Archives for April 2010

So apparently tonight’s theme is “inspirational songs,” but so help me if somebody sings “Wind Beneath My Wings,” I’ll have no choice but to be done with this show FOREVER.

Oh, I kid. Obviously I am very attached to the Idol. Not even Sanjaya could drive me away. And that is saying something, my friends.

Here we go.

Casey James – “Don’t Stop” – At first I thought that this was going to be way karaoke-ish, but he put a nice little Casey spin on it. I loved the electric guitar, and he changed the melody just enough that I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a bar listening to the Tuesday night cover band (not that I do much bar-sitting these days, mind you). HOWEVER. Casey needs to surprise us. He needs to pick a song that really surprises us. And if he’s still around next week, I hope he’ll do just that.

Lee DeWyze – “The Boxer” – I thought this performance was great. It was a nice mix of tenderness and sincerity and power, and I liked it a lot.

Tim Urban – “Better Days” – I love this song so much. But this song requires an edge. And Tim, while utterly likeable, doesn’t have much of an edge. It all felt a little talent show-ish, and with the exception of the very first part, it was all the same volume (i.e., a little shout-y).

Aaron Kelly – “I Believe I Can Fly” – There were some pretty painful notes in there, and again, it was way too much like a high school talent show (I say this as if I spend a great deal of my spare time attending high school talent shows – what is it with me and the hypothetical destinations tonight? First the bar, now the talent shows). Anyway, the bottom line is this: it just wasn’t my thing. Perfect for a graduation ceremony, but nothing I would ever buy on iTunes.

Siobhan Magnus – “When You Believe” – You know what I think it is? Siobhan is a good singer. But she’s not a good performer. There’s skill there for sure – but the warmth is missing for me. And I think the absence of warmth is what keeps me feeling a little disengaged from her performances. Tonight got a little shriek-y at the end, but it was better than the last couple of weeks.

Michael Lynche – “Hero” – I liked his version of the song a lot. And I think I would have liked it even more if it had just been him and an acoustic guitar. The over-orchestration got in the way – and I felt almost like I had to fight through all the violins and cellos and dramatic lighting to hear what he was singing. He definitely keeps me intrigued from week to week, though – I’m always curious to see what he’s going to do.

Crystal Bowersox – “People Get Ready” – She’s in another league, y’all. So, so talented. And to see her get so genuinely emotional at the end? She is right where she’s supposed to be. Love her.

Best of the night: Crystal
Worst of the night: Tim, Siobhan
Should go: Tim
Will go: Tim

What did y’all think?

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I won’t get into all the completely uninteresting details, but we spent yesterday afternoon in the doctor’s office (OH, POLLEN – YOU HAVE OVERSTAYED YOUR WELCOME), then at the drug store and grocery store and back at the drug store, so by the time we got back home and I cooked supper, I was way past ready to watch an episode or two of “Friday Night Lights.” Obsessive behavior is my love language, after all.

Anyway, I am happy to announce that I finished watching the last episode of season three. Just in time for season four’s premiere in a couple of weeks. I can’t even tell you how good it feels to have set and accomplished such lofty TV-watching goals. All my years of training – all those years of watching “Moonlighting,” “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” even “The Brady Bunch” – well, they’ve definitely paid off during this critical “FNL” juncture. Perseverance is an excellent teacher.

The lesson? Hold tight to your TV-related dreams, my friends.

Finally, I mentioned a few days ago that I love the new Hanson song.

Once you watch this, I think you’ll understand why.

Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Is that not infectious?

And is it wrong that I totally want to memorize the dance? Because I TOTALLY WANT TO MEMORIZE THE DANCE.

Anybody want to meet me in our cul de sac for practice?

So my plan was to settle in with the computer tonight and bore you to pieces with details of our weekend. You know, the parts about soccer and pollen and cleaning out closets and the fact that Alex has sneezed 338 times in the last 24 hours, but the fact of the matter is that right now I am knee-deep in season three of “Friday Night Lights,” and all I can think about is Jason Street chasing his dream and Matt Saracen getting to play wide receiver and Smash Williams recovering from his knee injury.

Not to mention the fact that I feel like Tami and Eric Taylor ARE REAL PEOPLE. Seriously. Their marriage is so realistic and so identifiable that I find myself wondering how I can get their number and invite them over for dinner. NEVER YOU MIND THAT THEY DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST.

And don’t even get me started on Tyra. I have such high hopes for her and wish with all my heart that she could figure out that the guy who treats you well and makes you laugh is always the best catch. But again, since Tyra is in fact entirely fictional, my advice will probably fall on deaf ears. Since technically Tyra’s ears are non-existent.

Anyway, I’ll be back later with some mundane details of stuff and things and whatnot. But in the meantime I’m going to stop by the Alamo Freeze. Maybe listen to a little Crucifictorious. Try to make Grandma take her heart medicine. And cheer loudly for Tim Riggins.

Oh, Tim Riggins.

Texas Forever.

Go Panthers.

Amen.