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We're Live-Blogging The Top Five 'American Idol' Performances!

Posted 4/28/09 7:55 pm EST by in American Idol, Live Blog


Jim Cantiello

Tonight on "American Idol" the Top 5 will be singing songs made famous by the Rat Pack, and I'll be live-blogging every grandmother-loving second of it.

Seriously, last week was disco. And now Rat Pack Standards! "Idol" really knows how to keep their demo young, don't they? I can't wait for next week's theme: ragtime hits! And the top 3 theme: field songs!

But let's keep our minds open. Last week's disco episode was actually pretty solid, so we might be in for a treat.

Important to note that typically, "Idol" switches over to two songs per singer at this point in the season. (Remember last year's Top 5 show when Paula judged Jason Castro's second song before he performed it? Still bitter about that.) But thanks to the addition of Kara DioGodIWishSheWasFiredAlready producers realized they won't have time for 10 songs plus critiques (and the contractually-obligated Coke pimpage) in just 60 minutes. So, sorry Lambert fans. We're only getting one tune from Him - as well as the other singers - tonight. They better make it count!

On with the “Idol” live-blogging ... or, if you're more of a visual person, check out my webcam take on the show below!

7:45 pm - Did you miss last week's Lil/Anoop disco double-elimination? Catch up real quick with the latest (and rather nasty) "Idol in 60 Seconds" recap here.

7:49 pm - And while you're at it, why not check out the latest "Detox" recap of "The Hills?" I imagine not many of you watch "The Hills" but frankly, my webshow could use the traffic and we've got some time to kill before Seacrest gets this dog and pony show on the road. Trust me, if you like my live-blog you'll like "Detox," even if you don't know LC from LBJ. Watch here.

7:54 pm - That "Detox" wasn't so bad was it? Okay...the shameless self-promotion/begging will now cease.

7:55 pm - So...how 'bout that swine flu, huh?

8:00 pm - And away we go! So excited! Matt Giraud is wearing a hat/covering the mole so he might be safe again this week. This...is "American Idol" (live-blog.)

8:01 pm - Woah, Seacrest is a heavy-walker. It sounded like an elephant walked down the stairs.

8:02 pm - Ricky Minor and the band began playing while the judges were introduced. Also, Paula taped two giant red gift wrap bows to her cha-chas. I'm so confused already.

8:03 pm - Tonight's guest mentor is none other than Jamie Foxx. (Huh?) I know he has a "music career" and I know he won on Oscar for playing a blind legend, but Ray Charles wasn't the black dude with faulty vision in the Rat Pack. Sammy Davis, Jr. was. Billy Crystal has more of a right to be the mentor, frankly. Or even Joe Piscopo! Hell to the no!!!

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A Short Ida Maria Live Show Is Better Than None At All

Posted 4/28/09 7:17 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes


By Daniela Capistrano

When I heard Scandinavian songbird Ida Maria was performing a set for MTV staff at 1515 Broadway today, I immediately dropped what I was doing and ran towards the elevator. It was that serious.

For the uninitiated, you might have already been exposed to Ida Maria via this season's "Gossip Girl" promos — she's the throaty voice behind "Oh My God," possibly the best song ever created for screaming at the top of your lungs after a breakup (or so I've heard).

Comparisons to Janis Joplin or Chrissie Hynde might be intimidating for some young artists, but 24-year-old Ida Maria takes it all in stride. She's a punk princess who isn't afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve.

Upon entering the grafittied performance space on the 24th floor, I was surprised to find the entire front row available. I discreetly plopped into the seat directly in front of the mic for optimum tune absorption.

Ida Maria waited patiently on the sidelines (in a fierce military jacket and Adidas kicks) while a rep from Mercury Records sang her praises. (This was not necessary, since anyone with taste knows she rules, but I digress.)

I don't know if it was the amazing view of the Hudson shimmering directly behind her with the sun blotting out her profile in silhouette, but the whole experience served to remind me how powerful a live show can be. We can play on the Web and download as many albums as we'd like, but nothing equates to someone making music in front of you, in real time.

Ida Maria's set was unfortunately super-short. She only played three songs — a track I hadn't heard before that is on her debut album Fortress Round My Heart, and "I Like You Such Much Better When You're Naked," another fave of mine.

The last song was a new piece that she hasn't recorded yet, "Loud." Because of technical difficulties, Ida Maria rocked it unplugged and sans mic, which ended up being a perfect companion to the performance because the song is about being overwhelmed in a harried, over-stimulated world. As my silenced BlackBerry angrily vibrated near my thigh, I could definitely relate.

As the show came to a close, Ida Maria strummed the last note of "Loud" just as a cell phone in the audience let out a shrill bleep. I cringed, but Ida Maria just smiled and murmured, "That was perfect," and gracefully turned to make her exit.

Luckily I grabbed her before she took off and she was kind enough to let me snap this photo. Check the hair! Insane.

Ida Maria at MTV

(View our exclusive photo shoot with Ida Maria here.)

Ida Maria is MTV's current Discover and Download artist, which hopefully exposes her painfully truthful-but-beautiful-to-hear melodies to the world.


Her debut album Fortress Round My Heart is available now.

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Can Kris Allen Win 'American Idol'? 'You Bet,' His Hometown Insists

Posted 4/28/09 6:13 pm EST by in American Idol


CONWAY, Arkansas — You know that saying about being a big fish in a small pond? It's totally true.

Everywhere we've gone over the past 24 hours in Conway, there's Kris Allen. From the remarkably lifelike cardboard cutout created by one of the founders of the Kris Allen Kick Awesome Task Force to a flier for the "American Idol" viewing party tonight at the basketball arena at his alma mater tucked into a to-go meal at the local Chik-fil-A, Allen is everywhere in his hometown.



You can spot the local volunteers trying to hype tonight's watch party by their green fingers, stained from the signs they spent all morning handing out to local merchants reminding townspeople to attend the big rally. Even Mayor Tab Townsell proudly sported one of the green "Conway Arkansas Backs Kris Allen" T-shirts that could be seen bobbing up and down the city's main drag all day.

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An Ode To Kris Allen's Hometown Of Conway, Arkansas

Posted 4/28/09 5:18 pm EST by in American Idol


Conway, Arkansas, the hometown of "American Idol" finalist Kris Allen is the kind of place where ....

... Strangers you've just met offer to take time off from work to make sure you see Toad Suck Park.

... There's actually a place called Toad Suck Park.

... The front page of the paper has stories hyping the annual Toad Suck Daze celebration every day of the week leading up to the blessed event. (Robert Randolph's headlining this year!)

... Just about every window on the main drag downtown is painted with messages of support for hometown hero Allen, like, "We Love Kris Allen!"

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'Rescue Me' Star Mike Lombardi Takes Apache Stone To The Stage -- And The Show

Posted 4/28/09 3:24 pm EST by in Television


By Lindsay Wallace

Anyone familiar with Denis Leary's sardonic, gritty dramedy "Rescue Me" knows actor Michael Lombardi — a.k.a. Mike "Probie" Silleti. Lombardi, 32, recently put together a band called Apache Stone, which will be featured in an upcoming season of the show. He fronts the band, which also features bassist David Leatherwood, drummer Mark Greenberg and guitarists Nick Bacon and Hank Woods.

Citing some very '90s influences — Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Stone Temple Pilots, Guns N' Roses and Alice in Chains — Lombardi said, "It's definitely influenced by all that heavy rock of the '90s. It's not cookie-cutter music. It's real rock n' roll."

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Will Creed Inspire Other Florida Groups To Reunite?

Posted 4/28/09 3:19 pm EST by in Creed


Hey, did you hear that Creed are getting back together this summer? They're even going to release new music! Isn't that, uh, awesome?

Creed are from Orlando, Florida, and we're hoping their reunion will inspire a few more groups that originated in that area to reunite too:

"The Mickey Mouse Club" - The show spawned 'NSYNC, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears AND Christina Aguilera during its tenure on the air in the early '90s. It ended in 1994, so shouldn't there be some sort of 15-year reunion special in the works?

'NSYNC - Speaking of former "MMC"-ers, we'd love to finally see Justin Timberlake throw his former 'NSYNC bandmates a bone and get the band back together for a few reunion shows. We've never been able to really say, "Bye, bye, bye."

O-Town - The original "Making the Band" band was named after the town that spawned groups like BSB (we'll get to them) and 'NSYNC (see above). Sure, they didn't last long and they released that creepy "Liquid Dreams" song, but we'd love to visit O-Town just one more time.

Backstreet Boys - OK, technically they are still together, but since Kevin Richardson actually isn't in the group anymore we don't count it. It's all or nothing, boys. (Hey, isn't that an O-Town song?)

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Charlize Theron Comments -- Sort Of -- On Heidi Montag/ Spencer Pratt Wedding

Posted 4/28/09 2:17 pm EST by in The Hills


By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

On Monday night's red carpet for the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual gala, the focus was mostly on honoree, Oscar-winner and all-around swell guy Tom Hanks. That is, until our own Josh Horowitz had a chance to speak with Charlize Theron and the talk turned to stars of a very different variety.

As you may have heard, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of "The Hills" got married last weekend, and Josh wanted to know how Charlize felt about the development. Read More...

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Susan Boyle's Brother Wants 'Britain's Got Talent' To Let His Sister Go

Posted 4/28/09 1:40 pm EST by in Susan Boyle


By Eric Ditzian

Let our Susan go! So goes the chant from the brother of Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle.

John Boyle, 59, has spoken out to British tabloid Daily Star about his frustration that his sister has not been able to perform in public since her star-making rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" during the reality competition "Britain's Got Talent."

"Finally she has the chance to show the whole world her amazing talent, but she isn't being allowed to," Boyle said. "When Susan signed a contract tying her to 'Britain's Got Talent' before her audition, no one could have predicted what a phenomenon she would become."

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Did You See This?! 'American Idol,' Heidi And Spencer, 'Twilight' And More

Posted 4/28/09 11:33 am EST by in American Idol, Did You See This?, Heidi Montag, twilight


Allison IrahetaBy Kathleen Newman-Bremang

Want to get to know the real Allison Iraheta? We talked to the big-voiced "American Idol" contestant's closest friends about her outgoing personality and why she's showing her shy side on "Idol."

Yes, "Hills" stars Heidi and Spencer tied the knot. Now it's time for the inevitable wedding fashion critiques. MTV News found out what fashion experts really thought of Heidi's dress, her bling and Spencer's tux.

What do Rick Ross and Jay-Z have in common? In addition to the obvious rap-superstar similarities, the two were considered for the same track. Get the inside scoop on why producer DJ Toomp originally wanted to give "Valley of Death" to Jay and how it eventually landed on Ross' Deeper Than Rap.

Matthew McConaughey may seem like the perfect all-American heartthrob to take on the role of Captain America, but the actor didn't seem to be interested in the part — until now. Head over to Splash Page for more.

Can't get enough of "Twilight" stars Kellan Lutz and Edi Gathegi? Check out our pictures of the two actors celebrating the film's DVD release in Australia.

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Selena Gomez And Taylor Lautner Make Magic Together

Posted 4/28/09 10:44 am EST by in Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez


Selena GomezIt seems like TV wizard and star of "Wizards of Waverly Place," Selena Gomez, and movie werewolf Taylor Lautner are making it work despite coming from two very different enchanted fictional backgrounds. The pair was spotted together again, this time not ducking from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

People.com has a photo of the two young actors jumping around and laughing as they take some time out to meet up in Vancouver, where Taylor is shooting "New Moon" and Selena is working on her new flick, "Ramona and Beezus."

We just have to wonder what Selena's good friend, Demi Lovato, has to say about the whole thing. When asked by MTV News if she'd like to have a song on the "New Moon" soundtrack, Selena's BFF said she'd love to. "Edward Cullen — I would write a love song to him," she said, before giddily hinting that she might actually be on Team Jacob, "Or Jacob Black!"


Well, we hope that Demi's "Twilight" fandom doesn't turn their friendship into a rivalry. Besides, now there are plenty of werewolves to go around.

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