That’s right -it’s almost that time, next week is the Nashville Star finale! So who are the final three? We have to wait a while to see, as each of the final four get to show us what happened on a visit home, sing a song, then only the final three will sing a second song selection.

Hope ya’ll voted the right way! Cuz I know I did, right? Right.

After everyone gets to sing once and show off the visit home - and how many of you awww’d when Melissa’s first stop was home with her boys and changing diapers? - we get to discover who the final three are.

First named… Shawn. Hm. i’m perplexed, but then again, I was perplexed about her and Coffey last week, so between the two…. anyway, she sings better then ever, I think, and maybe it’s a good choice after all.

America is saved from my wrath when Melissa Lawson is named next and she blows the roof off with “Jesus take the wheel” and gets a standing ovation from John Rich. Richly deserved, too. Of anyone, I think she has the pipes to make it in this business, and deserves the chance.

Last up…. Gabe! Alrighty, I can get behind this trio, then. Coffey (and his massive pit stains… ew, man, just ew…) is going home tonight, and I think it’s really past time. He is a hell of a showman, but he’s just not got the pipes for the long haul, not yet.

So - what are you all waiting for? GO VOTE FOR MELISSA! I mean, go vote. Yes. (grin) Video’s to come as soon as they’re available!

It’s original song night on Nashville star, and surprise, surprise, Coffey is back on top by Viewer votes. I don’t understand it, really, as his voice isn’t as strong as the others. he has stage presence though, and maybe that’s what is pushing him through. His song, Southern Man, has pretty catchy lyrics as well, so I figure he’s a sho-in for the finals at this point. Rich isn’t a fan, still, but the other judges are.

YAY! Melissa is up next and she’s only been writing for a few months, but her ballad is traditional and strong - Ready to Stand. It’s somewhat typical, but sometimes that’s what the crowd wants - and the judges love it too.

Gabe makes it into the automatic finalist spot last, and sings his original song “Lost Weekend. It’s something straight up radio, I think I could listen to any channel and hear it. He gets nagged, again, about his need to connect with the audience.

Ashley and Shawn are in the bottom two, and they both get to sing. Ashlee sings Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which is really pretty good - better then the others tonight, I think. Which naturally means she’s in big trouble tonight.

Shawn’s song is “Not looking back” which gets her very emotional - though it’s extremely typical, and the worst of the bunch.

Which, as I expected, means she gets a second chance. After a 15 minute delay (not really, but it was LONG) Ashlee is eliminated.

It’s love song Monday, with out top six dwindling to five, and a lot of snarky judging to go with it. This week, we find Sophie and Laura in the bottom two along with Shawn Mayer, and America finally got it right and sent the duo home. They’re too young and soft to really be able to compete at this level, let alone dive headfirst into showbiz. The most surprising thing about the ouster was John Rich’s outright confirming that NBC had a huge role in picking the finalist. He said they made some questionable choices, and I think they know what they’re talking about. Sophie was dressed down for ‘disrespecting Jewel on national television’ and responded as any teenager caught would. She didn’t realize she did it, she apologized, and they still hammered her for it, and that, along with their still growing talent that needs work, makes me glad to say goodbye. I hope they keep singing, but they really weren’t ready for this at all.

(more…)

We start off tonight with a heart attack for Lessa! We’re told that the first two names called, one has the most votes and the other is eliminated - and they call Melissa Lawson and Tommy Stanley to the stage! Now I know that ya’ll couldn’t possibly have brought Tommy back, really? Thank goodness you didn’t, and Melissa is the top vote getter after last week! Whew! After Tommy goes, she performs Danny’s Song, which started a bit soft and nervous, but showcased her voice well in a softer style.

(more…)

Tonight was another night of the occasional hit, and a few misses as the top 9 performed on Nashville Star! It was family week, and as such, Miley Cyrus Jr - uh, I mean Billy Ray Cyrus’ other daughter, Noah, introduced her daddy at the top of the show. (And more and more I can’t stand the other announcer they have on there. Just getting that off my chest now.) The contestants have been away from their family for a month, so they joined the contestants for the week. Tears, squeals and tailgating bbq’s inevitably followed while the contestants picked and practiced their songs -two each this week!- for tonight’s performance.

They go back to the tried and true countdown of those that are safe - and Ashelee Hewitt is the first up. We’re told she has the largest family ever all there with her and she sings “Don’t stop believing” - while playing the piano, then switching to the guitar, and then after the judges tell her she’s growing and doing well she follows it up with a short bit of “Help me make it through the night.” She seemed to be overthinking moving across the stage a bit much, but she was ok.

(more…)

This week, pop went country on Nashville Star - or at least that’s what was the hope. There were some hits and some misses, and some very odd song choices as is typical of this type of show, right? Right! So who shined, and who tarnished? Keep on reading!

We start off by finding out one of the final two right off the bat this week - and it’s the Judges sweetheart, Tommy Stanley the Navy boy. While he gets the chance to get real nervous about that, the top 10 acts preform Madonna’s “Like a Prayer, and Melissa Laswon starts it off incredibly before everyone else joins in. It kinda goes sour there, but it was pretty fun none the less. If Melissa is in the bottom two again this week I might have to hurt someone - she’s got some serious pipes!

(more…)

Tonight the top 11 perform live as we find out who America voted off at the end of last week’s show. The mentors are stuck with a group to lead through the competition, Jeffrey gets the Groups, Rich gets the women and Jewel gets the men. Kelly Cook helps along with the introductions and stuff this week, while Billy Ray wants his mullet back continues hosting.

They’ll be called to perform one at a time, in a random order down to the last too. The last two called to perform will be up for elimination, and after all of the performances we’ll find out who’s going home. Talk about nerve-wracking! Poor kids!

We start with Laura and Sophie who sing Rockin with the Rhythm of the Rain. It was ok, but nothing to write home about, and it was off in places, but the judges, they loved it, of course. Rich says it was really good, but should try for songs more close to their age, Jewel figures they did so well because they’ve sung the song a lot and wants them to do something new, and Jeffrey says it was a little slumber party.

Up next is Ashlee Hewitt, singing Ring of Fire. Again, nothing to write home about. She did better when she dropped the guitar and decided to rock out a little bit, but the judges go gaga and say she might take the folk-country title away from Jewel. Huh.

Justin Gaston is up with Hey There Delilah and he does ok, after being completely nervous and intimidated by working with Jewel. Jewel, of course, is enamoured with him, while the guys aren’t sure he’s strong enough to go much farther - John goes so far as to say he doesn’t deserve to be on the show at all, and Justin is understandably hurt by that. Hopefully if he makes it through he’ll step it up as a direct result of that comment.

Alyson Gilbert is safe despite her pageant-y ways, and Rich tells her she shouldn’t be there, but resolves to help anyway. She sings Every Breath You Take, and the judges go gaga once again, loving the performance.

The trio Pearl Heart sings Who Says You Can’t Go Home, and poor Courtney looks like an uncoordinated cow clumping around on the stage in a way it’s almost painful to watch. Poor kid! The harmonies sound off as well, the twins blending perfectly, but Courtney not finding the blend completely. The judges seem to think they’ll work it all out though.

Moving on, and Navy boy Tommy Stanley is up and sings Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy - a song Rich wrote and performs. ballsey! He’s encouraged to work on his lyrics when they’re fast a bit - they get muddled - but otherwise, everyone loves it. Rich makes the 18th unprovoked comment of the night that is a bit off color and odd, but we just move right on along despite the awkwardness. Heh.

Gabe Garcia performs Have you Ever Seen the Rain, and it’s no frills, straight up sound. The judges want him to open up more, but agree he did well.

Shawn Mayer sings He Stopped Loving Her Today, and gets a little teary-eyed while she sings and expresses afterwards how happy she is to be there. The judges are split on her, but think she will eventually get there.

Coffey is safe - and I’m pissed. Why on earth is Melissa in the bottom two? She was AWESOME last week! I’m now officially annoyed. Coffey sings Waiting on the World to Change, and the judges want him to change, as he’s not there for them yet, his voice isn’t cutting it even if he has a lot of charisma.

Trace prolongs the agony for the bottom two, Melissa and Third Town, by performing with them all, and then Melissa Lawson performs You Make Me Feel like A Natural Woman. Even she knew she could have hit it out of the park much more then she did, giving herself an 8, knowing she could be a 10. They want her not to settle, and all the judges think she should not be in the bottom two.

Third Town, of course, they agree should be at the bottom. They wanted to do Bohemian Rhapsody, but are talked out of it and do Mountain Music instead and they still completely annoy me with their antics and EmoBoy’s flouncing around and helium voice. Thankfully, they are eliminated. Whew. Melissa is safe!

As for me and what I think of these guys? I dunno if it’s the accoustics or the show itself or what - but I’ve decided this is NO Can you Duet - and I long for Caitlin and Will to show these kids how it’s done!