Rock Star

We went into L.A. for another Rock Star : Supernova taping today. We left early and headed straight for The Cheesecake Factory at The Grove. We enjoyed Godiva cheesecake and lemon drop martinis (the lunch of champions?) before heading over to the studio. We were there earlier than we were last time but could tell right away that things were "different". We were told by a P.A. almost immediately that they couldn't guarantee anyone admission - that the VIP list for the taping was long and they weren't sure how many more they could fit on set. (We later realized that it was some type of "family day" - Storm's Father, Ryan's girlfriend/significant other, Lukas' possi etc. were all present.) We did end up making it in - but we were in the very last group of 20 allowed to do so and didn't get in until - literally - two minutes before the first performance began. We were in the balcony this time - the suspended balcony - what a trip that was - yikes! Here is my (brief) summary of the songs and performances...

Dilana - Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who) - Loved it. Gilby played with her - they sang together (no humping!) - sharing a microphone and it all just seemed so "natural". She's a strong contender in my mind.

Jill - Mother Mother (Tracy Bonham) - She's such a pretty girl and she looked so good on the TV's in the studio... Her vocals, though, just do nothing for me. I always feel like she's screaming her head off - not singing.

Ryan - Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) - Trippy and dramatic performance. I loved it! Dark, hairy hooded sweatshirt, black eyeshadow on his face... Killer.

Storm - We Are the Champions (Queen) - She was gorgeous and sang what I think is a difficult song fantastically well. I just love her. I still don't know if I see her singing for these guys - but I love her.

Zayra - All the Young Dudes (David Bowie/Mott the Hoople) - Holy crap. Miss Z came out in a skin-tight (we're talking painted on) gold lame one-piece outfit, what must've been 6" black stripper heels and a black top-hat. Wild, wild, wild. Like with Jill - her vocals just never do anything for me. She's fun to watch, though, and definitely provides "entertainment". Magni accompanied her on guitar.

Josh - Interstate Love Song (Stone Temple Pilots) - I like Josh but I have to admit that I am in the camp that believes he sounds a bit like Kermit the Frog... Usually. I loved how he sounded live tonight though - such a good song too. He's adorable and definitely has an audience - I'm just not so sure it's a Supernova audience. Tommy Lee surprised everyone by jumping up and asking if he could accompany him on drums. I think it was spontaneous too - his kit wasn't there - he just jumped onto Nate's... What a thrill to see him perform!

Magni - The Dolphin's Cry (Live) - Excellent. This was my husbands' favorite of the night.

Patrice - Instant Karma (John Lennon) - I liked it! She was strapped to her guitar again but did try to work the stage a bit anyway. I think her voice is great and I'd pay to see her sing... Again, though, I'm not sure I see her fronting this particular band.

Lukas - Creep (Radiohead) - What a great performance - vocals (he opened his mouth!), the House Band, the lighting... He redeemed himself BIG-TIME after his sub-par song last week. Wow. Lukas was incredible and has my vote for the encore Wednesday night. He's still my #1 pick to win this thing!

Toby - Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) - I hadn't heard that song in years - what fun! The performance was enjoyable for me - until he pulled a megaphone (draped in an Aussie flag) out! Ugh - been there, done that - saw it last season.