Canadian Idol Season 6: Top 20 Performances Pt. 2

Posted by: Mandi  •  July 2, 2008 @ 3:02am

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

Happy Canada day, from me and Ben Mulroney. Hope it was a good one.

Tonight's show opens with a performance from Adam, who claims that he is a rebel (directly associated, I think, with the fact that he rides a motorcycle. Hardcore!) He's going to sing Wyclef Jean's "Gone 'til November", and he's not going to do it well. He has good rhythm, but the song itself is more of a spoken track than anything, and Adam's not really showing us that he can sing. In fact, it seems like all he's doing is mimicking Wyclef's version.

Jessica, who was apparently born with one ear, is up next, doing Rihanna's ubiquitous summer hit "Umbrella". I have friends over to watch Idol tonight, and when Ben announces Jessica's song choice, there is a very audible collective groan. Did we not get enough of this song during Top 100 week? We learn from Sass that this is the Mandy Moore version (which I didn't actually know existed until tonight), and Jessica does it well, but it's just plain boring and overdone. The judges are pretty unanimous on this one, telling Jessica that her performance was uninspired and encouraging her to pick a song that challenges her next week.

Jesse is dedicating his version of "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls to his Uncle Rocky, who was his token cool uncle but who was diagnosed with brain cancer three years ago and unfortunately passed away. Jesse looks good doing his thing, and his voice is as smooth as Farley's head, but there's not very much emotion behind his performance, especially for a song that he claims is quite meaningful to him. The judges weigh in with quite a few negative comments about the performance – basically, they think it was a good song choice but that he lacks both confidence and intensity.

Jesse is followed by Theo, who performs Howie Day's "Collide". I adore this song, though the only live version I've ever heard was at an arts café in my college dorm – and it was done by a 19-year old country singer. So I'm eager to see what Theo can do, and he does not disappoint. He accompanies himself on piano once again, and gives a remarkably solid performance. The judges gush, and then Ben asks Theo where he learned to play the piano, and it turns out he's self-taught. Impressive.

We learn that Katelyn Dawn felt like she didn't belong in high school. Raise your hand if you DID feel like you belonged when you were sixteen. Welcome to the group, Katelyn. Tonight she's singing "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes. I can't help but compare her performance to Brian Melo's version from last year and, in doing so, notice that there really is no comparison. Katelyn sounds good, but she completely misses the meaning behind the music.

Up next: Mitch, singing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours", and looking utterly adorable the entire time. He looks ridiculously hyper the entire time. He's sitting on a stool, and he keeps knocking his knees together. The performance as a whole is completely energetic, and Mitch seems to have a lot of fun doing it. Zack compares him to Paul Simon, and the other three judges agree that he has a unique quality that makes him lovable and has the potential to take him a long way.

Katherine's father was a professional hockey player who won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics, and Ben is absolutely floored by this news. Tonight she's singing "The First Cut is the Deepest" by...well, we're not actually told which version she's supposed to be doing. She's sitting on a stool for the first 75 percent of the performance, but near the end she stands up and starts rocking out. The girl has mad pipes, and an absolutely gorgeous voice. The judges are split on the performance – some thought she nailed it, while others feel that her performance was immature, and that she had a hard time figuring out what key the song is in. I'm sure you can figure out who said what.

I've been bracing myself for Omar's performance all night, because I really haven't enjoyed much of what I've seen from the guy to this point. He chose to do Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" tonight. He sings it well, but I just don't feel it. Maybe it's my lack of musical knowledge speaking, but I'm definitely not as blown away by Omar as the judges (with the glaring exception of Zack) seem to be. And I totally agree that he should start choosing songs from this century if he sticks around.

Earl has decided to sing Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About" with a truckload of energy this week. I adore this boy more and more every time I see him. He has a very distinct personality, very laid-back and nonchalant, and that definitely shines through in his performances. All four judges absolutely adore him. I'm crossing my fingers that the population of Lloydminster spent their evening voting for him rather than enjoying Canada Day festivities.

The last performance of the week comes from Oliver, and I think we're all anxious to find out whether he got all the crazy out of his system last week. He assures us during his interview that he's going to show us a different side of himself this week. This can only mean something good, right? As Oliver starts his rendition of Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", all our questions are answered. That voice. Those EYES. Such sad eyes. The performance blows everyone out of the water. We are officially back to adoring Oliver.

If I had to choose two people to send home from tonight's show, it would be Adam and either Katelyn Dawn or Jessica. If my predictions are correct, we'll be seeing another three girls go home this week. Am I completely off base? Let me know!

Tags: Oliver Pigott, Earl Stevenson, Canadian Idol, Ben Mulroney, Jesse Cottam

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Original Comments Posted (2)

Ariana says...

I only saw snippets of the last half of the show, due to forgetfulness and satellite issues, but I did spend a good chunk of time voting for Oliver, Mitch and Earl. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if I've gotta spend my summer watching and writing about this show, I want these guys around.

Jul 2, 2008 4:17am

metal2000 says...

I was absolutely BLOWN away by both Mitch and Omar. Both their performances made them seem like absolute pros (and these are 2 guys that I haven't been liking that much so far). Oliver showed off his voice super well, too. Combined with people like Mookie, Amberly, and Sebastian, this could be (if Canada votes properly) the most talented Top 10 ever -- meaning a Top 10 I would actually watch. I do not normally watch or like Canadian Idol, because they don't ever represent the type of music and musicians I enjoy. That doesn't seem to be the case this year.

Jul 2, 2008 6:05am

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