pained and would imagine that those in the audience are still seeing spots. Anyway, The Aussie is back and ready for action. A-

:::Breaking news::: Rumor has it that Carly Smithson is preggers. (At the very least, it explains the last-minute bathroom break before her performance.) Carly was the only contestant to go with one of my song suggestions this week--Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Unfortunately she didn't perform as well as I expected, but it was still pretty good. At one point it looked like she was humping the air and she sounded raspy at the end. B+

Archie talks with Ry about prom, and then we see him dance with his older sister in his video. David defies my hope of "Ice, Ice Baby" and sings "You're the Voice" instead. The whole thing is very 1990, which is the whole idea but still bothers me for some reason. While it is "good in parts" (to quote Simon) and he hits some impressive notes, his voice also cracks at one point. C

Kristy's family used to beg her to please stop singing, and now it's America's job. Kristy channels LeeAnn Rimes to sing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" and it...doesn't suck. It is certainly 100% better than the YOUtube video of her singing this previously. It was also nice to see her with an AMERICAN flag behind her this time instead of a Confederate one. I was saddled with the perfect quote for this performance (monkey in Madagascar saying, "If you have any poo, fling it now!") and am shocked that I won't be able to use it. Mark my words: Kristy will not hit the b-3 this week. A-

For those of you just tuning in, David Cook is my new boyfriend. Actually I'm more of a Billie Jean to him (minus the paternity thing), but that's okay, he...will...be...mine. He sings Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." (To everyone who wants to bash him for "ripping off" the arrangement: Ryan clearly announced this as the "Chris Cornell version," so shut it.) This performance elevated him to a place no man has gone before...ABOVE Archuleta in the Dial Idol rankings (no. 1 baby!) One of the top two performances of the night, and I'm telling you, if you haven't checked out his pre-Idol stuff yet, you're sorely missing out. David is totally holding back, and is only going to continue to kick ass. A

* * *

B-3 will be: Chikezie, Ramiele and Jason...with Cheesy out the door.

Song Spoilers ~ Songs from Year of Birth

Okay so I was thisclose to getting to go to today's rehearsal. I came across posts from two different girls who had extra tickets, but they had already been given away by the time I responded.

Anyway, I gave them both my advice (read: clap and hand-wave like crazy so that you get asked to stay for the live show) and one of the girls was nice enough to text me with the scoop afterwards. She said she liked everybody today and that they all sang happy birthday to Jason. Haven't talked to the other girl yet, but I'll see if I can get any more behind-the scenes info.

Song choices and performance order is listed in the comments section.