We'll Be The Judge of That! -
Canadian Idol 4, August 14
by Foxes on Idol Judging Staff -- 08/15/2006


It's acoustic night, as our Idols are in for a unique challenge. How does our staff judge the performances? And who should be in the bottom two? The answer is only a click away!

How did the Idols perform? By now, you’ve seen the episode, so you know what Jake, Sass, Farley, and Zack think. But what do our judges – Ed Hampton and Dominique Béland - have to say?

Craig Sharpe, “It’s My Life”

Ed: I actually liked Craig’s hair for a change. Did I like his singing? Well… yes. I thought this was the best he has done so far. I still didn’t think his performance felt real. Craig sang all the notes right (save a few) and sounded really good, but for me there is still something missing. Enough to keep me from picking up the phone. Luckily for him, not the boppers. Grade A-

Dominique: Craig is back! He sang very well, much better than the past couple of weeks. He was more focused and didn’t have any pitch problems… I’m with Sass, I was starting to forget how good he can be! A great, heartfelt performance from Craig. There is no way he is going to end his perfect streak and get stuck in the bottom two this week.

Ashley Coulter, “Crying”

Ed: Which is just what she may be doing come Tuesday night, and not because she wasn’t good. Quite the contrary. This girl can sing. For me it did start off a little uncertain, but about a fourth of the way into it, she found it. While the inevitable comparison to Carrie would rear its ugly head, Ashley changed it up enough to make the comparison more difficult. Still Ashley did not out do or even equal Carrie, but still did really well. I’m afraid it will be too forgettable. And we all know what that means, don’t we class? Grade B+

Dominique: First, let me say that I was really glad that Chantal told Ashley about that nasty habit of attacking notes a half-tone lower and then sliding back up (well actually it was more a fifth then a half-tone here, but I’ll let it "slide"). This is just a bad crutch that no singer should use. Maybe Ashley did try to listen to Chantal, but that type of habit is hard to break because you need to have proper technique and support to really attack the center of the note every time.

Before Ashley started singing, I tried to tell myself to stay positive (readers of this column know how I enjoyed *cough* Ashley’s last performances). However, I was pleasantly surprised with her this week. She was still flat on a couple of occasions, but some notes in that last part sounded really good and were very solid. And Ashley herself seemed more committed to her performance. A nice improvement over the last few weeks.

Chad Douchette, “Santa Monica”

Ed: I was not as enthused about this as the judges were, not at all. Chad seemed quite flat most of the song to me and stiff as a board. There is something about his voice that I believe will find a niche audience no matter what becomes of him on Idol. We do need to remember he is only 17. For me, the weakest so far. Grade C+

Dominique: Chad can be so ordinary, but also so good! And this week he was definitely good! He sang with a lot of intensity, his sound was well controlled, and I totally loved his interpretation. I completely disagree with Ed and Zack, he was not too small, he was perfect!

Steffi D, “Love Fool”

Ed: Yes, I’m smitten with the “D.” Steffi and Eva are the two I always look forward to hearing and watching each Monday, and neither has disappointed me yet. I loved this performance and her vocal was perfect. I liked the whole sitting and lying on the piano thing. I have never heard this song and I’m glad Steffi was my introduction to it. I fear the original will now pale in comparison. I know I’m not in line with Canada on Steffi, because it seems every week she’s in the bottom three or two. I suspect she will be there again and will likely be going home this time. If I were king of the Idol world, she’d be safe. The question is, can she make it until Standards night? Grade A

Dominique: I have mixed feelings about Steffi. In a way, she is a great actress and a great performer (and an adorable person to boot), but at the same time, I feel as if I am always watching just that, an actress who is very good at playing different roles and characters, and that doesn’t grab me anymore. I felt no differently this week. Who are you, Steffi D?

Eva Avila, “How Come You Don’t Call Me?"

Ed: What the heck was that!? Amazing, that’s what. So amazing I believe this would easily make the top 10 best ever on Canadian Idol. I loved that and it sounded like the audience agreed with me. Eva did everything right. Her pitch and voice were immaculate. Her presentation was a personal best. There were no erratic or distracting movements that have plagued her in the past. Flat out great! I will say it again, Eva should win Canadian Idol fourth edition… will the voters of female pre-pubescence rule? It is possible she could win some of them over with her looks and inherent charm. Eva is the best singer/performer on this show hands down. Excuse me while I go watch that again. Grade A++

Dominique: Well first, Eva looked really cute this week! She’s definitely getting more and more comfortable on stage, and she shows a new side of her personality each week. The only gripe I have about her performance is that although she was good, she seemed to be performing to impress the crowd instead of just trying to be the character she was supposed to be.

Tyler Lewis, "If You Could Only See"

Ed: Tyler sounded a little flat the whole performance to me. The judges seemed not to hear it. Maybe that’s because I just got treated to something great, and in comparison this was just not up to snuff. Tyler sounded pretty good and his song choice was perfect for him I do feel he’s a little more Country than Pop or Rock, and unless your name is Carrie Underwood I don’t think it’s going to win a title. Grade B+


Dominique: OK first let me get this off my chest: Why is it only the rocker guys who get called "authentic" or "the real thing"? You can be authentic too if you sing other styles of music!

Now on with my appreciation of Tyler’s performance... well first, the straight hair is back, yay!! (ok, that wasn’t exactly about the performance but it was worth noting!) Apart from that, Tyler was solid and sang well (not as well as last week but he was still very good). At one point though, he looked like he was on a trampoline and it was a bit distracting. I wanted to shout "Stop bouncing, Tyler!"

Final Thoughts:

Ed: Another really good night on Idol. Will it ever end? I hope not. I loved this unplugged version. I wouldn’t mind unplugging it every week. The strongest of the night by far was Eva followed by Steffi and Craig. Again for me this week Chad was the weakest… by a good margin. Does that put him in the bottom three? I doubt it. With Rob’s exit, I believe Chad will pick up a few of his votes keeping him safe yet another week. While neither gave bottom three/two performances Steffi and Ashley will occupy the hot seats Tuesday night with Steffi giving her last performance until Broadway comes calling. Sigh! Again I hope I am wrong and a deserving Chad goes home in her place. <.p>

Dominique: Well acoustic night was a good night. Nobody was bad, and we were treated to some very good performances. The night was won by Chad, with Craig a very close second. Tyler is next on my list, followed by Eva (they are almost tied), then Ashley and Steffi. So my bottom two is Ashley and Steffi, and I choose Ashley as the one who should go home. Yes I put her before Steffi on my list, but I do believe that Steffi is much more special than she is.

Conclusion: Aside from the belief that Ashley and Steffi will be in the bottom two, our judges don’t really agree on much. But until the eliminated singer is announced, keep it locked on RealityNewsOnline and FoxesOnIdol for all the latest!