American Idol

Rearview: The Week in Review (8/2/08-8/8/08)

Backwash

Start me up: The Stones came to town — and everyone knew it.

The Beatdown

In which yours truly auditions for Gimme the Mike.

Boulder's Ace Young back on American Idol -- kind of, sort of, in a way

The newly shorn Ace Young, now of "American Idol Extra." American Idol didn't prove to be a skyrocket to fame for Boulder's Ace Young, a 2006 Westword profile subject. But three years after finishing seventh in the contest -- remember how he equated that number with the one John Elway wore? -- he's ... More >>

Carrie Underwood

Sunday, March 9, Pepsi Center, 303-830-8497.

Idolicious

Sunday, March 9, Pepsi Center, 303-830-8497.

Royal Flush

Sunday, March 9, Pepsi Center, 303-830-8497.

Coming Up Ace

Ace Young wants to keep his private parts private.

Cowboy Up

We just can't quit this countrified Karaoke.

American I-Dull

Since anointing Kelly Clarkson, the star machine's been running on empty.

Various Artists

Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen (Hollywood)

Fantasia and Ruben Studdard

Free Yourself (J Records) I Need an Angel (J Records)

Denver Idol offers American Idol shortcut

When I heard about the American Idol auditions set to take place here July 12-14, I began looking into flights out of town, in order to avoid being trampled to death by wannabe superstars who'd actually like to see Paula Abdul in person. (It can't be any worse than the video version. Is there any ... More >>

Fresh Breath Committee's Purpose getting his 'Idol' on

While Fresh Breath Committee holds its breath for the results of the Westword Music Showcase, one member of the collective is participating in another contest. Purpose, aka Mykal Hudson, is a finalist in FOX 31's Denver Idol competition.Yes, he sings as well as raps. Who knew? He performed for local ... More >>

American Idol auditions: It's all over but the regrets

A Channel 31 photo of "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest being quizzed by 2/31's Chris Parente. Yesterday's American Idol auditions took place out of the view of local news cameras, in order to save the good, the bad and the ugly for the talent contest's next season of broadcasts. But that didn't s ... More >>

Shmuck of the Week: The Idol audition dog-killer

Sometimes we have to dig a little to find a shmuck worthy of our weekly dishonor. And sometimes, a dude lets his girlfriend's terrier die a slow death out in the car while he watches her audition for American Idol. Oh, Quincy Vanderbilt from North Dakota. You could have done so many things diffe ... More >>

Rough Draft

It'll Be Alright
Self-released

Another spot of genius from PETA

Q: What's the highest rated television show in the history of everything? A: American Idol. Q: And who is the most high-profile judge on American Idol? A: Simon Cowell. That's right.  And if there's one organization in the world that knows how to exploit celebrity (even if it happen ... More >>

Star Power

Learn about Afghanistan’s version of American Idol in a documentary.

We miss you already, Paula!: American Idol auditions in Denver, round two

Cheer up, Paula. You can always schedule a comeback tour. Straight up!​The American Idol auditions at Invesco Field last month attracted thousands of fame junkies, earned oodles of media attention and reportedly killed at least one dog. But today's session is the one that counts: It determines ... More >>

Top Five Candidates to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol

​So by now you've heard that legendary curmudgeon Simon Cowell is leaving American Idol after this season. Good for him. Probably a few years too late if he were hoping to jump ship before the franchise jumped the shark, but whatever. Anyhow, his absence will all but drain Idol's talent pool ... More >>

Bikini Boy speaks!: Ty Hemmerling on his revealing American Idol performance

Ty Hemmerling ties one on.​Last night's American Idol episode focusing on the show's Denver auditions introduced America to Fort Collins' Haeley Vaughn, who's clearly Colorado's great Idol hope. But arguably the most memorable moment came courtesy of Ty Hemmerling, dubbed "Bikini Boy" by judg ... More >>

Where's the fire? In your nose, with this wasabi alarm

​Another genius idea has emerged from Japan, where entrepreneurs have developed a fire alarm for deaf people that uses wasabi powder to penetrate the nostrils and alert them to imminent danger. The wall-mounted alarm has a container of compressed, concentrated wasabi mist that, at the first h ... More >>

Lilly Scott joins Haeley Vaughn as Colorado's great American Idol hopes

Based on the edition of American Idol focusing on Denver auditions, we declared Fort Collins' Haeley Vaughn to be Colorado's great American Idol hope. (Of course, Bikini Boy Ty Hemmerling made a different kind of impression.) But last night's episode marking the beginning of Hollywood Week (and the ... More >>

Five things to consider when naming your band

Photo by perfect_hexagonWhat's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet; (And be a lot easier to find via Google)​ So, you're starting a band, huh? Well, good for you. We hope you're enjoying our "Making the Band" series and finding the tips on the practical ... More >>

American Idol: Lilly Scott discusses her Idol experience

​ Lilly Scott isn't going to be the next American Idol. Not tonight. Not ever. And that's baffling. She should be. In spite of her undeniable talent, though, she wasn't even chosen to be among the final dozen contestants. Early on, before she was even cut, there was no shortage of folks (ours ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase headliners: Lilly Scott discusses her American Idol experience

​ By now, we're presuming you're already very familiar with Lilly Scott, the bewitching local siren who helped breathe new life into the tired American Idol franchise this year with her unique voice and unorthodox song selections. Given the other singers she was up against, we were certain sh ... More >>

Adam Lambert

Saturday, July 17, Paramount Theatre, 303-623-0106.

Seven Reasons American Idol Should Be Cancelled

​American Idol has been around for eight years and going on ten seasons. And really, anything has a natural lifespan, and television shows, for the most part, live theirs in close to dog years. Like Great Dane years. Which means, essentially, that American Idol is long in the tooth. It's blind ... More >>

Ten pop music paradigm shifts in 2010

​Teen dream Justin Bieber is arguably the biggest pop star in the country and Simon Cowell isn't doing American Idol. A lot's changed since last year in the world of pop. Institutions fell, ideas were challenged, and the Black Eyed Peas didn't have the number one song in the country at any poi ... More >>

American Idol is dead. What's next?

​Well, that was fun while it lasted. American Idol had its worst season premiere ever, coming off the heels of its first season where winning didn't translate to commercial pop success. Turns out J-Lo and fossilized Steven Tyler are pushovers trying to make their own careers as much as anyone ... More >>

Amerian Idol, Julie Zorrilla: another homegrown hopeful from Colorado

​Look out, Denver. Apparently, we have another American Idol contestant in our midst. And this one fits the title of American Idol better than anybody we've seen thus far. This is the second year in a row that we've had two ladies in the contest hailing from Colorado. You've already seen Emma ... More >>

Five better things for JLo to cry about than American Idol

​JLo couldn't handle the dream crushing on last week's American Idol. Apparently, she was under the impression that this show consisted of judges telling people how inspiring their life stories are. She shed some tears and questioned her future on the show, but despite the manufactured drama, ... More >>

American Idol is giving us a ticker-tape parade of the same boring B.S.

​JLo couldn't handle the dream crushing on last week's American Idol. Apparently, she was under the impression that this show consisted of judges telling people how inspiring their life stories are. She shed some tears and questioned her future on the show, but despite the manufactured drama, ... More >>

Constantine Maroulis and Jim Breuer at Rock of Ages party tonight at Rockaway

​As the musical Rock of Ages wraps up its Denver run, the Rockaway Tavern (2036 Broadway) is hosting an "Impromtu" closing night party tonight with American Idol contestant and Rock of Ages star and Constantine Maroulis and comedian Jim Breuer. Jerri Theil, who is hosting the party with Lynn ... More >>

Video: American Idol takes over Invesco

One of the best parts about living in America is freedom. The freedom to sing, dance, play in the streets, wear duct-tape skirts, paint your face for televised events and, most importantly, worship false idols. That's right, American Idol has invaded Denver yet again in search of that one voice, th ... More >>

American Idol wannabes in Denver did more before noon than you will do all day

4:30 a.m. today.​To cynics, American Idol is passé by this point. Season 10's Scotty McCreery only just won back in May. But auditions for Season 11 began weeks ago around the country, and this morning in the pre-dawn black around Invesco Field, wannabes were already lined up.

10 first videos on MTV to mark 30th birthday: Bet you forgot how terrible they were (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​MTV debuted thirty years ago -- and I was there. The cable system in my conservative hometown of Grand Junction began airing the net on day one -- and my friends and I were instant converts. We used the wall-to-wall music clips as near-constant background media even though many, ... More >>

Scotty McCreery breaks a few Billboard records, plus a breakdown of this week's charts

Scotty McCreery​Scotty McCreery's new album, Clear As Day, broke records this week by debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, proving that American Idol can still produce stars, even if it's been a while. Clear As Day is the first debut release from an American Idol winner to catapult to ... More >>

Reader: Leave Taylor Hicks out of this!

​If there's anything we've learned in our hundreds of years blogging, it's that American Idol fans are nothing if not loyal, passionate, outspoken and quick to defend the honor of whatever idol they happen to have a Google alert set for at the expense of disparaging any fellow alums they may b ... More >>

Brad Paisley hits the Pepsi Center on January 21 with the Band Perry and Scotty McCrerry

​Just in time for the annual National Western Stock Show, which will be wrapping up around then, Brad Paisley is slated to return to the Mile High City with the Band Perry and freshly minted American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. Tickets for this stop of the Camobunga Tour (don't ask -- we have ... More >>

American Idol returns tonight on Fox

Brit ChesterIs the next American Idol in this crowd?​And so it begins. Another edition of American Idol is upon us. Idol's eleventh season arrives tonight on Fox with a two-hour episode featuring scenes from Savannah, which served as the callback for the South Carolina auditions. Back in July, ... More >>

American Idol is back, with a new host of hopefuls

If the hat Steven Tyler wore during last night's premiere of American Idol is anything to go by, it's going to be an interesting season.​Nearly eight months since Scotty McCreery became America's latest Idol in May 2011, it's good to have the cast of American Idol 2.0 back in action. To wit, R ... More >>

American Idol in Pittsburgh: Judges still too soft

It's about damn time Randy Jackson got hard again.​American Idol glided through Pittsburgh last night without blemish. There weren't any major breakdowns, nor letdowns, nor catty digs at Steven Tyler's wacky facial expressions. No, the Steel City produced a cornucopia of talented, Hollywood-bo ... More >>

America Idol in Portland: The judges were spot on, but the contestants were a mixed bag

The panel was harder on Portland than previous cities, but it was a welcomed change of pace.​If you're going to take on Freddie Mercury's vocal prowess on "Somebody To Love" and use it as an audition piece for American Idol, you better be able to hit those notes. Unfortunately for the baby-fac ... More >>

American Idol in St. Louis: When the contestants are good, they're really good

Lauren Gray: a female favorite going into the Hollywood round next week.​Ah, the last of the auditions round of American Idol . With mediocre expectations of the talent going into the Hollywood round, there aren't more than ten contestants who truly blew us away thus far in the competition. Ho ... More >>

Magic Cyclops, American Idol nopeful, extends his nationwide notoriety

​Ah, yes, Magic Cyclops: To know him is to love him. The Quad City Madman (not really, you swag-jacking morning show mooks in Davenport -- he's all ours) has successfully turned a fleeting American Idol cameo into catapult to fame and fortune. Er, maybe just fame. The fortune part is still elu ... More >>