S10: Top 9 Performance Taping

I figured since I failed to blog about Top 12 Performance & Result Shows, that I owed you this one...even if it is a week later.

I apologize for writing a book. I sometimes get carried away when I write, and go off on a lot of tangents. I try to give you all the details that I can remember.

IN LINE
Christy & I met in front of CBS Studios about 12pm. Later than we planned, but to our luck we were 5 & 6 in line! [Arriving there at noon 3 weeks ago landed us in the 60s.] However, through our experiences this season, we have come to realize your placement in line is worthless, unless you get there too late & don't make it in.

I overheard a conversation a few weeks back that they only let in about 200-300 people from the OCA waiting list. The other 400 people are friends/family of those who work for Idol/19/CBS/Fox/etc, the contestants and celebrities. Lame.

While finishing up our awesome posters (Paul McDonald is on "Top of the World" & "Casey Play my Bassy") we heard this man's voice yell from a car, "Make it dirty!" We look up and lo and behold it is Steven Tyler leaning out the window looking right at us. "The sign, make it dirty...for me!" Dirty old man.

For the Lee DeWyze fans: Mike DeWyze randomly drove by & got stuck at the traffic light. That was an awkward moment for us all. Ha.

COUNTDOWN TO SHOWTIME
To our fortune & misfortune we received 'Section Y.' At least it wasn't the dreaded Section X (where sound & view become irrelevant). Section Y is located right above the band, where the backup singers often stand when not on stage. It is a relatively good view of the entire studio & stage. The sound is 'meh' since you are above the band...vocals tend to be more difficult to hear.

For some odd reason, which I can't complain because it is better than being stuck in the sun, they brought us in an hour till showtime. In our section there are 10 seats. The two girls in front of us were diehard Scotty fans. They were adorable. I had to remind them to breath when he came out. You can see their "Scotty is a Hottie" sign hanging during his performance later on. The girls behind us...didn't know when to shut up (as most of the audience couldn't either). They were fans of...everyone. The couple sitting next to us were quiet. I don't think the guy cared to be there as he had never seen the show before. Then there was Christy & I. Need I say more?

Speaking of the audience...could they be more annoying on Wednesday night? Not sure how much you could hear on TV (as I haven't watched it back yet) but they kept yelling out the judges names during the "critique" (aka "everyone is all peaches & cream") time. About half way through the show, Corey (the MC guy) had to scold the audience for interrupting the show so many times. One girl screamed so loud for Jennifer that I thought she might pass out. Keep it classy Idol fans....

Casey & Haley's families seem really tight. They chatted together for a significant amount of time before the show began. Pia's family just sat there in their neon shirts. Paul's family was quiet, too. His dad made notice of my sign a number of times & kept trying to get my attention with his. :) They had a huge sign from his Elementary School, but I'm not sure they showed it on TV. I only saw them wave it once. Julie Zorrilla was there & chatted with the Casey & Pia's family before getting seated way in the back.

Scott McIntyre & fiance were also in the audience again. I doubt Ryan will ever point him out. So sad. I didn't notice Christian Slater till about half way through the show, and had my first starstruck moment.

SHOWTIME
One of the two perks of our seats is that we can see behind the doors/screen on the stage. So before the show started we were making contact with Casey & Stefano. Stefano had a hard time making a heart from his hands & Casey kept teasing us.

Debbie gave us some instructions for the opening of the show but I was too distracted watching the boys behind the stage to hear anything she said. Everyone kept tripping on the mini staircase (See Stefano's performance) waiting in the back.

Finally, the infamous words "This is American Idol" and the show begins!

JACOB
Jacob starts us off and I was flipping out during his video segment. First, he wants to do a Matt Giraud song, and then ends up doing a Kris Allen song? Thank you for reminding us how awesome season 8 was, is, and always will be. (Kradison FTW) I don't know what Miles was thinking but that outfit was not enduring, and I had to stare at Jacob's butt during the whole performance. No. Standing during his performance was almost a forced feel, though I noticed Nigel was NOT encouraging the crowd on...for once. I think this was when the one girl let out a deafening scream for Jennifer, and Jacob thought it was for him.....

Who else thought it was Naima on stage as the extra backup singer?

HALEY
I was a tad worried with Haley being in the "death spot" tonight. I've actually liked her since her audition. She was my original pick for winner, until I discovered Pia's 'Sing For Your Life' performance. (so much for that...) She was a bit interactive with the crowd beforehand. Her performance had people on their feet in seconds! By far my favorite Haley performance, even if I had a hard time really hearing her vocals (again, the band).

I have no idea what the judges said about Haley because I was slightly distracted by the events occurring behind me. All we hear is this country accent, "Oh, I like your dress!" Turn around and there is Lauren & (to Christy's delight) Casey, just chilling on the staircase. Of course, by this time everyone around us had noticed (and as the annoying crowd they were, made note of it vocally...mind you most of those flipping out where the cougars). Christy showed Casey her sign and he gave her a grin & a fist pump.

After they walked down, the usher responds: "See, I told you these were the best seats in the house!" My response: "Liar!" [Sit me right next to Brad Pitt in Section X, and I'd still call the seats crappy, I want to see & hear the performances].

CASEY
I went to grab my phone from my purse when I saw the upright bass wheeling in from backstage, then I realized my phone was in a plastic bin outside with security. I couldn't be more excited to see Casey finally bring back the bass. He's been all over the place for me, and though this was not the greatest performance, I'd take it over "Smells Like Teen Spirit" any day. I like when Casey doesn't scare me. He loves to take in the crowd, making sure to face every section of seating to wave hi. And his parents are the most adorable of them all. (I did meet his dad afterward and he's too nice).

LAUREN
Lauren was anxiously waiting behind the stage during her video package. You could tell she was reviewing the song in her head while she waited. My biggest note to Lauren....don't ever let Gwen Stefani dress you ever again. You are too old/too young for diapers. I was actually watching the screen in the back during her performance & I kept thinking they were ruining the shots since you could see the cameraman walking in front of her, but I guess they don't show the actually TV footage on that screen, just one camera shot. (sometimes it isn't even on so people in Section X can't see anything.)

James appeared behind us during Lauren's critique time. His presence kind of startled me. I knew he'd be standing in front of our section for the cut to commercial. He just stood there in silence, and the girls behind me starting flipping out. Again, making too much commotion while the cameras were rolling. He did his thing in front of us...I may be on camera, I dunno, but I definitely had a fake smile on. Christy got a high five on the way out, she said he has soft hands.

JAMES
It's amazing to see what happens when the cameras stop rolling for commercial breaks. Suddenly, the doors are opened and the strings were wheeled in & some of the stage guys do the "Turban Slide" towards it to lock it into place as fast as they could. It's fascinating! High fives to all the behind the scenes folks at Idol, you rock! As soon as I saw the strings, I knew this would be a toned down James...which I prefer, if I prefer anything of James. [Sorry, I just can't.]

If my memory serves me right, this is the performance where Nigel stands in the middle of the audience and tries to get them to start up the sway bots. Uh no, Nigel, I refuse to diminish myself to a sway bot with or without the sway pits. He is so aggressive about it, too. It's like he is saying with his arms, "Do it! Do it now!" Then he gives that fully accomplished grin he wears when he knows he succeeded.

SCOTTY
Scotty peeked out from behind the stage before his performance and the two girls in front of my squealed. "Don't forget to breath, girls," I had to remind them often. They were adorable. They hung their sign from the railing. Scotty knows how to work the audience during his performance and off camera. They love him. Biggest cheers no doubt about it. Girls have signs for him everywhere....most of them being some version of "Scotty is a Hottie."

Besides the girls in front of me, I may have been the first on my feet. I loved every ounce of Scotty's performance, though listening back I realize it wasn't his best vocals. But performance wise...this guys has got it all down pat.

I watched Nigel gather the group of girls from the audience. Yes, it was not a "random" happening, it was a Nigel manipulation moment. He had them waiting there (they looked ready to pee their pants) and then motioned for them to rush the stage. Cue Nigel's fully accomplished smirk. [I noticed while watching his performance back you can see Nigel walk behind the judges at one point to grab two girls from the far corner].

PIA
I read that Pia suffers from stage fright, especially when performing more upbeat songs. No doubt about it. She was standing right below us and no matter how loud the girls behind me called her name, she was oblivious. She walked behind the stage and you could feel the tension as she ran through her performance in her head. I caught her eye, and she finally looked up, smiled & waved. So I got the girls to yell her name again and she heard them.

The stage guys worked on getting the smoke machine going, and literally pulled away the tube & ran off stage seconds before her performance began. I was digging it. I love Pia. She was suppose to win....(I demand a recount, it was the hanging chads.)

There was one moment, where tragedy could have struck. After the cameraman walked around her, the cord got wrapped around her heels, and the cameraman jumped off the stage. Luckily, the chord guy noticed and did not pull the chord with him, otherwise, she would have ate it. Not sure if she realized it either but she gracefully stepped over the chord after awhile before walking to the judges' table. Tragedy adverted.

[Last time I was in attendance Paul & Stefano almost suffered the same tragedy, only Paul did stumble slightly (the cameras did not get that shot).]

Note the adorable daughter of Christian Slater. Her & her dad were jamming during the whole show. Seriously, Christian Slater was always up on his feat, rocking his head to the beat. Who knew he was such a fan?

STEFANO
Random staircase in the middle of the stage. I watched the stage crew bring the staircase in from the elephant doors to the backstage area before the show started. That's not a light staircase. But why, it is so random? Maybe it's just me. It was my 2nd least favorite performance of the night, and I feel the audience may have agreed with me. Slow song or not, people get up on their feet....but only a few people made it to their feet by the end of his performance (usually those in front).

Randy, thanks you for at least giving Stefano something to work with. While the audience booed, I nodded my head in agreement. Come on judges, not everything is rainbows & unicorns. Let's actually critique the singers, no matter how good they were. Give them something so they can grow! [This goes for all the contestants, not just Stefano.]

PAUL
Note: I am a big fan of Paul, though I do not want him to win idol nor do I think he will win idol. So I am a bit biased when it comes to him. :)

It's bad enough that I always grin from ear-to-ear when Paul performs but this performance was just awesome in every way. When he gets on stage, he always acknowledges the crowd. Waving hello, reading signs, doing his "oh, just stop it" hand gestures (in a humble way, not cocky). He was laughing at himself during the video package, and so ready to jam.

It didn't take less than one note for the audience to be on its feet dancing along. You forget you are watching idol in a moment like this. You become engulfed by the music and the atmosphere, and you don't want it to end. Well, at least I didn't...and from the jamboree afterward, I'd say nobody else did either.


HOEDOWN
The hoedown alone made this the best taping ever. It lasted through the entire recap video. We didn't even get to hear the recap because the band just kept on playing and the idols kept on dancing. Well...all of them except Pia. She tried to avoid it all the best she could. Debbie had to keep jumping on the stage and redirecting them to the middle because they were all over the stage. Paul & Lauren did their twitvid routine. He started dancing with his guitar in hand before one of the stage crew grabbed it for him. Casey & Haley were practically attached at hip. I didn't even know the show had ended. They went on playing & dancing for about 2 minutes after they cut.


The idols stuck around on stage for awhile saying hi to fans. As Paul exited around back, he made one last intentional glance in my directions & waved goodbye. <3 Scotty came towards us and pretty much made the girls in front swoon.

Then out of nowhere, the band starts playing "happy birthday." I want to say the guys name was Steve? But I don't recall. He came out and there was a birthday cake, everyone was singing. Then the idols came rushing out and the boys literally attacked the guy with hugs. It was one of those "aw" moments that America missed out on (like Lee DeWyze's speech after he won last season, an "aw" moment not caught on camera).


That's when you realize how special it is to be in the audience. To experience the idols off camera moments, and see true personalities shine. You also learn to appreciate those behind the scenes, and notice the relationships they build with the contestants. Not to mention the amazing MC, Corey, who pumps up the crowd & passes out idol merchandise all night. Didn't get anything this time, but I do have my Paul McDonald t-shirt from Top 12 night. :)


CHEESECAKE FACTORY
Afterward, we had dinner at The Grove's Cheesecake Factory. I heard it is an Idol hot spot, as the idols often go have dinner with their families after performance shows. Sure enough, while sitting out on the patio, we saw Lauren speed walking (by herself) thru the mall in her bright blue sweatshirt & sweat pants. She got stopped a couple times, and even did a quick dance move for a group of girls who were at the show.

I guess she eventually made way to the CKF. We had seen her family waiting outside. Someone said she kept going in and out of the restaurant. We walked by her as we were exiting, she was eating and chatting with the cute male waiter. You go girl!

Someone tweeted me while we were there that Scotty and his family were also at CKF. We actually ran into him on our way out, as he was leaving, too. So I stopped and said hello. We talked about how great everyone did tonight & how it would be a hard vote. Then he held open the door for us. True southern gentleman! :)

Then I spent the next two hours driving home. Ha.

THE END

Another great taping, another adventure for the books. Until next time....
(David Cook anyone? Me!)

S9: Top 8 Guys Rehearsal

Ryan Seacrest joked around that there was probably an undercover reporter in the audience. Little did he know I was taking it all in to later share with the world. :)

What did I learn about Ryan tonight? He was not the same person that he was during the live taping last Thursday. Though, at first those around me agreed that he seemed 'fake & scripted,' he quickly proved to be a bit ... crazy?? Either he was pumped up on Red Bull or forgot to take his Ritalin this morning.

There is a whole different side of Idol that we don't get to see. Three sides, I think. 1) What we see on TV, 2) What the people in the live studio audience experience, and 3) Everyone's true colors: the rehearsal.

Last week I had the chance to see American Idol live during the result show. Awesome! This week, I got to attend the Top 8 Guys rehearsal. Next week ... I'll probably be tweeting live .. from my couch.

It's much more convenient getting dropped off by a Limo at the blue awning, taking a few simple steps around back and sitting with the family & friends. But, when you are one of the lucky few (more like 70+ people) who get picked from the waiting list, it's another story. We parked at The Grove & walked over to Genesse Ave. Waited for an hour, finally got walked back, only to wait in the cold wind for another 30 minutes or so. It was cold! Even then you were not guaranteed a seat. Don't be late either. Idol is strict on time and space.

Blackberry anonymous. That should be the group Ryan attends daily. When was he not on his phone, tweeting? Want proof? Check his Twitter account! He posted a picture from rehearsal (barely missed the shot).

I was excited last week to see them all live. Even more excited this week to see the boys perform LIVE! It may have only been a rehearsal, but it was good enough for me. The show takes an hour, with the talkative judges. The rehearsal took about an hour & a half, with no judge commentary. A lot goes on....

First up was Lee DeWyze (Vote Lee!) singing 'Fireflies.' I was hyped up about this performance. 1) I love this song, 2) Lee is my favorite. Watching it back, he sounds so much better live. I'm telling you guys, the TV does him no justice. It was practically flawless. I was ready to end the show there & declare a winner. The room practically floated with him as he sang. It's great to see him with a smirk in his eyes. He appears to be a deep thinker and I really think he's gaining the confidence to take this show on with full force & fight for his place.

LIE: I was always amazed how quickly they gathered footage to show during the 'recap' section at the end, especially with the last performance.
FACT: That footage is from the rehearsal!! Oh! That makes perfect sense!

Ryan dreams Idol. He won't be paying attention when the theme music starts to play, and no matter where he is, he is suddenly on the idol prowl. He jumps out of nowhere ready to ace the camera. He even demonstrated for us a night's sleep where he suddenly jerks awake and yells, "This IS American Idol."

Alex! Poor guy looked like a nervous wreck just standing there during the practice intro. Again, I wanted to yell, 'Alex, you rock!' but I didn't. To be honest, looking back at his rehearsal, I don't remember much, but I might have been on a Lee high... I do love his voice & I think he did better in the live performance. P.s. I want to give a shout out to Ellen for her bananas. Sometimes, she actually just makes sense.

Question: Do the judges attend the rehearsal? No. (Though I hear they sometimes sneak-a-peek.) Instead, the have 'fillers.' They don't get to talk much, they just help with giving some time estimates, but if they ever need a stand in, these guys know their characters (at least the 'Randy' & 'Kara' fillers). Too funny. 'Yo, Dawg, that was a bit pitchy, dawg.'

I brought my friend Melody with me (FYI, she hasn't watched this season at all) and guess who her favorite was?? Tim Urban. Let me tell you about the 'gasp' that was heard around CBS studio. 'Tim Urban is up next singing 'Hallelujah,' GASP.....
Not a closed mouth in the audience. Tim just turns around rocking his head with a smirk on his face. My thought, 'Woah, he's got to have a lot gut to pull this off.' And wow, was I surprised. I walked out of the studio feeling like I had the world's biggest secret in hand. Just wait, just wait till they hear him sing this! Way to fight for your right to ... stay on Idol. With his solid fan base that has saved him the last two weeks and the angels singing with him tonight...he just might crack the Top 12.

Random note: The girls joined the audience, as they do on the show, but one was missing! Katelyn was nowhere to be found. Some girl from the audience got to sit in her place. Um, Miss .. if you get the privilege to sit next to Siobhan Magnus put a smile on your face! Don't look so angry and bored. Maybe she was mad that she didn't get to sit by her friend, but really, you are surrounded by the future of the music industry. Katelyn later rejoined and Lilly went missing (what goes on behind the Idol stage, I so want to know!!). She eventually returned so the girl was rescued to her friend behind me.

I had this idea on Monday: How great would it be if one of the guys sang Christina Aguilera's "Genie In a Bottle?' Andrew could break it down. Now imagine me sitting in the audience when Ryan says, 'Andrew's gonna take on Christina..' Woah. I love Andrew and I wish the world wasn't so hard on him. He is not a one-hit wonder. One thing I did noticed during the rehearsal, he had this hesitation about his performance. He wasn't too sure about it. I liked it. The judges didn't. (I almost wanted to break out into my Jr. High dance moves to the song...) Back to the live taping, anyone notice him stumbling the first line? Eek. Ellen: 'The Genie came out of the bottle too late.' Agreed. Someone mentioned that they preferred the end of the song over anything else.

Ryan: "So far in this competition, Andrew has covered ... Richard Simmons."
Andrew: Looks up, confusion & panic shadow his face.

The difference between the live show & rehearsal. 1) Interaction 2) Excitement 3) My BFF, the MC. Walking into the live show, the music was blaring, the lights were on, the people were excited. Walking into the rehearsal, the lights were dim, there was no music, and everyone kept to a whisper or silence. It took a while for Ryan to warm up, though Debbie was having a blast bossing him around. I love Debbie (stage manager). She's awesome.

If you want to guarantee your way into the live taping from the rehearsal, aim to be sat in the section to the left of the stairs. Of course, you have no power when it comes to this, but a little persuasion never hurt, right? It's the 'money spot'-if you sit here, you will be on TV. And apparently, they ask you to stay for the taping, too. Rats! So those folks sitting there tonight, most of them were at the rehearsal.

Casey...Casey...Casey. You could hear a pin drop during his rehearsal. It looked like it took effort for people to get up and applaud his performance. I kind of spaced out, oops. I was reviewing the line up and/or staring off into Lee's direction, maybe. Melody's opinion ... The guitar was fantastic. Watching it back, yeah, still not a fan. Didn't they almost give him a big 'No' during auditions? Simon said no, Kara & Posh lusted, and Randy ... Let the girls have this one. Why, Randy, why??

The guys didn't interact with the audience as much as the taping. I figure it was nerves. Instead of hanging out on the 'fence' of the Red Room, they huddled on the couches till it was their turn to sing or watch the performances. Even on the stage they seemed to be wondering like a 'lost duck.' Then there is Todrick flashing his moves ever chance he gets.

Oops, during rehearsal Casey tried running off the stage with the stool. I think Aaron needed that. That was just the first mishap during Aaron's practice. He was cut off in the middle of the song by Debbie. I guess there were some sound problems. I thought she was just waving him off the stage at first. I didn't think he sounded that bad. Melody pointed out that he had tangled up some of his words. Surprised? No. At least he is finding filler words unlike Hollywood weel. I like Aaron. He's 16 and can sing. He definitely could have a future, but like Haeley he needs a year(s) of fine tuning. Wow, watching it back, he was MUCH better live. He's got an awkward stage presence, makes it uneasy to watch. Ryan likes to pick on him, of course, not on camera.

Crystal & Lilly seemed to have a blast watching the guys. They were doing some kind of leg stretches while waiting... Everyone else had this deep thoughtful expression. Worry, perhaps. If I were some of them, I would be worried, too. Ryan seems to have a good connection with them. That's nice. Speaking of Ryan, did I mention he's a goofball? Really, he is. He stole Debbie's headset and started doing the weather. He hit on older Asian lady... well, not quite, but it was funny. He tried to get her to vote for him.

Ha ha. I love Todrick. This guy is funny and very energetic. One of the guys sitting by me wanted him to do a flip on stage, "A flip? Who's paying?" Not sure if ya'll got a good look at his pants, but they had faces on them. Yes, faces. A little creepy. The best part, he sang to us. When he kneels down to sing to the audience, it was right where we were sitting. Woot! He seems like a nice, genuine type of guy. He loves life & he loves to entertain. He didn't do too bad tonight, not sure it will save him, but at least he just sang the song rather than re-make the song. Right? "1-800-Todrick."

Side note: If you ever attend an Idol taping, just ignore the dress code. 'No jeans, no heels, no white...' No, they don't care. We broke all those rules and got in. Well, not to the taping, but still.

Big Mike is 'pimping' it out tonight. Anyone notice that Lee & him switched spots from last week? Mike barely got into his first verse when Debbie stopped him. Ryan had to redo his part for the .. third time? Gestures, Ryan, gestures! Take two ... Ha ha, the mic stand went crazy during rehearsal. Big Mike has a lot of power. It almost flopped over. Wow, he can sing. Again, another one that was even better live. Can you imagine that? That was good, really good. Not sure I would cry over it. Really, Kara? Really?

During rehearsal, non-Ritalin Ryan jumps up on stage, "Did you choreograph those moves, Mike? Because you were like here, and then here. Here and then ..." Jumps on Mike's back! 'Vote for Michael. 1-800..... Whew.' Yes, he actually did jump on him during rehearsal. I think Ryan is overworked.

They do, in a sense, choreograph their steps. The camera has to know where to be, so much time is spent camera placing before they sing. Todrick: 'I'll be getting my groove on right here for ya'll.' And microphone stands... it appears they have a stand set and ready for each contestant. It's amazing what goes on right next to Ryan when he is talking into the camera. One moment the stage is clear, the next ... a stool, guitar and Casey. Out of nowhere. Don't be surprised to learn that Debbie might be standing to the left of Ryan while he is chatting up the camera. Props to everyone who works behind the scenes on Idol. They work hard!

The boys come back for one last plea for votes. Cue the pre-recorded videos. Hey, that's me! Totally made it on TV during the recaps .. Thank you, Alex & Todrick!

And it is over...

The girls run off, the boys make their way back to the Red Room & out. I've got my purse in hand, ready to fight for my spot at the tapping. Unfortunately, I forgot my plan in the midst of the rush, and it delayed me running over to the line. We were #21 & #22. After waiting, an hour, in the cold wind, with no jacket, they only took 13 people. Bummer. Just missed it. Next time.

Oh, and yes, I am sure there will be a next time. *Fingers crossed*