MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2005
American Idol from
the perspective of someone who's booked artists at the national-level: who we like in the
competition, what works, what doesn't work, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own performances.
Week Fifteen
Tuesday, April 25, 2005: Songs from 2000-2005
Theme Night (The Top 5 is Chosen)
Carrie Underwood: Carrie Underwood's performance was vocally mediocre,
but passable. There are better country songs she could have chosen that
would have highlighted her vocal power, but Carrie's fans will probably let
it pass. On the plus side, we loved the hair and makeup. Tips for success:
Selecting songs with either a stronger hook or an emotional lyric that will
draw the audience into the performance would be more likely to get our vote.
Bo Bice: Bo Bice's performance of "I Don't Wanna Be" was great,
but a little pitchy in a couple of places. Bo's stage presence made up for
it, but covering songs that are currently in rotation on radio is never
really a good idea, because having the original artist so fresh in our minds
makes the listener extra critical. We also weren't crazy about the
sunglasses, but on the plus side, we loved his shirt and interview segment. Tips for success:
Selecting songs not currently receiving airplay is a much better bet. As for
the sunglasses...unless the sun is directly in your eyes at an outdoor show,
get rid of them. The audience wants to see the performer's eyes in order to
connect. Anyone who's ever attended an outdoor Bon Jovi appearance will tell
you the show is usually punctuated by screams of fans in the first several
rows asking Jon to remove his shades.
Vonzell Solomon: Vonzell Solomon had been on a pretty good roll, but
tonight's performance was very pitchy. In fact, in some places, it was just
plain off. We'd rate it as one of her worst performances in weeks. On the
plus side, the hair looked great. Tips for
success: Keep the look going, but avoid songs with big highs and
lows that don't have a strong melody line to support the vocal.
Anthony Fedorov: We're always saying to avoid Celine Dion songs in a
talent competition. Here's the exception: A guy can get away with it,
because there's no way a male voice can try to duplicate Celine's vocals, so
there won't be a comparison. Anthony Fedorov got it right and, praise the
Lord, picked a song with a deep emotional impact that suited his vocal
style. A couple of minor pitch problems, but overall, well done. Nice
imaging, too. Bravo! We'd like to hear Anthony record this. Tips for success:
This is what we mean by good song selection; a song with a strong emotional
impact that fits the singer's voice in a way that allows the singer to make
it his own. Continuing on this path, in conjunction with good vocal
coaching, will make Anthony shine.
Constantine Maroulis: Constantine Maroulis may be a heartthrob,
but his rock vocal technique needs some serious work. There's too much
vibrato, and at times he wavers so off pitch, he seems to be howling. On the
plus side, his stage presence was excellent (though sometimes a bit over
posed), as was his imaging--black is definitely his color. But overall, we
agree with Simon and Randy in that when Constantine sings rock, it just
doesn't seem real. Tips for success: Constantine is much better
singing songs that fit the way his voice has been trained. Either performing
that style or working hard with a vocal coach well-known for rock would be a
vast improvement. We'd go with the first option.
Scott Savol: This wasn't the best song for Scott Savol. It was shaky,
pitchy, and not as powerful as he's capable of, but it did get better as the
song went on. On the plus side, we liked the jacket on him. Tips for success:
Coaching, coaching, coaching with a new coach who can really help Scott
grow. He has the seed of a gem; he just needs to grow and refine it. Working
out those weaknesses with an excellent coach as well as lots and lots of
live performing experience is the prescription here. the Idol tour will
help.
We voted for: Bo Bice, because he's the most authentic and has been the
most consistent, image-wise as well as sound-wise. He knows who he is as an
artist and of all the contestants, Bo has the best sense of what works for
his voice. 2nd Place: Once again, no one even came close.
Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night:
[exclaimed excitedly upon seeing
Constantine Maroulis's mother in the audience] "Mamacita! Hi, Mom!" This was
funny not only because of the usually unflappable Seacrest's excited
delivery, but also because to the best of our knowledge Constantine's mother
is Greek.
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback
The MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback is intended as commentary and
is not affiliated with Fox Television, American Idol, or its producers or
judges in any way. Tips should be taken as a suggestion only and are not
intended as a substitute for qualified vocal coaching or artist management.
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