AMERICAN IDOL Top 12 Girls Performance Show

Throw your hands in the air, and wave let ’em like you just don’t care, cuz IDOL’s back and the ladies can’t slack or Simon…well Simon will just tear them to shreds on national TV, and none of those girls want that, do they?

Finally, tonight is the first real night of competition for this season of AMERICAN IDOL. So far new judge Ellen DeGeneres has exceeded my expectations, but will she be as comfortable judging the IDOL wannabes live as she was in Hollywood Week? It’s time to find out.

Tonight all 12 girls will perform for your votes. Tomorrow night’s the top 12 guys will perform. Thursday night the two guys and the two girls with the lowest votes will be the first voted off the island, auf’d, Philiminated, Seacrest outed?

I know I’ve got my favorites coming out of Hollywood Week.  Will they still be my favorite after tonight, or will some new talent grab my attention? The girls are introduced one by one and….it’s Katie Stevens that get’s the Week 1 pimp spot. Congrats Katie, the producers obviously have high hopes for you.

AMERICAN IDOL on GMMR
If you’re new to GiveMeMyRemote.com’s coverage of AMERICAN IDOL, it goes a little something like this.  Each week I “live” blog the performance shows.  I’m putting “live” in quotes because although I don’t post live, I do capture my comments live. I watch the performance, hit the ‘ol pause button on the remote and write my two cents. I then hit the un-pause button to hear what the judges have to say. (I like to go with my gut feeling and don’t like to be influenced by the judges.)

The best part about IDOL is that we all get to the be the 5th judge. We see and hear each performance and determine whether or not we’d pick up the phone to vote. That’s what we do here.  I share my thoughts, and then I turn it over to all of YOU to weigh in on each performance or perhaps just your favorite/least favorite moments.

On results night it’s all about the LIVE blogging (LIVE, all caps no ” “). Barring any scheduling hiccup, I live blog what’s going down on the results show as it happens.  As a result you’ll find out who is voted out the minute that it happens.  In seasons past, results show has always been a bit of a party here on GMMR. Consider this your invite, I hope you’ll RSVP.

Over to you, Seacrest…
Before we get to the singing, it’s time for a little Q&A with the judges.  The most telling moment for me was when Ryan asked Kara whether she thought America knew this group better at this stage of the competition [than in previous years]. Kara said she thought so and added that it was important as it gives people a frame of reference. Really? It’s important? Interesting. You might have wanted to share that opinion with the producers who very strategically went out of their way to make sure America knows very little about some contestants in the Top 12.  I can tell you all about Katelyn Epperly’s father abandoning her family, or the death of Didi Benami’s best friend, but I know next to nothing about Paige Miles or Michelle Delamore. Wondering how they feel about their lack of screen time knowing how important one of the judges thinks it is. Oh Kara. Please turn it around this season. Don’t make me want Paula back.

Pagie Miles
“It’s All Right Now” by Free
Talk about being in a tough spot. The first performance of the entire season of IDOL. Paige was obviously nervous but she fought through her nerves and turned out some really strong vocals. I’m not sure I would have picked that song for Paige. As I just mentioned, Kara talked about the viewers having a frame of reference for the contestant. Knowing so little about Paige I don’t know who she is as an artist. Tonight’s musical selection told me that maybe she’s an R&B singer with a rocker’s edge.  I like it, but I can’t say that performance and song selection was a defining moment for Paige. But come on, that voice? That stage presence? Give this girl some time to get her bearings and I think she might turn out some incredible IDOL moments. Or she could fizzle out and never be heard from again after this week.  (Was that enough to cover my ass?)

The Judges: Simon said he thought of all the girls Paige has the best voice (wow), but he disagreed with the song choice saying it was “a wedding singer” type of song. He thought she was going to be fine but he wants to see more self confidence from her next week.  Kara thought the song was brilliant and she has “a ridiculous voice”, but thought she could have done more with the chorus. Randy agreed with both Simon and Kara (some things will never change). He said it maybe wasn’t the right song, but her vocals were hot. And in her first live critique, Ellen said that she “agreed and disagreed with all of them” (ha). She thought it was a tough song but thought she pulled it off well.

Ashley Rodriguez
“With Happy” by Leona Lewis
Boston in the house! A girl from Chelsea on the IDOL stage…gotta love it. Although we’ve seen Ashley here and there throughout the competition, we don’t know all that much about her. But her pre-vid was priceless if only because we got to see Simon Cowell singing Jordin Sparks’ “Battlefield”. Hilarious! But thankfully it’s not Simon singing tonight, but rather Ashley. As for her first IDOL performance, I was a little mixed.  She’s gorgeous and she looked so confident on the stage, but I think her performance was bigger than her vocals. It was a beautiful song, and I don’t think it was necessarily the wrong song choice, but she was rushing a bit and she had more than a few off notes.  She kept trying to take the song to the next level but she never really got there. She had some nice moments but on the whole I gave it about a 7 out of a 10 (when did I start giving scores?) I think Ashley definitely has the star quality to stay in the competition.

The Judges: Kara applauded her ambition for taking on a difficult song by “the Mariah Carey of this generation” (somewhere Mariah is taking out her anger over that statement on Nick Cannon). She mentioned a few off notes, and told Ashely that she wanted to see her take on songs that we wouldn’t expect her to sing, and make them her own (here we go again with this season of Arraignment Idol). Randy trotted out his old line about taking on songs by big singers and being compared to them (snooze). He went on to say that he could see a lot of Leona in that performance but not really Ashley. Wow, that was borderline insightful and helpful. Damn, Randy. Ellen said she had everything going for her, but told her that now it’s time to take a risk. Simon thought it was “clumsy”  and that she is going “backwards” and her performance lacked “originality”. He thought she might be in trouble tonight.  I wouldn’t have thought so based on the performance alone, but the rolling of the eyes and the slight attitude she was giving off during her critique won’t do anything to help gain votes. How about a little humility here.

Janell Wheeler
“What About Love” by Heart
One of my favorites coming out of Hollywood Week, I’m hoping Janell brings something special tonight.
I thought Janell was a little bit above average  in her first performance. I thought her vocals were there for the most part, but the arrangement was lacking any real oomph. She looked comfortable on the stage. I’m not worried about Janell being around for another week, but I wish she had come out of the gate with something a bit more impactful.

The Judges: Randy didn’t love the song choice and didn’t think she brought anything original to it, but he likes her voice, so that’s something. Ellen on the other hand loved the song choice, and thought she sang it well despite a few shaky notes. Simon thought she gave it 100% effort but delivered only 65%. He found moments where he really liked her voice. He reminded her it was about song choice and originality.  Kara thought the song was way too big for Janell. She said that the unique qualities of Janell’s voice were lost when she tried to sing the big notes.

Lilly Scott
“Fixin’ a Hole” by The Beatles
Hmmm. Yeah, that’s all I have after Lilly’s performance. Hmmm. I don’t think that was the right song choice for her at this stage in the competition. Keeping in mind those who actually pick up the phone and vote, I think she should have picked a more recognizable song her first week out.  I personally LOVED it. I think Lilly can do more, but I like what she brings to the competition. Lilly is interesting and quirky and I think that’s the reason she’s made it to the Top 24, but she might have been just a tad too unrelatable tonight.  With that voice of hers, I think she could have set herself apart singing just about anything. This somewhat obscure Beatles song might have set her too far apart.  I’m not saying that Lilly should sell out on week one, but it’s a competition and she needs to establish a repore with the audience and make them comfortable with her as an artist but she unleashes her full bagfull of tricks.  Again, it’s all about relating to the audience picking up the phones to vote. I think she really needs some good praise and an explanation from the judges about her performance to help others “get” her.

The Judges: Lilly has at least one fan (ok two including me). Ellen loved how distinctive she was, and she loves her voice. Simon said she was the best of the first four girls.  And look at that, Simon is doing exactly why I hoped he would. He’s explaining to the audience at home that Lilly picked that song because it represents her as an artist rather than picking something that will get her through to the next round.  Thanks Simon! Kara thought she was “believable” and “comfortable on the stage”. Randy thought she came across as a real indie artist.

Katelyn Epperly
“Oh Darlin”” by The Beatles
Next up is Katelyn Epperly. I need to hear big things from this girl tonight. From what I saw in her auditons and in Hollywood Week I’m bewildered why she made the cut. She’s cute. Ok. But can she sing? Well, color me surprised, the answer is yes. I thought Katelyn looked confident and her vocals were strong. A few notes were shaky, but give that it’s the first night I think that’s a given. What that song choice tells me about Katelyn as an artist, I’m not sure, but it did tell me she can sing.  Was she good or were my expectations just really low?

The Judges: Simon said parts were “messy” but he likes her. He thought it was a good choice of song for her. Kara said that Katelyn knew her voice very, very well.  She praised her for what she did with the song and said she improved upon it.  Improved upon a Beatles song?  Ok.  Kara didn’t think Katelyn’s makeover was really working for her.  (I can’t say I noticed that much of a difference, apart from the bird in Katelyn’s hair). Randy liked the look and the performance. He said that Katelyn really paid attention to the tone of her voice and not just the runs. Easy Randy, that’s more than a few somewhat insightful comments tonight, that actually related to the contestants’ musical prowess. Don’t blow all your new comments in the first episode. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.  Ellen praised her voice but thought she pushed it maybe a little too much.

Haeley Vaughn
“I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
One of the most memorable singers from the early auditions, Haeley lost me during Hollywood Week.  I didn’t see one performance from her that showed me she had the pipes to back up her hype.  The country girl sometimes singing flat is Taylor Swift’s thing. I’m interested in what Haeley can bring to the scene. As for tonight’s performance, there were a few good moments, but on the whole I don’t think Haeley and I are on the same page. Why was she screaming at me the whole time? I think Haeley is one of those contestants that I might not get but others will really love. She has a wonderful spirit and charm about her. She exudes this playfulness and innocence that I think a lot of people are going to connect to.  I might not dig her musically, but I can still quietly root for her.

The Judges: Kara said there were some technical issues with the performance in terms of notes, but she has such a joy about her while she’s performing and “that’s why people get up and cheer”. She said she uses that to make up for what she lacks in vocals, but Kara said she needs to work on her technical abilities.  Randy didn’t think the notes in her upper range were all that pleasing to listen to, but he praised her boldness. Ellen said that she just shines on stage and that she enjoyed it.  Simon said it was “burgeoning on terrible” and a “mess”.

Lacey Brown
“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
I didn’t realize we had seen Lacey before until they showed footage of her in a sing-off with Megan Joy for a spot in last season’s Top 24.  Anyone that was so humiliated to be beat out by Megan Joy should be able to sue for damages.  Glad to see Lacey made it through this season. Here’s to hoping she doesn’t sing ‘Rockin’ Robin’ (sorry to put the memory of Megan’s monstrosity back in your heads). She didn’t. She opted for “Landslide” or as she pronounced it “Landside”. I thought the whole thing was a bit of a mess. She tried to try something different with the song but singing most of the notes around the main melody. I think I see where she was trying to go with it, but it didn’t quite work. Instead of sounding unique, for most of the song it sounded like she was singing the wrong notes. There were a few small moments were things came together for her, but on the whole I didn’t enjoy her performance.

The Judges: Randy wasn’t feeling it either. He thought it was the wrong song choice.  He said it was “terrible”. Ellen said that she’s better than that performance. Simon thought it “depressing” and “indulgent”. Kara thought she missed some important notes.

Michelle Delamore
“Fallen” by Alicia Keys
Although at times I was taken back by the changes she made to the arrangement, I thought Michelle really showcased her voice with this choice of song. She’s got some pipes. After last season’s auditions, I had hoped this song had been retired by IDOL, but no such luck. I think Michelle avoided the pitfall of just trying to impersonate Alicia Keys. It didn’t make me want to stand up and cheer, but I thought Michelle had one of the strongest and most confident vocals of the night so far.

The Judges: Ellen loved it. She said that next time she’d like Michelle to take a bit more of a risk. She thought it was amazing, but she knows that Michelle has more to offer. Simon wasn’t wow’d but he gave the impression that he liked it enough. Kara thought there were technically not a lot of good things happening, but she thinks Michelle can get there. Randy thought it was a tough song, but like everyone else on the panel, he encouraged her to take more of a risk.

Didi Benami
“The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson
I guess it’s only right to tell you that coming into tonight’s show, Didi was one of two favorite female contestants. She made a lasting impression during her initial audition and then again with “Terrified” during Hollywood Week.  Tonight I thought Didi picked the perfect song. It suited her voice so well, it was original enough but also contemporary.  I would have liked to hear a bit more smoothness as the glided up and down some of the notes, but that might have been more a musical choice rather than inability. Didi looked a little uncomfortable on the stage tonight. She needs to work on her stage presence a bit more. She didn’t get swallowed up by it, but she needs up her performance quality. But again, I really dug the vocals. It was the first performance of the night that I went back and watched again.  Ok, on to the judges.

The Judges: Simon said she had a good voice, but he thinks that tonight too many people are trying to sound like Adele and Duffy (the same point we made on the podcast last week). He thought the performance was dull and lacked a spark, but he said he liked her and her voice. Kara thought the song was good, but she liked what Didi did with it. Randy said she lacked star power. Ellen thought it was a bit too low key for her first impression.

Siobhan Magnus
“Wicked Game” by Chris Issak
It’s been a long night already, so I really need Siobhan to show me something special.  This is another girl that I completely confused by her placement in the Top 24. And after that performance I’m not a confused as I am scared. There is a difference between haunting and creepy, and while Chris Issak’s version was the former, I though Siobhan took it to a place that was just a little too dark for my liking.  Maybe I’m not being fair. I could be confusing the vocals with the performance. I wasn’t wow’d by the vocals, but had I closed my eyes I think I would have enjoyed the performance a bit better.

The Judges: Kara wasn’t sure of the song choice at first, but she liked it. She said it felt real. Randy urged her to reach for bigger songs rather than smaller moments. Guys, I’m wondering if someone slipped me something in my drink tonight. Again, Randy is making sense.  Ellen was purely entertained by the performance. Simon called her a “funny little thing”, he questioned her song choice, but didn’t seem to bothered by it.

Crystal Bowersox
“Hand in my Pocket” by Alanis Morrisette
Bow-er-sox! Bow-er-sox! Color me excited. Please be as awesome as every time I’ve seen you this far, Mama Sox. I’ve got a lot of money riding on you this season. THANK YOU! It’s really late as I’m writing this, and I’ve seen a lot of singers tonight, but Crystal really got to me, in the best kind of way.  She was so authentic up on that stage. Not a false moment the entire performance. Her voice is incredible in a way that’s unique but not too quirky, and strong but still gentle. Crystal is officially my favorite girl in this competition.

The Judges: Randy said she’s one of his favorites in the competition because of her originality and honesty. Ellen said we are lucky that Crystal decided to try out for the show. Simon said the problem with Crystal is that there are thousands of girls doing exactly what she’s doing outside train stations every day. Harsh words but true, and I think helpful.  Having not seen past seasons, Crystal might be at a slight disadvantage in that she might not know how to play to the judges, but I think that’s fine for her because she really doesn’t care.  Simon urged her to branch out and choose songs that she can really make her own. Kara thought she was good tonight, but she thinks she has greatness in her.  Kara said Crystal needed to become more than a coffeehouse singer and really fill the stage.  I see her point.  Who am I?!

Katie Stevens
“Feeling Good” by Michael Buble
Katie has a good voice. Let me get that out of the way first.  But there was something very disarming about that voice coming out of a 17 year old.  I don’t mean to imply that she needs to sound like a teeny-bopper singing songs made famous by someone who started on the Disney Channel, but he voice seemed out of place with her appearance.  I would have like to see her take on a song a bit less serious. Here’s the other thing, as good as Katie’s voice is, it hasn’t fully matured yet.  As tonight’s performance showed, she has great range.  But there is something holding her back in her upper register.  She needs to break through that if she wants to go from good to great. Impressed but not excited.

The Judges: Ellen agreed with me (I like her). She thought the song was a bit too old for her. Simon agreed with Ellen and said she has to become “a young recording artist not someone who is going to sing at your mum’s birthday party.” Kara said it was pitchy, and Katie’s better than that. Randy said she pushed too hard and she kept going sharp. He agreed with his counterparts that she needs to sing something younger.  If she hits the stage with a Justin Bieber song next week I’m going to bust some skulls.

Holy cow, that’s it! Whew…I’m exhausted. Now is about the time that I start panicking that this is the year GMMR readers have decided to abandon IDOL. Please don’t go. Please don’t make write all thing for nothing. So much to discuss.  Your thoughts on the performances?  Any early favorites? Who are you ready to see go?

My predictions: Lacey Brown and Siobhan Magnus are going to get the boot this week.  I guess we’ll see on Thursday.

Tune in tomorrow night when we break down the performances of the top 12 guys.

NOTE: I’m literally falling asleep as I type this. I’ve give it a good once over in the morning.  For now just ignore an typos. Deal?