I had planned to let the American Idol finale go by without comment, but the show was so good that I just gotta post something. It felt like we had been rewarded for following the show this season, and the two hours went by very quickly. It was the most entertaining show I've viewed in a long time.
Congrats to Taylor and the B-hammians/Soul Patrol. I still don't think he has much of a recording future, though he'll tour for many years. Having the rest of the AI contestants up on stage last night confirmed to me that Katherine did not have the strongest voice (maybe #4?), but hey, vocal talent isn't everything. Here's my running diary (not necessarily in chronological order since I'm doing this off of the top of my head):
- INTRO: Those contestants sure clean up good. They look right purty. And Carrie Underwood looks a whole lot better than Bo would have in that number.
- JUDGES: Kinda funny, especially Simon's "highlights". At least he took it gracefully. How many people do you think will come up to him now, grab their chest and shake it?
- PARIS AND JARREU(sp?): She's a natural, and I hope she has the opportunity to bring jazz singing back to pop music. Highlight of the night for me. She could have a 50+ year career.
- DAUGHTRY AND LIVE: Had to explain to Lady Spud that "Live" was the actual name of the group. I think Chris will form his own group rather than latch onto another established band. What to call it ... C-Daugs?
- PUCK AND PICKLER: Deserves its own section - see below.
- MEATLOAF AND KATHERINE: Ehh. Just because you live in Hollywood doesn't mean you know how to act, Kat. Did anybody else want to hear "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights"? Now that would have gotten the theater rocking! I suppose Mr. Loaf is tired of that particular number, although Kat would not have looked too innocent acting out that song.
- TAYLOR AND BLIGE, YAMIN AND BRAXTON: Two white guys trying to look funky/soulful, and falling woefully short. Lady Spud had never heard of either female singer but she has not listened to pop music in years, so that's understandable.
- GROUP NUMBERS: I get an "icky" feeling whenever I see Ace onstage (shudder). Bucky almost hit a few notes right. Almost. Kevin ... ah, what can you say? His earnestness overshadows his weak voice, and seeing him sing "What's New Pussycat" was funny. All the gals did well, though it seemed like Katherine was in over her head trying to lead that group.
- AI AWARDS: Extry funny. I loved the Paris Hilton-wannabe chick and her laugh. Dave Hoover's 15 minutes of fame should have been long over (I like how they had to cut to commercial, probably to bring security in to get him off of the stage). Brokenote Cowboys - outstanding! Having the Clay Aiken-wannabe contestant sing, and then Clay himself joining him onstage was great. The look on the clone-Clay's face was priceless. I wondered if Ryan had the guy sit down to reduce the chance of him peeing in his pants. And when he tried to "harmonize" with Clay? I'm still chuckling.
- PRINCE: I was surprised to see him onstage, and it seemed to throw a monkey wrench into the flow of the show. He is a pro and his two songs were entertaining. I wondered if he would have sung "Kiss" with Paris, but the thought of a 40+ year old man singing that with an underage girl may have been too much for the Fox executives to consider (as difficult as that is to believe). I would have preferred seeing Lisa sing a Lion King song with someone, and then Mandisa perform a gospel number with Kirk Franklin or Yolanda Adams.
And then there's Kelli. Kelli, Kelli, Kelli. Last night gave even more evidence that she NEEDS to have her own Hee-Haw show. You knew once the escargot went into her mouth she was going to find some way of spitting it out. I'm surprised she didn't tell Puck: "I'm a grown woman and I'll decide what goes into my mouth!" I liked her comeback after she spit it out: Mmm, that was delicious! The lobster thing was funny too.
Anyhow, her show should be more family-friendly, as the original Hee-Haw could get a little raunchy. It should include characters resembling Junior Samples, Granpa and Minnie Pearl. They can get that Army guy from AI season 3, the one trying to have a country music career, and then include a special salute each show to the military. Finally, get the Brokenote Cowboys and have them form a goofy crime-fighting crew (like the A-Team) for a weekly skit. I hope they can get-er done while they're still riding the publicity wave of popularity.
It was a good season, and they will be hard pressed to top it next year. It's the only network show I watch, so I'll be back watching in January.