AI Season 10- A look back at my original impressions

While we wait for tonight's elimination episode (whereby the cast is whittled down to just 2: Scotty McCreery and some girl), I thought it might be fun to look back at my original impressions of a few of the kids. These are excerpts taken directly from my recaps. I'm not editing them, so in some cases, the names are spelled wrong. We'll see if I eventually changed my mind on any of them, and how well I came to calling the finale...

Jan 26 Milwaukee Auditions:


Auditioner #1 is Scotty McCreery, from North Carolina. He's 16, and has a sort of Aiken-y face and a very deep speaking voice. He dares to sing real country music, with an extremely mature and pleasant voice, despite the fact that he isn't wearing a cowboy hat or a plaid shirt. This kid has a future in radio if he decides that music isn't right for him (though I hope he doesn't decide that, since his singing is really very good). Okay, Tyler- you should not have to be told not to say *that* word to a 16 year old. Sheesh.

#4 is Naima Adedapo, who accessorizes with dreds, flowers, hoop earrings, sunshiny bright colors, red lipstick, and unshaven armpits. She's a maintenance worker at an auditorium, and she has a big and beautiful voice that is totally up to Donnie Hathaway.

#6-Thia Megia is 15. She sings with a very mature voice, with great depth and a beautiful tone.Unfortunately, we're going to be overrun with 15 year-olds this year, and it's all Justin Beiber's fault. Or rather, it's the fault of all the 12 year olds who buy multiple copies of the Beiber oeuvre. I have enjoyed the auditions so far, but if the show really does turn into Beiberanistan, I will check out.

#1 Hayley Reinhart, from Chicago auditioned last year but didn't make it. She's trying again, and Randy pretends that he remembers her. She's singing Oh Darling, and her bluesy voice is quite nice. She makes it this time.

Jan 27- Nashville Auditions:

And as per the Season 10 custom, the last auditioner of the night, gets the full Magilla. #8 is 15 year old Lauren Alaina. Lauren is a very tall, solid girl, with great big, multi-shade hair that is kind of ratty. Her sob story is that she's very close to her cousin, who had a brain tumor. In general, the combo of being 15 and the almost-terminal-disease hook would annoy me, but for some reason, I'm liking Lauren. She's wearing a print bubble dress with a cute little black shrug, over black leggings. She has a Big Voice, but really, she needs to go home and wait another year, and get a little more experience under her belt before jumping into the meat grinder. But the judges unanimously love love love her. They call her family in, and Lauren and Tyler sing Aerosmith together. Steven manages not to leer at Lauren in front of her really young-looking Daddy, which is a good thing.

Feb 2- Austin Auditions:

#5. The last auditioner for this hour-long episode, is Casey Abrams, who has a lot of beard for a 19-year old. He definitely has that schlubby Rogen/Galifinakis air about him, and he's carrying a mouth-blown keyboard called a melodica. I assume this will be downright painful, and then Casey does something totally weird and wonderful that is part scat, part blues, part wail. It's not exactly singing, and it's not exactly a song, but it's mesmerizing. He gets a unanimous nod, and I will be curious to hear what he does with a melody.

Feb 9 San Francisco Auditions:

#2, is the owner of the aforementioned scarred arms. Stefano Langoe was in a terrible accident, which is a relief because I thought those scars looked like a suicide attempt. Stefano had to learn to walk all over again, and he had a very long recovery. He sings Grapevine, and I am not impressed (there were a lot of missed notes), but the Judges like him a lot.

#8 is our last auditioner, and there are over 10 minutes left, so that means we're going to get tons of back story. On top of that, they've been hinting all through the show, how amazing this guy is going to be. I'm skeptical, but I'm skeptical of anyone with a fauxhawke, a black studded vest, lime green t-shirt, and a long scarf tucked into a waistband. James Durbin is weepy, he also has Tourette's and Asberger's Syndromes, and a wife (or a girlfriend- either way, she's very supportive) and a small child. They're also very poor. So anyway, James sings, and he has a pure, bluesy voice. He ends his song with an Adam Lambert shriek. The judges are stunned by his range and power. Weepy Jame asks if he can sing some Aerosmith, and once again, the judges are mightily impressed. We're told that we will love James, and I have a feeling that he'll be in the Top 10.

Feb 16- Hollywood Week, Night #2:

Note: Evidently we didn't get to see Pia's original audition, or she made such a small impression that I didn't write about her. The first mention I could find in my recaps was during Hollywood Week.


Group #1: Pia Tascano, Allesandra Guercio, and Brielle Van Huegel- all in heels and exceptionally long legs. I don't know they song they're singing, but each of them pronounces "you" as: yauh. They don't impress me, but the judges send all three on.

Note: I thought for sure that we saw Jacob's original audition, but I couldn't find it. Here' are both the first and second mentions that I uncovered:

Group #13: Da'Quela Payne, Matthew Noss, Naima Aedopo, and Jacob Lusk sing the same song as above, also a Capella. All of them make it.

Feb 17 Hollywood Week Night #3:

Jacob Lusk sings God Bless the Child. He has a great voice, but he's Gimmicking up every single note- throwing in voices and sound effects, and for all I know, animal noises. It's exhausting. The Judges give him a Standing O. Jacob leaves the room and collapses into the arms of his Mama and Nana. I suspect that Jacob is given to dramatic overreaction.