Jason Castro Live at the Ayala Malls this March!

From Warner Music Philippines:

JASON CASTRO LIVE AT THE AYALA MALLS THIS MARCH!

“Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” A Sweet-Summer-Lovin’ Tune Off His ‘Love Uncompromised’ EP

Those who watched Jason Castro on the seventh season of American Idol are by now familiar with his likeably down-to-earth personality and aw-shucks demeanor. When he opens his mouth to sing, it’s like watching a totally different person. Any off-beat quirkiness seems to fall away when his authentic maturity and spell-binding voice melts the hearts of every listener.

This March get mesmerized while Jason Castro belts out colorful summer lovin’ tunes in Manila! You’re in for a sweet summer and post-Valentine treat from Warner Music Philippines and the The Ayala Malls as Jason Castro is looking forward to serenading his Manila & Cebu fans.

Catch him live at these series of shows:

March 18 – Trinoma
March 19 – Glorietta 5
March 20 – Ayala Center Cebu
March 21 – Market! Market!

Castro—A multi-talented singer and guitarist, was among the most popular and talented artists in American Idol history, entering the record books as the first contestant to play an instrument on the show. His performance of the Leonard Cohen-penned classic “Hallelujah” proved such an audience favorite that the late, great Jeff Buckley’s rendition of the song hit #1 on the iTunes chart the following week, selling an astonishing 178,000 digital singles. Jason scored a chart-topping single of his own a few weeks later with his interpretation of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” which also hit #1 on iTunes after a show-stopping performance of the song on American Idol. Upon the season’s conclusion, Castro was among the stars of the hugely successful “American Idols LIVE! 2008 Tour 2008”

The 22-year-old Texan earned himself a devoted fan base eager to hear what he would do once freed to perform his own songs. Those folks will get their chance with the release of Castro’s self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records. His season’s winner, David Cook, and runner-up, David Archuleta, both released debut albums about six months after the season finale. But no one rushed Jason Castro to pin down his style, and he certainly didn’t rush himself. It’s among the most sure-footed records, debut or otherwise, by an “Idol” contestant from any season. Partly that’s because Mr. Castro has had time to marinate, and to woodshed.

The heydays of the two David’s are over, it’s time to make way for Jason Castro’s music to fill the days of your summer and forward. Coming soon the Philippines is his The Love Uncompromised EP, a prelude to a full album this set to be released at a later date under Warner Music Philippines. For now you can enjoy “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” on you cell phone and get the heart-on-sleeve and toe-tapping pop ringtune when you text JC to 5677!

Jason Castro Live at the Ayala Malls is brought to you by Warner Music Philippines & The Ayala Malls!

Jason Castro's coming to the Philippines!

My current LSS :)

Jason tweeted that he'll be coming to the Philippines mid-March! I didn't get to watch Kris :( But I hope I'll get to see Jason.

Trivia: Jason just got married! (A day before I did :P)

AI8: Finale Moments

The Adam Show
It is common opinion that the show's producers and judges pimped Adam Lambert to no end throughout the entire season. Some would say it isn't unmerited, but some would also agree it went overboard. The finale results show was no exception.

• The coronation song "No Boundaries" was written for Adam's range, and even he suffered from the high pitch. Though I think they lowered the pitch for the results show because Kris didn't struggle much with the high notes then.
• Adam got to perform with Kiss, and Kris got to perform with Keith Urban. Isang malaking NGEK.
• The final two got to sing with Queen, which is right up Adam's alley, what with online opinion calling him the next Freddy Mercury.
  

Nitpicking much? :P

I read in an online forum that Adam was offered to fill in Freddie Mercury's spot in Queen. If it's true, then way to go Lambert! Take the gig!

Favorite Moments
Anyway, here are my favorite moments from the final results show:

• Norman Gentle/Nick Mitchell rocks AI once again!
• Kara DioGuardi's nice tummy trumps Bikini Girl's new boobs!
• Kris's winning moment. Kris fumbled with words and blurted out that he himself was expecting Adam to win. And I swear, I heard him say to Ryan, "Are you freakin' serious?!"
• Kris's moment with his wifey. Prior to that he was channeling shock and disbelief, but I guess the happiness only sunk in when he could share it with his wife.

One thing to like about Kris
I liked this commentary on Kris's victory: Kris Allen gives American Idol back its heart
(Note: this is not an anti-Adam article, as the excerpt may seem; read the whole thing)

Excerpt:

But while the public gaped in awe at Lambert’s virtuosity, one quiet young man, week after week kept delivering performances that were a quiet way solid at worst, and often intensely beautiful. We never saw his audition video. We never saw his Green Mile sing-off. Nothing cued us to expect anything of Kris Allen. Indeed, every week he seemed almost to expect to be eliminated. But he stayed and little by little, while others' virtuosity flowered, Kris Allen slowly came to embody the "American Idol" dream – the idea that a kid from the outskirts of nowhere could line up to sing a song, a few months later, if he stays true to who he is and where he came from – a world beyond his wildest dreams could be his.

That was never Adam’s story. One always had the slight sense that Adam understood that Idol was just a step in his career. That while others thought they had reached the pinnacle of the known universe, Adam understood there were in fact, higher peaks waiting ahead for him. An understandable sentiment from anyone with a bit of exposure to the entertainment business, but not one that brought tears to people’s eyes when they thought of his journey.

I first talked to Kris at the party after the Top 13 announcement. I found him standing alone while other contestants were being mobbed, and I asked him if he was prepared for his life to change completely. He seemed taken aback by the question, focused on how thrilled he was just to be there that week, and it seemed, with little expectation of anything more being handed to him – let alone his “life being changed.”

AI8: All this Kris vs Adam brouhaha

Just like last year, I stand corrected.

Last year, I said TCO David Archuleta would win over David Cook. Last week, I said TCO Adam Lambert would no doubt win this over Kris Allen.

On both instances, I was proven wrong.

I've gone through pages and pages of post-AI8 opinions and I have so much going on in my mind right now about this season. So to prevent myself from rambling on about it all, I'll confine my post to bullet points (actually it's just an excuse because I can't make a coherent blog post about this hehe).

• I am truly, genuinely happy that Kris Allen won this year. I'm happy for Adam Lambert, too, because he showed how much of a friend and sport he is - he seemed really happy for Kris, too (whether it was a just a front doesn't matter - he appeared every bit of a gentleman when results were announced).
  
  
• I think Kris is this season's Elliott Yamin - just some kid from nowhere, no prior experience, no prior exposure, whose humility is so heartwarming and admirable. Maybe that's why the voters could relate to him - he's just like us, they'd say. Did I hear it right, he actually asked Ryan Seacrest, "Are you freakin' serious?!" Ewan, parang narinig ko yun when I watched the replay last night. Love how he was SPEECHLESS about the whole thing, much like how David Archuleta was amazed with all the attention he was getting last season.
  
  
• It's quite sad that a good lot of online opinion tends toward Kris winning not because of his own merit but because of anti-Adam sentiments. Kris won because Adam was gay. Kris won because Danny Gokey's fans voted for him. Kris won because people thought he could use the title more than Adam needed it. Di ba pwedeng Kris won because a good part of the voters had the same taste in music as Kris and actually liked his performances over Adam's?
  
  
• Also, we can't condemn people because they prefer pop rock over glam rock, could we? Minsan kasi sa forum na binabasa ko, some people think their musical taste is so much superior than others, and get so riled up at Kris fans because Kris's music is laid back and simple and background music at best (according to them). Of course everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but hopefully not at the expense of demeaning others. I admit I've felt the same before, and voiced out my opinion, too. But now I realize: too each his own. So now I say down with the holier-than-thou attitude!
  
  
• MY opinion is this: I'm a big rock fan - I'm open to all kinds of rock (and most kinds of music, actually), though I prefer the noisier ones, the more angsty ones. But somehow, I choose Kris's pop over Adam's glam. And it's not the subgenre that affects my decision, but the singers' delivery. Kris keeps it cool, changes things up a bit, and I love the way he moves with his guitar (the facial expressions don't bother me much). Adam's always exciting, but for me it's mostly over-the-top. I like screaming in rock songs, a la Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), but Adam's high notes for me are just like Regine Velasquez's or Celine Dion's or Charice Pempengco's birit. And there's too much of it. If you string together his performances, it's just like one long song; I can't imagine myself sitting through a concert full of those high notes (though I admit an Adam Lambert show would be interesting to watch).
  
  
• On a personal level, I (and maybe Kris's voters) can relate more to Kris Allen's humility. What I mean is that I've never had Adam's FTW ambition. I'd rather stay low-key, and if people appreciate what I do, then good. I hate that in competitions, there has to be a loser. I guess I was never trained to be competitive, hehe. I also understand that others would prize Adam's ambition, and I recognize that that is actually Adam's best asset. He believes in himself, he knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. I just hope that each of these singers' strengths would serve them well as they build up their careers hereafter.
  
  
• Speaking of their careers, predictions abound that Adam will outsell Kris, like Chris Daughtry did Taylor Hicks, or Jennifer Hudson compared to Fantasia. And maybe I'm saying this because I prefer Kris's performances than Adam's, but I hope people would stop wishing ill on Kris just to say I-told-you-so. Maybe for some, it's just an honest, no-malice prediction, but for other posts I've seen, the comment reeks with bitterness, hehe.
  

Well, so much for NOT rambling :D But anyway, I, like most bloggers, just wanted to say my piece.

Bottomline is, I just hope people would be happy for Kris and Adam. Heck, they themselves and their families seem happy for each other! I think the fans need to move on :P

David & David! :)

Live! Live audio! :)) Yey, Andrew's taking me to MOA tonight! Sa labas lang naman, but that's all I really could ask for right now :D We spent so much on concerts last March (3 major gigs in 3 weeks!), and we really have to (well,*I* really have to) save up for our wedding in January, so gigging isn't really on our list of dates right now.

But YEY! I get to hear the Davids tonight! I hope there'll be videowalls again up high, like at the Eheads gig...though I doubt they're gonna be that generous with the freebies hehe. I wonder if Cook's gonna cover 90's songs.

It was only last night when I saw them on Chika Minute (hehe) that I realized I would really like to go tonight. So yeah, thanks baby!!!

I'm such an Idol freak

AI8: What are the chances that Kris Allen will be the next American Idol?

Close to zero.

He'll only snag the title if:
- Adam really really really (to infinity) messes up his finale performances, so much so that even his own fans won't vote for him (asa pa diba)
- all of Adam's phone and text lines jam up such that no votes at all can come through, but then of course that would be an invalid win for Kris
- a good (big!) portion of Danny's fans will pledge their support for Kris instead of Adam (this is the most likely possibility among the three, though I doubt if it's gonna work)

I think the last time the Finale was as skewed as this was when Diana de Garmo went up against Fantasia. The difference is, I liked Fantasia over Diana back then.

Now I think I know how Taylor-haters felt when Taylor snagged the title in Season 5. The difference is that it's actually still debatable if Taylor's talent does trump Katherine McPhee's (my opinion is that it's irrelevant to compare them; they're from different genres). For this season, Adam's talent is way out of league, that anyone who goes up against him is at such a disadvantage.

So why will there still be a finale next week? All for entertainment purposes and making money. Adam had the title in the bag as soon as the judges started pimping him at the start of the season. And I've had all season to try to like him, but unfortunately, he's just not my cup of tea.

BUT...

if Kris Allen wins, I will be sooo totally happy, not because Adam lost, but because I actually like and appreciate Kris.

He first caught my attention when he did MJ's "Man in the Mirror". Prior to that he hardly had any exposure, and throughout the season he wasn't really considered one of the TCOs (the chosen ones), so he really is the darkhorse in this competition, which makes his inclusion in the finale such a sweet one :)

As for the homecomings shown tonight, Danny's was nice because he got to spend time with his best bud Jamar. Up until now, I CANNOT COMPREHEND why Jamar didn't make it to the semifinals :(

Kris's dad was sooo adorable, wearing his heart out on his sleeve.

Adam's kid fans were so cute. It was particularly funny when some guy asked who does Adam's hair :P

Lastly, Danny's swan song was wonderful. His performance tonight was even better than yesterday's, and maybe even better than Taylor Hicks's from Season 5.

If Danny puts out an album, I'm not sure I'm gonna buy it, because gospel is just not my genre. But if Ayala Malls brings him here, I'll do everything in my power to get meet and greets :D

AI8: And then there were three

Stuck here downstairs in front of the TV until AI and CSI are over :D

Nakakalungkot manood mag-isa, hehe. Namiss ko mga FB peeps who dislike Adam as much as I do :P

Danny's first song: Didn't know it, didn't like it. True, his dancing was horrible. Vocals, di ko rin masyado feel.

Kris's "Apologize": I'm not fond of the song, but I think Kris did a good job. But I'm not too overwhelmed by it.

Adam's "One": Haaay. "One" is a sacred song for me; the only version of it I like is the original (I hate the one they did with Mary J. Blige). Props to Adam for having the balls to toss around that song so much, but I didn't like it. Ok na sana yung simula, until he started using his high register, which I very much dislike.

Danny's "You Are So Beautiful": Liked it, but was not blown away like the judges were.

Kris's "Heartless": Di ko alam yung kanta, but I think it sounded good. And yes, he was brave indeed to go solo with his guitar.

Adam's "Crying": Andaming sigaw :( "Crying" is one of my most favorite songs from the 90's; I was hoping I'd like Adam because he sang that song. But, nah. Ambaduy pa nung last "crying" lyric niya, it didn't fit with the ending of the song.

This top 3 was quite underwhelming for me. Walang WOAH moments.

I have a feeling it's gonna be a Kris-Adam finale. But it's gonna be so lopsided, unlike last year where it was quite hard to pinpoint which David would be taking the title.

Aaah...gusto ko tumambay sa labas ng MOA grounds sa Sabado :D

Elliott Yamin's sophomore album out now!

Elliott's sophomore album is out! Well, at least in the States. Haaay, kailan kaya yun aabot dito...?

You can listen to some of the songs on his MySpace. The songs take getting used to...parang mas madali kong nasakyan yung sa first album. Though the acoustic live version of Fight for Love sounds great.

Pinapatugtog ba ang FFL sa radio stations natin? Di kasi ako nakikinig ng radyo eh. The official vid's out, too, though I doubt it's receiving airplay here already.

Sana bumalik si Elliott dito to promote his 2nd album!!! He'll be in Japan this June...what are the chances that he could stop by our country, too...?

"I think that you were meant to be alive on this very night with me..."

Naks!

Btw, can anyone point me to chords/tabs for EY songs, aside from those in Ultimate-Guitar.com?

Also, may kanta pala si Elliott sa latest album ni Taylor Hicks.

AI8: I hate the Top 4

Been away for two weeks, and the first thing I blog about is American Idol :P

Got to watch the Top 5 performances last week while we were having field biology in Bolinao. And I got to watch the Top 4 today, in the comfort of my own warm, cozy, bug-free home.

All I can say is that I hate it when Top 4 week comes around, because it's that part of the contest when I don't want any of them to go anymore.

This season really confuses me. The judges say conflicting things. The contestants keep picking songs that aren't good for them. The ones I like are mostly the ones other people don't, and vice versa. And I still can't get myself to appreciate Glambert.

And of course, still nothing tops my beloved Season 5. I'm never ever satisfied with any other AI season, and I always end up comparing contestants to Chris Daughtry, who was an awesome performer, or Elliott Yamin, who is the AI contestant with the most heart and soul. Until I see anyone who is in the same league as they are, I'll never ever be satisfied with AI.

This season's Top 4 especially made me miss Chris Daughtry so much. The first and last time I heard Renegade by Styx was when Chris sang it so awesomely in Season 5. But it was a treat for me to see Kris and Danny perform together. Hated Simon though for putting Kris on the spot and saying outright that Danny was better than him. How the hell do you react to a comment like that? I'd be quite embarrassed by it.

Speaking of Daughtry, I'm excited to see him back in AI tomorrow! I hope I'll be home for the 8pm show...or awake for the 11pm replay :D

As for tonight's performances...loved Adam's song choice, hated the performance. Loved Allison's song AND performance. Boo the judges for wanting yet another rendition of Piece of my Heart. That's like sooo gasgas you know?! Hehe. I actually liked Kris's Come Together, 'cause he changed it up a bit. And Danny took the Kiss of Death with Aerosmith's Dream On. Hello Danny, what made you think you could take on Steven Tyler's ball-crunching DREAM ON screams? I love you and all, but it was a totally bad song choice.

Oh, by the way, Slash on AI?! A bit laughable, but the fangirl in me was excited to watch him. Hehehe.

Happy birthday, Robert Danny Jr =D

Watching tonight's late replay of American Idol.

What the hell, they started with Danny Gokey because he's the oldest contestant?! Eh magka-age lang kami ah! Shucks, it's one of those darn-I'm-old-na moments >_<

Anyways, so yeah, happy birthday to Danny Gokey, who turns 29 on the 24th. And, yeah, happy birthday to my biggest celebrity crush, Robert Downey, Jr., who turned 44 last 4-4 (uy astig, hehe).

So yun, haven't been blogging about AI because I haven't had the time. I do get to watch the performance shows, but I rarely catch the results show anymore.

This is quite a confusing season for me. Most of the folks I like are the folks that get a lot of hate from the netizens, or the other way around.

Granted, Danny Gokey is probably overrated, but I love him anyway. I like the gruff in his voice, and the RDJ in his looks. So sue me.

I like Kris Allen, too. And I'm glad he doesn't have any haters (at least not as bad as those that hate Danny). Though I don't know the song he just sang tonight. Simon called the performance indulgent...how many times has he used that adjective this season?

So now it's Lil performing, but I'll just blog on anyway without waiting for their performances...

As much as Allison Iraheta is exactly the contestant I'd be rooting for - rocker chick type - I can't seem to appreciate her, and I have no idea why. Kulang ang dating niya para sa akin.
EDIT: Wow, hers was my favorite performance for the night. I may be biased toward the song choice, but the way she sang it was indeed awesome.

I like Megan Joy's tone, but it only suits certain songs. Too bad for her. I wasn't able to watch when she started talking back to the judges. Again, too bad for her. I did see though when she REALLY got fried by the judges after her last performance. Ouch.

Speaking about those who left, I also liked Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace.

I'm disappointed with Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds. They were really good during the auditions, but their performances always fall short.

As for Scott MacIntyre, it's nice that he gets to perform like this despite his handicap, but I think he has overstayed in the competition at this point.
EDIT: Kamusta naman yun, Scott singing, "Now I look into your eyes, I can see forever." Hehehe. Hey cool, he plays guitar. He seems better at the piano though.


Hmmm, who else. Matt Giraud. I dunno what to make of this guy. Doesn't appeal to me.

And there - Adam Lambert. This guy polarizes the show. You either love him or hate him. Sorry folks, but I am of the latter. Maybe he's just not my type *shrugs*
EDIT: His Mad World was a cover, a version that I never liked (though my sis used to play it all the time in the car). I smell another "Billie Jean" moment here (remember how they shot down David Cook last year?) Will someone tell me why I really can't seem to like Adam Lambert...? Puro rave kasi ang tao sa Peyups.com at sa AI YahooGroups na kasali ako, as well as on Rickey.org. Hmmm...And Simon gave him a standing ovation? That's HUGE isn't it? But...why? *kamot ulo* Funny comment on Rickey.org: "Simon stood up because he was ready to leave!" :))

- - - - -

Other birthday greetings for April 4:

Haberdey Justin & Jericca of the Bio Unit! Funny kwento about these two. When we were at a videoke place to celebrate their birthdays, as well as Lhen's birthday and Nino's departure (i-celebrate daw yun, hehe), the number for the 'Happy Happy Birthday' song was 4485, which is Justin and Jericca's birthday - April 4, 1985. La lang :)

Also, birthday shoutout to the one and only Heath Ledger. He would've been 30 this year...

AI8: Top 13 - Michael Jackson Night

I'm an AI fanatic. I'm a very very big MJ fan. And I've been in love with Robert Downey Jr. since the 90's. What more could I ask for?

Robert Danny Jr was H-O-T. Screw his haters. He's got talent and charisma. Definitely got looks. And finally his wife wasn't mentioned tonight. I hope that calms down his detractors. But it's still annoying how Paula gets all schoolgirl-giddy when Danny performs. Doubly outrageous when she virtually proclaimed him this year's Idol.

I love Michael Jackson. Weird outfits, troubled family life, and questionable behavior aside. He's one of those notorious artists that I choose to listen to even though nasty rumors and lawsuits constantly swarm his existence and sadly overshadow his artistry. His music is just SOOO brilliant, it's hard to ignore.

I love that a lot of songs tonight were taken from the Dangerous album. It's the album that introduced me to MJ back in 1993. I bought it for a school program; we were using "Heal the World" I was totally blown away by the album. My favorites were the ones picked by the finalists!

I liked Kris Allen's "Remember the Time". He strangely reminds me of a very youthful Christian Bale...can anyone explain that? I loved how he loved playing his guitar. And yeah, Simon was rude (as always) to mention the wife thing, but (as always) he was right - I was a bit disappointed to learn that Kris was married, hehe.

I liked Allison Iraheta's "Give In To Me". It was around '93 that I started to like rock, so I really dug this particular track from Dangerous. But I do wanna see a different side of Alyson.

I liked Scott MacIntyre's "Keep the Faith". Definitely one of the top songs in the album for me. But Scott's version lacked the "oomph" that MJ's had. Scott was right though - that's one totally inspiring song.

My faves for the night - Danny and Kris. Sorry, I'm driven by looks this season ('cause there isn't really that much talent to rave about, unlike with my uber favorite Season 5).

Folks I thought were ok but I guess that's just me - Michael (I like that he's an oil rigger who sounds like a boy-band-guy).

Folks I didn't like but I guess that's just me - Matt (not into his kind of thing), Adam (so do not like his glam rock persona...I mean, only Axl Rose and his crew would score points for that in my book).

Folks I hoped would step up but didn't - Anoop and Megan. Boo. Good luck with your next moves, because you kinda blew this one.

I wonder what the big announcement for tomorrow is...I'm guessing it's a change in the rules regarding who stays and who goes...Hmmm...

AI8: Top 36 1st Group

Just caught the 11pm replay. How come they didn't show the names and numbers during the recap at the end of the show? Isn't the recap supposed to help you remember who to vote? Or is it because it's a replay already, so it would be useless to show the numbers anyway? (Though they never edited the replays in previous seasons.)

Anyway, it was a night of bad song choices and nerves. The judges were mostly right. Paula annoys the hell out of me when she struggles with what to say, and ends up saying something stupid anyway. I don't like how Kara wants the girls to sing girly songs (hehe).

My bets, aside from Robert Downey Jr Jr: Anoop (definitely!), Alexis, Michael. Simon was right about Michael - wasn't a great performance, but he'll get votes 'cause he's a nice guy. I do hope Michael does go far because of his voice though.

I actually liked Danny's "Hero" better than his "Kiss From A Rose", which is saying a lot because in terms of the original songs, I like the latter waaay more than the former.

I don't like how Danny gets pimped so much. C'mon, the guy's got enough looks and talent to make it far on his own merit. He doesn't even need his personal sob story to be mentioned EVERY episode.

It was nice to see Jamar in the audience. Still can't get over how he was dropped after Hollywood round.

It was also nice to see Doogie Howser in the audience, hehe.

And yeah, Tatiana was way creepier this evening. She's playing us, I tell ya.

P.S. Folks are digging up dirt on Danny's church. Haven't had time to read it all, but it looks really ugly, if it were indeed true. Try topidol.wordpress.com.

AI8 (song featured in Hollywood round): Lee Ann Womack - I Hope You Dance

Danny Gokey (and a couple of others) sang this song during their Hollywood performances. Not too much a fan of the melody, but I definitely love the lyrics:

I HOPE YOU DANCE
Lee Ann Womack

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

AI8: Top 36 (Who are your faves?)

Danny Gokey FTW

AI8's Top 36, and my two cents worth on some of them:

1. Anoop Desai - one of my faves
2. Von Smith - annoying, over-the-top singer
3. Alex Wagner Trugman - geeks rule!
4. Adam Lambert - gay (which is not a bad thing, but I don't like him still)
5. Taylor Vaifanua
6. Jasmine Murray - sure Top 12
7. Arianna Afsar
8. Casey Carlson - pretty girl with the lovely smile
9. Megan Corkrey
10. Mishabonna Henson
11. Stevie Wright
12. (Joanna Pacitti Replaced by) Felicia Barton!
13. Kendall Beard - reminds me (very superficially) of Kelly Pickler, but in a good way
14. Kristen McNamara - waiting to see what she's got; find her slightly interesting
15. Alexis Grace
16. Scott MacIntyre - I fall for his sob story all the time
17. Lil Rounds - moms rule!
18. Jesse Langseth - nice vocals! But not too commercial ('cause it's not pop)
19. Allison Iraheta
20. Danny Gokey - FOR THE WIN!
21. Ricky Braddy
22. Matt Giraud - Simon says he's reminded of Elliott; I tend to agree at times
23. Ju’not Joyner
24. Jorge Nunez
25. Brent Keith
26. Stephen Fowler
27. Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle - my guilty pleasure :P
28. Jackie Tohn
29. Tatiana Del Toro - A.N.N.O.Y.I.N.G.; but makes for good TV (face it)
30. Nathaniel Marshall - drama boy, but can sing
31. Jeanine Vailes
32. Kai Kalama - I find him cool
33. Anne Marie Boskovich - sexy-naive-looking girl
34. Kris Allen
35. Michael Sarver - roughnecks rule! I love that this big guy sings like he's from a boyband :P
36. Matt Breitzke - roughnecks rule!

Echoing a comment from Peyups.com: parang wala masyadong patapon this year

Also, it's touching to see that there are a lot of mommies and daddies in the group. Seeing their kids is always a joy. And knowing that they're doing this for their families is a nice thing. Pauso yan ni Chris Daughtry, who was very early on in AI5 touted as the 'rocker dad'. Hehehe.

AI8: Why did they send Jamar Rogers home???

I channel-surfed during the commercial break and forgot that I was watching AI and Jamar Rogers' fate was up next. When I got back, Jamar had come out of the judges' room already and was delivering the news to a very disbelieving Danny.

Ang aga naman nila mag shock-elimination. Just watched the re-run, note how the folks in the holding room couldn't believe the news either.

Di ko rin gets ba't di siya pinatuloy. He was good. I would've loved watching him and Danny go all the way to the top, and then I wouldn't mind anymore who would win :D

Jamar Roger's audition in Kansas City, Hollywood group performance of "Somebody to Love", Hollywood solo performance of "Hey There Delilah".

Just found him on MySpace and was delighted to see pics of him and his daughter, Freedom (I didn't even know he had one). He looks good with his long, curly hair, too.

AI8 early fave: Danny Gokey - RDJ on AI

What's not to like about a guy with a heart, a great voice, and a Robert Downey Jr vibe?! Too bad his wife passed away; she would be darn proud to see him do this for her.

Watch Danny Gokey's audition c/o Rickey.org

Danny's on MySpace, by the way. When I first found him there, he had around 800 friends. Now his friends list has 2,000+ people! This guy's a winner!

myAyalaMalls.com: Michael Johns to perform live in Manila at the Ayala Malls

From myAyalaMalls.com:

American Idol top finalist Michael Johns to perform live in Manila at the Ayala Malls.

Best known for standing among the top 12 finalists on last season’s hit TV show American Idol, musical marvel Michael Johns started out as a keen sportsman who played tennis and the Australian Rules Football. Upon moving to the US from Australia in 1988, he began singing in local bars in Atlanta, Georgia. As a fan of the reality music show American Idol, Johns decided to audition at age 28, the last eligible age to join. Effort and hard work paid off as he got a unanimous vote from all three judges with his rendition of Otis Redding’s I’ve Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding, and earned a trip to Hollywood. His high-powered version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in the Hollywood eliminations assured him a place in the Top 12.


TriNoma
Activity Center
November 18, 2008 - 7:00pm

Glorietta
Activity Center
November 19, 2008 - 7:00pm

Alabang Town Center
Activity Center
November 20, 2008 - 6:30pm

Greenbelt
Greenbelt 3, Park
November 21, 2008 - 7:00pm

One of them Aussie crushes

This guy hasn't been on my mind in a looong time. And now, in just two weeks, he'll be in my country, in my malls! (MY malls daw eh no)



I didn't know his band, The Rising, got [V] airplay. Is he hot or whut. Will definitely watch him at his Ayala gigs!

November 18: TriNoma Mall, Activity Center, 7:00PM
November 19: Glorietta Mall, Glorietta Activity Center
November 20: Alabang Mall, Activity Center, 6:30PM
November 21: Greenbelt Mall, Greenbelt 3 Park, 7:00PM
Thanks for Meg for the heads up, and for Isabel for being the source

Even after seeing Meg's and Isabel's posts, I just had to check the Ayala Malls website itself, and I actually squealed when I did see the dates for the gigs (no poster yet like that of Taylor or Elliott, but yeah, the dates are there!).

Shucks, na-excite ako dun ha.

If you still don't know him, he's Michael Johns from American Idol Season 7, the Aussie rocker who was one of the shock elims for that season. He was my bet!

I think this'll be added to my previous post - the things that keep me sane nowadays

Things that keep me sane

My previous entry talked about the things that are driving me crazy these days.

Now these are the things that keep me sane:

My guy.

My band.

My friends.

And of course - music. Such as this one, which is perfect for this sleepless Sunday morning: Sungha Jung's "Angel's Sunday" (originally by Kotaro Oshio):

And the news that this guy's coming to town:

Chris Daughtry told me...

...to "just breath". At that moment, I died

Long fangirly post ahead...proceed if you've got nothing better to do

Rewind to about an hour before...

Andrew who came from Xavier picked me up at Pisay around 5pm. Us high school teachers then went to Eastwood on a school night to watch Daughtry. Got to Eastwood around 5:30pm, parked, went down to the gig venue (Eastwood City Central Plaza).

Chanced upon where Daughtry CDs were being sold. Learned that there were still passes to the autograph signing session, so we quickly grabbed one copy and one pass each. Yey! (Wasn't counting on that anymore.) We also got to hear Chris soundchecking inside the venue with his acoustic guitar. I tried my best not to squeal or do cartwheels - ok, cartwheels I really can't do, but I did succeed at not squealing.

Autograph session started around 6:15pm in front of Shanghai Bistro. No cameras allowed, and only one CD per person (boo!); and I was good enough to comply (tucked Tomi the cam and my old Daughtry CD into my bag then proceeded to wait for the band to appear).


If this pic had audio, you'd hear the announcer saying, "...no cameras allowed during the autograph signing session..."

Chris and the band finally showed up, amidst hushed shrieks from the ladies in line. I spotted Chris, and was immediately drawn to his tattooed arm - I love it when guys' tattoos just peek from under their shirt sleeves.

We were part of maybe the first 30 folks in line, and the line was going awfully fast - strict security/assistants were making sure things went quickly.

I flipped through the CD inlay looking for a shot of the band to autograph, and it was only then that I discovered that it was only the back part (upon which the CD rests) that had a band pic; the rest were all just Chris. Pried that out of the case and presented it to Joey (drummer) to sign. I wanted to start a conversation, but the cat got my tongue - I was starstruck and speechless! As I said, we were ushered quickly, so this rushing and the fact that Chris Daughtry was in front of me didn't help one bit. Joey passed my inlay to Josh (guitarist), and I still failed to say hi or to offer a handshake - I just stood there smiling stupidly as he signed. When it was JP's (bassist) turn to sign, he asked me how I was and I replied truthfully, "I'm nervous!" And I think he answered something like, "I can see that!" And even though I got to talking, I was still too starstruck to offer a handshake.

Next thing I knew, it was Chris signing my CD sleeve, and all I could do was look...

I sooo wanted to say hi, to welcome him to the Philippines, to profess my love for him from waaay back Season Five semifinals...

But no...I just stood there stupidly like a freshman watching her senior crush go by...

Then Chris looked up and met my gaze...silence for a second...then he smiled and said, "Just breath..." at the same time I blurted out an attempt at conversation (what I actually said, I don't remember anymore!) So I just laughed and smiled back and was pulled down from Cloud 9 when the usher notified me that I had to go! The last guy, Brian (guitarist), had already signed my inlay without me knowing it. And he was grinning as if amused that once again Chris Daughtry had charmed another fangirly fan. So I quickly thanked Brian and proceeded to leave.

That moment wasn't as breathtaking as when I met Elliott Yamin, who I actually spoke to and whose hand I got to shake. But as I left the line, I was just as giddy as I was in TriNoma, September of last year.

After all the egging on of my bio co-teachers (Dacs, i-hug mo na si Chris ha!) as I kept lamenting that I didn't get to hug Elliott last year when almost everyone else in line did, I was even more chicken this time around! Not even a handshake! Buti pa si Drew nakamayan si Chris and some of the guys. So siya nalang kinamayan ko



Hahaha, autograph signing palang yung kwento ko!

Anyways... So we had dinner at Fazoli's then proceeded to our seats (Patron Center Left) inside the venue. I was seriously hoping the rumor that the Pinoy Idol contestants were fronting Daughtry wasn't true. And THANKFULLY it was just that - a rumor! At around 9pm, Daughtry started appearing one by one onstage, and the crowd went crazy.

This was how far we were from the stage.

I didn't write down the setlist, so I can't really recall the order. But basically they played everything from their debut album, plus two or three new songs, and one cover - Helter Skelter by the Beatles.

Rawr. Love the beard, love the tats.

Maaan, they're good! They're a tight band (I would've wanted to see some solos though), and Chris is one helluva vocalist, shining so very much more this time than when America the world watched him on TV in 2006.

By 10ish, the gig was over, and although I would've wanted them to just keep playing, I was super satisfied and thankful that I got to watch Daughtry. I can't wait 'til they come back to promote their second album. Hindi pwedeng hindi sila bumalik!!!

As we drove out of Eastwood City, we were stopped in front of McDonald's by traffic guards...the Daughtry van was passing through! I tried to take a video but was again all shook up by the fact of Chris's presence Kung pwede lang sila sundan all the way to EDSA Shangri-la, ginawa ko na. Yes, I'm a self-professed rocker-stalker.

And so ends my first encounter with Chris Daughtry and his band. And this definitely ain't gonna be the last!

Some of my fave shots:

JP and his hot tattoos.

Shoutout to Meg and Angelo, fellow Yaminoys who were out there to see another Season Five alumnus. The next pic's for you! (sorry malabo)

One word

More PICS and some VIDS are at my music Multiply. Do check out the snippet of "All These Lives". That was, for me, the best part of the gig. It was sooo beautiful, I had to put down the cam and watch it for myself.