Just like me, it sounded like even the Idol in-studio crowd was tired of Idol and its remaining contestants leaving Ryan Seacrest with requests of the crowd like:
- "We need that energy."
- "Come on, bring that energy."
- "We want that energy."
Back to tonight's in-studio audience. Why was the in-studio crowd so lackluster tonight? Perhaps because of the ridiculous theme night of songs written or performed by Carole King. Seriously? We go from songs from the 21st century to Carole King? You know Idol has reached the bottom of the well when it resorts to having young contestants sing songs of an artist who was popular before they were even born. What's next? Songs of Liberace? Songs from the Baroque period? 118 compositions that have hit the Billboard 100 is impressive, but unless I wear dentures and mom jeans, Carole King is not in my vocabulary.
Jacob Lusk started the night with a mediocre "Oh No, Not My Baby". Lusk started slow and finished strong, but the song was nothing special. And judging by his outfit, I think Babyface, tonight's mentor, might have called in a favor from Stevie Wonder to dress Lusk.
Lauren Alaina followed with the very boring "When You Leave" that left me wanting to leave the room and perhaps Idol for the remainder of the competition. While Alaina sounded good, like Lusk, the song did nothing for her voice or her chances to stay in the competition. After two performances, I dislike Carole King even more than I did before tonight's show.
Country bumpkin, Scotty McCreery, brought something a little different when he was forced to stray from his go-to country roots with "You've Got a Friend". Like his fellow contestants, the performance was extremely boring. I do give McCreery credit, however, for sounding better than Lusk and Alaina. It amazes me that Idol continues to take contestants out of their comfort zone with these stupid musician-themed nights. While I understand that Idol can only do so many decade-themed nights, there are other ways to provide broad theme nights and not songs of the once popular and no longer relevant musician-themed nights.
Of course, leave it to King James Durbin to leave me eating my words (a bit) when he performed the classic tune, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?". Judging by the feedback from Randy Jackson and most likely the voting public, the answer is yes. Durbin meshed Bryan Ferry's version of the song with a Weezer-like pop-rock arrangement into a perfect fit. Tonight, James Durbin showed the true control he has with his voice.
Casey Abram performed "Hi-De-Ho" taking viewers back to a simpler, cooler time with his Cab Calloway-esque version of the song made famous by Blood Sweat & Tears. While more entertaining then the early performers, I continue to struggle with how Abrams will ever go prime-time with his brand of music. Idol has done a solid job of bringing together its most eclectic top 10 ever, however there is still only one, maybe two, performers who have the possibility of selling records to the masses.
Batting clean up was my least favorite contestant now that Stefano was booted last week, Haley Reinhart. Good performance but seven performances later, I never wanted to hear a musician's songs again less than Carole King (in all truth, outside of "You've Got a Friend", I don't think I wanted to hear a Carole King song even before tonight). Between the showcasing of contestants' idiosyncrasies a week or two again and eight Carole King songs, Idol officially jumped the shark for the season tonight.
Most interesting thing about the night is that 'The Voice", airing a night earlier, showed how a fresh new show can add life to a singing competition. With four young, relevant judges, and a fun concept where a contestant's age and how they look doesn't matter in the first round, "The Voice" showed that it too can find talent and perhaps someone who can actually sell more albums than the winner of Idol. Also interesting is the fact that "The Voice" judges provide positive comments, but don't make you feel as if every contestant in front of them is the second coming of Jesus and has the potential to be bigger than music legends like Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Most obnoxious thing of the night? Extending an already long night with time-wasting duets. Note to the Idol producers: if you do not have 90 minutes to fill with competitive singing, cut it to an hour and save the viewing audience 30 minutes of their lives. If you feel really compelled, save it for the joke-of-an-hour results night when viewers can simply tune in during the last two minutes to catch who was kicked off.
Most disappointing thing of the night? J Lo crossing her legs too quickly when being serenaded by Jacob Lusk and James Durbin and leaving Egotastic (and me) without a prime opportunity to sneak a peek.
Most disturbing thing about the night? Steven Tyler trading his creepy leering stares for a six-year old on his lap. I know Tyler likes them young, but that is simply gross.
And on that note, I am going to prepare for my trip to Hell.
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