"American Idol" changed its routine and aired a Sunday episode that featured auditions in San Diego. The show started nearly an hour later than expected, since it followed a football game that went into overtime.
Was the special episode necessary? Depends on your fascination with Jane Carrey.
That's right: The 24-year-old singer, whose father starred in movies like "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," auditioned for "Idol" and advanced to Hollywood. Here's a special treat for you:
She was among the approximately 10,000 "Idol" hopefuls in San Diego. The footage with the judges was filmed at the historic U.S.S. Midway.
Sunday's episode featured some letdowns, but believe it or not I actually had a clear favorite this time around. Keep reading to learn more...
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Jennifer Diley, 19, shows up in a bikini top and super-short shorts. The red, white and blue is supposed to showcase her patriotism, but I think everybody's just staring at her upper body assets. "I hope the male judges are kind of shocked," she says. She botches Jessica Simpson's "With You" and does an equally poor job with Mariah Carey's "Hero." Three-way "no" for Hollywood.
Ashley Robles, 26, is a mom who's had a variety of jobs, including a DJ gig. She delivers a pretty solid rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and sails through to Hollywood. Unanimous "yes."
Jayrah Gibson says music is his main goal and he has no plan B. That's usually not good. He performs an OK rendition of Musiq SoulChild's "Just Friends." I don't know...I just feel like something's missing. The judges go crazy, though, hailing him as the next R&B sensation. Randy calls him "mad, mad good." Three-way "yes" for Hollywood.
Aubree Dieckmeyer, 20, entertains us with a slightly ditzy pre-audition interview, in which she accidentally says she wants to be America's Next Top Model. But she sings a pretty good version of "Feeling Good." She has more of an indie artist-type voice. I'm divided...I like her voice, but she seems incredibly annoying. The judges love her. Randy says she needs to work on her upper register, but she unanimously advances to Hollywood. (Note: I think this song -- "Feeling Good" -- should be banned from all future episodes of "Idol.")
Ali Shields, 19, once sang to Ellen DeGeneres on her show. Ellen also let her cover the American Music Awards. She's a little quirky and initially raps for the judges (Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now"). Then, she busts out some "ghetto dancing," per the judges' request. Hmm. Ultimately, she sings an OK cover of "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae but I'm so distracted by everything else that I really can't tell if she's good or not. I'm leaning toward "not." Whatever. Three-way yes for Hollywood.
Kyle Crews, 19, is a student at UC Berkeley. He serenades girls at his frat house. Don't get too excited...he looks a little nerdy. He sings Monica's "Angel of Mine" and dedicates it to J. Lo. Yes, really. But wait, he's actually kind of good. No, I'm not just saying that. He might be my favorite singer so far this season. He gets a three-way "yes" for Hollywood.
Joanne Childers' audition gets interrupted by the sound of a ship. This gives Seacrest a chance to show us all the noises the judges contended with during these auditions.
Jane Carrey, 24, is Jim Carrey's daughter. Yes, I could talk about her career as a waitress, or her kid, but I think most people will mainly remember the Jim Carrey connection. She sings a decent rendition of "Something to Talk About" and unanimously advances to Hollywood. I'm glad we got to hear J. Lo reminisce about her own "In Living Color" days. Jim Carrey isn't there to congratulate Jane, but we hear him on speakerphone.
Jason Hamlin, 24, is a mechanic who's also known as "Wolf." He plays a guitar (or, um, "git fiddle") built by his dad, who passed away. He sings an average version of "Midnight Special" by CCR. The judges want more. He asks if he can play his guitar. They say yes. He busts out some "Folsom Prison Blues." It's OK...but I don't think "Idol" is the best avenue for this guy. The Frogtown Hollow festival in Columbus? Sure. Hollywood? Not so much. Nonetheless, he unanimously advances.
And we're done!
