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The landscape is melting and the sun is sitting higher in the sky.
Winter's wake is nearing the exit, one snow-capped foot out the door.
The city is shedding its gloomy hue, the treasured jewel of central enterprise awash in new light.
In the distance, a muted tape deck releases its pause button. Buds await their chlorophyll. Robins seem to multiply, dotting lawns and lampposts with heightened verse.
One can almost hear the wisp of a shuttlecock, a steady rhythm in the midst of laughter.
The '90s could lend itself to some bad music, and the Idol finalists managed to find some of it. This is a talented group, but in the end it was clearly the girls' night. Especially at the very end. Here's the order of how the 10 finalists performed last night, with the odds of winning it all in May:
1. Vonzell Solomon
By far the best of the night. A lot of Idol wannabes try to sing Whitney with disastrous results. Vonzell was flawless, hitting every note, even the impossible ones. The most improved singer finally earns a spot at No. 1. Will she stay there? Not likely. But she's a player.
Odds of winning: 5-1
2. Carrie Underwood
Another strong week from a singer who has to be considered one of the front-runners. When she's at her best, it's difficult to find anyone here with a better voice. There's no denying her talent. Regardless of what happens in her Idol quest, she will go on to be a well-respected country star.
Odds of winning: 4-1
3. Nadia Turner
Nadia's back. Liked the Melissa Etheridge. Thought she was trying a little too hard, and came across as over the top in spots. She makes some nasty faces, which border on downright scary. Finding yourself in the bottom 3 instills a sense of urgency and Nadia got to work and found her groove again.
Odds of winning: 5-1
4. Nikko Smith
The Son of Ozzie has a big voice and is making the most of being asked back. Wasn't crazy about the song but it gave him an opportunity to show off his pipes. This is two strong efforts in a row. The dance moves were wacky, but he needs to do something to set him apart.
Odds of winning: 10-1
5. Anthony Federov (bottom 3)
This kid comes out every week and sings his heart out but the judges continue to ridicule him, especially Simon. Not sure what's going on in the judges' minds, unless they're trying to steer America away from rooting for another Clay. Thought he showed excellent vocal control and was one of the better singers. Deserves better.
Odds of winning: 15-1
6. Scott Savol
One week he's slinging his glasses and the next week he comes out in what looked like shiny striped pajamas. He has a very nice voice -- smooth and velvety. Kind of sounded like Ruben last night. Picked a tough song to sing, was a little pitchy in spots but still managed to deliver. Talented kid who deserves to be here.
Odds of winning: 10-1
7. Constantine Maroulis
Took Bo's lead and sang something slow and thoughtful. Wasn't crazy about the song choice, considering what he could have picked. Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" would have been a great choice. Thought he sang well, and clearly looks like he's more comfortable. Growing fan base adores him. How cool would a Constantine-Bo final be? Hmm.
Odds of winning: 8-1
8. Bo Bice
When you cover a band with an average singer and turn up the volume, bad things can happen. Bo is better than Chris Robinson and should have avoided the Black Crowes. Thought this was more entertaining than a good vocal performance. Loved the moves in front of the judges but Bo didn't do anything to propel himself forward. Still one of the favorites.
Odds of winning: 4-1
9. Anwar Robinson (bottom 3)
Kind of feel like the music teacher hasn't been doing his homework. Sounds like he's getting a little worse each week, if that's possible. Thought he was off-key for much of the song and too subdued and mellow until the end. Sounded like an airline commercial. His stock has dropped. He needs to turn it around fast, but is it even in him?
Odds of winning: 10-1
10. Jessica Sierra (bye, bye)
She's not a bad singer, but this is a talented Top 10. Someone has to go and it may as well be the least memorable of the bunch. Thought she was singing an octave too low for much of the song and had trouble defining what she was singing. Was it country or was it pop? Off she goes.
Odds of winning: 20-1
Photo courtesy of Ashley in Saratoga.
"I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward."
-- Thomas Edison
With Terri Schiavo and Michael Jackson dominating the headlines these days, the Bobby Fischer story went virtually unnoticed.
The Chicago-born chess legend, who dominated the game in the early '70s, was released last week after nine months' detention in Japan, where he had been held for trying to leave the country using an invalid U.S. passport.
The
story is bizarre.
Fischer's rise to fame was beating Russian chess whiz Boris Spassky in 1972, claiming the first U.S. world chess championship in more than a century. Then, in Syd Barrett-like fashion, he chose not defend the title. This allowed Anatoly Karpov to claim the title. Karpov went on to great fame, most notably for his rivalry with Garry Kasparov. It was Kasparov who lost to Deep Blue, an IBM computer.
Fischer, now 62, eventually made it out of Japan to Iceland, the place where he beat Spassky to rise to fame 33 years ago. En route from Japan to Iceland last week, Fischer railed at the Japanese government for his detainment, calling it a "kidnapping." He insists his passport was legitimate.
Fischer was defiant when he arrived with his fiancee, Miyoko Watai, at the Tokyo airport after being released. As he walked toward the airport entrance, he turned, unzipped his pants and acted as if he was going to urinate on the wall. He called Japan's ruling party "gangsters."
A federal grand jury in Washington, meanwhile, reportedly is investigating possible money-laundering charges involving Fischer, and he may face tax-related charges as well. Fischer was reported to have received $3.5 million from the competition in the former Yugoslavia, and boasted then that he didn't intend to pay any income tax on the money.
Fischer, should he ever decide to return to U.S. soil, would be held accountable for violating U.S. sanctions as well. When he played Spassky in a 1992 exhibition rematch, it was against sanctions meant to punish then-president Slobodan Milosevic. Fischer, who won the match, could face 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Bizarre.
Asia. Molson Golden Ale. Trivial Pursuit. Endless winter. Van Halen. The Detroit Tigers. Long Island summer. Bruuuuuce. Vanessa Williams. The Cosby Show. Karma Chamelon. Footloose.
Photo by Julie Lewis, Oneonta Daily Star. Courtesy of Ashley in Saratoga.
Perhaps the most entertaining Idol yet. The singers made the most of a good theme with excellent song choices. Unlike the last two seasons, there's no clear-cut favorite here. On a night when two of the front-runners were weak, the field is flattening out. And what's with the kissy-face banter between Simon and Paula? It's a tired routine. Just make your comments and move on. And now a revote. Is this a ploy to add another night (re: ad dollars). Whatever. Here's the order of how the 11 finalists performed last night, with the odds of winning it all in May:
1. Carrie Underwood
Best performance of the night. Finally, her breakthrough effort. Tough to tackle "Alone," a signature Ann Wilson classic. Wilson is one of rock's best vocalists. Thought she was a little shaky on the high notes, but handled herself well. Liked her new hairstyle. She's not going to win the whole thing (Simon is overreacting), but she'll easily crack the top 5.
Odds of winning: 5-1
2. Bo Bice
A close second. Excellent song choice, as Bo embraces the opportunity to show his softer side. Clearly a versatile performer, he'll pick up some new fans with this effort. From "Whipping Post" to "Time in a Bottle." Gotta love this guy. One of the few last night not competing with backup vocals. The focus was on Bo and he sounded great. Jim Croce would have loved this.
Odds of winning: 3-1
3. Nikko Smith (bottom 3)
Give this guy a full week to prepare and he delivers. Much, much better than last week, and his best performance to date. Thought he showed good vocal range. A little boy-bandish, but that's his style. Like the black suit. Not convinced he has the fan base, so would not be surprised to see him in the bottom 3. Deserves better.
Odds of winning: 12-1
4. Scott Savol
Where's Scott? He's still looking for his glasses. What goes through the minds of these performers under the spotlight? Very good job. Thought his vocals were clean, inspiring and thoughtful. Loved the sloppy shirt look. He's the everyman of the competition. Getting better each week. Velvety voice.
Odds of winning: 10-1
5. Vonzell Solomon
Wasn't crazy about the song, but she sang it well. A little over the top at times and there was too much going on -- loud backup vocals, dancing on Bo's auxiliary stage, singing to the judges -- and she seemed out of breath at times. She's a good singer and, like Scott, seems to be getting better each week.
Odds of winning: 8-1
6. Jessica Sierra
Tough, tough song to sing. The summer of '83 this song was everywhere. Thought she did OK. Some parts were good, but she had trouble enunciating the lyrics, making them indecipherable. Too bad, because these are great lyrics. Pace seemed a little fast as well, like she was rushing it. She'll probably escape the bottom 3 this week.
Odds of winning: 10-1
7. Anthony Federov (bottom 3)
Hated the song choice. Like Jessica, thought he had trouble enunciating the lyrics. The Wham sound just seems tired and irrelevant. Would have loved to see him sing something else. How about Styx' "Babe"? Thought he was pitchy and seemed uncomfortable on stage. Perhaps past negative comments from the judges have hurt his confidence. Still think he can sing, but this is a strong group.
Odds of winning: 10-1
8. Constantine Maroulis
Campy. Risky. Gotta love the Partridge Family, but it's an odd choice for him. Thought he did OK. Sang in tune, added some energy and clearly had fun with it. This isn't a song that lends itself to the vocals, so he was unable to move forward. Disappointing following last week's effort. Strong fan base will keep him around.
Odds of winning: 10-1
9. Anwar Robinson
Thought this guy was going to come out and devour the competition last night after a mediocre performance last week. Didn't happen. Backup singers overwhelmed him for most of the song, until the end. He has a great voice -- he just needs to find the song to showcase it. He'll need to step it up next week as some of his peers are catching up fast.
Odds of winning: 5-1
10. Nadia Turner
Awful. Disappointing. The one to beat took a week off. "Time After Time" is an awe-inspiring Cyndi Lauper classic that should send chills down your spine when it's sung well. Nadia just went through the motions. Her worst effort to date. Loved the Flock of Seagulls 'do. She's much better than this. Give her a mulligan.
Odds of winning: 3-1
11. Mikalah Gordon (bye, bye)
This is getting embarrassing. Thankfully she has a fun personality and doesn't seem to be bothered with the criticism. Thought she was off-key for most of the song. On a night when so many singers stepped it up, her weak vocals were magnified. The Cringe Factor comes into play here in a big way. Please send her home and let's move on.
Odds of winning: 55-1
This girl loves to knit and blog. And she's as consistent with her posts as she is with her stitches.
Female singers can easily blend together, like a glasses of mediocre wine or too many confectionery snacks. But sometimes a voice will stand alone, making you stop to take notice.
Kathleen Edwards has managed to do just that. Her second studio effort, "Back to Me," rings curiously familiar but there's enough anguish in her voice that makes the listener pause in appreciation of something unique.
Recently released on Zoë/Rounder Records, "Back to Me" is at times straightforward spunk-folk, at other times angry, sultry and curiously introspective. The Canadian-bred singer-songwriter manages to mesmerize with intimate, resonate lyrics.
"Pink Emerson Radio" has a Beth Orton feel, but is more purposeful. "Summertime" is a feel-good plea for extending a summer romance while "Copied Keys" is a first-hand account of kid fears while revisiting the hometown of a glory-days lover. The 11 tracks each offer something familiar, but from a unique perspective. Good stuff.
Edwards, just 26, has opened for the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Bob Dylan, and has appeared on both Leno and Letterman. She'll be in Hollywood tomorrow night and visits Boston with a gig at the Paradise May 10.
