Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol concludes its incredibly shallow audition episodes tonight.

I call them incredibly shallow because we’re still learning precious little about the parade of auditioners we’re shown each episode.

Madisen Walker is one of the singers we’ll meet tonight on American Idol. (FOX Photo)

Take last night’s final contestant, Casey Thrasher, as an example.

Seems like a nice guy, trying Idol to build a better future for his two young children.

So where’s the mom? Is Casey a single dad? Does he have full custody of those kids? Partial custody? And how does that work out since he fronts a band that plays Nashville, Tuscaloosa and everywhere in between?

Of course, we didn’t get the answer to any of those questions. Idol was too busy showing us more clips of how well the Season 13 judges are getting along.

Hey, Idol, we get it. And you know what? This trio still isn’t as entertaining as Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

Oh, well, I guess the show is making progress. Six episodes into the season, FOX’s publicity site finally figured out that American Idol is on tonight and transmitted photos from the episode in a timely fashion. Up until this week, the site had listed The X Factor as being on in every single Idol time slot.

Quaid Edwards: First up, a 21-year-old student from Papillion, Neb. His mom used to be lead singer for Jolie and The Wanted and performed alongside Keith Urban for at least a while. Quaid says he wasn’t really into singing growing up, but now he’s rekindling his mom’s dream. Jennifer calls the performance inconsistent, but says she likes him. Quaid says he’s “as green as they come.” And Quaid gets three yes votes and is Hollywood bound.

Simon Hauck: He’s a 17-year-old student from Greenwood, Neb., who managed to get a no from Jennifer. That takes some doing.

Madisen Walker: She’s a 15-year-old student from Ankeny, Idaho, who says she’s a little discouraged because she hasn’t seen many golden tickets come out of the audition room. She’s going to sing Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.” Really nice tone to her voice. And nice control at the end. Jennifer says she “has a really great voice.” She also gets a yes from Keith. And she’s Hollywood bound.

Alyssa Siebken: She’s a 20-year-old retail assistant manager from Fremont, Neb., who’s going to do an acoustic version of “No Hands.” She deserves credit for squeezing out all of those lyrics so quickly. Alyssa gets yes votes from Jennifer and Keith; Harry didn’t think her voice was up to par.

Tyler Gurwicz: He’s identified as a 25-year-old musician/songwriter from Burlington, Vt. He’s delivering a pretty tortured version of “Set Fire to the Rain.” Keith compliments him on a big voice and great range. Jennifer says yes. Keith says no. Harry says no. Tyler asks for another chance, because he’s been singing for 10 years. The second song does it. Tyler is going to Hollywood.

Tyler Marshall: A 23-year-old club promoter from Omaha, he sings “Proud Mary,” showing off a big voice and a flair for performance. Harry likes that he’s such a happy guy and calls it “great.” Keith calls his voice “killer.” He gets three easy yes votes.

C.J. Jones: The 20-year-old, identified as unemployed and from Lebanon, Mo., insists that Harry Connick Jr. stand by him as he sings “Stand by Me.” Harry acts like a clown while C.J. sings. Keith says he likes the sound of C.J.’s voice and thinks he has a pleasing voice to hear.

Also Hollywood bound are Dajontae Lenear, a 16-year-old student from Minneapolis; and Dylan Becker, a 17-year-old shoe caddy from St. Louis.

Paula Hunt: She’s 20 and sings with an Air Force group. She’s from Bellevue, Neb. She’s going to sing Etta James’ “All I Can Do Is Cry.” And she’ll advance unless there’s a major upset in the offing. Jennifer calls it “very nice.” Harry says the reason we have the best military is because they get to listen to her sing. He also compliments her on her “elegance.” She’s off to Hollywood, of course.

Andrina Brogden: The 18-year-old shoe store employee from Fargo, N.D., decides to audition with Beyonce’s “Halo.” Jennifer says she has a “really beautiful voice,” but wonders if she can be fearless. Harry calls her way better than average, but not good enough for Idol. Keith likes her look and her voice, but thinks she’s nervous. She gets yes votes from Keith and Jennifer.

Christian Scholl: The 20-year-old is a square dance caller from Sioux Falls, S.D. We see him square dancing. Now we’re going to hear him sing Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” Which he sings a little like he’s still a square dance caller.

Casey McQuillen The 21-year-old student from Andover, Mass., sings “Skyscraper” very, very well. Jennifer calls it “angelic.” Keith calls it “excellent.” And they agree they don’t need to hear another song from her. Harry says he enjoyed it, too. Another unanimous choice.

Tessa Kate: The 25-year-old is from Harrison, Ark. She sells tickets for cruise ship excursions, but also performs back home. She’s going to sing Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Tessa says she wasn’t nervous until just before the audition, then felt like she’d grabbed an electric fence — and not the kind that holds back little animals. Harry compliments her on her “classic, timeless sound.” Tessa is Hollywood bound with three yes votes.

Turns out 21 people got golden tickets in Omaha, and more than 200 are Hollywood bound altogether. For profiles of many of them, head here.