We’ve been building up to this moment for the last month, and with Ellen finally joining the judges panel in Hollywood at the Kodak Theatre, the 181 contestants stand against one another to find out which 24 contestants get to go on to the battle it out to become the next “American Idol.”
The contestants pair up in groups of eight to face the judges with the choice of singing acapella or to be accompanied with an instrument. The first batch of eight included Skiiboski, who scared the crap out of Ellen. Skiiboski was not chosen, but he stopped the judges to ask what it was about him that they didn’t like. “You just can’t sing,” Simon said.
With Simon being brutally honest, and Ellen adding a twist of comedic edge to her criticism, Andrew Garcia took the stage and blew them away. There is buzz all over the net right now that hands down, Garcia is the next “American Idol,” and I can’t help but agree. He’s got an amazing voice and style, and turned Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” into a unique new song far better than the original ever was. Unfortunately, country girl Vanessa Wolfe bombed out big time, with Blind Melons’ “No Rain” didn’t capture the potential she showed at auditions.
Maegan Wright, who blew the judges away during auditions was a little scattered, and she was dismissed. Amedeo DiRocco also failed to impress the judges enough to make the final cut. Janell Wheeler, on the other hand, with her raspy sexiness and unique sound was an easy yes. Sixteen-year-old pop-country girl, Haeley Vaughn and Mary Powers both blew minds, and went on to the next round.
Adding Ellen to the judges panel brought humor to lighten the tension, but sometimes even humor isn’t enough to help the most strung out contestant relax.
Day two starts out with a little speech from Simon to encourage the contestants, but the stark truth behind his words never quite disappeared.
Jay Stone, the beatbox guy, impressed everyone but Simon during auditions, but this time around relying so heavily on the beatbox effect turned out to be a huge mistake. He showed early on that he could sing as well, which is what he should have done this time.
Michael Lynche came out to Hollywood, despite the fact that his wife was so close to going into labor. He hoped the trip was worth it, as he was giving up the opportunity to be there for the birth of his first child to recognize a dream. Fortunately, he managed to show the judges once again that choosing him to go on in Hollywood wasn’t a mistake.
Remember Casey James, that guy Kara made strip down during auditions? Well, with his guitar in hand, his personality really shined, and this time he actually managed to impress Simon, and he was chosen to move on.
The last line of the day featured Didi Benami, who sang Kara’s “Terrified” rather beautifully, might I add. Single mom, Crystal Bowersox, also blew the judges away with her rendition of “Natural Woman.” Both women are every day women, living typical lives, and Simon noted that “that” is what American Idol is all about. Making dreams come true.
Wednesday night, those who survived the first cut go on to the next round of eliminations, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
