“It’s been a long, hard road, and the end is getting near.”

Well, we’ve reached the end of yet another season of American Idol. And what a road it’s been, huh? Wait, has it? A lot of this season has jus been kind of “meh,” and with Simon leaving after this one, I think “the end” might be a little closer than we think.

Lee - Probably a good choice for his song, but I’m a little surprised he didn’t go with Hallelujah. Sounds good tonight though, nicely in tune. I wasn’t sure if he was done… I agree with Randy, it started the show off a little slow. But that ilk give hi a chance to build.

Crystal - She is not your typical Idol contestant. Re-prys-ing Ryan, not Re-prees-ing. Is it just me, or is she made up a little more tonight? She’s an old soul. Randy, I like it when It starts out slow and builds. It gives it a chance to simmer… I would say Round one goes to Crystal…

Lee - Producer’s choice. Don’t know about this song choice yet… I didn’t care much for the song, but he did a reasonable job with it… The song didn’t lend itself to a live, exciting performance. I didn’t think it was a “brilliant” song choice. No “moments” thus far.

Crystal – This could be a good song choice for her. Like the arrangement so far. She sang the whatever out of that song. Not always in perfect pitch, but I don’t expect that from Crystal. Round 2, again, goes to Crystal.

Lee’s gonna have to do something extra special on his last song to “win” the evening, especially since Crystal is singing last.

Lee - I’m a little disappointed that this is not an original song… But I do like the arrangement. And I’ll bet Lee’s recording of it sounds good. Like all the strings. I’m really disappointed that it wasn’t original. I like Lee better when he’s “on” and he wasn’t really on for this last song. Best of luck to Lee, and I still think there’s a good chance he will win this contest, but if he does it won’t simply be because of tonight’s performances.

Crystal - I’m not familiar with this song… Not sure if it’s an Idol “original” or not, but I’m not familiar with it. Not sure if it’s an Idol “original” or not, but I’m not familiar with it. Now, Crystal gets her chance to shine this week. She gets her moment. Round 3 goes to Crystal. I think she did have one other night where she connected with the song… When she broke down at the very end a few weeks back.

This is one of those interesting seasons when there is someone who “should” win American Idol, and someone who might win American Idol. Clay should have beat Ruben… Adam should have beat Kris… Possibly some others in there too. I really believe Crystal should win this season, but I think there’s a good chance (still) that Lee will pull it out.

Originally Titled:

Crystal and the other six

Down to the final 7… and it’s time for Idol Gives Back. These shows are always very entertaining and very positive. I’m not a big Alicia Keys fan, but I respect what she does, especially when related to her charity work. Hey, shouldn’t they be doing two songs a week soon?

[Edit: People are gonna think I went off the deep end this week. Sometimes it happens. I totally disagree with the judges on just about everyone but Crystal. I think they are playing favorites and pretty much have made up their minds before they hear a single note. I will now jump off my soap box and continue without further interruption…]

Casey – Let’s see if he can put his own spin on this song. Not bad, he rocked out a little more, but there wasn’t a whole lot of difference. I don’t think he was really able to make the song his own. I kind of agree… Simon was a little harsh on him.

Lee – Geesh, Lee, right off the bat, right off key, buddy. I didn’t think that was a very good song choice for Lee. He was pitchy throughout the whole song. Flat, most of the time. I generally like Lee, but that was way off the mark. I will say that I liked his guitar playing. Vocally, that was terrible. I don’t know what the judges heard. Maybe it just comes in clearer on the TV.

Tim – This sounds like the kind of song that’s right up his alley… This is probably his best performance, possibly the best of the night. Kara is kind of putting her finger on it. I think it was his best performance. Again, the judges are crazy tonight. Apparently, they know who they want to win, and they will support who they want regardless of actually listening to the performances. Hmmm….

Aaron – Not the most exciting song choice, but on “inspirational night” what do you expect? Of course, some of the others managed to rock it out a bit. Like the key change. Vocally, not a bad job, and he finished it much better than he started it. It built correctly. Finally, a judge (Randy) makes some sense tonight. Kara has it right too. Good job, A. Kelly. (Good joke, Ryan.)

Siobhan – Takes on Whitney? Is that what they said? A little flat at times. Siobhan should have been around in the 70’s. She’s an old soul. Yes, Randy, that may have been the toughest song of the night. She did fairly well when she wasn’t flat. Kara this “inspirational night” – get with it. Simon, she is old fashioned. Not bad. Mid-pack right now.

Mike – He is also a little flat tonight. Are they having problems hearing themselves? He’s doing an admirable job, though. Probably one of his best performances on the show. Guitar playing was just kinda decent.

Crystal – Giving her the last spot, this must be gonna be (?) good. Genuine. You could tell she was on the verge of breaking down early… But she did it. 10 outta 10. Best performance of the night. Simon’s right on.

Crystal
Tim (What?)
Mike
Casey
Siobhan
Aaron
Lee

I would never have guessed that I would have the Timster in second place there. I have a feeling that my bottom two aren’t going to be the real bottom two, but based on tonight’s performance alone, that’s where I’d plop ‘em. I think Lee’s fan base will keep him out of the bottom, but I don’t know about anyone else. It’s getting tough to rank, and I think everyone is in danger of going home this week.

The original video can be found on the American Idol website.

Pictured above, American Idol 8 winner Kris Allen leads the Top 10 in a finale performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Behind him (L-R) are Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds, Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey, runner-up Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Megan Joy, Anoop Desai, and Matt Giraud.

I guess you could say I’m a pretty big American Idol fan.  I have now been to four of the eight seasons’ tours.  Season 2, 4, 5, and 8.  This group was simply too good to pass up.  I can easily see about five of these Idols getting signed and putting out quite a good CD.

And another thing I’d like to point out: These singers sound much better in person.  They honestly do.  I expected some of the bottom of the pack to be just mediocre, but they were actually quite good.  I’ll kind of do a mini-review of each performer here, like I’d do if the show were on:

Michael – I’ve got to say he was really much better in person than I remember him from the show.  He had a good command of the stage and was vocally pretty strong. He did a surprisingly good job of opening the show and getting the crowd pumped up.

Megan – You know, the thing about Megan – she’s got one style and she does it well.  Beyond that, she’s out of her element.  But what she sang on the tour pretty much fit her.  She seems more in her element when she sings “Put Your Records On” than with “Tears Dry on Their Own.”

Scott – Scott never ceases to amaze me.  He’s best when he’s sitting at the piano belting out a song.  He reminds me of a good 80’s pop singer.  I actually have always though Scott would make a better songwriter/arranger than a singer, but after hearing him on the tour, I think he could make a compelling CD.

Lil – Got to say right away, my favorite song from Lil was “Single Ladies.”  I like the energy she brought to the song and I liked the arrangement and all the video effects going on at the point.  Very good performance.  Tina really liked her outfits and her shoes.

Anoop – I tend to like Anoop on his upbeat songs more than his ballads.  I liked his version of “My Prerogative” best.  He’s very talented, he’s got a great voice and showed some personality on tour.  He’s one of the ones I could see with a future CD.

Matt – Another one who really surprised me on the tour.  I don’t remember liking him nearly as much while watching the show.  He really showed some talent busting out the piano.  One highlight of the tour is watching Matt and Scott with a little “dueling piano” performance during “Tell Her About It.”  He also was able to get the crowd pumped with a little swing of “The Terrible Towel.”

Allison – Finally, we’re getting to the meat and potatoes of the evening.  Starting with Allison there is a whole new electricity in the arena.  I think “So What” was probably her strongest song (other than “Slow Ride” with Adam.  That’s a whole ‘nother level…).  She’s definitely got the whole package to be a successful star, possibly up there with Kelly Clarkson.

Danny – Okay, first off I need to say that Danny’s last solo song, “My Wish,” was probably my favorite performance of the whole night.  I just thought he delivered that song perfectly.  If it was available for purchase right now, I’d get it.  Very touching song and it goes right with how I see Danny as a person and as a performer.  That’s the road he needs to go down.  Almost a pop/country singer.  His other songs (“Maria, Maria”, “PYT”) were both strong, but not as good as “My Wish.”

Adam – For me, it seemed like Adam was the star of the show tonight.  He had the loudest screams, the best introduction, and was certainly the most entertaining (overall) of the night.  The crowd really was as loud as I’d ever heard it at any Idol concert I’ve been to.  Sometimes I think the fans of the runner-up are more vocal simply because they feel compelled to show extra support for their contestant.  “Mad World” was one of the best songs on the tour.  It just fits him right and when he slows it down, he’s just right on.  And, as I’ve already mentioned, his duet with Allison on “Slow Ride” is just great.

Kris – And of course the show builds up toward the appearance of the winner, which is made all the more interesting considering that Adam’s introduction is so “in your face” and Kris’ is more laid back.  Again, just the difference in their styles.  Kris is very good at what he does, and his performance of “Heartless” will not disappoint any of his fans.  And when Kris starts into “Hey Jude” the whole audience gets involved by digging out the cell phones and lighters (some with cell phones with lighter apps on them) and the whole arena begins to sway back and forth.

And the whole evening is brought to a close by a little bit of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”  Very good close to the show.  I actually could have used more group numbers.  In the past I thought there were too many, this year not enough.

I thoroughly enjoyed the concert this year.  The Idols did not disappoint.

So, the Season 8 winner will be announced tonight. The finale episode begins tonight at 8pm ET on FOX. Here’s my recap from last night’s final performances:

Okay, well, it’s finale night. It’s been a rather long (but interesting) season. Oh, cool opening. I think they just re-did that, though. I don’t think that was really from the first auditions. Was that Fred? In the audience? That looked like Fred! Hey Randy, nice suit, dawg! I see Paula chose the brightest of the three possible dresses… And Simon’s got his shirt open down to his…

You know, Kris choosing to go second – that’s always a smart move. I like that Ryan’s actually admitting “Hey, we don’t stand a chance of ending on time tomorrow night. I’m just tellin’ ya… So, set your DVR’s accordingly…” And he also says the lines will be open for at least 4 hours tonight. He might as well come out and say it: “We’re leaving the lines open until we get 100 million votes. Period.”

Adam’s up first… What will he choose as his favorite of the season? He’s had quite a few memorable performances. How can he settle on one?

Adam – Oh, “Mad World.” Good choice, since Simon gave him the standing “O” and half of America didn’t get to see it the first time anyway… Man, he’s channeling his inner Edward tonight… Very good performance. That’s right up his alley. The only thing it really lacked was the “surprise” factor that Adam usually brings, but that should be expected (duh) ‘cause he’s done that song before. Yes, Randy, “Twilight.” That’s it. I liked the fog effect. I like the added drama.

Kris – I like the “1 Music Coupon” touch. Kris, going off the board a bit with his song choice tonight. I didn’t expect this one. I was fully expecting “Heartless.” I like this performance though. I like that he was very emotional singing that song. Simon’s clap just looks so patronizing, doesn’t it? “I have to clap for him.” The only thing that slightly bugs me about him is his transition into his falsetto. A little too rocky for me. “Allenizing?” Nice word Paula. What about “Lambertizing?”

Sometimes I think maybe Simon is antagonizing the Adam fans tonight in order to get their butts voting. Simon is one of the most manipulating TV personalities on… (ahem) TV. He knows exactly what he’s doing…

Adam – Song two. I remember Taylor Hicks singing this during his audition. Pause. What the… hold on… Wow, man. First off, that has got to be the absolute weirdest song choice. Ever. But, it didn’t really matter. He still “sang his face off.” But what’s funny about that performance is this: I don’t think he’ll gain any new fans because of it. The anti-Adam contingency will still say “he’s screaming too much” but his die-hard fans will love it.

Kris – Kris, round 2… See, I like how he scales it back. He just is the opposite of what Adam is, man. And I mean that in the best way possible. That is where Kris shines, when he “acoustics it up a little bit.” Oh, Simon, I think he did. I think he definitely made the song his own. But I will still agree that Round 2 goes to Adam.

Now comes the performance that will basically kick-start their careers. This is the song they will be singing repeatedly, night, after night, after night during this summer tour. It’s time for the “Winner’s single.” No boundaries.

Adam – That was good. I like the song, and it’s nicely enough written (kudos Kara) that both Adam and Kris can make that song their own. I don’t totally agree with Randy, but I did see a few cracks appear in his voice for the first time this season. I like those kind of “positive uplifting mountain and hurricane” songs Simon. I think it’s the obligatory “Coronation Song” that is befitting a newly crowned Idol. Did Adam seal it up with his version? Well, it’s too soon to tell.

Kris – Okay, the last performance of the season. I like Kris’ arrangement. Talk about pitchy though. At first I was thinking this song was too low, now I’m thinking it’s too high. Same cracks in Kris’ voice. What I really like about the same song being sung by both finalists: I like hearing the different arrangements. Kara is right. Don’t hold that song against Kris. It was a little weird for him. Seemed too low, seemed too high.

To be honest, in analyzing the last song, I think Kris’ recording would be better than Adam’s… But I think Adam sang it better. To me, Kris’ second song was his best of the night.

It’s been an amazing season of Idol. With all the drama and all the controversy of this season, it’s come down to this, tonight. Kris has certainly proven himself worthy of being in the final two, but I’ve still got to go with Adam to win the whole thing. That’s my personal preference. But, to be honest, I think the American public will vote Kris the winner of American Idol 8. And I don’t really have a problem with that. I can completely understand why someone would choose Kris over Adam. Like I said, to me, Adam is the better entertainer, has been more consistent all season, and has the best chance for all-around commercial success after the show ends tomorrow night.

But I just have a feeling that America will vote Kris the winner.

So, to wrap it up… My personal pick:

Adam

Kris

But I don’t necessarily think it will end up that way… I am totally looking forward to tomorrow night’s finale… I’ve been reading the tweets of @dannygokey, @michaelsarver1, @MGiraudOfficial, @IdolScott, @agcruc, and Anoop’s which (for some reason) this site won’t let me type (but it’s @Anoop (Dog with two g’s) Desai) – and it’s been really interesting to read their thoughts over the past few days. This has been a very talented group of singers, and I can’t wait to hear the music that this group generates on the charts.

http://myidol.americanidol.com/jasontm13/blog

So, we’re just about half way through this Top 13.  What do you think so far? Personally, I think Adam Lambert is, by far, the most talented of the group.  But, I’ll say this: It’s not over ’til it’s over.  I think Danny Gokey absolutely has a chance of winning this thing too.  If I were to rank the Top 7, overall, at this point in the competition, I would do so like this:

Adam
Danny
Allison
Matt
Kris
Anoop
Lil

I’ve really enjoyed this season so far.  I think this is one of the most talented groups they’ve had since the beginning of the show, rivaling that of season two.

Who will win? We’ll just have to keep watching…

Visit www.americanidol.com to donate and support Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF). For more information about “Where the Money Goes” click here.

And one of the things they’ve got me interested in is the movie Idiocracy directed by Mike Judge.  If you remember, he is the one responsible for Office Space and Beavis & Butthead.  I haven’t watched Idiocracy yet, but I would like to rent it this weekend from MovieLink. 

I think I might add a page to this site titled “My Favorite Media” that lists the things I’m watching and listening to…

American Idol holds some promise this season.  Early on I was afraid for this group. I felt like the judges picked the wrong Top 24.  Well, to an extent I still feel it could have been a better group, but there are at least a few singers who hold promise.  To read my comments on this season in more detail, click here.

I’ve been looking at laptops at circuitcity.com.  My favorite so far is the HP dv9230us.  It looks pretty beefy.