I wrote this entry a little bit ago for a website dedicated to Jim McGorman's fans. It's called "On The Rebound", and it's great! check it out at THIS ADDY.
So here is how and when I became a Jim fan...
I became a fan of Jim and his music when... It traces back to a while ago...
Sometimes in 2004, actually. I didn't know Jim at the time, but I had just watched a re-aired episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Tabula Rasa". I had fallen in love with Michelle Branch's song, Goodbye to You, and had noticed the cute keyboard player.
Fast forward to the summer of 2005.... Rockstar INXS... As the season went on, I started noticing the fabulous House Band more and more, and Jim always stood out for me. I've always loved watching Nate bang on his drums like his life depended on it, dreads flying all over the place... I've also always enjoyed the way Rafa seemed to make love to his guitar, and how intense he always is on stage... But somehow, it was the rhythm guitar and beautiful back vocals from Jimmy that got my attention. He was alwys so into the music, rocking out on stage... A few of the best Jim moments for me were, of course, Bohemian Rapshody, but also Pretty Vegas acoustic, You Can't Always Get What You Want, and a few others earlier in the season.
September 2005 - RockStar INXS Finale Week. JD, Marty and Mig, along with Nate, Paul and Jim from the House Band (I think it was only those 3, but I may be mistaken) are doing a radio interview and performing. At the end of the show, Jim sings lead on You Can't Always Get What You Want. I'm in love! I loved Jim's voice on this song from the moment I heard the first few lines.
Fast forward to the summer of 2006... RockStar Supernova... I'm excited for a new season! I'm excited to see the new contestants, and of course to hear my beloved House Band (and Jimmy) every week again. Gosh I missed them! A few stand out Jim moments are of course his interactions with Zayra. I love how Jim's face cannot lie on how he feels... On stage, I've enjoyed every single Jim moment, but particularly Time after Time with Dilana. Jim was showcased for the brilliant musician and singer he really is... I love this particular performance. And of course we were treated to a few Jim performances at the City Walk show... Jesse's Girl was just an amazing performance!!!
Sometimes in august 2006, I became aware that Jim had his own band, Jamestown Ltd. I listened to his album, The World Is Falling Down, on his website. When I listen to an album the first time, I like to get a quick feel of what the album is all about, so I usually listen to about 30 seconds of each song before listening to the whole thing. Not with Jim's album. From the first note of You're Not Alone to the last one of You and I, I listened to every single second of every single song rigth away.
That was it, I was totally won over. I am now a fan for life. Whatever he does in the future, I'll support him. Now that he will be touring with Avril Lavigne, I'm looking forward to having a chance to see him on stage in Canada... I'm also very much looking forward his next album. In the meantime...
Don't cover it up All the streets of America oiled in blood I'm sorry my love There are some things that happened that can't be undone Is our love enough? When there's nowhere to hide breathing ashes from above
If this world is falling down If this town is underground I wish you were here Singing along with me...
I like Blake very much for his uniqueness, for his cool voice and look. That was a good performance that I enjoy very much. Not because it was the strongest vocal performance ever, but because it's something that has not been done on Idol before. I don't know the song, and like Randy, I didn't care much that I didn't know, because Blake got me interested. I think the problem for Blake this week is that he chose a unique song, sure, but it did nothing to show off his voice. Still lvoe him tho. And I love we saw some of his tattoo!!!
Sanjaya Malakar - Waiting on the World to Change - When he started I had high hopes... But that quickly faded away. Still better than last week, but that's not saying much. There's nothing more I can say... He's not ready, he shouldn't be there, and the judges only want him gone gone gone, just like the rest of us. Teeny boppers, please let him go!
Sundance Head .. Jeremy - It wasn't that bad, but it was not as good as last week. He did scream a lot of that song. I felt he tried way too hard with the pseudo dancing and mike stand manipulations (that are nothing like those of that other bloke, ya know, that guy, huh what's his name... Oh yeah, JD fortune.. *L*). If he really wanted to sing a Pearl Jam song - a Pearl Jam song on AI! WOW! - he should have done a slower tune... Perhaps even Better Man. But he gets brownie points for bringing Pearl Jam to AI.
Chris Richardson - Tonight I Want To Cry - I usually don't like that kind of voice, and the kind of music he favors, but there's something that is pleasing to my ears in Chris' voice. He WAS nasal tonight, much more so than usual. I don't think he showed very much originality with his song choice or his interpretation, but he sang it well. Elliott Yamin KILLED this song last season.
Jared Cotter .. If You Really Love Me - Second song in a row that Elliott Yamin did last season. Jared surprised me, I really did not expect him to do as well as he did. That being said, I just don't like him. Yeah, he's cute, yeah, he's esthetically pleasing... But his eye fucks, the way he moves, the facial expressions he has when he sings, everything bothers me. Tonight, he was shouting his song rather than singing it.
Brandon Rogers - Just Want To Celebrate - Brandon is just not picking songs that show off his beautiful voice. But damn his got a beautiful smile....
Phil Stacey - Like Water - OMFG the start of this song was soooooooooooooo bad... Creepy even. The lower part of his voice is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Ok, falsetto surprised me. Pretty good. And he's got a good thing going when he streches himself. But tonight, he screamed, he was pitchy, he was all over the place. His looks was strange, and the hat? No thanks. Bad, bad, bad performance. And I know it i stupid, but the fact he had one ear tucked in his hat and the other was not bothered me to no end.
Chris Sligh - We All Want to Be Love - LOVED the start of the song. That was awesome! I wish he'd stop dancing around tho - he was great until he started moving around, and then it's like he was concentrating more on the dancing rather than the singing. It was distracting to me, too. But still, Chris did really well. I like his tone very much.
Best of the night - Chris, Blake Worst of the night - Sanjaya, Brandon
I want to send home - Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya! Will be going home - Brandon and Jared
Top 12 - Girls
Jordin Sparks .. Heartbreaker - Meh, she sang well, had some pitchy notes here and there, he f-ing back up singers were horrible... Jordin was just not believable on that song. Anyone thought about Ty Taylor? *LOL*
Sabrina Sloan .. Don't Let Go - Sabrina screamed her song. But she looked good.
Antonella Barba - Put Your Records On - Simon was being nice to Antonella, mentioning the stuff in the media and all... But damn Ryan needed to come ruin that for her by asking her questions. Why does he do hat this season? I really don't like it!
Haley Scarnato .. If My Heart Had Wings - Apparently, Haley's first song didn't clear, and she could only rehearse her new song once. I actually liked Hailey tonight. True, she's not the strongest singer, but I thought she sung her best tonight.
Stephanie Edwards .. Sweet Thing - Stephenie... I hated it tonight. Nearly flawless? No way, she was pitchy in many places, and shaky all over. I HATE that she chooses that kind of songs - the ones where there are a lot of words, and the rythm of the song doesn't always make sense. Not liking her or the song tonight AT ALL.
LaKisha Jones .. I Have Nothing - Lakisha sang really well, she looked STUNNING - I love her hair! But the song choice was indulgent and she didn't show originality at all. She did show passion and clearly has some "yo", but still...
Gina Glocksen .. Call Me When You're Sober - I REALLY enjoyed gina tonight! She seemed so comfortable up there. she showed personality and her voice was great. Yeah, she had some pitch problems here and there, but she was great. But those damn back up singers were so out of tune again on her song, that was totally awful!
Melinda Doolittle .. I'm a Woman - That from Melinda was amazing. AMAZING! I love the blues stuff she did. She was great!!!
Best of the night - Melinda, Gina Worst of the night - Antonella, Stephenie
I want to send home - Antonella, Haley Will be going home - Haley and Stephenie
Welcome to Canada, it's the Maple Leaf State. Canada, oh Canada it's great! The people are nice here and they speak French too. If you don't like it, man, you sniff glue. The Great White North, their kilts are plaid, Hosers take off, it's not half bad.
I want to be where yaks can run free, Where Royal Mounties can arrest me.
Let's go to Canada, let's leave today, Canada, oh, Canada, I Sil Vous Plait.
They've got trees, and mooses, and sled dogs, Lots of lumber, and lumberjacks, and logs! We all think that it's kind of a drag, That you have to go there to get milk in a bag. They say "eh?" instead of "what?" or "duh?" That's the mighty power of Canada.
I want to be where lemmings run into the sea, Where the marmosets can attack me.
Let's go to Canada, let's leave today, Canada, oh, Canada, I Sil Vous Plait. Let's go to Canada, let's leave today, Canada, oh, Canada, I Sil Vous Plait.
Please, please, explain to me, How this all has come to be, We forgot to mention something here. Did we say that William Shatner is a native citizen? And Slurpees made from venison, That's deer.
Let's go to Canada, let's leave today, Canada, oh, Canada, I Sil Vous Plait. Let's go to Canada, let's leave today, Canada, oh, Canada, I Sil Vous Plait.
Phil Stacey — I Aint Missing You - I really didn't like his version. He did better near the end, but I thought the arrangement was cheap and the performance overall was not good. I don't think his voice can cut through songs well enough to be played on radio.
Jared Cotter — Let's Get It On - Such and obvious song choice for him, and huge icky factor that he dedicated this song to his parents! Good vocals, but it's like he's trying way too hard.
A.J. Tabaldo — Feeling Good - Great vocals, although I am not crazy about his falsetto. But he sings really well!
Sanjaya Malakar — Steppin' Out With My Baby - Hey chicken little, we'll see you next week! Damn, he seems like a great kid, but he's way too shy and too soft spoken for this. He really isn't ready...
Chris Sligh — Trouble - I didn't know Chris had that kind of voice. That was good! He put a lot of himself into it, and that made it even more enjoyable to me. I hd forgotten that Taylor Hicks did it last season. Chris did not do this better than Taylor... But I still like him!
Nick Pedro — Fever - I love love love this guy's tone, but his performance tonight was ordinary. The genre suited him much better, but still... When he sang those high FEVER! he gave me chills. The last FEVER and subsequent lyrics were great... But the rest in between was very meh to me.
Blake Lewis — Virtual Insanity
That was amazing. I am not into that kind of music, but damn, Blake did awesome. He was a bit shaky at first, but then he kicked into gear and it was great. I loved the scatting and the transition to falsetto to words... That was amazing and original. There's no one like him!
Brandon Rogers — Time After Time - Damn he's cute... I love his smile. But this was such a bad song choice... I get what he was saying about feeling the song and not needing to oversing it, but this was not the song to do that. It really didn't showcase his voice properly.
Chris Richardson — Geek in the Pink - I'm so not into that kind of music, but I enjoyed that performance immensely. Chris was in his element tonight, and it showed. Top performance of the night.
Sundance Head — Mustang Sally - Much better than last week by a thousand miles! I agree with Simon that he still can do better than that, but this was still really good. More of that kind of music, Sundance!
Best of the night - Chris R., Blake, Sundance My favs - Blake, Chris R.
I want to send home - Sanjaya, Jared Will be going home - Brandon and Jared
Top 18 - Girls
Well, to be really concise - no one grabbed me tonight but Lakisha and Melinda. All those girls are good singers - yes, even Antonella. But many of them lack that "humpf" that M and L had tonight.
Gina Glocksen — Alone - Hum... Ok. She was good, but to pick a song that Carrie Underwood did so well 2 seasons ago was NOT a good idea. I am no fan of Carrie's, mainly because she sings songs that are not my style (I don't really like country) and I really didn't like how robotic she was on stage. That being said, I've always recognise how great a singer Carrie really is. Alone is the ONLY song she did on the show that I have downloaded and put on my ipod/itunes. Gina baby, you were good, but not THAT good. Was it just me or were the background vocals on the high "ALONE"'s were off???
Alaina Alexander — Not Ready To Make Nice - She was not baaaaaaaaaaad, but she was not gooooooooood. The bridge between the two chorus was jammed packed with words, and she was out of breath after a bit...
LaKeisha Jones — Midnight Train to Georgia - I like Lakeisha very much! Last week was better, but she was great tonight as well. I really like the sound of her voice when she sings in a more tone downed fashion.
Melinda Doolittle — My Funny Valentine - I am not a big fan of diva-like singers... But this was perfect. That was amazing! Amazing!
Antonella Barba — Because You Love Me - She doesn't sing THAT badly... Her tone is pleasant, but her voice is thin. She looked really mad after the judges comments. And I would too. Randy with the "the positive is that you are drop dead gorgeous". She may not be cut out to sing, but I find that kind of comments to be unecessarly rude. There's no need to put someone down like that. Like being beautiful is all she has.
Jordin Sparks — Reflection - She was much better last week. Yeah, her emotions probably got the better of her.
Stephanie Edwards — Dangerously in Love - I hate that they put Stephanie and Jordin one after the other. They sound very similar to me. Maybe it's the kind of music, but I really didn't feel her tonight.
Leslie Hunt — I'm Feeling Good - This was much, much, much better than last week. I like her tone - I've always liked women who have a smokey, lower voice. Hearing her by herself during the performance, I went wow... But then during the recaps, hearing her right after all the others... She didn't stand out. I liked the beginning, but other than that...
Haley Scarnato — Queen of the Night - Oh, tears again... She was better than last week, but there is still something lacking.
Sabrina Sloan — All The Man That I Need - Not bad, but she put a bit too much sugar all over it. Her last note was baaaaaaaaad...
I want to send home: Alaina and Leslie Will go home: Alaina and Leslie
I don't know if this story is true or not, and I don't really care... I just find the reading of the poem very funny! Be patient while you listen to the "talented" people... Wait a bit until you get to this guy reading off a white paper... You'll see, it's funny! Well, I think it is anyway! :)
You know, lots of people rag on American Idol for various reasons. Contestants are made fun of, others are being ridiculed, some even say that some contestants are favored by the judges and pushed forward and shoved down our throats... Yeah, American Idol may have its flaws... But it's moments like these following two that makes it all worth it. To see your dream come true... The smile on Bo Bice and Chris Daughtry's faces, as they perform withe their idols, is worth it all in the end.
I love to hate that show... But I love that show. :)
Yep... I got sucked into another season... I've only started watching AI when Bo was on... Season 4, right? Anyway, I'm watching again this season... Don't know yet how it's going to be...
Here are my thoughts on the top 24, after their first performance (picture courtesy of rickey.org):
Top 24 - Guys
Rudy Cardenas — Free Ride - Tough to start off the season! I didn't think his vocals were great, but he showed off lots of personality, which is more than most AI constestants can say after their first performance on AI. He's probably going to be gone, only because he was the first... and not very memorable.
Brandon Rogers — Rock with You - I like his tone, but I was expecting more from him tonight. I still liked him tho. He's got the sublte eye/camera fuck mastered already. I gotta admit he's cute! I think he'll be there next week.
Sundance Head — Nights In White Satin - Bad, bad, bad song choice!!! WTF is going on with him? He was so amazing at the auditions, and ever since, he's been worst than baaaaaaaaaaad. Too cocky? Too confident? And now too down on himself? I really hope he'll be there next week, because I truly believe the guy can be amazing. But damn, he's walking on a very thin rope right now...
Paul Kim — Careless Whisper - I didn't expect to like his voice, but I did. I really liked it. Cheesy performance, and yeah, the barefeet thing is cheesy, but I like that he's sticking to it. I thought he sang ok, tho he was flat here and there.
Chris Richardson — I Don't Want To Be - I have mixed emotions about this one. I don't like the tone of his voice. He's too nasal and has too much vibrato going on. But he did make the song his own, and I thought he did well with it. We'll see how he does...
Nick Pedro — Now and Forever - Loved, loved, loved the tone of his voice. But the performance was kinda meh...
Blake Lewis — Somewhere Only We Know
I LOVED this performance. I really wanted him to be able to sing as well as he does the beat box... He's amazing! He may not be the best singer there ever was, but he's got a decent voice, he's on pitch and has personality. I REALLY enjoyed that performance, despite a few transition problems. Probably one of my fav tonight!
Sanjaya Malakar — Knocks Me Off My Feet - Poor kid looked so nervous up there. He sings beautifully, but he is not ready for this competition. That performance was all kinds of bad.
Chris Sligh — Typical - LOVE this guy. He's witty, he's got personality, and he can sing! His jab at Simon RE El Divo and Teletubbies (apparently Simon is behind the Telletubbies! I learned something tonight) was gutsy... I hope Simon won't start putting him down because of it. Not the best vocals ever, but GREAT performance all around. Loved it!
Jared Cotter — Back at One - Hello cutie! Jared has got it going ON! *fanning self* I like his voice and he seems able to perform on stage. But he didn't really wow me tonight. His performance was a bit over the top as far as the sexyness of it. Reminded me of Ace and his camera fucks. *L* Just a tad too much.
A.J. Tabaldo — Never Too Much - I don't care for his voice, and I don't care for his style, but he had the best vocals tonight, hands down.
Phil Stacey — I Could Not Ask for More - First part of the song was baaaaaaaaaaaad... But when he kicked into the chorus, that was all kinds of amazing.
Best of the night: AJ, Blake, Chris Sligh My favs: Blake and Chris Sligh
Worst of the night: Sundance, Sanjaya
Going home: Rudy and Sundance
Top 24 - Girls
Stephanie Edwards — How Come You Don't Call Me - She was good. Some of her maneurism is a bit strange, but she's got talent.
Amy Krebs — I Can't Make You Love Me - I like the tone of her voice very much, but damn that was boring. I kinda liked he country flavor, but that was way too subdued.
Leslie Hunt — Natural Woman - Another good voice, but that did nothing for me. I kinda get what Simon says with the dog walker comment, although he really didn't say it the right way. She seemed awfully nervous, and as a result, her performance was manic.
Sabrina Sloan — I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You - awesome voice. She did really great, but to me, she's yet another diva kind of singer... A bit Tony Braxton-ish.
Antonella Barba — Don't Want to Miss a Thing - That was the Sanjaya performance of the night. Ouch... I like her voice, and she is beautiful... Every girl want to hear that she's gorgeous. But to hear from Simon that that's all she's got was tough... I think she's got talent, but she's just too young for this.
Jordin Sparks — Give Me One Reason - That was really good. My only problem is that I didn't think the song choice was all that good. I felt like she didn't showcase her voice at all, until the last third of the song. She's got a great voice, and seem to have a nice personality.
Nicole Tranquillo - Title??? - She's nasal in her lower and middle registers. Shaky all over. Didn't like it.
Haley Scarnato — It's All Coming Back To Me Now - When Simon told her she was very cabaret during he auditions, I honestly didn't see it. But I did tonight. good vocals, but it seems like they were kinda empty. She reminds me of Katherine McPhee for some reasons.
Melinda Doolittle — Since You've Been Gone - That was amazing. This girl's got it going on! She really needs to have more confidence in herself, because she really is good. I liked!
Alaina Alexander - Brass in Pocket - I like her tone, but she blew this one. Not good. She was really nervous, but still.... She was singing a song that commanded a powerful voice. She totally missed the boat.
Gina Glocksen — All By Myself - I love her tone. Love it. I love women who have that kind of big, deep voice. She sang really well, although I thought her song choice was obvious and old fashioned. But she did it really well.
LaKisha Jones — And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going - Awesome! She had he emotion, she had the voice... Love the growl. I do think that her last note on "me" was off... But overall, she was great.
I really like Melinda and Lakisha, but... I would have a really hard time distinguishing Melinda's, Lakisha's, Stephanie's and Sabrina's voices. All 4 are the diva kind of singer. While I think all 4 sing really well... I don't really see what makes them stand out from the others.
Best of the Night:Lakisha, Melinda, Sabrina My favs: Lakisha, Melinda, Sabrina
Worst of the night: Nicole, Antonella, Alaina Going home: Hard to tell - toss up between Nicole, Antonella, Alaina and Amy
Bootees:
Paul Kim Rudy Cardenas
Amy Krebs Nicole Tranquillo
A little clip of the eliminated contestants' journey plays, while "Home from Daughtry plays as the goodbye song this season. Yeah Chris Daughtry! :)
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh Check it out Going out On the late night Looking tight Feeling nice It's a c**k fight I can tell I just know That it's going down Tonight At the door we don't wait cause we know them At the bar six shots just beginning That's when dick head put his hands on me But you see
CHORUS I'm not here for your entertainment You don't really want to mess with me tonight Just stop and take a second I was fine before you walked into my life Cause you know it's over Before it began Keep your drink just give me the money It's just you and your hand tonight
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Midnight I'm drunk I don't give a f**k Wanna dance by myself Guess you're outta luck Don't touch back up I'm not the one Alright Listen up it's just not happening You can say what you want to your boyfriends Just let me have my fun tonight Aiight
CHORUS I'm not here for your entertainment You don't really want to mess with me tonight Just stop and take a second I was fine before you walked into my life Cause you know it's over Before it began Keep your drink just give me the money It's just you and your hand tonight
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh Break break Break it down
In the corner with your boys you bet up five bucks To get at the girl that just walked in but she thinks you suck We didn't get all dressed up just for you to see So quit spilling your drinks on me yeah
You know who you are High fivin, talkin s**t, but you're going home alone aren't cha?
Cause I'm not here for your entertainment No You don't really want to mess with me tonight Just stop and take a second (Just stop and take a second) I was fine before you walked into my life Cause you know it's over (Know it's over) Before it began Keep your drink just give me the money It's just you and your hand tonight (It's just you and your hand)
I'm not here for your entertainment No no no You don't really want to mess with me tonight Just stop and take a second (Just take a second) I was fine before you walked into my life Cause you know it's over Before it began Keep your drink just give me the money It's just you and your hand tonight Yeah oh
Mom Has Stacked Dinner Party Roster
-
GOLDEN, CO—Their eyes widening in amazement as the 43-year-old rattled off
the names of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, impressed members of the
Dreesh...
