The audition phase grinds on into the second month of American Idol, and I for one cannot wait until it’s over. The promos are teasing us all with better performances and the innovation of letting those who can play their own instruments, but all we’re getting is golden tickets and delusional wannabes. It has to be over tonight. Doesn’t it?

They jacked up the presence of the people who protest too much after getting rejected compared to the bliss known as Omaha. Sadly, none of them were sufficiently creative to be interesting. Nathan Hite proved why he was held back in ninth grade by rattling off insults that were old when his father played the dozens. Simon got touchy-feely with Eva Miller, which didn’t save him from being savaged after she walked out of the room. It also made me feel like someone’s switched the Simon Cowell we normally get for a replicant. J.P. Tjelmeland wasn’t kidding when he said he’s studying voice. I could hear his technique. The thing is, he’s not trained to be a lead singer for a pop act. He’s not likely to solo much on the serious stuff, either. Breath control and diction are no substitute for tonal quality.

The ticket-winners we saw were a slightly odd lot. Josiah Leming seems to use his eyes as part of his lungs. Brooke Helvie proved that you can take the pageant contestant off the stage but you can’t get the stage off of her. Sure, she could sing well enough, but she has that second-tier pageant friendliness going on that reminds me of a tour guide or flight attendant. I was most impressed with Asia’h Epperson’s drive despite her father’s death and Amanda Overmeyer’s entire package. I doubt either’s moving on to the 24, but they were worth seeing. And a side note on Asia’h: as someone who’s done it herself, any problems with her voice were due to the emotions she was barely keeping in check.

Tags: American_Idol, Fashion, Music, Television

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