Rock Star - 6/30 Live Performance Report **MAJOR SPOILERS**

[LAGuy]

WARNING! THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I was at the first Live Performance taping of Rock Star: Supernova on Friday night, June 30. If you don’t want to know who sang what or to get some early impressions of the performances, TURN BACK NOW!

For everyone else, come on in and make yourselves comfortable! I think we’ve got a rockin’ season ahead of us!

Before we begin, I just want to make a couple points.

First of all, my critiques of the performers are only my impressions based upon the immediate experience of the taping. As such, they are very fluid, and can change or refine themselves -- especially after seeing the broadcast show. Please don’t take them as gospel – or even as being my final word.

Secondly, although I tried to keep track of the comments made to each contestant, I pretty much gave up after the first few. The guys in Supernova (especially Jason Newsted) are a much more garrulous bunch than INXS, and Butch Walker was sitting there critiquing, too. Most of the comments will never make the air because the show ran hellaciously long and they’re going to have to cut somewhere. If I notice anything significant missing after the episode airs, I’ll be sure to clue you in.

Last, but MOST IMPORTANTLY: Because of the *Spoiler* nature of this thread, please do NOT take any discussion or reports from here into the regular forums. If, for example, you read here that one contestant has a particularly good (or bad) performance, DO NOT POST about it anywhere else on the board. OK?

What happens in this thread, stays in this thread.

With that said, let's get this party started!!!

[LAGuy]

To begin with, it was kinda strange to be back in the studio: The Mayan set was the same, the House Band was the same (YAY!), and Brooke and Dave were still there. But there were these Other Guys sitting where Our Band INXS used to be. And there were a whole bunch of brand new faces over in the Rockers Pod. (It was also strange to see so many of them there. There haven't been that many bodies in the Pod in a looong time.)

Now, before going to the show, I hadn’t done my homework. I intentionally avoided listening to any tracks or finding out any stuff about the contestants (aside from reading those brief bios at MSN). And, even though a short video package was shown before each of them performed, I couldn’t hear much – because the crowd kept cheering through most of them. So I still don’t know a lot about the contestants. Maybe that’s best.

Anyway, it was 6:00pm. The audience had been primed, the Rockers and judges were seated, introductions were out of the way, and it was time for the performances to begin.

Storm Large - Pinball Wizard
Great voice, tremendous stage presence, and a personality that is larger-than-life (no pun intended). I thought she gave a terrific performance, and Dave called it “super dope.” Tommy, however, wondered why she picked that song and asked her to pick something more current the next time. Bottom line: After Dilana (see below), she’s probably the woman with the best shot. Though she comes on pretty strong, that may be what is necessary to hang with these guys.

Ryan Star – Iris
What would a taping of Rock Star be like without at least one “WTF?” moment? You know, when it seems like everyone is hearing and seeing something different than you are? I got my first one in the case of Ryan Star. I wasn’t feeling his version of Iris at all. It didn’t jell, and I felt like he was trying way too hard. So you can imagine my surprise when Dave and Supernova were laudatory in their comments. Bottom line: WTF? Am I missing something here?

Toby Rand – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Toby went acoustic with this, delivered an incredibly intense performance, and got props from every one of the judges. Though not my favorite song, I infinitely preferred his version to the 2 we heard last year. Personally I love the sound of his voice – a nice, growl-y baritone – and can’t wait for him to really rock out. Bottom line: Expect him to be around for a good long time.

Patrice Pike – Somebody to Love
Another song recycled from last season. Heather did a pretty good job with it then, and Patrice did likewise this time around. I thought she started off kinda weak – her voice seemed to get lost in the mix – but she pulled it together fairly quickly and finished strong. Dave thought she “seriously killed that”. Bottom line: Middle of the pack right now, but may have some surprises in store.

Magni – Satisfaction
A perfect example of how song selection can hurt you. There’s only so much you can do with this song: it’s repetitive, doesn’t have a lot of range, and will be forever owned by Jagger. I think Magni may have something to show us that he didn’t here; then again, maybe not. SN was lukewarm -- and the dreaded “Too Vegas” accusation reared its ugly head for the first time. Bottom line: Not a good sign when the band is questioning whether you are right for them in the first week. He’s going to have to really bring it next time if he wants to last.

Zayra Alvarez – Bring Me to Life
I just didn’t get Zayra. Not her look, not her voice, and not her “flamenco”-style. But YMMV. She met with divided opinions from the judges, too. Dave thought she bordered on “Shakira Land”, but Jason proposed marriage to her on the spot. So go figure…. Bottom line: May be too much of an acquired taste and not broad enough in her appeal to go very far.

Jenny Galt – How You Remind Me
This is someone I’m going to pay close attention to on the broadcast because, frankly, I’m coming up with a big blank right now. In my mind, I can see her on stage playing her guitar - but I’m not hearing her or remembering much of anything else. (On the plus side, that must mean she didn’t suck, as I surely would've remembered if that were the case.) The band gave her props on her “look”, and others I’ve talked to have said positive things about her. Bottom line: **Spoiler error** Please check back later.

Josh Logan – She Talks to Angels
This one is tough, because I can see what people like in him – but he doesn’t do anything for me. At least, not yet. His voice is very distinctive, and you’ll either love it or it’ll leave you cold. I’m in the cold zone right now, but that could change with a bit more familiarity. Once again, SN was appreciative, while admitting they weren’t sure if his vibe would fit with them. He was a huge favorite with a lot of the crowd, however, so he shouldn’t be in any danger. Bottom line: I’m going to take a “Wait & See” on this one.

Matt Hoffer – Yellow
A good, solid middle-of-the-pack performance. Nothing to really write home about, but perfectly fine for what it was. Matt seems like a nice kid and his talk about “following your dreams” was obviously sincere. But if his dream is to front SN, he might want to come up with a more realistic goal, 'cause, right now? I can’t picture that happening. Bottom line: He’ll probably be around for a little while, so he’ll have a few more chances to show us if he’s got what it takes.

Dilana – Lithium
Marty blew the roof off last year with this song, and Dilana followed suit. Was she better than Marty? I didn’t think so, but I also accept that I may find myself in the minority with that opinion. But it really shouldn’t matter who was “better” because the essential fact is: Dilana. Blew. The. Roof. Off. Dave and Jason gave her a Standing O, with Dave proclaiming: “That was INSANE!!!” And Tommy dabbed his eyes as if crying tears of joy. Bottom line: Not just Finalist material, but one of the few who look like they truly belong with this band.

Dana Andrews – I’m the Only One
She’s got a strong voice, but her performance was rote and lacked any kind of edge. As Dave said, it would have been very well suited to “that other singing competition.” Most of the band were kind, if not terribly enthusiastic. Bottom line: She’s awfully young and awfully cute, and I can’t see her fronting Supernova in a million years. I think she’ll be an early boot.

Phil Ritchie – Cult of Personality
Another weird one to assess. His performance didn’t really register with me, but I remember the guys going on & on about how he had a whole Depeche Mode thing happenin’. I couldn’t help thinking that giving Phil props for having a DM vibe was not exactly a ringing endorsement for him to be the front man for Supernova. It was like they were saying “You’re so good at what you do, but what you do is not right for us.” They seem to like him; but also seem to have made their minds up already. Bottom Line: He’s a goner; the only question is When?

Jill Giola – Piece of My Heart
Her whole performance, outfit (lots of boobage & spangles) and manner came off as too manufactured to me. If there was anyone from this group who could have been labeled as “Too Vegas”, it was Jill. Maybe because, as she admitted, she’s done this song a gazillion times before, it had a by-the-numbers feel to it. SN lauded her voice, but also felt she needed to do something she was less familiar with. Bottom line: Though she was showing a lot on top, expect her to be in the bottom half.

Chris Pierson – Roxanne
What would a taping of Rock Star be like without at least one trainwreck? Chris tried to do a JD and change the arrangement, but it just came out a mess. (It honestly took me half the song to figure out what in hell he was singing!) Chris explained that he wanted to make the song sound more contemporary, but the band pointed out that he reduced it down to about 3 notes. Bottom line: If he makes it past this week (and I hope he does), he’s really going to have to make up for some lost ground.

Lukas Rossi – Rebel Yell
Looking at his bio, I didn’t think I’d care much for Lukas. But that was before he came out and blew everyone away with one of the best effing performances of the evening! Dave could only re-use the same comment he made to Dilana: “That was INSANE!” Tommy appeared thunderstruck, and Jason gave him a Standing O, before holding up Lukas as an example of how to be "real" to the other Rockers. Lesson learned by me: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Bottom line: A few more performances of this caliber and we’ll be seeing him in the Finals.

So there you have it. A few real standouts, a couple who I think are cannon fodder, and a solid middle ground with some real potential. As we’ve seen before, some of those lagging at the start can gain momentum (see Suzie McNeil), while frontrunners can falter and fall (cough*Jordis*cough). The only thing I can be certain of at the moment is that we are all in for one helluva summer!

[JLuvs]

Thanks for the report. I wish I could be there this season. I can't wait to watch and see what I think.

[jasmar]

Wow, Rebel Yell doesn't really give a singer much to work with, and Lukas was still that good? Bodes well for him. Although I can't stand 80s big hair bands, I may have to tune in just to see some of these performers.

Thanks, LAGuy!

[ShrinkingViolet]

Thanks for your insight on the live performance, LAGuy! This season sounds as though it's going to be a mixed-bag of entertainment. I was worried this season's show couldn't measure up to the last season, but it sounds as though it is going to do just that. I'd watch just to hear the House Band, anyway--because they rock.

Though not my favorite song, I infinitely preferred his version [Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door] to the 2 we heard last year.

Come on, now. How could it possibly be any worse than Dana's last year?

Bottom line: Though she was showing a lot on top, expect her to be in the bottom half.

Okay, that was pretty funny.

[Salty Sea Hag]

I'm glad to hear the Canadian did well. Way to go Lukas! He was so broke he almost didn't make it to the Canadian tryouts. Someone really believed in him and insisted he go. They picked up the tab to get him from Toronto to Vancouver.

[Qboots]

Thanks for the recap LAGuy!!! I can't wait to see the show!

[Lois Lane]

LAGuy, I'll tell you, I wasn't really looking forward to this season's show and hadn't been planning on watching. BUT ... your spoilers were so good I'll have to tune in now! (I also have a soft spot for this show 'cause that's how I found the FORT...so I'll have to watch and gab with all my FORT friends.) Isn't Dilana the buddy of someone on this board?

[nessamyre]

Yes she is. Dilana is a friend of mine and Boop2.

[tekcat]

Great recap LAguy, thanks!