S14.E28: Top 3 Perform

[Tara Ariano]

One singer is eliminated and the Top 3 perform.

[Ohwell]

Clark just sang "Beautiful Day" and yelled at the end and almost gave me a spasm.  I can't anymore.  If I have nightmares tonight about that yell, I blame him.

[Suzysite]

I really like that Evanescence song.  Too bad I still dislike JAX.  And her face X. 

Edited May 9, 2015 by Suzysite

[mojoween]

Holy hell " My Generation" was SO BAD. No no no no. Also I thought she was Jena when she was caterwauling to the audience.

Of course the judges loved it. WTF.

Because I've been watching this show since time began, every time Ryan says Scotty the Body I immediately flash back to season four. And even though I did not at ALL like that Scott, I'd still take him over the rest of these fools. Except Quentin. Him, I liked.

Edited May 7, 2015 by mojoween

[Diana Berry]

I noticed that we got no reaction shot of Scotty boy when Clark made top 3.

Would love a Nick/ Clark final just for snickers and giggles.

[rollerblade]

Why is Harry always in suit and tie while Keith casuals it up with T-shirt and jeans?

[MrsMoltisanti]

I missed the first two thirds of the show because it was my moms birthday but I got home in time to see the last round of judges choice songs. Jax was so wrong. Even the judges were wtf JAX. Doea anyone feel she is done for because the majority of Rayvon fan girly voters will not be happy that Jax finally took him out and will vote for either of the two remaining guys now to get rid of her? i cannot see any Rayvon fans suddenly voting for her so she may not gain any new votes that way.

[mojoween]

Oh wait I was wrong. The Evanescence song was WORSE. It makes me angry how much I hated it.

[27bored]

The best singer tonight was...Elliott! Hey Cookies!

 

JAX is such a basic ass trick I can't even..."My Generation" sucked, "My Immortal" was pretty good but she was semi-fucking it up with that weird Haley Williams from Paramore phrasing for no reason, and then she did a weird cover of "Misery Business". I don't understand why she did that MTV Unplugged-ass version but then she was singing it like she was playing Rock Band 2 girl you got life fucked up. GO AWAY. Your daddy can still get it, though.

 

Clark was pretty bad tonight. "Beautiful Day" is a good song if you can hit the notes clean. Clark has the range to some extent, but he gets shouty towards the top of his register. I thought Harry's typically over-talked critiques were misplaced, though. It wasn't the most technically proficient version of that song, but...that was the song. Bono doesn't sound more lucid or intense on that song. It kind of builds to the epic chorus.

 

"Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" was more in his wheelhouse, but he sounded disjointed and shouty. Then he did "Earned It" and that could've been a good performance but Clark's not sensual or charismatic enough to sell that song. And it's not really a song you compete with. Really they should've given that song to Rayvon and made Clark sing "You Are So Beautiful".

 

Daddy, I mean Nick, I mean Daddy, I mean Nick: meh. It seems like he's getting less interesting the more comfortable he gets, but he is getting better looking which is bothering me a bit. They gave Nick the easiest batch of tunes tonight. "I'll Be"? That's like having him sing "Happy Birthday".

 

Rayvon: well, it was time for him to go. I thought he did better than JAX, but his rendition of "As" by Stevie made me glad he was going home. I'm sorry, but if you can nail a song you've been singing for forever, you need to go home. It sounded like he just learned that song ten minutes ago.

 

I think the problem with Rayvon (and Clark, for that matter) is that his tastes are too safe, too mannered, and too earnest for him to be a frontman or a solo artist. It's not a coincidence that both Rayvon and Clark are both choir boys. They don't have it in them to cut loose and stand out because they're too used to singing in a group of other people dressed alike singing the same song. They both have the sensibilities of lounge singers. They will sing anything you give them competently, but will make sure to never take over the room.

 

Nick and JAX don't have the same over-mannered style, but they're still a dime a dozen in the industry. If Nick plays his cards right, or if his labels plays them right, they will call up Ben Moody and any other aging alt-rocker who has either come out in the last 15 years and/or worked on a Daughtry record to write him some hook-y, radio-friendly songs. He needs hits because he's somewhere between Chris Daughtry and Rob Thomas vocally, but he doesn't have the prowess of Chris or the earnestness of Rob. But the kid needs hits.

 

JAX is a puzzlement to me because she seems like such a poser when she does her rawk songs, but then she sits down at a piano and it's magic. Her whole thing works when she's understated.

[rollerblade]

I'm not seeing the Rob Thomas resemblance. I see a bit of Chris Daughtry, a bit of Adam Levine and a bit of Jimmy Fallon. Blend those 3 together, remove their respective strengths, and you get Nick.

[Stratego]

Egads tonight was gruesome. 1st Round Nick was the clear winner--Rayvon, Clark, and Jax stunk the place-up. When the Judge's praise for Jax was so wildly off-the-mark (soon to be followed by JLo's "choice"), I had to stop watching and change the channel to sports.  I don't recall such obvious producer interference (at least to this extent) ever.  Short of proclaiming Jax the next super-star from American Idol, and heir-apparent to Carrie as the ultimate AI princess, the comments were ridiculous. 

I hope none of you posters were surprised by Rayvon's elimination, he is so forgetable as a singer, but projects a nice-guy image.

 

This new format of perform and then reveal that someone was already eliminated prior to the show is mind-boggling.  They might just as well let the judges take the last 5 minutes of every show to decide who was eliminated--immediately!

[ichbin]

Humility...I think Ms. Lopez and I have a different interpretation of what that word means.

[27bored]

I'm not seeing the Rob Thomas resemblance. I see a bit of Chris Daughtry, a bit of Adam Levine and a bit of Jimmy Fallon. Blend those 3 together, remove their respective strengths, and you get Nick.

 

I think Nick's phrasing is generally very similar to Rob Thomas'. His tone is closer to Daughtry on most songs, but I recall him sounding a lot like Rob Thomas earlier in the season. It might just be a tempo/pacing thing.

[designing1]

Of the three remaining, Nick is the only one who has a) shown any sort of growth as a performer and b) not, at some point, hurt my ears. I don't think he'll win but with the right songs he could have a decent if unspectacular career.

 

Clark continues to exude precisely zero personality and zero connection with whatever he's singing. Putting him in leather-like pants and gelling his hair in an attempt to make him seem...current? hot?...was amusing, but a massive fail. At first I was annoyed when a fire engine decided to idle outside my house, then I realized they were drowning out his second song and I was grateful; his voice is just way too high pitched to be appealing to me.

 

Jax? I have to ask: Has the definition of "punk" changed over the years? Because I'm old enough to remember actual punk, and Jax? Not punk. Not even Avril Lavigne levels of punk, which is to say, not punk. If I wear black fingerless gloves and all sorts of torn clothes and piles of accessories, can I be punk, too? I think they saved announcing her for last (random order, my ass) to energize her fan base, because Borchetta is certainly jonesing for a Jax win. I loved her "oh, shit, Rayvon always wins these things" face when they were the last two standing, but I don't think she has anything to worry about.

[Asp Burger]

Ryan also called the blind guy "Scotty the Body." Wasn't he on with the Davids? Or was that Adam and Kris's season? Anyway, Ryan needs some material!

 

Hometown visits really made it clear how far this show has fallen. Clark had some people there, but nothing like you'd expect for a front-running guy from the south. Ten years ago it would have been pandemonium. The days of Bo Brice are long ago. 

 

Nick was my favorite. I could see him winning.  

 

I don't know if I'd go, but I think the top five this season would be a decent tour. They are pretty diverse. At least it isn't four of five being WGWGs or gospel divas.  

Edited May 7, 2015 by Asp Burger

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Am I crazy or did Jennifer mispronounce "integral" again? She says in -teg-ral and I know she's done it on at least one other show. I would think someone would correct her privately . Or am I wrong ?

[rollerblade]

I'm curious, which of the top contestants (all seasons) have the largest crowd for their hometown visits? I remember someone had a mini concert at an arena. Or was it baseball field?

[Rick Kitchen]

Ugh, Rayvon's caterwauling that DeRulo song hurt my ears.

"A Beautiful Day" was horrible in the low register, and I like Clark.

Did Scott say "that person who we all expire to be"?

Nick's "Because The Night" was great.

Jax (JAX?) was underwhelming in the first round.

Rayvon's second song relied on the backup singers to sing the melody.  It was okay for me, for you.

Too bad they didn't include lines from the "My Immortal" fanfic while Jax (or is it JAX?) murdered that song. And what was with all of the silly sparkling? What is wrong with those judges that think they hear goodness in crap?

Did something get bleeped after Harry said that JLo only smelled "So so"?

Clark nailed "Earned It".  I love that song, too.

Rayvon's third song was great.

I had to laugh at how small that jacket was on Jax's (JAX's?) brother.

Jax (JAX?), try singing instead of talking your song.  But that was Rafael from "Rock Star" on guitar with her, wasn't it?

Nick's third song was really good, too.

 

The voters have been telling Show for weeks now that they didn't want Rayvon on the show, and now Show has to listen.

 

Speaking of Rafael, here he is back in the day of Rock Star:

 

 

Jax/JAX is going to win this whole thing, isn't she?  Urk.

[Nedsdag]

Egads tonight was gruesome. 1st Round Nick was the clear winner--Rayvon, Clark, and Jax stunk the place-up. When the Judge's praise for Jax was so wildly off-the-mark (soon to be followed by JLo's "choice"), I had to stop watching and change the channel to sports.  I don't recall such obvious producer interference (at least to this extent) ever.  Short of proclaiming Jax the next super-star from American Idol, and heir-apparent to Carrie as the ultimate AI princess, the comments were ridiculous. 

I hope none of you posters were surprised by Rayvon's elimination, he is so forgetable as a singer, but projects a nice-guy image.

 

This new format of perform and then reveal that someone was already eliminated prior to the show is mind-boggling.  They might just as well let the judges take the last 5 minutes of every show to decide who was eliminated--immediately!

Right minds think alike.

 

This format has literally taken the suspense out of this show. Why bother let the eliminated singer perform?

• As for the performances, Clark looked like a Duggar kid who escaped the family, went into the big city, and paid a prostitute when he sang the song from 50 Shades of Grey. That first song he sang was every adjective describing "bad" known to man.
• Jackie, Jackie, Jackie (I refuse to call her by her stage name anymore), to quote the immortal Simon Cowell: "WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. THAT?"  Never in all the years of watching this show have I seen a bigger rocker fraud than you. You made JEEEEENA from last season look like Grace Slick. Her "My Generation" performance was as "rock" as a middle aged housewife at a karaoke bar on a Saturday night. And the judges LIKED her first two performances? I guess the drugs that Borchetta slipped in their drinks wore off when they finally gave her constructive criticism. I cannot wait to see her third place video montage Tuesday night.
• Rob Thomas + Chris Daughtry + Adam Levine = Nick.
• Rayvon truly epitomized the phrase, "nice guys finish last." Goodbye, Man With Hat.

 

I truly do not care who wins next week. Is Danjaya coming back for finale night?

Edited May 7, 2015 by Nedsdag

[Prairie Fire]

The show's ridiculous JAX pimpage is annoying, but JAX herself isn't. In all fairness, she's kinda hilarious and seems like a good kid, and I don't think she's done anything obnoxious.

 

It'll be an interesting finale between her, Nick, and Tom Brady.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Prairie Fire

[Guest]

So Harry told Ryan he smelled good and Ms. Can't Shut Up Jen said, "How about me?"  Harry said, "So so."  She must've told him to fuck off because the video cut to one second of stray audience closeup with no audio.  I hope they dock her a million.  

 

I applauded Harry saying, "We have a clock.  It's how we know when to stop talking.  And Jen talked over my time so I'll just agree."  Basically.

 

Am I crazy or did Jennifer mispronounce "integral" again? She says in -teg-ral and I know she's done it on at least one other show. I would think someone would correct her privately . Or am I wrong ?

I cringe when she says it that way, too, but I have a feeling either way is considered ok.

 

I'm not seeing the Rob Thomas resemblance. I see a bit of Chris Daughtry, a bit of Adam Levine and a bit of Jimmy Fallon. Blend those 3 together, remove their respective strengths, and you get Nick.

 

I think others are talking about how he sounds and you're talking about how he looks, right?  

Humility...I think Ms. Lopez and I have a different interpretation of what that word means.

You think Jax isn't humble?  I think she seems it.  I'm not a fan but I think she's so humble she's not even cocky enough to be a pop star.  I noticed her last name for the first time tonight, on her father.  I'd drop that, too.  

 

I couldn't even watch My Generation and the judges loved it.  I didn't dislike her on the Paramore song, probably because I don't know it and it was too fast for her to mispronounce crap and mewl it up, and the judges didn't like it.  

 

I kind of hope Clark will win because I like Nick and think Scott is a douche.

 

Does anyone else want to punch him each time he throws MUSIC HAS VALUE in our face?

 

I think whoever designed the awful 'flat chested blue alien woman contorting with a mic' graphic they put up around commercial breaks must also be styling Jax, and possibly Scott.   

[Asp Burger]

Is there something known about Scott B. not liking Clark or not wanting him to win? I FF through a lot, but I saw two posts implying that he wouldn't be happy about Clark advancing. 

[UsernameFatigue]

I was really hoping for a Rayvon/Nick final, but now I just want a Nick win.

 

Good Lord, Jax was horrible tonight. When she was running around the stage during her first song I thought Qaasim was back in drag. I did not know her second or third songs, consequently I could not understand a word she was singing.  And I really really really detest how she refers to herself in the third person. I also thought it was odd that she chose her middle school to go back to for her hometown visit. Don't people usually want to return to their high schools? Odd. In any case please be the first one gone next week.

[rollerblade]

This format has literally taken the suspense out of this show. Why bother let the eliminated singer perform?

 

I don't see it as a "why bother", unless they announce the results at the beginning of the show. (or middle like what they did to Tyanna). I like this format because it gets rid of the pointless filler results show, and it lets the bootee have one more performance in front of millions while not in tears or otherwise sad. That is one more performance to pad the resume (in this case 2), so make it count!

 

Kinda like in SYTYCD. Several non-finalists get dancing jobs in various shows, music videos, movies, DWTS etc. Brittany Cherry is one of them, and she was eliminated after the 1st week!

 

 

I think others are talking about how he sounds and you're talking about how he looks, right?

 

I'm talking about the whole package, voice + looks + demeanor on stage. Rob Thomas had this over-pronouncing tendency in his singing. Idk if "over-pronounce" is the right choice of words either, but that Rob-style is kinda distinctive with the way he shapes his mouth when he sings, and I'm just not seeing or hearing it in Nick.

 

He's definitely Daughtry without the grit though.

Edited May 7, 2015 by rollerblade

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The SB bus keeps a rollin'!  Clark declared his style last week and just about the last thing it is?  Stadium anthemic.  What does he get from Borchetta?  A total rocker from the ultimate stadium band, U2.  

 

My Generation was Jax' best?  Huh?  My favorite moment:  "Why don't you all just....fade away!"  Sung with a HUGE smile at the jidges.  Her air/mimic drumming?  Waaaay off.  Every bit as pathetic as Clark's standard awkwardness at a microphone.  Actually, worse.

 

Guilford is a particularly nice CT town.   It really is.  Did anyone else look for Luke's place?  I could have sworn I saw Kirk.  ;)

 

Nick was again the most true to his vibe and his natural sound.   I don't see how he wins this thing, but he has a shot to make a living as a music performer.  I'm betting he gets the best reaction on the Tour.

 

Rayvon's YASB in a minor key?  Horrendous.  Atrocious.  Not unlike his 9 lives this season.  A farce.  Happily, Raygone.

 

In keeping with HJC's meme, here's my reaction to this hot mess of an AI season:  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited May 7, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[TheGreenKnight]

Thankfully, I forgot this was on until midway through. I tuned in around Rayvon's hometown visit, but still missed a couple performances after that. I did happen to see Clark's Fifty Shades of Screech, and it really says everything about this year that he's the best left.

I can't wait to watch Jax come in third.

[Waldo13]

Of the final 3, Jax is the only one that is unique. Clark and Nick sound like every other WBWAG winner. Philip, Lee, Kris, and David aren't over the top recording artists. Scotty was the only unique one because of his deep voice and being country. Enough is enough already. I still say that Jax, of the three, would be the most successful with the proper representation and songs written for her that don't suck. I'm almost certain at this point, judges comments and contestants performances don't mean much because it's now all about the fan base. IMO fans of a particular contestant, once eliminated, does not translate to votes for another contestant. Those fans don't vote anymore.

[cinsays]

   Well, it is official.  This show should just die.

   I did not think anybody did a great job.

   I enjoyed Rayvon's performances the best and he's gone, so I don't care who wins and I don't think whoever does win will be remembered 2 years from now.

   What the hell was that JAX was wearing? Rags, big necklace, some kind of black bustier under the top? Not a fan of her denim with those ugly pants either.  And, please someone tell her that she really would look better with her natural hair color that will complement her skin tone and not look fried.   Pretty bad when I can only hear how bad she looks, huh.  I LOVE My Immortal, but did not think she did it justice.  The other 2 numbers.......yuck.  And the judges praised her for them??!

   Nick continues to bore me with everything he does.  Just blah.

   I like some of what Clark does, but whatever you call that screetchy/scatty/jazzy thing he feels he has to add to everything just ruins it.

   I hope Rayvon has some benefit from being on this show.  I love his voice when he's good and he seems like a nice guy.

   Guess I will watch the finale, but I really don't care what happens and I don't care about any of the guest performers either.

[WhineandCheez]

NICK:   His hometown package made me tear up.  It was one of the best I've ever seen, and it seemed like there were tons of people there. I really hope he wins.  Its amazing how he has grown and lately he is nailing each and every performance.

 

JAX:  Are any of The Who dead?  If they weren't last night, they are today, after watching JAX kitty-purr her way through their seminal song.  Can we say  "Talking 'Bout my Abomination?" Also, she looks like she is the recipient of a corporate merger between Wet Seal, Hot Topic and the Deb Shoppe, except all in 1985.

 

CLARK: Can Clark just become a Music Ministry Leader now and be done with it?? Clark reminds me of my 19 year old cat.  I decide he should be getting fresh air, place him outside and just like there is a giant rubber band wrapped around him, he immediately returns to his couch in the basement.  I decided he needs to sleep on the couch upstairs for awhile,and the rubber band returns him to the basement couch.  Ad infinitum in various situations.  Try to pry Clark off his "couch," and he returns to "Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay," the most boring song on earth, and Clark's idea of soulful.  It's damn frustrating, but he's not interested in anything else other than what they play in those dueling piano bars in tourist cities.

 

RAYVON:  Had a damn good personal style, I always loved what he wore. 

 

SCOTT BRUSCHETTA: Loves Jax so much because unconciously he is relating to her 1980s style of dressing, the same as his.  That Star Trek glitter jacket was appalling.

Edited May 7, 2015 by WhineandCheez

[Qoass]

I think any reality show lives or dies by the quality of its cast and the last several seasons of Idol have done their level best to kill the franchise.  When Jax and Rayvon were standing as the bottom two, I thought to myself, "So the top three will be either all guys or all white."  And for the whole show I was wondering if ANY of them had ever had a life experience that molded their emotional cores.  It's sweet how devoted they are to their mommies and daddies but how can such a group of telegenic young people be so devoid of sexual tension or passion for...anything.  They don't even seem to want to win that much.  So how are we supposed to be passionate about them?

 

That said, I still have hope that maybe next year they'll find somebody who will gaze into that camera and grab me.  I just hope s/he's over 15.

 

And I say inTEGral.  But I always do it passionately.

[proserpina65]

During the semis this season, I predicted that Nick would be this year's WGWG winner.  After last night's show, I stand by that prediction.

 

Last night's performances, by round, in order of preference:

 

Nick (Because The Night) - It didn't have Bruce's grit or Patti Smith's rawness (THAT version is the gold standard), but it was pretty darned good.  The vocals were on point, pitch-wise, and he seemed to connect with the song and with the camera.  He was much more comfortable on stage than he was at the beginning of this season.

 

Rayvon (Want to Want Me) - I didn't know the song, but it was a good pick for him.  He was more engaging in that performance than in most of his.  I liked it.

 

Jax (My Generation) - Oh hell no!  She can perform and is comfortable on stage, I'll give her that, but otherwise, if Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey were both dead, they'd be spinning in their graves.

 

Clark (Beautiful Day) - I generally like Clark, but that was just awful.  Off-key half the time and so, so weak, vocally.

 

Nick (Back Home) - I don't know this song, but I liked Nick's performance enough that I might seek out the original.  He seemed really engaged and relaxed on this one.

 

Clark (Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay) - I alway like Clark on his more soulful performances, and this was no exception.  Still struggling to see how he could be relevant in today's music scene though.

 

Rayvon (As) - I didn't recognize the song (not really a Stevie Wonder fan), but Rayvon sounded fine on it.  Not as good as his first song, but nice enough.

 

Jax (My Immortal) - This should've been the perfect song for her, but this didn't sound good.  Her voice sounded almost hoarse to me, and her pitch was all over the place.

 

Nick (I'll Be) - I'll be honest here and say that I hate this song.  With the fire of a thousand burning nuns.  But while Nick didn't make me like the song any better, he did sound fantastic on it.  Real emotional connection there, great vocals.  But how, exactly, is this a song not many people have heard of?

 

Clark (Earned It)  - Another song I've never heard of, so I can't judge it against the original, but Clark sounded good on it.

 

Jax (Misery Business) - When she first started singing, I didn't recognize the song, but when the chorus kicked in, I suddenly realized I had heard the song before.  Not sure that's a ringing endorsement of Jax's version, but vocally it was fine.

 

Rayvon (You Are So Beautiful) - This was a bad song choice for Rayvon because, yes, he has a lovely voice and he sounded quite nice.  What makes Joe Cocker's version of this song so great, however, is that he didn't have a lovely voice and he didn't sound 'nice' when singing it.  Rayvon's version was pretty, bland and boring.

 

 

Nick has definitely picked the right time to peak, and is delivering the most consistent performances now.  Plus, he has the most radio-ready sound.  I'd like to hear him tackle some neo-folk stuff (which he claimed was his thing in an interview) though; I think that could really be his niche and it's still hot right now.

 

Clark sounds great when he taps into the soulfulness of his voice, but a lot of what he's done has been really dated.  Not sure where he'd go, musically, which may or may not be a good thing.

 

I like aspects of Jax's voice, and with the right people working with her, she could be successful in pop music.  But she's not a punk or a rocker and needs to stay away from that entirely.  Plus, I find her personality really annoying.  She's so obviously the chosen one, though.  I hope the judges' pimping of her means she desperately needs the votes to get the result TPTB want, and not that she's that far ahead in votes.

 

Methinks 'humility' does not mean what JLo thinks it means.

Edited May 7, 2015 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

JAX is a puzzlement to me because she seems like such a poser when she does her rawk songs, but then she sits down at a piano and it's magic. Her whole thing works when she's understated.

 

I completely agree.  The performances of hers which I've enjoyed have been the quieter, piano-based ones.  The smoky tone in her voice really comes out then.  But in her other performances, all I hear (and see) is poseur.

[Primetimer]

The Final Four head home before tripling up on performances in the season's penultimate week.

Read the story

[worleybird]

Watching Borchetta hand each of the Final Four the card containing the song he picked for each of them finally flicked a switch in my brain who he reminds me of.

 

A drag king. He's got a woman's face and the fu Manchu looks drawn on (can he even grow one??). And that silly smirk he has (does he think it's sexy??)

[Sparkling Beth]

I was really hoping for a Rayvon/Nick final, but now I just want a Nick win.

 

Good Lord, Jax was horrible tonight. When she was running around the stage during her first song I thought Qaasim was back in drag. I did not know her second or third songs, consequently I could not understand a word she was singing.  And I really really really detest how she refers to herself in the third person. I also thought it was odd that she chose her middle school to go back to for her hometown visit. Don't people usually want to return to their high schools? Odd. In any case please be the first one gone next week.

That's exactly what I was thinking!  Some of these kids seem to be under the impression that if they move frantically enough, we won't notice how badly they're singing.  Jax is so not a rock star.  She already proved it with Beat It and now she put the nail in the coffin with My Generation.  She doesn't have the inner grit to make those songs what they should be; she's just a little girl putting on glittery clothes from Walmart and singing into a hairbrush.

 

Did anyone else wonder what happened to Nick's girlfriend, the one who auditioned with him and didn't get chosen?  (I actually thought she had a lovely voice and should have been given a chance to sing another song, since the cups thing was distracting.)  I expected to see her in the hometown visit but she was neither shown nor mentioned.  It's tempting to speculate that she didn't take the situation as well as it seemed back in the audition shows and broke up with him out of jealousy, but who knows.  It just seems to me that if they were still together, she would have been in the hometown visit video.

[ari333]

OH DEAR GOD! (Frasier voice) Sweet baby Jesus  - Jackie was bad. I am full steam, "ABJ" > Anyone But Jackie.. Please GO. AWAY.  

 

Are Clark's lips that red in real life? It throws me, and not in the good way

 

I like Nick. Sue me..

 

I really thought Rayvon would ride the seal to the finals; but frankly the only dude that could sing in the sky high range and pull it off to my liking was Michael Jackson and he's gone dammit all.  I hope  whoever was voting for him switches to.... ABJ.

[rab01]

Did anyone else wonder what happened to Nick's girlfriend, the one who auditioned with him and didn't get chosen?  ...  It just seems to me that if they were still together, she would have been in the hometown visit video.

Wouldn't showing Nick to have a steady girlfriend cut into his potential votes a bit?  i've no idea whether or not they are together but it would seem wise not to emphasize something like that in the final stages of voting.  

 

Props to Worlebird - "drag king" really nails Borchetta's affect.  That said, I like him as a mentor. For all I know he's terrible in real life but on the show he's been present, interested in getting the contestants to perform better, engaged, tailoring his advice to the contestant, and interested in getting them to imagine what it would be like to win - everything I want an idol mentor to be.  Also, I think his challenge/sabotage for Clark was totally justified. Clark sings old-fashioned songs and when he does it well, makes them sound even older; when he does it badly, they're just boring or out of tune. If Clark is such a musician, he could have rearranged Beautiful Day to make it work for him.

[Guest]

Watching Borchetta hand each of the Final Four the card containing the song he picked for each of them finally flicked a switch in my brain who he reminds me of.

 

A drag king. He's got a woman's face and the fu Manchu looks drawn on (can he even grow one??). And that silly smirk he has (does he think it's sexy??)

 

He has a woman's voice, too.  And the cards were ridiculous.  Why not just SAY the song?  Someone had to say it eventually for us to hear it.  

 

That's exactly what I was thinking!  Some of these kids seem to be under the impression that if they move frantically enough, we won't notice how badly they're singing.  Jax is so not a rock star.  She already proved it with Beat It and now she put the nail in the coffin with My Generation.  She doesn't have the inner grit to make those songs what they should be; she's just a little girl putting on glittery clothes from Walmart and singing into a hairbrush.

 

Did anyone else wonder what happened to Nick's girlfriend, the one who auditioned with him and didn't get chosen?  (I actually thought she had a lovely voice and should have been given a chance to sing another song, since the cups thing was distracting.)  I expected to see her in the hometown visit but she was neither shown nor mentioned.  It's tempting to speculate that she didn't take the situation as well as it seemed back in the audition shows and broke up with him out of jealousy, but who knows.  It just seems to me that if they were still together, she would have been in the hometown visit video.

I was wondering about Nick's girlfriend, too.  I'm guessing they broke up because I don't think at 29 he'd be playing the "vote for me, I'm single" card.  (ETA- I googled around a little to see if I could find anything about her.  Not really.  Though I didn't know Nick had a band on America's Got Talent, and it opened for Third Eye Blind and Styx.)  

 

My daughter's high school is full of rich boys with that haircut.  I guess it's in.  It's probably the only way Nick Jr. and Sr. can tell themselves apart.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Guest

[designing1]

 

I completely agree.  The performances of hers which I've enjoyed have been the quieter, piano-based ones.  The smoky tone in her voice really comes out then.  But in her other performances, all I hear (and see) is poseur.

 

Jax actually has a very nice tone to her voice. She should probably be positioning herself in the Norah Jones realm -- light, smoky, somewhat jazzy ballads. Because otherwise -- yep, poseur it is.

[MrsMoltisanti]

 

She should probably be positioning herself in the Norah Jones realm

 

She needs to live a lot more, a whole lot more before she can position herself in that realm.  Otherwise she is a poseur just reading someone else's words. 

[ichbin]

Guilford is a particularly nice CT town.   It really is.  Did anyone else look for Luke's place?  I could have sworn I saw Kirk.  ;)

I've read that Stars Hollow was based on Washington Depot, CT...it's northwest of Guilford and a lot smaller, but yeah, Guilford is a nice shoreline town and it looks like Nick got a great reception there. 

[kili]

That first song [Clark]  sang was every adjective describing "bad" known to man.

 

I could totally be convinced that he did that on purpose to stick it to Scott. He looked like a kid forced out on stage by his parents and he's normally not that off-key.  Was it his way of saying "See, Scott doesn't have a clue what I should sing. Now I will sing this nice, old song that I chose and you will see I know what is best".

 

I don't think we've seen a top 4 performance that bad since Gokey's "Dream On" (I'm calling it top 4 because 4 people sang).

 

Nick was consistently good throughout the night (that song he picked for himself was the best and most current sounding. That guy knows what he is doing). Jax was a bit hit and miss. Rayvon's time was just finally up.

 

How is the coin toss going to work if there are three people? I love the coin toss with the pictures of the contestants on it. I loved the year it rolled down a grate and Ryan had to try to fish it out.

[designing1]

She should probably be positioning herself in the Norah Jones realm

 

She needs to live a lot more, a whole lot more before she can position herself in that realm.  Otherwise she is a poseur just reading someone else's words.

 

Oh, for sure, but that's true regardless of what genre she's singing (and true of most of the contestants, as well.) I was just referring to the quality of her voice, which is decently suited for smoky light jazz/pop, but not at all for rock or punk.

Edited May 7, 2015 by designing1

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

Holy hell " My Generation" was SO BAD. No no no no. Also I thought she was Jena when she was caterwauling to the audience.

HANDS UFF!!!! 

 

Last night was all kinds of meh! Heck, the whole season has been meh. I was feeling Rayvon a little more but of course he's gone. I can't hardly remember which is Scott and which is Nick. And JAX? I cannot even. They are pushing that Paramore chick image so hard and it's not happening. 

[Guest]

People try to put us d-d-down.  I know the Who stutters it but Jax doing it just felt so karaoke.  I fast-forwarded after the 4th stutter.  

 

I feel like there are plenty of Jax-like singers on my stations right now:  Tove Lo, Meg Myers, Banks...

[Packerbrewerbadger]

When did they start having 3 in the finals? I sure wish they would have had 3 Haley Reinhart's year ... I found her very interesting and entertaining and was angry the judges threw her under the bus and had the most snoozefest final ever with Scotty and Alana whatever .

[Prairie Fire]

I feel like there are plenty of Jax-like singers on my stations right now:  Tove Lo, Meg Myers, Banks...

 

Exactly. The whole thing just keeps reminding me that Idol is such a bubble. If you're one of the show's chosen few, you're constantly surrounded by a cheering studio audience and adoring judges and endless fan mail/email/Tweets. Most kids in that situation are going to think "if these people love me, so will the music-buying public". Then reality sets in after it's all over.

 

Guilford does look like a nice place. My understanding is that it's kind of outside the orbit of "wealthy CT suburbs of NYC", so I'm a little disappointed his dog is named Jeter instead of Nomar, but Nick's hometown visit was nice to watch anyway.

[thefog]

What a ride Rayvon had.  He lasted much longer than expected.  The King of the Twitter Save.

 

I am neutral in as far as the remaining contestants.  I'll throw my votes towards Clark, since he is Scott Borchetta's nemesis.

 

For clarification, they are not having a 3 person finale.  The 3rd place finisher will be eliminated at the beginning of the show next Tues.

[ari333]

Well, Im pulling for Nick (Tyanna is gone *sigh*) bc  --

1. I like him,

2. Im cheering for the "old" :) dude.

3. I so wanna see Borchetta poop a brick.

 

Edit to clarify that he'll poop a brick bc Nick is not Jackie.

Edited May 7, 2015 by ari333

[Stratego]

Wouldn't showing Nick to have a steady girlfriend cut into his potential votes a bit?  i've no idea whether or not they are together but it would seem wise not to emphasize something like that in the final stages of voting.  

 

Props to Worlebird - "drag king" really nails Borchetta's affect.  That said, I like him as a mentor. For all I know he's terrible in real life but on the show he's been present, interested in getting the contestants to perform better, engaged, tailoring his advice to the contestant, and interested in getting them to imagine what it would be like to win - everything I want an idol mentor to be.  Also, I think his challenge/sabotage for Clark was totally justified. Clark sings old-fashioned songs and when he does it well, makes them sound even older; when he does it badly, they're just boring or out of tune. If Clark is such a musician, he could have rearranged Beautiful Day to make it work for him.

I couldn't disagree more concerning your statement about Borchetta as a mentor. He would definitely know that Beautiful Day would be a total misfit for Clark.  He picked the song fully expecting that Clark would eff-it-up (he did!).  He would known (when he chose the song) that Rayvon was toast so he could be kind to him--Rayvon was already eliminated anyway.  I was puzzled at the selection for Jax because the show has clearly marked her as TCO (could they be so cunning as to think that by doing so the audience would turn on her?--Nah!).  The judges have been so OTT with praise for Jax that she must be TCO.  Then there is Nick. All choices for Nick (Borchetta's, Hometown, and Judge's) were so clearly favorable for him--which is why he "took the night". I'm thinking the purpose is to divide the "WGWG vote" so Jax can steal 1st place.  Maybe Nick is the fallback CO if Jax doesn't win.  Because I'm certain that the "anybody but Clark bus" is at full-speed.

 

ETA:  I missed making my point about Jax and Borchetta's song choice.  Either he was hoping that she could "whip the crowd up" (recall her arm-waving?) which I believe she was trained to do for this song, or he wanted to expose her weakness about "Rawk songs" again. I'm guessing he hoped that the audiences (TV and stage) would overlook her empty vocal and focus on the blonde hair and theatrics--and of course the ridiculous praise from all of the judges.  I would have thought that something much more like her "Hometown" song would have been the choice.  But maybe he thought two "heartfelt" songs would cause her to disappear.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Stratego