S15.E05: Auditions #5

[MarkHB]

Each city puts its best foot forward as the judges search America for the 15th and final AMERICAN IDOL.

 

Reported: Auditions from Philadelphia and San Francisco will be included.

[RaDrCox]

Shi's little sister (Poe/Po whatever) is way better than she is. Shi was a Dollar Store Amy Winehouse knockoff. Her sister actually has some talent. 

 

I liked the redhead with the fiddle who played Annie Lennox/Jimmy Cliff. She isn't the greatest singer ever, but she already has a very specific point of view for her age. I mean, what 15 year old even knows that song? 

 

Joy Dove - LOL. I dig her personality. Nice voice too, I'm a fan. I wish JLo would have shut the hell up while she was singing. That forever irritates me, so rude. 

 

Birthday boy was a good looking kid with a sweet voice, but he's kind of boring to me. 

 

The dudes playing Magic The Gathering in the lobby, MY NERDHOMIES. I play Magic with my husband, so this made me laugh. They are like every dude I've ever met at a tournament. 

 

The girl who played piano was boring to me. 

 

The blind guy who sang Natalie Cole had an interesting voice. I liked it, but it needed some work. 

 

Emily Brooke was fine. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by RaDrCox

[susannot]

Redheaded girl who sang "Many Rivers to Cross" was fantastic.  I've never heard a white girl sing that. The Jimmy Cliff verson is one of my all-time favorite songs and I've told family members I want it to be the theme song at my funeral, hopefully in 30 more years..

 

What was the redhead girl's name?

Edited January 21, 2016 by susannot

[RaDrCox]

I wish I could remember the redhead's name too. I missed it. 

[BogoGog24]

Her name was Amelia Eisenhower.

[Quickbeam]

Blind guy brought way too much drama and affectation to his performance. Once he let his voice alone, he sounded really good.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I was predisposed to hate Poh due to residual Shi hate. The fact that she kept a teletubby inspired nickname didn't help matters either. Lo and behold, a really good audition. One of a few intriguing voices tonight.

Mackenzie Bourg (a Voice Alum) played the game right. No way he was getting cut off before he sang each judge's song. There are so many WGWGs and WGWPs (White Girls with Pianos) the culling process in Hollywood is going to be ridiculous.

Thought Emily Brooke did sound better and more mature, but didn't love her audition song as much this time.

Nice to see and hear a little of Adam Lasher again. But with so many 15 year olds running around....he straight up looked like someone's middle aged dad this season.

Amelia was interesting. Reminded me a little of Shannon Berthuame (spelling?) from last season. Very raw and unpredictable. The sword gimmick was unnecessary.

I would've passed the blind guy onto Hollywood and disappeared him there. That was probably the right decision, but it was still hard to watch.

Edited January 21, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[BogoGog24]

​Shi's sister - Overall I think she has more potential than Shi, but she has the same tendencies to scream everything. She needs some polishing. Honestly I think if her sister wasn't a contestant from last season, I don't think her audition would have been shown or that she'd have necessarily made it this far. And what's the weird names in this family? Who wants to be named after a Teletubby?

 

Redhead fiddler girl - She was a lot better than most of the 15 year olds they put through. Really nice voice, but of course sounds a bit underdeveloped. But Many Rivers is not an Annie Lennox song! Overall I think she was one of the stronger 15 year olds to be put through but still not super impressed by her.

 

Joy Dove - Really good voice and nice energy but this PUT ME IN THE GAME COACH schtick is going to wear thin eventually.

 

Judges songs kid - Decent mashup of the judges' songs, even if the gimmick is a bit suckup. His voice is ok, but a bit too soft for me. I feel like he'd be quite limited in what kinds of songs he can do.

 

The nerd twins - LOL What the fuck was that song they were singing? At least they didn't seem too upset at the end. I wonder if they were sort of in on the joke and just had fun with it and didn't really expect to get through. At least they were fun and entertaining.

 

Piano girl - Good voice, not a terribly remarkable or memorable audition though.

 

Blind guy - Honestly I didn't think he was any worse than some of the ones they put through last week.... It's a shame he broke down in front of the judges though. 

 

Adam Lasher - I was so bummed when he was cut last season and am glad he came back again this year. And he looks great, much better than last year. I didn't necessarily care for his arrangement of KOHD, but I really like his voice and enjoyed him a lot last year. And he's hot!

 

Emily Brooke - I was also bummed about her being cut early last season as well and am glad she came back. She really looks and sounds so much better, but could dial the yodeling back a few notches. She was doing it on nearly every phrase which got pretty annoying after a few phrases. But she is strong this year and definitely one of the more prepared 16 year olds they put through. You can tell she worked hard and she really deserves this second chance.

 

Other:

I gotta say, I loved Clay laying into that joke contestant. I don't know why the show loves to waste time on people like this, even if it is funny and entertaining. As somebody who actually stood in line for 8 hours to audition this year and had something prepared, yeah I can say Clay is correct that it's an insult to those who take the competition seriously when people like this show up. Why waste your time? It's one thing if you like singing and are just bad, but the really obvious joke contestants can just GTFO.

 

I loved the flashback scenes of seasons past with the joke auditions, the duos, and returning auditioners. Nostalgia!

[BogoGog24]

It looks like the final audition tomorrow is a WGWG (or at least some type of GWG)

That's not what he said. I'm not sure if Michael accompanied him, but I think he was saying "Thanks Michael." Which I actually thought was nice that he acknowledged him, whereas basically all the other auditioners used his accompaniment and didn't say anything (unless it was edited out). If anything Adam seems pretty nice to me and not cocky at all.

Edited January 21, 2016 by BogoGog24

[MarkHB]

I actually liked the nerds' harmonies... their solo parts were trainwrecks to me.

 

For those who are interested in Mackenzie Bourg's history...

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

The Birthday Boy -- what songs of Keith, Harry, and J.Lo did he sing?  I know "Love Don't Cost a Thing".

[ktwo]

I liked the redhead with the fiddle who played Annie Lennox/Jimmy Cliff. She isn't the greatest singer ever, but she already has a very specific point of view for her age. I mean, what 15 year old even knows that song?

Annie Lennox covered "Many Rivers to Cross" on 'Idol Gives Back' a few years ago. It was amazing.

I'm calling it now that Mackenzie wins this thing.

[awaken]

Sadly, Poh seemed to have drawn on Groucho Marx eyebrows with black marker.

I really liked Emily Brooke, but she did so many vocal gymnastics that I couldn't even hear her singing voice.

[Rick Kitchen]

Poh was annoying.  Hate her voice.

 

Yay to Clay for not having time for the crap.

 

Amelia Eisenhauer has a nice voice.  Liked her. Also liked when she said she was not going to scream right there.

 

Joy Dove was fun, but she might be exhausting if you were around her for very long.

 

I liked Mackenzie Bourg.

 

The brothers were horrible.  What the hell were they thinking?

 

LOVE Jenna Renae!  Wow. "Don't forget your piano."

 

Mario Barnes was nice.  Liked his voice.  Don't know if he could win American Idol, though. They really told him no?  Ridiculous. They let these little 15-year-olds through?

 

I like Adam Lasher's voice.

 

Emily Brooke was the best audition of the day?  Better than Mario Barnes?  Oh, shut up.

[Padma]

I wasn't that thrilled with Clay chewing the guy out because he didn't just walk up there. Some producer approved him "wasting time"(which it was), probably so Clay could get his bad ass moment.  And they still -did- waste our time, even if he wasn't in an audition.

 

The singers that went through were fine, but I really wish Harry had told Amelia (violin) and the woman who sang Jambalaya (On the Bayou) to Stop. With. the . Runs!!!  It was so excessive. When Harry is polite and suggests "remember to hit the note cleanly" I don't think anyone hears that as "Please stop all the vocal gymnastics with every phrase".

 

I think the ones who make it out of Hollywood will do it because of an edge from their looks, not their singing--Adam, Brook and mashup guy. I'll be surprised if piano girl or the one singing "Annie Lennox" goes on from Hollywood.. (I'd think Emily wouldn't go forward if that RaeLynn song is any guide, but they seemed to love her so I'm guessing she will.) 

 

I liked some of the song choices--Jimmy Cliff, Hank Williams, the mashup.

 

I felt bad for Mario (the blind guy). I thought there were a lot of good things about his voice but he was so inconsistent. I hope he either gets a vocal coach or gets a new one.

 

Oddly, I also thought the brothers had potential. Of course, they were bad--really bad--but I couldn't help thinking a coach could work with them and they could at least be a lot better--and pretty quickly. I have a feeling they do it all themselves and would be a lot better if they hired a good pro who understood their voices and--what they're trying to do--instead.

 

Better than  a week ago, at least.

[UsernameFatigue]

"Many Rivers to Cross" was one of my favourite songs when Linda Ronstadt covered it 40 or so years ago. Could take or leave the redhead's version.

 

So glad that Adam Lasher is back - I was annoyed when he was cut last season.

 

I felt bad for Mario - really there are much worse singers they have put through. Why not at least let him sing another song? As I said to hubby at least one of the judges could have said yes knowing he wasn't going anywhere anyway. That was just mean.

Edited January 21, 2016 by UsernameFatigue

[Kerri Okie]

Po, to camera: "Everyone knows me as Shi's sister, but I'm hoping to get to a point where I'm just Po and that's it."

 

About one minute later:

Harry: "Tell us about yourself."

Po: "Well, I'm Shi's sister..."

 

*facepalm*

Edited January 21, 2016 by Kerri Okie

[yourpointis]

I just about fell off the couch laughing when the camera panned to the two brothers playing that Magic game, because at that exact time my son and some of his friends were in our kitchen playing the exact game lol. 

 

Glad to see Adam Lasher back as well. One more audition show and I get to guess who will be the top 24/20 (whatever number this season will start with) contestant that I keep hoping will go home, but will somehow survive one abysmal performance after another. 

[BogoGog24]

The Birthday Boy -- what songs of Keith, Harry, and J.Lo did he sing? I know "Love Don't Cost a Thing".

They labeled them on the screen during his audition.

I'm thinking the Clay vs joke contestant was entirely producer driven, even his reaction and the "argument" between them, so they had an excuse to show previous seasons' joke contestants.

[Qoass]

I'm rather distraught about my favorite coach potato addiction ending after this season but if anything could make me feel better about it, it's that we'll never have to see auditions next year from Shi and Poh's siblings Their and Pikachu.

[Primetimer]

American Idol is visiting, like, nineteen cities tonight. Is the next Idol in the mix?

Read the story

[Ms Blue Jay]

They labeled them on the screen during his audition.

 

Uhhh.... Thanks?  I'm asking because I missed it and I was hoping somebody was nice enough to recap it. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Ms Blue Jay....the Keith songs were "Stupid Boy" and "Making Memories of Us", and the HCJ song was "Come by Me".

 

On a watch back, I thought that Jenna Renae (the Piano girl who broke their door) was more connected emotionally to her song than just about everybody we've seen so far. Top 5 in that category at least. I think Melanie Tierce (the girl who made Keith cry and HCJ sit off to the side) or her could be this years Katherine Winston. Phenomenal singer/artist for whatever reason the show doesn't give much of a backstory or personality too. Causing either or both to unjustly be booted during Hollywood week or get lost in the shuffle of Top 24/20 Week because they aren't as memorable as all 12 of the 15 year old's the show has chosen to show off during the audition process.

[ari333]

Hated Shi before and did not enjoy her on my tv last night; and her sister can go too.

 

God help me I loathe the effing RUNS. Please make it stop.

 

Clay is not a good actor... at all.

Fwiw, I also hate the screeching and screaming and the Mariah high notes

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I already want Emily Brooke off my screen for no good reason I can express accurately, but I suspect she is going to be there for the very long run. And she really is great and I hope I start to like her ... I'm keeping an open mind. 

 

On the other hand, I was surprised by how much I REALLY loved MacKenzie Bourg (maybe because I never watched "The Voice"?) ... I liked his style, his voice, and found him just really entertaining and enjoyable. I think if he makes it through, he could be a guy who will have good success at making the songs "his own dog." Hope he will be able to change things up a bit with tempo, etc., but he strikes me as reasonably creative and imaginative, and that can go a long way on this show.

 

I have a feeling that we may not have seen the last of Mario Barnes (IMHO, really good voice but in and of itself the "no" probably wasn't a bad call -- he was certainly better than some of the contestants who've been put through to Hollywood, but I suspect most of those contestants will NOT make it through to the 24 -- but if they know he's not going to go through too many more rounds, maybe they just feel it will seem crueler to eliminate him later?) ... Still, the comment by his (brother?) about maybe going back and auditioning again -- I can't remember exactly what was said -- made me think perhaps that does happen and we'll see it tonight ... or even a decision they'll make later and send him a golden ticket. Not saying it will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me either.

 

Finally, while I don't remember Adam Lasher from last year per se, I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other about him yet (though I think he's cute) but I really appreciated his thanking Michael. Maybe I'm biased but Michael is the unsung hero of 15 seasons of American Idol and deserves a feature of his own this season (or at least his own thread here on PTV!), and it's nice to see someone who obviously remembered him from last year to thank him ... he makes a lot of people sound better than they would without him. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by PamelaMaeSnap

[LennieBriscoe]

Michael Orland is indeed the unsung hero of AI!

 

 In a still photo from that try-out farce, one can see that Clay's pupils are dilated, a sign of liking whatever one is observing. So I'm calling not-quite-shenanigans, but also not-quite-Reality-TV!  At least Clay refrained from calling the guy (?!) a "bush baby"!

 

Nobody has wowed me this season, yet. I'll allow a "yet."

[Ms Blue Jay]

Ms Blue Jay....the Keith songs were "Stupid Boy" and "Making Memories of Us", and the HCJ song was "Come by Me".

 

Thank you very much!

[MrsMoltisanti]

I felt badly for the blind fellow when he ripped off his number.  Why do people put such emphasis on this show making or breaking their lives? 

There was some good contestants in the last few weeks but as we all know, the long haul may prove otherwise.  Should make for an interesting show. 

Clay was taking his fifteen more minutes of last chance fame there for sure.  He knows how to make a good sound bite that will get on the air.  I wonder when or if they bring him on the live show whether the judges will call him on his tweeting comments about having root canals more interesting than the current set of judges. 

[BogoGog24]

Michael Orland is indeed the unsung hero of AI!

In a still photo from that try-out farce, one can see that Clay's pupils are dilated, a sign of liking whatever one is observing. So I'm calling not-quite-shenanigans, but also not-quite-Reality-TV! At least Clay refrained from calling the guy (?!) a "bush baby"!

Nobody has wowed me this season, yet. I'll allow a "yet."

Yeah I'm kind of thinking it was all producer driven. Normally I think Clay/the judges would just laugh and say "No" and he looked like that's what he was prepared to do but I'm thinking the producers wanted both of them to amp it up for the drama and make a watercooler moment.

[LotusFlower]

 As somebody who actually stood in line for 8 hours to audition this year and had something prepared, yeah I can say Clay is correct that it's an insult to those who take the competition seriously when people like this show up. Why waste your time?

Really? What was it like? Can you dish at all? What did you sing? I'd love to hear!

[MrsMoltisanti]

How can it be an insult though when the show has featured those jokers year after year, even in the finale? They are part of the bread and butter of the show so those singers come out of the woodwork because of this.  It is what it is. Try out for a reality show and you get this jingle bell show, warts and all.  This isn't Juilliard, it is an entertainment show for the masses.  And Clay was told to ham it up and he did.  It's one of his last chances to capitalize on the show that helped him achieve some fame so he will do whatever to help.  Crikeys, I remember one finale where he actually came out to sing with a really bad singer who adored him. 

[Rick Kitchen]

 

 

 In a still photo from that try-out farce, one can see that Clay's pupils are dilated, a sign of liking whatever one is observing. So I'm calling not-quite-shenanigans, but also not-quite-Reality-TV!  At least Clay refrained from calling the guy (?!) a "bush baby"!

 

 

 

The hell?  Why would you even say that?

[BogoGog24]

Really? What was it like? Can you dish at all? What did you sing? I'd love to hear!

I went to the bus tour in Providence so it was outdoors in the heat for 8 hours. I wouldn't even say there was a massive amount of people there but it took forever for the lines to move. I met Jillian Jensen while waiting for the restroom (glamorous!), she made it to the finals in season 13 but was one of the ones cut during the rush week. She was very nice and I saw her go through to the next round but I guess she didn't get that far this year. I'd say the worst part of it all was just the waiting. I brought my guitar and I sang a verse and 2 lines of the chorus from Miranda Lambert's "More Like Her" before the producers cut me off. In my group of 4, only 1 guy was passed through and he had made it in a previous season (it wasn't anyone recognizable though). I heard lots of strong singers while waiting in line and many of them were passed up. I'd say some of the ones I heard were better than some who got a golden ticket this year.

[LotusFlower]

The hell?  Why would you even say that?

I think the poster is referring to the time that Simon Cowell told a contestant that he looked like a bush baby (a rare animal from Africa with big eyes).

[Rick Kitchen]

My objection was because the person being critiqued was black and that was verging a little too close towards racism.

[LotusFlower]

I went to the bus tour in Providence so it was outdoors in the heat for 8 hours. I wouldn't even say there was a massive amount of people there but it took forever for the lines to move. I met Jillian Jensen while waiting for the restroom (glamorous!), she made it to the finals in season 13 but was one of the ones cut during the rush week. She was very nice and I saw her go through to the next round but I guess she didn't get that far this year. I'd say the worst part of it all was just the waiting. I brought my guitar and I sang a verse and 2 lines of the chorus from Miranda Lambert's "More Like Her" before the producers cut me off. In my group of 4, only 1 guy was passed through and he had made it in a previous season (it wasn't anyone recognizable though). I heard lots of strong singers while waiting in line and many of them were passed up. I'd say some of the ones I heard were better than some who got a golden ticket this year.

That's very cool. Thanks for sharing the experience. I'd say better luck next year, but I guess we can't say that any more! At least there's tons of other shows and competitions...

[BogoGog24]

How can it be an insult though when the show has featured those jokers year after year, even in the finale? They are part of the bread and butter of the show so those singers come out of the woodwork because of this.  It is what it is. Try out for a reality show and you get this jingle bell show, warts and all.  This isn't Juilliard, it is an entertainment show for the masses.  And Clay was told to ham it up and he did.  It's one of his last chances to capitalize on the show that helped him achieve some fame so he will do whatever to help.  Crikeys, I remember one finale where he actually came out to sing with a really bad singer who adored him.

Yeah I understand that and it's more the show's fault for encouraging that, but as somebody who personally experienced the audition process, it definitely seems like a huge waste of time for somebody to stand in line for so many hours just to act like an idiot on purpose. The majority of people who try out eat, drink, breathe and live music and want to do it for a living and Idol gives them that chance. They take it very seriously and prepare ahead of time, show up on time, listen to directions, and do their best for that one shot that might not come again. You can see how devastated some people are when they get eliminated. For some asshat to walk up there in a cape looking for his 15 seconds of fame just makes what is a passion for others a huge joke and a mockery. There is a reason why The Voice doesn't encourage joke auditions and that is definitely one thing I like about The Voice more than Idol.

[LotusFlower]

My objection was because the person being critiqued was black and that was verging a little too close towards racism.

That's what I thought you were thinking, which is why I mentioned the Simon Cowell reference. The original comment (from Simon) had nothing to do with race (the contestant was white, and he did kinda look like the referenced animal).

Edited January 21, 2016 by LotusFlower

[viajero]

Well, at least this was big improvement over last week.  I thought everyone who got through had at least some talent.  My favorites were Jenna, Amelia and Emily.  I also kind of liked Poh's voice, but she seemed really raw.

 

I do remember Mackenzie from The Voice, particularly his arrangement of Call Me Maybe.  He had the misfortune of being on one of the strongest seasons of that show.  But in all honesty, I thought his performance in this audition wasn't quite up the level of what we saw from him on that show.  Maybe he tried to mash up one song too many.  I also remember Adam Lasher, but I really did not like his arrangement of Knocking on Heaven's Door.

 

There are a lot of very talented young girls this season, many of whom may not quite be ready.  My hope is that out of such a large group, at least a few will turn out to be naturals or very fast learners and actually make the live rounds more interesting.  At least for awhile anyway, until they inevitably get voted off for the unpardonable crime of being a teenage girl on a competitive reality show that caters to an older audience.

[bluepiano]

Mario Barnes was nice.  Liked his voice.  Don't know if he could win American Idol, though. They really told him no?  Ridiculous. They let these little 15-year-olds through?.

 

Yeah, right now I hate this show. He was obviously nervous when he started, causing him to be "pitchy," but he kept getting better, and had some really nice moments. I hate the game the judges are playing this year of selectively saying "it's the final year, we're looking for a superstar" when they've put through so many clearly not-ready 15 year olds, country warblers, and mediocre singers just because they have "the look."

 

The inconsistency in the judging has always been an issue with this show. I would be okay with them not taking Mario if the judges always applied the same high standards. For just one example, Emily Brook, who they loved, had even more technical issues than Mario did. But she's young, pretty, and country, so she sails through. Sad to say, I think maybe they got a vibe that  Mario might present some problems in Hollywood, and that's what it was really about. (I mean actual problems, as opposed to the kind of "drama" they build Hollywood week around).

 

"Many Rivers to Cross" is a song I dearly love. Linda Ronstadt did a good version years ago. Never heard Annie Lennox do it, but I respect her as a singer and i imagine it was good. BUT. It is a song that is so heavily identified with Jimmy Cliff and reggae and the struggles of black Caribbean people that if felt like an insult for her to say "by Annie Lennox." A few of us posted about this issue of attribution last week. If you fancy yourself a musician, if you care about music, learn the original and give credit where its due. It's only as hard as doing a search on YouTube.

Edited January 22, 2016 by bluepiano

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Ditto to everything Bluepiano said ... and for me, showing my age, having gone to see "The Harder They Come" five nights in a row at the local (and only) movie theatre in town my freshman year of college (double feature with "Kentucky Fried Movie," of all things), "Many Rivers To Cross" will ALWAYS be a Jimmy Cliff song for me.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

They did the right thing with Mario.  Perfect example of what Simon has preached forever:  Stop hopeless talent that they find their true path.  I wish Mario all the best.

 

Clay's protestestations sure rang hollow to me.  As pointed out above, he was fine with involving himself with a goof since it gave him a precious starturn.  He is just the worst.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryK6gaTX9aQ

[BogoGog24]

I don't think Mario is a "hopeless" talent though. Come on, many of those kids they put through easily need a few more years to hone their craft before being ready for a show like this and many of them are going to get crushed in Hollywood. I think sending people, especially young kids, to Hollywood that they know will get cut or be used for fodder is setting them up. If they believed Mario would not be able to handle Hollywood, they made the right call, but if it was because they think he's not talented enough that's just BS. By the way, the guy was on The Glee Project so he must not be that bad.

[Asp Burger]

"Many Rivers to Cross" is a song I dearly love. Linda Ronstadt did a good version years ago. Never heard Annie Lennox do it, but I respect her as a singer and i imagine it was good. BUT. It is a song that is so heavily identified with Jimmy Cliff and reggae and the struggles of black Caribbean people that if felt like an insult for her to say "by Annie Lennox."

 

Annie's Lennox's on IGB was very moving, but my favorite cover is Oleta Adams's. Not to be missed.