Monday, July 17, 2006

"RockStar: Supernova" Recap--The first two weeks.

Odds are, most of you won't be into this show as much as I am, but that's okay. You're allowed to be wrong.

RockStar is American Idol for people who like good music. (That should get some comments.) Last year, the subject of the show was the band INXS, who were looking for someone to replace their former lead singer, Michael Hutchence. It proved to be an entertaining season, as some of the best unsigned singers in the world stepped up to the challenge. As I said during that season, I thought Marty Casey was the best performer, but the band chose J. D. Fortune as their frontman. (I do have to admit: I thought "Pretty Vegas" was a pretty rad song.) They're now about to embark on a worldwide tour.

(Okay, here's a freebie, cuz i love the performance: Marty Casey.)

This year, instead of replacing a dead rock star, the contestants are vying for the lead slot of a new "supergroup" called Supernova, comprised of Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Jason Newsted (Metallica), and Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses). The sound is a little darker, a little more metal, and the real question is, will this group of "rockers" live up to the task?

The First Two Contestants to Leave: Matt and Chris. Matt wasn't bad; just unimpressive. The first week's Bottom Three were Chris, Phil, and Matt. Chris pulled off a great rendition of "L.A. Woman" that saved his butt, but Phil seemed to sleepwalk through Switchfoot's "Stars." Chris decided to try a reworking of a Duran Duran song, but Supernova would have no part of that. It wasn't rock and roll enough. Phil should have gotten the boot for his lazy delivery, but Matt got it for his gutsy but misguided song choice.

Last week, the Bottom Three were Jill, Zayra, and Chris. Jill sang a decent but unspectacular version of "Bring Me to Life." Zayra stunned the crowd by singing the same version of "You Really Got Me" that she sang before and the band hated. Amazingly, the one to get sent home was Chris, whose rendition of Tonic's "If You Could Only See" left the band unimpressed.

Who Should Go Next: Zayra's got an attitude. And she has no idea what this band will be about. Phil is lazy and lacks energy. Dana should be on American Idol, not RockStar. Which brings me to Dilana.

Dilana is like that guy that tries to convince you and the world that he's as hardcore as they come. Talks big and tough, mutilates his body with silvery appendages, listens to scary music. That's Dilana. Not to imply that she's not dark, brooding, and hardcore--it's just that she BROADCASTS it. Her first performance--Nirvana's "Lithium"--was laughable. Her second performance--Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"--was frightening and completely wrong. Yet the band loves her. LOVES her. And I can't figure that out.

Personal Favorites: He's arrogant and obnoxious, but I like watching Lukas Rossi perform. He may not be right for this band, but he's entertaining. His first week's take on Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" was spot-on, and I liked his version of Coldplay's "Don't Panic." I'm excited to see what he does in the coming weeks, and whether he can keep his ego in check.

I also like Toby, though he's Lukas' opposite. Toby's unassuming, open to instruction, and gracious. And he's got a great voice.

And though I don't think she'll make it to the end, I just have to say that I have a bit of a crush on Storm. Storm is like that girl in high school that smokes and swears and skates the edge of being suspended on a regular basis. You know that she's no good, and your mama warned you about her, but you're mesmerized by her anyway. And if she slides up to you one day and says, "hey babe, take a walk on the wild side," you know you'd almost do it without thinking. Anyway. While I go take a walk and cool off, here's "Pinball Wizard" and "Surrender."

I Think That Gets Us Up to Speed: So anyway. That should catch you up. The "reality episode" is posted online every Monday. The performance show is on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. CST. The elimination show is on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. CST.

I'll probably do a weekly recap of the three episodes on Thursdays, so look for that.

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