Holy Home Visit Week!This is my favorite week. Last year, they showed home visits on the performance episode. Tomorrow's results episode is an hour long, so maybe the home visits will be shown tomorrow.
Schedule
Listen up, Idol Watchers. Get the lowdown on the Idol schedule for the next week. Tomorrow, Idol is on at 9:00 and lasts an hour, like it used to do. Next week's episodes are on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday's episode is 8:00-9:00. Wednesday's finale is 8:00-10:00.
500th Episode
The "look back" intro was SO FUN. All those old audition and performance reels make good memory lanes.
Caleb's Voice
OMG. You guys, this is a bit uncanny. I am struggling with an as-yet-undiagnosed vocal chord problem. I've been describing it to people as "the vocal equivalent of a stress fracture." Caleb's doctor described his condition as a runner running with a hurt ankle, which is something from which I just healed, as well. Uncanny. However, the real story is that Caleb is sick, and his voice is affected. SUCKS. I wonder if this development will affect what was his certain win, as well. SUCKS.
Home Visit Preview
Oh, yay. I can't wait. Jena's dog was waiting on her at the airport. C'mon. I'm already crying.
#IdolSelfie
Really? REALLY? I don't get it. I do not get it.
Idol Top 3... GO!
Round #1 – Randy's Picks... YO!
Caleb Johnson – "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS
His voice is OK in the beginning range. Let's see how it goes for the rest of the song. I like the start in the throne. Do I hear a hint of stress in his voice, or am I looking for it? No, I think he's fine. I like the slow, boiling groove of the song. Here comes the high note... and nailed. He's good to go. Hope he holds out for two more songs. "You on your worst night is better than most people on their best night." I'm going to hazard a guess that Jennifer's comment is no consolation for Caleb. He wants to be his best all the time. Period.
Casa Cobb Comments
Ed: We've been watching all this time, and there's been only one song.
Mom: You must've forgotten that Selfie one.
Alex Preston – "Pompeii" by Bastille
I'm excited to see what Alex does with this song. Ooh, he has a drum. Will he be playing? I hope so. So far, it's a stripped down version, but staying very close to Bastille's original. I like it. Oh, here goes the drum. Hey, Idol, turn on his mic. I like this performance a lot, but I may be swayed by the song, which I've loved since I downloaded it as the iTunes free single of the week on the second-to-last day of school last year. Mom is in heaven. She thinks this performance is Alex's best, and she's furious that Ed doesn't like it. She just said, "I like that he's moving, I like that he played drums, I like that he played guitar, and I like that he didn't play the guitar." :o)
Jena Irene – "Titanium" by David Guetta
Likin' the bedazzled jacket. Not likin' the song choice. Likin' that she is standing on the pedestal with the fly fabric spread like a skirt. Mom is freaking out that she is standing up there. Ed noticed that she has a safety belt of sorts... that she can't disconnect! Oh my! She's handling it well, but it's taking away from the bust-out moment. I think that Jena is a victim of a bad song choice here, though I do enjoy watching her having a great time. Is Keith having convulsions? What is that?
Jo's Round #1 Ranking
Round #2 – Judges' Picks
Likin' the bedazzled jacket. Not likin' the song choice. Likin' that she is standing on the pedestal with the fly fabric spread like a skirt. Mom is freaking out that she is standing up there. Ed noticed that she has a safety belt of sorts... that she can't disconnect! Oh my! She's handling it well, but it's taking away from the bust-out moment. I think that Jena is a victim of a bad song choice here, though I do enjoy watching her having a great time. Is Keith having convulsions? What is that?
Jo's Round #1 Ranking
- Alex
- Caleb
- Jena
Round #2 – Judges' Picks
Caleb Johnson – "Demons" by Imagine Dragons
Ooooh, you can hear the stress in his voice here. He's having the exact same problem I am: more breath is required to make sound, and he's not accustomed to it. I really, really, really feel for him. How frustrating. It's not bad, by any means. It's just vocally rough. Oh, now it's getting bad. Poor, poor guy. How will America react to this development? The loss of his voice has leveled the playing field in a strange way. Nice encouragement and advice from Keith. Caleb is handling it so well. I would be bawling. When it happened to me in Joseph in March, I was bawling.
Alex Preston – "Stay" by Rihanna
Ooooh, you can hear the stress in his voice here. He's having the exact same problem I am: more breath is required to make sound, and he's not accustomed to it. I really, really, really feel for him. How frustrating. It's not bad, by any means. It's just vocally rough. Oh, now it's getting bad. Poor, poor guy. How will America react to this development? The loss of his voice has leveled the playing field in a strange way. Nice encouragement and advice from Keith. Caleb is handling it so well. I would be bawling. When it happened to me in Joseph in March, I was bawling.
Alex Preston – "Stay" by Rihanna
So, our basement is flooding, which marred this performance slightly. However, I heard enough to know that I was very taken by the strings section. Of course, Alex delivered a beautiful, beautiful rendition. I loved listening to the notes tumbling out of his mouth with ease. Bubbling brook, he is. The sounds he's making are daggers to the heart for Caleb right now. Based on personal experience, I can say that those sounds are the exact ones that Caleb can't make and wishes he could.
Malaya
Did Malaya just take out her retainer on national television?
Malaya
Did Malaya just take out her retainer on national television?
Jena Irene – "Heart Attack" by Devi Lovato
Nice start. Cute shirt. The upped tempo is making it difficult for Jena to get out all those words in that low register. This arrangement is so. freaking. rushed! It's causing Jena to be way behind the beat. The vocal is strong, and I especially liked the bridge. ("Burst into fla-a-a-a-ames.") I liked her phrasing better than Demi's, but the whole thing was ruined by the crazy fast beat.
Jo's Round #2 Ranking
Tonight's Show...- Alex
- Jena
- Caleb
Round #3 – Home Picks
Caleb Johnson – "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin
He's going to let it all go here. The beginning started well, but then the cracks started popping up at the most inopportune times. Still, he did a fabulous job with a wounded instrument. It was fun to watch Jennifer and Keith stand up and rock out, even though JLo appeared to be channeling a stripper. What is up Harry's butt? Dude, enjoy yourself. OH MY GOD, the mic stand! THE MIC STAND! Caleb! Every frustration he had with his voice tonight was just taken out on that mic stand. He just earned back every vote he might have lost, and probably gained some more. That was one of my favorite Idol moments of ALL TIME.
Alex Preston – "The Story Of My Life" by One Direction
He's going to let it all go here. The beginning started well, but then the cracks started popping up at the most inopportune times. Still, he did a fabulous job with a wounded instrument. It was fun to watch Jennifer and Keith stand up and rock out, even though JLo appeared to be channeling a stripper. What is up Harry's butt? Dude, enjoy yourself. OH MY GOD, the mic stand! THE MIC STAND! Caleb! Every frustration he had with his voice tonight was just taken out on that mic stand. He just earned back every vote he might have lost, and probably gained some more. That was one of my favorite Idol moments of ALL TIME.
Alex Preston – "The Story Of My Life" by One Direction
Loved this one. It's the only Idol performance I've downloaded this season. I like it more than One Direction's. I especially like his hesitation on "It's fro-o-o-zen." I didn't think he performed as well as he did the first time he presented it, but it was still great. Mom had a problem with the graphics. They nauseated her.
Jena Irene – "Creep" by Radiohead
Ed is pumped. He loved this one. He played it back several times the night she performed it originally. She closed the show well with some great musicianship. Professional, emotional, and flat nailed.
Jo's Round #3 Ranking
Jo's Round #3 Ranking
- Caleb
- Jena
- Alex
...was a great Top 3 collection. Caleb's vocal stress was a bummer, but he made me forget it all with the mic slam. Alex showed all the reasons I like him, and Jena displayed some true artistry.
Jo's Overall Ranking
- Caleb
- Alex
- Jena
- Caleb
- Jena
- Alex
What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!
(There is a possibility that tomorrow's notes will be delayed. It depends on whether or not our Brain Games team makes the finals. So everything will probably be biz as usual.) :o)
