The Rushfield Review: The Top 12 takes shape

All will be revealed is the promise of many a current television epic, but Wednesday night’s "American Idol" featured enough curtain lifting to keep the online Idolsphere’s collective head whirling for a year.

Not only did we, as expected, fill out the final slots in the Top 9 (with the predictable Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds -- pictured at left on Tuesday's show -- and Jorge Nuñez) but the most puzzled-over mystery of the season was finally cleared up: The identities of the wild card contestants were unveiled.

Actually, this was the first truly suspenseful results show thus far.  While the sudden death element of each week of the semifinal rounds raised the stakes immensely, the contests ended up completely lopsided, with at least two of the three weekly chairs almost certain to go to the huge favorites (Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, MacIntyre, Rounds).  Due to whatever quirk of fate, the distance between the favorites and the field each week has been a mile.

On the flip side, each results show, we have been treated to the spectacle of those many, many who had fallen in their performance nights, trotted out to the death couch -- a grim march to  certain execution. It was, for instance, beyond tragic to watch the once-effervescent but now utterly deflated 16-year-old Arianna Afsar, whose trembling lips and tear-stained eyes gave no doubt she knew what exactly Angel of Death Ryan Seacrest had in store for her, forced to tell the Reaper, “Obviously, I have regrets.”

Thinking about what kind of Top 12 this season’s altered format will produce, it can be said that the above favorites would likely have made it to the big stage in any season in which they appeared, while the jury is very much still out on the remaining three (Nuñez, Michael Sarver and Kris Allen).

Ann Powers: The pile-up, Part 2

Please, America, be sane. Don't listen to the obviously predetermined (or at least heavily biased) patter of the judges. Try to put aside your preconceptions about what makes an "Idol" worth supporting. Do the right thing, and instead of going for novelty, looks or even personality, go for voice.

Vote for Jesse Langseth.

I know -- you were expecting me to stump for Awesome Adam Lambert. But I'm not worried about him, after his dragon-slaying take on the Stones' "Satisfaction". Yes, he was campy (i.e., true to his "theatrical" self), and overly bling-tastic. But every note he hit, and he hit every one, earned him another one of those gold chains.

Maybe some grandfolks will be shocked by the tongue he flashed during the song's early verses, but I doubt it -- those grandfolks are the same aging boomers who salivated for the original Tongue himself, Mick Jagger, back in Ye Olde 1960s. And Lambert hit so many notes way beyond the ballpark tonight, if he has even the slightest problem getting through, I'm gonna start calling him Al Gore.

Langseth, on the other hand, is a more subtle talent. Her vocal tone is the best thing about her; if her main rival, Megan Corkrey, is shiny brass, Langseth is polished pewter. Her voice is the kind that can get under your skin, and she used it very well during this semifinal, showing passion and restraint -- the rarest of combinations on "Idol." 

Rushfield Review: the semifinal frontier

It must be said that this has been one of the bumpier preseasons in "American Idol" history. The seat-belt sign has long since been lighted on a run featuring Bikini Girl madness, Tatiana hysterics, a joke contestant making past Hollywood,  a new judge, no clear front-runner, a new format with rules that remain mysterious, one expulsion and a couple of weeks of very uneven singing. 

But are we so PR-sensitive that we have been conditioned to believe all of the above is bad when, in fact, looking at it from the flip side, those are a lot of conversation starters for a show in its eighth season to put forth into the world, and the fact that all of those topics have dominated chatter for the last few weeks' shows how much the juggernaut remains the dominant force on the pop cultural scene.

The question also remains: Are these preseason bumps merely air pockets in a flight that is otherwise on course, terrifying but destined to be forgotten as soon as they pass?  Or are they a sign that a gremlin is loose on the wing, pulling the wires out of one of the engines?  It is hard to say at this point, but for a sense of the impermanence of our quibbles, it is hard to even recall that two mere weeks ago the punditry was up in arms that there was so little singing being heard.  In the end, all we really have to acheive in these rounds is find three acceptable singers a week. As painful as it may be to sort through the field, this is the work we take upon us in the quest to find our pop ruler.  And in the end, it will be who wins that we remember; not who came in 17th through 31st.

Some other burning questions raised by tonight's show:

—Can Anoop be saved?  He is the critics' favorite to be brought back for the wild card, but if every week puts through two boys and one girl, by the time of the wild card, the boys' ranks of the top 12 will be filled up and only girls' slots will be left.  Thus Anoop fans would be wise to vote for a girl tonight.

—Will Nick/Norman sink Adam Lambert?  Did Nick's performance poison the well for over-the-topness that will result in a backlash against Adam's just rightly over the top performance?

—How much eyeliner will voters tolerate on an Idol man?

Phil Stacey Blog: A rough night for Round Two

Coming into tonight’s "American Idol" broadcast, I was eager to see Matt Giraud and, of course, find out what Norman Gentle would end up doing. But an hour into the program, I was a little bored and felt bad for all the contestants. In my opinion, it was an utterly forgettable night.

However, as my job here is to give you my input as a former contestant, I would like to rant a little on something.  There is a claim that the "American Idol" process reflects that of the real industry. But tonight, which I would like to dub as "night of wrong song choices," "Idol" was anything but reflective of the industry.

In the REAL music industry, the record label does NOT let you go out and perform songs that are not right for you.  It doesn’t matter how much you love it. If it isn’t going to sell you, they won’t put their money into it. On the same hand, I know that it is against the rules for anyone from the "Idol" staff to help anyone because it may give someone an unfair edge. However, they do have a show to sell. It would be cooler to see people bust something out and kill it.

That being said, only a couple really shined; one was Allison Iraheta. And she chose an "Idol" big voice standard –- “Alone” by Heart.  Unfortunately for Allison, I still remember Carrie Underwood's performance of the same song in Season 4.  And when you are stacked against one of the greatest voices in the music industry, it’s hard to compete. But she did pull it out and I will be very surprised if she does not make it through this round.

Handicapping the winners - The Top 36

Only a fool would try to predict the ultimate outcome of American Idol without having seen all the contestants.  But these times make fools of us all.  So try I must. My complete tip sheet will be coming soon, but before too much time expires I wanted to go on the record with my predictions of who will win and who will lose and in what order.   Last year, I predicted Syesha would win it all, so that should show what my track record is worth.  In any event, for the historical record, here is my prediction from first place to 36th where the brave souls of Season 8 will finish.   

(Of course the order of finish for contestants eliminated in the semi-final rounds has little real meaning since we do not know the order of finish at those levels, but let these rankings represent my rough sense of where in the Idol firmament they stand.)

36. Nathaniel Marshall

35. Nicholas Mitchell

34. Matt Beizke

33. Jeanine Valies

32. Casey Carlson

31. Stevie Wright

30. Felicia Barton

29. Alex Wagner-Trugman

28. Tatiana Del Toro

27. Ricky Braddy

26. Allison Iraheta

25. Brent Keith

24. Von Smith

23. Kristen McNamara

22. Jackie Tohn

21. Junot Joyner

20. Arianna Afsar

19. Ann Marie Boskovitch

18. Kendall Beard

17. Jasmine Murray

16. Steven Fowler

15. Kai Kalama

14. Kris Allen

13. Anoop Desai

And to see my Top 12, continue after the jump.

Meet Your Top 36: The List

Here they are, with links to more info.  Somewhere in the column below, is the name of our next champion.

Kris Allen
Arianna Asfar
Kendall Beard
Anne Marie Boskovich
Ricky Braddy
Matt Breitzke
Casey Carlson
Megan Corkrey
Tatiana Del Toro
Anoop Desai
Stephen Fowler
Matt Giraud
Danny Gokey
Alexis Grace
Mishavonna Henson
Allison Iraheta
Junot Joyner
Kai Kalama
Brent Keith
Adam Lambert
Jesse Langseth
Nate Marshall
Scott MacIntyre
Kristen McNamara
Nick Mitchell
Jasmine Murray
Jorge Nunez
Joanna Pacitti
Lil Rounds
Michael Sarver
Von Smith
Jackie Tohn
Alex Wagner Trugman
Taylor Vaifanua
Jeanine Vailes
Stevie Wright

--Richard Rushfield

Photo:Fox

Phil Stacey blog: The best season ever?

The final performance of "American Idol's" Hollywood Week can be incredibly tough.  You’ve been there for several days and haven’t slept much.  You’ve seen OK singers stay, while incredible singers are sent packing.  And this is the last performance where the judges will have the final say whether you make it.

On a side note, every season, the producers and judges always hype it up by saying it’s the best talent ever.  I haven’t heard that once this season.  Maybe I’m just not paying attention, but I would like to say for the record that this season has more potential stars than any I have observed.

A total of 103,000 people auditioned this year.  After tonight, 60 will be left eligible to win the title of American Idol Season 8.

These contestants think this performance will make or break them, but the truth is, the judges already have decided on several people.  For example, I know before this episode starts that Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey will make it through.

On the same hand, I believe they have decided on people they want to send home.  They won’t change their decision.  I remember some people giving AMAZING performances on the final day of Hollywood Week –- and yes, they made it into the top 40 -– only to get cut during the chair episode.

During my season, we were given a small list of songs to choose from, which is why you see the same song being performed over and over.  Unfortunately, many chose to sing former "Idol" contestant songs, and none of them lived up to their predecessors.  But overall, it was a good night and we heard some great singing.

Standouts –- for me -– were Danny Gokey (of course), Matt Gerard, Anoop Desai, Stephen Fowler (though he forgot the lyrics to the song -– he is bad to the bone) and Lil Rounds.  It’s a short list for the girls, but I believe a girl will win this season.  When my season’s Hollywood episodes were finished, all the frontrunners were guys too, but only one guy made it into the top 4.  And Jordin Sparks won.

Nonstandouts that made it through -- Tatiana Del Toro.

Surprise cuts were India Morrison (the girl that rapped –- I think she could have added a lot this year, but I suppose it is a singing competition), and Michael Castro. I mean, we didn’t see ANYTHING from him after his original audition.  I think those judges have some explaining to do!

Wednesday night is the toughest for the remaining contestants.  I’ll explain in my review post.  Until then, be safe.

-- Phil Stacey

Photo: Fox

The Contenders: Meet Kai Kalama

Kai Kalama auditioned in San Francisco for "American Idol" Season 8. The 26-year-old from San Clemente takes care of his mother during the day and plays music at night. His mom suffers from a seizure disorder that started within the past couple of years and has drastically changed their lives. His mom taught him to sing, and he was in San Fran to make her proud. He sure did, with his rendition of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by the Platters, which got him a ticket to Hollywood.

Along with approval, the bearded musician got tough love from the panel, with Simon even recommending a role model for confidence -- none other than himself! Kara called him "cute," and Randy and Paula approved as well.

He was excited with his achievement and immediately called him mom, who was thrilled as well. He said it was one step closer to being able to "spread music around the world" as well as take care of his family. We'll see how many more steps in the right direction "Idol" lets him stay on for.

Kai was previously in a band with his brother called OFFWHITE. You can listen to it on MySpace, and keep up with the latest Kai Kalama news on Twitter.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

photo: Fox

After the auditions: the 12 front-runners

So the auditions are behind us.  We haven't seen everyone yet, but we've seen a lot of them.  And on the basis of that half-information, we are prepared to make some predictions. 

Tens of thousands were summoned by the "Idol" trumpets.  We predict that when the dust settles and the curtain rises over the Idoldome in five weeks, it will be these 12 warriors of song onstage prepared to seize the mantle of history.  (Actually we couldn't narrow it down to 12, so we threw in one extra.)

In no particular order.  Listed by name, (audition city), age, hometown.  Audition song. Interesting fact. Link to check them out (while they last).

1. Lil Rounds: (Kansas City) 23, Memphis TN. Sang "All I Do."  Family made homeless by a tornado.  Audition video here.

2. Adam Lambert (San Francisco) 26, Hollywood, CA. Sang  “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Was in the cast of "Wicked"; looks like Ewan McGregor. Remnants of MySpace page here.  Audition video here.

3. Rose Flack (Salt Lake City) 17, Rathdrum, ID. Sang Carole King's “I Feel the Earth Move." Recently orphaned, barefoot hippie girl. MySpace page here. Audition video here.

4. Jackie Tohn (New York) 27, Silver Lake, CA. Sang Jason Mraz's "I’m Yours." Rocker since childhood.  Audition video here. Personal site here.

5. Scott MacIntyre: (Phoenix) 22, Scottsdale, AZ. Sang Billy Joel's "And So It Goes." Legally blind.  Audition video here. Personal site here.

6. Joanna Pacitti. (Louisville) 23, Philadelphia, PA.  Sang Pat Benatar's "We Belong." Had earlier recording career on A&M Records. Audition video here. MySpace page here.

7. Jorge Nunez. (San Juan) 20, Carolina, Puerto Rico. Sang  "My Way” and "What a Wonderful World." Charmed the judges when he sang in Spanish.  Audition video here. 

8. Meghan Corkrey. (Salt Lake) 23, Sandy, UT. Sang “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”  Heavily tattooed single mother. Audition video here.

9. Kai Kalama: (San Francisco) 26, San Clemente, CA.  Sang "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."  Cares for ailing mother.  Audition video here.  MySpace page for former band here.

10. Leneshe Young: (Louisville) 18, Cincinnati, OH. Sang original song.  Raised in homeless shelters.  Audition video here.

11. Von Smith: (Kansas City) 22, Greenwood, MO. Sang  "Over the Rainbow." Wore goofy hat; "attempts things most guys don't attempt to sing." Audition video here. MySpace page here.

12. Danny Gokey (Kansas City) 28. Milwaukee, WI.  Sang "Heard It Through the Grapevine."  Grieving recently deceased wife. Audition video here.  MySpace page here.

13. Michael Castro (Kansas City) 20. Rockwall, TX.  Sang "In Love With a Girl." Brother of Season 7 giant Jason Castro.  Audition video here.   

Whom have I left out?  Please share your thoughts!  Hollywood Week is coming fast.

-- Richard Rushfield

Photo: Fox