American Idol - The Clark Brothers - "This Little Light of Mine"

American Idol - Results Show - Preview Tidbits

On tomorrows results show we will be treated to a "Where are They Now" video segment on Nashville residents Bucky Covington (S5), Phil Stacey (S6), and Bo Bice (S4)!

It also looks like we could be treated to a performance by The Clark Brothers, winners of The Next Great American Band!

And....according to Kim over at girlstalkinsmack Ryan revealed on his radio show TODAY that this week would be a DOUBLE elimination week! Yikes! I would imagine this is due to next weeks Idol Gives Back extravaganza. If you remember last years IGB show, in the spirit of giving, did not eliminate a contestant that week.

The Next Great American Band - Finale

It's finally here...the finale! I know there are a couple of you out there watching this so I will blog the finale and I will probably enjoy it as well. I hope it's not filled with a lot of fluff and we get to see some of the eliminated bands perform.

The Likes of You (a band from the auditions) perform "Fall From Grace" as we watch a video montage of the season.

The lead singer from Northman (another band from the auditions) performs "Smooth" on stage with the horns from DMHO, the rythym section from Sixwire and the Clark Brother's strings.

Clark Brothers perform "You Are Still The Same"...



Shelia E performs "A Glamorous Life" with some other musicians. She sings too!



Sixwire performs "The Last Time"...



John Resnick and the Goo Goo Dolls perform "Broadway"...



DMHO is up next performing "Vehicle"...



DMHO is eliminated first! Now it's down to Sixwire and The Clark Brothers...

A christmas medley starting with Light Of Doom...Dot Dot Dot...Sixwire...Tres Bien...The Clark Brothers...Cliff Wagner and the Old #7...DMHO...then they all sing together. Where is Franklin Bridge? Actually the Muggs are missing too?

NGAB Christmas Medley
Uploaded by mjsbigblog

and The Winner is....

The Clark Brothers!!!

The Clark Brothers close the show...congrats to the Clark Brothers. I'll pull some videos together as soon as they are uploaded!

The Next Great American Band - Performances

We had 3 performances in Idol style - 1 pick by the judges, 1 by the producers, and 1 by the band:

1. DMHO - Denver and the Mile High Orchestra



2. The Clark Brothers



3. Sixwire



I actually think both the judges and the producers made some great selections for these bands! Next week the winner will be announced.

The Next Great American Band - Spoilers

Eliminated this week and not performing tonight is...

Light of Doom

The Next Great American Band - 5 Cut To 4

Tonight the bands will be performing songs by Queen and an Original song. For the Original songs the judges are looking for a song with a "hook", a "hit song", or something Dicko can sing in the shower. And we're off...

1. The Clark Brothers (3 becomes 5)
- performing "These Are The Days of Our Lives", by Queen



2. Light of Doom
- performing "We Will Rock You", by Queen



3. Sixwire
- performing "Fat Bottom Girls", by Queen



4. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
- performing "Steppin on the Sidewalk", by Queen



Dot Dot Dot is out. Wouldn't they have been great with a Queen song? Their lead singer channels a little Freddie Mercury don't you think?

On to the originals:

1. The Clark Brothers
- performing "Homestead"

2. Light of Doom
- performing "A Matter of Time"

3. Sixwire
- performing "Go On"

4. DMHO
- performing "Big White House"

Now it's time to get real. Somehow two bands with no real chance of selling any records are in the Top 4. I am talking about Light of Doom and DMHO. They both have improved a LOT during this competition, but for me, neither sets themselves apart. I've seen real vocal improvements from the kid (LOD), and the new dad (DMHO), but to be honest they have outlasted alot of bands that had more potential than either of them. At this point, any final two other than The Clark Brothers and Sixwire would be a tragedy.

I will add the original video's if anybody cares enough to upload them to youtube or something similar...

The Next Great American Band - Spoilers

The band eliminated this week is....

Dot Dot Dot.

Crap...my local band is done. Congrats to Dot Dot Dot for making it this far! Hope to see you around town...

source: MJ

The Next Great American Band - Performances

We are trimming down to five bands tonight. If you only have time for one video I recommend the Clark Brothers!

First up....DotDotDot...performing Young Turks:



Denver and The Mile High Orchestra...or as they have called themselves the last few weeks DMHO...Baby Jane:



Six Wire...Hot Legs:



The Clark Brothers...You're In My Heart:
- and YES Dicko...bring on more Clark Brothers!



Light of Doom...Infatuation:



The band left and eliminated is Tres Bien of course. The bands that seem to be surviving have the humility to listen to the judges and come back the following week stronger. I really don't see anybody at the same level as The Clark Brothers...do you? All they could do to improve is call a few more brothers!

The Next Great American Band - Spoilers

The band going home this week is....

Tres Bien

Although I think Denver and Light of Doom were worse, I'm not overly upset. I haven't liked them much or got the "you are the best front man" stuff Dicko talks about.

source: MJ

Back in The Saddle

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I didn't have much time to blog the last few days (much less watch tv), but I am back to my regular routine again, and am catching up on everything I have missed.

Here are a few things in case you missed them...

- Mandisa and George Huff performing Christmas at Union Station - video courtesy of MJsBigBlog.

- We bid goodbye to Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 on The Next Great American Band, and the remaining 6 performed songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I saw some real improvements made by many of the bands this week. Rickey has all of the videos of the performances. I really think it's time for Light of Doom to go, and I wish Franklin Bridge was still there...

- Katharine McPhee sings the National Anthem at the Thanksgiving NFL Detroit / Green Bay game...video here.

- Kelly Clarkson performs at halftime at the Thanksgiving NFL Dallas / NY Jets game...video here.

The Next Great Americn Band - Spoilers

The band going home this week is....

Cliff Wagner and the Old #7.

Thanks to MJ for the spoilers! You can read an entire recap of the show MJ's site here: mjsbigblog

The Next Great American Band - Performances

Songs tonight are by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller (I've never heard of these guys?)

Only one band going home tonight. If they perform they are safe:

1. Light of Doom - Jailhouse Rock
- pretty good comments from the judges; although Dicko is right..they are not a band that belongs in a recoirdng studio. maybe 10 years from now.

2. The Clark Brothers - Smoke
- great comments ,and well deserved

3. Dot Dot Dot - Love Potion Number 9
- best performance so far by this band. They are listening to and applying the judges suggestions. good for them!

4. Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 - Poison Ivy
- judges would like a little more edge, although they liked it

5. Denver and the Mile High - Ruby Baby
- Sheila E loved it, not much the other two

6. Six Wire - I Keep Forgettin'
- luke warm, they love this group but not crazy about the performance

7. Tres Bien - Some Other Guy
- they dedicated the song to Franklin Bridge "the best band here". That was nice. My least favorite band of those remaining.

It really irks me it was between Tres Bien and Franklin Bridge at the end. I've been calling for their (Tres Bien's) ouster for a couple of weeks!

The Next Great American Band - Spoilers

Vote For The Worst is reporting that Franklin Bridge was voted off this week! Wow that is a surprise. They aren't guaranteeing the accuracy because the report wasn't as detailed as they normally receive...so who knows...

If any new information comes in I will be sure to update you!

source: vftw

The Next Great American Band - Performances

Here we go...all Billy Joel all night...

If they play they are safe...

1) Franklin Bridge - Big Shot
2) Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 - You May Be Right
3) Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - Tell Her About It
4) Dot Dot Dot - Pressure
5) Six Wire - She's Always a Woman
6) Tres Bien - Movin Out
7) The Clark Brothers - She's Got a Way
8) Light of Doom - The Stranger

Goodbye to The Muggs and Rocket...

My favorites were Six Wire and The Clark Brothers. Franklin Bridge keeps getting on early, and that never works well on American Idol. I think however they are safe, as well as Six Wire and The Clark Brothers. If it were up to me I would probably send home Tres Bien and either Denver or Cliff.

The Next Great American Band - Spoilers

Tonight two more bands will be going home, and the remaining eight bands will perform a song from the Billy Joel songbook. There will be no original song performance AND the show will be cut to one hour at 8/7 CST. Amen.

The two bands cut after last weeks performances are...The Muggs and Rocket.

Let that be a lesson to the remaining groups...not a good idea to diss the judges.

If you are interested on what song each band chose and a recap of the taping you can read all about it at mjsbigblog. Is anybody interested at all?

I have a feeling the only people watching the show are us bloggers...

The Next Great American Band - Week 3 Videos

For those couple of you interested in The Next Great American Band I have added videos to the Friday night post here.

The Next Great American Band

Tonights episode will feature songs from the Elton John / Bernie Taupin songbook. I will update the first half live, and the second half after I watch it...

First the eliminations...we'll see if VFTW is correct...

OK, they aren't telling us the eliminations. All of the bands are ready to play, and it looks like if you are called up to play you haven't been eliminated? They will be called up to play in no particular order.

1. Six Wire
- Gotta Get Away (original)
- Don't Let The Sun Go Down (EJ/BT)
lots of luv from the judges...
1-866-U Love 01



2. Tres Bien
- How I Feel (original)
- Love Lies Bleeding (EJ/BT)
more judge luv...
1-866-U Love 02



3. Franklin Bridge
- Love's Fool (original)
- Philadelphia Freedom (EJ/BT)
judges loved original, felt EJ/BT song over arranged, but they all luv FB...
1-866-U Love 03



4. The Clark Brothers
- Country Time (original)
- Country Comfort (EJ/BT)
more judges luv...I loved the cover
1-866-U Love 04



5. Light Of Doom
- Light of Doom (original)
- Saturday Nights Alright (EJ/BT)
maybe the judges think loving them all is better for ratings than hating them all?
1-866-U Love 05



6. Dot Dot Dot
- Stay (original)
- Your Song (EJ/BT)
more luv than last week...not getting it because I think they are definately better than some of the others..
1-866-U Love 06



7. Cliff Wagner and the Old #7
- The Little White Chapel on the Strip(original)
- Honkey Cat(EJ/BT)
lots of judge luv..
1-866-U Love 07



8. The Muggs
- Should've Learned My Lesson(original)
- I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues(EJ/BT)
started out with a little luv ended with none...they also sort of dissed the judges
1-866-U Love 08



9.Rocket
- Future Ex-Boyfriend(original)
- Rocket Man(EJ/BT)
more dissing of the judges...telling them they don't agree with their advice...hmmm
1-866-U Love 09



10.Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
- All Night(original)
- I'm Still Standing(EJ/BT)
luv from the judges...
1-866-U Love 10



VFTW was right on the money with the spoilers as expected.

How is this going to go down? I don't think either The Muggs or Rocket did themselves any favors tonight, but sometimes poor responses from the judges trigger more votes. For me, I would eliminate Tres Bien (don't get?) and Rocket. What do you think?

I am betting the ratings are even worse than last week. We'll see.

Bits and Pieces

Some more interesting tidbits...

Hollywood Writers going on strike...(read more)

VoteForTheWorst has elimination spoilers for The Next Great American Band...(read more)

Diane DeGarmo joins the cast of "Gone Country", premiering January 2008...(read more)

Kevin Covias (aka Chicken Little) hits the big screen in "College"...(read more)

David Foster to produce Katharine McPhees next album?...(read more)

NGAB - Top 12 Performance Reviews

Before I begin, I am having a hard time remembering some of these bands. Can't find any videos at all. I'll keep looking and I may modify my comments once I watch again. Let me know what you think in the comments!

1. Denver and The Mile High Orchestra

I like the premise of a Big Band, but I'm not seeing the X-factor or any records being sold. They were pretty good and I could hear the vocals, but they need to be a lot more current.

2. The Hatch

I am writing my reviews the morning after and I honestly don't even remember them. Not a good sign.

3. Light of Doom

Great fun, but vocals are really weak. They blew the first two bands away though. Stop screaming and try singing...we'll see how it goes. On a side note if anybody cares, Vote For The Worst is supporting this band. That is if anyone is even watching?

4. The Likes of You

I liked this band except for the falsetto stuff...hated that. Save it for the studio, leave it off the show.

5. Rocket

I don't know if the lead singer can sing or what? I can barely hear her. Again, tone down the instruments volume and turn up the singing.

6. Cliff Wagner and the Old #7

They were good, and I would enjoy them at a summer festival, but they won't make it very far. They aren't going to be selling records to anybody. They are too old to make anything current.

7. The Muggs

I love these guys...at least until they start singing. The vocals are weak, but they are amazing musically together. Committ to the vocals like Dicko said! They'll stick around!

8. The Clark Brothers

These guys have a great look, especially the lead singer. It's a little wierd for me to just have the three of them, but at least I could hear the vocals. I expect them to stick around for awhile.

9. Tres Bien

Another band I don't remember. Sorry.

10. Franklin Bridge

Of all the bands that performed I think these guys have the most "current" sound, and therefore are very marketable. I think the lead singer has a great voice, but I wish I could hear it better. I'd like to see them tone down the instrument volume and tone up the vocals.

11. Dot Dot Dot

I really thought the lead singer toned it down alot from the auditions, and for me that made them alot better. The judges were probably more critical of them then any other band. I don't think it was deserved. If they really listen to their critiques and apply them I think they could go deep into the competition. They should take a lesson from Six Wire...less is more.

12. Six Wire

These guys were great, and they should be! They've been together for 7 years I think they said? What I liked about them is their vocals could be heard over the music which is as it should be. They played together as a band though, not a solo singer with some background instruments. The other bands could learn something from these guys. I think they should go deep into the competition, but will all of their songs start sounding the same?

The Next Great American Band - Top 12 Perform

The Top 12 will perform Bob Dylan songs tonight in front of a live studio audience. The 2 hour episode starts at 8/7 cst. Voting should commence at the conclusion of the show.

How do you think the different bands will fare? Will you be voting? Be sure to leave your thoughts on their performances in the comment section. I'll have videos up as soon as they are available!

Here's how it went down:

1. Denver and The Mile High Orchestra
Freight Train Blues - Bob Dylan
One Time Show - Original

2. The Hatch
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Bob Dylan
Stretch Out The Time - Original

3. Light of Doom
All Along The Watchtower - Bob Dylan
Eye of The Storm - Original

4. The Likes of You
Blowin In The Wind - Bob Dylan
Love and Gravity - Original

5. Rocket
Knockin on Heavens Door - Bob Dylan
Mean To You - Original

6. Cliff Wagner and the Old #7
Don't Think Twice - Bob Dylan
Old Fire - Original

7. The Muggs
Meet Me In The Morning - Bob Dylan
Slow Curve - Original

8. The Clark Brothers
Maggies Farm - Bob Dylan
Billy The Kid - Original

9. Tres Bien
Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
Easy To Love Me – Original

10. Franklin Bridge
Tangled In Blue – Bob Dylan
Incredible – Original

11. Dot Dot Dot
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Another Stupid Love Song - Original

12. Six Wire
The Tamborine Man- Bob Dylan
Good To Be Back - Original

"Tight" and "Musicality" seem to be the buzz words of this show. My first reaction is they need to focus on "vocals"? I will post my commentary tomorrow!

source: fox