January 11, 2007: A Star in the Making
Welcome to Nashville, baby! And what a welcome it was. I loved the opening song, introducing the 10 contestants with an upbeat number that wasn't awkwardly choreographed or too complicated - just a genuinely warm start to this talent competition where the competitors are
definitely talented and the music is almost always better than good.
And although she said she's not used to reading teleprompters, Jewel was steady on stage (no matter how short her dress and high her heels), but I guess having a comfortable Cowboy on stage next to her helps. Check out what Jewel had to
say about hosting
Nashville Star and working with Troy.
So, 10 great finalists, two friendly hosts and what else? Three judges who know country, live country and actually get along (eh-hem unlike some
other bickering judges we know). Oh, and they actually give some good advice. But, Anastasia, if you're listening. As much as I value your thoughts on the performances, please conceal your top half a little more.
The ladies were up first and my top choices were easily Angela Hacker, Meg Allison and Whitney Duncan. Whitney's look reminded me of a blond Shania Twain, but her sound is definitely more raw. Blake Shelton certainly liked it, saying she "has a real shot at this." But I guess if she gets voted off, we'll know she'll still enjoy hunting and fishing, right? I like the personal tidbits we're getting - it's not overwhelming but gives us a little more insight into the singers. When Meg slowed down the pace, I still heard a little of that Chicago voice, but I don't mind it. She's that friendly face on stage, that emotional target, so we'll see if she stands her ground. And Angela provided a totally different vibe - wiser, more settled, she really
sang that song. I love how her brother, Zac, is also vying for the record deal. A little healthy family competition never hurt, right? I'd rather battle my sibling knowing they were a true artist, too, instead of going head-to-head with someone who clearly shouldn't have made it this far. That's the beauty of this show - it starts off with a small group of experienced performers.
As for Kacey Musgraves, going first is always tough, and she's got the look but needs some more personality up there! Did anyone notice that when Jewel was asking her questions post-performance, she never looked at her while responding? I think nerves took over, and she just wanted to seem as composed as possible. So, I hope she loosens up, or else I fear her ability to rise above the rest.
I agreed with the judges' choice to bid farewell to Rickiejoleen. She certainly has spunk. When she's on stage, there's a fire in her belly and you know she wants to be there and loves every minute of it. I agreed with Randy Owen when he said that she's "born to perform," but she seems young and was a solid choice to send home.
But the tears were brief, and then the guys took their chances.
My favorites among them round out to a top three as well: Zac Hacker, Joshua Stevens and David St. Romain. Dustin Wilkes is close behind, but I need to see more of him to really decide his fate (well, according to my own personal judging panel). David St. Romain held my attention - and could his baby be any cuter in the audience with that pink bow in her hair? I wonder if he'll take Anastasia's advice and drop the guitar. I wasn't sure if Joshua Stevens' voice was strong enough when he started off, but he saved himself with some of those ending notes. And Zac Hacker may just be my favorite. He's just good, plain fun. I loved watching him, his head bobbing around, his huggable, teddy-bear persona.
So long to Iceland-born, Massachusetts-schooled, Tennessee-grounded (finally), stay-at-home dad Tim LaRoche. As interesting as he is, I felt like we didn't hear enough of his actual voice - they didn't have much time to show off this week, so why choose a song that's mostly guitar? Blake nailed it on the head when he said the guitar hypnotized him.
All in all, a good Season 5 kickoff - entertaining, with a balanced mix of ballads and toe-tapping fast tracks. Plus, Jewel's not overly talkative, and the judges pretty much get right down to business except when Blake blurts out unrelated side comments (but he cracks me up, so he can stay).
Now that the judges have narrowed it down to eight, it's time for America to take over. And for whoever's left standing next week, I'm just going to repeat what Jewel said earlier in the night: Bring it!
