Lance Miller - There Will Come A Day CD review

Brad Cotter CD review 

George Canyon CD review

Sean Patrick McGraw CD review

John Arthur Martinez - Lone Starry Night review

Nashville Star Online - March 20th Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - March 27th Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - April 03rd Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - April 10th Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - April 17th Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - April 24th Update and Quotes

Nashville Star Online - Buy Music of Nashville Star contestants

Nashville Star Online - Season 2 Updates

May 1st Nashville Star Update and quotes... The Grand Finale

It is getting down to the wire. I realize how hard it is going to be now to say goodbye to one of the contestants. I'm really starting to get to like all of them more and more, but the reality of this show is that there can be only one winner, and it is too close to predict right now who that will be. I truly love all of the performers that are left, it is a contest, but I would buy a CD from any of the 5 contestants that remain, it is getting harder to say goodbye, I'm glad I'm not the one who has to tell them to go home! But since we are getting to the end of the pack, this is going to be a tough one, don't leave the show yet because I think we are in for some incredible performances through the rest of the journey. 

So, the contestants are anxiously awaiting their names to be called by Nancy, and I'm a bit nervous myself, although I don't know why it is not me they are sending home. Speaking of Nancy, she did look incredible tonight in red with a slight change in hair style. This week is for the duets, the contestants will get called out one by one to sing a song solo first before we get to hear and see how they do with superstars Trace Adkins and Terri Clark.

Biting my nails, that can't be good, the first name miss Nancy will call out is... is.... Brad Cotter. Brad has continued over the last few weeks to show why he deserves to be on this stage, and part of the final 4.

Brad chooses "Drift Away". I've heard from a some folks from different areas that state Brad Cotter is not country. I have to wonder which show they've been watching. Yes, Brad has the gift of singing from his soul, but that does not make him not country, he has been consistently wowing me, especially since "I Miss Me" on the originals show, and this is no disappointment either. Brad delivers the vocals on "Drift Away" as though he had written the song, great job again this week. Tracy even said that country hasn't had soul since Ronnie Milsap, and she claims that Brad could fill that void. Praises from Billy and the Warren Brothers too, praise across the board.

Now we learn, well we already knew, that the Hot Spot challenge this week is for the St. Judes Children's hospital, I am a sucker for anything done for the kids, and they made a bunch of money for the charity, in the rain none the less. Anything that is done for children has my vote! And how about Lance Miller, this guy has a big heart, auctioning off the guitar Willie Nelson signed for him, that shows that this guy has a heart as huge as the south.

And then there were 4 remaining. Who will Nancy call upon next? The wait is over as Nancy calls for the Great White North's George Canyon to take the stage. Well, since day one I have been incredibly impressed with this mans talents and this week is no exception, performing "Jambalaya" George does his normal routine, that is to say once again, he blows me away! George Canyon has the ability to make any song a George Canyon song, and this week solidified that thought as he sold the viewer and audience on an incredible performance. Continues to move forward, George Canyon and Brad Cotter will both get record deals and they are the front-runners in this competition.... But there are 3 more waiting backstage........

Nancy calls for Lance Miller to take the stage, and Lance has chosen "Big City", a Merle Haggard song. I knew he would blow the doors off this one, he has an aura of Merle in his voice to begin with. What a performance. If Lance had brought his A-Game since the beginning he would be in the thick of this race too, he is anyway, but based on more current performances than from the start. Gawd, can he wrap himself around a Merle song and add his own flavor to the performance too. Bang up job, more relaxed and personable than he has been to this point. Good job.......

Two remaining sweating it out get called forward and we have to wait until a commercial is over to find out who. OK, be back after these messages......

After the long wait , one of our friends has to go home. And Nancy calls for the last performance of the night, Matt stays to face another week of voting, I hate to say I told you so, but Jennifer Hicks has to depart the house on music row. She takes the news very gracefully, still hard though because I can't help but wonder if the audio troubles last week hurt her after all, she got through it last week smoothly, but some folks do remember the bad over the good. I am confident this is not the last we will see of Jennifer Hicks, she has a great sound and I for one will be waiting for her new album, We will miss you Jenn, best of luck!

So, Matt Lindahl comes to perform. I like tuning in each week to see what Matt will do next. He knows how to keep it light. What, a cowboy hat? On Matt? (He takes the Cowboy hat off to reveal his signature red ball cap underneath, phew, I thought we might have lost that. What does Matt choose, oh yeah, this will be good, Chug-A-Lug, the Roger Miller classic. Matt is an entertainer, not just a performer, there IS a difference. A great performance, but along with the judges as much as I like to see him, I feel he will be eliminated next week, Time will tell, but he just doesn't have the commercial appeal of the rest of the contestants.

OK, Duets coming next with Superstars Terri Clark and Trace Adkins. The same order and Brad enters the stage to sing with Terri Clark. I am not here to say how the stars did, however Terri Clark proves that she is one of the best female vocalists today. The song is the up-tempo working of "Easy On The Eyes" and they do it flawlessly.

George and Trace Adkins, remember last year Buddy Jewell did the duet with Trace, and we all know where he is now, the reigning Nashville Star. A rock solid performance by the duo. They sound like they have been singing together forever, and after "I Left Something Turned on At Home" Trace points to George and says "There's a Star for you right there". The look on George Canyon's face is like that of a kid on Christmas morning as he walks over to Nancy. Obviously thrilled for the opportunity.

Lance Miller and Trace Adkins are next with "I'm Tryin' ". They sounded very good tonight together and Lance seemed the most at home he has since, well , ever, good job!

Matt Lindahl and Terri Clark are next with "Better Things To Do". This is a sheer hoot, even Terri looks like she is totally enjoying this duet. Matt has a power to bring a smile to your face easily, and he does it time and again. I think they sounded great together in the chorus.

Now, someone has to go home, I think it will probably be Matt, as much as I like him, he shows me he can entertain, and I am looking forward to hearing more from him, but in the mix with the other three straight forward country artists, he just doesn't stack up.

Did you notice that during the clips being shown back to help you decide who to vote for that Brad Cotter's clip kept changing speeds, sounded as though it were dragging. I wish we could get through one week without a problem, I love the show and what it stands for, but get it right, please.......

Don't forget to email your thoughts on the April 17th show to Rikks Revues, help@RikksRevues.com  , to get your quotes or thoughts pubished on my website and a chance to win FREE music of this year and last years Nashville Star!!

Another week of Nashville Star and again it wasn't a  disappointment. I'm
so glad I don't have to be the one that tells someone to go home. All of
those that are left are extremely talented and it really is a shame for any
of them to have to leave. However, this is a contest and it has to come down
to one winner eventually.

I'm going to start out by talking about the "Hot Spot Challenge", which this
week was for the St. Judes Children's hospital. There could not be a charity
that is nearer and dearer to my heart than this one. I have two healthy
kids, but for the grace of God it could have been very different. The
contestants did a fund raiser for this VERY worthwhile charity but the
challenge this time was that it started raining the day of this outdoor
event. But that's getting a bit ahead of myself. The contestants toured St.
Judes and visited with some of the kids. Everyone was touched but I don't
think any more so than Lance and Matt. Lance was talking to a 12 year old
girl that was laying in a hospital bed smiling this HUGE smile. Lance was
wearing his feelings on his sleeve as he mentioned that he has a sister the
same age as the girl. His eyes filled up with big ol' tears but he got it
under control with some effort.  The effort was for not as he had to wipe
the tears from his face over and over as he visited these kids. The kids all
sang Happy Birthday to Matt and he did good until they got outside and then
when he tried to talk about what the experience meant to him he got choked
up and just couldn't do it. What big hearts these NS2 contestants have and
St. Judes filled them to overfull!!
When they woke up on concert day it was raining, but after seeing what they
were playing for, they got out early and let people know the show was going
on anyway!!! They drew in quite a crowd. They had a fundraiser, sold shirts,
food, anything and everything to make money for St. Jude's. The high note was
when Lance auctioned the guitar that he had Willie Nelson sign on Willie
Nelson night on NS star!! This was an item that I bet meant a lot to him and
not something that he can easily replace. That just shows you how much
visiting with the kids touched them.
I could go on and on about St. Judes and the concert but I bet you want to
hear how the show went? Well again they chose to do the elimination by
having the contestants that were voted to stay called out to sing one at the
time. I really wish they wouldn't do it this way.  Brad gets called first and
he goes off to get ready to sing
Brad chose "Drift Away" and he blew the doors off of it. Brad is and
continues to be a very talented contender. He is comfortable on stage and
brings some soul to country music. Tracy gave him high marks of praise, She
tells him that he has the ability to combine country with R&B, telling him
that he could fill a void in country music that Ronnie Milsap used to hold.
I'm not sure I would have said that but I have to agree that he is ready to
cut an album and ready to get a record deal. He got praise from all the
other judges as well with the warren brothers saying he is indeed ready. He
is ready and I expect to see him as a HUGE HUGE star within the next couple
of years.

George Canyon is the next to take the stage. He sang "Jambalaya" and that
sounds like a hard song to sing. He made the song his from start to finish.
George has yet to disappoint me but he has really grown with NS2. His
ability to play to the audience has really improved. He adds his own style
to every song he sings and he sings every song as it was meant to be sang.
The judges gave him high marks again. Tracy has the dollar signs rolling in
her eyes as she knows this is a guy who will easily sell records and fill
concert venues!!

Lance sang "Big City", a Merle Haggard song. He came out in a black suit
that fit his personality. He really should stick to the suits as far as his
'look" goes. Not surprisingly he sang the pants off this song as he has the
Merle "style". Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. I was thinking he might
sing it too much like Merle but instead he sang it totally Lance. This was
his best performance since they sang originals. Have I mentioned that I
really like Lances style of singing? He is country all the way!!! The judges
gave him good marks.. not the same high praise that Brad and George got but
still.... NICELY DONE LANCE!!!

Matt was the last performer to sing which means Jennifer has to leave. I
hated to see that but I cant say I was very surprised. She did give a weak
performance last week and she has been just barely holding on every week.
Jennifer has a lot of talent though and it would be a shame if she quit
singing. She hasn't peaked yet in what she can learn about singing and
performing. If there was an award for most improved since NS2 began then
Jennifer would have to be the one to receive it. Jennifer, if you read any
of this my message for you is.... DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!

Matt Lindahl performs Chug-A-Lug, a Roger Miller classic. When I heard the
song start I was pumped to hear his version and he didn't disappoint me!! He
sang that song like it was his own!! This guy is a great entertainer and
performer. He knows how to have fun and the audience has fun with him. He
got quite an ovation of applause when it was over. Tracy gave him a not so
good critique but then threw in the caveat of him having the ability to be
the Roger Miller of our time and that he should get a record deal... just
not yet. Hmmm... I don't know. While I agree that he isn't showing the
versatility I think he would need to go forward to win NS2.....He could
would give the most fun concert of all the contestants and I think he could
fill venue. I know I would pay to go see him.

Duets with Superstars Terri Clark and Trace Adkins.  Brad sang with Terri
Clark.. The song is the up-tempo working of "Easy On The Eyes" . They did a
great job. The only critique I had on this was that Terri's voice
out-shadowned Brad quite a few times. Brad sang very well though and they
made a good team. The mixing person should have turned her mic down just a
bit or turned Brads up.

George and Trace Adkins, "I Left Something Turned on At Home". WOW!!! These
two sang like they were meant be a team. Their voices couldn't have melded
together any better. George was so excited to be singing with Trace that he
was literally bursting at the seams. Trace ended the song with "There's a
star for ya right there" as he pointed at George.
Lance Miller and Trace Adkins did "I'm Tryin' ".  I was surprised because
Lance sang in a much higher octave than Trace. Of course that's because Trace
sings that in a deep baritone that Lance couldn't possibly match. If you
think that took away from the performance you couldn't be more wrong. Lance
kicked serious butt. I wish he had picked that one as one of his 'cover
songs". He sang with feeling and I bought into the performance. Good work
Lance!!

Matt Lindahl and Terri Clark sang a different version of "Better Things To
Do". Matt added his own personality to this song and had a great time
singing it. Terri looked like she was having fun as well. The crowd enjoyed
it and isn't that what this is all about? Pleasing the crowd. Good work Matt
and I'm glad to see that regardless of what I say (like that means anything
LOL) or what the judges say, you stay true to yourself.

Regards,
GaCowboy

I was disappointed in the episode. I didn't think the duets had any purpose
last year, and I still feel that way this year. Where are the original
songs? The focus has definitely shifted away from songwriting this year.

Brad did the only duet that sounded good. I think Matt tried to upstage
Terri- never a good move but she had a good attitude about it. Trace was not
a good selection for a male star to duet with- no one could compete with
that voice of his.

As far as the individual song selections went, I was disappointed in the
song selection. I didn't buy Georges Jambalaya- if ya don't have it in ya-
don't try it. Lance looked slightly more comfortable on stage but the
performance was not memorable. I think matt might have done better with Dang
Me than Chug a Lug, if he wanted to try to be Roger Miller. I guess because
Roger Miller is one of my all time favorites I wasn't impressed. And I have
to disagree with you Rikk- I thought Brad- although the best performance of
the night- was not country at all- he was very pop and pablum middle of the
road - the stuff Nashville loves right now.

Right now I'd have to say Brads in the lead, but I wouldn't cross the street
to see him perform. But he's what Nashville wants right now- so he'll
probably do well.

Donna B.

*** Rikks notes: Man, I think people are really missing the point with the duets. It was a thrill for the contestants and we get a chance to see how they shape up against established performers. The point of the duets was not to vote on that performance with the STAR, but on the solo performance which is why we are shown the solo performance at the end of the show and not the duet. As far as originals, it was down to the final three last year too before we got to hear more originals, remember? Again though it is great to have different opinions.........***

See you next week, and remember to get your quotes added, just email them to me help@RikksRevues.com and you will get added into the draw for free music too!! Besides Buddy Jewell and John Arthur original independent CDs, we will also have Lance Miller to give you, Matt Lindahl when it is released, George Canyon CD single and more........... You can enter every week if you want!!!

Country Music and Nashville Star Message Board - http://com2.runboard.com/bcountrymusicandnashvillestar

USA Network's Nashville Star Bulletin Board - Click Here!

The official USA Network Nashville Star website - http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar/

Other Nashville Star 1 & 2 Message Boards, chat rooms and forums......

 

	George Canyon Fanlisting site
	Miranda Lambert - Message Board
	Brandon Silveira - Message Board
	John Arthur Martinez - jAm Fans Message Board
	Jamey Garner - Message Board
	Brandi Gibson - MSN Group
	Brad Cotter Chat - Chat Room
	Matt Lindahl - Message Board
	Anessa Andrews Forum - Forum/ Message Board

Hey If you know any other message boards, forums or chat rooms you think I should list, let me know!!

               Nashville Star Links

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	Sir Links Alot Nashville Star links Loads o' Links about Nashville Star
	Nashville.About.Com  Nashville Star news and links. Jan offers up some great information for Nashville Star Fans. A must visit.
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