OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 288
SONG CHOICES: Foolish Games (Jewel), Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)
What can I say - there is NOTHING to correct or help Krista Mulpagano with whatsoever in her performances. NOTHING. I haven't a clue HOW or WHY this girl does not already have something going - be it fronting a band or recording an album - but she should and I hope this gives her a little boost (she'll be recording one song with Todd Hobin next week as part of her prize) to do just that. Her voice gave everyone in the room goosebumps, and moved Rachael and I to TEARS. I only get the goosebump tears when I hear Mariah Carey or Mary J. Blige sing live..... but add Krista Mulpagano to that mix now! She nearly carried a Perfect Score on her rendition of "Before He Cheats", which she came out swinging with for her second song. She had attitude up to her ears and the moves to match. For "Foolish Games" she was soft and sad, she was SO versatile in her song choices and the way she sang them, and it is so hard to find this caliber of a singer. I hope she takes this dream all the way to the bank and on behalf of ALL of us here at Movin 100, we wish her the best in everything.
And to each and every former or prospective Finalist for the next Round... it starts MARCH 2nd at a NEW TIME -- 7:30pm, for those of us who don't want to stay out too late on a school night :-)
Here's looking to Round Two and THANK YOU to everyone involved in Round One, it has truly been a great experience for all of us here.
FERONI - OUT!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
MOVIN IDOL FINALS - Bottom 4 RECAP
WHAT A NIGHT! 5 Finalists brought their A-Games to Singers last night and blew me away. Each and every finalist is a viable and talented piece of Central New York's Talent Pool. The club was ablaze with energy and excitement the entire night and it was a GREAT SHOW.
Here is a short rundown of what you missed if you couldn't make it out:
5th PLACE - DANA LYONS
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 215
SONG CHOICES: Last Dance (Donna Summer), Chasing Pavements (Adele)
Dana has SUCH a gorgeous voice. I would best describe it as Joss Stone in a head-on collision with Aretha Franklin while having a drink with Alecia Keys. It's smokey and strong, sultry and soulful. I believe that if Dana knew her tunes a little better lyrically and didn't need to lean on the word monitors, she would have been able to bring a bit more stage presence and nail them - but she definitely belongs on stage and I hope to get the chance to hear her sing again. I could listen to that voice all day.
4th PLACE: KRISTA CONDON
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 230
SONG CHOICES:Run Baby Run (Sheryl Crow), You Could Be Mine (G'n'R)
Krista has a GREAT voice and is a solid performer. I think the Sheryl Crow tune tripped her a bit in the beginning because it starts with no music and just vocals, which is hard to come out strong with. With her vocals and talent that song may have won a regular night's round for sure! And "You Could Be Mine" was REALLY GOOD, especially the ending where it's a complete tongue twister. She enunciated every word AND sang them in tune (she can even scream in key which is pretty impressive!). Overall she was very good and a strong competitor who definitely belongs on stage as well.
3rd PLACE - SHAWN TOOLE
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 268
SONG CHOICES: Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett), Kiss And Say Goodbye (Manhattans)
Shawn has inborn soul. Shawn has inborn rhythm. Shawn has inborn performance ability. SHAWN TOOLE WAS BORN TO ENTERTAIN! He's got the voice and the moves and should DEFINITELY BE DOING THIS FOR A LIVING. I love to listen and watch him and he was surely a force to be reckoned with in this competition - and placed right at the heels of the second place winner.
2nd PLACE - LARRY COKE
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 273
SONG CHOICES: One In A Million You (Larry Graham), Jeremy (Pearl Jam)
Larry is a JOY to watch and listen to. He has a golden voice that never falters flat or sharp, is always perfectly in tune, and as I said last night -- is a PRICELESS instrument. He proved his WIDESPREAD VERSATILITY by singing Pearl Jam after Larry Graham -- he did a SOLID and THEATRICAL rendition of "Jeremy" that mimicked the music video a bit but was so much more real and entertaining. Larry is an amazing performer and if I had the power to whisk him off to Broadway I firmly believe that is where he belongs. It's been SO much fun to watch and hear him!
Here is a short rundown of what you missed if you couldn't make it out:
5th PLACE - DANA LYONS
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 215
SONG CHOICES: Last Dance (Donna Summer), Chasing Pavements (Adele)
Dana has SUCH a gorgeous voice. I would best describe it as Joss Stone in a head-on collision with Aretha Franklin while having a drink with Alecia Keys. It's smokey and strong, sultry and soulful. I believe that if Dana knew her tunes a little better lyrically and didn't need to lean on the word monitors, she would have been able to bring a bit more stage presence and nail them - but she definitely belongs on stage and I hope to get the chance to hear her sing again. I could listen to that voice all day.
4th PLACE: KRISTA CONDON
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 230
SONG CHOICES:Run Baby Run (Sheryl Crow), You Could Be Mine (G'n'R)
Krista has a GREAT voice and is a solid performer. I think the Sheryl Crow tune tripped her a bit in the beginning because it starts with no music and just vocals, which is hard to come out strong with. With her vocals and talent that song may have won a regular night's round for sure! And "You Could Be Mine" was REALLY GOOD, especially the ending where it's a complete tongue twister. She enunciated every word AND sang them in tune (she can even scream in key which is pretty impressive!). Overall she was very good and a strong competitor who definitely belongs on stage as well.
3rd PLACE - SHAWN TOOLE
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 268
SONG CHOICES: Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett), Kiss And Say Goodbye (Manhattans)
Shawn has inborn soul. Shawn has inborn rhythm. Shawn has inborn performance ability. SHAWN TOOLE WAS BORN TO ENTERTAIN! He's got the voice and the moves and should DEFINITELY BE DOING THIS FOR A LIVING. I love to listen and watch him and he was surely a force to be reckoned with in this competition - and placed right at the heels of the second place winner.
2nd PLACE - LARRY COKE
OVERALL SCORE (of a possible 300): 273
SONG CHOICES: One In A Million You (Larry Graham), Jeremy (Pearl Jam)
Larry is a JOY to watch and listen to. He has a golden voice that never falters flat or sharp, is always perfectly in tune, and as I said last night -- is a PRICELESS instrument. He proved his WIDESPREAD VERSATILITY by singing Pearl Jam after Larry Graham -- he did a SOLID and THEATRICAL rendition of "Jeremy" that mimicked the music video a bit but was so much more real and entertaining. Larry is an amazing performer and if I had the power to whisk him off to Broadway I firmly believe that is where he belongs. It's been SO much fun to watch and hear him!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week Five WINNER - Shawn Toole
Words can't do it, ya' GOTTA' come to the Finals to SEE and HEAR this guy in person. Highest score from ANY judge in ANY round by ANY contestant through this whole 5-week run. Hands down. He's a born performer, and he knows it. Confidence and poise, he can dance, sing, has BOATLOADS of soul, and everyone in the room has a phenomenal time watching him perform. Definitely a deserved win and we all look forward to this Monday night to see him take on the other 4 finalists. Good luck Shawn!
Overall score (of possible 50):
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 10
Overall score (of possible 50):
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 10
Week Five - Brian Cheevers
I just cannot believe that he has hidden this song from me for this long. Brian definitely could have won in another week with it. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel - I have to say, it was just OUTSTANDING. SUCH a hard song that I wouldn't recommend anyone ever try to imitate, but Cheevers is a NATURAL. I could listen to him sing that song over and over and never tire of it. Brian is an amazing talent and I hope to see him sing and compete in the near future. It has been a pleasure to watch and listen to him.
Overall score (of possible 50): 47
Quality Of Voice: 10
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 47
Quality Of Voice: 10
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Five - Dan "DNA" Fox
KICKASS! This guy is a riot. Some girl chewed me a new asshole because I made a comment about some performance he did when I wasn't there, going off what someone else told me, but now I've seen him twice for myself and nt only has he scored high with me, but this week placed third of 15 people. So he's doing something right. On top of that he is also super entertaining and HILARIOUS. He did "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz and it was just beyond entertianing. Love this guy.
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Five - Marissa Heffernan
OHHHH MARISSA. She has one of the sweetest voices I've heard in a while. She looked SCARED TO DEATH up there but I can't for the life of me figure out WHY! Her vocals were amazing. She did "Round Here" by the COunting Crows, and while I would rather have heard some bigass Gospel (ooooh let me sing "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" with this woman!!!), the song was still great for her. She did it with passion and she did it with soul, and I really enjoyed Marissa.
Overall score (of possible 50): 41
Quality Of Voice: 0
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 41
Quality Of Voice: 0
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Carmen Angiolillo
And again - as if he could improve over last week, Carmen takes his SOUL to the stage again. One of my favorite songs of ALL TIME, Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", but CARMENIZED. Great presence, tons of fun, very entertianing, and great vocals. You gotta' love this guy.
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Ingrid Land
INGRID LAND is the hardest working woman in Karaoke. Week after week she came and KNOCKED THIS ONE OUT OF THE PARK. Her best, by far. She has this jazzy, pretty voice and when she sings the right song and gets enough air support behind those vocals, great things happen. SO good. There is even a 10 in there. You go, girl!
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Matt Heffernan
Matt is SO entertaining! He did Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" and he is just great to watch and listen to. Great voice, great presence, and a good song for him. Overall - GOOD!!!
Overall score (of possible 50): 39
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 39
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Stacey Hover
I thoroughly enjoy Stacey's performances. She was the girl no one will ever forget, who did Danzig's "Mother" a few weeks ago. Just a very good voice and presence, and cute as a button although this week I'd use "HOT" in place of cute as per the hot little outfit she had on for her rendition of "Just A Girl" by No Doubt. Very good overall performance once again from Miss Stacey.
Overall score (of possible 50): 40
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 40
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Ed Puma
Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. BEST PERFORMANCE of all of his entries, by far.I spoke about this already in the entry I did right after the show so I won't dwell, but he was great. SMOOTH SOUL SANGIN' this week from Ed Puma!
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Five - James McKay
"Cumbersome", by Seven Mary Three, is a pretty rockin' tune. I can tell that James LOVES the song but I don't know that it was the tune he shoulda' been singin'. He did well, he can sing, but he was wearing the traditional preppy button down shirt and khakis... it didn't so much fit for me. Stage presence was good and he was jammin' out - but could have been a little better.
Overall score (of possible 50): 33
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Overall score (of possible 50): 33
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Week Five - Raymond Joss
I LOVE RAYMOND'S VOICE! Raymond would be so great with just his voice and an acoustic Guitar. He did "Love Remains The Same" by Gavin Rossdale and he did a good job with it. Stage presence could use some work but you could tell he was a little nervous. Definitely a very good performance though, and did I mention he has a really gorgeous voice? :-)
Overall score (of possible 50): 39
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 7
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 39
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 7
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Barb Drake
Although I am sure Barb knows that her vocals aren't MTV worthy, she scored out of the park on her stage presence and overall performance this week. She came up for "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics and BOY was she fun to watch! She has more energy and enthusiasm than most and I commend her for coming out twice in this competition. THANKS BARB!
Overall score (of possible 50): 101.5
Quality Of Voice: 6.5
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 101.5
Quality Of Voice: 6.5
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Five - Lori Fermano
LOVE the song - "Bottle It Up" by Sara Barilles - and Lori has a VERY NICE VOICE. REALLY pretty, natural vibretto which is hard to find, and I love the tone and sound. The words of this tune are hard to sing and come at you fast so maybe a different song choice would have given her more leverage - but her voice is really very nice.
Overall score (of possible 50): 37
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 7
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 37
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 7
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Five - Cheryle Vangorter
This tune brought me back to the old days - Cheryle sang "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlysle! I don't know that it was the perfect song choice because Cheryle just sounds to me to be more the Country type, but I know she was trying to reach out and show versatility which was nice. I'd love to hear her sing some Alison Krauss or some sweet, Country female stuff. Good stage presence though as well, she was a little ball of energy!
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 6
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 6
Week Five - Shawn Rutherford
Better song selection this week gave Shawn an edge over his last performance. A little bit of a slave to that monitor with the words still, but overall decent from Shawn this week.
Overall score (of possible 50): 30
Quality Of Voice: 6
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 6
Audience Reaction: 6
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Overall score (of possible 50): 30
Quality Of Voice: 6
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 6
Audience Reaction: 6
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Week Five AWARDS
I wish like hell I could hand out "Most Improved" Awards from this competition. I have 2 "Most Improved" and I have one "Wild Card" (where you would give one person a ticket to be in the Finals because they deserve to be there even though they aren't)...
ED PUMA - my first nominee for the MOST IMPROVED Award. He performed 3 or 4 weeks that I was there, and every one progressively better. I didn't expect to see people perform more than one week but it was actually cool to see people progress. But Ed had gotten stronger and better as the weeks went on and he deserves some recognition for that.
INGRID LAND - my second nominee for MOST IMPROVED. She came in a hoodie and sneakers the first time I saw her and did an "OK" rendition of a Melissa Etheridge tune. Then she asked what she could do better and I told her. She listened, and improved. She came singing progressively better each week until LAST NIGHT definitely her best showing of the competition and a MARKED improvement over the first time I saw her perform. EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY GOOD JOB.
Last but not least, my WILD CARD would be BRIAN CHEEVERS. I think Brian deserves to be in the Finals, he is an EXCELLENT singer but also a GREAT performer and VASTLY entertaining. He is versatile, proved by his strong showing on both Country (Rascal Flatts) and pop (Billy Joel - WOW), and he is definitely an undiscovered talent. He is comfortable and at home on that stage and I really think Brian deserved a spot on Finals night -- though the evening that he WOULD have placed first, the man who DID place first was virtually unbeatable. I hope Brian comes back for our second Competition in March.
I will get this weeks reviews and scores posted tonight. Have a great week, folks! :-)
Feroni - OUT!
ED PUMA - my first nominee for the MOST IMPROVED Award. He performed 3 or 4 weeks that I was there, and every one progressively better. I didn't expect to see people perform more than one week but it was actually cool to see people progress. But Ed had gotten stronger and better as the weeks went on and he deserves some recognition for that.
INGRID LAND - my second nominee for MOST IMPROVED. She came in a hoodie and sneakers the first time I saw her and did an "OK" rendition of a Melissa Etheridge tune. Then she asked what she could do better and I told her. She listened, and improved. She came singing progressively better each week until LAST NIGHT definitely her best showing of the competition and a MARKED improvement over the first time I saw her perform. EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY GOOD JOB.
Last but not least, my WILD CARD would be BRIAN CHEEVERS. I think Brian deserves to be in the Finals, he is an EXCELLENT singer but also a GREAT performer and VASTLY entertaining. He is versatile, proved by his strong showing on both Country (Rascal Flatts) and pop (Billy Joel - WOW), and he is definitely an undiscovered talent. He is comfortable and at home on that stage and I really think Brian deserved a spot on Finals night -- though the evening that he WOULD have placed first, the man who DID place first was virtually unbeatable. I hope Brian comes back for our second Competition in March.
I will get this weeks reviews and scores posted tonight. Have a great week, folks! :-)
Feroni - OUT!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Finals Information
Here is your inside info on the finals, February 16th.
Finalists: You have to be AT SINGERS by 7:30 on the 16th. The competition will begin at 8pm, and you need to have TWO SONGS PICKED OUT. You will sing ONE, then you will have a break while others sing their first song, and then you sill sing a SECOND TIME.
YOU MAY *NOT* SING THE SONG THAT GOT YOU TO THE FINALS!
These are the rules, and we're stickin' to 'em. We are ALL looking forward to the Finals and once we get our last Finalist this coming Monday night, I will send EMail to all Finalists with this info one more time in case anyone missed it. See you all soon!
Finalists: You have to be AT SINGERS by 7:30 on the 16th. The competition will begin at 8pm, and you need to have TWO SONGS PICKED OUT. You will sing ONE, then you will have a break while others sing their first song, and then you sill sing a SECOND TIME.
YOU MAY *NOT* SING THE SONG THAT GOT YOU TO THE FINALS!
These are the rules, and we're stickin' to 'em. We are ALL looking forward to the Finals and once we get our last Finalist this coming Monday night, I will send EMail to all Finalists with this info one more time in case anyone missed it. See you all soon!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Week Four WINNER - Larry Coke
As it turns out, after entering almost every week, "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie, is LARRY COKE'S SONG! I've never given him less than a perfect 10 for his vocals because every time he sings, every note is like it was played on a piano - PITCH PERFECT. But with this song, EVERYTHING was there. He moved, he played to the crowd, he never looked at the screen, he had a RANDOM GIRL JUMP THE STAGE TO DANCE WITH HIM! That's phenomenal. HE is phenomenal. Apparently the contestants on Finals Night will have to sing 2 songs - and I can't wait to hear this guy bang out 2 in a row! GOOD LUCK LARRY!
Overall score (of possible 50): 48
Quality Of Voice: 10
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 9
Overall score (of possible 50): 48
Quality Of Voice: 10
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 9
Week Four - Krista Condon
Let me say - SO glad Krista came back after I saw her do some Carrie Underwood last time. Because THIS IS HER SONG! She did "Hanky Panky" by Madonna (was that from Dick Tracy I think?) and I believe KRISTA COULD MAKE IT ON BROADWAY. Totally the right tune for her. There's no doubt she has the vocal ability, but the Stage Presence was AMAZING with this tune and by the end of the song I think we were all ready to give her a little spanky ;-) GREAT job Krista. She took second - and not because she lacked anything, only because the man who took first was just unbeatable.
Also I am here to announce that UNFORTUNATELY, Amanda Lalone from Week Two cannot make the Finals. That means that the Second Place winner will replace her in the finals - and Krista Condon happened to BE that winner. So regardless of everything, Krista has now been awarded a spot on Finals Night and is in the running. She'll perform in the big show on February 16th.
Her Week Four scores:
Overall score (of possible 50): 47
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 9
Also I am here to announce that UNFORTUNATELY, Amanda Lalone from Week Two cannot make the Finals. That means that the Second Place winner will replace her in the finals - and Krista Condon happened to BE that winner. So regardless of everything, Krista has now been awarded a spot on Finals Night and is in the running. She'll perform in the big show on February 16th.
Her Week Four scores:
Overall score (of possible 50): 47
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 9
Week Four - Mandy Reardon
Here is where my job blows.
I would love to gush about how good this girl was. I actually gave her the highest score of all the judges (only by a point but still, it's high) and made the comment that I could listen to a whole album of her voice. Because personally, I loved the vocals. I even gave her a 10 in her Song Selection, because "Bathwater" by No Doubt was perfect for her (I know I could never sing that, it takes select few to pull it off). She came in 3rd overall of 15 people which is VERY GOOD considering the talent that caught her by a matter of 3 points above her. It was a close race.
But of course for everyone who was there, what stuck out about Mandy at night's end, was the fact that when Joey Walker announced she had won 3rd place, she took his microphone and yelled, "What the hell were you looking for, obviously not vocal ability, who ARE you, I've never even HEARD of you people"
Bitching about 3rd place definitely won't get you anywhere sweetheart. I was literally gushing about how much I loved the girl's voice and she could have easily come back and won next week. Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot, Mandy. Let's hope she was just REALLY drunk. I've never heard of her either... I based everything off the performance I witnessed.
And my scores were as follows.
Overall score (of possible 50): 44
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
I would love to gush about how good this girl was. I actually gave her the highest score of all the judges (only by a point but still, it's high) and made the comment that I could listen to a whole album of her voice. Because personally, I loved the vocals. I even gave her a 10 in her Song Selection, because "Bathwater" by No Doubt was perfect for her (I know I could never sing that, it takes select few to pull it off). She came in 3rd overall of 15 people which is VERY GOOD considering the talent that caught her by a matter of 3 points above her. It was a close race.
But of course for everyone who was there, what stuck out about Mandy at night's end, was the fact that when Joey Walker announced she had won 3rd place, she took his microphone and yelled, "What the hell were you looking for, obviously not vocal ability, who ARE you, I've never even HEARD of you people"
Bitching about 3rd place definitely won't get you anywhere sweetheart. I was literally gushing about how much I loved the girl's voice and she could have easily come back and won next week. Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot, Mandy. Let's hope she was just REALLY drunk. I've never heard of her either... I based everything off the performance I witnessed.
And my scores were as follows.
Overall score (of possible 50): 44
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Four - Bobbie Pickard
SO MUCH SOUL came out of this woman! I could definitely listen to her sing all day. I guess she could add a little bit of extra ooomph to her Stage Presence if anything, but vocally she was right on the money with this song - "A Woman's Worth" by Alecia Keys, a song that commonly gets done by singers who can only hit "most" of the notes in it. She did it all and even modified one to fit her exact range. It was beautiful and I was very impressed!
Overall score (of possible 50): 45
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 45
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Week Four - Kristen Naylor
I have to say, one of the most creative of the night - Kristen took "Fergalicious" by Fergie and added so much sass and attitude to it, we couldn't sit still. THe song is kinda rap-based but there are vocals in it as well so she upped the ante on the Stage Presence with her sassy performance and got the WHOLE room involved. Great to watch, fun performance, good vocals, overall real good. She actually ended up placing 4th or 5th in the lineup of 15 singers which was really good. I'd like to see her perform again!
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 10
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Four - Brian Cheevers
Brian has come every week since I've been judging, and he is beyond a doubt a very good singer. "Wanted Dead or Alive" might not be his song, he did a great job on it but it kinda' sounded like the lead singer of Rascal Flatts singing Bon Jovi! Not that that is a bad thing. And not saying he should only sing Rascal, either -- but I'd say Country is Brian's thang. Overall though Brian is entertaining every time and a great performer!
Overall score (of possible 50): 40
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 40
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 7
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 9
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Four - Derrick Parmer
OK, Derrick knocked this one OUT of the park. He did Oingo Boingo's "I Love Little Girls", and I HOPE that he comes back. He can sing, he performs well especially suited to this song, he definitely did a great job - for me one of the night's best!
Overall score (of possible 50): 44
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Overall score (of possible 50): 44
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 10
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 8
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Week Four - Carmen Angiolillo
So Carmen busts out with "Grapevine Vehicle" (Ides Of March) and WE WERE GROOVIN'! This was DEFINITELY HIS SONG! I'd like to hear this song recorded from him. He couldn't probably improve anything else, he listened to everything that we said last week and kicked a whole ton of ass this week!
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 8
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Four - Ed Puma
EDDIE TURNED IT OUT THIS WEEK! We have seen him (or at least I have) 3 weeks now and each week he brought a different flavor and different style. THIS WEEK was his BEST so far. He sang "Shower The People" by James Taylor and it was downright gorgeous! The only thing I can always say for Ed is to pull that Mic back from your mouth, bro. But I think if he ever competes again I might have a brand new mic screen ready for him - we found out this week that he takes it off to avoid the germs from others on it. GOOD THINKING! But yes Ed, this was DEFINITELY your week in my eyes and scores.
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 42
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 9
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Four - Diane Tschudi
LOVE THIS GIRL! If we were voting on shoes, she wins hands down. Red patent leather pumps! I thought she was gonna' sing "Red High Heels" but instead she belts out Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" like Steve Parry would have been proud of. That song has a lot of little notes and she hit each one without glossing over any - it's a pretty hard song, and she made it look super easy. GREAT stage presence and overall just a REALLY good performance. I really liked it.
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 43
Quality Of Voice: 9
Song Selection: 10
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Week Four - Sangeetha Ekambaram
Little Miss Dimples, cutie that she was, swayed and grooved to Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through The Grapevine" like an old school Soul Child from way back. It was kinda funky to see such a shy looking girl belt that out - but she did a good job! She has a very "pretty" sounding voice thoug, more suited I think to a ballad or "pretty" song -- but make no mistake Sangeetha can definitely sing! Overall good performance from her.
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 6
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 7
"WOW" factor (if any): 6
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Week Four - Barb Drake
We all agreed that Barb was the cutest thing we'd ever seen. She busted out "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas And The Papas. An older woman, she showed her young side belting the song out and dancing around the microphone stand like she was 20 again! Great energy and performance, though pretty pitchy throughout most of the song - Barb was fun to watch nonetheless!
Overall score (of possible 50): 31
Quality Of Voice: 4
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 4
Overall score (of possible 50): 31
Quality Of Voice: 4
Song Selection: 6
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 4
Week Four - Shawn Rutherford
Shawn's rendition of "Playboys Of The Southwest" by Blake Shelton was pretty raucous! It was a boot stompin', toe tappin' good time and quite a creative tune. I've never heard it, but it was well suited to Shawn. He was a bit agressive on the mic, but overall it was a fun performance and we could tell Shawn is a full blooded Country Boy.
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 6
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Overall score (of possible 50): 34
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 8
Stage Presence: 8
Audience Reaction: 6
"WOW" factor (if any): 5
Week Four - John Dougherty
I would have said that John wasn't really all that into this, but after the performance he kinda raved about the fact that he got the Tshirt... and left. So we took it that he wasn't in the competition to actually compete. Therefore I'm not going to post his scores. But he did get his Tshirt......
Week Four - Ingrid Land
You have to love Ingrid Land, if you have seen her perform you know that she loves to sing more than anything. Her drive and passion comes through in her performances. She has a pretty tone and sound, perfect for the jazzy vocals of Norah Jones like she did last week - but this week she chose, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston which may have been the wrong choice for her voice. But her dynamics were great, she was alternately soft and strong at all the right places -- just needed a lot of extra air behind the softer, higher parts to get them to come through on pitch. I have said before and will say again, Ingrid would benefit intensely from just a little formal vocal training to perfect her form and delivery. Overall nice performance though.
Overall score (of possible 50): 36
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 5
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Overall score (of possible 50): 36
Quality Of Voice: 7
Song Selection: 5
Stage Presence: 9
Audience Reaction: 8
"WOW" factor (if any): 7
Morning After Idol blog
The Curse of Narcissism!
This is Syracuse, New York. There IS no room for egos in this town. There are a handful of musicians who can because of their accomplishments (ie. Joe Porto, the guys in Under The Gun who, whether you like the band or not, have achieved the biggest Local Band following in the history of Syracuse, and maybe 6 other musicians that I'm not going into here), but aside from those who have been in the local scene for years and WORKED and EARNED their followings... there is no room for Narcissism here. Bottom line is, there is a LOT of talent here. There will ALWAYS BE SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER THAN YOU so to just walk up and think that you are the best is immature and unreasonable.
Personally I've done things that I'm pretty proud of - spent time in Europe, all courtesy of my record company, recorded in some great studios there, was played on the radio, enjoyed great treatment and had great times as a result of my talent. I've taught voice lessons and helped a handful of people to reach their musical goals, and I've had the best times of my life doing it all. But isn't that what it's REALLY about? It SHOULD be, anyways. People who get into performing and playing, it's for the love of music. It's for the love of sharing your talent with others who enjoy it. IF YOU AREN'T DOING IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT, YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT. PERIOD.
Everyone is different in what they like, and in what they think is "good" in their eyes and ears. That is why some people will pay for high priced tickets to see certain bands, while others wouldn't even take free ones for the same band. I wouldn't go to see, say, Creed, if you gave me tickets. Others would pay a hundred bucks for those seats. MUSIC IS PERSONAL TO PEOPLE. That might be what makes music the single greatest thing in the world, and something that can bring people together. But either way, it's something that is much bigger than any one person.
I guess my overall point (and I'm long winded so sometimes that gets lost...) is: Don't show up on a stage and expect that you're the best there is, in a town full of talent. There's nothing wrong with knowing that you're talented. Just leave your ego at your house before you show up in public to perform, because a big fat ego takes a talented performer to the complete bottom of the musical food chain. Respect is something that is earned - and can be lost in a (Syracuse) New York Minute.
Scores and reviews to be posted very soon. And please remember that the scores posted are MY INDIVIUAL SCORES, not the other judges, and mine only make up one third of the final score. Each judge has 50 points to award and the ones I post are JUST my own determinations.
Feroni - OUT!
This is Syracuse, New York. There IS no room for egos in this town. There are a handful of musicians who can because of their accomplishments (ie. Joe Porto, the guys in Under The Gun who, whether you like the band or not, have achieved the biggest Local Band following in the history of Syracuse, and maybe 6 other musicians that I'm not going into here), but aside from those who have been in the local scene for years and WORKED and EARNED their followings... there is no room for Narcissism here. Bottom line is, there is a LOT of talent here. There will ALWAYS BE SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER THAN YOU so to just walk up and think that you are the best is immature and unreasonable.
Personally I've done things that I'm pretty proud of - spent time in Europe, all courtesy of my record company, recorded in some great studios there, was played on the radio, enjoyed great treatment and had great times as a result of my talent. I've taught voice lessons and helped a handful of people to reach their musical goals, and I've had the best times of my life doing it all. But isn't that what it's REALLY about? It SHOULD be, anyways. People who get into performing and playing, it's for the love of music. It's for the love of sharing your talent with others who enjoy it. IF YOU AREN'T DOING IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT, YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT. PERIOD.
Everyone is different in what they like, and in what they think is "good" in their eyes and ears. That is why some people will pay for high priced tickets to see certain bands, while others wouldn't even take free ones for the same band. I wouldn't go to see, say, Creed, if you gave me tickets. Others would pay a hundred bucks for those seats. MUSIC IS PERSONAL TO PEOPLE. That might be what makes music the single greatest thing in the world, and something that can bring people together. But either way, it's something that is much bigger than any one person.
I guess my overall point (and I'm long winded so sometimes that gets lost...) is: Don't show up on a stage and expect that you're the best there is, in a town full of talent. There's nothing wrong with knowing that you're talented. Just leave your ego at your house before you show up in public to perform, because a big fat ego takes a talented performer to the complete bottom of the musical food chain. Respect is something that is earned - and can be lost in a (Syracuse) New York Minute.
Scores and reviews to be posted very soon. And please remember that the scores posted are MY INDIVIUAL SCORES, not the other judges, and mine only make up one third of the final score. Each judge has 50 points to award and the ones I post are JUST my own determinations.
Feroni - OUT!
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