American Idol; Boston & Atlanta Auditions

Of course, I can't start reviewing American Idol 9 without first commenting on three HUGE changes that we have this season, and the seasons following!

Change #1: Miss Abdul has left the building!  With the first two episodes past, the auditions seem somewhat less drunk? (I'm not sure if that's the word I'm looking for.)  Having Victoria Beckham a.k.a "Posh" from the Spice Girls and Mary J. Blige as our first two guest judges made the auditions somewhat more interesting.  I would have LOVED the Boston auditions more if Victoria's uberlicious hubby, David Beckham stopped in!!  Oh well.

Change #2: The toughest judge you'll ever love is calling it quits!  Whoa.  Simon!!  What are you doing?!  I feel like a little kid whose parents are divorcing!  Will the show stay the same?  Who will replace him? Will we get someone who is as brutally honest as he??  I am one of those people who HATES change!  I have a very difficult time dealing with it...sure, Paula being gone, big whoop, but Simon? 

Change #3: Ellen DeGeneres replacing Paula as the "regular" judge!  Sure, I'm sure there will be a lot of funny comments, etc - which I like...but I'm pretty sure that Ellen isn't going to be a mamby-pamby judge who likes everybody and everything.  She enjoys music enough to know what is good and what is... well... notsomuch!!

I don't want to give my fabu opinion on EVERY audition because I think that would be a little much!  I WILL point out a few of my favorite best & worst auditions!

Obviously, I have to start out with the very first contestant; Janet, who if I saw correctly was from Somerville, Massachusetts which is where I am originally from.  Sure, I was completely horrified at her representation of my hometown, but not everyone can be as awesome as the sisters Waters.  ;) (can I get a "holla" from my sisters?! Oh wait..that's the other dude) aaaanyway, Janet loves to play the American Idol game and has claimed to have "mastered" it.  After her rendition of Pocket Full of Sunshine it was obvious...the game is crap....and her jumping relaxation/pump-up technique...could have worked better if she had on a shorter tanktop.

On the "good" side I've got to give props to my pizano Amadeo Diricco! His rendition of Hoochie Coochie Man .....  was 'ow you saaay... boisterous..... molto alto!  LOUD!  but good!!  I loved his family!  It was refreshing to see some JOY in one of the back-stories...what I liked the best about this bit - his family clobbering him!!  Awesome... now THAT'S a famiglia!!

Believe me - I WON'T forget the bizarro world Clark Kent.  He actually started out as the mild-mannered reporter, Clark Kent, but after waiting the ENTIRE DAY, Andrew Fonton was mild-mannered no more.  Actually, I don't think he ever is....Kara took an immediate dislike to him and I'm pretty sure the feelings were mutual.  In all honesty - I don't think his version of House of the Rising Sun wasn't completely horrible.... then again, it wasn't whip-off-your-glasses-and-tear-off-your-shirt great either. 

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Atlanta had some real hum-dingers as well.  A lot good, a lot bad and a lot who were just off their nut!!

The guest seat of honor was relinquished by Posh Spice and was taken up by the ever-so-fabulous Mary J. Blige. One thing that I really appreciated about Ms. Blige;  she didn't do any Paula-isms.  "Well...you look lovely" Nope.

First and foremost from Georgia:  WE HAVE OUR HIT OF THE SEASON!!  Last season it was "...You are my brother..." It's such a huge shame that I don't remember any of the words.  Anyway, I didn't have the chance to see the entire audition of Larry Platt, it has gone the way of the viral video on youtube with people already doing their version!  Larry speaks the truth!  "Pants on the Ground" speaks the truth!! Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground!  It's completely hysterical!!

One of my favs is Jermaine Sellers is a young church singer who takes good care of his mamma with spinal bifida.  His rendition of "One of Us" was really cool.  The runs at the end...mmmm... well, a little over the top, but cool. 

The ditz sisters were (how do I put this politely?) Completely idiotic and obnoxious!  As usual when  you have two BFF's or even siblings audition together - one is considered better than the other!  Lauren Sanders, a resounding NO!  Carmen Turner, waaay better!  I'm glad the judges didn't throw Lauren a pity ticket - that would have been a MAJOR waste!!

Bryan Walker was a complete dark horse.  Chicken Little lives ON!!  He's completely dorky, but he can SANG!

Antonio Skii Bo Skii Wheeler with the cocky attitude & misspelled shirt was one auditioner I can't wait to see gone.  It will be just my luck if he ends up being in the top 4. 

I don't even want to waste my time writing on captain inturrupt.  Dude wouldn't shut up long enough to get advice. "I wish Paula were here!!" Sorry baby...she gawn!

We did have a young girl who had a Susan Boyle moment.  The young lass who goes by the handle; Vanessa I-jump-breegis Wolfe.  This girl, devoid of any other stimulation has had to resort to jumping bridges, hanging out on the porch & shopping at the dollar store.  I have NOTHING against shopping at a dollar store considering many of my clothes are from Goodwill am I embarrassed about that?  NOPE!  I just make sure I don't wander around wearing fleece pajama pants.  (Sorry MAJOR pet-peeve of mine) ANYWAY, Vanessa has a real old-timey country voice.  I'm curious to see how far she'll go!!

Caio for now!!