Digital Brainwaves

Finally caught up! I’ll have this one done in time to vote.

• Michael Buffer to announce the beginning of the show… cute.
• “Sugarfoot” Cook?
• Yeah, “Babyface” I can see.
• Huuuuuuuuge stage for the finale at the Nokia theater.
• Earlier contestants in the audience, along with Luke Perry and kiddies…
• Crowd sounds pretty even, though slightly in Archuleta’s favor.
• Simon’s dressed up a little more than normal.
• FOUR hours of voting time tonight.
• Clive Davis and Andrew Lloyd Weber mentor the two this week.
• Archuleta won a coin toss following the results show last week, and will perform last.
• The Davids talk each other up.
• Round one will feature songs picked by Clive Davis. Boxing match metaphors continue to abound.
  1. David Cook - “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” - This could be released as a single today. Awesome beyond words. The bar is starting HIGH.
  2. David Archuleta - “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” - This is one of my favorite songs. I’m not sure he’s doing all he can with it — he’s moving some notes around, but it sounds a lot like the Elton John original. Great job with it, but he can do more… which he does at the end. I think he’s redeemed himself a little from the beginning.
• I score round one, slightly, in Cook’s favor. Simon disagrees.
• Round two consists of the contestants’ choices from among the top ten submissions of new songs written for the show.
  1. David Cook - “Dream Big” (Emily Shackleton) - Perfect song and arrangement for Cook’s style, as he plays along on guitar. Hopefully that last long high note doesn’t blow out his voice, ’cause it sounded great.
• I’m not sure what song Simon was listening to, this was rockin’.
  2. David Archuleta - “In This Moment” (Ryan Gilmore) - He sings a decent song very well, but it sounds a lot like previous Idol winners’ winning songs. That’s one of the things I liked about the “Dream Big” performance, that it was different.
• Simon keeps calling it for Archuleta, but he’s been sounding like the same old Idol finalist. I like different, and I like the rocking-er music. (Yes, I’m making up words. Shut up. :-P)
• Final round: contestants’ choice.
  1. David Cook - “The World I Know” - Cook’s never performed this song before, but he does it smashingly. Same as the first two, I’d buy all three as singles.
• Cook’s starting to break down now that’s he’s done performing for competition.
• Simon’s obviously got his favorite. In the words of Tony Stark… “I respectfully disagree.”
• Nice comment from David: “Why do something I’ve already done?” Probably as close as he’s going to get to snarking at Archuleta.
2. David Archuleta - “Imagine” - David is reusing a song he’s done previously. I’d have preferred something new instead of a retread. Not to say he does a bad job with it, absolutely the opposite. But We’ve seen this performance once already this season.
• Ruben Studdard sings out the finale with “Celebrate Me Home.”

The judges appear to have their favorites, and I have mine…

My vote and my favorite to win: David Cook.

See ya tomorrow night for the grand finale!