S14.E01: Auditions #1

[Tara Ariano]

Part 1 of the two-part Season 14 opener features auditions in Nashville.

[nutty1]

That was boring…...

[bilgistic]

I'm terribly bored with the lack of television programming right now as my shows limp slowly back from winter break, so I tuned into this tonight. I haven't watched since the first Steven Tyler season, and was pleasantly surprised.

I lose interest once they get to Hollywood, but enjoy the trainwrecks and fantastic hometown singers before "Hollywood" gets to them.

Some observations: there were several people who got through that I thought were only maybe the best singer in their school or church choir, but not recording-contract material by any stretch. The coffee shop guy sounded terribly offkey to me, but I don't get that kind of quirky-talky-singing that seems to be in every other Apple-product commercial.

It was amusing to see the kid dance with J.Lo, like she's so humble. Isn't she one of those performers that has it in her rider that people working on her tour aren't to look directly at her?

[mojoween]

I wasn't blown away by anyone (Ha! see what I did there? God I amuse myself) but I enjoyed that it was only an hour and that they mostly showcased good people. I've never liked the jokes.

I adored the part when JLo danced with Sam Smith guy because even though his music isn't really my bag, I could watch Keith Urban play guitar all day. I also loved when she started randomly singing and Harry and Keith joined in. I would totally watch a show of them doing that for an hour.

But PLEASE Idol - ditch the selfie sticks. It makes for unpleasant viewing.

I was so surprised when JLo got goosies with the guy who sang Bonnie Raitt because I really thought he was going to be a no.

[MarkHB]

I would think it more likely that the tour workers would be required to make her the center of their attention at all times ;)

I enjoyed it... I tend to like the Hollywood Week and love shows better than the auditions, but it was fine. I never notice when they sing off key anyway unless it's ridiculous.

[Nidratime]

I liked Cameron, Michael and Emily (the last girl, I think).

[Jynnan tonnix]

The first guy was OK-ish...being that he's young and has that sort of delicate blond look which appeals to a lot of tweenies he may end up staying too long if he goes through.

 

The second girl was way too Southern and nasally-drawly. Cute to watch for a minute or so, but I was totally over her before her segment was even done. Could get very annoying very fast.

 

Really liked the third guy...he had the sort of voice which just sort of carries you along with it. I hope he has more of the same up his sleeve.

 

Girl with ghetto sob story was just not ready. I don't think she will last through Hollywood week, and hope that's not too dispiriting for her.

 

Coffee shop guy was all sorts of off-key to my ears, and had a very unappealing tone. Keith looked as though he was cringing through the audition, and I was really surprised they voted him through.

 

The guy who danced with J Lo had a decent voice with a nice sort of dusty quality to it, but it bothered me that he's getting what I suspect is a set-up favoritism right out of the gate.

 

I liked the last girl as well...she had a very complete style and super-clean voice for 15 years old. She made me smile.

[awaken]

The barista guy sounded terrible to me- I thought they were going to laugh him out of there and was shocked when they loved it! I actually felt a bit nauseous when he opened his mouth and I saw grey teeth (not that mine are any prize, either!)

I liked the third guy from Wichita and the 15 yr old Emily.

[BogoGog24]

Favorites of the night include black guy with guitar from Kansas, Michael, Emily, and the black girl from Memphis. Riley was pretty decent too. Coffee shop guy was downright awful, his high notes were so strained and out of tune, yet they completely trashed that long haired redhead before him even though he wasn't actually that bad. They're obviously basing most of it on looks. The douchey coffee house hipster thing is so played out.

On the plus side I enjoy Emily a lot, although she could try to make songs more her own. But I'm thinking country artists have a strong chance this year, aside from the fact they always do well on these shows, but also because of Scott and that the winner gets signed to Taylor's label.

[Babalooie]

I'm a music professional and I can vouch for the fact that the barista was way off pitch.  He just seemed to be struggling throughout the whole performance. I can't see how that would be appealing in any genre. I  know the style.  It is similar to the female singers with the little girl voices that Blake Shelton favors on The Voice.  He must know a guy who knows a guy.

[bilgistic]

Thank you, Babalooie. Good to know that we all here aren't crazy. I have no musical talent, but have been told by a musician that I "have a good ear". Ha ha!

Edited January 8, 2015 by bilgistic

[ichbin]

C'mon! Coffee guy? The redhead from Long Island was better than him.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

The second girl was way too Southern and nasally-drawly. Cute to watch for a minute or so, but I was totally over her before her segment was even done. Could get very annoying very fast.

 

She's already annoying.  She had worn out her welcome before she even started singing.  Kellie Pickler Mark 2.  Ugh.

 

Hated coffee guy.

[vb68]

 

The guy who danced with J Lo had a decent voice with a nice sort of dusty quality to it, but it bothered me that he's getting what I suspect is a set-up favoritism right out of the gate.

 

 

My Mom was raving about how well he played that.  He got extra camera time, and now people will remember him.  Plus he was a decent singer and cute.  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I am gobsmacked that they opened with that first male singer.  Incredibly underwhelming!  He does fit right in with the reed-thin voices that seem to be popular, though.

 

Corey is one of the all-time disconnects I have ever had watching AI.  His range is ridiculously limited.  Does he even have two octaves in him?  Will he always growl as he reaches for basic tones?   If Hollywood Week is at all fair, he'll be dumped quickly.  

 

I liked Kyle from Staten Island.  He would never be an Idol, but I would enjoy listening to him in a coffee shop sometime. 

 

Memphis girl with pink hair absolutely has the natural ability to make something of herself in the biz.  But, Harry is right.  She's just not ready.  

 

If anyone from this ep makes it to the Top 24, this show is in reeeeeeally big trubble. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Are there any particular characteristics of the sillhoueted video that we can pick out?  I think I can see a white guy with long hair and a black guy with dreads.  Any others?

[Shades of Red]

It might be possible to recognize some of the contestants in the top 24 by physical characters in shadow, but after thinking about previous shows I have to wonder how many have changed their "look" since their auditions.  As the auditions are sometimes done several months ahead of time it's not unusual for people to grow out/cut their hair, lose weight etc.  They also have the benefit of the show and all their make-up/hair people for the sneak peek, vs dressing themselves.  I thought the preview served only as filler.

 

I'm hoping that Harry resorts back to his "no bs" attitude and keeps it this year instead of falling into the "everything is fine" mode he ended up with last season.  Here's hoping the show lets him do his thing instead of reigning him in.

[Iboatedhere]

I watch this show for the chemistry between Harry and Keith and sometimes JLo.

 

Loved Harry's "What a strange turn of events." when the girl ran out with only his autograph after she was praising Jennifer and the sasquatch at Keith's concert. I was feeling pretty smug when the mother of the girl with 10 siblings demonstrated that she only barely touched Keith at his concert. I got his back and his hand when I was at a show. But then she hugged him and I lost.

 

Didn't love any of the contestants. They were all meh.

[JMarie99]

I didn't get excited about any of the contestants either.  I thought Emily was decent, and I was glad they didn't send ghetto girl home because with coaching I think she could definitely have potential, and besides I would just hate to see her go back to the streets.  But I don't see either of them as the next Idol.  One of the guys reminded me of Phillip Phillips but I can't remember who.  The last guy was good, but the judges' fawning over him was a little over the top.  Nasal country girl (Riley?) annoyed me the minute she opened her mouth, and her singing voice was just so typical and mediocre - I can't believe she got through.  And coffee shop guy was just plain terrible.

 

I really need to starting taking notes so I can remember some of their names!

[Jynnan tonnix]

I suppose I keep watching this show in hopes of finding another real break-out star...I think we are about due for a good season. Even though it hasn't happened in too long, I do feel that it's possible if the current panel does their jobs without being overly manipulated by the Powers that Be and if the camera actually showcases the contestants rather than Jen's reactions to them. Ah, who am I kidding? Those things will never happen. But despite all that, I think the show HAS been pulling to improve over the past couple of seasons. The really mind-boggling thing is the people they actually end up with in the top tens after combing through what really must be immense pools of talent. Every year I seem to pick people who seem to have a lot of potential only to have them picked off in seemingly ever faster culls before the voting rounds begin.

 

Based on what we saw last night, I'm in agreement with basically everyone that while we didn't see any immediate star-power, Cameron and Emily were the standouts of the evening, along with Michael who just got a bit too much favoritism for me to jump on his bandwagon. I suspect the whole dance thing was anything but spontaneous, the way everyone jumped into their parts. Not that I don't think Harry & Keith can improvise with the best of them, but that's just not how it felt.

 

Regardless, I would say that those three alone would have fared just fine in an early season, but likely will mostly fall by the wayside by the top ten...all but Michael, who will continue to get pimped until it becomes clear that he's really either boring or entitled or both, but he will be in the top four by then.

 

But maybe they will surprise me and pick a group of really talented and interesting performers. It could happen, right?

[Guest]

I thought the barista sucked, too.  I had to FF his performance.  Either you had to be there or they're scripting who they'll go gaga over.  

 

The autographs and dances baffle me because I'm sure they must give all these people a list of "don'ts" about the judges, and it must include touching and autographs.  Because most of them come in, say two sentences, sing and leave, which is hard to do in a small room alone with three superstars (to them).  I guess the writers figure they should throw in a moment or two to make the judges seem human, and not like glass dolls in a case?  

[radiochik]

The intro w the Top 24 did nothing for me.  It was so processed or auto tuned or whatever that it told me nothing about anyone's actual singing ability. 

 

I hate that they let a lot of young singers through who obviously need more work and practice before trying out again next year.  Like the country singer who was the youngest of 10.  I was unimpressed. Her voice was thin, not strong enough and definitely not ready for Hollywood.  On the other hand, I loved Emily, the 15 year old at the end.  She is talented enough to go through and can learn A LOT from the whole process.

 

I didn't hate the guy w the long red hair (from Staten Island) but I hated how they edited him. He was awkward, sure but I felt they made him look a fool.   I agree w him not going to Hollywood though. He was a guy I could see fronting one of the many local bands I see at home.  Plus Give A Little Bit is NOT by the Goo Goo Dolls. I know they had a hit with their version but the (much better version of the) song is by Supertramp. 

 

 

[Prairie Fire]

Plus Give A Little Bit is NOT by the Goo Goo Dolls. I know they had a hit with their version but the (much better version of the) song is by Supertramp.

 

This show once credited "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to Beyonce if I remember right....

Edited January 8, 2015 by Prairie Fire

[Ketzel]

I'm hoping that Harry resorts back to his "no bs" attitude and keeps it this year instead of falling into the "everything is fine" mode he ended up with last season.  Here's hoping the show lets him do his thing instead of reigning him in.

I had hopes that Harry would develop into a more-courteous version of Simon Cowell. Having an industry professional provide an unvarnished opinion of the amateur applicants was what made this show so interesting to me from the beginning. (Although I did agree that Simon needed a touch of varnish now and then, at least I believed his judgment was his own in the early years.) I don't know why the producers have let the show morph into three stars nodding kindly to a bunch of teenage wanna-bes, but I doubt they will encourage Harry to say anything more negative than "I think you are terrific but you aren't ready" (followed by squealing protests from the other two). And once the competition really starts, if anyone says anything specifically negative to a contestant without immediately smothering him or her in reassurances and wet sloppy kisses, I will be very surprised. (Although I won't be there to be surprised if we end up with a top whatever where the average age is under 21, and the pitch problems are ignored because - Auto-tune!)

Edited January 8, 2015 by Ketzel

[Jynnan tonnix]

The intro w the Top 24 did nothing for me.  It was so processed or auto tuned or whatever that it told me nothing about anyone's actual singing ability. 

 

  

Wait...what?

 

I thought I'd turned the TV on within a minute of the show's starting, but I think I was looking for my glasses or something and evidently missed this.

 

Now, granted, I know all the preliminaries have already been gone through by the time they get to the live shows, but did they actually show the top 24 already? Whatever happened to the concept of spoilers? One of the reasons I enjoy the audition rounds is to try to predict who will break out of the pack early on. Not that I generally do all that well with it, but it's fun nonetheless...

[Iboatedhere]

There were shots of the contestants standing on the stage in the dark. You could really only see their silhouettes.

[Ketzel]

Wait...what?

 

I thought I'd turned the TV on within a minute of the show's starting, but I think I was looking for my glasses or something and evidently missed this.

 

Now, granted, I know all the preliminaries have already been gone through by the time they get to the live shows, but did they actually show the top 24 already? Whatever happened to the concept of spoilers? One of the reasons I enjoy the audition rounds is to try to predict who will break out of the pack early on. Not that I generally do all that well with it, but it's fun nonetheless...

The top twenty-four (I think it was?) were show in artistic back lighting with their faces obscured and all you could hear were electronically adjusted voices. I'm sure some fans will be watching the segment frame by frame and trying to match what they saw to the contestants shown as the show goes forward, but for the less-obsessive it was kind of a waste of time, imo.

[rollerblade]

I was so surprised when JLo got goosies with the guy who sang Bonnie Raitt because I really thought he was going to be a no.

 

I wouldn't put much stock in the geese. She probably get goosies over unfrosted sugar-free fat-free cupcakes.

[Alison]

When Emily said she was 15, and I realized we're on season 14, I wanted to cry. We're now entering an era where contestants haven't known a life sans AI.

[Guest]

The intro was like an entire music video of the top 24.  You couldn't identify people but it showed them on cliffs, on stages, etc... all darkened or in profile or from behind.  

 

I actually liked it.  But after a minute it got kind of funny... What part of this person can they show that will spark our interest, faces excluded?  

Oh, nice ass!  

Pretty lips! 

Oh, nice waist!  

Oh, blue hair!  

Oh, pink hair!  

Oh, pink AND blue hair!  

Another nice ass!  

Oh, GINORMOUS hair!  

 

The top 24 seemed to be a lot more racially diverse than in recent years, if the sounds and silhouettes were any hint.  

[EmZeeGee]

I missed the beginning, so I didn't see the silhouettes, but if it indicates much more racial diversity then my ears are well pleased. Watching the auditions last night I was concerned this would be the season of finding another Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran, both of whom I enjoy, but don't need another.

 

I'm so glad to come here and find that I wasn't the only one perplexed by the coffee shop singer getting through. I was wincing watching him perform off-key nearly the whole performance. I also had to look at JLo in confusion through my TV when she said his version of 'I Can't Make You Love Me' was so different and unique, it's as if Bon Iver's version didn't exist.

 

Did anyone else hear a bit of K. Michelle thing from the Black girl from Memphis? Must be a Memphis thing because they have a similar sound to me.

 

Lastly, I thought the ability to have piano accompaniment and bring and play a guitar would add to the audition process, but it has just become a crutch and nuisance to me.

[Padma]

I tuned in late and was glad to see Harry turn down the girl from the ghetto. She had a great story but vocally really isn't ready. I don't know if it makes you feel better eliminated during Hollywood week... maybe, but you could take some deserving people with you then. But it made me hopeful that Harry will continue as he began last season, actually looking for singers, not stories.

 

Speaking of stories, I didn't like "dance with me" guy at all. Yes, he was kind of good looking and had an okay voice. But I thought that was so arrogant, even disrespectful. I mean, everyone would love to dance with JLo, but they don't ask out of respect. Who did he think he was? (Also didn't like how he handed his guitar off to Keith with instructions to back him up. Really, dancing guy. You're neither "that cute" nor "that talented" to make that work for you. Just, I guess, "that ballsy".)

 

So I couldn't stand him, but once Keith swallowed his pride and saw JLo was going along with it as was Harry, it turned into a nice moment for the three of them at least. I really enjoyed seeing KU play and hearing him on the song... so, good moment in that sense. But I can't see whateverhisnamewas leave fast enough. Really, he just wasn't as special as he apparently thinks.

[Jynnan tonnix]

That's why I think "dancing guy" was a setup from moment one. "OK, he kinda has the voice and looks", think the PtB..."but he doesn't have a 'story'. So let's give him something  to do which will make people remember him".

 

The "pre-audition" footage (which was most probably added after the fact) had him saying he was going to ask for something outrageous but he thought he had the talent to pull off being able to ask. Maybe he had said something like that...I'm not saying he doesn't seem the type...but the producers had already sent him through to sing before the judges, so they knew they had someone pimpable, and just went with it.

[Ketzel]

The "pre-audition" footage (which was most probably added after the fact) had him saying he was going to ask for something outrageous but he thought he had the talent to pull off being able to ask.

I thought, from that talking head, that he was going to ask Harry or Keith to accompany him, or maybe ask one of the judges to join him in a duet. And that makes sense, although it is also super arrogant, imo. It would at least be both outrageous and related to his singing ability. But what talent did he demonstrate that would justify asking JLo to slow dance with him? He couldn't possibly believe his singing was so seductive she would find him irresistible, could he? Edited January 8, 2015 by Ketzel

[Guest]

That's why I think "dancing guy" was a setup from moment one. "OK, he kinda has the voice and looks", think the PtB..."but he doesn't have a 'story'. So let's give him something  to do which will make people remember him".

 

The "pre-audition" footage (which was most probably added after the fact) had him saying he was going to ask for something outrageous but he thought he had the talent to pull off being able to ask. Maybe he had said something like that...I'm not saying he doesn't seem the type...but the producers had already sent him through to sing before the judges, so they knew they had someone pimpable, and just went with it.

 

I think he said that remark at the scripters' direction.  "Hey, wanne be memorable?  Say you're so confident you're going to ask for something after singing.  We'll pre-arrange it all with the judges.  They'll act taken aback but they'll play along, it'll be one of those cute auditions we show at the finale."  

[BogoGog24]

There's no need to watch the top 24 video over and over when the top 24 was spoiled awhile ago on MJs. 2 of the contestants featured in this episode make the top 24.

[scarlettudor]

Yes, I think the judges were instructed to like barista guy (Cory?  Kory?) because of the story and giving Ryan an opportunity leap over the railing and spontaneously go to talk to his boss.  

 

Jennifer was the best actress with her goosies and lip synching the song.  Keith was the worst actor because he looked like he was wincing at the off-key notes (that would be most of them) or looking as if it was unbelievable that Cory (I've made my decision) was really that bad and he was going to have to pimp him. Harry just gave 'a look' to Keith like "Is this the one we've got to praise?!"  How did they keep straight faces?  Must have taken a few takes.

 

What are the judges hearing that we're not?  How are we hearing something that they're not?  

 

That guy was so bad.

[drafan]

 One of the guys reminded me of Phillip Phillips but I can't remember who. 

OMG....did I miss someone mumbling, shuffling, and grimacing? Dang.

[LotusFlower]

I'm a music professional and I can vouch for the fact that the barista was way off pitch.

I'm NOT a music professional, and I can vouch for the fact that the barista was way off pitch. (Sorry, but he was that bad!). I thought the judges were off-base on a bunch of tonight's auditions, too.

[Guest]

OMG....did I miss someone mumbling, shuffling, and grimacing? Dang.

I still remember Philip Philips' audition with Thriller.  It was one of the best auditions I think they've had, really.  

[jimmora]

I liked Cameron, Michael and Emily (the last girl, I think).

 

I thought Cameron's singing was below average...I'll take a fine for that, I don't give a s***...It's normally below average, what??

[Kromm]

Wow.  That opening really comes off as a shot of sorts at The Voice (the whole not seeing the finalists thing),

 

And another attempt to tweak the lame theme song (HINT: it's never going to work... the theme is going to be lame no matter WHAT they do to it).

Edited January 9, 2015 by Kromm

[bilgistic]

I could have gone the rest of my days without hearing the word "goosies". You're even older than I am, Ms. Lopez. Quit trying so hard.