American Idol - “Eight Lads Singing”

American Idol - “Eight Lads Singing”

Back to Celebrity Spider Web News Updates Back to CelebritySpider.com Find out more about American Idol

American Idol - “Eight Lads Singing” 3/2/07

By Marcus

We are down to the last eight men competing for the coveted final slots. After tonight for the men and tomorrow for the women, the vote tally becomes even more important. Because starting next week, no one is safe because of their sex. That will be the real slaughtering time of lesser talents who until now have been simply saved by being male or female. Harsh? Probably so, but authentic talent should win out.

Last week the men staged a noteworthy comeback with better preparation and presentation. Will they continue to strut their stuff? Or will some go stale like yesterday’s French bread? And with that, here is my recap just for you….

First up and wearing sand plaid pants was hip hop’n Blake Lewis. His words were mostly incoherent and perhaps a little psychotic, but he is entertaining. He would be a standout on a variety comedy show but as an American Idol finalist? I don’t think so. He will easily return next week but after that his stage time is running out.

Demonstrating his interpretation of the hula prior to singing was enough to make me have cold shivers. But when Sanjaya Malakar started singing, my shivering became numb with boredom. He continues to exhibit the weakest male voice and his single attempt to splash some emotion into his song was exciting as limp spaghetti.

Sanjaya, you slid by last week but not this week. You are 100% homeward bound.

But you do have cute hair.

Aside from his snapping turtle hair style, Sundance Head didn’t excite us like he did last week. He literally growled every work and sentence in a monotone style. He has done so much better and let’s hope that tonight is a just a minor blip that he can quickly repair. Sundance is a talented performer but he has to be spot-on next week.

Sitting on a chair and appearing comfy, Chris Richardson performed okay. Just okay. At times he was flat and at other times he was kind of lifeless. It seemed that the more he sang the more uncomfortable he became as if he wanted to be off stage playing a card game or reading a comic book. He was not entertaining. And tonight he could be in brutal trouble unless one of the following singers really stumbles.

Jared Cotter could have a career as a college campus singer alternating with perhaps a month or less on a small cruise ship. But he lacks the professional voice that would launch him into a spectacular singing career. He struggles for the high notes and though we are hoping he will hit ‘em, he misses like a far sighted batter. And his singing is like a piece of string without any hue or knots. Just a dangling string. Jared is in trouble and his poor performance maybe the one that will save Chris Richardson from being voted off.

Classical pianist Brandon Rogers stirred the audience with a great performance. Why? He enjoyed himself and he genuinely seemed to want us to feel entertained. His relaxed style sets him apart from the others and as a result, we expect great things from him. He will be 100% back next week.

Phil Stacey has a vocal range unmatched by the other male singers. But at times he seemed to have breath control issues. And several times it seemed like he was uncertain of the next verse. Phil baby, this is your chance to wow us. Do not hold back. Do not hesitate. You have to make your impression felt. But please, lose that Bing Crosby hat.

Last up was Chris Sligh. He is a powerhouse singer but although he had lit his fuse he did not maintain his flame. He was good and probably gave one of the best performances of the evening. His voice has depth but he needs to make up his mind that he wants to win this competition and just not compete in it.

Okay, let’s do a quick review. These are the three men who should be worried about the vote: Sanjaya needs to pack his bag and schedule a departing flight. Chris Richardson and Jared Cotter may want to make sure they have clean underwear for their flight back home. Overall, none of men made a real lasting impression and none of them produced a performance worthy of becoming American Idol.

Tomorrow the women are back on stage. How will they fare? Watch the show and then read my recap written just for you.