This is a brief report on the Day 1 auditions for American Idol Season 8, from Phoenix, Arizona. We are going to keep you updated day after day, with all contestants and a few words about them, so you can watch their evolution together with us.
These are the first day’s contestants:
Tuan Nguyen
Weird and looking pretty much like one of Michael Jackson’s ballet robots, his dance made the audience smile not only once. Although he might have some musical talent, his voice does not always obey his brain, so at times it becomes very hard to listen. If he doesn’t improve some things quickly, he’s not going to make it to the 2009 finale, or at least I guess so.
Emily Wynne-Hughes
She’s good and she has a beautiful and strong voice. Her song, Barracuda, is difficult even for experienced singers, yet she handles it awesomely. Her pop-rock star look, her crazy hair and the scene attitude qualifies her to go on in the show, and I’d say she stands a good chance to be the next American Idol.
Randy, the guitar guy
The first contestant who started to cry in front of the judges. Simon Cowell surely had a great contribution to this. Too bad Randy doesn’t make it, although he didn’t sound really bad.
J.B. Ahfua
Nothing special with Ahfua, a pretty good voice, maybe a bit too high-piched for my taste, but the judges gave him green light.
Michael Gurr
Shy, stressed and extremely nervous, Michael sounds very strange, so he’s not making it further. One of his songs was by Kara DioGuardi, the new judge in the American Idol show. She must have been horrified by the sound.
Will Kunick
“Mad World” by Tears for Fears was his song, but the performance was rather poor, so he needs more practice for the next editions, if he’s determined to compete further on.
D.J. Bradley
This Seattle guy sings Celine Dion in such an original manner that he is off the show.
Aundre Caraway (aka X-Ray)
He is surely original, he has some good scenic movement, but when it comes to singing, there’s a long way to go, so he left the stage with a big NO.
Arrianna Asfar
Her chosen song was “Put Your Records On,” by Corinne Bailey Rae. She sings pretty much OK, so she passes on to the next stage. She’s 16.
This concludes Day 1 of Arizona’s auditions.
Arizona Day 2 Auditions – American Idol 2009
Elijah Scarlett
Elijah is singing “My First, My Last, My Everything”. It was indeed his last, as none of the judges liked his performance.
Leah Marie
Big fan of Kara DioGuardi, all dressed up in pink and full of hopes at her 16 years of age, Leah Marie fails in convincing the judges that she has what it takes to go to Hollywood.
Stevie Wright
Her song was “At Last” by Etta James. I liked the way she performed, and the judges gave her a yes, but with a shroud of a doubt. Time will tell if she’s that good.
Jeremy Sarver
His voice has a very pleasant sound, so the judges are impressed and let him go on in the contest.
Katrina, the Bikini Girl
She is not at all a bad singer, however Kara DioGuardi dislikes her. Despite this, the Bikini Girl gets the ticket through to Hollywood.
Eric Thomas, Sexual Chocolate
Eric doesn’t stand a chance, as his performance is not so good quality to convince the judges.
Brianna Quijada
She’s rather an average singer, yet she manages to get through. I think she’s going to leave the competition pretty soon, as her voice is not as good as others I’ve heard so far in this American Idol season.
Deanna Brown
Her song was “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, she sang it nicely, so she’s got her ticket.
Cody Shell
His song was “Wonderful World” by James Morrison. He has a good voice and a good show presence, so he is accepted.
Alex Wenger-Troutman
His song: “Baby Come to Me,” by James Ingraham. Judges disagree on his performance, but in the end he gets accepted.
Scott McIntyre
The guy plays classical piano and he’s blind. Despite his blindness, he manages to write songs, dance and sing. His song was “And So it Goes” by Billy Joel. All judges agreed to give him the ticket for Hollywood. I also liked him and I hope to see him in the 2009′s final.