American Idol XIII 2014 – Live Blog and Recap – Auditions #6 – Video
Welcome to the live blog and recap of American Idol XIII "Auditions #6"! It's the final auditions show before Hollywood, as Idol rolls into Omaha! Who will get the final Golden Tickets of the season?
Credit: FOX
I'll be adding videos as soon as they become available, along with my commentary and musings (which is probably less of a draw than the videos, but hey, somebody's gotta tackle this Idol machine).
Let's get this show on the road!
Recap
-We open with THE CHAMBER, as "Every journey to Hollywood starts in The Chamber." We see clips of some of the assorted contestants who have prepared for auditions in The Chamber (Briana Oakley!) along with the upcoming contestants who are all freaking out. I'm secretly freaking out from the fear that this is going to be an hour of people singing "Radioactive" and "Too Close".
QUAID EDWARDS, 21, is up first!
-Quaid's mother is Jolie Edwards from the country band Jolie and the Wanted, and he talks about having watched her all his life, inspiring him to pursue music. He reveals she even performed alongside Keith for a while in her career, and has the pictures to prove it! Lots of flashback Keith this week. Dude went through a LOT of different styles.
-Keith immediately remembers Jolie when Quaid drops her name, and is excited to hear him sing. Quaid sings the Gavin DeGraw version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" (prompting Johnny Keyser flashbacks from me, as they essentially both mimicked Gavin to a T, run-for-run). It's a solid vocal, but a bit overdone.
-J-Lo likes him but feels he shouldn't do the runs unless he's going to hit each one. Keith, however, thinks that doing runs is just something you feel, and if Quaid feels it, he feels it. Harry gives constructive criticism, saying that if he wants to be a great singer who changes the game, he's going in the wrong direction with all the runs. But he likes Quaid, and says he wouldn't be giving this advice if he didn't think there was something there. Quaid insists he can work off of their suggestions, saying he has an insane work ethic, though he admits he's really green. The judges, however, "like that shade of green."
QUAID EDWARDS is going to Hollywood!
-Jolie is brought in and she gets to reunite with Keith, in a nice little moment, while explaining just how proud she is of her son. I like Quaid. I doubt he'll go far, but it's been a while since we had a white guy crooner without a guitar. No, I'm not counting Paul Jolley.
-We return from break with SIMON HAUCK, 17, who delivers a pretty underwhelming audition. His voice might be nice if he slowed down enough from his auctioneer cadence to actually sing. He doesn't get through to Hollywood.
-We get a collection of rejections, including a Birthday Girl who wants the judges to sing her "Happy Birthday". Harry, however, is not having it. Doubly amusing, Harry congratulating a Ben Affleck look-a-like on his work with Argo.
MADISEN WALKER, 15, is up next!
-Madisen nervously waits in The Chamber, worried by the lack of Golden Tickets she's seen. She comes "flowing in" (in Harry's terminology) all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to impress. She certainly looks like a star.
-Her audition of "Before He Cheats" starts out nicely enough, but as it goes on, it kind of falls apart and becomes a really pedestrian vocal. Seriously, it was like all the air slowly being let out of a balloon.
-Keith likes her, but felt she just did a nice "karaoke rendition of a Carrie Underwood" song. J-Lo is a bit more interested than Keith, saying she'll take a chance on Madisen. Ultimately, Keith decides he wants to see more of Madisen too.
MADISEN WALKER is going to Hollywood!
-Afterwards, Harry says he wouldn't have voted her through (he abstained from voting since his opinion wasn't needed to put her through). His rationale is that the heartbreak she'll likely experience in the competition will outweigh the one moment of joy she's just received here. Not a bad point. I do like that he's not just all about putting through every young kid with a decent voice.
ALYSSA SIEBKEN, 20, is up next!
-Alyssa loosens up by taking selfies with Ryan, and she has the kind of upbeat personality I adore. She talks about wanting to prove that big stars can come from small towns, and I'm not sure anyone was ever doubting that.
-She sings "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame, and I love this, but the judges are considerably less impressed. J-Lo says a lot of people tend to twist around rap songs, but what impressed her was when Alyssa picked up the pace and showed the extent of her talent. Harry doesn't feel her voice is strong enough, and you could kind of tell within the first two seconds of Alyssa's vocal that he wasn't feeling it at all. Keith, however, wants to see where Alyssa goes next, and so he and J-Lo send her through.
ALYSSA SIEBKEN is going to Hollywood!
-We keep things rolling with our next auditioner...
TYLER GURWICZ, 25, is up next!
-Tyler looks like an actor's idea of what an emo guy looks like. He's apparently been singing for ten years, and he's really eager to show the judges what he can do.
-He sings "Set Fire to the Rain", and it's a decent vocal, if somewhat limited. J-Lo likes his tone, although the jury is still out with the other judges, particularly Harry, who has no idea where to place him in the competition. Harry states that his voice is limited to a very small range, and while that range sounds decent, he isn't sure it's enough. And so he asks to hear something else, and we head to commercial with Tyler being put on the spot.
-We return with Tyler singing "Grace" by Jeff Buckley, and it's a much better song choice, although I'm not sure it makes a case for his range. Harry is the deciding vote, and after a pretty great fakeout to his family, Tyler reveals...
TYLER GURWICZ is going to Hollywood!
-Afterwards, Harry posits that putting Tyler through may have been his first error in judgment in the competition, as it was the first time he ever doubted a decision so far in the auditions.
-This is followed up with a montage of awkward contestants who all beg and plead to be placed through. It's a monument to Not Taking Rejection Well, and in private interviews, the judges comment on the wide array of personalities this competition draws, such as one guy who is a U.S. President impersonator (his Obama is REMARKABLE as is his JFK). However, included within this montage is one Golden Ticket audition from one TYLER MARSHALL, 23, who delivers an enthusiastic rendition of "Proud Mary" that has the judges smitten. His positive attitude is infectious, on the real.
TYLER MARSHALL is going to Hollywood!
-Aaaand we return from break with one Stetson-hatted kid shouting that Nebraska has the "BEST. STEAKS. EVERRRRRRR!" Okay, then.
C.J. JONES, 20, is up next!
-C.J. looks like Nathaniel Marshall's long-lost brother. However, he's listed as unemployed, so at least we know he isn't doing porn.
-He states he's going to sing "Stand By Me," to which Harry jokes, "Sorry, but I've got to sit here." C.J., however, is quick on his feet and jokes, "No! Get over here!" So Harry, amused, decides to stand by him for his audition. And it's pretty great, honestly. The judges like him, and it's a foregone conclusion...
C.J. JONES is going to Hollywood!
-We follow this up with a pair of Golden Ticket auditions...
DAJONTAE LENEAR, 16, is absolutely smitten with J-Lo. When she tells him he's the cutest thing she's ever seen, he excitedly exclaims, "Oh my God, J-Lo, you can't say that while I'm trying to do this!" (I loved that) He sings Sam Cooke's classic "Nothing Can Change This Love" (such a great song) and secures himself a trip to Hollywood.
DYLAN BECKER, 17, meanwhile, is another WGWG with a good look and a solid voice. He sings John Mayer's "Queen of California" and wins the judges over, although we get little, if nothing, of his personality, and so he came across as fairly bland, as a result.
DAJONTAE LENEAR and DYLAN BECKER are going to Hollywood!
-And on to our next audition...
PAULA HUNT, 20, is up next!
-Paula works for the Heartland of America Band, going overseas to perform for the troops, among other activities. She loves her job to death, but she plans on doing more with her singing. As she explains, her mother was a singer who had a record deal lined up, but it all came crashing down when she was diagnosed with MS, and so Paula tearfully declares that she wants to finish what her mother started.
-Paula sings "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Etta James, and it's fantastic. She has a stunningly lovely voice that would have sent her through to Hollywood even without the backstory. Harry is particularly impressed, saying her runs are effortless and precise. It's a total no-brainer...
PAULA HUNT is going to Hollywood!
-She tearfully embraces her mother who, with great effort, discusses how proud she is of her daughter, who is singing on her behalf now that she can no longer sing herself. It's a beautiful moment, and it's that rare emotional beat that doesn't feel manufactured.
-Back from break with an auditioner we follow from the moment she wakes up to the moment she walks through The Chamber for her audition...
ANDRINA BROGDEN, 18, is up next!
-Andrina talks about what a big opportunity this is, saying she really believes she can be the next American Idol. Her desire is to put North Dakota on the map and represent ND. (I'm too swamped at the moment to see if ND has ever been represented on Idol)
-Andrina sings "Halo" and J-Lo feels Andrina is singing with too much fear and hesitation, and hopes she can conquer that fear, because she has a lovely voice. Harry feels she has a "better than average" voice, but says it's not good enough for Idol (I'm kind of loving Harry's insanely high standards. Seriously, he might just bump up the average of the entire roster). Keith disagrees completely, and so it's 2-1...
ANDRINA BROGDEN is going to Hollywood!
-We follow this up immediately with the "BEST. STEAKS. EVERRRRR!" guy...
CHRISTIAN SCHOLL, 20, is up next!
-Christian is a line dance caller, and in no way does he look 20. I'd have guessed fifteen.
-He announces he's going to be singing "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson, and this excites Harry, who, like me, expected this to be a case of "deceptively bland image leads to surprisingly awesome singer". But that's not the case at all. It's a completely tuneless vocal, and the judges are unanimous in their rejection.
-We go to break on a trivia question, "Which Idol winner began his journey in Omaha?" The choices are David Cook and Scotty McCreery, and this is the first one of these I actually got wrong. It was David Cook.
-And so we come to the final moments of the final day of auditions, and we kick it off with...
CASEY MCQUILLEN, 21, who delivers an absolutely gorgeous, pristine rendition of "Skyscraper". It's honestly one of my favorite auditions of the entire night. And the judges love it as well. I'd have loved to have seen her full audition. Hopefully, we get a bit more of her in Hollywood.
CASEY MCQUILLEN is going to Hollywood!
-And we head on to our final audition of the season...
TESSA KATE, 25, closes the show!
-Tessa talks about how music is her passion, and describes her nerves as being like grabbing the electric fence that keeps the cows in. Well, she's colorful with similes, to say the least. And weirdly cute.
-She sings "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, and I didn't dig this anywhere near as much as the judges. Harry compares her to classic country artists like June Carter, while J-Lo goes on a weird tangent about Tessa's hair. Keith states that while half of him feels like she'll get crushed by the other sings, he likes that Tessa has her own lane she comfortably occupies. It's three yeses, including possibly the most enthusiastic "yes" Harry has given out this season.
TESSA KATE is going to Hollywood!
-And that's a wrap on Season 13 auditions! And so we look ahead to Hollywood Week, which promises INSANE drama, as 212 compete with a new twist. Some of the singers will have to sing ON THE SPOT upon arriving in Hollywood if they want to continue on in the competition. In short, some of the artists will go home before their journey even starts. It's not really as devastating a twist as they're leading on, as they're basically just moving up the line auditions from Hollywood Week. But I suppose instant eliminations sound more dramatic.
Thoughts
-Kind of a meh episode, but overall, I adore this crop of 212. Not all 212, mind you, but a lot of them. I'm even having trouble settling on favorites, since the talent roster is so deep. There's considerable variation within the standard roles of R&B and Pop singers, country crooners, and WGWGs. It should be a hell of a Hollywood Week. I seriously can't wait.
So what do you think? Which singers did you like? Which shouldn't have gotten through? And what are your Hollywood Week predictions? Sound off in the comments! Also, don't forget to check back for videos, as I'll be adding full audition clips as soon as they become available!
Thanks for hanging out!