will you download this?...

It's no telling what we're going to hear tonight, as the theme is "top downloads." At least for those who want the kids singing from the century we're actually in, it's good news. For those who prefer the good old days of Big Band, well, maybe next week.

No word yet that I've seen on who, if anybody, is mentoring the kids, but tomorrow's results show returning alum is scheduled to be David Cook.

I will share my thoughts on the performances, of course, but not tonight. Tomorrow. But I plan to be ready to watch Cookie sing his new song and see if Megan or Scott will fall victim to the ninth-place curse or if we're gonna be surprised.

In the meantime, burn up the comment thread with all of your thoughts as the final nine take the stage. After the judges' introductions, of course, because, as we've come to find out, it is all about them this year.

See you tomorrow.

10 becomes 9: a SIMULBLOG!...

Whoopsie. Almost forgot the 8 p.m. start of the Motown results show. So I'll cut the introductory nonsense and get right to the point.

This is a SIMULBLOG, which means the action is being described as it's happening in the east, so if you want to be surprised where you are, it's time to make a hasty retreat. But come back!

The kids start the show with an inventive and entertaining Motown medley. Lord knows there are enough Motown songs to make a great medley.
_____

Back from commercial, we're treated to another one for Ford that they insist on calling a video. The kids applaud their efforts.

Ruuuuuuben is back. He hasn't changed a bit. And he's singing his new single. Glad to know he's recording. Nice song. Very Ruben-esque.

Time for some results, after we hear all about the kids' private jetted trip to Detroit.

Adam is told to stand. Girls scream. He gets his reviews from last night and is told to sit back down. Girls scream.

Matt is next. Girls don't scream quite so loudly. And SHOCK! Matt is in the bottom three. People boo. Loudly.

Time for Kris. He's safe after another Ryan fake-out.

Lil and Michael get to stand in tandem. Michael is sent to join Matt on the bad stools.
_____

Smokey Robinson and Joss Stone perform. And we're reminded that there are three bad stools and so far only two bad people. (Well one bad person and Matt.)
_____

Time for more results.

Allison stands. She's safe this week.

Anoop is summoned. He's safe too.

Danny's turn. No stool for him.

Scott and Megan stand together. They are reminded how crappy the judges thought they were. Scott is sent to join the stool sitters.

Randy says Matt doesn't belong in the group. Duh. Ryan sends Scott back to the safety of the sofa. _____

Simon mumbles some circular nonsense about the "judges save," before Stevie Wonder takes center stage, bringing people to their feet with a thoroughly-enjoyable medley.
_____

An hour and a half worth of commercials later, we're finally time to execute somebody. Ryan reminds us that over 36 million people voted and most of them didn't vote for Michael Sarver, who then gets to "sing for his life". Yeah, right. Like there's a snowball's chance they'll save him.

Well Michael at least you have a summer job.

Michael's singout is, well, really bad. You'd think they would let the kids sing any of the songs they've performed up to this point. The judges tease him, letting him think they're still deliberating, before Simon calls a halt to the pretense and tells him he's going home.

We get to see Michael's cute kids in his funeral video.

See ya Michael. Good luck to you.

See you next week.

it's smokey in motown...

I was kinda sorta pleasantly surprised at the success Wednesday night of Idol's annual visit to Motown. I was less so about the increasingly-juvenile behavior of the judges. What would have fit neatly into 60 minutes was unnecessarily spread over two hours. And the spotlight, once again, ws not as much on the contestants, but on the periphial characters.

But that's not a new complaint.

What became clear last night, after three weeks of finals, is that the contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders. Three of the 10 could/should exit in the next few weeks, leaving behind a pretty decent top seven. Now the question is whether talent will win out over cute kids, quirkiness and sympathy.

Anyway, here are my thoughts, for what they're worth, compiled rather hastily this week but as always, listed from worst to first:

Megan Joy (For Once in my Life). Lordy lordy. I have heard better renditions of this song at the local Holiday Inn bar. From here on in, whenever somebody whips out a sub-par lounge act performance, I'm just gonna say they Megan'ed it. If this performance doesn't earn her a ticket home, I don't know what will.

Scott MacIntyre (Can't Hurry Love). I don't know if Scott couldn't keep up with the band or if the band was just a step ahead of Scott. In either case, not even the lovely background singers could save this performance. Scott has to be on borrowed time. He will be a nice addition to the tour, but his time on this show has to come to an end, sooner rather than later.

Michael Sarver (Ain't Too Proud to Beg). The bottom three are pretty much interchangeable in order, considering they turned in, by far, the worst performances of the night. So everything I said about Megan and everything I said about Scott and their future on this show, goes double for Michael, considering I said the same thing about him last week.

[insert very large gap here...]

Lil Rounds (Heatwave). Ah. The return of the Burger King backdrop. And here I thought that song had been retired after season two. Alas. I almost didn't care what Lil sang after her moving tribute to those who paved the way for her to be on that stage. But that was not a good choice. She looked the part but missed too many notes, and, as Randy said, she rushed it which left me out of breath.

Danny Gokey (Get Ready). Why when a legend suggests you, a non-legend, sing the song one way you would disregard that legend's advice with said legend in the audience is beyond me. Maybe that's why I tuned out midway through the performance.

Anoop Desai (Ooo Baby, Baby). I appreciate Anoop's decision to sing the melody and not try to frill it up. And as much as I hate to agree with Kara, he's proven he's got the vocal ability, now he just needs to switch it up, avoid another Beat It disaster and show that he can sing more than ballads, otherwise his voters are going to fall asleep at the phone.

Kris Allen (How Sweet it Is). Kris is doing everything right. He becomes better as the weeks go on. He gets more confidence as the weeks go on. He gets cuter as the weeks go on. Simon says he needs to ramp up the conceit a bit more. Nah. He's doing just fine.

Matt Giraud (Let's Get it On). Matt's stock keeps rising by the week. This was sexy, well-performed and a fine tribute to Marvin Gaye and Motown.

Allison Iraheta (Papa Was a Rolling Stone). Allison keeps proving she's really the only female in the bunch that deserves a spot in the May episodes. (She's 16!) She's already a pro.

Adam Lambert (Tracks of My Tears). I don't know if I was more impressed with Adam's take on this Smokey song or if I was about his appearance. Oh heck, both rocked. He rocked. And he almost made me forget the memory of Ring of Fire.

So that's what's on my mind. Now it's your turn.

Who should go: Megan, Michael, Scott (choose any one)
Who I want: Megan, Michael and Scott (In a shocking three-way boot)
Who will: Megan, Michael and Scott with Michael waving goodbye.

Ruben's back tonight, along with Smokey Robinson, Joss Stone and Stevie Wonder.

See you then.

it's the motown special...

The ten remaining kids are visiting Detroit tonight for Idol's annual tribute to Motown music. With all of the performers safely employed for the summer, tonight's delayed episode begs a few questions:

Who will sing Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch? (Let's hope nobody.)

Will Anoop sing another Michael Jackson song? (Let's hope not.)

Will Megan still be coughing, or will all of the others be instead?

Will Kara ever learn to shut up?

Will this show ever revert to a reasonable one-hour?

And will this season ever get interesting?

Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson are the mentors this week, with Ruben Studdard and Smokey on tap to perform on Thursday's results night.

I will be sharing my thoughts, of course, but not tonight. And since the new president (who hasn't yet learned that Tuesday nights through May are, well, sorta off-limits unless your name is Simon) has thrown off our schedules, I won't be able to share until later tomorrow. But I'll see everyone Thursday night.

Until then, use up the comment thread to pull your hair out or give virtual applause.

no tour for you: a SIMULBLOG!...

The list of finalists is about to pared to 10 - the magic number for a nice, cushy summer job on the American Idol tour. Randy Travis will be back, paired with Carrie Underwood for an anticipated duet while we wait (and wait and wait and wait since it's another dang 15-minute show crammed into one hour) to learn which unfortunate kid will have his or her dreams of seeing the country and being a star crushed like dead leaves on the sidewalk.

Because THIS is American Idol. And this is a simulblog, where I'm typing the events as they're unfolding on the East Coast, so if you want to remain a results virgin, time to catch up on today's news over at CNN, because there will be spoilers.

And the show's about to start!
_____

Ryan says the results may SHOCK us. But then the announcer also said that Carrie Underwood's return to the Idol stage will be an "epic" night. I don't know who to believe.

Over 31 million votes were phoned in last night. Ryan reminds us of the "judges save" rule. C'mon Ryan. If they save the dead one tonight that totally screws up the tour group because it forces a double elimination next week. The only guys they would waste that on at this stage would be Adam or Danny, and I doubt either of them are in line for a shocking exit yet.

We get treated to a retrospective of last night's performances. And then it's time for the group sing! Scott is at the piano as the others flock the stage with Trouble. And I actually kinda enjoyed it.
_____

Cute Ford video. Dirty Ford. Water Balloons. You get the picture.

And we get more filler with a behind-the-scene, after-the-show idea of the tears and anguish following execution night.

Ryan tells Danny to stand. He gets to go on tour.

Lil is next. She's safe.

Time for Anoop. He's safe too.

Allison and Michael are told to stand. Ryan is setting us up to be surprised, which means it's Allison. And it is. She is sent to the bad stool. But then Ryan sends Michael to join Allison on the bad stools.
_____

Brad Paisley is here. He's going to sing. I thought they learned their lesson about random artists hawking CDs without any other connection to this show in season six. They probably forgot about that around the same time they forgot their vow to reduce results shows to half an hour.
_____

Scott is told to stand. He's reminded of last night's reviews. He's told not to make any plans for the summer because he's going to be busy.

Megan is next. She is also safe.

Matt's turn. He's on the tour.

Kris is told he's safe.

Alexis and Adam are told to stand. They are reminded what the judges had to say. Alexis is sent to join the bad people on the bad stools.

Ryan sends Allison back to the safety of the sofa and the luxury of the tour.
_____

It's time for Carrie Underwood's "epic" return to the Idol stage. (Doesn't she return pretty much every year?) And she's teaming with this week's mentor Randy Travis. She has a short, totally-adorable new hairdo. They perform I Told You So for the first time live. And I actually might buy that.

Ryan gushes about Carrie's fab career as he joins the dejected stool sitters. I can't help but wonder when he's going to whip out a knife to stick in their backs just to add to their agony.

Ryan asks the judges about the "save." Simon says the judges might consider saving one of the bottom two-ers.
_____

Ryan delivers the news. Michael is safe. Alexis is out. Or is she?

Simon tells us what we already knew. And he tells Alexis her future is riding on her singout. No pressure.

Alexis looks dejected and resigned. Simon tells her she wasn't good enough. Paula gives her the rah rah speech.

No Alexis on tour. Oh well.

See ya Alexis.

Next week we're on a Wednesday/Thursday schedule because the president trumps even American Idol.

See you then.

top 11: starring carrie underwood...

It always cracks me up when American Idol, in its search for the next superstar, forces kids into genre corners, giving them a limited number of song titles only to have the judges tell them they chose the wrong song from the millions and billions of choices from which they could have selected.

Some things about this show never change.

And one of those things is the annual foray into country music territory, where the kids got to celebrate Grand Ole Opry night with guest mentor Randy Travis, whom I personally adore.

Country night is often simply referred to as trainwreck night, with good reason, but Tuesday there were few really awful performances and actually a handful of pretty good ones. The worst part of the show? The self-indulgent, one-too-many, stammering judging panel that extended what could have been a well-paced 60-minute show into a far-too-long two hour marathon.

But here they are, my impressions for what they're worth and completely full of bias but as always from worst to first:

Michael Sarver (Ain't Goin' Down till the Sun Comes Up). I actually like this song, but (and I never thought I would ever say this) Josh Gracin did it better. So did LaToya London. Despite the mile-a-minute lyrics, I should be able to understand at least half of them. I couldn't. But I did like the harmonica.

Adam Lambert (Ring of Fire). Oh. My. God. Look, I like Adam. I like his theatrics. I like his attitude. I did not like this. At. All.

Scott MacIntyre (Wild Angels). Why Paula suggested Scott divorce himself from his piano is totally beyond me, and Simon was right to argue otherwise. But Simon was also right that Scott is starting to become predictable in his song selection and delivery.

Alexis Grace (Jolene). This performance might have been better had it had less blues infusion and more tempo. Kara chastised Alexis' song choice, offering up more Carrie Underwood tunes, and as much as I would have groaned at even more Underwood songs, and as much as I hate to admit it, Kara had a point.

Megan Joy (Walkin' After Midnight). I'm giving Megan major points for (A) not singing a Carrie Underwood song (B) acknowledging the legendary Patsy Cline and (C) singing despite a severe case of the flu. I know that she wanted to put her own spin on this classic, and I appreciate that effort, but it wasn't exactly my favorite version of this song.

Lil Rounds (Independence Day). I always think, even though many people disagree, that when one particular song is so closely identified with a previous Idol, it's dangerous to try it, because the comparisons (while possibly unfair) are inevitable. I know she was trying to do something different, and when she hit the hard notes she was great, but she's no Carrie Underwood.

Danny Gokey (Jesus Take the Wheel). Who didn't see this song choice coming a mile away? First a disclaimer: I detest this song, no matter who sings it. The opening verse is plodding even by Carrie Underwood. But I have to remind Kara the music expert: it's usually unwise for the kids to just throw away boring and cloying verses and just show up to sing the chorus because it's "better."

Anoop Desai (Always on my Mind). I really liked how Anoop didn't try to muddy this song up with a bunch of unnecessary riffs and ruffles. It's the best I've heard from him and this performance should land him a summer job on the tour.

Kris Allen (To Make You Feel My Love). I was not a big fan of Kris until this stripped down, heartfelt performance. The boy really can sing. This was just really really nice.

Matt Giraud (So Small). I'm glad that Simon finally acknowledged that this has turned into the Adam and Danny show and recognized the terrific performance turned in in the anchor spot. Matt has now been compared to Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble. Next week they will compare him to Carrie Underwood. Then we'll know he's legit.

Allison Iraheta (Blame it on Your Heart). I love Allison. (She's 16.) And I think she can take on pretty much any genre and shine. So maybe she was a little mush-mouthed in parts, but overall it was an energetic, fun and sparkling performance.

So those are my thoughts. Now the big question. Who comes thisclose but fails to make the tour. According to Dial Idol the girls are in the most danger, which I don't understand. So it's anyone's guess.

But here's my prediction:

Who should: Michael, Adam, Scott
Who I want: Michael, Scott, Megan
Who will: Michael, Megan, Alexis

All signs point to a female ouster, but I'm sticking with Michael, who should be the one listening to Carrie Underwood.

Tonight we'll know. And we'll be entertained by Carrie Underwood.

See you then.

it's grand ole opry night!...

And Randy Travis is mentoring the kids. Oh I am anxiously awaiting Adam and Allison's take on country music.

I will be watching and I will be sharing my thoughts on the performances, but not tonight. Sometime tomorrow.

So, if you want, use up the comment thread to hoop and holler as Simon inevitably tells at least half of the performers that he "just doesn't get" it.

Oh. And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

13 becomes 11: a SIMULBLOG!...

Twists and turns and executions. Oh My! And it's gonna be a kill two dreams with one episode!

Kelly Clarkson is scheduled to show up and of course we're all waiting on pins and needles to find out what the producers have in mind this week to shake the format of this season's show.

Because THIS is American Idol, and this is a SIMULBLOG, where I'm typing as the action is unfolding on the East Coast, with a publish at every commercial, so if you don't want to be spoiled, now's the time to go visit somewhere other than here. But come back to share your thoughts in the comment thread.

Because the show is getting ready to start...

Well obviously they're backing out on their promise to shorten the Wednesday result shows to 30 minutes, because our first execution is scheduled for the full hour. Guess it takes longer to whack two than it does just to eliminate one.

Ryan says 33 million votes were called in, the most ever at this stage of the show. Of course it could be that half of them were people misdialing trying to get through to that sex line that caused Alexis to get that weird number.

Ryan explains the new rule. They're giving the judges one - and only one- save for the season. Ryan invokes the names of Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry. It requires a unanimous vote from the panel, and once it's been used, the deal is over. If the judges use the "get out of elimination free" card, no one will leave, but a double elimination will follow the next week.

Or at least I think that's how it goes.

And we get a medley of Jackson 5 hits. Sounds decent. Looks terrible. Scott's the best dancer of the group.
_____

I gotta get this off my chest. What on earth makes them think I'm going to sit through the commercials just to see a snippet of somebody's audition? If I wanted to watch the auditions, I would have watched them when they ran in January. There. I feel better.

We get a retrospective of last night's performances, followed by chit chat and the Crappy Ford Commercial.

Ryan starts with Michael Sarver. He is reminded of his reviews and is told that he's safe.

Allison is next. She's safe too.

It's Jasmine's turn. She does not look pleased. And for good reason. Ryan sends her to the seal.

Matt G. is told to stand and starts heading to join Jasmine. He's told to sit down, because he's not going anywhere.

Time for Kris. Megan is also told to stand. Kris is told to sit; Megan is told to join Jasmine. One of them is safe; the other isn't. Megan gets sent back to the sofa.

Jasmine is heading home and Ryan pretends like the judges might actually pull out their safe card. Meanwhile, she has to sing the song that sunk her.

Sometimes this show sucks.

Randy breaks the news that she is, indeed, finally gone. She cries like any teenager would.
____

Random thought: I watched Milk last night. Fabulous film. Well-deserved Oscar for Sean Penn.

It's time for Kanye West to sing. And he did.
_____

Time to start killing people again.

Scott is told to stand. He is safe.

Alexis' turn. She's safe too.

Danny is told to stand. The tension mounts... Danny is safe. Whew. That was close.

Time for Anoop. And he starts walking to the stage before even being told to.

Adam is told to stand. Tension mounts again. Adam barely gets through. Whew. Another close one.

Jorge and Lil are left. Jorge gets his reviews and then Lil. Jorge is sent to join Anoop.
_____

It's time for Kelly! Ryan says every week another Idol alum will be returning. That's great to hear. Note to Idol Producers: It is possible to assassinate one person's dreams, do a crappy group sing, show a crappy Ford commercial AND hear a performance from an alum in one half hour. Really. It is.
______

Anoop and Jorge wait center stage. Anoop is told he's safe, sending Jorge to join Jasmine at the garbage heap of last-place Idol finishers.

He gets to sing the song that killed him while the judges "discuss" whether to throw him a lifeline. I think we all know how that's gonna turn out.

Simon sums it up with a "no." So long Jorge.

See you next week.

might this be the twist...

Ken Warwick is playing the hint game with Ryan Seacrest. If this is the twist, then they're right: the voters ain't gonna like it.

it's michael jackson night...

I wasn't expecting a whole lot going into the first finals performance episode of season 8, and, frankly, I didn't get a whole lot, but happily I didn't feel the urge to throw heavy objects at the television either as the top 13 took on the Michael Jackson songbook.

Most of the kids took on the lesser-known MJ songs, which was a smart move, because it's been proven time and again that unless an Idol contestant takes a mega-hit and totally switches it up, anything else ends up as a cheap imitation.

We've been promised a double elimination tonight, plus a "huge twist" that will involve the judges, pretty much change the format of the show and is likely to totally tick off the viewers. Personally, considering the excitement of this season, my hope is that the twist is a six-way elimination and a season shortened by approximately five weeks, but I'm not holding my breath.

Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on the two-hour, 13-person live episode as always from worst to first.

Anoop Desai (Beat It). We all know it's never a good idea to choose a song whose lyrics might imply leaving, going home, getting axed, etc. But if you're going to select one of those numbers, it's wise to knock the performance out of the park. Anoop chose to "beat it" and to do it poorly. Enough said.

Jorge Nunez (Never Can Say Goodbye). Even Jorge's good looks couldn't save this performance from causing me to nod off a few times. I don't necessarily agree with the judges that the song was too "old-fashioned". I thought it was just boring. And remember Jorge, the truth is that YES, you can say goodbye.

Jasmine Murray (I'll Be There). Jasmine is one of the most beautiful young women this show has ever had, but she needs some better song selection advice. The notes were just too big for her, the song was plodding, repetitive and monotonous. Of the four wildcards, I felt her selection was least deserving, and she did nothing on that stage to change my mind.

Megan Joy Corkrey (Rockin' Robin). I honestly thought Ryan was joking when he announced that Megan had chosen this song. But at least I didn't fall asleep. It was cute in a juvenile sort of way, but novelty songs never work on this show, so why she chose it is a mystery that may never be solved.

Michael Sarver (You Are Not Alone). Once more we get reminded that Michael is an oil rigger, and honestly the guy didn't have to even sing. His little girl with the "vote for my daddy" shirt would have been enough to get me to the phone, if I were inclined to dial. Again, the song selection left me scratching my head - surely MJ has more tunes from which to choose. But Michael turned in a perfectly serviceable performance that should keep his little girl in the audience to charm me.

Alexis Grace (Dirty Diana). Paula cautions Alexis to watch the "over-singing." In parts, Alexis gave new meaning to "over-singing." In other parts she was good. I like her so far, so I'm willing to give a little latitude, but one more mostly-shrill performance like this will test my patience. I'm fickle like that.

Kris Allen (Remember the Time). I like this guy and not just because he's cute. He radiates genuine, and that's rare sometimes. I enjoyed this performance even though I did agree somewhat that the guitar was at times distracting.

Scott McIntyre (Keep the Faith). Finally we get to watch Scott at the piano. (Did anyone ever figure out why this year the kids weren't allowed instruments on the eyeball stage?) It's becoming evident that Scott will be our inspirational song selector this season, which will be fine for a short time, but might soon become cloying.

Matt Giraud (Human Nature). Again, I was glad to see Matt at the piano. I still think Matt might be the one to come out of nowhere sometime in the next few weeks. I was a bit offended that Simon felt the need to compare his performance to the one that preceded him, because the songs and the performances were completely different, and Matt's delivery of this tune was more than acceptable and deserving of praise.

Lil Rounds (The Way You Make Me Feel). What a terrific beginning to the show. (And personally I liked her outfit.) It's obvious Lil is a TCO for at least a top 4 finish, but she did nothing to even remotely prove she doesn't deserve that designation. It was fun, upbeat and and thoroughly enjoyable.

Danny Gokey (PYT). Refreshingly, we get to know something about Danny that didn't include a mention of his late wife. Hopefully they've gotten the message that the viewers really only need one brick wall to get a headache. Repeated brick walls falling on our heads just makes us angry. I'm not a huge Gokey fan, but his stock rose a little with this energetic (I like the dancing) and terrific outing.

Allison Iraheta (Give In To Me). With respect to last season's Amanda Overmyer, Allison is clearly the first truly talented rocker chick this show has ever seen. And did you know she is only 16?? This performance held my attention from beginning to end.

Adam Lambert (Black Or White). Yes it was over the top. But Adam is over the top, and that's part of his appeal. And while I do not agree that this performance was leagues beyond the performances that preceded and followed it, it was the most orginial and best of the night.

So we're going to lose two? And somehow the judges are going to be involved? I've heard reports of a sing-off with the judges negating the votes (kinda like Hollywood week and the 2000 presidential election), but since I have no clue what's in store, I'll just go with what I know.

Who should: Anoop, Jorge, Jasmine
Who I want: Anoop, Jorge, Jasmine
Who will: Jorge, Jasmine, Kris

I think we'll lose one of each flavor: Say goodbye Jorge. Say so long Jasmine.

So...what do you think?

13 is not a lucky number...

Thirteen? Weren't twelve enough? What, they want to kill us?

While I'm thrilled that 13 slots allowed Anoop to get through despite the glut of male finalists and Idol's notorious need for gender equity, I would just like to know how many of these performance shows are going to stretch to the two-hour-too-long format.

Of course it means a double elimination probably during the first week. Very season one-ish of them.

And we're being promised (or threatened with, depending on your perspective) a huge surprise twist and a couple of unannounced guests for tomorrow's results night. And that's in addition to the already-announced return of Kelly Clarkson who is hawking her new CD which hit the stores today.

And it seems tonight's theme is the music of Michael Jackson. (One warning: if any one of them dares cover the Cook cover of Cornell cover of Billie Jean, I will personally reach my hand through the television screen and disembowel them. Just sayin'.)

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your well wishes last week when I was a guest at the local hospital. It was my first-ever stay in one of those places and I feel very certain that I do not want to ever in my entire life patronize another. (And yes, I got Jello on every tray and yes the cafeteria just got it right back.) I especially want to thank you for the play-by-play in the comment section. I enjoyed that version much more than I enjoyed anything I watched on the TiVo.

I am working at getting better. It's going to be awhile before I'm anywhere near 100%, and I know this, so I'm trying to be patient. (HA! Medical pun!) I do know that I will tell the world how much I detest tonight's performances, but it won't be tonight. Sometime tomorrow. But I'm making every plan to simulblog the Wednesday show.

So eat up the comment section, hooping and hollering as this not-yet-impressive-in-even-the-remotest-sense season gets underway. By this time last season I had downloaded at least five performances from iTunes. This year I've spent more time deleting episodes from my DVR.

It's going to be a long spring.

Have fun. See you tomorrow!

it's a cursed season...

At least for me anyway. I started the season with a cold that wouldn't go away and now I'm ending the semi-final part of the season in the hospital.

No...I don't think it was Tatiana or Normund who put me here.

I'm not going to even pretend that that I'm going to watch tonight's episode, at least not until I return home. So everybody needs to hang out at Dave's.