Amanda Overmyer - "Fight Like A Son"

Amanda Overmyer - "Love Me Like You Want"

Amanda Overmyer Rocks The Whisky

Premiering original song "Play On"




Covering "Piece of My Heart" and "Can't Do That"

Rocker Nurse Rides off into the Sunset

So FOX has a nasty habit of starting the broadcast a lil early in my area. It's been a consistent annoyance this season, and because I was watching the absolutely titillating preview for next week's America's Next Top Model, Ry had already announced the first mentor of the season by the time I switched channels. Fortunately I'm resourceful and can fill in the blanks...

Let's see, I'd wager that there was a little "This. is. American. Idol!" greeting, new credits and a quick hello to the judges before the mentor announcement. Joining us this season will be Dolly Parton (for the ever-present Country theme week), Mariah Carey (iTunes or Billboard top 100's? 90's week? Diva week?), Andrew Lloyd Weber (Showtunes) and Neil Diamond (Songs No One but His Fans Wants to Hear Week). AOL Television previously reported that Jewel, Olivia Newton-John and Carol Bayer Sager would be appearing instead. Humm....curious.

AI Songwriting Competition is on! Make sure you get your entries in my March 25th--This is YOUR now!

Time for another crappy Beatles medley. Guess who gets to kick things off? Pimpchuleta, singing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Cook (the one that matters) and Castro then get to duet and it's the highlight of the medley for me for it. Chikezie and Mikey join in and MJ's voice actually sounds powerful when following the Cheez. Girls come out with a little "Here, There and Everywhere" and they all get to sing and prance around the stage except for Amanda, who is sitting on the couches as though she's been forgotten (foreshadowing, anyone?) Oh yeah, and Ramiele's mic doesn't work. I then throw up in my mouth a little when D-Cook (being the gentleman that he is) leads K-Cook by the hand for a little Cook squared action. Then the top 11 form a half-circle to sing "Because" and do the Idol shuffle for "The End." What these medley's need: better choreographers, more rehearsal time, and lots of booze (for those us watching at home).

Then we are tortured again with the recap of the "second dose of the Beatles" (anyone else feel close to OD'ing? Perhaps on purpose to end the agony?) Time to find out who gets to sit on the nice comfy safe couches (aka who is going on the Idols Live! tour this summer), and who will be banished to the other side of the stage and have to sit in the b-3 stools until their butt goes numb. Brooke is the first person to make the top 10 (for those of you with short-term memory: Brooke was also the first female to make the top 12). Carly's up next and...she's NOT sent to join Brooke on the couch (there's your shocker people, it doesn't get much better than this). Archie makes the top 10 (collective "duh!") and so does the Aussie, because he's hot.

After the break, we get to see the behind-the-scenes footage of this week's Ford video, where the contestants were sent to the "middle of nowhere" on a windy day to shoot a video within a video. The top 11 are depicted as making their own black and white flying saucer movie from the 50's, with D-Cook as director, Castro and Archie as stagehands, and the rest as actors with bad hair. The actual commercial (done to the tune of "Should I Stay or Should I Go") isn't as good what precedes it IMO.

Back to the results, in which each contestant is trotted out one by one like show ponies. Cook with Talent: Keep on rockin'. Cook Without: B-3. Castro: In like Flynn. Lullaby: No reason to cry.

Time to answer more viewer questions (or rather, roll-tape of previously recorded footage--which explains the new seating arrangements on the couch for this and the performance that follows). Cheryl Ann from MO wants to know why Simon spends all of his money on cars instead of clothes. Si tells her that's a rude question but that it's because he doesn't have an ego. Jessica from Jersey is dying to know if there will be a sequel to the Simon-Paula liplock shot back in season two. Paula isn't really given the chance to answer, but Simon says yes, he'd consider it, because despite it all, Pauler's actually not half bad. Mary from L.A. asks Rami what the last song she downloaded on her iPod was. Rami giggles and answers, "R. Kelly's 'I'm a Flirt'." Linda, also from L.A. wants to know if Michael's AI experience is everything he hoped for and more. The answer: "Yes, even though I apparently peaked during Hollywood week" (proof that he reads the press about him, LOL).

And, now, a performance by season 5's Kellie Pickler who has "grown in so many ways" (cheap shot, Ry). We see footage of Pickles talking about her USO tour, upcoming sophomore album, working with Rascal Flatts, and of course memorable moments from her time on AI. As it turns out, Pickles is the second highest grossing non-winner or runner up in the history of AI--who knew? Singing her first single "Red High Heels" and dressed to match, Kellie worked the stage, exuded confidence and fully embraced her country twang (with some KLC Crazy Eyes thrown in for good measure). I can't say I actually enjoyed it, but it was preferable to watching this year's blonde country bimbo. It seems our dear Pickles is all growed up.

Idol Gives Back Part Duex is April 9th. Fantasia and Elliott were sent to Angola to deliver bed nets to prevent Malaria, from which 3,000 children die every day. I'm all for this, but either AI's numbers were a little off or I'm worse at math than I think. They said we donated eight million nets last year, which at $10 a pop would be $80 million, however IGB only raised $76 million and some of that was supposed to go towards anti-Malaria pills, after-school programs in the slums, and to help those Appalachian kids who can't read good. Elliott is given the honor of having a newborn baby named after him, as is native custom for babies born when visitors are in their village.

Final results: Syesha - SAFE. Amanda and Chikezie center stage, Token Black Guy to the couch. B-3 huddle together, Irish girl sent back to safety (no one is surprised, but she pretends to be). Either the Rocker Nurse or the Country Fembot is going home. Unfortunately, it's...

...our Harley-ridin', black eyeliner-wearin' rocker chick who is bid adieu--an announcement which actually results in violence from a 7-year old in my living room. Seriously. I had prepared to part ways with Amanda, but like many viewers, I was more disappointed that KLC was safe than anything.

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Tune in next week, when the top 10 take on Songs from the Year of their Birth.

This Time I Can't Let it Be

So, Beatles the Redux just might be the worst performance night in the history of Idol. What in the name of John Lennon happened? I advise you to run and take cover, because my snark gun is fully loaded and things are definitely going to get ugly...

Seacrest is sporting Something About Mary bangs and too much rouge. He announces that we're "back with the Beatles" again this week and that there are 500 people in the audience who are "ready to party." Thankfully, I got to go last week when most of the contestants were actually good.

The top 11 is then awkwardly ushered in pageant-style down the two sets of stairs only to be sent backstage again. All three judges are present and accounted for. Roll tape of Beatles (and enjoy the pleasant singing while it lasts). This week's contestant question is: What is Your Most Memorable Moment on Idol? Anyone else think they could have saved this one until a little later in the season, say when they had more than 4 weeks of moments to choose from?

Amanda's most memorable moment was performing on the big stage for the first time last week, because she's used to rocking out in the back of a flatbed truck. She decides to ignore the more fitting choice of "Helter Skelter" and "throw some black eyeliner" on "Back in the U.S.S.R." She looks like drunken White Trash Britney and sounds even worse. And I'm starting to worry that my daughter might be tone-deaf, because she has declared Amanda her new favorite (sorry Brooke) and deemed this her favorite performance of the night. D

Kristy can't seem to forget being on the bubble more times than not, a place she will soon find herself once again. She joins Ryan on the chat chairs and brings her photo albums, because a picture is worth 1,000 words. She chooses to sing "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" based on the title, because she's a freak who somehow managed to go 24 years without ever hearing the song. She, like Archuleta, seems to think America has amnesia and tries to fool us by saying, "I'm kinda new to this whole Beatles thing" after claiming to have listened to them while growing up only seven moons ago. Kristy wears a ugly dress she borrowed from Pauler's closet and pairs it with some black cowgirl boots to remind us that she's the country girl. Her singing is flat, monotonous and her "performance" even worse. Simon suggests hypnosis (huh?) and Kristy vows that she can blow his socks off. While my mind immediately plummets into the gutter (courtesy of Simon's giant grin), Hannah exclaims, "No--but she can make someone run out of the room!" (Perhaps her hearing is okay after all...) D+

Archuleta's most memorable moments are his highs and lows of Beatles--hitting a home run with "Imagine" and then forgetting the words to "We Can Work it Out." His performance of "The Long and Winding Road" falls somewhere in between. But while the Arch Angels swooned and sighed in relief--poor David will only get a couple of lashings from Papa A. this time, not a full beating--I found the whole thing to be safe, boring and predictable. On top of that, the pitch and tone of his voice did not please my ear (Hannah agrees with "too squeaky"), and it is just not a believable song for a sheltered 17-year old virgin. C+

Mikey Kangaroo wants to remind us of his killer performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" during H-Wood week, because it's the only reason some of us are still voting for him. Although he and other's have already proven it's possible to take a long-story song and turn it into an Idol hit with BR, "A Day in the Life" proves to be more of a challenge...for MJ. Me, I could have done a better arrangement (and I have zero experience with that sort of thing), but I know enough to know that featuring a long interlude of "ah-ah-ah-ah's" when you're pressed for time is moronic. The beginning of the song showed mad potential--he actually sounded exactly like the original--and then the train quickly derailed, crashed and burned. Had he figured out a decent arrangement this could have been a success, as his voice is well-suited to the song. Paula tries to make excuses for the Aussie, explaining the difficulties of getting used to an earpiece, only Michael isn't wearing one. D+

Sunshine tells us that she got to have some family time this past weekend and meet her 5-week old niece. Her most memorable moment was last week's emotional performance of "Let it Be," which the producers wouldn't let her sing again. Instead she sings "Here Comes the Sun" and not since Jordin's rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" has one of my song suggestions backfired so badly. I neglected to take into account the fact that it has about three notes, and just saw it as something with Brooke's name written all over it. (For the record, my first choice for her was the similarly-titled "I'll Follow the Sun" which I believe would have been much better.) Her performance is altogether awkward and lackluster, and I am distracted by the bangs in her eyes and Katharine McPhee banana dress. Brooke actually interrupts Simon's rant to say that it's okay if he bags on her. C-

D-Cook's most memorable moment was when he first laid eyes on me last Tuesday (I believe the word he used was "euphoric"). He listened to me and went with "Day Tripper" and wisely credited the arrangement to Whitesnake, after being accused of ripping off other band's arrangements two weeks in a row. He learned how to use a voice box yesterday and rocked it in front of 30 million people today, because that's how he rolls. This was my favorite performance of the night by a f'n mile. And for those of you who aren't in the know, the orange wristband he wore two weeks running is in support of 7-year old Lindsay Rose who has leukemia and is the daughter of a reporter who recently interviewed him. A

After the break we get to hear a bit of Simon-inspired Paula blather regarding sparrows and oil. Carly is up next with "Blackbird" and is still reveling in Simon's Kelly Clarkson comparison comments. "Blackbird" is one of my favorite ballads, and Carly took a chainsaw to it and hacked it to bits. Her upper register (which is even more prominent in her studio recordings) is completely absent due to the fact that the entire song is done in too low of a key. She then goes on to talk about broken wings (which makes me think of the horrors that go on behind the scenes at KFC - again, please do not eat there). D+

Castro is most happy with his groundbreaking performance of "Hallelujah" even though he admits he botched the final note. He makes me scream in horror by choosing "Michelle" which just so happens to be the Beatles song Sanjaya said he would have picked and one of my least favorites. Seriously, tell me that "ME-shell, my Belle" is not one of the corniest lyrics ever. Just try. Jason learned a little French for this, and the first line he does in French is kinda hot (Dreadheads have been hoping for a lil Spanish at some point during the competition, so I'm sure they're over the moon with FRENCH). Just when I began thanking the heavens that at least he wasn't be-bopping around the stage--he began to be-bop around the stage. Jason's alleged secret girlfriend can be seen in the audience, although she was named after a different song (which Jason could sing should they do a Barry Manilow theme.) And I can't hold my tongue regarding his wardrobe choices any longer, as they are only getting worse (too much time with Malubay, I'd wager). D

Syesha says hi to her family, who is in the audience for the first time. She hasn't forgotten her recent visit to the b-3, which she's hoping will prove to be the kick in the pants she needed to step up her game. She chooses to sing the most covered song in history "Scrambled Eggs"--sorry, "Yesterday" while sporting watermelon earrings and a Nadia Turner-style dress (with ample cleavage I don't think any of us realized she had). She shows some emotion and it sounds pretty good, at least compared to the vast amount of suckage that came before her. Oh and girl, don't ever straighten your hair again. B

Apparently last week's victory lap wasn't Chikezie's first--he did the same thing during H-Wood week. The Cheez opts to dress normal for once and sing "I've Just Seen a Face." The beginning has a nice, mellow R&B vibe and for a minute I'm thinking of Usher and enjoying it. Then he suddenly whips out a harmonica and dips into a wack folksy bluegrass style again. I'm starting to wonder if the boy might be schizo. Had he kept the R&B style the whole way thorough this could have been an A, but as it stands it's a C+.

Lullaby's unforgettable moments are the ones she's had with her fellow contestants, who she's "stuck with...in a good way." She's shown with "Mama Brooke" and "Big Brother" David C., but curiously there is no mention of Castro, who is believed to be her closest friend since Danny's departure, and possibly even more than friends. Predictably, she goes with an uptempo song to counteract last week's sleeper--"I Should Have Known Better." With the exception of some impressive notes here and there, this is total karaoke and not a closer. Rami needs coaching on how to work the stage and don't get me started on her complete lack of fashion sense. C+

Bottom three prediction: Amanda, Kristy and either Chikezie or Michael.

St. Patrick's Day ~ AI Headlines

Mariah Carey to Appear on Idol

Kellie Pickler to Perform "Red High Heels" on Wednesday's Results Show

Spotted: Jason Castro, dining at Geisha House on Hollywood Blvd. with five friends last Thursday around 11 p.m. (Source: My friend, who was two tables over!)

Danny Noriega Cruising with Rosie O'Donnell

Cryin' Ashley to Return to Audience

Kimberley Locke to perform her new single "Fall" on the Top Ten Results show March 26th. (Via her MySpace.)

Fergie & Heart to Sing "Barracuda" on Idol Gives Back

Eliminated Idol Wants to be a Spokesperson for Gay Rights (it's not who you think...)

David Cook: Pre-Idol Music

David Cook formed a band called Axium his junior year of highschool and was the band's lead singer and guitarist from 1999 until 2006. Axium recorded four albums---Matter of Time (2002), Blindsided (2003), Alive in Tulsa (2004) and The Story Thus Far (2004). In 2006, after the breakup of Axium, Cook relocated and joined the regional touring band Midwest Kings, playing guitar and singing backup vocals. Also in 2006, he released an independent album titled Analog Heart, in which he penned all of the songs. He was in the process of recording a second solo album before becoming a contestant on American Idol season 7.

Very few of these songs can be found online at this time due to the AI rules and regulations, but one of David's fan sites got a ahold of his pre-Idol music and have been posting songs on a weekly basis. I was not a fan of David's until I heard these songs last weekend.

You may have noticed the initials "AC" on David's electric guitar on the show. They stand for Adam Cook, David's older brother who has a form of terminal cancer. David wrote the song AC after his brother was diagnosed. So if you're going to listen to only ONE song, listen to AC.

Here are my favorites so far:

(Click to listen, right-click to save)

Silver - Analog Heart

Let Go - Analog Heart

Don’t Say A Word - Analog Heart

Fall Back Into Me - Analog Heart

AC - The Story Thus Far (Axium)

Want to hear more of David's pre-Idol music? Click here

Beatles the Redux: Song Suggestions

 

Next week the top 11 will be doing Lennon/McCartney songs...again.

Here are my song suggestions:

D-Cook: "Oh Darlin'," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "What You're Doing" or "Day Tripper"

Country Girl: "Blackbird"

Archie: "Paperback Writer" or "Girl"

J-Cast: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Norweigan Wood," or "Yesterday"

The Irish Girl: "Oh Darlin'" or "Yesterday"

The Aussie: "And I Love Her," "Hey, Jude" or "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"

The Nanny: "I'll Follow the Sun," "Here Comes the Sun" or "Rain"

Rocker Chick: "Helter Skelter" or "Drive My Car" (change the pronouns this time, mkay?)

The Cheez: "For No One," "Don't Let Me Down," or "I Got a Feelin"

Lullaby: "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (the sweet "Across the Universe" soundtrack version, intercut with the upbeat version to give her some life) or "Dear Prudence"

Token Black Diva: "The Long and Winding Road" or "Any Time at All"

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Agree? Disagree? What are your suggestions?