Rockstar: INXS (1 Viewer)

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Unless she doesn't make the bottom three, I think you're right. She was asked a very pointed question about if she liked performing cover songs and dodged it. (I read somewhere that she was in a band--Joydrop?--that put out a couple albums.) That tells me that INXS has determined she's not right for them.

Was Mig always listed as being from Sydney, Australia? I could have sworn that before this week they had him as a Londoner. Not saying that his homeland might give him an inside track--his performances make me fairly certain he'll be in the finals--but it probably doesn't hurt.

 

[Elizabeth S]

CBS has "dumped" the Monday episodes of the show over to Sundays on VH-1. It will begin showing on Sunday, 8/7 on VH1. The Tuesday and Wednesday shows will remain on CBS, with VH-1 repeating them on Saturdays.

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve...730|1|,00.html

 

[Patrick Sun]

I didn't like Ty's performance, then again, he made the song something I was not at all familiar with, and I've heard "Kick" before, so it just puzzled me. His downfall will be his pride.

Brandon's performance was credible, though a little shaky, but if I were INXS, I'd have some reservations of him fronting their band.

Tara was bland once again, and was quickly shown the door.

------

It seems that Australians visit England quite a bit, so it's possible that MiG has been to England many times, and he was shown to have that call with his wife, who was in London during the bombings of late.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

I liked Ty's performance tonight, but I agree with you completely that his pride is going to create problems for him. You can tell that any time someone is the least bit critical of him, he gets very defensive in his body language. I've warmed up to his performances, and I'll take his theatricality over Marty's weird thing that Dave Navarro called "evil conductor".

Patrick, as for MiG's "home", I just thought it was curious that (or if) they switched where they were saying he was from. Most of the times on these reality shows they seem to tie people to where they grew up, not where they live. Otherwise most of them would be from Los Angeles. (I think they list Brandon as from Michigan, but I seem to recall him mentioning early on that he lived in LA.)

 

[Richard Travale]

I think that MiG is listed as a Londoner because he has been living there for quite a while and has been a part of the Queen tribute show.

I used to be pulling for JD but I have noticed a flaw which could spell the end for him. He loves to rearrange classics. No way in hell are the boys going to let him come in and try to rearrange 'Don't Change' into a hip hop song or 'Shine Like It Does' into a ska tune.

He's out even though he will make top 4.

My choices now are Marty (probably not because he is proving that his forte is grunge), Jordiss (beautiful voice, but is a woman and I don't think INXS will go that way) or MiG (the man to beat right now).

 

[Elizabeth S]

My Bottom 3 matched the voters.

I was waiting to see Brandon raise his hand when Brooke asked who thought they were in the Bottom 3, but of course, he didn't. He seems to have a high opinion of himself (like his whispered conversation of liking where his voice is during the vocal clinic) which hasn't exactly translated into his performances. He won't last much longer.

As much as MiG wanted "We Will Rock You", I don't think that was a step forward for him. And I think it's an easier song than "We are the Champions". He needs to slow it down and show he has the vocal chops without all the distractions of working the stage, which we already know he can do.

 

[Rob Willey]

Before last night's show I was thinking about the possibility of an encore. I thought Jordis had the best performance Tuesday night, but considering the difficult emotional place she went to on The Man Who Sold the World, it would be cruel to make her get up and do it again. Apparently, "our band INXS" didn't see it that way.

Rob

 

[Rob Willey]

Who will shed more tears before all is said and done, Ty or Suzie?

Rob

 

[Elizabeth S]

I hope Mig's sense of honor and generosity doesn't come back to bite him in the ass. (I couldn't figure out what song he ended up with after giving J.D. "Crazy".) That was a nice moment between him and J.D. and the whole "human being" thing, but MiG may be just a little too honest when dealing with J.D., whom you can't take at face value.

Of all people, Jessica needed good rehearsal time, not "I'm hung over but I'll manage". Marty is a nice contrast in being serious and ready to work.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Okay, how it sounded to me:

Really good performances:

Suzie - I got chills from the opening, and she never let up on the pace and drive for her song.

Marty - continues to impress with singing on a high wire, and I have a feeling he's INXS's pick to win it all.

Good performances:

MiG - does the uptempo songs well, tonight was no exception.

Jordis - sang a bit too fast, and seemed a little too giddy. Not an encore-worthy performance, for sure.

Ty - I didn't love his performance as much as INXS did, but he did well enough to avoid the bottom 3.

Deanna - competent performance, but again is content to sing songs that Michael Mcdonald would waltz right through. Her range is limited, and gets by on forcefullness without showing the capacity to deliver on delicate passages. She'll go within the next 4 eliminations.

Not so good performances:

JD - the boy can't sing a melody, and tries to shout through the melody as a consequence. I think Deanna sings lower than JD, though.

Jessica - that was painful to watch tonight. She don't get it.

Brandon - eh, that was too one-note and boring.

 

[Elizabeth S]

My personal bottom 3 tonight:

Jessica - While she sang in a more pleasant (but probably not natural) register than normal and tamed the stripper moves, it wasn't good enough. (And honestly, after her behavior on Sunday night's show, she's lost all likeability.)

Jordis - That was simply dreadful. The arrangement was too fast for her, she dropped notes, and sorry -- totally not the emotion of the "Layla" I know.

J.D. - Maybe it's partly my total unfamiliarity with that song, but it just didn't grab me tonight.

HOWEVER, I fully expect J.D. to be safe as he has too avid a fan base. (And I'm glad, because I enjoy his performances a lot.)

The rest:

Marty - There's something immensely watchable about him, though I wasn't as impressed as INXS. I also wasn't familiar with the song because I only heard it for the first time on radio today (internet radio while waiting for the J.D. and Suzie duet from their special appearance to be repeated on L.A. radio. I missed the very beginning of J.D.'s part of the song, but what I heard and Suzie were great). They don't play the song on local radio (and I mainly listen to classic rock, anyway.)

MiG - Very good. Again, a little problem with slurring the lyrics. It just bothers me when it's a song I know the lyrics to.

Suzie - She's always been my favorite of the women -- getting better and better. I'm glad she gave J.D. credit.

Deanna - I loved her confidence and joy in performing the song. She rocked!

Ty - I was mentally making my Bottom 3 in my head and expected him to be there because it's not my type of song. He did a great job, and I loved his joy of performance. (Something that always grabs me. . .someone like Jessica doesn't have it in such a palpable way.)

Brandon - I almost put him in the Bottom 3 instead of J.D., but I just enjoyed his performance more. What do you know -- a Stones song with not a glimmer of Mick mimicry (except his little token body movement at the end).


I like so many of these performers that it's going to get hard to see anyone leave. Oh well. . .I'm presently voting for MiG in another window. . .

Also, I didn't think the "early returns" gimmick is fair.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

After watching the first episode I had pegged Jessica and Brandon as the best bets to win this. Oops. Jessica is likely leaving tonight. Brandon doesn't seem very versatile.

I'd put Jordis and J.D. in the bottom three this week. Jordis has never particularly impressed me. She has a nice voice, but I think she's completely wrong for INXS. I thought J.D. gave his worst performance by far last night. The guy has talent, but I think his personality and reworking of every song may be his downfall.

MiG has to be the odds-on favorite to win this thing. He's consistently solid and professional. Marty is doing well--better than I expected--but he has favored songs more intense than INXS tunes. I'm not sure he's the right fit for the band. Ty is in this for the long haul, although I thought his performance last night was boring. If he could borrow some of Brandon's humility, it'd be to his benefit. (I always get the sense that he doesn't take the criticism as well.)

Deanna has always struck me as a bad fit, and her performances haven't impressed me either. She was at her best last night, not that I expect her to stick around much longer. Suzie gave her best performance, although I was skeptical of the arrangement based on the rehearsal scenes. I think she'll be the last female remaining, but I don't see her winning.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

If CBS thinks there are too many episodes, they could just cut all the females.

Does anyone really think INXS would go with a female singer, who would sound nothing like their established sound?

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this way.

 

[Scott-S]

I hope that the folks at CBS listen to the comment by one of the INXS guys. One of them made a comment about how they should have an all acoustic night. I think that would be a great way to test the contestants.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Rock Star: Unplugged! I think it would be a good test as well for the remaining contestants.

 

[Rob Willey]

It would be a good test and make for interesting television, but I'm digging the House Band so much, I'd hate to see them take a week off!

Jessica, Brandon, and J.D. in my bottom three this week and I'm quietly hoping for another double elim to get rid of Jessica and Brandon both.

Rob

 

[Elizabeth S]

No, I definitely think not. I think the females are only there for the viewing demographics and to be pc.

 

[Richard Travale]

But the females all have deeper voices so that may work in their favour.

I still say JD can't win because he messes with the songs way too much.

I cringed when INXS said that Ty's performance was the most soulful...I would give that to Jordiss' performance last week.
Ty bugs me as he always has that looking at the rafters musical theater look.

Watching Marty do the Killers song was interesting. I liked it yet at the same time I was thinking "why is a guy that can barely play guitar, doing an acoustic version of the song?"

I'm still giving the entire competition to MiG.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, the votes are in, and I think the right person was sent home.

Brandon didn't do all that great with his INXS song (forgetting some of the lyrics didn't help his cause). Strangely enough, Jessica seems to know how to work INXS songs in her favor, so she avoided being sent home as well. In a perplexing voting result, Suzie landed in the bottom 3 just under JD and Deanna, but she is a favorite of INXS and was never in much danger of leaving this week.

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Maybe Jessica needs to make better song choices. Her best performances have been INXS songs, that's for sure.

Brandon can't hit a note to save his life, so I can't say his dismissal surprised me.

Wasn't Suzie styling a female version of a mullet last night? Maybe that's what cost her votes.