Hi Hollywood Bye Hollywood – American Idol

Was this necessary? A busload of contestants who had just arrived in Hollywood were sent packing by the American Idol judges before they even got a chance to unpack on February 5th! Ryan Seacrest gave it the big build up – it’s a new twist, the contestants didn’t even know they were being taken from LAX to an abandoned airplane hangar. The judges had watched all their auditions over and decided to give one last chance to a bunch that they had reservations about. It just seemed so stupid. They should not have given these kids tickets to Hollywood to put them through this. We came out of this round — Hollywood or Home — with a new nickname for Harry Connick, Jr.: Honey Badger Harry.

Connick told the frightened performers that they weren’t getting another chance if they blew it in the hangar. They had to be great, and he told J-Lo and Keith Urban that those who were worthy wouldn’t screw up. Honey Badger Harry don’t give a shit. It was no mercy.

That spelled bad news for Caitlyn Johnson, whose performance of “Only Girl in the World” led Connick to say “I don’t know what we saw in her.” Adam Roth and his guru act may have amused the judges in auditions but his “Radioactive” while playing keyboard left Connick cold. “How hard is it to learn those chords?” he asked Keith Urban. “Extraordinarily weak” was Connick’s verdict on Morgan Deplitch’s rendition of “Brave.”

The worst part was when they split the group up and sent them out to get on 2 different buses, one going back to the airport and no one was told which bus they were on until after they rolled away. A very sucky way to treat contestants. Also sent home were: Ali Jane Henderson, Alyssa Siebken, Caleb Hartsfield, Connor Zwetsch, Eric Wood, Johnny Newcomb, Khristian D’Avis, M. K. Nobilette, Neco Starr, Rich LaFleur, Stephanie Petronelli and Tristan Langley. Tristan, you may recall, is the son of first season alum Nikki McKibben. We wonder how mama feels after seeing that happen to her boy.

On Day Two, the standard solo auditions took place at the Dolby Theatre. Our girl, Majesty York, continued to impress. Things also went well for John Fox, Brandy Neely and Austin Wolfe. Selena Moreno, a twin whose sister didn’t make it through a joint audition, just choked on her song and we were surprised that she was allowed to try again. But she just couldn’t get it together and tears rolled down her face. At least her sister was there to comfort her. So second chances were okay in this round and another went to Keith London who decided to make a statement by singing “If I were a Boy” with an out of tune guitar. J-Lo thought it was a bizarre bid to stand out but Connick told him to sing something else because they were talking the whole time, so distracted were they by the song choice and guitar. Keith saved himself with “Same Love.” Munfarid Zaidi, the contestant who Harry Connick cradled like a baby, made his father very proud with his rendition of “Proud Mary.” Other eliminations included Ayla Stackhouse, Bryan Watt, Jack Janowitz, Jade Lathan, Lauren Ogburn, McKenna Davis, Quaid Edwards, Samantha Calmes, Sydney Arterbridge and Viviana Villalon. Some of those who were sent home were able to take it in stride, vowing not to give up their dreams.

The next order of business was to prepare for Group Night, or as one contestant, Emmanual Zidor, put it “Hell Night.” Some of the contestants had this task covered, having decided to team up before they even got to Hollywood. Others saw their hopes evaporating as they tried to get it together, knowing that it wouldn’t matter how brilliant they were if someone in the group “phoned it in” or just plain screwed up. The chopping block will return tomorrow.