Despite her confidence, I doubt that her dreams of making it into the
top 12 will come true. For one thing, she thinks she's got nothing to
learn. She was convinced, even after hearing comments from the judges,
that she had the best voice at the auditions. Her overconfidence would
likely turn voters off, should she make it to the semifinalist round
(Tatiana's
MySpace page.)
The next interesting audition came from Dean-Anthony
Bradford, who was actually more notable for his fashion choice than
for his singing. He wore an oversized plaid coat that looked like something
Simply Red would have worn in the '80s, which is appropriate, since
he sang a song by them. He singing was just
as oversized, and he didn't get through.
Then came Jesus
Valenzula, a father wearing a black suit with a striped polo. He
sang
"Nice and Slow" by Usher, proving he has a very mellow,
pleasant voice, but the judges were on the fence about him until he
brought his kids in to try to change their minds. While he'll be going
to Hollywood, it will be without Simon Cowell's vote, since he's immune
to schmaltz..
Another contestant who stood out for the wrong reasons had an appropriate
name: Akilah Askew-Gholston, who showed up with a folder of training
tips for gospel singers, which she proudly announced to host Ryan Seacrest
that she'd printed from the Internet. The handouts focused on physiological
ways to optimize the voice, but they didn't help her when she sang
a toneless version of her original song, "Make Sweet Love."
It probably also didn't help that she greeted judge Randy Jackson with
"Hello, Simon," handing the judges her worn, overstuffed folder
before she began. Also not a big help: her long extensions with white-blonde
strands, her high-waisted acid-washed pants, paired with a football
jersey and cheap leather jacket. Truly, though, it was her singing that
failed her, despite her Internet cramming.
Appearances can be deceiving, as the next contestant, Annie
Murdoch, proved. She was a cute blonde with short hair, wearing
a choker necklace with a long-sleeved Golden Gate Bridge T-shirt and
jeans. She told them that she plays violin and piano, but hopefully
she's better at them than she is at singing. The first bad sign: she
couldn't decide on a song (weren't you just waiting in line for, literally,
hours?). Finally, she sang s. very
theatrical version of "Summertime." She was told it was
a no.
Perhaps the vocal highlight of the evening came from Adam
Lambert, a 26-year-old with dyed black hair who comes from a musical
theater background and was in the cast for the Los Angeles production
of Wicked. He sang
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and demonstrated good control,
earning himself a Golden Ticket with four yesses.
Finally, we met Kai
Kalama, a musician who has been caring for his ailing mother, suffering
from a seizure disorder. He sang
a smooth version of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Unassuming,
in a button-down modern-looking shirt and with tousled curly hair, he
gave off a "nice guy" vibe. Perhaps too nice. Judge Kara DioGuardi
told him he needs to improve his performance, and Simon advised that
he needs confidence.
Of course, there were several clueless people, including an orange-haired
guy who offered up a strange boom box performance, and a guy whose sparkly
shirt and newsboy hat outshone his vocals.
There was a little drama between the judges, especially friction between
Kara and Simon. I guess she is beginning to learn that the grueling
audition process can lead to stress and discord. It would be nice, though,
if they don't carry such feuding into the competition stage of the show.
Next stop: Churchill Downs.
More on American Idol:
Musings
on American Idol Season 8
