‘American Idol’ Philly Auditions: Aiken to Find a Superstar

Last week, Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken spent the entire night of the American Idol Season 15 premiere sitting with a giant snack bowl of sour grapes as he bashed the show on Twitter. Well, maybe he liked this Wednesday’s episode, shot in Philadelphia, a bit more, since he actually appeared on this one as a special guest screener/advisor at the cattle-call auditions. But nah, he probably didn’t – and not just because the sound oddly cut out during the beginning of the East Coast broadcast, right in the middle of a Clay montage. (Was that a random audio glitch, or passive-aggressive producers’ revenge for Clay’s trash talk? All I know is, for a couple moments, Aiken was silenced). Wednesday was also one of the weakest Idol audition episodes in recent memory.

Yes, the true standouts were sadly few and far between in Philly, with only a couple singers living up to the promise of the premiere week’s best hopefuls. If Clay had gone off on another Twitter rant this evening, I bet no one would have objected. But anyway, these were the best of the lot…

Gianna Isabella – Fifteen-year-old Gianna’s mom is Brenda K. Starr, the freestyle diva best known for her 1987 hit “I Still Believe” and an old pal of Jennifer Lopez from when they frequented the same dance studio. Kudos to Idol for – for once – actually being transparent about a contestant’s backstory. (Well, not entirely transparent – Ryan Seacrest conveniently forgot to mention that Gianna was also on his old crony Simon Cowell’s The X Factor Season 3. Oops!) Brenda teared up as she sat behind the judges’ table with Jennifer after Gianna auditioned with “House of the Rising Sun” and received three yeses. (Four yeses, if you count Brenda’s.) Gianna’s performance wasn’t exactly at a Haley Reinhart level, but she brought a little heat to “Sun” and proved talent runs in the Starr family. However, the most memorable part of this audition was really her proud mama’s tearful reaction. Even J.Lo got verklempt, dabbing delicately at her perfectly made-up eyes with her perfectly manicured hands, as she witnessed Brenda’s emotional display. It was a sweet and classic Idol moment, but was it enough to sustain Gianna throughout Hollywood Week and on to the live shows? Maybe. I still believe. But, probably not.

Isaac Cole – This cute 15-year-old country boy seemed very intimidated by the “huge city” of Philadelphia, so who knows how he’ll handle the big, bad metropolis of Hollywood, where’s he’s now heading after receiving three yeses for his cover of Lee Brice’s “Love Like Crazy.” I thought Isaac had natural charm and, with his early-Bieber haircut, teen heartthrob appeal. But he seemed a little undercooked to me. Harry Connick Jr. warned Isaac not to fake a twangy country-music accent, and Keith Urban called him a “work in progress” and “close to being ready, but not quite right.” So really, in any other season I would have wanted the judges to tell Isaac to “come back next year,” when he’s truly ready. But of course, there will be no “next year.” This is the final season. Anyway, Isaac showed a bit of spunk by assuring the judges, “I’m a fast learner,” reminding them that they hadn’t thought last year’s runner-up Clark Beckham was ready either. And that was all the convincing that Jennifer, Harry, and Keith needed to hand over a golden ticket. Isaac’s negotiation skills were impressive. Maybe the kid can handle Hollywood after all.

Sarah Sturm – Season 15 sure is full of spunky kiddos. This 17-year-old greasy spoon waitress with the luminous orthodontic smile was, as the kids like to say these days, totes adorbs. She was a rare highlight of Wednesday’s episode, making Meghan Trainor’s “Lips Are Movin’,” an insipid novelty song that usually has me lunging for the Skip button, actually tolerable. My lips sure were movin’… into a big, uncontrollable grin. I liked this girl. J.Lo praised Sarah’s “young thing,” i.e., her utter fearlessness. Keith told Sarah, “I love your confidence” and called her “one of my favorites today.” And Harry said, “I think you’re pretty special. I think you have a sounds that belies your years.” This America’s sweetheart really could be that “Kelly Clarkson bookend” that Idol is looking for.

Jenn Blosil – This self-described “quirky” girl with the spacey stoner-chick demeanor came across as a joke contestant… until she sat down the piano to do Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive.” This was no joke! Jenn was the real deal. “Radioactive” is one of the most annoyingly overdone songs on singing shows in recent years, but Jenn made it her own, with a cool raspy tone and engaging personality. Harry, admitting that Jenn had given him a bad first impression, called her audition “a nice surprise.” Keith praised Jenn’s “storytelling quality” and “easy presence.” And J.Lo called Jenn “interesting” and “compelling” and said, “I felt like I was watch an artist.” Jenn may be weird, but in the best possible way – because she has the talent to back up the quirk. I’m totally on board with this girl.

Harrison Cohen – This was another presumed joke contestant who ended up confounding the judges’ and viewers’ expectations. A wannabe teen lothario with his womanizing “awesome foxy grandpa” in tow, Harrison sang an original song, “No Time,” an ode to his alleged experiences with “the laydeez,” all while staring down J.Lo with what Harry called “laser-beam ideas.” Obviously, this was total Philly cheese. But you know what? The song wasn’t bad. It had a slightly Britpop vibe, a la the Kooks or Arctic Monkeys. “It actually feels like a pop tune,” said a delighted Jennifer, who also heard some “Latin undertones” in the ditty. Harry was concerned that Harrison wasn’t the “powerhouse” that Season 15 needs (a valid concern), but he said yes anyway. (I’ve never witnessed so many unanimous verdicts on Idol as I have this season. These judges get along much better than Mariah and Nicki ever did, that’s for sure.) It remains to be seen if Harrison is just a one-song pony, but maybe if he takes his foxy grandpa’s advice, he can be a hit with Idol’s female viewers.

John Arthur Greene – This 27-year-old country troubadour/Broadway performer had a sob story for the Idol record books: When he was 8 years old, he accidentally shot his older brother dead while they were playing cops & robbers, and he turned to music to cope with the grief and guilt. (A very eyebrow-raising storyline, given all the anti-gun headlines in the news lately.) I was hoping some of John’s emotion and pain would come through in his performance, but his song choice, Keith Urban’s own “Somebody Like You,” was so lightweight. His audition was very middle-of-the-road, when I wanted to hear real heartbreak. “I think you have a very strong voice, but I am wondering what else is there,” mused Harry. “I’m not sure you have what it takes to hang with the other singers,” added Jennifer. But curious Keith, perhaps swayed by John’s flattering song choice, said, “I have a feeling you’ve got other sides to you.” For once, the panel dissented and Harry said no, but Keith and Jennifer still put John through with a shrug.

This was a rather anticlimactic end to Wednesday’s hour-long show – usually the final spot in any audition episode is reserved for a truly amazing contestant, or sometimes a funny/viral moment a la “Pants on the Ground” – but maybe Idol is saving the really good stuff for tomorrow’s two-hour episode. Let’s hope, or Clay Aiken may let it rip on Twitter again. See you then!

Parker out.

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