After millions and millions of votes were cast across the country they're finally down to the final two on American Idol.
Last week on Idol the final three was cut down to two after Haley Reinhart sang her swan song and got the boot from the voters. That leaves Scott McCreery and Lauren Alaina as this season's final two singers.
In the Final 3 show McCreery had an up-and-down performance, starting out with a solid showing of Lonestar's Amazed, knocking out Thompson Square's Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not, and finally ending on a low note by muddling through Kenny Rogers' She Believes in Me. For Alaina, the Final 3 show started out with a strong rendition of Faith Hill's She's a Wild One, and got even better with The Band Perry's If I Die Young. She then delivered her best performance of the night in closing with Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance.
Despite Alaina arguably delivering a better overall performance last week McCreery is a huge favorite at Sportsbook to be this season's American Idol at 1/5. The odds on Alaina are 3/1, but if she kills it in the finale she could easily win it all and could be worth the risk as the underdog.
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The Final Four
American Idol is down to just four contestants, as after Wednesday’s “Now and Then” themed show Jacob Lusk was voted off. Ryan Seacrest said that there was a record 60 million votes cast and it was no surprise that Lusk was given the boot since his performance of Chris Brown's "No Air" was simply not very good, he did not impress the judges, and he did not look very confident on stage. His best performance of the season may have been his farewell song and right before he said his goodbyes he said, "Dreams do come true. And I'm a living witness”, which is true and what American Idol is all about.
It was a little bit of a toss up between Lusk and Haley Reinhart, who had gotten permission from Lady Gaga herself to perform her yet to be released single ‘You & I’, which was not a good choice for her soulful voice. She was seen crying when she joined Lusk as the bottom 2 on Thursday, but it was no surprise she was safe with Lusk still on board. Speaking of Lady Gaga she will be on next week’s show to mentor the last standing 4 on the show.
Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Haley Reinhart and James Durbin are the final four and now is the time to make your bet to get the best American Idol odds at Sportsbook.
On Thursday night’s elimination show judge J-Lo took a break from crying behind the desk to perform her new single “On the Floor” with Pit-bull. The highlight of the night had to be Lady Antebellum performing "Just A Kiss," which is the new single from her third album. After the remaining 5 at the beginning of the show performed the Turtles classic “Happy Together” there was a magic themed video and then there was an omelet cook-off between the contestants with Master Chef Gordon Ramsay presiding. Isn’t American Idol a music show? Am I wrong here?
Sportsbook
Overall, not much drama this week, as Lusk was thought to be on the chopping block next, but with only four crooners left and Lady Gaga making an appearance next week’s show should not be missed. I just want to tune in to see what Lady Gaga wears!
Will the Bearded Guy Stay?
Wednesday night the last 6 contestants of Jacob Lusk, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, James Durbin, Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart sang songs from Carol King. Casey and Haley had a solid performance of "I Feel the Earth Move: and there were cracks from the judges on how cute the looked. Yeah, fantastic. Lauren trailed Scotty belted out "Up on the Roof”, which was far from good and judge Steven Tyler stated, "Where were you going with all that?" The individual performances came next and while Casey Abrams got some positive reviews from the judges it was because of his style and Sportsbook rather than his performance, which was mediocre at best. Sign of things to come?
On Thursday a scan in the audience saw a sign saying “Marry Me Randy?” and I think FOX put that in there, but we will never know. Casey was put on the block and it was really no surprise that he was voted off, but he gave a good farewell performance and afterwards hugged everyone in the studio and even gave Steven Tyler a kiss on the cheek. Before he was sent off it looked as if Haley would be sent off and the FOX censors had to do their work muting some expletives from her and Ryan Seacrest said, ”Watch your mouth, young lady! Watch your mouth!” She was responding to Jimmy Lovine critique of her, as he said, ”As an artist, Haley’s problem is she doesn’t really know who she is yet. My prediction is, the audience is getting wind of that. And if she goes home tonight, it’ll be because of that,” Ouch.
Sportsbook
Well, there are only 5 contestants left and a couple of the judge and crowd favorites are already gone with Pia and Casey gone so who knows what American Idol odds Sportsbook will have.
Only 7 Left!!
The remaining 7 contestants on American Idol took the stage to sing songs from the 21st century on Wednesday, but not before they was a little drama and by a little drama I mean a lot. First Ryan Seacrest came on stage in a Casey Abrams beard and stated, "Wow, the wheels have fallen off this program." Yeah, Ryan any time you go for laughs that happens. Just keep smiling and shut up. Steven Tyler had the censors working over time swearing like a sailor. After all this the people that were booted from the show came on and sang and while some had some good performances others showed why they were voted off.
Thursday’s elimination show was pretty sweet since Katy Perry and Kanye West performed and both group performances were actually pretty good for a change. After some blah, blah, blah chit chat from Ryan Seacrest and the last 7 standing there was some video clips from the contestants taking in a Dodgers game, hitting the lanes to go bowling, and basically getting pampered like the stars a couple may become. Bore, bring back Perry!
Sportsbook
Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone, the final of the bottom 3 was going to be either Haley Reinhart or Scotty McCreery. Ryan Seacrest at first said that Haley was at the bottom, bus when she got to the stools he said go back to the safety couches. Yeah, I am sure she appreciated that. It was no shock that America chose Stefano Langone to go home, but a 7th place finish is not bad for the wild card of the bunch.
Check out Sportsbook for the latest American Idol Odds
No Shock this Time Around
On Wednesday’s show they were still talking about and making obvious references to last week’s elimination in Pia Toscano. Still, even though it is still a shock that she is gone, I thought she had the best chance to win, the show must go on. During the show contestants picked out songs from movies and there were some solid performances and the ones that stood out had to be Casey Abrams and James Durbin, who looked to be on pretty solid ground, but after last weeks’ show anything goes. I mean, Pia had the best American Idol odds at Sportsbook and she is gone.
It was not a shock when it was revealed by Ryan Seacrest that Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone, and Paul McDonald were the bottom three. For five straight shows a woman was booted, but the streak was finally broken with folk-stud Paul McDonald heading home. McDonald received some pretty positive feedback from the judges, but all for not. J-Lo looked as if she would burst out crying and asked the jettisoned crooner to sing "Maggie May" as his final farewell from the show. He did and sang well and was very thankful for the opportunity and Seacrest went on to say "You've had such an amazing impact on this show.” Don’t know about that, but a folksy singer winning American Idol? I think not.
Stefano Langone was in the bottom three again and I think he is the next to go. J-Lo stated after his decent performance of the "End of the Road" on Wednesday that "You've got to stop singing to stay, you've got to start singing to win." Ouch.
Well, there are seven standing and the cream is starting to rise to the top, for the most part.
Wednesday Recap – The Legends Live
Wednesday night was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night with the 9 contestants trying to stave off elimination and they set up Thursday’s elimination show with no clear-cut crooner with their head in the guillotine. One interesting performance on the evening was 16-year old Lauren Alaina belting out “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.” Really?
Thursday’s Shocking Elimination
To say that Thursday’s elimination was a shocker is a major understatement, as the singer with the best American Idol odds at Sportsbook Pia Toscano was sent packing. She was in the bottom three with Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk, who did not have very good odds and it would not be a surprise if one of these guys were sent home.
Golden boy host Ryan Seacrest stated that people should vote for their favorites and that is why Pia may have got booted since fans assumed she was safe. After she sang "I'll Stand by You” the judges game her a standing ovation and when she was given the news, the crowd booed.
Hey, it was the public who voted her off and that is simply how it goes. Still, the judges and stars sounded off on her elimination. J-Lo stated, "I have no idea what just happened here. I'm shocked. I'm angry” and Randy Jackson said, "You're one of the best singers in here." I guess not Mr. Jackson. Want more stars and their outrage?
OK, how about Tom Hanks stating, "How could the USA vote Pia off? I may be done for the season!" Ashton Kutcher even said, "Who are the people that vote on American idol (sic)?" he wrote. "That's just crazy! That Pia girl is dope!"
Sportsbook
This was the fifth girl in a row voted off and there are only 8 left, who next week will sing songs from movies.
America may not believe that Pia was eliminated, but you can’t feel bad for her, as after her shocking exit it has been reported that she has signed a record deal with Interscope Records.
Wednesday Recap - Don't Go Breaking My Heart!
Before this week the contestants moved out of their ‘haunted” mansion and into hotels and contestant Alaina fell down the stairs in the move, but luckily she did not hurt her vocal cords.
This week’s American Idol shows had all the contestants sitting on pins and needles, as with last weeks judge’s save of Casey Abrams this week would see a double elimination. The singers had to belt out tunes from icon Elton John and while none of the performances were flat-out terrible James Durbin and Lauren Alaina seemed to shine. This is not surprising since Sportsbook has them with good American Idol odds to win it all. In the end Haley Reinhart stole the show with a fun and very sexy rendition of the classic Bennie and the Jets.
The judges were kind to all, but knowing 2 people would be going home the next night gave Thursday’s show a ton of build-up. It was funny, not so for the Idol crew, when James Durbin referenced Michael Jackson’s Pepsi hair moment when he sang with a flaming piano since the show is sponsored by Coke. Luckily the, oh so, PC Ryan Seacrest jumped in and stated the soft drink of choice of the show. Really?
Thursday – 2 Go Home
For Thursday’s double-elimination show Fantasia, Will.I.Am and Jamie Foxx all performed and it was announced that there was a new record with 55 million votes being tallied. It was a little bit of a letdown since at the beginning of the show they said, “You will not believe who is going home.” Not true. Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia did not stand out and they were sent packing. It is interesting that all the singers sent home have been women so far and I would be surprised if Paul McDonald was not the one next on the chopping block, as he has held back in the last couple of performances.
Sportsbook
There are 9 left standing and who will step up now that it is down to crunch time?
Wednesday Motown Night
Wednesday’s show was all about Motown, as the contestants all sang songs from Motown and in the audience for the performances were Liv Tyler, Jennifer Beals, Gordon Ramsey, Brad Whitford, who is the guitarist of Aerosmith. So, judge Steven Tyler’s daughter and his band-mate in the audience? Also in the audience was founding and only surviving member from the Temptations Otis Williams. Before the 11 remaining contestants hit the stage Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson talked about what made Motown so special and there were some great Motown video clips. The performances were pretty good for the most part, but I thought Stefano Langone was going to be the goner on Thursday when the judges were less than kind to him. I would be wrong.
Thursday had No Lack of Surprises
The Thursday elimination show had it all from Steven Tyler getting a birthday cake and a special song from the legendary Stevie Wonder to performances from Sugarland and former "Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson. Contestants Paul McDonald and James Durbin were told they were safe from wrestler Hulk Hogan, really?, who faked a punch on Ryan Seacrest, which I hoped was not fake. It was a major surprise when Casey Abrams and Thia Megia joined Stefano Langone in the bottom 3. It is surprising since, last week, Abrams had the second best American Idol odds to win the competition at Sportsbook.
Abrams almost fainted on stage when he was signing for his life in the "Sing For The Save" performance and the judges interrupted him and told him he would be staying using their only judges’ save of the season. The chubby crooner was safe, which means on Thursday there will be two singers having their dreams crushed.
Oh How Cute the Kids Are!
Wednesday
After last week's elimination, which was no surprise, it was back to business this week with contestants having to sing songs from the year they were born and showing pics of all the contestants throughout both shows.
Before the show the judges expressed their condolances for the people affected by the tragedy in Japan.
Sportsbook has American Idol odds posted with only 11 contestants left.
Odds to Win American Idol Season 10 - get a 50% bonus at Sportsbook during March!
Pia Toscano 3/1
Casey Abrams 9/2
Lauren Alaina 9/2
Scott McCreery 11/2
James Durbin 11/2
Paul McDonald 9/1
Jacob Lusk 12/1
Thia Megia 12/1
Stefano Langone 20/1
Naima Adedapo 25/1
Karen Rodriguez 50/1
Haley Reinhart 50/1
American Idol Season 10 - Top Male
Casey Abrams 9/4
James Durbin 3/1
Scott McCreery 3/1
Paul McDonald 9/2
Jacob Lusk 5/1
Stefano Langone 10/1
American Idol Season 10 - Top Female
Pia Toscano 1/1
Lauren Alaina 3/2
Thia Megia 5/1
Naima Adedapo 12/1
Karen Rodriguez 18/1
Haley Reinhart 20/1
American Idol Season 10 - Next Elimination
Karen Rodriguez 19/10
Haley Reinhart 5/2
Naima Adedapo 5/2
Stefano Langone 13/2
Jacob Lusk 15/2
Paul McDonald 16/1
Thia Megia 16/1
James Durbin 35/1
Casey Abrams 50/1
Scott McCreery 50/1
Lauren Alaina 50/1
Pia Toscano 50/1
A few of the highlight performances came from Stefano Langone singing "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Red, Pia Toscano singing "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by Whitney Houston, and Casey Abrams and his sweet rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Good to see Abrams out of the hospital and back on stage and when Sportsbook has odds posted he has to be a favorite.
For Langone's performance it may have been the best of the evening and that is exactly what Randy Jackson said, just with a few "yo's" thrown in. When Pia was done it was pretty obvious she would make the cut the following night when Steven Tyler said you are the reason the show is called American idol.
Abram's performance was in the middle of the pack, but in singing a Nirvana classic he was lauded by the judges for his risk taking in the song he picked.
Thursday
The elimination show had some guest acts, as usual, with season 9 Sportsbook Lee DeWyze as well as Super Bowl halftime show act the Black Eyed Peas. Man, Fergie is easy on the eyes. The childhood episodes were cute showing photos of all and them saying what they wanted to do when they grew up.
The group performances were lackluster and as the lights went dim to announce who would be axed it went green in homage to St. Patrick's Day, but not even Tyler was drunk.
Karen Rodriguez was at the bottom of the pile and she tried one last ditch effort to get a judges' save when she sang Mariah Carey's "Hero", but even though she sang in both English or Spanish, yeah kiss-up to J-Lo, and it was pretty good she hit a high note at the end of her some that put some more highlights in Taylor's feathered hair. No dice, she did not get the save and Rodriguez was gone.
Wednesday Recap – Not Much to Write Home About
I have to admit Wednesday was a little bit of a snooze-fest with most of the performances, which were far from star-worthy and some soft judging. The top 13 contestants belted out tunes from their favorite singers and the highlight of the show may have been at the beginning when Ryan Seacrest stated, "Welcome to the party … The official countdown to the finale begins tonight.”
There were a few good performances from Casey Abrams, Pia Toscano, and James Durbin. It was funny that Abrams picked a Joe Cocker song, as he looks like the less than attractive crooner and he even stated to the judges about Cocker that, "He doesn't look that hot either, and he's inspired that look for me."
Pia had the best performance of the previous week and she was solid again and after her performance J-Lo was literally speechless. Durbin sang Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed” and after he was done he got great praise with Randy Jackson saying "James Durbin is dangerous, America."
Thursday Recap
Thursday’s show had it all from a montage of the kids moving into the mansion to going to the studio to sing Michael Jackson songs to some bad lip-synching. During the show ex Idol and current star Adam Lambert performed as did Diddy Dirty Money, aka P-Diddy and Puff, with Skylar Grey. After all the hoopla Karen Rodriguez, Haley Reinhart, and Ashthon Jones came to the stage and were told they were the bottom three.
To tell you the truth no big shock if any of them were booted. The tallies came in and Rodriguez and Reinhart are safe and Jones sang the same song as the night before and the performance simply could not cut the mustard, so Jones became the first finalist to walk out the door.
Sportsbook
On a sad note finalist Casey Abrams could not be at the show because he had been hospitalized and was receiving blood transfusions dealing with a condition that caused pain and cramps. At least he was safe, as he has to have some good odds with 12 finalists still left standing. Let’s hope he can come back next week.
American Idol Recap - The Sexes are Separated
Wednesday night was ladies night with the top 12 ladies showing what they got, or in some cases what they don't got. The judges were in prime form with J-Lo looking like a 70's throwback model even with Farrah Faucet feathered hard while Steven Tyler actually had feathers in his long locks. It seems Randy Jackson has taken over for Simon Cowel as the resident mean judge, but does that suit fit him?
Pia stood out with here rendition of "I'll Stand By You" and she stole the show in my opinion. The other performances that were pretty good were from Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Lauren Turner, Lauren Alaina, Kendra Chantelle, and Karen Rodriguez. Now for the not so good. Rachel Zevita belted out her tune and it was just not good and you could tell from the judges' faces.
Naima Adedapo sounded like a lounge singer and that may even be a bit kind! Julie Zorrilla looked so gorgeous when she came out on stage, but that beauty vanished when she started to sing. Was she kissing up picking a Kelly Clarkson song? Ta-Tynisa Wilson sang flat as hell and while Ashton Jones did not have a good performance she is the only real R&B singer in the bunch.
Thursday Recap - Elimination Night!
Thursday it was the boys' turn and Robbie Rosen and country boy Scotty McCreery took the stage first and Scotty had a great show and was the first guy told he would be making the cut. Robbie was just so-so, but judges said he simply chose the wrong song, I mean really, choosing a Sarah McLachlan song?
Clint Jun Gamboa, Jovany Barreto, and Jordan Dorsey, who belted out or tried to belt out an Usher tune, took the stage and Clint had an emotional breakdown on stage waiting for the judges, but he really didn't need to, as none of this trio will be moving on.
Sportsbook
There was nothing really that stood out from the guys' performance or the ladies afterwards, as it seemed they all seemed like they were sitting on pins and needles waiting for the results. American tallied 40 millions votes and after all was said and done Casey Abrams, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin
Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez, Pia Toscano were automatically voted in while there were 6 other wild cards for 3 spots. Randy Jackson said American got it pretty much right, but the last 3 spots were tough. J'Lo stated, "We know it's live TV, but we need more time." Naima Adedapo, Ashthon Jones, Stefano Langone ultimately made it through and there was not much drama in that, even though Ashton's attitude is a turn-off.
American Idol Odds Recap - The Top 24
Well, finally! The American Idol 24 contestants are set after last week's show in Sin City Las Vegas. Yet again, there were some surprises and some tears from contestants and judges alike. The auditions are of American Idol are done and now it is down to the live shows where singers will be competing against each other.
While it is no surprise that some of the favorites made the cut, such as Julie Zorilla, Pia Toscano, Jordan Dorsey, James Durbin and Robbie Rosen, there were a few surprises. One of the biggest had to be when fan favorite Jacee Badeaux was cut in favor of Brett Lowenstern. I though Badeaux had a solid shot to go far, but when he was one of the three contestants vying for the final spot he simply came up short. Another cut was 17-year old Hollie Cavanagh, who was fantastic during Hollywood week. J-Lo stated that she should come back in a couple of years and if she did she would have a solid shot to win the whole enchilada.
Probably not much consolation, but she's 17 and has time.
The last contestant was the one that brought the most tears, as Chris Medina who has a fiancé that suffered a terrible accident leaving her severely injured. The judges liked him and you could tell the judges hated to say he did not make the cut, especially J-Lo who broke down giving him the bad news. She even stated while crying, "I don't want to do this anymore..."
Odds to Win American Idol Season 10 courtesy of Sportsbook :
Lauren Alaina 7/1
Julie Zorrilla 15/2
Paul McDonald 8/1
Casey Abrams 9/1
Scott McCreery 10/1
Tim Halperin 10/1
Jacob Lusk 12/1
Stefano Langone 14/1
Pia Toscano 14/1
Kendra Chantelle 15/1
Robbie Rosen 18/1
Naima Adedapo 20/1
James Durbin 20/1
Lauren Turner 25/1
Haley Reinhart 25/1
Jovany Barreto 25/1
Karen Rodriguez 25/1
Ashthon Jones 25/1
Thia Megia 30/1
Brett Loewenstern 35/1
Clint Jun Gamboa 35/1
Tatynisa Wilson 40/1
Jordan Dorsey 40/1
Rachel Zevita 50/1
American Idol - Hollywood Round Week 5 Recap
The Hollywood round continues on the 10th season of American Idol whittling down more of the competition, as future stars and starlets battle it out to be the next singing sensation. As the field narrows down the final bunch of crooners will be set and when that happens you can be sure that Sportsbook will have American Idol odds posted.
Wednesday
Since the producers of the show had every group from the first couple days of the Hollywood round the talent immediately showed. With 100 people in the waiting room waiting to go on stage Ryan Seacrest promise viewers some of the most incredible performances in the history of the show.
Haley Reinhart, who should have got in because she is simply hot, made it through even though judge Randy Jackson laughed through her performance. Out of all the performances Jacee Badeaux may have been the best and keep an eye on him, as he may go far even though he did forget some of the lyrics.
One contestant who went through in Corey Levoy sings off key and he even asked the judges why he went through. Good question. There were the usual tears and hugs and one of the highlights is when a group of four ladies invited Steven Tyler onstage. However, the kissing up tactic did not seem to work since only one of the chicks moved on.
Sportsbook
Thursday
Thursday was the Hollywood solo round and the 100 contestants that remained in the competition. John Wayne Schulz sings for his mom and he already has one judge in his pocket, as Steven Tyler stated, "I always look forward to seeing you."
Ashley Sullivan has been dubbed "an emotional time bomb" by Seacrest and dedicated her performance to her boyfriend and then she messed up the lyrics. Yeah, that's love.
Jacee Badeaux further improved his stock with a solid performance and J-Lo said, "It's my pleasure to listen to you as many times as we have." The 15-year old chubster has to be the favorite so far.
The judges were pretty tame on both nights and it was not the best couple of shows, but we shall see what next week brings. One thing is for sure is that somebody HAS to step up and be the bad judge!
American Idol - Week 4 Recap
The first couple days of Hollywood Week in American idol saw a lot of singers move on and, more importantly, a lot of singers miss the cut. Out of 327 soon-to-be stars headed for Tinseltown, there were only 168 left after Thursday's show.
Now that American Idol has whittled down the contestants it will not be long before Sportsbook will have American Idol odds.
Ryan Seacrest called the trip of the singers "an epic journey." His Sportsbook for Hollywood week was a little over the top, but can you expect anything different from him?
Wednesday saw a slew of crooners and a couple of storied that were tearjerkers, from the audience and judges alike, moved the next round with James Durbin, who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, and Paris Tassin, whose daughter has hearing loss. Oh yeah, how about Chris Medina, whose fiancee was in an accident and now in a wheelchair?
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On Thursday there was Tiffany Rios, who wore a bra with giant stars over her ta-tas in her first audition and then was doused on glitter for the Thursday show. Hey, she aint the best singer and her style makes Lady Gaga look tame, but J-Lo stated, ""I like her, she crazy!" and she made it to the next round.
With so many auditions there was not as much judge banter, which is too bad. This is especially the case for Steven Tyler, as his antics and wild behavior may save the show after that guy with the tight black t-shirts is on the other side of the pond.
Even though it is early crowd favorite Scott McCreery, who has the looks and the voice, albeit a country voice, may be an early favorite and even J-Lo stated, "How could this girl from the Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop, fall in love with a country singer?"
I think one of the highlights is when Nick Fink said to Ryan Seacrest, "Are you just washed out emotionally because you've been here for 10 years?" Um, ouch, and yes. Oh well, there are a still a ton of singers left and even though a lot of talent has got through there is still a lot of fat to trim before the real deal. Oh well, we shall see next week who will go on and who will be sent packing and disappears off the odds list at Sportsbook, home of a 50% free play bonus.
American Idol - Week 3 Recap
Week three of American Idol traveled to the Lone Star State on Wednesday and L.A. on Thursday for a new round of auditions. American Idol odds are still not out with auditions taking place, but Sportsbook will have them when the contestants are set.
Austin Auditions
The Austin show began with a lame joke, which was supposed to be an apology for the antics of Steven Tyler. There were two black cards before the show aired where producers apologized for last week's behavior of the Aerosmith front man. I think it is a lame attempt to get more people to stay with the show since Simon Cowell, who was abrasive and sometimes rude yet still the most popular judge, is gone.
The Austin auditions had some singers that may go far and there were also some weird moments during the show. Contestant Courtney Penry advanced to Hollywood, but before she sang she performed a chicken dance and also stated that she had a huge crush on Ryan Seacrest and said he is "the most sexiest man alive." Hey, never hurts to suck up the main producer of the show. Country singer John Wayne Schulz is one guy to watch out for in Hollywood with his great voice and it does not hurt that he looks like a movie star.
Possibly the two biggest standouts in Austin were Janelle Arthur from Tennessee and Casey Abrams from California. After Arthur sang Duffy's "Syrup & Honey" and Tyler demanded more and with good reason. Abrams belted out a sweet rendition of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor" and it was pretty obvious he would be moving on since the judges were out of the seats and dancing when he was performing.
L.A. Auditions
You would think the auditions in La La Land would see some great talent with all the star hopefuls that head to Tinseltown. That was simply not the case, as L.A. saw the worst singers of the six cities. Contestant Tim Halperin stated they had a crush on J-Lo and he actually has a pretty good voice and will be moving on. Speaking of J-Lo she took a page from Tyler's book and was bleeped out when she was critiquing one singer.
Besides J'Lo's bleep out the other judges were pretty harsh too with Randy Jackson saying to Daniel Gomez, who said he had the talent to rock the house, "Dog, this is not for you.... It's almost like you're relatively tone-deaf, really." After crooner William Roberts sang out of tune in a high-pitched voice Tyler said, "I hear your voice, man, but I don't think you're ready for 2011, 12 or 13 American Idol," Ouch.
While there were a few that moved on from the L.A. auditions, but most were duds.
Sportsbook
Next week's auditions moves to San Francisco and then Hollywood Week kicks off.
American Idol - Week 2 Recap
The second week of American Idol moved to Milwaukee on Wednesday night and Music City USA of Nashville on Thursday and there was a new batch of hopefuls that will be heading to Hollywood.
The auditions are still going on, but when the field is set check Sportsbook, as they will have American Idol odds posted.
Possibly the highlight of the first three shows took place on Wednesday night and it was a tearjerker to say the least. Chris Medina was a contestant that has a fiancée with a brain injury. After his song Steven Tyler came up to her wheelchair and kissed her several times and stated about Chris' audition that, "He sings so well because he sings for you."
There were quite a few good singers that moved on, but more that were downright bad. Safe to say American odds at Sportsbook will not have odds posted on those crooners. A 16-year old Randy Travis Jr. sound-alike Scotty McCreery made it through and the censors had to work overtime, as Tyler stated after his song, "S--- fire, save matches. F--- a duck and see what hatches."
Sportsbook
Nashville's audition show on Thursday was a far cry from tear-inspired Wednesday. Creepy singers and bad ones in general was the theme of the show and only 10 contestants will be moving on. At one point in the show judge Randy Jackson asked a contestant with a, let's say, different voice if she ever did cartoon voiceover and she stated, "I don't know." Exes Rob Bolin and Chelsee Oaks had a duet that may have just been for the show and Tyler said, "Get out of here and fall in love all over again." Miss Teen U.S.A. 2009 made the cut even though she sang out of tune, so I guess her beauty did not hurt.
The likely contestant that has the best American Idol odds to win after only four shows is Lauren Alaina, who is a country girl and with her fantastic cover of Lady Antebellum's "American Honey" she totally mesmerized the judges. Don't be surprised if she goes far in the competition. Besides her there was not much talent in the two shows, but there is a lot of time before Hollywood to get voice lessons for those who made the cut.
American Idol - Week 1 Recap
The new look American Idol began this week with auditions in New Jersey on Wednesday night and in New Orleans on Thursday night.
In the Garden State 37 hopefuls booked their ticket to Hollywood and in New Orleans 51 were given the chance to head to La La Land. While there are no American Idol odds currently posted with auditions still going on check back to Sportsbook when they will have American Idol odds for the Sportsbook.
The judges of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and Jennifer Lopez are the new faces of the show and while Tyler will surely live up to his wild rock-star persona it looks as if J Lo will take over Paula Abdul's place as the resident crier in the show.
She teared up in New Orleans when Paris Tassin auditioned trying to prove to her five-year-old daughter that anybody can achieve their dreams no matter what the circumstances.
Tassin lost her hearing when she became pregnant with her daughter when she was 18. She was one of the 51 people that moved onto Hollywood.
J Lo also stated, "I have goose bumps all over my body" after Jordan Dorsey belted out a jazzy rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
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The big question after a couple of shows is who will take over as the villain judge since Simon Cowell is no longer berating crooners following their dreams. Wednesday and Thursday showed that this season will be a kindler and gentler American Idol.
Randy Jackson is the only judge back and he was the same old Jackson not being too harsh or too complimentary. No judge wanted to be the bad guy, which is why after only a couple shows some mediocre talent made it to the next round.
American Idol odds are still not out, but there was some talent at the auditions in the first week of the new season and you never know who the next American Idol will be.
American Idol Season 10 Begins!
American Idol season 10 begins on January 19th with the first auditions set to take place in New York and New Jersey and the first betting auditions already available at some online sportsbooks.
There will be seven more audition episodes until the Hollywood Round begins, but $Sportsbook-LINK$ has already posted American Idol Season 10 odds on whether the Sportsbook will be male or female both at -105. ( Check back for American Idol odds, as they will have them posted early).
American Idol Season 9 ended with Lee DeWyze beating out Crystal Bowersox for the title and it is interesting that both crooners came from the Chicago audition. Even though Bowersox did not win the title her album sales have been better than DeWyze's as of mid January.
Season 10 is sure to be a new experience for contestants and fans alike and the singers may breathe a sigh of relief, as they do not have take any more insults from the guy in the Gap Kids tight black T-shirts.
That's right Simon Cowell is no longer a judge on the show, as those duties will now be handled by longtime judge Randy Jackson and newcomers Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler. Paula Abdul is also gone and Season 10 should be a breath of fresh air and producers have said it will be a kinder and gentler environment.
Also new in Season 10 respected record executive Jimmy Lovine will work as a mentor to the contestants rather than the celebrity mentors that have been used on the show in past seasons. One new wrinkle that may have an affect on the American Idol odds is that contestants will have a chance to sing original compositions during a part of Season 10.
While American Idol odds are not posted yet one thing you can be sure of this season is that Tyler will get bleeped for his language and J-Lo will get emotional. Jackson has even stated that he will try to stop saying "yo" so much, but we shall see about that.
American Idol odds will be out soon and the 10th season should be a whole new experience for the contestants and the viewers, who cast vital votes, alike.
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