Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Fifty commercials.

That’s how many American Idol managed to squeeze into Wednesday night’s one-hour, thank-goodness-the-group-round-is-over episode.

Shame Idol couldn’t find 50 memorable moments of the show to air.

It might have made the 50 commercials almost worth sitting through.

As it was, the hour ended and I was left wondering why anyone, I mean anyone at all, watches this show live anymore.

Idol did find one wonderful moment.

Joey Cook, minus her squeeze box and minus her ukulele, took the stage with a group called the Violet Vixens. They sang “Somebody to Love.” And, in spite of writing down the lyrics over and over and over, Joey flubbed them when she got on stage.

And covered it up wonderfully by singing “and I totally didn’t mess up those words; it’s just your imagination” as the next two lines.

Everyone on Violet Vixens advanced, including Joey, Shannon Berthiaume (pronounced like perfume), Naomi Tatsuoka and a girl in a violet dress. I’d tell you her name, but Idol didn’t show it. Hey, it’s one of those things Idol often does in the group round episodes. Chalk it up to horrendously sloppy editing.

Like when all the members of a group called Ladies, Keep Your Clothes On — that would be Trevor Douglas, Qaasim Middleton, Daniel Seavey and Savion Wright — sailed through to the next round after a decent version of “Story of My Life.” Ryan Seacrest promptly pronounced them as the second group to have all its members survive.

Well, actually, thanks to the magic of Idol editing, they were the third. Guess no one clued Ryan in that the show would be edited that way.

My favorite performance of the night was actually Soul Connection’s version of “Grenade” (which might mean Idol delivered two memorable moments per 50 commercials). Sarina Joi-Crowe, an Idol veteran, sounded marvelous. Erika David and Adrianna Simon also advanced; Heatherle Spires, who had felt like an outcast through the rehearsals — if you can trust Idol’s editing — did not.

What else did we learn Wednesday:

1. Two former contestants on The Voice, Mark Andrew and Adanna Duru, advanced. One, Karla Davis, did not. Wednesday marked the first time we’d even seen Karla during Season 14.

2. Idol must really like Alexis Gomez and Loren Lott. They were the only singers showcased from their groups’ performances.

3. Garrett Miles, the fine country singer who is blind, did not advance. He was part of a group called Garrett’s Girls. Thanks to the magic of Idol editing, we have no idea if any of his three female group round partners advanced.

4. Last Thursday’s episode ended with Alexis Granville collapsing after a panic attack. She regrouped to advance to the next round.

5. The other two groups who had all members advance were a quartet of Belmont grads (KellyeAnn Rodgers, Piper Jones, Rayvon Owen and Cody Fry) and a group that included Lancaster, Pa., native Riley Bria with Emily Brooke, Jake Black and Keri Lynn Roche.