Before I give my options on American Idol, I need to add a disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I am biased towards Melinda because she graduated from the same institution for higher learning that Nicolle did, so just as I am rooting for my fellow ASU alumni Barry Bonds to break Hank Aarons home run record, I am rooting for Belmont Bruin alum Melinda Doo a whole lot better than Jordan or Blake.
With that said here are my feelings about the show other miscellaneous observations.
Even with the Disclaimer aside, Melinda is in a different league than the rest of the competition. She is held to a higher standard than the rest of finalists. How can Randy call Jordan’s first song “The best vocal of the night.” Melinda on her worst day is better vocally than any of the other finalist on their best day. Nicolle made the comment that, there is so much detail in her songs that the judges know that she sounds great, but they don’t know how great it really was.
The best comparison I can make is when Nicolle and I were golfing with our friends Carlos and Melly. Melly, got up to the tee on a par 3 and got a hole in one. Carlos and I could not believe it. It was unbelievable. In my 18 years of golfing, I estimate that I have played 1,640 par threes. I have tried 1,640 times to get the ball in the hole in one shot. Add 500 more shots on the driving range. In addition, I have seen about 10,000 attempts for a hole in one. The number of hole’s in one that I gave gotten = 0. The number of hole in one’s that I have seen = 2.
Sorry, that is the analyst in me coming out.
Anyway, Nicolle had been golfing about 5 times before. My reaction was one of shock and awe. Nicolles reaction, that is cool.
Back to American Idol, the judges, based on their comments take me as someone who thinks a hole in one in singing is cool.
Nicolle reaction to Melinda’s hole in one every week is more like shock and awe
The problem is that the judges have taken her for granted. Every week, Melinda goes out on stage and does better than every one of the Special Guests that give a “Master Class” on how to really be awful at singing. Come on, think about it how many of the special guests would have been voted off if their performance was compared to the finalists (one exception is Bono). Did you hear Barry Gibb last night? I love the “singing” that he did, if you call talking in a high pitched voice singing. If that is singing, then sign me up for a record label right now.
Melinda takes every one of her songs and doesn’t just sing them. She becomes a storyteller. Her performances have a introduction, building up, and then when she pulls you in and has your attention, she blows you away with the ending.
Compare that with Jordan who sang the safe and boring “To Love Somebody'' and was giggling through it. Who was she thinking about when she sang that song? Was she even thinking about someone in that song? Jordan did not convince me at all that she had any emotional investment in the song. And then she comes out for the second piece and proved that if she had to sing in a concert, she is good for about one song. After one bit of belting, her voice is so shot that when she tries to sing another safe boring ballad, Paula in her infinite wisdom, encourages Jordan because the song was a hard song. I am no music expert, but I have heard some of the songs that Nicolle has sung, and if “A Woman in Love” (Jordan’s second song) was difficult song, then “Popcorn popping on the Apricot Tree” is the black diamond of songs.
Blake Lewis is a unique singer, who has a Sting type voice. I am interested in what he will end up doing.
But hands down, Melinda is the best.
What are yours thoughts?
Here is one more question for you. Is Locke dead?
On Saturday evening, Greg planned our celebratory date. Our friends, the Horrances (Natalie Dorrance and David Harris) babysat Clara (THANK YOU). We went to dinner at Ganache. I had shrimp and grits (am I a true Southerner or what?) and Greg ordered the same thing he does every time we go to a fancy restaurant... a hamburger. 
Afterwards we went contra dancing. Sorry, no photos. We had never been before, but it was tons of fun. We're willing to try it, again, if anyone wants to join us. 
When we got to the game, Nicolle's first words were, where is Shaq. All she had to do was look for the biggest body out on the court. 
Clara was not quite sure about the loud noise and the scoreboard. In fact, she was terrified of the scoreboard. She saw the different advertisements on it and broke into tears.
She did settle down and got so used to the noise and activities she fell asleep. It was a fun night and enjoyed watching the basketball game.
Nicolle also was using a Mountain Bike instead of a road bike. For those of you who don’t know the difference, using a Mountain bike on a road race is like running with flip flops in a marathon. Despite these setbacks Nicolle was able to complete this leg of the race looking great.
In a time that most would struggle to get when just doing a 5K, Nicolle ran to the finishing line with a cheering crowd raising pandemonium.
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