Oh No! Not Haley Too!

We'll I'll be. I'd convinced myself that country kids Scotty and Lauren would cancel each other out, and that Haley would make it to the final, Lauren being the weaker singer of the country contingent. That's it for me. I can't watch an all-country finale. I already know that Scotty's going to win.

Those of you who voted in our contest were a lot smarter than I. Ten people tagged Haley for the elimination, eight named Scotty, and, surprisingly, only three thought that Lauren would go home. Maybe Lauren is headed for a win after all, but I can't believe it.

Remember to vote in the finale. We'll have a weekly winner for that, and then, those with the most right picks will go into a drawing for a chance at one of the two grand prizes which includes an ipod shuffle. So vote early, but don't vote often. One player was eliminated this week for marking all three semi-finalists' names.

This week's winner is Arjeta Bajraktari. 

AI: The Semifinals

GO HALEY! Actually I thought Scotty did a good job on all of his songs, but I really have to question the song choices of Jimmy and the judges. I thought that Scotty looked like a comic book country boy with his guitar and facial expressions on Jimmy's choice. The contrast between him and the bass guitarist was comical. The judges' choice seemed calculated to appeal to the grandmothers (the very oldest ones) in the audience. It was sleepy, old-fashioned and lounge -y. But I thought he did it as well as it could be done. His own choice was great, showing his range and romantic side.

Lauren is just too immature for stardom, although she has real talent. Her costume for the first song was horrible, and I noticed breath control problems on the second song. She did a good job on the judges' choice, although I thought it was a fairly dull song.  I pick Lauren for the elimination this week.

Haley of course knocked her first song out of the park. Having her dad on guitar had to give her a lot of extra points. I loved her rendition of Rhiannon - very sultry and moody- fitting to the song. I was disappointed in her version of You Ought to Know, a great angry song that should have been perfect for her. Even though Haley is now my girl, I still have reservations about her. I predict a win for Scotty.

Are you looking forward to a Haley/Scotty finale? Don't forget to vote. You have until today at 6:00 PM.

Sasha Sees Haley

Niles Library's own Sasha Vasilic scored tickets to Haley Reinhart's hometown concert last Saturday at Arlington Race Track. He was kind enough to send us his report and an awesome video clip!

Haley Reinhart Homecoming Concert Review On Saturday, May 14, 2011 over 30,000 screaming fans welcomed American Idol Top 3 finalist, Haley Reinhart, at the Arlington Race Track. The gloomy day did not stop her supporters from watching the live performance. Fans waved signs saying “Haley Is Our American Idol” and “We Love You, Haley”. Reinhart’s repertoire included, The Beatles, Duffy, Elton John and more. Overall it was a great event, even though everyone was wet from the rain. Take a look at a video clip put together by Niles Library employee @SaleVasi below.

Oh No! Not James!

Were you shocked? You must have been, because only two of you predicted that James would be eliminated last night. I wasn't totally surprised. I think James fell into the category of too consistent, too predictable, plus he seemed to be slipping a bit in quality lately. Maybe he was tired.

So while I am not shocked, I am disappointed. I loved James. To me, he was far and away the most entertaining performer in the competition. But America just doesn't seem to love a hard rocker.


And Haley is in the final three! Who'd a thunk it? What's next? Will Haley get James' votes? Will country cousins Scotty and Lauren cancel each other out? Who will be in the final two? Stay tuned.

The winner of this weeks contest is Kathy Ostapkiewiiz. Cogratulations!

The Final Four: Haley's to Lose

Haley was in a strong position last week which lasted until the judges savaged her after her first performance last night. As usual, I don't get it. I just re-watched her performance of Michael Jackson's Earth Song on YouTube and still thought it was good. She sang the song simply, but with a becoming intensity. And she looked great. Then she got a standing O from the judges for severely over singing I Who Have Nothing. What??

Were the judges using that famous reverse psychology in the first song to mobilize Haley's fan base? Is Haley going home? Here is my power list:

1. Lauren Not a fan, but I thought she was great last night. She could win it all.

2. Scotty So likeable. It was fun seeing him squirm in the presence of Lady Gaga who told him to stick his tongue down the microphone.

3. James If Haley doesn't get voted off, he could be the surprise elimination. His first song was a bad choice (and a bad song). His second was great. He is beginning to suffer from too much consistency.

4. Haley The opposite of James - inconsistent. She retains an amateurish quality, even though I think she has a lot of potential.

I think it is still likely that my original prediction for the final three - James, Scotty, and Lauren - will hold. What do you think? Is Haley going home? Today is your last chance to vote. You can email your vote to av@nileslibrary.org.

Jacob Finally Goes

After many weeks of declaring Jacob a goner, the prediction has finally come true. Jacob Lusk was eliminated in fifth place. While he is undeniably talented, I have come to believe that Jacob was simply not open to the advice that he must have been given by his coaches to tone down the emotion and gain better control over his vocals. There seemed to be something stubborn about him. It is a tribute to his power as a singer that he lasted as long as he did.

Ten of you predicted that Jacob would indeed hit the dust. Scotty got 3 votes, Lauren 2, and James 1.Please note that no one predicted Haley for the elimination. Hope for a local girl or insight into changing power positions?

The winner of this week's contest, by drawing, is Mollie Weinberg.

Who goes home next?

No Air: Not That Bad?

I just compared Jacob Lusk's youtube of No Air with the original performance by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. I have to be honest and admit that I did it to see how bad a job Jacob did. Well guess what? It wasn't that bad after all. Its just a bad SONG, melodically challenged as is so much contemporary pop music.

While Jordin and Chris are much better to look at than Jacob grabbing himself on camera, Jacob did a credible job of singing both parts. As you can see on the Sparks video, the two voices are not that far apart. I especially like the lightness in Chris Brown's voice which blends well with Jordin's strong pipes. Jacob actually conveyed the feeling of the original in his own way. But the cards just seem stacked against him.

In it to win it: Five to Four

According to Randy, this is the week that separates the serious contenders from the wimps. Who is "In it to win it"? Each contestant sang two songs - one current number and one classic. I would say that the scores were close; even Jacob did a decent job on his second song of the night.

Here is how I grade the contenders (in performance order):

James Durbin: B & A- total = B+. This was James weakest showing for me. His first song seemed shouty. His second was good, but his lack of emotional control graded him down a half point. At end James said, "Every single week I leave everything on this stage." I believe him and think (and hope) that's why, despite last night's weak performance, he can win.

Jacob Lusk: C & B+ total = B-. Jacob's first performance was kind of a shipwreck. His second was much better,but still too much cry face. Everyone, not just me, has been predicting his AI demise for weeks. I can't see him staying past this week.

Lauren Alaina: A & B+ total = A-. Her first performance was almost perfect. She still seems a little jerky in her movements and not totally confident, even though she tried to project confidence. I graded her down in her her second performance because I just don't like her that much. And the song was too old for her. But good job overall.

Scotty McCreery: A & A- total = A-. Near perfect. He rocked the first song showing range and personality. The second song was beautiful (as Steven might say), but I graded it down for its lack of range. A contender.

Haley Reinhart: A & A total = A. Surprise! Haley was the best of the night. Why the judges beat her up on the first song, I can't imagine. What they hear must be very different from what comes over the TV. The second song was a great choice, and she did it better than Siobhan Magnus last season.

Well, is Jacob going home this week? Vote in our elimination contest and let me know.