Hollywood Like You Should

(Like the Kool and the Gang reference in the title? Hollywood Swingin' for the uninitiated.)
First this: forget record sales and radio spins. The true measure of Adam Lambert’s stardom is this: signed underwear he gave to Ellen to raise money for Haiti were auctioned off for $8,500! There is no truth to the rumor that my wife bought them (“I love him and everything but I’m not buying his underwear.”)

So you know Idol season has officially begun when Diandra and I do an intense and critical fifteen-minute appraisal/comparison/debate about the pre-Idolists (only the finalists get the formal title of Idolist). So much so that we didn’t even talk about Ellen who I thought was fabulous ("Step forward. Step back. Step sideways."). And the fact that there were far too many weak singers who should not have been brought to Hollywood (later, Skii Bo Ski, baby).

Tonight was heavy on the talented females balanced out on the male side by hot, bluesy Casey James who sang I Don’t Need No Doctor. (Women everywhere are lining up to get a list of what his exact needs are.) On the female side we had more than credible versions of Aretha (Crystal Bowersox) and Ella (Lilly Scott) who were my standouts of the night along with Didi who Diandra thinks is good but will be annoying like Brooke White was in Season 7. Diandra seems to have far less tolerance for cute females than me . . . .

OK, my list, which is tentative given the trials and tribulations of the group round that lies ahead:
Katy – 17 year old with Idolist potential
Andrew – did an incredible re-arrangement of Paula’s Straight Up. Didn’t she used to be on this show? But is his voice going to be good enough?
Janelle – pretty and did a nice arrangement of American Boy
Rocker Mom Mary – good but more than a few women are better and the look is a gots-to-go situation
Lilly Scott – previously cited for her fabulous Ella and Lullaby of Birdland
Michael the big, new daddy personal trainer – I see some real potential there plus a lot of personality
Casey – impressive audition but is he talented enough to pull off all the genre switches or creative enough (like Daughtry and Carrie) to do his (bluesy) thing each week, anyway? The ladies will certainly like him!
Didi – singing a Kara song was my favorite of the night until . . .
Crystal – ARETHA!!!! Wow!! Whoa!! Whew!!

Group Night always sends some good people packing so tomorrow night will be interesting. Especially since I’m sure they have held back on some possible Idolists.