American Idol auditions in Dallas with Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris
Idol returns to Dallas, where “Idol” found Kelly Clarkson in 2002.
While the crazies were at relatively low ebb, this left the producers no choice but to highlight some good singers. (We heard plenty.) Dallas brought home 31 Hollywood-bound contestants, a very good total.
Julie Kevelighan, 28, did an awful Lady Marmalade season one. She tries again eight years later with “Black Velvet” this time. It was still lousy, just less irritating. Her hideous makeup, as Simon noted, just adds to the pure awfulness of it all.
Lloyd Thomas, with a lousy dock worker and two cute kids, is this season’s Ruben Studdard if he can get that far. He does a nuanced version of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed.” Neil Patrick Harris wants him to show more personality while he’s singing but everyone else loves him.
Neil shows a little bite against Simon. Kimberly Carver, a school teacher, goes for an original song, a bluesy tune. “You can blow,” Randy said. “I don’t see anything current, anything interesting,” Simon said. “I disagree with you,” Neil said. “Mutiny on the panel,” Simon said. I can see why Simon wasn’t thrilled but she was pretty good.
Dexter Ward is very arrogant but he is hideously bad. Of course.
Erica Rhodes does a brilliant take on the Barney song, then gives us En Vogue. I like her. Maybe it’s the whip. Or the voice. “Barney kids grow up,” she explained.
Sad story alert: Tourette Syndrome man Dave Pittman, 27, from Arkansas. Tourette’s does not affect his singing. He has a great presence. “You’re crazy brave,” Neil said. He’s in.
Day two with Joe Jonas.
Todrick Hall of Arlington does his own original song. It’s self referential and very well done. “One of the best I’ve seen for season nine,” Randy said. “It was a cutesy audition. Voicewise, I’m not jumping out of my chair,” Simon said. I find this man totally charming.
Five more yesses: Dawntoya Thomason, three more unnamed folks, then Stephanie Daulong, who makes Simon smile.
Richardson cosmetologist Maegan Wright, with the cute son, is sweet, with a touching vocal of “To Make You Feel My Love.” “I like the surprise element,” Simon said, based on her “Break the rules” shirt.
Chipper Vanessa Johnston, in vibrant pink, goes for the classic “At Last.” Oh, boy. She misses the first note and couldn’t get done quick enough. Tone deaf, meet Vanessa.
Then there is this strange sidenote from Ryan about Simon, defending his grouchiness by noting he has to listen to “thousands” of singers. More like hundreds in reality. The final contestant: Christian Spear, who had leukemia at age four. (Take that, Tourette’s dude!) She is now an eight-year cancer survivor at age 16.
She also does Etta James. She clearly has had vocal training. “You have a natural gift,” Kara said. “And you have no fear, which is rare for a 16 year old.”
So why was Joe Jonas there? He added a big fat zero to the proceedings.
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184 comments Add your comment
JTesla
January 27th, 2010
6:46 pm
And here is the holding spot for my comments. Enjoy the show everyone, hope it is a good one.
Keith
January 27th, 2010
7:41 pm
GET A LIFE! This show sucks.
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
7:50 pm
Evening all! They’ve showed so few of the ones that are actually Hollywood bound it’s really quite frustrating.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
7:58 pm
I am with you on that, EN.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
7:59 pm
“get a life” LOL…that’s so original…how’d you ever think of it?
Well, at least half of this show will be fun. Neil Patrick Harris should liven things up a bit.
Lar
January 27th, 2010
8:05 pm
Hi all, still bad many years later
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:05 pm
NPH and Kara are friends – according to an Ellen episode with NPH as a guest last year.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:06 pm
This is the year of contestants refusing to stop singing!
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:07 pm
Because we all have to keep… on… singing!
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:07 pm
I know the early auditions are for the small portion of the audience who enjoy bad singing…but the bad singing they’ve shown this year isn’t a good kind of bad.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:08 pm
Or, at least keep a song in our hearts, Rodney!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:10 pm
Hey everybody!
Lar
January 27th, 2010
8:12 pm
Why do they show good singers but not let us hear them?
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:12 pm
Lloyd…VERY nice!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:13 pm
He was good.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:14 pm
That’s one of my favorite Stevie songs, too.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:15 pm
Kimberly has a Kelly vibe about her.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:15 pm
Kimberly was, too.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:16 pm
I like her. She was good.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:16 pm
I love the way Neil is kinda taking over the judges panel!
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:17 pm
I don’t like it, D.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:19 pm
Now why is this thing telling me I’m posting to fast and slow down?
Lar
January 27th, 2010
8:19 pm
NPH has been doing better than any of the last three guest judges.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:19 pm
Did they spend this much time in previous seasons showing us the interactions between the judges? ugh let me see the singers!!! ARe they trying to give simon more air time so he will stay on board?
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:19 pm
I think the show set it up that way. Notice how all the guest judges are seated next to Simon EXCEPT Neil. I think the show planned this little scenario(knowing how bored most of us are with these early auditio shows)
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:20 pm
I agree Lar.
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:20 pm
Feeling whipped yet, folks?
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:22 pm
LOL, Rodney! I the show is set up like that, too.
Nana, it told me that last night.
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:23 pm
Oh, Lord.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:23 pm
Gee…I never would have guessed that Dexter would be bad.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:23 pm
Did he just walk in pigeoned toe? Welllllll, maybe he walks better than he sings.
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:24 pm
He sashayed pigeoned toe….
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:24 pm
Barney would be so proud!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:25 pm
I know that I can be fast, but not that fast to get that message, harrieth.
Lar
January 27th, 2010
8:26 pm
like it!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:26 pm
Oh, a Barney child.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:26 pm
That’s what I said. Didn’t do it to me tonight, and I posted twice in two mins. I she kidding?
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:27 pm
What is she wearing?
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:28 pm
American (Dominatrix) Idol. LOL
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:28 pm
A dominatrix!!
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:28 pm
Erica has a decent voice but the whip was a little too much.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:28 pm
I’ve gotten the message three times.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:29 pm
Nana, I started losing posts last night, too. Hope that doesn’t happen to you. Guess Pac Man came back for the season.
Rodny, I think that is what is bothering me about NPH. I expected some humor with his criticism.
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:29 pm
Neil hasn’t been a bad judge but we haven’t seen as much of the humor I was hoping for…
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:30 pm
I got it once last night. I think the system is hiccuping.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:31 pm
We’ll have to trade Neil for Joe Jonas now, Sob!
I”m happy that he took his guest judging duties seriously. He’s one of the first.
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:32 pm
Does anyone know whatever happened to Ryan’s co-host from Season 1?
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
Did you see that Nana and D? My post was in response to Rodney’s, and it actually came out posted ahead of his. ???
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
Brian Dunkleman hasn’t done much of anything since leaving Idol.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
So far, not to bad.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:34 pm
oops, didnt realized i clicked enter. bet he can really sing.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:35 pm
I like Dave’s voice.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:36 pm
His disability doens’t keep him from singing. He was good.
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:36 pm
Dunkleman. I knew it was a strange name. Thanks. I liked Dave. A Jonas, really? Lord, no!!!!!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:38 pm
Rather have NPH for the second day instead of Joe Jonas.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:39 pm
Harriett, I had a post pop up before one of yours and I had read yours before I wrote the post. It was right after one of Rodney’s posts, too. I think it may be Rodney’s fault!
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:39 pm
It’s already 8:40 p.m. and we are not going to get much Joe Jonas. Probably a good thing.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:39 pm
Can’t wait for our gal Linnie to get back.
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:40 pm
So far, so boring.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:40 pm
That’s a good thing Rodney.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:40 pm
I actually like tonight’s show. It’s a lot better than the previous 3 shows.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:41 pm
okay he made me cry even though i know that wasnt his intention. Tell me how are they gonna cut the guy with t- syndrome in hollywood. He has to made the top 36, 24 or whatever the number is.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:41 pm
Todrick is very good!
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:42 pm
I think so, too, D! Jonas? Different demographic, sure to draw younger fans.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:43 pm
Boy’s got chops!
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:43 pm
Go Todrick!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:43 pm
His song is happy and he can sing.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:44 pm
There, Harriett…my post just popped in ahead of yours! Weird!
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:44 pm
Randy tonight–dude has replaced “dog.”
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:44 pm
Now that was an original song!
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:45 pm
It IS weird.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:45 pm
Wow! Lots of good people…did you notice the quick shot of Jason Castro’s brother?
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:45 pm
Well, they are putting them through.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:46 pm
didnt know one jonas from the other. see i am not missing much. her back story is her parents are divorced? are u serious?
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:47 pm
why would she wear that outfit?
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:47 pm
Ok, this show is a LOT better than the last 3. Do you suppose they’ve been listening to us?
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:48 pm
Another goes through. They have shown some talent tonight.
Lar
January 27th, 2010
8:48 pm
Joe Jonas is doing a great job “yeah”
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:48 pm
Lar – I was thinking the same thing! It must be a generational thing. Like when I say to a server (waiter) “thank you” and instead of a reply of “you’re welcome,” they reply “no problem.” It drives me crazy!
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
Maegen seemed really sweet. Not sure she will make it very far in Hollywood but she has an appealing personality.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
has he said more than 3 words? i know show is edited but …
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
Has anyone else noticed that Simon seems to have worked out a good bit since last season? His arms have lots more definition.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
A tie…I’d like to see Simon in a tie.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
She wasn’t bad doing the Garth Brooks song.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:49 pm
My posts keep popping in earlier than I posted them.
Rodney Ho
January 27th, 2010
8:50 pm
Not enough crazies. In fact, not many great back stories. So shockingly, we get more good vocalists. Dallas, as Randy noted a couple weeks ago, did bring out the skillz tonight.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:50 pm
definitely hadnt noticed that. i am just waiting for him to wear the button down and blazer.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:51 pm
He does seem to have built up some muscle.
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:51 pm
Judy, don’t hold your breathe waiting for that to happen.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:52 pm
Rodney, you are right, and I like this much better.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:52 pm
I’m apparently living in the past…if you ask Pacman.
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:53 pm
i didnt really like the dominatrix girl’s voice/sound.
Deirdre
January 27th, 2010
8:53 pm
Pink girl needs to go home!
Nana
January 27th, 2010
8:54 pm
O M G!!!! Get her off and shut her up.
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:54 pm
LMAO, D!
Judy
January 27th, 2010
8:56 pm
did joe say anything other than no to the pink girl? boy is he boring
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:56 pm
Sob!
Harriett
January 27th, 2010
8:57 pm
Girl can sing, but I hate her mannerisms
Exit Now
January 27th, 2010
8:57 pm
A little nasalie, no?