'American Idol': 10 ideas for a reboot and a ratings revival

The ratings are in, and the "American Idol" franchise is officially in trouble. Viewers of the season finale of the series dropped by 32% from last year, a fall that is part of an overall steady decline in viewership since its series peak in 2003. Back then, the "Idol" season was an event, but now it's just another show. The gleam is gone.

As a result, many commenters are wondering whether this marks the end of the run. Probably not, as it's still a ratings winner in the scheme of things. But it may mean that executive producer Simon Fuller and his team will be looking for ways to bring renewed excitement to a series that's struggling to climb out of a rut. Below are a few suggestions to get the "Idol" buzz back.

1. Open the field to all different kinds of vocalists. Which is to say, add young rappers into the mix. If it's fair to pit a pop vocalist such as Jessica Sanchez against a singer-songwriter like Phillip Phillips, why is it such a stretch to think that would-be MCs couldn't rank? Quality is quality, whether crooned, screamed or rhymed. If this is a pop music competition, it's ridiculous to exclude one of the most important creative engines the genre. Who knows, maybe we'll meet the next Kitty Pryde, Kreayshawn, or Riff Raff.

2. Include vocal groups. Every major label is looking for a female vocal group in the TLC and Destiny's Child vein right now, and with the rise of boy groups the Wanted and One Direction, all signs point to a return of packs of singing hunks. Let's manufacture some group hype.

3. Fire all three judges and replace them with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton. As a twist, the early rounds could be "blind" by making the judges/coaches assess talent with their backs to the singers.

INTERACTIVE: "Idol" vs. "The Voice"

4. Add in a choreography element. Every Idol worth adoration should be able to not only to sing but dance. And considering the success of "Dancing With the Stars," an "Idol" choreography round could add some fuel. It certainly would have made Phillip Phillips' victory -- to say nothing of Kris Allen's or Lee DeWyze's -- less assured had they proved unable to effectively bust a move.

5. Add a juggling component to the dancing and singing. Bring in some professional clowns who can teach the young vocalists the ins and outs of keeping afloat flaming torches, knives and bowling balls. Such a move would balance the playing field even further, because some singers who can juggle aren't very good dancers, and some juggling dancers can barely sing. Imagine the thrill when America finds the perfect juggling vocalist with a knack for a little soft shoe.

6. Change the name of the show to "American (White Guy with Guitar) Idol."

7. Keep Jennifer Lopez but fire Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Ryan Seacrest. Replace them with Marc Anthony, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ben Affleck.

8. Fire all three judges, then string Ryan Seacrest along for a few months while floating to the gossip sites the idea of firing him too. Change your mind and commit to Seacrest, then bring in Jay Leno as a judge. Fire him at the last minute, and as a replacement hire Conan O'Brien. Then fire Seacrest and replace him with Andy Richter.  

9. Cancel the dang show already and replace it with a reboot of the classic 1970s reality competition show "Battle of the Network Stars." Watch as Tina Fey, Ashton Kutcher, the casts of "The Mentalist" and the "NCIS" franchise, Ryan Seacrest and others race through ridiculous obstacle courses in tight shirts and short shorts.

10. Keep Ryan Seacrest but add as his sidekick a dancing juggler who can sing -- if they can ever find one. They don't grow on trees, you know.

Any tips for a reboot? Add them in the comments below.

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-- Randall Roberts
Twitter: @liledit

Photo: Phillip Phillips, left, Hollie Cavanaugh, Josh Ledet, Skylar and Jessica Sanchez. Credit: Michael Becker / Fox.

 

 

 

'Duets': I missed it because of singing-show fatigue

“Duets,” I already owe you an apology.

I didn't intentionally snub your premiere Thursday night. It wasn't a slip by the ole trusty DVR. But to be completely fair, there's a severe case of viewer fatigue happening.

The premise is rather enticing: four massive-selling superstars artists -- Kelly Clarkson, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, John Legend (who replaced Lionel Richie in the eleventh hour) and Robin Thicke -- not only coach their selected contestants, they sing side by side with them.

It pushes forward “The Voice’s” close-knit mentorship between acts and their respective coaches. Of course, folks are eliminated, there’s a "save me" song, a record deal (Disney-owned Hollywood Records, which, surprise, also owns ABC), blah, blah, blah.

Influential guitar picker Doc Watson recovering after fall, surgery

Doc Watson, the 89-year-old guitarist whose expert flatpicking style brought him a level of acclaim during the folk revival of the 1960s and who is still revered 50 years on, is recovering after he fell down at his Deep Gap, N.C., home. According to Mitch Greenhill, president of Folklore Productions International, which represents him, after being taken to to a hospital, other health issues were discovered.

"They determined after keeping him overnight that there were more serious things going on, and they transferred him to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem for surgery," said Greenhill.  The musician, who lost his eyesight when he was a year old, remains in critical but stable condition after undergoing colon surgery, he added.

A statement on the company's website reads, "Doc Watson is in critical but improved condition after undergoing colon surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The family appreciates everyone’s prayers and good wishes."

The guitarist and banjo player didn't achieve national acclaim until age 30, but drew influential supporters after his first appearance at Gerde's Folk City in 1961. After hooking up with fellow folkies such as David Grisman, Watson became a well-known figure in the budding scene. He was a regular performer at the Ash Grove whenever he was in Los Angeles. 

These days, Watson is known as well for his founding of the popular North Carolina music event Merlefest, which brings together folkies from all over the country for a pleasant, family-friendly weekend of music. The event, which Watson started in the memory of his late son, celebrated its 25th anniversary in April, when the three-day event brought together dozens of acts, including Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and John Hammond. And, of course, headlining was Watson himself.

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Twitter: @liledit

Photo: Music legend Doc Watson performs at the annual Merlefest at Wilkes Comunity College in Wilkesboro, N.C., on April 28, 2001.   Credit: Alan Marler / Associated Press.

Live music for your Memorial Day weekend

The Pop & Hiss run-down of the weekend's top shows has returned. Plans can be resumed.

Thursday-Monday

•  Lightning in a Bottle Festival  @ Oak Canyon Ranch. This long-running dance event blows up the festival-within-a-festival that is the Do Lab's little bass-thumping pocket of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Over four days in Silverado (the event begins Thursday and runs through Monday), the Lightning in a Bottle Festival collects electronic music, world music, performance art, magic shows and environmental activism in one tidy package. Be prepared to camp, and don't miss Sunday night headliner Bassnectar, which connects the groove-based dots between punk rock and hip-hop. Oak Canyon Ranch, 5305 E. Santiago Canyon, Silverado. A full weekend pass is $240; a two-day pass is $185; and a one-day pass is $100. Tickets and more information. 

M.I.A. signs deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation will now manage electro-pop rapper M.I.A., the company announced Thursday.

“The nation just keeps on growing...,” read a tweet from Roc Nation directed to the politically charged Sri Lankan femcee. Roc Nation’s homepage also features a welcome to the performer, whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam.

Arulpragasam joins an eclectic mix of superstars that Jay’s company also manages including Rihanna, Santigold, Melanie Fiona, Wale, Mark Ronson and Shakira. Roc Nation also manages a slew of songwriters, producers, DJs, engineers and mixers.

Jay-Z protégé J. Cole, Willow Smith, R&B singer Bridget Kelly, Jay Electronica and British urban pop chameleon Rita Ora have all been signed to the label. M.I.A. is signed to Interscope Records.

Rihanna sent her well wishes to M.I.A., tweeting, “welcome home MIA.” On Monday, the singer teased her fans when she posted pictures of the two of them hanging out backstage at a Jay-Z and Kanye West concert in London.

M.I.A. is readying her fourth album, “Matangi,” which is due this fall through Interscope. She also announced a remix of her anthemic single, “Bad Girls,” which is set to feature Missy Elliott, Azealia Banks and her protégé, Rye Rye.

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-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Photo: Screen shot of Roc Nation's home page announcing it had signed M.I.A. Credit: Gerrick Kennedy / Los Angeles Times.

Elton John has 'serious infection,' cancels Vegas gigs

This post has been corrected. Please see note at bottom for details.

Sir Elton John has been forced to cancel three upcoming concerts due to a respiratory infection, the superstar singer announced on Thursday morning. According to information sent out by John's publicist, he developed a "serious respiratory infection" over the weekend during his weekly Las Vegas performances of "The Million Dollar Piano" show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

After the condition worsened on Monday and Tuesday, the six-time Grammy winner and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, where he remained throughout the day. There he underwent tests, and his doctor recommended he take a week off for rest and to treat the infection with antibiotics. He was later released.

As a result, John will cancel three performances scheduled for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at Caesar's Palace. 

“It feels strange not to be able to perform these ‘Million Dollar Piano’ concerts at the Colosseum,” said John in the press release. “I love performing this show and I will be thrilled when we return to the Colosseum in October to complete the 11 concerts soon to be scheduled. All I can say to the fans is sorry I can't be with you.”

John and his band still plan to tour Europe this summer, starting June 1 in Germany.

[For the record: 12:40 p.m., May 24: The headline on this post was changed to reflect that John was released from the hospital after a short stay.]

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— Randall Roberts
Twitter: @liledit

 Elton John at the Palladium in 2010. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Phillip Phillips steps onto 'American Idol' treadmill

This post has been corrected. Please see note at bottom for details.

The winner has been declared. A nation has decided, and we went to bed on Wednesday finally knowing that American Idol No. 11 is, in the words of dozens of Twitter commenters, another “white guy with guitar” (WGWG). Rest easy, America.

Phillip Phillips, a 21-year-old would-be troubadour with husk in his voice, a twinkle in his eye and a smile tailor-made for winning over the world’s grandmas, got the majority of the 132 million votes cast for the long-running Fox music competition. 

He bested 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, who can sustain a note for miles and who on the show’s finale performed a stunning duet of “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going’ with Jennifer Holliday. This memorable moment, though, was too little, too late. With enough Southern grace to charm a nation of "Idol" watchers whose preferences have trended toward WGWG, the unflappable Phillips becomes the fifth of a kind in a row, following Scotty McCreery, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen, and David Cook.

Who knew we still loved white guys with guitars so much?

VIDEO: First glimpses of Phillip and Jessica

Many "Idol" watchers did, which is probably one reason why viewership has nearly halved since the series’ peak in 2003, when 38 million people witnessed Ruben Studdard best Clay Aiken and established their relevance around water cooolers the nation over. (Aiken recently lost to Arsenio Hall on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice," which isn't the path many would have predicted in 2003, when Aiken's debut album went platinum on the heels of his "Idol" star turn.)

'American Idol' finale: The winner and the show's top moments

After two hours of awards-show-like grandiosity, "American Idol" named its winner. The 11th season of the talent show competition came down to a battle between Southern good ol' boy Phillip Phillips, an acoustic strummer in the Matchbox Twenty/Dave Matthews mold, and 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, a diva-to-be who approaches every vocal as if she had the lead role in "Disney on Ice."

After performances from Jennifer Lopez, John Fogerty, Reba McEntire and others, host Ryan Seacrest was ready to get to the moment that countless DVRs were no doubt fast-forwarding to. This season's winner, announced only after Phillips and Sanchez were forced to try to force some tears with a take on "Up Where We Belong," is Phillips.

After winning, Phillips strapped on his acoustic guitar to sing "Home," the light folk-rocker penned by Drew Pearson that won Phillips wild praise from judges on Tuesday's final performance show. He was brought to tears during the performance, and the 21-year-old Southerner has always been best when showing his more sentimental side. 

VIDEO: First glimpses of Phillip and Jessica

Yet in a show that ran nearly 128 minutes, the winner was almost beside the point. Here's a look at some of the moments worth remembering -- or forgetting.

From smoldering to snoozing: Bruno Mars' cool little nod to James Brown "Runaway Baby" was bled dry of any hints of sultriness, instead given a schmaltzy, "Glee"-like makeover. It gave everyone a chance to spot the "American Idol" contestants that they've already forgotten -- the funny one! the one with the British accent! -- and came complete with a disco-influenced breakdown. 

A meaningless record: Ratings for "American Idol" are down, but that hasn't hurt fans' abilities to hit redial when voting. Seacrest informed viewers that there was a record 132 million votes, a tally that would be impressive if everyone couldn't vote as many times as they wanted. 

INTERACTIVE: "Idol" vs. "The Voice"

Where's a werewolf when you need one? Raspy-voiced legend John Fogerty was the latest in a long line of credible artists who agreed to lower himself to the level of "American Idol." Fogerty sounded fine on "Bad Moon Rising," but Phillips grimaced through every verse, curling each phrase as if he was singing a question. The "Idol," sporting what looked to be a beige drape with a collar, was better when he did less, and he largely stayed out of the way in "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" But hey, not everyone thought it was cringe-inducing, as cameras caught Carrie Underwood smiling away.

Hey America, we're sorry this guy didn't win: Nearly 25 minutes into the finale there was nary a sight of Sanchez. Yet third-place finisher Joshua Ledet sure was given prominent positioning. He was brought out to sing Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” with Fantasia, but this wasn't the soul scorcher's best performance. The last few verses of the song were little more than the two of them trading yelps, like attack dogs playing chicken with each other.

Could a hologram-like Elvis tour? If 'tasteful,' says Lisa Marie Presley

There's one question, Lisa Marie Presley says, that she's been getting from everyone, reporters and non-reporters alike: Did she see the projected image of the late rapper Tupac Shakur at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April?

It's a natural query. After all, the "Elvis Presley in Concert Tour" pairs original members of Elvis' TCB Band with a large image of the king of rock 'n' roll projected on a video screen. Tupac's "appearance" at Coachella, which was a projected 2-D image that was widely (and incorrectly) labeled a hologram by fans and the media, would seem to offer an evolutionary hint for the next step of the Elvis Presley in Concert Tour.

"I didn’t know about the hologram-thing until I started getting asked about it," Lisa Marie Presley said recently during an interview at her management's West Hollywood offices. "But I saw it a few nights ago and I was like, ‘Whoa!’ That technology is pretty advanced."

Presley said she would consider signing off on a similar projection of her father. Don't gasp -- the younger Presley has already cut a duet with her late father. In 2007, her vocals were added to a charity single of Presley's 1969 track "In the Ghetto."

"If they can come up with something tasteful, creative and classy, I wouldn’t object," she said. "That’s as close as people can get now. I don’t mind simulating as long as it’s not awful or degrading."

Of course, the decision to embark on such a tour wouldn't entirely be in the hands of Elvis' heir. Presley sold much of her stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2005 to CKX, the company that also owns 19 Entertainment Limited, known best for the global "Idol" franchise.

Presley last week released her first album in seven years, “Storm & Grace,” a record that brings her back to her family roots. The collection pairs her dusty, robust vocals with moody country and blues accents made famous by the Sun Studio recording house that captured the voice of her father. The stripped-down affair is produced by T Bone Burnett, an artist with a reputation for possessing a reverential, encyclopedic view of the American songbook.

Currently living in England, Presley said she hopes to someday return to Memphis, Tenn.,  and live near her childhood home.

"I have the warmest, happiest, fondest moments when I’m there," Presley said. "I would like to get a home there. My family is there and my babies love it. Nashville gets all the glory, but Memphis is the blues. Memphis needs the light." 

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Image: Elvis Presley in concert at the Forum in Inglewood. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Google's Bob Moog tribute a synthesized hit

Fans of the synth pioneer Bob Moog's eponymous instruments pay thousands and thousands of dollars for the real artifacts. But Google users woke up today to a fully-functioning software take on a classic Moog synth -- affectionately called the "Goog" -- in their browser window.

The occasion was Moog's 78th birthday, and as Internet time-sucks go, this one is compelling. One can play a four-octave range; tweak the filter, mixer and oscillator to create new sounds; and a four-track virtual tape deck records tracks for posterity and social-media posting. The Bob Moog Foundation has a how-to guide for crafting and recording sounds on the Goog from its in-house synthesis expert Marc Doty, which you can see here.

Moog's synths were staples of early electronic pop and experimental music, and they remain essential to any producer or electronic artist performing today. Moog even has a festival in his honor, the North Carolina-based Moogfest, which last year hosted Moby, the Flaming Lips and a host of avant-garde and new music acts such as Terry Riley, Tangerine Dream and Tim Hecker.

The Bob Moog Foundation is also giving away prizes for the best composition submitted to its website.

Any occasion to pay tribute to a guy who literally hand-wired the sounds of contemporary pop music is worth taking. So here's a hearty salut to Google for spotlighting one of music's great technological innovators.

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Photo: Google's homepage.