Sarah's Ramblings: The Sing Off Finale

AHHHHHHH! It's the final episode! I don't know what I am going to do with myself on Monday nights. Well, next week, I know I'll be watching the Sing Off Holiday Special. But beyond that… sadness.

Tonight, it comes down to the top three groups: Pentatonix, Dartmouth Aires, and Urban Method. Excitement is boiling over!

Now, normally I would decry the whole two-hour-show-for-a-two-minute-result thing. But, because this is all about a cappella, I really don't mind :) Bring on the music!

To open the show, the groups sing Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" - an awesome arrangement that even leaves room for Myke to rap. There are simply too many fabulous moments in this song to mention. This is gonna be a crazy awesome show!

I love that the show has the finalists focusing on causes near to their hearts. First off, we see the members of Pentatonix working with an organization that helps bullied youth (The Trevor Project). And now they're gonna blow us away with "Without You" by David Guetta feat. Usher. It's obvious that these five were meant to sing together. The harmonies between Scott, Mitch and Kirstie are always tight and locked in. And they are always complemented so well by the Meat and Potatoes, Avi & Kevin, on the bass and drums. Win or not, they have been seen by the world and will go far with their perfect combination.

Wait, did Nick just say he finally gets to do a 98 Degrees song on the show????

Vocal Point!!! Oh, and one of my favorite performances that they did. Croon it, Jake!!! And McKay looks so freakin' happy, as usual!!! Oh how I have missed them :)

Next up, Urban Method spends time with families who have been affected by sickle cell disease (Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California), like group members Kim & Myke. They hit the stage with "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine. Gonna take this time now to say that I have not been as big a fan of Urban Method as I am of the other finalists (or a few other groups that have left us already). But you have to admit that their group chemistry is kind of charismatic - they bring us in when they perform. Even when it's not perfect.

Finally, the Dartmouth Aires spent the day hanging out with stroke survivors (Saving Strokes), with Michael getting to share his own experience with his mother's post-stroke rehab. In their dramatic fashion, they bring us Meatloaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light." And they add a special guest appearance by Delilah's Amy Whitcomb :) These guys always have some sort of unexpected dramatic twist in their songs - sometimes it's in their choreo, sometimes it's in their lyrics, and sometimes it's built in to the harmonies. But they never fail to keep us on the edge of our seats and that is why they have made it to the finale.

I am beyond excited about all of the things Nick just said was upcoming… ALL of the ladies in one song and ALL of the guys in one song!!!!!!!! :)

"Give me just one night… una noche." :) Watching Nick Lachey dance is gonna be worth it. And I love that Ben is taking over hosting duties while Nick sets up on stage!!!! (lol, "the stallion of The Sing Off" ha!) I definitely dig the arrangement. Have I mentioned that 98 Degrees was my boyband of choice? My friends loved BSB and 'Nsync, but I loved those Lachey boys (particularly Drew) and their buddies. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE this arrangement! And Kirstie speaking her saucy Spanish right before that sick breakdown… HOT. But I think my absolute favorite part was the final run of the chorus, when Pentatonix was speed singing (awesome vocalese, baby)!

Welcome back, Deltones!

I love Sara Bareilles. The highlight of my Sing Off viewing last season was being in studio during the finale and seeing her perform "King of Anything" with The Backbeats. So, anything that equals her being on stage makes me happy. Sara & Urban Method are performing her newest single, "Gonna Get Over You." Sara sounds as fabulous as ever. And Urban Method frames her voice perfectly. (I'm gonna say it: a definite a improvement over the last two years's female judge performer… you know you were thinking it!) It's the sweetest performance, really. So fun!

Afro-Blue!!!!! I know I just saw them last week, but I miss them. Muchly.

Every time Ben Folds mixes with a group on this show, I smile super wide. And I love that he's adding the audience to the show!!!! Oh how I wish I could have been there! The Aires are the perfect group to back Ben up on "Not The Same" - just as fun-loving. I am still LOVING that the audience plays a dramatic role in the song :) And I think I just spied my favorite Yellowjacket taking his role as "audience chorister" seriously! Ben is the best. Seriously, who else could teach an audience to sing in harmony in ten seconds?

YELLOWJACKETS!!!! Aaron!!!!! Wave that flag, boys! I've missed them!

Hello, ladies! It's been a hot season for estrogen on The Sing Off… I am so excited for this take on Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman"!!! "Girls rule! Yeah, duh." Seriously, I don't have words to express the amazingness of this performance. So much ear candy in one song!

North Shore!!!! Oh, Guy… I've missed you :)

Okie dokie, boys… you'd better bring it! This is gonna render me speechless. I mean, I am in love with every voice on that stage. And, really, all you need to do is add a McKay smile and an Aaron high note and I'm good. "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen is such an awesome pick for these guys to sing. I love that they start with Scott and Michael out front. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy watching them all go crazy on stage?

More than 1 million online views of "Grenade"? Not surprised. :) Delilah rocks!

Smokey Robinson. We're talking amazing. And Afro-Blue gets to sing with him. PERFECT pairing! "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" sounds fabulous. (I think it's a better performance than the last time Smokey graced the Sing Off stage - in season one, he sang "Tracks of my Tears" with NOTA.) This whole performance is sick! (Reggie's bass… I was grinning with every note… LOVE him.)

The Collective! I've missed them. I hope they make it out to CA to do a solo show sometime… I'd buy that ticket!

It's time to find out who placed where. Our third place group is… Urban Method. Like I've mentioned above, I'm not as big on these guys as the other groups. I will admit to being surprised that they've made it to the finale. But I will also say that I do think they're super talented! They're just not my cup of tea. Diddy's "Coming Home" serves as their swan song as they leave the Sing Off stage.

It's down to the Dartmouth Aires and Pentatonix. (Kirstie looks sick with nerves… I can't imagine being in their place! Oh, and have you noticed… she is the only girl on stage. And the first girl in Sing Off history to make it to the final two!) After giving us one more look at each group's journey, we are given the obligatory torturous final commercial break before we come back for the results. (I mean, really? Enough, already!) Who is it gonna be???????

PENTATONIX!!!!!!! I've kinda been saying it since I first saw them perform. When I met Avi, that was one thing I said. "You guys are totally gonna win this."

And they earned it. Boy did they ever.

Don't forget to tune in next week for The Sing-Off Christmas special, "A Sing-Off Christmas"!

Quickfire Q&A: Round 2!

Here we are with the next exciting round of the Quickfire Q&A for the next edition of SNC Quarter Notes!!!!!! Are you ready? As always DO NOT post your answers here. Please email them to blameCarla@gmail.com.

P.S. ANYONE can answer these and send them in... And I do mean anyone! (Hint, hint... *cough* thismeansyou *cough*)

Question #1: If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

Question #2: What is your favorite quote?

Question #3: Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite work BY that author? (This is in memory of MY favorite author who inspired me to read more books and write, the fabulous Anne McCaffery; may she rest in peace.)

Question #4: Which animal do you think describes you best? Then pick a guy from SNC and pick an animal you think describes HIM best. (DO NOT tell us which guy you chose! Make us guess!)

Question #5: Who DID let the dogs out?????

Again, please send your answers to blameCarla@gmail.com -- Do not post them here!

Sarah's Ramblings: The Sing Off - Episode Ten

It's time for an awesome penultimate episode filled with crazy awesome mixes, judges' choices, and down-to-the-wire drama as we decide who America will have to vote for this week! (AKA "Sarah finally knows nothing more than the general viewing public knows!")

Opening Number: "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve, "Last Friday Night" by Katy Party, "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani & "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
I love the master mix of these four songs… LOVE. And I remember loving when Scott came in with the bridge on Baba O'Riley that night. Such a sweet break in the wall of sound!

MASTER MIXES
Pentatonix: “Forget You,” Cee-Lo Green vs. “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson
Dear Kevin, do you want me to say it? THIS IS THE GROUP THAT NEEDS TO WIN! Seriously. How can they doubt their awesomeness? Especially with a beatbox like Kevin and a bass like Avi the beast! But I think what I loved most about this performance was that they gave it a story that played out not only in their lyrics, but in their choreography. The pairing of songs was actually perfect and the arrangement was out of this world amazing!

Urban Method: “Hot in Herre,” Nelly vs. “Fever,” Peggy Lee
Another fun pairing! I especially loved when they dropped down for "Fever" and the sax (Richard kinda rocks like that!) came in. Definitely a hot mix!

Afro-Blue: “I Believe I Can Fly,” R. Kelly vs. “Fly,” Nicki Minaj & Rihanna
They are gonna make me cry. I already can't listen to "I Believe I Can Fly" without weeping (for personal reasons) but the way that they mixed it with "Fly" melted me even more. Christie and Trent brought so much heart to what they were singing. And then Mariah worked in that rap without making it weird or taking away from their gorgeous jazzy sound. It was smooth blue! :)

Dartmouth Aires: “Born This Way,” Lady Gaga vs. “Sympathy for the Devil,” The Rolling Stones
This is such a dramatic performance, with the chaise and the fans. This is what these guys do best: they take great songs, turn them into awesome harmonies, and add a show component. Truly a treat for both the ears AND the eyes! Brendan and Michael = magic. I adore that one half of the group looks like the Warblers from Glee. :)
(Did anyone else wanna jump through the TV and give Ethan a hug? What a standup dude!)


The tension is building as we head to their final performances in their bid for a coveted final three spot!


JUDGES’ CHOICE
Pentatonix: “Dog Days Are Over,” Florence + the Machine
You know that these judges' choice songs are pretty perfect for each group. I mean, that's kind of the point. But this one was PERFECT for these guys. The dissonance in the opening harmonies, the sick percussion and bass, Scott's hot lead, Mitch's pure voice on that break down… it all adds up to goosebumps.

Urban Method: “All of the Lights,” Kanye West
Myke had to sing… he's not just a rapper! :) Tony played trumpet. They did this "woo woo" thing with their mics (and it was hot). Katie blew us away. A great way to close their bid for the final three!

Afro-Blue: “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke
(Personally, I think EVERY song needs a jazz chord, but that's just me, Shawn.)
Christie has got to be my favorite female voice from this whole competition. There, I said it. I LOVE HER VOICE. I love her soul, I love her power, I love her scatting. And Afro-Blue has held a special place in my heart since the beginning. I love the arrangement of this song. I mean, they took us to church, baby! (I'll buy that too, Ben!)

Dartmouth Aires: “Shout,” The Isley Brothers
Gonna be honest, I never thought that THIS group would be the all-male collegiate group that made it the farthest. (Yes, I thought it would be Vocal Point in the final, not the Aires.) THAT. WAS. A-MAH-ZING. I mean, wow. Splits (seriously, he can do splits and bend backwards and wow). Falling down on stage. Hot soloist. Hot harmonies. POWER. Just, wow.
(P.S. - I am so stealing "flarp," Shawn. Flat/Sharp. So using that from now on.)


We have a SING OFF!!! And I am going to be both happy and unhappy no matter the outcome because I don't want to see either of these groups leave. (P.S. - was kinda surprised that Pentatonix wasn't named before Urban Method. I thought they were more of a clinch than UM.)
Afro-Blue sings "American Boy" again, which I think was the best choice for them. And smart of them to make sure Christie's scat was still there. This was the song that made me love them to begin with!
The Dartmouth Aires sing "Somebody To Love" from their Queen medley. The first note was a skoosh weak, but then Michael made his magic again, even baffling his own bass :)
At this point, I'm in tears, cause they both sang phenomenally and both deserve the spot. I know I'm not gonna like any decision being made. Though, if you held a gun to my head and made me choose one, the jazz soul within me would scream Afro-Blue. It was hard to watch them go (still is, really - I am crying as I type this), but they made it a bit easier with their jazzy smooth take on their swan song, "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters. (I noted the night of the taping that Shawn looked pretty unhappy with the final result as well.)

Hey, we get treated to a live performance of the theme song!!!

I believe that Nick said the top ten groups will be part of the finale show… this means some of our old faves will be back. I know I am seriously looking forward to seeing Vocal Point, the Yellowjackets, and North Shore again (just to name a few)!

Don't forget that you can vote for your favorite to win by visiting www.nbc.com/sing-off/vote. Voting closes at 9am EST on Sunday, November 27th!

Join us next week for the Finale recap as we talk about all of the fun special performances. Who do you think is going to win this year? Will it be Pentatonix, Urban Method, or the Dartmouth Aires? Leave me a comment with your thoughts!

"AcaPolitics" Review

(AcaPolitics.com)

AcaPolitics by Stephen Harrison
Review by blameCarla

I was excited to get this book and began reading it the day it came in the mail. Unfortunately, life intervened and I didn’t get to finish it until a little while later, while on the plane to Marathon Key for vacation in sunny Florida.

The book is about the a cappella community at a small college facing budget cuts, which is something that I think every school is now facing, and because of this, one or more groups funded by the school will be cut. It is also a work of fiction, with heroes, villains, drama (yeah, lots of drama), and a love triangle/quadrilateral of sorts: all the things you need for a successful novel.

I was pleasantly surprised at how fast and good of a read it was. It caught my attention right off the bat, held it, and kept me reading all the way though, and for me, that’s not an easy thing to achieve. If I can figure out the end by the first chapter (which in a way I did and did not), I put the book down.

The characters are three dimensional, if sometimes somewhat predictable, but their quirks make them far less cookie-cutter and much more entertaining. The descriptions of a cappella singing are interesting and insightful to non-singers, and I often found myself enjoying those parts of the novel more than the drama at times, but I’m a music geek anyway, since I spend a lot of time listening to a cappella music.

The love story is complicated and fairly typical, but again the characters make it more realistic. I enjoyed the twist on the “bad girl wants the guy first for other reasons, but falls for him anyway” motif.

In a nutshell, it’s a fun, fast-paced read that kept me interested throughout the whole novel. The story and characters are engaging and the setting of a college campus was perfectly portrayed. I am excited to read the sequel!

Sarah's Ramblings: The Sing Off - Episode Nine

Opening Medley: "I Feel Good" - James Brown, "ABC" - Jackson 5, & "Crazy In Love" - Beyonce
It's The Sing Off Rhythm and Soul Review! The atmosphere in the studio that night was awesome! It was such a fun opener :)

Let's get going with this R&B super night!

CONTEMPORARY R&B
Dartmouth Aires: "Ignition" by R. Kelly
Full disclosure: I am not the biggest contemporary R&B fan. Love me the old school stuff. And I am not a fan of this song. BUT, whoa. Aires. Hot. I mean, Michael, Clark, Xavier… whoa.

Urban Method: "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson feat. Ne-Yo and Kanye West
Katie. Girl. Crazy amazing vocals! I mean, let's be honest, it wasn't perfect. There were one or two pitch bobbles, but they didn't detract from the performance like they have in past weeks.

Vocal Point: "Every Little Step" by Bobby Brown
McKay has soul. And because he said so, I believe it. :) So, when I saw this live, I was kind of squealing. Keith sounded a-mah-zing! The dance moves made me so very happy. And Robert on the spoken bass solo - HECKS YES! And Tanner doing his break down thing - OMG!

Afro-Blue: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey
I adore Christie's voice. I know Danielle gets featured a lot. And Danielle is great. But I LOVE Christie. I love the sultry sound of her voice. And I love the mix of the group on this piece. The bell tones into the final section were tight!

Pentatonix: "OMG" by Usher
Allow me to just pause for a second and just revel in the awesomeness that is Avi. OK, back to the song. They are awesome, as expected. And the breakdown was just fine as wine, baby.

I haven't mentioned recently how much I love our fabulous judges and host. It kinda goes without saying about now. I mean, if they are making you laugh, you know they're making me laugh :)

I am ready for the slow jams and tight grooves of my favorite old school R&B hits… are you? Let's do this!

CLASSIC R&B
Dartmouth Aires: "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & The Pips
Michael gives me goosebumps when he sings. And I am loving the "Pips" behind him (I see you Clark, doing your adorable little "Pips" moves)! The groove was there and the song was beautiful.

Urban Method: "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers
I loved their breakdowns of this song… and Richard, Tony, and Troy are all beasts! And the ladies were amazing :) (yes, Kim, that was awesome)

Vocal Point: "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" by The Temptations
Ben!!!! Jake!!!! McKay!!!! Now, I'll admit that it's not their strongest showing, but I will ALWAYS be an avid Vocal Point fan. Especially when McKay growl-sings. I mean, what? ;)

Afro-Blue: "Best Of My Love" by The Emotions
Oh, but I do love this group. They are ON from the very first "ba dat" and keep it silky smooth the whole way through. Nothing more to say, I think. They definitely don't need my help to recommend them!

Pentatonix: "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
Can I just say that I have been waiting since September 8th to be able to tell the world just how much I love this song! Sitting in my seat in the studio, I just about melted into a puddle in my seat. I mean, MELTED. It was HOT. So stinkin' HOT. From the moment that Mitch sang that "wawa", I knew we were in for a great performance. (P.S. - a song like this one only works if your bass can hack it. Avi is a beast.)


I had a sinking feeling about the Vocal Point elimination when I was in the studio based off of the judges comments after the second song. I am not ashamed to admit that I got a wee bit weepy. These guys were my faves when I first found out the groups. I know that in addition to missing their fun attitudes and amazing harmonies, I'm gonna miss seeing McKay's beaming smile on my tv every week! ;) They leave us with the memory of their amazing harmonies singing Michael Buble's "Home."

Can you believe that next week is the penultimate show?!?!?!

Short note before I sign off: the final two recaps may be a bit late. As I've mentioned before, I am a music student. And on the next two Monday nights, I have evening rehearsals for school. So, I'll be watching the episodes online as soon as I get a chance and recapping them ASAP. I am really looking forward to seeing how this thing ends!!!

Sarah's Ramblings: The Sing Off - Episode Eight

Night 8 of the competition - it's really heating up!!!! We're ready for some rockin' country :) I know I am looking forward to reliving this week - I truly enjoyed it the first time! I also probably won't be as detailed in my recap tonight, but I do remember being very worried about a few groups this week.

Opening Number: "Wake Up" - Arcade Fire
The mix on this is awesome, the groups sound fabulous. And I just saw myself a couple of times :)

Classic Rock
Pentatonix: "Born To Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
The whole performance was just SICK from beginning to end. Especially anything Avi & Kevin managed to spit out - that was hot.

Dartmouth Aires: "We're Not Gonna Take It" - Twisted Sister
I do love me some Michael. Who am I kidding, I love them all. This song ROCKED.

Afro-Blue: "American Girl" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Let me say one thing first: they will probably never sing anything that makes me anything but happy. I love them. And I always will. And as a result, I won't always agree with the judges. I loved this. LOVED it. But hearing some of the judges comments had me worried about these guys.

Delilah: "Dream On" - Aerosmith
You know, I kind of remember this sounding better live. There were still pitch problems. And I am not a fan of scream singing (so, not the biggest Aerosmith fan either), but the arrangement was still powerful!

Urban Method: "Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake
I thought from the beginning that it was interesting to choose the minor key on this arrangement… my ears are still not sure that they like it. But you can't deny that they totally rocked it.

Vocal Point: "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
Oh, Ross. :) Such a rockstar! I loved that they were up on platforms, like they were performing on Ed Sullivan or something. This was SMOKIN'!


Country
Dartmouth Aires: "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" - Big & Rich
You don't know how happy I am that someone did this song! This thing was staged like a Broadway show. Just insane! But I loved it. I wonder what the Muzik Mafia thinks… :) I certainly think it was the most entertaining performance of the night!

Afro-Blue: "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum
I love when Christie sings. Love. And I love the tension in her duet with Trent. I mean, it's not technically their best performance, but it's still absolutely beautiful. (No matter how much I hate this song - it's so overplayed.) I won't lie - I teared up that night. And I'm a bit misty now.

Urban Method: "Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood
There were some serious HOT moments in this song. Serious. But there were also a few pitch issues. Though, a definite improvement on last week.

Delilah: "If I Die Young" - The Band Perry
Can we say "heart"? A few pitch problems over all, but Ingrid - wow.

Vocal Point: "Life Is A Highway" - Rascal Flatts
Ahhhhh, McKay. I've missed you. (and your adorable infectious grin.) :) And Keith!!!! And the harmonies. And the LINE DANCING! It was a tad fast, but whoa. Love.

Pentatonix: "Stuck Like Glue" - Sugarland
Loved it the first time. Love it now. Avi is a beast. Kevin rocks the house with his beats. Scott, Kirstie, and Mitch are a-mah-zing. (And for those of you unfamiliar with this song, the reggae breakdown is actually in the original song.)


While we're waiting for the results, I'd like to take the time to mention that I loved where we were sitting for this show… cause it's been really easy to find Shaina, myself, and my friend Jessica whenever they pan the audience. Always a thrill to see oneself on television! (pssst - we were sitting on Shawn's side of the room, right above the Sing Off sign over the exit)

SO GLAD I AM NOT A JUDGE. I was nervous for a the groups tonight, so nervous. And it's so hard to have to say goodbye to Delilah. May I use a Nick Lachey style pun here? They died young… it was hard to see them go now. They left us with their swan song, "Survivor" by Destiny's Child.

Next week, the top 5 take on R&B hits, both old & new, that are guaranteed to make your pulse race (trust me… it's a hot night for music)! And we'll play another round of "look for Sarah"! ;)

Sarah's Ramblings: The Sing Off - Episode Seven

Welcome to Week Seven of The Sing-Off! Can you believe it has been seven weeks already? *sigh* Tonight, our seven remaining groups taken on superstar medleys… and I was there, so believe me when I say "AWESOMESAUCE"! Let's get it started…

First off, that opener: oh my heavens! I know I saw it a few times live. And it was fabulous. But I am loving getting to see it again… from the different camera angles and closeups. :) Loving this spooky medley of Danny Elfman's "This Is Halloween," Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," and Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters"!

Tonight, not only are we talking through the episode, but we're playing "spot Sarah and Shaina in the audience" :) We are also going to get a special performance from last year's winners, Committed!

Urban Method: Rhianna Medley (What's My Name, Umbrella, & Only Girl)
I remember watching this and thinking "it's not bad… but it's not stunning." The girls looked like they were giving it everything, but it still sounded kind of weak in the lead singer department until "Only Girl," where Katie finally started to sound loud and proud. I think the transitions were interesting and kind of fun. That's always the struggle with a medley: making sure the transitions aren't cheesy. And they made it work there. But still not their best week.

(Through the odd magic of television, I've just seen my mom in the audience again… and, again, she wasn't at this taping.)

Vocal Point: Elvis Medley (Don't Be Cruel, Can't Help Falling In Love, & Jailhouse Rock)
Mike rocks out the fabulous opening of their medley with "Don't Be Cruel" (that whole opening was just hot) and then Jake gets up there and croons against the beautiful background behind him. And then, here comes McKay. Have I mentioned lately how much I love this boy? The energy he sends is always more than enough for everyone in the studio… it's infectious!

Afro-Blue: Janet Jackson Medley (What Have You Done For Me Lately, When I Think Of You, & Miss You Much)
This was hot to me from the start. Especially the transition to "When I Think Of You" with Christie doing her awesomesauce scat thing. And the hot jazz chords thrown in pretty much everywhere. And when they ended with "that's the end?", for a second, we wondered if it was… and kinda wished it wasn't.

Dartmouth Aires: Queen Medley (Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, & Somebody To Love)
So, you've gotta understand that this night was the first time I saw these guys. (And Pentatonix.) What an introduction! Brendan rocked the "Killer Queen" with the funk it deserved leading into what was probably the best song this group could ever consider performing. It totally fits their theatrical style and could only be pulled off properly by a group of their size. And the transition into "Somebody To Love" with Michael on that single note was genius. Well played, Aires, well played.

Pentatonix: Britney Spears Medley (Oops… I Did It Again, Toxic, & Hold It Against Me)
I never thought I would enjoy Britney Spears so much. The little nod to BoyzIIMen there in the first part was awesome… and then they get "Toxic"! (The only Britney song that I like, for the record.) I love that they featured each of their soloists in this medley. I LOVE Kevin & Avi's HOT breakdown. Kevin is a rockstar and Avi is a BEAST! And then to end it by mashing up all three songs… *no words*

(P.S. - Had the pleasure of briefly meeting Avi on Friday night at a choral festival where we were both singing. Very down to earth dude, which I am sure is true of all them members of PTX. And it was kind of awesome to see him singing outside of the Sing Off context!)

Delilah: Alicia Keys Medley (Fallin', A Woman's Worth, & If I Ain't Got You)
Hannah's entrance on "Fallin'", keeping the verse low for the first half instead of singing up where the melody usually is… awesomeness. Kendall brought some extra soul while Jo… the fabulous Jo… kept up a sick bass beat. And then Amy, though she started a tad shaky on her solo, belted that baby out and gave me goosebumps!

Yellowjackets: Billy Joel Medley (The River of Dreams, She's Always A Woman, & Uptown Girl)
Yet another opportunity to hear Aaron is always a good thing. No, seriously, this group has got me in their back pocket. They open by proving to us that they definitely still have the African beat thing down (see week one and "Wavin' Flag"). Aaron sounds like Billy Joel. No joke. Oh my heavens. And then they hit "She's Always A Woman" with two fabulous singers before my favorite (I ain't hiding it) slips back in to his Billy Joel crooning. (Dear Ben - I respectively disagree. Dunno about everyone else, but I can pick Aaron's voice out of the group every time.)

Committed (yes, Committed): Chris Brown Medley (Forever, With You, & Yeah 3x)
Not gonna critique at all. (Except perhaps the choice of artist… I am very much not a Chris Brown fan.) Just sit back and enjoy the ear candy :)

I know I say it every week, but I don't envy the judges. It sucks. Also, I am pretty sure that this was one of those weeks when I verbally reacted to the judges' final decision. (We're talking something along the lines of "what?" And I was kinda loud.) I remember thinking as we left that night that it would be weird to not see the sea of yellow shirts in the audience anymore. And I know I am gonna miss their infectious joy for the music. And Aaron. *sniff* They leave us with one of my favorite "comeback" songs, "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba - with their own little VERY FUN twists to it.

Oh my goodness, next week brings us two more genres of fun (country & rock)… and another opportunity to hunt for Sarah and Shaina!