Aspen

Not much to talk about preshow tonight. There is an internet rumor making the rounds that Steven Tyler tried to ski down the mountain face first. According to the story he came back up the lift in a cranky mood, grumbling about “truth in advertising” and trying to thaw his nose out under his left armpit. Casey Anthony was rumored to have tried out in Aspen, but my lawyers assured me anything I make up about Casey Anthony would be in bad taste, and probably not all that funny anyway. Let’s just move on.

Idol Trivia: Who is the only Idol contestant from a Colorado audition to mak the top five? Answer at the bottom. I’ll hide a hint in the singer section.

The Singers:

Jennie Shick, 24: My music teachers weren’t like her at all… She has a fairly strong voice, some scratchy stuff and a big personality. I don’t expect big things, though. She doesn’t seem serious enough for a grind to the semis, and she ain’t good enough to just coast through. Her phrasing and intonation were amateurish……. Curtis Grey, 28: His audition didn’t show power or range, or much of anything. He sang well, extremely well, but his song wasn’t demanding. Still, I have a feeling that he is worth watching out for. I sense some upside in there, and he got a subtle sort of “star” treatment from the producers. Interesting wild card……. Richie Law, 19: Weird audio/visual combination; he looks like Jimmy Ibbotson (who lives in Aspen) but he sounds a lot like Scotty McCreery. Ibbotson was the lead singer of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; his voice was high and rubbery, not deep and smoky like this kid’s is……. Devan Jones, 26: Sweet tenor voice with outstanding control; at the very least he’s a contender. Only worry is whether he has any power or if he will have to finesse everything……. Mathenee Treco, 25: Spellchecker can’t decide between Methane and Machine. He has a ton of voice, but can he rein it in a little bit? Maybe it’s boring to just sing the melody, but it’s suicidal to completely forget where it is…….. Haley Smith, 18: I don’t get all the love for her voice, honestly, but I am interested in her enough to want to hear her sing something else. I don’t see a contender, but if Steven loves her that much you never know…….. Shelby Tweten, 17: She has a fairly strong voice with a sweet tone, but she’s gonna need to crap out several years of experience in a few weeks to contend……. Jairon Jackson, 19: Standout Number Three. I love this kid. His voice is sweet (it reminds me of Junebug from last year, who didn’t lose because of his voice), and his original song was really, really good. He has the quiet confidence, a subtle sense of humor, and he just seems really likeable. What else is there? ……… Trivia hint: He took his shirt off at his audition……. Angie Zeiderman, 25: At first I thought that she was Ashley Sullivan all over again, but underneath the craziness there seems to be a sober, sane, capable person. Her voice isn’t great, but it’s very good and she seems to know how to use it. Interesting sleeper; she could beHollywood train-wreck fodder, or a polarizing contender. She won’t be boring.

They train-wrecked the pimp spot tonight. Sometimes it works (William Hung, General Larry Platt), and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t know what in the hell Magic Cyclops was supposed to be. At least he didn’t have to be led off in handcuffs.