S16.E18: Performance Finals

[Tosia]

Leonard Pimpf-Garnell!!!!!  Loved him and Dan and SNL originals! 

They did a thing on Gilda Radner yesterday on Sunday Morning. ...an anniversary of her passing. Such a great show/cast. 

Maddie has the IT factor,  in that you/the audience listens carefully, or sings along,   and seems like their pulling for her to do well.  Katy was bold to vote for her outright. 

Edited May 21, 2018 by Tosia

[silverspoons]

24 minutes ago, LucidDreamer said:

Was it just me, or did Gabby's homecoming crowd seem a little... small? Especially for a bigger city. I noticed that the edges of the crowd didn't go back very far, and the camera people seemed to compensate for this by keeping everything close -- no wide panning shots like they had for Caleb and Maddie.

Of course, it may just be that people in a bigger city don't care about an American Idol finalist coming to town the way folks in small towns do. I just thought it was interesting that the camera work seemed to be designed to disguise the smaller size of the crowd in Gabby's case.

I thought Gaby was going to have a huge crowd at her concert. Then I read it was at this riverfront casino that does not allow kids in the casino or in the parking lot. So anyone under 21 had to be dropped off a a special spot to enter and then parents would have to park and meet the kids. Gaby's venue I felt was suppose to have the wow factor, on the river with the fireworks. Caleb and Maddie venues were simple, a school and fairgrounds but were accessible to all. 

I wonder how much Itunes is a predictor , Maddie song has been #30-34 and Gaby has been #86-88, and Caleb in the 60's.

[librarianbeck]

I only watched the first song for each of them (all pretty bad.  Maddie's was least-bad, but didn't seem her style to me), and while Gabby was singing,  all I could notice was how unpleasant I find her voice. 

[thesupremediva1]

Well, I wanted to like this Idol incarnation, and I'll keep watching next year, but this was a big MEH for me.

I missed Cade.

None of these three - even Maddie, with her cool singer-songwriter vibe - do anything to make songs "their own." They don't pick songs that are terribly challenging, vocally speaking. Maddie makes an emotional connection but damn, sometimes I'd just like her to hit a real high note in full voice and not yodel it. 

The first round was as  bad as the judges said. It was embarrassing. Justin and Kelly look like fucking pros back in season 1 on that shoe-string budget with vocal nodes and a new song that they BOTH nailed. It was great watching the error404/file_not_found/does_not_compute faces they made while getting actual criticism. Caleb looked lost, Maddie looked chagrined, Gabby looked like she was gonna run down and CUT a bitch. Hilarious. 

This ep was like Bizarro Idol. Usually the judges are harsh all season and give tongue baths during the finale, basically letting the votes fall where they may and justifying their season of work by saying "Our finalists are amazing and we can't choose!" These three yahoos blew smoke up everyone all season long, and picked tonight to offer an actual critique. Why bother? There's no next week to show improvement. ::facepalm::

Gabby's single was the best. But, I'm not sure that will help her since the machinations with Steve Perry's appearance and BS tongue bath might very well turn people off. Johnny Cash couldn't exactly show up to celebrate Caleb, and no Stevie Nicks for Maddie? I smell a setup here, and so does everyone else, I suspect.

The second round was Caleb's shining moment, for me. That song showcases everything great and unique about his voice. Gabby chose a messy shout-fest that is more talking than singing, and she didn't move around as much as she did the first time. Bad miscalculation, there. And Maddie chose an original - another dirge that might not inspire votes. 

Round 3 for me was Maddie's. Caleb was ok and Gabby... well that was a mess. Most people can't sing that song. Steve Perry can't sing that song anymore. It wasn't special, it wasn't a new version, it wasn't performed well or with conviction. It was incredibly karaoke and the cut of it was not great. No build. Ugh. 

They all tied on the night, but based on an overall feeling, I went with Caleb and Maddie. 

[plotpointer]

It’s so sad to see what has become of American Idol.  It’s basically an all-white country music festival.  This show will never, ever get good ratings without some sort of urban appeal.  Urban music is dominating radio — that’s what is hot right now.  

[Burgher]

Just to clear up a few misconceptions:

Gabby did throw out the first pitch at the Pittsburgh Pirates home game at PNC park during her home visit. I’m guessing they didn’t show it because they wanted her aired package different than Caleb’s package. Also it may not have been a big deal to her (like it was to Caleb) since she has sung the National Anthem at both Pirate and Steeler games before.

 

Not sure where people heard she had 7 *younger* siblings! That is not correct. She has one younger sibling that I am aware of; the one mentioned a few weeks ago on air. Both parents were previously married with children; there are 5 half-siblings (all adult age). She is the middle child of 3 kids in her particular family unit. Her brother has been shown several times on air but never mentioned by name, and he was at the home visit. The three of them were in consecutive grades in school.

 

Gabby has already been living in Nashville at least off and on. She’ll be fine even if she doesn’t win AI; not winning may be the best thing for her career...

 

I don't vote, but Maddie is the artist I’m most likely to listen to.

[Jillybean]

2 hours ago, MMLEsq said:

My hope is that Caleb and Gabby split the "country" vote and Maddie ends up winning,

 

This is what I told Mr Jillybean last night. 

[sinycalone]

I don't think Caleb and Gabby will split the country vote.  I doubt most country music fans consider her anythig but pop/rock.  She can tack on a fake twang, but she is not a country singer.  Don't care if she's been living in Nashville or not...remember Steven Tyler lived in Nashville briefly, lol.  Note to Gabby:  you don't need a southern accent to sing country (see Mo Pitney, Martina McBride, etc.).

Caleb's song was as high as 12 on the country iTunes chart...where it counts for someone like him.

Edited May 21, 2018 by sinycalone

[SunnyBeBe]

7 minutes ago, plotpointer said:

It’s so sad to see what has become of American Idol.  It’s basically an all-white country music festival.  This show will never, ever get good ratings without some sort of urban appeal.  Urban music is dominating radio — that’s what is hot right now.  

I found the Billboard Award Winners interesting. It was on last night.  Some urban was recognized, but, also:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/entertainment/billboard-music-awards-2018-winners-list/index.html

Winners include Ed Sheerin, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Chris Stapleton, Marin Morris, and Imagine Dragons. Plus, when the AI contestants audition, aren't they allowed to perform any kind of music they want? 

I have not developed any real favorites this season.  I just wasn't blown away by anyone, but, I have enjoyed some of the performances by these final 3 contestants.  I could see any of the three deserving it.

 For some reason, I tend to be more amused by Maddie. I suspect it has to do with her stage presence.  To me, she has a very lovely face that really works on camera.  Plus, she's a song writer and that always takes you a little further, imo.  I do wish she could toss the jumper/overall look in attire. That isn't attractive at all, imo, even though, she has that farm background thing going on.  I do think her vocals are somewhat limited, but, could be improved with training. She does have a Joni Mitchell flair and maybe, I'm a sucker for that.  (Homeward Bound was probably my favorite performance by her, though, that's not a Joni song, which Katy's comments seemed to imply.)

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, thesupremediva1 said:

But, I'm not sure that will help her since the machinations with Steve Perry's appearance and BS tongue bath might very well turn people off. Johnny Cash couldn't exactly show up to celebrate Caleb, and no Stevie Nicks for Maddie? I smell a setup here, and so does everyone else, I suspect.

I actually said to my mom while watching, "Good thing they didn't try and do some Johnny Cash hologram or something for Caleb." I was wondering if Stevie Nicks would be in the crowd, too.

57 minutes ago, sinycalone said:

Note to Gabby:  you don't need a southern accent to sing country (see Mo Pitney, Martina McBride, etc.).

I feel like that's a message a few country singers in general out there could use. Whenever I've heard the country station, it seems like some of these people try to force that twang so much. Even if they do have a southern accent, it still comes across like they play it up too much sometimes. 

[zoemom]

5 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

That seems to be the consensus here and elsewhere.  I hope that translates into America's voting.   -   I almost feel guilty for my reaction to Gabby, since I'm old enough to be her........whatever, but she's got the type of personality that bugs the bejeezus out of me; I don't even know what to call it - misplaced arrogance?  And whenever she said she wanted to be a country STAR - not 'singer' - well, that about summed it up.  And not that it's her fault or anything, because it's not, but her parents bug me.  Her mother seems totally bland, disheveled and disinterested, while her father is too creepily invested in her.  (She said if she moved to Nashville for her music, she'd want to take her father with her.  Huh??)  Even the mentor didn't that was a good idea.  I thought I read that she had a passel of younger siblings and that her father lost his job and now works at Goodwill.  Somehow I get the impression that the whole family is waiting for Gabby to be a STAR so that she can support the family. 

Anyway, I thought last night all three of her performances were the worst she's ever had, so it might've been nerves/family pressure.  And believe me, I'm not that crazy about country music in general (like some of it, dislike some of it) but whatever Caleb was selling last night, I was buying!  I sent 10 votes his way.  He's got an easy-going way about him and a quick wit, which should serve him well in the business. 

I like Maddie; in that edited bit they kept showing, she said she wasn't in it for the fame and money, but just to have a career.  How honest and refreshing.  Unlike Gabby, who comes across as downright desperate to be a STAR. 

@Ladyrain (hi BTW!)  ITA.  I was really squicked out when Gabby told Bobby Bones that she wanted to take her "daddy" with her to Nashville?  I think when she told him that, he even looked shocked for a second. I know she's young, (but nowadays everyone seems younger than me) but its been my experience that most kids her age are looking forward to getting out of the house and away from their parents.   Agree 100% that her family sees Gabby as their "meal ticket" out of Pittsburgh. (Dad's already schilling Gabby Barrett branded merchandise.)

I sent 10 votes to Maddie, figured every little vote counts.  I didn't plan on watching any of it live, but after listening to Caleb and Gabby botch their songs and then "knock me down with a feather" hearing Katy FINALLY give some honest criticism of each, I got sucked in.  I'll DVR it tonight -not interested in watching Lionel, Katy and Luke et al. perform to an audience of "arm wavers" for two hours.  Like the Academy Awards/Oscars I'll just FFW to the last couple minutes to find out who wins.  I'd love to see Maddie get it, but know that more than likely Caleb will.  If Gabby wins, I'm over it.......

[marketdoctor]

Having a really biased judge/announcer was funny when they did it on Let's Bowl (a show that combined bowling with The People's Court)--and it didn't matter there, either.

I'm hoping for Maddie, but ironically this was a little more of an off night for all of them.  I thought Gabby would nail Little Red Wagon, but I liked her other work better. 

I suspect Caleb will have the best long-term career, but Maddie might find a good place as a singer/songwriter; I could also see her getting a contract singing for an animated movie--if only someone at ABC had connections at Disney, or one was owned by the other.  Well, that's a crazy pipe dream, but I can hope.

[sinycalone]

22 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I actually said to my mom while watching, "Good thing they didn't try and do some Johnny Cash hologram or something for Caleb." I was wondering if Stevie Nicks would be in the crowd, too.

I feel like that's a message a few country singers in general out there could use. Whenever I've heard the country station, it seems like some of these people try to force that twang so much. Even if they do have a southern accent, it still comes across like they play it up too much sometimes. 

Some artists do have southern accents that are natural and unforced, but don't overwhelm their performances (Jamey Johnson, Alan Jackson, Scotty McCreery and many others).  It's the ones who tack on a false twang that drive me nuts.

Edited May 21, 2018 by sinycalone

[Annber03]

6 minutes ago, marketdoctor said:

Having a really biased judge/announcer was funny when they did it on Let's Bowl (a show that combined bowling with The People's Court)--and it didn't matter there, either.

...okay, I have so many questions about this show...:p? I did not know this was a thing!

Quote

I suspect Caleb will have the best long-term career, but Maddie might find a good place as a singer/songwriter; I could also see her getting a contract singing for an animated movie--if only someone at ABC had connections at Disney, or one was owned by the other.  Well, that's a crazy pipe dream, but I can hope.

Aw, I like that suggestion for Maddie. I could see that, definitely. 

[Blissfool]

4 hours ago, gardendiva said:

I thought the Gabby Barrett logo merchandise that her dad was sporting (as well as others in the Pittsburgh segment) was the most obnoxious thing I had ever seen. Talk about being full of oneself! What other singing competition contestant would have the huge ego to think they were a “brand” already? She gets on my last nerve.

My son thought it looked too much like the LG logo. It kinda does.

[Ladyrain]

1 hour ago, zoemom said:

 Agree 100% that her family sees Gabby as their "meal ticket" out of Pittsburgh. (Dad's already schilling Gabby Barrett branded merchandise.)

HIya, @zoemom!  ?   Fancy us meeting up in this neck of the woods!

I had no idea that her family was selling her "brand".  What a bunch of leechy tools.  So now, in addition to rooting for her to finish up third tonight, I also hope she falls flat on her fake face with her kountry karoake kareer. 

I wonder how most Pittsburghers feel about that southern drawl of hers.  I don't think many of them talk like that.  And if I were a true Southerner I'd be pissed at her faking it.

Boy howdy, I hope she doesn't win. 

[havahabit]

Surprised no one has mentioned this, but I could have sworn I saw Gaby mouth "fuck yeah" when they announced Steve Perry was in the audience. I'm no lip reader but I rewound a couple of times just to be sure. Anyone else see that?

[HelenCrump]

2 hours ago, sinycalone said:

I don't think Caleb and Gabby will split the country vote.  I doubt most country music fans consider her anythig but pop/rock. 

 

I agree completely.  I am from the south and like country music (along with other genres).  Caleb impresses me as being very genuine and authentic.  I truly believe he loves country music and really wants a career in country music.  Gabby just seems to want to be a star.

Edited May 21, 2018 by HelenCrump

[llewis823]

20 minutes ago, havahabit said:

Surprised no one has mentioned this, but I could have sworn I saw Gaby mouth "fuck yeah" when they announced Steve Perry was in the audience. I'm no lip reader but I rewound a couple of times just to be sure. Anyone else see that?

I read her lips somewhere on last night's show and saw "fuck" so that must have been when I saw it. She is just so cheezy. She is like a parody of blonde country singers. (I say parody because one of my pet peeves is when women bleach their hair and leave their eyebrows black. It just screams "BOTTLE BLONDE"! And as such, I am surprised she agreed to let them show her with dark hair with her choir buddies from the past.

[Ladyrain]

19 minutes ago, havahabit said:

Surprised no one has mentioned this, but I could have sworn I saw Gaby mouth "fuck yeah" when they announced Steve Perry was in the audience. I'm no lip reader but I rewound a couple of times just to be sure. Anyone else see that?

 

17 minutes ago, HelenCrump said:

I agree completely.  I am from the south, like country music (along with other genres).  Caleb impresses me as being very genuine and authentic.  I truly believe he loves country music and really wants a career in country music.  Gabby just seems to want to be a star.

I didn't see it but I sure don't doubt it.  That whole family lacks even a tiny scintilla of class.   Sure, contestants come on Idol to  get their big break; find fame and fortune, yada yada.  But I can't recall anyone and their family being quite so crass about it. 

[sempervivum]

3 hours ago, plotpointer said:

 It’s basically an all-white country music festival.  This show will never, ever get good ratings without some sort of urban appeal.  Urban music is dominating radio — that’s what is hot right now.  

Well, it's all white (all blond, too!) this year, but I don't think Maddie is country at all. 

The Voice usually has 'some urban appeal' (minority men won the first 2 seasons and there seem to be more AA singers who get to the finals), but it's rating were pretty even with Idol's this year, at least. Both shows have older, non-urban audiences, so they're not going to vote for rappers or even hip-hoppers (assuming any of them would ever even audition). 

[Tosia]

Gabby's got nothing that's sets her apart from any other wannabe young girl singers, hence, she's expendable.  Like Jax.

[marykat71702]

16 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Idk. Will have to listen again but Gabby sounded awful to me on the Journey song.

I think that was the worst version of that song I have ever heard.

[mishap]

16 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

 

So the judges decide to critique on the last performance show.  Where were you All season?  I really thought they were being hard on Caleb to give the chosen one Gabby more leverage.  Then when they started being honest with Gabby  that theory went out the window.  She seemed none too happy.  

I am just watching this episode and those were exactly my thoughts.  I really thought Gabby had a hard time with criticism, so some constructive criticism from the start would have helped for them to be able to take criticism and learn from it. 

I don't care for Gabby but I think the judges didn't do her any favors.  

Edited May 21, 2018 by mishap

[marykat71702]

5 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

I mean, seriously, that was some bad singing.  (I'm guessing Steve was contractually required to praise her?  Either that or he's gone deaf.)

Hahaha, this is perfect!

[proserpina65]

Katy looked like she'd robbed Zsa Zsa Gabor's closet, although I'm not sure I think that's a bad thing.  But on to the contestants:

 

Caleb #1 - not much of a song, he did the best he could with it

Gabby #1 - better song than Caleb's but still not all that, she sounded good, though

Maddie #1 -  I could hear that on the radio tomorrow.  Best 1st single since Phillip Phillips'

 

Caleb #2 - in his wheelhouse, and that performance should get him plenty of votes, sounded great

Gabby #2 - not as good as the 1st time she did it, but feisty Gabby is way better than CarrieBot Gabby

Maddie #2 - great song, great vocal, she really knows who she is, and she's completely radio-ready

 

Caleb #3 - I loved this, he loosened up and seemed really comfortable, plus he put his own spin on a classic without twisting it out of shape

Gabby #3 - absolutely wrong song for her voice, it sounded forced, like she was straining for the notes, and was flat a lot at the end, plus what was up with her weird posture?

Maddie #3 - just give her the crown and call it a night.  that was plaintive as it should be, and sounded absolutely gorgeous

[mamadrama]

I am such a hardcore country music fan that I almost never like any of the contestants on these shows because, in the past, they've mostly been trying to emulate modern country artists and I can't get behind them. (I think people like Jason Aldean and Sam Hunt are pretty much going to lead to the final split of the genre and Luke Bryan sounds like a glorified Gomer Pyle.) For most of this season, Kaleb (Caleb? I get his name confused with the other country guy on The Voice) has not impressed me with his voice, though I have been impressed with the fact that he's gone for more alt-country songs. This was the first night in which I'd be perfectly fine with him winning. He won me over with the Keith Whitley song. I am from Eastern Kentucky and Keith Whitley and Loretta Lynn are pretty much the most bipartisan topics you'll find here-we will kick each others' asses over politics but we'll kick any outsiders' asses for disrespecting Keith or Loretty. I also really enjoyed his hometown visit. With a good songwriter on his side and with a good mentor to take him under his wing and make sure he doesn't get caught up in the Scott Borschetta shitshow, I think he could do well. (OT, in my town we have a local guy who lives here and runs a coffeeshop with one of our local girls. His name is Tyler Childers and he was getting some regional radio play. Then alt-star Sturgill Simpson took Tyler under his wing and suddenly Tyler is getting major write-ups in The Rolling Stone, selling out concerts all over the country, and being put at the top of many national magazines' "best of" lists. Miranda Lambert even just live tweeted from one of his shows. I could totally see this happening with Caleb/Kaleb.) 

Overall, I think that Maddie had the best showing. All three of her performances were good. Based on that, I think she should win. The judges kept harping on the fact that Gabby wasn't comfortable with the coronation song and that she didn't know it well and that it wasn't a hit yet. I think her REAL problem with it was that nobody had ever sung it before so she didn't have anyone to emulate. Gabby isn't an artist, she only does well when she can copy someone else. 

[Halting Hex]

1 hour ago, mamadrama said:

make sure [Caleb] doesn't get caught up in the Scott [Borchetta] shitshow

You must not have enjoyed seeing Ryan recognize Scott B's presence in the audience, I'm guessing?  Obviously, Scott and Big Machine have done all right by Taylor Swift, but she waved goodbye to country several albums past.  (Hasn't hurt her sales, though; I think reputation is her weakest effort yet [why do you care what Kim Kardashian thinks of you, Taylor?], but TS did win the Billboard Award for top sales yesterday…) I guess it depends on whether Caleb values staying "pure" or making the transition to pop.

Would that even be an issue, though?  Back in the FOX days, the Idol finalists were all under contract to 19E, so being influenced by another company wouldn't be in the mix, anyway.  But things might have changed; I don't know.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Halting Hex

[TeeMo]

57 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

The judges kept harping on the fact that Gabby wasn't comfortable with the coronation song and that she didn't know it well and that it wasn't a hit yet. I think her REAL problem with it was that nobody had ever sung it before so she didn't have anyone to emulate. Gabby isn't an artist, she only does well when she can copy someone else. 

Oh my gosh, mamadrama, yes! This is totally it. It hadn't even occurred to me. I went back last night to watch some of the earlier performances from the final three because I did not see every episode and definitely missed some of them. For the duets week performance I was struck with how much Gabby seemed to be doing an impression of Jennifer Nettles WHILE SINGING WITH JENNIFER NETTLES. Jennifer has some fairly distinctive performance tics - her posture, the way she moves the hand not holding the microphone, a little shoulder shimmy she does, her facial expressions are all really easy to identify and things she does fairly consistently and Gabby did a version of all of them while standing there next to Jennifer. It was fascinating to see it and I had not really noticed it when I watched Duets week when it first aired. 

I've posted several seemingly anti-Gabby things in this thread and it is worth noting that I think a lot of the issues I have with her are probably things that time will cure for her.  She is really, really young and hopefully she'll find her own performance style as she matures. I *think* she maybe has a good voice that could develop into a great voice but I am honestly not sure because I feel like we hear a different version of her voice from week to week depending on who she is trying to project in each performance. She needs someone to work with her to really help her figure out who Gabby is and how Gabby sings and then maybe she'll be ready to be a star. 

Edited May 21, 2018 by TeeMo

[mamadrama]

3 minutes ago, Halting Hex said:

You must not have enjoyed seeing Ryan recognize Scott B's presence in the audience, I'm guessing?  Obviously, Scott and Big Machine have done all right by Taylor Swift, but she waved goodbye to country several albums past.  (Hasn't hurt her sales, though; I think reputation is her weakest effort yet [why do you care what Kim Kardashian thinks of you, Taylor?], but TS did will the Billboard award for top sales yesterday…) I guess it depends on whether Caleb values staying "pure" or making the transition to pop.

Would that even be an issue, though?  Back in the FOX days, the Idol finalists were all under contract to 19E, so being influenced by another company wouldn't be in the mix, anyway.  But things might have changed; I don't know.

Not a fan of Scott or his record label. Not really a fan of Taylor, either, though I preferred her 1989 album over any of the others. I have no problems with pop music when it's GOOD pop. At least her music on that album was fun. 

[BogoGog24]

I thought it was interesting that they made it a point to mention Maddie had a crowd of 10,000 at her concert but didn't give numbers for the other 2. Typically big cities don't care much about Idol contestants and the small towns get a bigger turn out. So I could see Gabby's easily having been smaller. 

I have thought similarly about Gabby as well, that I think she has potential and could be ready in a few years. She needs to figure out who she is as an artist and find her own voice and identity. Some time to mature may help her also grow out of that swelled head she currently has. 

[Annber03]

9 minutes ago, BogoGog24 said:

I have thought similarly about Gabby as well, that I think she has potential and could be ready in a few years. She needs to figure out who she is as an artist and find her own voice and identity. 

I feel like that could apply to many of the contestants this season. 

[UrbanShocker]

9 hours ago, Halting Hex said:

Wow, that was EPIC!

Yes, I'm talking about Gabby doing "Don't Stop Believing", a trainwreck that would make Amy Schumer sick with envy.  (Which, considering how little I like Amy Schumer, would make things even better, but still.)  I don't think I've seen anything this bad since Paint Store Lee DeWyze in his "heyday".  (And yes, Gabby fans, he won; I know.)

I mean, at first, when they announced the song, I was like "hmm, that doesn't really seem right for her".  And then she started off by countrifying it, which left me dubious, but which wasn't bad in and of itself.  But then the goat-throat voice took over, and then she lacked the power to do the belty parts justice, even asking the audience to sing it for her, a sure sign of weakness.  (Or do we think she forgot the words there?)  And she was even off-pitch at the end!  A seven-layer cake of bad, with a topping of awful sauce!  Forget Steve Perry, they should have brought on Dan Aykroyd as Leonard Pimph-Garnell to go "utterly wretched! Wonderful!" 

I mean, seriously, that was some bad singing.  (I'm guessing Steve was contractually required to praise her?  Either that or he's gone deaf.)

Oh, and Katy?  Mr. Perry hasn't been "Steve Perry of Journey" since 1997.  Before any of these kids were born.  He may be the most famous Journey vocalist, but he wasn't the first (Gregg Rolie, then Robbie Fleischmann, then Perry, then Steve Augeri, then Arnel Pineda; Pineda's had the job for a decade now and he was the one who sang at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, IIRC) and it doesn't appear as though he's getting the gig back anytime soon, either.  Just so you know.

Caleb was good on the Keith Whitney song, but if you're not Johnny Cash, maybe you shouldn't try to be?  Just a thought, son; just a thought.

Maddie was the star of the evening, right down to her silver glitter eyeshadow for "Landslide".  They're doing a better job of getting her out of her bib overalls, although she's got a way to go before she ever hits "glam".  But I wouldn't want her to turn into Katy, anyhow.

Cool that Caleb got to throw out the first pitch for the Braves.  I guess the Pittsburgh Pirates are too big-time for Gabby, huh?  Burn!  (Or, quite possibly, they were just on the road whenever the visits were happening.  But I noticed the difference.)  Still, IMO the most affecting visit was Maddie's principal re-assembling her graduating class for her.  Even in small-town Iowa, there's probably been some scattering.  Good work, sir.

(And points to ABC for letting Caleb sing "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die".  I wasn't sure that would survive the censors, tbh.  So there's that, at least.  But I still preferred Maddie.)

Gabby did go to a Pirates game - she threw out the first ball and sang "God Bless America".  It's on Youtube.  Only Maddie didn't get to a ball game - maybe the Iowa Cubs were on the road!

I put all my votes to Maddie, who has a musical sensibility that is rare in any Idol contestant.  I think Caleb will win though, just because of demographics.

[Blissfool]

27 minutes ago, UrbanShocker said:

I think Caleb will win though, just because of demographics.

Oh gosh I hope not! 

I am as much against a Caleb win as you guys are against a Gabby win. I cannot stand him!

My order is:

1. Maddie

2. Gabby (I actually like her)

3. Caleb (I didn't even want him in the top 10)

[sinycalone]

Here is my conspiracy theory....Borchetta was there to check out the contestants...primarily Gabby.  I doubt he would want to sign Maddie because he would have no clue how to promote her, and he would probably not want to mentor Caleb (thanks for great idea for Caleb, Mamadrama) and wait for him  tobecome a top artist (read moneymaker).  The fact that Steve Perry was there to "endorse" Gabby -- and the other two got no such treatment - planted that little conspiracy thought in my brain.

I am another one who is tired of singers like Aldean, Hunt, FGL dominating country music...when they are not country performers.

It could be that TPTB did not want to wait to determine who the winner would be...they wanted to sell Borchetta on the idea of a contract with Gabby asap.  They will get a share of her income, no doubt, for several years,  They could use their Hollywood label or Disney label (if the runnerups even get contracts of that type) for Maddie and Caleb.

Edited May 21, 2018 by sinycalone

[twilightzone]

11 minutes ago, sinycalone said:

Here is my conspiracy theory....Borchetta was there to check out the contestants...primarily Gabby.  I doubt he would want to sign Maddie because he would have no clue how to promote her, and he would probably not want to mentor Caleb (thanks for great idea for Caleb, Mamadrama) and wait for him  tobecome a top artist (read moneymaker).  The fact that Steve Perry was there to "endorse" Gabby -- and the other two got no such treatment - planted that little conspiracy thought in my brain.

I am another one who is tired of singers like Aldean, Hunt, FGL dominating country music...when they are not country performers.

It could be that TPTB did not want to wait to determine who the winner would be...they wanted to sell Borchetta on the idea of a contract with Gabby asap.  They will get a share of her income, no doubt, for several years,  They could use their Hollywood label or Disney label (if the runnerups even get contracts of that type) for Maddie and Caleb.

It was more like Borchetta just wanted to get his face on camera.  He's not involved in the current season on Idol.  And his 2 seasons where he mentored has proven to be a disaster.  He couldn't even get Trent Harmon a performance slot.  And he had already dropped Cassadee Pope and Rae-Lyn from The Voice.

[sinycalone]

1 minute ago, twilightzone said:

It was more like Borchetta just wanted to get his face on camera.  He's not involved in the current season on Idol.  And his 2 seasons where he mentored has proven to be a disaster.  He couldn't even get Trent Harmon a performance slot.  And he had already dropped Cassadee Pope and Rae-Lyn from The Voice.

Exactly why I think he would be drawn to Gabby and not the other two.  They would probably require more nurturing and greater investment.  He saw where backing country or near-country artists had gotten Big Machine.  I have no clue if Big Machine has any kind of deal with the new AI or not....but it would not surprise me if they did.

[yorklee2]

10 hours ago, Babalooie said:

I thought that it was a Marilyn Monroe wig.  Either way, it was from that general era of Channing, Day,or Monroe.

That was my initial thought too.

Quote

What was up with Katy's comment that she is voting for Maddie? Hmmm

Trying to influence the vote? I'm sure she's aware Caleb and Gabby have a sizeable fan base and indie type artists like Maddie don't normally fare as well on these type of shows.

Quote

So the judges decided to critique on the last performance show. Where were you all season? 

Maybe the negative feedback has caught up with them and producers instructed them to finally do their job.

Ditto, ditto, ditto on all the posts concerning Gabby's performance last night and her season long attitude. Wouldn't be surprised if she won though.

Pulling for Maddie with Caleb runner up.

[mamadrama]

Something felt a little "off" with Luke Bryan. Was he drinking? (I mean, I know he was drinking something, but was it spiked?) Many of his comments were weirder than usual and his eyes looked extremely glassy. No judgment here, though. If I had to sit there by Katy for hours on end, I might need something as well. I actually don't mind Katy but she can be a bit much. 

[twilightzone]

1 hour ago, sinycalone said:

Exactly why I think he would be drawn to Gabby and not the other two.  They would probably require more nurturing and greater investment.  He saw where backing country or near-country artists had gotten Big Machine.  I have no clue if Big Machine has any kind of deal with the new AI or not....but it would not surprise me if they did.

Nashville is flooded with young, Carrie Underwood wannabees like Gabby.  She with the fake twang that disappears and suddenly appears.   She requires a lot of nurturing.  She has little clue to who she is as an artist.  Her song choices are all over the place.  It has already been announced that the Idol label is Hollywood Records - not Borchetta's BMLG.

Fans of Gabby are just setting themselves up for a let down if they actually believe that Borchetta is trying to scout her.

Edited May 22, 2018 by twilightzone

[sinycalone]

15 minutes ago, twilightzone said:

Nashville is flooded with young, Carrie Underwood wannabees like Gabby.  She with the fake twang that disappears and suddenly appears.   She requires a lot of nurturing.  She has little clue to who she is as an artist.  Her song choices are all over the place.  It has already been announced that the Idol label is Hollywood Records - not Borchetta's BMLG.

Fans of Gabby are just setting themselves up for a let down if they actually believe that Borchetta is trying to scout her.

Believe me, I am no Gabby fan....I would hate to see her win.  I just think AI is not above behind-the-scenes shenanigans.  I agree... Carrie wannabes abound in Nashville.  I think Gabby will be pushed towards pop (eventually) by her label.

[zoemom]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

The judges kept harping on the fact that Gabby wasn't comfortable with the coronation song and that she didn't know it well and that it wasn't a hit yet. I think her REAL problem with it was that nobody had ever sung it before so she didn't have anyone to emulate. Gabby isn't an artist, she only does well when she can copy someone else. 

 

3 hours ago, TeeMo said:

Oh my gosh, mamadrama, yes! This is totally it. It hadn't even occurred to me. I went back last night to watch some of the earlier performances from the final three because I did not see every episode and definitely missed some of them. For the duets week performance I was struck with how much Gabby seemed to be doing an impression of Jennifer Nettles WHILE SINGING WITH JENNIFER NETTLES. Jennifer has some fairly distinctive performance tics - her posture, the way she moves the hand not holding the microphone, a little shoulder shimmy she does, her facial expressions are all really easy to identify and things she does fairly consistently and Gabby did a version of all of them while standing there next to Jennifer. It was fascinating to see it and I had not really noticed it when I watched Duets week when it first aired. 

Agree with both of you.   A couple of weeks ago when Carrie Underwood was mentoring, I was actually confused when Gabby came out to sing, initially thought it was Carrie.   Her hair, dress, the way she stomped around on the stage were pure Carrie.  I'm hoping tonight will be the end of her run and she can go back home to Pittsburgh and get some more practice in the local karaoke bars.    

[Evil Queen]

7 hours ago, Ladyrain said:

HIya, @zoemom!  ?   Fancy us meeting up in this neck of the woods!

I had no idea that her family was selling her "brand".  What a bunch of leechy tools.  So now, in addition to rooting for her to finish up third tonight, I also hope she falls flat on her fake face with her kountry karoake kareer. 

I wonder how most Pittsburghers feel about that southern drawl of hers.  I don't think many of them talk like that.  And if I were a true Southerner I'd be pissed at her faking it.

Boy howdy, I hope she doesn't win. 

I don't usually add to here but read along most the time. I have to say that I have no clue if this was come across here or not by anyone but if one does a Google search of Gabby and Luke Bryan's name it should be the first thing that pops up is a link to a post on her FB page from July of last year. Its her trying to claim its a song of Luke Bryan's featuring Gabby Barrett. 

I will say I am not a fan of country but I REALLY am NOT a fan of someone that whines and sounds nasally when they are singing. That is what she does. I don't know if anyone caught it but during hometown she was singing with the older person (didn't catch who it was but figured grandparent) and she wasn't doing that crap she does during Idol. If she had sounded like that instead of the fake bs she is trying to pull off on Idol it would have been a lot better. Of course she needs to drop the 'tude and learn that she will be faced with criticism over her lifetime and especially in the business of music. She has obviously been VERY catered to by Daddy dearest and the family. I am betting Bobby knew it and that was a big part of why he was saying she needs to cut the cord already. 

I will say I hope Maddie or Caleb wins and are the final 2 in the end. I'm not big on the style of music but they have likability and both are very talented in their own styles of music. I don't agree with those that thing someone needs to "work a stage" in order to be up there entertaining. There are plenty of singers that don't and put on amazing shows. Sometimes the singing/music and speak for itself without it needing all the over the top background show or dancing around to go with it. 

[marykat71702]

There were two things that really annoyed me about Gabby last night.

1.)How she said she wanted to be a country STAR. The way she said it just annoyed me for some reason.

2.)When they got the Macy's boxes and she said that "everyone back home is going to be so jealous!" Ugh.

Her reaction when the judges actually critiqued her for once was hilarious--she looked PISSED!

Nobody's coronation song was good.

I hope either Caleb or Maddie win.