Whoops.  I did think it was an Evanescence song they were singing on the video I uploaded on the last roundup.  I only realized it wasn't when I got my copy of We Are the Fallen's first free MP3--the new name's because some band complained, whatever--and... I'm passing my quick verdict on that in today's random American Idol roundup.  That, and more details from the upcoming tour, but first...
Item one: Syesha gets Dreamgirls.  It's pretty old news, but it's worth mentioning anyway: season 7's Syesha Mercado will star in the revival of the musical Dreamgirls.  The singer will appear as Deena Jones, the same role Beyoncé Knowles did in the film.  Yep, that film with Idol alum Jennifer Hudson on it--her character, Effie White, will be played by Moya Angela.  The national tour kicks off on November 7 at the Apollo in New York.

Item two: Megan does Amy Winehouse.  Michael Jackson's death--God bless him--overshadowed what could've been big news on the Idol front: the preview of the tour, which kicks off next week.  So what will they be doing?  Anoop Desai will be singing fan favorite "My Prerogative", while Megan Joy will be taking a page off Amy Winehouse's songbook with "Tears Dry On Their Own".  (It's my favorite off the singer's second album.  Just a disclaimer.)  Matt Giraud will be doing "Georgia on My Mind", and it seems Scott MacIntyre will finally get to do some piano dueling with him.

As for the top three?  Danny Gokey won't reveal his set list, but he said two of them were "nude songs"--I presume he meant "new".  Adam Lambert promised a "post-apocalyptic-rocked-out-space-disco-funk" looking set, with tracks from Muse and, in particular, a handful from David Bowie.  Of course, Kris Allen will do "Heartless" and (still) "No Boundaries" and "Hey Jude".

Also on the preview, Adam launched a line that I actually liked because it sums up the stuff he's been up to since Idol wrapped: "I'm like a fireman... and a firestarter at the same time."   Ooooh, burn.

Item three: I pass judgment on "Bury Me Alive".  If you were one of the 100,000 people who registered on We Are the Fallen's website, you probably have a copy of that track.  So how does Carly Smithson fare in a band that inevitably is getting a lot of Evanescence comparisons, not after the fact that Ben Moody and two other former members of the band are there?

I listened to it, and it sounds like... Evanescence.  A lot.  A few bits will remind you that it's Carly who's singing, and not Amy Lee, but overall it sounds the same.  Could that be a compliment?  That's just one track, note, and a few more will surely come.  That, and I'm not really good with judging singers, not as if I haven't done so during the past Idol season...


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Sources: AP, Rolling Stone
(Image courtesy of WENN)