Monday, June 30, 2008

Canadian Idol - Top 20 - Part 1

Mark "Funny Man" Day - In Love With A Girl
It was nice to her him do a more contemporary song. While his vocals lacked power in places, I thought he faired pretty well with his voice. On the other hand... His performance was boring. I have a hard time reconciling his looks with his voice. All in all, pretty average to me.




Paul Clifford - Apparitions
I adore this song... Gorgeous. I really enjoyed Paul's take on it, and his raspy voice complimented the lyrics and the melody very well. Great choice for him.




Drew Wright - The Grace
I didn't know the song, and I didn't feel his vocals where enough to really make me like this. He was good vocally, although he's missing some strenght here and there.

Marie-Pierre Bellerose - Beautiful Goodbye
This sounded a bit too low for her... It was off at times, too. The higher, raspy parts were AWESOME tho.




Mookie Morris - Naive
Great vibe for him. Vocally it was good, the energy was good, too. I didn't know the song, but Mookie made it interesting to me.




Sebastian Pigott - Daydream
This was FANTASTIC!!!! A mile or two or a million ahead of everyone else. WOW!!! He picked a perfect song for his voice, the raspiness complimenting it perfectly. It allowed him to really showcase his personality - absolutely adored the way he smiled, moved his eyes, played the guitar while looking at the band... AWESOME all around.




Martin Kerr - In Your Eyes
I can't watch him, his maneurism really bothers me. It was ok, but not edgy enough for me.

Lisa Bell - Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay
Nice vocals, a bit off in thye beginning tho. Bored me to death, but she sang well.




Gary Morissette - Mr Bojangles
Very, very nice. Love the vibe for him, and his voice sounded really good on this. It was GREAT!




Amberly Thiessen - Everything I Own
Definetely one of the stongest tonight. Her voice was spot on. A bit sleepy for me tho.



My Top 3:
Sebastian
Gary
Amberly

My Bottom 3:
Mark
Martin
Marie-Pierre

Stars Down - Car Crash @ The Mint

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Canadian Idol Top 24 Rivoli Nightclub Performances

Via mj - thank you!

Paul Clifford, Shaun Francisco, Lindsay Robins and Martin Kerr - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, CCR



Adam Castelli and Lindsay Barr - “In The Midnight Hour”, Wilson Pickett



Jesse Cottam, Mitch MacDonald, Katelyn Dawn and Amberly Thiessen - “Yellow”, Coldplay



Drew Wright, Omar Lunan, and Gary Morissette - “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, Marvin Gaye



Oliver Pigott, Sebastian Pigott and Tetiana Ostapowych - “Fly Like an Eagle”, The Steve Miller Band and "Crazy", Seal



Theo Tams, Lisa Bell, Marie-Pierre Bellerose and Katherine St-Laurent - “Imagine”, John Lennon

Friday, June 27, 2008

David Cook Vlog #3

I guess there should be a special guess mention, too....

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Blake Lewis - Canal Room, NYC - June 24th 2008

Thank you to measureinlove for the videos!

Jealousy


You Give Love a Bad Name - The crowd sings the chorus while Blake "drums" - really cool. There's also a long beatboxing bit. Love it!


She Will Be Loved / With Or Without You - Damn I love this cover he does.


1000 Miles - Off his album ADD - love, love, love


Emotional Waterfalls


She Loves The Way - Holy Fuck I love this song. Best is still the original one he did on Halloween 2006, but still.....


How Many Words



From greeneyesxo

Introduction & Improv


Some cute Blake chatter


Jealousy


Whatcha Got 2 Loose


We Came to Get Down & Billie Jean


1000 Miles


She Will Be Loved/With or Without You


Living On a Prayer


Talking about Bon Jovi


America The Beautiful


More Blake Chatter


Here's My Hello


Emotional Waterfalls


She Loves The Way


Encore / How Many Words

Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Top 24 - Results

Before we get the results, we are treated to a very nice segment of group numbers - the contestants sing in groups, some with the same groups they had during the group audition rounds, playing the song they auditioned with, too. This is such a great idea - some of those auditions were so great, why not showcase them? Other groups who did not audition together are also formed. Gotta say, I really love this - it shows us the contestants in a different light. And it's so much better than all the filler they give us on AI's results shows!

First up is Shaun, Paul, Lindsay Robbins and Martin with Have You Ever Seen The Rain.Shaun is playing the piano and Paul is playing the guitar. Soooooooooooo good!

Singing Midnight Hour, now it is Adam and Lindsey. Lindsey is playing the acoustic guitar and Adam the electric guitar. This group did not audition together tho.




Old Time Rock And Roll with Mookie, Earl, Mark and Jessica. That group did not audition together either. Mookie and Earl are playing the guitar... They are sounding good! Especially Earl and Mookie.

Mitch, Amberly, Jesse and Katelyn are now playing Yellow. The two guys are playing the guitar and are sounding GREAT on that song, especially Mitch. The harmonizing is really nice!




Drew, Omar and Garry and playing Heard It Through The Grapevine. They put a little bit of a twist on the song and they are sounding GREAT together and by themselves. Love it!

Tetiana, Oliver and Sebastian sing Fly Like An Eagle. They auditioned together with Mookie, and their song was so great then... And this? Even better. WOW! Sebastian sounds AWESOME on this. They really play around with the song, an even throw in a bit of Seal's Crazy at the end. I don't like Tetiana, but I have to say, I was impressed with her on this. Very, very nice!

With Imagine, we have now Theo, Lisa, Marie-Pierre and Katherine. Beautiful harmonizing.




Results....

Starting with the Monday Night crew... Wow, Ben goes right into it... Tetiana and Lindsay Barr did not receive enough votes, and they are sent home. And wow, Ben goes right into the Tuesday Night crew, and announces that Lindsay Robbins and Shaun Francisco are going home as well.

Hum...

I am not a fan of Tetiana - I've said it enough time here already - but I thought she'd last longer. She had started to won me over, especially with that group performance tonight. Very surprised she's going. Disappointed the two Lindsay are going, as I liked their edgier voice. I was hoping Shaun would go, as he clearly was the worse of the crew last night.

David Cook and David Archuleta Hit The Road for the American Idol Tour

Guitar Hero® Hits the Road with the American Idols Live! Tour 2008

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http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080625005240&newsLang=en

Fans Will Get a Sneak Preview of All-New Guitar Hero® World Tour and Watch A Guitar Hero Competition on Center Stage

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This summer, Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq:ATVI) Guitar Hero®, the #1 best selling video game franchise of 2007, will go coast-to-coast with the American Idols Live! Tour 2008, kicking off in Glendale, Ariz. on July 1. The sponsorship fuses the two pop culture phenomenons together for a second time, building on the success of the dual-branded “Risky Business” TV advertisements that featured season seven winner David Cook and finalist David Archuleta last month. In the upcoming 53-city tour, concert-goers will be among the first to experience three of the newest Guitar Hero games, the highlight of which will be a sneak-peak video demonstration of Guitar Hero World Tour, which officially hits shelves this fall.

The 10 “Idol” tour finalists will be part of a halftime Guitar Hero World Tour rockumentary, created by advertising agency DDB, that blends the camaraderie of hanging out in the studio with the franchise’s latest transformation of music gaming - a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone. In each city, expert shredders will also face-off on center stage, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: On Tour will be available for everyone to play in a booth throughout the tour.

“The American Idols Live! Tour is for families to immerse themselves in the Idol experience first-hand, and what better way to bring a personalized, super star feeling to life than by playing Guitar Hero,” said Iain Pirie, head of 19 Entertainment U.S. “Integrating Guitar Hero into the tour gets fans actively involved and provides an added dose of entertainment that we know they’ll love.”

“The Guitar Hero franchise is continually searching for new and organic ways to connect with music fans,” said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. “Linking the concert-going experience with a chance for people to feel like they are taking center stage with Guitar Hero delivers on just that. By going from town to town alongside ‘American Idol,’ we are building a strong community and providing new ways for families and friends to spend time together by sharing the magic of music.”

This week, rockers of all ages can enjoy two new video games from the Guitar Hero franchise, including:

* Guitar Hero: On Tour – For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans can rock out anytime, anywhere with Guitar Hero: On Tour. Designed specifically for the Nintendo DS™, Guitar Hero: On Tour is bundled with a revolutionary Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ and is currently available in stores nationwide.
* Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – Rock this way with America’s greatest rock n’ roll band, Aerosmith. Relive the band’s illustrious career from their early days at Nipmuc High School and continue on their journey to becoming rock royalty. Available on June 29, 2008 for Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 2, PLAYSTATION® 3 and Nintendo Wii™.

Blake Lewis - Interview - How Many Words - She Loves The Way

Blake Lewis explains and clarifies what happened with his label, Arista. He says they decided not to renew his contract. He’s still with 19 Recordings and he’s planning and tour and started a new record. He’s producing and has finished 3 songs.

Blake performs his latest single How Many Words with his loop pedals and keyboard.



Also, visit MyFox NY to watch an exclusive performance of "She Loves The Way", with loop pedals and KOSS pad.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

'American Idol' Top 10's Tour Secrets



David Cook, David Archuleta and the rest of the "American Idol" Top 10 are heading out on the 49-city "Pop-Tarts Presents American Idols Live! Tour 2008," this summer and will be spending almost three months on a tour bus. So what will they be bringing along with them to help them pass the time? "The Insider" knows!

David Cook: My guitar. My Gibson Blues King acoustic. When I am not singing onstage, I will be writing, recording and playing music.

David Archuleta: My phone. That is my only way of talking to my friends. I am addicted to texting I have to admit.

Chikezie: I am going to be bringing a guitar with me, so I can get better. I am decent, but I want to get much, much better at that instrument.

Jason Castro: I need my guitar. I go crazy without it. And probably some books. I like to read. And a computer. That is how I write my music. I don't do it the old-fashioned way.

Michael Johns: Probably my tennis rackets. In case we get any free time, I want to stay somewhat fit and play some tennis. Other than that, about 90 pairs of underpants. I don't want to do laundry.

Brooke White: I have to have music with me at all times, so I got some fancy headphones that are noise canceling that I can just plug into my iPod, so I can chill out on the bus and that will help inspire me to write when I am on the road.

Carly Smithson: My computer, so I can Skype™ with my family, and my guitar, so I can play.

Kristy Lee: I am bringing two photo albums and a stuffed bear. I like sleeping with the bear and that way I can have photos that remind me of my family and friends.

Ramiele Malubay: During my time off, I was taking all these pictures of everybody, so those.

Syesha Mercado: I have a teddy bear that is really dear to my heart. It was hand-stuffed by my fiancé. It is called Sinai. I am going to have that on the tour with me. Also, a really, good positive, uplifting book. I have a couple in mind. I am probably going to bring four books to keep my spirits high and have a good read. Of course, some comfortable clothes. You have to have some sweat pants and a nice, warm, cuddly sweater. And my iPod, my journal and laptop. I am getting a Mac.

The "Pop-Tarts Presents American Idols Live! Tour 2008" begins on July 1 in Glendale, AZ and wraps on September 13 in Tulsa, OK.

Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Top 24 Performances Part 2

The rest of the Top 24 perform tonight....

Jesse Cottam - Rebel Yell
How refreshing to hear some good old rock on Canadian Idol! It's a tough one for me - if I consider the performance by itself, I thought it was pretty good. Jesse's voice lack a bit of grit and anger to really pull of that song, but still, he was believable and did a good job. Now, if I take that performance and pin it against other covers of the same song (JD Fortune, Lukas Rossi), I'd say the arrangement was way to sedate, and Jesse's vocals way to rounded. Over all, I can say I liked it.




Mark Day - Alone
What an odd choice... While he sang it really well, I can't say I liked it a whole lot. It was ballsy to tackle such a song on the first night, but it was just too weird for me to hear a man sing that song. The physical performance... Very cruise ship-y to me. I do enjoy his personality tho. Zach is not in a good mood - just shut the fuck up Zach, ok?

Jessica Sheppard - Get Here (If You Can)
I love the tone of her voice - deep and rich and just beautiful. I'm not crazy about all the runs she seems to feel obligated to sing. She looked and sounded really nervous in the beginning. The bridge was great tho.




Shaun Francisco - Yellow
I sat there watching him with my mouth open. And no, it was not a good thing. The very first note was so awful, it made me frown and gasp audibly. His voice was really weird throughout, too low in places, too strong in others and his falsetto was really weak. And is it just me, or he forgot lyrics and made up shit? I think this was by far the worse we've seen so far, last night included.

Lindsay Robins - River Deep, Mountain High
The really high notes were screechy as hell, but I LOVE her rock edge, the grit to her voice, her little punk attitude. The way she walked around the stage, she reminded me of Avril Lavigne. I enjoyed that very much. And I love her red plaid pants!




Omar Lunan - Every Breath You Take
Now THAT was GOOD!!! I am so not the kind of person who loves a singer who sings runs... But Omar really made it work in this song. His phrasing and the way he held notes really served him well to make the song his own. His tone was perfect for this song. He struggled a tiny bit in the bridge, but it doesn't really matter, because the rest of it was awesome. My very favorite so far, including last night.




Marie-Pierre Bellerose - You Know I’m No Good
The jazzy vibe fits her, but that song was soooooooooooo boooooooooooooo riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! I love her tone, and when she went into her higher register, her voice has this sexy, raspy rocker edge that I love. But the rest... Meh. I do like her tho, so I hope she sticks around.

Ben slamming Amy Winehouse had me drop my jaw!!!! *LMAO*!!!!




Sebastian Piggot - Dark Horse
Poor guy is living in his brother's shadow - I enjoyed listening to him talk in his pre-performance package. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the casual sitting down on the stairs, elbows on knees, mike hanging low when he was not using it and then the holding on to the mike stand as he sings. He kinda lost me during the chorus, as I felt he was behind the music and the band was overpowering him. It was good, but not quite there. One thing's for sure, he did miles better than his bro. Clever title for a song choice - he might just be a dark horse in this race. Wow, he's tall - taller than Ben. He looks much smaller when he stands on his own.

Theo Tams - Apologize
Wow, the boy's got balls to do such a modern, well known song. He did it really, really well. I liked that he did not go into his falsetto right away during the chorus, instead waiting until the end. He's got a wonderful falsetto... So gorgeous. I enjoyed the fuller sound during the chorus, and love, love, love Theo's tone. Not crazy about the runs and the vibrato, but it was still a great performance. I might have to revise my statement, this might be my favorite so far...




Amberly Thiessen - What Am I To You
I was not expecting the country vibe from her, but it works. She sang this beautifully. Very nice. She looked really comfortable up there. I like her.

Adam Castelli - Mess Around
I enjoyed the blues vibe for Adam. I was hoping for a bit more dirt on the vocals in the verses, but all in all it was good!




Katelyn Dawn - Hallelujah
She sang great. And the folksy kind of vibe really suits her. But if she wanted to go that route, she should have done a Spirit of The West song or a Great Big Sea song. That folksy vibe did NOT suit this particular song at all. This was the Canadian version of Kristy Lee Cook's Eight Days a Week. Me no likey at all. And it's too bad to end the night on that note, because the last 5-6 performances were really strong.




Overall, tonight was much, much stronger than yesterday. I was surprised that yesterday was so middle of the road while tonight was pretty darn good!

My Top 3 tonight:
Theo Tams
Omar Lunan
Sebastian Piggot

My Bottom 3:
Shaun Francisco
Katelyn Dawn
Mark Day

David Cook and David Archuleta - The View

Interviews and David Archuleta perforning "Stand By Me"


David Cook performing "Time of My Life"

Idol Top 10 Hit The Road

Via E Online

Monday, June 23, 2008

Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Top 24 Performances Part 1

And we are starting!!!!

Since this year the number of guys doesn't equal the number of girls, instead of having a night of all guys performances and a second night of all girls performances, we'll have two nights of male/female performances. Should be really interesting!


Lindsay Barr - Burning Love
She's got a great tone, and seems to be a good performer. But it feels like she's holding back... a lot. I hope she sticks around, because I would love to hear her sing some more soulful rock.




Martin Kerr - Lost Together
It seems to me like it should have been better? I like his voice but his mannerism really bother me. I did not like the arrangement - it seems the band was either too low or too loud. I did like when Martin reached in the middle, his veins popping out in his neck. That was good. Not the vein popping but the singing.

Gary Morissette - Good Golly Miss Molly
I like what he says in his pre-performance package - "if you have the music knowledge inside of you, you shouldn't have to think about it all too much, just let it come out and loose yourself in the music". Cool bluesy rock and roll song for his gritty vocals. The guy is crazy! He plays a guitar solo, and he's rocking the hell out on the stage. NICE!!! It cracks my shit up that Zach calls him Cyber Boy (because he auditioned online).




Tetiana Ostapowych - Feelings
While I appreciate the effort of her making this song her own, I did not like the arrangement at all. I really didn't think it suited the song, or even Tetiana's style. Very “cruise-shippy”. I am not a fan of this girl, but I am willing to give her a chance, because she can really sing.

Mitch MacDonald - Follow Through
Aw, that was nice. Dude's gotta loose the perma grin, but other than that, I enjoyed hearing something new, something not totally overdone. That vibe really suits him well. But if he's going to go the indie route and sings songs the vast majority of us have not heard, dude better sing the shit out of it everytime... He is likable, and that is something that hopefully will help him in the competition.




Paul Clifford - Broken
I really enjoyed that. Loved the slow part at the top, the band kicking in the middle with Paul's vocals soaring, and then the slow part at the end. He's got a really gravelly voice, and it worked really well for that song. Loved it.




Earl Stevenson - All Along the Watchtower
I love the soul in his voice. He seemed so nervous tho... But he pulled it off. I love what Jake said - Earl doing a Dave Matthew's version of a Jimmy Hendrix version of a Bob Dylan song. *L* It worked! I really hope he'll go far into this, I like him a lot.




Lisa Bell - Long Train Runnin’
A little Doobie Brothers for this R&B singer. LOVE the slowed down beginning. She did good with the more rocking part, too, although I would have preferred she'd keep it up with the slow. But it was really good.

Mookie Morris - Twist and Shout
While the vocals were really good and the song suited his voice, Mookie's performance was way too copycat, right down to the dancing and shaking of the head. It also did not stretch Mookie's abilities in any way. not bad but not great.




Drew Right - Under Pressure
Rocking the guyliner and the mike stand antics, Drew sings difficult one with this Queen tune. He's rather boring up until he busts out the "whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" with the crescendo. Impressive! After that, he rocks it. He could have mad emore out of this in the beginning, but it was still not such a bad first effort.

Oliver Piggot - I Hear You Knocking
Nerves? Over confidence? I don't know what it was, but I was disappointed with this performance. Oliver can sing so much better than that! He seemed to have wanted to make the performance sexy, but it came off... weird for me. He tried too hard perhaps? I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon, but this was not up to par with what he can do.




Katherine St. Laurent - Total Eclipse of the Heart
Very nicely done. Her higher register gets gravelly when she reaches for the high notes, almost on the verge of her voice breaking. While I really like that, I felt her higher notes were a tiny bit screechy on this. Other than that... Very solid performance.




I enjoyed seeing more experienced performers sing on the Idol stage tonight. It makes a big difference on how they respond to the criticism, how they handle themselves, how they answer questions, etc. I think over all it was a good start of the season. Some performers will have to adjust, some will have to shake the nerves and go for it, some will have to tone it down.

Ben makes me laugh. He can be very cheesy, but he always makes me laugh. "Eclipse Totale du Coeur". *LOL*

So, my Top 3 tonight:

Paul
Katherine
Earl

My Bottom 3 is:

Oliver
Lindsay
Tetiana

Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Your Top 24! - MySpace Pages

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Yes, 15 guys and 9 girls!!!

* Lindsay Barr, 26, Halifax, NS
http://www.myspace.com/linzeebarr

* Lisa Bell, 27, Winnipeg, MB
http://www.myspace.com/lisabell1

* Marie-Pierre Bellerose, 25, Quebec, QC

* Adam Castelli, 26, Hamilton, ON
http://www.myspace.com/adamcastelli

* Paul Clifford, 26, Port Moody, B.C.
http://www.myspace.com/paulcliffordmusic

* Jesse Cottam, 23, Calgary, AB
http://www.myspace.com/jesscottam
http://www.myspace.com/sevensangelmusic

* Mark Day, 20, Portugal Cove, NF

* Katelyn Dawn, 19, Winnipeg, MB
http://www.myspace.com/katelyndawn

* Shaun Francisco, 25, Vancouver, B.C.

* Martin Kerr, 25, Edmonton, AB
http://www.myspace.com/martinkerr

* Omar Lunan, 29, Toronto, ON
http://www.myspace.com/theshowmusic

* Mitch MacDonald, 22, Port Hope, NS

* Mookie Morris, 18, Toronto, ON
http://www.myspace.com/blindsightsounds
http://www.myspace.com/themookieexperience

* Gary Morissette, 21, Fruitvale, B.C.
http://www.myspace.com/unknownculprits

* Tetiana Ostapowych, 25, Toronto, ON
http://www.myspace.com/ukiprincess

* Oliver Pigott, 27, Toronto, ON
http://www.myspace.com/oliverpigott

* Sebastian Pigott, 25, Toronto, ON
http://www.myspace.com/sebastianpigottmusic
http://www.myspace.com/sebastianpigott

* Lindsay Robins, 21, Montreal, QC
http://www.myspace.com/lindsayrobins

* Katherine St-Laurent, 17, Otterburn Park, QC.

* Jessica Sheppard, 22, Toronto, ON

* Earl Stevenson, 22, Lloydminster, AB
http://www.myspace.com/earlstevensonandtheearlybirds

* Theo Tams, 22, Lethbridge, AB
http://www.myspace.com/theotams

* Amberly Thiessen, 19, Seven Persons, AB

* Drew Wright, 28, Collingwood, ON
http://www.myspace.com/drewwrightsmusic

Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Top 200 to Top 24

The very last of the Top 200 auditions before the Top 24 is announced. It is the very last chance the performers have to impress the judges before they make their decisions. Solo performances this time.

Mookie Morris, 18 - Toronto, ON - “These Eyes”. I love the soul and the grit in his voice. He's a good guitar player, too.

Omar Lunan, 29 - Scarborough, ON - "Break It To Him Gently". Omar tells the story about his brother who was killed. The emotion he draws from that experience is unbelievable, and he delivers a really strong performance.

Sebastian Pigott, 25 - Toronto, ON - “Your Cheating Heart”. Great, great, great. He's got a weird stance when he plays the guitar, but wow his voice!!!

Oliver Pigott, 27 - Toronto, ON - “Umbrella”. Oh dear Lord. What a great, great version of Rhianna's song!!! We've got some real awesome talent on this show this year. WOW!

Kristine Lankinen 23 - Kanata, ON - title? Don't know why she's still there...

Vincent Vorkpor 23, Vancouver BC - “She Will Be Loved”. He kinda forgets his words...

Ramil Omosura 23, Vancouver BC - title? He's ok...

Jade Padua 19, Pickering, ON - “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. I thought she had a really nice, interesting voice when I heard her in the initial auditions. Not so much in this one, unfortunately.

Mitch MacDonald, 22, Cape Breton, NS - “She Will Be Loved”. He sounded good...

Drew Wright 28, Collingwood, ON - “She Wil Be Loved”. Very nice. He sounds like Adam Levine... He seems so nervous, but I think he pulls it off.




Katelyn Dawn 19 Winnipeg, MB - “Umbrella”. She forgot her words... Oh dear.

Earl Stevenson, 22 - Lloydminster, AB - title? I absolutely adore his voice... Poor guy screws up his song and stops midway. The pressure is getting to him...

Nicholaus J Gordon - 16 London, ONT - title? Another one who the pressure is getting at. Nicholaus totally forgets his words.

Katherine St. Laurent, 16 - Otterburn Park, QC - “Complicated”. Another one who forgets her words...

Adam Castelli, 26 - Hamilton, ON - "Umbrella". Another one who's too nervous. He keeps forgetting his words and trying to make up for it. All in all he's not that bad, but it's not the "moving units" kind of rendition one would have expected from him.




Tetiana Ostapowych, 25 - Toronto, ON - “She Will Be Loved”. She made it to Hollywood on American Idol. I don't like her, but she's good.

Gary Morissette, 21 - Fruitvale, BC - “Simple Man”. The only online auditioner we've seen. He ROCKS!!!! Oh, love between him and Ben! Woo hoo!

Mark Day, 19 - Portugal Cove, NL - “She Will Be Loved”. He hasn't gots the look, but he certainly gots the voice!

Carly Campbell 26, Kamloops, BC - “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. I like her. This last audition was not her best tho...

Jesse Cottam, 23 - Calgary, AB - “Simple Man”. Very nice...

Amberly Thiessen, 19 - Seven Persons, AB - “Complicated”. VERY nice.

Paul Clifford, 25 - Port Moody, BC - “Simple Man”. He was cut last year just before the Top 24. Sitting down at the piano, he really shows what he's made of. Very nice!

Shaun Francisco, 25 - Vancouver, BC - “She Will Be Loved”. He was cut last year, will he make it this year? He's doing well....




The Top 24 is announced here... I'll make a seperate blog post to present you with YOUR Top 24!





Canadian Idol - Season 6 - Top 200

The grueling process of wading through all 200 singers and keeping only the best 24 - yes, it's a Top 24 this year! - is starting. Who will go on to the Top 24? Who will go home?

Many contestants explain what it means to be in the Top 200 and how important it is for them to make the Top 24. There's a really, really nice Great Big Sea song playing the background that I cannot place - anyone know what it is?

Before the contestants have a chance to show what stuff they are made of, the judges talk to them and give them advice:

Sass - You gotta feel your song, because I have to buy it from you.

Jake - Put your spin on whatever song you are asked to sing. this is going to be the most important thing for you on this show.

Farley - You have to have some kind of image of yourself with confetti and balloons falling on your head or you shouldn’t be here.

Zach - Do something to make us believe you are an entertainer who can win this show.

One by one, the contestants sing in front of the judges. Those who impress stay, those who don't go home after only one day of being in Toronto.

Adam Castelli is up first. "Last minute change, I'll do something fun here", says Adam before launching into a kick ass version of “What I’d Say”. Zacj asks him what he was going to sing instead of “What I’d Say”, and Adam answers "Sexual Healing". "It's been a long week, and well, I need some", says Adam to a laughing panel of judges.

Philippe Langelier, the trash metal singer with an opera singer dad, is up next. Singing, "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", Philippe uses his real voice to audition. Will that be enough to make him go through...

Alex Simpson is next, and has about 10 seconds on air...

Regan Hiebert sings "Heard Through The Grapevine", and he's not half bad.

Mark Masztalerz has a strong Bob Dylan vibe. Me no likey.

Mark Sparks and Greg Von Euw offers us a bit if swing...

The first cut is made, and Adam Catelli is on to day 2....

The next group is up, and Dan Young sings for his mother, who passed away just after Dan made it to Toronto. His rendition of "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace was really good. And he is on to Day 2. BOOOOOYAAAHHH!!

Oliver Piggot performs his version of Sting’s Fields of Gold. Gorgeous. Contestants in line behind him, waiting for their turn, are grooving to his voice, clapping for him when he's done. Free pass to Day 2 for this brother.

Katelyn Dawn sings next, and while she does well, there's just something that doesn't quite connect for me.

If Omar Lunan can keep the runs in check, I will really, really like him. Great voice, great stage presence, awesome, awesome chops.

Jessica Sheppard seems so nervous. She was cut right before the Top 22 last year, and seems determined but so very nervous.

Rocker chick Lindsay Barr really impresses me. Great vibe, great sound.

Vincent Vorkpor, who made his entire outfit, sings Cheap Tricks' "I Want You To Want Me". Yeah, not feeling it. He's got a great personality, but his voice is not up to par, in my opinion.

Of that group, everyone is on to Day 2!




Martin Kerr, sang "Yellow" by Coldplay, and totally won Zach over. He gets a free pass to Day 2. I loved it.

Carly Campbell has a big, soulful voice. I hope she goes far, I like her a lot.

Kristine Lankinen has a hard time with her song - the judges think it was a terrible song choice. They give her a second chance to come back and sing something different.

Jonny Whitehead, the army guy, sings "Kryptonite". He seems a bit nervous but confident. The judges didn't think he stepped up to the plate at all. It seems that Jonny changed his song choice at the last minute, which proved to be a mistake.




Lindsay Robins delivers an amazing version of “The Show Must Go On”. WOW.

Theo Tams delivers a very emotional rendition of “Arms of An Angel ”. GORGEOUS His falsetto is AMAZING. If he can keep his tendency to sing runs in check... I will love this guy. Free pass on to day 2 for him!

Kristine Lankinen comes back for a second chance at impressing the judges. She sings "Alone", and I'm disappointed. Still, she goes on to day 2.




And on to group auditions... It's the first time Canadian Idol allows mixed male/female group for the auditions. Should be interesting...

Expectations were high for Martin Kerr/Shaun Francisco/Paul Clifford/Lindsay Robins 's group. They totally delivered! The judges are really impressed, Zach going as far as to say that this group might have been one of the best he's seen in all 6 years of Idol.

Oh no, bad group auditions galore. Jake yawns. I yawn with him.

Carly Campbell/Kristine Lankinen/?'s group sound really good together. The judges really liked Carly.

Omar Lunan's group shines with "Wishing Well". WOW!




More group auditions...

One of the girls is sick and needs to go see the doctor, which puts her group in a bad position. They rework their song as a duet, hoping the sick girl will understand.

We get a string of group auditioning with "Black Horse and A Cherry Tree"

Earl Stevenson's group is a hot mess. It really does nothing for me... So is Taylor and Nicholaus group. On the other hand, Theo Tam/Katelyn Dawn/?'s group and Gary Morisette's group is totally awesome! Gary is one of those who auditioned online.

The sick girl, Lisa Bell, is back and Marie-Pierre Bellerose and Hugo take her back into the group. The guy falls in the background as the two girls are having a sing off. Personally I prefer Marie-Pierre's tone...




Last group of group sing. Euh......

It's Tatiana, Mookie and the Piggot Brothers to audition with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”. They sounded the best out of everyone. WOW!!! The Brothers are going to be a force to reckon with.

The judges then announce who will be coming back the next day, nd who will not. Another round of auditions awaits us before the Top 24 is revealed!

Top 10 Tour Rehearsal Interview - Good Day LA and other videos

Good Day LA



ET

David Cook - Taste For A Cure Fundraiser

E Online Interview




From the UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

The World I Know


Living On A Prayer


Time of My Life

Friday, June 20, 2008

David Cook - Vlog entry #2

David updates us on the status of the record, and talks about the upcoming tour:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

America's Accidental Idol

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/davidcook/articles/story/21128374/americas_accidental_idol

David Cook didn't even plan to try out for American Idol - and then he won

Photobucket

Less than a week after winning American Idol, David Cook is sitting in a glitzy restaurant on the south tip of Manhattan's Central Park. The chef, who proudly says he was among the 55 million who phoned in a vote for Cook during Idol's finals, presents the singer with an off-the-menu treat — foie gras on toast — that leaves Cook unnerved. "That looks dangerous," he says. "I'm a little scared." Tossing the bite-size morsel in his mouth, he chews slowly and quickly lunges for his Sprite to drown out the taste. Later, when the chef returns with a delicate flan of puréed peas, Cook looks at the plate, picks it up and sets it aside to be cleared.

Weird food isn't the only thing to have appeared in the 25-year-old's life in the week since Idol wrapped. After his upset win over teen crooner David Archuleta on May 21st, Cook jetted to New York for his first-ever visit — during which he hit Regis and Kelly and signed a record deal with 19 Recordings/RCA. Whisked around the city in a limousine, he was constantly assaulted by fans. "Sorry to bother you," said one middle-aged woman, interrupting Cook's dinner to plead with him to sign anything. "But the rest of your life is going to be like this."

Like Chris Daughtry before him, Cook has struck a (power) chord with rock fans across the country. The Idol finale brought in nearly 100 million votes, and by the next week, 11 of Cook's songs had entered Billboard's Hot 100 — more than any other artist since the Beatles in 1964. Leading the pack is his first single, "The Time of My Life," followed by many of his Idol covers, including takes on U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," Collective Soul's "The World I Know" and Lionel Richie's "Hello."

Dressed in dark jeans and a black sport jacket with the sleeves rolled up, displaying gnawed fingernails and a left forearm festooned with rubber bracelets and a single silver band engraved AC, Cook brushes off criticism about Idol's starmaking machinery. "The overnight thing is nice and romantic," he says. "But in this particular instance, it's not the case." For a decade, in bands like Axium and the Midwest Kings, Cook has busted his ass to achieve a modest goal: the ability to support himself through music. "I never got into music for the celebrity aspect," he says. "That sounds like a cliché, but it's true."

Cook was born on December 20th, 1982, in Houston. Before his second birthday, Hurricane Alicia ravaged his hometown, his father's jewelry business relocated to Independence, Missouri, and the family landed in nearby Blue Springs. Family outings were often spent at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals play, and Cook grew up wanting to become a major-league ballplayer. Throughout his youth and high school he was a standout pitcher, with nasty movement on his fastball. But before he entered Central Missouri State University, he injured his throwing arm — and shifted his focus to music.

"Second grade was the first time I sang in front of an audience," Cook recalls. "My music teacher, Mrs. Gentry, gave me a song called 'I Wonder' for our cowboy-themed Christmas pageant." In fifth grade, Cook picked up a violin. ("There was a girl in orchestra who I thought was cute," he says.) He officially gave it up on his 13th birthday, when his dad presented him with a brand-new Fender Stratocaster.

A summer trip to visit his grandmother and play baseball with his cousin in Kokomo, Indiana, changed Cook's life forever. "One night we were having a slumber party, and Nine Inch Nails' 'Closer' came on the radio," he says. "I was like, 'That song is so cool.' There were a lot of changes going on at that point — I'd hit a growth spurt. I went to Indiana listening to country, and I came back listening to rock." He taught himself guitar by playing along with Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape, Our Lady Peace's Clumsy and Green Day's Dookie. Cook found rock music at a pivotal time: When he was 11, his parents divorced, and his father relocated to Indiana. "I had a great childhood," Cook says. "I got confused for a while, but my parents made a concerted effort to make sure whatever turmoil they were experiencing didn't bleed into taking care of us." Even more devastating news came a few years later, when his older brother Adam was diagnosed with brain cancer. "He's my role model, and it's something that he's been dealing with for a while — it's not terminal," says Cook, who taped "AC" onto the Gibson Les Paul he played on Idol.

Throughout high school, Cook involved himself in theater productions like West Side Story and entered talent competitions — finally taking home a prize with a rendition of "Paradise City." "That was my first real rock & roll experience," he says. At 15, he formed Axium, emulating Eddie Vedder's angsty baritone. Cook says he never really applied himself in school — "I was the kid with a ton of potential" — but used his brainpower as part of a competitive forensics debate team. During the Idol competition he was given the nickname "Word Nerd" because of his crosswording hobby, but he's not yet a master. "I can do the New York Times crossword until about Wednesday," he says. "After that it gets too hard."

During his freshman year in college, Cook says, he ditched classes, adding that it wasn't drugs ("Never tried them") or alcohol ("I guess I'm a social drinker") that contributed to his delinquency — it was music. Though they received modest local acclaim, Axium became a dead-end street. "I tried to keep the band rolling, but it didn't pan out," he says. In his senior year, Cook took a handful of his demos and recorded a solo CD called Analog Heart. "I'd never learned so much about myself as a musician than I did that year," he says. "I was struggling to book shows, struggling to get people to come to the shows, but I loved every second of it."

In 2006, after graduating with a degree in graphic arts, Cook moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he had a gig lined up playing rhythm guitar in a regional touring outfit called the Midwest Kings. "It gave me a different perspective, allowed me to understand how to work a stage," he says. He scraped by, bartending and painting apartments, while his loved ones encouraged him to come home and get a real job. "The last thing I wanted to do was tuck tail and go home," he says. "I thought, 'I have my whole life to make money, and I should struggle for something I love.' It wasn't something I was ready to give up on."

At 5:30 in the morning on August 10th, 2007, Cook, his mother and his younger brother Andrew, 20, stood in the rain outside Omaha's Qwest Center. "I was just there for moral support," says David — Andrew was the one actually there to audition for Idol. "I appreciated the show for what it is, a huge platform, but I never really saw it as my path." With television cameras on, and encouragement from Andy, David auditioned with Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" — kicking off the nine-month journey that would lead him to Idol glory.

"I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me" is Cook's standard answer when questions fly about Idol's authenticity. But aside from criticizing the group numbers and a particular matador outfit he was forced to wear, Cook says he got what he bargained for. "There's a vibe associated with American Idol, and the show's not for everybody, just like anything else," he says. "But I'm aware that I signed on the dotted line."

Anybody who watched the last few rounds noticed Cook's incredible calm. "I was never in it to win it, and that took some pressure off me," he says. "If I'd gotten caught up in all that, I would've had a coronary." He means that literally: He suffers from genetically high blood pressure, so he's learned how to stay on an even keel, or, as he puts it, "to take the yin with the yang. If not, I'll die!" During Dolly Parton Week, he got nervous about forgetting the words, which sent his heart into a tizzy. Though he claims it was "blown out of proportion," he was still rushed to the hospital and put on medication.

As far as behind-the-scenes Idol drama, Cook can report none. He's looking forward to hitting the road with his former Idol mates — especially Luke Menard, Amy Davis, Michael Johns and Archuleta. His fondest memories of the whole experience are getting to throw out the first pitch at a Royals game this year, meeting the band America in an airport ("I covered 'Sandman' in my first talent show"), dating former Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell and, of course, winning. "That's when the Cliffs Notes version of your life races through your head," says Cook, who was in tears. "I thought Archie had it."

In New York, Cook is on his way out of MTV, where he has recorded a guest spot on the network's Spanish-language version of TRL and realized that five years of Spanish classes have gotten him nowhere. Back on the street, he's asked whether Chris Daughtry's success in hard rock is a good sign for him. "I definitely think guys like Bo [Bice] and Chris have paved the way for somebody like me to have success on the show," Cook says. "But I've prepped myself to have a little bit of room to breathe, a little wiggle room, because I can do the hard rock and I can do the ballads. I don't want to make a Chris Daughtry record, I want to make a David Cook record. I feel like I know who I am."

[From Issue 1055 — June 26, 2008]

American Idol - Season 7 - Favorite Moments

It would be really hard for me to name the Top 10 Best Performances of the Season for me. As a David Cook fan, I find that the majority of his performances were the best, each and every week. So my Top 10 would be filled with Cookie's performances, with perhaps the occasional Michael Johns and Carly Smithson performance here and there.

So instead, I wanted to post my favorite performance for each of the Top 10 contestants.

David Cook - The World I Know - Top 2
Oy. This will be TOUGH!!! What song, what one song would I choose to show someone who's never heard of Cook what he is all about? It's so hard to choose just one (and I'm a Libra, so it's even harder for me!)... Each and every performance that Cook has produced, I love, for different reasons. To showcase his musical talent, I'd choose Billy Jean. To show his emotional connect to the lyrics, I'd choose Always Be My Baby. To show his stage presence, I'd choose Day Tripper. To show off his brilliant vocals, I'd choose Music of The Night. Come to think of it... There is one song that shows off all of those sides to David Cook; "The World I Know". The only side left out in this is the rocker side of Cook, although there are hints of it. The simple, understated arrangement really allowed his voice to shine in all its wonderful glory. He had everything in that performance - soft caressing vocals, gritty powerful notes, fantastic falsetto, emotional delivery. I think this song/performance really encompasses the season for him. He did not get enough credit for it while on the show, either. It was brilliant.



David Archuleta - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Top 2
Can I choose his duet with Cook on "Hero" during Finale Night? That was my very best from Archie, although "Apologize" with One Republic was really great, too. I really wish he had done such songs during the season! Well, maybe not, because he might have won instead of Cook. ;) "Imagine", "Stand By Me" and "And So It Goes" were all strong contenders, but in the end, I chose "Don't Let The Sun go Down On Me" as my fav from Archie. It was not his best vocally, but I felt that he poured so much of himself into that song, so much more than he ever did before during the season. It really grabbed me.




Syesha Mercado - One Rock and Roll Too Many - Top 6
Syesha showed us a totally different side of her with that song, and I think she pulled it off brilliantly.



Jason Castro - Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Top 8
It was hard to choose between this one and Hallelujah. The reason why I chose this one over the other is that I felt he played around with his vocals much more than with Hallelujah. I also felt he was more comfortable and more connected to the lyrics. That is the Jason Castro I really love.



Brooke White - Let It Be - Top 12
Perfect song for her voice. Beautiful straight up arrangement with the piano and the strings. I like it when her voice cracks a bit... I felt she tried too hard in the later stages of the competition and let her nerves get the best of her. I don't feel we saw the best of Brooke in the end because of that.



Carly Smithson - Jesus Christ Superstar - Top 6
Without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus Christ Superstar was my favorite Carly performance of the whole season. It was not her strongest vocals, but it was far and away her best performance wise. She finally let loose, let her voice do the work, and she had fun. She stopped worrying for a second and enjoyed the moment. LOVED IT!


Kristy Lee Cook - Anyway - Top 8
I always thought that Kristy's voice was good, but there was always something missing in her performances. Stage presence? Emotional connection to the lyrics? Connection with the crowd? I don't know... I thought her "Anyway" was clearly her best - I felt she felt the lyrics that night and showed us some of that spark, some of that star quality that was missing for me for most of the season.



Michael Johns - It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right - Top 9
To me, this really showed the husky, soulful quality in Michael's voice at its best. Very bluesy arrangement that allowed his voice to shine, and the simplicity of it really let his voice carry the song. To me, this was his best vocally. There were many of Michael's performances that I liked, but if I had to choose only one to show someone and win them over, it would absolutely have to be this one.



Ramiele Malubay - In My Life - Top 12
I have not been a fan of Ramiele all through the season. I always thought she had a great tone to her voice and was a very good singer, but I never found that she was a good performer at all, or chose songs that would grab me. This one is probably my favorite of hers, because she really does sing it very, very well.



Chikezie - She's A Woman - Top 12
That was such a fun, energetic performance from Chikezie! Way out of his box, and he pulled it off.



And while he didn't make the Top 10, I am still including David Hernandez in my favorite performances recap. I was sad to see him go before Top 10 - I wold have love to go see him on tour. I think he deserved to be in the Top 10.

David Hernandez - It’s All Coming Back to Me Now - Top 16