American Idol: The dread head speaks
Melissa Ruggieri
May 08, 2008 5:17 PM
That goofy guy with the funny hair who suddenly seemed as if he couldn’t care less about winning “American Idol”?
Yeah, that’s pretty much who Jason Castro is – except that, it turns out, he really did want to win.
Castro chatted with reporters this afternoon and one thing he quickly refuted – punctuating it with that halting giggle familiar to “Idol” viewers – was that he didn’t intentionally flub his lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man” Tuesday night simply as a way to guarantee a goodbye trip from the show.
“I definitely did not do that on purpose,” he said. “I couldn’t believe I forgot such a popular line that’s, like, written on your soul. Somehow it slipped my mind, but I definitely didn’t do that on purpose … As of yesterday, I wanted to win. I think what it came down to is my inexperience. Once we doubled up on songs, I just wasn’t really being able to focus on both my songs. My mind was just split and I just couldn’t deliver either/or, and I think that’s what it came down to.”
Unlike many of the top 10, the 21-year-old Castro had little performing experience heading into the show. He started playing guitar his freshman year of college and singing shortly thereafter.
“I would learn songs, but I wouldn’t learn them all the way through,” he said with a drawn-out laugh, adding that prior to his callback audition on “Idol,” he performed about 10 or 12 times around his native Texas, and the longest set he ever played was 30 minutes.
Castro said, somewhat regretfully, that he didn’t think he’d be heading home yet because the “Idol” crew was going to New York next week and then he would return to Los Angeles for the show’s finale.
“I just miss home,” he said. “I love being home in the summer. I kinda miss working the summers with my dad.”
Castro’s father runs a custom-design swimming pool company; the “Idol” castoff said he liked helping out by surveying lots and cleaning pools.
But most amusingly, Castro didn’t deny the perception that many had of him as a spacey dude and believes the show portrayed him accurately.
“I am a goofy person. I am kind of an awkward conversationalist—I’m doing my best right now—but all my friends, they love it because what you see is what you get,” he said. “I didn’t change at all coming out here. That’s me.”
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All hail diva day
Melissa Ruggieri
May 08, 2008 11:11 AM
It’s a busy day in diva-dom with both Madonna and Tina Turner unveiling dates for their anticipated fall tours.
One ageless star – Turner – will grace D.C. with a Nov. 23 date penciled in at the Verizon Center. Those tickets, according to Ticketmaster, are on sale to the general public on May 19 and range from $59.50-$153.
The other Dorian Gray – Madonna – is so far only venturing as close as Philly on Nov. 19 and Atlanta Nov. 24. Tickets for those are up for grabs starting June 2 and May 31, respectively, and will cost you between $55 and $350.
Check out their entire itineraries below.
Madonna dates
03-Oct E. Rutherford Izod Arena
06-Oct New York City Madison Square Garden
07-Oct New York City Madison Square Garden
15-Oct Boston TD BankNorth Garden
18-Oct Toronto Air Canada Centre
22-Oct Montreal Bell Centre
26-Oct Chicago United Center
30-Oct Vancouver BC Place Stadium
01-Nov Oakland Oracle Arena
04-Nov San Diego Petco Park
06-Nov Los Angeles Dodger Stadium
08-Nov Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena
11-Nov Denver Pepsi Center
16-Nov Houston Minute Maid Park
19-Nov Philadelphia Wachovia Center
22-Nov Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
24-Nov Atlanta Philips Arena
26-Nov Miami Dolphin Stadium
Tina Turner dates
10/1 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
10/3 - Chicago, IL - United Center
10/6 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
10/13 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
10/14 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
10/19 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
10/22 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
10/24 - Phoenix, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
10/30 - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
11/2 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - BankAtlantic Center
11/5 - Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
11/9 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
11/13 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
11/16 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
11/23 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
11/26 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
12/3 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
12/8 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
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American Idol: No redemption song for Jason
Melissa Ruggieri
May 08, 2008 12:09 AM
Has a contestant ever looked as relieved to be sent packing as Jason Castro did last night?
In probably the least dramatic results show ever – despite Ryan Seacrest trying to plant a Chris-Daughtry-voted-off??!! type seed with his constant prattling about all of this expected “drama” – the guy who threw up his hands in resignation weeks ago rightfully got voted off “Idol”’s dysfunctional island.
Even many fans of the spacey dreadlocked dude had enough of his apathy, which culminated in Tuesday’s twisted wreckage of halting Bob Marley and forgotten words to one of Bob Dylan’s easiest lyrics (“Mr. Tambourine Man” ).
After learning of his fate, the perpetually dazed soft rocker/folkie told Ryan that the thought of having to learn, perform and – yikes – remember three songs next week would have sent him into the land of white coats and happy pills, a place currently inhabited by Brooke White.
Even Jason’s reprise of “I Shot the Sheriff” last night reeked of indifference, as he half sung the words while constantly flipping an annoying strand of dreadlock off his shoulder.
Six weeks ago, I never would have predicted that I would say thank God that Syesha is in the top three. Of course, there’s no way the lovely crooner is going to go any further, because the producers have already decided that we WILL have to witness a battle between the non-descript rocker and the even-less-descript Disney hopeful (aka David Cook and David Archuleta).
But she definitely wins the Most Improved prize – a reward that should at least garner her a tertiary role in some Broadway musical.
As for the rest of last night’s show, it was good to see Bo Bice again, but one would think he could afford a hair cut. I dig Bo’s ‘70s rock Allman Brothers vibe, but, well, it’s not the ‘70s and he’s no Gregg Allman.
But the guy deserved a better post-“Idol” career than he’s received, so let’s hope that last night’s appearance will help him sell a few CDs.
Anyway, moving toward the finale, the traditional Visit the Contestants Hometown episode is up next week and the final trio will perform a trio of songs—judges’ choice, producers’ choice and finalist’s choice.
I suppose there’s no way Simon might choose “Hakuna Matata” for Archuleta?
American Idol: Jason derails
Melissa Ruggieri
May 06, 2008 11:54 PM
You’ll never hear me complain about anyone covering a Duran Duran song because of all of my guilty pleasures, they’re the guiltiest. Well, maybe that honor goes to Rick Springfield.
But anyway, I’m still trying to figure out how if last night’s “theme” was songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that “Hungry Like the Wolf” nudged in there since my British boys are most definitely not immortalized in I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid in Cleveland.
Anyone?
Moving on, I liked David Cook’s growling – if overly affected—rendition of the song better than Randy did – and I’m usually hypercritical about performances of songs by my favorite bands. Case in point, I wanted to strangle Blake Lewis last season after he turned Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” into a wiki-wiki-wiki beat boxing exercise.
But I’ve got to say, David C. made me want to check out the performance downloads on iTunes – and that’s saying something because I spend too many hours of my life trying to avoid iTunes and grousing about it to my friends, who are entirely sick of my complaining.
So even though Ryan pointedly noted at the start of the show that the judges would critique each contestant after EACH song (got that, Paula?), let’s get the two over with at once.
David C. returned with the bold choice of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” a song that runs about 87 minutes (Oh, OK, 5:05) and contains significant musical interludes. I worried that this would be a repeat of Michael Johns during one of the Beatles weeks; his performance of the complex “A Day in the Life” was solid, but by dismantling the tune to fit the “Idol’ time constraints, it wound up disjointed and odd.
But the Cook kept it steady and low, breaking out the flashy rock riffs for added effect and guaranteeing himself a spot in the final two.
While I realize there is no way that the Ewok (aka David Archuleta) WON’T be in the final two, since the judges overlook his every flaw and his ingratiating reaction to their heaps of praise obviously send the grandmas to the phones and the tweens to the texts, let’s have a moment of respect for Syesha Mercado.
Hey, I admit, I haven’t been very nice to her all season because, well, until two weeks ago, she was a singing Barbie – all plastic, no soul.
But Syesha not only chose the two most challenging songs of the night – from Tina Turner and Sam Cooke, mind you – but she simply smoked on “Proud Mary.” Yeah, could you consider it a passable Tina Turner impersonation? Sure. But the same could be said of Beyonce’s performance of the song at the Grammys this year.
Of all of the “huh?” things that the judges say, the criticism that continues to baffle me the most is when they carp about a performance being too similar to the original and that these kids “need to make it their own.” And when they do that, most of the time, Randy, Simon or Paula complains that they didn’t like the arrangement.
Make up your mind, guys.
But I now think Syesha is worthy of the Elliott Yamin spot this season (numero tres) , especially after unleashing her emotions in a torrent of tears after Simon complimented her performance (surely he was swayed by her heaving cleavage) and Jason Castro’s complete derailment.
Long before Entertainment Weekly outed the space case as being completely nonchalant about learning his songs for Neil Diamond week and even more apathetic about his spot on the show—“What happens happens. I’ll sing and if people like it, they like it. And if they don’t, they don’t. I’m kind of ready to go home,” he said – it’s been apparent to anyone over the age of 13 and not influenced by Jason’s dreamy eyes that the guy couldn’t care less about being there.
(You can read the entire EW story here: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007164_20171835_20197246,00.html).
I only hope that Simon’s suggestion that Jason pack his bags after he got tangled up in Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” (with none of Brooke White’s addled charm, I might add) didn’t earn him scads of sympathy votes.
Jason’s dreadlocks were a handy accoutrement for a Bob Marley performance (“I Shot the Sheriff” ), but his apathy has never been more apparent than it was last night. Go home, dude, and let someone with more passion for the game get the votes.
So, back to David A. I know I didn’t hear anything “hot” or “mad” about his vocals on “Stand By Me,” as Randy apparently did as he almost fell out of his chair while lauding the Boy Scout. I do give the kid credit for cleverness for slipping in a line from Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls,” which heavily borrows from “Stand By Me” – good way to ensure some votes from current radio listeners.
But what sadist dressed him in that seagull shirt?
And David’s second performance, Elvis’ “Love Me Tender” (you have an entire canon of rock songs to choose from and you pick THIS gloppy ballad?), was completely disconcerting to me when the camera started to move in closer and closer…and closer…and closer, until we could count the eyelashes on his blinky eyes.
As I’ve said all along, the little guy has a smooth voice, an innocuous appeal and still, absolutely nothing about him would spur me to spend a dime on his music.
So, now that we’re down to the final four, who gets the boot before the big Hometown Visit show next week? It so obviously should be Jason, but the same could have been said last week.
Also, you might have heard the rumblings this past week about whether “Idol” is losing some of its luster. Check out my column in Thursday’s Weekend section, where I’ll discuss the situation and you can tell me how you feel about the show.
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Weekend warrior?
Cynthia McMullen
May 05, 2008 12:59 PM
Not exactly. But I did have enough plans to keep me from having time to trim my Bradford pear tree. (Poor tree, I’ll be home soon!)
Here’s some of what I learned in my wanderings:
A. First Fridays Artwalk is still going strong. As always, it’s lovely to see people—all ages, all stages—out and about on the streets of downtown Richmond. I had my first listen to the Happy Lucky Combo and got my first look at the Artwalk’s new market (in a parking lot next to 1708 Gallery). A great addition to the proceedings, it offered fresh eggs, kale, carrots, lettuce ... just the thing to pick up when you’re out perusing art but thinking omelets and salad.
B. I’ve only been to Black Finn once— and that was for a sad occasion— so I’m probably not the best judge of what it has to offer. But my hairdresser, Deborah, hangs out at the Shockoe Bottom restaurant and bar on weekends. So it has to be a happenin’ place.
C. My friend Lisa’s husband prefers NASCAR to Shakespeare. Who’d-a thunk it? But Olaf’s preference for strong odors and headgear paved the way for me to attend Richmond Shakespeare’s annual Bard Bash. Artistic director Grant Mudge unveiled the company’s new eight-minute promotional film (nicely done!), which emphasizes the importance of making Shakespeare accessible, even to young’uns. Especially to young’uns. (The educational component is headed up by the enthusiastic Cynde Liffick). Bobbie Barajas—you know, from WCVE-FM?—hosted the event; it was fun to meet the woman behind the voice.
D. Even Patrick Dempsey has his off days. I know, I can hear the screaming from here. But seriously, even 
McDreamy has trouble pulling off hefty, wavy bangs when they obscure his beautiful forehead and detract from those lovely blue eyes. *Sigh.* Still, it was fun to see him take one fall after another—except the final fall, which proved one fall too many—in “Made of Honor.”
<<<< Dempsey with good hair
E. West Tower is my third favorite cinema (Byrd Theatre first, Westhampton second)—mainly because it doesn’t have 25 screens the size of your Uncle Ned’s big-screen TV and you don’t have to wait in a line
that snakes around the lobby three times. That said, the building could use a good airing. As soon as we walked in, I got a strong whiff of eau de stale popcorn. Hmm, maybe a few appropriately placed air fresheners would help.
F. Zorba’s (Greek and Italian restaurant) at Tuckernuck Square still has some of the best rolls in town. And its hummus appetizer makes for a great meal.
G. This was PetSmart’s National Adoption Weekend. I have two cats who pretty much take up every square inch of my house—but if I had room, I know I could’ve found the perfect canine. PetSmart’s Short Pump location was finding new homes for some gorgeous doggy-dogs this weekend. To them all, I say, “Happy tails to you!”
This dog was not at PetSmart, but I like his looks. He won first place in a canine fashion show in Manila, Philippines, last week. >>>>
Joan Jett still loves rock ‘n’ roll
Melissa Ruggieri
May 04, 2008 12:58 AM
That Christian Siriano dude from “Project Runway” has nothing on Joan Jett in the fierce department.
The ageless singer/guitarist and her Blackhearts landed in Richmond yesterday for the Cinco de Mayo fest on Brown’s Island – a strange pairing given the number of toddlers placed on shoulders and the very adult nature of some of Jett’s songs (not that a 6-year-old would understand “Fetish” or her current cover of Sweet’s “A.C.D.C.,” but still...).
Jett’s set began about 30 minutes late due to an airline issue (apparently her flight from Atlanta was delayed when the aircraft was struck by lightning – presumably on the ground).
Her eventual appearance was all-the-more welcomed considering fans had been waiting more than an hour since the last musical act, Evans Blue, left the stage (the silence was actually an improvement over the Canadian screamo band, which was the musical equivalent of the CRX train rumbling above—except less melodic).
But Jett produced exactly what fans of her three decades of hits could have wanted.
The underappreciated and cautiously optimistic“Light of Day,” the snappy tom-toms and fist-pumping choruses of “Bad Reputation” and “Cherry Bomb,” and even her awesome grit-rock remake of “Love is All Around,” the theme from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” made appearances during her brisk hour-long set.
Jett is still a stickler for sound, as anyone who has seen her in the past can attest. The pre-show soundcheck was as intricate and obsessive as if the Led Zeppelin reunion were about to take place. And once on stage, Jett spent much of the first handful of songs futzing with her guitar and mouthing commands to a nearby tech.
But, as soon as she turned back to the audience, the smile was on and the hands raised overhead, urging the crowd of about 1,000 to clap along to “Do You Wanna Touch Me” (another one for the kids!) and the iconic “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” which, despite its worn-out jukebox status, still sounded crisp and punchy.
The 49-year-old Jett also performed vigorously, ripping out some tough guitar riffs on “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and relishing the newness of “Five” and “Naked,” from her current album, “Sinner.”
She also looked fantastic. The coal-black shag is back (what was she thinking when she shaved her head and then went to a spiky blonde ‘do several years ago?) and in a skimpy black halter and tight pants (presumably not leather since Jett is a devoted vegetarian), she appeared, well, fierce.
But even though Jett is an indisputable rock chick, she’s never lost her gift for crafting massive hooks and leading the Blackhearts through multi-layered harmonies.
Her encore of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” not only epitomized her talents, but seemingly summed up her personal philosophy on life.
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Seriously?
Cynthia McMullen
May 02, 2008 1:11 PM
According to various media reports, Mariah Carey, 38, and Nick Cannon, 27, just got married in the Bahamas.
Yahoo! News says, “The pair met when Cannon directed a video for her recent single, ‘Bye, Bye,’ and have been dating for several weeks.”
Oh. Well. If they’ve been dating for several weeks, then that explains the wedding and also how Cannon had PLENTY of time to design Carey’s reported $2.5 million ring.
I’m all for romance, but this sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
(Here’s a photo, courtesy of Getty Images, of the two at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.)
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American Idol: I am [gone], she cried
Melissa Ruggieri
May 01, 2008 12:53 AM
How big a sigh of relief do you think Nigel Lythgoe breathed upon seeing the final tally of this week’s votes?
Can you imagine if Jason Castro had received the fewest after Tuesday’s Paulagate fiasco? I have no doubt that he was legitimately safe, since every 13-year-old not texting by the thousand for Archuletta gives their votes to the bland, dreadlocked one.
But now there’s a reason for the show to have sneakily swapped results.
I did love the many conspiracy theories floating around the Web yesterday in the wake of Paula’s gaffe – and I’ll return to those in a second – but first, we say goodbye to sweet, vulnerable, weepy Brooke White.
It’s really a shame that Syesha Mercado had such a strong week with Neil Diamond’s songs, because she deserved the boot before Brooke, who, while not the best singer, is sort of charming in her inability to truly keep it together.
Even during her swan song of “I Am, I Said,” she forgot the words! But hey, if there’s one thing I admire about these contestants, it’s their ability to, as Bree on “Desperate Housewives” told us this week, put their emotions in an empty box and put that box in an empty closet. Or something housewifey like that.
I’d be a puddle before Ryan even said my name – which is sort of how Brooke reacted last night (think she sneaked a peek at his card on her walk to center stage?).
Anyway, since there is really no suspense left this season and we’re resigned to a David/David face-off (and the wrong David will probably win), let’s get back to the conspiracy theories.
Many Web crawlers insisted that Paula’s Tuesday mistake of critiquing Jason’s second song before he sang it was proof that the producers give the judges scripts to read. Please. As if Simon Cowell would allow anyone to put words in his mouth?
But this is fun, so let me add to the whispering. Tonight, about 20 minutes into the results show, my husband was flipping around our TiVo files and called up the scheduled recording of this coming Tuesday’s show. In the info box that pops up with show information, it said, “The remaining finalists compete. David Archuleta, Jason Castro, David Cook, Syesha Mercado.”
Hmmmm. Now, this was 40 minutes BEFORE the results show ended, and whose name was missing? So, is TiVo just listing the contestants alphabetically and only had room for four names, and since Brooke’s last name would be last on a list, she got bumped?
I don’t know, people. You all had some pretty wild ideas about Paula yesterday, so you tell me.
[Disclaimer: For the record, I have no doubt this is a coincidence and Brooke drew the short straw in the alphabet lottery].
Ryan did reference Tuesday’s issue, but in a weird context. “The rumors are not true,” he said about Paula. “She’s part of our family and we love her.”
So…what rumors? Were people really clamoring for a Paula firing? Oh, c’mon, she’s the most entertaining part of the show! I’d rather watch her fumble and stumble every week than sit through Neil Diamond performing a new song so hokey, it makes “Red, Red Wine” sound poetic (though I must say, he’s aged well, both in voice and [possibly-with-help-of-plastic-surgery] looks.
Next week, the remaining quartet tackle songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I guess that means we could hear anything from Madonna’s “Ray of Light” to Van Halen’s “Panama” to The Doors’ “Break On Through” (oh, Michael Johns, where ARE you?) to Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash” (that should fit in Archuletta’s wheelhouse).
I don’t know. After all of this week’s nonsense, I’m a little over the show. Just me, or are you feeling a little less “Idol” love, too?
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Think locally, vote globally
Cynthia McMullen
April 30, 2008 8:15 PM
Last June, Richmond artist Noah Scalin came up with an, er, different idea: create a skull design for each of the next 365 days. (Or 366, possibly, given the Leap Year.) The result? http://www.skulladay.com
Now Noah’s Web site has been nominated for a Webby Award. The Webbys, dubbed by The New York Times as the 
Oscars of the Internet, attracted 10,000 entries from over 60 countries this year. Not bad.
At any rate, Skull-a-Day was one of five noms in the best personal Web site category. Winners will be announced on Tuesday. In the meantime, if you’re interested, check it out. Who knew you could find inspiration for skulls in so many media?
Or you can be part of the Webby People’s Voice Awards—a separate award, one per category—by voting for your favorites at http://pv.webbyawards.com—but do it soon, the deadline is tomorrow (May 1).
Paula speaks
Melissa Ruggieri
April 30, 2008 1:51 PM
Turns out our suspicions were correct and Paula Abdul’s “Idol” gaffe last night—epic even for her—was the result of mixed-up notes taken during the contestants’ dress rehearsal.
Ryan Seacrest had her on his radio show this morning for a little damage control. Read about it here:
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/04/paulagate-2008.html?xid=rss-yahoogadget-todayslatest-20080430-PaulaGate+2008%3A+Ms%2E+Abdul+does+some+%27splaining+on+Ryan+Seacrest%27s+radio+show
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